Hong Kong: Young interns work to save nature

The Home Affairs Bureau and Ocean Park are recruiting for the Youth Internship Programme at the Wolong National Nature Reserve. Participants will take up a six-week internship in Sichuan, receiving training in nature conservation and ecotourism.

Calvin Ma, an Ecology & Biodiversity student at the University of Hong Kong, and Alice Leung who is studying Biological Science at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, both spent their last summer holiday participating in the programme.

Before heading off to Sichuan, they visited the giant pandas at Ocean Park and learnt about a panda keepers daily duties, including making breakfast for the animals.

We chopped apples and prepared some snacks for the giant pandas. It was quite interesting, Miss Leung said.

Mr Ma was particularly excited about getting up close to a giant panda.

When I saw the condensation from his breath on the glass, I got a sense that a giant pandas body temperature is similar to ours, he said.

Broadening horizons

During his internship in Sichuan, Mr Ma worked alongside the reserves wildlife researchers and helped collect and analyse biological data in the field.

I even lived out in the wild for nearly a week. My main duty was to install infrared cameras to discover and record animal tracks. We followed a fixed route to find out about the biodiversity along that route.

Miss Leung worked as education ambassador and introduced the giant pandas to visitors.

I would ask if they know the weight of a newborn giant panda. Normally no one knows these huge animals give birth to a baby of just 100g, so this would raise their interest and make them want to know more.

Both students believe they gained a broader perspective on conservation after joining the programme. Mr Ma is now considering a career in conservation and environmental education on the Mainland.

The internship programme has given me a more comprehensive view and understanding of conservation work on the Mainland. After going to Wolong, I discovered that different parties contribute a lot to environmental protection and I was also surprised to discover so much biodiversity in the mountainous areas near the city.

For her part, Miss Leung hopes to raise awareness about conservation and prevent animals from landing on the endangered species list.

When I was younger, I did not know how human development makes animals critically endangered. When I was in Wolong, I realised how many resources and how much effort is needed to rebuild a species, so why dont we stop this from happening in the first place instead of fixing it later?

Sharing knowledge

After they returned to Hong Kong, the interns applied what they had learnt from the internship in Sichuan by joining efforts to conserve the natural environment.

They taught secondary school students how to carry out ecological surveys near their schools by using the simple tools of a ruler to measure plants, and a pair of binoculars to observe birds.

We saw several alpine plants in Wolong and learnt how to identify them. Today, I can teach the students how to identify different parts of a plant such as the leaves, stems and roots. I hope they enjoy carrying out ecological surveys so they can find out more about the biodiversity around us, Mr Ma noted.

Young aspiring conservationists can enrol in this summers Youth Internship Programme at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan until March 27.

This story has been published on: 2019-03-09. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 13:40:33|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian police said on Sunday that nine suspects, most of who are foreigners, had been arrested in recent operations over suspicion of being involved in terrorism.

Of the nine, six were Egyptian nationals, one was Tunisian and the other two were Malaysians, according to a statement by Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

The suspects were arrested between Feb. 2 and Feb. 7 in the states of Selangor, Sarawak and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. They are aged between 20 to 54, and were mostly acting as facilitators in providing shelter, employment and false documents for other foreign terrorists fighters in Malaysia.

At least one had provided shelter to a high ranking al-Qaida militant who had previously been jailed by Egyptian authorities.

"Our investigations show that these foreign terrorist fighters are attempting to make Malaysia a safe haven for transit and as a logistical base," he said.

"They are entering Malaysia with fake travel documents, marriage to locals to get a spouse visa, posing as students or opening businesses here."

Fuzi added that the country's police had received intelligence from several other countries leading to the arrests of the suspects.

He also said the entry of foreign terrorists into Malaysia should be taken seriously, especially after the defeat of Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

"These individuals could turn Malaysia into a base of operations for conducting attacks in other countries or for launching attacks in Malaysia itself," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 13:50:34|Editor: Liangyu

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XICHANG, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China has made significant progress in the development of the key technologies of the heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Long March-9, which is expected to make its maiden flight around 2030.

The development of the heavy-lift rocket will greatly improve China's capacity of entering outer space. The Long March-9 rocket will support China's space industry development, utilization of space resources and deep space exploration, said experts from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The rocket will have a core stage with a diameter of 9.5 meters. Its total length will be nearly 100 meters. The rocket will be able to carry payloads of 50 to 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, 15 to 50 tonnes into the lunar transfer orbit, and 12 to 44 tonnes into the Mars transfer orbit.

The carrying capacity of the Long March-9 will be five times that of the Long March-5, currently the largest carrier rocket of China.

The heavy-lift rocket is expected to help China realize manned lunar exploration, taking samples from Mars back to Earth, and other deep space explorations.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 14:05:36|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- If all goes according to plan, the first-ever spacewalk with an all-female crew is scheduled for March 29, U.S. space agency NASA has told CNN.

"As currently scheduled, the March 29 spacewalk will be the first with only women," NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz told CNN in an emailed statement Wednesday.

Anne McClain and Christina Koch, the two female NASA astronauts, will walk outside the International Space Station (ISS) and complete the upgrades to two station power channels during the spacewalk, NASA announced in a statement released on the International Women's Day on Friday.

They will be supported on the ground by Canadian Space Agency's female flight controller Kristen Facciol at Johnson Space Center in Houston, according to the CNN report.

"In addition to the two female spacewalkers, the Lead Flight Director is Mary Lawrence, and Jackie Kagey (also a woman), is the lead EVA (extravehicular activity) flight controller," Schierholz added.

McClain and Koch were both selected as astronauts by NASA in 2013. McClain has been at the ISS since December 2018, while Koch is due to lift off on March 14.

The all-female spacewalk will last about seven hours, according to the NASA website.

The historic mission adds to the significance of women's role in space science.

In 1984, Soviet Union's cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to perform a spacewalk. She conducted EVA outside the Salyut 7 space station along with her colleague Vladimir Dzhanibekov.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 15:46:04|Editor: mingmei

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CARACAS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Saturday that his country was subjected to yet another cybernetic attack on the national electrical system, which impeded the progress achieved in restoring power.

After Thursday's blackout, the government had restored power supply in 70 percent of the country as of Saturday noon, but the fresh attack on one of Venezuela's energy facilities "knocked out all that had been achieved by noon," Maduro said during a rally marking the Bolivarian Day of Anti-imperialism.

High-tech and electromagnetic attacks on transmission lines were detected, said Maduro. He accused the opposition of the attacks.

The government has detected personnel who have infiltrated the state's electrical company and conducted the attacks from inside, the president added.

A fire at an electric station was also detected in southern Venezuela.

Maduro called on people to join a "new active resistance phase" and to remain calm.

Since Thursday afternoon, large parts of Venezuela have been left without power due to what the authorities called a sabotage of the country's central hydroelectric plant at the Guri Dam in southeastern Venezuela, which supplies up to 65 percent of the country's hydroelectric energy, according to 2015 government data.

Venezuela was suffering from "technical and cybernetic sabotage" at the nation's central hydroelectric plant, which affected nearly the whole country, said Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez late Thursday.

Opposition leader and self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido on Saturday called upon people across the country to stage a protest against Maduro.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 15:51:06|Editor: mingmei

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FARAH, Afghanistan, March 10 (Xinhua) -- At least eight militants have been confirmed dead and three others injured in clash between government and the Taliban outfit in Afghanistan's western Farah province over the past 24 hours, provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said Sunday.

According to Mohib, the security forces launched operations in parts of Anardara and Pushtrod districts on Saturday and the militants resisted, triggering gun battle but the militants have lost ground besides leaving eight bodies behind.

However, the official didn't say if there were casualties on security personnel. Taliban outfit has yet to make comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 16:01:08|Editor: mingmei

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Brunei will continue its efforts to attract more foreign direct investments to strengthen local economy, Brunei's Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy Hj Mohd Amin Liew has said.

During Saturday's Legislative Council meeting, the minister said the priority of government spending will be aligned with four main areas of focus.

He said these are increasing investments in the country, facilitating the ease of doing business, generating human resources that are competent and employable and maintaining the well-being of the public.

The senior government official said the government will continue their efforts to intensify activities in identified sectors to strengthen the Gross Domestic Product of the non-oil and gas sector. This includes luring in more foreign direct investments in Brunei.

"The government is proactively trying to attract quality foreign direct investments to accelerate the development of the private sector in this country," he said.

With regards to facilitating the ease of doing business in Brunei, the minister said emphasis will be given to the private sector, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises.

"Micro, small and medium enterprises will definitely become the pulse and driving force that can spur the economy of the country," he said.

The minister said that Brunei has signed a number of free trade agreements with regional and international partners to build a conducive environment that can open up opportunities to local entrepreneurs.

The third focal point, generating human resources that are competent and employable, looks at the country's development planning aspect and education to produce more experts, professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders.

The minister cited data from the Labour Force Survey 2017 which showed that the unemployment rate rose from 6.9 percent in 2014 to 9.3 percent in 2017, putting the number of unemployed individuals at 19,200.

He said reducing the unemployment rate in the country is one of the key agendas of the government who is looking to provide more employment opportunities for locals through public private partnerships, foreign direct investments and existing industries.

With regards to welfare, the minister said the government will continue to make sure the people in the country are properly cared for.

This includes provisions such as free educational facilities, quality medical provisions and subsidies for basic needs like rice, fuel for vehicles, water, electricity and housing, among others, the minister said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 16:11:12|Editor: Lu Hui

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Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang attends a press conference on the financial reform and development for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China has implemented most of the financial market opening up measures it announced last year, central bank governor Yi Gang said here Sunday.

"We believe the opening up of China's financial market is conducive to both China and the world," Yi told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

The governor of the People's Bank of China said the country will firmly advance the opening up of the financial market in accordance with the timetable announced at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference last April.

A total of 11 financial opening-up policies were mentioned in the timetable, covering sectors including banking and insurance.

China last November approved the application by a joint venture of American Express for setting up a bank card clearing and settlement institution, and allowed S&P Global Inc. to enter its credit rating market in January.

Related:

China to keep prudent monetary policy to "right degree":PBOC

China, U.S. reach consensus on many key, important exchange rate issues: PBOC

China to open bond market wider to overseas investors: official

PBOC governor says "some room" exists for cutting reserve requirement ratio
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 16:11:12|Editor: Lu Hui

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Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang attends a press conference on the financial reform and development for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States discussed exchange rates and reached consensus on many key, important issues in the latest round of economic and trade talks, the country's central bank governor said Sunday.

The two parties discussed about how to respect the autonomy of each other's monetary authorities in determining the monetary policy, Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

The discussion also involved mutual adherence to the market-decided exchange rate mechanism, honoring the commitments made at previous G20 summits such as choosing not to adopt competitive depreciation, not to use exchange rates for competition purpose, and maintaining close communication on foreign exchange markets, Yi said.

They also discussed the issue that both sides should commit to disclose data in accordance with the statistics transparency standard of the International Monetary Fund, according to Yi.

Yi stressed that China will never use exchange rates for competition purpose, nor apply them to boost exports or take them as tools of trade frictions.

With the continuous improvement of the Chinese socialist market economy, market is making up a growingly greater proportion in the exchange rate formation mechanism. China's exchange rates are becoming increasingly market-oriented, Yi added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 16:46:20|Editor: mingmei

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BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China's coking industry reported rising production and improving profitability last year, official data showed.

Coke output amounted to 438 million tonnes, up 0.8 percent from one year earlier, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). That reversed from a decline of 3.3 percent registered in 2017.

The sector posted its best profitability in years, lifted by surging demand in steel last year, according to the MIIT.

The MIIT took Shanxi Province, China's major coke production base that accounts for more than one fifth of the country's total output, as an example, where coking enterprises saw their 2018 business revenues and net profits surge 19.8 percent and 120.2 percent year on year to 187.28 billion yuan (about 27.85 billion U.S. dollars) and 17.75 billion yuan, respectively.

The country exported 9.75 million tonnes of coke last year, up 20.8 percent from one year earlier, while the per-tonne price of exports climbed 14.3 percent to 304.9 dollars on average, according to data from the China Coking Industry Association.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 16:51:21|Editor: mingmei

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NAY PYI TAW, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar-Bangladesh border fence construction work in Buthidaung township, Myanmar's Rakhine state and Myanmar security forces stationed there have been attacked by ethnic armed group, the Arakan Army (AA), according to the Office of the Commander-in Chief of the Defense Services of Myanmar on Sunday.

The 200-strong AA launched the attack from the Bangladesh side separately on Saturday afternoon between the border posts BP-67 and BP-68.

Myanmar security forces warned of reacting with a military operation against the AA for the security of the area and for safeguarding the territory as well as for protecting the lives and properties of the local people.

The construction work of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border fence has been underway since 2010 under four phases to prevent illegal entry from the country's western gate and so far a distance of 129.15 miles(206.64 kilometers) of the fence far up to Fence No. 67 has been completed, the military headquarters said.

Meanwhile, AA also launched attacks on a village police outpost in Ponnagyun township, Myanmar's Rakhine state on Saturday night, killing nine policemen, mostly officers, and injuring two others. One went missing.

The attack on the Yo Ta Yoke village police outpost by small and heavy weapons came from three directions at 11:20 pm local time.

The AA took away some weapons of the security forces, an official of the Rakhine state police headquarters said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 17:51:36|Editor: ZX

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RAMALLAH, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian youth was shot dead by the Israeli policemen on Sunday at a military checkpoint in Jericho in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that the Palestinian security confirmed that Salamah Salah Kaabna, 22, was killed by Israeli police who opened fire near Jericho.

According to security sources and eyewitnesses, the Israeli police held the body of the dead man.

On the other hand, Israeli media reported that a Palestinian man was driving at an excessive speed and did not comply with the Israeli police's orders to stop, and he was shot and killed as a result.

The Israeli public radio reported that the incident took place at midnight on Sunday while the police were ambushed on Street 90 to follow a suspicious car.

The Israeli army announced in a statement that its forces arrested six Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank, who were "suspected of involvements in popular activities and violent riots."

According to the army statement, the forces in Hebron and Nablus seized tens of thousands of Israeli shekels of funding to the terrorists, as well as two pistols and ammunition.

The Israeli army carries out arrests and raids almost on a daily basis in the West Bank as part of the hunt for Palestinians, while Palestinians say they often involve civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 17:51:37|Editor: ZX

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, March 9 (Xinhua) -- After serving as Governor of Colorado for eight years, John Hickenlooper aims higher. He on Thursday night attracted some 2,000 supporters to support his official announcement into the 2020 U.S. presidential race.

"It's time to end this American crisis of division, it's time to bring all Americans together," said Hickenlooper, who was a former mayor of Denvor for nearly eight years before governorship. "America stops working when we work against each other."

The 67-year-old political veteran, however, has to face a crowded Democratic field, with about two dozen expected challengers, and it "will feature a record number of women and non-white candidates," said political analyst David Richardson.

HANGING IN BALANCE

Hickenlooper's announcement came as a little surprise, as an army of Democrats suggested long ago they would fight for change in Washington.

Days ago, Bernie Sanders, the popular 2016 Democratic runner-up to Hillary Clinton, just announced his return. The socialist-leaning Vermont Senator became an immediate front runner.

Julie Johnson, a Denver nurse, told Xinhua that "the governor knows what he's doing, if you follow politics."

Hickenlooper became the second Democratic governor to announce a bid against President Donald Trump, joining renewable energy and climate-focused Jay Inslee of Washington.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock and former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe are also expected to run for the top Democratic spot.

The 2020 primaries, which will decide a single presidential candidate in each party, will begin in Iowa next year. "Our former governor will do well there with his folksy style, pro agriculture, business, and free trade philosophy," Jill Snow, a teacher in Colorado's Fort Collins, told Xinhua.

In 24 hours after his announcement, the term-limited governor raised over 1 million U.S. dollars in contributions, according to his office.

Hickenlooper is "smart, a successful businessman, and good politician," said Jim Warner, who traveled from southern Colorado to watch the announcement.

GOOD SHOTS

Hickenlooper has been criticized by liberals for promoting fossil fuel extraction in Colorado's mineral rich Rocky Mountains, especially the controversial Fracking process, whereby gas and oil is extracted from holes drilled 5 miles down into the Earth.

"Frackenlooper," Colorado Green Party candidate Arn Menconi told Xinhua. "I can't support him because of his energy policies."

However, as an erstwhile petroleum engineer, Hickenlooper is also a proponent of renewable energy, and has worked to accelerate electric car use in Denver.

"He seems to have adopted an Obama-style energy position -- pursue renewables, but keep options open, and don't turn your back to fossil fuels -- yet," said Longmont insurance agent Sue Harper.

In 1988, Hickenlooper founded a brewery in LoDo, which was once in a run-down area of Denver but now has become vibrant.

"I think he has good shot. He's moderate and America needs to move back to the center," said Jessie Watkins, a bank teller.

Watkins, who graduated in 2014 with a degree in business, represents a growing number of Colorado millennials who swept Democrats into power in the 2016 and 2018 elections, and are expected to carry weight in 2020.

Hickenlooper is seen as a consummate deal maker, who brought big companies like Arrow Electronics, DaVita, and VF Corp to Colorado when the state ranked 40th in job creation. In 2018, Colorado boasted the 7th fastest employment growth in the country.

Hickenlooper is known for taking time to develop positions on certain issues.

Perceived as non-committal on gun control, he championed the passage of a landmark, modest gun control measure in 2013, after a mass shooting at a local movie theater in 2012.

Initially opposed to marijuana legalization, the then governor eventually supported the regulated sale of the drug, which brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

"Hickenlooper has been at the right place at the right time. That's for sure," said Ben Thompson, a local millennial.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 18:16:40|Editor: ZX

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BAGHDAD, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen French Islamic State (IS) militants previously transferred from neighboring Syria to Iraq are currently facing trial by Iraqi courts, a local official newspaper said on Sunday.

"The 14 IS members are French nationals, some of them from Arab origin. They are currently being tried at Baghdad's al-Karkh investigation court, which is specialized in terror cases," said al-Qadaa monthly newspaper, which is issued by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council.

It said that the Iraqi authorities received the 14 militants after a follow up and efforts by the Iraq intelligence service.

All the detained IS militants had received military training in Syria after joining the extremist IS group, the newspaper said.

One of the detained militants is 37-year-old. He is of a Tunisian origin, who served for ten years in the French army and previously served in Afghanistan, the newspaper said, adding that he entered Syrian territories illegally from Turkey where he received training before moving to Mosul to pledge allegiance to IS group.

On February 21, the Iraqi intelligence service announced arresting 13 French citizens affiliated with IS group, including leading figures of the group, in an operation inside Syria territories.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 18:41:45|Editor: ZX

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Photo taken on March 10, 2019 shows the manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) at a port of Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. China's science ship Tansuo-1 loaded with the manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) returned to its home harbor in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, on Sunday, after finishing its first expedition in the Indian Ocean. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China's science ship Tansuo-1 loaded with the manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) returned to its home harbor in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, on Sunday, after finishing its first expedition in the Indian Ocean.

The manned submersible can reach a depth of 4,500 meters. The 121-day expedition trip organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences began Nov. 10, 2018. Scientists from 10 Chinese and foreign research institutes were invited to join the deep-sea research trip.

The ship traveled 17,000 nautical miles on the expedition during which scientists surveyed five deep-sea hydrothermal areas and collected a trove of samples for ecological environment research.

The submersible Shenhai Yongshi conducted 62 dives. Scientists succeeded in retrieving it in a variety of conditions including stormy waves and during the night.

The development of the submersible took eight years and involved over 90 Chinese organizations and companies. It conducted deep-sea testing missions in 2017 and 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 18:41:46|Editor: ZX

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NAIROBI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN Environment and the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote water and environment conservation in developing countries.

Liu Jian, director of science division and chief scientist at UN Environment, told Xinhua in Nairobi that cooperation will be done to encourage South-South cooperation.

"The purpose of this MoU is to provide a framework of cooperation and understanding, and to facilitate collaboration between the parties to further their shared goals and objectives in regard to the training and joint research programs to assist and provide solutions for the developing world in the field of water and environment, based on a South-South cooperation approach," Liu said on the sidelines of the second global session of the UN Science, Policy and Business Forum on the environment.

Liu said the agreement will remain in force through December 2023.

Qu Jiuhui, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the two parties have also agreed on joint research on atmospheric environmental strategy, technology and its application in developing countries.

The parties will hold regular bilateral meetings for the purpose of developing and monitoring collaborative projects, he said.

"Such meetings shall take place at least once every three months to discuss technical and operational issues related to furthering the objectives of the MoU," Qu added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 20:22:12|Editor: Lu Hui

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a small copy of the constitution as he gives a speech during the presidential inauguration ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Andrea Romero)

by Cui Yuanlei, Shooka Shemirani, Xu Ye

CARACAS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelans were hit with a prolonged nationwide blackout that capped a week of continued strife between the ruling socialist party and the right-wing opposition and its international backers.

The power outage, which the government blamed on sabotage at a central hydroelectric plant, brought cities around the country to a standstill, including the capital Caracas. Schools and offices were closed. Only vital services such as airports and hospitals kept functioning with emergency generators.

Electricity was restored Friday afternoon in at least 10 Caracas districts after 20 hours' outage, and also in several eastern states. However, the capital was hit by another blackout on Saturday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday denounced the new attack on Venezuela's electricity system at a massive rally in Caracas.

He said the government has stepped up efforts to free the national electric company from infiltrators and coup plotters and protect the company from cybernetic and electromagnetic attacks directed by the United States.

ONGOING TENSIONS

The power outage is amid the country's ongoing political tensions, as the West continued to prop up the opposition in a bid to oust Maduro from power.

Political tensions between the government and opposition groups in Venezuela came to a head after Maduro was sworn in to a new term on Jan. 10.

The opposition, which largely boycotted the presidential elections in May last year, refuses to recognize Maduro's re-election victory and anointed a president of its own.

On Wednesday, Venezuela declared German ambassador Daniel Martin Kriener persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country after the envoy demonstrated his allegiance to the opposition.

Kriener was among a handful of ambassadors who went to the airport on Monday to welcome opposition leader and self-proclaimed "interim president" Juan Guaido on his return from a tour of Latin American countries that support Venezuela's Washington-backed opposition.

A day later, the White House's special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, announced the U.S. plans to "expand the net" of sanctions designed to choke off the government's access to financial resources, targeting banks handling transactions for the state.

MILITARY INTERVENTION

Military intervention in Venezuela poses quite a challenge, at least initially, according to Reinaldo Iturriza, Venezuela's former minister of culture.

Despite worsening political and economic woes, the government has so far enjoyed the civilian and military support it needs to withstand the pressure.

"There is a military operation against Venezuela in the works, and it failed in its initial stage," Iturriza said.

While "the scenario of a U.S. military intervention or one carried out through the government of Colombia has lost momentum, the option is not off the table yet," he warned.

One of the reasons why direct military intervention lost steam was that the fracture within the Lima Group of hemispheric countries advocating regime change in Venezuela.

"The Lima Group has been rapidly unraveling ... as it is now public that some of the countries that had a very interventionist stance have since distanced themselves from the option of a direct military intervention," said Iturriza.

Still, the Lima Group will probably cooperate with the imposition of economic sanctions.

"It is quite likely that they are going to continue to strangle the national economy in this way," he said.

DIALOGUE HOLDS KEY

Venezuelan political analyst Luis Quintana, who teaches at the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela, said the key to breaking the impasse would be to give voice to those willing to compromise and mediate.

Quintana highlighted the Montevideo Mechanism for mediation promoted by Uruguay, Mexico and Bolivia, a "regional initiative the government is betting on" to forge a peaceful way out of the crisis.

"The international community must demand that sanctions be lifted and the parties meet for talks, for negotiation," said Iturriza.

"The important thing now is to return to the path of democracy, the path of political dialogue and, fundamentally, let Venezuelans themselves resolve their internal affairs," he added.

The main "challenge that faces all Venezuelan society, including its government, is tackling the economic situation," Iturriza said.

(Video reporters: Zhu Xiaoguang; Video editors: Zhao Xiaoqing, Li Aibin)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 20:22:13|Editor: Xiaoxia

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CAIRO, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi nominated on Sunday the chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Kamel al-Wazir to take up the transportation portfolio.

Speaking during an educational symposium of the Armed Forces in Cairo, Sisi said an approval by the House of Representatives is needed before Wazir could officially assume the post.

On February 27, Transport Minister Hesham Arafat resigned hours after a train locomotive crashed into the buffer stop at the end of rail track at the main railway station near Ramses square downtown Cairo, causing a massive fire and leaving 20 dead and 43 wounded.

Wazir will be expected to fully upgrade the railway sector by June 30, 2020, Sisi said, adding that the minister-to-be will have full support from all bodies concerned, including the Armed Forces.

Egypt witnessed a number of deadly train accidents 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. Later 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 many passengers to jump for their lives.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 20:53:23|Editor: Xiaoxia

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Five-year-old Nigerian child actress Aunty Success performs during the Teen Inspirational Summit in Windhoek, capital of Namibia, March 9, 2019. Themed on "connecting with tomorrow's leaders", the summit coincides with the goal to engage with the youth on inspirational topics by allowing them to "realize their dreams through inspiration". (Xinhua/ Musa Zimunya)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 20:47:28|Editor: Lu Hui

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A child prepares to put trash into a classified garbage bin at Gangkou Village of Anji County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 16, 2018. In addition to education and healthcare, the Chinese government is also turning its attention to something equally important to rural areas: toilets. The world's second-largest economy is in the midst of a "toilet revolution," launched in 2015 to improve restrooms across the country. China has announced plans to install or renovate toilets for 10 million rural households in 30,000 villages this year. The fund allocation by the central government is expected to be 7 billion yuan (about 1.04 billion U.S. dollars). Toilet revolution is just part of a much grander rural revitalization strategy, first put forward during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017 and repeatedly stressed by the Chinese leadership since then. The strategy aims at achieving the basic modernization of agriculture and rural areas by 2035, and the grand goal of a strong agriculture, a beautiful countryside and well-off farmers by 2050. (Xinhua/Zhang Chen)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 20:47:17|Editor: Xiaoxia

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KIEV, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Interior Ministry condemned the unrests staged by far-right protesters in Kiev and the city of Cherkassy in central Ukraine as "unacceptable" on Saturday, local media reported on Sunday.

"Those who crossed the line should be punished," Interior Minister Arsen Avakov was quoted as saying by the government-run Ukrinform news agency.

The law enforcement authorities have already initiated criminal proceedings into the violence in Cherkassy, Avakov said.

On Saturday, activists from the far-right political group National Corps staged protests outside a presidential administration in Kiev and at a presidential campaign event in Cherkassy attended by President Petro Poroshenko, against the alleged corruption in Ukraine's state-run defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom.

The activists demanded the authorities to arrest several officials from Ukroboronprom and the National Security and Defense Council over their alleged role in corruption schemes in the conglomerate.

The protests turned violent, when the activists clashed with police. According to the Kiev police and the Interior Ministry, three police officers were hurt in the clashes in Kiev and 22 others were injured in the unrest in Cherkassy.

Last month, local media outlet "Bihus.info" issued an investigative report claiming that Ukroboronprom enterprises purchased components for producing goods at highly inflated prices. The press service of the conglomerate said that journalists did not indicate their sources and used the manipulative approach in their investigation.

Ukroboronprom, established in 2010, includes some 130 enterprises from various sectors of Ukraine's defense industry. Since 2014, the conglomerate has supplied the Ukrainian armed forces with more than 25,000 units of new and modernized weapons and military equipment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 21:02:21|Editor: Xiaoxia

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TOKYO, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet decreased to 43.3 percent, as many urge the government to respect an Okinawa referendum that rejected the relocation plan of a U.S. air base, a poll conducted by Kyodo News showed Sunday.

The cabinet's approval rating dropped 2.3 percent compared to the previous survey in early February, while the disapproval rating remained 40.9 percent.

On the Okinawa referendum on the relocation plan of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, 68.7 percent of the surveyed said that the central government should respect the outcome while 19.4 percent said there is no need to do so.

In February, more than 70 percent of local voters rejected the central government's plans to move the U.S. base from the Ginowan region to the coastal Henoko area also on the island, giving the Okinawa government a stronger foothold in its campaign to block the controversial move.

However, Abe said the central government will forge ahead with its plan to relocate the Futenma base.

The nationwide telephone survey conducted over the weekend also showed that a large majority of respondents were disappointed with the government's controversial labor data scandal.

Among the questioned, 70.7 percent said they are dissatisfied with the government's denial of a systematic coverup after an investigation on the issue. About 13 percent said otherwise.

The scandal, which has rocked the labor ministry involving the improper collection of data in the ministry's monthly labor survey, dated back more than a decade and resulted in more than 20 million people not receiving their full benefits.

According to Kyodo News, the poll was conducted among 740 randomly chosen households with eligible voters and 1,218 mobile phone numbers, and a total of 1,029 provided valid answers.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 21:02:21|Editor: Xiaoxia

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RAMALLAH, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Authority (PA) officials announced on Sunday the adoption of "emergency budget" to face Israel's withdrawal of fund from the Palestinian tax revenues.

Minister of Finance and Planning Shukry Bshara said during a press conference held in Ramallah city, that the decision was taken during a meeting between officials and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The emergency budget will include a number of austerity measures, including the suspension of appointments, bonuses, reducing travel expenses and stopping the adoption of the budget for the development projects, Bshara said.

He pointed out that the plan will adopt a budget based on cash disbursement for what is available in the Palestinian treasury "in accordance with a rational and just priorities so as not to affect the services provided to citizens."

According to Bshara, the PA will pay the salaries for government employees for the February's month, in full amount for those salaries less than 2,000 shekels (551 U.S. dollars).

For those who get more than 2,000 shekels, they will receive 50 percent of their total salary.

Bishara pointed out that the salaries of martyrs, prisoners and wounded were paid in full at the beginning of this month.

He stressed the financial difficulty of the PA, and said they need to borrow 50 to 60 million U.S. dollars per month over the next six months, pointing out that they will ask Arab and Islamic banks and funds and the League of Arab States to help them.

The deduction of Israel from the proceeds of tax revenues is "illegal" due to U.S. political decisions to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, according to Bishara.

Bishara said that the Israeli side had been informed by an official letter recently of the PA's refusal to deduct from Palestinian tax revenues without prior bilateral scrutiny with the Palestinian side.

Israeli government has decided to withhold around 138 million U.S. dollars in tax revenues that Israel collects from the Palestinian trade on behalf of the PA.

Israel said that it decided to cut the money from the tax revenues, which the PA pays to the families of Palestinian prisoners and those were killed during attacks they carried out against Israel.

Abbas said in response that he will not accept the tax revenues if any amount of it was to be deducted.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 21:07:21|Editor: Xiaoxia

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BAGHDAD, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih on Sunday stressed the need to provide a peaceful environment for the displaced Christians to return to their homes in Iraq.

A statement by his office said that Salih met with Christian clergyman Patriarch Gorgis III in the presidential palace in Baghdad, where he stressed "the necessity of repatriating the Christians to their areas and homes and providing them with an appropriate environment."

Salih called on the Christian clergymen "to play their vital role in emphasizing the importance of the return of our people from this (Christian) component to their country where they have lived in for thousands of years," the statement said.

Salih also confirmed the need for peaceful coexistence among all Iraqi sects and religions to enhance the national cohesion in the Iraqi society as this is the best way to address extremism, it added.

"The Christians have been subjected, like other components, to persecution and forcible displacement by the terrorist Daesh organization (IS group)," the statement said.

Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, around 1.5 million Christians lived in harmony and coexistence within the Iraqi society, but their number dwindled to under half million in 2013 and after the rise of the IS militant group, estimations put their number at around 250,000 left in the country. Most of the decrease is attributed to emigration abroad.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 21:32:27|Editor: Xiaoxia

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RAMALLAH, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday nominated a senior Palestinian official to form a new Palestinian government, a Palestinian official said.

"I congratulate my brother and friend Mohamed Ishtayeh for being nominated to form the new government," Hussein al-Sheikh, minister of civil affairs and a member of Fatah Central Committee, wrote on his Twitter account.

Ishtayeh, also a member of Fatah Central Committee, will start his consultations immediately to form the new Palestinian government that will succeed the former consensus one headed by Rami Hamdallah.

Born in 1958 in the West Bank, Ishtayeh was the former minister of public work and housing in the Palestinian Authority. He is also an academic, economic expert and former member in the Palestinian peace negotiations team with Israel.

Peace talks between Palestine and Israel have stalled since 2014 because of their deep differences over recognition of a Palestinian state, Israeli settlement in the West Bank and the status of Jerusalem.

Earlier, the Fatah Central Committee, which is chaired by Abbas, and Fatah Revolutionary Council, recommended forming a new Palestinian government headed by a member of the movement's Central Committee.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 21:47:29|Editor: ZX

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NANJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Paleontological Society of China published ten major achievements made in the field in 2018. Here they are:

-- The 1st turtle with a beak from China

A fossilized skeleton of a turtle, dating back about 228 million years to the dawn of the dinosaur era, filled a missing link in turtles' evolutionary history.

Found in the late Triassic deposits in Guanling County in Guizhou Province, the turtle was named Eorhynchochelys sinensis, meaning "the first turtle with a beak from China." The turtle, more than two meters long, had a short trunk and no shell on its back and abdomen.

The turtle is between the evolutionary positions Odontochelys and Pappochelys, which was discovered in Germany, dating back about 240 million years.

-- New mammal ancestor

Scientists from Center for Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology of Yunnan University and Linyi University identified a new mammal ancestor and their research indicates that marsupials may not have originated in Asia.

Well-preserved skeletons of Ambolestes zhoui from 126 million years ago were found in Yixian County in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Ambolestes zhoui is an early member of the placental lineage. It also carries mixed features both placentals and marsupials, which led researchers to believe that Asia may not be the place of origin for marsupials. The oldest known marsupials are from 110 million years ago from western North America.

-- Qinghai-Tibet Plateau first occupied by humans at least 30,000 years ago

Thousands of stone artifacts recovered from a paleolithic site in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region indicate that humans might have conquered one of the highest and most ecologically-challenging places on the globe at least 30,000 years ago.

The Nwya Devu site, located 4,600 meters above sea level in central Tibet, is the earliest archaeological site ever identified on the plateau.

-- Paleobiology Course Book

Evolution of Life and Environment, a book on paleobiology, is a course book for undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines to grasp the general idea of evolution and environmental change, to consider the Earth as a system and to make contributions to reveal the evolutionary mechanisms of the current global environment and human future.

-- Understanding evolution of modern birds through fossilized tissues

Paleontology has traditionally focused on skeletal remains. Though rarely preserved, soft tissues have the potential to teach us far more about the biology of extinct organisms. Fossils from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota are rich with such traces, examples of which were described in the lung tissue and medullary bone of two birds.

The results of both studies indicate that soft tissue specializations evolved before many skeletal changes during the evolution of the highly modified modern bird. This fundamentally changes how paleontologists should interpret skeletal data when trying to reconstruct the biology o extinct animals.

-- Earliest asymmetrical flight feathers in the world

A bird-like dinosaur named Caihong juji from the Jurassic strata about 160 million years ago found in Qinglong of Hebei possesses not only symmetrical flight feathers on its forelimbs but also asymmetrical flight feathers on its tail, representing an important junction point in the evolution of flight feathers from symmetry to asymmetry.

-- Response of marine ecosystems during the end-Permian mass extinction

Professor Song Haijun's team, from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), published their new findings concerning the evolution of marine ecosystems near the Permian-Triassic mass extinction in Sciences Advances and GSA Bulletin in 2018. Their results show that the end-Permian mass extinction resulted in an abnormal marine ecosystem. Additionally, biodiversity shows a rapid rebound after the mass extinction and reach the pre-extinction level around five million years later. But the recovery of the ecosystem is much more delayed, taking 50 million years, until the end of Triassic.

-- Earliest animal footprints found in China

Researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Virginia Tech in the United States studied trackways and burrows in the Ediacaran Shibantan Member of the Dengying Formation (551 to 541 million years ago) in the Yangtze Gorges area of southern China.

They found trace fossils that represent some of the earliest known evidence for animal appendages, or legs.

-- The Snowball Earth triggered animal evolution

Professor Shen Bing from Peking University and his colleagues published research in Nature Communications on August 1, 2018, reporting the widespread pyrite concretions near the top of Nantuo Formation in South China. This study indicates that the termination of Marinoan global glaciation might have triggered the Ediacaran diversification of eukaryotes and the subsequent evolution of animals.

-- One more golden spike in China

A proposal that the Cambrian third series - 'Miaolingian series' and the fifth stage - 'Wuliuan stage' in Guizhou of China was passed by the International Union of Geological Sciences in 2018. Therefore, this is the 11th golden spike, or Global Standard Stratotype-Section and Point in China (GSSP).
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 21:57:31|Editor: Xiaoxia

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Four people were wounded Sunday after the armies of India and Pakistan exchanged heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said.

The two sides exchanged fire in Kamalkote of Uri in Baramulla district, about 102 km west of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Four civilians were wounded today here in firing from Pakistani side," an official said. "The wounded persons were removed to hospital for treatment."

Officials said intermittent exchange of fire was going on between the two sides.

So far there were no reports of damage on the Pakistani side.

Earlier the troops on two sides exchanged heavy shelling and targeted each other's positions in frontier Poonch district, about 180 km southwest of Srinagar.

For the past over a week, there has been a flare-up on LoC in Kashmir. Both Indian as well as Pakistan controlled parts have suffered civilian as well as troop casualties during the skirmishes.

The daily shellings have forced population on both sides of the divide to migrate to safer locations.

The latest tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad grew after India carried out an air strike inside Pakistan, triggering a retaliation. The situation has de-escalated to some extent following calls for restraint from several countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:07:35|Editor: mingmei

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SHANGHAI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group) posted a 4 percent decline in its auto sales in the first two months of 2019, mainly dragged down by a plunge in SUV sales.

Its automobile sales in January and February totalled 311,974 units, compared to 325,055 units in the same period last year, the carmaker said in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange late Sunday.

During the period, its sedan sales rose 27.1 percent year on year to 169,419 units, and the MPV sales surged 79.8 percent to 14,338 units. But the SUV sales fell 30.3 percent to 127,861 units.

In addition, the carmaker reported sales growth with GAC Honda Automobile and GAC Toyota Motor, but sales declines with other subsidiaries.

Sales at Honda and Toyota joint ventures rose 3.3 percent to 115,679 units and 56.8 percent to 106,906 units, respectively. Its own brand GAC Motor saw auto sales fall 43 percent to 54,232 units.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:07:39|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Following are the schedules for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Monday.

NPC:

-- Three press conferences will be held at the media center for the NPC annual session.

At 8:45 a.m., Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang and Vice Minister of Science and Technology Li Meng will give a press briefing on "making China a country of innovators".

At 10:30 a.m., Zhang Mao, chief of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Shen Changyu, head of the State Intellectual Property Office, and Jiao Hong, head of the National Medical Products Administration, will answer questions from news media on "strengthening market regulation and maintaining market order".

At 3:00 p.m., Ecology and Environment Minister Li Ganjie will give a press briefing on "fighting resolutely to prevent and control pollution".

CPPCC:

-- National political advisors will attend panel meetings in the morning to make suggestions through consultation on issues of concern, while members from some sectors will hold their respective consultative meetings.

-- The 13th National Committee of the CPPCC will hold a plenary meeting in the afternoon, at which some members will make speeches.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:07:40|Editor: Xiaoxia

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LONDON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- British consumers are opting to shop in cheaper supermarkets and for cheaper products thanks to continuing Brexit uncertainties, said the head of a consumer research.

"We certainly see some evidence that there is a drift to the cheaper end of the supermarket spectrum at the moment," Fraser McKevitt, author of a recent report and head of Retail and Consumer Insight at Kantar, a consumer research organization, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

CHANGE OF CONSUMER ATTITUDE

The report, released on Tuesday by the organization, showed year-on-year supermarket sales growth of 1.9 percent during the 12 weeks to Feb. 24, 2019 and a change of consumer attitude.

"We're not in recession in the UK, but the economy is certainly slow and consumer confidence is not particularly high. Retailers, they will be wanting to offer, not only make sure that the availability is right, but also make sure that they have the right range there. They will want to offer and promote the products at the prices that the consumer wants to buy," McKevitt said.

In the report, German supermarkets Aldi and Lidl appeared to outperform the four major UK supermarkets through growth. McKevitt believes this is down to their constant availability, and cheaper pricing.

According to Kantar research, 80 percent of British shoppers are worried about the price of supermarket food and drink in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

"There is a potential indirect link to Brexit," McKevitt told Xinhua.

"I think the strongest thing to look back to here is the post-financial crisis in 2008. So the 2009 UK recession was quite deep, and what we saw that time was quite a drift towards people buying cheaper products and quite a drift towards people shopping in cheaper supermarkets. Now I'm not saying that Brexit would bring about a recession, that is one possibility. But we certainly see a slowdown at the moment," he said.

"There is a slight evidence in how people are behaving in that they are doing those 'pre-recession' behaviors. Looking for the cheap, and shopping at cheaper places too," he further explained.

These pre-recession behaviors include less out of home eating and drinking, less purchasing of health food categories, more snacking and an increase in packed lunches. These elements are all indicators that shoppers are nervous of the current political uncertainty.

RETAILERS GIRD FOR WORST

Another, perhaps more serious, indicator of shopper nerves is stockpiling food. According to the Kantar report, one in 10 shoppers said that they had started stockpiling groceries, and a further 26 percent reported that they are considering doing so. Although this has not been borne out in sales just yet.

"It's dependent upon the politics here. It's fairly clear to many people working in the industry that the government doesn't know what is going to happen, parliament doesn't know what is going to happen," McKevitt said.

Kantar's research shows that retailers are already taking extraordinary measures to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. Many have begun to stockpile non-perishable goods, testing longer-lasting varieties of fruit and vegetables, and lowering their quality standards. The research finds that some major retailers have even hired their own border inspectors to fast-track their imports - and are developing new security measures to protect supply chains.

But with just over two weeks to go before Britain's scheduled exit from the European Union, many of the major retailers are still concerned of the impact a badly dealt Brexit could have on business.

"It's hard at this point to see any positives coming out of Brexit, because it is disruptive to business and it is many unknowns. Businesses do not like unknowns because they can't plan for them," McKevitt said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:17:42|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Staff members set up a signboard to offer help to relatives of the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, March 10, 2019. Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that all 157 people aboard a flight that crashed earlier Sunday en route to Nairobi, Kenya, were killed. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

ADDIS ABABA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that all 157 people aboard a flight that crashed earlier Sunday en route to Nairobi, Kenya, were killed.

The 157 people aboard ET 302 included nationals from over 30 countries, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, Tewolde Gebremariam, told a press conference.

The victims include 32 from Kenya, 18 from Canada, nine from Ethiopia, eight each from China, Italy and the United States, seven each from Britain and France, six from Egypt, and five from the Netherlands, he said.

They also include four each from India and Slovakia, three each from Austria, Russia and Sweden, two each from Israel, Morocco, Poland and Spain, and one each from Belgium, Djibouti, Indonesia, Ireland, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovenia, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Yemen.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 MAX, took off at 08:38 a.m. local time Sunday from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 a.m., and crashed around Bishoftu town, some 45 km from the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said.

The plane arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa, nearly three hours before, said Gebremariam, the airlines' CEO.

"It just came this morning from Johannesburg and arrived in Addis Ababa with no remark and it was dispatched with no remark," he said.

"It was a clean airplane. It is a brand-new airplane... there is no problem on technical side," Gebremariam said. "The routine maintenance check didn't reveal any problem."

"At this stage, we cannot determine the cause of the accident," he said.

The aircraft, which was obtained by the Ethiopian airline last November, has only been in service for four months, flying more than 1,200 hours until Sunday's crash, according to the airline.

The flight's captain, Yared Mulugeta, has been working with the airline since 2010, Gebremariam said.

"He is a senior pilot with more than 8,000 hours," the CEO said.

"Today is a very sad and tragic day for all of us," Gebremariam said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:17:42|Editor: ZX

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SHIJIAZHUANG, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China's largest SUV and pickup maker Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd. saw its H6 model sustain China's No. 1 top-selling SUV model for 69 months.

It sold 69,037 new automobiles in February, up 18.34 percent year on year. Among them, 25,728 units were H6 vehicles.

Continuing its push into the electric vehicle market, Great Wall Motor sold 3,280 units of its ORA brand last month.

Headquartered in the city of Baoding, north China's Hebei Province, the company owns several SUV and car brands like Haval, Great Wall, WEY and ORA. It sold 1.05 million vehicles in 2018 and aims to sell 1.2 million this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:27:44|Editor: mingmei

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ABUJA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Fifty Boko Haram militants were killed following a joint operation by forces from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, the Nigerian military said on Sunday.

Troops comprising air and land components of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) killed the terrorists in separate encounters around Lake Chad Basin since Friday, said Timothy Antigha, a Nigerian army officer who is also the chief spokesman for the multinational forces.

Antigha told reporters in Abuja that some equipment belonging to the terrorists was captured during the encounters, while others were destroyed.

He said the troops also destroyed one motorcycle and four gun trucks belonging to the Boko Haram group.

In addition, Antigha said, in the past 10 days, the MNJTF troops struck Boko Haram locations at Dorou in Niger, neutralizing many of them in the process.

The operation, he said, would be further intensified through raids, ambushes and fighting patrols to clear terrorists from their last stronghold in the Lake Chad Basin.

Last December, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and his colleagues of the Lake Chad Basin Commission renewed their commitment to ending the Boko Haram insurgency, declaring "a fight to finish."

Boko Haram has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria, extending its attacks to countries in the Lake Chad basin.

The group posed enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges in the basin, according to the United Nations.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:32:44|Editor: yan

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RAMALLAH, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially assigned on Sunday his long-time adviser Mohammed Shtayyeh to form the new Palestinian government, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The assignment came after the Fatah Central Committee recommended Shtayyeh, also a committee member, form the new government as successor of former Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

Abbas accepted the resignation of Hamdallah on Jan. 29 and asked him to serve as acting prime minister until the formation of a new government, according to WAFA.

Shtayyeh's government will be the 18th Palestinian government in the history of the Palestinian Authority which was formed in accordance to Oslo peace accords signed between the Palestinians and Israel in 1993.

Senior Fatah officials said the formation of a new government is aimed at increasing the pressure for new elections and ending the internal Palestinian division that began after Islamic Hamas movement seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

Born in 1958 in the West Bank, Shtayyeh was the former minister of public work and housing in the Palestinian Authority. He is also an academic, economic expert and former member in the Palestinian peace negotiations team with Israel.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:42:46|Editor: yan

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SANAA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 women and a child were killed on Sunday in a Saudi-led airstrike on Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah, a local tribal source and rebel-controlled Saba news agency said.

The airstrike hit a house used by women to hide from clashes at the edge of Tallan village in Kushar district, the tribal source told Xinhua by phone on condition of anonymity.

Fighting erupted in Kushar two weeks ago after tribesmen sided with the Saudi-led military coalition against Shiite Houthi rebels.

The fighting escalated after the coalition moved to back the tribes in Kushar.

There was no comment yet from the coalition over the airstrike.

Saudi Arabia is leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized much of the country's north, including the capital Sanaa and Hajjah.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:57:48|Editor: yan

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BRATISLAVA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed on Sunday that four Slovaks are among the victims of Ethiopian Airlines crashed plane near Addis Ababa.

"According to official information, four citizens of the Slovak Republic were killed by airplane accident in Ethiopia. Representatives of our diplomatic missions in Ethiopia and Kenya as well as our diplomatic service in Bratislava are approaching this tragedy with full deployment and in line with consular practice," stated the ministry.

An Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa on Sunday morning. Airline representatives confirmed the death of all 157 people on board.

The 157 people aboard ET 302 en route to Nairobi, Kenya, included nationals from over 30 countries, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group Tewolde Gebremariam told a press conference.

The cause of the crash of the new Boeing 737-800 MAX plane was not immediately known.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 22:57:48|Editor: yan

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RABAT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan authorities have repatriated eight Moroccan nationals who were in the conflict zones in Syria, the Interior Ministry announced Sunday.

The humanitarian operation enabled them to return to their country of origin in safety, a ministry statement said.

This move is also a part of Morocco's contribution to international efforts aimed at fighting terrorism as well as fulfilling the responsibility of protecting its citizens, the statement pointed out.

The returnees will be subject to judicial investigations for possible involvement in terrorism-related cases under the supervision of the competent public prosecution.

Since 2012, thousands of Moroccan citizens have gone to conflict areas in Syria and Iraq to join combat groups.

According to earlier statistics from the Interior Ministry, more than 1,600 Moroccans have entered conflict zones in Iraq and Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:12:50|Editor: yan

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BAKU, March 10 (Xinhua) -- An Azerbaijani serviceman was killed and another wounded in a shootout on Sunday when a border patrol unit tried to prevent a group of armed men from illegally crossing the border from Iran into Azerbaijan, the country's State Border Service said.

The incident took place near a border checkpoint in Bala Bahmanli village in Azerbaijan's southwestern district of Fuzuli when the armed group attempting to cross the border opened fire on the border patrol in response to warning shots, the border service said in a statement.

The armed group was forced to retreat.

A junior sergeant was hospitalized after receiving serious wounds in his chest and died in the hospital.

Another soldier was hospitalized with an arm wound, with no threat to his life, the border service said.

Chief of the State Border Service Elchin Guliyev, accompanied by senior officials, immediately rushed to the scene for an on-site inspection.

The Office of the Military Prosecutor has launched an investigation into the incident.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:17:53|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Iraq on Monday will begin a new chapter in the bilateral relations, Press TV reported.

"Mr. Rouhani is travelling to Iraq for the first time in his presidency, and we consider the trip a new start in our relations with Iraq," Zarif said.

During Rouhani's visit to Iraq, the areas of cooperation, including transit, oil, industrial work and the dredging of Arvand River, will top the agenda, he said.

"We plan to use the commonalities to advance the joint interests of both countries as well as those of the region," Zarif noted.

The Iranian foreign minister also highlighted Iraq as an important pillar of regional security, saying regional security would be impossible without Iraq's cooperation.

During his trip to Iraq, a high-ranking politico-economic delegation will accompany Rouhani.

It will be Rouhani's first official visit to Iraq during his tenure, after the United States imposed sanctions against the Islamic republic last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:22:57|Editor: Yurou

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins deliberation with deputies from Fujian Province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Sunday afternoon joined deliberation with deputies from Fujian Province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

"[We] should create a favorable development environment for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

China should seek momentum from reform and opening up, unleash to the maximum the whole society's power for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity, and keep improving the country's influence and competitiveness in a world that is undergoing profound changes, Xi said.

Xi stressed creating favorable conditions for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and young people, and establishing an acceleration mechanism for high-tech companies.

He urged solid implementation of the policies and measures to encourage, guide and support the development of the private sector.

Fujian must leverage the combined strengths of the special economic zone, pilot free trade zone, comprehensive experimental zone and the core zone of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and keep exploring new approaches, Xi said.

Xi called for efforts to explore new ways for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should enhance economic and trade cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, energy and resource exchanges, and shared industry standards, he said.

Cross-Strait cooperation and cultural exchanges should be strengthened, he added.

Xi stressed the importance of implementing the people-centered development concept in the work on Taiwan, urging efforts to benefit Taiwan compatriots in the same way as people on the mainland are served.

He encouraged listening to the voice of Taiwan compatriots and research on what other policies and measures can be introduced to bring them benefits.

Xi said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, and it is necessary to ensure that no one in the country's old revolutionary base areas falls behind in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

He called for adherence to targeted poverty alleviation and efforts to identify the root causes of poverty to enhance the effectiveness of anti-poverty measures.

More efforts should be put into coordinating economic development with ecological protection, Xi said.

Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and Zhao Leji, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also joined deliberations with different delegations.

Li, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said formulating the foreign investment law is a major legislative task set by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core. Deliberating with the delegation from Jiangsu Province, Li said the legislation is conducive to creating a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and international, providing an even stronger legal guarantee for high-level opening up.

Deliberating with the delegation from Tibet Autonomous Region, Wang Yang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, called for efforts to further maintain law and order, improve the quality of poverty alleviation work, guarantee stability and peace of the plateau region, and ensure that people of all ethnic groups live and work in contentment.

Wang Huning, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, underlined the overarching goal of social stability and enduring peace in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region when he joined the delegation from the region for deliberation. He required earnest efforts to safeguard and improve people's wellbeing.

Joining the delegation from Hainan Province, Zhao Leji, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, called on efforts to accelerate developing the pilot free trade zone and explore building the free trade port with Chinese characteristics. He also demanded improving Party and state oversight systems to make sure various tasks are well implemented.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:27:57|Editor: yan

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ABUJA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Two suspected suicide bombers were confirmed dead on Sunday when they attempted to attack a local church in northeastern Nigeria, the police and rescue officials said.

Three suicide bombers embarked on the mission to attack the local Seminary Church in Gulak area of Adamawa state but one of them ran into a bush after the improvised explosive devices on two of them exploded midway, Othman Abubakar, spokesman for the state police, told Xinhua on Sunday.

The police suspected the terror group Boko Haram of being responsible for the failed suicide attack.

Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Muhammed Suleiman, said the incident occurred at 8:30 a.m. local time when the church was having its weekly meeting.

No other casualty was recorded from the failed attack, Suleiman said.

Boko Haram has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria, and it is reported that the group has killed some 20,000 people and displaced millions of others.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:38:01|Editor: yan

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THE HAGUE, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Around 35,000 people marched for climate on Sunday in the center of the Dutch capital Amsterdam.

The march started at 1 p.m. local time at Dam square and ended at the Museumplein square. Some participants, including kids, held banners reading "Dinosaurs also thought they had time" and "What would the world look like if I am as old as you".

The protesters demand more action from politicians to combat climate change. The march was organized by several civil organizations.

One month ago, over 10,000 schoolchildren had their own protest with a march through the city of The Hague.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:43:04|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Syria on Sunday jointly condemned the United States for the contradictions in its stance on the issue of refugees from the Rukban camp in southern Syria, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

"We have repeatedly pointed to the hypocrisy of the American side, which declares its commitment to recognize humanitarian values, but at the same time does nothing to implement them," the heads of the joint coordination committees on the repatriation of Syrian refugees said in a statement published by the ministry.

They noted that while the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria said no obstacles were set to the free movement of refugees from the Rukban camp, the First Secretary of the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Alex Hawke, outlined a number of conditions for departure from the camp.

Therefore, the committee called on the international community to "open its eyes" to the situation in Rukban camp and believe only facts and real deeds instead of pure words by the U.S. side, the statement said.

According to a survey conducted by the United Nations and the Syrian Red Crescent Society, 95 percent of about 40,000 Syrians held in Rukban wish to leave the camp as soon as possible, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 23:58:09|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's police seized more than two tons of illicit drugs in two separate operations in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan on Saturday, Tasnim news agency reported Sunday.

Acting on intelligence, the provincial anti-narcotics police forces managed to identify major drug rings which intended to carry big hauls of illicit drugs from border areas to the cities of Saravan and Nik Shahr, according to Ahmad Taheri, provincial police commander.

In one operation, the police arrested three smugglers and captured two vehicles, Taheri said.

The police also seized 900 kg of opium, 327 kg of hashish, two Kalashnikov rifles and plenty of ammunition in the vehicles, he added.

In the other operation, the police captured 1,032 kg of opium, 53.7 kg of heroin and 3 kg of other narcotics after a clash with a drug gang, the police commander said.

Iran has long suffered from drug trafficking given its location at the crossroads of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, to Europe.

Over the past decades, Iran's eastern and southeastern borders have seen clashes between Iranian security forces and armed drug smugglers.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 00:13:14|Editor: yan

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NEW YORK, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese artist will introduce a special fusion of Eastern and Western melodies next week at a New York concert, highlighting a reinterpretation of legendary works by famed U.S. and Chinese musicians in the 1930s.

On March 15, Chinese pipa virtuoso Min Xiaofen, other two members of her Blue Pipa Trio, guitar player Steve Salerno and Dean Johnson with bass, will perform Min's thrilling project "From Harlem to Shanghai and back" at the Jazz Loft. Thomas J. Manuel, music director of the Jazz Loft will attend as a special guest.

Launched in 2013, the project features a unique combination of legendary U.S. trumpeter Buck Clayton's jazz style and renowned Chinese composer Li Jinhui's works as well as Min's new compositions.

In the mid-1930s, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer Clayton came to east China's Shanghai and worked closely with Li, who was dubbed as "Father of Chinese popular music." Their joint efforts bridged the gap between American jazz and traditional Chinese music and helped usher in a new era of "Chinese jazz."

The project is expected to charm the audience with a synthesis of eastern and western cultures by reinvigorating the U.S.-China musical bond, said Min.

Classically trained in her native China, Min was an in-demand interpreter of traditional music before relocating to the United States and forging a new path for her instrument alongside many of the leading lights in modern jazz, free improvisation, experimental and contemporary classical music.

The Village Voice has lauded her as an artist who "has taken her ancient Chinese string instrument into the future," while the New York Times has raved that her singular work "has traversed a sweeping musical odyssey."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 00:23:15|Editor: yan

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AMMAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- UNICEF has started to pay more than 136,000 teachers and other school staff in Yemen who have not received their salary in over two years.

"The first payment cycle has reached more than 97,000 of the intended teaching professionals," said a statement by the UN agency obtained by Xinhua.

More than 2 million children are out of school in Yemen where school infrastructure is badly damaged and learning materials are in short supply, said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in the statement.

"One in five schools in Yemen can no longer be used because they are damaged or being used in the fighting or to shelter displaced families," he explained.

UNICEF will offer an equivalent of 50 U.S. dollars as monthly salary to eligible teachers and shool staff, Cappelaere said.

The scheme covers staff in 10,300 schools and will benefit an estimated 3.7 million children, the UNICEF official added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 00:28:15|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, March.10 (Xinhua) -- International Solar Alliance (ISA) on Sunday urged African states to tap solar energy to green their economies.

ISA Program Ambassador Mohua Mukherjee told a media briefing in Nairobi that the bulk of African states are located along the sunshine belt with abundant solar energy resources.

"African countries should take advantage of declining cost of solar technology to achieve clean energy targets," Mukherjee said during the second global session of the United Nations Science, Policy and Business Forum on the environment.

The majority of the continent's residents are not connected to their national electricity grids, he said.

"This provides a great opportunity for Africans to use solar technology to power their electric appliances," she added.

The ISA will leverage on South-South cooperation to enable Africa benefit and borrow critical experiences from their peers in other developing countries so that they embrace solar technologies, Mukherjee said.

However, according to the global solar body, the high upfront cost remains a key barrier to driving uptake of solar technology among African households.

Mukherjee called for innovative technologies such as pay-as-you-go systems to ensure that the continent has access to solar equipment.

She said that by adopting solar technology, Africa can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mukherjee said strong economic growth in Africa in the past decade has fueled demand for energy in the continent.

"It will be prudent for the region to choose green energy sources that will accelerate the drive towards low carbon development pathways," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 00:33:16|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, March 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 2,000 protesters demonstrated on Sunday in Beirut to demand the approval of a law that allows Lebanese women to pass their nationality to their children, National News Agency reported.

Karima Chebbo, nationality campaign coordinator at the Collective for Research and Training on Development (CRTDA), told Xinhua that the lawmaker Hadi Abul Hassan prepared a draft law in the regard.

"But House Speaker Nabih Berri has not yet transferred the draft to parliamentary committees for study and approval," she said.

According to 2016 statistics by the World Bank, Lebanon is one of the 22 countries where discriminatory nationality laws ban women from passing citizenship to their children.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 00:43:17|Editor: yan

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PARIS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that "several French nationals" were among the 157 people killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) flight earlier Sunday

"My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the Ethiopian Airlines flight's victims, among which several French citizens," Macron wrote on Twitter.

"We share their sorrow. France stands by the people of Ethiopia and Kenya, and expresses its full solidarity," he tweeted.

The aircraft, Boeing 737-800 MAX, took off at 08:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 a.m. It crashed around Bishoftu town, some 45 km from the capital.

All 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard the flight ET 302 bound for Nairobi, Kenya, were confirmed killed, according to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

The airline said earlier that the victims include 32 from Kenya, 18 from Canada, nine from Ethiopia, eight each from China, Italy and the United States, seven each from Britain and France.

In a statement, however, France's Foreign Ministry said "our embassy and our consular service are mobilized in close contact with the Ethiopian authorities to check if French nationals are among the list of victims."

It added that a crisis unit was opened following the incident.
Senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayyeh receives a designation letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to form a new Palestinian government March 10, 2019. (Reuters photo)

RAMALLAH, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The newly appointed Palestinian prime minister expressed hope on Sunday to form his government soon through his consultations with Palestinian factions as well as social and political powers, official Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported.

Mohammad Shtayyeh made the remarks right after he received the letter of nomination from President Mahmoud Abbas to form a new government.

"I am fully aware of the situation we are going through politically, economically and financially," he said.

"We will work to embody the sovereign and independent state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital on 1967 territories and continue our struggle for the right of return," Shtayyeh vowed.

In his address to Abbas, the new prime minister hailed Abbas' engagement "in the battle of protecting Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque."

He also promised to work to serving the Palestinians, lift injustice and restore their dignity and honor.

"It is not bread alone that animates human beings, but freedom, dignity, self-respect, tolerance, constructive criticism and positive spirit in dealing with people's problems and concerns, especially in Gaza, Jerusalem and the Diaspora," Shtayyeh said.

Earlier in the day, 60-year-old Shtayyeh was assigned by Abbas to form a new Palestinian government that succeeds the former consensus government of Rami Hamdallah.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 02:53:44|Editor: yan

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A man checks the wreckage of the airplane of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) which crashed earlier near Bishoftu city, about 45 kms southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. All 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard ET 302, bound for Nairobi, Kenya, are confirmed killed, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) said. (Xinhua/Ethiopian Airlines)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Eight Chinese nationals, including one from Hong Kong, were confirmed aboard the crashed Ethiopian Airlines plane, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

"We extend our profound condolences to the victims and deep sympathy to the bereaved families," the ministry's spokesperson Lu Kang said late Sunday night in a statement.

After learning the crash, the ministry ordered China's embassy in Ethiopia to launch the emergency response and immediately contact the Ethiopian government and Ethiopian Airlines for further information, Lu said.

China hopes that the Ethiopian side will find out the cause of the air crash as soon as possible and keep China updated the investigation developments, he said.

The foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia will keep a close watch over the developments and go all out to help the families of the victims to deal with the aftermath, Lu said.

Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that a Boeing 737-800 MAX, bound for Nairobi, Kenya, crashed shortly after taking off from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa Sunday morning local time, killing all 157 people on board, including eight crew members.

Related:

Ethiopian Airlines confirms no survivors in passenger jet crash

ADDIS ABABA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that there were no suvivors aboard the flight that crashed earlier Sunday en route to Nairobi, Kenya. Full story

Victims from over 30 countries aboard crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet

ADDIS ABABA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that there were no suvivors aboard the flight that crashed earlier Sunday en route to Nairobi, Kenya.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 03:53:54|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN health chief visited an Ebola treatment center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after it had been attacked by militants, calling for protection of these centers amidst a deadly epidemic outbreak.

Just hours after the assault on Saturday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) toured the center in the city of Butembo, which was also attacked last week, thanking personnel for their steadfast dedication.

"It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and police officer who died in today's attack, as we continue to mourn those who died in previous attacks, while defending the right to health," he was quoted by UN News as saying. "But we have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world."

The visit came as he concluded a three-day mission to the DRC, along with other WHO leadership and senior U.S. officials who met with the president, government officials, partner organizations and local responders involved in the outbreak response. He also spoke to a group of partners, officials and staff in Butembo.

"The people of Katwa and Butembo, as in the other communities affected by Ebola, want and deserve a place to receive care and a chance of survival," he said. "They do not deserve to suffer in their homes while infecting their loved ones; they do not deserve to suffer in inadequately resourced health centers while infecting health workers."

After careful negotiations, health workers have been allowed in the area permeated with dozens of armed groups, according to news reports. But attacks on treatment centers greatly hinder the ability to contain the virus, as fear pushes people to flee.

"WHO has requested and received further support from UN and local police forces to protect the treatment centers," the WHO chief continued.

To conquer Ebola, he explained "we must strike a delicate balance between providing accessible care, maintaining the neutrality of the response, and protecting patients and staff from attacks by armed groups."

Pointing out that "these are the dilemmas we face in conflict zones around the world," he concluded by reiterating WHO's commitment "to ending the outbreak" and "to improving the health of the people of DRC."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 04:24:01|Editor: yan

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ATHENS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A Greek man missed the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed on Sunday shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa airport, killing all 157 people on board, Greek media reported.

Antonis Mavropoulos, president of the International Solid Waste Association, a non-profit organization, was supposed to board the plane bound for Nairobi, Kenya, which crashed about 45 km southeast of the Ethiopian capital, he told Greek television channel Alpha.

Mavropoulos reached the gate only two minutes after it was closed. He recalled feeling mad watching behind the glass wall other passengers boarding the aircraft.

Mavropoulos was about to board another plane when airport staff told him that the aircraft he missed had gone missing. He was shocked when he was later informed about the tragedy.

"This is one of those moments which are changing one's perspective of life... You realize that our lives are hanging from threads... I just want to send many kisses to my wife, my mother and my daughter," he told Alpha during a telephone conversation.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 04:44:05|Editor: xuxin

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A Chinese specialist (L) demonstrates a self-driving tractor with application of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) during a test run at an agricultural engineering school in northwestern Tunisia, March 10, 2019. A self-driving tractor with application of BDS was tested successfully Sunday in northwestern Tunisia. (Xinhua)

TUNIS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A self-driving tractor with application of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) was tested successfully Sunday in northwestern Tunisia.

The representatives of China-Arab BDS/GNSS center and the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO), as well as the academic staff of an engineering school in Mjez El-Beb region in northwestern Tunisia, attended the test ceremony.

This smart tractor, used in various agricultural activities, was equipped with a BDS, so that it can be controlled remotely without a driver.

"I am very impressed and surprised by the quality of the equipment offered by BeiDou," said Sami Trimech, the strategic planning and development director at AICTO.

"We had a dream to bring BeiDou to the Arab countries," said Nour Laabidi, the project manager at AICTO and head of China-Arab BDS/GNSS center in Tunisia.

"This is a pilot project. We are happy to implement it in our country and I hope that all Arab countries will be able to use this Chinese technology," said Laabidi.

Hassan Kherroubi, a specialist in the mechanical industry at the Mjez El-Beb engineering school, stressed the contribution of this Chinese technology to the agricultural sector in Tunisia.

According to Kherroubi, a series of agricultural activities, including the harvest, will be more profitable and more effective with such technologies.

"Our main concern is to benefit all Arab and African countries of this fruitful cooperation between Tunisia and China," Kherroubi said, adding that this advanced technology will bring a bright future to the region.

BDS is compatible with other navigation systems, such as GPS, and users can receive services from both systems at the same time, improving positioning accuracy.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 04:54:07|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, March 10 (Xinhua) -- An explosive expert affiliated to the Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces was killed and six paramilitary members were wounded on Sunday in a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq's north central province of Salahudin, a security source said.

The incident took place in the evening when a roadside bomb, apparently planted by Islamic State (IS) militants, detonated while an explosive expert was trying to defuse it near the town of Baiji, some 200 km north of Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police told Xinhua.

The paramilitary fighters were on a search operation near Baiji when the incident occurred, the source said.

The areas near Baiji have been the scene of IS militant attacks on civilians and security personnel, al-Bazi added.

In December 2017, Iraq declared full liberation of its territories from the IS after security forces and Hashd Shaabi, backed by an anti-IS international coalition, recaptured all areas once seized by the extremist group.

IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out guerilla attacks from time to time against security forces and civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 05:49:13|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Justice Minister Mohamed Abdulwahed Abdulhamid on Sunday called on Turkey to provide the ministry with the Ottoman archive of the Libyan real estate.

The minister made the remarks during a meeting with the Turkish Ambassador to Libya Emrullah Isler in the capital Tripoli.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the two officials discussed judicial cooperation between the two countries, particularly activating bilateral judicial agreements signed between the two countries.

"The minister pointed out the need to benefit from the previous Ottoman archive in Libya related to property ownership," the statement said.

Libya was ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1551 to 1864.

The minister also expressed hope for Turkey's contribution to combating fuel smuggling from Libya, the statement added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 06:14:16|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (L, 3rd) poses for photo with young entrepreneurs of Kuwait at a meeting in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait, on March 10, 2019. The Kuwait's government is committed to the development of youth, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Salima Lebel)

KUWAIT CITY, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwait's government is committed to the development of youth, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said on Sunday.

He made the remarks at a meeting, organized by the National Youth Project of Kuwait and attended by youth entrepreneurs of Kuwait at Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait.

He called on the youth to give rein to their energy and zest for life in order to realize their aspirations, affirming his readiness to listen to the thoughts and suggestions of the youth, meet their needs and remove any obstacles facing their aspirations for success.

"The Kuwaiti youths have to invest in their age, which is full of energy and zest, to realize their aspirations and dreams," he noted.

Youssef Al-Ibrahim, advisor at the Amiri Diwan, noted that the National Youth Project aims at introducing Kuwait Vision 2035 to the youths.

The National Youth Project was initiated in 2012 to engage Kuwaiti youths as key participants in youth development.

Kuwait Vision 2035 is a national development plan designed to introduce a change in Kuwait's oil-reliant economic structure and transform the oil-rich Gulf state into a trade and financial hub by 2035. The strategic plan involves over 160 projects and invites foreign investment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 06:19:17|Editor: yan

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HELSINKI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Within days of the failure of the health care reform, which resulted in the resignation of the Finnish coalition government, key figures of two ruling parties have distanced themselves in public from the business interests of the commercial health sector.

On Sunday, the executives of the big three private health conglomerates, namely Terveystalo, Pihlajalinna and Mehilainen, demanded in the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper that current legal restrictions for them to take over municipal primary health facilities should be lifted, now that the reform had failed.

The unsuccessful governmental reform plan had envisioned an opening-up of the tax-financed public health care system to be for profit. The idea was first proposed by conservative National Coalition Party and won support of the Center Party.

Finland's public primary care is currently in the hands of municipalities. The reform had expected the provinces to take over and both commercial companies and public entities to act as providers paid by the provinces.

Local commentators have attributed the failure of the reform largely to the constitutional problems related to the entry of the for-profit operators. With the parliamentary election a month away, few politicians want to be seen as a promoter of the commercial health sector.

Annika Saarikko, minister for family affairs and social services in the current caretaker cabinet, reacted strongly to the private conglomerates, accusing them of having a "poor understanding of the social climate".

Also the conservative party chairman Petteri Orpo said on Sunday the commercial companies should now "consider what they say". He said the restrictions on outsourcing to commercial operators should remain valid.

Saarikko said the commercial companies are trying to expand their business and benefit from the financial plight of small municipalities. She said the companies show unbelievably poor ability to understand the public opinion.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 06:34:19|Editor: yan

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LONDON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A Papillon called "Dylan the villain" was crowned top dog at Crufts, the world's biggest dog show which ended in Birmingham, the UK on Sunday night.

The Best in Show winner emerged after a four-day contest involving around 21,000 dogs from more than 40 countries, including Thailand, Russia and the United States.

Dylan from Belgium became the first papillon in Cruft's 128 year history to emerge as a champion dog.

Owner Kathleen Roosens described her champion dog as her little butterfly. She said he's known as Dylan the villain because he is so playful.

He was one of seven best of breed dogs in the final line up in a crowded arena.

Among the seven finalists the winner of the Utility Group was a Shih Tzu, the breed that originated in China. The dog, called Bearly, made the long journey from his home in Thailand to take part in Crufts.

Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, organisers of Crufts, said: "It's an incredible achievement to reach the prestigious Best in Show final, Dylan and his owner should be proud. Crufts celebrates healthy, happy dogs and recognises the special and unique bond between dogs and their owners. Dylan is an excellent dog and you can see he really enjoys being in the show ring."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-11 06:44:21|Editor: xuxin

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An artist performs guqin solo "Drinking Spree" during the launch ceremony of an educational program on traditional Chinese music at the China Institute's headquarters in New York, the United States, on March 10, 2019. The New York City-based China Institute launched a new educational program on traditional Chinese music in partnership with the Bard College Conservatory of Music (BCCM) on Sunday. Starting from spring 2019, the "Music at China Institute" will offer classes on guqin, erhu, and guzheng, each with eight sessions. Founded in 1926, China Institute is the oldest bicultural, non-profit organization in the United States to focus exclusively on China. (Xinhua/Qin Lang)

NEW YORK, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The New York City-based China Institute launched a new educational program on traditional Chinese music in partnership with the Bard College Conservatory of Music (BCCM) on Sunday.

Starting from spring 2019, the "Music at China Institute" will offer classes on guqin, erhu, and guzheng, each with eight sessions.

For toddlers, a "Mommy and Me" series will bring the fun of learning Chinese musical rhythms and movements for their intellectual and social development.

Small group classes are taught by professional instructors who are also award-winning musicians and educators, each carefully selected by BCCM.

Cai Jindong, director of BCCM's U.S.-China Music Institute and Yu Feng, president of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, were among the guests at Sunday's opening ceremony of the program at China Institute's Lower Manhattan headquarters.

Yu, whose institution has been collaborating with the BCCM in Chinese traditional music education for over a year, congratulated on the inauguration of the program, saying that music, as a universal language, could promote cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

Both Cai and Yu will head to the Bard College in upstate New York to attend the second annual conference of the U.S.-China Music Institute scheduled on March 11-12, during which professionals on music education and exchanges from around the world will be sharing their thoughts on teaching traditional Chinese music in the West.

China Institute President James Heimowitz told Xinhua on Sunday that the constant desire of Americans to understand China in a "more human way" prompted his organization to launch the program.

"Today's collaborative effort is really, really special. It's the first time that we are bringing to an American audience the ability to learn about Chinese instruments here at China Institute," he said.

A number of Chinese instruments players living in the United States performed several classic pieces, including Drinking Spree for guqin solo, Henan Tune for erhu and guzheng, and Happily Ship Crops for erhu solo, winning loud applause from an audience of some 200 music lovers and professionals.

Founded in 1926, China Institute is the oldest bicultural, non-profit organization in the United States to focus exclusively on China.
Cum ar fi ca anul acesta sa va faceti cadou o portie de aer proaspat?

Daca sanatatea noastra si a celor dragi noua este cel mai de pret cadou, de ce sa nu schimbam paradigma, iar anul acesta sa ne oferim cadou de Craciun o portie de  sanatate? Deja e un lucru bine stiut: calitatea scazuta a aerului influenteaza in mod negativ [citeste mai departe]
The Armed Forces of Ukraine detained the fighter of the Luhansk Peoples Republic on March 9, the detainee expressed willingness to fight for the Ukrainian army. The Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ reports this.

On March 9, the soldiers of one of the units of the brigade of the Joint Forces operation, which carries combat missions in the direction of Severodonetsk, noticed a man heading along the forest line towards our position. When the four soldiers went closer to him and let him go down the trench, then our defenders detained the unknown man, the report said.

The detainee had a Kalashnikov AK-74 automatic machine, a military ticket of the Luhansk People's Republic, issued Alchevsk, as well as banknotes of the Russian bank, a vacation ticket, a certificate of medical treatment of the military unit L 74347 and other similar documents.

The detained man appeared to be a citizen of Ukraine, Y. was born in Mykolayiv in 1976, and his passport was issued in Stakhanov city in 1992. The registration of traitors passport is also Stakhanov city of Luhansk region," the report said.

Currently, the officers investigate the case in order to determine his involvement in war crimes by armed groups of the Russian Federation and the details of participating in hostilities against the Ukrainian people.
Today, on March 10, pro-Russian militants did not violate the ceasefire in Donbas conflict zone. Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation (JFO) press office reported it on Facebook.



During the current day, no violation of the ceasefire regime has been reported. The situation in the area of the JFO remains under the control of the Ukrainian military, the headquarters said.



Earlier, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the information about three enemys attacks on March 9. The ministry clarified that the enemy used mortars, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers, and small arms. Yesterday no casualties among Ukrainian servicemen in Donbas were reported.

Earlier the Armed Forces of Ukraine detained the fighter of the Luhansk Peoples Republic on March 9, the detainee expressed willingness to fight for the Ukrainian army.

On March 9, the soldiers of one of the units of the brigade of the Joint Forces operation, which carries combat missions in the direction of Severodonetsk, noticed a man heading along the forest line towards our position. When the four soldiers went closer to him and let him go down the trench, then our defenders detained the unknown man, the JFO report said.

The detainee had a Kalashnikov AK-74 automatic machine, a military ticket of the Luhansk People's Republic, issued Alchevsk, as well as banknotes of the Russian bank, a vacation ticket, a certificate of medical treatment of the military unit L 74347 and other similar documents.

The detained man appeared to be a citizen of Ukraine, Y. was born in Mykolayiv in 1976, and his passport was issued in Stakhanov city in 1992. The registration of traitors passport is also Stakhanov city of Luhansk region," the report said.
The MP believes that the amendments to the Constitution should be made with the help of a referendum, but not the parliament

Yuriy Boyko, the founder of the political force 'Opposition Platform-For Life' 112 Agency

The number of MPs should correspond to the number of constituencies, which amount to 225 in Ukraine. Yuriy Boyko, the presidential candidate from the political force 'Opposition Platform-For Life', said this in the interview with 112 Ukraine.

This is the requirement of many people. There are 225 constituencies, so we should have the same number of MPs. As far as I remember, people five or more times stated this over last month: The number of MPs should reduce, because how should we feed them? And they were right, the MP said.

Boyko is sure that the amendments to the Constitution should be made with the help of a referendum, not voted by the parliament, which practically lost peoples trust. Under such conditions, it goes without saying that any decisions should be made by peoplewhen the parliament decides to go to NATO, EU or elsewhere, the parliament with 2% of people trust cannot take decisions concerning foreign affairs, on which depends the future of the country. It should be done with the help of referendum, - the politician added.

Earlier, the majority of the Verkhovna Rada relies on the ideology very much that this desire for political realization makes them take the most stupid decisions.

According to Boko, the current parliament is unique, because the MPs were chosen during the military conflict. In general, militants and the Ukrainian people believed that they chose those, who can protect the country. The quality of the parliament today is the lowest one. And when the question arose concerning a peaceful life, the economy, then the parliament just was not ready. Ideological radical things - yes, they still understand this, but not the economic changes," the politician stated.
The hackers create many legitimate-looking users as well as believable followers and likes for those fake users

cyber security Open source

Russian internet trolls seem to be shifting strategy to disrupt the 2020 U.S. elections, promoting politically divisive messages through phony social media accounts instead of creating propaganda themselves, cybersecurity experts say, as Bloomberg agency reports.

Instead of creating content themselves, we see them amplifying content, said John Hultquist, the director of intelligence analysis at FireEye Inc. Then its not necessarily inauthentic, and that creates an opportunity for them to hide behind somebody else.

Some hackers are breaking into computing devices and using them to open large numbers of social media accounts, according to Candid Wueest, a senior threat researcher at Symantec Corp. The hacked devices are used to create many legitimate-looking users as well as believable followers and likes for those fake users.

Wueest said he observed a decrease in the creation of new content by fake accounts from 2017 to 2018 and a shift toward building massive followings that could be used as platforms for divisive messages in 2020.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaking at the RSA Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, said social media remains a primary avenue for foreign actors to influence U.S. elections, and the bureau is working with companies on the problem.

What has continued virtually unabated and just intensifies during the election cycles is this malign foreign influence campaign, especially using social media, Wray said. That continues, and were gearing up for it to continue and grow again for 2020.

Yet removing foreign influence campaigns remains a slippery task for social media companies.

As it was reported earlier, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that the Central Election Commission of Ukraine had suffered the cyber attack from Russia on February 24,25.

Russia intends to involve all present arsenal, including the cyber means, to influence the upcoming elections in Ukraine.

Besides, it was reported that the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summarized the events from the beginning of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine to the fifth anniversary of the aggression. The Ministry outlined that the consequences of the criminal deeds by the Kremlin authorities are unprecedented for post-war Europe.
The MPs just live their lives. People want one thing; the parliament is occupied with other things

Yuriy Boyko, Ukrane's people's deputy and the member of "Opposition platform" on air of 112 Ukraine, December 13, 2018 112 Agency

The majority of the Verkhovna Rada relies on the ideology, the political realization of which makes them take the most stupid decisions. Yuriy Boyko, the presidential candidate from the political force 'Opposition Platform-For Life', said this in the interview with 112 Ukraine.

They are stupid because they have quarreled with neighbors and with the EU. We have quarreled with all the neighbors. Belarus is bad, Poland is bad, although people go there for work. This is what the current authority does: aggressive nationalism, aggressive radicalism, with the humiliation of their people, the bright example is the Eurovision Song Contest. Of course, those actions do not boost developments in the country, the MP said.

According to Boyko, the current parliament is unique, because the MPs were chosen during the military conflict. In general, militants and the Ukrainian people believed that they chose those, who can protect the country. The quality of the parliament today is the lowest one. And when the question arose concerning a peaceful life, the economy, then the parliament just was not ready. Ideological radical things - yes, they still understand this, but not the economic changes," the politician stated.

Boyko also added that only 2-4% of the nation still believe in the government. They just live their lives. People want one thing; the parliament is occupied with other things. The quality of parliament today is the lowest one. Everyone says that parliamentarians do not go to work, pass any laws that absolutely do not meet the interest of the people, the MP outlined.
Trump believes that his pressure will help to increase the expenses on defense

Reuters

U.S. Administration is preparing to change the official policy of the USA concerning the allocation of military troops abroad. Bloomberg reports this.

Under White House direction, the administration is drawing up demands that Germany, Japan and eventually any other country hosting U.S. troops pay the full price of American soldiers deployed on their soil - plus 50 percent or more for the privilege of hosting them, according to a dozen administration officials and people briefed on the matte, as said in the report.

According to the report, Trump insisted on this decision especially concerning South Korea, where at the moment are over 28, 000 of American servicemen.

The Administration regards this decision as one of the methods to encourage NATO to speed up the increasing process expenses on defense.

The presidents team sees the move as one way to prod NATO partners into accelerating increases in defense spending - an issue Trump has hammered allies about since he has been in office. While Trump claims his pressure has led to billions of dollars more in allied defense spending, hes chafed at what he sees as the slow pace of increases.
26 escapes were committed by convicts, another two - by persons, taken into custody

Open source

28 escapes from the penitentiary institutions and pre-trial detention centers were committed in Ukraine in 2018. This was reported in the administration of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine (SPSU) in response to a request from UNN.



"During 2018, 28 escapes were made from the SPSU penitentiary institutions and pre-trial detention centers, of which 26 were convicted and 2 persons taken into custody," the answer says.



The SPSU specified that 20 escapes were committed by convicts who were serving their sentences in social rehabilitation areas located outside the protected area of the institution.



Two escapes were made by convicts in penal colonies of a minimum security level with lighter conditions of detention.

Earlier the U.S. federal judge of Virginia State found Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, guilty in fraudulence and sentenced him to 47 months imprisonment. Reuters reports this.

Besides, the Court imposed on Manafort a fine in the amount of $50,000 and the restitution in more than 24 million dollars.

The sentence was even less than the sentence recommended by Manaforts lawyers of 4-1/4 to 5-1/4 years in prison.
Ukraine's National Police have launched criminal proceedings against the far-right activists of the National Corps and the National Guards, who provoked clashes with the law enforcement in Cherkasy. The press service of the National police of Ukraine reports this.

The police officers have launched the criminal proceedings under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine  under part 2 of the article 345 (violence against the law enforcement worker) and part 4 of the article 296 (hooliganism), the report said.

Earlier, as a result of the clash of National Corps far-right organization representatives with law enforcement officers in Cherkasy, 15 officers were injured, including the head of the local police Valeriy Lyuty.

As part of a pre-election campaign, president Poroshenko has visited Cherkasy. Far-right came to ask Poroshenko, why no criminal proceeding against his close associate Oleg Gladkovsky was launched. Representatives of the National Corps tried to block the motorcade of the head of state and started provoking ordinary residents of Cherkasy and the police to fight. The far-right tried to break to the scene, they used pyrotechnics, but Poroshenko managed to retreat. The law enforcement officers used coercive measures.

Earlier on this day, several hundred participants of the National Corps and the National Guards movement gathered near the building of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine in Kyiv demanding to bring to justice Poroshenko's close associates, defendants of the journalistic investigation of the plundering at the Ukroboronprom state enterprise. The protesters tried to break through the cordon of law enforcement officers; as a result of a short skirmish tear gas was sprayed, but then the situation calmed down.

Citing an archive of documents and private messages from an anonymous leaker, journalists of Our Money (Nashi Groshi) described fraud by Igor Gladkovsky, deputy head of Ukraines National Defense and Security Council, and his 22-year-old son of Oleg Gladkovsky. They 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 own Leninska Kuznia company was involved as a straw company.
The events that happened in Kyiv and Cherkasy on March 9 cannot be left without political opinion and measure of the law enforcement institutions. The press service of Petro Poroshenko Bloc Solidarity reports this.

It is just one more attempt to bring chaos into Ukraine. The aggressor and the people who seek revenge have been trying for five years to do everything possible for that, including launching the grenades at National Guard officers, provoking the clashes with police, blocking streets etc. It is exactly what representatives of the Russian propaganda want. The only aim is to overthrow the democratic and pro-European regime, reads the message.

According to the Petro Poroshenko party, the Russian oligarchs and those who seek revenge are responsible for the attacks. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression against our country we have been fighting for the right to be an independent country. Thats why no one will be able to buy or to break Ukraine from the inside. Everybody, who wants to provoke violence and bloodsheds on the streets to please their ambitions, has to face the law enforcement institutions first.

The members of the party also called for punishing the participants of the attack on the police officers in Kyiv and on a peaceful demonstration of the citizens in Cherkasy and for stopping provocations against our sovereignty.

As we reported before, as a result of the clash of National Corps far-right organization representatives with law enforcement officers in Cherkasy, 15 officers were injured, including the head of the local National Police department Valeriy Lyuty.

Earlier on this day, several hundred participants of the National Corps and the National Guards movement gathered near the building of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine in Kyiv demanding to bring to justice Poroshenko's close associates, defendants of the journalistic investigation of the plundering at the Ukroboronprom state enterprise. The protesters tried to break through the cordon of law enforcement officers; as a result of a short skirmish tear gas was sprayed, but then the situation calmed down.

Citing an archive of documents and private messages from an anonymous leaker, journalists of Our Money (Nashi Groshi) described fraud by Igor Gladkovsky, deputy head of Ukraines National Defense and Security Council, and his 22-year-old son of Oleg Gladkovsky. They 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 own Leninska Kuznia company was involved as a straw company.
The airlines officially announced that all passengers and crew members died

Open source

An Ethiopian Airlines plane flying from Addis Ababa to Kenya crashed in Ethiopia. This is reported by Reuters.

149 passengers and 8 crew members were on board of the Boeing 737-800 MAX. The crash occurred today at 8:44 am local time.



The airline representatives said that the flight ET 302 crashed near the city of Bishoftu, 62 kilometers south-east of Addis Ababa.
Raimonds Vejonis, the President of Latvia Open source

President of Latvia Raimonds Vejonis stated that Europe should be united and vigilant due to the aggression by the Russian Federation, as Spiegel reports.

We have been observing Russian aggressive policy on reaching its geopolitical aims since 2014 We should be very vigilant. We have to find something very reliable and curbing factor that could secure that Russia would not attack any European country, as it did with Ukraine, the President of Latvia said.

According to Vejonis, Russian influence should not be underestimated, especially the propaganda in the media. In particular, the President meant those Russians, who had been living in Latvia for many years.

There are no doubts that Kremlin will do everything possible in order to strengthen its positions in Europe and to make that EU fall apart. Al the democratic countries should be ready for that, Vejonis added.

Earlier, the Government of Italy has been working to try to end international sanctions against Russia, which the ruling parties in Rome said were ineffective and hurt the Italian economy.

At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered to prolong anti-Russian sanctions for aggression in Ukraine for another year.
As a result of yesterdays clashes in Cherkasy between representatives of the far-right National Corps and police, 22 law enforcement officers contacted the hospital, 19 of them were hospitalized. The speaker of the National Police of Cherkasy region Dmytro Gryshchenko reported this on the air of 112 Ukraine.



According to him, this is the situation as of this morning. Prior to this, it was reported about 15 injured law enforcement officers.



In addition, Gryshchenko confirmed that, in fact, after yesterdays clashes police opened two criminal proceedings. Offenders will face the penalty of up to seven years in prison.

As part of a pre-election campaign, president Poroshenko has visited Cherkasy. Far-right came to ask Poroshenko, why no criminal proceeding against his close associate Oleg Gladkovsky was launched. Representatives of the National Corps tried to block the motorcade of the head of state and started provoking ordinary residents of Cherkasy and the police to fight. The far-right tried to break to the scene, they used pyrotechnics, but Poroshenko managed to retreat. The law enforcement officers used coercive measures.

Earlier on this day, several hundred participants of the National Corps and the National Guards movement gathered near the building of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine in Kyiv demanding to bring to justice Poroshenko's close associates, defendants of the journalistic investigation of the plundering at the Ukroboronprom state enterprise. The protesters tried to break through the cordon of law enforcement officers; as a result of a short skirmish tear gas was sprayed, but then the situation calmed down.

Citing an archive of documents and private messages from an anonymous leaker, journalists of Our Money (Nashi Groshi) described fraud by Igor Gladkovsky, deputy head of Ukraines National Defense and Security Council, and his 22-year-old son of Oleg Gladkovsky. They 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 own Leninska Kuznia company was involved as a straw company.
Open source

Law enforcers detained two organizers of yesterday's riots in Cherkasy. This is reported by the police of Cherkasy region.



"Two of the most active persons who are suspected of organizing citizens for committing hooligan actions and causing bodily harm to police officers who ensured public order are detained," the report said.



It is noted that the arrests took place within the framework of criminal proceedings opened under Part 2 of Art. 345 and Part 4 of Art. 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.



Kostyantyn Miroshnychenko, the representative of the Cherkasy branch of far-right National Corps party, stated on his Facebook that head of the regional party cell Dmytro Kukharchuk, Yevgen Svyrydov and other activists of the National Corps were detained.



Later, a statement about the disappearance of 5 activists appeared on the National Corps Facebook page. The whereabouts of 5 activists of our organization are not known yet. The police report only two detainees. Others are missing, the report said.

As a result of yesterdays clashes in Cherkasy between representatives of the far-right National Corps and police, 22 law enforcement officers contacted the hospital, 19 of them were hospitalized.



As part of a pre-election campaign, president Poroshenko has visited Cherkasy on March 9. Far-right came to ask Poroshenko, why no criminal proceeding against his close associate Oleg Gladkovsky was launched. Representatives of the National Corps tried to block the motorcade of the head of state and started provoking ordinary residents of Cherkasy and the police to fight. The far-right tried to break to the scene, they used pyrotechnics, but Poroshenko managed to retreat. The law enforcement officers used coercive measures.

Citing an archive of documents and private messages from an anonymous leaker, journalists of Our Money (Nashi Groshi) described fraud by Igor Gladkovsky, deputy head of Ukraines National Defense and Security Council, and his 22-year-old son of Oleg Gladkovsky. They 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 own Leninska Kuznia company was involved as a straw company.
Thank's for the fish. -- Douglas Adams

Come back again sometime. Thank you for visiting.
Stagingin a church hall on the interface between the Castlereagh Road and Short Strand certainly adds a feeling of East(Belfast)enders to Shakespeares play. The Bright Umbrella Drama Company s latest work spreads a cast of six over nine characters, trimming the Bard down but still delivering a two-hour performance.General Othello leaves Venice to defend the island of Cyprus against a Turkish invasion. He brings with him his until-recently secret wife, Desdemona, command the Venetian armies against invading Turks on the island of Cyprus (rather than Cyprus Avenue!) his ensign Iago whose wife, Emilia, is Desdemonas attendant. And trusted lieutenant Cassio.Iago is mustard. Hot, stinky mustard that burns your mouth. He manipulates everyone with a web of lies that buckles their relationships and a fog of mistrust envelopes the cast until the tea is well and truly spit as the bodies pile up at the end of this tragedy.Director Trevor Gill exploits the shape and intimacy of the new venue, taking advantage of the small balcony and stairs at one end of the hall  handy if they ever revive Novembers Romeo and Juliet  and playing across a long stage against a simple black backdrop with three monochromatic boxes.The soldiers and their wives are dressed in modern camouflage uniform. The aggressive male military backdrop perhaps forgives the shouty discourse, though Sam Mahadeos Othello uses much more light and shade across his performance. Bright Umbrella are unafraid of violent action, with an incident of unexpectedly vigorous waterboarding splashing the front row and spousal abuse upping the emotional ante at relevant points in the five-act play.Glenn McGivern plays scheming Iago as a brutal bully hidden in plain sight, never showing signs of weakness and making great entrances and bringing a suitably dominant presence every time he was on stage. His wife Emilia (Christine Clark) portrays a woman scorned and trapped in a bad relationship.Bryony Randall gave Desdemona a sense of pluck, looking up adoringly at her new husband Othello and delivering tender moments  and some sweet singing  but also capable of turning up the emotion when its required in later stages to spit out her characters rage.Taking on two sizeable roles as Cassio and Brabantio, Chris Darcys switch of mannerism helps distinguish between them. His drunkndisorderly Cassio impresses, but the obvious difference in age between Cassio and Desdemona does stretch the scripts notion of a potential attraction that would threaten Othello. Adrian Cooke plays the remaining two characters, Roderigo and Lodovico.The mixture of rifle, handgun and dagger feels a little anachronistic. And as the company settle into the venue the addition of coloured lighting may help accentuate the mood of some scenes.As the first production staged in their new home venue,was a triumph for Bright Umbrella Drama Company. Hopefully their reputation will grow and future performances will attract in local audiences to engage with the plays the tackle. As story of racism, love, deception and jealousy, misplaced trust and loyalty, and hyped up with planted evidence, suffocation and revenge killing  the universal themes of Othello certainly resonate in their new location as well as further afield in Belfast and beyond.
Dr. Ray Hernandez Duran looks at the Bourbon monarchy and its policies and examines how works of art reflect the developments that define the 18th century in New Spain.

Following the death in 1700 of the last Hapsburg king on the Spanish throne, Charles II, who died without an heir, the War of Succession resulted in the installment of the Bourbon monarchy at the head of the Spanish Catholic empire. The Bourbons had different approaches to rule than the previous Hapsburg dynasty. One of the main expressions of these different approaches to governing are found in the so-called Bourbon Reforms, which were intended to restructure and modernize the empire in order to better regulate it and increase economic productivity.

Dr. Ray Hernandez Duran will briefly look at the Bourbon monarchy and its policies, and examine how works of art in the exhibition reflect the developments that define the eighteenth century in New Spain and other colonial territories. Among the works we will be examining are included pinturas de casta and portrait painting.

Dr. Ray Hernandez Duran is an Associate Professor of Spanish Colonial Art and Architecture at the University of New Mexico.

General Admission to Albuquerque Museum

Out-of-State Adult $6, NM Adult (19-64) $5, Teen (13-18) $5, Seniors (65 & older) $4

$5 additional special exhibit surcharge for "Visions of the Hispanic World"

No surcharge for children 12 and under.

Surcharge applies during free days and events at Albuquerque Museum.
Talented violinists play live.

Purchase Tickets! 10 Student Tickets are available with IDs.

"One of the most spectacular journeys in recent American music." - The New York Times

"One of the most talented and imaginative artists working in music -- any music -- today." - The Los Angeles Times

"Brilliantly original." - The Seattle Times

"The audience was on its feet . . . They were moved by Mr. O'Connor's journey without maps, cheering for the only musician today who can reach so deeply first into the refined, then the vernacular, giving his listeners a complex, sophisticated piece of early-21st-century classical music and then knocking them dead with the brown-dirt whine of a Texas fiddle." - The New York Times

Mark and Maggie OConnor - "American Classics identifies the cornerstones of repertoire, style and wonderful diversity of A New American School of String Playing. Mining a huge body of repertoire that has made its impact on American music, the tunes I have selected and the arrangements I have created from them represent stylistic importance, pedagogical value and have timeless appeal. 400 years of music informed by string playing in the Americas establishes relevance for the 21st century music audience as well as the student of music through the OConnor Method book series. It does so by returning the violin to its rightful place at the center of the very music it helped to create and promote.

American Classics offers a broad and interconnecting compendium of American music through the presentation of violin solos performed by me and violin duos performed by myself and Maggie OConnor, my beautiful wife. Audiences as well as students of the violin will find themselves inspired by the songbook of America as they have never heard it before. Present-day Spirituals such as the anthem We Shall Overcome empower us with a significant portion of the American Music System."

Mark O'Connor began his creative journey at the feet of American fiddling legend Benny Thomasson, and the iconic French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. Now, at age 55, he has melded these influences into a new American classical music, and is perpetuating his vision of an American School of String Playing. Mr. OConnor has won three Grammys, seven CMA awards as well as several national fiddle, guitar and mandolin champion titles. His distinguished career includes representing the United States Information Agency in cultural diplomacy to six continents and performing in front of several U.S. presidents including being invited to the White House by President Ronald Reagan to perform as a teen.

GiG Patreon rewards don't apply for this concert.
This Blog AMICOR is a communication instrument of a group of friends primarily interested in health promotion, with a focus on cardiovascular diseases prevention. To contact send a message to achutti@gmail.com http://achutti.blogspot.com
run75441 | March 10, 2019 11:29 am



In parts of Livingston and Oakland counties, the people have been warned not to eat the fish from the Huron River and Kent, Strawberry, Zukey, Gallagher, Loon, Whitewood, Base Line and Portage lakes as well as Hubbell Pond due to the fish being contaminated with PFAS and similar chemicals coming from industries. In 2016, Michigan started to tell people about the impact of PFAS and how dangerous the PFAS and PFOAs are.

PFAS/PFOA are part of a class of man-made chemicals used in many industrial and consumer products to make the products resist heat, stains, water, and grease. Product Examples include: Teflon cookware, waterproofing fabric and coating on fast food wrappers.

Former Army reservist Spc. Mark Favors, his relatives, and family have lived around Fort Carson and Peterson Air Force Base for years drinking and bathing-in base and off-base water for years. The level of PFAS and PFOA on base around Peterson Air Force Base has been established at 79 to 88,400 parts per trillion on-base wells and 79 to 7,910 parts per trillion in public and private drinking wells off base.

It was not until the EPA published its 70 parts per trillion guidelines did the DOD claim it began to understand how harmful exposure could be and voluntarily took action. Spc. Mark Favors does not buy the excuse. The issue has been explored in-depth by the Colorado Springs Gazette, which produced a timeline dating back to the first concerns about the foam used to fight fires in 1962. Fort Carson stopped using the firefighting foam in 1991 stating, Firefighting operations that use AFFF must be replaced with nonhazardous substitutes.

In Michigan, it will take a Flint-sized emergency before it begins to take aggressive action with businesses dumping contaminated water in company drainage pipes going to water reclamation plants. Then too, Livingston County is the richest in income in the state and is also 96% white, an advantage the county has over the City of Flint.

Fifty year old Mark Favors can count at least 16 relatives from around the area who have been diagnosed with cancer; 10 have died. Six of those relatives have died since 2012, including his father at age 69 and two cousins, ages 38 and 54.

In my family alone, we have had five kidney cancer deaths, Favors said. And those people only lived in the contaminated area.

Many of Favors relatives lived near Peterson Air Force Base, where scores of both on-base and off-base water sources have tested significantly above the Environmental Protection Agencys recommended exposure of 70 parts per trillion of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFAS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The compounds were part of the militarys firefighting foam until just last year. The same compounds in the foam have been linked to cancers and also developmental delays for fetuses and infants.

In a recent March 6, 2019 House subcommittee hearing, Mark Favors was among those in attendance as the subcommittee was questioning the actions of the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Defense representatives over the decades long use of PFAS, the failure to regulate its usage, provide adequate protection from its usage, and monitor the safe disposal to prevent contamination of ground water and the environment. Knowing its dangers, a reasonable person would have found an alternative to its usage as demonstrated by Fort Carson in 1991. Obvious, some elements of the military were not of that mind.

With a large degree of politeness, House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on the environment chairman Rep. Harley Rouda, D-CA commented:

To put it charitably, it is unclear why DoD feels justified in passing the buck to the EPA, particularly in light of the evidence suggesting DoDs awareness of the toxicity of the chemicals since the early 1980s.

If stationed at a military bases (and who has not been for some period of time?), this is a big issue as many of us were using the water supplied to us at places such as Camp Lejeune where we were drinking and showering in water contaminated with chemicals such as benzene. For those who were at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days, there is now a list of disorders which the VHA will accept as being attributed to exposure to base water. Some of us have disorders on that list and some of us do not. There are many other military sites where former military and civilian personnel have complained of disorders and illness which they believe is attributed to the bases they were stationed during their enlistment or working as civilians.

In Michigan, there is a site where you can get an idea of how bad the issue is in and around your community. All known PFAS sites in Michigan and check your own area (at the bottom you scroll to find your county and township/community).

Many knowledgeable sources believe the 70 parts per trillion is still too high.

by run75441 (Bill H)
There are still hangovers from the old days of the White Australia Policy but thankfully its adherents are in the minority.

The arrival of Vietnamese refugees probably heralded the start of Australias embrace of multiculturalism. Over subsequent years people from many different parts of the world came here to live and we developed into a happy polyglot society.

Today South Australias governor, Hieu Van Le, is Vietnamese as are many professional people like doctors and lawyers. Vietnamese Australians act and sound just like any other Australian and through intermarriage have greatly enhanced the national gene pool.

In South Australia many of them settled on the northern Adelaide Plains where they engaged in market gardening alongside the Italian and Greek migrants who had come here after the horrors of World War II.

Those that arrived on our shores brought horrific stories of the perils of their escape from Vietnam, including pillaging and rape by pirates on the high seas. Many Australian hearts went out to these people and they were given much assistance to relocate here.

At that time, and probably because of Australias ill-fated involvement in the Vietnam War, the government under Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser actually welcomed boat people and refugees.

TUMBY BAY - I first became aware of the idea of multiculturalism in the late 1970s when South Vietnamese boat people began to arrive in Australia.

While they grudgingly accept people of Asian origin they now direct their venom against people with darker skins who come from places like Africa or the Middle East.

Prior to the Vietnam War, there had been a widely held national fear that people of Asian origin were a threat to Australia. This was characterised in the phrase Yellow Peril.

The Yellow Peril harked back to the 19th century gold rush days when Chinese miners flocked to the just discovered goldfields in Victoria and other states. The Chinese miners were hard workers and could extract gold from places Europeans had abandoned or found too hard to work.

They also showed great enterprise in setting up businesses to supply the miners with the goods and equipment they required.

The success of the Chinese was resented by white Australians and, as this antipathy built, it came to form the sentiments that eventually led to the White Australia Policy.

The Vietnam War had its genesis in the anti-Communist rhetoric following World War II. There was a theory promulgated mainly in the USA but also in Australia that the spread of Communism had to be halted otherwise there would be a domino effect and we would be overrun.

The theory was that the countries south of China  like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia  would topple to Communism like dominoes  eventually reaching us.

Vietnam was seen as an important place where a stop to Communisms spread had to be militarily engineered.

When you look at our generally peaceful and happy multicultural society now it is hard to imagine how we once discriminated against people because they didnt look like us or follow the same customs as us.

There is a popular song in Australia called We Are Australian written in 1987 that includes these lyrics:

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We'll share a dream and sing with one voice

"I am, you are, we are Australian"

The song encapsulates a sentiment felt by many Australians and it has been suggested it would make a much better national anthem than the current one.

That Australia has developed a multicultural society that works well with our democratic system of government might be a lesson for Papua New Guinea.

Of course, PNG didnt have to develop a multitude of cultures because they were already there. People were roughly the same colour but they embraced a dizzying range of customs and practices that often meant different groups were anathema to each other.

Bringing those disparate 850 language groups together to form one nation has always been a major problem and stumbling block for effective governance.

Issues like wantokism (the practice of favouring ones own language group) and intercultural antagonism still plague unity and can be the basis of much angst.

The long-lasting and current mood in Bougainville to break away from PNG is felt, perhaps not so strongly, in some other provinces. Bougainvilleans say they are ethnically and culturally different to other Papua New Guineans and have been unfairly treated and would be better off as an independent nation.

What the Australian experience of multiculturalism tells us is that it is possible to have harmony and effective governance that includes a wide range of different ethnicities, beliefs and customs.

It is a lesson that Papua New Guinea might consider emulating.
But, in a stinging gibe at Australia, he said the Australian government would still want the project as it is happy to encourage third parties from Australia to enter secretive sweetheart deals.

The US government and American corporations are believers in fair play and the US government reaction is not surprising, Pruaitch said.

Pruaitch said the governments approval of the Ramu 2 hydroelectric project has led the Americans to reconsider their involvement in the five-nation partnership which was announced at last years APEC summit.

PORT MORESBY  Papua New Guineas multinational electrification partnership could be in jeopardy after the ONeill government awarded contracts to companies from China without open tendering, according to Opposition Leader Patrick Pruaitch.

In jeopardy because of contract 'back-dooring' - the national electrification project recently announced at APEC by a five-nation partnership

To save face and to comply with PNG laws, the government should allow the board of PNG Power to call new tenders for Ramu 2, along with rival bids for similar quantities of electricity from gas and other energy sources.

The same process should be undertaken for Yonki to Hagen electrification, allowing companies from the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to participate in competitive bidding.

Pruaitch said opening up tendering could resolve the current impasse facing the PNG electrification partnership.

It would also would be in the public interest as the increase in future power rates would only be a fraction of what the public would otherwise face under the Ramu 2 deal.

Similarly, the Yonki to Hagen power distribution could cost much less than K1 billion to construct, reducing the nations debt burden, he said.

Pruaitch said if the ONeill government failed to adopt these measures it would add to the list of scandalous, corrupt and wasteful deals it has previously undertaken including the K3 billion UBS loan fiasco, more than K2 billion spent on the APEC summit, the corrupt Manumanu land deal and the deteriorating education and health services around the country.

The 180 MW Ramu 2 project was awarded to Chinese company Shenzen Energy at a projected cost of K2.7 billion.

A smaller 58 MW gas-fired power plant currently commissioned in Port Moresby is costing K340 million to build, generating electricity at about one-third the cost.

Pruaitch said the K1 billion Yonki to Hagen electrification project, awarded to Chinese company TBEA Ltd without a tendering process, was in breach of the Public Finance Management Act and had to be approved through the back door.

PNG has one of the worlds lowest electricity distribution rates with only about 12% of PNG households having access to electricity.

The electrification partnership deal between PNG and the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand was a highlight of the APEC summit.

Pruaitch said if the US pulled out of the partnership, it was likely New Zealand would follow suit because prime minister Jacinda Ardern would refuse to be drawn into any deal that had the stench of corruption.

It is my belief the Japanese may take a more diplomatic approach while the Australian government is happy to encourage third parties from Australia to enter secretive sweetheart deals, Pruaitch said.

Pruaitch said the US pulling out of the multi-nation partnership would represent a major embarrassment for Papua New Guineans.
Best Rye Whiskeys

Bartender Approved: Rye Whiskeys

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

If you know anything about whiskey in North America, youll know that bourbon is king. The pride of Kentucky is the closest thing to a national spirit the U.S. has (although Applejack producers might tell you otherwise). But recently, tastes have gotten a little spicier.

Over the past few years, there have been some really great rye whiskeys coming to market and I love it, says James Urycki, mixologist at Travelle at The Langham in Chicago. I have always been partial to rye. I spent the better half of my early 20s drinking Manhattans and the spice notes that rye lends to that cocktail make you fall in love over and over again.

Its no secret that rye whiskey has grown in popularity as of late. The spicier whiskey is a great alternative to bourbon and has the perfect bite to keep you warm through to spring. But as with any spirit, its hard to know which variety is right for you. Thats why we checked in with some well-known bartenders and got them to dish on their favorite rye whiskeys and what you should be sipping on. Heres what they had to say.

RELATED: Five Things You Should Never Do When It Comes to Bourbon

Wild Turkey 101 Rye

Wild Turkey. I think it's the perfect combination of spicy and herbaceous. I'll take the 101 for mixing, and the Russell's Reserve 6-year for sipping.  Stuart Jensen, beverage director/owner at Brass Tacks in Denver, Colorado.

$43.99 at Drizly.com

Rittenhouse Rye

I love Rittenhouse Rye. It has the spicy notes a good rye should have. Also, I love that they had an underground operation during the Prohibition and in 1934, they released a 2-year-old rye when the ban was lifted in 1933. (Ill let you do the math,)  Tony Gonzalez, lead bartender at District in Los Angeles.

$28.99 at Drizly.com

WhistlePig Rye

Whistle Pig or Angel's Envy are my favorite rye whiskeys. I just think they're both damn good ryes. They're excellent on their own and play perfectly in properly executed classic cocktails. More middle of the road, I'd go with Sazerac Rye, which is a fantastic rye for the price, or Rittenhouse, which packs a punch and delivers when you need something big, bold, and spicy.  Ricky Cleva, bar manager at Harlowe MXM in Dallas.

$87.99 at Drizly.com

Russells Reserve 6-Year-Old Rye

Russells Reserve Rye. I love everything that comes out of Wild Turkey, and Russells 6-Year Rye always hits the spot for me when I want a nice spicy pour.  Jonathan Shock, bar manager at Lady of the House in Detroit.

$49.99 at Drizly.com

Old Overholt

I used to be a Rittenhouse girl, but I dont have time for that 100-proof business anymore. Im getting old, 80-proof is more my speed, and Overholt is tasty AF.  Jade Sotack, bartender at Jupiter Disco in New York City.

$19.99 at Drizly.com

RELATED: How To Set Up a Scotch Tasting

George Dickel Rye

My favorite rye whiskey and why? Dickel. It is simple, sharp, and usually value priced. It is a classic.  Mary Pellettieri, co-founder of Top Note Tonic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

$37 at Drizly.com

The Little Book: Noe Simple Task Rye

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to get my hands on something new from the Beam Suntory portfolio and once again, I fell in love with rye whiskey. The Little Book: Noe Simple Task is a blend of 8-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye, 40-year-old Canadian Whiskey, and 13-year-old Canadian Rye Whiskey and it is absolutely wonderful. With the Little Book you're not going to want to throw it in a cocktail, instead, this one is perfect for sipping over a large rock. I highly suggest you treat yourself if you ever get the chance. And do it soon, because who knows how long it will be around.  James Urycki, mixologist at Travelle at The Langham in Chicago.

Find out more at Littlebookwhiskey.com

Woodford Reserve Rye

Right now, I'm really enjoying Woodford Reserve Rye because of the intense spice notes and the beautiful weight of the liquid as you sip it. It's fantastic.  Pam Wiznitzer, mixologist at Henry at the Life Hotel in New York City.

$45.99 at Drizly.com

Willett Rye

I think Willett turns out consistently great rye whiskeys. There is a great balance and I am always impressed with how mature it feels even with the younger releases.  Gary Matthews, bartender at DrumBAR in Chicago.

$60 at Drizly.com

Angels Envy Rye

Angels Envy makes a really fun rye whiskey that is finished in rum casks. It balances out some of the more aggressive flavors usually found in rye with some of the sweeter ones added by the rum finish.  Johnny Contraveos, bar manager at ALK in New York City.

$94.99 at Drizly.com

Templeton Rye

Templeton Rye is hands-down my favorite rye whiskey. Im from Iowa, which is where this whiskey is bottled, so I might be biased, but Templeton remains the tastiest, smoothest, most perfectly balanced rye Ive ever tasted. Great neat or on the rocks. Good in a cocktail  even better by itself.  Patrick Morgan, bartender at The Parlor in Hollywood.

$41.99 at Drizly.com

Get with the trends and switch up your nightcap routine with one of these bartender-approved rye whiskeys. You wont be sorry.

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Donald Trump's national security advisor said Sunday that the US president would be "pretty disappointed" if North Korea conducted a new missile test, but he refused to confirm reports that such a test may be near. John Bolton appeared notably cautious when asked on ABC's "This Week" about a report that satellite imagery appears to show preparations at a North Korean site for the possible launch of a missile or space rocket. "I would rather not get into the specifics on that," he said. "I'm not going to speculate on what that particular commercial satellite picture shows." On Friday, the website of NPR posted a satellite image that the public broadcaster said showed intense activity around the North's Sanumdong site, where missiles and satellite-launching rockets have previously been assembled. NPR quoted an expert on the North's weapons programs, Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, as saying, "When you put all that together, that's really what it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket." Trump, who once warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury" if it threatened the US, has been trying to negotiate the North's denuclearization with its leader Kim Jong Un, but their recent Hanoi summit ended in failure. Since then, Trump has been cautious in his prognostications, continuing to suggest a deal remains possible. He said Kim promised in Hanoi that he would do no more missile or nuclear testing, adding, "I take him at his word." Bolton declined to say whether the US was aware at the time of the Hanoi summit of any suspect satellite imagery from North Korea. But he sent a strong signal to the North that it cannot escape US scrutiny. "We see exactly what they are doing," he said. "We see it unblinkingly, and we don't have any illusions about what those are." Bolton said he was "not aware of any" contact with the North since the Hanoi summit but was expecting an update Monday from his South Korean counterpart. He said time remains on Washington's side, adding that the president "is not under pressure to make any deal. He wants to make the right deal." With North Korea still under economic sanctions, "the leverage is on our side right now, and not on North Korea's." North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) leaving Vietnam after a summit with US President Donald Trump ended in failure
An Algerian government plane that transported the country's ailing president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to Switzerland for treatment two weeks ago returned to Geneva Sunday. The white Gulfstream 4SP jet, with "People's Democratic Republic of Algeria" written on the side and the Algerian flag on the tail, landed at the Geneva international airport Cointrin shortly before 10:00 am (0900 GMT). The Algerian government did not immediately announce the purpose of the flight but it was possible that the plane was coming to repatriate the 82-year-old leader, who has been receiving medical treatment at the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG). Bouteflika, in power since 1999, has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. His bid to secure a fifth term at Algeria's April 18 election has sparked massive protests in the country, dominated by youth who have called for the president to stand aside. Bouteflika's office has insisted that the president went to Switzerland for routine medical checkups but speculation is rife that his health condition is far more serious. On Friday, a lawyer acting on behalf of an unnamed Algerian citizen filed a petition with a Swiss court requesting that Bouteflika be placed under a trusteeship for his own protection, alleging that his "fragile health" left him vulnerable to "exploitation" by those around him. Pointing to news reports that Bouteflika's condition was "very precarious" and "life-threatening", the petition submitted by lawyer Saskia Ditisheim also demanded that the court lift the medical secrecy around his condition and that it request a medical certificate pertaining to his aptitude to govern. It remained unclear whether the Swiss court would admit the case, and Ditisheim acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and told AFP the court might try to stall until Bouteflika is flown back to Algeria. A number of protests have also been staged in Switzerland against the Algerian president since he arrived in the country. On Friday, Algerian businessman Rachid Nekkaz, who had unsuccessfully tried to stand as a candidate in the upcoming elections, was arrested after staging a protest with several dozen supporters outside HUG and then pushing inside to demand information about Bouteflika's condition. Nekkaz -- a popular activist with a large social media following -- suggested that Bouteflika was actually dead. "The entire world, and all of Algeria knows that he is no longer of this world," he told reporters, charging that powerful players in Algeria had an interest in maintaining the illusion that Bouteflika was alive to keep their grip on power in the country. Bouteflika's campaign manager Abdelghani Zaalane meanwhile insisted Thursday that the president's health raised "no worries". The Algerian government did not immediately announce the purpose of the flight but it was possible that the plane was coming to repatriate the 82-year-old leader, who has been receiving medical treatment at the University Hospitals of Geneva


Two hikers have been missing in the Victorian bush for two days after they failed to return from a bushwalk.

Police now hold concerns for Trevor Salvado and Jacinda Bohan, from Essendon in Melbournes northwest, after their car was found with the couple nowhere in sight.

Mr Salvado, 60, and Ms Bohan, 58, were last seen by friends at a caravan park on Cherry Lane in Bright, in northeast Victoria, about 9.30am on Friday morning.

Police are desperately searching for hikers Jacinda Bohan and Trevor Salvado. Source: Victoria Police

They were expected to return from a bushwalk at Reservoir Track on Mount Buffalo about midday, but they have not been since and only their abandoned Skoda Yetu, with registration 1AN6RT, has been found.

A desperate search is now underway for the couple, with family saying the disappearance is out of character.

Jacinda Bohan and Trevor Salvado were last seen at a caravan park on Friday. Source: Victoria Police

Mr Salvado is described as being about 183cm tall with a medium build, short grey hair, blue eyes, grey moustache and fair complexion.

Ms Bohan is about 170cm tall with a thin build, light brown/blonde short hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion.

The couple were last seen at a caravan park on Cherry Lane, Bright. Source: Google Maps/file

Police hope images released of the couple will lead to information on their whereabouts.

Anybody with information should contact Wangaratta Police Station on (03) 5723 0848.

Do you know more or 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.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday accused International Women's Day protesters of being led by political rivals and of "disrespect" during the Islamic call to prayer, after Friday's march was broken up by police firing tear gas. Thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul on Friday in defiance of a ban by authorities, crowding the famous Istiklal avenue, before a police crackdown brought the demonstration to a chaotic end. In his comments on Sunday, Erdogan referenced an unverified viral video showing women and men continuing to chant during the call to prayer. "A group which came together in Taksim led by the (main opposition Republican People's Party) CHP and (pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party) HDP supposedly for women's day behaved rudely with whistling and chanting during the call to prayer," Erdogan said. The avenue is close to Taksim square, a traditional rallying point. The president has been holding daily rallies across the country and often slamming the opposition ahead of local elections on March 31. He has accused the CHP of being in an alliance with the HDP, which Erdogan says is a political front for Kurdish insurgents. The "March 8 Feminist Night march" group issued a statement on Sunday decrying the attempt to use Friday's rally as "election material" in the press and on social media. "Police violence against tens of thousands of women taking part/trying to take part in the night march cannot be covered up with polarising language... fake news and hate," the group said, without making any direct reference to Erdogan. In his statement the Turkish leader also played a short clip of the video as well as footage of an opposition rally from 2011 and said that participants did not carry the Turkish flag. "(The opposition is) attacking our liberty and our future with this disrespect to our flag and our call to prayer," he said during a rally in the southern city of Adana. Although polls suggest Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) remains dominant, the opposition may make larger gains as the economic slowdown and the weaker Turkish lira impacts households. Erdogan often says that his Islamic-rooted party has given greater freedom to Muslims in Turkey where until a few years ago, women were banned from wearing the Islamic headscarf, known as the hijab, in state institutions and universities. But he has been accused by critics of eroding the secular pillars of modern Turkey. The call to prayer has been at the centre of controversy in the Turkish republic since its foundation in 1923. From 1932 to 1950, the call to prayer was banned in Arabic in Turkey. Most recently in 2018, there was a row after CHP MP Ozturk Yilmaz called for it to be in Turkish rather than Arabic. Police fired tear gas at thousands of participants in the International Women's Day march on Istanbul's Istiklal avenue
Five-time Indian Wells champion Roger Federer thwarted a second-set challenge from Peter Gojowczyk to reach the third round on Sunday with a 6-1, 7-5 victory. Fourth-seeded Federer, like top seeded Novak Djokovic gunning for a sixth ATP Indian Wells Masters crown, said he was relieved not to go to a second-set tiebreaker after falling behind 3-1 to the free-swinging German who is ranked 85th in the world. The Swiss regained the break and, after saving four break points to make it 4-4, he broke Gojowczyk for a 6-5 lead, the German double-faulting on break point to give Federer a chance to serve it out. Federer could find himself fighting for a fourth-round berth against fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion currently unseeded as he continues his return from injury. Wawrinka was to face 29th-seeded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics later Saturday. Five-time champion Roger Federer is into the third round of the ATP Indian Wells Masters after a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Germany's Peter Gojowczyk
The German far left's star politician Sahra Wagenknecht said Sunday she was quitting the leadership of a new populist movement that aims to address the concerns of the poor and win back working-class voters but has struggled to gain momentum. Wagenknecht, a leading member of the far-left Die Linke party, said the "Stand Up" alliance she co-founded last September needed a complete reorganisation at the top. "The party politicians should take a step back, that also applies to myself," she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine daily in an interview. "Their experience was needed at the start but now it's right to hand over responsibility" to grassroots supporters, she said. The surprise retreat comes as the movement "has gone quiet", Der Spiegel weekly noted, after an initial burst of activity when it attracted 100,000 members in the first month of existence. Some six months later that number has climbed to just 170,000, despite the fact that membership is free and requires only an online registration. Der Spiegel said the envisaged loose alliance of leftist groups has run into scepticism from established parties and lacks a clear profile -- with even Wagenknecht's own Die Linke "unsure how to deal with the political initiative". "Wagenknecht doesn't want to stand up anymore. It's now up to others to do the work. How embarrassing," tweeted MP Johannes Kahrs from the centre-left Social Democrats, junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government. Lawmaker Sebastian Steineke from Merkel's centre-right CDU was equally scathing. "'Stand Up' is over already. As expected, the leftist dream remains a mere utopia," he wrote on Twitter. - Tough on migration - The "Stand Up" (Aufstehen) movement is the brainchild of Wagenknecht and her husband Oskar Lafontaine, a firebrand socialist, ex-finance minister and defector from the Social Democrats (SPD). Its declared goal is to counter the "neoliberal policies" of Merkel's centrist coalition government and fight for secure jobs and pensions, environmental protection and "a true democracy not ruled by banks, corporations and lobbyists". But in a controversial break with the left's "open borders" policy, the movement also advocates a tougher stance on immigration in a bid to woo back citizens who have drifted to the far right. In the Sunday newspaper interview, Wagenknecht lamented the "bunker mentality" of Germany's leftist parties that had prevented them from embracing her project. While the ecologist Greens and the centre-left SPD do govern with the far left on a regional level, they have never teamed up in a national coalition -- in large part because of Die Linke's uncompromising hard-left positions, such as wanting to abolish NATO. "The (leftist) party leaderships... apparently feel so comfortable in their dead-end streets that they are missing the chance that 'Stand Up' represents," Wagenknecht said. She later took to Facebook to reassure supporters she wasn't ditching "Stand Up" and would continue to play an active role in the movement. "Of course I will keep working on the success of our shared project," she wrote. Wagenknecht, shown here in January laying a wreath at the grave of Communist Revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg, said the "Stand Up" alliance she co-founded last September needs a complete reorganisation at the top
Voters in Guinea-Bissau went to the polls Sunday to elect a new parliament in the hope of ending a protracted leadership deadlock in a country that has become renowned for drug trafficking and instability. "I came to vote because I want the development of my country. I hope that the day passes off calmly," said Victor Pereira, 42. The onetime Marxist ruling party PAIGC, which has run the poor West African country of some two million for most of the 45 years since winning independence from Portugal, is fielding candidates along with 20 opposition parties. Among them are the main opposition Party of Social Renewal and the Movement for Democratic Change (Madem-G15), made up of dissidents from the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The latest crisis in the notoriously volatile country arose in August 2015 when President Jose Mario Vaz, elected a year earlier, sacked his prime minister, Domingos Simoes Pereira who was head of the PAIGC, after a falling out. At the time, the parallel economy came to play a preponderant role, fuelled by drug trafficking. Vaz appointed a series of prime ministers, but none garnered sufficient support to achieve a parliamentary majority. Finally in April 2018, the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediated an agreement leading to the designation of a consensus prime minister, Aristide Gomes, and the resumption of work by the 102-seat parliament. Gomes was given the caretaker task of preparing for parliamentary polls, in which 36 percent of candidates must be women for the first time. Initially set for November 18, the polls were postponed to March 10 mainly for technical reasons. - UN chief pessimistic - The party that wins on Sunday should appoint the future prime minister, who could once again be Vaz's rival Simoes Pereira. "These are the most contested elections in the history of Guinea-Bissau. We are coming out of a near four-year political crisis and no government has been able to complete its term," noted political analyst Rui Landim. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded a note of pessimism last month when he said: "Nothing suggests that these elections will make it possible to resolve the problems undermining the country." He said a solution could lie in a constitutional review to "clarify the division of labour" between the president and prime minister. On a positive note, Guterres also said that "the armed forces have remained neutral and have not interfered with the constitutional order" -- in a country that has seen 16 coup attempts since independence of which four were successful. International sanctions remain in place since 2012, after the last violent power seizure. Guinea-Bissau's porous coastline and chronic instability have made it a target for Latin American drug lords trafficking cocaine to Europe, implicating senior government and military officials. Cashews, the country's main export, accounted for nearly half of the national budget in 2017. Growth slowed to around 3.8 percent in 2018 after a drop in cashew production caused by bad weather. The opposition has contested the accuracy of the electoral roll for Sunday's polls, which will be closely watched by international observers. Campaigning ended on Friday. Some 760,000 people are eligible to vote, with polls closing at 7:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Sunday. First results are expected 48 hours later. Military sources told AFP that the security forces had been put on alert for any possible violence. Another election is on the horizon, as Vaz's five-year term ends on June 23. Guinea Bissau's President President Jose Mario Vaz appointed a series of prime ministers, but none has garnered sufficient support to achieve a parliamentary majority Cashew nuts are Guinea-Bissau's main export
Serena Williams's first tournament since the Australian Open came to an abrupt end on Sunday as the ailing 23-time Grand Slam champion retired from her third-round WTA match against Garbine Muguruza at Indian Wells. Muguruza was leading 6-3, 1-0 when Williams called it a day in the battle of former world number ones because of a viral illness. "Before the match, I did not feel great, and then it just got worse with every second; extreme dizziness and extreme fatigue," Williams said in comments released via tournament organizers. The 10th-seeded American, continuing to work her way back up the rankings in the wake of time off to have a baby, had made a strong start, winning the first three games. But she called for the trainer after dropping six straight. After a long talk with medical personnel Williams took the court for the second set, but after Muguruza held serve at love Williams called a halt. "By the score, it might have looked like I started well, but I was not feeling at all well physically," Williams said. "I will focus on getting better and start preparing for Miami." It was the sixth meeting between Muguruza and Williams, all five prior coming in Grand Slams. The last two of those were in finals, with Williams beating the Spaniard for the Wimbledon title in 2015 and Muguruza taking the 2016 French Open crown. It was a tough draw for Williams, who defeated former world number one Victoria Azarenka in her second-round opener. Muguruza was sorry to see it end the way it did. "We've played many times and it's always super-tough, super-exciting," Muguruza said. "I wish I'm going to see her soon and feeling better," added the Spaniard, who advanced to a fourth-round clash with seventh-seeded Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, a 7-6 (12/10), 6-4 winner over Britain's Johanna Konta. - Halep holds on - Serving for the match, Bertens saved one break point and let two match points slide by before she reached the round of 16 for the first time at Indian Wells when Konta sent a forehand wide. World number two Simona Halep had her hands full with Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova but emerged with a 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 victory in her first meeting with the 114th-ranked player. "It was really difficult against her because I never played against her -- it was a bit difficult to get a rhythm," Halep said. There were service breaks aplenty as Halep and Kozlova traded four on the way to the first-set tiebreaker and four more to open the second set. Halep's two holds -- sandwiched around another break of Kozlova's serve -- put the Romanian up 5-2 but she was broken serving for the match and needed one last break of Kozlova's serve in the final game to clinch it with a backhand up the line. "When I was leading the match, she played without fear, I felt like she was playing much better in those games," Halep said. "It was difficult for me to close those sets, but I'm actually proud that I could do that," added the Romanian. Halep next faces 61st-ranked Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who followed up her win over 2018 finalist Daria Kasatkina with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. Sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina also advanced, holding of Australian Daria Gavrilova 7-5, 6-4. Serena Williams talks with medical staff before retiring from her match against Garbine Muguruza with a viral illness in the third round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament Spain's Garbine Muguruza serves against Serena Williams in their Indian Wells WTA third-round match that ended when Williams retired with illness Seventh-seeded Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands celebrates her third-round WTA victory over Britain's Johanna Konta at Indian Wells Second-seeded Romanian Simona Halep on her way to a third-round victory over Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova at Indian Wells
Frangeline is aged two but weighs no more than a four-month-old -- the terrible result of her battle with measles, which is cutting a deadly swathe through Madagascar. Widespread malnutrition and low rates of immunisation on the Indian Ocean island have ramped up the killing power of the highly infectious virus. In the last six months, nearly 1,000 children have been killed by a resurgent disease that vaccination once appeared to have tamed. Now on a drip, the scrawny infant was only saved because her mother Soa Robertine, 32, made the 25-kilometre (15-mile) trek from her home to the Anivorano-nord health centre, in the island's far north. Without her timely action, respiratory or neurological complications arising from the virus would have proved fatal, doctors said. "Frangeline is suffering severe malnutrition and she wasn't vaccinated" against measles," said the clinic's head of medicine, Hollande Robisoa. "She contracted a complicated form of measles and she would have died if she hadn't been brought here." Many other children have not been so lucky. Between last September and February, there were more than 79,000 cases of measles in Madagascar, 926 of which were fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The Anivorano-nord clinic has had 510 patients suffering from "kitrotro" and "kisaosy" -- the local names for measles. Roughly 100 patients were hospitalised but only four lost their lives, according to official statistics. But many local people dispute the numbers in a community where rumours are common. "I heard that hundreds of children have already died," said Sylvain Randriamaro, 46, sitting in the hospital waiting room. "I was alarmed, so I decided to vaccinate my two children," aged five and six, he said. Measles has hit Madagascar barely a year after it was gripped by an outbreak of plague that claimed 200 lives. "It's a major epidemic," said doctor Vincent Sodjinou, a WHO representative. "It's down to the fact that for almost a decade the rate of vaccine coverage was not high enough and, over generations, the numbers of unvaccinated people have increased." - 'Malnutrition a bed for measles' - Measles can be relatively benign if symptoms like fever and cough are handled promptly. If not, there is a risk of "opportunistic" illness such as pneumonia or diarrhoea -- diseases that can fatally attack patients with weak immune systems. In Madagascar, where 47 percent of children under five are malnourished, the disease has proved particularly dangerous. "It's often said that malnutrition makes a bed for measles," said Sodjinou. "The most serious cases are often reported in malnourished children." The paediatric ward at Antsiranana's military hospital, north of Anivorano, has been overwhelmed. "Normally we only treat one measles case here every two months," said head of medicine Ravohavy Setriny Mahatsangy. "We've had 444 just since December." Mahatsangy blamed physical contact between patients, their "reluctance to go to hospital and opposition to vaccinations". The combination of factors has wrought a tragic toll on his patients. One example is Marie Lydia Zafisoa, aged eight, whose "mother took her to a witchdoctor... and then a traditional healer who prescribed six baths," according to her aunt Bana Tombo. When that failed, Zafisoa's father carried her to the clinic. "It was too late -- she died on the way, on her father's shoulders," said Tombo. Seven-month-old Adriano Luc Rakototsioharana was more fortunate. Her grandmother Catherine had also turned to traditional medicine before taking her to hospital. She barely survived the ordeal -- but even so, Catherine remains adamant that traditional medicine holds the key. "For measles, you need a cow dung infusion or a tea with bark from the lazalaza tree," she said. - 'It's the culture' - Doctors say that such beliefs are frustrating their efforts to roll back the disease. "It's the culture," Ravohavy said, with a resigned smile. "Changing people's mentality is far more difficult than treating measles." The profession also complains that the situation is worsening despite the state paying for most measles treatment. "But the people prefer traditional healers who often advise them to refuse any hospitalisation," said a health ministry official, doctor Said Borohany. "And most villages are hours away from basic medical centres." The other viable solution, vaccinations, has been complicated by the lack of funds available for such a programme. Until now the nation's vaccination programme has administered only a single dose when the WHO recommends two. The UN agency estimates that 5.6 million doses would be needed to contain the epidemic. But Madagascar is $1.6 million (1.42 million euros) short of the $11.2 million needed to fund such an operation. Newly-elected President Andry Rajoelina has promised to vaccinate all children aged between six months and nine years. "Our goal is to eradicate measles," he said. But the fight will be long and difficult. "Madagascar put in place a routine vaccination programme," said the WHO envoy, Sodjinou. "But it remains inadequate to reach the furthest reaches of the country." Soa Robertine's two-year-old daughter Frangeline weighs no more than a child of four months In the last six months, nearly 1,000 children have been killed by measles, a disease that vaccination once appeared to have tamed in Madagascar Since last September and February, there were more than 79,000 cases of measles in Madagascar, 926 of which were fatal Children wait to be vaccinated in a village in Madagascar where WHO estimates 5.6 million doses would be needed to contain the epidemic
Nine policemen have been killed in a militant attack in Myanmar?s western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict. A bloody military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh in violence UN investigators have said warrants the prosecution of top generals for genocide and crimes against humanity. But the armed forces are now waging a war against a militant group claiming to represent the state?s ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, a population that also stands accused of aiding soldiers in their expulsion of the Rohingya. The Arakan Army (AA) has in recent months mounted several attacks on security forces and officials in its struggle for more autonomy and rights for Rakhine people. The latest attack occurred late Saturday took place in Yoetayoke village, just an hour north of Rakhine state?s capital Sittwe. ?Nine police were killed, one was injured and another one is missing,? a senior police officer told AFP, not wanting to be named. A leaked police report said weapons were also taken from the police station. No group has yet claimed responsibility and the AA could not immediately be reached for comment. A local administrator confirmed investigations are under way. Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of carefully government-chaperoned trips and information is difficult to verify independently. But swathes of the state?s north are once again engulfed in conflict. The military has brought in thousands of reinforcements and is bombarding AA positions with heavy artillery. Several thousand people have been forced from their homes by the violence. Yet there is widespread support for the AA?s cause across much of Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, where many feel they have suffered decades of discrimination by the state. Some 100 local administrators submitted their resignation en masse this month calling for the release of four colleagues reportedly arrested for having links with the AA. The verdict in a treason trial against a popular Rakhine politician is also expected in the coming days and could prove to be a further flashpoint. Aye Maung stands accused of treason after allegedly inciting Rakhine people in a speech last year to take arms and rise up against the country?s ethnic-Bamar (Burmese) majority. The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits. The group ramped up operations at the end of last year, but it was a deadly attack on four police posts on Independence Day early January that focused the country?s attention and triggered the military?s swift retaliation. Thirteen police officers were killed in the brazen attack and in an unprecedented move the civilian government instructed the military to crack down on the insurgents. Violence in strife-torn Rakhine was glossed over by Myanmar?s leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a recent investment forum where she touted the state?s "untapped" economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing "narrowly" on its problems. People displaced by fighting between ethnic rebel group, the Arakan Army, and Myanmar government troops take refuge in Buthidaung township, Rakhine state
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega ruled out a key opposition demand to bring forward elections during peace talks on Saturday aimed at resolving a 10-month long political crisis. However, he did offer to release political prisoners and undertake reforms. The government said in a statement it was "committed to the strengthening of democracy, respect for constitutional order, and taking into consideration that presidential and legislative elections have been established for 2021." The opposition had wanted those brought forward to this year. The government agenda, finally published after eight days of talks, also offers to strengthen freedoms and rights, liberate political prisoners awaiting trial, revise laws to eliminate "impunity" and asks the international community not to apply sanctions. Ortega, his wife Vice President Rosario Murillo and other top regime officials are already subject to US sanctions for rights abuses. The government's move comes a day after the opposition announced it was reconsidering whether to continue talks after the country's bishops, slated to be mediators, declined to participate in the process. During eight days of talks, the government had refused to share its goals and shielded itself with a confidentiality pact that banned the parties from sharing details of the discussions with the press. That secrecy created suspicions the government was not sincere in its desire to find a political solution. The crisis began in April 2018, sparking months of protests across the Central American country against Ortega's leftist government. More than 300 people were killed in a brutal crackdown on the opposition and independent media. Hundreds of opposition figures were thrown in jail and more than 50,000 Nicaraguans fled the country. The talks began on February 27 as the government found itself facing an economic crisis and a $315 million deficit, while struggling due to sanctions without funding and loans that would usually come in from multilateral organizations. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega (R), pictured with his wife and Vice-President Rosario Murillo, ruled out a key opposition demand to bring forward elections
Ukraine's police said Sunday that 25 officers were injured in clashes with ultra-nationalists who tried to attack a presidential motorcade ahead of elections at the end of this month. Nineteen police officers were hospitalised in the city of Cherkasy, where supporters of the far-right National Corps party tried to block President Petro Poroshenko's motorcade and accused the government of corruption. Three officers were also injured in clashes with the same group in Kiev near the presidential offices, with one hospitalised. The incidents further exacerbate tensions ahead of the presidential elections on March 31 in a country plagued by graft scandals and an ongoing conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Police spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo told AFP that investigations had been opened into the events in Kiev and Cherkasy. A police video from Cherkasy, which is about 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of Kiev, shows a crowd of men, some wearing masks, swarming around a motorcade of police cars, with some climbing on the roofs, opening car doors and punching policemen. The protesters lit flares, filling the street with smoke, and shouted obscenities. "Who are you protecting?" one of the protesters can be heard saying in the video. "These scumbags devastated the Ukraine's army!" On Sunday, the interior announced the arrest of two people suspected of "violence against security forces" and "hooliganism". National Corps spokesman Oleksandr Alfyorov confirmed to AFP that the group's activists had been involved in clashes in both cities and that two of their number had been arrested. He accused police of blocking streets to prevent people accessing the square where Poroshenko was giving a speech. The protesters wanted to "raise the question of corruption in our government," including misappropriation of funds in the military. Poroshenko, who is running for a second term in office, was recently accused of turning a blind eye to a scheme smuggling military parts. Last week he said he had fired the official allegedly profiting from the scheme. Poroshenko was in Cherkasy Saturday to honour locally born national poet Taras Shevchenko and meet local residents. He has made no comment about the clashes. Poroshenko is one of three leading candidates in the presidential polls, alongside television actor Volodymyr Zelensky and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. There were clashes outside the offices of President Petro Poroshenko in one incident, while far-right activists also tried to block the presidential motorcade Activists of the Ukrainian far-right party National Corps clash with police outside the office of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Saturday
Huge crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple in India Sunday to commemorate 60 years since the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that drove the spiritual leader into exile. Supporters of the 83-year-old peace icon chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile after fleeing a deadly Chinese crackdown in Tibet in 1959. Devotees in the Indian hill station the Dalai Lama has called home for six decades waved Tibet's colourful "snow lion" flag, which China has outlawed as a symbol of separatism. Some had "Free Tibet" painted on their faces along with the colours and distinct golden sun of the iconic flag. "This is a proud day," Lhakpa Tsering, a Tibetan living in exile in India, told AFP in Dharamsala. "Sixty years we've been in exile. Still, our struggle is young and fresh and strong, so we can give a message to China that until Tibetans remain, our struggle will never end." The Dalai Lama himself was not present at the anniversary ceremony, but chief representatives of the exiled Tibetan administration and foreign dignitaries gathered for the solemn occasion. Performers dressed in traditional attire danced and recited Tibetan songs at the temple for guests, which organisers said included parliamentarians from 10 nations. A minute's silence was held at the outset to remember those killed when China brutally crushed the fledgling Tibetan revolt, a crackdown the government-in-exile claimed killed tens of thousands. - Call for dialogue - Buddhist Tibet, a vast Himalayan area of plateaus and mountains, declared independence from China in the early 20th century but Beijing took back control in 1951, having sent in thousands of troops. The Dalai Lama -- chosen at the age of two in 1937 as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism's supreme religious leader -- was enthroned as head of state after the Chinese invasion. His co-existence with the Beijing authorities was tense and when the Chinese authorities summoned him to an event without his bodyguards on March 10, Tibetans feared a trap that could endanger their leader. Thousands of his supporters assembled at his summer palace to prevent him from leaving; thousands more demonstrated in Lhasa to demand the Chinese depart, the Dalai Lama would later say. Beijing sent more troops into Tibet, and in the bloodshed that followed, refugees poured over the border into Dharamsala -- already then a sanctuary for Tibetan exiles fleeing Chinese repression. The Dalai Lama evaded Chinese authorities and slipped away dressed as a soldier, escaping to India with an entourage of supporters in a gruelling two-week trek through the Himalayas. There he formed a government-in-exile and demanded autonomy for Tibet, a decades-long quest that would earn him worldwide respect as a figure of nonviolence. He won the Nobel Prize in 1989. He remains a thorn in the side to China, which adamantly rejects any suggestion of Tibetan autonomy and blacklisted the Dalai Lama as a dangerous "separatist". Beijing continues to be accused of political and religious repression in the region, but insists Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms and that it has brought economic growth. "If (China) earnestly believes that co-operation can bring more peace, it should renew dialogue with the envoys of His Holiness Dalai Lama," Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile. "As we have seen repeatedly, the envoys are ready to talk and peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet through the 'middle-way approach'". Supporters of the Dalai Lama chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous Dharamsala - home to Tibet's government in exile Performers danced and recited Tibetan songs at the temple for guests, which organisers said included parliamentarians from 10 nations The Dalai Lama himself was not present at the ceremony, but chief representatives of the exiled Tibetan administration and foreign dignitaries were present Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay addressed the huge crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharmasala
New Zealand short-ball maestro Neil Wagner believed a result in the rain-affected second Test against Bangladesh was still "definitely possible" after New Zealand trailed by 173 at stumps on day three in Wellington on Sunday. New Zealand reached 38 for two in reply to Bangladesh's first innings 211 after the first two days were washed out. Thirteen wickets fell in the 72 overs possible, leading New Zealand's chief wicket-taker Wagner to think there was still time to force a result in the remaining two days. "It's definitely possible," Wagner said having removed the cream of the Bangladesh side with four for 28. "If we keep taking it session by session and get ourselves into the lead and pile on whatever we can, anything is possible." New Zealand will resume on Monday with Ross Taylor on 19 and Kane Williamson on 10. Tamim Iqbal gave the tourists a sound start with 74 as Bangladesh reached 119 for one before the next nine wickets fell for just 92 runs. New Zealand, in reply, were reduced to eight for two as Abu Jayed claimed both openers cheaply, but Williamson and Taylor steadied the innings before the rain returned to force an early close. - No demons - Williamson, who won the toss, had no hesitation in bowling first on a green wicket but it did not hold the demons that conditions suggested. Tamim and Shadman Islam put on 75 for the first wicket -- their third consecutive fifty-plus stand as new-ball pair Boult and Tim Southee were unable to generate much swing or effective seam movement. Once they were out of the attack the wickets began to fall with Colin de Grandhomme accounting for Shadman for 27 before Wagner weaved his magic. "I tried to pitch my first over up and went for 10 runs so there wasn't a lot of swing or a lot of movement at that point of time," Wagner said explaining why he reverted to his favoured short deliveries. "Obviously, I wanted to try and make the most out of the bounce ... and try and get nicks, try and get a glove and see if it goes through to BJ (Watling) and luckily it worked on the day." Unlike the first Test when the Bangladesh batsmen were troubled by the menacing height he extracted from the pitch, this time they were the architects of their own downfall with the wickets coming from injudicious pull shots or unnecessary leg side flicks. "Batsmen have to think before playing their shots," said Liton Das, the second highest scorer with 33. "We know (Wagner) will bowl short from where you have very little to do. Sometimes the only way to tackle him is by leaving the deliveries. If we can focus more against him and leave him more, it might help us." In a telling 13-ball spell either side of lunch, Wagner first removed Mominul Haque (15) and Mohammad Mithun (three) before the break and soon after the resumption took the key wicket of Tamim, who top-edged an attempted pull shot. Boult mopped up the tail with three wickets for four runs in nine balls. New Zealand's Neil Wagner celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's Mohammad Mithun at Wellington Bangladesh's Abu Jayed celebrates New Zealand's Tom Latham being caught behind during day three of the second Test in Wellington Neil Wagner (centre) celebrates the key wicket of Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal Ground staff pull on the covers as rain returns to bring an early close on day three of the second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Wellington
Every day, we meet people who are living in very different circumstances who have the courage to seek help, open up and allow us to be part of
Swedens Freedom of the Press Act is generally cited as the worlds first law granting rights of access to government records to the public. The phrase freedom of information (FOI) did not become widely known or used until passage of the United States federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966. The federal Act was weak and completely revised in 1974 on the heels of the Watergate scandal. Its enactment opened the floodgates, and within 10 years, every state in the US had enacted some sort of access to records law. As a concept, FOI has become international. Today there are approximately 100 nations that have enacted an access to information law, and many have jumped ahead of the laws in the US.

When Im asked, which state has the best freedom of information law, my answer is Mexico. Mexico? I started discussing FOI with Mexicans around the turn of the last century, when it was predicted that 75 years of one party rule would come to a close. That happened, and reform minded Mexicans passed a remarkable FOI law in 2002. And they did what we couldnt have done when our laws in the US were passed in the '70s  they built information technology into their law. Think about the '70s  high tech was an electric typewriter and we used carbon paper to make copies. There was no internet or email.

Mexicos was the first law that gave people the right to request and obtain records by using email. We learned from its experience, and New York was the first state to include the right to seek and obtain records via email in a provision enacted in 2006. The Mexican law also requires proactive disclosure: posting records of significance on a website even before anyone requests them. That makes life easy for everyone. People can obtain records any time of the day or night, and often they can acquire the equivalent of a thick report quickly, easily and at no cost. Government staff need not respond to a FOI request if the records are accessible online. Everybody wins. And what happens when the government concludes that certain records are frequently requested and clearly public? They post them online. They push the records out to the public.

Historically in this country, our FOI laws are based on the right to request government records, to pull them out. In other nations, the emphasis is to push them out. More and more here, government agencies are posting records on their websites, pushing them out to the public. The public today can often gain access to information readily that would have been difficult if not impossible to obtain not so many years ago. Thats great.

We must think, however, about issues associated with governments inclinations when it pushes information out to the public online. Very simply, government pushes out what it wants us to know. It likely doesnt push out what it doesnt want us to know.

The trend toward pushing out information is the way of the world, and it will be with us forever. Were addicted to gaining access to information from one screen or another. Thats fine, but only if we continue to have the right, a right guaranteed by law, to pull out the information, especially the information that government doesnt want us to know. Thats why we need strong FOI laws in New York and throughout the nation.

As Judge Louis Brandeis suggested more than a century ago, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Robert Freeman is the executive director of the state Committee on Open Government.

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Starting today and continuing through Saturday, The Citizen's opinion page will be featuring commentary related to the open importance of government transparency. It's one way we try to bring attention to the advocacy and public education campaign known as Sunshine Week.

Journalism organizations are involved in organizing Sunshine Week promotions and events, and news media are always among the most vocal participants in this annual effort.

But it's important for the public to know that Sunshine Week's chief purpose is not to talk about the value of journalism. The goal is to help the public understand that in the United States, it has the right to know what its government is doing at all levels. That concept of openness and accessibility is a foundational principle of our representative democracy.

Journalists, including those who work at The Citizen, frequent use laws such as New York's Freedom of Information Law and Open Meets Law, or the federal Freedom of Information Act, to request and secure information that government officials may not necessarily want citizens to see. These efforts by the news media are ultimately made on behalf of the public, because that's a crucial role journalists play: representing the public at government meetings and court proceedings and gathering records that should be accessible to every citizen. Being that voice of the public is one of the main reasons the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of the press.

Robert Freeman: Pushing vs. pulling with government records Swedens Freedom of the Press Act is generally cited as the worlds first law granting rights of access to government records to the public. T

Sunshine Week helps bring attention to this public representative role of the news media, but it also aims to help every American understand that we all have these same rights to access government information and proceedings. FOIL, FOIA and open government meetings are available to everyone. Don't let any public official tell you that only a journalist can make a record request or attend a meeting. And learn about the tools and processes at your disposal.

For starters, we'll bring your attention to the website sunshineweek.org, and the account @sunshineweek on Twitter. Check out and immerse yourself in all that journalists are doing to get information you might want to see, but also ways you can get it for yourself.

In New York, a terrific tool is the New York Committee on Open Government site (dos.ny.gov/coog). At the national level, check out the federal Office of Information Policy's Freedom of Information act website at foia.gov.

The Citizen editorial board includes publisher Rob Forcey, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd.

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I'M IN Democrats are calling for H.R. 1 to be brought to the floor of the U.S. Senate. Add your name to stand with them and fight for every American's vote to count.

I was a civil rights lawyer for two decades, which is why I want to take a second to tell you about H.R. 1 -- one of Democrats' most important bills out.



H.R. 1 would make it easier to vote, reduce big money in politics, bring an end to partisan gerrymandering, and fight political corruption. Democrats are calling for the bill to be brought to the U.S. Senate floor, and Republicans couldn't be more angry about it. Republicans are terrified of this bill because they know it attacks the pernicious tactics they've used to stay in power for decades.



Democrats know that our democracy works best when every eligible citizen participates, and this bill is our promise to the American people that your vote will be counted and your voice will be heard. Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party are fighting tooth and nail to kill this bill, so there's never been a more urgent time to stand with the Democrats fighting for it.



Will you add your name and stand with the Democrats in the House of Representatives and across the nation who are working to protect our democracy?



I'M IN

For decades, Republicans have been muddying the water when it comes to our elections. Their willingness to buy elections through big-monied interests, gerrymander districts with surgical precision, purge voters, push heinous voter ID laws, and even cheat to win, is reprehensible.



Just last year, then Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp employed voter suppression tactics that disproportionately affected people of color and led him to victory against Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams. More recently, a new election was announced in North Carolina's 9th congressional district, after evidence surmounted of an absentee ballot scheme that was put into place by a consultant Republican candidate Mark Harris hired.



We can't continue to allow our democracy to fall under attack because Republicans refuse to let go of whatever political power they have, which is exactly why House Democrats have introduced H.R. 1.



The nitty-gritty of this bill could truly transform how our politics function, so I want you to read a few key reforms:

Every eligible citizen would be able to register to vote online or be automatically registered upon receiving a driver's license.

It would be harder to remove folks from voter rolls, like we saw in Georgia and Ohio last year.

States would use paper ballots in federal elections to prevent tampering.

Independent commissions would be put into place to draw congressional district maps and prevent partisan gerrymandering.

Campaigns would have to disclose any big donors behind 501(c)(4) organizations.

All presidents and vice presidents would be required to release their tax returns.

House members would be prohibited from serving on corporate boards.

Foreign lobbyists and special interests would have a harder time influencing our laws. Elections have consequences, and H.R. 1 is proof of that. This bill is the first piece of legislation that our new Democratic majority introduced because we know that folks feel like they've been locked out of their own democracy -- and that must come to an end.



I hope you'll add your name today to stand with Democrats nationwide who are fighting for every American's vote to count.



Thanks for all you do.



Tom



Tom Perez

Chair

Democratic National Committee













I was a civil rights lawyer for two decades, which is why I want to take a second to tell you about H.R. 1 -- one of Democrats' most important bills out.H.R. 1 would make it easier to vote, reduce big money in politics, bring an end to partisan gerrymandering, and fight political corruption. Democrats are calling for the bill to be brought to the U.S. Senate floor, and Republicans couldn't be more angry about it. Republicans are terrified of this bill because they know it attacks the pernicious tactics they've used to stay in power for decades.Democrats know that our democracy works best when every eligible citizen participates, and this bill is our promise to the American people that your vote will be counted and your voice will be heard. Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party are fighting tooth and nail to kill this bill, so there's never been a more urgent time to stand with the Democrats fighting for it.For decades, Republicans have been muddying the water when it comes to our elections. Their willingness to buy elections through big-monied interests, gerrymander districts with surgical precision, purge voters, push heinous voter ID laws, and even cheat to win, is reprehensible.Just last year, then Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp employed voter suppression tactics that disproportionately affected people of color and led him to victory against Democratic candidate for governor, Stacey Abrams. More recently, a new election was announced in North Carolina's 9th congressional district, after evidence surmounted of an absentee ballot scheme that was put into place by a consultant Republican candidate Mark Harris hired.We can't continue to allow our democracy to fall under attack because Republicans refuse to let go of whatever political power they have, which is exactly why House Democrats have introduced H.R. 1.The nitty-gritty of this bill could truly transform how our politics function, so I want you to read a few key reforms:Elections have consequences, and H.R. 1 is proof of that. This bill is the first piece of legislation that our new Democratic majority introduced because we know that folks feel like they've been locked out of their own democracy -- and that must come to an end.Thanks for all you do.TomTom PerezChairDemocratic National Committee
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.
For decades, the Democratic Party has often taken the Jewish-American vote for granted. In no presidential election since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 has the Democratic Party failed to win a plurality of the Jewish vote. Even the infamously anti-Israel Jimmy Carter won a 45% plurality share of the Jewish vote in 1980, outdoing Ronald Reagan's 39% of the Jewish vote. In 2016, 71% of Jews pulled the lever for Hillary Clinton. While the minority of American Jews who identify as Orthodox routinely favor the Republican Party at the ballot box, non-Orthodox Jews tend to overwhelmingly support Democrats.Now, a new, Millennial-centric group - "Jexodus" - seeks to reverse this longstanding trend.Per a press release from Jexodus's soft launch at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. last Friday, here is how the group self-describes:Jexodus is the brainchild of Jeff Ballabon - a longstanding fixture in Republican Jewish circles - and an assortment of like-minded activists like Bruce Abramson, Ballabon's frequent op-ed coauthor. Some of Ballabon's prior successful ventures include starting the now-annual Shabbat at CPAC and his work on the Republican Party's Israel-specific platform language drafted at the Party's 2016 national convention; Ballabon is widely credited with helping lead the charge on changes made to the Party's 2016 platform that expressly removed any references to or mandates for awith the Palestinian-Arabs, and overtly stated that Israel is not an "occupier" with respect to its lawful presence in Judea and Samaria.Jexodus's national spokesperson is Elizabeth Pipko, a religious Jew and part-time model with close ties to President Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, Pipko described Jexodus as a Millennial-centric movement to helpPipko discussed media bias and how the casual cable news viewer is oftentimes more likely to hear about President Trump's alleged anti-Semitism than he/she is likely to hear about Ilhan Omar's (actual) anti-Semitism.Jexodus will initially launch in New York and Florida, which are both home to sizable Jewish populations. From there, Pipko says that the plan will be to expand to across the country - everywhere from Pennsylvania and Ohio to Arizona and California. Jexodus will initially consist of physical rallies, where speakers can discuss their stories of how difficult it was for them to unshackle the proverbial bondage of the Democratic Party. The Exodus-centric theme of fleeing from bondage will purposefully overlap with the Jewish holiday of Passover, which will be celebrated around the time of the group's launch next month.says Pipko. Alas, time will tell how many erstwhile leftist Jews will join that party.
In the midst of celebrating LGBTQ Pride the U.S. Supreme Court rained on our virtual parade by ruling in favor of the Catholic Social Serv...
Liberal Politics from the Heart of Bluegrass Country
When critics want to dismiss Bernie Sanders's bid to be the Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, the say that he is too old and too white, and incapable of bringing young people and racialized people to the polls, the way that, say, Obama did in 2008 (after all, American politics is as much a contest of who votes and who doesn't as it about whom they vote for).



The same people who say this often have other iron laws of Democratic policy, like "Democrats can't support Medicare for All" and "Democrats can't support a Green New Deal" and "Democrats shouldn't try to tax the rich." When they say this, they really mean "Establishment Democrats' big-money millionaire/billionaire donors won't back Democrats who support these policies," and so, despite the enormous popularity of these policies, the Democrats shouldn't run on them.





Sanders favors all of these policies, and more, and so it's no surprise that his critics are grasping at (evidence-free) straws to neg him in the public sphere, but of course, reality has a well-known left-wing bias, so it's no surprise that they're (very, very) wrong.

For example, Sanders is beating Kamala Harris 2-to-1 in polls of African American voters (possibly because Harris supported the preservation of forced prison labor, joked about her actions to jail parents whose kids were truant, and let Steve Mnuchin walk away from grotesque financial crimes that victimized poor people and stole their homes).

And 18- and 19-year-old first-time voters are big on Sanders because his policies matter more to them than his age, especially his support for immediate, meaningful action on climate change  even though Sanders will be dead before climate change makes most of the USA uninhabitable, these kids won't be, and they know it.

Facts matter: Sanders's base is young and diverse, and the "Bernie Bro" is a myth. Sanders is more popular with racialized people than white people, as popular with women as he is with men, and is especially popular with young people.





Sanders's critics don't want to engage with the substance of his policies, which are, foundationally, anti-capitalist, seeing markets as a tool to be deployed to solve some problems, not as the natural order or the arbiter of moral worthiness. This is a challenge to post-Reagan, Ayn-Rand-derived orthodoxy and it definitely makes some people deeply uncomfortable  but not black and brown people, and not young people.

I am a Sanders primary campaign donor, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and I donated to his 2016 campaign (I'm also a donor to Elizabeth Warren's primary campaign).



Meanwhile, Freya Buhr, 19, of Clermont, Iowa, is so dedicated to Sanders that she didn't let the fact Friday was her birthday deter her from attending the Vermont senator's rally in Iowa City. "Bernie is great and he's always been on the right side of history," Buhr said when asked why she stands behind Sanders. She pointed to his work on civil rights as well as the senator's stance on LGBTQ rights and issues. "He's a strong leader," Buhr added. "He's the kind of person we need with the current political discourse in America." When asked if she agreed with critics who've suggested Sanders will struggle to win over women voters, Buhr referred to him as a "feminist" and said that "Bernie's platform has always been in support of women."



First-time voters for Bernie Sanders don't care about his age, say he speaks to what matters to them and would've voted for him in 2016 [ohn Haltiwanger/Business Insider]





(via Naked Capitalism)





(Image: Phil Roeder, CC-BY)
[Editor's note: We're happy to help our public record ninja friends at Muckrock celebrate Sunshine Week with this tribute to the censor's heavy hand -Cory]

After nine years and over 60,000 requests, MuckRock has been witness to some pretty impressive efforts to keep public information from the public. In the spirit of Sunshine Week, we've compiled some of the weirdest, wildest, and downright hilarious redactions we've received.

This looks like a job for !

In a release of records related to Scientology, the FBI included a short, fictionalized dialogue between a former member of the Church and "the star reporter of The Daily Planet. Though the Bureau redacted the reporter's name, citing their right to privacy, it's not that hard to guess that our intrepid interviewer is Clark Kent  better known as the alter-ego of Superman.

The ever-vigilant FBI, keeping us safe from sunlight-seeking supervillains, yet again.

Office Politics

In response to a request for emails related to a now-infamous video showing FCC Chairman doing the Harlem Shake to downplay the importance Net Neutrality, the agency at first rejected the request in its entirety, saying that releasing that information would have a "chilling effect" on the FCC's ability to perform its duties. After an appeal, the agency released redacted versions of the emails citing the same exemption. After that was appealed, the FCC, likely fearing a lawsuit, finally released unredacted copies revealing that it had spent the last year trying to prevent the release of an email that simply stated "Ok."

Perhaps there were concerns that the period came off as passive-aggressive.

Why is it always the last place you look 

After 17 months of exhaustive search, ICE closed out a FOIA request for memos related to President Donald Trump's proposed border wall, stating that no such records could be found.

While we can't say for sure where ICE was looking during that year and a half, we do know where they didn't check  their own website, where it turns out the documents had been posted in plain sight.

The Six Hundred Sixty Million FOIA Request

In response to a request for how many of a certain type of forensic device the Pentagon's Office of the Secretary of Defense had in their possession, the Agency's FOIA office responded that the only way to determine that would be to search every active contract. And since those contracts aren't sufficiently configured for text search, and all contracts would have to be properly processed and redacted, that would take an estimated "15 million labor hours" and cost somewhere around $660 million.

While we unfortunately did not have the millions or millennium to spare, what we did have was a request for the same information sent to a different department in the Pentagon. That office sent an email to the actual person responsible for these devices, who physically checked and determined there were, in fact, three. The whole thing probably took about ten minutes. But hey, who among us hasn't been off by a few centuries?

Lost and found and lost and found (but not anytime soon)

After activist Frank Wilkinson's 132,000 page FBI file  released after a long and contentious lawsuit  went missing, a request was sent to the FBI for his records. After a puzzling initial response that they didn't have anything, the FBI directed us to the National Archives  who in turn, told us to talk to the FBI. Finally, after months of back and forth, a NARA archivist was finally able to track down the material. But there was just one catch  if we wanted them released, we'd have to get bumped to the "second track" tier, which is capped out at 1000 pages a year. When asked to confirm is that meant re-releasing this previously released file would take over a century, the archived helpfully responded "quite about."

Incidentally, there's some fascinating caselaw around leaving FOIA requests to next of kin.

Of course, it's not just the federal government that gets creative when it comes to the public records process. At the state and local level, we've seen 

A police department in Brockton, Massachusetts responded to a request for records on the use of drones by law enforcement with images of UFOs and instructions on how to fold paper planes.

In Brunswick, Maine, a town clerk claimed that simply opening an email served as an agreement to pay $750 in public records processing fees.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture denied a request for the results of an autopsy on a dolphin which had died in the Jersey river by citing the dolphin's right to medical privacy.

The Seattle Mayor's office responded to a request for text messages by photocopying a phone.

The Washington State Fusion Center caused an uproar after accidentally including in a records response an email forward they had received about mind control technology.



JPat Brown is the executive editor of MuckRock, a Massachusetts-based non-profit collaborative news site devoted to giving the public tools to keep our government transparent and accountable.
Intended as a discussion group, the blog has evolved to be more of a reading list of current issues affecting our county, its government and people. All reasonable comments and submissions welcomed. Email us at: bill.pysson@gmail.com REMEMBER: To view our sister blog for education issues: www.district100watchdog.blogspot.com
South Africa's ruling party says it will take on the issue of illegal and undocumented immigrants in South Africa. The defence minister announced the government might turn to drones to address the problem.

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South Africa is struggling with the problem of undocumented and illegal immigrants inside its borders.

The ANC has announced that it will act decisively on the issue but also made it clear that it is not xenophobic, as reported on by EWN.

Home Affairs minister, Siyabonga Cwele, stated that the ruling party is committed to making sure that foreigners are supported in obtaining legal documents.

Were not xenophobic. We welcome everyone to come through the front door, and exit using the door and not a window. Thats what we stand for, as ANC.

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TimesLIVE reported that the ANC is planning to use drones to monitor the country's borders.

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, South Africa's Defence Minister, said that the government could think about using unmanned aerial vehicles that are being manufactured here.

We have reached a point where we believe we should not be moaning about the number of companies (military units), the numbers of warm bodies, you have on the borderline.

We should now ... look at innovative ways, look at technology. For instance, SA is a big producer of unmanned aerial vehicles and we are now looking into that.

READ ALSO: Mzansi laughs out loud as meme ridicules the SA middle class

Briefly.co.za gathered that Mapisa-Nqakula is convinced that by thinking outside the box, South Africa can better secure its borders.

Minister Cwele added that the government will focus on illegal immigrants who sell illegal foodstuffs.

PAY ATTENTION: 15 Memorable Photos From The Amazing Baby Shower Of Meghan Markle

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
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 09: Businessman and presidential candidate Howard Schultz speaks live on stage during the 2019 SXSW Conference And Festival at the Austin Convention Center on March 09, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jim Bennett/WireImage)

AUSTINThe face of the worlds biggest coffee chain and a possible independent presidential candidate who attacks both parties came to a city teeming with independent coffee shops and liberal Democrats and did not get booed.

In that respect, Starbucks (SBUX) chairman emeritus Howard Schultzs Saturday-morning talk at the SXSW conference here went better than expected.

But in terms of giving people a reason to vote for him someday, Schultz served watery decaf. His prescription for America, to the extent that it exists, amounts to cutting the deficit and trying to get more companies to act like Starbucks.

A systemic critique

The core justification for the maybe-candidacy Schultz launched five weeks ago bears a striking resemblance to President Trumps campaign message: The system is broken, and I alone can fix it.

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speaks at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The two-party system is broken, dysfunctional, and in need of great repair, Schultz said to his onstage interviewer, NBC media reporter Dylan Byers.

Schultz despises the other wealthy businessman to make that claimhe repeatedly denounced Trump for a lack of leadership, character and dignitybut called Democrats just as bad for leaning ever leftward.

"You can't try and solve one extreme with the other, he said, calling Democratic support for such policies as single-payer health care and a Green New Deal socialism.

Let's propose things that are true, that are honest, that are sincere, that are realistic, he said of anti-global-warming agenda championed most publicly by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D.-N.Y.).

A Schultz victory, meanwhile, would stop that separatism and free good Republicans and Democrats from having to knuckle under to party bosses. If an independent president gets elected, you're going to see those good people move outside their ideology.

On health care and socialism

But what would a President Schultz actually do? Its clear he would strive to reduce the national debt, which he called immoral. But his vague answers to basic questions about health care dont speak well to the depth of his dedication.

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Every American should have the right to affordable health care, he declared. Then he suggested that doing more than amending the Affordable Care Actfor instance, letting the government negotiate drug priceswould be socialism.

The Anthem Inc. website is displayed for a photograph on an Apple Inc. iPhone in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Saturday, April 21, 2018. Anthem Inc. is benefiting from a decision last year to retreat from the Affordable Care Act's health insurance markets and raise prices significantly. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

There's nothing free in America, he said of Medicare For All proposals. Taxes for everyone are going to have to go up.

That is true. But as a former chief executive of a company that provides health insurance for its workers, Schultz should know well that expecting private companies to subsidize health care for their employees isnt free either.

An audience member responded by asking Schultz to define socialism. The crowd murmured its disapproval at his glib answer: If you want a good description for socialism, just look at Venezuela.

A more relevant parallel would be Canada, where Starbucks owns more than 1,100 stores. Does the government-run insurance covering those employees amount to socialism? Would Schultz rather have Starbucks pay those health-care costs directly? A reasonable debate on this issue would start right there.

Will he run?

Schultzs answers about the rationale and odds for his candidacy also seemed thin.

He didnt say that the Democratic Party nominating somebody more centristhe cited former congressman Beto ORourke, former vice president Joe Biden and former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper as possibilitieswould lead him to drop out.

And after his early stumbles, Schultz still seems to rate his odds highly.

Howard Schultz, former chief executive officer of Starbucks Corp., right, speaks as Dylan Byers, senior media reporter at NBC News, listens during the South By Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas, U.S., on Saturday, March 9, 2019. The SXSW conference provides an opportunity for global professionals at every level to participate, network, and advance their careers. Photographer: Callaghan O'Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images

I'm not going to allow the pundits, the cynics, to tell me that what I believe needs to happen in America isn't possible, he stood up to declare, drawing some applause.

Then he suggested he could take Texas out of the Republican column, something the last major independent candidateTexan entrepreneur Ross Perotdidnt do in 1992. If I were to enter the race, there's a good chance that Donald Trump would not win the state of Texas.

Schultz did tell Byers that he would drop out if there were any indication whatsoever that his role would tip the election to Trump, but that its too soon to make that call.

Starbucks as a model

Schultz was, however, more persuasive in advocating for the ethical capitalism hes tried to install at Starbucks. The company not only provides health insurance, even for part-time employees, it also gives its workers stock options and, since 2014, has offered some college-tuition payments.

At a later event Saturday hosted by the Austin chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization, Schultz shared some context from his childhoodhow his father was laid off after being injured on the job.

I witnessed at a very young age the fracturing of an American family, he said. He described part of his mission at Starbucks as trying to build the kind of company my father never had the chance to work for.

Schultz recalled the shame he felt at having to order massive layoffs in 2008I cried that dayand mentioned how he left two empty chairs at board meetings to represent a Starbucks customer and an employee. That moment evoked a different politician. Not Trump, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D.-Mass.), who has set out an ambitious corporate-responsibility agenda and defended that in a SXSW talk Saturday afternoon.

One of Schultzs applause lines at both events could have come from the senators mouth: Success is best when it's shared.

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
The owner of a barn that collapsed on his herd of dairy cows Saturday was still in disbelief hours later as he recounted the story, explaining that his habit of changing the clocks early is likely what saved his animals' lives.

Despite having been recently cleared, weight of new snow brought the barn down Saturday in Mirabel, Que., just north of Montreal.

Farm workers, with the help of firefighters, were able to rescue all of the cows and the animals have since been relocated to a nearby farm for safe keeping.

Christian Castonguay, owner of the barn, said he traditionally sets his clocks forward during the day rather than overnight and he adjusts his herd's feeding schedule accordingly.

Just before the roof collapsed, he and his workers had begun feeding the cows hay.

"They had all moved to the front when the building fell toward the back, except for a small section," he told Radio-Canada.

Radio-Canada

"We cut the barrier and they were able to get out, but one was trapped in the back. I was very worried because it was trapped for at least two hours."

The trap cow was found safe and sound, freed from the rubble by firefighters.

As for the barn, however, it's a total loss and it would cost about $100,000 to build a replacement.

"I don't know if I will rebuild," said Castonguay, noting he will have to discuss the situation with his insurance company.

Either way, he said on Saturday evening, he still couldn't believe all of his cows survived.

"I don't know how they are all alive with not one injured," he said.
The architect of a $5 million Ponzi scheme is likely facing prison time after pleading guilty to 22 counts of fraud over $5,000 last month in Edmonton.

Timothy Ray Carruthers, 60, defrauded 35 people over seven years in an elaborate scheme involving bogus mortgage loans, according to the agreed statement of facts. He pleaded guilty to all 22 counts on Feb. 7.

At a sentencing hearing Friday, Crown prosecutor Leah Boyd called Carruthers a "financial predator" who used his victim's money to fund a "lavish" lifestyle.

"He was for many people their trusted financial advisor," Boyd told the court. "He took their life savings into his own hands with no compunction, no hesitation, frittering away that money and then going back for more."

The Crown is asking for a six to seven-year jail sentence. The defence said a five-year term is appropriate, arguing the prompt guilty plea serves as an expression of remorse. The maximum sentence for fraud over $5,000 is 14 years.

'This is a man without conscience'

Kim and Jacqueline Krahn met Carruthers in 2009 after seeing his ad on the Internet. Carruthers offered them financial advice and prepared their tax returns, then approached them with a joint-venture opportunity involving mortgage loans a year later.

Carruthers said the purported borrowers were looking for a bridge mortgage loan, a way to help them pay for a new house while they waited for their current one to sell. He forged land title documents and fraudulently used the names of legitimate law firms to cover up the scheme.

It was a script Carruthers would rewrite and repeat to dozens of investors between 2009 and 2017.

"This is a man without conscience," Kim Krahn said after Friday's hearing.

Kim and his wife lost more than $140,000 to 11 fraudulent joint ventures orchestrated by Carruthers. The couple's retirement plans have been put on hold.

"Money we were hoping to pass onto our children later  that's up in the air. My inheritance from my recently passed mother  that's gone," Krahn said.

Story continues

Carruthers repeatedly used his position of trust to defraud investors, the Crown said. His victims included former colleagues, the woman who cleaned his office and the grandmother of his daughter-in-law.

"Mr. Carruthers showed no mercy, even when it came to family relationships," Boyd told the court.

Carruthers sat through Friday's hearing from the prisoner's bench, wearing a button-up shirt and slacks, and left the courtroom accompanied by his lawyer.

Money used to fund 'lavish lifestyle'

Carruthers used the money to support a "lavish lifestyle" shared with his wife, Brenda, Boyd said.

The couple went on dozens of vacations between 2010 and 2016 to locales such as Bora Bora and Mayan Riviera, according to the agreed statement of facts. He gave his wife nearly $500,000 in pay cheques and paid off his daughter's credit card bills. He bought a Porsche and a diamond ring worth $40,000.

Janice Johnston/CBC

Crown attorney Boyd said Carruthers was motivated by "nothing but greed".

"The fountains of money from investors had dried up and that's what caused Mr. Carruthers to stop his fraudulent behaviour," she said.

Carruthers filed for bankruptcy in June 2017 as the scheme was falling apart. It was the third time he had filed for bankruptcy in Canada.

"Am I frustrated that he lived large on our coin? It's frustrating, no question about it," Krahn said. "The chances of us getting something back is minimal."

The sentencing hearing is expected to continue before Court of Queen's Bench Justice Larry Ackerl on Wednesday.
Jack Hilton, a Typhoon fighter pilot in the Second World War, has died at the age of 99.

The Airdrie, Alta., resident died on March 7, according to the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Hilton was just 19 when he enlisted in the RCAF, first serving as a flight instructor in Canada and the U.S. before joining the front in Europe in 1943 to serve with the 438 Squadron..

Hilton wrote a book detailing his experiences: The Saga of a Canadian Typhoon Fighter Pilot.

"It was a culture shock," Hilton told CBC in 2016 of his wartime experience. "I was a qualified pilot at 50 hours, if you can imagine."

He said he definitely wasn't prepared for the realities of war.

"You were just learning," he said.

His plane, the Hawker Typhoon, was a ground support aircraft that was plagued by design problems  but Typhoon pilots proved instrumental in turning the tide at several major battles in favour of the Allied forces.

"You were flying 100 feet, 200 feet, sometimes as low as 50 feet off the ground," he said. "We had to land the damn thing over 120 miles an hour at times. The Typhoon was a mean, vicious machine.

"We lost pilot after pilot  you'd look over and your wingman was on fire, and all you could say was 'Jump Charlie, jump.' You got to the point where you didn't make friends, you made acquaintances."

He flew in more than 100 missions, but the most memorable might have been D-Day, the Allied invasion of France's Normandy region that saw 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces land on heavily-fortified beaches.

Hilton described the day as an "organized confusion," but said there was no time in that  or any  mission to be afraid.

Once you're involved in combat, you don't worry about fear, because what good would it do you? - Jack Hilton, WWII pilot

"Once you're involved in combat, you don't worry about fear, because what good would it do you?"

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Hilton described being shot down over Dunkirk in an interview with Historica Canada's Memory Project.

"We got over Dunkirk too low and the anti-aircraft shot out one of our twin engine airplanes  so we crash landed and we went to work the next day, flying airplanes," Hilton said. "Get shot down one day and you go fly the next."

Hilton's son, Rick, said his dad was shot down four times.

"When I was a little kid I asked him about being a hero, I was about 10 or so, and he said, 'don't call me a hero, they're all buried in France," Rick said. "And I said, how does a man know he's brave or courageous? And he said 'it's simple. You do the right thing.'"

28 men deployed, 8 came home

The frightening part for Hilton was returning back home after the war.

"I come back after fighting the war, doing my share, and the government gave me a pin and $100  I came back to nothing."

Of the 28 men he was deployed with, just eight survived.

Hilton stayed in the military, and went on to become an early monitoring expert, monitoring Russian nuclear bombers, his son said.

In 2015, he spoke to a squadron in Cold Lake about his experiences.

Lt. Col. John Alexander was one of those in the mess hall for that address, and said there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"It's pretty rowdy, even when the guest of honour is speaking, and listen the only time I've ever seen that where you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was glued on what this guy was saying  when he was finished it was a standing ovation and people were lining up to shake his hand," Alexander said.

Alexander said the loss of another veteran is a sad reminder of how important it is to pass on their stories year-round, not just at Remembrance Day.

Hilton was predeceased by his wife, Ethel. The couple was married for more than 70 years.
British Columbia's natural resource officers should be armed with batons and pepper spray to defend themselves against the intoxicated, confrontational people they sometimes face on the job, according to a recently released report.

Natural resource officers enforce provincial rules related to the environment. Their jobs include managing wildfire risks at campsites and on private property, investigating unauthorized use of Crown land and educating the public.

Joel Johnston, a violence prevention consultant, wrote the March 2018 report for the Forestry Ministry's Compliance and Enforcement Branch. It was released last week as part of a Freedom of Information request.

The report says the officers are not properly equipped for the risks they commonly face, which include groups of drunk campers, mentally unstable people living on Crown land and people with weapons like knives, axes and firearms.

"Parallel problems have existed across similar agencies in the past with tragic results that could have been averted," Johnston said in the report.

B.C. Compliance and Enforcement Branch

The risks are compounded by interactions usually taking place in remote areas where officers have limited access to information or backup law enforcement, Johnston wrote.

But the B.C. Forestry Ministry says its natural resource officers are trained to defuse conflict situations and use self-defence tactics.

The Ministry also notes that "there has never been an incident that has resulted in someone being charged for assaulting a Natural Resource Officer."

Trained to disengage

Despite the hazards natural resource officers face, the report says, they're only equipped with soft body armour.

Johnston acknowledges that the officers are trained to disengage from potentially risky situations, but he warns that may not always be possible because of the unpredictability of human behaviour.

"The inability to safely disengage from a situation is a foreseeable risk for which existing risk mitigation policy will never be the answer," he said.

Story continues

Shutterstock

Johnston recommends equipping the B.C.'s natural resource officers with expandable batons and pepper spray, to be used for self-defence  equipment he says would "enhance their safety, public safety, and the safety of their colleagues and co-workers."

He says the equipment would be in line with other similar law enforcement agencies across the country.

Tragic examples

In his report, Johnston cites examples from across Canada of law enforcement officers who were killed or injured, like Rod Lanzenby, an Alberta community peace officer who was fatally beaten over a dog-related bylaw infraction in 2012.

"Canadian case law now exists requiring employers to act on foreseeable risk with solutions that are realistic and as comprehensive as possible," he said.

But the ministry says natural resource officers don't have the power of arrest, and Johnston's examples don't include law enforcement agencies with that same restriction.

The ministry says it's currently conducting its own review.

However, Johnston points out that natural resource officers' uniforms and equipment mean they're perceived as law enforcement, and interacted with as such.

Past recommendations

It's not the first time consultants have recommended batons and pepper spray for B.C.'s natural resource officers.

Johnston says the company, DTI Defensive Tactics, trained officers to use the equipment more than five years ago.

And in 2013, he says, occupational safety specialists issued an independent Violence in the Workplace Risk Assessment Report that issued similar recommendations.

But Johnston says since then, the province made the "somewhat perplexing decision" not to issue the equipment.

The ministry says it's reviewing its approach to how the officers deal with the public, which would change the circumstances under which the 2018 report was based.
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Thousands of people, mostly women, took to the streets of several Brazilian cities late on Friday, calling for gender equality and an end to violence against women, as well as to criticize Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, and his policies. The protests on International Women's Day were organized by activists in nine Brazilian cities, including Sao Paulo, capital Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. In Rio, demonstrators remembered the assassination almost a year ago of city council member and civil rights activist Marielle Franco, a crime still under investigation that has yet to lead to any arrests. Brazil is among the five countries with the highest number of murdered women in the world, according to the Brazilian Forum on Public Security, a nongovernmental organization. Hundreds of women are hurt each hour in the country, mostly by men with whom they have or have had relationships. Leftist activists made a strong showing in the protests, with banners asking for the release of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is imprisoned on corruption charges. Protesters criticized Bolsonaro for some of his past remarks, considered sexist by many. As the protests took place, Bolsonaro took part in a ceremony in Brasilia to mark International Women's Day. But he ended up prompting further criticism when he said his Cabinet "for the first time ever" had achieved gender-parity, even though two out of the country's 22 ministers are women. "It means each woman here is worth 10 men," he explained. (Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto and Sergio Moraes; additional reporting by Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; writing by Marcelo Teixeira; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Vancouver Island University will have a new president starting this summer: accomplished neuroscientist Deborah Saucier.

Saucier comes to the Nanaimo university for her five-year term as president by way of Edmonton, where she has served as the president of MacEwan University since 2017.

"I've been watching what's been going on at VIU for a long time," she told Gregor Craigie, the host of CBC's On The Island.

"VIU has taken some really bold steps in engaging First Nations."

Saucier, who has Metis heritage, has made STEM and Indigenous education a focus throughout her career in higher education across Canada. which she plans to continue pursuing in her new role. STEM is an approach to learning that focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"It's absolutely critical that we not only engage our communities but that we hear what they need and respond to that," she said.

'Optimism and kindness'

In a statement from the university, Chancellor Louise Mandell described Saucier as "a brilliant Indigenous woman whose values are congruent with VIU's Indigenous commitment.

"Her leadership combines optimism and kindness  qualities important to VIU's continued success as a regional university making social and cultural changes through transforming the communities we serve," Mandell said.

Saucier said she plans to continue some of the work of current president Ralph Nilson, but push it further in terms of community engagement and accessibility of education.

"Ralph Nilson has been amazing with the kinds of things he's been able to do with advancing the agenda for reconciliation and access for students who might not otherwise be able to go to university," Saucier said.

"I wouldn't want to lose momentum on those but, again, I think we can go further."

Saucier is from Saskatchewan but has deep roots on Vancouver Island, where she attended Pearson College. She holds two degrees from the University of Victoria.

She leaves her current position in Edmonton this July.
Col. (res.) Ronen Itsik is a former commander in the Armored Corps and author of A Man in a Tank.

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Israel Hayom..10 March '19..With the election campaign in Israel picking up steam, Hamas is trying to influence the atmosphere in Israeli society through the use of its most "effective" weapons. Walking a tightrope, the terrorist organization is presenting the transitional government here in Israel with a dilemma posed by the missiles and the polls.A year has passed since Hamas began to intensify the riots on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip. In time, it began to bolster them through the use of "improved" weapons such as incendiary kites and balloons. The border riots, which began after the the U.S. relocated its embassy to Jerusalem, enjoyed a tailwind from the impact they had on the residents of Israeli communities adjacent to Gaza.When explosives-laden balloons and kites blackened the western Negev through the fires they caused last summer, we were reminded of former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz's "anemone speech," in which he declared at the height of 2014's Operation Protective Edge that quiet had been restored to southern Israel. Hamas was trying to pressure the Israeli government into agreeing to a long-term cease-fire, which would give Hamas with the opportunity to rebuild its forces.With the Egyptian administration trying to mediate a cease-fire, Hamas continues to try and pressure the diplomatic echelon in Israel by holding residents of the south hostage. But the Israeli government has decided on a policy of containment. From a political standpoint, this proved the opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  who believed that in order to avoid investigations and stir up the electorate, he would take military action against Hamas  wrong. Instead, the government raised the operational need to address Hezbollah's cross-border terror tunnels in the north as justification for avoiding an escalation in the south. Netanyahu did not play into his opponents' hands with what would have been seen as a self-aggrandizing political move.In recent months, the southern front has been relatively quiet, due in large part to the flow of Qatari aid into Gaza. For a while, Hamas even dialed down the border violence. But over the past month, we have seen a return to intense and violent clashes, the kind that escalate and include the firing of rockets and missiles from Gaza. For now, Israel has adhered to its policy of containment and sending messages behind the scenes.Anyone can see that this escalation is no coincidence and that Hamas is trying to make a mockery of the Israeli government during an election season. But the terrorist group has it wrong.. The Israel Defense Forces has plans. It is well-trained and ready. The question remains: What benefits would there be to embarking on a military operation right now?The only arguable advantage would be the restoration of deterrence to the southern border. None of the operations carried out following the 2005 disengagement from Gaza has resulted in long-term deterrence. The only option is to move toward action that will fundamentally change the reality on the ground. In the absence of political stability, the government is very unlikely to choose that option. As a result, Israel has opted for the tactic of responding to Hamas' provocations.What we can expect in the coming months, then, is more of the same: periodic escalations that come close to but do not quite pass the point of no return. Both sides understand this but so do the Egyptians.One thing is certain: Hamas has the most to lose from a large-scale escalation in the south, regardless of what kind of government is formed in Jerusalem. On this issue, at least, there is a consensus among the central candidates in the political arena: When it comes to Hamas, you don't talk, you fight.One figure being tested at this time is new IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi. Thus far, Kochavi has employed the IDF's might in the north, continuing the efforts of the IDF's interwar efforts against Iranian infrastructure in Syria, but he has yet to be tested in the South. He is all too familiar with this arena: He commanded it and was also in charge when we withdrew from Gaza, an event one would be hard-pressed to call a success. One must hope that as spring arrives, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Between the missiles and the rockets, the military has a substantial role to play in neutralizing our enemies' attempts to influence the election campaign.
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Freebeacon.com..08 March '19..Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) has tried to couch her recent anti-Semitic comments as legitimate criticism of the Israeli government. Omar's progressive colleagues in Congress have done the same, saying that charges of anti-Semitism are meant to stifle debate about Israel. This defense is of course absurd: accusing the world's only Jewish state of cosmic evil and judging it by a standard different from that applied to all other countries are, historically, the two key features of anti-Semitism. But push aside the facts for a moment and assume their defense is serious. Why do Omar and like-minded progressives criticize Israel so often? Why do they oppose the Jewish state so reflexively, with such visceral hatred? Many of them justify their activism as support for the rights of the weak and oppressed Palestinians, who, they argue, suffer under Israel's rule. In other words, Omar and her allies say they largely oppose Israel because they are pro-Palestinian. The truth, however, is that many of these progressive voices in the media and on college campusesand increasingly in Congresswho claim to be pro-Palestinian do not actually care about Palestinian rightsunless of course they can attack Israel.This week, amid the current national uproar over Omar's anti-Semitic comments, and over the Democratic Party's shameful failure to condemn them, it is curious that Omar and her defenders have hardly mentioned the Palestinians. Yes, a few lawmakers included brief nods to the Palestinians in statements, but their overwhelming energy was devoted to justifying Omar's use of anti-Semitic canardsincluding the charge that Jewish Americans put Israel's interests above America'sas legitimate criticism of the Jewish state.Meanwhile, halfway around the world on Thursday, when House Democrats pushed a resolution obfuscating Omar's anti-Semitism, dozens of displaced Palestinians who were forcibly deported and now live in horrid conditions wrote emails crying out for help, expressing concern about their children's futures. "What monsters those Israelis are!" supporters of Omar might say. But, to their great inconvenience, it turns out that Israel has nothing to do with these suffering Palestinians. In fact, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad displaced these refugees from southern Damascus, and they are now "struggling for survival in impoverished refugee camps" in northern Syria, according to the London-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, a human rights watchdog that received emails from the Palestinians. Where is the outcry from pro-Palestinian activists, in the West or elsewhere?
In honor of International Women's Day!

An excerpt from HIGHLAND BETRAYAL. Not only is Maggie a strong Highland lass, she's a warrior woman





How much farther today? she asked as she craned her neck to look up the mountain.

He pointed to the top in the distance, over rocks and shale, which could be dangerous to both them and the horses. A few more hours to the ridgethatll be hard goingthen well have several more hours to the cave where well camp tonight. The incline will not be so bad once were on the ridge, but the path will be rough. And the lads willna be able to help you once we reach the shale. Theyll need to steady the horses.

She nodded, but he could see her eyes had dimmed.

Then she sighed heavily and struggled to her feet. Tis best we shoot now, then. I doona want my arms shaking so badly I canna aim straight. Youd win by defaultthe only way, for sure.

He let her have her fun. Although truth be told, it might not be a jest. He suspected he would beat Maggie only if she allowed him to.

And he'd take it.

Aye, Maggie letting him win would be as good as telling him she would marry him. Until then, he would fight for her hand with everything he had.

Choose a spot, then, and Ill go first. I wouldnae want to be accused of following your arrows path again.

She smiled, obviously enjoying herself now as she pulled out her daggers. Not to worry. Well use knives instead. And maybe a moving target.

The other men had also risen.

What did you have in mind? Finn asked, his boyish face alight with excitement.

Ill show you, she said. You doona mind helping, do you?

Finns smile faded, and he swallowed nervously. If you think twill be safe.

Well, I willna miss. But you may want to jump back when its Callums turn.

The corners of his mouth dipped down, and Callum took pity on the lad. We willna aim at you, Finn. Maggie would neer risk your life that way. Im sure she means to have you throw a target in the air.

Aye, Maggie said, her lips twitching. If Callums scared hell miss and hit you instead, well do it his way. She searched the ground, then picked up two flat rocks, both about the size of her palm, and held them out to him. Choose your target.

He did, after making a show of looking them over carefully. He just liked being able to hold her hand, his fingers gliding over her soft skin, until she shivered.

And if it threw off her concentration, all the better.

Ill take this one, he said and passed it to Finnian. He reached for his dagger as Maggie passed Finn her target, and the young man hopped across the mountain like a young goat until she whistled.

He stopped. Right here? he yelled.

Aye, lad. Well let you know when were readyand keep an eye out for the daggers when they fall! Callum said.

He turned and saw Maggie flipping her dagger in her handalmost a ritualistic movement to help her focus. She never once looked at her blade. Instead, she stared above Finns head in the distance, no doubt envisioning the shot in her minds eye.

Fortunately, the wind was calm, and it would simply be a matter of anticipating and hitting the target.

Do you want to see him toss it first? he asked.

Nay. Lets just do it.

His stomach tightened with anticipationwith nerves, evenand he took a deep breath to relax his muscles. The weight of what was riding on this competition sat heavily on him. He was a good shot and would pit his skills against anyone, but he was afraid Maggie might prove his better.

And this was a contest he could not afford to lose.

Ill go first, he said. He adjusted his position, then whistled at Finn. The lad tossed Callums target in the air. In a single motion, Callum pulled his arm back over his shoulder and loosed his dagger. It hit the rock seconds later, before the target reached the top of its arc, and the men sent up a cheer.

Callum resisted punching his fist in the air as he switched spots with Maggie, his heart conflicted. Aye, he wanted to win, but he also didnt want her to feel the shame of missing her shot.

He wondered if she felt the same.

She was grinning from ear to ear when she yelled at Finn, Now!

Finnian tossed her target high in the air. Callum expected Maggie to pull her arm back and loose immediately, as he had, but she waited until the target was on its way down.

The men yelled out with concern, but she waited until the very last moment. Only then did she throw the dagger, hitting the target just before it reached the ground a few feet from Finnian.



The men erupted with loud shouts of astonishment and revelry, and this time Callum couldnt stop himself from punching the air and yelling along with them. His shot had been precise; hers had been a thing of beauty.

He looked over just as she gave the men a deep curtsy. When she straightened, she looked up the mountain, hands on her hips, and blew out a heavy puff of air. If only this mountain were so easy to beat!

His pleasure turned to indignation. You did not beat me!

Tell that to the men, she replied with a saucy grin, then cupped her hands over her mouth. Finnian, bring my dagger. And somebody help me up this great, bloody rock!

* * *

To keep her safe, he betrayed his promise.

Laird Callum MacLean vowed to marry Maggie MacDonnell. But when his father's apparent suicide makes him laird of his clan, Callum must unmask his father's killer before bringing Maggie into his dangerous home.





She's a strong Highland Lass. She can save herself.

Maggie's home isn't any safer. When Callum fails to return, Maggie does what any resourceful Highland lass would do. She escapesand find's herself toe-to-toe with Callum, who's determined to fulfill his promise. Maggie can't bring herself to trust him with her heart again. But with a traitor still at large, they must rely on each other in every way, or their clansand their lovewill be destroyed.









~~~~~~~





Alyson McLayne is a mom of twins and an award-winning writer of contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance. Shes also a dog lover and cat servant with a serious stash of dark chocolate. After getting her degree in theater at the University of Alberta, she promptly moved to the West Coast of Canada where she worked in film for several years and met her Prop Master husband.





She and her family reside in Vancouver with their sweet but troublesome chocolate lab named Jasper.








1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
Colombias Stake in the Blockchain Revolution of Latin America

Camilo Gomez is the Director of Business Development at PSL, Colombias leading software development company.

______ Source: iStock/OSTILL

A few decades ago, the internet changed how organizations operate in a way that no one would have imagined. Today, many specialists believe that distributed ledger technology (DLT), commonly known as blockchain, will have a similar impact, drastically impacting businesses and societies in the years to come. And nowhere is that clearer than in Latin America.

In a region facing regular economic instability and a large under-banked population, cryptocurrencies and the underlying blockchain technology have created many exciting opportunities for Latin Americans. Brazil and Argentina have seen huge surges in Bitcoin adoption, and Venezuela even launched the first-ever government-backed cryptocurrency earlier this year.

But in Colombia, where the government has yet to legitimize cryptocurrencies, blockchain has taken off in an entirely different way. The countrys software development companies have been the ones to lead the charge by exploring the possibilities of blockchain and its potential applications within multiple industries, and building innovative solutions for outsourcing clients in the United States and elsewhere.

With a number of stakeholders on board, the country is now making a huge push to use blockchain as a way to strengthen the countrys position as an IT powerhouse in the region, and give software outsourcing clients a reason to take notice more than ever.

Strong, Stable Foundations for Blockchain Proliferation

Colombia has shown a strong commitment to pushing its IT industry as a tool to foster social and economic development. Endowed with a ministry devoted to promoting its technology sectors, the country has worked towards breaching the digital divide and making IT a key component in its economic performance.

The countrys IT industry generated revenues of 13.5 trillion Colombian pesos (USD 4.74 billion) in 2016, and, among its many achievements, the country has successfully made strides in closing the technology adoption gap between large enterprises and smaller companies in recent years.

Take the implementation of mature technologies as an example: According to IT ministry Mintics 2017 digital economy survey, 70.7% of large corporations were implementing things like broadband and software applications in 2015, compared to 35% of medium-sized companies and 21% of smaller players. Two years later, those same figures stood at 76%, 60%, and 52%, respectively, showing rapid growth in adoption  good indicators that a similar pattern could occur with emerging technologies.

Where does Colombias blockchain progression stand today?

Blockchain is still at a relatively nascent stage in Colombia, despite government support and corporate buy-in. Consequently, because many of the countrys blockchain initiatives are still in the whitepaper or project stages, it remains a challenge for Colombian businesses, especially at the enterprise level, to adopt the technology without established methods or processes.

This is evident in the numbers, too. The digital economy survey indicates that at the end of 2017 only 1.6% of the nations companies had implemented the technology. Larger companies are spearheading the adoption at 5.9%, while the use of the technology is below 2% in smaller enterprises. In terms of industries, the financial sector recorded an adoption level of 6.7%, the highest in the country, followed by the transport sector at 5%.

Nevertheless, this hasnt stopped a number of major institutions, such as the countrys banks, from exploring how they can best leverage the technology. For example, the central bank Banco de la Republica recently inked an agreement to explore distributed ledger technology, and the countrys largest bank, Bancolombia is already using an electronic invoicing mechanism based on blockchain technology to manage and store encrypted information  a solution that was developed in Colombia.

In the transport and logistics segment, technology giant IBM partnered with a Colombian business solutions provider to deploy a blockchain-based solution. The system is built on a mix of DLT, an internet of things (IoT) platform paired with artificial intelligence, and cloud infrastructure. The companies goal is to leverage blockchains immutable process recording capabilities to eliminate human error and avoid delays in the supply chain. The system will be supported by the installation of IoT devices in cargo vehicles so they can exchange information with the blockchain network in real time  again, a product of Colombian innovation.

Exporting Colombias blockchain expertise

According to Colombias National Administrative Department of Statistics, the US was the largest destination for Colombian software and IT products in 2017, with about 35% of the countrys IT exports being shipped there. Software association Fedesofts president, Paola Restrepo, has stated that Colombias competitive labor costs and high-quality products are attractive features for clients in the US. However, the challenges the countrys businesses will first have to overcome is training enough high-level talent and helping developers gain the necessary experience to keep up with this growing foreign demand.

In doing so, Colombia can become a powerhouse in technological development and commercialization, a skill that is gradually being applied to emerging technologies like blockchain. Mintic has also acknowledged that blockchain technology presents an opportunity for IT firms to create new markets, as it cuts costs for companies and allows value-added services to be offered to sectors with substantial bureaucratic procedures or security and information decentralization needs.

PSL has seen the potential first-hand through its work on a blockchain pilot with a San Francisco-based client testing multiple solutions, including Hyperledger Fabric and a Private Ethereum Blockchain instance. Based on PSLs perspective, there has been significant interest from the US market for Blockchain capabilities delivered from a nearshore outsourcing model that Colombia can capitalize on.

Government backing for blockchain

Colombias newly inaugurated president, Ivan Duque, has expressed interest in the development of DLT in the country, as he believes it has the potential to enhance transparency in public contracts, among other benefits. As such, the government is pushing the development of DLT or Blockchain initiatives by organizing events aimed at disseminating information on the potential of this technology, as well as supporting startups in developing applications and identifying challenges.

Other players have joined these efforts, such as Blockchain Academy Colombia, which seeks to inform the business sector about the technology and its benefits.

The city government of Bogota also launched a pilot program in a few schools in collaboration with innovation center ViveLab, using distributed ledger technology to record votes in student elections. The small-scale exercise is just a small step in the countrys ambitious goal to digitize its electoral processes. Tovar has stated that using blockchain technology in the ballots could result in savings of up to 1.3 billion Colombian pesos and expects the technology to be perfected within three years.

Mintic Colombia was also involved in another pilot program aimed at streamlining land registration, which used distributed computing platform Ethereum due to its malleability. Users had their photographs taken in real time while they completed the forms, which enhanced transparency and decreased the risk of identity theft.

Finally, according to former ICT minister David Luna, Colombia has a unique opportunity to become a blockchain point of reference in the region, as the country actively trades with China, England, and the US, three countries that have greatly advanced in the use of this technology.

Colombias proven experience in the software industry, combined with the governments interest in developing and implementing blockchain applications and the passion of its technical workforce, has provided a strong foundation for the advancement of DLT. With pilot programs aimed at the public and private sectors already in place, Colombia is well on its way to making blockchain another core strength of the countrys IT outsourcing providers.
Four rabid raccoons have been found in Manhattan since January. These are the first rabid raccoons to be found in New York after the authorities conducted intensive vaccination efforts years before.Rabid Raccoons In ManhattanThe New York Health Department has announced that it has identified four rabid raccoons in and around Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan since January. It is the first time that rabid raccoons were identified in Manhattan since 2011, after the city conducted intensive vaccination efforts, trapping, vaccinating, and releasing 500 raccoons at the time.Apart from the four raccoons in Manhattan, one rabid raccoon was also identified in Staten Island, and another in the Bronx. So far, there are no rabies exposuresor bites associated with the cases.'Danger To The Community'Because of the six rabies cases, authorities are urging New Yorkers to vaccinate their pets and to keep a close eye on them, especially when they are outside. For instance when walking around parks, pet owners must be vigilant of their surroundings, and to stay away when they see a wild animal.'Rabies is a serious danger for the entire community, human and pet alike,' saidCongressman Adriano Espaillat, urging residents to maintain their distance from wild animals should they cross paths with one, and to call 311 to ensure their safety.Rabies In New YorkIt was in 1992 when animal rabies surveillance in New York began. Since then, over 600 animals have tested positive for rabies, with raccoons being the most commonly reported rabid animal in New York city. But apart from raccoons, bats, cats, and skunks are also commonly reported rabid animals.From 2009 to 2011, Manhattan experienced a rabies outbreak wherein 138 rabid raccoons were reported in and around Central Park. Since the Health Department's vaccination efforts, these new cases in 2019 are the first ones to be reported.'The City has done a great job keeping our wildlife free from rabies, but sometimes Mother Nature has other ideas,' said Senator Robert Jackson.
Washington Post stirred up a little brouhaha this morning because an International Women of Courage Award for Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro was rescinded by the State Department after it was discovered that Aro is a Trump-hater. Lost in the kerfuffle was that it was Aro who helped expose the Internet Research Agency, as the preeminent Russian troll factory that spreads propaganda online and helped steal the 2016 election for Senor Trumpanzee. Speaking of which... also this morning: Alyza Sebenius reported that the U.S. election experts at the Internet Research Agency are An editorial in thestirred up a little brouhaha this morning because an International Women of Courage Award for Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro was rescinded by the State Department after it was discovered that Aro is a Trump-hater. Lost in the kerfuffle was that it was Aro who helped expose the Internet Research Agency, as the preeminent Russian troll factory that spreads propaganda online and helped steal the 2016 election for Senor Trumpanzee. Speaking of which... also this morning: Alyza Sebenius reported that the U.S. election experts at the Internet Research Agency are shifting their strategy to steal 2020 for Trump again. Will Trump's Justice Department prevent Russian infiltrators from stealing the election for Trump? Exciting!









Sebenius wrote that "Russian internet trolls appear to be shifting strategy in their efforts to disrupt the 2020 U.S. elections, promoting politically divisive messages through phony social media accounts instead of creating propaganda themselves, cybersecurity experts say." Remember, the vast majority of Trump supporters have significantly lower IQs than average Americans and are easy prey for this kind of Russian propaganda. Normal people tend to shrug it off as silly, manipulative and far-fetched. Sadly, your typical Trump supporter will eat it up and swear by it, especially if it's reinforced by fascist mass media (Limbaugh, Fox, Sinclair, etc).

Instead of creating content themselves, we see them amplifying content, said John Hultquist, the director of intelligence analysis at FireEye Inc. Then its not necessarily inauthentic, and that creates an opportunity for them to hide behind somebody else.



Other hackers are breaking into computing devices and using them to open large numbers of social media accounts, according to Candid Wueest, a senior threat researcher at Symantec Corp. The hacked devices are used to create many legitimate-looking users as well as believable followers and likes for those fake users.



While covert efforts to amplify divisive content originated by others isnt a new technique, hackers and trolls seem to be embracing it heavily in advance of the next U.S. presidential election.



Wueest said he observed a decrease in the creation of new content by fake accounts from 2017 to 2018 and a shift toward building massive followings that could be used as platforms for divisive messages in 2020.



FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaking at the RSA Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, said social media remains a primary avenue for foreign actors to influence U.S. elections, and the bureau is working with companies on the problem.



What has continued virtually unabated and just intensifies during the election cycles is this malign foreign influence campaign, especially using social media, Wray said. That continues, and were gearing up for it to continue and grow again for 2020.

Apparently the U.S. was successful in keeping the Russians from interrupting the 2018 midterms. You knew that already , right? U.S. Cyber Command launched a cyberattack on the Russian troll farm, knocking out their internet access on election day, shutting them down for a few days.
by Reese Erlich (@ReeseErlich)





On Feb. 14 a suicide bomber killed over 40 Indian soldiers in Kashmir in what India claimed was a terrorist attack. India retaliated by bombing a terrorist training camp, which turned out to be an uninhabited mountain top . The Pakistani air force shot down an Indian jet fighter, and India shot down a Pakistani plane.





Diplomats and the mainstream media focused on the danger of another war between the two nuclear armed countries. But the major media provided less information about the flashpoint for the crisis: India's brutal occupation of Kashmir.





Assistant Professor Junaid Ahmad, director of the Center for Global Dialogue at the University of Management and Technology in Lahore, Pakistan, said in a phone interview that the conflict reflects "the bitterness and anger that remains from the British partition of the region back in 1947."



Why the conflict?





Years ago I reported from a farm near the Pakistani controlled part of Kashmir. It was only accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicle or on foot. Kashmir is spectacularly beautiful with rolling hills and a lush valley. In years past it was tourist destination and could be again if the conflict is ever resolved.





But if you live near the border with India these days, you're hunkering down in bomb shelters to avoid errant Indian artillery fire. Civilians on the Indian side of the border face the same danger when Pakistani guns overshoot their targets.





I learned from my hosts that a number of major rivers flow through Kashmir, a vital source of drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric power for both countries. Whatever country controls the water has a major impact on the entire region.





Many years ago US water expert David Lilienthal wrote , No army, with bombs and shellfire could devastate a land as thoroughly as Pakistan could be devastated by the simple expedient of Indias permanently shutting off the sources of water that keep the fields and the people of Pakistan alive."





A 1960 treaty allows Pakistan to use most of the water, but India has consistently tried to take back as much as it can.





Prof. Ahmad said Kashmir also occupies an important geo political location in an area that borders India, Pakistan and China. The country that dominates Kashmir has "strategic leverage" in the region, he said.





In 1947 when India took control of Jammu and Kashmir, as the Indian state is formally known, "battle lines were drawn," he said. "Indian leaders refused to let go. It gives India an excuse to keep 800,000 troops near the border with Pakistan." Western media sources estimate the number of troops at closer to 500,000

Colonial rule and Kashmiri rebellion





The British colonial presence in the Indian subcontinent dates back to the 1700s. British rulers used classic divide and conquer tactics by inciting conflict between Hindus and Muslims.





When India gained independence in 1947, a bitter struggle broke out. India was to become a predominantly Hindu country while Pakistan was overwhelmingly Muslim. A Hindu maharaja ruled over the principality of Kashmir, which was mostly Muslim. The maharaja brought Kashmir into India. A war broke out; India took control of land containing the majority of the Kashmiri population and Pakistan took the thinly populated remainder. The countries fought two more wars over Kashmir in 1965 and 1999.





Indian leaders have continuously argued that Kashmir is legally part of India. The opposition to India's rule is fueled by Pakistan, they claim, and is dominated by Muslim terrorist groups. They further assert that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are happy with Indian rule









In 1989, Kashmiris launched an armed rebellion against Indian rule. Indian authorities claimed that the Kashmiris were armed by Pakistan and led by Muslim extremist groups. But the movements leading organization, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front , was secular. As Ahmad explained, the movement contained both secular and religious components, much like the Arab Spring of 2011





The key element, he said, was that the 1989 uprising "was entirely indigenous. It was a mass uprising."





The mid-1990s saw the rise of conservative political Islamist groups sponsored by the Pakistani military and intelligence services, which sought to control the Kashmiri movement for their own interests.





The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM), for example, has bombed civilians and engaged in plane hijacking. It took credit for the suicide explosion that killed the Indian soldiers last month. JEM adheres to a right-wing ideology based on political Islam, and an extremist interpretation of Sharia law.





India accuses the Pakistani government of supporting and giving sanctuary to the JEM. "If the Pakistani state is not supporting them," conceded Prof. Ahmad, "it's certainly not stopping them. That's unfortunate because it allows India to portray the struggle as dominated by terrorists."













Other major protests broke out in 2010 and 2016 . The Kashmiri resistance includes secular and religious forces, including extremists, according to Prof. Ahmad. But the recent demonstrations indicate a unified opposition to Indian rule across ideological lines. "All of the previous divisions within the resistance have collapsed."





For decades Kashmiris have called for a plebiscite to determine the future of their region. But India has refused. The results of an authoritative 2010 poll by the British Chatham House explained why.





The survey found that 43% of respondents in both Indian and Pakistani controlled Kashmir supported independence. Fifteen percent favored unity with Pakistan. Only 21% favored unity with India, and that was almost exclusively within the Indian/Hindu population.





U.S. Role





I think that a resolution of the Kashmir crisis will require forceful diplomatic pressure. The US claims neutrality, but has in recent years, tilted towards India. In his second term, President Barak Obama sought a strategic shift to Asia in which he wanted to ally with India to combat China. President Donald Trump continued the tilt last year by reducing US military aid to Pakistan. Trump, like his predecessors, has never forcefully condemned Indian brutality in Kashmir.





I think the US should commit to genuine neutrality in the India-Pakistan conflict. The US could be an honest broker in arranging a referendum in Kashmir and guaranteeing that all parties adhere to its results. It would be a good step forward in replacing military conflict with diplomatic action.
Power prices will rise 8.36 percent at the end of this month. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Manufacturing firms are worried about having to produce at contracted prices with costs pushed up by higher power prices.

Many have already begun to make adjustments to their production plans to "conserve electricity at every possible stage".

According to a recent announcement by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, power prices will rise 8.36 percent at the end of this month.

Average electricity prices will go up from VND1,720 (7.4 U.S. cents) to VND1,864 (8 cents) per kWh exclusive of VAT, a unit increase of 0.6 cents.

"Manufacturing companies like us will certainly suffer losses, so we have to adjust our production," said Nguyen Sy Hoe, deputy general director of Phu Tai JSC, a wood and stone processing company.

Hoe noted that the company has begun investing in modern technology aimed at saving electricity at all production phases.

"Management agencies need to clearly publish the roadmap for implementing this price rise so that producers like us can make timely adjustments," he added.

The leader of a wood processing enterprise in south central coastal province of Binh Thuan also said his company will be hit hard as wood processing uses a lot of electricity. The company currently pays over VND1 billion ($43,207) per month for electricity, and would need to pay another VND200 million ($8,614) once the hike takes effect.

"Although we have planned our production schedule to take maximum advantage of off-peak hours, final prices will have to rise by at least five percent," he said, adding that businesses will have to compensate for losses from fixed price supply contracts that have already been signed. For orders in the second half of the year, the company is planning to re-negotiate prices.

Electricity prices are charged based on 6 levels, based on how and when it is used.

Prices will be higher for business activities (as opposed to household use), at 248 percent of average price during peak time and 75 percent at off peak times, depending on voltage. Industrial production, on the other hand, receives a more preferential rate of between 167 and 52 percent depending on the time of day that electricity is consumed.

Selling prices will definitely need to be adjusted, Phu Tai JSC deputy general director Hoe said, but the amount will depend on market demand.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the power price increase could raise the consumer price index (CPI) by 0.26 - 0.31 percent. Vietnam's CPI increased by 3.54 percent in 2018.

Vietnam, one of Asias fastest-growing economies, has been struggling to develop its energy industry.

World Bank country director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione said at a recent forum that Vietnam will need to raise up to $150 billion by 2030 to develop its energy sector.
Citizens of the Thanh Da Peninsula resort to fishing and planting crops on their land instead of building houses, which they are not allowed to since 1992. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Ho Chi Minh City plans auction the work of building an eco-urban area project that had been abandoned since 1992.

Five companies have already registered with the citys planning and investment department to bid on building the Thanh Da Eco Urban Area in Thanh Da Peninsula, Binh Thanh District, not far from downtown HCMC.

The city is looking at establishing criteria for holding an auction to find investors and also reviewing the detailed project plan to make adjustments as the old plan prepared by the projects former investor is "no longer suitable," says Vo Van Hoan, the city's chief of staff.

The municipal authorities will also revise the boundary of the project to leave more households out of the plan area, which would free them from construction regulations that have prevented them from building new houses on their land.

Previously, following a proposal from the construction department, the city had allowed locals in the project site to repair and upgrade their houses instead of completely banning them from doing so.

These decisions are a game changer for 3,400 people who have been living in limbo for the past 27 years in downgraded houses, not knowing what will happen next.

Approved by the Peoples Committee in 1992, the Binh Quoi-Thanh Da Urban Area project, referred to as "super project" by many locals, is estimated to cost VND30 trillion ($1.32 billion).

In 2004, the city repossessed land in the Thanh Da Peninsula and allocated it to the Saigon Construction Corporation, which was supposed to be the investor.

After the corporation failed to begin implementing the project, the city asked another company to step in, but this did not work, either.

The project was forgotten for another decade until late 2015 when the city appointed Vietnam's Bitexco Group and the UAE's Emaar Properties PJSC as joint investors with a capital of over VND30 trillion ($1.28 billion).

Under this arrangement, the project was supposed to be implemented over 50 years, with primary construction work being completed within five years from the date of signing.

In mid-2017, Emaar Properties PJSC withdrew from the project and the city has asked the government to approve Bitexco as the project's sole investor.

But it took another six months to assess the ability of Bitexco and seek approval from higher authorities. Eventually, the PM wrote to HCMC, concluding that it was very difficult for Bitexco to go on with the project on its own.

In this situation, thousands of Thanh Da people have been caged in confusion and misery, living in slum-like conditions, unable to repair their own house or build new homes on their own land, or even sell parts of their property.

At a meeting of the city council in July last year, chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong promised that the city would deal with the project thoroughly and not let any more delays to happen.
Suspects in shooting death of man in Vietnam arrested

Three of the five suspects in the shooting that killed one man and injured another in Thanh Hoa. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Son

Five gangsters suspected of shooting a man dead and injuring another in central Thanh Hoa Province last Wednesday have been arrested.

Doan Phuong Nam, 21, Pham Ngoc Son, 23, Bui Khac Khanh, Nguyen Van Son, and Nguyen Thanh Binh, all 24, are all from the province's Thanh Hoa Town.

The police said Saturday they would be investigated for murder, intentionally inflicting injury and disrupting public order.

According to local authorities, the victims, Phung Quang Huy, 22, and Nguyen Quang Linh, 21, visited a house in the town on March 6.

At 10h30 p.m., when the two were standing in a balcony on the houses second floor, a group of men shot them from the ground.

Huy was killed instantly while Linh was severely injured.

Witnesses said the gunmen covered were in masks and coats and fled on two motorbikes.

The police found at the spot the three guns they had used for the shooting.

They said the five suspects are members of a loan sharking and gambling gang based in the province, and the shooting was the result of competition among gangs over territory.

Vietnam has capital punishment for murder.
A member of the ground crew directs an Ethiopian Airlines plane at the Bole International Airport in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. Photo by Reuters/Tiksa Negeri

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday with 157 people aboard, the airline said, and there were no survivors.

The flight, with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38 am local time, before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44 am, according to the state broadcaster.

"There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries," said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, quoting an unidentified source at the airline.

Flight ET 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said, adding that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 MAX, registration number ET-AVJ.

That model number does not exist however and multiple aviation websites later identified the plane as a new 737 MAX 8, the same plane that crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189.

"Search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," the airline said in a statement.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after take off, said flight tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

At Nairobi airport, many passengers were waiting at the gate, with no information from airport authorities.

"Were just waiting for my mum. Were just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. Shes not picking up her phone," said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping.

Robert Mudanta, 46, was waiting for his brother-in-law coming from Canada.

"No, we havent seen anyone from the airline or the airport," he told Reuters at 1pm, more than three hours after the flight was lost. "Nobody has told us anything, we are just standing here hoping for the best."

The Ethiopian prime ministers office sent condolences via Twitter to the families of those lost in the crash.

On Oct. 29, a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

The plane is the latest version of the 737 family, the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and one of the industrys most reliable.

State-owned Ethiopian is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. It said previously that it expected to carry 10.6 million passengers last year.

Its last major crash was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down shortly after take-off.
Vietnam says investigating cause of boat's sinking in contested waters

Warships and fighter jets of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy take part in a military display in the South China Sea April 12, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Stringer

Vietnam is seeking clarification of how a fishing boat came to sink this week in the contested South China Sea, called East Sea by Vietnam.

The Foreign Ministry made the statement on Saturday, days after a local rescue agency said it was rammed by a Chinese vessel.

Vietnam and China have long been embroiled in maritime disputes in the potentially energy-rich stretch of water.

The boat sank on Wednesday near Da Loi island in the Paracel Archipelago, the ministry said in an emailed statement. It said all five fishermen on board were rescued by another Vietnamese fishing boat.

"Vietnamese authorities are continuing to clarify the cause of the incident," the ministry said, without elaborating.

On Wednesday, Vietnam's national search and rescue agency said the boat had been rammed and sunk by a Chinese vessel. It did not say if the latter was civilian or military.

A spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing was cited by Chinese media as saying on Thursday that the fishing boat had sunk when the Chinese vessel approached, and that the Chinese crew had rescued the fishermen.

China claims 90 percent of the East Sea, where it has steadily expanded military and other installations on artificial islands and reefs, unnerving the region and angering Washington.

In addition to Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the sea.
Ukraine PM says 3% GDP growth Cabinet's guideline for this year

The government continues introducing the New Ukrainian School and reform health care, according to Groysman.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter
Under the JV, the plant would reportedly be able to build APCs and self-propelled howitzers.

A Ukrainian company and the Myanmar military have signed a joint-venture agreement to build a plant capable of manufacturing armored personnel carriers (APCs) and self-propelled howitzers, the Myanmar website The Irrawaddy reports.

The news first broke on the Defense Blog, an online military magazine, and said the Ukrainian firm, the Great Export Import Company, had confirmed an initial delivery of equipment and machinery for use in the plant, which should be ready to begin production by 2020, Asia Times reported.

Read alsoUkraine manufactures prototype of APC hull from steel supplied by NATO ally

The types of APCs that will be made in the plant are said to be eight-wheeled BTR-4Us while the howitzers will be 2S1Us, which are based on the MT-LBu multipurpose chassis.

Myanmar already has BTR-3Us, which were purchased from Ukraine in 2003 and used for the first time in fighting against rebels in the Kokang area of northeastern Shan state in 2016. During that operation, the Myanmar army also deployed Chinese-supplied Type 92 light APCs.

The Myanmar military has also found a defense partner in Russia, from which it has bought about 20 Mi-17 transport helicopters as well as an unknown number of Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships.

Myanmar, which in the late 1980s and early 1990s was heavily dependent on China for the procurement of military equipment, has in more recent years diversified its sources of procurement in order to become less dependent on Beijing. Beginning in the 1990s, Myanmar has also acquired military equipment from India, Israel, Belarus and North Korea while the European Union and the United States maintain arms embargoes on the country's military for its abysmal human-rights record.
After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings  though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.



Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance


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Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said his resignation last month was not related to Bashar Assads trip to Tehran at the end of February.

Zarif abruptly announced he was resigning on February 25, immediately after Syrian strongman Bashar Assad visited Tehran and met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. Zarif was not present in these meetings and it was later said that he had not been informed about the trip.

In an interview with Iraq Al Forat television network March 9, Zarif said that his resignation was unrelated to Assads trip and insisted that he has good relations with Syria and will be visiting the country soon.

But the reason for his resignation was not being informed about Assads trip and not invited to meeting during his visit according to multiple Iranian officials.

On March 5, the spokesman of Irans foreign ministry Bahram Qassemi (Ghassemi) was quoted as saying that the no one at the ministry was informed about Assads visit. One of the reasons for the resignation of Dr. Zarif was this type of lack of coordination with the ministry of foreign affairs, Qassemi reiterated.

In photos published immediately after Assads meetings in Tehran, Qassem Soleimani, commander of Irans extra-territorial Qods force is seen present at the meeting with Rouhani while Zarif is absent.

Later, Esmail Qaani deputy commander of Irans Revolutionary Guards Qods force said that his organization brought Assad to Iran and was quoted by ISNA as saying that those who were supposed to know [about the trip], knew about it.

Rouhani did not accept Zarifs resignation and asked him to stay on, two days after the incident. Zarif accepted after a mollifying remark by Soleimani.
French President Emmanuel Macron has named 35 attorneys, including prominent Iranian lawyer and civil rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh, to give recommendations to the Group of Seven (G7) nations.

Macron, along with a group of human rights advocates, gathered on February 19 at Elysees Palace in Paris to discuss potential strategies that the G7 could employ to reduce violence and discrimination against women.

The advocates discussed three main topics: combating violence against women, promoting girls education, and womens entrepreneurship.

During the meeting with Macron, group members left an empty chair for Sotoudeh, who is currently behind bars in Iran.

Participants included three Nobel Peace Prize winners: Tunisian businesswoman Wided Bouchamaoui, Congolese gynecologist Denis Mukwege, and Yazidi activist Nadia Murad. Actress Emma Watson, a United Nations goodwill ambassador on gender equality issues, also is part of the group.

"I want gender equality to be the main focus," Macron said. "France is financing a $136 million fund to help womens rights movements across the world."

Macron's official letter inviting Sotoudeh was delivered to the lawyer's husband, Reza Khandan, on March 7.

"The letter was delivered to me by the lawyer of the French Embassy in Tehran," Khandan told Radio Farda. "Sotoudeh's presence in such a high-level council is a glorious achievement for the Iranian women."

Reportedly, a copy of the invitation has been sent to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Iranian Bar Association.

Macron, who is rotating president of G7, has insisted on the importance of gender equality, saying, "The Council of Advocates plays a pivotal role in G7 legislations."

The council was established by Macron's predecessor, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in 2018. Prominent women active in civil rights across the globe are the main participants of the council.

Sotoudeh's husband, who posted a copy of Macron's letter on his Facebook page, told the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), Today [March 7] a legal representative from the French Embassy in Tehran gave me a letter from French President Emanuel Macron and the Group of Seven (G7).

The letter was delivered to Khandan a day after it was disclosed that a Revolutionary Court in Tehran had convicted Sotoudeh on national security charges. I am pleased to invite you to this initiative to advance real equality between women and men around the world, Macron wrote to Sotoudeh.

Sotoudeh was detained on June 13, 2018, and based on a verdict issued more than two years ago in absentia was sentenced to five years. Since then, she has been behind bars at Tehran's notorious prison, Evin.

As phone calls to inmates in Evin is strictly limited, Khandan told Radio Farda, "I am going to inform Nasrin about the letter on Sunday, March 10."

According to Macrons letter, the council will deliver a legislative package to G7 countries and other states to advance the role of women and promote gender equality in participating nations and around the world.

The next G7 summit is scheduled to take place in the French coastal city of Biarritz in August. It is not clear whether Sotoudeh, who faces many years in prison for her work in Iran defending human rights, will be able to attend
A former ally and now a vocal opponent of Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been sentenced to three years in jail and ordered to read and copy three books.

Abolfazl Qadyani (Ghadyani) who was a staunch revolutionary in the 1970s and 80s has become a critic of Khamenei calling him to step down and rejecting the concept of a supreme leader.

His son Morteza Qadyani tweeted that his father has received two years for insulting the leader and one year for propaganda against the regime. He might end up serving the longer of the two sentences.

Qadyani has also been ordered to read three pro-revolution and Islamic Republic books, one praising Khamenei, and copying them by hand. This is considered a punishment in Iranian elementary schools for pupils who disrupt the classroom.

The former revolutionary turned opponent has been criticizing Khamenei since 2009, when highly questionable poll results believed to be engineered by military and intelligence organs declared hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as winner in presidential elections.

Qadyani was jailed for one year following the disputed elections, but in 2018 as political suppression and economic crisis got worse, he repeatedly lambasted Khamenei, insisting that his "concentrated power" and "leadership for life" are the main sources of widespread corruption in the country. He has also called the concept of the Supreme Leader un-Islamic.
Two political prisoners in Tehran have said that they are still being denied access to medical treatment despite claims by Iranian authorities, according to the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC).

Narges Mohammadi and Iranian-British Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who are being held at Tehran's Evin Prison, have warned that if their demands are not met they will stage a protest again.

The DHRC, which is banned in Iran, was founded by Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi in 2001, and Mohammadi has been a permanent member since 2007.

In a letter to Tehran's prosecutor-general, Mohammadi and Zaghari-Ratcliffe said that they ended their last hunger strike after the authorities promised to meet their legal demands. "However, we are still deprived of having access to health care and medical treatment outside the prison, and we have been out of our needed medicines for months," they said.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Mohammadi went on a three-day hunger strike starting on January 14 to protest the conditions at Evin.

In response, Tehran Prosecutor-General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said inmates convicted of security charges have access to the best medical facilities.

Jafari Dolatabadi dismissed comments by Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' intelligence authorities of trying to coerce his wife into becoming a spy in exchange for her release.

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also reacted to news of the hunger strike by summoning Tehran's ambassador to London, Hamid Baeidinejad, demanding proper medical help for the dual national.

"Today I summoned the Iranian Ambassador to demand Nazanin has immediate access to the healthcare she requires. Her ongoing detention is TOTALLY unacceptable and her treatment at the hands of Iranian authorities is a fundamental breach of human rights," Hunt wrote on Twitter on January 14.

The ambassador said little to Hunt at the time but later denounced the United Kingdom for "meddling in Iran's internal affairs.

"I told Hunt that Zaghari is an Iranian citizen, as opposed to a dual national, and has access to health care," Baeidinejad was cited as saying by state-run Radio&TV.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in April 2016 at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran when she was leaving the country after visiting family. She was charged with ambiguous claims of spying and plotting against Iran and sentenced to five years in prison.

In early September 2016, she was sentenced to five years' imprisonment "for allegedly plotting to topple the Iranian government."

The prosecutor-general of Tehran said in October 2017 that she was being held for running "a BBC Persian online journalism course which was aimed at recruiting and training people to spread propaganda against Iran."

The charge has been denied by Zaghari-Ratcliffe's lawyers, the BBC, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Canadian news agency Thomson Reuters where she used to work.

In his latest report on the situation of human rights in Iran, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern over the fate of dual nationals, including Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who are imprisoned in Iran.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe's cell mate, Mohammadi, was dismissed from her job as an engineer with the Iran Engineering Inspection Corporation and imprisoned in 2007. Her incarceration is widely viewed as retribution for her public advocacy of womens and human rights.

In 2011, Mohammadi was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in 2013 on medical furlough.

She was arrested again in May 2015 for her continued peaceful activism, notably after meeting the European Unions foreign policy chief, Catherine, Ashton at the Austrian Embassy in Tehran in September 2014, reported the Center for Human Rights in Iran.

Iranian physicist Mohammadi has been awarded several prestigious prizes, including the American Physical Societys 2018 Andrei Sakharov Prize for outstanding leadership and achievements by scientists in upholding human rights, but was not able to receive the honor in person as she is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in Iran.

Thoughts and dreams dont die, Mohammadi wrote in her acceptance speech. Belief in freedom and justice does not perish with imprisonment and torture, and even death and tyranny do not prevail over freedom, even when they rely on the power of the state.

According to Article 520 of Irans Criminal Code, prisoners suffering from acute illnesses are eligible for five days of leave if approved by the prosecutor. Article 522 states that prisoners who require medical treatment outside the prison for non-urgent issues are eligible for release for a period of time determined by a criminal court judge.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 21 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said March 9, Trend reports.

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, March 10

Trend:

Azerbaijani border guards prevented an attempt of armed men from Iran to violate the state border, the Azerbaijani State Border Service told Trend on March 10.

The incident occurred at about 06:50 (GMT+4) on March 10. Despite the legitimate demand and warning shot made by Azerbaijani servicemen, the offenders opened fire.

As a result of the shootout, junior sergeant Sakhavat Mammadovs chest was injured, while private soldier Vidadi Jabrayilovs arm was injured. Despite both border guards were immediately taken to the hospital, Sakhavat Mammadov died.

Those who tried to violate the state border fled back.

Head of the State Border Service, Colonel-General Elchin Guliyev and other officials arrived at the scene and inspected the territory.

The necessary instructions were given to continue the search operations.

The head of the military service also met with the father of the deceased serviceman and expressed condolences.

Private soldier Vidadi Jabrayilov and junior sergeant Sakhavat Mammadov (posthumously) were awarded with the medal "For distinction in military service" 3rd degree upon the decree of the head of the State Border Service.

A criminal case was filed. The Azerbaijani State Border Service and the Military Prosecutor's Office are taking the necessary measures.
Details added (first version posted on 13:55)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10

Trend:

Azerbaijani border guards prevented an attempt of armed men from Iran to violate the state border, the Azerbaijani State Border Service told Trend on March 10.

The incident occurred at about 06:50 (GMT+4) on March 10. Despite the legitimate demand and warning shot made by Azerbaijani servicemen, the offenders opened fire.

As a result of the shootout, junior sergeant Sakhavat Mammadovs chest was injured, while private soldier Vidadi Jabrayilovs arm was injured. Despite both border guards were immediately taken to the hospital, Sakhavat Mammadov died.

Those who tried to violate the state border fled back.

Head of the State Border Service, Colonel-General Elchin Guliyev and other officials arrived at the scene and inspected the territory.

The necessary instructions were given to continue the search operations.

The head of the military service also met with the father of the deceased serviceman and expressed condolences.

Private soldier Vidadi Jabrayilov and junior sergeant Sakhavat Mammadov (posthumously) were awarded with the medal "For distinction in military service" 3rd degree upon the decree of the head of the State Border Service.

A criminal case was filed. The Azerbaijani State Border Service and the Military Prosecutor's Office are taking the necessary measures.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

In April at the meeting of the International Development Association (IDA) the amount that Azerbaijan will allocate as a donor country to assist poor nations will be announced, the World Banks (WB) Regional Director for the South Caucasus Mercy Tembon, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

The regional director expressed gratitude and appreciation to Azerbaijan for willingness to help poor countries.

Speaking of Azerbaijans shares increase in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which are the members of the World Bank Group, Tembon said that Azerbaijan has already given its consent and signed all necessary documents.

"The most important issue was to reach an agreement and obtain Azerbaijans consent. We have achieved that. But we still do not know how much the country will increase its shares. This is a long process that can take about ten years," Tembon stressed.

It should be noted that in January Chief Executive Officer for the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva during the meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Davos proposed to consider increase of the country's shares in IBRD and IFC.

Azerbaijan joined the World Bank Group in 1992. During this period, the bank allocated loans for the implementation of over 50 projects in the country worth over $3 billion. Seven more projects worth about $1.5 billion are being implemented.

Besides the loans, WB allocated 45 grants to Azerbaijan totaling $41.586 million in 1995-2014.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Israfilbekova
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

SOCAR Trading, a trading house of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, plans to consider the possibilities of extending the contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the export of crude oil, SOCAR told Trend.

"The contract with NNPC expires in June 2019 and we plan to view the possibilities of extending it," said the company.

SOCAR said that it exports averagely around 1 million barrels of crude oil from Nigeria per month.

SOCAR Trading opened its representative office in Nigeria in November 2009.

SOCAR Trading, headquartered in Geneva, was established in late 2007 by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.



The company sells SOCAR crude oil from Ceyhan port (Mediterranean Sea, Turkey), trades oil and oil products of other countries, and also assists the parent company in international investments. The SOCAR Trading operations cover the countries of Europe, Asia and America.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

Promotion of female entrepreneurship in the country is among the main activities of the Azerbaijan Micro-Finance Association (AMFA) in 2019, Jala Hajiyeva, the director of the association, told Trend.

"We will also continue measures to improve financial literacy, as well as expand our activities in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. We will hold training sessions in Nakhchivan with the joint support of the US and the UN," Hajiyeva said.

She noted that training sessions will be held for those entrepreneurs who want to start their business, but do not know how and where to start.

She further said that the association has begun operations in four economic zones, and the work in this direction will continue in 2019.

Also, a fair for investors, which is held every two years, is planned to be held in October 2019, Hajiyeva said.

"We hope that foreign investors will show a great interest in the fair," the director said.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Iraq on Monday will begin a new chapter in the bilateral relations, Trend reported referring to Press TV.

"Mr. Rouhani is travelling to Iraq for the first time in his presidency, and we consider the trip a new start in our relations with Iraq," Zarif said.

During Rouhani's visit to Iraq, the areas of cooperation, including transit, oil, industrial work and the dredging of Arvand River, will top the agenda, he said.

"We plan to use the commonalities to advance the joint interests of both countries as well as those of the region," Zarif noted.

The Iranian foreign minister also highlighted Iraq as an important pillar of regional security, saying regional security would be impossible without Iraq's cooperation.

During his trip to Iraq, a high-ranking politico-economic delegation will accompany Rouhani.

It will be Rouhani's first official visit to Iraq during his tenure, after the United States imposed sanctions against the Islamic republic last year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Seventeen people were poisoned after drinking counterfeit alcohol in Baneh county of Irans western Kurdistan province, Arash Rashidi, Director of the Healthcare Organization of Baneh county of Kurdistan province, said.

All these people were taken to the hospital, Rashidi added, Trend reports referring to IRNA.

Rashidi said that the number of those poisoned by alcoholic beverages is growing.

Two people died after drinking fake alcoholic drinks in Bukan county of West Azerbaijan province last week.
China and the United States are still working day and night to achieve a trade deal that matches the interests of both sides and the hopes of the world, including eliminating tit-for-tat tariffs, a senior Chinese official said, Trend reported citing Reuters.

Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said he was optimistic about negotiations with Washington, but added any trade mechanism achieved must be equal and fair.

The governments of the worlds two largest economies have been locked in a tariff battle for months as Washington presses Beijing to address long-standing concerns over Chinese practices and policies around technology transfers, market access and intellectual property rights.

Advances in talks drove the White House to indefinitely delay hikes in tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports that were set to kick in on March 2.

Wang, speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of Chinas ongoing annual meeting of parliament, said slapping tariffs on each other was bad for workers, farmers, exporters and manufacturers.

It hurts investor confidence and delays corporate investment decisions, said Wang, who has been deeply involved in the trade talks with the United States.

Now, the economic and trade teams of the two sides are making full efforts to communicate and negotiate in order to reach an agreement in line with the principles and directions decided by the two heads of states, he added.

That is to remove all the tariffs imposed on each other, so that bilateral trade relations between China and the United States can return to normal.

The two countries working teams are communicating day and night, Wang said.The trade talks have seen senior officials shuttling backwards and forwards between Beijing and Washington.

Giving rare details into the talks, Wang said the two countries had been making extra effort to find areas in common. During the talks Vice Premier Liu He and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer enjoyed take out food, he said.

Vice Premier Liu had a hamburger, and Lighthizer had eggplant and chicken, he added, describing a common Chinese dish.

Throughout the negotiations, there was coffee and tea, but the two of them did not drink any coffee, did not drink any tea. They both drank boiled water. This is to find common ground.

It is unclear when or where senior negotiators from both sides will next meet.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that "several French nationals" were among the 157 people killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines (ET) flight earlier Sunday, Trend reports referring to Xinhua.

"My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the Ethiopian Airlines flight's victims, among which several French citizens," Macron wrote on Twitter.

"We share their sorrow. France stands by the people of Ethiopia and Kenya, and expresses its full solidarity," he tweeted.

The aircraft, Boeing 737-800 MAX, took off at 08:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 a.m. It crashed around Bishoftu town, some 45 km from the capital.

All 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard the flight ET 302 bound for Nairobi, Kenya, were confirmed killed, according to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

The airline said earlier that the victims include 32 from Kenya, 18 from Canada, nine from Ethiopia, eight each from China, Italy and the United States, seven each from Britain and France.

In a statement, however, France's Foreign Ministry said "our embassy and our consular service are mobilized in close contact with the Ethiopian authorities to check if French nationals are among the list of victims."

It added that a crisis unit was opened following the incident.
Nine policemen have been killed in an attack on a village outpost in Ponnagyun township, Myanmar's Rakhine state with two others being injured, according to local police force on Sunday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

The attack on the Yo Ta Yoke village police outpost occurred Saturday at 11:20 p.m. local time and the onslaught lasted for around half an hour.

The attack was launched by the Arakan Army, an official of the Rakhine state police headquarters told Xinhua. Some weapons were also taken away during the attack.

The policemen being killed are mostly identified as having officer ranks.
Six suspected criminals have been shot dead by Mexican servicemen during two clashes in the countrys northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Trend reports citing Sputnik.

Both confrontations took place near the city of Nuevo Laredo, according to the news portal Excelsior.

During the first incident, criminals attacked an army patrol. One of the perpetrators was killed, and three cars and weapons left behind by the attackers were seized by the soldiers. In another clash, the army eliminated five criminals.

No casualties were recorded among either military personnel or civilians.

Tamaulipas state on the US border has seen gruesome gang wars between drug cartels over trafficking routes to the United States.
Malaysian police said on Sunday that nine suspects, most of who are foreigners, had been arrested in recent operations over suspicion of being involved in terrorism, Trend reports with reference to Xinhua.

Of the nine, six were Egyptian nationals, one was Tunisian and the other two were Malaysians, according to a statement by Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

The suspects were arrested between Feb. 2 and Feb. 7 in the states of Selangor, Sarawak and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. They are aged between 20 to 54, and were mostly acting as facilitators in providing shelter, employment and false documents for other foreign terrorists fighters in Malaysia.

At least one had provided shelter to a high ranking al-Qaida militant who had previously been jailed by Egyptian authorities.

"Our investigations show that these foreign terrorist fighters are attempting to make Malaysia a safe haven for transit and as a logistical base," he said.

"They are entering Malaysia with fake travel documents, marriage to locals to get a spouse visa, posing as students or opening businesses here."

Fuzi added that the country's police had received intelligence from several other countries leading to the arrests of the suspects.

He also said the entry of foreign terrorists into Malaysia should be taken seriously, especially after the defeat of Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

"These individuals could turn Malaysia into a base of operations for conducting attacks in other countries or for launching attacks in Malaysia itself," he said.
Bomb blasts hit southern Thailand on Saturday and Sunday, but no one was reportedly killed or injured, police said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

Four home-made bombs went off in the capital district of Satun province, about 985 km south of Bangkok, on Saturday night and Sunday morning, while seven others were reported on Sunday in Pak Phayun district of Phatthalung province, about 850 km south of Bangkok.

Two bombs exploded in the premises of a police station in downtown Satun, damaging a few parked sedans, pickup trucks and motorcycles, said Deputy Police Superintendent Pol. Col. Thammanoon Prayuenyong.

The other two blasts occurred at shops in the district of Satun, but nobody was reportedly injured, the police said.

Explosion Ordnance Disposal policemen rushed to the scenes to investigate, but no suspected bombers have been arrested so far.

In Phatthalung province, six bomb blasts were reported in pre-dawn hours and the other on Sunday afternoon, said police inspector Pol. Lt. Col. Samrerng Machu.
The decision to end the 15-month-long protest was made after a consensus was reached over a revised draft proposal of the Centre on their pending demands.
Bogota: On Saturday, A plane crash in Colombia killed 12 people including a mayor and her family, aviation and emergency services said. The Douglas DC-3 aircraft, an American-made twin-engine propeller plane that was first produced in the 1930s, crashed in the center-east of the country on a flight between the towns of San Jose del Guaviare and Villavicencio. A fire department official told AFP it then caught fire.

also read Wont allow any terror groups to operate from Pakistans soil: Imran Khan

The Aeronautica Civil aviation authority said "Unfortunately... there were no survivors,", adding that the wreckage was found close to Villavicencio. Among the victims was the mayor of the municipality of Taraira, Doris Villegas, and her husband and daughter, as well as the owner of the aircraft, pilot Jaime Carrillo, co-pilot Jaime Herrera and an aviation technician identified as Alex Moreno.

also read Pakistani Security officials prevent media to cover Jaish Madarsa India bombed on the airstrike

President Ivan Duque paid tribute to the victims on Twitter. He wrote "My solidarity with the families,". The Defense Civil emergency services put the death toll at 12, with director Colonel Jorge Martinez suggesting an engine failure could have caused the crash. He theorized to RCN news channel "At the moment of flying over the municipality of San Martin, an engine turns off and the pilot ... tries to land ... but it gets out of control,".

But Aeronautica Civil gave no details on a cause and asked the press to show restraint in using images circulating on social media "out of respect for the victims and their families." Meanwhile, the fire department confirmed the flight had not faced unfavourable weather conditions. The plane was operated by Laser Aereo, a cargo and passenger transport company. Contacted by the AFP, the company declined to comment on the accident.
New Delhi: Amid the tension between India and Pakistan, Union Minister Arjun Mehghwal on Sunday said that in a significant move, India has stopped water of three eastern rivers flowing to Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters Union Minister of State for Water Resources, said that 0.53 million acre-feet of eastern rivers which was flowing into Pakistan have been restricted to reach in the neighbouring country. He said, 0.53 million acre-feet water has been stopped from going to Pakistan and has been stored. Whenever Rajasthan or Punjab needs it, that water can be used for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Election Commission of India will announce the schedule LS poll at 5 pm today

The decision comes in the aftermath increasing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama attack on February 14, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

This move of government does not violate the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 as the water has been stopped of the three eastern rivers, namely Sutlej, Ravi and Beas, that India is entitled to use under the treaty.

Post Pulwama attack last month, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had announced that India has decided to stop the flow of its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Water Treaty.

Top Bollywood celebrities made a stunning appearance at Akash-Shloka wedding..check pics inside

According to the treaty, the waters of the western rivers, that is Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, will be used by Pakistan while those of the eastern rivers (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) will be used by India.
Islamabad: Pakistans finance ministry has said it has asked the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international terror financing watchdog, to remove India as co-chair of its Asia-Pacific Joint Group. Currently placed on the FATF's 'grey list', Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the Paris-based FATF, a measure that officials here fear could further hurt its economy.

It is to be noted that in a letter addressed to FATF President Marshall Billingslea, Pakistan Finance Minister Asad Umar asked him to appoint any other member country besides India as co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Joint Group "to ensure that (the) FATF review process is fair, unbiased and objective", the finance ministry said in a statement.The Joint Group is a sub-body of the FATF's International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the Asia Pacific Group. Pakistan is a member of the APG and its case is being presented before the FATF by the APG. India's Financial Intelligence Unit's (FIU) director general is the co-chair of the Joint Group.

also read Wont allow any terror groups to operate from Pakistans soil: Imran Khan

However, Umar wrote in the letter "India's animosity towards Pakistan was well known and the recent violation of Pakistan's airspace and dropping of bombs inside Pakistani territory was another manifestation of India's hostile attitude,". Referring to India's efforts of isolating Pakistan globally and call for the country's blacklisting during the ICRG meeting on February 18, Umar said, "Indian presence among the evaluators and as Co-chair of the Joint Group would undermine the impartiality and spirit of the 'peer review' process." "We firmly believe that India's involvement in the ICRG process will not be fair towards Pakistan," he wrote.

During the February 18-22 plenary and review meetings, the FATF had noted "limited progress" by Pakistan on targets set for January 2019, and urged the country "to swiftly complete its action plan, particularly those with timelines of May 2019." It had expressed dissatisfaction over Pakistan's action and said the country did "not demonstrate a proper understanding of the terror financing risks posed by Daesh (ISIS), al Qaeda, Jamaat-ud-Dawa(Jud), Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Haqqani network (HQN), and persons affiliated with the Taliban".

also read Pakistani Security officials prevent media to cover Jaish Madarsa India bombed on the airstrike

Assuring the FATF president of implementing the Action Plan, the Pakistani finance minister said, "The ICRG and FATF meetings must not be allowed to be used as a platform by India to make political speeches against Pakistan." The FATF continuing Pakistan with the 'grey' listing means downgrading of the country by multilateral lenders like IMF, World Bank, ADB, EU and also a reduction in risk rating by Moody's, S&P and Fitch. Pakistan was nominated for a detailed review of its "serious deficiencies" in countering terror financing in February 2018. This nomination was supported by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and India.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High around 80F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
A whisky expert examines a bottle of The Macallan Valerio Adami 60 year-old 1926. (Photo credit: Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

A new Knight Frank report details how some alternative assets are more lucrative than others.

The global real estate firms annual The Wealth Report revealed that some of these alternative investments made by the really rich  those with a net worth upwards of $1 million excluding their primary residence  have fared quite well in the last year.

Top performing alternative asset classes. (Source: Knight Frank)

Heres the top 5:

Whiskey

The best-performing asset within this category was rare whiskey  up 40% year-over-year  the report showed.

Rare whiskey was also up a staggering 582% over the past decade. The best-selling whiskey last year based on auction sales was a bottle of The Macallan 1926, the report highlighted, which was hand painted by Michael Dillon. It was sold by Christies for $1.5 million.

The private jet of Jack Ma, the founder of Chinese tech giant Alibaba, has been spotted at Aberdeen airport, while whisky tourism was apparently one of the drivers behind the launch of a new non-stop flight from Edinburgh to Beijing in 2018.

Coins

Collectors may be delighted to hear that coins have also been a lucrative investment opportunity  with the asset class up 12% year-on-year, and 193% over the past decade.

The most expensive coin auctioned off was a gold Polish 100 ducat coin from 1621, sold by the Classical Numismatic Group for $2.2 million.

This coin, one of the largest European gold coins ever minted, was struck to commemorate Polands victory over the Ottoman Empire" in what is now western Ukraine, according to a February 2018 report.

Co-heir and co-manager of the estate of La Romanee Conti, Aubert de Villaine, his nephew and chief of the cellars taste wine in a cellar on January 9, 2018 in Vosnes Romanee (Burgondy). (Photo credit: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images)

Wine

Wine also performed well according to the report, with the asset class up 9% over the past 12 months and 147% over the past decade.

The biggest sale was made in October at auction house Sothebys where a single bottle of La Romanee-Conti 1945 fetched $558,000.

That was somewhat higher than its upper estimate of $32,000, the report noted, which highlighted the potential premium the market is prepared to pay for impeccable provenance.

However, the report noted, this was a one-off incident and overall, its hard to predict where the top end of the market will go from here.

Nevertheless, Knight Frank expects this pattern of polarization favoring blue chip wine from top producers will continue, with prices accelerating, in particular as the wines approach their drinking windows.

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A crowd of people attend the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale where David Hockney's Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) is displayed at Christie's in New York November 15, 2018. (Photo credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

Art

Art  an alternative investment choice of many high-brow investors  also saw some love, with the asset class up 9% year-on-year and 158% over the last 10 years.

The most expensive work auctioned last year was a painting by David Hockney, called the Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) as seen in the picture above  which was sold by auction house Christies for $90 million. It was also the biggest sale of art by a living artist.

The report noted the auction houses reported record-breaking sales last year, and expects this trend is likely to continue.

Watches

The last alternative asset class rounding off the list  watches. Sales of watches were up 5% over the past 12 months and 73% over the past decade.

The most expensive watch sold last year was the 1970 Rolex Daytona Unicorn, which raked in $5.9 million.

The report also found that Middle East investors were most likely to collect watches, while most investors preferred collecting art as seen in the table below.

(Source: Knight Frank)

Aarthi is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @aarthiswami.

Read more: Highly unusual investment: Own part of this world-class cocktail bar

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Granit Xhaka celebrates scoring the only goal Arsenal would need Sunday against Manchester United. (Reuters/Eddie Keogh)

The battle for Englands fourth and final spot in next seasons Champions League is wide open after Arsenal handed Manchester United its first Premier League defeat in 13 games under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

In a hugely entertaining, wide-open, end-to-end match that ended 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in North London, the Gunners leapfrogged United into fourth. Granit Xhaka gave the hosts the only goal they would need just 12 minutes in, wrong-footing United keeper David de Gea with a wicked swerving shot:

The teams had already traded a host of opportunities by that stage. Red-hot Red Devils striker Romelu Lukaku  who scored twice in a midweek comeback at Paris Saint-Germain that sent United to the Champions League quarterfinals  hit the crossbar with the best of the lot, off a seeing-eye cross from Luke Shaw. By the time the first half was over, Arsenal and Manchester United had combined for 19 shots. The execution wasnt quite there even if the excitement was, though, with just three of the attempts actually on frame.

As the contest wore on, the visitors appeared more likely to equalize than the hosts did to add another. Lukaku had another golden chance five minutes after the intermission as Marcus Rashford fed him the ball on a platter, only for alert Gunners backstop Bernd Leno to race off his line and stone the gigantic Belgian striker from point-blank range.

Then the match turned the home teams way yet again. As United continued to knock on the door with wave after wave of unsuccessful counterattacks, Arsenal began to take advantage of the extra space the other way. Speedy forward Alexandre Lacazette stretched the field, launching Unai Emerys men on their own counters whenever they regained possession. Suddenly, Arsenal was back in control.

Solskjaers injury-depleted defense held firm at first. Finally, however, the crafty Lacazette suckered Brazilian midfielder Fred into fouling him inside the box. Replays showed minimal contact. But referee Jonathan Moss pointed to the spot nonetheless, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made no mistake with an audacious down-the-middle shot that left De Gea fooled again:

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Its hard to overstate how important the win is for Emery and the Gunners. Arsenal has been desperate for a return to the Champions League  and the tens of millions in additional revenue it provides  after missing out on Europes top club competition the past two seasons. Beating a surging United squad that had won 10 times in the Prem since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho on Dec. 19 was imperative, but also daunting given that form.

And unlike their guests, the Gunners went into the tilt not after a stirring triumph in European play but rather the polar opposite; Arsenal got thumped 3-1 Thursday at French club Rennes in the Europa Leagu. That Emery was able to summon this sort of result after that fresh disappointment suggests the Londoners wont fold down the stretch. With sixth-place Chelsea just three points behind them and a game in hand, any slip-up could be fatal.

As for United, that first league loss under Solskjaer was going to come eventually. In a way, its no surprise that it happened immediately after the biggest win yet under the club legend. It will be fascinating to see how the Red Devils respond.

Doug McIntyre covers soccer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

More from Yahoo Sports:
President Donald Trump will host Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Washington on March 19, and they are expected to discuss the turmoil in Venezuela.

According to the White House, Trump and Bolsonaro are also expected to discuss trade issues and military ties between the two countries.

President Donald Trump will host Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Washington on March 19, the White House announced Friday. They are expected to discuss the turmoil in Venezuela.

Bolsonaro was elected in 2018 and his upcoming visit to Washington comes as Brazil's border with Venezuela has become a flashpoint in the ongoing political crisis facing the oil-rich country and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro . Brazil has sided with the U.S. in supporting Venezuela's opposition leader, Juan Guaido, as the legitimate head of state.

Food and medicine shortages under Maduro's rule have caused a flood of Venezuelans to flee across the border into neighboring countries. The U.S. has sent relief supplies to the region but the political and economic crisis shows no signs of ending soon.

According to the White House, Trump and Bolsonaro are also expected to discuss trade issues and military ties between the two countries.

Earlier this year, Bolsonaro said he might allow the U.S. to operate a military base in Brazil as a check against Russia's influence in Venezuela. Russia supports Maduro and in December sent several military aircraft to Venezuela to participate in joint military exercises.

Trump was one of the first world leaders to call Bolsonaro in October when the former army captain won the Brazilian presidential election by a wide margin. Last month, Brazil's minister of foreign affairs, Ernesto Araujo, traveled to Washington to discuss the situation in Venezuela ahead of Bolsonaro's visit.

 Reuters contributed to this report.





More From CNBC


Chinese Vice Commerce Minister and Deputy China International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen attends a news conference during ongoing session of the NPC in Beijing Chinese Vice Commerce Minister and Deputy China International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen attends a news conference during the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China March 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

By Yawen Chen and Ryan Woo

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the United States are still working day and night to achieve a trade deal that matches the interests of both sides and the hopes of the world, including eliminating tit-for-tat tariffs, a senior Chinese official said on Saturday.

Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said he was optimistic about negotiations with Washington, but added any trade mechanism achieved must be equal and fair.

The governments of the world's two largest economies have been locked in a tariff battle for months as Washington presses Beijing to address long-standing concerns over Chinese practices and policies around technology transfers, market access and intellectual property rights.

Advances in talks drove the White House to indefinitely delay hikes in tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports that were set to kick in on March 2.

Wang, speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of China's ongoing annual meeting of parliament, said slapping tariffs on each other was bad for workers, farmers, exporters and manufacturers.

"It hurts investor confidence and delays corporate investment decisions," said Wang, who has been deeply involved in the trade talks with the United States.

"Now, the economic and trade teams of the two sides are making full efforts to communicate and negotiate in order to reach an agreement in line with the principles and directions decided by the two heads of states," he added.

"That is to remove all the tariffs imposed on each other, so that bilateral trade relations between China and the United States can return to normal."

The two countries' working teams are communicating "day and night", Wang said.The trade talks have seen senior officials shuttling backwards and forwards between Beijing and Washington.

Giving rare details into the talks, Wang said the two countries had been making extra effort to find areas in common. During the talks Vice Premier Liu He and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer enjoyed take out food, he said.

Story continues

"Vice Premier Liu had a hamburger, and Lighthizer had eggplant and chicken," he added, describing a common Chinese dish.

"Throughout the negotiations, there was coffee and tea, but the two of them did not drink any coffee, did not drink any tea. They both drank boiled water. This is to find common ground."

It is unclear when or where senior negotiators from both sides will next meet.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

The U.S. administration has also demanded that China curb generous subsidies and open its domestic market to U.S. firms.

China does not systematically give subsidies to its state-owned firms, said the head of its state assets regulator on Saturday, when asked about international concerns China adopts implicit preferential policies for state-owned enterprises.

"It can be said that China does not have any laws and regulations specifically addressing the issue of subsidies for state-owned enterprises," said Xiao Yaqing, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac).

"Therefore, China is currently cleaning up and standardising various subsidies," Xiao told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament.

China is working on standardising subsidies to create a level playing field for companies of all types and sizes, he added. It was unclear whether standardising subsidies refers to adjustments of subsidies or their removal entirely.

MUCH WORK LEFT TO DO

U.S. administration officials have not made any new plans to send a team to China for face-to-face trade talks though there is much work left to be done to reach a deal, White House trade adviser Clete Willems said on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last month he may sign a deal to end the trade war with Chinese President Xi Jinping if their countries can bridge remaining differences, and do so at his property in Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Xi goes to France and Italy in the middle of this month, prompting speculation he may tack on a trip to the United States either before or after his European visit.

However, one Beijing-based source familiar with the trade talks said there had been no formal discussions between the two countries on Xi going to Florida, and downplayed the chances of it happening this month.

A second source, also familiar with the situation, said China thought it was getting close to a deal but now realised that won't be so easy to achieve.

"Things are not yet agreed," the source said.

Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Tu Xinquan, a trade expert at Beijing's University of International Business and Economics who has advised the government, was sceptical Xi would want to sign a deal at Mar-a-Lago.

"It is not good for Xi to go to America to sign such an agreement. Maybe a third country would be better," Tu said.

Wang did not answer questions from reporters on whether Xi would go to Mar-a-Lago.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Yawen Chen; Additional reporting by Stella Qiu, Michael Martina and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
Investing.com - Worries about a broadening global economic slowdown which could threaten demand for crude are likely to have the biggest impact on oil markets in the week ahead.

Market players also will focus on monthly reports from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) this week to assess global oil supply and demand levels.

Fresh data on U.S. commercial crude inventories and production activity will also capture the market's attention this week.

Oil futures settled lower on Friday, as weaker-than-expected Chinese trade and U.S. jobs data raised worries about global energy demand.

The U.S. and China are the worlds two largest oil consuming nations.

Crude futures were also under pressure after the European Central Bank slashed its outlook for economic growth on the continent.

Prices, however, pared much of their earlier losses to finish higher for the week as a third-weekly decline in U.S. oil-drilling rigs pointed to a potential pullback in domestic production activity.

Active U.S. rigs drilling for oil fell by nine last week to 834, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in a weekly report last Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude declined 59 cents, or around 1%, to settle at $56.07 a barrel by close of trade. WTI earlier fell more than 3% to a three-week low of $54.52.

For the week, the U.S. benchmark tacked on about 0.5%.

Meanwhile, International Brent crude oil futures ended Friday's session down 56 cents, or roughly 0.8%, at $65.74 a barrel, recovering from a session low of $64.02, a level last seen on Feb. 14.

Brent prices saw a gain of approximately 1% on the week.

After ending 2018 in freefall, oil prices have rallied more than 20% to start the year thanks to ongoing efforts by major producers to drain oversupply from the market.

OPEC, which together with some non-affiliated producers like Russia, known as 'OPEC+', agreed late last year to reduce output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to prop up prices.

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However, rising U.S. output is threatening to undo those cuts. American drillers are pumping at records near 12 million bpd, according to weekly data.

Ahead of the coming week, Investing.com has compiled a list of the main events likely to affect the oil market.

Tuesday, March 12

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is to publish its weekly update on U.S. oil supplies.

Wednesday, March 13

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will release its weekly report on oil stockpiles. The EIA reported an increase of 7.1 million barrels in the week through March 1.

Thursday, March 14

OPEC will publish its monthly assessment of oil markets.

Friday, March 15

The IEA will release its monthly report on global oil supply and demand.

{{0|Baker Hughes}} will release weekly data on the U.S. oil rig count.

-- Reuters contributed to this report

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* Talks at very early stage - source

* Banks decline to comment

* Merger speculation has been building for months (Updates with details, background)

FRANKFURT, March 9 (Reuters) - The management board of Deutsche Bank has agreed to hold talks with rival Commerzbank on the feasibility of a merger, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Saturday.

First unofficial contacts took place within a very small group and the mandate from Deutsche's board was given more than a week ago, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Talks were at a very early stage and could fall apart, the person added, confirming information reported earlier by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

A spokesman for Deutsche Bank and a spokeswoman for Commerzbank both declined to comment.

Speculation about a possible merger between Germany's two largest listed lenders has been rife for months, heightening under the tenure of Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who has emphasised the importance of strong banks.

Proponents of a merger say that a tie-up would give a combined entity -- which would have an equity market value of more than 24 billion euros ($27 billion) based on Friday's closing share prices -- a 20 percent share of the German retail banking market.

That would allow it to potentially charge higher prices in a country where banking services have been free or low cost.

Welt am Sonntag reported that both banks were reacting to pressure from the government, which expects a decision on the merger in the coming weeks.

A spokesman for the finance ministry declined to comment on the report.

The two lenders, which flirted with a merger in 2016 before focusing on restructuring, have struggled to return to sustainable profitability since the global financial crisis.

The government holds a stake of more than 15 percent in Commerzbank following a bailout and Deutsche Bank's shares have fallen 73 percent over the past five years.

Founded in 1870 to help companies with overseas trade, Deutsche is currently regarded as one of the most important banks in the global financial system, having expanded rapidly in the 1990s to become an investment banking giant.

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However, its market share has dwindled since the financial crisis and it has been plagued by three years of losses, ratings downgrades, failed stress tests and money laundering scandals.

Its chief executive, Christian Sewing, has said publicly in recent months he was focused on restoring profitability before taking on a complicated merger project.

Sewing is expected to report back to the board before the bank takes further steps, the source said.

Commerzbank's chief, Martin Zielke, has been more open to the idea of a tie-up, a person with knowledge of his thinking said. Last month, he said speculation about a merger was "understandable".

A person familiar with the matter said in February that U.S. investor Cerberus Capital Management, a major shareholder in both Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, was open to a merger, increasing the chances of a tie-up.

However, some of Deutsche Bank's other key shareholders are opposed, stressing the need for patience to allow the bank to regain its footing.

Ratings agencies, which have cut Deutsche Bank's credit ratings to the lowest among its major competitors, have warned that a merger would be risky and difficult to execute.

Labour unions have also voiced opposition fearing large job losses.

German officials have been worried about Deutsche since 2016 when the bank was negotiating a hefty fine with the U.S. Department of Justice for its role in the mortgage crisis.

At the time, Deutsche and the government publicly played down speculation that it could need state support. Behind the scenes, however, tensions were running high.

Over the past year, Deutsche has undergone an abrupt management change that installed Sewing as CEO. The bank has trimmed its international operations to focus more on retail banking and its home market.

Negative headlines about the lender have, however, continued.

In November, police searched the offices of all the members of Deutsche Bank's board as part of an investigation into money laundering allegations linked to the Panama Papers.

Deutsche said in January that it had received requests for information from regulators and law enforcement agencies that are investigating a money laundering scheme involving Danske Bank.

In the U.S., Congress is also investigating money laundering allegations and the bank's connections to the U.S. president, who owes the bank at least $130 million dollars.

Deutsche Bank has more than 20 million personal and business customers and Commerzbank around 18 million.

($1 = 0.8896 euros) (Reporting by Tom Sims and Andreas Framke; Additional reporting by Paul Carrel in Berlin; Editing by John Stonestreet and Kirsten Donovan)
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Last October Tom Jessop stepped on stage at an industry conference in New York to debut to the world Fidelity's ambitions to launch a new crypto trading and custody business, Fidelity Digital Assets.

"We built a lot of the capabilities underlying this platform months and years ago," Jessop, who leads the business, said at the time.

Now, part of the platform is live  with five clients. To start, the firm is offering bitcoin custody for crypto native firms, Jessop told The Block in an interview at the Chamber of Digital Commerce's DC Blockchain Summit in the nation's capital.

Jessop, a soft-spoken veteran of the financial services world, has 17 years experience at investment banking giant Goldman Sachs in his pocket, and he has the Wall Street know-how and gray streaks to prove it.

In the interview, he confirmed The Block's earlier reporting that Fidelity is taking a slow and steady approach to the nascent crypto world, which counts few Wall Street firms as supporters. Jessop also painted a picture of firm's trading business, which will help clients execute trades across various markets; and shared details about a recent survey the firm conducted of investors in the market about digital assets.

Following is a conversation between Jessop and The Block's Senior Correspondent Frank Chaparro (edited for clarity and brevity).

Chaparro: The firm is starting with just a few clients. But you are accepting new applications and are obviously taking in all sorts of feedback. Has any of that feedback changed the roadmap from where you saw it six months ago?

Jessop: That's a great question. I think we started with what I'll call "crypto-native" types  so a lot of crypto hedge funds showed interest early on. I think following that, we've seen interest from hedge funds that have convinced their management to allocate reasonably large amounts of capital to the asset class, which is a positive. We have gotten inquiries from family offices, some of whom already are allocated, and want to move assets into our custody, others that have dollar-based mandates, but won't activate until there's a custodian.

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Then, we're also seeing, quite frankly, even from the advisor community, interest from financial advisors, and then a little bit from the pension and endowment world. I wouldn't say that those are clients that have done their work and are ready to allocate, but I think more have done work, and as part of their exploration are talking to service providers. That to me is kind of the most interesting. If you had asked me six months ago, or nine months ago if we'd be talking to pensions and endowments, I probably would have said "unlikely." Again, these are not robust business development conversations, but there is some interaction, and engagement, which is quite interesting.

Chaparro: When I think about Fidelity, and a lot of people may not know this, it has this massive, robust, wholesale retirement 401(k) business. To what degree are you guys, in your little crypto island over here, tapping into other businesses, let's say for instance, the wholesale 401(k) business, to grow the crypto business?

Jessop: Yeah. Look, I don't think that market's ready for this. The way that we built this business is that we're in a swim lane, we are focused on institutions. We are largely developing those relationships ourselves, and that's because again most of the adoption so far has been from the early adopters. I think that at an appropriate time we will figure out how to tap those channels, but for the time being, we're trying to process the folks that we know are in market today.

To your point, the nice thing about this business with Fidelity is that as the asset class takes off, we have many ways to market, which is kind of an important decision in building this business in the first place, or even exploring the technology. I mean, if you take a big step back, if you believe that this technology will change how assets are issued, and traded, and administered this has long-term implications for any financial institutions setting aside what's happening to bitcoin today.

In some ways, what we're doing is we're building this business, but we're really getting smart about what could be this financial fabric of the future. Imagine if, call it a "mainstream" Fidelity client says, "I've invested in crypto, I've invested in these five security tokens, I bought a bond issued as a token, and I'm still invested in all the things I've invested in previously," we have to be able to support that. The way we support that is largely on the same infrastructure that we built to support this nascent business.

Chaparro: I think there was a misconception in the market about the degree to which firms like Fidelity, Bakkt, etc., would have a presence in the market. Just because you're Fidelity you can't just open up shop and then have a billion dollars in custody.

Jessop: Yeah. I think it would be imprudent for us to do that. Look, first and foremost, we have to make sure that we have a rock-solid product, and we can support, or exceed the expectations that clients have put on us. It is very much a walk before you run. Quite frankly, I think if it was anything other than that, I'm sure clients would not be that excited.

Chaparro: Custody fees are compressing. My understanding is this was a soft launch and you're offering folks discounted rates. How profitable can this business be?

Jessop: Yeah. I mean, you're right. Custody, and most other products is more of a commodity. I think that for us, and for our customers, that's sort of table stakes, that's the base-level capability that allows them to participate in this market, and allows us to build more businesses on top of that. I think over time you'll see custody fees compress. I think the discussions that we've been having with clients, and kind of where we are in the market is what I would call "high-value, highly trusted, high-service availability provider." We can make good money, and we can get the business well past break-even with conservative assumptions, but you're right, we have to build more of a full service business.

Chaparro: Just bitcoin to start, correct?

Jessop: Correct. We have what we call a "business acceptance process" where we have our crypto engineering team, risk, compliance, etc., and we make pretty detailed decisions of what we're gonna do next. The client I'm in now is in the more liquid, higher market capped coins, but each one of those may have idiosyncrasies where we might say, "Even though there's client demand, we think there are reasons why it's not appropriate to list at this time."

An example that I might give you is Ethereum Classic, with the recent 51% attack. We would be thinking very carefully about the decentralization of that protocol, or any protocol in other considerations before we'd even consider listing it. There's a lot of work that goes into deciding what's next.

I think with Ethereum, there's a hard fork that's planned sometime later this year, some upgrades, and so I think that's something where we just wanna make sure there's progress in that direction, and that the risk associated with that transition is understood.

Chaparro: Let's chat about the execution business. Is that live?

Jessop: Right now that is in testing, and that's coming along very soon.

Chaparro: Will that run off strictly internal liquidity?

Jessop: No. We are not prop trading, we don't have a desk. We are purely acting as effectively an agent, and that's what our clients want. Our clients want to avoid the issues associated with funding on multiple exchanges, both administrative risk, or otherwise, they want something resembling the best price experience, and so we'll try to do that by bringing liquidity providers, and other sources of liquidity onto our platform. I think effectively a smart order router, or logic, that would interrogate the market, find the best better offer, and allow the client to execute at that price.



I think as far as exchange liquidity is concerned, clearly there are issues with some of the exchanges in terms of market surveillance, and other things. There was a report by the New York AG that illustrated a lot of that. I think we're very circumspect about exchanges. I also think that when you're talking about institutional liquidity, given that many of these exchanges have effectively retail order books, the price impact of big, institutional orders into a framework like that can be significant.

Chaparro: What can you share about your recent survey of institutions about this space?

Jessop: Sure. We just completed a survey of about 450 institutions, so everything from family offices to registered investment advisors to hedge funds. It's interesting, I think about 20% indicated that they currently allocate to digital assets with an intention to grow that. I think when you think about blockers, and the issues that people cite for not being in the space, interestingly, volatility is number one, which is a solvable problem. Lack of regulatory certainty is number two, and in some cases, lack of fundamental data is a third.

I think the first and the third are probably solvable with time, and regulation as well, but there's probably a dependency outside of the ecosystem. So, that was very encouraging. Of the folks they allocated, they will increase their allocation on average. They'll double their allocation over the next five years. What's interesting when you look at the data, as you might expect, it's still very much an early adopter market, like the folks that you would look at, and say would tend to be more of the risk taking investors on the spectrum, so the hedge funds, and perhaps the family offices are further ahead than the pension funds and the endowments.

I'd still say that it's very promising, but the industry as a whole needs to do much more work, and continue to work around education, and basically pitching a value case to some of these investors, but overall, it really confirms everything we're doing-

Chaparro: I have to ask this now in every interview I do, because it seems everyone is launching a stable coin, are you guys launching a stable coin?

Jessop: No.

Chaparro: Okay. Good.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The pace of hiring in the United States fell last month to its lowest point in nearly a year and a half, a surprise drop likely reflecting harsh weather and other temporary factors that led most economists to see the slowdown as a temporary blip.

Employers added just 20,000 jobs, down from a blockbuster 311,000 in January. Even with February's anemic gain, job growth over the past three months has averaged a solid 186,000, enough to lower the unemployment rate over time.

And average hourly pay surged 3.4 percent from a year earlier  the sharpest year-over-year increase in a decade. The unemployment rate also dropped to 3.8 percent, near the lowest level in five decades, from 4 percent in January.

All told, Friday's monthly employment report from the government pointed to a still-sturdy job market and economy.

"The U.S. labor market is still in good shape," said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial. "Slower job growth was expected after huge average gains of better than 250,000 over the preceding four months. Job growth should bounce back in March and through the rest of this year."

Last month's pullback in hiring does follow signs that U.S. economic growth is probably slowing because of a weaker global economy, a trade war between the United States and China and signs of caution among American consumers. Those factors have led many analysts to forecast anemic growth in the first three months of this year.

But most economists still cautioned against reading too much into February's sluggish pace of hiring. The monthly employment data can be volatile. During the nearly decade-long recovery from the Great Recession, job growth has sometimes plunged in a single month  to 15,000 in May 2016, for example, and to 18,000 in September 2017  only to rebound to healthy levels in the months that followed.

And February's increase in average pay suggests that businesses are stepping up their efforts to attract and keep workers. The year-over-year increase of 3.4 percent in February is up from a corresponding figure of just 2.6 percent a year ago.

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Julia Pollak, a labor economist at jobs marketplace ZipRecruiter, said many companies are becoming increasingly hungry for workers. The number of job ads on its site that offer to pay for training, she said, jumped 42 percent last year from 2017. And positions that offer flexible hours soared 110 percent  a trend that could draw more women with family responsibilities off the sidelines and into work.

"Employers are finding all these ways to sweeten the deal and invest in their employees," Pollak said.

Carole Witkowski, vice president of human resources at Batteries and Bulbs, said her 700-store retail chain has raised starting hourly pay for workers at its distribution center from $11 to $12, with additional raises for those working evening and overnight shifts.

The company has taken other steps, she said: Jobs at the distribution center, located outside Milwaukee, don't require high school diplomas and have been plagued by high turnover. Many workers can find jobs elsewhere. Others haven't worked much before and aren't always used to showing up on time regularly. So about 18 months ago, the company started paying $250 each quarter to workers who arrive on time every day.

And in the suburbs outside Chicago, when the company received no applications in response to retail job postings last winter, it offered a $500 signing bonus. That shook loose some applicants.

"We got a little aggressive there," Witkowski said.

Nationally, though, the sluggish hiring and job cuts in February were widespread across industries. Construction cut 31,000 jobs, the most in more than five years, likely because of cold weather. Manufacturing added just 4,000, the fewest in a year and a half, a sign that Trump's trade war has raised costs and lowered exports for many factories.

Retailers cut 6,100 positions, while jobs in a category that mostly includes restaurants and hotels were unchanged .

The unemployment rate fell despite the tepid pace of hiring. The government uses one survey of households to calculate unemployment and a separate survey of businesses to count job growth, and sometimes the results of the two surveys diverge for a single month.

The jobless rate for African-Americans, which hit a record low of 5.9 percent in May and has frequently been celebrated by President Donald Trump, rose for a third straight month in February to 7 percent, its highest point in more than a year. The rate for Hispanic and Latino Americans, though, dropped to a record low of 4.3 percent.

The overall jobless rate fell partly because thousands of federal workers had been temporarily counted as unemployed in January during the partial government shutdown. They returned to work and were counted as unemployed in February.

Also on a positive note, the proportion of part-time workers who'd prefer full-time jobs fell sharply. That measure had risen in January during the shutdown as some furloughed government workers took part-time jobs temporarily. But in February, a gauge of what is called underemployment, which includes part-timers who want full-time work and discouraged people no longer looking for jobs, reached 7.3 percent, the lowest level since 2001.

There are signs that the economy is slowing: Consumer confidence fell sharply in January, held back by the shutdown and by a steep fall in stock prices in December. And Americans spent less over the winter holidays, with consumer spending plunging in December by the most in five years.

"We are seeing a fading of the effects of the Trump tax cut and increased government spending," which helped accelerate growth last year, said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics.

Analysts generally foresee growth slowing sharply in the first three months of this year to just a 1 percent annual rate, down from a 2.6 percent rate in the October-December quarter. Still, most expect a rebound in the April-June quarter, and there are already signs of one: Consumer confidence rose in February along with the stock market. And more Americans signed contracts to buy homes in January, propelled by lower mortgage rates.
The Equality Act, which would afford civil rights protections to the LGBTQ community as part of federal law, has failed twice on Capitol Hill.

The bill is heading back to Congress in the next week, and it has 161 corporate sponsors with $3.7 trillion in revenue, with operations across all 50 states, including Apple, Amazon, Google, IBM, Facebook, Twitter.

Fifty percent of the national LGBTQ community lives in the 30 states that fail to provide clear legal protections to the LGBTQ population.

When the LGBTQ Equality Act was first introduced in 2015, three companies publicly supported it: Apple AAPL , The Dow Chemical Company DWDP and Levi Strauss & Co. Now as the bill  which would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity  heads back to Capitol Hill, it has 161 corporate backers.

"More and more companies have come to realize just how important it is to have a nationwide standard that treats all employees equally, no matter where they live," said Stephen Peters, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization.

The HRC announced Friday that support has been growing over the years, and now 161 companies have joined the organization's Business Coalition for the Equality Act, a group of leading U.S. employers that support LGBTQ people in anti-discrimination laws. "The harsh reality is that right now LGBTQ people face a patchwork of protections based on what side of a city or state line they live on," Peters said.

The Equality Act has faced a tough legislative climb in its effort to extend anti-discriminatory protections for LGBTQ people across the U.S. A similar bill , introduced in 2015 by Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, died in committee, then suffered the same fate in a 2017 effort. The Equality Act is expected to be introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives within the coming week.

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Nearly 50 percent of LGBTQ Americans currently reside in the 30 states that lack statewide legal protections for LGBTQ people, according to the HRC. The supporting companies  which now include Twitter TWTR , Amazon AMZN , Google GOOGL and Facebook FB  have operations in all 50 states and total more than $3.7 trillion in revenue, according to HRC.

"The more than 160 leading American companies that have joined HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act are sending a loud and clear message that the time has come for full federal equality," said HRC President Chad Griffin.

On Thursday, IBM IBM CEO Ginni Rometty wrote a letter addressed to Rep. Cicilline and Sen. Merkley detailing her support for the Equality Act on behalf of the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs from the leading companies in the U.S. In the letter , Rometty argued that most American companies already included sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies long ago, and now it is time for the federal government to do the same.

Although the bill has a chance in the Democratic-controlled House, it most likely will face scrutiny in the Republican-controlled Senate, said Jonathan Lovitz, senior vice president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Lovitz said that recent rulings by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission covering sexual orientation discrimination based on existing civil rights regulations, as well as a similar ruling from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, stress the value of legal efforts supporting equal LGBTQ opportunities.

"Our economy simply does not achieve all it can unless everyone is included ... and the protections of the Equality Act bring us much closer to the inclusion we need for the American Dream to be accessible to every LGBT American," Lovitz said.

The Equality Act does not include provisions that would include LGBT-owned businesses in federal contracting opportunities, an effort that has been taken up by three states and recently introduced in cities like Nashville and Baltimore, Lovitz said. If passed, the act would cover employment, education, housing, public accommodations, jury service, federal funding and credit.

"A level playing field ensures that merit is the only factor that allows someone to succeed in business," said NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell. "Think of the endless opportunities to contribute to the economy that await the LGBT business community when they are no longer afraid of being fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, denied service in restaurants and shops simply for being who they are."

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Reuters) - Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd unveiled a new investment strategy on Tuesday that classifies its portfolio into a commercial and a strategic fund, even as it reported weak results for last year.

The rejig comes as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad urgently needs to raise money for government coffers, depleted by a fiscal deficit and a massive debt from a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

"Our performance in 2018 was affected by several key global and domestic developments," Khazanah Managing Director Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, who took charge in August, told reporters at a news conference.

"At the same time, the government initiated a reset of Khazanah, which involved significant changes including a refreshed mandate," he said.

Khazanah said the realisable asset value of its portfolio value fell to 136 billion ringgit ($33.37 billion) in 2018 from 157 billion ringgit in the previous year. ($1 = 4.0750 ringgit) (Reporting by Liz Lee in KUALA LUMPUR; Writing by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Himani Sarkar)
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)  Millions of North Korean voters, including leader Kim Jong Un, went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new lineup of roughly 700 members for the next session of the national legislature, though the vote was more of an endorsement than a competitive contest.

Voters were presented with just one state-sanctioned candidate per seat and cast their ballots not to select but rather to show their approval or, at least theoretically, disapproval of that candidate.

The elections, last held in 2014, are for the entire Supreme People's Assembly, which on paper is the highest organ of power in North Korea. Its delegates come from all over the country and all walks of life. The candidates are selected by the ruling Korean Workers' Party and a couple of other smaller coalition parties that have seats in the assembly.

Kim, fresh off his trip to Hanoi for his second summit with President Donald Trump, is a member of the assembly, though his power rests in his complete control over the ruling party, government and military. State media showed footage of him casting his vote at a polling center at Pyongyang's Kim Chaek University of Technology.

As was the custom in the Soviet Union and other communist countries, turnout is generally reported at 99 percent or higher. Voting is generally regarded as a duty and responsibility. Simply staying at home is not an option.

"I'm very proud to be voting for the first time," said 19-year-old university student Kim Ju Gyong, who cast her vote Sunday morning at the Pyongyang Primary School No. 4 polling station. "I feel happy to be a citizen and I want to do my best for the future of my country."

Under North Korean law, citizens can vote from the age of 17.

Voting began at around 10 a.m. depending on the location and continued until late evening. Voters show election officials their ID cards to receive their ballot with the sole candidate's name on it, which they cast in a private booth. If they approve, they simply put the ballot in the box. If they don't approve, they cross the name out in put it in the same box.

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But one official told The Associated Press that basically never happens.

"No one votes against the candidate," said Jin Ki Chol, the chairman of an election committee supervising a polling station at a cable factory in central Pyongyang.

Election days have a festive mood. Bands play music as voters wait in line, and there is group dancing for those who have already finished.

"The election will strikingly manifest the fixed will of our people to firmly trust and uphold to the last Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un despite storm and stress," the ruling party's official daily said in a commentary Sunday.

The number of deputies in the assembly is based on population  each represents from 30,000-35,000 people.

Officials at two polling stations visited by the AP said they were not sure of the exact number this year, or when the results would be announced. Five years ago, 687 deputies were elected and the results despite being a foregone conclusion were announced two days after the vote.

The elections are decidedly not intended to foster policy debates among the general populace or for the voters to change the nation's course from the bottom up.

But for the authorities, they provide a veneer of democracy and a means of monitoring the whereabouts and loyalties of citizens. Being chosen for the assembly is a big honor, so the elections are also an important means for the regime to reward up-and-coming cadres and replace incumbents who have already served their usefulness.

Like the elections, the legislature is quite different from what is normally seen in democracies.

The deputies to the assembly generally meet just once or sometimes twice a year, usually in March or April, to approve policies already hashed out by the ruling party, which is headed by Kim. A much smaller group  the presidium of the assembly  meets more often and is more closely involved in the actual functions of the government.

"As a deputy my main job is to take care of problems that come up with my constituents, like water problems or food," said Jo Kil Nyo, a candidate who was put up for re-election. "If I can't resolve something, I take it to the assembly."

___

Talmadge is the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @EricTalmadge
FILE PHOTO: General view of Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. Picture taken May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

By Stephanie Kelly

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices edged higher on Thursday, supported by OPEC-led supply cuts and U.S. sanctions against exporters Venezuela and Iran, but gains were capped by falling stock markets and renewed concerns over demand growth.

Brent crude futures gained 31 cents, or 0.47 percent, to settle at $66.30 a barrel.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 44 cents, or 0.78 percent, to settle at $56.66 a barrel.

"The big picture is that short-term fundamentals are very strong," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. "There's still some nervousness about supply."

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia this year have aimed to cut output and tighten oil markets, which has supported prices.

U.S. sanctions against the oil industries of OPEC members Iran and Venezuela have also supported futures, traders said.

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA this week declared a maritime emergency, citing trouble accessing tankers and personnel to export its oil due to sanctions.

When the United States reimposed sanctions against Iran in November, Washington granted waivers to eight Iranian oil buyers, allowing them to buy limited amounts of crude for another 180 days.

Washington has put pressure on these governments to gradually cut their imports of Iranian oil to zero, but importers remain in talks over potential extensions.

India wants to keep buying Iranian oil at its current level of about 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), as it negotiates with Washington about extending a sanctions waiver past early May, two sources in India said.

Signs of strong demand for refined products from U.S. Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday also buoyed prices.

However, prices were pressured by concerns surrounding Europe's economy, which pushed Wall Street lower and fuelled worries about global oil demand. [MKTS/GLOB]

To stimulate a struggling euro zone economy, the European Central Bank pushed out the timing of its first post-crisis rate hike to next year at the earliest and offered banks new rounds of multi-year cash.

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"Mounting global oil demand concerns related to slowing world economic growth remains as a latent bearish consideration that will likely provide a limiter on near term upside progress," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note

Further, oil remains in plentiful supply thanks to surging U.S. production, which was at a record 12.1 million bpd last week.

Elsewhere, Libya's El Sharara oilfield is pumping 135,000 barrels a day with output rising, state oil firm NOC said.

(This story refiles to correct settlement date in first paragraph.)

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York; additional reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Shadia Nasralla in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Susan Thomas, Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)
* Fund to be headed by SoftBank COO Marcelo Claure

* Fund will invest across Latin America

* Areas of focus include e-commerce, fintech and healthcare (Adds further details on Claure's role)

By Sam Nussey

March 7 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group is launching a $5 billion fund to invest in technology companies in Latin America, it said on Thursday, ramping up its tech ambitions beyond its huge Vision Fund.

The new fund will be headed by SoftBank's Chief Operating Officer Marcelo Claure, it said in a statement, with the Japanese technology conglomerate committing an initial $2 billion and serving as the fund's general partner.

The group has already shaken up the technology sector with the Saudi-backed $100 billion Vision Fund, making splashy investments in late-stage start-ups such as ride-hailing company Uber and shared offices provider WeWork Cos.

The launch of the Latin America-focused SoftBank Innovation Fund will extend Bolivian-born billionaire Claure's responsibility beyond managing SoftBank-owned companies like chip designer Arm.

Responsibility for driving synergies between minority-stake portfolio companies, which is a key rationale for SoftBank's investment strategy, is shared between Claure and the head of the Vision Fund Rajeev Mishra.

"There is so much innovation and disruption taking place in the region and I believe the business opportunities have never been stronger," said Claure, who is executive chairman of SoftBank's U.S. telecoms unit Sprint Corp and is working to ensure the success of its planned takeover by Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile.

The fund will invest across the region, targeting much the same sectors as SoftBank's existing investments, including e-commerce, fintech and healthcare.

"Latin America presents significant opportunities for SoftBank Group and the Vision Fund will have the ability to co-invest alongside the SoftBank Innovation Fund," said Mishra.

Claure, Mishra and Chief Strategy Officer Katsunori Sago are all seen as potential successors to SoftBank Group founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son.

The new fund, the size of which will give it a strong presence in the region, will also help existing portfolio companies to expand in Latin America, SoftBank said.

SoftBank's previous bets in the region include a $100 million stake in ride-hailing business 99, which was later acquired by another of its investments, Didi Chuxing.

(Reporting by Sam Nussey in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Vibhuti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, David Goodman and Alexandra Hudson)
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday it has halted the informal 180-day "shot clock" on the review of the merger of wireless providers Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc to give the public three additional weeks to comment on the $26 billion tie-up. The FCC said the decision was made after the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers had filed significant additional information on their network integration plans for 2019-2021 and other new information on the merger. The FCC said it typically allows for additional public input after "substantial new submissions" by the applicants. The FCC said it expects to resume the "shot clock," at the current Day 122 on April 4. T-Mobile and Sprint in separate statements called the FCC decision "a positive step" that the FCC is "so deeply engaged in understanding this transaction and our recent filing, and we completely understand their desire" to stop the clock "to fully review the merits of our merger." Sprint said it hopes to complete the regulatory approval process by the end of June. The deal to combine the carriers, struck in April 2018, was approved by both companies shareholders in October and has received national security clearance, but still needs approval from the Department of Justice and the FCC. A number of state attorneys general are also reviewing the merger. Last month at a congressional hearing, House Democrats raised worries about the deal because the U.S. wireless market has just four main carriers. The industry leaders are AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc. T-Mobile Chief Executive John Legere defended the deal, arguing that it will create jobs and help with the construction of the next generation of wireless networks. He said the merged company would have more capacity which would lead to a push to lower prices. Legere and Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure will testify at another U.S. House hearing on March 12. The deal has run into criticism from unions, consumer advocates, and rural operators. The Communications Workers of America said in a statement Thursday the decision of the companies to file new analyses of the merger suggests they "have failed to persuade regulators." The union argues the deal will eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. A group of eight Democratic U.S. senators and independent Senator Bernie Sanders last month urged regulators to reject the deal, saying monthly bills could rise as much as 10 percent. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Diane Bartz; editing by Richard Chang and Grant McCool)
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Iranian President Hassan Rohani has called for what he called "decisive" action by Pakistan in the wake of a deadly suicide attack in a border area.

During a telephone call on March 9, Rohani told Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that inaction by Islamabad could jeopardize relations between the countries, Irans state news agency IRNA reported.

Twenty-seven members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed in in a suicide car bombing near the border with Pakistan on February 13.

The Sunni Muslim extremist group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack in southeastern Iran. The group claims it is seeking better conditions for Iran's ethnic Baluchi minority.

In his telephone call with Rohani on March 9, Khan said Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists' hideout and there would soon be "good news" for Iran, IRNA reported.

Based on reporting by AP and IRNA
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Richard Skormans life as a Coloradan began in 1970 as a student  and a budding bookstore owner  at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. A local bookshop where he worked while still an undergrad went out of business, so he bought its stock and started his own shop, juggling sales with his classes.

The rest, as he tells Colorado Politics, a Gazette sister publication, is history. He went on to become a mainstay in the downtown business scene; today, he and wife Patricia Seator own and run a restaurant, a toy store, a cafe and wine bar and, of course, a bookstore. Hes also a linchpin in downtown Colorado Springs cultural life.

Whats more, Skorman became a force for liberal/progressive politics in the by-reputation conservative community. And seemingly defying the odds in a relentlessly Republican stronghold, he became a local elected leader.

He is now in his second stint on the City Council  and serves as council president. He even made a high-stakes and high-profile run for mayor in 2011, rising above the pack of contenders to face the eventual winner, Steve Bach, in a one-on-one runoff.

Colorado Politics: You have been a perennially prominent player in the political and civic life of Republican-red Colorado Springs for decades  while so many other officeholders have had their day and then faded away. Yet, the enduring general perception is you hail from the center-left. Even before holding elected office, you were an activist and a catalyst for community causes, some progressive, ranging from open-space preservation to LGBTQ rights. Youve gone on to serve two separate stints on the City Council, two of those years as vice mayor, and between them ran for mayor in 2011, making it to the runoff against the eventual victor. And of course, you are now council president.

How does a guy like you climb so high on the political totem pole in a place like the Springs? Is the city not as conservative  or are you not as liberal  as conventional wisdom holds? Or, is it that ideology doesnt matter that much in municipal politics in the first place?

Richard Skorman: When you run for City Council, the elections have to be nonpartisan (although in my mayoral runoff against Steve Bach, it did become partisan). And as a small-business owner, Ive always considered myself practical, business-friendly and not a fan of government overreach. Yes, I do believe in good government, but not too much. I am a social liberal and a strong environmental advocate. But that also represents a large population in Colorado Springs, many of them Republicans.

We have had loud conservative voices from our city, including Doug Bruce, Charles Duke, Gordon Klingenschmitt, Will Perkins and Jim Dobson. And yes, Amendment 2 originated here as did many of the think tanks in the anti-gay movement during the culture wars in the 90s. They are mostly gone now, and many of those organizations and their leaders never spoke for the majority in Colorado Springs in the first place. One statistic about Colorado Springs in the 90s that most people outside didnt know was that only 39 percent of our population belonged to a congregation and regularly attended church. Denver was 50 percent.

And yes, the local Republican Party (the main game in town) can be influenced by conservative ideology. But none of that matters in our nonpartisan municipal elections. I always joke that potholes arent Democrat or Republican  they just need to be fixed. Another joke I use whenever I see John Hickenlooper is that restaurant owners make the best politicians. If you can run a restaurant for 42 years, you have to be pragmatic enough to help run a local government.

We arent as conservative (especially these days) as our reputation. We have the distinction of being the city with the most millennials moving to it. We have won awards for being the most fit, the most dog-friendly and the best city for mountain bikers. We have had huge voter support for protecting open spaces and building new trails and parks. Our citizens are passionate about having clean air and water, and we use less water per capita than any Front Range city. Recent polling even shows that the majority in the city want our downtown coal-fired power plant (Drake) decommissioned and replaced with renewable energy. These arent the stereotypes one hears about Colorado Springs.

CP: You are among those on the council who advocate letting voters decide whether to lift the citys moratorium on the retail sale of recreational marijuana, while Mayor John Suthers prefers the status quo. What would you say is the strongest case for letting the Springs join cities including Denver, Pueblo and even neighboring Manitou Springs in allowing recreational pot sales? How do you think the Springs would vote if given a chance?

Skorman: Marijuana is legal to possess and consume in Colorado Springs, and given how large and profitable the state industry has become, and the fact that making it legal is in the states Constitution (now more difficult to change), its not going away. But what the previous Colorado Springs City Council did by opting out of recreational sales was to make recreational marijuana use more expensive in Colorado Springs, more dangerous and without the financial benefits to help us manage it.

Each of the two stores in Manitou Springs (a few miles from Colorado Springs) have as many as a 1,000 sales a day. Given that Manitou Springs population is only 5,000, guess where their customers come from? Having a monopoly, they are some of the most expensive dispensaries in the state. And they are rec mills, driving customers through with virtually no education on the dangers of overconsuming high amounts of THC or edibles. Also if you see the smoke coming from cars in their parking lots, you assume that a good number of their customers test their purchases on their way home. In other words, they are driving while impaired through our citys streets.

That council decision to not permit rec sales has also helped promote a large local black and gray market, complete with drug cartels, hundreds of grow houses, no lacing or pesticide control and no childproof packaging. I think that reasonable taxes on marijuana sales to Colorado Springs residents should go to Colorado Springs, where we can do a good job (like we do with our medical dispensaries) controlling seed to sale for safety and distribution of the product.

And we can bolster public safety personnel to help us manage the problems associated with legal marijuana  but especially other substance abuse.

We, like every other Front Range City, are plagued with substance abuse, drug overdoses and mental health problems that we dont have the resources to handle. We could sure use any extra money from rec sales to help. I do think the voters will support limited rec sales if they become educated on the issue.

CP: How has local politics evolved amid El Paso Countys explosive growth over the past three decades? Some say our long-purple state is trending more decidedly blue, especially after last November. Do you think historically red Colorado Springs will, similarly, trend more purple in the years to come?

Skorman: We may turn purple if the demographers are right about how fast we are going to grow and who will move here. Right now, we are becoming an even younger city. I would label us a light red heading to purple.

CP: What are the top issues facing the city  at least, those issues the council can do something about?

Skorman: On the negative side, we are going through our own version of an affordable housing crisis (25,000 units short) in all categories, including workforce and senior housing. Gentrification and displacement have arrived here, as well. Our homeless and mentally disabled street population is growing, and citizens feel less safe downtown and in some of our parks.

How we grow is going to be critical, as we are one of the hottest places to move to in the country but are very spread out, so it will be more and more difficult to deliver high-quality public safety services. We have an aging infrastructure that needs more attention, particularly our park and transportation infrastructure. And we are the city on the Front Range with the largest wildland-urban interface, i.e., fire risk. We have lived through two fire nightmares in the last six years, and how we prepare and respond to the next ones will be critical to our future.

On the positive side: We have really hot business and job markets (with less government interference); lots of access to some of the most spectacular outdoor recreation in the country; a great quality of life; and thousands of dedicated and experienced local government and utility public employees who make this a safe, efficient and inexpensive city to live in. I feel like I have a big responsibility to help keep it that way.
Moderator Edit:

AWA Score: 5.5 out of 6!



I have used a GMATAWA auto-grader to evaluate your essay



Coherence and connectivity: 5/5

This rating corresponds to the flow of idea and expression from one paragraph to another. The effective use of connectives and coherence of assertive language in arguing for/against the argument is analysed. This is deemed as one of the most important parameters.



Paragraph structure and formation: 5/5

The structure and division of the attempt into appropriate paragraphs is evaluated. To score well on this parameter, it is important to organize the attempt into paragraphs. Preferable to follow the convention of leaving a line blank at the end of each paragraph, to make the software aware of the structure of the essay.





Vocabulary and word expression: 4/5

This parameter rates the submitted essay on the range of relevant vocaubulary possessed by the candidate basis the word and expression usage. There are no extra- points for bombastic word-usage. Simple is the best form of suave!





I would greatly appreciate any expert feedback if its out there! One of my concern is that many "argument vocab" may not be as strong as possible and also that I am relying on the "lack of evidence" argument which given the short amount of information given in these questions seems like a bit of a 'cop out'.Feedback would be welcome... the more brutal the better.+++Question: The following appeared in an announcement issued by the publisher of The Mercury, a weekly newspaper:Since a competing lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle, was started five years ago, The Mercurys circulation hasdeclined by 10,000 readers. The best way to get more people to read The Mercury is to reduce its price below that ofThe Bugle, at least until circulation increases to former levels. The increased circulation of The Mercury will attractmore businesses to buy advertising space in the paper.Discuss etc etc:Answer:In response to the threat posed by The Bugle Newspaper, the publishers of The Mercury have provided strategic recommendations to increase the circulation of the newspaper and increase revenues from advertising. Unfortunately the publishers strategy is based on several weak assumptions and flawed logic. The first is that the reduced circulation of The Mercury is a consequence of the The Bugle and not other factors. The second is that the readers of The Mercury are price sensitive and therefore will respond positively to a reduce in the newspapers purchase price. Finally it assumes that increased circulation will result in more business revenue but fails to provide any evidence that there is a relationship between increased circulation and increased advertising revenue.The first assumption is that the decline in readership of The Mercury is due to the arrival 5 years ago of the Bugle. This may very well be the case and the publishers may have evidence to prove this point but without any supporting information it indicates to the reader that the argument may not be fully formed. In reality, the decline in readership could be due to a number of factors such as changing demographics of the newspaper or even a general trend away from print media towards online media. In this case it would be useful to know if the Bugle has acquired the lost10,000 readers of the Mercury or if these readers have left the medium all together. It would also strengthen the publishers comments to know more about the 10,000 readers who were lost. For example were these readers all from a certain geographic region that has experienced economic decline and as such a reduction in the general population? Answers and clarity to these questions would greatly strengthen the publishers comments.The second assumption is perhaps one of the most significant as it implies that the readers of the The Mercury are price sensitive. There is no evidence to support this claim and therefore the argument is completely unsubstantiated. If, as previously discussed, the readers of The Mercury have infact moved on to other digital mediums then a price reduction will do nothing to increase circulation but only negatively impact the revenue of the newspaper. The Publishers recommendation would be stronger if they provided some background information and research demonstrating that recently the readers of The Mercury have been complaining about the price of the newspaper and as such had looked for alternative lower cost publications. With this supporting evidence, as an example, the publishers comments would have been greatly strengthened.The final suggestion from the author is that increased circulation will attract more advertising business to the paper. In theory this is a reasonably assumption to make. Increased readership generally suggests an advertiser will have greater product exposure. However, there is no saying that the actual revenue generated from this advertising will conversely increase with an increase in circulation especially given the presence of a similar low cost publisher. In this case it may be safe to assume that due to the decline in circulation a number of The Mercurys advertisers have started to move over to the Bugle in which case any increase in circulation would result in the Mercury having to buy back its old customers. Again we that there the link between increased circulation and increased advertising business is not adequately backed up by supporting evidence to suggest that this will actually happen.In conclusion the author makes a number of broad assumptions in which to justify the new strategic direction of The Mercury newspaper. Unfortunately there are a number of logical flaws in the strategy and most notable a persistent lack of evidence to back up the publishers strategic vision.
Grand Old Partisan salutes James Young, born in Philadelphia this day of 1847. During the Civil War, he enlisted at age sixteen in the 32nd Pennsylvania Infantry.

Union restored, Young reported from Washington for the New York Tribune. He later was chief clerk of the U.S. Senate, then chief clerk of the Justice Department for the Chester Arthur administration. In 1896, he won the first of three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Theodore Roosevelt named him to a position at the Post Office Department.

Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y3Vx_frtAfU

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.

Each day, Michael Zak's grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far.

He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

Buy the book at Amazon

See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"
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On Wednesday, the archbishop of Manila and president of Caritas Internationalis visited eastern Ghouta, not far from Damascus. For years it was a symbol of Jihadi violence. Caritas and its volunteers are committed to helping the suffering population. The cardinal saw people living amid the rubbles and destruction.

Damascus (AsiaNews)  Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila and president of Caritas Internationalis, recently visited Douma, in eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus, a place that has come to symbolise Syrias civil war.

When he entered the town and saw the ash, the dust, the destruction before me, I was very moved. Seeing people still living amid the rubbles and devastation was a moment of great sorrow," said the head of communications for Caritas Syria as she remembered the prelates words.

The visit took place two days ago, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent during, during the annual meeting of the Council of Heads of Catholic Churches in Syria. On this occasion, the Filipino cardinal was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Syria Card Mario Zenari, the Greek-Melkite Patriarch Joseph Absi and some local Catholic bishops.

At the end of the visit, the Archbishop of Manila remembered something. By a strange coincidence, the cardinal said, the visit fell on the very day [of Ash Wednesday] and I saw dust and destruction with my own eyes. We, as Christians, live and celebrate 'ash' once a year, but there are people who live in dust every day."

The first impression for the prelate is that "People are in need of everything: food, medicine, humanitarian aid. This is why we should not forget Syria. Its needs and suffering are still great."

Still, it is good to see how Caritas staff, "also touched by the war since they are part of Syrian society, work with a smile on their faces and with generosity helping the poor. They themselves are in need, yet work for others."

Eastern Ghouta has been a major battleground between Jihadi rebel groups and Syrian troops. From here many attacks were launched, hitting Christian neighborhoods, with score of victims and lots of injuries.

Reacting to the great human tragedy that unfolded in the area, Caritas workers established bridges of solidarity and undertook initiatives to promote peace and coexistence.

The faces of the children in Ghouta showed the signs of "unspeakable suffering". The general reaction, as Syro-Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan noted, is one of "deep sadness and repulsion" in seeing the "horrible destruction of that region, held hostage for such a long time by radical Muslims."

The visit had a profound impact on Card Tagle, who expressed great sorrow at a kind of suffering that is "comparable only to that caused by a typhoon or an earthquake".

In addition to food, medicine and work, education is an issue. At least 50 schools existed in the area before the war; now the authorities have been able to re-open less than half, about 20, and the situation is still dangerous.

The primary school Card Tagle visited was packed with 1,800 pupils even though its capacity is far lower. It will take a long time before it is back to normal and children allowed to confront and overcome the traumas of war that still haunt them.

Before the visit, Card Tagle thought of Syria as the cradle of Christianity, a land where faith in Jesus is rooted in thousands of years, through the testimony of St Paul the Apostle.

The prelate cited the Grand Umayyad Mosque, which contains the tomb of Saint John the Baptist, a place where Christians and Muslims prayed together in the past.

The cardinal hopes that one day it will become again a place of peace and coexistence between religions "overcoming death, war and devastation".

(Sandra Awad, head of Communication at Caritas Syria contributed to the article)
The IPKat's Central Bank

What has the Statute of the European System of Central Banks have to do with IP law?



Directly, perhaps not much.



However, a case recently decided in this area and concerning the provisional suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Latvia pending criminal investigations might have potentially important implications also in the field of IP.



In particular, it might be relevant in the case in which an EU Member State has incorrectly transposed an EU directive into its own national law.



Rimsevics



Last month the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a decision, Rimsevics, C202/18 and C238/18 , which for the first time saw the highest EU court directly annulling an act rendered by an authority of a Member State (Latvia) and extricated it from that domestic legal order.



In her Opinion in that case, Advocate General (AG) Kokott had simply suggested that the CJEU should declare that Latvia had failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law (this was also the request of the applicants). However, the Court went beyond that and did the 'job' directly.



As explained in this very interesting post by Prof Daniel Sarmiento ,

The Court did not declare that a Member State had failed to fulfill its obligations under EU Law. What the Court did was much more ambitious, for it annulled an act rendered by an authority of a Member State and extricated it from the domestic legal order. For the very first time, EU Law entered fully into the legal order of a Member State, declared a breach within the domestic legal order and eradicated the national legal act ipso iure. There was no need for the Member State to take any appropriate measures. No need for national courts to ensure the fulfilment of the duties enshrined in EU Law. The EU legal order did the job for them. Sarmiento adds:

[B]y stepping into national law and purging its legal order in a way that is unparalleled in international law, the Court of Justice has finally and fully stepped into the shoes of a national court. In fact, if this judgment is seen together with the Courts efforts to protect the independence and integrity of national judiciaries, the overall effect is one in which a new Court has emerged. A Court sitting at a constitutional apex, assisting national courts when their integrity is undermined, confronting Member States that drift away from the rule of law, and annulling national acts when necessary, particularly in areas in which a less marked distinction between the EU legal order and national legal orders prevail. If the implications of this (technical) decision are really those described above, then they might be significant also in the field of IP.



By taking the specific case of copyright, readers of this blog will be aware that - especially in more recent years - the CJEU has found a few national transpositions of key directives like the InfoSoc Directive incorrect. Member States had simply thought they enjoyed greater freedom in the transposition of EU provisions than what they actually had.



Incorrect transposition of EU directives



As I discuss at greater length in this book , there are arguably provisions in EU copyright directives that are drafted in such a way that EU Member States enjoy limited freedom when transposing them into national legal systems.



The CJEU has clarified that this may be the case when a provision in a EU directive imposes on EU Member States, in unequivocal terms, well-defined obligations as to the result to be achieved that is not coupled with any condition regarding application of the rule laid down in them.



The very issue of direct effect of EU directives has been tackled in a copyright context in OSA, C-351/12 [ here ] .



That reference for a preliminary ruling from the Czech Republic asked the CJEU, among other things, whether Articles 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive is unconditional enough and sufficiently precise for a certain individual or organization (a copyright collecting society in that case) to rely on in a dispute between individuals before a national court in case of incorrect transposition of that directive by a certain EU Member State.



The CJEU answered in the negative. It is settled case law that even a clear, precise and unconditional provision of a directive seeking to confer rights or impose obligations on individuals cannot of itself apply in proceedings exclusively between private parties (lack of direct horizontal effect).





Sunday musings made to entertain

friends and family:

Does a ruling on central banks

mean anything for IP? It is true that a national court, when hearing a case between individuals, is required, when applying the provisions of domestic law, to consider the whole body of rules of national law and to interpret them, so far as possible, in the light of the wording and purpose of the directive in order to achieve an outcome consistent with the objective pursued by the directive. However, this cannot serve as the basis for an interpretation of national law contra legem .



The conclusion of the CJEU in OSA , C-351/12 differs from the view that AG Sharpston had taken in her Opinion in that same case. The AG observed that, first, when national courts apply domestic law, they are bound to interpret it, so far as possible, in the light of the wording and purpose of any relevant directive, in order to achieve the result sought by the directive ( Marleasing principle).



That obligation is inherent to the Treaty system and enables national courts to ensure the full effectiveness of EU law when they determine disputes within their jurisdiction.



Only if such an approach is not possible, eg because it would lead to an interpretation contra legem , is it necessary to consider whether a relevant provision of a directive has direct effect and, if so, whether that direct effect may be relied on against a party to the national dispute.



The AG also stressed that it is for national courts to do whatever lies within their jurisdiction, for example taking the whole body of domestic law into consideration and applying the interpretative methods recognized by it, to ensure that the InfoSoc Directive is fully effective, and thus achieve outcomes consistent with the objectives pursued by it.



She concluded that an interpretation of national law that would be inconsistent with the Directive is not permissible.



The AG did not state expressly what the legal consequences of incorrect implementations of the InfoSoc Directive would be. However, she appeared to agree with OSAs suggestion that this would be disapplication of incorrect national provisions.



What might happen now?



After the decision in Rimsevics , the conclusion of AG Sharpson in OSA might be indeed the correct one. This might mean that the CJEU could be in a position to directly disapply or even invalidate national provisions that have resulted from an incorrect transposition of relevant EU directives.



If that was the case, then:
Yes, Simon's Cat is between the covers again The new book is called Simon's Cat vs the World and you can win your own copy, acco...
- Another talented and stunning young lady is about to represent the country in an international pageant

- She had proven herself to be a woman of substance at a young age of 17

- Eve had already won an international title representing the country

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Eve Janine Bravo Valdez, 17, is the youngest in the family. She graduated elementary years at La Consolacion College-Novaliches as a Salutatorian and later on pursued her Junior High School years as a scholar at Caloocan National Science and Technology High School. Currently, she is a Senior High School student at Far Eastern University Manila taking up Humanities and Social Sciences since she is planning to pursue Legal Management as a Pre-Law course and further study Law and become a Lawyer someday.

She started my journey in pageantry when she was 12 years old and later on her handler encouraged her to join a National Pageant when she was 14 in the year 2016. She won her first ever National Title, Miss Teen Beautiful Planet Philippines, that year. That paved way for greater opportunities for her. The organization, Queens of Our Beautiful Planet, She's in, gave her the opportunity to represent the country way back November 2017.

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Valdez competed in Antalya, Turkey for Future Fashion Faces World and bagged her first ever International Title, Miss Asia 2017. As of today, she's also working on her advocacy which is entitled 3Es (Empowering Exemplary Education) in which they donate different school supplies to different institutions or schools in the Philippines. They also teach the students the basics like reading and writing, and providing the out of school youth their necessities and teaching them as well.

Eve is somehow into Show Business as well. She appeared on different TV segments at GMA and GMA News TV. As of the moment, she is getting ready for her upcoming International Competition once more which will be held in Australia (Dates TBA). She will represent the Philippines in the International stage again vying for the Title, Miss Teen Beautiful Planet International.

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She recently went viral after joining a local pageant but was not able to take home the crown.

A local Pageant was tinged with controversy recently. The Facebook user under the name AK Landayan took to Facebook to air her frustration over the result of the pageant.

She also pointed out the alleged sabotage to her sister who is among the candidates. Landayan pointed out that even 3 judges congratulated her sister Eve Janine Valdez personally after the pageant. They seemed surprise upon learning that Eve was not among the top 5 according to Landayan's post.

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The make-up was not allowed to be done by other make up artists because the organization hired an official makeup artist. This, according to the disappointed sister is understandable. However, the gown was said to be obviously not appealing unlike some other gowns worn by the rest of the candidates. She also provided a picture of the proposed gown to be worn by her sister which was noticeably not the same as the one provided for her.

Eve's camp also clarified that they are not aiming for the title or the crown. They just wanted justice for what the beauty queen had experienced.

POPULAR: Read more viral stories here

KAMI remains open to both parties who wish to air their side regarding the resolution of this matter.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

Happy International Women's Day, Dear Ladies | HumanMeter https://goo.gl/JooLri

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8. HumanMeter team joined the celebrations by congratulating beautiful Filipino ladies who had no idea what we are up to. Check out the video here:

Source: Kami.com.ph
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22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (2) Jan 15 (2) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (2) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (2) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (1) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (1) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (1) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (2) Dec 10 (2) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (1) Dec 05 (2) Dec 04 (1) Dec 03 (2) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (2) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (1) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (1) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (2) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (1) Nov 16 (1) Nov 15 (1) Nov 14 (1) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (1) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (1) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (1) Nov 03 (1) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (2) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (2) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (2) Oct 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Saturday, March 9, 2019

The Ninth Circuit ruled in Thuraissigiam v. USDHS that the statutory limitation on federal habeas corpus jurisdiction for asylum applicants in deportation proceedings violates the Suspension Clause. The ruling sends the case back to the district court to consider Thuraissigiam's legal challenges to the procedures leading to his expedited removal order.

The ruling is a huge victory for asylum seekers in deportation proceedings. It means that Thuraissigiam and other aliens in expedited removal but who seek asylum have access to federal court to challenge a denial of asylum on the merits, and not just on narrow technicalities--at least in the Ninth Circuit.

The case arose when Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam, a native and citizen of Sri Lanka, entered the U.S. through Mexico. He was detained by a Customs and Border Patrol Officer just north of the border and placed into expedited removal proceedings. After Thuraissigiam requested asylum (based on a fear of persecution in Sri Lanka), CBP referred Thuraissigiam for an interview with an asylum officer. The officer denied asylum; the officer's supervisor affirmed; and an immigration judge affirmed.

Thuraissigiam then filed a habeas petition in federal court, arguing that his credible-fear screening deprived him "of a meaningful right to apply for asylum" and other relief in violation of federal law, and that the asylum officer and IJ violated his due process rights by "not providing him with a meaningful opportunity to establish his claims, failing to comply with the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and in not providing him with a reasoned explanation for their decision."

The district court dismissed the case for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court pointed to 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1252(e), the habeas jurisdictional hook for individuals in expedited deportation proceedings, and noted that the provision only authorized a federal court to determine (1) whether a petitioner is an alien, (2) whether the petitioner was ordered removed, and (3) whether the petitioner could prove that he or she is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as a refugee, or has been granted asylum. The court ruled that Thuraissigiam's case didn't fall into any of the three categories, and so dismissed it.

The Ninth Circuit agreed that Thuraissigiam's case didn't fall into any of the three categories, and that the district court therefore lacked statutory habeas jurisdiction over his claim. But the court went on to hold that Section 1252(e) violated the Suspension Clause.

The court, looking to Boumediene and St. Cyr, ruled first that Thuraissigiam, as an alien who was arrested in the United States, could invoke the Suspension Clause. The court ruled next that the Suspension Clause requires review of Thuraissigiam's claims, and that Section 1252(e), in disallowing review of his claims, violates the Clause. In particular, the court noted that Section 1252(e) prevented any judicial review of whether DHS complied with the procedures in an individual case or applied the correct legal standard.

The court declined to invoke the constitutional avoidance canon, because, it said, Section 1252(e) cannot bear a reading that avoids the constitutional problems that it creates.

The court remanded the case to the district court to consider Thuraissigiam's legal claims.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2019/03/ninth-circuit-strikes-limit-on-asylum-appeals-violates-suspension-clause.html
Saturday, March 9, 2019

So, after yesterday's opinion by the Court of Appeals of Maryland denying Adnan Syed a new trial, what's his next option? The next option is a motion for reconsideration under Maryland Rule 8-605. Such a motion must be filed within 30 days of the court's opinion, and, simply put, it asks the Court of Appeals to reconsider its opinion...with the goal of having the court issue a new or amended opinion. There are six possible grounds for a motion for reconsideration:

(1) whether the Court's opinion or order did not address a material factual or legal matter raised in the lower court and argued by a party in its submission to the Court, and if not raised or argued, a brief statement as to why it was not raised or argued; (2) whether a material change in the law relevant to the appeal occurred after the case was submitted and was not addressed in the Court's opinion or order; (3) whether the court's opinion determined the outcome of the appeal on an issue not raised in the briefs or proceedings below; (4) whether there is a significant consequence of the decision that was not addressed in the opinion; (5) if the motion or response is filed in the Court of Appeals, whether and how the Court's opinion or order is in material conflict with a decision of the United States Supreme Court or a decision of the Court of Appeals; or (6) if the motion or response is filed in the Court of Special Appeals, whether and how the Court's opinion or order is in material conflict with a decision of the United States Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals or a reported opinion of the Court of Special Appeals.

A motion for reconsideration is a huge long shot...because you're trying to get the court to admit they made an error. That said, there is one possible ground for such a motion in this case that makes a good deal of sense and another that at least has a chance of succeeding.

(4) whether there is a significant consequence of the decision that was not addressed in the opinion

It seems pretty clear that there is a significant consequence of the decision of the Court of Appeals of Maryland that was not addressed in its opinion. That consequence is the potential of a few more years of Adnan's postconviction proceeding, entailing costs for the State, the defense, and the courts. Pursuant to Section 7-104 of the Maryland Code of Criminal Procedure,

The court may reopen a postconviction proceeding that was previously concluded if the court determines that the action is in the interests of justice

The Court of Appeals of Maryland has found that ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel is grounds for reopening a postconviction proceeding. Gray v. State, 879 A.2d 1064 (Md. 2005). It's crystal clear what's going to happen if the Court of Appeals doesn't grant a defense motion to reconsider (and the United States Supreme Court doesn't agree to hear the case):

What's going to happen is that the defense is going to file a motion to reopen Adnan's postconviction proceeding based on a claim of ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel. And the defense is going to have a really good argument. After all, both Judge Welch and the Court of Appeals found that the crux of the State's case against Adnan at trial was the Leakin Park pings:

Excerpt from the Court of Appeals's opinion

In turn, this finding led Judge Welch to conclude that Adnan had received the ineffective assistance of trial counsel based upon his trial attorney's failure to cross-examine the State's cell tower expert with the AT&T disclaimer. Neither the Court of Special Appeals nor the Court of Appeals addressed the substance of this ruling because they both held that Adnan had waived this issue when his postconviction counsel failed to include it in his first PCR petition.

And it's that very finding (plus the finding that the Leakin Park pings were the "crux" of the State's case against Adnan) that makes a claim of ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel so viable: (1) we have a undisturbed substantive ruling after an evidentiary hearing that Adnan received ineffective assistance of counsel in connection with the AT&T disclaimer (which went to the "crux" of the State's case); and (2) we have a ruling that Adnan waived this claim because it wasn't included by his postconviction counsel in his first PCR proceeding (despite the claim going to the crux of the State's case).

Now, it's possible that the Court of Appeals of Maryland views this claim as less of a slam dunk than me...but that just means that resolution of this issue would likely take even longer and might even require a new evidentiary hearing.

This would be the argument for the Court of Appeals to grant the defense's motion to reconsider and either resolve this cell tower issue now or remand it to the Court of Special Appeals to resolve it. Both courts have the power to excuse waiver, and simply resolving the issue now could prevent years of additional litigation and costs to the courts, the State, and the defense.

(5) if the motion or response is filed in the Court of Appeals, whether and how the Court's opinion or order is in material conflict with a decision of the United States Supreme Court or a decision of the Court of Appeals

As noted above, there was a split in Adnan's appeal, with the Court of Special Appeals on one side and Judge Welch and the Court of Appeals majority on the other. The Court of Special Appeals held that the "crux" of the State's case against Adnan was the murder itself; Judge Welch and the Court of Appeals held that the "crux" was instead evidence connected to the Leakin Park pings.

This latter conclusion seems in direct conflict with the Supreme Court's 2016 opinion in Wearry v. Cain. I wrote about this case in more detail in a prior blog post. The gist of Wearry v. Cain is that there was an alleged Brady violation, with the State having (1) weak evidence that tied the defendant to the actual murder; and (2) stronger evidence tying the defendant to the aftermath of the murder. In finding a Brady violation, the Wearry majority noted that

all of the evidence the dissent cites suggests, at most, that someone in Wearrys group of friends may have committed the crime, and that Wearry may have been involved in events related to the murder after it occurred. Perhaps, on the basis of this evidence, Louisiana might have charged Wearry as an accessory after the fact....But Louisiana instead charged Wearry with capital murder, and the only evidence directly tying him to that crime was Scotts dubious testimony, corroborated by the similarly suspect testimony of Brown.

Arguably, the Court of Appeals majority did the same thing by finding that failure to contact Asia McClain was not prejudicial because the "crux" of the State's case was the Leakin Park pings.

Conclusion

Maryland Rule 8-605(f) tells us that

A motion for reconsideration shall be granted only with the consent of at least half the judges who concurred in the opinion. If a motion for reconsideration is granted, the Court may make a final disposition of the appeal without reargument, restore the appeal to the calendar for argument, or make other orders, including modification or clarification of its opinion, as the Court finds appropriate.

I think it's exceedingly unlikely the Court of Appeals grants a defense motion to reconsider, but I think ground (4) is likelier to succeed than ground (5) (the defense can argue both).

And then, in the event the court denies the motion for reconsideration, it's highly likely that the defense will first file a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court, relying heavily on Wearry v. Cain and other pertinent cases. This petition will almost certainly be denied. Second, the defense will likely file a motion to reopen based on a claim on ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel, with this motion almost certainly succeeding. And then, we'll have litigation stretching into 2020 and 2021, which is why the Court of Appeals should grant a motion for reconsideration. But it probably won't.

-CM

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2019/03/so-after-yesterdays-opinion-by-the-court-of-appeals-of-maryland-denying-adnan-syed-a-new-trial-whats-his-next-option.html
South Korea is seeking cooperation from China to produce artificial rain to help fight increasing pollution.

President Moon Jae-in proposed the plan this week during a meeting with government officials, his spokesman said.

South Korea has reached a new high in a kind of air pollution measured in fine dust. On one recent day, officials said the fine dust concentration levels in Seoul rose above 130 micrograms per cubic meter. Levels above 75 micrograms per cubic meter are considered very bad. The rising levels caused some people to wear face coverings to protect them from the thick, gray air.

The proposal with China would involve a project to create artificial rain. This process involves cloud seeding  when various substances are put into clouds in an attempt to cause rain.

In a meeting with a top Chinese diplomat last year, Moon said China was partly responsible for South Koreas pollution problem. He called for Chinas cooperation in efforts to improve air quality.

When asked about Moons latest proposal, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang welcomed cooperation with South Korea. But he questioned South Korean claims that China is a major source of its pollution.

I wonder if the South Korean side has any basis that its smog is from China, Lu told reporters. He noted that fine dust readings have been higher in Seoul than in Beijing recently. All countries realize that the cause is very complicated, he added.

One South Korean opposition party called on Moon to declare the current air pollution problem a national disaster. Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties held an emergency meeting and agreed to quickly consider legislation to deal with the problem.

In a meeting with government officials, Moon noted that China was much more advanced than South Korea in rain-making technologies, his spokesman said. The president expressed hope that creating rain over waters between the countries would help reduce air pollution.

China has claimed that South Koreas dust flies toward Shanghai. So creating artificial rain over the Yellow Sea would help the Chinese side too, the spokesman said Kim told the meeting.

South Korean officials announced last month that an experiment to create artificial rain did not provide the desired results. In January, the countrys weather agency sent aircraft to release chemicals into clouds over the Yellow Sea, South Koreas Yonhap news agency reported. The Yellow Sea sits between the Korean Peninsula and China.

South Koreas Ministry of Environment said in a news release that no major precipitation was observed after the cloud seeding operation. Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands, the release said. But no rain was observed in inland areas, it added.

Moon has also requested that government officials take additional steps to help fight pollution, his spokesman said. Those include acting to quickly close long-operating coal-burning power plants. He also proposed putting more air purifiers in schools and to explore additional anti-pollution efforts with China.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and Yonhap news agency. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page .

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Words in This Story

artificial  adj. not natural, but made by people

concentration  n. a large amount of something in one place

smog  n. air pollution

complicated  adj. hard or difficult

advance  adj. far on in time or course

precipitation  n. rain or snow that falls to the ground
Sometimes when predicting the powerful wind storms called tornadoes, an expert can get everything technically right, and yet very bad things happen anyway.

On March 3, a deadly tornado passed through southern Alabama. For several days before, United States government severe storm experts warned that conditions at the time were right for causing tornadoes. Later, they issued a warning that a severe tornado could take place within an hour.

It did. And, 23 people were killed.

Russ Schumacher is a professor at Colorado State University. He studies and teaches the science of weather. Schumacher told the Associated Press the weather predictions announced for Alabama were as exact as possible.

But with so many people killed, was it a success or a failure or both? he asked.

Experts painted a pretty clear picture that something bad was going to happen, said Schumacher. And theres  success in that. But, he added we dont like to see entire communities to be turned upside-down like this. So theres more to be done.

Predicting correctly where a tornado is going to go is still beyond the limits of modern meteorology. That is why warnings went out in Alabama for a large two county area when a tornado might be only half a mile wide. And getting people to listen and use the necessary safety measures is another issue completely.

Predicting tornadoes combines the hard physics of meteorology and the softer human qualities of social science. It also includes more than a little unpredictability.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is the main U.S. government agency dealing with weather research. At NOAAs Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, scientists look for the conditions that can create a tornado. These include warm air coming from the south that contains lots of water, and stormy weather from the west, which can bring instability.

That is when you can get severe weather systems called supercells, which is where tornadoes come from.

But maybe only 10 to 20 percent of supercells produce tornadoes, said Bill Bunting. He is the operations chief for the storm prediction center. There are other things at work, including unpredictable wind behavior known as wind shear. There is also the amount of cold air present, the size of the rain drops and even other unknown qualities at play.

Bunting noted that given all that, the best meteorologists can do is say when the conditions are seven to eight days away from being the best for tornadoes. However, four to five days is more usual.

Even that does not mean they will happen, especially not over all of the large area meteorologists give in their several-day-out warnings.

From 1994 to 2017, the U.S. weather services false warning rate for tornado warnings was 74 percent. Yet weather service spokeswoman Maureen OLeary noted that last year it dropped to 69 percent.

The problem is that a tornado is a rare, small event that ends quickly. It is harder to predict than huge weather events like hurricanes or big winter storms. A one-mile change in a tornados path can mean the difference between destroying a field and doing damage in a populated area, said Bill Bunting.

Buntings office might warn people to watch out across a five- or six-county area or even a two- or three-state region. But only a very, very small area of that risk area will actually experience dangerous conditions, he said.

University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Howard Bluestein added that people who do not get hit may not listen to warnings the next time.

That is the social problem, which may be even bigger than the meteorology one, Bluestein said. And that is where Kim Klockow-McClain gets involved. She is a researcher for NOAAs National Severe Storms Laboratory, also in Oklahoma. Klockow-McMclain specializes in trying to find out why some people listen and react to warnings and others do not.

Social sciences, I think, are really going to the heart of the issue, she said. Youve got to receive the message. Youve got to understand it and know what to be able to do about it.

For example, mobile homes are especially vulnerable to tornadoes. But the people who live in them are less likely to seek or receive storm warnings, Klockow-McClain said. Even though they are told to get out, studies show people in mobile homes still shelter in place, she said. They think its the best thing they can do or the only thing they can do.

It is not.

The weather service started to change from just centering their efforts on better predictions to better communication of warnings in 2011. That is because the agency noticed the predictions had improved but the results were still similar to what they were in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Klockow-McClain said.

Im Pete Musto.

Seth Borenstein reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

technically  adv. according to a very strict explanation of a rule or fact

meteorology  n. a science that deals with the atmosphere and with weather

county  n. an area of a state or country that is larger than a city and has its own government to deal with local matters

instability  n. the state of being likely to change

region  n. a part of a country or of the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way

mobile home(s)  n. a house that is built in a factory and then moved to the place where people will live in it

vulnerable  adj. easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally
* "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , December 2021.

* "Most Popular Copyright Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , December 2021.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
A section in ruling party objects to government deal with secessionist campaigner

A deal between the government and CK Raut, coordinator of the Alliance for Independent Madhes, on Friday afternoon is likely to bring many facets to the fore, but a day later leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party on Saturday expressed their concerns about further escalation of the intra-party rift.
Nayak Paudel is a crime reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2018, he has also written on health issues.
Aviation regulator announces a slew of safety measures post Air Dynasty crash

The aviation regulatorCivil Aviation Authority of Nepalhas announced a slew of measures to enhance the operational safety of helicopters in Nepal following the Air Dynasty helicopter crash in Taplejung on February 27 that killed all seven aboard, including Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari.
Baitadis Patan Bazaar tense after a student dies in grader accident

Tension rain high in Patan Bazaar of Baitadi on Sunday following a protest by students over the death of a fellow student in a grader accident.
On 9 April Israelis go to the polls in a general election. The incumbents leadership has been weakened by corruption charges. The ruling Likud is closely following the improving polls of its main rival. The Palestinian question and growing social problems remain important.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Israels general election on 9 April will not be centred only on the usual issues: war, peace, relations with the Palestinians, the economy. The legitimacy of Benjamin Netanyahu is also on the table.

The incumbent prime minister is facing a pre-indictment hearing on corruption charges that could lead to his eventual imprisonment

Netanyahu, who claims to be a victim of a legal and political "witch hunt" designed to eliminate him politically despite popular support, has vowed to prove his innocence.

Whilst many of his supporters sympathise with the veteran leader, his Likud party is trailing in opinion polls the centrist Blue and White alliance led by former military chief of staff Benny Gantz and ex-finance minister Yair Lapid.

In recent years Israeli politics has moved firmly to the right and much of the campaign has seen Netanyahu try to brand his Blue and White opponents as "weak" leftists. The latter has in turn brandished its security credentials, noting that it includes three former military chiefs of staff.

Netanyahu has claimed Blue and White would make significant concessions to the Palestinians. Gantz says instead that his alliance wants to separate from the Palestinians without sacrificing any of Israel's security needs or retreating from the major settlement blocs in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

Security is always a major issue in a country that has fought repeated wars, and debate over who is truly of the political right goes hand-in-hand with that.

However, a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute think tank found that a quarter of Israelis say their primary consideration in voting is the party's socio-economic positions.

In the past few years, Netanyahu has overseen a growing economy, but the cost of living remains high and is an important concern for many Israelis.

At the same time, flaws in Israel's public health system have recently come to light with shortages in hospital beds this winter, which the Labour party vows to remedy.
Bajhang sees increase in cases of poaching

Locals of Bajhang say that a large number of wild animals, including rare birds, have been killed and smuggled within the last two months from the district.
I took some time this week to think.

Not all that unusual, but something that I need to do every so often to make my process a bit more clear. I did not read any more from my feminist theory book or look towards other resources. (I received a thesis from a reader, and I am getting ready to start that particular resource - thank you, you know who you are!!) I simply paid attention to things happening around me.

I've been watching some Australian suspense television shows lately. This is something really interesting to me since Australian television has a completely different viewpoint of us here in America than we often hold of ourselves. That different viewpoint is prevalent in the shows I've been watching. (If you are interested, my current watchlist includes Pine Gap and Secret City.) I am enjoying the opportunity to view my government from the viewpoint of the writers and performers of a different continent.

Now, I know that these shows are not completely based in reality, but there is something that is revealed about opinions and attitudes in media. If these shows are something popular in their countries of origin, then that reveals something about the people watching, doesn't it? It certainly reveals something about me.

I am fascinated by what others think of my country - the government and of me as an individual who lives under that government.

At this point, both of my shows have Australia in a center place between the United States' government and China's government. The attitude expressed is that both of the other nations are bullies and Australia spends lots of time navigating between the other two. I suspect that there is that type of situation happening quite often, but I hope that we aren't always one of the bad guys in conflict. Not being a governmental insider, I really have no idea what my government does - is that a bad thing while I am considering culture? Hm. More to think about.

As a music therapist, what does this particular topic have to do with the job that I need to do every day? Probably not much, but it is a good example of being aware of how one is perceived.

As I go through all of the situations that have happened in my life that center around culture and perception, I find that I am often judged by stereotypes. I know that I do that as well, but I try not to base my judgments on typical stereotypes. I often find that my reasons for doing specific things are misunderstood, and that seems to be at the core of all of this discussion. I only know my experience and how my experience affects my judgment - I cannot know how another person is perceiving any type of encounter. I also cannot be responsible for how someone else responds to what I say or do, except to strive for a common understanding.

As a music therapist, I find myself working with clients who come from vastly different cultural expectations and backgrounds - different from my experiences and different from each others' experiences as well. All of my students come from the same country, but not from the same culture. Even the students who come from the same town do not often have the same cultural background or expectations. This is a function of being human, I think.

My goal, as a therapist, is to approach each person who walks into my music therapy room as a complete human - with cultural influences, with unique experiences, with personal needs and strengths. I strive to understand perceptions that are not my own in a way that is genuinely open and as unbiased as possible. I know, however, that I cannot completely get rid of my biases as they are part of how I understand and experience the world. I do try to change and to adapt, though.

I am not completely finished with this particular topic, and I will continue to read and think and synthesize and struggle. I will also move this conversation off of Sundays onto another day - I'm thinking that Saturdays would give me enough time to ponder and organize thoughts for every week. Next week, I'll get back into Song Conversion Sunday posts on Sundays.

If you are still reading this, thank you for being open to my thoughts. I appreciate any comments (and I don't publish any sort of personal information about you, so if you'd like to connect directly with me, feel free to do so!). Enrich my understanding of your ideas on this topic - I do want to hear them!
By the river

A few days ago, I received a message from K. It read, Hey, hey, hey. Im getting married. December 15 is the big day.
MyBroadband recently reported that a growing number of skilled South African ICT executives are leaving the country for the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Interviews with these executives reveal that affirmative action, BEE, crime, and their childrens future are the main reasons behind the exodus.

To replace the experience and skills of these high-level ICT executives is nearly impossible, especially when considering their knowledge of the local environment.

Good news is that many highly-skilled and rich South African executives  who have the option to stay anywhere in the world  love the country despite its challenges.

These executives and business owners continue to add value to the country by creating jobs and sharing their knowledge with the next generation.

Why top ICT executives love South Africa

To find out what makes South Africa an attractive country, MyBroadband interviewed top-level executives and ICT business owners.

These executives were guaranteed anonymity to give them the freedom to freely discuss the real reasons behind staying in South Africa.

What emerged is that the countrys entrepreneurial spirit, quality-of-life, the natural beauty and weather, and local social networks are all contributing factors to South Africas appeal.

Business opportunities

Many executives and business owners said the opportunities which exist in South Africa mean they can make money easier than in other countries.

I can make lots of money with a successful business in South Africa. This means the higher risk environment  currency fluctuations, crime, and political uncertainty  has a big upside, he said.

Another executive said we have far fewer qualified people in South Africa than other parts of the world.

That means for me you have more opportunities to grow and your path to success is much shorter and easier, he said.

It also creates the opportunity to make a difference in the world you live in. With the big inequality in South Africa, you can be part of the process that brings change and makes a difference.

An ecommerce founder said the entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa and the fact that it is a nascent, emerging market mean there are many opportunities.

As a result, South Africa has a wonderful startup and small business community. There is a lot of enthusiasm and I find it very exciting and inspirational to be a part of it, he said.

A well-known entrepreneur told MyBroadband that there are very few places in the world were people have such an innovative spirit like in South Africa.

These entrepreneurs have the courage to back their idea by mortgaging a house and doing whatever it takes to get to the proof of concept stage, he said.

Great lifestyle

Many of these executives live in Cape Town, which they all said provides them with a great working environment and great outdoor activities.

Living in Cape Town and working in a high-tech environment is perfect for me, and add to this the relaxed nature of the people and the large number of outdoor activities, one exec said.

Another ecommerce executive said the energy of the people, beautiful beaches and scenery, the wonderful weather, and diverse landscapes are what keep him in South Africa.

A former tech CEO said South Africa is fantastic. Where else in the world can you have this lifestyle, he asked.

There is no long commute, we live in big houses, we have lovely outdoor activities close by, and we have wonderful food.

A telecoms CEO told MyBroadband that there is no better place to live than Cape Town, with the mountain and sea on his doorstep.

With a management-level salary you can live a very comfortable life. A person in my position could not live half as comfortably in many first-world countries as I can in South Africa, an exec said.

Cost of living

One executive explained that his lifestyle in Cape Town cant easily be replicated in another country. I will need 15-times my current income to get what I have here, he said.

Another executive said the large number of outdoor activities with a relatively low cost of living in South Africa makes moving to other, more restrictive environments unattractive.

I find that the nanny-state in Australia, the weather in Canada, or the cost of living in Europe unappealing as examples, he said.

Family networks

All the executives highlighted that their family are based in, and are used to, South Africa, and moving to another country will break these links.

My whole social network is in South Africa, including my family and kids. It will be very disruptive to move them, he said.

Depends on your situation and choices

While these executives and business owners are very happy in South Africa, they are aware it is a tough country for many others.

Every country has the same essential parameters that constitute the overall environment, like jobs, income, safety, lifestyle, education, culture, and your local environment, one said.

He explained that the choice on where to live comes down to your personal choices, and in his case Cape Town is perfect.

Another exec explained that the decision about staying has a lot to do with where in South Africa you find yourself.

If you live in a crime-ridden area and you want to relocate to another part of South Africa, the question about leaving for another country becomes part of the question, he said.

For someone in Stellenbosch or Cape Town it is much more difficult as it is only about leaving South Africa.

Now read: The truth behind IT executives leaving South Africa
Smartwatches are a common accessory among fitness fanatics and tech enthusiasts, and they are often found paired with a high-end smartphone.

The array of sensors and other features crammed into modern smartwatches make them useful accessories for a variety of lifestyles.

From monitoring your sleep patterns and heart rate to delivering notifications and navigation instructions, these devices are a wearable extension of your smartphone  which can also function independently to various degrees.

The biggest brands in the smartwatch market locally are Apple, Samsung, and Huawei, and each have recently launched new premium devices.

We compared the pricing, specifications, and features of the new Apple Watch Series 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Huawei Watch GT in South Africa.

Hardware and pricing

These are premium smartwatches aimed at the high-end market, with many of them costing as much as a mid-range smartphone.

Subsequently, we chose to compare the best models available from each manufacturer, which comprise the 46mm version of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, the 44mm Apple Watch Series 4, and the Huawei Watch GT Classic.

The current South African pricing for these devices is as follows:

Samsung Galaxy Watch  R5,989

Apple Watch Series 4  R8,299

Huawei Watch GT  R4,999

The companies seem to follow a similar pricing convention with their wearables as they do with their smartphones, with Apple being the most expensive and Huawei being the most affordable.

All of these devices offer premium features and great specifications, which are compared below.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy Watch Apple Watch Series 4 Huawei Watch GT Display 1.3-inch 360 x 360 AMOLED 1.78-inch 448 x 368 AMOLED 1.4-inch 454 x 454 AMOLED CPU Exynos 9110 Apple S4 ARM Cortex-M4 RAM 768MB Unknown 16MB Storage 4GB 16GB 128MB Connectivity Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS Bluetooth 4.2, GPS Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer, Heart Rate, Ambient Light Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Light Sensor Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer Battery 472mAh 292mAh 420mAh Price R5,989 R8,299 R4,999

Features

Each of these smartwatches has its own unique features, the most obvious of which is integration with their respective ecosystems.

The memory and storage specifications on the Watch GT are not as impressive as its competitors, but its battery life is a leap ahead of the competition.

Whereas the Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch Series 4 promise days of power, the Watch GT boasts up to two weeks on a single charge.

The other smartwatches do have their own advantages however, with Samsung offering support for its Samsung Pay platform on the Galaxy Watch.

This allows Samsung Pay users to make contactless payments at NFC-compatible terminals by tapping their smartwatch on the POS machine after linking the device to the Pay app on their smartphone.

Apples Watch Series 4 retains the design and features of Apples previous-generation model while also offering haptic feedback and a new electrical heart sensor capable of ECG measurements.

All of these features cater to different users, and the wide variety of functionality offered by modern wearables means that each buyer will want something different.

Now read: LEGO takes on Samsung with its own foldable device
Former Eskom executive Matshela Koko has been accused of irregularly awarding a company an R800-million tender during his time at the power utility.

The Sunday Times has reported that Koko guaranteed multinational engineering company Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) contracts worth R6.5 billion if they subcontracted work on the Kusile power station to a company part-owned by his stepdaughter, Impulse International.

ABB, a Swiss company, made the statement in reports submitted to the SIU, which is now investigating the matter. It is one of 11 companies under investigation for looting Eskom, stated the report.

It is alleged that in March 2015, ABB was awarded a contract worth R2.2 billion for work at Kusile. After it won the contract, it was told to appoint Impulse International as a subcontractor, and gave it work worth R800 million.

This was despite Impulse International failing subcontractor qualification questionnaires twice, with scores of 59% and 43%. The report added that the work Impulse International did at Kusile was found to be substandard and overpriced.

Poor workmanship

Reports of Kokos stepdaughter, Koketso Choma, and her company receiving big Eskom contracts first made headlines in 2017.

Choma, who was 26 at the time, was a director at Impulse International. After her appointment, the company received eight contracts from Eskom.

Following the reports, Choma resigned from the company and Koko stated that he did not know she was working at the company when the contracts were awarded.

Eskom recently stated that substandard work at the Medupi and Kusile power stations is a problem for the country, and as of February 2019 the units were continuing to show a lack of reliability and were not contributing meaningfully to the grid.

More bad news for South Africans is that Eskom will hike electricity prices from 1 April 2019.

Nersa granted price hikes that equate to a 25.2% increase over the next three years.
Petrol price increases, tax hikes, and a weakening rand  the list of items diminishing your disposable income at the start of 2019 is growing rapidly.

What this means for those seeking new hardware and gadgets is that budgets are more important than ever, and saving a few bucks becomes crucial.

One way to save money on tech items is to import them, with a quick and easy option Amazon in the US.

Amazon ships certain items directly to South Africa, and includes shipping and import duties as part of the total a user pays at checkout.

Guarantee

The only caveat that comes with importing tech from the US is that it may have a plug which does not fit local sockets  and it does not come with local support.

When buying a product directly from the US you are essentially buying a grey import. This means no local support or warranties: value-adds you receive if you buy the item from a local retailer.

If this is not a concern for you, however, then comparing prices and potentially shipping in an item from the US is something you should consider.

Prices

To provide an example of how prices compare, we selected a list of common tech items along with their pricing from online retailers in South African and Amazon in the US.

The exchange rate at time of writing was $1 = R14.28, and Amazons default shipping options were used.

Tech Prices Item Price Delivery, Tax, Duties Total Price Keyboard Corsair K63 Keyboard (Local) R1,399  R1,399 Corsair K63 Keyboard (Amazon) $79.99 $21.79 / $13.20 $114.98 (R1,644) Hard Drive Seagate BarraCuda 10TB HDD (Local) R5,999  R5,999 Seagate BarraCuda 10TB HDD (Amazon) $339.70 $18.72 / $56.05 $414.47 (R5,927) GPU MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Ventus OC (Local) R5,599  R5,599 MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Ventus OC (Amazon) $279.99 $46.20 / $16.32 $342.51 (R4,892) AMD CPU AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (Local) R3,449  R3,449 AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (Amazon) $164.99 $11.27 / $27.22 $203.48 (R2,908) Intel CPU Intel Core i5 9600K (Local) R4,850  R4,850 Intel Core i5 9600K (Amazon) $269.89 $7.10 / $44.53 $321.52 (R4,602) Monitor Dell 27-inch 1080p Monitor (Local) R2,899  R2,899 Dell 27-inch 1080p Monitor (Amazon) $157.50 $97.79 / $25.99 $281.28 (R4,026) SSD Samsung 970 EVO 500GB M.2 SSD (Local) R2,499  R2,499 Samsung 970 EVO 500GB M.2 SSD (Amazon) $148.99 $6.90 / $24.58 $180.47 (R2,582) Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S10+ 512GB (Local) R25,999  R25,999 Samsung Galaxy S10+ 512GB (Amazon) $1,249.99 $116.00 / $206.25 $1,572.24 (R22,499)

Now read: The adoption of Android 9 is absolutely shameful
Update: Ethiopian Airlines has stated there are no survivors.

A four-month old Ethiopian Airlines Boeing plane en route to Kenyas capital, Nairobi, carrying an estimated 149 passengers and eight crew crashed on Sunday, the airline said in a statement.

The crash is the second in five months involving a Max 8 after a Lion Air plane that had been delivered only 2 1/2 months earlier nose-dived into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff on Oct. 29, killing all 189 on board.

Boeing Co. is aware of the Ethiopian crash reports and is monitoring, it said in a statement on its website.

The plane left Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 8:38 a.m., and contact was lost six minutes later, according to the airlines statement.

Rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible causalities, the airline said. The airline said it is still confirming details of the passenger list for the flight.

The Ethiopian government would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds office said in the Twitter post.

New Aircraft

The crash involved the latest Max 8 version of the Boeing narrow-body, Ethiopian said. The aircraft concerned, which bore the registration ET-AVJ, it said, was delivered new on Nov. 15, according to Flight Globals Cirium database. The jetliner was fitted with two CFM International Leap-1B engines.

Poor safety procedures and the inability of pilots to gain control of a malfunctioning aircraft may have contributed to the Lion Air crash, the first accident involving a 737 Max since the model entered service in May 2017, according to a preliminary report from Indonesian investigators.

Now read: Electric bakkies are coming
Engel & Volkers real estate announced its expansion into Napa Valley, led by Paul Benson, the CEO of the brands largest North American brokerage and owner of 21 Engel & Volkers shops in Utah, California and Nevada.

Benson oversees a new team to lead the shop locations in Napa and St. Helena.

The team is comprised of two groups of agents.

Four agents from Compass real estate joined Engel & Volkers: Stefan Jezycki, Will Densberger, Agi Smith and Pavi Micheli.

Those same four agents had joined Compass as part of the Pacific Union real estate acquisition in 2018.

Eight agents from Bradley Real Estate Group joined Engel & Volkers: Michael Muters, Melanie Muters, Kurt Bakken, Jerry Roach, Paula Schnebelt, Joe Svien, Robyn Walker and Matt Younger.

Collectively, this new team brings more than $200 million in annual sales volume to the company, said a news release.

With a boutique feel backed by a global infrastructure and network, the Napa and St. Helena real estate markets will benefit from a brand that values local community in every region it represents, said Benson.

Jezycki and Muters will oversee the brands Napa presence, while Densberger, who is a leader in Napas Up Valley market for winery and vineyard acquisitions and sales, will oversee St. Helena operations.

Engel & Volkers focus on people, community and client service aligns so much with what we believe in as leading agents in our markets, said Jezycki.

The Napa Valley market is currently experiencing several trends, said Benson.

Since 2018 there has been a big run up in costs, post fire, and prices continue to rise in construction at all price points, he said.

We are seeing turn-key properties continue to sell extremely quickly  especially when priced correctly. Over-priced listings tend to linger for an extended period of time. We are also seeing more international buyers come to the area, especially for big properties.

Engel & Volkers has more than 11,000 real estate advisors in more than 30 countries.
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19242019

The Shafer family is deeply saddened to announce the death of their father, longtime vintner, philanthropist and winery founder, John Shafer on March 2, 2019, at age 94.

John Shafer was part of a groundbreaking generation that came to Napa Valley in the late 1960s and early 1970s and transformed the region into the world-class wine producing area it is today.

Shafer was born in 1924 and spent most of his childhood in Glencoe, Illinois, a small suburb of Chicago. His mother, Adeline Ream, hailed from Peru, Indiana. His father, Frederick Shafer, was president of Imperial Brass Manufacturing, located in Chicago.

Over the course of his life, Shafers wide range of interests led him to many fascinating jobs and experiences. At age 17 he volunteered for service in World War II, joined the Army Air Corps, and piloted a B-24 bomber over Germany. After the war he earned an engineering degree from Cornell University and later he moved into publishing, starting as a salesman and eventually rising to the position of Vice President of Long Range Planning at educational publishing house Scott, Foresman & Co. in Chicago.

In 1973, at age 48, Shafer made a defining career choice, moving his family from Chicago to Californias Napa Valley. At the base of the Stags Leap palisades, he had discovered the kind of property that he had dreamed of  a hillside with thin, volcanic soils, the sort of vineyard site that he knew had been prized in the Mediterranean wine world for centuries.

The vineyard the family purchased had last been planted in 1922 and the vines were well past their prime. Shafer immediately embarked on his new career setting to work replanting the original 30 acres of vineyards and then began establishing new Cabernet Sauvignon vines on the hillsides. Learning as he went, Shafer spent the mid- to late-1970s mastering the intricate world of hillside planting and grape growing. Along the way he discovered more about the nature of the site, its soils, its climate, and how well it seemed matched to red grape varietals, especially Cabernet Sauvignon.

What began as a career in viticulture eventually expanded into full-scale winemaking. In 1978 he produced the first Shafer Vineyards wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the first newly planted block of hillside vines. That debut wine was released in 1981 to high praise from critics and consumers alike; it set a benchmark for future Shafer hillside Cabernets and was the forerunner of the winerys signature wine, Hillside Select.

In January 1983 he asked his son, Doug, to join the family enterprise as winemaker. A year later Doug hired Elias Fernandez to become assistant winemaker. With the home team in place, Shafer was able to spearhead the administrative and marketing side of the business, expanding into key markets both domestically and internationally.

In 1985 Shafer organized his neighboring vintners and grapegrowers including Nathan Fay, Warren Winiarski, Dick Steltzner, and Joseph Phelps to petition the government to designate their region as an official American Viticultural Area (AVA). Four years later approval was granted, making Stags Leap District Napa Valleys third AVA. Today it is considered one of the worlds top regions for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1994 he initiated a shift in the core team, naming Doug Shafer the winery president and Elias Fernandez winemaker, while carving out a new role for himself as chairman. Stepping out of the presidents position allowed Shafer to become more involved in philanthropy.

Among Shafers chief concerns was ensuring that all Napa County residents have access to quality health care. In 1981 he was among the first vintners to support Auction Napa Valley, which has gone on to raise more than $185-million for health care, affordable housing and youth development. For more than 25 years he was a member of the board of Clinic Ole, a local non-profit community health clinic for low-income and uninsured patients.

In 1999 Shafer led an effort to create what became Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center located on Pear Tree Lane in Napa. This unique facility was designed to house four nonprofit organizations that provide key medical and wellbeing services to Napas low-income residents. Each organization was guaranteed rent costs at well below market levels allowing them to utilize more of their budgets to provide critical services.

In more recent years, Shafer has helped raise funds in support of VOICES, a nonprofit that helps foster youth make the transition to successful adulthood. He also supported Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County and was instrumental in Shafer Vineyards donation of land that today houses a wildlife rehabilitation site.

Over the decades, Shafer received numerous awards for both wine quality and for his work in philanthropy. In 2010 both he and son Doug were invited to the James Beard Foundation Awards in New York, the Oscars of the Food World, where they were honored by being named Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professionals. Shafer was thrilled to join previous Napa Valley recipients: Robert Mondavi (91), Andre Tchelistcheff (92), and Jack and Jamie Davies (96).

Well into his 80s Shafer continued to travel extensively and pursued new interests such as learning to tango in Argentina and taking up sculpture. Those who visit the winery will see a life-size bronze statue that he made of his beloved companion Tucker, a gentle (but very large) Yellow Lab. Throughout his life, Shafer remained a long-range planner, always more interested in what might be happening five years from now rather than reminiscing about the past.

John Shafer is predeceased by son Bill Shafer, who died in 2000, his first wife Betty Shafer Wells in 2007, and his second wife Barbara Shafer, who died in 2016. He is survived by daughter Libby Shafer of St. Helena, sons Doug Shafer (Annette) of St. Helena, and Brad Shafer (Carrie) of San Francisco, 13 grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

The family is planning a private memorial service. They have requested that anyone who wishes to celebrate John Shafers life please make a donation to Ole Health, VOICES, or Napa Valley Wildlife Rescue.
19262019

Patricia Ann (King) DeBord passed away January 21 2019 at home with her daughter and son in law at her side. Mrs. DeBords passing from her earthly life into Heaven was her fortieth move of her life. Born in rural Omaha Nebraska July 23 1926, Patty grew up in a tight knit Midwestern family with a German heritage. After WWI, her father was recalled to active duty during WWII and her horizons expanded. The family left Nebraska for Texas, then to Montebello CA. Pat was the first one of her family attend college, graduating from Woodbury College with a BS of Fashion Design/Illustration. After tough years with her mother alone stateside while her father served in the Pacific Theater they eventually joined him in Kyoto Japan during the American Occupation. There her lifelong passion for all things Chinese and Japanese began and never abated. The daughter of an Army officer ended up marrying a career soldier. Patricias forty-two years of marriage to Col. Norman DeBord took them all over the world. They raised four children from San Francisco CA, Ft. Benning GA, Stuttgart Germany, Ulm Germany. Lexington KY, Omaha NE, Ft Bragg NC, Heidelberg Germany, Springfield VA, Seoul Korea, Austin TX, Ft. Monroe VA, and retired in Eugene OR becoming devotees of the Pacific Northwest. Pat eventually moved to Napa CA to be near her daughter and grandchildren, transitioning from a condo to apartment and eventually to her daughters home. She never resented moving so many times and every change was approached as an exciting opportunity and she instilled that love of adventure in all of her children. Years of moving constantly in the Army life never diminished her love of travel. After being widowed at 70 years old she traveled to Europe, Alaska, Ireland, and China twice. Her last trip was a solo trip to Vietnam and China at 80 years old! She never failed to answer that Japan was her favorite.

Mom was an avid reader into her 90s. She would follow and discuss politics with anyone willing and had little patience for those who did not follow current events. Friends and family were nourished and cherished always. She never stopped writing letters and cards, a practice cultivated from being separated from loved ones for years before technology made our world feel much closer.

Patricia was a talented artist, exhibited through sketching, drawing, and crafting. She was never happier than with a project to create for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or a classroom, or for a themed party or dinner as the ultimate Officers wife and hostess. Love of fabric and sewing meant happy years of designing and creating beautiful clothes and costumes. In retirement Pat found a passion for doll designing and making. She could figure out and create anything with fabric that she set her mind to.

Grandmas ultimate joy was time spent with her grandchildren in any way possible. She was happy watching them grow up healthy, happy, and succeeding as young adults, always offering support or advice when it was needed. She was a stunning flower girl in her granddaughters wedding in August. She greeted every visitor with a smile and sparkle in her green eyes and never complained about anything. But that smile was never bigger than when a grandchild came in the room.

Patricias heritage, values, morals, experiences, talents, and inner and outer beauty made her the consummate elegant lady of style and grace with a backbone of steel. The world was brighter when she was with us and a better place for her having been here.

Pat DeBord is predeceased by her husband Colonel Norman DeBord. She is survived by her children Kevin K. DeBord (Mandy) of Yountville CA, Kyle C. DeBord of Eugene OR, Lorna A. Knox (Carl) of Portland OR, and Lisa L. DelBondio (Bret) of Napa CA.. She leaves behind eight grandchildren: Trevor (Annie), Connor (Virginia), Mason (Jessie Whitman), and Sophia (DJ Osgood) DelBondio; Daniel (Emily), Timothy, and Mary Knox, and Colin McClelland, and her devoted helper and angel, Adela Arroyo. Patricia DeBord will eventually be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC with her husband when scheduling is available.
This morning, a duck attacked me. Orlets go with this insteadit tried a little too hard to befriend me.

Id just finished a five-mile run in my hometown, Cape May, New Jersey, when I spotted this black-bellied cutie waddling across my driveway. I bent down until he came close enough for me to pet. But as soon as I stood to leave, the duck bit hold of my shoelaces and wouldnt let go. I bounced around trying to free myself and called for my husband, who ran outside with a half-eaten egg sandwich in his hand. He sized up the situation, then said, I thought something was really wrong! After a ridiculous dance, I shook off the duck, who waddled after me in a most determined fashion as I headed for the front door.

Bird interactions are unavoidable in Cape May. A tiny island at the southern tip of New Jersey, this place is, according to National Geographic, the second-best birding destination on the planet. (South Georgia Island off the Chilean coast, full of glaciers and penguins, is first.) In the spring and fall, Cape May is a vital migratory stopover. But even in the dead of winter, birds are everywhere.

Ive never been able to tell the difference between a warbler and a wren, and I never was compelled to try. I endured one oppressively humid birding tour a few summers back and quickly grew frustrated by the difficulty of locating an osprey through my loaner binoculars. Plus, Ive never felt like I fit in with the birder crowd. Even as the birding community has expanded to include a younger, hipper setwhich makes generalizing based on age, socioeconomic status or propensity for fanny-pack-wearing difficultthere are commonalities I dont share. Seemingly limitless patience is one. A remarkable preference for the Prius is another. (Common bumper stickers in my town include Bird nerd, I always tern up for birdwatching and Birding gives me cheep thrills.) Then theres the impressive, almost terrifying commitment on display. Every spring, this place is home to the World Series of Birding, a 24-hour competition that kicks off at midnight. Midnight! I dont care how special a scissor-tailed flycatcher is, Im horrified if I have to stay up past 10 p.m. to see it.

So I wasnt surprised a few years ago when the local running group I signed up for resembled a meeting of Birders Anonymous. As we navigated the meadows and wetlands of Cape May, my companions silenced conversation to decipher the sweet whistle of a yellow rump or the buzzy musical stylings of a black-throated blue warbler. I felt a little sorry for everyone. Running is hard enough without layering on a compulsion for identifying fleeting, disembodied bird calls. I made a vow: Despite my geography and the fanaticism of my peers, I would not get sucked into this distracting, voyeuristic pastime.

The birds had other designs.

Early in our relationship, I came home to find my husband, Jack, spidermanning the nine-foot bookshelf in our living room with a long stick in hand. The second songbird of the week had made its way into our house, and Jack was on a mission to usher it safely through the front door using a retractable duster. (To his surprise as much as my own, it worked.) After finding a third bird inexplicably dead on our porch, I turned, unnerved, to the internet, where I discovered the ancient practice of ornithomancy, or reading omens from the actions of birds. Turns out Jack and I are facing either impending doom or a metaphysical awakening, so . . . fingers crossed.

Several mornings, Ive awoken to the staccato hammering of a red-headed woodpecker drumming into the side of my house. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, whose website Ive frequented since moving to Cape May eight years ago, tells me this charismatic creature is considering the slanted wall outside my bedroom for a nest, whichkind of like advances from a person you dont fancymakes me feel both flattered and unfortunate. The homeowner in me, worried about my siding, repeatedly shoos him. But the writer in me, continually fielding rejections of my own on the other side of the wall, silently cheers his persistence: Dont let anyone say you dont belong, little guy!

Its not just the birds of Cape May that command attention, though. So do the birders. Jack recently opened a restaurant, and we soon learned that early bird takes on new meaning on the Cape. Rare for the Jersey Shore, the 7 a.m. crowd doesnt comprise still-tipsy co-eds seeking greasy munchies after a long night of beer pong. Rather, this dining room is a sea of safari hats and multi-pocketed khaki vests. On the rare occasion I go out drinking myself, Im doing so next to throngs of naturalists toasting a big day of sightings. And when I walk my dog, were forced to bob and weave through $400 spotting scopes. The birdwatchers eye my exuberant German shepherd with disdainhes a danger to the equipment, yes, but even more egregious, hes oblivious to the yellow-eyed magnificence of a nearby great horned owl.

I dont want to share my dogs tunnel vision. I suppose thats what started me down a path of noticing the birds in my periphery: fear of being the troglodyte in a town full of Thoreau-level birding enthusiasts. What kind of person remains willfully ignorant of beauty in her own backyard? Even my 68-year-old father, a retired Philadelphia firefighter who believes Fox News when it tells him that our environmental concerns are overhyped, worries for the once-endangered ospreys that frequent his marshy property. When I visit his house just up the road, he invites me to peer through a telescope at a large nest made of bark and flotsam, and so I do. Thats human nature: If enough people are looking, youll eventually look, too. I cant be the only person whose ornithological outlook boils down to: Cant beat em? Download an iBird app and join em. Besides, those great horned owls really do have piercing eyesand super-cute tufts around the earsif youre willing to look up.

But I could never be a real birder, I tell myself. I dont have a field guide, and I dont keep a life list, birdwatcher-speak for a personal catalogue of sightings. My hobby is an unconscious sort of thing, less about studying wingspan or beak shape and more about passing the miles of a long run or dog walk mindlessly comparing birds to the humans in my life. That leggy egret with the long neck that weighs two pounds? Totally a Jennifer. That stocky merlin with a square head? Just like the rugby player I dated in college. And that aggressive peregrine falcon that goes after anything that moves? OK, thats the rugby player, too.

Noticing birds means youre just a short step away from admiring them, not because theyre so exotic but precisely because theyre not. Birdsvulnerable and territorial and grumpy and affectionate and curiousare a lot more humanlike than we probably care to admit. Oystercatchers decorate with seashells, and theres a quahog in my bathroom. Empathetic magpies hold grudges against mean people, and Im working on that. Parrots have temper tantrums when sleep-deprived, and who doesnt?

A friend once told me that the greatest mistake rookies make is trying to identify a bird by something superficial, like color, which is the least interesting thing about itcharacter and personality are far more helpful. I dont remember if he pointed out the obvious: that humans make the same mistake when classifying other humans.

Sometimes, it seems clear that the birds are trying to figure us out, too.

One day last year, I was running my usual trails through Cape Mays nature preserve on a dreary morning and looking down at my feet to avoid a misty, horizontal rain. When I glanced up, I saw a bald eagle perched on the low branch of a bare cherry tree. I caught my breath. He was no more than four feet away and looking directly at me. We locked eyes for an instant, then he took off, his dark-brown underbelly directly over me for one powerful moment.

Thats the thing about this place. It forces even the most reluctant to confront the natural world in all its beauty and drama and comedy. (Try Googling a yellow-crowned night heron, or at least its mohawk, without cracking a smile.) Will I ever be the kind of person whos toting a spotting scope, chasing birds at midnight or working to identify a muffled call while eight miles into a tempo run? Nah. But I do know this: Resistance is futile. Sooner or later, that natural world grabs you by the shoelaces and doesnt let go.

Stopyra is a freelance journalist writing and surfing in Cape May, New Jersey.
Ethiopian Airlines says flight has crashed with 149 passengers and eight crew members

An Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, a spokesman for the airline told Reuters.
On March 28, 1912, California women were legally able to vote in their first state-wide elections. This event was the result of a 1911 voter approved amendment of the California constitution and the culmination of the long and hard-fought battle waged since the 1800s by suffrage advocates throughout California and, of course, Napa County.

Locally, the suffrage movement began in 1896 with womens suffrage conventions in Napa and St. Helena. Both of these events drew standing-room-only attendance, according to the local newspapers. They also featured nationally known suffrage activists, including Rev. Anna Shaw and Susan B. Anthony.

While the 1890s campaign ultimately failed before the California electorate, the womens suffrage proponents persisted with their efforts. They eventually found greater popularity and sympathy for their cause during a period in American history known as the Progressive Era.

A pair of Napa Daily Journal articles illustrate this growing momentum. Both stories ran less than a week before the October 10, 1911 special California election which proposed 23 different propositions, including the question of womens right to vote.

The first article was an inch-long news brief about a well attended downtown Napa political rally. It said, Woman Suffrage. Miss Chase of Alameda County gave an address on Womans Suffrage at the Court House square Thursday evening, between the concert selections. She claimed that women had a right to vote, and advanced other arguments in behalf of the idea.

The second Journal article ran the next day. Its headline said, A Meeting. Rev. Aked Discussed the Proposed Woman Suffrage Amendment. According to the article, that forum was held at the Napa Opera House and featured two speakersRev. Charles Aked of San Francisco and Miss McLain of Alameda County.

McLain opened the presentation before a good sized audience... It continued, She thought women ought to be able to express themselves by voting: that they would protect the woman wage-earners.

Aked took the stage next and opened with an admission, that he had only been a resident of the United States for a few years, but thought he should be permitted to discuss the woman suffrage proposition. The article continued, He said that women live under the laws and should be permitted to vote. He said that men and women are temperamentally different and look at life differently, but he thought women should be given the ballot. He said that the ballot would give women more protection than they have at present.

Then, on Oct. 10, 1911, the debates ended and the question of womens suffrage, or Proposition 4, was put before the California electorate.

The Journal carried several front page articles regarding the fate of Proposition 4. The first headline said, Election in Napa CountyWoman Suffrage Carried in the County by Several Hundred. But Prop. 4 had failed in a number of local precincts. They were: two Napa wards, St. Helena, Yountville, Lodinorth of St. Helena, Suscolsouth of Napa, Calistoga, Rutherford, Hot Springs, Vinelandsouth of St. Helena, Aetna and Pope Valley.

The discouraging news continued within the Journals second page one article. Its headline said, Womans Suffrage Probably Defeated... A day later it seemed certain that California women had lost their bid for the ballot with the headline of Woman Suffrage Defeated..., reported the Journal.

With a new day came another headline and hope for Prop. 4 proponents. The Journal headline announced, Woman Suffrage Wins By 2,000. According to the page one article, updated voting tallies overturned the presumed defeat to a victory for California women.

With the passage of Prop. 4, the California legislature made it official with their approval of changing the California constitution to allow womens suffrage on Dec. 23, 1911. With that action California became the sixth American state to grant women the right to vote. Also, Californias political might increased by 670,987 votes. Napa Countys ranks also grew by 5,740 eligible new voters.

However, these prospective new voters had to register to vote before casting any ballots. A January 1912 Journal article encouraged women to do just that and as soon as possible in order to qualify for the March 28, 1912 state-wide electionsthe inaugural ballot casting for California women.

It is fairly safe to assume there were numerous Napa County women who registered based on the strong and long-standing history of the local advocacy for womens suffrage.

Email Rebecca Yerger at yegerenterprises@yahoo.com.
A low-profile St. Helena supplier of health insurance for agricultural employees is swapping out its wine-rooted name for a broader label.

Formerly the California Grower Foundation, the newly christened Ag Health Benefits Alliance of Northern California (AHBA) traces its origins to the early 1970s and a group of grape growers aiming to offer health insurance to farmworkers years before it was required by law.

The name change today comes with the companys hopes of staving off confusion between it and a bevy of other similarly named groups, among them the California Growers Association, the California Association of Winegrape Growers, the Winegrowers of Napa County, and so on.

Originally founded specifically with vineyard workers in mind, the company aimed to provide medical insurance, pension benefits and a vacation plan, which employers would pay for with an assessment on wages.

Among the companys seven founding growers was Ren Harris, owner of Paradigm winery in Oakville and a founder of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers industry group. Today, the AHBA board of directors is a whos who from grape growing companies like Mike Wolf Vineyard Services, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Arkenstone and the Sonoma branch of E&J Gallo, all of which are AHBA clients.

Way back then, employers werent required to provide health benefits, said Rebecca Barlow, executive director of AHBA. But this group, the growers, realized its something they should do, and that they wanted to, because they value the field workers. So they were really quite a bit ahead of their time.

Rumblings of unionization in areas like Kern County also helped spur the companys creation. Definitely there was an underlying tension between employees and employers at that time, Barlow said. Growers further realized that benefits and health insurance could also be used to attract workers and get them to stay, Barlow added, as opposed to a lot of crops where employees migrate back and forth.

New laws in 1999 ended the ability of insurance carriers to offer the kinds of plans for small employers the company provided, Barlow said. Thus a pivot to the Western Growers Assurance Trust lets the company now dole out its group health plan for 87 employers, the majority of which are vineyard management companies in Napa.

With the Affordable Care Act of 2013, the company also added an insurance agency to its folds, allowing employers to go through them for plans from providers other than the Western Growers Assurance Trust.

In all, the company is the last of five such co-ops founded in the 1970s. Weve managed to remain viable because weve evolved. Weve made big changes to keep what we offer current, said Barlow. We try to make it as simple to understand and affordable as possible.

Today, the company provides health insurance for over 1,500 agricultural professionals and their families, and can also offer health insurance to seasonal workers, depending on employers.

Apart from health plans, the company also deals in compliance administration, dental, vision, life, long-term disability and an Employee Assistance Program. Employers have also contributed to a Pension Plan that so far has paid more than $25 million in pension benefits.

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YOUNTVILLE  A crowd gathered Saturday morning to pay tribute to three women who gave their careers and lives to serve others.

A hundred people met in the Yountville Community Center, the same place where loved ones and community members gathered the day after a former client of The Pathway Home took the lives of employees Christine Loeber, 48, Jennifer Gray Golick, 42, and Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, 32, who was nearly seven months pregnant. The Pathway Home was a nonprofit based at the Veterans Home and served Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

It was a gray, rainy day. Attendees held white roses and wore lavender bracelets that bore the womens initials, and read The Pathway Home and Never To Forget.

The memories of Loeber, Golick and Shushereba can help others continue their mission of service, said Kerri Dorman, vice mayor of Yountville.

They didnt just work at the Veterans Home. They became part of the community, she said.

We all came together at this time last year to grieve and to celebrate the lives of three dedicated women and a child who had yet to blossom, she said.

Saturday was a day for moving forward, but honoring and ensuring the three late women continue on through their legacies of generosity, unconditional love, support for others and persistence, said Dorothy Salmon, board member of Pathway Home.

Lee Shaw, Napa County chaplain, recalled the moment that law enforcement realized the three women could not be saved. Shaw, a chaplain for 25 years, said hes seen the same thing thousands of times in his career: good can come from tragedy.

Some in the crowd embraced as Shaw read a prayer.

The community was heartsick that day and people did not know how to respond, he said. The Veterans Home was a sanctuary for more than 130 years, and in a moment, everything changed.

Shaw prayed for healing and that the good works of Loeber, Golick and Shushereba could live on through loved ones.

We honor their education to others, especially our military veterans, who protected our freedom, he said. They were proud to serve those who served.

The Napa Valley community was still reeling from the October 2017 fires when the Veterans Home shooting rattled Yountville, said Steve Rogers, Yountville city manager. Then the unthinkable happened.

Were used to being on the map for a lot of things, he said. But were not used to, nor did we expect to be, put on the national map for a location of a mass shooting.

The Veterans Home shooting took Yountvilles innocence, he said. Then in November, Alaina Housley  a Napa native with strong Yountville ties  was one of 12 people killed during a shooting at a popular western bar near her Southern California college.

Rogers said he hoped the community would come together and encourage elected officials to take action to prevent mass shootings.

Among the crowd was A.J. Petersen, a Sonoma resident who said she met Loeber when they were seated at a booth together on a busy night at the Boon Fly Cafe. Petersen was going through a difficult chapter of her life, and the women talked all night and became fast friends.

Petersen said she met Loeber at a difficult time in her life. She fidgeted with her white rose while struggling to find the right words to describe Loeber and worried that everything she said sounded cliche.

Loeber seemed like she had no flaws, Petersen said. She was warm, open, vulnerable, and followed through on her commitments.

If she touched your life, she made it instantly better, she said.

The service closed with a group rendition of All You Need is Love by The Beatles.

Thank you all for being filled with love and compassion, Salmon of the Pathway board said in final words to the crowd. And thank you for loving our three brave women.

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While India and Pakistan seem to have stopped bombing one another, the causes behind the cross-border tensions arent going away any time soon. The two nations are nuclear-armed; have large conventional armed forces; have had four serious wars since they became independent in 1947; and have enormous cultural and religious antipathy. This is a prescription for a disaster, and yet the confrontation is flying below the international radarwell below North Korea, Brexit, China-U.S. trade confrontations, Iran and even the yellow vests of France. A full-blown war in the valleys and mountains of Kashmir is a very real possibility.

When I was the supreme allied commander of NATO, the most important mission of the alliance was dealing with terrorism in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, our Pakistani partners continued to support many of the radical elements of the Taliban. They were afraid of creeping Indian influence, and much preferred a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan to a more Western-leaning and independent Afghan government. I dealt often with General Ashfaq Kayani, the lean, chain-smoking chief of staff of the Pakistani army (arguably a more powerful position than the prime minister). He frequently came to NATOs political headquarters in Brussels to brief the combined military leadership of the alliance on the key threat Pakistan faced several years agointernal terrorism. Yet always hovering over our conversations was the Pakistani militarys deepest concern: India.

The most recent crisis was set off in mid-February when a Pakistani terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, detonated a suicide bomb in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 40 Indian paramilitary soldiers. It was the deadliest attack on security forces since that insurgency began in earnest decades ago. While the Pakistani government denied involvement in the bombing, India believes it was aware of the incident, and therefore responded with significant airstrikes into Pakistan. Two Indian fighter jets were shot down and a pilot captured. There was an unmistakable echo of the 1947 and 1965 Kashmir conflicts, in which tens of thousands died.

The extremely fragile cease-fire in place for two decades is fraying. Partly this is the result of domestic politics in India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elected on a Hindu nationalist agenda, is up for re-election in April and May. After the Indian bombing of Pakistani territory, a popular hashtag in India became #Indiastrikesback. This is rare behavior, given that Indian armed forces have not otherwise crossed the so-called Line of Control between the nations since 1971. Former Indian Air Vice Marshall Arjun Subramanian, now a professor at Tufts University, told me, At the strategic level, the strikes have signaled a heightened resolve on the part of the Modi government to change the response matrix in the aftermath of a confirmed jihadi attack from safe havens in Pakistan.

Most worrisome, of course, are the significant nuclear arsenals of the combatants. Each has roughly 150 missiles, although only India has a submarine-based ballistic missile capability and thus a true nuclear triad (land, air and sea). Pakistan is developing sea-launched cruise missiles to counter that Indian threat. India has adopted a no first use doctrine, although Pakistanwhich has smaller conventional forces and thus potentially the need for a more ambiguous doctrinehas not made an equivalent pledge. Paradoxically, the fact that both sides want to avoid a nuclear conflict has probably prevented an escalation on the conventional side during recent crises.

In past conflicts, the U.S. has played a mediating role. But today Pakistan is more inclined to work with China. India has strong relations with both the U.S. and Russia, but is unlikely to turn to either, so as not to appear beholden to any peer great state. This tracks with the tendency of the Trump administration to let nations work things out themselves. Other than National Security Advisor John Boltons sensible comment that the U.S. supports Indias right to self-defense, the administration is staying on the sidelines. Complicating the picture is that the Washington is trying to enlist Pakistani aid in ending the long war in Afghanistan by reining in the Taliban.

What the U.S. can do most effectively is to quietly encourage both sides to step back from escalationwhich Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan did by releasing the captured Indian jet pilot unharmed. We should also offer our intelligence capabilities to both India and Pakistan as each of them deal with the disruptive terrorist groups operating from Pakistani soilJaish-e-Mohammed and the even more deadly Lashkar-e-Taiba. The U.S. could also encourage other mediation by allies and international organizations, in particular Saudi Arabia, which reportedly was influential in the release of the Indian pilot.

As Hussein Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., recently pointed out, Pakistan in on the verge of an economic crisis. While the Khan government has tried to defuse the situation, in part by appealing to the International Monetary fund, internal pressures are building. Make no mistake: With Pakistans economic plight and the upcoming elections in India, South Asia is in a situation in which a military miscalculation, perhaps even a nuclear one, is real possibility.

James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is also an operating executive consultant at the Carlyle Group and chairs the board of counselors at McLarty Associates.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the growing Democratic presidential field, which now totals 12, is that it includes five women, at least three of whom have a real chance to win the party's nomination.

But the chances of Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren may depend on their ability to score strongly -- and probably to win -- in one of the four early tests: Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar in neighboring Iowa, Massachusetts Sen. Warren in neighboring New Hampshire, and California Sen. Harris with the minority heavy electorates in Nevada and South Carolina.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's hopes of inserting herself into the upper tier of prospects may also depend on her ability to break through in New Hampshire, where she attended Dartmouth College. The fifth woman, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, seems mainly along for the experience, barring an unexpected showing when televised debates start in June.

With the usual caveat that anything can happen in the next year, here are some ways each has displayed strengths or weaknesses in early campaigning:

Kamala Harris

The first-term Californian has displayed Obama-like charisma, and President Donald Trump said he was impressed by the large crowd at her Oakland kickoff. She has generally hewed to the liberal line on issues, but attracted some criticism when she suggested Medicare for all would end the private health insurance many Americans enjoy, then retreated.

More recently, Politico described her difficulties in providing specifics in Iowa when asked her strategy to help immigrants gain U.S. citizenship, noting she responded with generalities and an attempt at establishing a personal connection. The incident underscored her challenge in adapting to the retail politics of Iowa and New Hampshire after thriving in California's media dominated politics.

Her failure to respond with specifics could signal problems in the forthcoming debates and contrasts with the detailed immigration plan Beto O'Rourke outlined, even before becoming a candidate. The unanswerable question is whether Harris needs a strong Iowa or New Hampshire showing to succeed in Nevada, which is heavily Hispanic, and South Carolina, where the Democratic electorate is more than half black. Victory in South Carolina can provide a big boost for the Super Tuesday primaries in California and Texas three days later.

Amy Klobuchar

The Minnesota neighbor has been a frequent Iowa visitor and proved a popular speaker before Democratic convention delegations and other party groups. Since announcing her candidacy amid a mid-winter Minnesota blizzard, she has cast herself among the more moderate contenders by refusing to commit to the specifics of two early liberal litmus tests, Medicare for all and the Green New Deal.

Her reputation for seeking bipartisan solutions has attracted praise from Republican senators, something that could be problematic with the liberal Iowa electorate. She has been distracted by negative stories about discord in her office, which has had unusual turnover, which she attributes to her strict standards.

She sought to dismiss such stories with humor, when she spoke Saturday night at the Washington press corps' annual Gridiron dinner. Alluding to reports she often yelled at her staff, she said she was asked if she would need a microphone or preferred "to yell at everyone." Her answer: microphone. Less successful was her attempt to counter The New York Times' story alleging she mistreated her staff, which noted that, when an aide brought her a salad but no fork, she ate it with her comb and told the aide to clean it. The salad at the dinner, she joked, "was OK, but I thought it could have used a little more scalp oil and a pinch of dandruff."

Elizabeth Warren

Warren has shown her expected passion and an ability to raise the money that will be needed for the early tests and the March 3 primaries in at least nine states. Her early Iowa visits attracted enthusiastic crowds, and a strong showing with that state's generally liberal Democratic electorate may become necessary, given some signs of slippage in New Hampshire, which votes eight days later.

While current polls generally measure name identification and don't predict primary success, the University of New Hampshire's Granite State Poll showed last week that Warren lost more than half of her support since last summer, serious slippage in a state where New England candidates generally fare well. She trailed far behind another New Hampshire neighbor, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President Joe Biden, and barely led O'Rourke.

Those three have so far overshadowed Gillibrand. First quarter funding reports will show if the New York senator has overcome opposition from some fundraisers and home state Democrats after her leading role in forcing Minnesota Sen. Al Franken's resignation and her retroactive comment that President Bill Clinton should have resigned after the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

With Sanders off to a strong fundraising start and Biden, O'Rourke and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown poised to join the field, a lot will change in the 11 months before the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses.

The only safe bet is that, after the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries, the field will be smaller and the real contenders will have emerged.

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News.
MFA: Armenia will continue to work diligently to raise awareness of genocides

Gerasimov: Russian military in Karabakh working to restore peaceful life in region

Armenia opposition MP: Authorities present at household level establishment technical furnishing on frontline

Bomb threat in Yerevan building

Armenia: 6,500 people in border communities to receive cash for winter needs

Armenia government restricts access to open information from gov.am, govtravel.am

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh

Armenia envoy, US congresswoman discuss situation after 44-day Artsakh war

All Azerbaijan soldiers captured in Karabakh have been returned, says Rustam Muradov

Armenia legislature approves 2022 draft state budget

Armenia wounded soldier undergoes surgery

300 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Turkey MFA: First meeting of 3+3 format on South Caucasus to be held Friday, Armenia will also participate

Armenia parliament to convene special session on December 15

MOD: Azerbaijan army opened fire on Armenia positions late Wednesday night

Newspaper: Number of deaths in Armenia rise sharply this year

Newspaper: Armenia PM asks for political, propaganda support from extra-parliamentary political forces

Meta plans to fully reopen its US offices in January

Armenia MOD: Soldier wounded from shot fired by fellow serviceman

Raisi, Erdogan discuss cooperation in many fields

Armenia's Pashinyan blames parliamentary opposition for delivering Nagorno-Karabakh, threatens to present evidence

Armenia PM: Even today I am ready to deliver my son in exchange of Armenian POWs

Armenia Parliament Speaker: We haven't stopped and won't stop efforts for our boys to return safe and sound

Opposition 'Armenia' faction: All statements made in parliament need to be explored and investigated comprehensively

Armenia PM: Mutual understanding was reached during meeting with Russian and Azerbaijani presidents in Sochi

Frank Pallone: Azerbaijan continues to threaten Armenia's safety and sovereignty

Karabakh Ombudsman: 21-year-old resident of Martuni region was subjected to violence by Azerbaijanis

Armenia PM: Several circumstances behind loss of Karabakh's Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher contain state secret

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia will have railway communication with Iran and Russia via Azerbaijan's territory

Lavrov underscores need to launch demarcation of Armenian-Azerbaijani border during talk with Mirzoyan

PM: Armenia will participate in initial meeting in '3+3' format

Joe Biden: Putting American troops on the ground in Ukraine is 'not on the table'

Armenia PM: Final status of Nagorno-Karabakh doesn't imply its independence

Assistants to deputies of opposition 'Armenia' parliamentary faction summoned to National Security Service

Armenia Parliament Speaker's meeting with relatives of Armenian POWs and missing servicemen is over

Armenia, Russia FMs discuss Karabakh issue, November 26 agreements and '3+3' format

Armenia's Pashinyan rules out possibility of provision of corridor to Baku through Armenian territory

Putin says Iran's President might pay visit to Russia

Armenia Parliament Speaker in meeting with relatives of Armenian POWs and missing servicemen

Armenia Parliament Speaker to move to governmental mansion in Yerevan district soon

Armenia MOD has new General Secretary

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijani army fires at water truck of Armenian military unit in border's southeastern direction

NEWS.am daily digest: 08.12.21

Armenia MOD refutes Azerbaijan's statement that Armenian side fired at Azerbaijani army

Armenia PM refutes opposition MP's statement that government is implementing verbal agreements

Armenia President travels to Qatar

ARARAT Museum initiated an inclusive project #FeelwithYourHeart (PHOTOS)

Armenia opposition MP asks finance minister about operation of Amulsar gold mine

Minister briefs UK envoy on details of justice sector digitalization

Armenia opposition new MP is sitting with her back to parliament sessions hall

Armenia MFA draws OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanships attention to UN International Court of Justice orders

Dollar continues to rise steadily in Armenia

Armenia frontline furnishing in progress (PHOTOS)

10 captives who were returned to Armenia from Azerbaijan 4 days ago are questioned

Elnur Mammadov: Azerbaijan to file two lawsuits against Armenia in 2022

Azerbaijani MFA: Yerevan transmitted mine maps to Azerbaijan 3 days before ICJ's decision

Iran is ready to connect electric networks to Azerbaijan and Russia

Armenia parliament holding secret ballot for election of Audit Chamber member

Yerevan law enforcement manages to reopen Marshal Baghramyan Avenue

Russia Prosecutor General congratulates Armenian counterpart on his birthday

Armenia revenue committee chief meets Iran customs service head at Meghri border checkpoint

Yerevan police apprehending protesters who are blocking Marshal Baghramyan Avenue

Parents of missing and captured Armenian servicemen shut down road near parliament (LIVE)

Azerbaijan, Turkey FMs discuss 3+3 cooperation platform with participation of other regional countries

Attachment imposed on Armenia ex-defense minister Ohanyan, ex-President Sargsyan's former security chiefs properties

Film about Artsakh is submitted for competition at Golden Globe Awards

US congressmen approve about $ 770 billion draft defense budget for 2022

Russia reports 30,752 new COVID-19 cases

Chile parliament approves same-sex marriage bill

168.am: Border demarcation, delimitation commission members arrive in Armenia on board Russia MOD plane

Joint statement: Armenia officials statements on captives pose obstacles to human rights activities

Armenia parliament continues 2022 draft state budget debates

Copper price remains almost unchanged

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh

Legislature adopts amendments to law on Armenia citizenship

Armenia National Assembly passes bill on amendments, addenda to Civil Code

410 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia ombudsman in Paris, speaks about Azerbaijan genocidal policy after recent war (PHOTOS)

World oil prices falling

Armenia FM to head for Paris

Missing, captured soldiers families spend night at Armenia legislature entrance

Karabakh President stresses role of Russia peacekeeping mission

Newspaper: Who is accountable for Armenia losing at International Court of Justice?

Armenia PM sending delegation to Paris

Police bring in forces near Armenia parliament building

Newspaper: Armenia ruling partys plan works against it in local elections

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries FMs issue statement on Karabakh conflict

Putin, Biden task to continue Russia-US dialogue on Ukraine

NEWS.am daily digest: 07.12.21

Kazakhstan First President notes Russias role in resolving Karabakh conflict

Armenia opposition MP: We are launching legal process of National Assembly speaker's resignation

Fight occurs in Armenia legislature

Armenia legislature deputy speaker from opposition: We are at preparatory phase for rallies

Armenia parliament speaker claims video with his remarks on captive Armenian soldiers was edited

MFA: Armenia urges Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative rhetoric and actions

Legislature speaker: Criminal case will be launched against Armenian soldiers who laid down their weapons, surrendered

4 more die of coronavirus in Artsakh

Dejavu: Parliament speaker says Armenian captive soldiers no longer exist for him

National Assembly holding urgent discussion on Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

Armenia legislature majority blocks opposition draft statement on border delimitation
Foreign workers for various projects await labour permits

Labour permits of hundreds of foreign workers, who have been associated with various development projects and companies in Nepal, have been halted for months.
A representative of the US Department of State has told Sputnik that a mine, found at a Moscow airport in the luggage of a US Embassy in Russia employee, was not dangerous, Sputnik reported.

"We are aware of an incident today at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow involving an individual from the U.S. Embassy. The situation has been resolved and the individual was allowed to depart Russia after authorities removed the item from his luggage. There was no danger presented to any traveller", the official said.

On Saturday morning, staff at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport detected an object similar to a mine during a screening of an embassy employee's luggage. Experts later confirmed that it was indeed a mine with a fuse but without explosives, though "their traces were present inside the mine body".
Germanys foreign minister criticized Turkey for refusing to issue credentials to foreign reporters, saying in an interview published Sunday that such actions were not compatible with our understanding of press freedom, AP reported.

The comment by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas followed several foreign correspondents recently having applications to renew their accreditation to work in Turkey rejected.

It cant be ruled out that the Turkish government will take further measures against representatives of German media as well as civil society organizations, the ministry said.

Germany is cautioning its citizens to be careful about their social media activity when visiting Turkey.

The dpa news agency reported Wednesday that Germanys official travel advice has been revised to warn about the risk of criticizing Turkeys government on social media.

The German foreign ministry says that in individual cases its enough to share or like another persons comment for people to get into trouble.
STEPANAKERT.- Head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh Artak Nersisyan spoke to Armenian News - NEWS.am about about the accusations of the Azerbaijani side about alleged violations of international law in connection with the building of construction of a village of Araxavan in the south of Artsakh.

In early March, commenting on the plans to build a village of Araxavan in the south of Artsakh, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry described this step as a violation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. At the same time, according to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, the statements regarding Araxavan are a blatant attack against the multi-year negotiation process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. How do you assess such statements by the Azerbaijani side?

The comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan is nothing more than an attempt to shift its responsibility for the situation in the process of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement to the other sides shoulders. The greatest damage to the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan- Karabakh conflict has been caused by Azerbaijans destructive approaches towards the negotiation process , rejection of the implementation of a full-fledged mechanism of international control over the cease-fire, the unwillingness to prepare its society for peace, the torpedoing of public peace initiatives, the propaganda of war, the state policy on disseminating xenophobia and encouraging hate crimes against Armenians, the attempts to isolate Artsakh, etc.

The accusations of the Azerbaijani side about the alleged violation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocol are equally unfounded. This issue has long been a subject of extensive speculations by official Baku, which have been repeatedly refuted.

The question of Araxavan should be viewed from the point of view of ensuring human rights and decent living conditions for the Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and internally displaced persons from the occupied territories of the Republic of Artsakh. These people became victims of the ethnic cleansing and deportations carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities as part of a broader policy of solving the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by force. The decision of the Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan and internally displaced persons from the occupied territories of the Republic Artsakh to settle in new territories cannot be criticized, taking into account, inter alia, the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities not only refused to pay compensation to them for their material and moral damage but also continue to violate their rights, hampering visits to Artsakh by specialized international organizations dealing with refugee issues.

As a whole, the allegations of official Baku about the violation of the Geneva Conventions are more than hypocritical, given the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities are pursuing a state policy of settling the occupied territories of the Republic of Artsakh, in particular, the Shahumyan region and part of the Martakert region.
US intelligence agencies may have been behind the February attack on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid, during which a group of unidentified people broke into the mission, blocked the diplomats and seized computers, El Confidencial reported on Sunday, citing sources, Sputnik reported.

According to El Confidencial newspaper, Spain's National Police and the foreign intelligence unit of the National Intelligence Centre (CNI) are examining all possible versions of what happened. Nevertheless, the sources told the newspaper that the theory that the US intelligence agencies, which could have been acting together with other foreign counterparts, were involved in the attack, was gaining momentum.

CNI reportedly suspects that the way the embassy was attacked resembles the "method of work" of the North American intelligence services during secret operations.

The newspaper added that embassy employees, who were in the building at the time of the attack, told investigators that some attackers spoke Korean and could be nationals of South Korea, a "US strategic ally".
Attention dividend hunters! EBOS Group Limited (NZSE:EBO) will be distributing its dividend of AU$0.36 per share on the 05 April 2019, and will start trading ex-dividend in 4 days time on the 14 March 2019. Is this future income a persuasive enough catalyst for investors to think about EBOS Group as an investment today? Below, Im going to look at the latest data and analyze the stock and its dividend property in further detail.

Check out our latest analysis for EBOS Group

How I analyze a dividend stock

If you are a dividend investor, you should always assess these five key metrics:

Is it paying an annual yield above 75% of dividend payers?

Has it consistently paid a stable dividend without missing a payment or drastically cutting payout?

Has dividend per share amount increased over the past?

Is its earnings sufficient to payout dividend at the current rate?

Based on future earnings growth, will it be able to continue to payout dividend at the current rate?

NZSE:EBO Historical Dividend Yield, March 9th 2019

How does EBOS Group fare?

EBOS Group has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 73%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. In the near future, analysts are predicting a payout ratio of 68% which, assuming the share price stays the same, leads to a dividend yield of around 3.6%. In addition to this, EPS should increase to A$1.01.

When considering the sustainability of dividends, it is also worth checking the cash flow of a company. Companies with strong cash flow can sustain a higher payout ratio, while companies with weaker cash flow generally cannot.

If there is one thing that you want to be reliable in your life, its dividend stocks and their constant income stream. In the case of EBO it has increased its DPS from A$0.18 to A$0.67 in the past 10 years. It has also been paying out dividend consistently during this time, as youd expect for a company increasing its dividend levels. This is an impressive feat, which makes EBO a true dividend rockstar.

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Compared to its peers, EBOS Group generates a yield of 3.3%, which is high for Healthcare stocks but still below the low risk savings rate.

Next Steps:

With these dividend metrics in mind, I definitely rank EBOS Group as a strong income stock, and is worth further research for anyone who considers dividends an important part of their portfolio strategy. Given that this is purely a dividend analysis, you should always research extensively before deciding whether or not a stock is an appropriate investment for you. I always recommend analysing the companys fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. There are three pertinent aspects you should further examine:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for EBOs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for EBOs outlook. Valuation: What is EBO worth today? Even if the stock is a cash cow, its not worth an infinite price. The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether EBO is currently mispriced by the market. Other Dividend Rockstars: Are there better dividend payers with stronger fundamentals out there? Check out our free list of these great stocks here.

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.
Justice for conflict victims

If the government continues to dillydally, we should go to the international courts
By Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi RAMALLAH, West Bank/GAZA (Reuters) - Economist Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of the West Bank's dominant Fatah party, was named Palestinian prime minister on Sunday in what the rival Hamas group that runs Gaza called a blow to unity efforts. The appointment was announced six weeks after Rami al-Hamdallah tendered his resignation from the post and the resignation of his unity government to President Mahmoud Abbas, underscoring the failure of Hamas and Fatah to implement a power-sharing deal. Speaking to Palestine Television, Shtayyeh said he would immediately begin consultations with factions belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads, on forming a new cabinet. Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since seizing the enclave from Fatah in 2007, is not a member of the PLO. Ismail Rudwan, a senior official in the Islamist group, said the creation of "a separatist government ... will prolong Palestinian division". Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in November 2017 calling for Abbas' West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to resume governing in Gaza and take control of its crossing points into Egypt and Israel. However, disputes quickly arose on how to implement the agreement. Another sticking point has been policy toward Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war and maintained tight control of Gaza's borders since withdrawing settlers and troops from the area in 2005. Shtayyeh's immediate challenge is to shore up the cash-strapped PA, which exercises limited self-rule under interim peace accords with Israel. The PA has been squeezed by steep U.S. aid cuts, with the cash crisis exacerbated by a dispute with Israel over the withholding of some 5 percent of the monthly tax revenues it transfers to the Authority. Israel said the money it is holding back is used by the PA to pay stipends to families of militants killed or jailed by Israel. The PA has refused to accept any tax transfers until those funds are restored. Shtayyeh, seen largely as a technocrat, most recently headed the Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development, a donor coordination and advocacy body established by the PLO in 1993. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Kirsten Donovan)
Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that she thinks capitalism is irredeemable.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez made the comment during an interview at South by Southwest in Austin, where she said that the US should be scared that corporations had taken over the country.

Capitalism is an ideology of capital  the most important thing is the concentration of capital and to seek and maximise profit, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said during a question and answer session with Bloomberg News.

She continued: To me, capitalism is irredeemable.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has described herself as a democratic socialist, and said during the panel that recent concerns raised among conservative pundits around socialism misses the point.

Just as theres all this fear mongering that government is going to take over every corporation and government is going to take over every business or every form of production, we should be scared right now because corporations have taken over our government, she said.

In describing her economic philosophy for the nation  which she has roughly introduced with her presentation of the Green New Deal  Ms Ocasio-Cortez said that she believes that American workers need their rights protected.

Its just as much a transformation about bringing democracy to the workplace so that we have a say and that we dont check all of our rights at the door every time we cross the threshold into our workplace, she said. Because at the end of the day, as workers and as people in society, were the ones creating wealth.
Geneva (AFP) - An Algerian government plane believed to be carrying President Abdelaziz Bouteflika took off Sunday from Switzerland, where the ailing leader has been undergoing medical treatment for two weeks.

The white Gulfstream 4SP jet, with "People's Democratic Republic of Algeria" written on the side and the Algerian flag on the tail, landed at the Geneva international airport Cointrin shortly before 10:00 am (0900 GMT).

It took off again around 4:00 pm (1500 GMT), shortly after a large convoy drew up from the hospital where the president had been treated, according to AFP journalists at the airport.

The Algerian government did not immediately announce the purpose of the flight but it was likely that the plane came to collect the 82-year-old leader, who has been receiving medical treatment at the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).

AFP journalists on the scene saw a large convoy arrive at the airport, but could not see who boarded the plane, which remained hidden in a hangar for the approximately six hours it was on the ground in Geneva.

Numerous police officers had been stationed near the VIP wing on the eighth floor of the HUG earlier Sunday afternoon, as television crews waited outside hoping to catch a glimpse of Bouteflika's departure, according to another AFP journalist.

- Massive protests -

Bouteflika, in power since 1999, has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.

His bid to secure a fifth term in Algeria's April 18 election has sparked massive protests in the country, dominated by youths who have called for the president to stand aside.

Bouteflika's office has insisted that the president went to Switzerland for routine medical checkups but speculation is rife that his health condition is far more serious.

On Friday, a lawyer acting on behalf of an unnamed Algerian citizen filed a petition with a Swiss court requesting that Bouteflika be placed under a trusteeship for his own protection, alleging that his "fragile health" left him vulnerable to "exploitation" by those around him.

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Pointing to news reports that Bouteflika's condition was "very precarious" and "life-threatening", the petition submitted by lawyer Saskia Ditisheim also demanded that the court lift the medical secrecy around his condition and that it request a medical certificate pertaining to his aptitude to govern.

It remained unclear whether the Swiss court would admit the case, and Ditisheim acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and told AFP the court might try to stall until Bouteflika was flown back to Algeria.

A number of protests have also been staged in Switzerland against the Algerian president since he arrived in the country.

On Friday, Algerian businessman Rachid Nekkaz, who had unsuccessfully tried to stand as a candidate in the upcoming elections, was arrested after staging a protest with several dozen supporters outside HUG and then pushing inside to demand information about Bouteflika's condition.

Nekkaz -- a popular activist with a large social media following -- suggested that Bouteflika was actually dead.

"The entire world, and all of Algeria knows that he is no longer of this world," he told reporters, charging that powerful players in Algeria had an interest in maintaining the illusion that Bouteflika was alive to keep their grip on power in the country.

Bouteflika's campaign manager Abdelghani Zaalane meanwhile insisted Thursday that the president's health raised "no worries".
The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, well show how American Express Companys (NYSE:AXP) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. American Express has a P/E ratio of 13.62, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 7.3%.

Check out our latest analysis for American Express

How Do I Calculate American Expresss Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for American Express:

P/E of 13.62 = $107.98  $7.93 (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. All else being equal, its better to pay a low price  but as Warren Buffett said, Its far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Companies that shrink earnings per share quickly will rapidly decrease the E in the equation. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others  and that may encourage shareholders to sell.

Notably, American Express grew EPS by a whopping 165% in the last year. But earnings per share are down 2.3% per year over the last five years.

How Does American Expresss P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that American Express has a higher P/E than the average (9.7) P/E for companies in the consumer finance industry.

NYSE:AXP Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 10th 2019

American Expresss P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. The market is optimistic about the future, but that doesnt guarantee future growth. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling.

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Dont Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

The Price in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesnt take debt or cash into account. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof).

How Does American Expresss Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Net debt totals 38% of American Expresss market cap. 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 Verdict On American Expresss P/E Ratio

American Expresss P/E is 13.6 which is below average (17.4) 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.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. 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 visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.

But note: American Express may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).

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.
The Hill

The U.S. Navy seized 171 surface-to-air missiles, eight anti-tank missiles and 1.1 million barrels of petroleum products worth $261 million from two Iranian ships in the Arabian Sea in three separate instances since 2019, the Department of Justice said in a press release on Tuesday.The Navy seized the weapons in November 2019 and August 2020 during what is called routine operations in the sea. The arms shipments were headed to Iran-backed...
DEIR AL-ZOR, Syria (Reuters) - The baby of Shamima Begum, a teenager who left London to join the Islamic State group in Syria, has died, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday. Begum, whose two older children had also previously died, was stripped of her British citizenship last month on security grounds after she was discovered in a detention camp in Syria. The 19-year-old left London to join IS when she was 15. She had sought to return to Europe with her third child, who was born just over three weeks ago. SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali said the child had died. Shamima has said in media interviews her baby son was called Jarrah. Begum married Yago Riedijk, a Dutch fighter for IS who surrendered to Syrian fighters and was being held in a Kurdish detention center in northeastern Syria. The family's lawyer said earlier on Friday there were strong but as yet unconfirmed reports that Begum's infant son had died. The fate of Begum has illustrated the ethical, legal and security conundrum that governments face when dealing with the families of militants who swore to destroy the West. The U.S-backed SDF is now trying to take Islamic State's last, small patch of ground in eastern Syria. They have slowed their offensive on the jihadist enclave at Baghouz near the Iraqi border to allow many thousands of people to pour out in an exodus that has lasted weeks. (Reporting by Rodi Said in Deir al-Zor province, Syria, Paul Sandle and William Schomberg in LondonWriting by Lisa Barrington, Editing by William Maclean/Mark Heinrich)
BGR

Rian Johnson has had one of the more interesting careers of any director currently working. Back in 2005, he announced his presence with the noir thriller called Brick, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 12 years later, he was behind the camera on Star Wars: The Last Jedi directing Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Daisy Ridley. Few modern  The post This action-packed sci-fi movie on Netflix has everyone glued to their screens appeared first on BGR.
Kathmandu metropolis allocates Rs50 million to install 6,000 street lamps

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has announced that it will instal electric street lights along major road sections and inner parts of the metropolis as part of its Kathmandu Ujyalo programme.
Monaghan (Ireland) (AFP) - The prospect of a disorderly Brexit has brought back haunting memories in the small Irish border town of Monaghan, where the church spire still stands askew from a massive bomb blast 45 years ago.

"I've seen so many people die," said shopkeeper Macartan Kieran, 66.

"Death and pain and anguish, it's no way to go. It's no way to go."

If Britain crashes out of the European Union on March 29, townspeople fear the return of the "bad old days" when paramilitary violence was part of daily life.

A no-deal Brexit could lead to the return of border controls along the Irish frontier between the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.

The same checkpoints bred public resentment and became a target for attacks during three decades of conflict that ended with a peace deal in 1998.

Kieran is a lifelong resident of Monaghan, one of four sites targeted by bombings on May 17, 1974, in which a total of 33 people and an unborn child were killed. It was the bloodiest day of the conflict known as "The Troubles".

One of the loyalist car bombs gutted the main street of Monaghan -- claiming seven lives in the rural market town seven kilometres (four miles) from the border with Northern Ireland.

Kieran's shop windows were blown out by that blast. He rushed to the scene and saw the bodies of people he knew.

"The fear about a border coming back is that it's going to bring back unrest. It always brings up that stuff you don't want coming back," he said, standing before a modest glass and stone memorial to the dead.

"No, no, we don't need to go back to that..."

His voice trailed off -- visibly shaken by his memories.

In the bustling offices of local newspaper the Northern Standard, veteran reporter Michael Fisher leafed through a stack of recent editions boasting of local business developments.

The front pages are a stark contrast to the musty copy of the 1974 edition following the bombing.

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SAD SEVENTEENTH OF MAY was the big headline accompanied by photos of the shattered wreck of a car, a ruined pub, a frantic firefighter dousing the flames.

"I never saw anything as bad as what happened on that particular day," Fisher said.

"People here in Monaghan hope they've moved on considerably from those dark days," he said, but added that "Brexit has put a whole question mark over the issue now."
Its a miracle!

Nearly four months after the Camp Fire devasted Northern California, a missing cat, who lived in the fire zone, has been rescued.

Just over a mile from the remains of his home, 2-year-old Dexter was found by Leslie Berard-Zaletel, a volunteer with FieldHaven Center and Camp Fire Pet Rescue and Reunification, ABC 10 reported.

Since the fire, Berard-Zaletel has been feeding and rescuing cats shes come across following the tragic disaster.

When she came across Dexter, the feline was micro-chipped and the rescue center was able to get in contact with his family.

We called them almost immediately, giving them the good news, and they were astounded that he survived, Joy Smith, President and Executive Director for FieldHaven Feline Center told ABC 10.

Dexters owners told CBS Sacramento that not one day went by that they didnt think about their beloved pet.

RELATED: Deputys Bodycam Footage Shows Escape From California Wildfire

We had like five minutes to get out of the house, Dexters owners Paul and Sandra Ritchie told the outlet.

When it was time to evacuate, the Ritchies were able to gather up three of their cats, but Dexter couldnt be found.

I myself had horrible thoughts about him burning up in the fire, Paul told CBS Sacramento.

When they got the call that Dexter had been located, they were speechless. I said what? It was pretty emotional, Paul told the outlet.

Friday morning, Dexter boarded a flight to Missouri to be reunited with his family.

Its going to be unbelievable. I think Im going to just stand there and cry and want to hug him, Sandra told CBS Sacramento.

Dexter isnt the only cat to be rescued by FieldHaven Feline Center.

RELATED: California Man Credits Cat with Saving Him from Camp Fire in Paradise

Reach out to us, or to any groups, because there are still hundreds of cats being found in the fire zone, Smith told ABC 10. All of them deserve to be reunited with their families.

In November 2018, the Camp Fire was 100 percent contained after first sparking on Nov. 8 and burning across more than 153,00 acres, according to Cal Fire. The fire left 85 dead and 249 people injured, Cal Fire reported.
North Koreans go to the polls Sunday for an election in which there can be only one winner.

Leader Kim Jong Un's ruling Workers' Party has an iron grip on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the isolated, nuclear-armed country is officially known.

But every five years it holds an election for the rubber stamp legislature, known as the Supreme People's Assembly.

And in keeping with one of Pyongyang's most enduring slogans -- "Single-minded unity" -- there is only one approved name on each of the ballot papers.

Voters have the opportunity to cross it out before casting their ballot, but in practice that is unknown.

Turnout last time was 99.97 percent, according to the official KCNA news agency - only those who were abroad or "working in oceans" did not take part. And the vote was 100 percent in favour of the named candidates.

"We regard all the people in our country as one family so we will unite with one mind and we will vote for the agreed candidate," Socialist Women's Union official Song Yang Ran, 57, told AFP ahead of this year's poll.

Ordinary North Koreans always express total support for the authorities when speaking to foreign media.

"Our system is the best," Song said when asked her opinion of elections that have several names on the ballot paper.

"We acknowledge no one but the Supreme Leader," she added, referring to Kim Jong Un.

"And we will hold the respected Marshal in high esteem forever."

- Ritual exercise -

With a total absence of electoral competition, analysts say the vote is held largely as a political rite to enable the authorities to claim a mandate from the people.

It was the result of "established institutional inertia and a need to legitimise the government by simulating democratic procedure", said Andrei Lankov of Korea Risk Group.

Soviet-style Communist states had a long tradition of holding general elections, he said, even if the ruling party ignored its own rules about holding regular congresses - something the North skipped for more than 30 years.

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"North Korea is just emulating all other Communist states," he said.

"The early Communists sincerely believed that they were producing a democracy the world had never seen. So they needed elections and it became a very important part of self-legitimisation."

The last significant government of a major country to dispense with elections altogether was Nazi Germany, he pointed out.

The North is divided into constituencies for the vote - there were 686 at the last election in 2014, when Kim stood in Mount Paektu, a dormant volcano on the border with China revered as the spiritual birthplace of the Korean people.

He received a 100 percent turnout and 100 percent in favour according to KCNA.

Some of the seats are allocated to two minor parties, the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongdu Party, which has its roots in a 20th century Korean religious movement.

They are both in a formal alliance with the ruling party and analysts and diplomats say they exist largely on paper, with only small central offices maintained for propaganda purposes.

Even so, participation in the poll, like other "obligatory rituals" in the North, does reinforce loyalty to the government and social unity, Lankov said, "because humans love symbolism".

In an article headlined "Superior Election System of DPRK", KCNA said the vote was an important occasion "displaying the solidity and invincibility of the socialist system in which the leader, the party and the masses form a harmonious whole".
Elizabeth Warren has attacked tech companies over competition concerns - FR140274 AP

Elizabeth Warren, the US Democratic presidential candidate, has added Apple to her hit list of technology giants that should be broken up to curb Silicon Valley's growing power.

Warren, an early favourite to challenge Donald Trump for the White House in the 2020 US presidential elections, said Apple should spin off its App Store, which is used for downloads of iPhone and iPad apps.

The Massachusetts senator has trained her sights on Silicon Valley companies, saying she would call for the break up of Amazon, Google and Facebook as a global tech lash against the US companies grows.

On Saturday, she added Apple to her list of targets. Warren told tech website The Verge: Youve got to break it apart from their App Store. Its got to be one or the other. Either they run the platform or they play in the store. They dont get to do both at the same time.

The iPhone maker has increasingly talked up the potential of its services business, which includes the App Store.

Apple takes a 30pc commission from sales on the store, which lets users download new apps from social media sites like Facebook to banking apps like Monzo.

SensorTower, an app analyst firm, estimated that App Store apps generated in the region of $12bn (9.2bn) per quarter in 2018, of which Apple takes just under a third.

Apple has faced a rebellion from some major app makers on iOS. Netflix pulled its service from the App Store in protest over the fees. Epic Games, the maker of hit video game Fortnite, followed suit earlier this year.

Warren last week called for tech companies with annual revenues of more than $25bn to have their online marketplaces designated as utilities, making them unable to compete with other participates. Amazon, for example, would be prevented from selling its own products alongside competitors on its shopping website.

These big companies exert enormous influence in the economy and in Washington DC, Warren told the website. We break them apart, that backs up the influence a little bit, and it makes absolutely sure that theyre not engaged in these unfair practices that stomp out every little business thats trying to get a start.
By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There are no signs that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is open to negotiations to end the political impasse with opposition leader Juan Guaido, Washington's envoy for Venezuela said. Elliott Abrams, who served in the administrations of both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, said any negotiated solution would need to be reached among Venezuelans, and that the United States could help by lifting or easing U.S. sanctions and travel restrictions once Maduro agreed to go. Abrams, however, played down any possibility that the Venezuelan president was ready to talk about his exit. "From everything we have seen, Maduro's tactic is to stay put," Abrams said in an interview on Friday. Some 56 countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuela's interim head of state, but Maduro retains the backing of Russia and China as well as control of state institutions including the military. Abrams has met with Russian representatives to the United States about Moscow's support for Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this month, after a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that Moscow was ready to take part in bilateral talks on Venezuela. "The Russians are not happy with Maduro for all the obvious reasons," Abrams said. "In a couple of conversations I have been told they have given advice to Maduro and he doesn't take it." "They continue to support him and there is no indication that I have seen that they are telling him it's time to bring this to an end," he said, adding: "There could come a point where the Russians reach a conclusion that the regime is really unsalvageable." Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington has called on foreign banks to ensure that Maduro and Venezuelan government officials are not hiding financial assets abroad. John Bolton, the U.S. national security advisor, last week threatened to impose sanctions against any financial institution that help Maduro. "We are not going to get any cooperation on this from Russian banks, but I think every step we take makes it harder for the regime to steal money," Abrams said. Moscow is owed $3.1 billion in sovereign debt by Venezuela and acted as a lender of last resort for Caracas, with the government and Russian oil giant, Rosneft, handing Venezuela at least $17 billion in loans and credit lines since 2006. Abrams said he had not yet spoken to Chinese government officials about Beijing's support for Maduro, blaming scheduling issues. "We will do it," Abrams said. Referring to Cuba, the U.S. envoy described it as "a parasite that has been feeding off Venezuela for decades" by taking its oil while offering intelligence and other protections for Maduro. "There are thousands of Cuban officers, and literally, physically, around him. In some ways they are the key advisors to Maduro," Abrams said of Havana's role. Communist-run Cuba has been a key backer of the Venezuelan socialist government since the Bolivarian Revolution that began under former leader Hugo Chavez in 1998. Cuba has denied it has security forces in Venezuela and said statements like Abrams' were part of a campaign of lies aimed at paving the way for U.S. military intervention in the South American country. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Additional reporting by Christian Lowe in Moscow; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
For nearly eight decades, Social Security has made guaranteed monthly payouts to eligible beneficiaries, many of which are retired workers. Today, it's a program responsible for lifting over a third of its recipients above the federal poverty level. In particular, it keeps over 15 million seniors out of poverty who might otherwise struggle to make ends meet without their monthly stipend.

Then again, Social Security is also a program that's skating on thin ice, at least according to the 2018 report from the Board of Trustees.

A person tightly holding a Social Security card between their thumb and index finger.

Image source: Getty Images.

Social Security is facing an imminent cash crunch

Since its inception, the Social Security Board of Trustees has provided a comprehensive annual report detailing the short-term (10 year) and long-tem (75 year) outlook for the program. Despite a major bipartisan overhaul in 1983 under the Reagan administration, the trustees' report has been warning of a cash shortfall over the long run since 1985. This cash shortfall implies that the existing payout schedule isn't sustainable without additional revenue, expenditures cuts, or some combination of the two.

Possibly beginning in 2019, or very soon thereafter, the program will hit its inflection point of expending more than it's collecting. Once this net cash outflow begins, it's expected to widen with each passing year, ultimately leading to the depletion of Social Security's nearly $2.9 trillion in asset reserves by 2034. If Congress fails to act, an across-the-board benefit cut of up to 21% may be needed to sustain payouts through 2092. And since more than three out of five of today's retired workers lean on Social Security for at least half of their monthly income, this is a scary outlook.

It's for these reasons that the American public has called on Congress and President Trump to resolve Social Security's projected $13.2 trillion cash shortfall. The big question is: Has Donald Trump enacted policies to strengthen Social Security?

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The answer depends on your time frame.

President Trump signing paperwork at this desk in the Oval Office.

President Trump signing paperwork at this desk in the Oval Office. Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead.

Trump's indirect approach has made Social Security stronger in the very short term

Whereas most working and retired Americans would prefer direct changes to Social Security, President Trump has advocated against directly amending the program.

While speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2013, Trump suggested that directly amending Social Security is akin to political suicide, without using those exact words. Trump understands that one of the consequences of directly altering Social Security is that some group of people, whether it be the wealthy or future retirees, are going to be worse off than they are now, and that could mean losing votes come the election time.

Instead, Trump has approached strengthening Social Security through indirect action. More specifically, the passage of the president's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was, to some degree, targeted at improving Social Security's financial health. Since nearly 88% of the revenue collected by the program is derived from the payroll tax, the TCJA's focus on creating jobs, lifting wages, and improving economic growth, is expected to increase the amount of wages subject to the payroll tax each year.

The question is: Did this happen?

In the very short term, and with the full impacts of the TCJA yet to be analyzed, Trump's fiscal policy does appear to have helped strengthen Social Security. In 2018, the trustees had been calling for a net cash outflow of $1.7 billion from asset reserves. Instead, close to $3.2 billion in net cash surplus was added to the reserves last year as GDP growth topped 2% in every quarter.

President Trump delivering remarks at the Pentagon.

President Trump delivering remarks at the Pentagon. Image source: Official White House photo by Tia Dufour.

The president's fiscal policy isn't helping Social Security one iota over the long run

However, tinkering with fiscal policy is no solution to Social Security's $13.2 trillion cash shortfall. Even with a temporary boost to economic growth, we know that GDP growth slowdowns and recessions are a natural part of the economic cycle. This means that the payroll tax and wage boost that lifted Social Security's revenue collection in 2018 isn't sustainable over a long period of time.

The fact of the matter is that the longer President Trump and Congress hold off on passing direct fixes to the program, the costlier and more painful it'll be on working Americans.

The cost to fix Social Security is expressed by the trustees' report as the "actuarial deficit." The actuarial deficit represents the percentage increase needed in the payroll tax on earned income today to completely offset the coming $13.2 trillion cash shortfall between 2034 and 2092, as well as ensure that enough money is leftover come 2092 to fully cover expenditures for 2093 (i.e., a trust fund ratio of 100%).

Today, 12.4% of earned income between $0.01 and $132,900 is subject to the payroll tax, with earned income above this amount exempt. In 2018, the actuarial deficit was estimated at 2.84%. Essentially, the trustees have implied that a 15.24% payroll tax (12.4% plus 2.84%) is needed on earned income to sustain the existing payout schedule, without any further cuts, through 2092. But the longer lawmakers wait, the higher this actuarial deficit goes. And the higher this deficit goes, the more working Americans will have to pay into Social Security to right the ship.

In sum, since no amount of fiscal or monetary policy can keep economic growth from slowing or entering a recession, Trump hasn't done anything to strengthen Social Security over the long run. The TCJA is a temporary fix that worked in 2018, but direct resolutions are going to be needed if the program is going to truly be strengthened for current and/or future generations.

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Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine's police said Sunday that 25 officers were injured in clashes with ultra-nationalists who tried to attack a presidential motorcade ahead of elections at the end of this month.

Nineteen police officers were hospitalised in the city of Cherkasy, where supporters of the far-right National Corps party tried to block President Petro Poroshenko's motorcade and accused the government of corruption.

Three officers were also injured in clashes with the same group in Kiev near the presidential offices, with one hospitalised.

The incidents further exacerbate tensions ahead of the presidential elections on March 31 in a country plagued by graft scandals and an ongoing conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Police spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo told AFP that investigations had been opened into the events in Kiev and Cherkasy.

A police video from Cherkasy, which is about 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of Kiev, shows a crowd of men, some wearing masks, swarming around a motorcade of police cars, with some climbing on the roofs, opening car doors and punching policemen.

The protesters lit flares, filling the street with smoke, and shouted obscenities. "Who are you protecting?" one of the protesters can be heard saying in the video. "These scumbags devastated the Ukraine's army!"

On Sunday, the interior announced the arrest of two people suspected of "violence against security forces" and "hooliganism".

National Corps spokesman Oleksandr Alfyorov confirmed to AFP that the group's activists had been involved in clashes in both cities and that two of their number had been arrested.

He accused police of blocking streets to prevent people accessing the square where Poroshenko was giving a speech.

The protesters wanted to "raise the question of corruption in our government," including misappropriation of funds in the military.

Poroshenko, who is running for a second term in office, was recently accused of turning a blind eye to a scheme smuggling military parts.

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Last week he said he had fired the official allegedly profiting from the scheme.

Poroshenko was in Cherkasy Saturday to honour locally born national poet Taras Shevchenko and meet local residents. He has made no comment about the clashes.

Poroshenko is one of three leading candidates in the presidential polls, alongside television actor Volodymyr Zelensky and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
Beirut (AFP) - Dozens of people demonstrated Sunday in the defeated cradle of Syria's uprising against a statue of the late father of the president being reinstated eight years after protesters demolished it.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces secured full control of Daraa from rebels in July, in a massive blow to the country's ill-fated revolt that erupted in the southern city.

"We protested in a number of streets... denouncing a statue of Hafez al-Assad being erected in the centre of Daraa," a protester told AFP.

"The statue was erected by regime supporters," said Mohammed, who did not give his second name to avoid reprisals.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, confirmed the protest had happened nearly eight years after the original statue was dragged down.

In March 2011, demonstrators tore down the statue of the father of the current president, prompting security forces to open fire.

Days after, some 300 bare-chested young men climbed on the rubble shouting anti-regime slogans.

Footage online of the Sunday protest showed a group of mostly men marching rapidly down a street lined with sand-coloured buildings.

They seemed to be accompanied by a throng of motorcycles, some carrying two people.

"Long live Syria, down with Bashar al-Assad," they shouted, almost eight years after the first protest of the popular uprising.

Rebels and their families started evacuating Daraa in July under a surrender deal brokered by regime ally Russia after weeks of ferocious bombardment.

Security forces have since returned to those areas but regime forces have not, including in Daraa al-Balad where the protest took place.

On Twitter, Syria's opposition chief praised the demonstrators' bravery.

"What can we say to those under the rule of iron and fire and who daringly and bravely step out raising the slogans of the first revolution," Nasr al-Hariri wrote.

"After years of torture, suffering, killing, displacement and destruction, Syria's spring is again blooming."

The war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests.

Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria with an iron fist for 30 years before he died in 2000 and was succeeded by his son.
The Duchess of Sussex with Amy Pickerill at Edinburgh Castle in February 2018 - UK Press

The Duchess of Sussexs assistant private secretary is to leave her job after just one year in the post.

Amy Pickerill has been the right hand woman to Meghan after being handpicked to work for her and then officially appointed in February last year.

She has played a major role in helping Meghan adjust to royal life, including helping her organise her charity projects, including the cookbook the Duchess published to raise money for families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

While it has been claimed that some key staff have given up their role working with the Duchess of Sussex amid claims she was difficult to work for, it is understood Ms Pickerills departure is on good terms.

The Duchess of Sussex pictured after a panel discussion on International Women's Day Credit: PA

It is believed she will stay on in her role until after the duchess has given birth, allowing her time to help introduce her replacement to the role.

Her departure means three of the main women working for Meghan have left in the space of just months. The duchesss PA, Melissa Touabti, quit less than six months after the American married Prince Harry.

It is understood Ms Pickerill plans to travel abroad after leaving her post.

The former Kensington Palace press secretary, was given the job three months before Princess Harry and Meghan Markle were due to marry in May last year.

Ms Pickerill was photographed picking up the duchess-to-bes mother, Doria, at Heathrow airport shortly before the wedding in May.

She had been working for the royals, helping the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Prince Harry with their engagements since late 2016.
Nepal Army team defuses pressure-cooker bomb at Syuchatar

A team of Nepal Army personnel on Sunday defused an improvised explosive device planted at Kamal Pokhari of Syuchatar, in Nagarjun Municipality-10.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday accused International Women's Day protesters of being led by political rivals and of "disrespect" during the Islamic call to prayer, after Friday's march was broken up by police firing tear gas.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul on Friday in defiance of a ban by authorities, crowding the famous Istiklal avenue, before a police crackdown brought the demonstration to a chaotic end.

In his comments on Sunday, Erdogan referenced an unverified viral video showing women and men continuing to chant during the call to prayer.

"A group which came together in Taksim led by the (main opposition Republican People's Party) CHP and (pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party) HDP supposedly for women's day behaved rudely with whistling and chanting during the call to prayer," Erdogan said.

The avenue is close to Taksim square, a traditional rallying point.

The president has been holding daily rallies across the country and often slamming the opposition ahead of local elections on March 31. He has accused the CHP of being in an alliance with the HDP, which Erdogan says is a political front for Kurdish insurgents.

The "March 8 Feminist Night march" group issued a statement on Sunday decrying the attempt to use Friday's rally as "election material" in the press and on social media.

"Police violence against tens of thousands of women taking part/trying to take part in the night march cannot be covered up with polarising language... fake news and hate," the group said, without making any direct reference to Erdogan.

In his statement the Turkish leader also played a short clip of the video as well as footage of an opposition rally from 2011 and said that participants did not carry the Turkish flag.

"(The opposition is) attacking our liberty and our future with this disrespect to our flag and our call to prayer," he said during a rally in the southern city of Adana.

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Although polls suggest Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) remains dominant, the opposition may make larger gains as the economic slowdown and the weaker Turkish lira impacts households.

Erdogan often says that his Islamic-rooted party has given greater freedom to Muslims in Turkey where until a few years ago, women were banned from wearing the Islamic headscarf, known as the hijab, in state institutions and universities.

But he has been accused by critics of eroding the secular pillars of modern Turkey.

The call to prayer has been at the centre of controversy in the Turkish republic since its foundation in 1923.

From 1932 to 1950, the call to prayer was banned in Arabic in Turkey.

Most recently in 2018, there was a row after CHP MP Ozturk Yilmaz called for it to be in Turkish rather than Arabic.
By Duncan Miriri, Maggie Fick and Aaron Maasho NAIROBI/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off on Sunday, killing all 157 people on board and raising questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a new model that also crashed in Indonesia in October. Sunday's flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. (0538 GMT), before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8:44 a.m. "There are no survivors," the airline tweeted alongside a picture of Chief Executive Tewolde GebreMariam holding up a piece of debris inside a large crater at the crash site. "The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and that he wanted to return," Tewolde told a news conference. Passengers from 33 countries were aboard, said Tewolde. The dead included Kenyan, Ethiopian, American, Canadian, French, Chinese, Egyptian, Swedish, British, Dutch, Indian, Slovakian, Austrian, Swedish, Russian, Moroccan, Spanish, Polish, and Israeli citizens. At least four worked for the United Nations, the airline said, and the U.N.'s World Food Program director confirmed his organization had lost staff in the accident. Weeping relatives begged for information at airports in Nairobi and Addis Ababa. "We're just waiting for my mum. We're just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. She's not picking up her phone," said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping. The aircraft, a 737 MAX 8, is the same model that crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on Oct 29, killing all 189 people on board the Lion Air flight. The cause of that crash is still under investigation. A senior U.S. government official said it was too early to tell if there was any direct connection between the two accidents, but that reviewing the issue would be among the top priorities for investigators. The 737 is the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and is seen as one of the industrys most reliable. A preliminary report into the October crash focused on airline maintenance and training and technical questions about the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor. Boeing is working on a software patch on the system, while insisting cockpit procedures were already in place to deal safely with problems the Lion Air crew experienced. Ethiopian's new aircraft had no recorded technical problems and the pilot had an "excellent" flying record, Tewolde said. We received the airplane on November 15, 2018. It has flown more than 1,200 hours. It had flown from Johannesburg earlier this morning," he said. "UNSTABLE SPEED" Flight ET 302, registration number ET-AVJ, crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 km (38 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, with 149 passengers and eight crew aboard, the airline said. The flight had unstable vertical speed after take off, the flight tracking website Flightradar24 tweeted. Data released by the Sweden-based service suggested the aircraft had climbed almost 1,000 feet after taking off from Addis Ababa, a hot and high-altitude airport whose thinner air requires extra effort from an aircraft's engines. It dipped about 450 feet before rapidly climbing another 900 feet until the point where satellite tracking data was lost. The aircraft had shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the crash said. Clothing and personal effects were scattered widely over the field where the plane came down. There was no immediate indication of what caused the crash and safety experts said it was too early to speculate, adding most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors. They said investigators would examine the wreckage and bodies for any signs of burns or unusual forces and study the shape and size of the wreckage field. An urgent priority will be to find the two crash-protected cockpit recorders - one for data and the other for pilots' voice recordings. Boeing said it was sending a technical team to help with the Ethiopian-led investigation. ANGUISHED RELATIVES At Nairobi airport, many relatives were left waiting at the gate for hours, with no information from airport authorities. Some learned of the crash from journalists. Robert Mutanda, 46, was waiting for his brother-in-law, a Canadian citizen. "No, we haven't seen anyone from the airline or the airport," he told Reuters at 1pm, more than three hours after the flight was lost. "Nobody has told us anything, we are just standing here hoping for the best." Kenyan officials did not arrive at the airport until 1:30 p.m. James Macharia, the cabinet secretary for transport, said he heard about the crash via Twitter. Nineteen staff from at least five U.N. and affiliated organizations died, including the World Food Program, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, the International Telecommunications Union, the U.N. Environment Program, the World Bank and the International Organisation on Migration, the IOM said. ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES Under international rules, responsibility for leading the crash investigation lies with Ethiopia but the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will also participate because the plane was designed and built in the United States. Representatives of Boeing and Cincinnati-based engine-maker CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and General Electric Co and Frances Safran SA, were expected to advise the NTSB. Ethiopian is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. The plane was among six of 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets the rapidly expanding carrier has ordered. The fleet will continue flying since the cause of the crash is not clear, the CEO said. Its last major crash was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down shortly after take-off, killing all 90 people onboard. The Lebanese blamed pilot error, which was disputed by the airline. North American airlines that operate the 737 MAX 8 said they were monitoring the investigation. Southwest Airlines flies 31 MAX 8 jets while American Airlines and Air Canada each have 24 in their fleet. Southwest said it remained confident in the safety of its more than 750 Boeing jets. (Additional reporting by Hereward Holland, Omar Mohammed and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi; Tiksa Negeri in Bishoftu; Tim Hepher in Paris, Jamie Freed in Singapore, Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Shephardson in Washington; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Jane Merriman)
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih said on Sunday it would be too early to change OPEC+ output policy at the group's meeting in April and that China and the U.S. would lead healthy global demand for oil this year.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies such as Russia -- known as the OPEC+ alliance -- will meet in Vienna on April 17-18, with another gathering scheduled for June 25-26.

Falih said the group was unlikely to change its output policy in April and if required would make adjustments in June.

"We will see what happens by April, if there is any unforeseen disruption somewhere else, but barring this I think we will just be kicking the can forward," Falih said.

"We will see where the market is by June and adjust appropriately," Falih said after a meeting with Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi.

OPEC member United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Sunday it would continue to meet its obligations to cut supply under the producer agreement.

"We will continue to deliver on the OPEC & Non-OPEC commitment for voluntary production adjustments until the global market is re-balanced," Minister of Energy and Industry Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Twitter.

On Jan. 1, OPEC+ began new production cuts to avoid a supply glut that threatened to soften prices. The group agreed to reduce supply by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) for six months.

Sources recently said the most likely scenario is that the current supply cuts will be extended in June but much depends on the extent of U.S. sanctions on OPEC members Iran and Venezuela.

OPEC's share of the cuts is 800,000 bpd, to be delivered by 11 members -- all except Iran, Libya and Venezuela, which are exempt. The baseline for the reduction was in most cases their output in October 2018.

For Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, Falih said output in April was expected to remain at this month's level of 9.8 million bpd.

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"Aramco is finalizing their April allocations today or tomorrow so we will know more on Monday. But my expectation is that April is going to be pretty much like March".

GLOBAL OIL DEMAND

Falih said total global oil demand is set to grow by around 1.5 million bpd this year.

"If you look at Venezuela alone you would panic, if you look at the U.S. you would say the world is awash with oil. You have to look at the market as a whole. We think 2019 demand is actually quite healthy," Falih told Reuters.

In Venezuela, suffering from a political and economic crisis, oil exports have plunged 40 percent to around 920,000 bpd since Washington slapped sanctions on its petroleum industry on Jan. 28.

On the other hand, production in U.S. hit a record of more than 12 million bpd in February.

The International Energy Agency last month left its demand growth forecast for 2019 unchanged from January at 1.4 million barrels per day.

Falih said Chinese demand was breaking records month after month and estimated the country would breach 11 million bpd this year.

He also said that along with China and the U.S., India's expanding economy was driving global oil demand growth.

After the meeting, India's oil minister said he wanted Saudi Arabia to play an active role in keeping oil prices at a reasonable level as rising prices affect the Indian economy.

He also invited Saudi Arabia to partner with India in building strategic oil reserves and further invest in India's refining and Petrochemical sectors.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
LONDON (Reuters) - Lawmakers will this week decide how and when Britain should leave the European Union in a series of votes that could determine the country's prosperity for decades to come. With Britain due to leave the EU on March 29, and no agreed direction for the world's fifth-largest economy to take, Prime Minister Theresa May will ask lawmakers to vote on up to three possible outcomes. WHAT WILL PARLIAMENT VOTE ON? On Tuesday, they will be asked if they support May's deal. The deal was heavily rejected in January and May has yet to agree with Brussels any of the changes that parliament has asked for. If the deal is rejected, lawmakers will vote on Wednesday on whether the government should pursue a no-deal exit. Critics warn that such an exit would cause an economic shock, but some Brexit supporters say it is the only way to break free from Brussels. If lawmakers reject a no-deal exit, the government will hold a vote on Thursday to ask parliament whether Brexit should be delayed. Ministers have argued that a delay would open the door to Brexit being reversed through a second referendum. WHAT HAPPENS ON TUESDAY? Lawmakers will spend several hours on Tuesday debating the prime minister's deal. The debate is likely to start around 1300 GMT and is expected to culminate in votes at around 1900 GMT. The vote will be on a statement saying that parliament approves a two-part deal: a legal withdrawal treaty, and a political declaration on future relations with the EU. Parliament must approve the deal before it can be ratified. Lawmakers are expected to try and make changes to the text of the statement to show that there is majority support for an alternative course of action or to make backing the deal conditional on something such as a second referendum. These so-called amendments will be submitted in advance and, even if approved by a majority, will not be legally binding. However, their political power in demonstrating support for an alternative route could be hard to ignore for May. The speaker chooses which amendments will be eligible for a vote and announces his choice at the start of the debate. Amendments are voted upon before the government's deal. For more on how parliament carries out votes, see: WHAT HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAY? If May's deal is rejected, the government has promised to give lawmakers the chance to show they want to pursue leaving the EU without a formal deal. Parliament has previously voted against a no-deal exit. The exact details of this vote are not yet known, including which way May will instruct her Conservative Party to vote. Party policy has long been that leaving without a deal is preferable to leaving with a bad deal. But, many ministers are opposed to a no-deal exit, meaning May could face resignations from her government if she asks lawmakers to back that policy. The wording of the motion that parliament votes on will be subject to amendments, although it is not clear yet what changes lawmakers would seek to make at this stage. The motion is not binding on the government, and May could theoretically continue negotiating in search of a deal parliament will approve. WHAT HAPPENS ON THURSDAY? If parliament does not support leaving the EU without a deal, the government has promised to hold a further vote, asking lawmakers if they want the government to ask for a "short, limited" delay Britain's EU exit. The exact details of this vote are not yet known, including which way May will instruct her Conservative Party to vote. Britain cannot unilaterally decide to delay Brexit, it has to seek agreement from the other 27 EU countries to extend the exit negotiations. The wording of the motion that parliament votes on will be subject to amendments. Although it is not clear yet what changes lawmakers would seek to make, they could involve attempts to determine the length of any delay. (Reporting by William James. Editing by Jane Merriman)
My personal goal, would be to get to the point where everybody around the world is so aware of the crisis facing our coral reefs, that they're all stepping up to take action, and I'm no longer needed, the Communications Director at Coral Restoration Foundation, Alice Grainger told Yahoo Finance. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that coral reefs in southeast Florida have an asset value of $8.5 billion, generating $4.4 billion in local sales, $2 billion in local income, and 70,400 jobs. By one NOAA estimate, coral reefs provide economic goods and services worth about $375 billion each year.
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, living in self-imposed exile in Belgium, will run in the May 26 European Parliament elections as the leading candidate of Junts per Catalunya (JxCat), his political party said on Sunday. Puigdemont, 56, fled Spain in October 2017 after Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia. The wealthy northeastern region had unilaterally declared independence on the basis of a referendum deemed illegal by Spanish courts. "It is the moment to make another step to internationalize the self-determination right of Catalonia from Europe's heart to all the world," Puigdemont said on Twitter. Puigdemont and five other former Catalan leaders in self-imposed exile in European countries would be arrested if they returned to Spain. Puigdemont, who was the Catalan president for about 22 months, faces charges of rebellion in Spain. It is not clear if Puigdemont could be sworn in as member of the European Parliament if he is elected. The requirements for candidates are decided at the national level. Spanish media have said that according to Spanish electoral law Puigdemont would have to return to Spain to formally swear to the central electoral board that he would comply with the Spanish Constitution as a European lawmaker. If he does not do that within a set period of time he will not be allowed to assume his seat in the European Parliament, according to the electoral law. Puigdemont's party did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Last July, Spanish courts lifted the European arrest warrants for Puigdemont after a German court ruled that he could be extradited to Spain to face a separate charge of misuse of public funds, but not for the rebellion charge, something that Spain decided not to accept. From Belgium, Puigdemont ran again for office in the December 2017 Catalan regional elections and was proposed for president by a parliamentary majority, but Spanish courts banned his attempt to assume office from outside the country. Oriol Junqueras, leader of the pro-independence party ERC who is on trial in Madrid with 11 other Catalan politicians for their role in the 2017 secession drive, will also run in the European election. If Junqueras would be elected, although he would already be in Spain it is also unclear if he could be sworn in as a member of the European Parliament. (Reporting by Joan Faus, additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Jane Merriman)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Nicolas Petit is the first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher to reach Alaska's Bering Sea coast.

The Frenchman pulled into the checkpoint at Unalakleet (YUN'-uh-lah-kleet) Sunday. He left the previous checkpoint with about a two-hour lead on defending champion Joar Ulsom of Norway and Alaskans Jessie Royer and Pete Kaiser.

Petit wins $1,500 in gold nuggets for being first to the wind-whipped coast.

After Unalakleet, mushers will work their way north up to the coast, eventually reaching the finish line in Nome after a thousand-mile (1,600-kilometer) trek across Alaska's wilderness.

Cindy Abbott became the fourth musher to leave the race, citing personal health reasons and worries about taking care of her team. The Nebraska native and former Cal State-Fullerton professor who has climbed Mount Everest scratched late Saturday.
Olis aim for political mileage and Rauts quest for safe landing led to 11-point deal

In what looked like a well-choreographed move, things were played to their perfection on Friday afternoon, as CK Raut, a long-time secessionist campaigner, announced that he had given up his "Free Madhes" demand. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli welcomed Raut to peaceful politics.
By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON (Reuters) - Campaigners for gender equality took to European city streets on Friday to mark International Women's Day with celebrations and protests, while in Turkey police fired tear gas to break up a crowd of several thousand women in Istanbul in the evening. In Spain, hundreds of thousands of women, wearing purple and raising their fists, took to the streets of cities around the country calling for greater gender equality. The issue has become deeply divisive in Spain ahead of a national election on April 28. A new far-right party, Vox, has called for a 2004 law on domestic violence against women to be scrapped, and stands to win dozens of seats, opinion polls show. In Berlin, city authorities declared Women's Day a formal holiday and thousands joined a colorful demonstration under sunny skies at the German capital's Alexanderplatz. In Paris, demonstrators from Amnesty International waved placards outside the Saudi Arabian embassy that read "Honk for women's rights", and called for the release of jailed women activists, including some campaigners for the right to drive in the deeply conservative kingdom. In Athens and Kiev, women protesters demanded equality and an end to violence against women. In Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, hundreds called for the release of Syrian women in jail. But in the evening, Turkish police fired tear gas to break up a crowd gathered for a march, Reuters witnesses said. Hundreds of riot police blocked the marchers' path to prevent them advancing along the district's main pedestrian avenue. Police then fired pepper spray and pellets containing tear gas to disperse the crowd, and scuffles broke out as they pursued the women into side streets off the avenue. It was not clear if anyone was hurt or if people were detained. Turkish police regularly block the staging of protests in central Istanbul and elsewhere. Ankara tightened restrictions after the imposition of emergency rule following an attempted coup in 2016. The state of emergency was lifted last July. EQUALITY AND RESPECT In Russia, where Women's Day has been an important festival since Communist times, flowers and congratulatory messages decorated public spaces. In Spain, one of the country's largest unions, UGT, said an estimated 6 million people went on strike across the country for at least two hours to demand equal pay and rights for women. Spain's government said it would not provide estimates on the rate of participation. "Many people are trying to demonize feminism while it has always been a fight for equality," said Ana Sanz, 36, dressed in a red overcoat and white bonnet echoing the uniforms worn in the dystopian novel and TV series "The Handmaid's Tale". Tens of thousands of women, mostly students, crammed streets and squares in the Spanish capital Madrid, chanting and carrying placards saying: "Liberty, Equality, Friendship" and "The way I dress does not change the respect I deserve!" In Berlin's Alexanderplatz, protester Anna Lob told Reuters she had been sexually assaulted during an internship. "A male colleague grabbed my ass while I was standing in a circle with some men," she said. "Physical assaults in any form or (sexist) comments, jokes or something you have to listen to over and over again - that is a form of discrimination." Also in Alexanderplatz, Paula Schramm said she had seen some moves toward greater equality but many women remained disadvantaged in their daily lives. "And that is why I am here. I want to change this so that it becomes equal at some point." In Paris, Cameroonian rights activist Aissa Doumara was honored for her campaign against forced marriages by President Emmanuel Macron. At a ceremony at the Elysee Palace, he handed Doumara the first women's rights prize dedicated to the late French minister and abortion campaigner Simone Veil. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa joined a womens rights protest in downtown Lisbon. When there is a difference of 18 percent on average between the salary of men and women, disparity in political positions, and when there is barbarity such as gender violence, its a sign that there is still much to do in the fight for women's rights, he told the crowd. Twelve women have died so far this year in domestic violence in Portugal. "EMBRYONIC KICKING OF FEMINISM" In London, Meghan, Britain's Duchess of Sussex, said she hoped the baby she is expecting this spring with Britain's Prince Harry would follow in her feminist footsteps. The ex-"Suits" actress made the comment during a Women's Day panel discussion at King's College London. Asked how the "bump" - her first baby - was treating her, the 37-year-old told the audience: "Very well." "I'd seen this documentary on Netflix about feminism and one of the things they said during pregnancy was, 'I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism'," she said. "I love that. So boy or girl or whatever it is, we hope that that's the case, with our little bump." (Reporting by Sabela Ojea and Raul Cadenas in Madrid, Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London, Johnny Cotton in Paris, Catarina Demony in Lisbon, Andrea Shalal in Berlin and Reuters Television in Moscow; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Istanbul (AFP) - Two German journalists on Sunday left Turkey after Ankara refused to renew their accreditation, a move condemned by Berlin as "unacceptable".

Jorg Brase, Istanbul bureau chief for ZDF public television, and Thomas Seibert, who writes for the newspaper Tagesspiegel, had their applications for press cards rejected by the Turkish government for reasons both men said remained unknown.

The two journalists had to leave Turkey within 10 days of their rejection.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday said on Twitter it was "unacceptable" that German correspondents could not do "their job freely" in Turkey.

He told Tagesspiegel it was "incompatible with our understanding of press freedom".

At a news conference in Istanbul before the two men left Turkey, Brase and Seibert accused the Turkish government of trying to "silence" international media.

"The Turkish government managed to more or less silence national media, and now they are now trying to do it with international media," Brase said.

"What we will definitely do is ... keep on reporting on Turkish issues but we will do it from outside Turkey, unfortunately."

Seibert said he had been accredited in Turkey as a correspondent since 1997.

Brase claimed the Turkish press attache in Berlin made an offer to ZDF and Tagesspiegel, suggesting they send different correspondents. But the offer was rejected, Brase added.

Brase said he was considering moving to Tehran since the Iranian government had given him the necessary paperwork to live there. He had been working in Turkey since January 2018.

The two men were due to leave Turkey on separate flights from Istanbul.

Relations between Berlin and Ankara had been strained following the failed 2016 coup and the arrest by Turkish authorities of tens of thousands of people including Germans.

But after the release of German citizens including German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel and journalist Mesale Tolu, ties improved.

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It is believed around 40 foreign journalists in Turkey including German reporters are still waiting for accreditation.

German public broadcaster NDR correspondent Halil Gulbeyaz said this month his application for accreditation had also been rejected.

The German foreign ministry updated its travel advisory for Turkey on Saturday to say there was a risk that the Turkish government could "take further measures against representatives of the German media or civil society institutions".
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - The German far left's star politician Sahra Wagenknecht said Sunday she was quitting the leadership of a new populist movement that aims to address the concerns of the poor and win back working-class voters but has struggled to gain momentum.

Wagenknecht, a leading member of the far-left Die Linke party, said the "Stand Up" alliance she co-founded last September needed a complete reorganisation at the top.

"The party politicians should take a step back, that also applies to myself," she told the Frankfurter Allgemeine daily in an interview.

"Their experience was needed at the start but now it's right to hand over responsibility" to grassroots supporters, she said.

The surprise retreat comes as the movement "has gone quiet", Der Spiegel weekly noted, after an initial burst of activity when it attracted 100,000 members in the first month of existence.

Some six months later that number has climbed to just 170,000, despite the fact that membership is free and requires only an online registration.

Der Spiegel said the envisaged loose alliance of leftist groups has run into scepticism from established parties and lacks a clear profile -- with even Wagenknecht's own Die Linke "unsure how to deal with the political initiative".

"Wagenknecht doesn't want to stand up anymore. It's now up to others to do the work. How embarrassing," tweeted MP Johannes Kahrs from the centre-left Social Democrats, junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government.

Lawmaker Sebastian Steineke from Merkel's centre-right CDU was equally scathing.

"'Stand Up' is over already. As expected, the leftist dream remains a mere utopia," he wrote on Twitter.

- Tough on migration -

The "Stand Up" (Aufstehen) movement is the brainchild of Wagenknecht and her husband Oskar Lafontaine, a firebrand socialist, ex-finance minister and defector from the Social Democrats (SPD).

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Its declared goal is to counter the "neoliberal policies" of Merkel's centrist coalition government and fight for secure jobs and pensions, environmental protection and "a true democracy not ruled by banks, corporations and lobbyists".

But in a controversial break with the left's "open borders" policy, the movement also advocates a tougher stance on immigration in a bid to woo back citizens who have drifted to the far right.

In the Sunday newspaper interview, Wagenknecht lamented the "bunker mentality" of Germany's leftist parties that had prevented them from embracing her project.

While the ecologist Greens and the centre-left SPD do govern with the far left on a regional level, they have never teamed up in a national coalition -- in large part because of Die Linke's uncompromising hard-left positions, such as wanting to abolish NATO.

"The (leftist) party leaderships... apparently feel so comfortable in their dead-end streets that they are missing the chance that 'Stand Up' represents," Wagenknecht said.

She later took to Facebook to reassure supporters she wasn't ditching "Stand Up" and would continue to play an active role in the movement.

"Of course I will keep working on the success of our shared project," she wrote.
At least 29 people were injured during a turbulent flight from Istanbul to New Yorks Kennedy Airport on Saturday afternoon, according to the New York Fire Department.

Steve Coleman, spokesman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said most everyone on board went to the hospital with bumps, bruises and cuts after the plane landed Saturday at 5:35 p.m. ET. A flight attendant suffered a broken leg, he said.

Initially, the New York Fire Department tweeted that emergency personnel were treating 32 passengers with non-life-threatening injuries at JFK airport.

An hour later, the FDNY confirmed the total number of patients treated at JFK Airport decreased to 29 people.

#FDNY confirms total patients treated at JFK Airport following a turbulent flight have been downgraded to 29 non-life-threatening injuries. FDNY continues to operate on scene.  FDNY (@FDNY) March 10, 2019

An emergency was declared after the plane landed, with a dozen ambulances waiting at Terminal 1.

Most of the injured passengers were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Two people were taken to Queens Hospital Medical Center.

There were 329 people on board the Boeing 777, including 21 crew members, according to ABC News.

Turkish Airlines Flight 1 encountered the turbulence about 45 minutes before landing at the New York City airport. The crew declared an emergency while the plane was still in the air, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Earlier Saturday, there was a different problem on a flight that made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

Smoke on Air Transat Flight 942 from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with 189 passengers prompted the airport to briefly shut down all runways.

The pilot of the plane requested the emergency landing about 8:20 a.m., Coleman, the Port Authority spokesman, said.

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There were two reported injuries that were unrelated to the smoke. One person complained of pain from sliding down the emergency chute. Another suffered, a panic attack, Coleman said.

No fire was found and the cause of the smoke remains under investigation.

Both planes landed safely.

#EWR Flights have resumed. Please contact your airline for flight status update. [70]  Newark Liberty Airport (@EWRairport) March 9, 2019

Contributing: Anthony Zurita, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record; The Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heavy turbulence injures dozens of people during flight to NYC from Istanbul
The Trump administration is considering a rule that would require doctors and hospitals to disclose the rates they negotiate with insurance companies, a step toward establishing something that is sorely wanting in the U.S. health-care market: prices.

Milton Friedman famously described the four ways you can spend money. You can: 1. spend your own money on yourself; 2. spend someone elses money on yourself; 3. spend your own money on someone else; 4. spend someone elses money on someone else. No. 1 is usually the most efficient model, because when you spend your own money on yourself you have powerful incentives to monitor both cost and quality.

But when it comes to health care, we almost always use one of the other models, which creates different incentives, often bad ones: We love spending other peoples money on ourselves (No. 2) and dont pay much attention to the cost when doing so, hence the difficulty of reducing Medicaid expenditures and other medical benefits. (In Finland, the Centre party government of Prime Minister Juha Sipil has just resigned after failing to pass reforms to control the rising expenditures associated with the countrys aging population  thats our future, too.) Politicians love spending other peoples money on other people (No. 4) even when the costs are high and the quality is low. We dont like paying taxes (thats No. 3) and so we sometimes underfund programs for the vulnerable and the needy; the same incentive often means that employer-based insurance plans reflect the employers priorities more than those of the purported beneficiaries.

Ideally, our health-care policies would shift more medical spending toward No. 1  people paying their own expenses out-of-pocket, especially for routine, predictable medical costs incurred by people who are neither poor nor elderly. But it will be nearly impossible to do that in an effective (and politically palatable) way without real prices.

There is a pretty good cash-on-the-barrelhead market for some health-care services in the United States, including concierge medical practices that will not so much as look at an insurance card (unless it says American Express on the front), cash-only dental clinics, and other fee-for-service businesses, such as cosmetic specialists, sometimes seen as being at the margins of medical care or superfluous.

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These arrangements have many benefits: Consumers generally know up front what services will cost and have the ability to comparison shop, which puts downward pressure on prices. Customers paying out of pocket also get treated better: If you have insurance, you may be the patient but you are not the customer  the guy signing the check is the customer, always and everywhere. But these services tend to be limited in their scope and mostly serve relatively affluent people, though there is a quickly developing market of walk-in clinics and neighborhood providers serving lower-income consumers.

The experience in the broader, insurance-dominated health-care market is maddening. It is nearly impossible to get a straight answer in advance about the price of almost anything, including routine, standardized services such as common laboratory tests. This is not by accident: The health-care market in the United States is a perverse example of that great fiction through which everyone endeavors to live at the expense of everyone else. As anybody who has ever bought illegal drugs knows, one of the hallmarks of a dysfunctional market is that the sellers work to keep secret as much information as is possible, keeping their customers in the dark. In a normal market, sellers are happy  eager, even  to advertise their prices. Even the market for luxury goods, where prices once were scrupulously shielded from public view (Call to Inquire), sellers have begun to take a much more frank attitude toward prices, in part because Internet-powered globalization has diminished the ability of authorized dealers to maintain effective regional monopolies.

But the market for chemotherapy is different in important ways from the market for fancy handbags. Though there are exceptions, most health-care services are heavily location-dependent: You can order a pair of shoes from Singapore, but you probably arent going to go there for a check-up or a tonsillectomy. The fact that health care is largely immune from offshoring is one of the reasons why that field (along with government, education, and a few others) has seen relatively strong wage and employment growth while other sectors more vulnerable to offshoring have not. Thats great for providers  but not for consumers, who never benefit from having competition limited and their choices reduced.

Forcing the disclosure of negotiated insurer rates would be one small step toward a more functional and patient-centered market for medical services. And it is a market, moralistic rhetoric about health care as a right notwithstanding. Its a market even in places where government monopolies distort it. There is no getting around scarcity.

You know that this is the right thing to do  because the hospital lobbyists are having a fit. Disclosing negotiated rates between insurers and hospitals could undermine the choices available in the private market, American Hospital Association executive Tom Nickels told the Wall Street Journal. While we support transparency, this approach misses the mark. Thats some grade-A corporate doublespeak right there: We support transparency, unless it produces transparency.

Imagine if buying a car were like paying for a medical procedure. Youd find out what that Honda Civic costs when you got the bill. It might be $20,000, or it might be $350,000. And some other guy may or may not help pay for some of it, depending on the deal your employer negotiated on your behalf seven years before you joined the company. Nobody would tolerate that  and nobody would seriously be expected to.

Republicans blew the health-care debate in 2009 with their mulish need to defend the status quo of what they insisted was the greatest health-care system in the world, never bothering to ask why so many people were so unhappy with such a superlative system. The answer, which is for obvious reasons less obvious to people with lots of money and good insurance, is: insecurity. Many people walk into doctors offices not knowing whether their insurance will cover the service they need, how much theyll have to pay out of pocket, whether theyll still have insurance in a week and whether it will offer the same benefits, etc. Asymmetric information means asymmetric power, and nobody likes to feel like hes getting hosed  especially not when it comes to a life-saving procedure for his child or himself.

Prices will not solve everything thats wrong with the U.S. health-care system, but they will do a lot of good.

More from National Review
How are you adjusting to the new vibes, stargazers? Were well into our first Mercury retrograde of the year, and its definitely slowing our reactions and need for speed. Our thoughts are drawn to everything the second house of finances, as Uranus entered Taurus last week to create change and bring challenges our way. The sun continues to illuminate the sign of Pisces this week, keeping us tender and dreamy. A Mars and Neptune sextile arrives on the 10th, arousing our confidence in creativity! Its safe to trust your gut on Thursday when action planet Mars trines with Saturn, our cosmic taskmaster. Together these planets will build the perfect setting for us to make smart and informed decisions. Fridays Mercury - Jupiter square could cause some tempers to flare. When these two planets link up, its usually a celebratory occasion. However thanks to the messenger planets backward movement and ill-suited position, we could experience some miscommunications, unfulfilled promises, and general snafus.

On Sunday, the moon waxes through Taurus until early Tuesday morning. She will be void of course (VOC) from 5:30 a.m. until 11:47 a.m. EST, so save your talking points until after lunch when she enters expressive Gemini. Actions taken during this time usually result as moot points - so conserve your energy! The moon will remain in Gemini until 8:30 a.m. EST on Thursday when she enters a second extended VOC period lasting until 5:49 p.m. EST. Put your attention on administrative tasks and get organized until this null event passes. The moon springs back into action, waxing through Cancer on Thursday night until Saturday afternoon at 2:03 p.m. EST.

Aries

March 21 to April 19 You might get questions about your beauty routine this week, Aries. If anyone asks what your secret is, credit the positive vibrations that your friends give you. Venus, your personal planetary ruler of love and money, is warming up your 11th house of friendship. Her influence in this house will bring out the best in you as you learn and socialize. Theyre the perfect antidote to our Mercury retrograde. Make plans to visit a spa or host an impromptu sleepover with your besties to whether the cosmic storm. The messenger planet is your personal health and work ruler, so dont try anything too daring while hes moving backward. Put your best face forward on Thursday as your career planet Saturn trines Mars. The moon may be void of course, but this alignment is too sweet to sleep on. The energy of your ruling planet matched with Saturn will help you to accomplish any task that you set your mind to! Saturn is a great planner, so start your to-do list so that Mars can help bring your goals to reality. Watch out for weird energy on Friday, when Jupiter and Mercury square. Dont make any promises that you arent 100% sure of keeping, and dont believe everything that you hear. These two planets will be working against each other, so keep your head down until it passes. Celia Jacobs.

Taurus

April 20 to May 20 Your ambition will be impossible to ignore at the beginning of the week, Taurus. The moon is waxing in your sign, helping you to express your priorities to both loved ones and coworkers. The sun will help support you thanks to his illumination in your 11th house of friendship. Our star is responsible for assisting Taurus in matters of home and family. If words escape you this week, take a breather and collect your thoughts. Mercury is in his second week of retrograde, backtracking your progress in financial matters. If youve got a contract to sign or a deal to set up, be wary of any documents made that need to be finalized by the 28th. Ask for extensions, or beef up on your knowledge of the matter to make the most informed decision. Your career planet Uranus has only just recently moved into your first house of self, preparing the opportunities that will come to you in the next seven years. Thats plenty of time for you to make significant strides in your professional journey. If youre itching to get going on your next big idea, Thursday holds promise thanks to a Mars and Saturn trine. The red planet is working to create spiritual balance with our cosmic taskmaster, who is in charge of your educational and travel opportunities. Youre all about planning, but have you considered what move you need to make next to feed your soul? A Jupiter and Mercury square on Friday could create tensions around financial conversations - be wary of guarantees made to you, and making them to others. Remember the golden rule of Mercury Rx  slow your roll! Cachetejack.

Gemini

May 21 to June 20 Youve survived the first week of Mercury retrograde, Gemini. So lets get ready for week number two. Home and family matters that spring up this week should be given special care as your planetary ruler continues to reverse through the sky. Remember that the race towards perfection is all in your head. Take your time with your loved ones, and savor your words before you let them out into the world. You may start to uncover new insights into your faith systems as Uranus, your planet of transformation is making moves in your 12th house of spirituality this week. Keeping a journal could help you to reveal wisdom that was buried deep within yourself. The moon waxes into your sign on Tuesday morning until Thursday morning. As your personal money planet, shell help you to identify any blind spots in your finances. Avoid jumping the gun on Thursday while the moon is void-of-course, as actions taken will likely have little results until the evening when it passes. A Mars and Saturn trine will help you make the right plans and find opportune moments to act. If youre connected to a partner, avoid serious conversations as Jupiter, your love planet squares against communicative Mercury. If you can let yourself be silly, youll be able to enter the weekend as light as a feather! Single Geminis link up with people who share your vest for love. The winter is almost over, and you can feel the sun growing warmer each day. Amber Vittoria.

Cancer

June 21 to July 22 Its ok to feel a little spacy this week, Cancer. Youre adjusting to a new frequency as Mercury reverses his movement. Ease into auto-pilot as the messenger planet is re-adjusts your spiritual perspective. If youre squinting at the bigger picture, youll be more frustrated than someone looking at an optical illusion for the first time. Uranus is shaking your professional burdens away this week thanks to his move out of your 10th house last Wednesday. Make friends and socializing a priority this week while he brightens up your 11th house. The moon waxes in your sign from Thursday night until Saturday afternoon, intensifying your emotions. So tuck in and enjoy your own company while she brings out the best in you. Meanwhile a Saturn and Mars trine arrives on Thursday creating some interesting romantic opportunities for single Cancers. Have you ever considered dating within your professional network? The ringed planet rules your love sector, while Mars helps to bolster your career. When these two planets work in sync, you can lay down plans and action them smoothly. Partnered Cancers might even consider opening up a business venture with their significant other. Youre open to learning more thanks to the suns placement in your 9th house of education and travel. Taking your honey on a trip this month could help you both find inspiration that enhances your earning potential as the sun rules Cancers financial zone. Embrace your flexibility on Friday when Jupiter squares Mercury. Our largest and luckiest planet is opposing our most communicative one, so anything said on this day should be taken with a grain of salt. If you can avoid overthinking Fridays conversations, youll be ready for a sweet weekend of relaxation. Ariel Davis.

Leo

July 23 to August 22 Youve been able to take a peek behind the cosmic curtain, Leo. The insights are brought to you by the suns gaze on your 8th house of sex, death, and rebirth. Now that youve got a grasp on outside perspectives, you can start working on a plan to make your mark on the world. Brainstorm with friends, pick your strategy and embark on your newest journey. Uranus, Leos personal planet of love entered your 10th house of career last week, creating the catalyst energy you need to move forward to the status you desire. Dont forget that weve still got a Mercury retrograde in progress before you tear off into the sunset! Work on your plan, and think about how it may impact your financial flow as Mercury is responsible for Leos money sector. There are a million great ideas, but how many of them have great execution? Avoid a Fyre Festival situation by getting the details right. Youll be wise to work on your modesty on Wednesday when the sun squares with Jupiter. Its essential for you to be confident, but the placement of these planets could have your pride backfire. Thursday is a brighter day when Mars trines your health and work planet, Saturn. Bring your intentions to life, and start small. Youre ready for a whole new era. Lynnie Z.

Virgo

August 23 to September 22 You love progress, Virgo, but its important to remember that all good things take time. Practice exercising patience at work while your ruling planet, Mercury, is in retrograde. Our speediest planet is the planetary ruler of your career zone, making his way back through the sky and your professional life. Its a motion that happens at least three times per year, helping to mold the work that makes you proud and sustains you. Uranus, your personal planetary ruler of health and work, entered your 9th house of expansion last week. Hes delivering you new experiences over the next seven years to shape your calling. A match is made in heaven, Thursdays Mars and Saturn square will heat things up in the bedroom. The action planet champions Virgos realm of sexuality while Saturn rules your pleasure zone. If sparks arent flying for you, work through awkwardness, and the fire will rage! This is an ideal positioning for you to get yours. Remove your sharp edges and bask in the glow of intimacy as the Sun warms your 7th house of relationships all week. Shake off any weird vibes that Fridays Mercury and Jupiter square brings. These two planets usually play nice, so listen to your intuition if something sounds off at work. You can find a work-life balance as long as you learn not to sweat the small stuff. Simone Noronha.

Libra

September 23 to October 22 Its time for you to do a little backtracking this week, Libra. Mercury is continuing his retrograde, encouraging you to review your spiritual nature. Practice mindfulness during this movement to find inner harmony. Collect confidence at work as the moon waxes, because the moon helps guide your energy as Libras career ruler. Last week, innovative Uranus finished up his work in your seventh house of relationships and moved on to your eighth house of sex, death, and rebirth. Partnered Libras will be happy to say goodbye to old conflicts, and single Libras will be excited to find new relationship clarity. Uranus' move into your eighth house signals a new era of self-understanding. Be ready to change your world view, and youll be prepared for anything. If youre in a relationship, mark down Thursday as a night to stay in and enjoy family time. Meanwhile a Saturn - Mars trine arrives, helping to secure a sense of connection. The ringed planet is Libras ruler of home and family, while Mars guides love. Pull everyone off the couch as the Sun lights up your 6th house of health - your positive spirit will invigorate them. A Mercury - Jupiter square on Friday muddles up some of your messages. Jupiter is responsible for your communication, while Mercury takes responsibility for your health and work. If a surprising subject comes up, make a note to follow up when the skies are clear of conflict. Misunderstandings will work themselves out in time. Sarah Mazzeti.

Scorpio

October 23 to November 21 Exploring wild ideas could be rewarded on Monday, Scorpio. Mars, your co-ruling planet sextiles Neptune, the planet of dreams. How can you activate your weirdest ideas? Spitball a few of your more off-the-wall concepts with friends, and see what you come up with as a group. Last weeks departure of Uranus from your 6th house deserves a celebration! Youve conquered challenges around health and hardship, making you one tough nut to crack. The next seven years may require you to soften as your ruling planet moves through your 7th house of relationships. An opportune moment arrives on Thursday when Mars trines with strict Saturn. Turn one of the thoughts that struck you on Monday into a living, breathing project! Avoid asking for feedback on Friday when your financial planet Jupiter squares against communication planet Mercury. Avoid getting too serious during this square, and enjoy the moment. Ham it up while the sun is putting his spotlight on your 5th house of pleasure. Even if you dont get an idea off the ground, youll have a great time trying. Kelsey Wrotten.

Sagittarius

November 22 to December 21 Mondays Mars - Neptune sextile could offer you a new outlook on a home improvement project, Sagittarius. The action planet is joining up with your planetary ruler of home and family, so connect with the most important people in your life at the beginning of the week, even if its only for 10 minutes. Consider what you learned last week from Uranus, the planetary ruler of change. He left your 5th house of pleasure and children, which he had spent seven years in. This week, he begins to make himself comfortable in your 6th house of health, strengthening your well being. A Mars trines Saturn on Thursday which gives you the go-ahead to buy something that will enrich this new lifestyle. The ringed planet rules your finances, which explains your keen ability to save and budget. Fiery Mars encourages you to seize the moment. If youre worried about collecting too many things, donate, recycle or toss what you no longer need. Get a second opinion from your family while the Sun lights up your 4th house this week. If you have a weird date on Friday, dont write them off. Conversations with potential and current partners are off-kilter thanks to a Jupiter and Mercury retrograde square. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and open your heart. The messenger planet is working double duty in both your love and career zones. If you come up against a misunderstanding at work on Friday, have faith that youll be able to sort it out with grace! Kissi Ussuki.

Capricorn

December 22 to January 19 Youve settled into a new way of thinking, Capricorn. Your financial planet Uranus departed from your 4th house last week, bringing new insight into your home and family dynamic for the next seven years. Celebrate your victory with a Mars - Neptune sextile on Monday. The action planet rules Capricorns home and family while Neptune is responsible for communication. Focus on family while Mercury, your planetary ruler of health and work, is retrograde. Connect to your foundation while your personal planet of stability moves backward. A second day for uniting home and family arrives on Thursday, as your ruling planet Saturn trines with Mars. Bring your best ideas to the table when it comes to home improvements and family outings and get ready to create some fantastic memories! Youre able to convey your ideas with poise as the Sun brightens your 3rd house of communication. A Jupiter - Mercury square on Friday could catch you off guard when expressing your spiritual beliefs. The planet of luck rules your sense of faith, and when opposed to a retrograde Mercury, words can be misinterpreted. Clear your mind in anticipation of this event, and youll handle each conversation with unmatched agility. Loveis Wise.

Aquarius

January 20 to February 18 Keep an eye on your bank account on Monday, Aquarius. Mars will sextile with Neptune, your financial planet instigating some changes that may not be top of mind. Did you forget to cancel a subscription youre not using anymore? This isnt a day to fear, but rather a happy wake-up call to help you save money. Creating a healthy relationship with your cash is vital to building long term success. Last week, Uranus your ruling planet made his way into your 4th house of home and family. As you start your days, notice the confidence that youve grown in the past seven years, thanks to his presence in your 3rd house of communication. Its the basis for every good relationship. Youre feeling strong, as your health and work ruler waxes throughout the week. The moon is here to help you change your I think I can to I know I can. Your personal love planet, the sun bolsters this as he brightens your 2nd house of cash. More confidence arrives on Thursday when action planet Mars trines with Saturn, your personal ruler of spirituality. Open up to your loved ones about your deeper needs, and talk with your friends about how they express their belief systems. You could be inspired to take a journey of self-discovery. Hilda Palafox.

Pisces

February 19 to March 20 Your daydreams could create a eureka moment on Monday when your ruling planet Neptune squares with your financial ruler Mars. Be ready for inspiration whenever she strikes with a pen and paper. You dont want to leave anything up to chance while Mercury is in retrograde. The moon, your personal planetary ruler of creativity, is waxing all week, setting the stage for success. Radical Uranus left your 2nd house of finances last week and is opening up your 3rd house of communication to help the world better understand your thoughts. On Thursday a Mars and Saturn trine connects your newfound financial understanding to a sense of responsibility and planning. That same day, a void-of-course period arrives lasting from morning until early evening - stick to planning, and avoid asking for any favors while the moon is MIA. The sun, Pisces ruler of daily habits inspires confidence as he moves through your first house of self. Keep your ears perked at the office on Friday when Jupiter squares against Mercury. Our solar systems giant is your personal career ruler, while Mercury assists with home and family. Keep your wits about you as conversations can leave reality without accountability during this square. Rachel Jo.

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Jonesborough (United Kingdom) (AFP) - "You blink and you miss it," said Neill McCourt, owner of a dog care business that operates from three sites on both sides of the nearly-invisible Irish border.

Like many companies in this region, Dog Eclipse is concerned about the possible consequences of Brexit and in particular the threat of a hard border.

It relies on the ability of staff and customers -- and their pets -- to criss-cross the frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland every day.

As British MPs prepare for an all-important Brexit vote on Tuesday, border communities are concerned.

"To me, it's not even like a border, it's just another part of the road," 39-year-old McCourt told AFP, surrounded by a hectic pack of some two dozen dogs.

Dog Eclipse is made up of a kennel, a dog grooming salon and a daycare centre operating out of two sites in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland.

McCourt, who established the business in 2008, crosses up to six times a day, often with his own Dachshund and Doberman in tow.

"There's going to be long delays there for anyone who wants to travel across the border to use our service here," he said, speaking at the daycare centre just 50 metres (yards) from the border with the Republic of Ireland.

Half of the dogs at the centre hail from homes south of the border and half from the north.

Cutting through the racket of barking, McCourt handles business with two mobile phones.

One British handset manages his northern affairs, the other Irish number is for calls from the Republic.

- One day at a time -

"The location is just off the motorway at the border so we could benefit from northern trade and southern trade, that was the idea," he said earlier, while blow-drying the flowing coat of a Rough Collie at his salon in Dundalk, a town in the Republic.

Despite being uniquely exposed to border disruption, McCourt did not vote in the 2016 referendum.

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And remarkably, he is still personally unphased by the prospect of Brexit.

"I don't get too hyped up about it -- we'll just have to wait and see," he said. "I'm just a one-day-at-a-time sort of person."

But his attitude is not shared by employee Sarah Kerr.

Since 2017, the 28-year-old has travelled from her home in Ireland to work at McCourt's locations across the border.

"He's so relaxed," she marvelled as McCourt played with the dogs.

"I'd worry about what way does it work out if there is a hard border."
A Fox News host close to Donald Trump has sparked bemusement and anger after suggesting Ilhan Omars decision to wear a hijab could mean she is opposed to the US constitution.

Judge Jeanine Pirro, a legal pundit for the US news channel, also accused the Somali-American congresswoman of being anti-Israel and a believer in sharia law.

Her bizarre claims came amid the continuing fallout over comments made by Ms Omar last week in which she said she was being pressured to pledge allegiance to Israel.

Think about this, shes not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat party, so if its not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from? Ms Pirro said on her Justice with Judge Jeanine show on Saturday evening.

Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59 tells women to cover so they wont get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to sharia law? Which in itself is antithetical to the United States constitution?

Despite Ms Pirros claims, there is no evidence Ms Omar has ever proposed sharia law or expressed opposition to the US constitution.

Brian Klaas, an American political scientist at University College London, called Ms Pirros comments blatant and absurd Islamophobia from a close ally of President Trump.

Will *any* Republicans condemn it? he added, after a number of GOP lawmakers urged the Democratic leadership to punish Ms Omar over her Israel comments.

Qasim Rashid, a lawyer and human rights activist, tweeted: Will anyone on the Right condemn this blatant xenophobia? Per Pirro logic, are Catholic Nuns against US Constitution too [because] of their habits?

In a statement, Fox News told The Independent: We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirros comments about Rep Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.

Ms Pirro said: Ive seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday nights show and I did not call Rep Omar un-American.

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"My intention was to ask a question and start a debate, but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you dont support the Constitution.

"I invite Rep Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today.

In November, Ms Omar defended her wearing of the hijab in Congress, which lifted a 181-year ban on headwear in its chambers to allow her to do so.

No one puts a scarf on my head but me, she tweeted at the time. Its my choice  one protected by the first amendment. And this is not the last ban Im going to work to lift.

According to the Noble Quran website, which provides an English translation of the religious text, verse 33:59 reads: O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.

On Friday, the House passed a resolution by 407-23 condemning antisemitism and other forms of hate in response to Mr Omars comments.

Fridays measure condemned antisemitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States. It also condemned anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry.

I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country, Ms Omar told an audience in Washington last week.

She later doubled down on her comments, tweeting she should not have to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve in Congress.

Ms Omars comments were also criticised by a number of Democrats, with some claiming the suggestion of allegiance to Israel invokes antisemitic tropes.

But Ms Omar received support from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said the criticism of Ms Omar was "hurtful" and that discussion and debate on this issue is fair and merited.

Ms Pirro supported Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential election and has become known for delivering passionate defences on Fox News of the president.

She has supported Mr Trump's claims federal investigations into his administrations are a "witch hunt", and last year posed in the White House with Mr Trump and her book Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy.
Copyright 2019, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co.

DES MOINES, Iowa  Joe Biden has yet to enter the 2020 presidential race  hes been weighing the decision in a closely watched will-he-or-wont-he saga  but the former vice president still leads the pack in Iowa.

According to a new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll of likely Democratic caucusgoers, 27 percent say Biden is their first choice for president. Thats down slightly from the 32 percent who said the same in December, but it tops the 19 other declared and potential candidates tested.

Biden has a 2 percentage point advantage over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Though thats within the polls 4.9 percentage point margin of error, other numbers bode well for the former vice president and suggest a stronger advantage over Sanders. The poll of 401 likely Democratic caucusgoers was conducted March 3 through 6.

If Im Joe Biden sitting on the fence and I see this poll, this might make me want to jump in, said J. Ann Selzer, president of the Des Moines-based Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll. I just cant find much in this poll that would be a red flag for Joe Biden.

Seventy percent of respondents say they believe Bidens political views are neither too liberal nor too conservative, but instead, are about right  the highest percentage of any candidate tested.

Joe Biden, left, and presidential historian Jon Meacham speak during an event at the University of Delaware Tuesday. Despite shouts from the crowd, Joe Biden did not say if he has decided to run for president.

And 64 percent  including a majority in every demographic group  say they think Bidens experience is an asset and that he should enter the race. About a third of respondents say his time has passed and he should not run.

Hes got a lot of years of political experience  being a senator for over 35 years, being the vice president, said Travis Underwood, a 30-year-old Ottumwa resident and poll respondent who said Biden is his first choice for president. And hes very charismatic. It seems like today were in an era where its all partisan politics. There are not too many out there who are middle-of-the-road. Biden is moderate, and that means he actually talks about issues.

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Biden has spent months mulling whether to make a third run at the White House after failed bids in 1988 and 2008  setting deadlines for himself and then blowing past them. But a decision now appears imminent. According to a report from The New York Times, one Biden strategist has been telling Democrats that Biden is 95 percent committed to running.

Feb. 13: How long can Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Beto O'Rourke afford to wait to jump into 2020 race?

Sanders formally announced his candidacy last month and visited Iowa for the first time as a declared 2020 candidate this month. According to the poll, 25 percent now say Sanders is their first choice for president  up 6 percentage points since December.

Right now, the contest in Iowa could be characterized as a two-person race. The next-closest challenger, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, trails Sanders by 16 percentage points.

Support has ticked up slightly for Warren and California Sen. Kamala Harris is in fourth place. Warren is now at 9 percent, up from 8 percent, and Harris is at 7 percent, up from 5 percent.

Next is former Texas Rep. Beto ORourke, who has seen his support fall by about half since December as he continues weighing a possible run. Five percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers now say he is their first choice for president  down from 11 percent in December.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar tie with 3 percent. No other candidate gets more than 1 percent, and some  including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and California Congressman Eric Swalwell  were not named as a first choice by a single poll respondent.

Some Sanders weaknesses and Biden strengths

The Biden-Sanders rivalry embodies a key debate happening within the Democratic Party: Should Democrats nominate a bold progressive who pushes the debate further left, or should they elevate a more moderate centrist who could potentially appeal to independents and disaffected Republicans?

Sanders, an independent senator who identifies as a Democratic socialist, is the furthest left of all the potential candidates. Forty-four percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers say hes too liberal  more than for any other candidate tested. Forty-eight percent say his political views are just right, 2 percent say hes too conservative and 7 percent are unsure.

According to the poll, he appeals most to those who do not identify with any particular religion (37 percent) and those younger than age 35 (34 percent).

Dec. 16: Iowa Poll: Trump has big fan base among Iowa Republicans, but they welcome challengers

But, generally, likely Democratic caucusgoers say they are OK with candidates who think the country should be more socialist.

Fifteen percent would be very satisfied with such a candidate and 41 percent would be mostly satisfied. Thirty-three percent would be dissatisfied, and 11 percent are not sure.

Thats roughly comparable to a 2016 Iowa Poll in which 43 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers said they identify as socialist. That was more than the 38 percent who identified as capitalist.

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And though Sanders overall support has ticked up, his favorability ratings fell slightly since December. Seventy-one percent view him favorably now  down 3 points since December, and 25 percent view him unfavorably  up 3 points since December.

Biden, who is expected to campaign as a left-of-center candidate and lean on his decades in politics, does well with self-described moderates (35 percent). A Catholic, he also does well with the polls small constituency of Catholics (44 percent).

Even though Biden and Sanders represent opposite ends of the Democratic ideological spectrum, much of their support overlaps.

If Biden decided not to run, 30 percent of those who name him as their first-choice candidate would switch their allegiance to Sanders, whom they named as their second choice. Among those who say Sanders is their first choice, 40 percent say Biden is their second choice.

Second choices are important in the Iowa Democrats caucus night process. If a caucusgoers first choice fails to advance, the attendee has an opportunity to recast support for a different candidate.

The only reason (Biden) is my first choice is because I couldnt pick two, said poll respondent Madison Jones, an 18-year-old Waukee resident who likes both Biden and Sanders. Honestly, theyre both really great candidates. Im drawn to them because, even though theyre older, they have a better grasp of what the future is going to look like, and theyre obviously collaborative and open to change.

Dec. 15: Iowa Poll: Biden, Sanders top early look at possible Democratic hopefuls in 2020 caucuses

But both Biden, 76, and Sanders, 77, face criticism that their time has passed, with some arguing they should step aside to make room for a new generation of leaders.

A majority  54 percent  agree that Sanders 2016 candidacy has pushed the party in a good direction, and he should be in the race again. But 43 percent say the time for Sanders as a candidate has passed and he should not be in the race.

More are open to a Biden run. Nearly two-thirds say he should get in the race, and 31 percent say his time has passed.

As an old white man whos been active on the fringes of politics, I think its time to give a shot to younger people, because theyre going to be inheriting the Earth that were kind of messing with right now, said poll respondent Gordon Dunn, a 70-year-old Altoona resident who thinks the time for both Sanders and Biden has passed.

Dunn said hes interested to hear more from other candidates, particularly some of the women in the race, such as Warren, Klobuchar and Harris.

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Movement among the other candidates

Harris is among those who have seen their favorability ratings rise since declaring a presidential run and visiting Iowa as a candidate.

In December, 49 percent viewed her favorably. Thats now up to 58 percent  the biggest boost in favorability ratings of any candidate. Those who view her unfavorably is virtually unchanged. In December, 41 percent were unsure how they felt about her  a number that has fallen to 33 percent.

Klobuchar has seen an increase in both her favorable and unfavorable numbers.

In December, 38 percent viewed her favorably, and that's risen to 43 percent today. But the percentage of those who view her unfavorably also has risen, from 8 percent to 15 percent, the biggest climb in unfavorable numbers for any candidate. She's been the subject of recent news reports that shes verbally abusive toward her staff members.

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Health care, climate change top of mind for Iowa Democratic caucusgoers

The poll also asked Iowans what they want candidates to discuss during the campaign and tested their support for various issues. Health care and climate change top the list of what they want to hear about. Just 22 percent think candidates should talk "a lot" about impeachment.

Eighty-one percent say they hope candidates will spend a lot of time talking about health care, and 84 percent say they prefer a candidate who supports shifting to a government-run health care system of Medicare-for-all, either all at once or incrementally. Forty-nine percent of respondents say they prefer a candidate who supports Medicare-for-all in full, and 35 percent who endorses it in steps.

Sherry Murphy, a Sioux City resident in her late 50s and a poll respondent, said she supports moving toward a government-run health-care system incrementally. She said its especially important for people that are in the middle that are not poor enough to get free government care, like my daughter and her husband.

Theyve got two kids, and they make pretty good money, Murphy said. But still, theyre struggling to pay for health care. The middle class is just about gone. Its ridiculous.

Eighty percent of poll respondents say candidates should spend a lot of time talking about climate change. Ninety-one percent say they prefer a candidate who supports the "Green New Deal," which couples government programs to address climate change with support for jobs in the clean energy sector to help address poverty. That includes 65 percent who favor a candidate who supports the "Green New Deal" in full and 26 percent who favor approaching it in steps.

Eighty-nine percent of respondents support new taxes that target people with more than $50 million in assets, something Warren specifically has proposed. Other candidates have said the wealthy should pay more in taxes. Sixty-seven percent favor a candidate who supports the plan in full, and 22 percent prefer moving in steps.

Follow Brianne Pfannenstiel on Twitter: @brianneDMR 

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About this poll

The Iowa Poll, conducted March 3-6, 2019, for The Des Moines Register, CNN and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 401 registered voters in Iowa who say they will definitely or probably attend the 2020 Democratic caucuses and 400 registered Republicans.

Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted 1,618 randomly selected active voters from the Iowa secretary of states voter registration list by telephone. The sample was supplemented with additional phone number lookups. Interviews were administered in English. Responses for all contacts were adjusted by age and sex to reflect their proportions among active voters in the list. For the registered Republican sample, responses for the 418 registered Republican contacts were adjusted by age and sex to reflect their proportions among active registered Republicans in the voter registration list.

Questions based on the sample of 401 voters likely to attend the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, as does the sample of 400 registered Republicans. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents  such as by gender or age  have a larger margin of error.

Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register, CNN, and Mediacom is prohibited.

Iowa Poll methodology

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Not even in the race, Joe Biden leads Democrats; Sanders close behind
Tehran (AFP) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has demanded Pakistan act "decisively against anti-Iranian terrorists" in a phone call with the country's premier, Tehran said, a month after a bloody attack on security forces.

Iran says a Pakistani suicide bomber was behind the February 13 attack that killed 27 Revolutionary Guards in its volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan.

A Sunni jihadist group, Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which Tehran says operates mostly out of bases in neighbouring Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the blast.

Iran has accused Pakistan's army and intelligence agency of sheltering the jihadists and summoned the country's ambassador in the wake of the attack.

Rouhani in the phone conversation Saturday evening with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called to maintain good ties and pointed the finger of blame at Tehran's traditional regional and international foes.

"We shouldn't allow decades of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries be affected by terrorist groupuscules that we both know from where they are being armed and financed," Rouhani said, according to a government statement.

The Iranian president was alluding to the United States and Israel, as well as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which it accuses of aiding jihadist groups responsible for attacks from Pakistani soil.

February's bombing was the latest of numerous attacks on Iran's security forces and officials in Sistan-Baluchistan, where the minority Sunni Baluchis accuse the authorities of discrimination.
Patients wait for months on end for a surgery at major hospitals

Patients at major government-run hospitals in the Capital like Bir Hospital and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital have to wait for months even for minor surgeries as the health facilities lack infrastructure and manpower to provide timely services.
Baghdad (AFP) - Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Baghdad to prepare the ground for his country's president, Hassan Rouhani, who will begin his first official visit to Iraq on Monday.

Baghdad has been under pressure from Washington to limit ties with its neighbour, particularly after the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and hit Tehran with sanctions.

Speaking in a joint press conference with Iraq's top diplomat Mohammed Ali al-Hakim, Zarif said Sunday they had held "very good discussions".

The Iranian foreign minister thanked Iraq for having "refused the injust and illegal sanctions imposed on the Iranian people" in reference to the US measures.

Iraq was given limited waivers to continue buying electricity and natural gas to generate it from Iran, with Washington calling on it to partner with US companies to become energy independent.

After Turkey, Iran is the top supplier of imported goods to Iraq, and Rouhani said his discussions with Hakim covered sectors including trade and health.

Iran and Iraq plan to raise annual bilateral trade to $20 billion from the current level of $12 billion, according to Rouhani. The bulk of the trade balance is tilted toward Iran with gas and energy exports.

During his visit Rouhani is set to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, President Barham Salih and the country's chief Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, according to Iran government's website.

"Rouhani is coming to discuss... trade between the countries (and) the issue of easing trade exchanges in Iraqi local currency and finding other ways, like Germany and Britain, to adopt an alternative European currency to circumvent US sanctions," Iraqi political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi told AFP.

"In addition, there are electricity, water and other files," he added.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas Sunday that Israel would not hesitate to launch a "large-scale operation" in Gaza, as daily exchanges with the Palestinian territory threatened a wider escalation.

Speaking ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu noted that while "rogue factions" were behind the recent Gaza "provocations", it "did not exempt Hamas", the enclave's Islamist rulers, of responsibility.

"I've heard people in Gaza saying that since we're in an election campaign, a large-scale operation is out of the question," he further said, referring to April 9 Israeli polls.

"I'd suggest to Hamas -- don't count on it. We'll do whatever is necessary to return the peace and quiet to the Gaza border communities, and the entire south."

Earlier Sunday, Israeli aircraft struck Hamas targets in Gaza after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave hit the Jewish state, the army said.

"Fighter jets and aircraft struck several military targets in a Hamas compound in the northern Gaza Strip in addition to two Hamas vessels," a statement from the army said.

The attacks were in response to a rocket fired from Gaza late Saturday "in addition to the continued violence emanating from the Gaza Strip," the army said.

The rocket hit an open field in Israel's Eshkol region, causing no casualties or damages, a local government spokeswoman said.

A security source in Gaza said a Hamas site in the northern Gaza Strip was hit as well as fishing boats west of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the coastal enclave.

The source denied the boats belonged to Hamas's armed wing. No one was injured.

Gazans have been launching balloons carrying explosive devices at Israel and stepping up attempts to damage the border fence on a daily basis for more than 10 days, prompting Israeli retaliation.

Israeli forces said Saturday they had launched several strikes against Hamas sites in Gaza in response to a projectile launched from the coastal enclave the night before.

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At least 253 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018, the majority shot during weekly border protests and clashes.

Others have been 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, which has controlled the blockaded Gaza Strip for over a decade, have fought three wars since 2008.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian and wounded 42 others taking part on Friday in weekly protests at the fortified Gaza Strip border, the Palestinian health ministry said, after days of rising tensions along the frontier. The Israeli military said over 8,000 Palestinians took part in the demonstration, throwing rocks and explosives toward soldiers, and that some tried to breach the fence into Israel. A spokesman for the military said troops "responded with riot dispersal means and fired in accordance with standard operating procedures". Cross-border violence has increased in recent days. Israel's military said on Thursday it had carried out air strikes on a compound belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, after explosives attached to balloons were launched from the coastal enclave toward Israel. Egyptian officials, who have frequently brokered ceasefires between Israel and Hamas, have been shuttling between the sides to try to restore calm, a Palestinian official told Reuters. Gaza health authorities said some 200 people have been killed since Palestinians launched weekly border protests on March 30 last year. They are demanding the right to return to land from which their ancestors fled or were forced to flee during Israel's founding in 1948. About 60 other Palestinians have been killed in other incidents, including exchanges of fire across the border. An Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper along the frontier and another was killed during an undercover raid into Gaza. Israel says it has no choice but to use deadly force at the protests to defend the frontier from militants trying to destroy the barrier and infiltrate. But its tactics against the protests have drawn international condemnation. Independent U.N. investigators last week released a report saying that Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in killing scores of Palestinians at weekly protests in Gaza last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the report and accused the U.N. Human Rights Council, which launched the probe, of hypocrisy and lies fueled by "an obsessive hatred for Israel". Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians, nearly all of them descendants of refugees dating back to the 1948 Middle East war. Israel and Egypt imposed a security blockade on the enclave after Hamas seized control of it in 2007, which the World Bank says has reduced the Gaza economy to a state of collapse. Israel has fought three wars against Hamas in the past decade. (Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's prime minister said on Saturday tenders for a high-speed rail link to France could not be finalised without explicit government approval, buying time to defuse a dispute within the ruling coalition over the project.

The multibillion-euro TAV link (Treno Alta Velocita) is backed by Matteo Salvini's League party but strongly opposed by its coalition partner, 5-Star Movement, which argues that Italy's share of the funding would be better spent upgrading existing roads and bridges.

Tensions between the two sides had escalated ahead of a Monday deadline for the company overseeing the project, TELT, to launch tenders to carry out works on it, threatening to bring down the government.

But Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a post on Facebook he had asked TELT to halt the finalisation of tenders for the rail link because his government had committed to "totally re-discussing" the project.

Conte published a response from TELT, which said it would call for expressions of interest from potential contractors for the French portion of the rail link on Monday, effectively launching the tender process, in order to avoid losing European Union funding.

However, it said it would not proceed with the definition of contracts without the consent of both the Italian and French governments.

Sources close to the matter said it normally takes six months between the launch of tenders and the next phase, when contract specifications are detailed.

TELT also said in its response that it would insert in the tenders a clause that they could be revoked without penalties for the company or the two states involved.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

Conte said that Italy would hold discussions with France and the EU in light of a recent cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the Italian government, which found the TAV was a waste of public money.

The TAV is a joint venture between the Italian and French states to link the cities of Turin and Lyon with a 58-km (36-mile) tunnel through the Alps on which work has already begun.

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The EU has pledged to fund up to 40 percent of the costs of the TAV, Italy up to 35 percent and France up to 25 percent.

Italy's transport minister, a 5-Star official, puts the total price tag at more than 20 billion euros ($22.6 billion).

His French counterpart, Elisabeth Borne, said on Friday the European Commission had let it be known it was willing to increase its share to 50 percent, leaving France and Italy to finance 25 percent each.

An EU official has told Reuters the project could lose up to 300 million euros of EU funds if the tenders are not launched by the end of March.

The long-running dispute suddenly escalated late on Thursday and raised the risk of a government collapse, with Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio -- who is leader of the 5-Star Movement -- accusing Salvini of acting irresponsibly by insisting the train link should go ahead.

But on Saturday Di Maio said in a Facebook post that the dispute was "being resolved positively", while Salvini sought to quell fears that the government could fall over the issue:

"Italy needs a government ... There won't be a crisis," he said in an interview with news channel Sky TG24.

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Helen Popper)
Rome (AFP) - Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte appears to have headed off a crisis over the disputed Turin-Lyon high-speed rail project that threatened to split the coalition government, Italian media reported Sunday.

Conte, a trained lawyer, helped draft a legal document late Friday to find a way out of the conflict between coalition partners the far-right League and the anti-establishment Five Star movement (M5S), said Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Tenders to pursue work on the Franco-Italian project have to be launched on Monday to avoid the loss of 300 million euros of European Commission funding.

But while the leader of the League, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has been a staunch supporter of the project, M5S chief Luigi Di Maio opposes it.

Conte's legal letter went to TELT, the Franco-Italian company in charge of the project, to maintain the preliminary tendering process.

Italian papers described Conte's solution as a piece of "legal acrobacy" -- it keeps the project and the European funding on track without making a final decision on it.

Conte's position has been closer to that taken by M5S. In comments last week, he expressed doubts about the project.

His compromise gives both France and Italy six months to take another look at the project before making a definitive commitment.

To that end, he said, he had written to French President Emmanuel Macron and to the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, to seek meeting in which they could arrive at a joint decision.

Salvini and De Maio have made it clear that they remain committed to their respective positions, for and against the project.

Italy's opposition left meanwhile, denounced what they said was the government's inability to make a decision.

"Conte, Salvini and Di Maio are destroying Italy's credibility," said Graziano Delrio, of the Democratic Party and a former transport minister.
A woman was attacked by a jaguar at an Arizona zoo after witnesses said she crossed a safety barrier to take a selfie, according to the zoo.

The woman, who was not named in local news reports and was described as being in her 30s, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the big cat latched onto her arm at Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park on Saturday.

The jaguar did not get out of its enclosure, the park said in a statement.

Graphic video shows the woman screaming in pain with a deep open wound on her left arm.

Park guest Adam Wilkerson, who filmed the video and posted it to social media, said his mom helped free the woman from the cats grasp by distracting it with a water bottle.

My mom runs up and takes her water bottle and shoves it through the cage near where the jaguar is, and the jaguar goes to let go of the girl to take the water bottle, he told Phoenix station AZ Family.

Another video taken by Wilkerson appears to show the same jaguar chewing on a plastic water bottle inside its enclosure.

Graphic video taken by another park guest captured the woman screaming in pain after sustaining a deep wound to her arm. (Photo: ABC 15)

Mickey Ollson, the director of Wildlife World Zoo, told ABC 15 the jaguar wont be harmed because of human behavior.

Ollson said its the second time that the jaguar has attacked someone who crossed the barrier, however. He said the injuries in the previous incident, which happened about a year or two ago, were minor.

They are there for a good reason, he said of the barriers. Every time that you have an incident in a zoo, youre going to double check it and meet with your staff try to figure out a way to stop that incident from happening again. But again, when people do not respect the barriers, theres always a chance there might be a problem.

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Washington governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Jay Inslee is warning that the clock is ticking on the fight against global warming.

We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change and we are the last generation that can do something about it, he told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union Sunday. And we have got one shot  thats the next administration.

Inslee, who kicked off his run earlier this month as a single-issue candidate focusing on environmentalism, made an emphatic call to action, demanding green initiatives be the primary, first, foremost and paramount duty of the next administration because the worlds on fire and weve got to act, and weve got a climate denier in the White House.

2020 Democratic candidate @JayInslee on making his campaign about climate change: We have to have this be the primary, first, foremost and paramount duty of the next administration because the worlds on fire and weve got to act. #CNNSOTU https://t.co/wZ6AIPaOBV pic.twitter.com/VgvKJYTnYI  State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 10, 2019

Tapper asked Inslee about the efficacy of staking a presidential campaign on just one issue, but the candidate contended that climate change has far-reaching impacts.

This is not a single issue, he said. It is all the issues.

The governor pointed to the potential for job growth in solar and wind power industries, seeing an opportunity to bolster the economy by embracing alternative energies.

Inslee also noted that global warming could trigger health conditions such as asthma. Furthermore, in January, the Pentagon identified the environmental crisis as a national security threat, directly contradicting President Donald Trumps continued denials.

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Last month, The Washington Post reported that the White House was seeking to launch a panel of federal scientists through the National Security Council to reassess the governments conclusions.

According to senior administration officials who spoke with the outlet, the group would include individuals who doubt the seriousness of climate change as well as humans contribution to the issue, indicating another effort by the Trump administration to challenge long-established scientific findings.

Meanwhile progressive Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have advocated for the Green New Deal, an ambitious resolution outlining a 10-year plan to address the environment and the economy.

Inslee has not offered an outright endorsement of the idea, but has called it aspirational and promises to roll out a plan of his own, according to The Associated Press.

Related Coverage

Pentagon Confirms Climate Change Is A National Security Threat, Contradicting Trump

Pro-Trump Billionaires Continue To Bankroll Climate Denial

Jay Inslee Officially Launches Historic 2020 Bid Centered On Climate Change

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has offered to return to North Korea to help restart negotiations on denuclearization, as progress has come to a standstill between Pyongyang and the administration of President Donald Trump.

Carter, now 94 years old, told U.S. Representative Ro Khanna at a meeting in Atlanta on Thursday that although he no longer travels, he would be willing to go to North Korea if Trump wanted his help, Politico reports.

Khanna also said that the meeting with Carter inspired him to get involved in North Korea negotiations himself, pledging to update a denuclearization strategy that Carter initially drew up with Kim Il Sung, the countrys first leader and the grandfather of Kim Jong Un.

Carter, who served as the 39th U.S. president, visited North Korea in 1994 to meet Kim Il Sung toward facilitating negotiations with the Clinton administration at a time when tensions were high between Pyongyang and Washington.

Its not the first time Carter has offered to help the Trump administration manage the delicate issue. In 2017, he told Trumps then-National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster that he was willing to take the lead on negotiations.

Talks between President Trump and Kim Jung Un collapsed in late February as the two leaders failed to reach an agreement at their second summit held in Hanoi.

Analysts say Pyongyang appears to be ramping up activity at a factory where missiles were produced, as well as rebuilding part of a launch site it had earlier promised to dismantle.
TV star Jussie Smollett faces 16 charges for allegedly falsely reporting a hate crime assault.

Smollett, who is black and openly gay and plays a gay character in hip-hop drama series Empire, is alleged to have lied to police about a racist and homophobic attack he claims took place on 29 January.

The 36-year-old was charged with one count of felony disorderly conduct last month.

And a grand jury has now in addition returned a 15-count felony indictment against the TV star, accusing him of filing a false police report claiming to be the victim of a hate crime assault.

At the time he was initially charged, Chicagos police chief said that Smollett had paid two brothers to stage an assault on him.

Smollett told police in late January that he was physically attacked by two men in downtown Chicago while out getting food from a Subway restaurant at 2am.

The actor said the men shouted at him, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured an unknown substance on him.

Police said Smollett told detectives the attackers also yelled he was in MAGA country  an apparent reference to President Donald Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan that some Trump critics have decried as racist and discriminatory.

After an investigation, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett recruited two men to stage the attack because he was upset with his pay on the Fox show.

Smollett has denied playing a role in the attack.

A spokeswoman for Smollett, who was arrested and later released on $100,000 (76,823) bond two weeks ago in connection with the initial charge against him, did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.

An attorney for the actor could not immediately be reached for comment.
Police seize 105kg of hashish from Birgunj-bound passenger bus; three arrested

Police have arrested three persons on the charge of smuggling 105kg of hashish.
New York (AFP) - Buffeted by rising consumer taste for fresh ingredients, competition from upstarts and a tricky retail environment, 150-year-old Campbell Soup now finds itself having to rethink the business of soup.

It is a similar tale at Kraft, whose once-popular yellow and white cheese singles are no longer ubiquitous. And at Kellogg, which has seen demand for cereal go soft.

As the travails of these and other companies show, iconic brands that dominated 20th century American supermarkets are having a much tougher time in the Amazon-Whole Foods era.

Kraft Heinz last month announced a steep annual loss following a $15.4 billion asset impairment, partly from writing down the value of the Oscar Mayer and Kraft trademarks.

Some experts see a broader reckoning in the American food industry akin to the shakeout in other sectors, though technology is not really the main culprit in this case.

Many of Kraft Heinz's products are "geriatric brands" that were "created in the early or mid-20th century, at a time when consumers aspired to eat 'American food' and advertising reached almost everyone through television," said Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, author of "Combat-Ready Kitchen," a history of processed foods.

By contrast, today's consumers are more ethnically diverse, health-conscious and food-adventurous, she said, adding that many of the older brands will see market share fall further or disappear entirely.

- Saved by treats, snacks -

The industry's response thus far has included healthier options that are low-fat, low-sodium or gluten-free items. There are also more flavors of flagship products, with Special K breakfast cereal now available in vanilla and almond as well as blueberry with lemon clusters, among other options.

But these efforts have not reversed the trend.

Major food companies also have popular cookie and snack products that can make up for weakness in other products, although the industry's overall record with consolidation is mixed.

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Campbell Soup, which has faced pressure from activist investor Daniel Loeb, has offset weakness in soup with solid Pepperidge Farm sales.

The company acquired Pepperidge Farm, known for Milano cookies and Goldfish crackers, in 1961.

But Campbell Soup last year wrote down $748 million mostly on a 2011 acquisition of Bolthouse Farms' refrigerated salad dressings, carrots and other fresh foods it now plans to divest.

Soups, meanwhile, remain challenged, suffering lower US sales in 2018.

Campbell's blamed the decline on the change in promotion strategy by a major retail customer and said retail sector consolidation and the rise of private label competitors could further affect sales, according to a securities filing.

Campbell's new Chief Executive Mark Clouse said last month he was still developing a strategy for turning around soups but that a "much more holistic and comprehensive" approach was needed.

- Targeting Rover -

At General Mills, which announced a $193 million write down last year on Progresso soups and two other brands, part of the strategy is to diversify.

Last year, General Mills, which makes Cheerios cereal, Yoplait yogurt and Haagen-Dazs ice cream, bought natural pet food company Blue Buffalo for $8 billion, a sum that raised eyebrows with some analysts.

Chief Executive Jeffrey Harmening gave a bullish outlook on the brand during a recent conference call, highlighting wet pet food and treats as two growth areas that have high profit margins.

Treats "are just pet food speak for snacking and we see snacking can trend in human food and we see it in Pet the same way," Harmening said, calling the dynamic the "humanization of pet food."

- Whither Miracle Whip? -

But the dangers of acquisitions were underscored with Kraft Heinz, which shareholder Warren Buffett has said was a case of spending too much.

Baruch Lev, an accounting professor at New York University, said big mergers like Kraft Heinz usually underperformed, undermining the logic of further deal-making by the company.

Daniel Binns, chief executive of Interbrand NY, said some of Kraft Heinz's brands, such as pasta sauce Classico or Philadelphia cream cheese can be successfully updated, while others, such as Jell-O or Miracle Whip sauce, could fade further.

"It's so rooted in another era," he said. "You're not going to create a Miracle Whip for the 21st Century that's going to appeal to the farm-to-table consumer."

But Moody's analyst Brian Weddington predicts leading food companies will adapt to changing consumer needs over time, adding that established brands still have credibility.

"Brands like these still resonate with the core consumer," he said.

"There's no question that more consumers are looking for premium or fresher products, but there will always be a very large market for products that give you consistency and value as well. Everyone can't afford organic products."
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  The Latest on the funeral services for a Maine firefighter who died in a March 1 blaze (all times local):

7:55 p.m.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills says a town fire chief has died after suffering a medical emergency at the funeral for a firefighter who was killed while shielding a colleague from flames.

Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco suffered the emergency and died Sunday as several thousand people, including hundreds of firefighters from across New England, gathered in Portland, Maine, to honor Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes ' sacrifice. Barnes was fatally injured in a four-alarm fire earlier this month.

Maine Medical Center spokesman Matt Wickenheiser confirmed that Sacco was stricken at the funeral, rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead in the emergency room.

Mills says Sacco "lost his life while honoring that of his fallen brother."

___

6:15 p.m.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills says a town fire chief has died after attending the funeral of Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes.

Mills says Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco on Sunday "lost his life while honoring that of his fallen brother, fellow firefighter Captain Barnes."

The Boston Globe reports that Maine Medical Center spokesman Matt Wickenheiser confirmed that Sacco was admitted to the hospital while attending the memorial service in Portland, Maine.

Wickenheiser told the Globe that Sacco was pronounced dead at the hospital. No further details have been released.

Barnes was fatally injured shielding a colleague while battling a four-alarm fire earlier this month. Firefighters from across New England attended the public memorial.

___

1:10 p.m.

Maine is honoring the "ultimate sacrifice" of a late firefighter who was fatally injured shielding a colleague while battling a four-alarm fire earlier this month.

Firefighters from across New England lined up for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes' public memorial service Sunday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine.

Story continues

A private memorial service was held earlier Sunday.

Barnes' uncle, also named Joel, grew teary as he described a nephew who grew up dedicated to serving the community as a firefighter. Berwick Fire Chief Dennis Plante said Barnes made the "ultimate sacrifice."

The 32-year-old Barnes was the first firefighter to die while battling a fire in nearly four decades in Maine. He died while fighting a four-alarm fire on March 1.

__

11:15 a.m.

Several thousand people are remembering a late Maine firefighter who was fatally injured shielding another firefighter while battling a four-alarm fire earlier this month.

Firefighters from across New England lined up for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes' public memorial service Sunday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine.

A private memorial service was held earlier Sunday.

The 32-year-old Barnes was the first firefighter to die while battling a fire in nearly four decades in Maine. He died while fighting a four-alarm fire on March 1.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills lowered flags to half-staff in the firefighter's honor.

___

10:50 a.m.

Several thousand people including firefighters from across New England are expected at the memorial for a firefighter who was fatally injured while shielding another firefighter from flames.

The public memorial service took place Sunday morning at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes, who died on March 1. Representatives from 11 states and over 200 fire departments from across New England planned to attend.

The 32-year-old Barnes was the first firefighter to die while battling a fire in nearly four decades in Maine.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills lowered flags to half-staff in the firefighter's honor. She said his life and service exemplified "unfaltering courage, selflessness and love for his fellow man."

___

9:10 a.m.

Several thousand people including firefighters from across New England are expected at the memorial for a firefighter who was fatally injured while shielding another firefighter from flames.

The service was being held Sunday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes, who died on March 1.

Fire Chief Dennis Plante previously said that Barnes protected a fellow firefighter from the flames and "died a hero."

The 32-year-old Barnes was the first firefighter to die while battling a fire in nearly four decades in Maine.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills lowered flags to half-staff in the firefighter's honor. She said his life and service exemplified "unfaltering courage, selflessness and love for his fellow man."
This story was originally published on March 11 and updated on March 29.

Lyfts (LYFT) Wall Street debut on Friday kicks off a series of tech IPOs that will make many tech workers rich. At least 5,000 tech workers could become millionaires after their companies go public this year, according to an analysis from a big data realtor in Silicon Valley.

Compass big data realtor Deniz Kahramaner estimates that at least 5,000 employees across eight companies  Airbnb, Instacart, Lyft, Palantir, Pinterest, Postmates, Slack, and Uber  could become millionaires after their company goes public in 2019.

All these IPOs are coming, and $150 billion to $250 billion are going to be unlocked in market capitalization over the next two years, explains Kahramaner. All those newly rich tech employees are going to have a significant impact on the real estate market.

Lyft priced its IPO at $72 a share on Thursday evening and was trading at $83.60 just before 12:30 p.m. EST on Friday.

A new record

This years 5,000-plus tech IPO millionaires would surpass the estimated 1,000 millionaires who emerged in 2004 from Googles (GOOG, GOOGL) IPO and the 1,000-plus millionaires in 2012 after Facebook (FB) went public. That this years crop will surpass those time periods probably isnt surprising given the number of companies marching towards an IPO in 2019. But it does speak to the sheer amount of wealth thats about to flood the San Francisco Bay Area.

Source: Yahoo Finance

The markets where all that wealth could be felt most? Real estate and rentals. Kahramaner projects that up to 2,400 of those tech millionaires could potentially purchase properties priced at $1 million or under, while on the very high-end, just over 200 millionaires may purchase properties priced $10 million and over. These purchases will likely drive the local real estate market further. In fact, Kahramaner predicts that no San Francisco property will be priced under $1 million in five years, as a result.

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Anthemos Georgiades, CEO of the apartment rental listing site Zumper, which tracks rental pricing trends across the U.S., says that while he foresees a measurable uptick in rental pricing this year in San Francisco of around 10%, these new tech millionaires wont all jump on real estate once theyre able to sell their shares. (Employees are usually subject to six-month lockups post-IPO that keep them from selling their shares.)

The biggest impact

The biggest impact from the imminent 2019 IPOs will be felt on the luxury end of the residential rental market, with the most likely zip codes affected being those within a short commute from the new public companies' headquarters, like Uber and Airbnb, Georgiades explains, pointing to San Francisco neighborhoods such as South of Market.

Source: Yahoo Finance

However, some of these millionaires, many of whom will be millennials, may opt to spend their money on rentals or experiences instead. A Zumper rental survey published last November indicated that 33% of renters now don't believe the American Dream involves home ownership. The company surveyed 5,339 respondents in the U.S. last year across all 50 U.S. states.

The mainstream argument is that the newly liquid employees will all buy homes overnight, but this is unlikely to be true, Georgiades contends. There will very likely be a measurable uptick in home prices this year in SF, but there are also some headwinds that will balance some of this out.  We will see many millennial employees invest their capital in experiences like traveling instead of real estate assets.

Be that as it may, that wont stop realtors, vying for some of that IPO money, from trying.

Methodology

To calculate the number of IPO millionaires, Kahramaner devised a general capitalization table, one which breaks out startup equity distribution among early employees, based upon discussions with members of YCombinator, the 14-year-old startup incubator with alumni such as Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. He assumed the valuation of each IPO company would be equal to the latest venture capital financing round. (Ubers valuation, for instance, would be $72 billion.)

Kahramaner also assumed two stock dilution factors for each of the eight companies approaching an IPO: that each financing round the startup held diluted the companys stock a certain percentage (10% for the initial seed round, 22% for Series A) and that executive hires, like Uber hiring CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in 2017, diluted employee stock value further. After the dilution, if a $72 billion company has an employee with 1% stock, for instance, that employee becomes worth $720 million upon IPO  at least on paper. Jake Jolis, a partner at VC firm Matrix Partners, said the methodology was sound, as did Selma Hepp, VP of Business Intelligence at Compass real estate.

NOTE: An earlier version of this article said, Compass big data realtor Deniz Kahramaner estimates that at least 5,000 employees across eight companies  Airbnb, Instacart, Lyft, Palantir, Pinterest, Postmates, Slack and Uber  could become millionaires after their company goes public in 2018. That timing has been changed to 2019.



More from JP:
Antsiranana (Madagascar) (AFP) - Frangeline is aged two but weighs no more than a four-month-old -- the terrible result of her battle with measles, which is cutting a deadly swathe through Madagascar.

Widespread malnutrition and low rates of immunisation on the Indian Ocean island have ramped up the killing power of the highly infectious virus.

In the last six months, nearly 1,000 children have been killed by a resurgent disease that vaccination once appeared to have tamed.

Now on a drip, the scrawny infant was only saved because her mother Soa Robertine, 32, made the 25-kilometre (15-mile) trek from her home to the Anivorano-nord health centre, in the island's far north.

Without her timely action, respiratory or neurological complications arising from the virus would have proved fatal, doctors said.

"Frangeline is suffering severe malnutrition and she wasn't vaccinated" against measles," said the clinic's head of medicine, Hollande Robisoa.

"She contracted a complicated form of measles and she would have died if she hadn't been brought here."

Many other children have not been so lucky.

Between last September and February, there were more than 79,000 cases of measles in Madagascar, 926 of which were fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Anivorano-nord clinic has had 510 patients suffering from "kitrotro" and "kisaosy" -- the local names for measles.

Roughly 100 patients were hospitalised but only four lost their lives, according to official statistics.

But many local people dispute the numbers in a community where rumours are common.

"I heard that hundreds of children have already died," said Sylvain Randriamaro, 46, sitting in the hospital waiting room.

"I was alarmed, so I decided to vaccinate my two children," aged five and six, he said.

Measles has hit Madagascar barely a year after it was gripped by an outbreak of plague that claimed 200 lives.

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"It's a major epidemic," said doctor Vincent Sodjinou, a WHO representative.

"It's down to the fact that for almost a decade the rate of vaccine coverage was not high enough and, over generations, the numbers of unvaccinated people have increased."

- 'Malnutrition a bed for measles' -

Measles can be relatively benign if symptoms like fever and cough are handled promptly.

If not, there is a risk of "opportunistic" illness such as pneumonia or diarrhoea -- diseases that can fatally attack patients with weak immune systems.

In Madagascar, where 47 percent of children under five are malnourished, the disease has proved particularly dangerous.

"It's often said that malnutrition makes a bed for measles," said Sodjinou. "The most serious cases are often reported in malnourished children."

The paediatric ward at Antsiranana's military hospital, north of Anivorano, has been overwhelmed.

"Normally we only treat one measles case here every two months," said head of medicine Ravohavy Setriny Mahatsangy. "We've had 444 just since December."

Mahatsangy blamed physical contact between patients, their "reluctance to go to hospital and opposition to vaccinations".

The combination of factors has wrought a tragic toll on his patients.

One example is Marie Lydia Zafisoa, aged eight, whose "mother took her to a witchdoctor... and then a traditional healer who prescribed six baths," according to her aunt Bana Tombo.

When that failed, Zafisoa's father carried her to the clinic.

"It was too late -- she died on the way, on her father's shoulders," said Tombo.

Seven-month-old Adriano Luc Rakototsioharana was more fortunate.

Her grandmother Catherine had also turned to traditional medicine before taking her to hospital.

She barely survived the ordeal -- but even so, Catherine remains adamant that traditional medicine holds the key.

"For measles, you need a cow dung infusion or a tea with bark from the lazalaza tree," she said.

- 'It's the culture' -

Doctors say that such beliefs are frustrating their efforts to roll back the disease.

"It's the culture," Ravohavy said, with a resigned smile.

"Changing people's mentality is far more difficult than treating measles."

The profession also complains that the situation is worsening despite the state paying for most measles treatment.

"But the people prefer traditional healers who often advise them to refuse any hospitalisation," said a health ministry official, doctor Said Borohany.

"And most villages are hours away from basic medical centres."

The other viable solution, vaccinations, has been complicated by the lack of funds available for such a programme.

Until now the nation's vaccination programme has administered only a single dose when the WHO recommends two.

The UN agency estimates that 5.6 million doses would be needed to contain the epidemic.

But Madagascar is $1.6 million (1.42 million euros) short of the $11.2 million needed to fund such an operation.

Newly-elected President Andry Rajoelina has promised to vaccinate all children aged between six months and nine years.

"Our goal is to eradicate measles," he said.

But the fight will be long and difficult.

"Madagascar put in place a routine vaccination programme," said the WHO envoy, Sodjinou. "But it remains inadequate to reach the furthest reaches of the country."
Will old age kill this super long bull market? Saturday was its 10th birthday, and an unhappy one. Why? Most envision it dying soon.

A recent survey by the National Association of Business Economists showed half expecting a recession by 2020 and three-fourths projecting one by 2021. Actually, economists never have been good at forecasting the economy  or stocks. In fact, theyre legendarily bad at both.

My Dec. 16 and Jan. 6 columns proposed a strong, V-shaped bounce for the stock market following last autumns steep drop. By March, U.S. stocks were up 11.5 percent for 2019 and they were up 18.9 percent from Christmas Eves low, including dividends. So where do we go from here?

Short answer: Up.

Tax tips:10 common filing mistakes to avoid this year

Hiring: Businesses hire high-skilled workers even if there's no job for them. Here's why

Bull markets dont die of old age. They die when investors over-the-top expectations spur them to grossly overpay for stocks, or when some multi-trillion-dollar ugly surprise wallops the world, causing recession.

Pessimistic economists are keeping a lid on peoples euphoria, giving stocks more room to rise. As for some wallop, its hard to image a shock worth trillions of dollars, because todays risks look toothless, too small or overly exposed and therefore factored into stock prices. Gains in the future may be slower and more jagged, but you should still expect big, full-year gains.

Especially in Europe, which now leads America. Why? It dropped more last year. Usually, categories that drop the most bounce back the most. Sentiment there is even more dour. Any growth will exceed expectations for Europe.

With the European Central Bank ending its asset purchase program, loan growth will increase. Britain and America already proved ending quantitative easing boosts growth, not the reverse. Britains Brexit will occur this month, or theyll kick the can for two years. They get either falling uncertainty now or no immediate pressure. Either is great for European stocks.

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Politics helps. Like in America, voters are leaving European governments in gridlock. Increasingly, governments cant pass anything major.

Many misread the phenomena, fearing populists ascent. There really is no ascent. For decades, Western European nations had centrist coalitions. The major center-left or center-right political parties alternately led with support from one or two tiny, ideologically aligned ones.

The rise of conflicting extremist parties means no party exerts any real control. Instead come feckless coalitions between parties that haggle and cant compromise  creating gridlock.

Consider Italy. Most fear its so-called populist government. Its really just a coalition of two opposing extremist groups who agree on little and legislate even less. Spain ironically linked socialists with its wealthiest party  the Catalan separatists. Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Sweden, all have variations of this new gridlock.

Stocks love gridlock because it curbs legislative risk, reducing uncertainty. In America, that happens most in every presidents third year. Its why no third year of any presidents term since 1939, as World War II started, had a negative return for the Standard & Poors 500. But Europes gridlock is brand new, a stronger effect and surprise  another reason European stocks are strong now.

To participate in Europe in this long bull markets next leg, gain easy exposure via iShares ETFs.

For an all-in-one purchase, iShares MSCI Europe is perfect (Trading symbol: IEUR).

To fine tune it, preferring more of some countries, less of others, use MSCIs country iShares: Germany (EWG), Britain (EWU), Switzerland (EWL), Spain (EWP), France (EWQ), Sweden (EWD), Netherlands (EWN), Italy (EWI), Austria (EWO), Ireland (EIRL), Denmark (EDEN), Belgium (EWK), Norway (ENOR) or Finland (EFNL).



This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Many think the bull market will die soon. So where are we headed? Up
Analysis of accounts interconnected into a Meghan Markle Twitter community found around 1,000 highly-connected accounts which have tweeted more than two and half million times since September. - REUTERS

Suspicious bot-like Twitter accounts and handles linked to Russian conspiracy theories have been obsessively tweeting about the Duchess of Sussex, an investigation has found.

Analysis of accounts interconnected into a Meghan Markle Twitter community found around 1,000 highly-connected accounts which have tweeted more than two and half million times since September.

One account with the second highest number of pro-Meghan followers, which also tweets about US politics from a pro-Democratic perspective, appears to indicate bot-like activity while the fourth most shared account frequently tweets from Russia Today and has questioned Sergei Skripals near-fatal Novichok poisoning.

The research by 89up, the consultancy firm which carried out an analysis of Facebook data for a DCMS select committee report, published last month, found an unusually high reach for the narrow interconnected group of Meghan fans.

British model Adwoa Aboah, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard attend a panel discussion convened by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust to mark International Women's Day on March 8, 2019 in London, England. Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas /Getty

It comes as Meghan joined a panel of female leaders for International Womens Day on Friday, saying men should embrace the idea they can be both masculine and feminist, declaring: Hashtags are not enough to bring about real change.

Insisting men must not feel threatened by women walking alongside them as equals, she joked about feeling the embryonic kicking of feminism from inside her growing baby bump and said making men including her husband Prince Harry a part of the conversation was the only way to make progress.

Having been announced earlier as the new vice-president of the Queens Commonwealth Trust, the duchess spoke at length about the challenges facing women in developing countries and, when asked about extra hurdles faced by women of colour, acknowledged there could be "an added layer of race [or] social demographic" in their treatment.

Last week, Kensington Palace published rules for followers of its social media channels on Monday, warning that anyone who posts offensive comments will be blocked or reported to the police in the wake of escalating abuse of both Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge.

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The account with the second highest number of followers linked to PositivelyMegh1 is jaydoll51

On Friday, research by Hope Not Hate and CNN revealed that out of 5,200 abusive tweets directed at Meghan in January and February, 3,600 came from the same small cohort of trolls.

Now a new report suggests a similar degree of collusion between some of the duchesss most obsessive champions.

89up, which has previously worked for the pro-Remain Best for Britain group, found a network of 1,103 highly-connected Twitter accounts had tweeted 2,555,070 times in the past six months with a potential reach of one billion Twitter impressions. This is an unusually high reach for a narrow interconnected group, said the report by 89up, which used the search terms like Duchess of Sussex and #MeghanMarkle to locate the tweets.

While very few of the larger of the Twitter accounts in this community were found to be entirely automated, many have unusual features, suggesting there could be collusion or automation behind some of the accounts, said the report.

It also found evidence of coordinated attacks on royal correspondents who have written negative stories about Meghan, with one journalist targeted with over 7,000 posts.

Josh Feldberg, Director of Digital at 89up said: There is highly suspicious activity on Twitter around search terms linked to the Duchess of Sussex. It is unclear the extent to which this content is automated, but the prevalence of strange Twitter usernames and the overlap between accounts that tweet primarily about politics but also tweet extensively about the duchess, could point to an orchestrated campaign to manipulate public opinion by an organisation or state.

It is not impossible that there is just a fanatical community of people online who are tweeting all day content about the duchess, but the scale of the community and the amount of content they are sharing should make us suspicious.

89up undertook an analysis of the network of accounts interconnected into a Meghan Markle Twitter community using prominent accounts including 'PositivelyMegh1', 'DuchessOnDuty' and 'Sussex__Archive'.

The Twitter account that has tweeted the most about the Duchess is tvfan00 which has tweeted over 80,000 times in the 3 years since it was set up.

The account with the second highest number of followers linked to PositivelyMegh1 is jaydoll51, which also tweets about left wing US politics and predominantly retweets other accounts (an indicator of bot like activity, according to the report). This account is linked by a follower relationship to other accounts with 'bot-like characteristics' that retweet content about Markle consistently.

The fourth most shared account tweeting positive posts about the duchess, Lewisno1fan, posted no fewer than 1,596 tweets about Meghan in the last year. In recent weeks, the account has been downplaying the anti-Semitism crisis in the Labour party, defending suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson, as well as sharing tweets from Russia Today and Skripal conspiracy theories.
By Mica Rosenberg and Kristina Cooke

(Reuters) - Christian Mejia thought he had a shot at getting out of immigration detention in rural Louisiana after he found a lawyer to help him seek asylum.

Then he was quarantined.

In early January, a mumps outbreak at the privately run Pine Prairie U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center put Mejia and hundreds of other detainees on lockdown. "When there is just one person who is sick, everybody pays," Mejia, 19, said in a phone interview from the Pine Prairie center describing weeks without visits and access to the library and dining hall.

His attorney was not allowed in, but his immigration court case continued anyway - over a video conference line. On Feb. 12, the judge ordered Mejia deported back to Honduras.

The number of people amassed in immigration detention under the Trump administration has reached record highs, raising concerns among migrant advocates about disease outbreaks and resulting quarantines that limit access to legal services.

As of March 6, more than 50,000 migrants were in detention, according to ICE data.

Internal emails reviewed by Reuters reveal the complications of managing outbreaks like the one at Pine Prairie, since immigrant detainees often are transferred around the country and infected people do not necessarily show symptoms of viral diseases even when they are contagious.

Mumps can easily spread through droplets of saliva in the air, especially in close quarters. While most people recover within a few weeks, complications include brain swelling, sterility and hearing loss.

ICE health officials have been notified of 236 confirmed or probable cases of mumps among detainees in 51 facilities in the past 12 months, compared to no cases detected between January 2016 and February 2018. Last year, 423 detainees were determined to have influenza and 461 to have chicken pox. All three diseases are largely preventable by vaccine.

As of March 7, a total of 2,287 detainees were quarantined around the country, an ICE official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters.

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Ten Democratic members of Congress sent a letter on Feb. 28 to ICE acting Director Ronald Vitiello seeking more information about viral diseases at immigration detention centers in Colorado, Arizona and Texas. Lawmakers did not mention the Pine Prairie outbreak.

Pablo Paez, a spokesman for the GEO Group, the private prison operator that runs Pine Prairie under government contract, said its medical professionals follow standards set by ICE and health authorities. He said medical care provided to detainees allows the company "to detect, treat and follow appropriate medical protocols to manage an infectious outbreak."

'UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS'

The first cases at Pine Prairie were detected in January in four migrants who had been recently transferred from the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi, according to internal emails.

Tallahatchie, run by private detention company CoreCivic Inc , has had five confirmed cases of mumps and 18 cases of chicken pox since January, according to company spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist. She said no one who was diagnosed was transferred out of the facility while the disease was active.

Tallahatchie houses hundreds of migrants recently apprehended along the U.S.- Mexico border, ICE officials said.

On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters that changing demographics on the southwest border, with more immigrants from Central America traveling long distances, overwhelmed border officials and raised health concerns.

"We are seeing migrants arrive with illnesses and medical conditions in unprecedented numbers," McAleenan said at a press conference.

However, vaccination rates in the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are above 90 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ICE detainees come from countries all over the world, with varying degrees of vaccination coverage.

'HIGH-PROFILE REMOVAL'

At Pine Prairie, staff members were at times at odds with the warden about how to manage the mumps outbreak, internal emails show. The warden decided not to quarantine 40 new arrivals from Tallahatchie in February despite concerns raised by the medical staff, one email showed.

The warden, Indalecio Ramos, who referred questions about the outbreak to ICE and the GEO Group, argued that quarantining the transfers would keep them from attending their court hearings, the facility's health service administrator wrote in a Feb. 7 email.

In a Feb. 21 email, ICE requested that medical staff members at Pine Prairie clear a detainee quarantined for chicken pox and mumps for travel, calling him a "high-profile removal scheduled for deport." In an email to staff later that day, warden Ramos wrote that medical staff had wanted to exclude the detainee from transfer but "ICE wants him to travel out of the country anyway ... Please ensure he leaves."

The ICE spokesman said that travel is restricted for people who are known to be contagious but those exposed to diseases who are asymptomatic can travel.

Since January, the 1,094-bed Pine Prairie facility has had 18 detainees with confirmed or probable cases of mumps compared to no cases in 2018, according to ICE. As of mid-February, 288 people were under quarantine at Pine Prairie. Mejia said his quarantine ended on Feb. 25.

Detention centers in other states also have seen a rise in outbreaks.

There have been 186 mumps cases in immigration detention facilities in Texas since October, the largest outbreak in centers there in recent years, said Lara Anton, the press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In Colorado, at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility near Denver, run by the GEO Group, 357 people have been quarantined following eight confirmed and five suspected cases of mumps detected since February, as well as six cases of chicken pox diagnosed since the beginning of January, said Dr. Bernadette Albanese from the Tri County Health Department in Colorado.

Civil rights attorney Danielle Jefferis said court hearings for quarantined immigrants at Aurora were largely canceled.

At Pine Prairie on Feb. 12, Mejia said he felt confused and hopeless during his video hearing, with no attorney by his side.

After Mejia's lawyers complained, attorneys were allowed to visit quarantined detainees on Feb. 13 - one day too late for Mejia.

While he is appealing his case, his lawyers say he could be deported at any time.

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Julie Marquis, Paul Thomasch and Lisa Shumaker)
Rabat (AFP) - Morocco said Sunday it had repatriated eight of its nationals from Syria, who will be investigated for "suspected involvement in acts linked to terrorism".

"The competent Moroccan authorities proceeded on March 10 to repatriate a group of eight Moroccan citizens who were in conflict zones in Syria," the interior ministry said in a statement.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is spearheading a final offensive against the Islamic State group's last redoubt, confirmed its involvement in the transfer.

The force "handed over some citizens from Morocco who used to stay in camps of northeast Syria to the Moroccan government," SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali wrote on Twitter.

Backed by an international military coalition, the SDF has arrested thousands of IS jihadists who have fled the shrinking stronghold.

Many of those flooding out of IS territory are foreign fighters and their families -- including some Moroccan women, according to AFP journalists on the ground.

Sunday's operation had a "humanitarian character" and allowed the Moroccans to return to their home country safely, the ministry added.

In 2015, the number of Moroccans in jihadist ranks in Iraq and Syria was estimated at more than 1,600.

Those who return are arrested and receive sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison.

Syria's multi-fronted war has killed more than 360,000 and displaced millions since it erupted in the wake of the government's bloody repression of street protests in 2011.

The SDF wants foreign fighters and their families to be repatriated by their countries of origin.

Rabat's move was praised by the United States, which said such actions "should encourage other nations to repatriate and prosecute their citizens" who have joined IS.

"Repatriating foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin is the best solution to prevent them from returning to the battlefield," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

Washington last month said it would not allow a US-born woman who had joined IS in Syria, Hoda Muthana, back into the country and declared she was not an American citizen.
Pope Francis issued his Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which this year will be celebrated on 12 May. The Lords call comes from being "surprised by an encounter". For the pontiff, "It is not a 'cage' or a burden to be borne. At the same time though, Do not yield to fear. Marys yes has no guarantee other than she was the bearer of a promise.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  The courage to take a risk for Gods promise is the title of Pope Franciss message for the 2019 World Day of Prayer for Vocations on 12 May, which he made public today.

Drawing on his experience with young people in Panama at World Youth Day last January, Francis said that he wants to reflect "on how the Lords call makes us bearers of a promise and, at the same time, asks of us the courage to take a risk, with him and for him."

First of all, referring to the call to the first disciples (Mark 1:16-20), he explains that the vocation stems from the fact that they are "surprised by an encounter", which breaks the "paralysis of routine, putting us out on a sea of possibilities.

"The Lords call is not an intrusion of God in our freedom; it is not a cage or a burden to be borne. On the contrary, it is the loving initiative whereby God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking.

This is "a great challenge" that "demands the courage to risk making a decision". Francis lists the different calls. First of all, we have baptism whereby we join the Christian community, and in which, from an early age, we are taught the art of prayer and fraternal sharing."

Then come other calls, like the decision to marry in Christ and to form a family, as well as all those other vocations associated with work and professional life, with the commitment to charity and solidarity, with social and political responsibilities, and so forth.

"In encountering the Lord, some may feel the attraction of a call to the consecrated life or to the ordained priesthood. It is a discovery that can excite and at the same time frighten us, since we feel called to become fishers of men in the barque of the Church by giving totally of ourselves in commitment to faithful service of the Gospel and our brothers and sisters. Such a decision carries the risk of leaving everything behind to follow the Lord, to devote ourselves completely to him, and to share in his work.

Ultimately, for Francis we should not yield to fear, which paralyzes us before the great heights to which the Lord points us. Instead, we should look at Mary. [I]n the story of this young woman, vocation was both a promise and a risk. Her mission was not easy, yet she did not allow fear to prevail. It was the yes of someone prepared to be committed, someone willing to take a risk, ready to stake everything she had, with no more security than the certainty of knowing that she was the bearer of a promise.
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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So well take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in ASM International NV (AMS:ASM).

What Is Insider Selling?

Its quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We dont think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

See our latest analysis for ASM International

ASM International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Chairman of the Management Board Charles del Prado made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for 3.8m worth of shares at a price of 39.44 each. That implies that an insider found the current (approximate) price enticing. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. In any event its generally a positive if insiders are buying shares at around the current price. Notably Charles del Prado was also the biggest seller, having sold 4.9m worth of shares.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 179.67k shares for 6.8m. But they sold 128.89k for 4.9m. In total, ASM International insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. They paid about 37.64 on average. Its great to see insiders putting their own cash into the companys stock, albeit at below the recent share price (45.50). You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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ENXTAM:ASM Recent Insider Trading, March 10th 2019

I will like ASM International better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership of ASM International

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 1.7% of ASM International shares, worth about 39m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, its enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At ASM International Tell Us?

There havent been any insider transactions in the last three months  that doesnt mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we dont see anything to make us think ASM International insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in ASM International, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course ASM International may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
Nine policemen have been killed in a militant attack in Myanmars western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict.

A bloody military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh in violence UN investigators have said warrants the prosecution of top generals for genocide and crimes against humanity.

But the armed forces are now waging a war against a militant group claiming to represent the states ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, a population that also stands accused of aiding soldiers in their expulsion of the Rohingya.

The Arakan Army (AA) has in recent months mounted several attacks on security forces and officials in its struggle for more autonomy and rights for Rakhine people.

The latest attack occurred late Saturday took place in Yoetayoke village, just an hour north of Rakhine states capital Sittwe.

Nine police were killed, one was injured and another one is missing, a senior police officer told AFP, not wanting to be named.

A leaked police report said weapons were also taken from the police station.

No group has yet claimed responsibility and the AA could not immediately be reached for comment.

A local administrator confirmed investigations are under way.

Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of carefully government-chaperoned trips and information is difficult to verify independently.

But swathes of the states north are once again engulfed in conflict.

The military has brought in thousands of reinforcements and is bombarding AA positions with heavy artillery.

Several thousand people have been forced from their homes by the violence.

Yet there is widespread support for the AAs cause across much of Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, where many feel they have suffered decades of discrimination by the state.

Some 100 local administrators submitted their resignation en masse this month calling for the release of four colleagues reportedly arrested for having links with the AA.

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The verdict in a treason trial against a popular Rakhine politician is also expected in the coming days and could prove to be a further flashpoint.

Aye Maung stands accused of treason after allegedly inciting Rakhine people in a speech last year to take arms and rise up against the countrys ethnic-Bamar (Burmese) majority.

The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits.

The group ramped up operations at the end of last year, but it was a deadly attack on four police posts on Independence Day early January that focused the countrys attention and triggered the militarys swift retaliation.

Thirteen police officers were killed in the brazen attack and in an unprecedented move the civilian government instructed the military to crack down on the insurgents.

Violence in strife-torn Rakhine was glossed over by Myanmars leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a recent investment forum where she touted the states "untapped" economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing "narrowly" on its problems.
Bishoftu (Ethiopia) (AFP) - An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed Sunday morning en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew on board, state media reported as African leaders offered condolences.

"We hereby confirm that our scheduled flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in accident today," the airline said in a statement, later confirming a report by Ethiopia's FANA Broadcasting Corp that there were no survivors.

"It is believed that there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight," it said.

The airline has not provided information on passengers' nationalities but there are reports people from 33 countries were on board. The crash came on the eve of a major, annual assembly of the UN Environment Programme opening in Nairobi.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, said the plane had taken off at 8:38 am (0538 GMT) from Bole International Airport and "lost contact" six minutes later near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa by road.

The weather in the capital, according to an AFP reporter, was clear when the brand-new Boeing plane, delivered to Ethiopia last year, plane took off.

The Boeing came down near the village of Tulu Fara outside Bishoftu.

An AFP reporter said there was a massive crater at the crash site, with belongings and airplane parts scattered widely.

Rescue crews were retrieving human remains from the wreckage.

Police and troops were on the scene, as well as a crash investigation team from Ethiopia's civil aviation agency.

In the Kenyan capital, family members, friends, and colleagues of passengers were frantically waiting for news at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

"I am still hoping that all is fine, because I have been waiting for my sister since morning and we have not been told anything," Peter Kimani told AFP in the arrivals lounge over an hour after the plane was scheduled to land at 10:25 am local time.

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His sister is a nurse who he said had gone to Congo. "She travels a lot on missions."

"We are still expecting our loved one from Addis... we have just received news that there is a plane that has crashed. We can only hope that she is not on that flight."

- Hoping for the best -

Among those waiting, Khalid Ali Abdulrahman received happy news about his son, who works in Dubai.

"I arrived here shortly after 10:00 am and as I waited, a security person approached me and asked me which flight are you waiting for. I answered him quickly because I wanted him to direct me to the arrivals, so I told him Ethiopia, and then he said: 'Sorry, that one has crashed'."

"I was shocked, but shortly after, my son contacted me and told me he is still in Addis and did not board that flight, he is waiting for the second one which has been delayed," Khalid told AFP.

"I am waiting for my colleague, I just hope for the best," added Hannah, a Chinese national.

African Union commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said he had learnt of the crash "with utter shock and immense sadness.

"Our prayers are with the families of the passengers + crew as authorities search for survivors. I also express our full solidarity with the Govt & people of Ethiopia," he said on Twitter.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office tweeted it "would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones."

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said he was "saddened" by the news, adding: "My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board."

Mahboub Maalim, executive secretary of the IGAD East African bloc, said the region and the world were in mourning.

"I cannot seem to find words comforting enough to the families and friends of those who might have lost their lives in this tragedy," he said in a statement.

For its part, the plane's maker, US giant company Boeing, said it was "aware" of the accident "and is closely monitoring the situation."

Ethiopian Airlines said it would send staff to the accident scene to "do everything possible to assist the emergency services."

It would also set up a passenger information centre and a dedicated telephone number for family and friends of people who may have been on the flight, while Kenya's transport minister said officials would meet and council loved ones waiting at JKIA.

The Boeing 737-800MAX is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed last October, 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

The last major accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was a Boeing 737-800 that exploded after taking off from Lebanon in 2010, killing 83 passengers and seven crew.

According to reports, Boeing delivered the plane to Ethiopian Airlines last November.

burs-mlr/bmm
Bishoftu (Ethiopia) (AFP) - A Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa Sunday, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers and UN staff.

Ethiopia declared a national day of mourning for Monday amid a global stream of condolences for loved ones, many of whom gathered in tears at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

"The House of Peoples Representatives have declared March 11, 2019, a national day of mourning for citizens of all countries that have passed in this tragic accident," Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said on Twitter.

Identities of the victims from 35 countries started to emerge as foreign governments and the United Nations reacted with shock.

"Deeply saddened by the news this morning of the plane crash in Ethiopia, claiming the lives of all on board," tweeted UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Among the dead were United Nations staff, including some who worked for the World Food Programme, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration.

The IOM said in a statement early indications were that 19 staff members of UN-affiliated organisations perished in the crash.

Many were headed for an annual assembly of the UN Environment Programme, which opens in Nairobi Monday with some 4,700 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, senior UN officials and civil society representatives.

- Wife, son, daughter dead -

Slovak MP Anton Hrnko was among the bereaved.

"It is with deep sorrow that I announce that my dear wife, Blanka, son Martin and daughter Michala, died in the air disaster in Addis Ababa this morning," he wrote on Facebook.

Flight ET 302 ploughed into a field 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa on what the airline's CEO Tewolde GebreMariam labelled a "very sad and tragic day".

An eyewitness told AFP the plane came down in flames.

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"The plane was already on fire when it crashed to the ground. The crash caused a big explosion," Tegegn Dechasa recounted at the site, littered with passenger belongings, human remains, and airplane parts around a massive crater at the point of impact.

"The plane was in flames in its rear side shortly before the crash. The plane was swerving erratically before the crash."

Local farmer Sisay Gemechu said he heard a loud noise as he was on his way to fetch water.

"The plane seemed to be aiming to land at a nearby level open field, but crashed before reaching there," he said.

The Boeing 737-800MAX was brand new, delivered to state-owned Ethiopian Airways on November 15, said the carrier, Africa's largest.

The plane is the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

- 'Devastating' -

Ethiopian Airlines said the plane had taken off at 8:38 am (0538 GMT) from Bole International Airport and "lost contact" six minutes later.

It came down near Tulu Fara village outside the town of Bishoftu.

The carrier, which changed its logo on Twitter to black and white from its trademark green, yellow, and red, said "there are no survivors".

"We can only hope that she is not on that flight," Peter Kimani, who had come to fetch his sister at Nairobi's JKIA, told AFP after news of the disaster reached those waiting in the arrivals hall.

Loved ones were later brought to the onsite Sheraton Hotel where they were debriefed and offered counselling. Journalists were not allowed in, but could hear sobbing from inside.

Ethiopian Airlines said Kenya had the largest number of casualties with 32, followed by Canada with 18, Ethiopia nine, then Italy, China, and the United States with eight each.

Britain and France each had seven people on board, Egypt six, and Germany five, according to the airline. France's government later gave a different figure of eight French victims.

African Union commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat spoke of "utter shock and immense sadness", while Mahboub Maalim, executive secretary of the IGAD East African bloc, said the region and the world were in mourning.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and his British counterpart Theresa May both described the news as "devastating".

Sympathy messages also came from the governments of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Britain, Germany, France and the United States.

- Pilot had 'difficulties' -

GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg earlier Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "despatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged.

Asked if the pilot had made a distress call, the CEO said "the pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and he wants to return. He was given clearance" to turn around.

Ethiopian and international investigators will probe the crash, said GebreMariam.

For one family member in Nairobi there was a happy ending.

Khalid Ali Abdulrahman was waiting for his son who works in Dubai and feared the worst when a security official told him the plane had crashed.

"I was shocked, but shortly after, my son contacted me and told me he is still in Addis and did not board that flight."

burs-mlr/boc
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is an outspoken critic of President Trump. But shes also critical of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.

We cant be only upset with Trump, Omar told Politico for a profile that was published Friday. His policies are bad, but many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies. They just were more polished than he was.

Thats not what we should be looking for anymore, she continued. We dont want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished. We want to recognize the actual policies that are behind the pretty face and the smile.

Omar, a Muslim and a Somali refugee who wears Islamic dress in public, noted the caging of kids at the U.S.-Mexico border and the droning of countries around the world  for which Trump has been criticized  happened on Obamas watch too. Obamas office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. and former President Barack Obama. (Photos: Mark Wilson/Getty Images; Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Obama was widely criticized for expanding the use of armed drones, authorizing at least 542 strikes during his presidency that caused an estimated 3,797 deaths, including 324 civilians, according to data from the Council on Foreign Relations.

Yet Trumps drone program was even more active than Obamas in his first two years as commander in chief. According to U.S. government data released last November, Trump authorized 238 drone strikes in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, compared with 186 authorized by Obama during his first two years in office.

Its unclear how many civilians were killed in drone strikes authorized by Trump. On Wednesday, Trump revoked an Obama-era order that required the intelligence community to publicly report the number of CIA drone strikes outside of war zones and the number of civilians killed by them.

And Trump has been harshly criticized on both sides of the aisle for his administrations zero tolerance illegal immigration policy that has resulted in thousands of children being separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Many of the children separated from their families were held in detention centers. In one such facility, hundreds of children were seen in a series of enclosures made of metal fencing, which have also been characterized as cages.

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During the Bush and Obama administrations, immigrants caught crossing the border with children were largely treated as civil rather than criminal cases. Under Obama, parents were removed from their children if they were arrested on other charges or had an outstanding warrant  resulting in some children being held in detention centers. But the number of such cases was small compared to the number under Trump.

Meanwhile, Omar has come under fire for comments that critics construed as anti-Semitic. On Thursday, the House passed a broad resolution condemning hate that originated from her remarks.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
World number one Naomi Osaka launched her Indian Wells WTA title defense with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in a grudge match against Kristina Mladenovic on Saturday.

Osaka, whose second straight Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January propelled her to the top of the rankings, was beaten by 65th-ranked Mladenovic in Dubai last month in her first match since she lifted the trophy in Melbourne.

Keen to avoid a repeat, Osaka marched through the opening set in 38 minutes, but she hit a speed bump as she was broken when serving for the match at 5-2 in the second.

After Mladenovic held serve to narrow the deficit to 5-4, the Japanese player faced another break point before wrapping up the match after one hour and 21 minutes.

"The last time I played her I lost, so anything's a bonus," Osaka said, adding that she felt a few butterflies before opening the first title defense of her career.

Her surprise triumph at Indian Wells last year launched a 2018 campaign that would eventually include her first Grand Slam crown at the US Open.

"I've never been a defending champion before, that's new and I was really nervous," said Osaka, who booked a third-round meeting with American Danielle Collins, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Kirsten Flipkens.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams pulled off the upset of the day, rallying from a set and two breaks down to topple third-seeded Petra Kvitova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

"I just fought and tried my hardest," said Williams, currently ranked 36th in the world.

"A double break is not ideal against a great server, especially a left-handed server," Williams said, adding that the secret to coming back was "just being in the moment".

"I think I created some opportunities. I had some good points. I think she had a few tight points, and here we are."

She booked a third-round clash with fellow American Christina McHale, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 winner over 30th-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

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Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who was runner-up to Osaka in Melbourne, appeared to have taken control of the stadium court slugfest when she broke Williams for a 4-3 lead in the third.

But Williams immediately broke back and Kvitova soon found herself serving to save the match. She took a 40-15 lead in the final game, but two double faults, followed by a lucky netcord bounce for Williams gave the American a match point and Kvitova sailed a ball long to end matters after two hours and 27 minutes.

Williams pulled off the unlikely comeback despite failing to produce a single ace although she said her varying serve speeds were "what I needed to do".

She was broken four times, but proved more consistent in the bruising baseline rallies.

Kvitova fired 10 aces, but also had 10 double faults and while the Czech fired 38 winners to Williams's 15, her 56 unforced errors were more than double the American's 25.

"It was such a weird match," Kvitova said, calling it her worst of the year. "I took the first set. Suddenly I was leading in the second, but somehow I just gave her a chance again to be back in the match, and she took it.

"I was so frustrated with myself from the half of the second set to the end, which shouldn't happen to me," she said.

There was disappointment, too, for 2011 winner Caroline Wozaniacki, who fell 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 to 59th-ranked Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Elsewhere on Saturday, fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova shook off a slow start to defeat Japanese qualifier Misaki Doi 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-1.

Pliskova next faces another qualifier, Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure, who defeated 28th-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

Eighth-seeded German Angelique Kerber eased into the third round with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.
By Ali Sawafta RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority is scaling back wages paid to its employees in response to a cash crunch deepened by a dispute with Israel over payments to families of militants in Israeli jails, it said on Sunday. In February, Israel announced it was deducting five percent of the revenues it transfers monthly to the Palestinian Authority (PA) from tax collected on imports that reach the occupied West Bank and Hamas-run Gaza Strip via Israeli ports. Israel said the sum represented the amount the PA pays to families of Palestinians jailed in Israel or killed while carrying out attacks or other security offences. Palestinians see their slain and jailed as heroes of a national struggle but Israeli and U.S. officials say the stipends fan Palestinian violence and are scaled so relatives of prisoners serving longer sentences receive larger payments. After Israel's deduction announcement, Palestinian President Mahoud Abbas said the PA would not accept any of the tax revenues, which totaled 700 million shekels ($193 million) in January and account for about half of the authority's budget. As a result, Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara said the PA would pay full salaries - which had been due on March 1 - only to its lowest-earning employees, or the 40 percent of its workforce that takes home 2,000 shekels ($550) or less a month. Civil servants earning more than that, including cabinet ministers, will have their wages cut by half, he told a news conference. However, Bishara said prisoners' families will continue to be paid their full allocations. "No force on earth can alter that," he told a news conference. Bishara said the PA will have to take bank loans of between $50 million to $60 million for the coming five to six months to weather the crisis. An Israeli official, commenting on condition of anonymity, said the PA had a cash-flow problem as a result of U.S. cuts in aid to the Palestinians and the tax revenues dispute but that the situation would not spiral out of control. "The nightmare scenario of the PA collapsing, or of PA security coordination with Israel ceasing, won't happen," the official said. "No one, including us and the United States, would allow that. If need be, we'll look for ways of preventing this." The U.S. has cut all aid to the Palestinians, including $360 million it used to give to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees. The cuts were widely seen as a bid by Washington to press the Palestinians to re-enter peace talks with Israel that collapsed in 2014. (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Kirsten Donovan)
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appointed longtime ally Mohammad Shtayyeh as prime minister on Sunday, a senior official said, in a move seen as part of efforts to further isolate Hamas.

Abbas asked Shtayyeh, a member of the central committee of the Palestinian president's Fatah party, to form a new government, Fatah vice president Mahmoud al-Aloul told AFP.

Official Palestinian news agency WAFA also reported the move.

Some analysts view bringing in Shtayyeh to replace outgoing prime minister Rami Hamdallah as part of Abbas's efforts to further isolate his political rivals from Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip.

Shtayyeh, born in 1958, is a long-term Abbas ally, while Hamdallah was politically independent.

The previous government was formed during a period of improved relations and had the backing of Hamas.

This government is instead likely to be dominated by Fatah, though other smaller parties will be represented. Hamas is not expected to be included.
Recruitment and retirement age of provincial, local staff proposed to be same as federal staff

As the federal government prepares a law regarding standards for the Provincial Civil Service Act and Local Service Act, it is also setting the criteria for the recruitment and retirement age of staff to be recruited by provincial and local governments.
(Reuters) - Two paragliders collided in midair above one of the most popular paraglider ports in the United States, falling about 75 feet (23 m) to their deaths before horrified witnesses, media reports said, citing witnesses and San Diego officials.

After colliding, the two men plummeted onto the bluff above San Diego's Black's Beach on Saturday, "twirling, almost like a leaf falling," witness Ryan Bloum, 25, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Officials did not identify the men, aged 61 and 43.

The lesser experienced pilot of the two made a hard turn into the path of the other, San Diego Lifeguard Lieutenant Rich Stropky told the Union-Tribune.

The lines of their canopies entangled. One of them stayed airborne for a moment, but both fell from about 35 feet (11 m) above the top of the bluff to 40 or 45 feet below, Stropky said.

"I heard a collision, some kind of sound, and I looked over and seen two people falling from the sky," Madeline Henderson told KGTV television. "Just to witness that was incredibly terrifying."

The Torrey Pines Gliderport has long been popular with hang gliders and paragliders who take off from a glassy slope at the edge of a steep bluff that drops down to the beach. The bluff face and ocean breezes provide ideal conditions for staying aloft.

While expressing sorrow at "the loss of two members of our close-knit soaring community," the Torrey Pines Gliderport said it a statement it was "amongst the world's safest soaring sites."

An article published in 2015 by the World Journal of Emergency Medicine reported 18 paragliding deaths and 64 traumatic injuries out of 242,355 paragliding jumps from August 2004 to September 2011.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Thohoyandou (South Africa) (AFP) - "As treasurer of my stokvel, I had to go to the bank almost every day to find out what is happening," said Annah Muambadzi, 65, of the panic that gripped her savings club.

Fear spread through poor rural communities across South Africa in November when VBS, a regional bank that catered to poorer customers, collapsed.

It came as Muambadzi's son was about to get married, and university fees were due for another child.

"The ladies started looking at me suspiciously thinking I had stolen the money," she said of her savings club, known as a stokvel, into which members contribute an agreed amount each month.

"It broke down the trust."

The bank was left in ruins after 53 people stole $130 million deposited by individuals like Muambadzi and her club.

One of those implicated was the brother of Floyd Shivambu, a prominent leader of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party which has campaigned against corruption.

VBS was founded in 1982 at the height of apartheid in the Venda homeland, an area of modern-day Limpopo province reserved by white authorities for black communities.

Its collapse, after the High Court ordered it be liquidated, became one of the most serious corruption scandals to rock post-apartheid South Africa -- largely because so many victims were poor, black and female.

South Africa's central bank was forced to step in and guaranteed $7,300 per retail depositor through a competing bank.

More than 17,000 people flocked to open accounts according to the rescuer, Nedbank.

But those with savings above the threshold face losing the difference.

Retired university lecturer and minority shareholder professor Elwani Khuba, 81, said she saved at the bank because it promised to guarantee her future.

"We used to get dividends... we were happy that VBS was working well," Khuba told AFP.

Now, "I'm still waiting to get my money and the value of my shares."

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- 'Criminals similar to bank robbers' -

Khuba had hoped "to give this legacy to my children and also to my grandchildren.

"It was so heart-wrenching, we didn't know what to do," she said.

Local investigative journalists reported on executives purchasing luxury cars and chartering helicopters with the bank's money.

The central bank in October published a 148-page report titled "The Great Bank Heist" that laid bare the greed of those who plundered the bank.

"These were criminals similar to bank robbers, the only difference was that they carried suitcases and they wore fancy Armani suits," said administrator Anoosh Rooplal.

Four months after the bank collapsed, officials told AFP that asset recoveries will depend "on the success of the liquidation process".

Cyril Ramaphosa, who became South Africa's president in February 2018 pledging to stamp out graft, vowed to "prosecute those responsible" for the missing funds, but no arrests have yet been made.

The ruling African National Congress fired 14 mayors accused of illegally investing surpluses in the bank.

- 'Killing small businesses like us' -

ANC deputy chairperson in Limpopo Florence Radzilani, was among those fired for reportedly taking bribes for investing 300-million rand of the Vhembe municipality purse into the bank.

In Hamutsha, a village in the northern Vhembe district, water and electricity supplies are scarce as funds were diverted to dubious investments in VBS.

"You must imagine -- it's very hot. There's no water so people go to the river to get water," said Aubrey Mulaudzi, a local mechanic who also lost money in the bank.

"The money was there but the politicians are playing around with the lives of the people. Poor people who voted for them don't get services."

The collapse has also hit businesses hard.

At Mulaudzi's auto repair shop, a thick layer of dust covers the dozens of cars parked there.

For 25 years, the garage offered repairs to drivers navigating the potholed road through Thohoyandou, 460 kilometres (285 miles) north of Pretoria.

"My father, my mother used to bank there," said Mulaudzi, 56, wiping oil from his hands with a cloth.

Mulaudzi, who started saving with VBS in 1987, lost shares and cash worth $145,000, and is struggling to pay salaries and suppliers.

"It's slowed our performance," he said, adding that he had been forced to lay off half of his 26 workers.

Mulaudzi warned that if the money is not recovered, it would end up "killing small businesses like us".

"If we go down, (the unemployed) will be the burden of the government again."
For Love of My People I Will Not Remain Silent: On the Situation of the Church in China, published in English this year, is a series of eight lectures by Joseph Cardinal Zen. Cardinal Zen delivered the lectures in Hong Kong in 2017. The lectures are an account of the state of the relationship between the Church within and the Church outside China from 2000 to 2017, focusing on a letter written by Pope Benedict to Chinese Catholics in 2007 and on diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Church in China.

Though the plight of faithful in China may currently be overshadowed by the many high-profile sexual-abuse scandals within the Church, the persecution faced by Catholics in the avowedly atheist country should not be disregarded. But it is not the Chinese governments oppression of religious minorities that Zen focuses on. In his lectures he details the incompetence and corruption of Church officials in their handling of the complex and tense relationship between Vatican officials and diplomats, the state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (PCA), and the underground Catholic Church in China.

The PCA has historically operated under the auspices of the ruling Communist party rather than Rome, appointing its own bishops without Vatican approval and thereby rendering those bishops latae sententiae excommunicants. Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 formally excommunicated two PCA-appointed bishops and the two bishops who had ordained them. The underground Catholic Church in China is in good standing and full communion with Rome but lacks the approval of the Chinese government and therefore suffers persecution.

Some Chinese Catholics loathe the state-run Church as an empty apparatus intended for control rather than sincere devotion, some believers trust only the state-sanctioned Church, and some do not bother to distinguish between the two, since the difference is not in rite or theology but in ecclesiological administration. Zen, who is still outspoken in his disapproval of the provisional agreement signed on September 22 of last year, criticizes the prevarications of the Vatican in its dealings with the Church in China in For Love of My People. He condemns the strategy of compromise and surrender and says that the Curia has always tried to please the Chinese government.

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In 1988, the Vatican issued eight points on Catholicism in China. The provisional agreement signed last year is in discord with them. In the eight points, the Vaticans Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples decreed that PCA ordinations were valid but not licit. But under the agreement, in what Pope Francis has claimed is an attempt to foster healing and unity among Chinese Catholics, the distinction between PCA and Catholic bishops has been erased. Francis has recognized eight bishops (one deceased) appointed by the PCA in Beijing as in full ecclesial communion with Rome, even though they were appointed with flagrant disregard for the Vatican and, in some cases, had been previously excommunicated.

While the agreement is a step toward repairing the rift within the Chinese Church, it has left Catholics who have long fought for the underground Church in China feeling subverted and betrayed. Pope Francis has admitted that the agreement will not necessarily end the suffering of Chinese Catholics. The pope has also lamented the suffering for those who dont understand, or who have so many years behind them of living clandestinely. Catholics such as Cardinal Zen who have long encouraged opposition to the PCA suddenly find the Vatican itself seeking common ground with the organization.

Unity of believers is a worthy and principal goal, but proper form and the authority of the Church should not be sacrificed in achieving it. Zen decried the agreement before and after it was signed, seeing it as an attempt by the Church to ingratiate itself with Chinas ruling party rather than defend true believers. Zen rightly notes of Vatican officials that if today they go along with the regime, tomorrow our Church will not be welcome for the rebuilding of the new China.

Zen discusses myriad examples of the incompetence that plagues the Church. One is that Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state appointed by Francis, has allowed the Catholic commission for the Church in China to lapse, no longer facilitating its meetings. Zen also mentions that Father Federico Lombardi, the former director of the Press Office of the Holy See, allowed himself to be interviewed by Phoenix Television, one of the few private television networks officially permitted by Hong Kongs government. Zen suggests that Phoenix is not a neutral outlet. The channel has come under criticism in recent years for the government influence in its programming. In 2016, the channel suspended airing of several popular political-commentary shows because of ideological mistakes by the hosts.

Zen also tells of Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, who at a Vatican symposium on organ transplants invited as a guest of honor Dr. Huang Jiefu, Chinas former deputy health minister. Huang has publicly taken credit for a decade-long reform effort in the Chinese medical community. In 2005, as vice health minister, he admitted that over 90 percent of the transplant organs in China were harvested from executed prisoners, but he promised reform of the medical system.

His high rhetoric notwithstanding, Huang did not seem to effect much change. In June 2016, the U.S. Congress unanimously condemned Chinas state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting, in a resolution alleging that the Chinese Communist Party was continuing the practice in secret and that it was killing non-consenting prisoners of conscience, including religious and ethnic minorities.

Zen is a dedicated, orthodox Catholic and he indicates no disobedience to the pope by his criticisms. In his last lecture, Zen says, I will never lead a rebellion against the Pope if he signs an agreement with the Chinese government. I will quietly withdraw to the monastic life of prayer and penance. But a weak and feckless Church that is not willing to fight brazenly for the truth will not inspire many future witnesses like Zen. A Church that does not devote itself to its own teachings is an empty institution.

Zen does not leave us without hope for the Church, or for the Church in China. He is our hope. He is the voice crying out in the desert, refusing to be satisfied with half-truths or cowardly deference. Like Christians in other countries hostile to Christianity, Zen in his unwavering dedication to God is an example and testament to all Christians.

Zen concedes that there is true belief in both the underground and the official state Church in China. We came to realize that our categories were too sharply divisive, he says, when in reality there were so many healthy forces.

He does not hesitate to point out the failure of the Church to communicate adequately with Chinese Catholics. In 2007, Pope Benedict wrote a letter intended to provide clarity to the Church in China. The letter was meant to be ready by Easter, Zen says, but the final copy was not published until the end of June. Moreover, the final Chinese copy had mistakes and sentences mistranslated. What a shame that a letter addressed precisely to the people of China had so many errors in the Chinese translation, Zen laments.

In the last of his eight lectures, given on June 28, 2017, Zen, compares being a Catholic in China to living in a cage. He says that the provisional agreement between China and the pope, which was not yet signed at the time of his writing, will further stifle Chinese Catholics in their ability to worship: To us, a terrifying scenario is unfolding, the sellout of the Church! Not reconstituted unity, but a forced cohabitation in the cage. From the point of view of the faith, we cannot see any gain.

If Catholics have learned anything from the recent crimes propagated in the Church, it should be that there is no mercy without justice. Passivity and capitulation among clerics in the face of injustice or persecution should not be tolerated; and no government or institution, including the tangled bureaucracy of the Catholic hierarchy, is above reproach.

These criticisms of the Churchs entreaties to China come not from an aggrieved anti-cleric but from a cardinal in good standing. Zens lectures are not a condemnation of authority but rather a call for the Church to act as a strong authority and an uncompromising garrison of virtue. Clerics should not shy away from their commitment to Christian teaching. They should be fortified by it.

Hope for Catholicism in China lies in the hands of Cardinal Zen and those who, like him, are willing to defend the faith even without strong support from the Vatican. The Church on Earth will be preserved not by equivocations and incompetent bureaucracy but by the Church Militant. Zen reminds us that it is the Catholics who are steadfast in their devotion to the sacraments and doctrine who will preserve the Church, and that nothing less than martyrdom, be it red or white, is the seed of the Church.

More from National Review
BERLIN (Reuters) - The leader of Germany's ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) has responded to French President Emmanuel Macron's ideas for a "European renaissance" by offering some overlap with his vision, while also warning against too much centralisation.

Under the title "Doing Europe Right", Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer echoed Macron by calling for a reform of the European Union's migration policy, but rejected his idea for a European minimum wage and cautioned against collective debts.

Kramp-Karrenbauer's response to Macron fills a void left by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is under pressure from her party to engage with him more fully after leaving her spokesman to simply say Germany supports discussions about the EU's future.

"Our Europe needs to become stronger," Kramp-Karrenbauer, who succeeded Merkel as CDU leader in December, wrote in an opinion piece for the Welt an Sonntag weekly newspaper.

But she added: "European centralism, European statism, the collectivisation of debts, a Europeanisation of social systems and the minimum wage would be the wrong way."

That appeared to counter Macron's call for a European minimum wage, adapted to each country, and also highlighted the entrenched resistance in Berlin to any moves that could make Germany liable for other countries' debts.

Macron's proposals, unveiled in an open letter to citizens of Europe that was published this week in newspapers across the EU, aim to protect and defend Europe's citizens while giving the 28-nation bloc new impetus in the face of global competition.

Since winning election as French president in 2017, Macron has championed EU reform, but wariness in Berlin of increased burdens on German taxpayers has left him short of big-bang measures.

Presenting her ideas, Kramp-Karrenbauer, who is Merkel's protege and in pole position to succeed her as chancellor, called for an internal European banking market to ensure that Europe's businesses can secure financing in the EU.

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She also said a joint EU innovation budget should fund new technologies, tax loopholes should be closed in the bloc and a digital tax introduced based on an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) model.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, like Macron, called for a reform of migration policy, but stressed that tackling migration at its source, protecting Europe's external borders and absorbing asylum seekers were roles that should be shared fairly.

She added: "In future, the EU should be represented with a common permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council."

(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Helen Popper)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian military has mounted air strikes against Islamic State militants and clashed with the jihadists in central Syria, the pro-Damascus al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday. The flare-up in the area of al-Sukhna, between Palymra and Deir al-Zor, on Monday points to the foothold the ultra-hardline Islamist group still has west of the Euphrates even as U.S.-backed fighters are poised to seize its last enclave east of the river. The Syrian air force mounted "a number of air strikes targeting Daesh movements in the eastern Badiya, specifically on one of the dirt roads leading to the town of al-Sukhna and southeast of the town", al-Watan said, citing a military source. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been laying siege to Islamic State's last enclave east of the Euphrates, the village of Baghouz, for several weeks. Some 200 of the jihadists surrendered in Baghouz after a ferocious battle at the weekend, but around 1,000 may still be holding out, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian force battling them said on Monday. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Commander Sean Robertson said that in addition to the nearly 1,000 foreign fighters held by the SDF, there were thousands of other suspected Islamic State militants from Iraq and Syria held by the U.S.-backed group. While the group's defeat at Baghouz would mark a milestone in the fight against Islamic State, the group is expected to remain an insurgent threat inside Syria and Iraq. The Syrian army recaptured Sukhna from Islamic State in 2017 as it pushed the jihadists back across central Syria in an advance along the crucial desert highway from Palmyra to Deir al-Zor. However, some of its fighters remained in the rugged desert areas around and have carried out attacks on army positions and convoys, a pro-Damascus source has said. (Writing by Tom Perry; editing by William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis)
Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - On the domed roof of a historical market in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, architect Bassel al-Daher moves between workers painstakingly working to erase the scars of war.

Men wearing vests and helmets repair parts of the roof still bearing visible traces of the four-year-long battle for the former rebel stronghold.

They cover its charred surface with a fresh coat of white paint as part of a wider effort to rehabilitate the Saqatiya market, or souk in Arabic.

Located in the old quarters of Syria's second city, the market dates back to the Ottoman period.

"I feel like I'm redrawing history by restoring this souk," says Daher, 42, one of six architects overseeing its revival as the country's conflict marks its eighth year next week.

"For me, it's the project of a lifetime."

The Saqatiya souk covers an area of more than 1,500 square metres (16,000 square feet) and used to house more than 50 shops before Syria's conflict landed in Aleppo in 2012.

It is located near other landmarks of Aleppo's Old City, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site that served as a frontline during clashes that ended in 2016.

Russia-backed regime forces that year retook control of the eastern side of the city, much of which remains in ruins.

The celebrated citadel, a jewel of medieval architecture whose surrounding wall was damaged by a blast in July 2015, is visible from the market's roof.

The Umayyad mosque, an ancient site that dates back to the 11th century, is within walking distance.

Clashes in April 2013 reduced the mosque's minaret to an unrecognisable pile of blocks.

- 'Bring merchants back' -

UNESCO estimates that as much as 60 percent of the Old City was severely damaged.

Saqatiya market fared better than most, with 30 percent battered during the fighting, says Daher.

It shows signs of major damage but no sign of collapse, Syria's antiquities authority said in a report last month.

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Restoration works began on November 1 after Syrian authorities signed a partnership agreement with the Aga Khan Foundation in Syria.

Renovations are expected to be completed in July, according to Daher.

Workers are focusing on erasing all "signs of war" from the market and correct old construction violations.

"The broader aim is to bring merchants back to their shops," he says.

Saqatiya market is one of around 37 souks surrounding the Aleppo citadel, the oldest of their kind in the world.

They stretch from the western part of the Old City to the gates of the citadel in the east, covering an area of around 160,000 square metres.

For centuries, they were the commercial heart of the ancient city and served as a key trading hub between the East and the West, says Alaa al-Sayyed, a historian and specialist on the Old City.

The expert, who is also overseeing the restoration, says "they are more than 2,000 years old".

"They are the longest and oldest covered markets in the world," he says.

They consist of dozens of shops, schools, mosques and bathhouses.

- 'Charred and damaged' -

In their long history, this is not the first time the markets have had to be restored.

Over two millennia, they have weathered numerous earthquakes and conquests, but "every time they were rebuilt", he says.

Diyaa al-Issa, 38, wears a white helmet and uniform as he works on renovating a massive gate in the market.

He is one of around 60 men involved in restoration works.

Before the conflict, Issa used to work in renovation and maintenance of the city's ancient heritage.

"Renovations today are nothing like those we used to carry out in the past," he says.

"We used to restore stones affected by moisture, wind and time," he says.

"But today we are treating stones that have been charred and damaged by shrapnel, and we are rebuilding some domes that have been completely destroyed."

Issa hopes the souk can be restored in a way that does not alter its historical character or dispense with too may of the original materials.

His colleague, Mohammed Baqiya, 47, is looking forward to the market coming back to life.

"The stone will be restored," he says.

But "what is most important is the return of shop owners and people who used to bring life to the souk", he says.

"It does not matter how beautiful the souk will be," he says. It will mean nothing "if it is empty of people".
Beirut (AFP) - The baby son of Shamima Begum, a British-born teenager who left London to join the Islamic State group, has died in Syria, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said Friday.

SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali confirmed the death to AFP but declined to specify how or when it happened. He had previously denied the baby had died in a Twitter post that has since been deleted.

Begum, 19, gave birth last month in a refugee camp in northeast Syria.

She travelled from east London to Syria in 2015 and said she had previously given birth to two other children. They are said to have also died, apparently from illness and malnutrition.

Britain stripped Begum of her citizenship last month despite her wishes to return to the country, although the government hinted her newborn son could be treated differently.

Her case has highlighted a dilemma facing many European countries, divided over whether to allow jihadists and IS sympathisers home to face prosecution or bar them from entry.

A mass exodus from the jihadists' last redoubt in eastern Syria has sparked a humanitarian emergency, as the SDF leads an offensive to smash the last remnants of the IS "caliphate".

The International Rescue Committee on Friday said that 12,000 women and children had arrived at the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp since Wednesday.

Since December at least 100 people have died en route to the camp or shortly after arriving, mostly children under five, the IRC said.
Hundreds shouted and waved flags emblazoned with the face of Thailand's junta chief at a Sunday election rally held in territory with strong ties to the powerful opposition Shinawatra clan.

The army-aligned Phalang Pracharat party -- which will push for General Prayut Chan-O-Cha to return as a civilian premier after the March 24 poll -- campaigned across the northeastern "Isan" region this weekend in a bid to win over voters with deep antipathy to the military.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, party secretary-general Sonthirat Sonjirawong said a vote for Prayut would help end Thailand's decade-long political gridlock.

"Today, the Korat people will have to decide if you want to see General Prayut Chan-O-Cha keep the country in peace and move it forward," he yelled at the crowd, using a local nickname for the city.

Hundreds of supporters chanted "Uncle Tu!" -- a nickname for Prayut, who was born in the province -- and were eager to hug and take selfies with their local candidates.

But thousands of plastic chairs stood empty and the crowd dispersed quickly after the leaders left the stage.

With the second largest number of constituencies after Bangkok, Korat holds to key to victory "so we have to win here", said party spokesman Kobsak Pootrakool.

Aiding in the contest are a number of politicians poached from Pheu Thai, Thailand's most popular party, which swept most of Isan in the previous polls.

"It will help very much... You have to have the person who knows the locals," Kobsak told AFP.

Pheu Thai is aligned with former billionaire premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was booted from office by the military 2006 and lives in self-exile.

This month's elections -- the first in eight years -- will prove a test for Prayut, who masterminded a coup in 2014 ousting then-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's younger sister.

Almost five years of junta rule has seeded resentment in Thailand, and his party has scrambled to project a friendlier image of the gruff general as the clock ticks to the poll.

The election's result will be governed by a new military-scripted constitution.

Results are difficult to predict, as dominant parties will likely have to broker alliances with smaller players to stitch together a majority.
Traders using Integrated Check Post over traditional customs point in Birgunj

After eleven months in operation, traders are choosing the integrated check post over the traditional customs point in Birgunj. Around 60 percent of the total imports from the Birgunj customs happen via the integrated check post as importers are using it for the import of goods from third countries, fuel and new vehicles.
Photo credit: Therm-a-Rest

From Popular Mechanics

When I heard that Therm-a-Rests new Hyperion 20 sleeping bag was rated for 20 degrees Fahrenheit-even at an impossibly light weight of 1lb. 4oz.-I needed to know if it could actually handle all that cold.

The bag uses a number of tech advances to achieve the warmth at such a low weight. The bag incorporates what Therm-a-Rest calls Box Bafffled Construction. What that means is within the bag certain areas prone to cold spots, like at the seams of the bag, have mesh box baffles to separate chunks of down from one another. This maximizes the loft of the down to get greater thermal efficiency out of what is packed in.

Of course, the down they use is equally as high tech. Wet down isnt as effective as dry down, so bag uses 900-fill Nikiwax Hydrophobic down. It absorbs 90 percent less water than standard down, it maintains its loft (think warmth) 60 times longer than standard down, and if it does get wet, it dries three times faster than standard down.

But Therm-a-Rest wanted to get the most out of both of these innovations, so they thought carefully of just where they put them. To lower weight, they gave you down where you need it, and pulled it from where you dont. That means the down is distributed unevenly with 70 percent on the sides and top, and just 30 percent on the back. As an extra feature, the bag is ready with SynergyLink connectors so you can snap the bag to a compatible Therm-a-rest mattress for greatest efficiency. But that isnt necessary to get serious warmth out of this bag.

Thats all nice, but those are the stats. I needed to see what this bag was capable of, and in the depths of winter in Vermont, that could mean a lot of things. But the idea of sleeping in my 22-degree backyard, next to my truck and trash cans, wasnt thrilling. Watching The Great Outdoors on my porch, though? That I could do.

I unpacked the bag, walked out to my porch couch with my laptop and a bowl of popcorn, and got settled in. The Hyperion comes as a mummy bag, but I opted to just pull it up to my shoulders and wear a beanie for the greatest movie watching-and popcorn eating-experience.

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With the hydrophobic down, I didnt mind too much as the foot box of the bag settled into a pile of snow on my porch, I didnt notice the cold of it anyway. As the somewhat predictable slapstick antics of John Candy and Dan Akroyd developed, I had to pull my torso out of the bag only 20 minutes in. I was getting too warm.

Photo credit: James Lynch

As I found the comfortable position, with the bag pulled about halfway up my chest, I had the weird experience of forgetting I was outside. My front was warm and toasty, I felt dry, the different zones of insulation kept me warn (I never noticed that there was less insulation on the back of the bag), and I could have stayed out there for much longer than the film's runtime.

While The Great Outdoors is mostly mediocre, the bag fared much better. For the weight, the warmth is unreal, but the bag offers so much more. The hydrophobic down and packability alone make this a bag thats ready for adventures far past the front porch.

('You Might Also Like',)
Paris (AFP) - Around 10,000 Algerian-origin protesters rallied in Paris on Sunday, police said, in a demonstration against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, calling on him not to seek another term in office in next month's election.

The protesters gathered for the second weekend in a row at the Republique square in central Paris, while there were smaller demonstrations in other cities around France such as Marseille and Bordeaux.

"We need to get rid of the system," 24-year-old protester Ahmed Eddaidj, who was wrapped in an Algerian flag, told AFP in Paris.

The student, who has been in France for four years, added: "I'd like to go back to Algeria, but there's no work. We're looking for a better life."

Rachid Nekkaz -- a businessman and political activist opposed to Bouteflika -- was among those in Paris on Sunday after he was released by Swiss police.

Nekkaz, who was arrested on Friday at a Geneva hospital where Bouteflika had been receiving treatment, was carried briefly on the shoulders of a group of demonstrators.

France, which ruled Algeria for more than 100 years as a colonial power, is home to the largest population of Algerian-origin people outside of the north African country.

Around 1.7 million people of Algerian origin are estimated to live in France, according to national statistics agency INSEE.

Some members of the diaspora want French President Emmanuel Macron to take a firmer stand in support of the peaceful protests against ailing 82-year-old Bouteflika which began more than a fortnight ago.

But the Paris government is wary about being seen to interfere in its former territory and has been extremely cautious in its statements.

Opposition figure Ali Benflis, a former prime minister of Bouteflika who has called for him to step aside after 20 years in power, urged France to stay out of the crisis.

"France is a major power that we respect as an associate and a partner, but Algeria's problems cannot be resolved from the outside and no-one should interfere," he told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper in an interview.

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One of Macron's close political allies, Francois Bayrou, called the peaceful demonstrations an "Algerian Spring" on Sunday and said it was "in many ways exemplary and essential."

But "it's not because these movements begin well that they end well," he told French media, adding that Islamist parties could try to benefit from the instability.

burs-adp/har/boc
Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido speaks in Caracas - AFP

Thousands of people took to the streets of Caracas on Saturday amid a nationwide power cut that has plunged crisis-hit Venezuela into further chaos and desperation for two days.

The capital bristled with the security forces of Nicolas Maduro as supporters of Juan Guaido, the National Assembly leader recognised as the legitimate interim president by more than 50 countries, poured into the city centre.

It was a daring move by opponents of the Maduro government, both for the marchs unusual proximity to state installations and for it taking place amid the blackout that has almost entirely brought down the countrys communications.

The National Guard and riot police were out in force across the city, in some areas blocking the demonstrators passage.

The Telegraph counted eight army trucks full of soldiers and nine armoured vehicles and tanks in a convoy approaching the protest route.

A supporter of Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido, holds a policeman's face during a demonstration in Caracas Credit: AFP

On Avenida Victoria, the marchs destination, protesters faced off with riot police before the rally even officially began, following an early morning confrontation that had seen security forces fire tear gas at locals as they tried to detain those erecting a platform for speeches.

The atmosphere simmered as protesters, their anger heightened by the blackout, shouted at riot police with their shields raised.

You are killers! one woman shouted. There is still no electricity, people are dying, and you are going to pay for this!

Soldiers, friends, the fight depends on you! chanted others in the crowd, urging the security forces to come over to their side.

Once again, it was almost impossible to communicate in Caracas or across most of the country. Power had been restored in some areas of the capital and elsewhere for a few hours on Friday afternoon, before cutting out in the early evening. The grid began to partially function again on Saturday morning, but by midday the blackout had resumed.

Mr Maduro and his ministers have pinned the outage on sabotage at the Guri hydroelectric dam, accusing the US of waging an electric war against Venezuela. Jorge Rodriguez, the communications minister, has singled out Florida senator Marco Rubio for blame.

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A police officer tries to put out a fire during a demonstration in Caracas Credit: AFP

But at the march in support of Mr Guaido, such claims were ridiculed. They always have an excuse to blame others, Miguel Useche, a 72-year-old pensioner, told The Telegraph. They have taken everything, I dont know how many millions of millions they have looted, he said, attributing the electrical collapse to corruption and lack of maintenance.

The outage has brought further hardship to a country where many are already struggling to survive amid punishing shortages of food and medicine.

As well as communications, water pumps have failed, food is rotting in fridges, businesses are shuttered and transport is virtually non existent. Petrol stations and grocery shops are running dry, with huge queues snaking around the few still operating.

At hospitals across the country, back up generators have failed or been insufficient to power life saving equipment. At a number, medical staff have been left ventilating premature babies or patients in critical condition by hand.

On Saturday an NGO reported that fifteen Venezuelans with advanced kidney disease had died after being unable to get dialysis during the country's extended power outage.

"Between yesterday and today, there were 15 deaths for lack of dialysis," said Francisco Valencia, director of the Codevida health rights group.

Carmen Yagres, a 38-year-old engineer, said Mr Maduros government must go. We are here because people are dying, she told the Telegraph. It seems it doesnt matter to them.

She implored the US to intervene to end the crisis. We need international help, she told The Telegraph.

Mr Maduro, too, called supporters to the streets of Caracas on Saturday. The hardcore militants of his Socialist PSUV turned out, chanting patriotic slogans in defence of the fatherland against imperialist aggression.

But away from the rank and file, the mood was subdued, the thronging crowds of fervent supporters he has in the past commanded nowhere to be seen.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow and two other cities on Sunday to rally against tighter internet restrictions, in some of the biggest protests in the Russian capital in years. Lawmakers last month backed tighter internet controls contained in legislation they say is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia's affairs. But some Russian media likened it to an online "iron curtain" and critics say it can be used to stifle dissent. People gathered in a cordoned off Prospekt Sakharova street in Moscow, made speeches on a stage and chanted slogans such as "hands off the internet" and "no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet". The rally gathered around 15,300 people, according to White Counter, an NGO that counts participants at rallies. Moscow police put the numbers at 6,500. "If we do nothing it will get worse. The authorities will keep following their own way and the point of no return will be passed", said 28-year-old protester Dmitry, who declined to give his full name. Opposition activists said on Twitter that police had detained 15 people at the Moscow rally, confiscating their banners and balloons. Police have not announced any detentions. The protests in Moscow, the southern city of Voronezh and Khabarovsk in the far east had all been officially authorized. A handful of activists in St. Petersburg took to the streets without the authorities' consent. Russia has in recent years attempted to curb internet freedoms by blocking access to certain websites and messaging services such as Telegram. February's bill passed in the Russian parliament on the first reading out of three. It seeks to route Russian web traffic and data through points controlled by the state and proposes building a national Domain Name System to allow the internet to continue functioning even if the country is cut off from foreign infrastructure. The second reading is planned in March after which, if passed, the bill will need to be signed by the upper house of the parliament and then by President Vladimir Putin. The legislation is part of a drive by officials to increase Russian "sovereignty" over its Internet segment. Russia has introduced tougher internet laws in recent years, requiring search engines to delete some search results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store Russian users' personal data on servers within the country. (Reporting by Maria Vasilyeva and Shamil Zhumatov; Writing by Andrey Kuzmin; Editing by Matthias Williams and Raissa Kasolowsky)
By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is open to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but some time may have to go by before this takes place, Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday. Speaking on ABC, John Bolton said the United States has no illusions about North Korea's capabilities, but Trump remains confident in his personal relationship with the North Korean leader. Bolton's comments came after two U.S. think tanks and Seoul's spy agency said last week that North Korea was rebuilding a rocket launch site at Sohae in the west of the country. There have also been reports from South Korea's intelligence service of new activity at a factory at Sanumdong near Pyongyang that produced North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. Bolton declined to discuss those reports or say whether a new North Korean missile launch would scuttle engagement with the United States. He said, however, that it was a mistake to assume North Korea would "automatically" comply with its obligations. "The president's confident in his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un. He's invested a lot of time in trying to develop that relationship," Bolton told ABC's "This Week." "He said he's open to a third summit, none has been scheduled, and some time may have to go by. But hes prepared to engage again because he does think that the prospects for North Korea, which hes been trying to persuade Kim Jong Un to accept if they denuclearized, are really quite spectacular," Bolton said. Trump told reporters Friday he would be disappointed if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing and reiterated his belief in his good relationship with the North Korean leader, despite the recent collapse of their second summit in Hanoi. North Korea has frozen nuclear and missile testing since 2017, and Trump has pointed to this as a positive outcome from nearly a year of high-level engagement with North Korea. In his interview with ABC and in another with Fox News Channel, Bolton appeared to rule out any partial deal with North Korea and said Trump had proposed a "big deal" at the Hanoi summit under which North Korea would completely denuclearize and also give up its chemical and biological weapons. "It's possible that North Korea will go back and rethink the position they came in with and come back to talk to the president about the big deal," he told Fox. Bolton called the incremental approach North Korea has sought a "ploy" to obtain sanctions relief. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Donald Trump plans on asking congress for $8.6bn (6.6bn) to build a wall on the US southern border in 2020, a figure that far surpasses previous allocations for the project, according to reports.

The presidents new demand is six times what was allocated earlier this year for the wall, and six per cent more than what he has sought to reallocate with his emergency declaration.

The request is unlikely to gain much traction with Democrats in control of the House of Representatives, however, who successfully thwarted his request for $5.6bn in border funding earlier this year.

But the proposal could potentially set the stage for the presidents re-election bid, even after a damaging start of the year that saw few concessions on the issue and Mr Trump taking blame for the longest government shutdown in American history.

It gives the president the ability to say he has fulfilled his commitment to gain operational control of the southwest border, one administration official told Reuters.

Another administration official told the news agency: We have provided the course of action, the strategy and the request to finish the job. Its a question of, will congress allow us to finish the job.

The presidents current attempt to secure funding for the wall through an emergency declaration is being challenged in congress and US courts, with a resolution terminating the declaration currently being considered in the Senate.

The measure appears to have received enough support from Republicans in the Senate to pass, a scenario that would force Mr Trump to sign the first veto of his presidency.

It is unlikely that a veto on the measure would be overruled in congress.

Mr Trump has made building a border wall a central promise of his presidency, having launched his 2016 election campaign with a pledge to secure Americas southern border.

Since becoming president, Mr Trump has pursued so-called America First policies, including the building of the wall.

The US has 1,933 miles of border with Mexico, and some 700 miles of wall or fencing have already been constructed through previous allocations from congress, starting during the administration of Bill Clinton. The largest of those allocations occurred during the administration of George W Bush in 2006, with construction extending from then into Barack Obamas presidency.
WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he felt very badly for his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was sentenced a day earlier to less than four years in prison for financial crimes uncovered as part of the U.S. special counsel's Russia probe.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, also said it has been a tough time for Manafort, and said he was honored by the judge's remarks at the Thursday sentencing.

"I feel very badly for Paul Manafort. I think it's been a very, very tough time," he said. "The judge - I mean for whatever reason I was very honored by it - also made the statement that this had nothing to do with collusion with Russia."

RELATED: Paul Manafort indicted in Russia probe

Trump reiterated his position that he did not assist Russia in allegedly interfering in the 2016 presidential election that he won, saying, "I don't collude with Russia."

Russia has denied the allegations that it meddled in the election, which led to the investigation spearheaded by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that has ensnared Manafort and others in Trump's orbit. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Lisa Lambert Writing by Susan Heavey Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump is seeking $8.6 billion in fresh funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border, likely triggering another fight with Congress.

The 2020 budget request, which is set to be formally unveiled Monday, would far exceed the $5.7 billion Trump demanded last year.

That previous request led to an impasse that resulted in a 35-day partial shutdown of the US government, the longest ever.

Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer decried the move, warning Trump that another legislative defeat would await him.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow conceded that the new request would likely mean a renewed fight in Congress over wall funding.

"I suppose there will be," he told "Fox News Sunday."

But Kudlow said Trump "is going to stay with his wall. He is going to stay with his border security. I think it's essential."

Separately, Kudlow expressed optimism that US economic growth will surpass three percent "in 2019 and beyond."

The White House Office of Management and Budget said the president's budget request seeks $2.7 trillion in cuts -- "higher than any other administration in history."

A statement by Acting Director Russ Vought said the cuts would be achieved through a five percent reduction in non-defense spending below the 2019 level, while more funds are being requested for areas like border security, defense, combating opioids and veterans care.

- 'Expensive and ineffective' -

With Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Trump's new wall-funding request appears to stand little chance.

In a joint statement, Pelosi and Schumer charged that Trump "hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall."

"Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson," they said.

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The Washington Post reported that the president's request for wall funding will come in the form of $5 billion from the Homeland Security Department and $3.6 billion from the Pentagon.

That would be on top of the $6.7 billion in wall funding that Trump has ordered redirected from other government programs under a national emergency he declared last month.

He declared the emergency after Congress approved only $1.375 billion for construction of 55 miles (90 kilometers) of barriers along the border in Texas.

The emergency declaration was roundly criticized by Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, who said it represented a possibly unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority.

- Senate vote on emergency -

Some Republicans expressed fear that Trump could be setting a precedent that a future Democratic president might cite to pursue a pet project opposed by Congress.

The Democratic-controlled House voted last month by 245-to-182 to nullify Trump's emergency declaration.

The Senate, narrowly controlled by Republicans, is to vote on the same resolution this week. At least four members of Trump's party have said they plan -- despite pressure from Republican leaders and the White House -- to join Democrats in opposing the declaration.

That would provide a majority for overturning the declaration, and Trump would then be expected to veto the bill, his first use of presidential veto power.

"He's going to veto this," John Barrasso, the third-ranking Senate Republican, told Fox News, "and then his veto will be sustained. They will not be able to override the veto."

Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.
Tunis (AFP) - Tunisia's health minister has resigned after the sudden deaths of 11 newborn babies at a state maternity hospital sparked an outcry in the country, the government said.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed accepted Abderraouf Cherif's resignation, the premier's office said on Facebook late on Saturday.

"Those responsible for any negligence will face legal proceedings," the prime minister said at the maternity hospital in the capital late Saturday, according to a video released by his office.

Leading newspaper Essafa on Sunday cried foul and compared the deaths of the babies to a "state crime".

A medical association said the sudden deaths could have been caused by a food product that had gone bad.

The babies died Thursday and Friday at the Rabta clinic in Tunis, which is part of a large medical centre in the capital.

Since then authorities have launched several investigations, including medical and hygiene checks by the health ministry, which was also probing the management of the hospital pharmacy.

Prosecutors said they had opened a judicial inquiry into the deaths.

The Tunisian pediatrics society wrote in a statement on Facebook that "elements of the ongoing investigation" pointed to an infection caused by a food product given by gastric tube.

The association called on the authorities to "shed light" on the situation and recalled the "precarious conditions in which health professionals work".

The health ministry said in a statement that "preventive measures and treatment have been taken to avoid other victims and to ensure the health of other babies in the maternity ward".

The independent Tunisian Forum of Economic and Social Rights had called on the health minister to resign over the deaths.

The public health system, once a source of pride in Tunisia, has been hit by management and financial problems that lowered standards and caused drug shortages.
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.

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By Alexis Akwagyiram

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian voters returned to the polls on Saturday to elect powerful state governors just two weeks after Muhammadu Buhari secured a second term in a delayed presidential vote, but civil society observers said turnout was low.

The election is for 29 of the country's 36 governors, who are among the most influential politicians in Nigeria.

As the country is Africa's biggest oil producer and has the continent's largest economy, many of the governors control budgets larger than those of small nations.

With so much at stake, previous governorship elections have been marred by violence including shootings and the snatching of ballot boxes by armed gangs.

Results are expected to begin emerging on Sunday.

Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), beat Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in last month's presidential election by 15.2 million votes to 11.3 million, although turnout was just 35.6 percent.

"Voter turnout remains low," the Situation Room, a monitoring mission comprising over 70 civic groups, said of Saturday's vote in a statement.

Reuters reporters also said turnout was low in many parts of the country including the capital, Abuja, the northern cities of Kaduna and Yola and in the commercial capital, Lagos.

The army said on Friday it would ensure people could vote in an environment free of violence. Civil society observers said 39 people were killed in election-related violence on the day of the presidential poll.

"Indications from the field on the low voter turnout points to concerns from citizens on the military deployment," said the Situation Room, adding that some people felt intimated.

Nigeria's security forces have been stretched in recent years by an Islamist insurgency in the northeast as well as by communal violence and banditry in other areas.

Hours before polls opened for the presidential vote, explosions rocked Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency. In neighbouring Yobe, residents of the town of Geidam fled a militant attack around the same time.

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The Situation Room also said there was widespread voter apathy due to disappointment over the way last month's vote was conducted.

A spokesman for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a text message said the commission was not yet able to assess the turnout rate.

The presidential election, which eventually took place on Feb. 23, was delayed by a week after the electoral commission was unable to get ballots and results sheets to all areas on time.

The announcement came just five hours before polls were due to open. Despite the postponement, voting was disrupted by malfunctioning voter card readers which caused lengthy delays in some regions, particularly southern opposition strongholds.

(Additional reporting by Garba Muhammad in Kaduna, Percy Dabang in Yola, Anamesere Igboeroteonwu in Onitsha and Felix Onuah in Abuja; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Frances Kerry and Kirsten Donovan)
Two more IS brides being held with their children in Syrian refugee camps have been reportedly stripped of their British citizenship.

The Sunday Times reported that the two women, who between them have five boys under the age of eight, had their UK nationality removed after marrying members of a terror cell linked to the murder of western hostages.

The newspaper named the women as sisters Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, who reportedly left for Syria in 2013.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases.

A spokesman said: Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly.

The Home Office said it will not comment on individual cases (Picture: PA)

The reports come after the death of the baby son of IS bride Shamima Begum, who was stripped of her UK citizenship by the Home Office after resurfacing in a Syria refugee camp.

The 19-year-old had controversially said she wanted to return to the UK after feeling to Syria at the age of 15.

The death of her three-week-old son has reignited controversy over the case.

READ MORE

On Saturday, his Labour counterpart, Diane Abbott, said Home Secretary Sajid Javid had behaved shamefully over the tragedy that might have been avoided.

She added: If the mother and baby had been brought home, the mother, Shamima Begum, would have faced British justice, but the baby might have lived.

Conservative MP Phillip Lee told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that he was deeply concerned by Mr Javids decision, which was driven by a sort of populism.

The death of Shamima Begums baby has reignited debate over the decision to strip her of her citizenship (Picture: AP)

Former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald accused Mr Javid of moral cowardice and said his move risked creating a more dangerous world where stateless individuals roam with no allegiance and the death of unprotected innocents, in this case a vulnerable British baby.

A Government spokesman said: The death of any child is tragic and deeply distressing for the family.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has consistently advised against travel to Syria since April 2011.
Women in Al Hol camp in Syria - The Telegraph

Two more jihadi brides who joined Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are believed to have been stripped of their UK citizenship while living in a refugee camp in Syria.

The disclosure came as a row intensified over the death of a three-week-old baby whose mother Shamima Begum had been stripped of her British citizenship.

Reema Iqbal, 30, along with her sister Zara Iqbal, 28, are mothers of five children between them, and are also in a camp. Legal sources told the Sunday Times that the sisters have had their citizenship removed after marrying into a terror cell linked to the execution of western hostages.

A decision to remove their citizenship will fuel fears over what happens to the children of jihadi brides.

The two women left Newham in London in 2013 for the co-called Isil caliphate. At least one of their sons was born in the UK and was taken to Syria.

The women's parents are originally from Pakistan, and the Home Office could pursue the argument that they are Pakistani nationals.

Last month Reema Iqbal told The Telegraph she was hopeful of returning to the UK.

She said: "The security services came to speak to me and I was honest, I told them my whole story so now its up to them to judge. I dont know if my Mum ever got me a Pakistani passport or not, Ive never been to Pakistan.

"Theres not enough food for bigger families. Its a prison here, but were serving no sentence. If I face court, fine, but take me back to the UK, thats where Im from.

Sajid Javid, the home secretary, was facing cross-party criticism after Kurdish officials confirmed that the three-week-old baby of Shamima Begum, 19, had died this week.

Shamima Begum Credit: MetropolitanPpolice

Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, blamed Mr Javids decision to remove Ms Begums citizenship for the childs death, accusing him of breaking international law and condemning the decision as callous and inhumane.

Phillip Lee, a Tory MP said the decision had been driven by populism and that the British government had failed in its moral responsibility to both mother and child.

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I was just troubled by the decision. It seemed driven by a sort of populism, not any principle I recognise, he told the BBCs Today programme.

The news of the death came as Ms Begums father Ahmed Ali offered an apology to the British public for his daughter's decision to flee the country and join the terror group.

Speaking from his home in the village of Dovroy, in north-eastern Bangladesh, he told the BBC: "She has done wrong, I apologise to everyone as her father, to the British people, I am sorry for Shamima's doing. I request to the British people, please forgive her."

Mr Ali said added he only visited London three or four months at a time and had no idea how his daughter had become radicalised.

He urged the British government and public to "take her back and punish her if she had done any mistake".
This week, the UKs Financial Conduct Authority published research into UK consumer attitudes to cryptoassets. It found that 73% of Brits dont know what a cryptocurrency is or are unable to define it.

Coin Rivet brings you reactions and thoughts on what this research will mean for the larger industry.

Nick Cowan, Managing Director and Founder of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange Group: The research tells us that digital assets are still in the early stages of permeating the UK landscape. While the space has experienced significant growth globally, the levels of mainstream adoption havent been even across various jurisdictions. The fact that over 70% of those surveyed havent heard of cryptocurrencies or are unable to define cryptocurrencies underlines the urgent need for more accessible education on blockchain and digital assets. Education around blockchain technology and digital assets isintrinsically linked to the sustained growth of the industry globally. Those surveyed cited risk and lack of regulation around digital assets among the reasons why they havent invested in cryptocurrencies, which is further illustration of the need for increased transparency, regulation, and consumer protection to help the industry grow.

Vaibhav Kadikar, CEO of CloseCross: The most heartening take away from the survey is that people that understand cryptocurrencies sustain a long-term view and are committed to at least a three-year horizon for holding the assets. Also, within that same crypto literate group, there is no buyers remorse in spite of the bearish market the past 15 months. This is a positive insight and reveals how once educated, the public can see the great potential for cryptocurrencies.

The implication for the broader industry remains the same  work on compelling use cases and drive adoption. Until the wider population understands what they can do with cryptocurrencies and why the benefits outweigh the cons, we will remain at the lower end of adoption.

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Education alone will not drive adoption, compelling use cases will. It is not up to the FCA or universities. That would only go so far. The report should neither encourage nor discourage anyone within the entire financial industry, from incumbents to startups, from entering the space. At this early stage, the space is mostly dominated by visionaries and early-adopters. While mainstream companies and developers may be tempted to wait until the technology has been embraced by the masses, in this fast-moving world that may be too late.

Jessica Exton, Behavioural Scientist at ING: Our research into cryptocurrency suggests that people are generally cautious about investing in digital currencies, dispelling ideas that Bitcoin might be an alternative safe investment. Indeed, cryptocurrency is considered more risky than most other assets.

The research also finds that Europeans are more likely to seek out specialist websites or financial advisors rather than input from friends or family, when looking to invest in cryptocurrency. This may reflect a general feeling that this is a complicated trend and therefore requires specialist input.

Perceptions of cryptocurrency depend on multiple factors such as familiarity with technology, risk attitudes, media coverage and what friends are doing. Indeed, expectations of how cryptocurrency will be used in the future differ across the 15 countries we surveyed last year. The UK was relatively pessimistic, with one in four agreeing that cryptocurrency would be the future of spending online or the future of investment. This compared to a European average of one in three.

Jill Lorimer, Criminal Litigation Partner, Kingsley Napley: Given the FCA is currently consulting on how to bring some types of this controversial asset within the regulated sphere, its survey provides food for thought. Clearly regulation is only a small part of the equation for those who might consider crypto investments with other more fundamental barriers being a factor too. We can also infer that cryptocurrencies are not about to go mainstream in appeal even when regulated. Regulation will hopefully protect less knowledgeable users and will, if anything, ensure that cryptocurrencies become a niche market product for sophisticated investors.

The post UK FCA crypto assets research: Industry reaction appeared first on Coin Rivet.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN chief Antonio Guterres has proposed shrinking the large peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After presidential elections in December that ended Joseph Kabila's rule and improved security, the 16,000-strong mission known as MONUSCO now can be reconfigured, UN officials have said.

Guterres suggested a reduction of about 2,000 people, in a report to the Security Council obtained by AFP Saturday.

The United Nations has been present in the DRC for about two decades. MONUSCO is one of its biggest, most expensive missions. Its annual budget is about $1.11 billion.

"I propose to reduce the current strength of MONUSCO uniformed personnel by 1,600 military personnel, 35 individual police officers and one formed police unit," the UN chief argued in his report.

"I also propose a 30 percent reduction in the number of military observers."

"However, should the Security Council deem it necessary to maintain MONUSCO at its current troops and police levels, it would be imperative that the commensurate resources be made available to enable the Mission to fulfill its mandated tasks," Guterres stressed.

Discussions on drawing down MONUSCO come as the United States, the number one financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, is seeking to reduce its share of the UN budget for peace operations.

US national security advisor John Bolton in December said the United States will seek to wind down long-running UN peacekeeping missions that do not bring long-term peace.
Dubai (AFP) - The United Nations children's fund is paying some 100,000 teachers in Yemen, the UN said Sunday, as two million children go without education in the war-torn country.

UNICEF has disbursed the equivalent of $50 per month to more than 97,000 eligible teachers and school staff, and aims to increase that figure to 136,000.

The UN estimates that out of seven million school-age children in Yemen over two million are not being educated as infrastructure has been destroyed or repurposed to house those displaced by the four-year conflict.

Salaries for teachers were suspended in 2016 as the war between the country's rebels and a government backed by a Saudi-led alliance brought the economy to a halt.

Schools in some areas have since reopened.

"The situation of Yemen's education sector is daunting," said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"Without a regular salary and due to the conflict and the ongoing economic crisis, teachers have been unable to commute to their schools or had to look for other livelihood opportunities to sustain their families."

Rights groups have warned the loss of education poses a major threat to the well-being of children, who are at increased risk of being recruited into militias, forced into labour or married off young.

Yemen's Huthi rebels, linked to Iran, in 2014 drove the government out of the capital Sanaa and south into Aden, hometown of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its military allies intervened on behalf of the government, triggering what the UN now calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Some 10,000 Yemenis now face starvation, the UN says.

Around 10,000 people -- mostly civilians -- have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded since 2015, according to the World Health Organization.

Rights groups say the real figure could be five times as high.
Omar Oil Field (Syria) (AFP) - US-backed forces said Sunday time was up for Islamic State group jihadists hunkering down in their eastern Syrian holdout and an assault was imminent.

"The timeline (we gave) ISIS to surrender themselves is over," Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman Mustefa Bali said on Twitter, using another acronym for IS.

"Our forces have received orders for military action to finish off what is left of the terrorists in Baghouz," a village near the Iraqi border, he said.

"The assault will start at any moment," he told AFP.

The SDF, who are backed by air strikes of the US-led coalition, have slowed down their months-long campaign against the jihadists in recent weeks to allow civilians out from the shrinking enclave.

Thousands of dust-covered women, children, and men have trundled out of the village of Baghouz in the past weeks, but that exodus has slowed to a trickle in recent days.

Suspected jihadists have also been detained after exiting among the crowd.

On Saturday, "only about 100 people left, including three Chinese Uighurs and three Moroccan women", Bali told AFP earlier.

The extremists once ruled over millions in a swathe of Syria and Iraq, but they have since lost all that land except for the riverside encampment in Baghouz.

The total capture of the encampment by the SDF would be a symbolic blow to IS, and mark the end of the cross-border "caliphate" it proclaimed in 2014.
Omar Oil Field (Syria) (AFP) - US-backed forces said Sunday time was up for Islamic State group jihadists hunkering down in their eastern Syrian holdout and resumed their assault on the pocket.

The extremists once ruled over millions in a swathe of Syria and Iraq, but they have since lost all that land except for a riverside encampment in the village of Baghouz.

The Syrian Democratic Forces has slowed down its months-long campaign against IS in recent weeks to allow civilians and surrendering jihadists out from their shrinking enclave.

But the Kurdish-led alliance, which is backed by air strikes of a US-led coalition, on Sunday said a deadline for surrenders had passed and the assault would resume.

"We have not seen any movement of civilians inside so the Syrian Democratic Forces have resumed their military operations against the group," SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin said.

The head of the SDF press office Mustefa Bali said air strikes had started up again on IS positions, and fighters on both sides were locked in violent clashes.

"The timeline (we gave) ISIS to surrender themselves is over," he said earlier on Twitter, using another acronym for IS.

"Our forces have received orders for military action to finish off what is left of the terrorists in Baghouz," a village near the Iraqi border, he said.

- Exodus -

Since December, nearly 59,000 people have left the last IS redoubt, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around a tenth of them suspected jihadist fighters.

Thousands of dust-covered women, children, and men have trundled out of the village of Baghouz in the past weeks, but that exodus has slowed to a trickle in recent days.

Suspected jihadists -- including several wounded -- have also been detained after making their way out in the crowd.

On Saturday, "only about 100 people left, including three Chinese Uighurs and three Moroccan women", Bali told AFP earlier.

No one came out of the redoubt on Friday, he said.

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It is unclear how many people remain inside the ragged camp on the edges of the Euphrates River.

AFP journalists on Saturday saw figures wearing the long black clothes of women stroll inside what remains of their doomsday camp, and bearded men zip down dirt tracks on motorbikes.

The SDF pushed into the encampment some 10 days ago, discovering spent ammunition lying between zig-zagging trenches, scorched pots and pans, and scraps of clothes left behind.

At the height of its brutal rule, IS controlled a stretch of land in Syria and Iraq the size of the United Kingdom.

The jihadists had their own courts, currency and school curriculum, and meted out bloody punishment to anyone who disobeyed their authoritarian rule.

- Symbolic end? -

The total capture of the Baghouz camp by the SDF would be a symbolic blow to IS, and mark the end of the cross-border "caliphate" it proclaimed in 2014.

But beyond Baghouz, IS maintains a presence in Syria's vast Badia desert and has claimed a series of deadly attacks in SDF-held territory.

The SDF launched their battle to expel IS from the east of the Euphrates in September.

Throughout the battles, they have detained hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for IS, as well as members of their families.

Their home countries have been weary of repatriating them, and Britain has stripped several of their citizenship.

Two women of Pakistani heritage have become the latest targets, a newspaper reported Sunday, raising questions about the fate of their children.

Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, left east London for Syria in 2013, and between them now have five boys under the age of eight, The Sunday Times newspaper said.

US President Donald Trump in December stunned his allies when he declared his country would pull out all 2,000 American troops from Syria because IS had been defeated.

The White House has however since said it would maintain a "peace-keeping" force of 200 soldiers in the north of the war-torn country.

The standoff in Baghouz is the latest chapter in Syria's grinding civil war, which started eight years ago with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Since then, it has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions.
Washington (AFP) - The United States is "very optimistic" that France and Britain will participate in a residual force that US President Donald Trump wants to leave in Syria, his national security advisor said Sunday.

"Certainly in conversations this past week with my British and French counterparts, I'm very optimistic that they're going to participate," John Bolton said, in an interview with ABC's "This Week."

"It hasn't happened formally yet, but they're looking at it," he said, adding that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joe Dunford, is working to set up the force.

Bolton insisted there was no contradiction between Trump's assertion that the caliphate declared by the Islamic State group has been eliminated 100 percent, and the assessment of the top US commander in the Middle East, who told Congress last week the fight is "far from over."

"The president has been, I think, as clear as clear can be when he talks about the defeat of the ISIS territorial caliphate," Bolton said.

"He has never said that the elimination of the territorial caliphate means the end of ISIS in total. We know that's not the case."

"But one reason that the president has committed to keeping an American presence in Iraq and a small part of an observer force in Syria is against the possibility that there would be a real resurgence of ISIS, and we would then have the ability to deal with that if that arose."

Trump abruptly announced in December the immediate and complete withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops deployed in northeastern Syria, declaring victory against IS, or ISIS as it is also known.

Then, under pressure from Congress and the Pentagon, he agreed to leave a residual force of some 200 US troops, which he wants to be reinforced by allies in the anti-IS coalition.

An objective of the international force is to guarantee the security of its Syrian Kurd allies. Turkey, a NATO member, views the Kurdish combatants as terrorists, and the Europeans fear they would be vulnerable if Ankara launched an offensive.
Port Harcourt (Nigeria) (AFP) - Nigeria's election authorities announced the suspension of activities in volatile opposition-held Rivers State on Sunday citing violence and threats to its staff, as tensions rise in the wake of closely-watched regional elections.

Counting is continuing across the country after Saturday's elections for governors in 29 of Nigeria's 36 states, all state assemblies and administrative councils in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. Results are expected in the coming days.

The statement from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) halting the electoral process in oil-rich Rivers came after dozens of men in military fatigues encircled a vote counting centre in the state capital Port Harcourt -- sparking international concern and an army denial that its soldiers were involved.

While it did not mention the incident directly, the INEC said the "safety of our staff appears to be in jeopardy all over the state and the commission is concerned about the credibility of the process".

It said reports from its teams in Rivers "suggest that violence occurred in a substantial number of polling units and collation centres, staff have been taken hostage and materials including result sheets have either been seized or destroyed by unauthorized persons".

AFP reporters in Port Harcourt said men in military uniforms blocked roads around the building where INEC staff were counting votes, sparking a standoff with police who initially resisted with teargas but ultimately backed down.

Nigeria's military categorically denied that the men were among its ranks, accusing "political thugs" of dressing up in army uniforms and carrying weapons to "impersonate soldiers and perpetrate various crimes in the furtherance of the activities of their political bosses".

Earlier the British High Commission in Abuja tweeted that it was "extremely concerned" about "reports of military interference in the election process in Rivers State".

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Regional elections are fiercely contested in Nigeria, where governors are powerful and influential figures, controlling state finances and responsible for key areas from education to health.

Saturday was the second time in a fortnight that Nigerians have cast ballots after presidential elections in February that saw President Muhammadu Buhari clinch a second term in office -- a result disputed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Incidents of violence marred Saturday's poll, with reports of abductions and killings as well as concerns over vote buying and a strong military presence.

- Electoral tensions -

The opposition PDP, which criticised the INEC decision in Rivers, is hoping for victory in some of the 22 states currently run by Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adding to tensions in the southern Delta state was a court ruling barring any APC candidates from standing in the gubernatorial election because of procedural irregularities in the selection process.

Incumbent PDP governor Nyesom Wike, considered a favourite to be reelected, responded with fury to the electoral suspension in Rivers and urged the INEC to make sure the vote is respected "to ensure peace".

"They have begun a war. They want to install a puppet. But no, it can't stand... the will of the people of Rivers cannot be subverted, we are no cowards," he said on Twitter.

Three people were killed in Rivers on Friday, according to the country's transport minister, following clashes between APC and PDP supporters.

Violence also overshadowed the electoral process in other states, including the abduction of three INEC staff in northern Katsina state in an ambush Saturday that police said left one if its officers dead.

Most domestic and international observers said last month's presidential vote was credible, despite well-documented problems. But tensions remain high as the PDP challenges the result in court.
Deutsche Post AG (ETR:DPW) is a stock with outstanding fundamental characteristics. When we build an investment case, we need to look at the stock with a holistic perspective. In the case of DPW, it is a dependable dividend-paying company that has been a rockstar for income investors, currently trading at an attractive share price. Below, Ive touched on some key aspects you should know on a high level. For those interested in digger a bit deeper into my commentary, take a look at the report on Deutsche Post here.

6 star dividend payer and good value

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XTRA:DPW Intrinsic value, March 10th 2019

For those seeking income streams from their portfolio, DPW is a robust dividend payer as well. Over the past decade, the company has consistently increased its dividend payout, reaching a yield of 4.2%, making it one of the best dividend companies in the market.

XTRA:DPW Historical Dividend Yield, March 10th 2019

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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.
Home | News | General | Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

Mar 09 23:05 PM 182884 views by Aanu Adegun Nurudeen Lawal

Nigerians across the 36 states and the FCT have trooped out to elect new governors and state House of Assembly lawmakers who will be piloting the affairs of the country for the next four years. The elections have been largely peaceful though there are complaints of voter apathy, logistics problem and few incidents of violence in some areas. As results are being collated across all the polling units where voting took place, Legit.ng is on ground to bring to you situation reports, news regarding the results collations and other relevant events. Follow our live updates of the voting process here. Disclaimer: Please note that Legit.ng cannot independently verify the results.

Mar 09 15:21 PM

Jimi Agbaje's running mate lose polling unit to Sanwo-Olu The deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos, Oluyemisi Haleemat Busari, lost her polling unit to APC candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Busari polled 15 votes against Sanwo-Olus 40 at the 021 polling unit of Ward A, Unit 021 in Adekunle Anglican Primary School, Makoko, Lagos a few metres from her residence at Denny Estate. In the House of Assembly, APC polled 41 against PDPS 13.

Mar 09 15:24 PM

Sanwo-Olu wins polling unit The Lagos APC gubernatorial candidate, Sanwo-Olu, has won the elections at his Lateef Jakande/Femi Okunnu Ward 019 polling unit in Ikoyi, Lagos by a landslide. Sanwo-Olu scored 124 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the PDP s Jimi Agbaje, who scored 26 votes.

Mar 09 16:05 PM

BREAKING: Hon Mohammed Kasim (APC) attacked by political thugs BREAKING: Hon Mohammed Kasim (APC) , member representing Akwanga South in the Nasarawa state House of Assembly attacked by suspected political thugs in Aricha, Akwanga LGA. Hon Kasim to Legit.ng: "The boys who attacked us are either of the PDP or APGA. it was an unprovoked attack. We were just coming out of a polling unit and they started stoning us."

Mar 09 16:12 PM

Election results from four different polling unit In Ogun: Ward 6 PU 008, Ita-Gbangba, Itoko, Abeokuta south LGA where Ibikunle Amosun, governor of the state, voted APC: 31 APM: 70 PDP: 00 In Oyo: Ward 5, PU 14, Saki west LGA, Oyo north. Governorship election result APC 57 PDP 68 In Sokoto: Governorship election result PU 27, Sultan Tambari secondary school, Gwardabawa LGA PDP: 116 APC: 126 PU 006, Sultan Tambari Secondary School APC: 72 PDP: 86

Mar 09 16:15 PM

Sokoto state governorship results PU has two voting points 001A and 001B Ward:004 VP 001A APC 142 PDP 165 VP 001B APC 136 PDP 128

Mar 09 16:19 PM

Result of polling Unit 010 Wuro Patuji Ward Mubi South local government area Adamawa state Adamawa Polling Unit 010 Wuro Patuji Ward Mubi South Local Government Area Adamawa State House of Assembly result ADC 77 APC 132 PDP 152

Mar 09 16:20 PM

Results from Kano Municipal LGA Kano sate result SD Kano Central LGA : Kano Municipal Ward : Gandun Alubasa PU : Gandun Alubasa Pri Sch 010/1VP Governorship result APC -27 PDP -55 PRP -14 Kano State House APC* -40 PDP* -50 PRP* -3 Total Reg V: - 915

Mar 09 16:24 PM

Results from Akwa Ibom: Iquita Primary School, PU 2, ward 9 Governorship election result PDP: 63 APC: 26

Mar 09 16:27 PM

Fatin town 007 polling unit, Kano Governorship PDP 141 APC 86 Invalid 4 House of assembly PDP 137 APC 84 Invalid 8

Mar 09 16:29 PM

Results from polling Unit 004 Tattarawa Ward, Dawakin LGA, Kano House of Assembly result PDP 48 APC 238 Rejected 0 Governor PDP 53 APC 231 Rejected 3

Mar 09 16:30 PM

Election results across some Lagos polling units House of Assembly PU 018, Ward 6, Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA. Lagos state. APC - 48 PDP - 18 AAC - 2 ADP - 1 APA - 1 ACCORD - 7 Void - 9 Number of Registered Voters - 606 Number of accredited voters - 88 PU 02, 04 OKE- BALOGUN EPE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LAGOS (polling unit of APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Hamzat Obafemi.) HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PDP 32 APD 1 APC 195 VOID 7 Governorship EPE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PDP 33 APC 198 AD 1 VOID 2 ACCREDITED VOTERS 236. TOTAL REGISTERED VOTERS 738 PU 004, Lagos Central, Apapa LGA, (Jimi Agbaje's PU) House of Assembly APC 73 PDP 66. PU 018, Ward 6, Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA,Lagos state. APC - 48 PDP - 18 AAC - 2 ADP - 1 APA - 1 ACCORD - 7 Void - 9 Number of Registered Voters - 606 Number of accredited voters - 88 Lagos Central, Apapa LGA, PU 004 (Jimi Agbaje PU) House of Assembly APC 73 PDP 66. PU 018, Ward 6, Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA. APC - 48 PDP - 18 AAC - 2 ADP - 1 APA - 1 ACCORD - 7 Void - 9 Number of Registered Voters - 606 Number of accredited voters - 88 PU 019 Lateef Jakande/Femi Okunnu Ward, Ikoyi APC 124 PDP 26

Mar 09 16:51 PM

Polling Unit 003, Tattarawa Ward, Dawakin LGA, Kano House of Assembly result PDP 50 APC 171 Rejected 13 Governorship result PDP 58 APC 162 Rejected 15

Mar 09 16:52 PM

Breaking: Soldiers arrest Gov. Emmanuels aide at polling unit The special assistant on Grassroot Mobilization to governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom state, Joseph Okon has been allegedly arrested by soldiers at his polling unit, Eastern Nsit Ward 10, Unit 001, Nsit Atai local government area. He was arrested during Saturdays governorship election and taken to an unknown destination as at the time of this report. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP accused the leadership of the opposition All Progressives Congress,APC in the LGA of masterminding attacks on its chieftains and supporters in the area.

Mar 09 16:55 PM

Im not convinced my vote will count - Atiku Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said he is not convinced his vote will count.

Mar 09 16:57 PM

Armed men storm many polling units in Imo, cart away election materials Armed thugs have reportedly carted away voting materials including ballot boxes, ballot papers, result sheets and card readers across many polling units in Ogor Okpala local government area of Imo state.

Mar 09 16:58 PM

Ajimobi loses polling unit to PDP Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, lost his polling unit 20 ward 11 in Saturdays governorship election. In the result announced at the polling unit, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 112 votes while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 145 votes.

Mar 09 17:10 PM

Fayose loses ward to APC in Ekiti state The All Progressives Congress (APC) has floored former governor Ayodele Fayose at his unit at Afao Ekiti in Irepodun Ifelodun local government area of the state.

Mar 09 17:19 PM

Results from some polling units in Ogun state Ogun state Ita-Osanyin PU Governorship APC 217 PDP 8 APM 72 House of Assembly APC 240 PDP 5 APM 71 Ward 10, PU 006 Abeokuta South LG Governorship APC 36 APM 94 ADP 61 House of Assembly APC 28 APM 81 ADP 54

Mar 09 17:20 PM

PU 005, Timber Shed, Abakaliki LGA, Ebonyi state Governorship PDP 249 APC 78 House of Assembly PDP 239 APC 82

Mar 09 17:22 PM

Results from some polling units in Oyo state PU 20, Ward 11, Ibadan South-West LG Governorship APC 112. PDP 145 PU 13 Ward 10, Ogbomosho South LGA Governorship APC 201 ADP 23 PDP 82 State assembly APC 65 ADP 146 PDP 72

Mar 09 17:24 PM

Kano Central LGA, Shagari Quarters, Kumbotso Ward,Gurin Gawa Governorship APC 158 PDP 162 House of Assembly APC 169 PDP 148

Mar 09 17:25 PM

PU 3, Ward 3, Abak, Akwa Ibom state Governorship APC 171 PDP 336 House of Assembly PDP 254 APC 247

Mar 09 17:31 PM

PU 036, Kofar Adamu Umar, Katagum LGA, Bauchi state Governorship APC 46 PDP 159 House of Assembly APC 82 PDP 88

Mar 09 17:32 PM

Results from polling units in Bayelsa state PU 9, Ward 7, Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa state Governorship PDP 32 APC 51 PU 3, Ward 7, Yenagoa LGA PDP: 49 APC: 51 PU 6, Ward 7, Yenagoa LGA PDP: 78 APC: 56

Mar 09 17:35 PM

Bauchi governor losses unit Governor Muhammed Abubakar of the APC has lost his polling unit to Bala Mohammed of PDP, as follows: Gindin Durumi PU, Bauchi Metropolis Governorship APC 288 PDP 358 votes

Mar 09 17:37 PM

PU 004 Dawaki, Rano LGA, Kano state Governorship APC 58 PDP 110 House of Assembly APC 108 PDP 81 PU 013 and 14 inside the government house PDP 145 APC 114 PDP 109 APC 84 PU 004 Dawaki, Rano LGA Governorship APC 58 PDP 110 House of Assembly APC 108 PDP 81

Mar 09 17:40 PM

Adarawo Ward, Yola South LG PU 01 Governorship ADC 46 APC 88 PDP 88 PU 02 ADC 34 APC 83 PDP 124 PU 03 ADC 47 APC 65 PDP 112 Total For Units 1 to 3 ADC 127 APC 236 PDP 324

Mar 09 17:46 PM

Just in: PDP chieftain reportedly arrested by soldiers in Rivers A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Asari-Toru local government area in Rivers state, Tobotamuno, has been reportedly arrested by some soldiers for an undisclosed offence.

Mar 09 17:49 PM

APC loses Bauchi governor's polling unit to PDP as Kano deputy gov's unit also falls The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the polling unit of Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Makama Sarkin Baki.

Mar 09 17:54 PM

PU 019 Wasila Islamia DanAgundi Ward, Kano Municipal LGA Governorship APC 165 PDP 80 House of Assembly APC 93 PDP 135

Mar 09 17:54 PM

PU 004 Dawaki Ward Rano LG, Kano Kano South Governorship APC 58 PDP 110 House of Assembly APC 108 PDP 81

Mar 09 18:19 PM

Kano Guber: PDP wins Malam Ibrahim Shekaraus polling unit Former Kano governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has lost his polling unit to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the March 9 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

Mar 09 18:21 PM

Breaking: PDP wins SGF Boss Mustapha's ward in Yola, Adamawa Governorship PDP 121 APC 61 ADC 51 House of Assembly PDP 126 APC 54 ADC 41

Mar 09 18:26 PM

APC governorship candidate in Kwara wins own polling unit AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the APC governorship candidate in Kwara, has won his Idigba polling unit at Adewole ward. He polled 592 votes as against PDP's 80.

Mar 09 18:34 PM

PU 012 Ajiya Ward, Yola North LGA, Adamawa Governorship PDP 161 APC 99 ADC 51 House of Assembly PDP 207 APC 76 ADC 25

Mar 09 18:43 PM

PU 008A Azuzii Ward 2, Old Ogboshi, Owerri Municipal LG, Imo state Governorship PDP 48 APC 04 House of Assembly APC 04 PDP 40 PU 009 Governorship PDP 21 APC 03 House of Assembly PDP 20 APC 06

Mar 09 18:45 PM

PU 010 Azuzii Ward 2, Old Ogboshi, Owerri Municipal LG, Imo state Governorship PDP 23 APC 02 House of Assembly PDP 22 APC 03

Mar 09 18:50 PM

Results from some polling units in Kwara state PU 17 Ojuekun/Zarumi Ward, Ilorin West LG Governorship APC 297 PDP 110 PU 018 Akanbi Ward 03 Governorship APC 283 PDP 73 PU 021 Akanbi Ward 3, Ilorin Governorship APC 216 PDP 25 PU 007 Ikoroko Governorship APC 352 PDP 95 House of Assembly APC 350 PDP 89

Mar 09 18:53 PM

Results from PU 009, Royal Hotel, Open Space in Ibadan North West LG, Oyo state Governorship APC 73 PDP 150 House Of Assembly APC 40 PDP 61

Mar 09 19:33 PM

Breaking: PDP agent shot dead in Imo A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent has been shot dead in Eziama Obire in Nkwere LGA Imo State by hoodlums. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Godson Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident. The identity of the victim is yet to be known.

Mar 09 19:41 PM

PDP floors El-Rufai at Kaduna Govt Houses polling units The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the polling units at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna (Government House), defeating the incumbent governor, Nasir El-Rufai of the All Progressive Congress (APC)

Mar 09 19:58 PM

PU 038 Murtala Mai Wake, Hausari Ward, MMC, Borno state Governorship APC 377 PDP 9 House of assembly APC 386 PDP 3

Mar 09 19:59 PM

Katsina PU 001 of Marama/Kidang Ward, Hawul LG, Borno state Governorship APC 409 PDP 27 SDP 48 House of Assembly APC120 PDP 27 SDP 279

Mar 09 20:09 PM

Breaking: House Of Reps member reportedly shot A member of the House of Representatives representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Hon Olatoye Temitope Sugar, has reportedly been shot. He is said to have been rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.

Mar 09 20:30 PM

PU 001, Market Square, Igbaja, Kwara state Governorship APC 192 PDP 44 House of Assembly APC 187 PDP 40 PU 006, Baptist Primary School, Igbaja Governorship APC 151 PDP 20 House of Assembly APC 133 PDP 17

Mar 09 20:38 PM

BREAKING: Shot Oyo Reps member, Temitope Sugar, dies In UCH A member, representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Temitope Olatoye, popularly known as Sugar is dead. He died at the intensive care unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Saturday, evening, following a gunshot wound he sustained after he was shot in the eye by unknown gunmen in Ibadan.

Mar 09 20:39 PM

Results from some polling units in Kwara state Governorship PDP 20 APC 168 House of Assembly PDP 22 APC 157 PU 008 Open Space Isale Igbaja Governorship APC 161 PDP 55 House of Assembly APC 151 PDP 50 PU 007 Open Space Isale Igbaja Governorship APC 45 PDP 19 House of Assembly APC 44 PDP 15

Mar 09 20:44 PM

Ajanaku Ward, Moro LG, Kwara state Governorship APC 258 PDP 027 House of Assembly APC=259 PDP=029

Mar 09 21:04 PM

St Davids Primary School, Irepodun Ifelodun LG, Ekiti state Governorship APC 168 PDP 26

Mar 09 21:19 PM

PU 011 Shinyar Ajiya, RA Tambuwal/Shinfiri, Tambuwal LG, Sokoto state Governorship APC 197 PDP 806 State House of Assembly APC 258 PDP 719

Mar 09 21:20 PM

Voters sell votes to highest bidder during polls - CDD The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) said on Saturday in Abuja that voters were scrambling to sell their votes to the highest bidder during Saturdays governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections. The chair, CDD Election Analysis Centre (EAC), Adele Jinadu, a professor, told journalists that vote buying prevailed in spite of the warnings by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the anti-corruption agencies. Jinadu said the centre sent out observers to monitor the elections in the states and came out with its findings. On the ground, our observers reported seeing EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arresting people involved in vote buying. For example, the EFCC arrested some prominent party stalwarts in Benue and Kwara states. However, reports from our observers indicated significant role played by voters and politicians in the vote trading market.

Mar 09 21:41 PM

PU 009 Point 1, Akwanga South, Akwanga LG, Nasarawa Governorship PDP 109 APGA 160 APC 40 House of Assembly APC 45 APGA 91 PDP 94 SDP 53

Mar 09 22:09 PM

PU Ward 004 Bodinga LGA, Sokoto Governorship PU: 001B APC 136 PDP 128 PU 001A APC 142 PDP 165

Mar 09 22:10 PM

Results of PU.010 Yola ward, Rogo LGA, Kano state GOVERNOR: APC - 123 PDP - 169 PRP - 28 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY: APC - 132 PDP - 164 PRP - 21

Mar 09 22:15 PM

Ward 5 PU 5 Ogbomosho South LGA, Oyo state Governorship APC 33 ADP 06 PDP 33 AD 03 House of Assembly PPC 01 APC 23 ADC 03 ADP 14 PDP 30

Mar 09 22:16 PM

WARD 5, UNIT 2, Ogun state GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION APN 1 YES 1 DPP 1 APC 71 PPP 1 APGA 1 UPN 1 PPA 1 ADP 1 PDP 52 APM 21 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION APN 1 DPP 1 APC 49 PPP 1 APGA 1 UPN 5 PPA 1 ADP 1 PDP 52 APM. 35

Mar 09 22:20 PM

Oyo North. Itesiwaju LG. Ward 08, OTU 1, PU 006 GOVERNORSHIP APA 1 PPC 1 NCP 1 ADC 1 PDP 117 APC 109 STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY APC 104 PDP 116 PDM 2 PDC 1 AAC 1 GPM 1 PCP 1 ADC 2

Mar 09 22:22 PM

Results from ward 03, Unit 06, Ibadan north west LG, Oyo South Senatorial District, Oyo state Governorship PDP: 96 APC: 51 SDP: 02 ID: 01 GDPN: 01 REJECTED: 07 House of Assembly ADP: 06 ACCORD: PRP: 01 ADC: 07 LPN: 01 PDP: 73 APC: 46 SDP: 03 ZLP: 01 UDP: 01 AGA: 01 SPN:01 VOID: 16 TOTAL BALLOT USED: 158 TOTAL REGISTERED VOTES: 696

Mar 09 22:27 PM

PU: 036 Kofar Adamu Umar, Nasarawa Bakin Kasuwa, Katagum, Bauchi Gubernatorial Election APC: 46 PDP: 159 PRP: 13 GPN: 1 NNPP: 2 State House of Assembly APC: 82 PDP: 88 PRP: 9 GPN: 9 NNPP: 20

Mar 09 22:43 PM

Governorship election result: ward 4, Oke Balogun, Epe local government, Lagos ABC 1 ANP 1 APA 2 APC 2274 APDA1 PAP1 DPP 1 FFN 1 FPN 1 NCP 4 NBC 2 PDP 341 PPC 3 PRP 2 UPP 1 YPP 3

Mar 09 22:45 PM

Ward: SIRKO (09) Polling Unit: 08, Misau LGA, Bauchi State Central Zone, Bauch Governorship APC 430 NNPP 39 PDP 642 PRP 188 State Assembly APC 410 GPN 44 NNPP 116 PDP 557 PRP 74

Mar 09 22:59 PM

Dino Melaye delivers his LGA for PDP Iffe/Ikoyi Ward PDP: 534 APC: 276 Ogale aduge ward PDP: 531 APC: 442 Iyara ward PDP: 1304 APC: 839 Igbolayere/Ilayere Ward ADC: 402 APC: 112 PDP: 160 Ayegunle Iluhafon ward PDP: 469 APC: 449 Ekinrin Adde Ward PDP: 872 APC: 672 Ayetoro ward 1 PDP: 989 APC: 521 Ayetoro ward 2 PDP: 832 APC: 490 Iyah /Ayeh ward PDP: 555 APC: 617 Ebeda ward PDP: 1167 APC: 209 Iyamoye ward PDP: 1,181 APC: 861 Okoro/Igah Ward PDP: 243 APC: 221

Mar 09 23:05 PM

Odeda LGA, Ward 7, Ogun state OLG School 1, Obantoko II PU APC: 230 APM: 158 ADC: 122 PDP: 013 Alogi Bust stop PU APC: 269 APM: 139 ADC: 182 PDP: 018 Aaya Pry School PU APC: 54 APM: 49 ADC: 25 PDP: 12 Ayetoro Budo PU APC: 11 APM: 18 ADC: 07 PDP: 08 Isolu village PU APC: 64 APM: 27 ADC: 17 PDP: 08 Anigilaje village PU APC: 240 APM: 165 ADC: 172 PDP: 018 Illupeju Alagbede village PU APC: 73 APM: 43 ADC: 20 PDP: 09 Ahmadiyya Egbatedo school PU APC: 62 APM: 44 ADC: 19 PDP: 02

Mar 09 23:38 PM

APC wins House of Assembly elections in Ijumu, Yagba East LGAs, Kogi The candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been declared winners of the House of Assembly elections conducted on March 9, in Ijumu and Yagba East Local Government Areas in the Kogi west senatorial district. Olushola Kilani Olumo of APC was declared winner of the Ijumu state constituency, while Jimoh Musa, also of APC was re-elected for the Yagba east state constituency. PDP candidate, Dino Melaye won the two constituencies in the senatorial election two weeks ago. Declaring the latest result at INEC Collation Centre in Ijumu, the returning officer, Dr Kelvin Anoh, announced that the APC candidate, Kelani Olumo, polled 10,478 votes while Adewale Salihu of PDP scored 8,813 votes. Shuaib Ipinmisho of ADC came third with 1,933 votes. However, the PDP agent, Ibikunle Omolade and the agent of the Alliance for Democracy(AD) , Ibileke Olufemi, whose candidate scored 27 votes, rejected the results and refused to sign . They alleged irregularities in Ileteju Origa ward and Okoro/Odokoro/Araromi ward, where they claimed ballot boxes were snatched. Ugwunebo Ubaku, the INEC Electoral Officer for Ijumu LGA, said that she had received a letter of complaints which would be channelled to the appropriate quarters. In Yagba east, the returning officer, Dr Okpanachi Stephen, announced that Mr Jimoh Musa of APC polled a total of 6,893 votes to beat his closest rival, the candidate of ADC, Sule Abdulnafiu, who scored 4,295 votes. The PDP candidate, Emmanuel Bello scored 3,315 votes.

Mar 09 23:41 PM

2 killed, 47 arrested in Anambra Police in Anambra have confirmed the killing of two persons in Obosi area of Anambra during Saturdays, State House of Assembly election in Anambra. The police also confirmed that a total of 47 persons were arrested for various electoral offences ranging from disruption of elections, malicious damage, thuggery, assault and unlawful possession of firearms. Of the 47 suspects, 18 have been transferred to the CIID Awka for discreet investigation after which they would be charged to Court for prosecution.

Mar 09 23:42 PM

PDP wins polling units in Karu, Nyanya, Jikwoyi, Orozo, others The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the Councillorship and chairmanship elections in polling units across Karu, Nyanya, Jikwoyi, Orozo and others within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). In Polling unit 009, in Kugbo, the presiding officer, Mr Joseph Ngbede announced PDP as winner of the election for chairmanship and councillorship elections. He said that PDP polled 180 votes while APC got 72 votes in the chairmanship election. According to him, the number of registered voters was 1,524, with 279 accredited, 271 valid votes and eight invalid votes. In the councillorship poll, PDP polled 157 votes while APC had 88 votes with 267 valid votes and 12 rejected votes. At the polling unit 009 located at Nyanya Primary School Area D, the Presiding officer, Mr Sule Gabriel, announced that PDP won with 269 votes while APC had 82 votes in the chairmanship election.

Mar 09 23:46 PM

Etinan Ward collation centre, Etinan, Akwa Ibom State Governorship APC - 557 PDP - 1324 PCD - 1 PPP - 1 ACD - 1 ADC - 1 DPC - 1 FJP - 6 MRDD - 1 NNPP - 1

Mar 09 23:48 PM

Ward 10, Ogbomosho North LGA, Oyo state AAC 13 ADP 319 PDP 1948 ADC 30 APC 2390 registered voters 12,953 Total accredited 4889 Valid Vote 4797 Rejected 103

Source: Legit.ng

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Home | News | General | UPDATED: Tension hits Oyo as shot senatorial candidate reportedly dies at UCH's ICU

_ Temitope Olatoye, a senatorial candidate and former House of Representatives member has reportedly died

- Olatoye is said to have died at the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan on Saturday, March 9

- The former lawmaker popularly known as Sugar died from a gunshot wound by some unknown gunmen on his head

A senatorial candidate, Temitope Olatoye, popularly known as Sugar in the ongoing general election has reportedly died.

Nigerian Tribune reports that Olatoye died at the intensive care unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Saturday, March 9, evening, following a gunshot wound he sustained after he was shot in the eye by unknown gunmen in Ibadan.

Olatoye, who contested for the seat of Oyo central senatorial seat under the Action Democratic Party was said to have been shot in the head by some unknown gunmen during the election.

The Cable reports on its Twitter handle said that an aide to Olatoye said the politician has been rushed to the accident and emergency unit of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: I will accept election's outcome in good faith - Tambuwal says after voting as Nigerians elect new governors, state lawmakers

However, Premium Times in its report said the UCH Ibadan has confirmed that the lawmaker shot on Saturday by political thugs is in a critical situation at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital.

The spokesman of the hospital, Toye Akinrinlola, said the lawmaker was brought in a critical situation and was being resuscitated at the ICU.

As I am talking to you now, the man is in the Intensive Care Unit, efforts are on to try to resuscitate him, Akinrinlola said.

Also News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akinrinlola, confirmed Olatoye's death in an interview in Ibadan.

According to NAN, Akinrinlola said the Olatoye died from gunshot wound in UCH Intensive Care Unit.

The AIG Police, Zone 7, the Oyo Commissioner of Police, Chief Medical Director and other top police officials are in UCH now.

We have formally told the family of his demise, Akinrinlola said.

Olatoye vacated his seat as a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Lagelu / Akinyele Federal Constituency he was also the chairman, House Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning at the lower chamber.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a former governor of Oyo state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has delivered his polling unit for the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Bayo Adelabu, in the governorship and House of Assembly election held in the state.

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Akala, who remained the governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the election, delivered his polling unit in Ogbomosho region of the state to APC.

Legit.ng notes that the former governor, who returned to APC barely four months after leaving the party for ADP, voted at Olukutun unit 13, ward 7 in Ogbomoso north.

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Home | News | General | Elections: Food, beverages vendors laments low voter's turnout in Jos

- Food and beverages vendors in Jos lament voters' apathy in the state

- The vendors counted their loses as there was a low turnout of people at polling units in Jos

- The traders said the presidential and National Assembly elections was was better in terms of patronage

Food and beverages vendors in Jos, who enjoyed mass sales during the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, March 23, went home disappointed on Saturday, after most voters shunned the governorship and state assembly polls.

Some of them, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), lamented their losses, saying that they did not envisage the apathy that characterised the March polls.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Decides 2019: Live updates of governorship and state assembly elections

Mrs Rose Chunwang, a food vendor at the staff training centre, Giring polling unit No1, in Hwolshe, told NAN that the situation they met on Saturday, February 23 was sharply different from what they enjoyed two weeks ago.

She said: During the first elections, as at noon, I was already done selling all my food;the situation is different today.

As we speak today, it is past 3 p.m. and I have barely sold up to 20 plates of food."

Chunwang said that in the Saturday, February 23 elections, people who cast their votes waited till the electoral officers counted them.

That is not the case today. Most people have left. They vanished immediately after voting.

Similarly, Grace Pam, a soft drinks vendor, who also sell local drinks, decried the poor sales on Saturday compared to what happened on Saturday, February 23.

The scenario was the same at polling unit 002 in Hwolshe, where most vending stands were void of customers as most of the voters disappeared after voting.

Miss Jane Gyang, a trader at polling unit 002, blamed the low patronage on the low turnout of voters and general lack of interest on the state polls.

Gyang told NAN that she had already made a mental calculation of the amount she would have made today, basing her judgement on the previous elections.

Follow live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

Madam Garos Dung, a vendor of various snacks in Du polling unit, said that she had only sold snacks worth N500 since morning.

People voted and left; the turnout was low, so the waiting time was not much. The last election was a much better deal for me, she moaned.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that security was tight at the Lagos Island local government collation centre as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials await some results from wards for collation.

It was gathered that some vehicles were prevented from getting close to the collation centre, while there was security for officials coming with results from wards to the centre.

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Home | News | General | Police commence investigation as 2 reportedly killed, 47 arrested for electoral violence in Anambra

- Police in Anambra have confirmed the killing of two people in Obosi area of Anambra

- The police also confirmed that a total of 47 persons were arrested for various electoral offences

- 18 have been transferred to the CIID Awka for discreet investigation after which they would be charged to Court for prosecution

Police in Anambra have confirmed the killing of two people in Obosi area of Anambra during Saturdays, State House of Assembly election in Anambra.

The police also confirmed that a total of 47 persons were arrested for various electoral offences ranging from disruption of elections, malicious damage, thuggery, assault and unlawful possession of firearms.

Of the 47 suspects, 18 have been transferred to the CIID Awka for discreet investigation after which they would be charged to Court for prosecution.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Decides 2019: Live updates of governorship and state assembly elections

A source at Obosi who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, March 9, in Awka that the killings took place when armed thugs attempted to hijack electoral results at Umuota Obosi area.

He said the thugs who came in a commercial bus at about 5 pm. and were trying to compel the INEC team to handover the electoral materials at about 5pm when the two were gunned down.

But, a statement issued by SP Haruna Mohammed, the commands public relations officer stated that the killing resulted from a clash between two rival cult factions.

He said: ''It was clash between the Black Axe and Vickings Confraternity that led to the death of two yet to be identified persons at Obosi.''

He added that police had commenced investigations to unmask the killers whom he said fled after killing their victims.

The PPRO further stated that the command recorded another incident of shooting and disruption of voting at Agulu township polling unit.

He said that three suspects were arrested and a locally made Pistol with four live ammunition recovered.

He added: Another shooting incident took place at Nwanebo Primary School 1 and 2 inside Immaculate Catholic Heart Church premises Uga in Ekwulobia involving two private security guards of the church following a scuffle.

One of the security guards, Ngozi Goodwill, shot his colleague, one MO Justice Anyadike, aged 26 years on his leg.

The bullets of the expended cartridges also brushed five other persons who came to vote at the polling booth and they sustained minor injuries and were treated.''

He said that the principal suspects were arrested and two pump action, seven live cartridges and one expanded cartridge were recovered.

Other incidents recorded during Saturday,s election included rescue of a presiding officer, one Meniri Njideka of Nawfia, allegedly abducted at Afor market square unit Mbaukwu in Awka South LGA.

He said the corps member was treated at the Police Clinic Awka and discharged.

He said: Other offences recorded included thuggery at Nri in Anaocha LGA, Umouji ward in Ogidi and Nteje where the command responded promptly and effected some arrests.

''Exhibits recovered included two double barrel guns, one locally made pistol, four life ammunition, and three expanded ammunition.

''Other exhibits are One Toyota Hilux, one L300 Bus, 291 ballot papers, one motorcycle, some dry leaves suspected to be cannbis sativa and cash worth N173,420.''

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a senatorial candidate, Temitope Olatoye, popularly known as Sugar in the ongoing general election had reportedly died.

Olatoye died at the intensive care unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Saturday, March 9, evening, following a gunshot wound he sustained after he was shot in the eye by unknown gunmen in Ibadan.

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Home | News | General | Governor Tambuwal thrashes APC candidate to win his polling unit

The Governor of Sokoto state Aminu Tambuwal has won handsomely at his polling unit in the governorship and state assembly elections held in the northwest state and across Nigeria on Saturday, March 9.

Premium Times reports that Governor Tambuwal, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated Ahmed Aliyu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress by a very wide margin.

READ ALSO: Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

According to reports announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Tambuwals polling unit 011, Shinyar Ajiya, Tambuwal/Shinfiri area of Tambuwal Local Government the governor polled 806 votes while APC polled 197 votes.

PDP was also victorious in the state assembly election held in the same polling unit, polling 719 votes to the APC's 258 votes.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the opposition PDP also won in the polling unit of Bauchi governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Makama Sarkin Baki.

Results declared at the polling booth showed that the PDP won with a resounding 358 votes to the APC's 288 votes in the governorship election.

This was just as the PDP's governorship candidate in Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf, also defeated the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Magwan polling unit where the deputy governor cast his vote.

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Home | News | General | 2019 election: APC floors PDP inside Aso Rock

- APC has defeated the opposition PDP in the polling units located in Aso Rock

- It was reported that the APC candidate for the chairmanship election scored 290 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s candidate who polled 132 votes

- The APC polled a total of 273 votes to defeat PDP which scored 151 votes from the two polling units at the Villa for the councilorship election

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, March 9, defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in all polling units for both chairman and councilorship elections at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Vanguard reports that despite the low turnout at the two polling units (PU) 021 and 022 at the State House, the APC candidate for the chairmanship election scored 290 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s candidate who polled 132 votes.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Oyo senatorial candidate shot on the head during election reportedly dies in UCH's ICU

Legit.ng gathered that the APC polled 162 votes in PU 021 and 128 votes in PU 022 while the PDP scored 70 votes in PU 021 and 62 votes in PU 022 respectively.

It was reported that for the councilorship election, the APC polled a total of 273 votes to defeat PDP which scored 151 votes from the two polling units at the Villa.

The newspaper reported that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) arrived the two PUs located in the Villa as early as 7:45am to wait for the arrival of voters.

Unlike the presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 23, which featured massive voter turnout, the units were scanty with adhoc staff relaxing with virtually no work to do.

More than 2,600 voters who were accredited voted at the two polling stations in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

Voting commenced at exactly 8:00am and ended at about 2:06pm. Accreditation and voting was done simultaneously in a peaceful atmosphere.

The Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari Abba Kyari was among some of the voters who cast their votes in the Presidential Villa.

Asked to comment on the low turnout for the election, Abba Kyari simply noted, Everyone has just one vote, interview the others too, not me.

At the Abacha Barracks Polling Unit, a few kilometers to the Presidential Villa, the issue of voter apathy was not different as the station was empty with very few voters.

READ ALSO: Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, March 9, delivered his polling unit 003, Kofar Baru III (A and B) Daura, Katsina state, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the state, Aminu Masari, with 370 votes.

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Home | News | General | Tight security as INEC awaits result at Lagos Island LG collation centre

- There is tight security in the Lagos Island local government collation centre

- The security beef up was expedient as INEC awaits result from the local government area

- Meanwhile, Lagos House of Assembly member representing Lagos Island, constituency II, has commended the electorate

Security is tight at the Lagos Island local government collation centre as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials await some results from wards for collation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some vehicles were prevented from getting close to the collation centre, while there was security for officials coming with results from wards to the centre.

Follow Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

Meanwhile, Sola Giwa, the current Lagos state House of Assembly member representing Lagos Island, constituency II, commended the electorate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful conduct of the Lagos state governorship and House of Assembly elections.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Decides 2019: Live updates of governorship and state assembly elections

Giwa told NAN that with the peaceful conduct of the poll, there was hope for subsequent elections in the country.

He said: The election was peaceful, calm, and there was very impressive turnout.''

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that there was wild jubilation as former vice president and presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, delivered his polling unit, Ajiya 02, in Gwadabawa Ward, Yola North local government of Adamawa.

Recall that Atiku lost the unit to President Buhari during the presidential election by scoring 167 to Buharis 186.

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Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has maintained that both Yoruba and Igbo nations are one.

Fani-Kayode made the remark while reacting to a viral video of Lagos Central Senator and wife of All Progressives Congress, APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, Oluremi Tinubu saying Igbos can no longer be trusted.

Mrs. Tinubu made the remark yesterday while speaking with a man after casting her ballot in Lagos.

However, Fani-Kayode condemned the remark by the lawmaker, insisting that both tribes are one.

In a series of tweets, Fani-Kayode wrote: Igbo, we do not trust you again  Sen. Remi Tinubu.

These words have done more harm to southern unity and national cohesion than any in recent years. Needless to say the beautiful Senator, who I have immense respect for, spoke for herself, her husband and APC and not the Yoruba.

As far as I am concerned, ever since the famous handshake across the Niger conference in Enugu in Jan. last year, the Igbo and the Yoruba have become one and an attack on the Igbo anywhere and by anyone is an attack on us all. Sadly every ethnic nationality has its own fair

share of traitors, turncoats and blacklegs and those that go against mainstream thinking.

The renegades and retrograde forces that seek to demonise and intimidate the Igbo in the South West, or indeed anywhere else, open up old wounds and rekindle old rivalries, prejudices and divisions are wasting their time.

They shall fail because most of us love the Igbo. Sen. Tinubus moribund and primitive views are as reflective of Yoruba thinking as Rochas Okorohausas views are as reflective of the thinking of the Igbo nation.

Only a minority of Yorubas and Igbos and those that are stuck in the past share their views. Such outdated and myopic sentiments and intellectually bankrupt thinking should not be taken seriously and those that voice them deserve to be treated with contempt and disdain.

Nigeria governorship elections 2019 - #NigeriaDecides - #Nigeriadecides2019
Home | News | General | Tragedy as Ethiopian Airline flight headed to Kenya crashes with 149 passengers on board

Ethiopian Airlines' flight en-route to Nairobi from Addis Ababa capital city has gone down with more than 140 passengers on board.

Reports reaching Legit.ng indicated the ill-fated aircraft crashed on the morning of Sunday, March 10, at around Bishoftu (Debre Zeit).

Confirming the fatal accident, the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, expressed their deepest condolence to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the Sunday morning crash.

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Ethiopian Airlines said aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET-AVJ took off at 8.38am local time from Bole International Airport and lost contact at 8.44am. Photo:Ethiopian Airlines.

"The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning," the statement shared on the PM's official Twitter page read.

READ ALSO: Lagos politician Segun Adewale allegedly slaps female reporter for recording him

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The flag carrier also issued a statement on Sunday morning further confirming the accident.

According to the airline, aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET-AVJ took off at 8.38am local time from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and lost contact at 8.44am, which is about six minutes after takeoff.

"Search and rescue operations are in progress. We have not confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties. Ethiopian Airlines' staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services," the airline said.

It is understood there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight.

The airline has already established a passenger information centre for families and friends of those who may have been on flight E-302/10 March.

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Meanwhile, Kenyans have also joined friends and families of those whose loved ones perished in the Ethiopian flight.

Legit.ng understands Ethiopian, which is currently the largest and fastest growing flag carrier in Africa, has had at least 60 accidents in its over 74-year existence.

A few instances include in 1988 when more than 30 died after jet lost power in Bahir Dar and in 1996 when a hijacked airline crashed off a beach on the Comoro Islands, killing 125.

Another crash happened in 2010 with 90 people on board.

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Home | News | General | Hilarious photos of how Tonto Dikeh's son messed up the house while playing, her reaction is epic

Nollywood actress has a relationship with her son that is quite enviable. The screen diva and entrepreneur never shys away from showing just how much she loves him. However, kids can be naughty in many situations, and even, such a sweet, adorable child like King Andre is not exempted.

Recently, Tonto Dikeh took to sharing just how mischievous and messy her son can be sometimes. While playing, the young boy got all naughty and dirty and started pouring the contents of a large container onto the floor.

The result of this was that everywhere looked messy and so dirty. Even his body was not exempted, it was filled with a lot of white, powdery substance.

Tonto walked upon Andre to see this mess and she was completely shocked. Taking to her Instagram page to share the story, she went on to talk about she had only seen this happen in the past to other kids.

READ ALSO: Tonto Dikeh does not have full custody of our son - Olakunle Churchill reacts to false court judgment

She did not anticipate that her own son would do this. According to her, she had told herself that any child that tried such messy act with her would be whooped.

But upon seeing what Andre did, she could only scold him lightly. Even more, she even joined him in his rough play. See her post below:

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"Kids will away be kids!!! I use to see pictures like this in the past and say to my self any kid messes my home like this will get a whoop!!

"MY SON, @kingandre_dikeh ,MY WORLD, DID IT AND ALL I COULD DO WAS JOIN IN!! ALTHOUGH I DID A LIGHT SCOLDING BECAUSE I AM GROOMING A MAN TO BE... ME Too embarrassed to post mines lol."

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Recently, Tonto Dikeh had another bout of quarrel with her former husband Olakunle Churchill. After making a comment about the fight over having custody of their child Andre, the actress revealed that she had fed and clothed him with her money.

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Top Nigerian Celebrities Kids You Cant Stop Admire | Legit TV

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Home | News | General | Breaking: Suspected hoodlums set INEC office ablaze in Imo state

Suspected political thugs have set ablaze the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ngor Okpuala local government area of Imo state.

The Cable reports that the suspected hoodlums broke into INEC office when collation of results for the governorship and state assembly elections was ongoing around 2pm on Sunday, March 10, before setting the office on fire.

READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: Official INEC collation of governorship results

An official of the electoral commission who did not want to be named stated that the hoodlums overpowered a guard at the office before carrying out the arson attack.

He said the police later arrived the scene and guarded the electoral materials in the premises, adding that INEC staff where taken to the INEC head office in Imo where they are currently collating the results.

In another news report, INEC has suspended the electoral processes in Rivers state citing widespread irregularities.

In a statement signed by Festus Okoye, INEC's national commissioner and chairman of information and voter education committee, the electoral body said it's decision to suspend the elections was based on reports from its officials in the field regarding disruption of the electoral process and violence in the state.

Meanwhile, the Kwara state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has won the governorship election held on Saturday, March 9.

He polled 331,546 votes to emerge as the winner of the highly anticipated election. It was previously reported that the APC candidate won in all the 16 local government areas in the state announced earlier leading his PDP's opponent, Hon Abdulrazaq Atunwa, with a margin of 216,792 votes.

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Home | News | General | Ethiopian Airlines' plane crash: one Nigerian and 32 Kenyans confirmed dead

- The airline's spokesperson confirmed one Nigerian and 32 Kenyans are among 157 victims who died in the crash

- Among the deceased are 17 Ethiopians, eight Chinese among other nationalities

- The aircraft crashed about six minutes after taking off and there have been no survivors

One Nigerian and at least 32 Kenyans are among the victims of the ill-fated Sunday, March 10, Boeing 737-800 MAX plane crash belonging to Ethiopian Airline, Legit.ng understands.

A spokesperson of the airline, Asrat Begashaw, said the gory accident killed one Nigerian 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, six Egyptians, nine Ethiopians, seven French, eight Americans and seven Britons among other nationalities.

READ ALSO: Ethiopian Airline flight headed to Kenya crashes with 149 passengers on board

READ ALSO: Lagos politician Segun Adewale allegedly slaps female reporter for recording him

According to a statement by the airline, the flight which crashed on Sunday, March 10, minutes after takeoff was new.

The group CEO who is now at the accident scene regrets to inform there are no survivors, the spokesperson said.

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As earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, a total of 157 people died in the crash and there were no survivors.

It is understood the aircraft crashed at Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) 50km away from Addis Ababa.

The airline said it lost contact with the plane at around 8.44am local time. The aircraft took off at 8.38am.

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The accident was confirmed by Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed after he sent out condolences to families of the deceased.

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"The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning," the statement shared on the PM's official Twitter page read.

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Home | World | Africa | Mugabeist G4Os and their aging geriatric could not even read the signs

In November 2018, His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, boldly declared the open and unrelenting warfare against the evil of endemic corruption.

"In the Second Republic, we will not tolerate the culture of siphoning public funds through various nefarious activities for personal gain and enrichment.

"It is presently disheartening that the country continues to lose huge sums of money due to fraud, money laundering, procurement or tender manipulation, insider trading in stock and financial markets, among the ills in both the private and public sectors," he warned at an annual public sector audit conference and financial management awards ceremony in Harare on November 8 2018.

This scourge of such corruption is grave on the national economic landscape.

It lies at the heart of the anaemic track record of the national economy for the past 140 years of our modern existence as a nation-state.

The inevitable consequence is the creation of blood-sucking monopolies, oligopolies, cartels and trusts that prey upon the general populace.

The poignant remarks by President Mnangagwa chime with the prohibitive actions of the American President Benjamin Harrison in 1890 as he signed the famous Sherman Act passed with overwhelming support by the American Congress.

This famous Sherman Act created the basis of the world's largest economy that is the modern USA and the tantalising prosperity enjoyed by the generality of the American population.

It is a law that is against any and all monopolistic conduct in the American economy.

Origins

The ills that have historically afflicted the economy of Zimbabwe stem from its corporate colonial origin. It manifests itself in cartels of every hue and stripe.

These various monopolies were the stock-in-trade of the corporate entity that was Cecil John Rhodes' British South Africa Company (BSACo).

It will be recalled that Rhodes had crookedly wrung out a Royal Charter from the obliging Queen Victoria. He went on to use the document to march into, conquer and occupy modern Zimbabwe. By dint of the said document, his writ would be exercised over every facet of economic activity in his new colony. Monopolies were set up to control mining, farming, agro-processing, retail distribution, labour market and external commerce.

Crucially, this gave the company the all-important control of the currency of the colonial state, and with it, the means to drain the country dry and sap its capacity to become modern and prosperous.

It also underpinned the pernicious doctrine of racial segregation.

Suffice to the ensuing "currency apartheid" bequeathed by Cecil John Rhodes and his corporate colonial enterprise of centralised "allocation" is the "mother of all corruption" in today's Zimbabwe.

As of 1890, when the modern nation-state came about courtesy of the Pioneer Column, Rhodes, with his ilk, made sure that as chief shareholder, they enjoyed exclusive privileges as the private owner/s of their newly acquired huge estate of Rhodesia.

Prime among the benefits was an exclusively advantageous hard-currency regime while his employee' settlers were relegated to grapple with a phantom non-convertible local currency. Naturally, this did not go down well with the kith and kin' settler whites in that age of Aryan racism.

They were soon buoyed by their increasing numbers  of a princely total 32 000 by the mid-1920s  as they flocked onto this hospitable land plateau of Zimbabwe.

They would lose no time to agitate for and finally rebel against the oppressive discriminatory corporate economic regime of the BSACo in 1923.

Principally, this was against the economic disparities born out the poverty-inducing currency apartheid.

Seeing the weakness that was coming out of the fissuring white population ranks in a sea of African blackness, the ruling BSACo opted for racial sleight of hand.

It ceded all wealth above the ground'  for example, farming  to the irate settlers.

In the same vein, the BSACo retained the prime cut of the minerals below the ground' as its global portfolio of riches.

As a racist sweetener, the whites were then let loose to prey upon the vast stretches of African lands so as to deprive the indigenous majority of economic means.

And in the process create a proletarian labour pool as well as a contrived market.

Notably, the white settlers were awarded the pride second place in the pecking order of the allocation of hard currency.

The majority black population, whose age-old gold currency had engendered prosperity worth of the Great Zimbabwe and the legendary Munhumutapas, were relegated to the margins of a non-convertible local currency.

The shiftless nature of the white population of Rhodesia over the decades is explained by immigrants who would come to make a family fortune.

They would stash it away in hard currency back into lily-white England or apartheid South Africa, the USA and the safer dominions of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It would await for the day they would soon be emigrants from the Eldorado of Zimbabwe.

The 1970s war depleted the white population from a peak of 280 000 to 170 000.

Interestingly, none of those who were gaping' the war ever became subjects of United Nations refugee relief.

Let alone being paupers in those kith and kin destination countries.

Why? Because the hierarchical allocation of hard currency in Rhodesia assured them of nest eggs' wherever they gaped to.

Impact on modern economic architecture

This currency apartheid lies at the root cause of Zimbabwe's negative development woes.

It manifests itself in the selective fungibility of the shares of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

It gives a favoured pedestal to a major finance house whose historical origin is the accounts/treasury department of the BSACo.

This is how political oligarchies operate over the ages, even as they spawn new derivatives with local comprador aspirants.

It gives the Zimbabwe nation a shadowy hard currency, the Old Mutual Implied Rate of Exchange', which operates on the global financial market place.

In the process, doing so outside of the purview of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

This permits the wholesale haemorrhaging of the national capital stock to levels that are worse than wartime devastation.

Just look at what happened to Zimbabwe after the year 2000 when the residual colonial corporate order decided to strike back against the land reform.

The Second Republic has bared its teeth and shown that it is really serious about corruption.

It has turned its sharp wits to this national rot emanating from the heritage of our corporate colonial birth.

Mugabe, by both commission and omission, allowed this ulcer to fester for another 37 years well into our independence.

That is where and how Singapore, his beloved destination, left us behind in the global prosperity rankings.

Hats off to the duo of President Mnangagwa and Minister of Finance Professor Mthuli Ncube. They are finally grasping the nettle of the currency apartheid.

The recipe is through a decisive shift from allocation of hard currency to the open and free demand and supply of the hard currency, just like any other commodity.

Incidentally, a right-wing currency professor, Steve Hanke, of the neo-liberal Cato Institute of the USA, blames Tsar Nicholas II for the bane that is the modern-day national currency allocation.

His disciple in Zimbabwe is a well-published former central bank governor. Hanke, a Cold Warrior', points his finger at the evil state of Russia as the birth place of modern currency allocation.

I beg to differ. The learned man of pecuniary figures has got his finance history mixed up. Cecil John Rhodes' private colony of Rhodesia was doing that from 1890.

This is well before the 1905 Imperial Russia of Tsar Nicholas II he cites as the first culprit. This is incidentally well ahead of the Bolshevik Soviet Russia of 1917 that would elevate state allocation of resources to an economic religion.

The corporate colonial state bears the original sin of national currency allocation in the colonies of chartered companies.

Allocation as a means to run a modern national economy had its classic death knell in 1989. The collapse of the Berlin Wall announced the end of statist Soviet Russia.

Alas, the poverty of theory that was in the Mugabeist G4Os and their aging geriatric could not even read the signs of the epochal economic and financial times.

The discredited state allocation of hard currency would persist and endure with the vigour of the "G40 Mahumbwe economics".

That's why Zimbabwe today is in such a rut.

The Mugabeist G40 was the last oligarchic derivative of the monopolist tradition of Cecil John Rhodes' BSACo.

The evil work of this comprador enterprise took earnest shape as of the mid-1980s.

An ominous Cabinet realignment took place in 1986.

Comrade Emmerson Mnangagwa was moved from the post of Minister of National Security.

Concerted and systematic compromise of the governance apparatus became the long-term project. It eventually metastasised into the G40 menace, particularly as of the year 2000.

As this political infiltration was going on, the newly empowered comprador of treacherous political pundits were busy at retooling and refashioning the colonial monopolies to their colour and taste.

They singled out and focused on the procurement, distribution and retail trade.

By 2015, Cabinet had been transformed into a corporate body politic. With the former President in the chair, the coterie of G40 raucous ministers would pass a litany of kleptocratic resolutions for self-enrichment.

Sane and modern ethos of national economic management were jettisoned.

Crass and crude wealth accumulation became the order of the day as the national economy decayed to putrid levels.

The new comprador lost no time in forging close links with the historical post-colonial white figures of the monopolistic tradition.

Yet the template of exploitation was retained.

This time it had neither remorse nor compunction in its aggravated predatory nature.

The carcass of a dying national economy was being picked by soulless G40 vultures.

Let President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Minister of Finance Professor Mthuli Ncube continue to give us a nation that runs on proven fundamentals of modern economic management.

These are rooted in the supply and demand of hard currency.

 Christopher Mutsvangwa is the chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.

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Home | World | Africa | Mugabe to Mnangagwa: From frying pan into fire?

A time comes when overwhelmed Africans desperately desire to see a change in leadership and don't pay rapt attention to the details of the next leadership provided it is a new face.

This desperate measure for a change can't be totally disdained, however, what is the need for a revolution without a resolution to be better than the previous administration?

This is a disturbing attribute of Africans that must be addressed judiciously; a change in leadership shouldn't come with a pain to pay as the price.

Just like disgruntled Nigerians cried out for a change in power, Zimbabweans also took to the street to celebrate the exit of the world's oldest leader.

In 2015, Nigerians had what they wanted but over the years got below what they bargained for.

In November 2017, Zimbabwe experienced a peaceful and bloodless power transition; it was the talk of the world.

After the transition, Zimbabweans took to the street to celebrate the revolution; it was a great celebration and a beautiful sight.

Also, they cheered Emmerson Mnangagwa as their desired head of state.

Who is Mugabe?

The world's oldest head of State rose to political power in 1980 by leading a guerrilla war against the colonial masters of his country.

He trained as a teacher and spent 11 years as a political prisoner under Ian Smith's Rhodesian government.

Mugabe led the Zanu movement and was one of the key negotiators in the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement which led to the creation of a fully democratic Zimbabwe.

Robert Mugabe born in 1924, joined the pro-independence National Democratic Party (NDP) in 1960, becoming its publicity secretary.

In 1961, the NDP was banned and reformed as the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu).

Two years later, Mugabe left Zapu for the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu, later Zanu-PF), his political home before he was ousted.

In 1982, Mugabe sent his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade to the Zapu stronghold of Matabeleland to smash dissent.

Over five years, 20 000 Ndebele civilians were killed as part of a campaign of alleged political genocide.

In 1987, Mugabe changed methods, inviting Zapu to be merged with the ruling Zanu-PF and creating a de facto one-party authoritarian state with himself as the ruling president.

In the early years of his rule, Mugabe was a hero, building schools and hospitals and was indeed a great leader.

Unfortunately, he became infamous towards the end of his rule; he overstayed his welcome and had to leave the ruling seat through the back door. Mugabe moved from hero to zero!

The man called Mnangagwa

Emmerson Mnangagwa  born in 1942  is a revolutionary and political leader of Zimbabwe, he became the head of state in 2017.

He was the vice president under the administration of Mugabe before he is fired but came back into power as the ruling president in a coup d'etat.

In 1965, he led a group called "crocodile gang", attacked white-owned farms in the Eastern highlands.

In the same year, he bombed a train and was jailed for 10 years. In 1980, he was assigned to be Mugabe's bodyguard and accompanied him to Lancaster House Agreement, which led to the independence of Zimbabwe.

After independence, he held various Cabinet positions under Mugabe-led administration. He was Zimbabwe's first minister of state security and supervised the Central Intelligence Organisation.

Mnangagwa was considered the country's spymaster. Despite his denial, he is accused by foreign governments, opposition party and human rights group of being the brain behind 1980s civil conflict in which thousands of civilians were killed.

Served as the minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs from 1989 to 2000. From 2000 to 2005, he was the Speaker of Parliament.

However, he was relieved of his duties and demoted to minister of Rural Housing for openly declaring to succeed Mugabe.

Mnangagwa later paid his allegiance to his master during 2008 general election, he ran Mugabe's campaign and played out the political violence against the opposition party; MDC.

After his display of loyalty, Mnangagwa was appointed as the minister of Defence from 2009 to 2013 and became minister of Justice again.

In 2014, he became the vice president. As the vice president, he focused on reviving the country's agricultural sector and expanding its global trade connections.

He negotiated trade deal with Russia, China and South Africa. In 2015, he led trade delegates to Europe to try and re-open trade ties that had been severed since 2001.

Post Mugabe era

On his return to Zimbabwe, masses gathered to welcome him home, Mnangagwa said to the thousands: "Today, we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding democracy". He assured the people of a peaceful and a more democratic reign, so, he was seen as the hero.

During his campaign for the 2018 general election, he promised to be a business friendly leader and to return the country back to economic prosperity.

Unfortunately, his promises have not been met; the economic catastrophe facing Zimbabwe began to actualise as there are shortages of food, cash and fuel prices skyrocketed.

It is not yet Uhuru, as Mnangagwa has shown inability to jettison the State centrist predilections of his predecessor.

Mnangagwa's administration is battling with economic destructions wrought through the hands of Mugabe. The once productive country is ravaged by lavish spending, huge debt, corruption.

Just like the era of Mugabe, the current administration resulted into printing it's own faux money that has led to hyperinflation and monetary base collapse in the country.

The official year-on-year inflation rate rose from 2.97 percent in November 2017 to 3.56 percent in January 2018 and by November 2018 it reached 31 percent; the highest since the inception of multi-currency regime.

On this backdrop, there was shortages of food, cash and major shops that sells food stuff were shut.

The situation that broke the camel's back was the announcement made by the president in January 2019.

He announced a 150 percent rise in the fuel prices, according to him, the price rise was aimed at tackling shortages caused by an increased in fuel use and rampant illegal trading.

Is that a strategic way of reducing illegal trading?

No consideration about the welfare of the masses, they should come first irrespective of the measures the government seek to employ.

According to Global Petrol Prices, Zimbabwe now has the most expensive fuel in the world. Zimbabweans could not afford to go to work again because of the sharp increase, commodities became more costly while salary remains the same; this led to a nationwide protest.

The police and military retaliated to the protest with a crackdown that resulted in thousands of arrests and more than ten people were killed.

In response to the crackdown when interviewed by France24, Mnangagwa showed no remorse, saying, the protest and claims of death was staged and plan against his administration. He further said that the "claims" of misconduct by the security forces would be investigated.

Has the man once seen as "our hero" now become a terror to the Zimbabweans? One of the bereaved admitted: "I am angry about our government, it is a ruthless government. It is a careless government, they don't care about humanity."

The crackdown widely displayed that the Mnangagwa administration has slipped into the era of brutal treatment of civilians. Indeed, once a military man, always a military.

Concluding, indeed desperate situations might warrant desperate measures, however, it is time Africans stopped seeking for any alternative in the bid to get rid of the present leadership.

A revolution should usher in a more democratic and just system, not another round of autocratic rule.

Zimbabweans have chosen this path already, one can only hope it is not from fry pan to fire and that it is not a journey under Mugabe II, which can be more toxic if you ask me.

Omolola Lipede (The Talking Pen) is a contributor to The African Progressive Economist and the opinions expressed here are her own. She is currently an Economics post graduate student at the University of Ibadan.

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The continued clampdown and arbitrary arrest of civic leaders and opposition Members of Parliament in the aftermath of the January 14 to 16 stay-away called by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to protest escalating prices will strengthen the resolve of the intended targets and their supporters, analysts contend.

Police have targeted at least a dozen MDC MPs, political activities and leaders of labour unions accused of inciting the anti-government protests which turned violent in some areas.

They are accused of attempting to overthrow the government through unconstitutional means.

MP for Harare East Constituency, Tendai Biti recently told Parliament that since August 12 last year, 12 MPs from his party have been arrested on various charges.

The ZCTU alleges that State security agents have been pouncing on perceived opponents at the instigation of President Emmerson Mnangagwa after he was quoted at a Zanu-PF rally saying; "we will sort them out".

"Such words are unacceptable coming from the Head of State who is supposed to be a unifier," said the labour body.

"The ZCTU is worried that this New Dispensation' has become more dangerous than the notorious racist Rhodesian regime of Ian Smith. It has become too paranoid that it is even afraid of its own shadows," the union said in a statement.

ZCTU said the State action is contrary to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression.

"The ZCTU demands an environment conducive for freedom of expression and where every Zimbabwean can discharge his or her duties without fear of being arrested. We also demand that the government addresses issues that led to the 14 January 2019 stay away."

Analyst Rashweat Mukundu believes that there is a pattern of wanting to instil fear and cower the opposition, civic and labour leaders by not only charging them with ridiculous allegations but also sentencing protesters to ridiculous years in prison.

"This is a collusion of the party, government, judiciary and the security services which demonstrate that our judiciary is not independent but acts on instructions from Zanu-PF."

Social analyst Lenox Mhlanga believes such a strategy is self-defeating and akin to shooting oneself in the foot.

"Such scare tactics will only serve to strengthen the resolve of the intended targets and their supporters. It will generate empathy for the victims and disdain for the perpetrators," said Mhlanga.

Political analyst Vivid Gwede said intimidation will not work because it is short-lived and people will find their voices again.

"But it is worrying though that people appear to be targeted based on their very legal activities such as civic leaders. The Constitution of Zimbabwe does not criminalise that, but encourages civic participation. In fact, it does not criminalise having different views to the government of the day because that is a democratic right," said Gwede.

ZIPP president Blessing Kasiyamhuru said government must focus on fixing the problem not the symptoms.

He said: "As long as real issues are not addressed, it won't prevent others from rising again, you can actually harden them worse."

Human rights lawyer Dewa Mavhunga said the State crackdown on civil society and opposition leaders reflect a massive erosion of the rule of law and persecution through prosecution.

"Even if the courts eventually go through the trumped up charges, these leaders would have already suffered injustice of being arbitrarily arrested, detained, and taken through sham and expensive court processes.

"The Zimbabwe government ought to know that respect for the rule is a key pillar essential to political stability and to creating a conducive environment for investment and economic revival," said Mavhunga.

He added that this mindless crackdown will not work, it is counterproductive and will undermine Zimbabwe's efforts at international reengagement.

Lawyer and politician Obert Gutu said Section 59 of the Constitution clearly and unequivocally provides that every person has the right to demonstrate and to present petitions, but these rights must be exercised peacefully.

"For as long as Zimbabweans demonstrate peacefully, I honestly don't foresee any situation whereby the State will, willy-nilly, persecute them and arrest them simply because they have peacefully demonstrated. That, of course, would be absolutely unreasonable and unconscionable.

"The trick is for demonstrators to play a smart game and to abide by the dictates of the supreme law of the land. There is no country in the world that will tolerate violent demonstrations that will lead to destruction of property and loss of innocent lives."

He added that we have got to strike a balance here. "The rule of law dictates that all matters that are brought before the courts should be adjudicated upon expeditiously and impartially. It is not the responsibility of any one (no matter how powerful and/or aggrieved they might be), to dictate to the courts of law how matters that are brought before them should be handled."
Another big step has been taken to end the hydrocarbon era, if the decision by Norways sovereign wealth fund to dump oil stocks and investments is a sign on the wall. After the news broke, fossil free NGOs and others declared the Norwegian SWF Government Pension Fund (or Oil Fund) decision to divest as a major victory for the Green Movement. Norways official reaction is, however, that the pension fund has chosen to divest its oil and gas related stocks the coming years due to financial considerations.

No links have been made to environmental or climate change issues in the decision making process. Still, there are signals that oil companies are facing a steep uphill battle, if the Norwegian decision is translated into policy in the next couple of months. Norways Oil Fund, holding assets of around $1 trillion worldwide, is seen by institutional investors as a beacon. Still, the Norwegian decision needs to be assessed on its merits, and not on political statements or NGO assessments, forgetting the fact that the full financial structure of the fund has been, and partly is still, based on Norways enormous oil and gas revenues. At the same time, Norways decision-making process also seems to be influenced by national elections.

The decision by the Oil Fund was already in the offing since 2017, when Norway's Central Bank called for the divestment of oil stocks in order to reduce the Norwegian state's exposure to the volatile oil sector. The official statement that the decision has been made on purely financial arguments is however disputable. The oil and gas sector has been rather volatile the last couple of years, but overall, the returns on investments in international oil and gas companies and services have been in principle very good. At the same time, most pension funds have been very active the last decades in oil and gas futures markets, where hefty profits were sometimes even the main basis for the yields on investments being presented to the respective shareholders, aka the contributors and pensioners. Related: Saudis Follow Up On Deeper Oil Output Cuts Promise

Norwegian officials also have been referring to the fact that there is a major threat to the sustainability of the global oil and gas sector. To hold this assessment of the global oil market as a real and possibly main factor to divest oil-related stocks and bonds is very strange. The profitability of the hydrocarbon sectors in the world is still not under pressure. Some even argue that due to current lack in investments in upstream, or divestments of assets by institutional investors, the remaining operators and service companies are looking at very profitable short- and mid-term future. With higher oil prices expected in the mid-term, the yields on investments are not at all under pressure. Most analysis even predict a possible supply gap in the next few years as demand is still set to increase to maybe 120-130 million bpd. Investments in high-tech service providers and E&Ps could still churn out fat profits.

Some aspects are maybe playing a much bigger role than currently is being addressed. The Norwegian fund has been showing low returns on investments. As reported several days ago, the fund released its results over 2018. In the report, the fund stated that it returned -6.1% in 2018, largely due to weak equity markets. This resulted in a loss of 485 billion kroner, bringing total assets to 8.25 trillion Norwegian kroner or $945 billion in total, in comparison to a return of 13.6% in 2017. Overall net returns for the five years ended Dec. 31 was 4.75% and 8.3% over the 10-year period. In 2018 the fund made a return of -9.5% on its equities (63% of the funds allocation), in comparison to 19.4% in 2017. A fixed-income allocation of 30.7% added 0.6% for the year vs. a 3.3% gain for 2017. Analysts indicated at that time that changes will be made soon inside of the fund.

The oil fund holds $37bn of shares in oil companies such as BP, Shell and France's Total. The first indications given by Norwegian officials are that the fund will not be divesting yet its stakes in these large oil majors which both explore for and refine oil, such as Shell, BP, Exxon and Total. The main focus of this divestment will be smaller independent oil firms. The fund holds around $8 billion in them. Even though NGOs and fossil free investors are hailing the decision by the fund as a major victory, it should not be forgotten that the Norwegian fund holds 67% of Equinor, Norways oil and gas giant, formerly known as Statoil. In stark contrast to this, the fund will be gradually phase out its investments in companies such as Chesapeake Energy and China's CNOOC. Related: The Next Major Flashpoint For U.S. Shale

The funds divestments also will take several years to be completed. The main reason for this slow divestment policy is a pure financial one. By slowly pushing the stocks on to the market, the fund hopes to be able not to destroy too much value or disrupt the market.

Still, one can bet on it that most oil and gas CFOs will be having a short and tiring weekend. After the news emerged that the Oil Fund is considering to become the Green Fund, red lights will have gone on inside of the headquarters of Schlumberger, Halliburton, Aker and others. A continuing build-up of NGO and governmental pressure in the West is trying to end the oil and gas era. The Norwegian decision is not the first, as an ever-growing list of pension funds and institutional investors in the US, UK and EU, are openly ending their support for the fossil sector. This movement will put increased pressure on privately owned companies looking for financing of their future projects. This development is not only impacting the financing of future projects but is also putting increased pressure on the overall share value of these companies. At a time of immense demand for energy and petroleum products, these movements are not the right ones.

Some even could state that pension funds, set up to support future financial returns for their major shareholders, the pensioners, are shooting themselves in their own feet. The movement to divest in fossil fuel companies puts not only future energy supplies at risk, but also the financial situation of the funds themselves. Without going into an ideological discussion, pension funds should be taking a prudent and future proof investment strategy, in which the financial situation of their main stakeholders should not be risked. Following a global divestment hype of fossil shares and bonds, these very returns could be at risk. Not only by destroying shareholder value, as share prices will plunge, but also by disrupting affordable future energy supplies. Maybe it will be best, as a shareholder, to use your voting rights to entice or force companies to address future energy supplies and a sustainable economic future at the same time. By ruling out fossil fuels as a whole, these goals are not going to be met.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

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Filipina radio host, Jay Rose Kaibigang Jay Ho. (Photo by Chris Narag|PVI)





TAIPEI, Taiwan  A Filipino radio program has been hitting the airwaves in Taiwan since February 2016.

It is hosted by Jay Rose Ho or simply Kaibigang Jay, a daughter of a Filipina overseas worker who eventually became an immigrant in Taiwan.

Her program entitled Feel at Home Ka Dito is delivered in Filipino language and airs weekly through Taiwan Broadcasting Corporation.

It aims to answer questions of Filipinos living and working in the state.

(Ito ay) para sa mga foreign workers na nagtrabaho dito sa Taiwan, kasama na doon ang mga new immigrants. Mostly kaya ako nagsasalita ng Chinese kasi mayroon ding nakikinig ( gaya ng) aking employer or agency or broker (This is for foreign workers here in Taiwan including the new immigrants. I mostly speak Chinese because I also have local listeners like my employer, my agency or broker), Ho said.

The program has four segments. The first part talks about the latest local news and updates. This is when Kaibigan Jay also shares personal experiences and observations that can inspire her listeners.

The second part talks about Taiwan laws that immigrant should know.

Meanwhile, the third part is a much more specific discussion about the latest news involving Filipinos in the country.

Lastly, Kaibigang Jay offers Mandarin lessons on air.

Jay said her former job at Taiwans Ministry of Labor Help Hotline 1955 was helpful for her to be able to extract and explain the details of the countrys labor laws and for Filipinos to be informed on which measures to take should they encounter problems in their workplace.

Jays program has been instrumental in solving several problems of Filipino workers who have asked for help through her program.

Recently ang sabi niya [Filipino worker] nga sa akin pwede ba daw sila manganak dito sa Taiwan? Sabi ko, pwede naman, ang masama nga yung nabuntis ka tapos papaalisin ka papirmahin ka ng letter (Recently, a Filipino worker asked me if she can give birth here in Taiwan. I said yes. Whats worst is when you are pregnant and then suddenly you will be asked to leave and sign a letter), she explained.

Story continues

Mayroon kang rights. Kasama tayo sa Taiwan Labor Standard Law kaya you are allowed ( na ) mabuntis (o) manganak dito sa Taiwan (You have rights. We are covered under the Taiwan Labor Standard Law so you are allowed to conceive and give birth here in Taiwan), she added.

Jay invites other Filipinos in Taiwan to join her on board to share to the Taiwanese community the Filipino culture, the beautiful places in the Philippines and the Filipino values.

She hopes to be of help to more Filipinos in the future through her humble program.  Marje Pelayo (with details from Amiel Pascual)

The post Filipino radio program airs weekly in Taiwan appeared first on UNTV News.
Image by Google Maps

An Ethiopian Airlines jet has crashed shortly after it took off from Addis Ababa, killing all on board.

The airline company said 149 passengers and eight crew members were on board Boeing 737 Max-8, flight ET302 enroute to Nairobi in Kenya.

It added that 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, eight Americans and seven British nationals were among the passengers.

The crash took place at 8:44 a.m. local time, six minutes after the months-old jet took off.

The Philippines expressed its condolences to Ethiopia following the crash.

The Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the loved ones of those who perished in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 are in our thoughts and prayers.

The statement also said that the department has directed the Philippine embassies in Cairo and Nairobi to coordinate with concerned authorities in Addis Ababa and Nairobi to determine if there are Filipinos among the 33 foreign nationalities on board the ill-fated aircraft.  Maris Federez

The post Phl sends sympathies to Ethiopia following Ethiopian Airline crash appeared first on UNTV News.
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By Ivan Senabulya

The Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi known to many as Bobi Wine has been asked to be cautious of the people who will join his presidential camp.

This comes after he announced to stand for presidency in 2021 against incumbent president Yoweri Museveni who was recently endorsed by is party as the sole candidate for the general election.

Siraje Nsanja a lecturer of political science at Kampala University tells KFM that a number of opportunist politicians are likely to join Bobi Wine for their own interests while others will do it out of fear.

Many people have however questioned the potential of Bobi Wine to rule Uganda.

The former presidential candidate Dr Kiiza Besigya has spoken out about Bobis intention saying he has the potential.

Besigye said given the fact that Bobi is young and focused on active political struggle, how he proceeds along the political career largely depends on what he does.

He quickly added that it is still too early to predict what kind of trajectory he will have.
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Undervalued Thor Industries Hammers Out Heavenly Quarter

No Love For Thor Industries Robust Performance Thor Industries (NYSE: THO) has been one of our favorite post-pandemic stories and a market we think is gearing up for another run higher. The company has been working hard on organic and acquisitional growth that are both supported by strong secular trends within the industry.

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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
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A tourist bus veered off course and overturned in the southern Vietnamese city of Phan Thiet, killing its Vietnamese driver and injuring seven South Korean passengers, according to Seoul's foreign ministry and reports Sunday.







The 30-passenger bus suddenly lost balance and fell some 6 meters down a hill at around 1:13 p.m. on Saturday. Two suffered broken or dislocated bones, while five others suffered lacerations and bruises.







"Immediately after being informed of the accident, we sent a consul and other staffers to the scene to check the situation and offer support in terms of communication with the medical staff there," the foreign ministry here said in a statement.







"We plan to offer necessary consular assistance until their safe return home," it added.







Reports said the Vietnamese driver, who also served as a tour guide, was transported to a hospital but died. (Yonhap)


North Korean leader Kim Jong-un casts a ballot during the election at a polling station in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 10. Yonhap



North Korea held parliamentary elections Sunday, a key political event likely to cement national unity and leader Kim Jong-un's grip on power amid uncertainty over tough nuclear negotiations with the United States.

The communist state will elect new deputies for the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, its rubber-stamp legislature, in the polls held every five years. They will replace those picked in the first parliamentary elections under the current leader in March 2014.

North Korean voters, aged 17 or order, were scheduled to cast their ballots between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Kim also participated at a polling station at Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang after arriving there at 11 a.m., the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The leader voted for Hong So-hon, the president of the university who is a parliamentary candidate.

"He gave a pep talk to (Hong), asking him to work well so that the university could fulfill its responsibility and obligation as the eldest son most trusted by the Party to make a breakthrough in improving science and education, invigorating (the) economy and bettering the standard of the people's living," the KCNA said.

As of 3 p.m., 92.35 percent of all registered voters had cast their ballots.

The candidates include workers, farmers, intellectuals and soldiers that are striving to uphold leader Kim's ideology and leadership, and backing his push for national development, according to the state media. There is only a single candidate registered for each constituency.

Observers said that Pyongyang might use the political event to further reinforce national cohesion and have its people coalesce behind its ruler, particularly after last month's breakup of the Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The second Trump-Kim summit on Feb. 27-28 ended without a deal as they played hardball over the scope of Washington's sanctions relief and Pyongyang's denuclearization. But both sides appear willing to keep their dialogue alive.

The Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, carried an editorial that stressed the election will manifest people's "fixed will to firmly trust and uphold" leader Kim.

"Every ballot cast for the candidates for deputies reflects the loyalty to firmly defend the unique idea of the great leaders on building people's power and their exploits," the editorial said.

"Each approval ballot is an expression of the fixed will to further cement the people's power and dynamically step up the building of a powerful socialist country," it added.

The voting is largely considered a formality. The official voter turnout was tallied at 99.97 percent for the last election, with 100 percent voting for the approved candidates.

The results of the 2014 elections were announced two days after the voting day. (Yonhap)
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Last month, Charlie Munger, VC at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and a long-term business partner of Warren Buffett, warned that the latest proposal by the Democrats to tax the wealthiest Americans was ignorant and bound to backfire.

He might just have been right

The Times newspaper has published several reports detailing how nearly a third of Britains billionaires have already or are relocating to various tax havens over the past decade, with some even breaking UK law by bankrolling political parties. The Times revealed that 28 out of 93 British billionaires have either already relocated to tax havens or are in the process of doing so.

The incentive to shift base is real: although those living offshore are still required to obey local tax laws, they avoid paying Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) 38.1 percent on dividends and another 20 percent on sale of shares.

The report comes just days after a public outcry after the UK government delayed a vote on a proposed legislation intended to end secret company ownership in offshore territories especially by the ultra-rich.

Hiding from the taxman

Looking to join those who have fled from the British taxman is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britains richest man. Sir Ratcliffe plans on moving to Monaco, the most popular destination for British billionaires. Ten British billionaires and another 408 UK business owners have already relocated to the principality.

Other than Monaco, other popular tax havens include Switzerland, Channel Island and the Isle of Man. All in all, there are 6,800 British citizens who have set up 12,000 UK firms in low-tax jurisdictions.

HMRC estimates that the UK misses out on roughly 1billion from citizens who have relocated to Monaco--not counting other jurisdictions. Sir Ratcliffes chemicals firm is valued at around 35 billion ($46 billion), and a move to Monaco would mean that the Treasury loses another 4 billion every year.

We must stop tax evasion so that the wealthiest pay their fair share," said leading opposition Labour Partys lawmaker, Margaret Hodge, following The Times expose. Related: Fans Panic After Tesla Removes Its Secret Weapon From Website

The latest wave of exodus has been spurred by a hike in income taxes with top earners now required to hand over 45 percent of their incomes to Treasury after the rate was lowered from the previous 50 percent clip in 2013.

Yet, the theory that taxing the rich more triggers migration to more obliging jurisdictions might not be as straightforward as you might imagine.

Do the rich go on strike when taxed more?

Ayn Rands classic, Atlas Shrugged, tells a story of how the rich go on strike by withdrawing their services and running away from society in protest against taxes and regulation. The book inspires political rhetoric that taxing the rich will inevitably lead to migrations. In the United States where states set their own tax policies, periodic warnings are issued that taxing the rich will lead to migration to more accommodating states.

But does the books metaphor and common rhetoric stand up to statistical scrutiny?

At 2.4 percent, interstate migration among Americas elites is actually the lowest of all demographics based on income with 4.5 percent of the poorest residents migrating across states every year. In other words, the rich tend to stay put more than everybody else.

According to Cristobal Young, author of The Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight: How Place Still Matters for the Rich, when millionaires do move, they do favor lower-tax states but only marginally so with only 15 percent of millionaire migrations leading to a net tax advantage while the other 85 percent having zero net tax impact.

Another interesting find: all tax-motivated migrations by Americas rich are to just one stateFloridaa low-tax state that comes with other major perks including plenty of sun, sand and palm trees.

The same ratios hold true across the globe: According to Forbes, about 84 percent of billionaires still live in their countries of birth and only 5 percent of billionaires relocate to other countries once successful. The transnational capitalist class that is so prevalent in the UK is, therefore, more of a UK thing than a global phenomenon.

By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com

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Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway.
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Daylight Saving Time wasn't invented to help farmers, and it doesn't help save energy. But it did help a New Zealander hunt bugs back in 1895.

Intro 1. A guy invented it to look for bugs 2. People always get the name wrong 3. Not helpful for farmers 4. Doesn't really save energy 5. Easy to live without it 6. Doesn't benefit moderate locations 7. Throws off your sleep 8. Increase in accidents 9. Focus up 10. Cyberloafing 11. Bad for your health 12. Time zone headaches 13. Bad for some businesses 14. DST is basically standard time 15. Keep it simple, stupid
On June 4, 2004, Marvin Heemeyer--a businessman and an Air Force veteran--started up his Komatsu D355A tractor. Prior to the date, Heemeyer spent countless hours building a virtually impenetrable concrete-and-steel shell around the top of the tractor. After firing up the mammoth machine, Heemeyer crashed and smashed his way through the town of Granby, Colorado. He destroyed numerous vehicles and buildings, including the Granby town hall, and fired a 50 caliber rifle at both the police and some very large propane tanks.

Many years after the fateful events in Granby have faded from the public conscious, Paul Solet (Grace) revisits the killdozer incident in a fantastic documentary called Tread. Based on a non-fiction book by Patrick Brower, Tread is a substantive, visually rich doc with the dynamics of a narrative thriller.

The film is built around an audio-taped confession that Heemeyer made before he went off the rails. Using this foundation, Solet assembles original interviews, news footage, meticulous reenactments, and drone footage into a fluid whole. The buildup is slow, steady and detailed.

Viewers' expectations about Heemeyer's motivations for the rampage are constantly upended by shifting perspectives. Although the story's ultimate conclusion is not a mystery, the climax is intense and powerful as the reenactments of Heemeyer's rampage, including scenes using a reconstructed version of the Komatsu tractor, are tightly interwoven with news footage, and interviews with the people who witnessed the events first hand. The effect is to make viewers feel as if they are part of the mayhem.

It's the reality of the current market place that most people who see documentaries catch them on video-on-demand or cable television. However, Tread is a documentary that really needs to be seen on a big screen for full impact.


Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Jorge Rodriguez blamed US cyberattack for Venezuelas blackout.

Last week, Venezuela had suffered a major blackout and Nicolas Maduro immediately blamed on opposition sabotage of a hydroelectric dam.

The power outage hit 22 of 23 states of the country and also the capital Caracas went in the dark.



Source Giornale di Sicilia

On Saturday, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Jorge Rodriguez declared that the blackout has been caused by a cyberattack against the Guri hydroelectric power plant. The plant provides over 70 percent of the nations electricity.

They [the US] carried out a cyberattack on [Guris] automatic control system. Everything shows that it is a multiformat and violent attack against all of Venezuela, Rodriguez told the countrys state television.

Rodrigues claimed the power outage could have been caused by a cyber attack carried out by the US, he will show the proof in the next days during a visit of a delegation headed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

We will submit a complaint to her in order for the world to respect human rights in Venezuela

The US State Secretary Mike Pompeo denied via Tweet that the US Government had a role in Venezuelas blackout, and blamed the Maduro regimes incompetence for the incident.

The power outage and the devastation hurting ordinary Venezuelans is not because of the USA. Its not because of Colombia. Its not Ecuador or Brazil, Europe or anywhere else. Power shortages and starvation are the result of the Maduro regimes incompetence.  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 8, 2019

Pierluigi Paganini

( SecurityAffairs  Venezuelas blackout, hacking)

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Ransomware threat makes the headlines again, this time an attack hit the computers of Jackson County, Georgia, paralyzing the government activity.

Computers of Jackson County, Georgia, were infected with ransomware that paralyzed the government activity until officials decided to pay a $400,000 ransom to decrypt the files.

The Jackson County government paid online criminals about $400,000 this week following a cyber attack that crippled the countys computer system. reported the Online Athens.

County officials are in the process of decrypting computers and servers a week after the first signs of an attack, said Jackson County Manager Kevin Poe on Friday.

The computers at all the departments at the Jackson County were infected with the malware, including emergency and email services, only 911 operations were not affected.

At this time all County email services are down. If you need to reach county offices please call them by phone. You can visit our find the phone numbers on this website by clicking on Government and then the listing for the department you need to talk to. reads the advisory published by the Jackson County.

The media reported that county offices were forced to use the paper during the attack with an important impact on the operations.

Officials at the County decided to pay the ransom to avoid a long-term interruption of the services. The decision suggests the IT staff at the County did not have backups, or that in some way backups were encrypted too because they werent properly managed.

They demanded ransom, said Jackson County Manager Kevin Poe. We had to make a determination on whether to pay. We could have literally been down months and months and spent as much or more money trying to get our system rebuilt.

All of our operations are still ongoing, but were basically having to do it the old fashioned way, Poe added. During this whole time we never lost our radios or phone service, so 911 was able to continue to operate . The emergency medical service was on a third party provider so it had minimal impact on EMS service.

The FBI immediately launched an investigation, the feds believe the attack was carried out by a threat actor from eastern Europe.

Poe added that malware that hit the County is the Ryuk ransomware.

The Ryuk ransomware appears connected to Hermes malware that was associated with the notorious Lazarus APT group.

The same ransomware was recently used in an attack that affected the newspaper distribution for large major newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.

Further investigation on the malware allowed the experts from security firms FireEye and CrowdStriketo discover that threat actors behind the

Ryuk ransomware are working with another cybercrime gang to gain access to target networks. They are collaborating with threat actors behind TrickBot, a malware that once infected a system creates a reverse shell back to the attackers allowing them to break into the network.

Experts at Crowdstrike believe the Ryuk ransomware is operated by a crime gang they tracked as GRIM SPIDER, in particular by its Russian based cell dubbed WIZARD SPIDER that is behind TrickBot.

Experts pointed out that Hermes was available for sale into the online underground community, attackers could have purchased it to create their own version of Ryuk.

At the time it is not clear how hackers infected the systems at the

Jackson County, experts believe the attackers used phishing messages as the attack vector.

Pierluigi Paganini
 Notable review of juvenile lifers in Tennessee | Main | Rounding up some of many thoughts about Paul Manafort's (first) federal sentence 

In the wake of Paul Manafort's sentencing, lots of folks are complaining about privileged white defendants getting a different kind of justice than others. But this federal sentencing story from Kansas, headlined "Wichita doctor who sold pain-med prescriptions for cash sentenced to life in prison," reveals that, in some cases, even some privileged white defendant will be subject to the most severe sentences possible. Here are the details:

A Wichita doctor who illegally distributed addictive prescription drugs has been sentenced to life in federal prison.

Judge J. Thomas Marten said it is quite clear that Dr. Steven R. Henson, 57, wrote multiple prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose and abused his position of trust as a licensed physician.

I have sentenced people to life before, Marten said in court Friday. They were people who took guns and shot people.

The investigation began after a pharmacist raised concerns that a doctor was over-prescribing controlled pain medications. One man died from an overdose after getting a prescription from the doctor.

I want this case to send a message to physicians and the health care community, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a statement. Unlawfully distributing opioids and other controlled substances is a federal crime that could end a medical career and send an offender to prison. We are dealing with an epidemic. Nationwide, more than 70,000 Americans died in 2017 from drug overdoses. That is more than all the American casualties during the war in Vietnam.

Nicholas Nick McGovern died in July 2015 after overdosing on a mix of alprazolam and methadone prescribed to him by Henson. It was the count relating to McGoverns death on which Henson was sentenced to life in prison....

Defense attorney Michael Thompson contended during sentencing that Henson wasnt writing the prescriptions to make easy money on the side because he didnt need to. He said that the doctor tried to do what he thought was best for his patients.

I only had one goal in life as a physician, Henson said, and that was to take excellent care of patients and to increase their functionality, adding that he tried to serve the under-served in the community and worldwide through mission trips.

But the judge cited Hensons own testimony during the trial that he raised his fee from $50 to $300 to help pay rent on his medical office.

Federal investigators discovered that Henson would give pain-med prescriptions to patients for $300 in cash at a time, with few questions asked. The investigation began in 2014 with a pharmacists concern that a doctor was over-prescribing controlled medications. Prosecutors said Henson falsified patient records during the federal investigation in addition to obstructing investigators....

Henson was found guilty in October of two counts of conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs outside the course of medical practice; 13 counts of unlawfully distributing oxycodone; unlawfully distributing oxycodone, methadone and alprazolam; unlawfully distributing methadone and alprazolam, the use of which resulted in the death of a victim; presenting false patient records to investigators; obstruction of justice; and six counts of money laundering....

Defense attorneys asked for a 20-year prison sentence, saying that Henson led a model life outside of this case. Maybe he wasnt the best physician, his attorney said. He made some very serious mistakes. He wrote these prescriptions not out of greed, malice or ill intent. He was trying to help his patients. That was his goal.

The judge said he had only met three or four people who he thought were filled with evil and beyond redemption.

In some respects, what Ive seen from you is worse, in that you dont seem to understand, Marten said. I really dont think that you get it. I think that in some respects you were numb to what you were doing over time. ... I just wonder if your practices have had any impact on you. It seems as if youre still thinking, Why am I here, what did I do wrong?
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih said on Sunday that China and the U.S. would lead healthy global demand for oil this year but that it would be too early to change OPEC+ output policy at the group's next meeting in April.

He said total global oil demand is set to grow by around 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd).

"If you look at Venezuela alone you would panic, if you look at the U.S. you would say the world is awash with oil. You have to look at the market as a whole. We think 2019 demand is actually quite healthy," Falih told Reuters.

In Venezuela, suffering from a political and economic crisis, oil exports have plunged by 40 percent to around 920,000 bpd since Washington slapped sanctions on its petroleum industry on Jan. 28.

On the other hand, production in U.S. hit a record of more than 12 million bpd in February.

The International Energy Agency in a report last month left its demand growth forecast for 2019 unchanged from January at 1.4 million barrels per day.

Falih said Chinese demand was breaking records month after month and estimated the country would breach 11 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019.

For Saudi Arabia, he said oil output in April was expected to remain at this month's level of 9.8 million bpd.

"Aramco is finalising their April allocations today or tomorrow so we will know more on Monday. But my expectation is that April is going to be pretty much like March".

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies such as Russia -- known as the OPEC+ alliance -- will meet in Vienna on April 17-18 and another gathering is scheduled for June 25-26.

Falih said the group was unlikely to change its output policy in April and if required will make adjustments in June.

"We will see what happens by April if there is any unforeseen disruption somewhere else but barring this I think we will just be kicking the can forward," Falih said.

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"We will see where the market is by June and adjust appropriately," Falih said.

On Jan. 1, OPEC+ began new production cuts to avoid a supply glut that threatened to soften prices. The group agreed to reduce supply by 1.2 million barrels per day for six months.

Sources recently said the OPEC+ production policy is expected to be agreed on in June with an extension of the current pact the likely scenario so far, but much depends on the extent of U.S. sanctions on both OPEC members Iran and Venezuela.

OPEC's share is 800,000 bpd, to be delivered by 11 members -- all except Iran, Libya and Venezuela, which are exempt from cuts. The baseline for the reduction was in most cases their output in October 2018.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Donald Trump's national security advisor said Sunday that the US president would be "pretty disappointed" if North Korea conducted a new missile test, but he refused to confirm reports that such a test may be near. John Bolton appeared notably cautious when asked on ABC's "This Week" about a report that satellite imagery appears to show preparations at a North Korean site for the possible launch of a missile or space rocket. "I would rather not get into the specifics on that," he said. "I'm not going to speculate on what that particular commercial satellite picture shows." On Friday, the website of NPR posted a satellite image that the public broadcaster said showed intense activity around the North's Sanumdong site, where missiles and satellite-launching rockets have previously been assembled. NPR quoted an expert on the North's weapons programs, Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, as saying, "When you put all that together, that's really what it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket." Trump, who once warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury" if it threatened the US, has been trying to negotiate the North's denuclearization with its leader Kim Jong Un, but their recent Hanoi summit ended in failure. Since then, Trump has been cautious in his prognostications, continuing to suggest a deal remains possible. He said Kim promised in Hanoi that he would do no more missile or nuclear testing, adding, "I take him at his word." Bolton declined to say whether the US was aware at the time of the Hanoi summit of any suspect satellite imagery from North Korea. But he sent a strong signal to the North that it cannot escape US scrutiny. "We see exactly what they are doing," he said. "We see it unblinkingly, and we don't have any illusions about what those are." Bolton said he was "not aware of any" contact with the North since the Hanoi summit but was expecting an update Monday from his South Korean counterpart. He said time remains on Washington's side, adding that the president "is not under pressure to make any deal. He wants to make the right deal." With North Korea still under economic sanctions, "the leverage is on our side right now, and not on North Korea's."
PO1 Ferdinand Cruz Rafael was arrested for his alleged involvement in the use and sale of shabu.

MANILA, Philippines  While the Philippine National Police is busy with the internal cleansing of their ranks, another policeman was arrested by the personnel of National Capital Region Police Office or NCRPO in Sampaloc, Manila Thursday night.

The arrested cop, identified as PO1 Ferdinand Cruz Rafael, 52 years old, and assigned at the district Admin holding unit of the Manila Police district, was reportedly involved in use and sale of shabu.

A concerned citizen reported Rafaels alleged illegal activity.

The NCRPOs Regional Special Operations Unit and Regional Drug Enforcement Unit immediately carried out a buy-bust operation together with the staff of MPD.

The group was even able to capture a video of the alleged rogue cop using shabu.

This led to the arrest of PO1 Rafael who was found in possession of suspected shabu worth P102,000. Authorities also recovered the 1,000 buy-bust money and drug paraphernalia.

Rafael, however, refused to comment on the allegations against him.

Meanwhile, NCRPO Police Director Guillermo Eleazar said, authorities are yet to verify Rafaels status in the MPD .

He has a prior record of going absent without leave in his first assignment at PNP.

When the arrested cop was interrogated, he could not even identify who his immediate superior is.

Eleazar scolded him, saying, Ano kang klaseng pulis ka? Ni hindi mo alam ang pangalan ng district director mo. Hindi mo alam ang first name nung iyong immediate supervisor, (What kind of policeman are you? You dont even know the name of your district director. You do not know the first name of your immediate supervisor).

The NCRPO chief warned his fellow policemen that PNP will not stop the internal cleansing of its ranks and will continue to go after dishonest law enforcers.

Eleazar stressed, Sa ating mga kasamahan na kapulisan , eh alam naman natin itong ginagawa nating war on drugs eh para sa kabutihan ng lahat . Pero kinakailangan na tayo mismong myembro ng PNP ang manguna sa pagpapatupad nito at hindi pupwede na meron tayong kasamahan na kagaya nito na involved sa droga (For us law enforcers, we know that our war on drugs is for the welfare of everyone. But it is necessary that we members of PNP ourselves should be leading this and it is not acceptable that we have people in our ranks like this who are involved in drugs).

PO1 Rafael will be facing charges for possession and selling of shabu.  Freema Salonga-Gloria (with reports from Asher Cadapan Jr.)

The post Cop nabbed for illegal drugs appeared first on UNTV News.
The last place you would spot the chief executive officer of one of Singapores popular technology companies would be on the sales floor but that was exactly where Creative Technologies CEO Sim Wong Hoo was at.

An eagle-eyed HardwareZone forum user spotted the CEO himself helping out customers at the IT Show, which is held at Suntec Convention Centre from 7 to 10 March.

The photo was uploaded to the forum on Sunday morning and attracted more than 200 replies by forum users who mainly had praise for the CEO for spending his time to be on the ground with customers.

Mad respect to the CEO for going down and literally talking to customers and selling them like a sales staff, said user shooterskull who posted the original photo.

He is a self-made multi-millionaire, and true blue sinkie (slang for Singaporean). Sure respect, even if his business sense isnt there (sic), said user Perisher.

(Photo: HardwareZone forum screengrab)

The CEO was spotted helping customers with new Creative products such as the Super X-Fi Amp, a headphone amp for Android users that customizes how sound travels just by analyzing three pictures of your face and ears through an app.

The amp then augments audio to provide what Creative calls holographic audio.

Under the Super X-Fi series is also the Air C headphones which have the holographic audio technology built into the headphones themselves.

Sims career is much to be admired, after he founded Creative as a computer repair shop in the 80s in Chinatown.

He has since won many accolades, including Singapores Businessman of the Year and Person of the Year in honor of his contributions to the local IT industry.

He didnt have to, but much respect to Sim Wong Hoo for making the trip down to the sales floor to help customers personally.

This article, Creative CEO Sim Wong Hoo spotted helping customers at IT fair, lauded by netizens, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
Quinton de Kock ended a streak of near misses with a scintillating century, setting up a series-clinching win for South Africa in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead on Sunday. De Kock hit 121 in a South African total of 331 for five, highlighting what captain Faf du Plessis described as a "brilliant" team batting effort. Sri Lanka, chasing a revised target of 193 in 24 overs after a lengthy rain delay, made 121 for five. South Africa's 71-run win, according to the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern formula, gave them a winning 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Sri Lanka were 75 for two after 16 overs at the rain break and faced a near-impossible task of scoring another 118 off 48 balls when play resumed, especially with Kusal Perera out of action with a leg injury. Perera, star of Sri Lanka's upset win in the first Test at the same venue last month, left the field in the seventh over of the match after hurting his left leg while fielding. "Rain-affected games are not nice but the way we bowled up front, getting wickets, it was going to be tough for them in a full game," said Du Plessis. Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga said poor bowling and fielding had enabled South Africa to score 40 or 50 more runs than they should have. "We had a good start (with the bat) but after the rain it was very hard." The left-handed De Kock had made scores between 80 and 94 in his five previous matches for South Africa, including two Test matches, and his reaction on reaching his 14th one-day international century, off 89 balls, revealed more relief than ecstasy. "To finally convert was pleasing," he said after being named man of the match. As in the first two one-day internationals, De Kock made batting look easy as he hit 16 fours and two sixes before being dismissed in the 31st over. He and the in-form captain Du Plessis put on 97 off 66 balls with Du Plessis making 36 off 27 balls. The rest of the South African batsmen all made contributions to what Du Plessis said was an ideal one-day innings - "solid in the middle and setting it up for the guys at the back end". South Africa scored 99 runs in the last ten overs. Sri Lanka gave a first one-day international cap to their ambidextrous former Under-19 captain, Kamindu Mendis. Bowling slow left-arm around the wicket to right-handers and right-arm around the wicket to left-handed batsmen, he was Sri Lanka's most economical bowler. Mendis, 20, maintained impressive control and took one for 45 in an unbroken ten-over spell. "He is a very good player for the future," said Malinga. South African opening bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi both struck early in the Sri Lanka innings before a promising stand between Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis was interrupted by the rain. Mendis hit two sixes in an over off left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi but perished trying another big hit against leg-spinner Imran Tahir as Sri Lanka went down in a flurry of strokes and wickets.
Nkana stretched their unbeaten home record to 60 matches in African competitions when they trounced fellow Zambians Zesco United 3-0 on Sunday to lead a CAF Confederation Cup group. The club based in central city Kitwe have won 43 matches and drawn 17 in Zambia since making their CAF debut 36 years ago with a 2-2 home draw against Mbabane Highlanders of Swaziland (now eSwatini). Al Ahly of Egypt, the most successful club in CAF competitions with 19 titles, have a long way to go to match Nkana as they are unbeaten at home in 19 African matches since 2016. Nkana went ahead on 64 minutes through Kelvin Kampamba and late goals from Ronald Kampamba and Shadrick Musonda sealed a victory that propelled them to the top of Group C. They have nine points, Al Hilal of Sudan seven and Asante Kotoko of Ghana six, while Zesco with four can no longer finish among the top two and qualify for the quarter-finals. Zesco, with a strong multi-national squad and an impressive CAF pedigree, were seeded to win the group but after beating Nkana at home collected only one point from a possible 12. Former African champions Kotoko host Hilal in Kumasi later on Sunday and a win for either club would take them above Nkana with one round remaining. Meanwhile, Petro Atletico of Angola moved from the bottom to the top of Group D thanks to a 2-0 home victory against previous pacesetters NA Hussein Dey of Algeria. Ricardo 'Job' Estevao netted after 16 minutes and Brazilian Tiago Azulao doubled the lead six minutes before half-time in Luanda by converting a penalty. It was the fifth goal for Sao Paulo-born Azulao in the second-tier African competition this season -- one less than chart-topper Godwin Aguda from Nigerian outfit Enugu Rangers. Petro and Hussein Dey have seven points each with the better head-to-head record of the Angolans placing them first. Gor Mahia of Kenya have six points and nine-time CAF title winners Zamalek of Egypt five in the same section ahead of a clash in Alexandria later Sunday.
A Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa Sunday, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers and UN staff. Ethiopia declared a national day of mourning for Monday amid a global stream of condolences for loved ones, many of whom gathered in tears at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). "The House of Peoples Representatives have declared March 11, 2019, a national day of mourning for citizens of all countries that have passed in this tragic accident," Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said on Twitter. Identities of the victims from 35 countries started to emerge as foreign governments and the United Nations reacted with shock. "Deeply saddened by the news this morning of the plane crash in Ethiopia, claiming the lives of all on board," tweeted UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Among the dead were United Nations staff, including some who worked for the World Food Programme, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration. The IOM said in a statement early indications were that 19 staff members of UN-affiliated organisations perished in the crash. Many were headed for an annual assembly of the UN Environment Programme, which opens in Nairobi Monday with some 4,700 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, senior UN officials and civil society representatives. - Wife, son, daughter dead - Slovak MP Anton Hrnko was among the bereaved. "It is with deep sorrow that I announce that my dear wife, Blanka, son Martin and daughter Michala, died in the air disaster in Addis Ababa this morning," he wrote on Facebook. Flight ET 302 ploughed into a field 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa on what the airline's CEO Tewolde GebreMariam labelled a "very sad and tragic day". An eyewitness told AFP the plane came down in flames. "The plane was already on fire when it crashed to the ground. The crash caused a big explosion," Tegegn Dechasa recounted at the site, littered with passenger belongings, human remains, and airplane parts around a massive crater at the point of impact. "The plane was in flames in its rear side shortly before the crash. The plane was swerving erratically before the crash." Local farmer Sisay Gemechu said he heard a loud noise as he was on his way to fetch water. "The plane seemed to be aiming to land at a nearby level open field, but crashed before reaching there," he said. The Boeing 737-800MAX was brand new, delivered to state-owned Ethiopian Airways on November 15, said the carrier, Africa's largest. The plane is the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. - 'Devastating' - Ethiopian Airlines said the plane had taken off at 8:38 am (0538 GMT) from Bole International Airport and "lost contact" six minutes later. It came down near Tulu Fara village outside the town of Bishoftu. The carrier, which changed its logo on Twitter to black and white from its trademark green, yellow, and red, said "there are no survivors". "We can only hope that she is not on that flight," Peter Kimani, who had come to fetch his sister at Nairobi's JKIA, told AFP after news of the disaster reached those waiting in the arrivals hall. Loved ones were later brought to the onsite Sheraton Hotel where they were debriefed and offered counselling. Journalists were not allowed in, but could hear sobbing from inside. Ethiopian Airlines said Kenya had the largest number of casualties with 32, followed by Canada with 18, Ethiopia nine, then Italy, China, and the United States with eight each. Britain and France each had seven people on board, Egypt six, and Germany five, according to the airline. France's government later gave a different figure of eight French victims. African Union commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat spoke of "utter shock and immense sadness", while Mahboub Maalim, executive secretary of the IGAD East African bloc, said the region and the world were in mourning. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and his British counterpart Theresa May both described the news as "devastating". Sympathy messages also came from the governments of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Britain, Germany, France and the United States. - Pilot had 'difficulties' - GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg earlier Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "despatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged. Asked if the pilot had made a distress call, the CEO said "the pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and he wants to return. He was given clearance" to turn around. Ethiopian and international investigators will probe the crash, said GebreMariam. For one family member in Nairobi there was a happy ending. Khalid Ali Abdulrahman was waiting for his son who works in Dubai and feared the worst when a security official told him the plane had crashed. "I was shocked, but shortly after, my son contacted me and told me he is still in Addis and did not board that flight." burs-mlr/boc
Black metal band Watains anti-Christian lyrics are so far out that the decision to ban their Singapore performance was a no-brainer, said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.

He said this on Saturday to local media on the sidelines of an appreciation lunch for a drug prevention event, in response to journalists asking for more information behind the band.

I saw (Watains) lyrics  its four-letter words on Jesus Christ, on Christianity, on religion, abusing the cross  everything that is so far out that I cant see how we could have agreed to (the concert), said Shanmugam to Channel NewsAsia.

Watain was scheduled to perform in Singapore last Thursday but their concert was banned by the Info-Communications Media and Development Authority (IMDA) just hours before the performance.

The ban came into effect after Shanmugams ministry conducted further security checks before advising IMDA to go ahead with canceling the show.

In conversations with Christian leaders, Shanmugam pointed out how the leaders would oftentimes draw comparisons to how tough the government would quash anti-Islam sentiment, such as banning the Salman Rushdie book The Satanic Verses in Singapore.

(The leaders) said what these people (Watain) are saying is far worse, it is a hundred times worse about Christianity  how come you would allow that? said Shanmugam to The Straits Times.

They said you treat the Muslim community differently than the Christian community.

Shanmugam acknowledged there was some truth to what the leaders said but said it was not fully true but it is an approach.

He also pointed out to Channel NewsAsia that not all bands would be banned because they spoke about Christianity.

On a separate matter, Shanmugam cautioned that a viral photo of mostly brown-skinned men flipping the middle finger with Watain was mistakenly representing the Malay-Muslim community, reported Mothership.

Story continues

The photo, Shanmugam claims, is being spread around the Christian community and alluded to the attendees not understanding the implications behind the concert.

In a multi-racial society, (the attendees) dont understand that the concert is anti-Christian, it criticises Jesus and Christianity and churches and they talk about burning churches and so on, said Shanmugam.

Two church heads also chimed in, voicing out their support for the Watain ban.

In a letter published on Saturday, Cornerstone Community Church senior pastor Rev Yang Tuck Yoong said that the bands move to publish the middle-finger photo on their Facebook page shows an outright defiance of the band and is a clear attestment that the ban was the right move.

We affirm the need to balance freedom of expression in various art forms in a respectful way that does not denigrate anothers faith or devalue social norms, said Rev Yang.

Singapores archbishop Rev William Goh questioned the value of art that does not inspire and renew the lives of people and instead allows people to mock disparate beliefs such as religious beliefs, in the name of freedom of expression.

It is in this context that we need to be vigilant in our discernment of what is truly art, and what is vile disguised as art, he said in a letter published on Saturday addressed to artists and art promoters.

This article, Singapore banned black metal band Watain because of their anti-Christian lyrics: home affairs minister, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
A Singaporean mother is on the lookout for her two sons after they went missing while with their grandmother in Bukit Panjang.

Gina Chua went to her Facebook page on the wee hours of Saturday morning to post about the disappearance, asking for anyone who has spotted her sons to contact her immediately.

I never thought I would have to do this one day, but my world collapsed when I heard the two boys are missing, she said.

Police have identified the boys as seven-year-old Nathaniel Wong Yu En and five-year-old Nadolphus Wong Yu Zu in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.

The boys were last seen at Block 171 Gangsa Road on Friday at about 11 pm.

They were with their grandmother, identified as 68-year-old Tan Lee Hwa.

According to the police, the grandmother and Nathaniel were both last seen wearing a white t-shirt with dark-colored pants, while Nadolphus was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt with dark-colored pants.

Gina added in her Facebook post that the elder son Nathaniels shirt had a skull head on it, while the grandmother who is plump and has short hair was carrying a blue shoulder bag.

According to Gina, the boys and the grandmother were last seen taking a cab but police were unable to identify the colour of the cab as it was too far away from closed-circuit television cameras.

Anyone with information should call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.

This article, Singaporean mother on the lookout for missing sons last seen in Bukit Panjang with grandma, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
A lady who was on her way to do a kind deed of feeding stray cats got a shock when a middle-aged lady confronted her publicly about her misdeed.

Humaira Abdul Rahman shared her story on the Sayang Our Singapores Community Cats (SOSCC) Facebook page on Thursday and has been receiving hundreds of supportive comments over the weekend from netizens who egged her on to continue doing the right thing.

(Photo: Humaira Abdul Rahman / Facebook)

Humaira said that she had been feeding stray cats for the past two years and would not leave food overnight, always staying put to watch the kittens finish the food.

One particular day, she was chided by a middle-aged lady who accused her in full public view of attracting all kinds of pests and spreading diseases around by feeding them.

The lady said that the cats poop everywhere and that the environment is dirty because of her kind act to feed the cats.

The lady warned Humaira that she would report the matter to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority or the nearby town council management and told her not to come again to feed the pets.

(Photo: Humaira Abdul Rahman / Facebook)

Humaira noted that she had to clean up after messes left after some other stray cat feeders who left cat kibbles laying around on the floor.

I will still continue to feed them because I am aware myself that I didnt do anything wrong, she said.

Humaira was worried that she would not know how to swat off the middle-aged lady in future interactions but fortunately, commenters quickly jumped in with advice.

Jenny Ong pointed out that feeding a stray cat is not illegal but littering is, according to a mediation flyer by the Cat Welfare Society.

(Photo: Facebook screengrab)

Other commenters who jumped in told Humaira to ignore the middle-aged lady and continue on with her good deed.

(Photo: Facebook screengrab)

(Photo: Facebook screengrab)

Members of the public who would like to learn more about responsible cat-feeding in Singapore can visit the Cat Welfare Society website.

This article, Should stray cats be fed? Cat-feeder gets shamed by middle-aged lady but gets support from netizens, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
US-backed forces said Sunday time was up for Islamic State group jihadists hunkering down in their eastern Syrian holdout and resumed their assault on the pocket. The extremists once ruled over millions in a swathe of Syria and Iraq, but they have since lost all that land except for a riverside encampment in the village of Baghouz. The Syrian Democratic Forces has slowed down its months-long campaign against IS in recent weeks to allow civilians and surrendering jihadists out from their shrinking enclave. But the Kurdish-led alliance, which is backed by air strikes of a US-led coalition, on Sunday said a deadline for surrenders had passed and the assault would resume. "We have not seen any movement of civilians inside so the Syrian Democratic Forces have resumed their military operations against the group," SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin said. The head of the SDF press office Mustefa Bali said air strikes had started up again on IS positions, and fighters on both sides were locked in violent clashes. "The timeline (we gave) ISIS to surrender themselves is over," he said earlier on Twitter, using another acronym for IS. "Our forces have received orders for military action to finish off what is left of the terrorists in Baghouz," a village near the Iraqi border, he said. - Exodus - Since December, nearly 59,000 people have left the last IS redoubt, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around a tenth of them suspected jihadist fighters. Thousands of dust-covered women, children, and men have trundled out of the village of Baghouz in the past weeks, but that exodus has slowed to a trickle in recent days. Suspected jihadists -- including several wounded -- have also been detained after making their way out in the crowd. On Saturday, "only about 100 people left, including three Chinese Uighurs and three Moroccan women", Bali told AFP earlier. No one came out of the redoubt on Friday, he said. It is unclear how many people remain inside the ragged camp on the edges of the Euphrates River. AFP journalists on Saturday saw figures wearing the long black clothes of women stroll inside what remains of their doomsday camp, and bearded men zip down dirt tracks on motorbikes. The SDF pushed into the encampment some 10 days ago, discovering spent ammunition lying between zig-zagging trenches, scorched pots and pans, and scraps of clothes left behind. At the height of its brutal rule, IS controlled a stretch of land in Syria and Iraq the size of the United Kingdom. The jihadists had their own courts, currency and school curriculum, and meted out bloody punishment to anyone who disobeyed their authoritarian rule. - Symbolic end? - The total capture of the Baghouz camp by the SDF would be a symbolic blow to IS, and mark the end of the cross-border "caliphate" it proclaimed in 2014. But beyond Baghouz, IS maintains a presence in Syria's vast Badia desert and has claimed a series of deadly attacks in SDF-held territory. The SDF launched their battle to expel IS from the east of the Euphrates in September. Throughout the battles, they have detained hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for IS, as well as members of their families. Their home countries have been weary of repatriating them, and Britain has stripped several of their citizenship. Two women of Pakistani heritage have become the latest targets, a newspaper reported Sunday, raising questions about the fate of their children. Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, left east London for Syria in 2013, and between them now have five boys under the age of eight, The Sunday Times newspaper said. US President Donald Trump in December stunned his allies when he declared his country would pull out all 2,000 American troops from Syria because IS had been defeated. The White House has however since said it would maintain a "peace-keeping" force of 200 soldiers in the north of the war-torn country. The standoff in Baghouz is the latest chapter in Syria's grinding civil war, which started eight years ago with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Since then, it has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions.
Saturday Night Live has been knocking it out of the park when it comes to ad parodies lately, and this weeks ad for the fictional, accursed fried chicken chain Bok Boks is no exception. If this were a real commercial, it wouldnt be in the running for a Clio, because it is basically just a laundry list of Bok Bok products: their world-famous chicken supreme snack, their world-famous chicken dinner, and their world-famous mascot Bok Bok, who looks almost exactly like Momo but is probably not trying to murder your children.

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The sketch plays to three of the shows greatest strengths. First, Beck Bennett has a bottomless love for the insincere enthusiasms of mass culture, and absolutely crushes the voiceover. You could learn at least as much about capitalism from his delivery of the phrase flavorful fixin! as you could by reading The Wealth of Nations., which, lets face it, youre not gonna do. Second, Kate McKinnon finally gets the opportunity to indulge her passion for grotesque makeup without killing the comedy by playing someone truly horrifying like Jeff Sessions. Most of all, though, Bok Bok Chicken represents a long-overdue return to form for producer Lorne Michaels. Although SNL has created some legendary sketch comedy over its decades-long run, the show has always been at its best when it focused on its core mission: twisting the innocent souls of Americas children to wind the Clock of Bones, in hope of summoning the Timekeeper and bringing the Hour of Man to an end at long last. Gather the children to Bok Boks!
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs packed talk at South by Southwest in Austin had a surprise appearance at the then when William Sanford Nye, popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, made a surprise appearance and asked the last question. When she saw him, Ocasio-Cortez seemingly couldnt contain her excitement and gave the television personality and climate activist her own standing ovation.

Im a white guy, he started. I think the problem on both sides is fear. People of my ancestry are afraid to pay for everything as immigrants come into this country. People who work at the diner in Alabama are afraid to try to ask for what is reasonable. So, do you have a plan to work with people in Congress that are afraid? I think thats whats going on with many of the conservatives, especially when it comes to climate change. People are just afraid of what will happen if we try to make these big changes.

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One of the keys to dismantling fear is dismantling a zero-sum mentality, Ocasio-Cortez answered. It means the rejection outright of the logic that says someone elses gain necessitates my loss and that my gain must necessitate someone elses loss  We can give without a take. She went on to address the complaints that her plan to address climate change costs too much: Were viewing progress as a cost instead of as an investment  When we choose to invest in our system, we are choosing to create wealth.

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The freshman lawmaker ended by saying that taking bold moves can become contagious. Courage begets courage, she said. The first person who stands up has to encounter the most amount of fear and discomfort, but once that one person stands up, it becomes immensely easier for the second person and the third.

Nye posted a selfie with Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter making clear he is a fan of the freshman lawmaker. AOC gets it. She sees that fear is dividing us. We can address income inequality. We can address climate change, if we get together and get to work. #SXSW @AOC, Nye wrote.

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An Ethiopian Airlines flight carrying 149 passengers and eight crew members crashed Sunday shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopias capital en route to Nairobi, Kenya. The airline has confirmed there are no survivors. The flight departed Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. and had lost contact with the control tower by 8:44 a.m., when it crashed some 30 miles south of the countrys capital.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines published a photo on social media showing its CEO standing on what appeared to be the wreckage although very little of the plane is actually visible. The group CEO, Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, who is at the accident scene now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors, the company wrote. He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident.

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It isnt clear what caused the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet to crash. The plane was new and had been delivered to the airline in November. Flight tracking website Flighradar24 said on Twitter that the plane had unstable vertical speed after takeoff.

Additional data from Flightradar24 ADS-B network show that vertical speed was unstable after take off.



Take off 05:38:18 UTC

Last position received by FR24 at 05:41:02 UTC



Please note that Addis Ababa airport is located at 7,625 feet AMSL. pic.twitter.com/Uyvfp1x9Xb  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 10, 2019

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Boeing said in a statement it was deeply saddened by the news and assured that a Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Boeing Statement on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302: https://t.co/0jyiFuGHIE pic.twitter.com/NfE5S4LSlz  Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) March 10, 2019

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The Boeing 737 is the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and one of the industrys most reliable, notes Reuters. But it marks the second time in less than a year that this version of the 737 family of planes was involved in a serious crash. On Oct. 29, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Lion Air crashed shortly after taking off from Indonesias capital of Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

The last time Ethiopian Airlines suffered a major crash was in January 2010, when 90 people died after one of its planes crashed shortly after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon.
Police in western Missouri got a call reporting a marijuana smell and they decided to investigate. The fact that the smell was apparently coming from the hospital room of a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer patient wasnt going to stop them. Video posted on Facebook shows officers from the Bolivar Police Department going through Nolan Sousleys things at Citizens Memorial Hospital.

Sousley told the Bolivar Herald-Free Press that it all apparently began when a hospital security guard entered his room and told him he smelled marijuana. He said I smelled marijuana coming from you room. I was like, its not me. I didnt have any marijuana, so leave me alone because Im trying to sleep, Sousley told a local Fox affiliate. Then officers arrived. Sousley told them that all he had were pills with THC but the officers insist someone said they could smell marijuana in the room. He said that was impossible because he never smoked marijuana and just took pills.

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The officers specified that if they found marijuana, Sousley would receive a citation. When Sousley reminded them that Missouri will soon legalize medical marijuana, the officers were unconvinced. Its still illegal, one replied. Although Missourians voted to legalize medical marijuana in November, the regulations are still not in place.

In the end, the officers only found CBD oil, which is legal. They didnt find any marijuana.

The video of the incident has since gone viral, racking up almost 700,000 views and forcing the department to shut down its Facebook page because it became inundated by negative feedback, Bolivar Police Chief Mark Webb said. The departments phone lines have also been receiving lots of calls from across the country to complain about the action.

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Amid all the uproar, Sousley later told the Bolivar Herald-Free Press that he didnt blame the police. In a statement he said he hoped something good could come from the controversy. It is my desire that this entire situation be used for goodpoliticians should stop trying to limit our right to use cannabis and its derivatives, Sousley said in the statement. There are many issues that are demanding the attention of politicians. This is not one of them.

The hospital later apologized. We pride ourselves in providing compassionate care to all patients and we fell short of expectations, Tamera Heitz-Peek, a spokeswoman for Citizens Memorial Hospital, said in a statement. We apologize to our patient and his family and friends who were affected by our actions. We are reviewing the incident and will retrain our employees in the core values and the importance of respect and dignity to our patients and the community.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew a huge crowd at South by Southwest as interest in the freshman lawmakers talk far surpassed any of the Democratic presidential candidates who took part in the annual festival. Ocasio-Cortez spoke in a huge ballroom that didnt even manage to accommodate everyone who wanted to get a glimpse of the star lawmaker.

During her talk, Ocasio-Cortez came out strongly against moderates, expressing disbelief that it is often talked about as a desirable quality in politicians. Moderate is not a stance. Its just an attitude towards life of, like, meh, she said as she shrugged her shoulders and the audience cheered. Weve become so cynical, that we view meh, or ehwe view cynicism as an intellectually superior attitude, and we view ambition as youthful naivete when we think about the greatest things we have ever accomplished as a society have been ambitious acts of visions, she said. Ocasio-Cortez went on: And the meh is like worshipped now for what? Like, for what? The audience cheered again.

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.@AOCs critique of moderates is spot on.



Moderates are more naive than the visionaries if they think tinkering around the edges will solve systemic problems in our democracy and economy.



Its time to rewrite the social contract, not manage decline.pic.twitter.com/3Xhd3R1WYK  Waleed Shahid (@_waleedshahid) March 9, 2019

In another part of the talk, Ocasio-Cortez was asked about machines replacing humans at work, and the lawmaker said the prospect should excite people, but bigger political forces make that impossible. We should not be haunted by the specter of being automated out of work, she said. We should not feel nervous about the toll booth collector not having to collect tolls anymore. We should be excited by that. But the reason were not excited by it is because we live in a society where, if you dont have a job, you are left to die.

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Stop trying to navigate systems of power, and start building your own power.@AOC on how young girls of color can get involved in politics at #SXSW #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/TxxVjFKXqO  TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) March 10, 2019

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During the Q&A session, two young women wearing Girl Scouts of America vests who introduced themselves as part of Radical Monarchs of Austin, an organization designed to help young girls of color gain opportunities, asked Ocasio-Cortez for her advice on breaking into politics. Stop trying to navigate systems of power and start building your own power, she said. There are so many subconscious forces that make us try to act like somebody else  but when youre woman of color, there are so many things about you that is non-conforming, she added.

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President Donald Trump will begin the week by setting up what will undoubtedly be a clash with Democrats in Congress. On Monday, the president will ask Congress for $8.6 billion in additional funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of his 2020 budget proposal. The proposal is almost certainly dead-on-arrival considering Trump had previously requested $5.7 billion to build a wall and the ensuing fight led to the longest government shutdown in history. When Trump didnt get what he wanted, he declared a national emergency in order to be able to access the cash that had been denied by Congress. The new request will include $5 billion in funding for the department of Homeland Security and $3.6 billion for the Pentagons military construction budget.

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The additional funding request was first reported by Reuters and confirmed by others before White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow did not deny it in an interview with Fox News Sunday. When anchor Chris Wallace asked him whether the additional $8.6 billion would spark another budget fight over the wall, Kudlow said it was the safe bet. I suppose there will be, he said. I would just say that the whole issue of the wall and border security is of paramount importance. We have a crisis down there. I think the president has made that case very effectively. Its a crisis of economics. Its a crisis of crime and drugs. Its a crisis of humanity. We have to be much tougher and have more constructive immigration policy, which we will be developing over a period of time.

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Larry Kudlow says that Trump will continue with the wall #FNS pic.twitter.com/IZ6DTIAmti  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) March 10, 2019

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The money Trump is requesting would be in addition to what he already has access to for the wall. Congress approved almost $1.4 billion for border barriers and through the emergency declaration, Trump can get an additional $3.6 billion.

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Democratic leaders immediately made it clear that the request was a nonstarter. President Trump hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer in a joint statement. Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson.

As part of the budget proposal, Trump will also seek a 5 percent cut across the board on domestic spending, Kudlow said. The exception would be defense spending that would be boosted by $750 billion as well as popular entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.
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.
Any agreements will be truly bilateral in nature, and any facilities that receive upgrades will remain sovereign Slovak government property, the US ambassador writes.

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Later this month, Slovakia will celebrate its 15th anniversary in NATO. Your great success over this period as a stable, economically dynamic democracy is no coincidence.

For a small country like Slovakia, NATOs guarantee of all for one and one for all means not only peace, but peace of mind for its citizens. Slovakias economic success, moreover, owes much to its NATO membership, which reassures investors of Slovakias stability. Being part of the NATO alliance guarantees Slovak sovereignty and allows Slovakia to enjoy greater security than it could afford on its own.

Common membership in NATO has helped Slovakia and the United States deepen and broaden our defense relationship. As our two countries mark Slovakias fifteenth anniversary in the alliance this month and the 70th anniversary of the NATO alliance next month, we have much to celebrate.

From joint training programs and exchanges through the 25-year partnership between the Indiana National Guard and Slovak armed forces, to Slovakias historic purchases of military equipment through the fully transparent U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, our defense ties have never been stronger. These ties also provide for faster responses to natural disasters, improved capabilities to prevent and deter terror attacks, coordinated distribution of aid to people who need it most, and preparedness in the event of a crisis created by a hostile foreign power.

Now Slovakia and the United States stand poised to improve our already thriving relationship as NATO allies. We are currently negotiating a Defense Cooperation Agreement that, once completed, will offer a legal and practical mechanism for increasing cooperation across all facets of our defense relationship.

It will also provide the legal framework for the United States to extend approximately $105 million dollars in European Deterrence Initiative funding for needed infrastructure improvements at Malacky and Sliac Airbases, much of which could go through Slovak contractors and create Slovak jobs.

The United States has similar Defense Cooperation Agreements with multiple NATO Allies. While it is premature to speculate on the final form of the agreement between Slovakia and the United States, or other agreements that could follow its successful implementation, I can say two things with confidence: any agreements will be truly bilateral in nature, and any facilities that receive upgrades will remain sovereign Slovak government property. A completed agreement will in fact strengthen Slovakias sovereignty and security by improving its ability to defend itself and contribute to the defense of the NATO Alliance.

The security and stability of Europe and the entire transatlantic region depends on healthy, comprehensive defense cooperation among Allies. The historical record speaks clearly  NATO has kept the peace in Europe for 70 years. But NATO cannot exist only as a paper document. Its credibility and ability to provide for collective security of members depends on member states maintaining professional, robust, and vigilant defense capabilities.

Furthermore, member states must regularly coordinate and cooperate among themselves to prepare for a crisis. This is the ultimate aim of both the bilateral and multilateral defense relationships among the United States, Slovakia, and other Allies.

We know that we are stronger together, and that is why we continue to contribute to and benefit from the historic prosperity, peace, sovereignty, and security the Transatlantic Alliance creates.

Adam Sterling is US Ambassador to Slovakia
Trot Insider has learned that 2018 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner and highly-touted sophomore pacer Keystone Concrete passed away on Saturday (March 9).

Trained by Rob Fellows and owned by Yolanda Fellows, Arpad Szabo and Blair Corbeil, Keystone Concrete assembled a sparkling 5-2-0 record from his seven freshman starts while earning $214,850. He took his lifetime mark of 1:52 in the 2018 OSS Super Final, knocking off divisional rivals Stag Party, Bettors Wish and Bronx Seelster in an 11-1 upset.

Fellows and the ownership group plucked the son of Bettors Delight - Keystone Caitlyn from the Standardbred Horse Sales Co.'s yearling sale in Harrisburg, Pa. for $18,000. The colt was one of 82 sophomores paid into the 2019 Pepsi North America Cup.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Keystone Concrete.
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Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 452008

03-10-2019 12:21 PM











Post: #1 Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

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Multiple police officers initiated an unconsented surprise search on terminally ill patient Nolan Sousley's hospital room on March 6 after hospital staff claimed he was using unauthorized medical marijuana. If we find marijuana well give you a citation, were not taking you down to the county jail, said one officer, caught on Sousley's cell phone video searching through his belongings. Sousley said, referencing hospital staff, "they already told me I'm gonna get arrested."



https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03-0...-marijuana A shocking viral video showing a team of police entering and then searching the hospital room of man with stage 4 pancreatic cancer is fueling outrage in Bolivar, Missouri, where the incident took place and is renewing nation-wide debate over medical marijuana.Multiple police officers initiated an unconsented surprise search on terminally ill patient Nolan Sousley's hospital room on March 6 after hospital staff claimed he was using unauthorized medical marijuana. If we find marijuana well give you a citation, were not taking you down to the county jail, said one officer, caught on Sousley's cell phone video searching through his belongings. Sousley said, referencing hospital staff, "they already told me I'm gonna get arrested." Upside Down

Just hangin out

User ID: 479653

03-10-2019 12:29 PM



Posts: 51,750









Post: #2 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

I am pro pot.



just sayin. but I am not smoking officer. i can pass a drug test.

Reality are the hearts and minds of those who try.

Everything that is not illusion is confusion.



GrimShaw

Asinus Asinum Fricat

User ID: 492485

03-10-2019 12:31 PM



Posts: 32,704









Post: #3 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

"It's still illegal" ... Yep. The police officer's job isn't to judge or legislate the law. Only to carry it out. Dereliction of duty is what it's called if they fail to.



Not that I believe this is just... LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 357594

03-10-2019 12:45 PM











Post: #4 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

What goes around, comes around. Harassing a dying man in his hospital bed. Some day when the cops are dying and the idiot nurses who called them are dying, they will be harassed also.



The man should go home and take his pot there. The dummies in the hospital have no cure or anything for his cancer. They just want to make money off his misery. Leave. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442998

03-10-2019 01:10 PM











Post: #5 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

GrimShaw Wrote: (03-10-2019 12:31 PM) "It's still illegal" ... Yep. The police officer's job isn't to judge or legislate the law. Only to carry it out. Dereliction of duty is what it's called if they fail to.



Not that I believe this is just...

yup, just doin their job, don;t blame them, they didn't make the laws...leftist did, guy shoulda went and died somewhere else, coulda made Colorado in 4 hours yup, just doin their job, don;t blame them, they didn't make the laws...leftist did, guy shoulda went and died somewhere else, coulda made Colorado in 4 hours LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 357594

03-10-2019 01:44 PM











Post: #6 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

Doctors, nurses and cops are not your friends. We live in an increasing police state society.



In this case, the patient wasn't smoking pot at all, but taking Cannabidiol oil, which is legal. Those cops had no search warrant, either.



So, go to the hospital with a cancer they can't do anything about except give you poison chemo, then have Nurse Ratchet from Cuckoo's Nest call the cops on you for your pain management oil which is legal. Then, have Gestapo cops bust in your room with no warrant and go through all your personal stuff threatening you as you die.



I hope this guy lives long enough to sue the doctor, hospital, nurse who called the cops, and the cops themselves. If he doesn't, then his estate should sue them. Travel assistant

lop guest

User ID: 443254

03-10-2019 01:50 PM











Post: #7 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

America has "Law Enforcement Officers" this is the law I shall enforce it.

Canada has" Peace Officers" Their duty is to keep the Peace. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 490593

03-10-2019 02:01 PM











Post: #8 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

Our Communist/Socialist/Dictator hospitals here don't allow smoking of any kind on the property, including legal tobacco ... not even in a private vehicle at the end of the parking lot!



If medical dope isn't legal in that state, then, the man can't have it in his room or the hospital would be breaking the law if they knowingly allowed it. Even if it's dope brownies. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 490593

03-10-2019 02:02 PM











Post: #9 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-10-2019 01:44 PM) Doctors, nurses and cops are not your friends. We live in an increasing police state society.



In this case, the patient wasn't smoking pot at all, but taking Cannabidiol oil, which is legal. Those cops had no search warrant, either.



So, go to the hospital with a cancer they can't do anything about except give you poison chemo, then have Nurse Ratchet from Cuckoo's Nest call the cops on you for your pain management oil which is legal. Then, have Gestapo cops bust in your room with no warrant and go through all your personal stuff threatening you as you die.



I hope this guy lives long enough to sue the doctor, hospital, nurse who called the cops, and the cops themselves. If he doesn't, then his estate should sue them.

If the hospital employees called the cops (which they did according to the article), then, no search warrant is needed. If the hospital employees called the cops (which they did according to the article), then, no search warrant is needed. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 491525

03-10-2019 02:03 PM











Post: #10 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-10-2019 01:10 PM) GrimShaw Wrote: (03-10-2019 12:31 PM) "It's still illegal" ... Yep. The police officer's job isn't to judge or legislate the law. Only to carry it out. Dereliction of duty is what it's called if they fail to.



Not that I believe this is just...

yup, just doin their job, don;t blame them, they didn't make the laws...leftist did, guy shoulda went and died somewhere else, coulda made Colorado in 4 hours

Just doing your job excuse only goes so far. I they made it law to go stick a bullet in the head of every baby, those cops would do it no hessitation. Order following monkeys is all they are, Just doing your job excuse only goes so far. I they made it law to go stick a bullet in the head of every baby, those cops would do it no hessitation. Order following monkeys is all they are, Travel assistant

lop guest

User ID: 443254

03-10-2019 02:03 PM











Post: #11 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

Seems like most people go to hospitals for "treatments" not "cures"! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 490593

03-10-2019 02:05 PM











Post: #12 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

Travel assistant Wrote: (03-10-2019 02:03 PM) Seems like most people go to hospitals for "treatments" not "cures"!

A lot of us wouldn't go to a hospital, even in a dying emergency. A lot of us wouldn't go to a hospital, even in a dying emergency. Travel assistant

lop guest

User ID: 443254

03-10-2019 02:11 PM











Post: #13 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

Yup when your time is up ,it's up.North American's fear of death must surely help propagate our medical Industry.

Tourism is not an industry as it does not manufacture a product,what does our medical Industry create .More corpses than cures I am sure. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 357594

03-10-2019 02:15 PM











Post: #14 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-10-2019 02:02 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-10-2019 01:44 PM) Doctors, nurses and cops are not your friends. We live in an increasing police state society.



In this case, the patient wasn't smoking pot at all, but taking Cannabidiol oil, which is legal. Those cops had no search warrant, either.



So, go to the hospital with a cancer they can't do anything about except give you poison chemo, then have Nurse Ratchet from Cuckoo's Nest call the cops on you for your pain management oil which is legal. Then, have Gestapo cops bust in your room with no warrant and go through all your personal stuff threatening you as you die.



I hope this guy lives long enough to sue the doctor, hospital, nurse who called the cops, and the cops themselves. If he doesn't, then his estate should sue them.

If the hospital employees called the cops (which they did according to the article), then, no search warrant is needed.

Are you a lawyer? They had no warrant and no right to search his personal stuff. Plus, he wasn't taking dope, for those who didn't bother to read the article. He had nothing illegal on him.



Now they should be sued. Are you a lawyer? They had no warrant and no right to search his personal stuff. Plus, he wasn't taking dope, for those who didn't bother to read the article. He had nothing illegal on him.Now they should be sued. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 490593

03-10-2019 02:18 PM











Post: #15 RE: Police Raid Stage 4 Cancer Patient's Hospital Room For Medical Marijuana

They are more likely to kill you with botched surgeries, wrong diagnosis and fatal treatment, killer germs acquired from the hospital itself, medicine side effects, all out NEGLECT (I know several in this group who died), and not following posted orders on patient rooms!



If you're going to die, you may as well be happy and comfortable at HOME. Advertisement



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SM Prime Holdings Inc. plans to issue P10 billion in fixed rate retail bonds to finance the expansion of mall and residential businesses. SM Prime said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it would sell P10 billion worth of bonds, the fourth and final tranche from the P60-billion bond shelf registration it filed in 2016. SM Prime has earmarked P80 billion in capital expenditures this year to support the companys provincial expansion and land banking activities. The company this year plans to open four new malls and complete the expansion of two. The groups residential business under SM Development Corp. also plans to launch between 15,000 and 18,000 residential units, including high-rise buildings, mid-rise buildings and single detached house and lot projects. Meanwhile, SM Primes P10-billion bond offering received a rating of PRS Aaa from Philippine Ratings Services Corp. (Philratings). Obligations rated PRS Aaa are of the highest quality with minimal credit risk. The SM Primes capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation was extremely strong, said PRS Aaa. Philratings in assigning the rating considered several factors, including SM Primes strong operational track record, a well diversified portfolio and the continuous construction and expansion of development projects, leading to significant growth and cash flows going forward.SM Prime is one of the biggest integrated property developers in the Philippines and also one of the largest in Southeast Asia by market capitalization. SM Prime reported a net income of P32.2 billion in 2018, up 17 percent from previous years level. Consolidated revenues reached P104.1 billion, up 14 percent due to additional rental income from new and expanded malls, and higher contribution from residential sales. Over the projected period, profitability will remain stable. The increase in revenues will continue to be driven by rental income, coupled with strong real estate sales, Philratings said. Philratings expects rental fees to account for the bulk of revenues, while contribution from real estate sales will increase as project completions during the period translates into higher unit sales. Cash flows from operations will be an uptrend, on the back of robust operating income. From 2019 to 2021, a significant portion of cash outlays will continue to be allocated for investment properties, as the company grows its property portfolio, the ratings agency said.
Luxembourg's population keeps growing fast. The net migration rate shows that significantly more people are entering than leaving the country.

Luxembourg remains a popular destination among immigrants. More people are entering than leaving the Grand Duchy.

In recent years, the net migration rate was exceedingly positive and amounted to approximately 10,000 people, Statec's statistics show.

Luxembourg's rates of natural increase are more balanced. In case you were wondering, the rate of natural increase (RNI) is classified as the birth rate minus the death rate. Between 2013 and 2017, Luxembourg's average RNI lay at 2130 people, representing a national increase of +3,7%.

In 11 of the country's municipalities, the RNI was negative. In other words, more people died than babies were born. Among them were Echternach, Remich and Niederanven.

Statec also analysed internal migration rates, investigating how many people moved around between different municipalities without leaving the Grand Duchy. Between 2013 and 2017, 2359 for example people left Luxembourg City to settle in a different municipality. Luxembourg City's internal migration rate therefore lies at a negative -20,8%. The opposite phenomenon took place in Boulaide: more people moved to the village than left it (+32,4%).

However, it is above all the international migration rate that plays a major role in Luxembourg. The statistics show an excess of approximately 10,500 people each year.

23,000 people arrived in Luxembourg between 2013 and 2017. At the same time, only 12,000 inhabitants left the Grand Duchy. Luxembourg City's rate lies at an impressive +45,7%.

On the other side of the spectrum lies Putscheid, the country's only village with a negative rate of -3,5%. The entire country boasts an average international migration rate of +18,5%.
On Saturday morning, the CSV (Christian Social People's Party) released their list of candidates for the European elections on 26 May.

On Saturday morning, the CSV (Christian Social People's Party) published their list of candidates for the upcoming European elections. It is collectively the youngest ever selection of candidates standing for election for the party, and is comprised of three men and three women.

Led by the party's current MEP Christophe Hansen, the list also features Luxembourg City councillor Isabel Wiseler, Rosport mayor Roman Osweiler, Mertzig councillor Stefano d'Agostino, Grevenmacher town councillor Liane Felten, and finally Martine Kemp of the Dudelange youth commission, nominated by the CSJ (Christian Social Youth).

 RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann  RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann  RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann  RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann  RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann  RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann  RTL Tele Letzebuerg / Luc Rollmann 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 party will be adopting the slogan "For the people in Europe" for the May elections. The party's president Frank Engel has underlined the need for positive European themes in the run up to the elections, as the party seeks to maintain their current total of three seats.

The list of candidates was approved by 94 of the 103 members of the party's national council.

A quick refresher of the party's European election history

In 2014, the CSV was elected to the European Parliament with three seats, corresponding to 37,65% of the vote.

In 2009 it was 31,32%, also for three seats.

With the exception of the 1994 vote which resulted in two seats, the CSV has consistently won three seats since 1979.
Wonder Caves: Ideal Spot for Hikers and Cave Explorers
San Miguel Corp. is spending for social and environmental initiatives across its businesses reached P5.6 billion to date as it vowed to step up efforts and make a greater impact in addressing the countrys most pressing challenges. It has always been our mission to do good. Its in our DNA. Through our efforts, big and small, we hope to lead the charge in terms of how we give back to society and the environment, said San Miguel Foundation chairman Ferdinand Constantino. For 2018, much of the companys resources for corporate social responsibility were focused on developing meaningful partnerships and socio-economic opportunities to various disadvantaged communities nationwide. We are gradually reworking our CSR strategy in ways that transcend the traditional thinking on corporate giving, expanding the reach of our programs and engaging our employees and other stakeholders so that more people can have a vessel to make a difference and participate in causes that are close to our hearts, Constantino said. He said SMCs corporate giving was catalyzing solutions to both societal and environmental challenges, such as crime, unemployment, poverty, natural disasters, lack of infrastructure and basic services, water security, waste disposal, among others. Through San Miguel Foundation, the company spent P332 million to provide livelihood opportunities to more than 160 families of soldiers and policemen killed in action during the Marawi siege. The program, which granted access to a P2-million business startup package for each family helps ensure they have a long-term sustainable source of income. Assistance for disaster response and rebuilding as of 2018 reached P1.3 billion while housing programs for the underprivileged totaled P1.1 billion to date. Other initiatives of the foundation include granting of scholarships, providing for medical needs of people in conflict areas through the construction of hospitals and donation of medical equipment. To help government curb smuggling and boost its capacity to preserve peace and order in various communities, the foundation donated P126 million worth of Rapiscan mobile X-ray units to the Bureau of Customs and 50 units of BMW motorcycles to the Philippine National Police. These are just some of the programs we implemented to help enable different sectors of our society to contribute to our countrys growth and development, Constantino said, adding that by focusing our corporate giving efforts to lifting people out poverty, raising their standards of living, making lives better, we hope to further make a huge impact on Philippine society. He said San Miguels CSR programs are aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting the companys continuing commitment to sustainability, which has long been embedded into SMCs operations and corporate culture.In adherence to the sixth SDG that pushes for clean water and sanitation, San Miguel has significantly started to reduce its water footprint through its Water For All sustainability project. As of the end of 2018, SMC and its subsidiaries saved 7.7 billion liters on non-product water that represented a 23-percent reduction, surpassing its goal to cut water use by 20 percent by 2020. SMC also discontinued its plastic bottled water business to reduce its environmental impact and will utilize the Purewater brand in filtration technology to provide clean and safe drinking water to people in flooded areas during calamities. Since Typhoon Ondoy wrought havoc in 2009 in Metro Manila, San Miguel allocated significant amounts to build new homes, schools and libraries and programs improving the capacities of people to help themselves. In 2012, it also donated P500 million for the housing of typhoon Sendong victims in Mindanao, particularly the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. A year later, San Miguel donated the amount of P15.4 million and P332 million for relief distribution and housing, respectively, following the destruction brought about by Super Typhoon Yolanda in Western Visayas. SMC and its affiliated businesses also regularly conduct medical missions, environment programs like tree-planting, coastal cleanups and mangrove reforestation activities, and livelihood training as part of its CSR initiatives. Recently, SMC pledged P1billion to undertake, together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, extensive cleanup of the Tullahan River systema crucial step to rehabilitating the Manila Bay. SMC also raised its number of scholars to 102 as 68 beneficiaries graduated with various degrees from accountancy to engineering the previous year. SMC officers and employees also set aside a part of their salaries for the Helping People Help People project that funded the education of underprivileged youths in Montalban, Rizal. SMCs community clinics in Valenzuela, Pampanga, Batangas, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao del Sur, continue to provide consultation, diagnostic services and medicines to indigent patients. San Miguel, through its foundation, will be setting up at least two Better World communities in Manila within the year. We hope to create an environment for the poor to amplify and grow their own impact, first by addressing the issue of hunger, but not stopping there. We hope to capacitate them and connect them more strongly and positively to their own communities. And in the process effect lasting transformative change and, as a company, learn how to create a more cohesive, supportive ecosystem to lift families out of poverty, said Constantino.
Hong KongFilipino workers are preferred by foreign employers here and in other places abroad because they are hardworking, senatorial candidate Erin Tanada said Sunday. Tanada was reacting to the statement of special envoy to China, Ramon Tulfo Jr., that Chinese workers are being hired in Chinese loan projects in the Philippines because Filipinos are tamad at mabagal magtrabaho (lazy and slow workers). Filipino workers are industrious. They are not lazy. Filipino workers are preferred by foreign employers. It should not be the case that a fellow Filipino and a government official at that should be the first one to look down on Filipino workers, he said. Mr. Tulfo, you should work for Filipinos. Give our countrymen, especially our overseas Filipino workers who wish to return home, decent work and job security, Tanada added. On Saturday, Tulfo said he will not apologize for saying Filipino workers are lazy. To the Filipino construction workers: Why should I apologize to you for telling the truth that youre basically lazy and a slowpoke? Does the truth hurt? Tulfo said on Twitter.Tulfo described Chinese workers as well-disciplined and hardworking. Filipino workers arrive at their job sites and thats when they start preparing their tools, whereas the Chinese workers come prepared, he said. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines president Raymond Mendoza said Tulfos remarks were unpatriotic. Filipino workers are the most sought-after type of workers compared to other nationalities because of their high quality of doing their work and because of their ingenuity, diligence, creativity and hard work they put into every task they are into, Mendoza said.
Vietnams largest solar power plant cluster was officially put into operation in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Saturday.

The Srepok 1-Quang Minh solar power plant cluster covers approximately 12 hectares in Ea Wer Commune, Buon Don District, Dak Lak.

Costing VND3.3 trillion (US$141.9 million), the facility is designed with the capacity of 100 megawatt peak (MGp).

The cluster consists of more than 150,000 solar panels, each of which has the capacity of 330 watts.

The construction took 14 months, about two and a half months ahead of schedule.

The Srepok 1-Quang Minh solar power plant cluster is located in Ea Wer Commune, Buon Don District. Photo: Trung Tan / Tuoi Tre

This is the first solar energy project in Dak Lak and is Vietnams largest solar power plant cluster.

During the inauguration, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh praised the efforts and hard work of all engineers, workers, and the developer for the early completion of the cluster.

This is the first time that a modern and large-scale project has been finished by a team of all Vietnamese personnel, Binh stated.

He asked the developer to strictly follow procedures and protocols when operating the cluster, as well as regulations on environmental protection.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh takes photos of the project on his cellphone. Photo: Trung Tan / Tuoi Tre

Dak Lak Province is a key economic zone and has a strategic location in terms of economic development and defense and security in the Central Highlands, the deputy premier continued, adding that the locality also has great potential for solar energy with an average solar radiation of 1,900 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter per year.

Aside from the Srepok 1-Quang Minh cluster, multiple other projects have been imitated, all of which are expected to contribute significantly to local development, he said.

Local authorities should support and provide favorable conditions for investors to establish more solar power projects in the future, thus effectively exploiting natural advantages, as well as creating more jobs for residents.

Each MGp of solar energy can generate a profit of VND1 billion [$43,000], according to experts, the official elaborated.

Officials walk around the venue. Photo: Trung Tan / Tuoi Tre

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The seventh annual Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival commenced in the namesake city in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on Saturday and is scheduled to last one week with various activities.

The event, which takes place from March 9 to 16, kicked off in the morning with a book street, which attracted a lot of people.

Visitors were given an opportunity to relax, read their favorite books, ad have a taste of the signature cup of Buon Ma Thuot coffee.

The official opening ceremony was held at the 10/3 Square in the city center in the evening of the same day.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh speaks at the ceremony. Photo: Dinh Cuong / Tuoi Tre

Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 HHen Nie, who sealed a historic top-five place at Miss Universe 2018, participated in the opening stage which introduced the local culture and lifestyle to the audience.

Dak Lak Province is dubbed the coffee capital of Vietnam thanks to more than 200,000 hectares of coffee plantation, which yields 460,000 metric tons of coffee per year, Pham Ngoc Nghi, chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said at the ceremony.

A musical performance at the ceremony. Photo: Dinh Cuong / Tuoi Tre

During the event, which has been recognized as a national festival, local authorities will focus on promoting the coffee industry, as well as potential for clean energy and ecotourism in the province.

A series of activities including investment promotion programs, art exhibitions, fairs, and parades will be organized during the festival.

During his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh highlighted the contribution of Buon Ma Thuot coffee to the countrys coffee export.

The product has become well known in 60 nations and territories across the world, he added.

A musical performance at the ceremony. Photo: Dinh Cuong / Tuoi Tre

A musical performance at the ceremony. Photo: Dinh Cuong / Tuoi Tre

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Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and representatives from many consulate generals launched a campaign aimed at minimizing plastic waste in the city center on Saturday.

Pham Duc Hai, deputy chairman of the municipal Peoples Council, announced the commencement of the plastic waste cleanup day during a ceremony at the 23/9 Park in District 1 in the morning.

Hai was joined by representatives from the consulate generals of Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia, as well as local officials and residents.

A buyer uses plastic bags to contain groceries at Ben Thanh Market. Photo: Quang Khai / Tuoi Tre

According to the vice-chairman, plastic products have become very necessary items in daily life in the southern metropolis.

The objects, however, have also left behind a lot of consequences, he continued.

About 20 percent of household waste across the city comes from plastic products, while they take hundreds of years to decompose.

A representative (R) from the Consulate General of Canada gives a recycled bag to a seller at Ben Thanh Market. Photo: Quang Khai / Tuoi Tre

This type of waste has not only caused environmental pollution but also exacerbated inundation in the southern hub, Hai elaborated.

In order to protect the environment, a joint effort from authorities, residents, and organizations is a must, he stressed.

A Ben Thanh Market trader receives an eco-friendly bag from a representative from the Consulate General of New Zealand. Photo: Quang Khai / Tuoi Tre

On behalf of Ho Chi Minh City authorities, the deputy chairman called on citizens to start reducing the use of plastic in their daily life.

Following the ceremony, participants began collecting trash along many streets in the downtown area and handing recycled bags to traders and buyers at Ben Thanh Market.

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Each summer, when trying to decide where we want to go for our summer getaway , the usual haunts of Italy, Greece and Spain spring to mind.

Weve long loved these Mediterranean-hugging countries for their glorious beaches and relaxed atmosphere, but in the height of summer, sometimes they can get just a bit too crowded.

Which is why this year we want to head off the beaten track , to European countries that often slip under the radar but offer a completely different type of summer break  one filled with culture, fresh air and, most importantly, a slice of solitude.

Below, weve rounded up the best alternative destinations for a sunny European holiday to book in 2019.

Ksamil, Albania

(Shutterstock)

The Albanian Riviera is often overlooked, making it one of the hidden gems of the Mediterranean. Ksamil, a village in southern Albania, offers white sand beaches and crystal clear water that rivals the Maldives , and oozes with small-town charm and cosy restaurants offering authentic dishes. The village is part of the city of Saranda and found in the Butrint National Park  so check out the Butrint archaeological site while youre there.

Best beach to visit: Ksamil town is based around the beach of the same name, so go for a swim there. You can also hop on a boat out to one of the uninhabited islands nearby for a more secluded beach experience.

Where to stay: While Ksamil is yet to embrace luxury hotels, the secret is to book into a charming beachfront Airbnb. We like this one, just two minutes walk from the beach and starting from 13 per night for a three-person apartment.

Skanor, Sweden

(Shutterstock)

The Scandinavian countries arent often thought of as a beach-lover's nirvana, which makes discovering their pristine beaches that much more satisfying. For the softest sand and warmest water, head to Skanor  just south of summer hotspot Malmo and across the sea from Copenhagen. Here, youll find long stretches of superb beaches, and restaurants with good vibes  try Badhytten for a beachfront dinner followed by a night of dancing.

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Best beach to visit: Skanor and neighbouring suburb Falsterbo are home to miles-long beaches, offering white sands and turquoise waters. Tourists and locals flock to the coast in the summer months, but the expansive space means youll still find a good stretch of beach to call your own.

Where to stay: for a cosy stay in the heart of Skanor, book into Hotell Gasslingen which is just a 15-minute walk away from the coast. Rooms from 132 per night, hotellgasslingen.com/

Bolata, Bulgaria

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One of our favourite beaches in Europe , this white sand haven is the perfect place to escape to for a few days this summer. While the beach itself is secluded, there are a few accommodation options nearby. During the summer season, youll find a couple of small eateries where you can purchase food and drinks to fuel your days lying in the sun.

Best beach to visit: the crescent-shaped Bolata beach with translucent blue water is a stunning sight. The only sandy beach in the region, you can expect it to be filled with local sun-chasers and tourists checking out Cape Kaliakra.

Where to stay: the Calithea Complex is just a 20-minute drive away from the beach and offers stunning sea views. Rooms from 52 per night, booking.com/

Sylt, Germany

(Unsplash)

Brits generally flock to Germany for two reasons: Oktoberfest and the stunning Christmas markets . Yet, Germany should be on your radar as a summer destination, especially the island of Sylt on the Frisian archipelago in the North Sea. Here, youll find thatched roof houses, long, idyllic beaches and plenty of history and culture to soak up.

Best beach to visit: with 25 miles of sandy beaches, you have a lot of beach space to choose from. Kampen is probably the most popular of the lot, with the tidal mudflats of the Wattenmeer to the east, and the wild waves of the North Sea and fine sandy beaches to the west.

Where to stay: the thatched roofs of Hotel Alte Strandvogtei make it an alluring abode, but the interiors make it even more charming. The hotel offers rooms along with separate holiday homes and a spa, plus its located right next to the sea, making it the perfect seaside getaway for family and friends. Rooms from 190 (164) per night, alte-strandvogtei.de/

Petrovac, Montenegro

(Unsplash)

Located on the Montenegrin coast between Budva and Bar, Petrovac is a laid back summer resort with a large beach leading to sparkling waters. The town itself was a former fishing village watched over by a Venetian fortress. Historic Budva is just a 20-minute drive away and is one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic, so be sure to take a day trip there during your stay.

Best beach to visit: just a 10-minute drive from Petrovac or a short walk through the forest, youll find Perazica Do. The pebbly beach is largely untouched and offers some great authentic food from the beachfront restaurant.

Where to stay: skip the hotel and opt for an Airbnb in Petrovac, where you can find some charming white-washed local houses like this, which is just 20 per night to stay in the guest room.

Wolfgangsee Lake, Austria

(Shutterstock)

Just a half hour east of the picturesque Austrian village of Salzburg youll find yourself in Sound of Music territory  and an even more picturesque lake called Wolfgangsee. Traditional houses are dotted around the lake and you can walk parts of the perimeter and be amazed by the striking green mountains contrasting with the blue hues of the lake. Be sure to walk to Brunnwinkl, a small hamlet, home to a few incredibly pretty houses.

Best beach to visit: the great thing about visiting a lake is that you can swim just about anywhere, just take your pick of swimming spot and jump right in.

Where to stay: for a lush lake front escape, opt for Hotel Seevilla with a very Instagrammable outdoor infinity pool, private lawn for sunbathing and chic decor. Rooms from 89 (76) per night, seevilla-wolfgangsee.at/

Gozo Island, Malta

(Shutterstock)

This lesser-known destination in Malta is much quieter than the main island and has been described as the way Malta used to be. The small island, with just 37,000 inhabitants, is surrounded by clear azure waters and offers a number of stunning beaches. The countryside is also worth exploring, for its picturesque valleys and striking scenery, and make sure you check out the capital city of Victoria for its medieval Citadel, with fortified walls.

Best beach to visit: Ramla Bay can be found on the northern side of the island, around a 40-minute walk from the village of Xagra. Here, youll find a long golden beach, with sparking turquoise waters and a few Roman ruins.

Where to stay: for both sea and countryside views, opt for Viewpoint Boutique Living located in Xlendi Valley. Close to the bay of Xlendi, the rooms are simple but lovely and you wont find a better pool spot on the island. Rooms from 104 per night, gozoviewpoint.com/

Odessa, Ukraine

(Shutterstock)

This port city in Ukraine is known as the Pearl of the Black Sea, mixing a vibrant city culture and pretty seascape. Walk down the famous Potemkin Steps that lead you to the Black Sea, or simply admire the pastel neoclassical buildings during a stroll through the city.

Best beach to visit: with a few different beaches along the citys coastline, the best of the bunch would be Otrada. As is the case with many resort towns, youll find the usual amenities like restaurants and kids areas here, along with warm and clear waters to swim in.

Where to stay: located in the heart of Odessas historic city centre, Frederic Koklen is a boutique hotel with an Instagrammable rose-coloured exterior. Inside, the furnishings are opulent with French and Spanish inspirations for the decor apparent throughout. Rooms from 2,716 Ukrainian hryvnia (80) per night, koklenhotel.com/

Isles of Scilly, UK

(Shutterstock)

Located off the coast of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly are made up of five main islands. You can fly in to St. Marys, the main island, from Exeter, Lands End and Newquay or get a ferry from Penzance. Here youll find the UKs sub-tropical secret, as the group of islands often experience warm, sunny weather during the summer months, with a number of lush and untouched beaches and crystal-clear seas.

Best beach to visit: youd be forgiven for thinking Rushy Bay on Bryher was a beach in the Mediterranean with its sparkling turquoise waters and white sand, but its a little slice of paradise right here in the UK.

Where to stay: on the main island of St. Marys, you really cant go past the Star Castle hotel. The fortress overlooking the bay, sits pretty at the top of a hill and offers modern rooms with decadent dining. Rooms from 157 per night. star-castle.co.uk/

Ayvalik, Turkey

(Shutterstock)

The magic of Ayvalik is found a few streets back from the waterfront, where youll encounter colourful buildings, restored stone houses and cafes bursting with locals. The port town offers a quieter holiday to that of Turkish hotspot Bodrum, where you can while your days away at the beach or simply wandering through the streets.

Best beach to visit: Sarmsakl Plaj is a little out of the way (a 20-minute drive or two hours by foot), but is worth the trip once there. Go snorkelling in the clear waters or simply enjoy walking along the soft sand and basking in the sun.

Where to stay: for a charming B&B with plenty of character, opt for the Boutique Ayvalik Pension, just a 10-minute walk away from the marina and offers mountain views. The Ottoman-style home has three guest rooms with lovely bay windows and is situated in the town centre. Rooms from 20 per night, booking.com/
The Supreme Court has been notified by the Manila City government to expedite its construction project for the city's Hall of Justice. During the gathering of lawyers before the weekend, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin revealed that Mayor Joseph Estrada has already demanded for all courts to leave city hall. "There is already a demand by the Mayor of Manila for all courts to leave city hall of Manila," Bersamin said. "If you had gone to the city hall of Manila, you will see the congestion in human as well as in document traffic. Napaka-puno," Bersamin said. "They [City of Manila through Mayor Joseph Estrada] have asked formally the Supreme Court to speed up the construction project [of the Hall of Justice]," he said. Bersamin said the high court is already in the process of procurement and the construction of the hall of justice at the old GSIS.In 2015, then chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno promised the construction of the Manila's Hall of Justice will start in 2017 and be completed by 2019. Currently, Manila City trial courts are dispersed in the Manila City Hall, in the old building of the Office of the Ombudsman, the old and condemned structure of the GSIS, former Masagana mall in UN Avenue and in Binondo. The proposed Manila City Hall of justice would showcase a model courthouse equipped with modern communication facilities. LCD screens would be put outside each courtroom so that lawyers, litigants and the rest of the public can view court activities and announcements. Once completed, it will house 120 Regional and Metropolitan Trial Courts.
By Elizabeth Piper and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of parliament Andrea Leadsom said she was beginning to wonder what game the European Union was playing over Brexit as relations between London and Brussels deteriorated ahead of a vote by lawmakers next week.

Less than three weeks before Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, Prime Minister Theresa May has failed to secure the changes to the divorce agreement she needs to gain the support of lawmakers who rejected it in a record rebellion in January.

At the heart of the dispute is a disagreement over how to manage the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland.

On Friday, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier put forward a proposal to keep the border open and keep the province subject to EU rules, prompting London to reject it.

"There is still hope, but I have to say I'm deeply disappointed with what we're hearing coming out of the EU," Leadsom told Reuters. "I do have to ask myself what game are they playing here."

Asked who would be to blame if May loses the parliamentary vote again on Tuesday, Leadsom said: "I would point to the EU needing to work closely with us.

"We are hoping we will be able to win that vote but that does depend on the EU coming to the table and taking seriously the (UK's) proposals."

Guy Verhofstadt, Brexit coordinator for the European Parliament, backed Barnier.

"He has put forward constructive additions, now we wait for a credible response from the UK to ensure an orderly Brexit," he said on Saturday.

NO BREAKTHROUGH

Talks will continue in Brussels but without a major breakthrough, May looks set to lose her second attempt to get lawmaker's approval and smooth Britain's exit from the EU, its biggest shift in trade and foreign policy in more than 40 years.

The main sticking point is the so-called Northern Irish backstop, an insurance policy to prevent a return of border controls in Ireland that eurosceptics believe is an attempt to trap the country in the EU's customs union indefinitely.

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Barnier's solution would potentially create a "border" in the Irish sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, a move that is particularly unpalatable to Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

As defenders of the union with Britain, the DUP opposes any change that would treat Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the United Kingdom. May relies on DUP votes to get her legislation passed after she lost her parliamentary majority.

Brandon Lewis, the chairman of May's ruling Conservative Party, said on Saturday the government could never accept a deal which threatened the integrity of the union.

Leadsom said were Britain to leave the EU without a withdrawal deal it would be harder to guarantee the smooth flow of goods and people across the Irish border that has been possible since 1998.

"In making it impossible for us to sign up to that (deal), it actually makes the problems with the Northern Irish border harder to solve, not easier to solve," she said.

May warned on Friday that were lawmakers to reject her deal on Tuesday, it would increase the chance that Brexit never happens, leaving voters feeling betrayed.

If her deal is rejected, lawmakers will be able to vote on Wednesday and Thursday on whether they want to leave the bloc without a deal or ask for a delay to Brexit beyond March 29 - all but wresting control of Brexit from the government.

(Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Former defence minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo'o, once tipped to succeed Cameroon President Paul Biya, has been charged with diverting public funds and corruption."Mr Mebe Ngo'o is suspected of diverting public money and corruption," an official of the Special Criminal Tribunal told the French news agency, AFP.Mebe Ngo'o was put in provisional detention on Friday and sent to the central prison in the capital Yaounde, the official added."He was locked up along with the deputy director of a bank, a Treasury inspector and an army colonel," he said.A fifth person was still being questioned in the same investigation.The former minister was summoned Tuesday to the tribunal, which deals with major corruption cases, and detained.Mebe Ngo'o was sacked from the government last year where he served from 2015 as transport minister after spending the six previous years at defence.Cameroonian journalist Jules Koum Koum, who died in a road accident, had in 2010 investigated an alleged over-billing scandal for military uniforms at the defence ministry when Mebe Ngo'o was minister.Before joining the government, he had led the police force and run the presidency's civil office.

Former defence minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo'o, once tipped to succeed Cameroon President Paul Biya, has been charged with diverting public funds and corruption.

"Mr Mebe Ngo'o is suspected of diverting public money and corruption," an official of the Special Criminal Tribunal told the French news agency, AFP.

Mebe Ngo'o was put in provisional detention on Friday and sent to the central prison in the capital Yaounde, the official added.

"He was locked up along with the deputy director of a bank, a Treasury inspector and an army colonel," he said.

A fifth person was still being questioned in the same investigation.

The former minister was summoned Tuesday to the tribunal, which deals with major corruption cases, and detained.

Mebe Ngo'o was sacked from the government last year where he served from 2015 as transport minister after spending the six previous years at defence.

Cameroonian journalist Jules Koum Koum, who died in a road accident, had in 2010 investigated an alleged over-billing scandal for military uniforms at the defence ministry when Mebe Ngo'o was minister.

Before joining the government, he had led the police force and run the presidency's civil office.
Police, road workers and by-standers banded together to rescue a horse that fell into an icy pond in the town of Warren, Massachusetts, on March 5.

Dispatch received a call today for a horse that fell through the ice into a pond on Brimfield Road, the Warren police department reported on its Facebook page.

Thanks to the quick action of several bystanders, the Warren highway department, and the Warren police and fire departments, the horse was quickly removed from the ice and back on its feet, they said.

The rescuers used a backhoe to break up the ice before helping the horse from the ice, reported UPI. The whole thing took about 15 minutes, they said. Credit: Warren, MA, Police Department via Storyful
 Why was the Army in Londonderry on Bloody Sunday?

Londonderry in January 1972 was a troubled city with a divided society, the judge who led one of the UKs longest public inquiries said.

Lord Mark Saville of Newdigates report into the killings of the innocent by British troops said there were deep and seemingly irreconcilable differences between predominantly nationalist Catholics and primarily unionist Protestants.

Northern Irelands 30-year conflict began in the city with violent clashes between rioters and police in the Bogside estate in August 1969.

The British Army was brought in to aid the police, to restore law and order. It was in the city in that capacity on Bloody Sunday.

During their deployment they faced members of the Provisional IRA and Official IRA, after a split in the organisation over ideology, who used armed violence.

 So why were tensions running high?

Lord Saville of Newdigate, chairman of the Bloody Sunday inquiry (Parliament/PA)

Many in the nationalist community had largely turned against the soldiers, Lord Saville said, believing they were agents of an oppressive regime.

A large part of the nationalist area of the city was a no-go area dominated by the IRA where ordinary police could not venture.

Rioting was not uncommon and the soldiers knew them as Derry Young Hooligans.

 Were soldiers routinely under threat?

Firearms had been used by both sides in the years before Bloody Sunday. The IRA had thrown nail and petrol bombs.

Over the months and years before the confrontation, civilians, soldiers, police officers and IRA gunmen and bombers had been killed and wounded.

The use of internment without trial of suspected terrorists was viewed in the nationalist community with abhorrence, Lord Saville said.

 Why was the Bloody Sunday march organised?

Nationalists and unionists opposed a ban on marches.

By January 1972 the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association had decided to defy the prohibition.

They organised a march in Londonderry to protest against internment of Catholics without trial.

Story continues

The authorities believed the security forces should prevent the march from proceeding as planned, fearing that flouting the ban would undermine law and order, the Saville report said.

 What was the Armys view?

Robert Ford referenced the Derry Young Hooligans as a factor in the continued destruction of the city (PA)

Major General Robert Ford, then Commander of Land Forces in Northern Ireland, had written a confidential memorandum.

He referenced the Derry Young Hooligans as a factor in the continued destruction of the city, and said the Army was virtually incapable of dealing with them.

He was coming to the conclusion that the minimum force required to deal with the Derry Young Hooligans was, after clear warnings, to shoot selected ringleaders.

This was not put forward as a means of dealing with the civil rights march on Bloody Sunday.

General Ford ordered that 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), which was stationed near Belfast, should travel to Londonderry and be used as the arrest force on Bloody Sunday.

 What happened on the day?

The Saville public inquiry spent several years hearing from witnesses about what happened on January 30 1972.

March organisers realised they would be prevented from reaching Guildhall Square in the city centre and planned to divert.

When the time came for them to re-route in the Bogside some proceeded on the original course and began rioting and were initially dealt with by soldiers showing restraint.

However, sporadic firing had broken out involving members of the Army and the Official IRA.

Members of the Parachute Regiment began attempting to conduct arrests.

Acting against orders, Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford deployed soldiers using vehicles on an arrest operation before allowing peaceful demonstrators to leave.

They chased rioters and non-violent marchers down the street.

Within 10 minutes of entering the no-go area of the Bogside, a total of 13 victims were shot dead.

Another died months later from an unrelated medical condition and other civilians were injured.

The support company fired more than 100 rounds using high-velocity rifles.

The Saville report used the soldiers ciphers to identify some its authors were sure fired lethal shots. In other cases they recorded those who had probably done so.

None of the casualties shot by soldiers of the support company was armed with a firearm or (with the probable exception of Gerald Donaghey) a bomb, the Saville report said.

The first victim, Jackie Duddy, was running away from the soldiers when he was shot. Jim Wray was shot in the back while lying on the ground already mortally wounded, the Saville report said.

ULSTER Sunday

 What happened afterwards?

A tribunal of inquiry by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord John Widgery, was decried by nationalists as a whitewash.

Another public inquiry was ordered by former prime minister Tony Blair in 1998 and reported in 2010.

It declared those killed innocent. In then prime minister David Camerons words, the killings were unjustified and unjustifiable.
By Rodi Said

BAGHOUZ, Syria (Reuters) - Armed with assault rifles and with faces wrapped in scarves, the Islamic State fighters visible at the boundary of their last enclave in eastern Syria are among the hardened jihadists who appear ready to fight to the death.

Thousands of people - many of them the wives of Islamic State fighters and their children - have been streaming out of the besieged enclave at Baghouz for weeks, forcing the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to delay an assault on the last vestige of the jihadists' territorial rule.

Reuters TV footage of the Islamic State-controlled frontline shows armed militants, most with only their eyes visible, supervising the evacuations from a scrubby patch of agricultural land scattered with vehicles and a few buildings.

The SDF has said the fighters staying put through waves of evacuations are the most hardened foreign militants, wanted by governments around the world, who are likely to fight to the death.

On Saturday, a Reuters witness saw dozens of mostly men cross from Islamic State territory into SDF-controlled lines. The SDF said these were wounded Islamic State fighters.

A few women in full face-covering black robes and children carrying bags could be seen among the people milling at the frontline. A man on crutches was also visible.

A no-man's land of about 200m separates SDF positions from the Islamic State frontline at Baghouz, a collection of hamlets and farmland near the border with Iraq.

Evacuees are screened by the SDF as they emerge and are sent north to the al-Hol camp, already overcrowded with uprooted Syrians and Iraqis from years of war and struggling to cope with the influx.

After suddenly seizing swathes of land straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border in 2014 and declaring it their caliphate, Islamic State was beaten back by numerous local and foreign forces in both countries, suffering major defeats in 2017.

However, the jihadists remain a threat. In Iraq they have gone to ground, staging waves of killings and kidnappings. In Syria, their comrades hold out in remote desert areas and have carried out bombings in areas controlled by the SDF.

(Reporting by Rodi Said in Baghouz, Syria; Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Arms flows to the Middle East grew by 87 percent in the past five years and now account for more than a third of the global trade, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report on Sunday.

The defence think tanks annual survey showed that Saudi Arabia became the worlds top arms importer between 2014-18, with a growth of 192 percent compared to the preceding five years.

Egypt, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq also ranked in the top 10 list of global arms buyers.

The report shows how the United States and European nations sell jets, jeeps and other gear that is used in controversial wars in Yemen and beyond, SIPRI researcher Pieter Wezeman told Middle East Eye.

Weapons from the US, the UK and France are in high demand in the Gulf, where conflicts and tensions are rife. Russia, France and Germany dramatically increased their arms sales to Egypt in the past five years, said Wezeman.

The growth in Middle Eastern imports was, in part, driven by the need to replace military gear that was deployed and destroyed in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya, said Wezeman.

It was also driven by tensions and a regional arms race, he added.

Exporting Americans gun problem? The proposed rule that has monitors up in arms Read More 

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are readying for a potential conflict with Iran, said the 12-page report. Since 2017, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others have rowed with Qatar in a rift, which, at times, looked like it could turn violent.

Between 2014-18, Saudi received 94 combat jets fitted with cruise missiles and other guided weapons from the US and Britain.

Over the next five years, it is set to get 98 more jets, 83 tanks and defensive missile systems from the US, 737 armoured vehicles from Canada, five frigates from Spain, and Ukrainian short-range ballistic missiles.

Between 2014-18, the UAE received missile defence systems, short-range ballistic missiles and some 1,700 armoured personnel carriers from the US as well as three corvettes from France, the report says.

Qatari imports grew by 225 percent over the period, including German tanks, French combat aircraft and Chinese short-range ballistic missiles. It is set to receive 93 combat aircraft from the US, France and Britain and four frigates from Italy.

Iran, which is under a UN arms embargo, accounted for just 0.9 percent of Middle Eastern imports.

For Wezeman, the gap is widening between Iran and its foes across the Gulf, which have more advanced weapons.

US remains top arms seller

The US has kept its position as the worlds top arms seller. Its exports grew by 29 percent these past five years, with more than half of its shipments (52 percent) going to customers in the Middle East.

British sales grew by 5.9 percent over the same period. A total of 59 percent of UK arms deliveries went to the Middle East  most of it combat aircraft destined for Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Arming governments in the turbulent Middle East is increasingly controversial in the West, said Patrick Wilcken, an arms control specialist with Amnesty International, a UK-based rights watchdog.

He pointed to cases where sales are merited  such as re-tooling Iraqs army after it lost much of its hardware and territory during the so-called Islamic State (IS) groups surprise attack in 2014.

But, more often, western arms end up being used in human rights abuses, he added, pointing to Egypts crackdown on opponents, Israels occupation of Palestinian land and the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

He blasted the hypocrisy of western governments not following their own rules by continuing to supply authoritarian leaders who commit wartime abuses or violations against their own people.

A critical problem for the region is the emergence of armed groups like IS, Wilcken told MEE.

A critical problem for the region is the emergence of armed groups like IS  Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty International

In Yemen, totally unaccountable militias are being armed and supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which is setting the scene for a future period of instability and human rights violations.

The problem has not gone unnoticed in western capitals.

In the US, lawmakers in both houses have passed resolutions to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition, though US President Donald Trump has vowed to veto the document if it reaches his desk.

In Britain, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for a ban on arms exports to Saudi. Last month, a parliamentary committee concluded that the UK was on the wrong side of the law by arming Riyadh.

In October, Amnesty released a report about French-built armoured vehicles being used by Egyptian government forces to disperse protests and crush dissent in crackdowns between 2012-2015.

Germany, however, has taken a stand. This week, it extended until the end of March a unilateral freeze on arms supplies to Saudi over its war in Yemen and the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

This has caused a rift with Britain and France, its partners in European defence projects, as it puts a question mark over orders, including a $13.1bn deal to sell 48 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Riyadh.

Jeff Abramson, a scholar at the Arms Control Association, an advocacy group, said the US should follow Germanys example.

Instead of being challenged, the US continues to claim a larger share of an expanding global arms market, Abramson told MEE.

As such, the US should take the lead in promoting responsible behavior, rather than encouraging trade to repressive and irresponsible regimes, such as those in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Other findings

The report made other interesting findings.

These past five years, Turkey has increased exports of armoured vehicles, missiles and other gear by 170 percent, becoming the worlds 14th most important arms exporter and the second biggest in the Middle East, after Israel.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE were among Turkeys top three importers of weapons in the past five years, despite Ankara being at odds with its customers over Khashoggi and the blockade on Qatar.

Continuing to buy arms from Turkey may be a bid by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to keep ties with Ankara on track despite the rift, said Wezeman.

Also, Algeria increased its arms imports by 55 percent over the past five years, with shipments from Russia, China, Germany and elsewhere.

This made it the worlds fifth biggest arms importer despite only having a $168bn economy.

Algeria buys arms for military prestige, to tackle militants from neighbouring Libya and because of its long-standing rivalry with Morocco, said Wezeman.

Sipri measures the volume of deliveries of arms, not the dollar value of deals. The volume of deliveries to each country tend to fluctuate, so it presents data in five-year periods that a give a more stable indication of trends.
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.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday said he is happy that President Rodrigo Duterte backtracked on his stand on the legalization of marijuana. Im glad, he is on the right track, said Sotto, who said those pushing for legalizing medical use of marijuana might be involved in the illegal drugs trade. However, the Presidents daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, expressed a contrary opinion. If there is scientific basis that cannabis is a medicine, we should not deprive the patients of its use, she said even as she stressed that medical marijuana use must be regulated by the government. Duterte last week made a sudden double back in his decision to legalize marijuana, saying he would no longer support its legalization for medical purposes. The President said legalizing cannabis for medical use would be used as an excuse to cultivate the plant. That would be an excuse. I did not agree. Not in my time, not in my time, Duterte said.The President admitted he was ignorant about research regarding the supposed medicinal properties of marijuana despite previously saying this was already an ingredient of modern medicine. Late last year, Malacanang said Duterte would sign any bill that would legalize it. Duterte said considering marijuana as a medicinal drug was equivalent to condoning wrongdoings. I am ignorant of that kind of research, I must admit. And I do not read it and I do not intend to legalize it. I do not want to. Legalization would be used as an excuse. People might cultivate it and say it is for medicinal purposes, he said. They say its medicinal. Suddenly, everything will become medicinal. That would be an excuse, Duterte said.
Sophia Hadjipanteli, who was born in Cyprus, is proud of her genetics. Her prominent eyebrows, which shape a unibrow, garner a great deal of attention on social media. Hadjipanteli, a model, has a handle on her unique look, preferring to embrace her Cyprian roots, despite criticism and snarky comments people make.

Marketing students unibrow reflects pride for her culture

Hadjipanteli, who is 22 and a marketing student at the University of Maryland, has attracted 286,000 Instagram followers. She lives in the United States, after being raised in Cyprus, Fox News reported.

Her unibrow is a nod to pride for her culture.

Fostering unity and acceptance are goals

Not only does the model and sunglass designer have her take on beauty fully intact, but she also has an abundance of self-confidence to match. Her aim is not to persuade other people to jump on the unibrow bandwagon, as she put it, but to foster unity and acceptance toward people and their preferences, Glamour Magazine pointed out.

The model shares body positive message

Hadjipanteli has received more than her fair share of hateful comments left on social media. Her life, however, moves forward as she endeavors to share a body positive message, Inked Magazine relayed. She has also modeled for top tier photographers and beauty brands as a result of her appearance.

Eyebrows evoke strong reactions on social media

She characterizes herself like everyone else manifesting my own lane and riding my own wave, Dazed Magazine reported. In addition to evoking strong reactions from haters and supporters alike, Dazed includes Hadjipanteli in the niche of people redefining the way we think about beauty. Her unique appearance was not planned, however.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

For anyone looking like this. . . . .I can now transform your brows into a MUCH more desirable look!!! #BrowsByRed https://t.co/g2kFGvW6Hb  Wendy Johnson (@EvolvingRedHead) March 7, 2019

Accidental brow tinting led to pronounced brows

The natural blonde accidentally dyed her eyebrows black as she tried to tint them after watching a how-to video on YouTube, Inked and Harpers Bazaar reported.

After her brother told Hadjipanteli that the look suited her, she began dying her brows when blonde hair shows, according to the Daily Mail (UK). 'I never expected my eyebrows - and just growing out and not touching them - to have this much of an impact on people, she stated.

She credits her genetics and her mother for her eyebrows, stating that she comes from a family with nice eyebrows, Harpers also noted. The effect is that Hadjipantelis thick brows do not lead her to feel self-conscious.

Sophia Hadjipanteli, 22, who was born and raised in Cyprus but now resides in the United States, says she lets her jet black unibrow grow freely out of a sense of pride for her culture. pic.twitter.com/K5UlraAFue  Rosa Brooks (@rbrafrica) March 6, 2019

No immediate plans to manicure brows

Though she takes a lot of heat from trolls on social media for her polarizing appearance, she stated, If I like this, just let me like this, Harpers reported.

She has no target date for tweezing her brows to appease other people or to conform with social norms. Until people start to accept others for this specific feature on their face, she told the Daily Mail, I don't feel ready to move on from it.

Be sure to follow Blasting News for the latest information. Also, check out the report on the Royal Family cracking down on racist trolls due to concern for Prince Harrys and Meghan Markles unborn baby.

Additionally, Tamron Hall, former host of NBCs Today show shared big news on social media about her first pregnancy, surprising fans, followers, and media.
Donald Trump recently hit out at the Democratic Party again whilst on his way to Alabama, this time with the rich charge of anti-semitism. On Thursday the House of Representatives received votes to pass a resolution condemning a litany of prejudices, namely anti-semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and bigotry practices.

'Disgraceful' allegations of anti-Semitism

"I thought yesterdays vote by the House was disgraceful," the president blasted on the White House lawn, going on to say, "...the Democrats have become an anti-Israel party, an anti-Jewish party." He also commented that any honest politician would agree with him that the resolution's reluctance to isolate anti-semitism was "a disgrace," Jerusalem Post reported.

The inclusion of the additional forms of prejudice, denying anti-semitism as a sole focus, was indeed the subject of significant controversy for senior Democratic senators, particularly Jewish members of the party. The inclusions were attributed largely to pressure from freshman Democrats and the Congressional Black Caucus, in support of Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

The Representative recently courted controversy for questioning pro-Israel Americans about whether they were truly patriotic if they also so staunchly supported another country's policies. Her comments were met with hostility and intense criticism, including from House Majority Leader, Nancy Pelosi.

Dual loyalty and a new low

The senator joined several other high-ranking members of the party to issue a retaliatory resolution defining anti-semitism according to the concepts of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. ...allegations that Jews should be suspected of being disloyal neighbors or citizens...has been used to marginalize and persecute the Jewish people for centuries for being a stateless minority, was one of the statements in the resolution proposal, decrying Omar's comments for perpetuating what they called "the myth of dual loyalty."

Needless to say, despite the seemingly rare agreement between the president and senior Democrats about the nature of the resolution's refusal to isolate Jewish prejudice, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wasn't having it.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

In a lengthy Facebook post, Schumer hit out at the president's convenient change of tune, noting his response to the Charlottesville riots as a prime example of hypocrisy displayed.

"For the president, who when neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville in front of a synagogue and said burn it down and he said both sides are to blame, this is a new divisive low," he wrote. "His comments show the president is only interested in playing the politics of division and not in fighting anti-Semitism. Mr. President, you have redefined chutzpah."

Amen to that.
Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos is urging the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission to seriously consider implementing a lifeline rate for consumers who are not heavy users of data and mobile services. She is also proposing a package of measures to reduce the cost of phone calls, text messages, and data services to end the countrys record of having one of the highest mobile voice and SMS rates in Asia. A lifeline rate which could be based on a consumers average data and mobile use would benefit mostly lower income Filipinos, the governor said. The poor sectors of our society use the Internet less frequently than the techie ones, hence they should not be burdened with high cellphone charges that they did not actually incur. The lifeline rate is the socialized pricing mechanism already being implemented in in the power industry where consumers with monthly electricity consumption of 100 kilowatt-hours or less will continue to enjoy subsidized electricity prices. Marcos, who is running for senator in the May midterm elections, urged the government to remove the value-added tax on telecommunication services, such as phone calls and data subscriptions, and to eliminate the interconnectivity fees between telco firms. Removing the VAT on cellular and data subscriptions will substantially bring down the cost of communications in the country to benefit our people, especially those engaged in business and those whose relatives are working abroad and who rely heavily on cellular phone calls and the internet to communicate with their loved ones as often as they can, she said. Marcos also proposed the elimination of network connectivity fees, where subscribers of either Globe or Smart are charged extra when they contact numbers belonging to the other network. The governor stressed that interconnectivity charges hamper customer mobility, and effectively holds subscribers hostage to their existing network plans, she said.Removing the network connectivity fees will not only reduce the cost of communications services, but will also improve customer mobility in the telecommunication industry as well as compel telcos to improve their services, she said. If we remove interconnectivity fees, this will make it easier for a subscriber to move from one network to another if they are not satisfied with the services they are receiving from their current providers. Right now, a customer, even if extremely dissatisfied with the services of Smart or Globe, would be held back from switching to another provider by the stiff interconnection fees. Thus, telcos get away with bad service while raking in huge profits at the expense of their customers, the administration candidate explained. Right now, our telco companies are offering unli plans in the guise of making their services and products more affordable to Filipino customers. But is unli really unlimited? Interconnectivity fees end up as extra cost on top of your unlimited plan, Marcos added. In the long-term, Marcos asserts that the elimination of interconnectivity charges and fees will drastically reduce costs of phone and data connection and force telco firms to ensure reliability of their servicesa double-win situation for Filipino subscribers. Filipinos are paying more for services that are much worse than what can be procured elsewhere. We all end up shortchanged while telco firms rake up more and more profits, Marcos said. The DICT is currently fine tuning a proposal for a shared telco infrastructure initiative. The common tower scheme is expected to improve connectivity by providing the necessary infrastructure for all telco firms. The Philippines has one of the lowest cell densities in Asia.
India is one of the countries that continue to recognize the Maduro government. Venezuelas oil minister visited there last month to persuade the two major oil purchasers  Reliance Industries Ltd., which operates the worlds largest refining complex, and Nayara Energy, partially owned by Russias Rosneft oil giant  to buy more. The minister, Manuel Quevedo, told reporters he wanted to see the creation of a non-dollar trading bloc involving China, India and Russia, Reuters reported.

Weve asked India and other partners to join the oil sanctions, and are working with them to have that arrangement, but everything is on the table in that regard, the administration official said.

"We say you should not be helping this regime, you should be on the side of the Venezuelan people," Elliott Abrams told Reuters in an interview.

The Trump administration has given the same message to other governments, Abrams said, and has made a similar argument to foreign banks and private companies doing business with the Maduro government.

Abrams described the U.S. approach as "arguing, cajoling, urging."

The Trump administration naturally prefers otherwise.If the administration successfully blocked Reliance off from Iran, it seems logical it will do the same with Venezuela. This becomes a serious issue for Venezuelans, who are deprived more and more as the government's revenue dwindles. The Trump administration is gradually tightening the economic screws. What happens to Venezuelans when there are no buyers? Elliott Abrams is saying publicly that India is being pressured.Now Reuters reports that Venezuela has suspended oil exports to India, citing China and Russia as its only partners.
ROME  Discovery is a difficult term. It places emphasis on the current civilization and places privilege, and even bestows power, to a specific culture. The North and South American continents were already here when Europeans arrived as were the indigenous people. No actual discovery occurredthe term actually means that a group ignorant of a specific reality was enlightened, even corrected regarding their previous knowledge.

In 1991, two researchers, Giovanni Lamoratta and Giuseppe Maiorano, reportedly discovered a stone structure in the Tacchiolo area of the small town of Bomarzo Italy about 90 minutes north of Rome in the province of Viterbo. The researchers stumbled across the monument while working the area in the spring of that year. The discovery was met with little interest. In one sense, the pyramid was lost again within a few years of its discovery. In another sense, a discovery did not occur as the area had been inhabited by individuals and families who were poor or destitute seeking shelter in the area.

In 2008, agriculturalist Salvatore Fosci was performing some surveying in the same area and re-discovered the pyramid. Mr. Fosci took the time to clear the structure, so its scope and location be came clearly visible. He also informed community members and local rangers about the find and its location. This time, the discovery stuck, at least in the internet and into contemporary awareness. But Mr. Fosci notes in his conversations about the re-discovery that many in the areaeven from his great-grandfathers timemay have known of the stone structures existence. Mr. Foscis initiative to make the structure visible by removing plants and debris made the structure clearly visible.

Still, the structure seemed to garner little attention. Recently, however, more and more visitors have tried to find the location of the structure raising its profile and assuring the current iteration of discovery is complete for the time being.

What is it?

The name Etruscan pyramid is a misnomer. The structure is not a pyramid, at least the way most of would imagine having seen images from Egypt or Mexico. Rather, the structure is a huge piece of volcanic peperino rock that was naturally and generally triangular and then carved with multiple levels. It has 26 steps hewn out of the rock that rise to the first level and the steepness of the steps echo the shape of the Mayan pyramids of Mexico. The steep stairway leads to two flattened levels that may have served as intermediate altars and the main altar at the top. The flattened levels are connected by a smaller set of stairs with a final short set to the top of the structure. There are also some carved gutters about 6 inches deep. In total, the structure is about 24ft (~8m) by 53ft (~16m) and rises to about 30ft (~10m) in height. It is the largest such structure in Europe.

What was it for?

Its purpose is somewhat unknown as archaeologists have yet to focus attention on the structure, but it appears to be an altar for offerings and is surrounded by other Etruscan ruins. At the top altar, there is an off-set area that overlooks the cliff face on which the structure sits. Some claim that human offerings were conducted here but without specific evidence, the nature of the offerings remains unknown. Etruscans, however, depicted human sacrifice in both their art and literature and recent evidence from an excavation in Tarquinia appears to affirm the practice. The altar itself faces northwest, which aligns with direction of the Etruscan underworld; and indeed the channel for any flowing liquid follows that direction until it falls over the cliff.

It is also part of a complex of other structures carved into adjacent areas of the cliff. One such area, the preachers stone, reportedly contained a sarcophagus. It was part of a two-level structure carved in the cliff face near the pyramid. But again, the exact rituals constructed here and the possible roles the inhabitants had in relation to the adjacent carvings are mostly unknown or passed along as assumptions.

Etruscan Culture and Religion

Centered in the now Italian province of Tuscany whose names derives from these prior inhabitants, Etruscan civilization flourished from about 900 BCE to about 100 BCE when it was overcome and assimilated by the Roman Republic. The civilization stretched the Tyrrhenian Sea northeast to the modern Veneto region and along the Italian coast toward modern-day Naples. Their wealth and power remain attested to in their art. They were also heavily influenced by Greek culture both Archaic and Hellenistic. Their language, apparently unrelated to Indo-European, is an isolate to the region and remains incompletely understood.

Etruscan religion centered on Tages, a child deity who sprung from cultivated earth and revealed the religious elements to the culture. Those teachings culminate in the Etrusca Disciplina; itself heavily influencing Roman Religion. Other deities of Etruscan religion are known and appear to be indigenous, while other deities entered the religion through contact with Greece. However, sources suggest that Etruscan were immanent polytheists, with all reality and observable phenomenon connected to divine forces.

They also believed in a responsibility to feed their deities and ancestors. Like many other religions, they placed particularly importance on blood. They also appear to have practiced various types of animal augury, again lending some support to the use of the Pyramids altar.

If you go

The Pyramid is located in Bomarzo, Italy and is accessible to the public on foot. But, it is also located along steep cliffs in a wooded area. A local guide is helpful and advised if you do not speak Italian. You do need to have a car to get to the parking area and there does not appear to be a way to arrive using public transportation. Again, a local guide could assist. You do not need to be an avid hiker to get to the pyramid but you do need to be able to walk a couple of miles over uneven terrain and slippery locations as well as narrow ledges. The pyramid and tombs are essentially on the edge of a tall cliff. Parking is at a small area before a long and narrow dirt road. At the end of the road is the entrance to the area and from there, you must  more or less  intuit the traveled paths. There is no directional signage. The area of the pyramid has other Etruscan carvings, but, again, they are not identified by signage. Finally, yes, it is a long trip and worth it.
Peter Beinart in Forward:

Late last month, in between the firestorm over Congresswoman Ilhan Omars comments about AIPACs influence being all about the Benjamins and the firestorm over her comments about allegiance to a foreign country, the United Nations issued a report into Israels killing of 189 Palestinians  some of whom were journalists and health workers, and 35 of whom were children  and injuring of more than 9,000 during protests last year in the Gaza Strip.

The report, which was based on 325 interviews and over 8,000 documents, alleged that, 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.

It suggested that the killings may constitute a crime against humanity.

The United States is not a bystander in this. For many years, Israel has used American weaponry in Gaza: Apache helicopters, F16s, bunker busting bombs. Amnesty International has questioned whether Israels use of such weapons violates the Arms Export Act of 1976, which requires that American-made weapons not be used for violations of internationally recognized human rights.

None of this means Congress should take the UN report as gospel. The UN is a flawed institution populated by many regimes that dont like Israel, and its evidence should be thoroughly interrogated.

But Congress didnt debate the report. It didnt investigate its claims. It pretended that it did not exist.

More here.
"You had your time, you had the power. You've yet to have your finest hour." -- Queen, Radio Ga Ga

I have hesitated to write about comprehensive health care reform proposals such as Medicare for All, primarily because the idea is wrapped inside some fairly strong emotional packaging at the moment. However, given recent activity in Washington, D.C., I have decided that it is time to offer an opening salvo in what is likely to be a long and contentious debate about the future of our health care system.

Today, from a policy perspective, we find ourselves caught between two major forces: the need to stabilize our insurance markets and the need to identify the next generation of health care reforms. Both objectives are necessary, and both are important.

In public speeches, I remind audiences, "We think about health care as a human issue, but we legislate on health care as an economic issue." This clarification is important because it allows us to focus our attention on the economic drivers that motivate our legislative process. Despite the coverage gains and insurance reforms secured by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the cost of health care has continued to increase at an alarming rate, placing tremendous economic pressure on individuals, families, businesses and government programs.

In the past two months, a number of studies and reports have been published that point toward the economic trajectory and realities of our current health care system.

 A CMS report(www.cms.gov) projected increases in health care costs of 5.5 percent per year, with overall spending on health care reaching 19.4 percent of GDP by 2027.

 A report from the Health Care Cost Institute(www.healthcostinstitute.org) found that per-person spending reached $5,641 in 2017, and individual out-of-pocket spending continues to rise at greater than 2 percent per year.

 A CDC report(www.cdc.gov) found that the number of uninsured people is increasing and that an astonishing 45 percent of people who are insured now have a high-deductible health plan (HDHP).

These findings aren't surprising, which is sad, but they illustrate what is motivating a new push for major health care reform.

And so it begins. Last week, the much-discussed and highly anticipated Medicare for All legislation(www.congress.gov) was introduced in the House with more than 100 co-sponsors -- an eye-opening display of support. M4A, as it is often called, is the most discussed proposal that has been introduced to date, but it certainly is not the only one. In recent weeks, other bills have been introduced that would expand access to the two primary public insurance programs -- Medicare and Medicaid -- to Americans who are not currently eligible to participate.

These others are

The Medicare at 50 Act is an interesting proposal that would allow individuals between 50 and 64 years of age to buy into the Medicare program. It is viewed as a compromise position between the current system and the M4A proposal. The bill has strong support among Democratic senators who are seeking an alternative to M4A.

The SAME Act would allow states that expanded or plan to expand Medicaid after 2014 to access 100 percent matching federal dollars for the first three years of their expansion. More simply, it allows states that expand Medicaid to benefit from the funding structure established in the ACA regardless of when they implement expansion.

Health reform activities are not limited to Democrats. There are a number of bills being introduced by Republicans that would promote more "market-based" solutions. Primarily, these proposals focus on expanding access to health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements. Also, remember that the administration has taken significant steps to broaden access to association health plans and short-term limited duration insurance plans. Although the AAFP has concerns about these models because of their nonadherence to the consumer protections and insurance reforms included in the ACA, they are products that make health care coverage more broadly available.

The AAFP is excited that Reps. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will soon reintroduce the Primary Care Patient Protection Act,(www.congress.gov) which would incentivize those 45 percent of individuals with HDHPs to access primary care more frequently.

The AAFP been diligently working for more than two years to build an understanding and policy basis for this debate, and I am comfortable with our current position. The Academy has produced two documents in recent years that have been adopted by the AAFP Congress of Delegates (COD). The first document, "Discussion Paper on Health Care Coverage and Financing Models,"(37 page PDF) (see Appendix A, which begins on page 195 of the link) was approved by the COD in 2017. The second is our policy Health Care for All: A Framework for Moving to a Primary Care-Based Health Care System in the United States, which was approved by the COD in 2018. The AAFP first adopted a policy for health care for all in 1989, and the new framework builds on our 30-year commitment to this goal.

Additionally, the AAFP is scheduled to host panel discussions on health care reform and financing at the Annual Chapter Leader Forum, the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students and the Family Medicine Experience. These panel discussions aim to inform family physicians about the current system and proposals under consideration in Washington. If you plan to attend one of these meetings, I would encourage you to come to these sessions.

Wonk Hard

I was honored to join several state chapters in Dallas recently for the MultiState Forum to discuss health care policy and advocacy issues that impact family medicine. I always enjoy engaging with our state chapter leaders and family physicians from across the nation. Nothing sharpens your focus like hearing directly from family physicians on the frontlines of our health care system.

On the flight home, I had the opportunity to watch Bohemian Rhapsody. Although the movie was panned by many critics, I found it to be a wonderful trip through my youth and a celebration of the incomparable talents of Freddie Mercury. After watching the movie, I was left with one thought: There are two types of people in the world, those who believe Queen is the greatest rock band of the 1970s and '80s, and those who are wrong. Don't tweet me, just go with it!
The search for the 2019 The Outstanding Filipino is officially underway. JCI Senate Philippines and JCISP TOFIL Foundation, in partnership with ANSA Foundation, staged the national launching the other day of the TOFIL Awards 2019 at Kalayaan Hall at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City. With the theme, Nation Builders and Heroes In Our Midst, the TOFIL Awards recognizes outstanding Filipinos 41 years of age and over whose exemplary achievements have contributed to public welfare and community building worthy of emulation. For over 30 years, The Outstanding Filipino [TOFIL] awards has been giving recognition to remarkable men and women who have served the Filipino people through their exceptional work and excellence, says JCISP president JCI Sen. Domingo Jun Roque. They are the pride of our nation. They are great inspirations to all of us. This year promises to be another banner year as we continue the fine tradition of the JCI Senate Philippines. With our renewed partnership with ANSA Foundation and chaired by seasoned events specialistJCI Senator Melandrew Velascothis years TOFIL will be up to task to honor inspiring Filipino individuals. National Chairman and JCISP PR Director JCI Senator Melandrew T. Velasco adds, I believe there are many outstanding and exemplary Filipinos whose lives have left a lasting legacy to their contemporaries and to the younger generation of nation-builders and leaders, and we will honor them in the next coming months. According to ANSA Foundation president Philip Nocom whose partnership with JCI Senate Philippines started in 2016, this has been one of ANSAs most important legacy and outreach projects.We are honored to renew our commitment and partnership with JCI Senate Philippines in this years prestigious TOFIL Awards, he says. TOFIL Foundation Chairman JCI Senator Bicbic Garcia called on citizens to join hands and push this noble project to greater heights as we collectively search for outstanding Filipinos who inspire and continue to uplift the lives of many. Organized by JCI Senate Philippines since 1988, the TOFIL Awards has since brought public recognition to more than 100 men and women whose greatness in their fields have made a lasting impact in the society. Among its 100 previouswere: Cecilia Munoz Palma (Public Service, 1988); Diosdado Macapagal (Government Service, 1990); Helena Zoila T. Benitez (Education, 1996); Efren Reyes (Sports, 1999); David Consunji (Construction Industry, 2002); Antonio P. Meloto (Humanitarian Service, 2006).
House committee wants trust secrecy in South Dakota cut after Pandora Papers

The federal government potentially stepping in to regulate trust industries would likely be an unwelcome development for Republican lawmakers in South Dakota.


Theres a different kind of phishing scam making its way across the state this month, but the owner of an Albuquerque construction company was wise enough to thwart it.

Others might not be so lucky.

Government agencies are also being targeted by this payroll scam, according to the state Auditors Office. They include Bernalillo County, the state Public Education Department, Central New Mexico Community College, the New Mexico Military Institute and the Santa Fe and Clovis school districts.

Stephanie Telles, Auditors Office spokeswoman, said she could not disclose which of those agencies lost money. She said after the initial loss of funds, her office made recovery efforts, some with success and others still pending.

Heres how it worked when it hit T.A. Cole & Sons General Contractors recently: Owner Anna Cole says her office administrator got an email from a supposed employee asking her to redirect his direct deposit paycheck to a different bank account number.

It was signed with the name of a real employee, only it wasnt a real employee. It was a scammer who wanted to get his hands on the next paycheck.

The administrator played along and asked for the new account and routing numbers, which the imposter supplied. Cole said they then had even more fun with the guy, asking him, Does your wife know about this? before cutting off contact.

An alert from state Auditor Brian Colon was directed to New Mexico businesses, government agencies and individuals.

We believe all State agencies and entities should be on high alert, Colon said. Its important to note that once a transfer of direct deposit funds is (completed) to the fraudulent bank/financial institutions account, it can be difficult to get the funds back, causing a loss to the agency or entity.

The office recommends contacting the employee in person or by phone to validate any payroll change requests. As always, be wary of any unsolicited communication that conveys a sense of urgency.

Also, businesses and agencies should alert employees to this scam and train them on how to handle phishing scams. the auditor said.

The state auditor asks that those who are targeted report it online at www.saonm.org or by calling the fraud hotline at: 1-866-OSA-Fraud.

  

This episode proves that its not just older people who can fall for it.

The website Scam Detector is warning of a frozen cell phone scam that tricked an18-year-old Michigan youth into forking over $80. The teen fell prey after he got a message supposedly from Apple support, saying he was locked out of his phone but service could be restored if he called a 1-800 number immediately.

He did so, and followed directions to get $800 worth of iTunes gift cards and then tell the scammers what the codes on the cards are. He didnt catch on until the scammers took his money but told him they needed another $1,000, according to a Michigan TV station.

Apple warns that its iTunes/App store gift cards can be used only to purchase goods and services from the iTunes Store or App Store. Any request that you buy one for any other purpose is a huge red flag, the company says.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210.
With more than 325 combat missions during the Vietnam War under his belt, itd be natural to assume Bill Martin of Rio Rancho could have his demons to fight 50 years later.

Assume away, although Martin managed to dispel what had been 40 years of the same nightmare by becoming a Christian.

Religion had never meant much to Martin, who turns 88 in April, while he was growing up or in the Navy, for whom he flew helicopter gunships over the delta, protecting U.S. riverboats below and ferreting out Viet Cong. He was known as Seawolf 7-6  aka The Pilot with a Magic Hat  in 1967-68.

We were their eyes, Martin recalled, as he recently recounted myriad adventures before about three-dozen Meadowlark Senior Center members; the informative session was sponsored by the New Mexico Humanities Council. We covered all the boats in that area.

That area was deep in the Mekong Delta, about 60-70 miles south of Saigon.

Martin oversaw the set-up of the River Patrol headquarters, with six gunship detachments  two Huey choppers per detachment.

I wanted my people to be airborne in three minutes, five to seven minutes at night, he said, with his men responsible for a 30-mile segment of the river, which was more like a canal in size.

And it was one of his 500 total missions that begat his four-decade recurring nightmare: He was at the controls and his co-pilot engaged him in a cockpit battle, believing Martin was steering them into oblivion. Martin fended him off and, at the last second, opened fire with his rockets before peeling off and living to fight another day.

That episode was during the Tet Offensive, he recalled, when his chopper had ten 30-calibers and six 50-calibers trained on me, diving at green tracers. Ours were orange. Within seconds of being in (their) range, I fired off two rockets.

The chopper got shot up, but we didnt get wounded, he said. Wed come back with bullet holes one in every eight flights  you dont know whats happening, but you get through it. I was there 16 months and never lost a crewman.

The Hueys were real reliable; we patched em up with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans, he joked.

His recurring nightmare began the way the flight with a cockpit scuffle had, and then all of a sudden, he realizes he is outside the chopper, watching it while controlling it  seeing it protected by a white shroud, with Viet Cong bullets bouncing off this weird shield.

Right after I would pop off the rocket, I would wake up in a cold sweat.

I had never read the Bible before, he recalled, but somehow realized, God saved me.

Finding peace

So Martin became a Christian at the age of 79 one Easter Sunday at Calvary Chapel.

Things have settled down a lot, Martin said. PTSD is not just an individual thing; its the whole (expleteive) family.  Like many returning vets, I had been drinking heavily. When I started doing things with the Humanities Council, I had a purpose.

People at MSC and elsewhere know him from his appearances as Harry Houdini; youngsters know him also as a magician, Swami Salami, assisted by his wife Charlene.

Seeing the smiling faces of children enjoying his magic makes Martin smile, and reminds him of smiling youngsters observing his acts in Vietnam.

South Vietnam people were real friendly, Martin said, recalling enrolling in a two-week crash course to learn their language.

One of those appearances nearly cost him his life. He had his collapsible table, magicians hat and various tricks stashed under his seat in the Huey.

After landing near a village, he was in the middle of my magic show when a little girl came up and said, You go; VC come. I could see the fear in her eyes.

I dumped all my stuff in the helicopter, got airborne, he said. I went back, and the VC and their weapons were there. They put a price on my head  I dont know if it was a dollar-ninety-eight or what.

Martin said he plans to write a book about his life, which will surely include a lot more than his 18-month stint in the jungle of Vietnam.

Hes likely the only resident in the City of Vision who in 1969 flew a plane across the Atlantic Ocean while blindfolded. And who else do you know who was all set to make an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show  until, Martin jokes, he was pre-empted by a kissing giraffe?

Invitation

Martin invites other New Mexico veterans, bothered by PTSD or not, to join the Veterans & Patriots Performance Group, of which he is president. The group serves as a creative outlet for veterans, especially with PTSD or other disabilities, and puts on 60- to 90-minute variety shows for churches, veterans organizations and commercial venues.

Call Jim French at 350-9655 for more information.
Marijuana, it seems, has become the hot-button issue at every legislative session since Colorado pioneered legalizing its recreational use in 2014.

The Observer is aware of both sides of the conversation and respects each. However, we stand for the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Were not fans of getting high, but it seems laws against marijuana havent stopped many people from getting and using it. Have you noticed how many Rio Rancho Police arrest records involve marijuana?

If people are going to use it, we might as well get revenue for important public services from it. The state needs more money.

Plus, legal marijuana would hopefully take business away from unscrupulous dealers selling pot brought in from other countries at the expense of whatever life, however innocent, may have gotten in the way.

A few guidelines are important, though. First, the states medical cannabis program should remain intact and the age limit for accessing recreational cannabis should be 21.

After all, one of the most dangerous effects of cannabis is how it might be a gateway drug, meaning its use may lead people to move on to harder drugs. Allowing high school students  who dont seem to have any trouble acquiring cannabis, according to several national studies  to use marijuana would be as irresponsible as allowing them to drink.

Also, it should remain illegal to drive while impaired by marijuana. Employers should be able to ban their employees from showing up to work under the influence of pot, or ban recreational use entirely for employees.

Finally, cannabis regulation should be efficient enough to not eat up all of the revenue collected from recreational sales.

Multiple cannabis-legalization bills presented this year in the legislature are gaining attention.

Among other things, House Bill 356, the Cannabis Regulation Act, would allow adults up to 2 ounces of cannabis or 16 grams of cannabis extract.

This bill sponsored by five Democrats would introduce a 9 percent excise tax for all cannabis products to be added to sales tax, excluding retail sales of medical marijuana.

Counties and municipalities will have the option to add their own excise tax up to 3 percent.

Senate Bill 577, the bipartisan Cannabis Regulation Act, would allow possession of half an ounce of cannabis or 4 grams of cannabis extract for adults. It would legalize displaying, purchasing, transporting and being under the influence of marijuana.

Taxes from the sales would go to the state and local governments, with some earmarked for police training and substance-abuse treatment. On top of a normal sales tax, the bill would impose a 4 percent state excise tax on all cannabis products and allow counties and municipalities to add their own tax, up to 4 percent.

We can learn from our neighbor to the north and try to implement programs that avoid the pitfalls Colorado felt after its decision.

Give it thought and pass the vote on passing the joint.
Say Phantom of the Opera, and many fans think Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The New Mexico Ballet Company is staging its own version of the classic story with the New Mexico Philharmonic against a classical soundtrack. The performance includes music by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, Handel, Gounod, Khachaturian and Wagner. The production is slated for two shows on Saturday, March 16, at Popejoy Hall.

Were not using any of the music from the musical or the movie, NMBC artistic director Natalie Harris said. Its already being performed by Albuquerque Academy.

The music rights contract stipulates that two Webber productions cannot be performed simultaneously, she said.

So Harris worked with conductor David Felberg to match the music to the motion in this tale of outcasts, love and obsession.

I dont think its ever been done as a ballet, she said.

The exiled Phantom hides a romantic heart and a sensitive soul beneath his physical ugliness. Driven by hopeless love for the beautiful soprano Christine, he becomes a specter in a sinister world of his own creation deep within the opera house dungeon.

Lush costumes and neoclassical choreography will conjure the world of this fantastical love triangle.

I choreographed it, Harris said. Im the type that really likes to see the music through the movement. It was a lot of fun, because Phantom isnt all about princesses and the princes who rescue them. He lives in the shadows because his features are deformed.

The neoclassical style offers the dancers more flexibility with less rigid lines, she said.

The costumes will set the scene during the Edwardian period of 1904, with abundant ruffles fluttering from collars and sleeves.

The only risque part is the tango, Harris said. Its the part where the Phantom comes to the stage with this Spanish-style ballet when hes going to kidnap Christine and take her away. Theyre in all black and they have a red rose in their hair.

The companys more than 60 dancers range in age from 8 to 60. The production will incorporate as many children as possible, Harris said.

Albuquerque native Robbie Rodriguez will star as the Phantom, with Kira Petersen as Christine. Rodriguez trained with both State Street Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. He most recently played Aladdin in Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. Petersen grew up in Minnesota and trained with the Joffrey Ballet School. She danced with the New Mexico Ballet Company from 2012 to 2015 and rejoined in 2017.

We collaborate with the Phil every spring, Harris said. We like to do something new. Its still a great story; were doing our own interpretation of it.
In its excruciating examination of love, Fool for Love dissects the marrow of two people who cant live without each other whether they like it or not.

This Sam Shepard classic was a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for drama. The Adobe Theater is staging the play beginning next weekend, with repeats through March 31.

Fool for Love opens with a confrontation between former lovers May and Eddie, reunited at a desert motel. Director Jeff Andersen has set the play in rural southwestern New Mexico.

It allows the script and the characters to explore the darker side of love, he said,   the way we may intentionally or unintentionally hurt the ones we love. Or even things as complex as we carry our childhood traumas into adult relationships.

Eddie shows up at the motel to woo May back to his farm, complete with a trailer. May is uninterested; shes starting over with a new job, a potential new love interest and doesnt want to repeat the carnage.

Theyve had a tumultuous relationship, Andersen said. They met in high school and had an on-again, off-again relationship for the past 17 years. We find out May is waiting for another date to pick her up.

Shepard incorporates a character called The Old Man, initially introduced as Eddies father. He isnt literally in the motel room, but the audience senses he may be watching the scene either in his own mind or his sons.

You get a sense of the way Eddie was raised and a sense of the way (his father) treated his mother reflected in the way Eddie treats May, Andersen said. Hes repeating all the stuff his Dad did. Its that cyclical effect of how humans treat one another. They love each other for all the wrong reasons, but they cant seem to break the magnetism between them.

Fool for Love premiered in 1983 at San Franciscos Magic Theatre, where Shepard was the playwright-in-residence.

It forms part of a quintet featuring Shepards Family Trilogy: Curse of the Starving Class, (1977); Buried Child, (1979); and True West (1980); as well as A Lie of the Mind (1985).

If you go

WHAT: Fool for Love by Sam Shepard

WHEN: 7:30 Friday and Saturday, March 15-16; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Repeats on weekends through March 31.

WHERE: Adobe Theater, 9813 Fourth NW

HOW MUCH: $20; $17 seniors, students, guild members, military, first responders. Opening weekend $15 at adobetheater.org.
READ: Anti-corruption campaign should be in

curriculum



READ: Malacanang fires Balutan of PCSO for corruption

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday warned his Cabinet officials that he would not hesitate to fire them for contributing to the governments shortcomings. In a speech in Negros Occidental, thesaid he can dismiss them if they bring trouble to his administration. I know the problem. The government has a lot of shortcomings. Ill say this to you, frankly. I have ordered the dismissal of several Cabinet members. That is what you [government officials] have to watch out for, Duterte said, without elaborating. On Saturday, Malacanang announced thatThe Palace confirms that President Duterte has terminated the services of PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan on his present post due to serious allegations of corruption, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. Panelo did not reveal much about Balutans offense but reiterated that Duterte will not allow those who violate the Constitution to lead the country. Good governance and public accountability are the twin hallmarks of the Duterte administration. These are the standards that those in the government must exercise at all times and with utmost responsibility and fidelity, he said. Those who fail to observe the same will inexorably suffer the harsh and punitive consequences, he added, hoping that Balutans termination will serve as a stern warning to all government officials and employees. The campaign against corruption, like the war on prohibited drugs, will be relentless and continuing until the last day of the Presidents term, Panelo said.Balutan was not the only one who was axed this year. In early January 2019, the President sacked Bacolod City chief of police Francis Ebreo and four other police officers for their drug involvement. In November last year, Duterte also fired three officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The Palace said Undersecretary for Protective Operations and Programs Group Mae Ancheta-Templa, Undersecretary for Promotive Operations and Programs Group Maria Lourdes Turalde-Jarabe, and Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group Hope Hervilla have been terminated to give newly appointed Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista a chance to pick his own team. A month before that, the President also sacked left-leaning official Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod. Duterte, however, had a change of heart as he welcomed Maglunsod into his administration as the executive director of National Maritime Polytechnic. The Palace had previously maintained that the President will have no sacred cows in his government.
Graham Greene, one of the greatest English novelists of the 20th century, generally wrote novels of two kinds: one exploring faith and spirituality through a Catholic lens, and the other depicting the dark side of international politics and undercover operations.

Travels With My Aunt belongs to the latter kind, although its a great deal lighter in tone than the somber novels of espionage he is famous for. Travels With My Aunt is Greenes only genuinely comic novel and was adapted into a play by Giles Havergal in 1989. This version is being presented in ingenious fashion by West End Productions.

Directors Cy and Jane Hoffman tell the story using only four actors, each of whom is attired in identical costume: black suit and bowler hat with red chrysanthemum in button hole in Act 1; white casual summer attire in Act 2 (the boutonniere remains, but the chrysanthemum has been exchanged for a suitably tropical red flower).

The two principal characters are Aunt Augusta and her nephew Henry, who are as unlike as two people can be. Augusta is a 75-year-old nonjudgmental freewheeling bohemian, a former prostitute with a black lover from Sierra Leone named Wordsworth, who is madly in love with her; she, however, is in love with an Italian criminal and Nazi collaborator named Visconti. Her nephew is a retired banker who has lived a completely unadventurous life. The two meet for the first time at Henrys mothers funeral, and before long are traveling to Istanbul.

In a brilliant casting move, Aunt Augusta is played by Kenneth Ansloan, Albuquerques most beloved female impersonator. The other three actors  Tim MacAlpine, Harry Zimmerman and Colleen Neary McClure  alternate playing Henry and impersonate the many other characters the two meet along the way. Each actor is superb.

Wordsworth turns out to be as vital a character as Henry and his aunt, and Zimmerman plays the African with comic panache and great sympathy. Zimmerman also plays Visconti, the charming rogue Aunt Augusta has given her heart to. All four actors play characters of both sexes at one time or another; even Ansloan  who otherwise plays only Aunt Augusta  a bit incongruously plays Henry toward the end of the show.

McClure, who joined the cast late and miraculously manages to keep pace with the other three actors, is hilarious as a dog named Wolf and as a pot-smoking American hippie named Tooley (who introduces the staid banker Henry to a new kind of cigarette on the train to Istanbul; Henry has no idea, at first, that he is smoking pot). Later, McClure will play Tooleys father, a CIA agent in South America looking for Visconti.

The show is episodic, moving quickly from one location to another, and telling the story simply without costume and set changes is a brilliant device.

Travels With My Aunt is playing through March 17 at the VSA North Fourth Art Center, 4904 Fourth NW. Go to westendproductions.org or call 404-8462 for reservations.
Two new histories on a subject important to New Mexicans  indeed, to all Americans  are monumental in their scope, accessible and enlightening in their narratives, yet dramatically different in their approach.

One history is Robert Goodwins America  The Epic Story of Spanish North America, 1493-1898.

The other is Carrie Gibsons El Norte  The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America.

Gibson wrote in an email that her research was driven in part by what interested her as a historian and in part as a reader rather than a sense of what I ought to be including.

Those thoughts propelled her to write about her cross-pollinating journeys looking historically into Hispanic life in El Norte beginning in the 16th century and observing the changing demographics of her high school in Dalton, Ga., in the 1990s, reflecting population shifts in the nation.

In four years, she recalled in the authors note, the school went from majority English-speaking with a few students in English as a Second Language classes to full ESL classes in her senior year. These ESL students were children of the thousands of Mexicans who moved to Dalton for work in the towns carpet mills.

Gibsons observations bookend the narrative about Hispanic North America (United States and Mexico).

As she put it in her email,  at a time when the United States continues to struggle with questions of race, nationality, citizenship, language and belonging, it seemed clear me that I would be working across these themes.

 What I wanted to develop was a sense of overlap  that these centuries of events had points of contact, all of which connect over time and which help illuminate how the distant past informs the present day, Gibson wrote.

For years, historian Goodwin wrote in an email, hes been wanting to write a book about all the parts of the United States that used to be Spanish. America is that book. He wrote that it is almost fully written from original Spanish sources, so it offers a very unusual Spanish perspective on the geographical territory of the modern USA.

His book tells history, as he put, through interconnecting stories, focusing on the realities of the protagonists. I wanted my narrative to be very vivid, film-like  I have used contemporary diaries, reports, paintings, and even poetry, Goodwin wrote.

For example, he quoted Gaspar Perez de Villagras epic poem to help tell the story of Don Juan de Onates invasion of Pueblo New Mexico (Arms, and the man I sing, of valor, prudence/ ). Villagra was Onates legal counsel for the expedition.

Another aid in the telling are documentary sources that Goodwin wrote give a strong sense of the Spanish experience and how they understood it. For the Pueblo Revolt, he tried to use available pueblo oral histories and pueblo testimonies.

Goodwins book begins in 1493. That year Columbus reached what is the first major island that is today a U.S. territory  Puerto Rico. The book concludes in Puerto Rico in 1898, the year that marked the end of the Spanish-American War with the victorious U.S. annexing Puerto Rico.

Gibson also wrote Empires Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day.

Goodwin is the author of Crossing the Continent, 1527-1540: The Story of the First African-American Explorer of the American South and Spain: The Center of the World, 1519-1682.
By the age of 12, Twotone Grant lived on the streets of Los Angeles.

The 43-year-old said her mothers struggle with addiction and mental illness, and less-than desirable foster homes left her with little choice.

In some instances, I was safer on the streets, she said. My mother had four kids, and I was the youngest. She was a struggling alcoholic.

It was her troubled childhood and experience with homelessness that would compel Grant years later to start the nonprofit A Light in the Night Community Outreach, a nonprofit organization that provides blankets, socks and other basic needs to the homeless people of Albuquerque.

Twotone is the official street name she gave herself, inspired by her different-colored eyes and her mixed heritage. Her mother was Anglo and her father black. The new name, she said, also symbolized the start of her new life.

Grant spent more than eight years off and on being homeless. The state had tried to reunite Grant and her siblings with their mother, but it was unsuccessful and she would run away to the streets again.

She (my mom) was ill-equipped to take care of us, she said. It was very difficult for her. We all had special needs, and she struggled with severe mental illness. She could not manage.

A couple permanently took her in and committed themselves to helping the 21-year-old Grant heal. They gave her a place to live and spent thousands for therapy and stays at intense trauma centers.

Grant decided to move to Albuquerque in 2005 to work with a reputable trauma therapist, but that move came with a difficult decision. Grant decided to give up her newborn, her 4-year-old son and her 8-year-old daughter for adoption. The children all went to different homes, but the adoptive parents all knew one another and agreed to raise the children knowing their siblings and knowing who their mother was.

I was suicidal for years, she said. I did not think I was going to survive.

Shortly after arriving in Albuquerque, she saw a news story about a homeless man freezing to death.

I could not wrap my mind around that, she said. Nobody froze to death on the streets of LA.

She didnt tuck the thought away in the back of her mind though. Instead, she took action. She was in art school and set up a box outside her art classroom asking for blankets, gloves and other winter wear. She printed out fliers and posted them at other places. The donations started to arrive and never stopped. Her movement grew and became an official nonprofit organization. Two years ago, she established a board of directors and running the organization has become a full-time job. Anytime temperatures drop, she and her crew of volunteers hit the street searching for the homeless.

Torri Lester and Grant became fast friends when the two were in art school together. Lester, 32, had been homeless as a teen and admired the work Grant was doing. She described Grants as one of the most compassionate, selfless people she has ever met, a person willing to offer a helping hand anytime of day.

Bunnie Cruse, chairwoman of the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico board, met Grant through her work. Cruse has also experienced homelessness.

I think she (Grant) provides a much-needed service for our community, Lester said. Its not just about the items she gives out, but the compassion and human contact.

Grant said she believes her organization has had success because of its simplicity and the absence of religion or ministry in her efforts.

I think people like it because there is no middle man, she said. It goes from their car, to my car, or storage unit, to the street.

She will host a yogathon fundraiser April 6 at Blissful Spirits. Participants are asked to take one to five classes that day 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while getting sponsorship from family and friends. The event costs $25 to participate and includes classes and breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Grant, a practicing muralist, has healed from her past, re-establishing a relationship with her two oldest children, who are now both over 18. She recently left a relationship and has her own place for the first time in her life. She even made peace with her mother, whom she moved to Albuquerque a few years ago. Grants mother passed away last year.

She had some health issues and I felt I needed to take care of her, she said. There was no Hallmark repairing of our relationship, but it was cathartic.

Grant said she plans to continue her work and feels its necessary, especially because she can understand what people living on the streets are experiencing.

I want to make sure people know they are cared for, no matter where they are at,she said. There is no judgment. Knowing somebody does care, just that is enough to want to survive for some folks. Being treated like a non-human is the hardest part of being on the street.

How can you help?

CONTACT: 379-0013 and 883-0211

WEBSITE: www.alightinthenightnm.org

DROP-OFF: Blissful Spirits Albuquerque, 4300 Paseo del Norte NE; Blissful Spirits Rio Rancho, 1400 Jackie Road #104; Chrome Salon, Rio Rancho, 3613 N.M. 528; Swank Salon, 1400 Carlisle NE, Suite

FACEBOOK: Twotone Grant or the A Light in the Night page
CHEYENNE, Wyo.  If you ever wished to gaze at a stomping, snorting, neighing panorama of Western heritage from your living-room window, now could be your chance.

A classic image of the American West  wild horses stampeding across the landscape  not only has endured through the years but has multiplied past the point of range damage. Through May 3, the U.S. government is seeking more private pastures for an overpopulation of wild horses.

Many consider rounding up wild horses to live out their lives on private pastures a reasonable approach to a tricky problem. Wild horses, after all, not only have romantic value, they are protected by federal law.

Just keep in mind a few of the dozens of requirements for getting paid by the government to provide wild horses a home.

Its not like you can do this in your backyard, or even a 5 acre (2 hectare) plot, said Debbie Collins, outreach specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements Wild Horse and Burro Program in Norman, Oklahoma.

You need a lot of fenced-in land, enough to sustain anywhere from 200 to 5,000 healthy horses. Exactly how much land depends on pasture quality as determined by the government, but you can safely assume several hundred if not thousands of acres (hectares).

The pastured horses typically are left on their own with little human intervention. Still, they require continuous water and basic shelter from the elements, such as trees or a canyon; supplemental forage; and corrals for loading and unloading from trailers.

Participants in the private-pasture system must live in 14 Western and Midwestern states, from eastern Washington to the Texas Panhandle. Over two-thirds of the 37 existing off-range pastures are in Oklahoma and Kansas.

And: These horses arent pets. Theyve had little exposure to people. Many are over 5 years old and therefore not ideal for training and individual adoption or sale, other options available through the BLM.

Still, theres no shortage of interest in the off-range pasture program. People call all the time asking for details, Collins said.

My only advice would be to go into it with your eyes wide open, said Dwayne Oldham, a former Wyoming state veterinarian who has taken in wild horses on his familys Double D cattle ranch outside Lander, Wyoming, since 2015.

Working with the government can be demanding, but providing for the over 130 horses on the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary on the ranch isnt too difficult, Oldham said.

The sanctuary is a little different from most private wild-horse pastures: Its open to the public. Tourists headed to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks increasingly stop there.

About 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the south, cattle ranchers, wild horse advocates and the BLM have been embroiled in decades of lawsuits over wild horses in an area of mostly unfenced, interspersed public and private lands called the Checkerboard. The booming wild horse population there competes with cattle for forage and water in the high desert, the ranchers claim.

The BLM abides by the 1971 Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which protects wild horses and burros on BLM land in 10 Western states, attorneys for the government say.

We want to be part of the solution and not just the adversary, Oldham said.

A group often involved in wild-horse litigation, the American Wild Horse Campaign, says darting mares with contraceptives is the best answer to overpopulation but is underused. Roundups only encourage compensatory breeding and overpopulation, said Grace Kuhn with the group.

However, the group doesnt oppose off-range pastures as an alternative to keeping wild horses in corrals for long periods.

We do advocate that if the government is going to be removing wild horses from the range, long-term is more cost-effective than short-term holding, Kuhn said.

Over 55,000 more horses and burros live wild in the West than the roughly 27,000 the BLM says can thrive in harmony with the landscape.

Adoptions and sales through the Wild Horse and Burro Program have recovered to over 3,400 a year after hitting a low of about 1,800 in 2014.

But while the number of off-range pastures has boomed from just a couple in the 1990s, the number of horses on them hovers very close to their current carrying capacity of about 36,500.

The number of pastured wild horses is determined mainly through roundups and adoptions. Stallions are gelded and kept at different off-range pastures than mares, preventing reproduction aside from the occasional pregnant mare rounded up from the wild.

How many new off-range pastures are established through the latest bid solicitation, the first of its kind since 2016, will depend on costs and how many existing ones get renewed, Collins said.

Its just a happier, healthier environment for a horse to be able to be out in a pasture, she said.

___

Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas  A South Texas man is being accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend and another woman after an argument and then firing at police officers before surrendering.

Larry Darnell Moore remained jailed Saturday in the Nueces County Jail on two counts of capital murder.

Police say they were met with gunfire after responding to a call at a Corpus Christi apartment complex Thursday evening.

The 41-year-old Moore allegedly fired upon a patrol vehicle, but no officers were injured.

After Moore was taken into custody, officers discovered the bodies of his girlfriend and another woman in an apartment. The womens names have not been released.

Moores lawyer, Kenneth Botary, tells the Corpus Christi Caller-Times it appears Moore and his girlfriend had an argument and it got out of hand.

___

Information from: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, http://www.caller.com
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

In 2004, the New Mexico Public Education Department had an opportunity to examine alleged misbehavior with female students by then-teacher Gary Gregor. PED could have suspended or revoked his license, and there was discussion at the department of reporting him to the police.

But, just as had happened when accusations against Gregor were investigated by the Santa Fe Public Schools and, before that, at a school district in Utah, Gregor survived to teach another day.

PED gave Gregor only a reprimand, and that action came after he had already moved on from Santa Fe and taken a job at Espanola Public Schools.

The PED reprimand appears to have resulted after an attorney for Gregor raised questions about the most serious evidence against the teacher, saying student interviews had been conducted in such a way that they would not hold up in a court proceeding. The police were not called in.

The checkered teaching career of Gregor ended after he was again accused of improperly touching elementary school girls, this time at Espanolas Fairview Elementary.

And in December, he was finally convicted in a criminal court and faces up to 168 years in prison for sexually touching two Fairview fourth-graders  now adults who testified against him  during the 2007-08 school year.

Gregors zigs and zags from state to state and, in New Mexico, through various educational bureaucracies despite repeated allegations of misconduct has gained national attention. His case is pointed to as an example of passing the trash  allowing teachers accused of sexual misbehavior to move from school to school without accountability.

Records recently obtained by the Journal reveal details of PEDs probe of Gregor after Santa Fe Public Schools officials forwarded documentation about the accusations made against him when he taught at Agua Fria Elementary in 2004.

Docents at the International Folk Art Museum had reported him for inappropriate behavior with girls on a field trip. Also sent to PED was a letter from a Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center representative that said Gregors students told her that they could feel Gregors erection when they sat on his lap.

As the Journal has previously reported in a series of articles about Gregor, SFPS leaders struck a deal with Gregor  he agreed to voluntarily resign and accepted a neutral recommendation, with no mention of alleged improprieties with girls.

One of the documents recently released by PED shines new light on that arrangement. Eleanor K. Bratton, then an attorney for Santa Fe schools, endorsed the neutral recommendation for Gregor in a May 2004 email to a school district human resources official.

Bottom line, hes (Gregor) gone, Bratton wrote. Ben (Baur, Gregors attorney) wants a neutral recommendation. No problem. He also wants no reporting to the licensure board. I said we would not make any gratuitous reports, but there were reports we were required to make, and have done so or will do so.

PED licenses New Mexico teachers and had jurisdiction to take action against Gregor regardless of the districts resolution of his case.

Veronica Garcia, now superintendent of Santa Fe Schools, was PED secretary in 2004. The Journal recently showed her documents that were obtained from PED under a public records request.

The records include internal emails in which PED attorneys discussed Gregor possibly committing criminal conduct, but later offering Gregor a reprimand instead of moving forward with a license revocation hearing.

Garcia said she had never seen the documents before. She said she would have advised attorneys to call the police and that she had trusted PED attorneys to do their jobs.

You dont know me, but I am very hard core and have very little patience or compassion for anybody whos going to molest or hurt kids, Garcia said.

And if Im going to err on a certain side, Im going to err on the safety of kids. Just reading this is really upsetting me and making me very angry. Why didnt they just contact the police?

If I had seen something like this, do you think I would have signed a letter of reprimand? No, you dont know me, but I can tell you, no.

Docents report

Gregor was placed on administrative leave by SFPS in early 2004 after the Folk Art Museum docents complained that Gregor was behaving inappropriately with two blonde girls on a field trip, including having them sit on his lap and holding their hands.

While Gregor was on leave, Helen Nakdimen from the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center spoke with Gregors class and collected new allegations. She sent a letter to Agua Fria Principal Vickie Sewing reporting how some students said that as they sat on his lap they felt his boner, his thing was sticking up, nasty! 

PED also later received that letter, according to the PED documents provided to the Journal.

Ida Lujan, then PED assistant general counsel, sent an email to the departments Professional Practices Director Joe Mendez in June 2004 that said she believed Gregor may have committed a crime and that police should be called.

The new information contained in Ms. Nadkimens (sic) letter, in my opinion, elevates the seriousness of the initial allegations, Lujan wrote. It is probably very appropriate to refer this matter to local law enforcement because it appears the elements of criminal sexual contact of a minor may have been established.

But Baur, then Gregors attorney and now New Mexicos chief public defender, argued the Rape Crisis Center discussions were tainted evidence because of lack of proper controls and students could talk among themselves about what was said. He sent a letter to the centers executive director, Barbara Goldman, in May 2004.

If any of the allegations that arose in the program were indeed true, the way that they were brought out makes them highly subject to attack in court, Baur wrote. If, however, as I suspect, they are not true, they have only served to denigrate the reputation of this teacher even further. It is alarming to think that these kinds of allegations are talked about in a group setting in other classrooms, as well, and what kinds of effects on the students this might create.

I hope, if it is necessary, that we can work together to improve the performance so that real instances of sexual abuse are effectively brought to light, while false allegations are minimized. That is my main goal in this matter.

Baurs arguments about tainted evidence appear to have been crucial. Lujan, the PED attorney, was persuaded, the documents show.

In an email sent to Mendez, PEDs professional practices chief, and department General Counsel Willie R. Brown in August 2004, Lujan wrote:

Upon review of all the materials recently supplied to me in this matter, I do not believe that there is credible evidence or adequate investigation to support the contention that Gregor engaged in overtly sexual contact with his students although there is sufficient evidence, in my opinion, that teacher/student boundaries were crossed and that he engaged in favoritism.

I agree with his attorney that the class discussions/training sessions documented by the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center are tainted and would not be very useful.

 Since Joe (Mendez) seeks a reprimand out of this matter, I propose to present the approved but unissued NCA (notice of contemplated action) to Gregors attorney in an attempt to negotiate a pre-NCA stipulated agreement resulting in a reprimand. Even if this matter goes to a hearing, I believe that the most the department is looking at is a reprimand.

Six months went by before PED Assistant General Counsel Bruce Berlin sent a letter to Baur introducing himself as PEDs new licensure attorney, in February 2005. Berlin offered Gregor a deal in which PED would close any licensure action in exchange for Gregor voluntarily accepting a reprimand.

Consequently, the PED would like to know whether Mr. Gregor would voluntarily consent to a Reprimand being placed in his file, Berlin wrote. If he agrees, this matter will be closed. Otherwise, the PED would take formal action against Mr. Gregor  which action may be in the form of licensure suspension or revocation.

Garcia said she doesnt know why Gregor was offered a reprimand if there could have been evidence for suspension or revocation. When I read that, that concerns me because it looks like if you take a reprimand, then we wont go for contemplated action, she said.

Gregor mailed a response on March 3, 2005.

 I, without admission of guilt regarding the context and/or the nature of the said allegations  do hereby voluntarily consent to your Reprimand and its placement in my file, Gregor wrote.

Utah history not mentioned

There is no indication in PED records provided to the Journal that PED employees considering how to handle Gregors case in 2004 were aware of or took into consideration that, in Utah, he had faced criminal child sex abuse charges in 1995. A judge dismissed the charges for lack of evidence.

Three years later, Gregor was getting a teachers license in New Mexico. Records show that he provided PED with a handwritten note saying he had been terminated from the Davis County, Utah, school district. The dismissal was for what they considered insubordination when he violated a direct order against participating in after-school activities with students by serving as co-leader of 4-H program, Gregor wrote.

Also, in 1996, the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Committee reprimanded Gregor for exhibiting a lack of professional judgment in some of your teaching activities, although the commission also expressed great empathy for the ordeal you have gone through.

Gregor was issued a reprimand by PED on May 16, 2005. According to a 2014 civil lawsuit filed on behalf of some of Gregors alleged victims, Gregor was hired at the Espanola Public Schools in January 2005, four or five months before the reprimand became part of Gregors PED file. Gregor started teaching in the Espanola district at the start of the 2005-06, according to the lawsuit.

Ethics violations

The reprimand, which was signed by Garcia, mentions Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center interviews, but not the allegation that Gregor became aroused with girls on his lap that was part of the evidence challenged by Baur.

The reprimand cited Gregor for five violations of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional conduct for teachers, including one prohibiting educators from interfering with a students right to a public education by sexually harassing a student  .

Licensee is advised that future professional standards violations or licensure infractions of a similar nature may warrant more severe licensure action up to and including suspension or revocation, the reprimand said.

Garcia said she signed reprimands her attorneys put in front of her and trusted that they didnt have enough evidence to revoke a teaching license.

Anytime youre going to take someones license away, theres a tremendous amount of due process, and its like preparing for a trial, she said.

Years after the reprimand, in 2010, Berlin was the PED official who denied Gregor a teaching license renewal after the additional allegations arose in Espanola. Three alleged victims testified at a PED hearing, and depositions and other documents of the licensure total more than 1,100 pages.

The Espanola Police Department had an active criminal investigation at the time, according to a transcript of the hearing, but no charges were filed. No school official ever reported Gregor to police; the Espanola police probe resulted from a parents complaint.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, first elected in 2014, became interested in Gregors history a couple of years ago and has obtained numerous indictments against him. In addition to the Espanola case that resulted in convictions in December, Gregor was tried in January for one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor against a second-grade student, also at Espanolas Fairview Elementary, during the 2006-07 school year. That trial ended with a hung jury. He is scheduled for a retrial in that case later this year.

Gregor will also be tried for several counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor for crimes he allegedly committed against the two girls at Santa Fes Agua Fria in 2003-04.

Civil suits against Gregor and Espanola schools have resulted in settlements amounting to more than $9 million in payments to the victim plaintiffs. There is also a pending civil lawsuit against Gregor and the Santa Fe school district.

Garcia says she would not have signed the reprimand for Gregor back in 2005 if she had seen the report from the Rape Crisis Center that included the graphic comments by Santa Fe students.

That (reprimand) was all that I had, because I can tell you that if I read this other stuff, I would have been pushing back, and you can take that to the bank, Garcia said.

My personality hasnt changed much over the years, and how I feel about children, how I feel about protecting them, how I feel about following the law, about being ethical in my work, and I feel like my body of work and my reputation I think stands for itself. And anyone who has worked with me knows that if I had been presented with information like this, Im not the kind of individual that sweeps things under the rug or runs from the truth.

FOR THE RECORD

The Journal has reported incorrectly in previous articles that ex-teacher Gary Gregor disclosed to the New Mexico Public Education Department in 1998, when he was applying for a teaching license, that he had been fired from a Montana school district for violating a policy barring after-school activities with students. The articles should have said that Gregor informed the PED he had been fired from a Utah school district for violating such a policy.

The error resulted from a misreading of civil suits filed against Gregor for alleged abuse of students in New Mexico since he became a teacher here. The Journal has obtained no documentation of complaints of inappropriate behavior by Gregor when he worked at a Montana school district after he left Utah and before he came to New Mexico. But in January, a female relative of Gregor told a Santa Fe judge that Gregor lived with her family in Montana in the 1990s and that he sexually assaulted her when she was 6 years old.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

LOS ALAMOS  Bette Korber had to fight intense pushback when she first proposed her idea for an HIV vaccine designed on a computer.

The theoretical biologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory was trying to garner support for her mosaic vaccine design. Her idea was that with access to hundreds of thousands of different HIV sequences from around the world, a computational code could design synthetic proteins to fight the virus.

Her method evolves sequences to solve a particular problem  with a small set of proteins, can science develop the best possible immunological coverage for the global diversity of HIV? In other words, can a vaccine be created that targets HIV generally, despite its massive number of variations?

Thats the problem Im trying to solve, said Korber in during a recent interview in her Los Alamos office.

Skeptics initially didnt believe that computer-designed, man-made proteins would work. People just didnt believe they would fold properly or be stable, she recalled about those early doubts. They thought they would just be dead sequences.

She had the idea for a mosaic as early as 2002. But the first two attempts to fund the project were rejected. Reviewers thought it was insane, she said.

The team finally got the green light the third time around. With funding to further develop the code, a study on the design was published in 2007.

More than a decade later, the mosaic vaccine has reached the rare stage of being tested for efficacy in humans. The work is being supported by Janssen Pharmaceutica, Johnson & Johnsons pharmaceutical company, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.

Within the past year, Korber has received wide recognition for her contributions. In October 2018, she was named R&D Magazines Scientist of the Year. She was also awarded LANLs 2018 Richard P. Feynman Innovation Prize.

Fighting diversity

Korber has spent her entire career thinking about HIV and the complex diversity of its virus. Different strains of HIV are found around the world, which is why finding a globally effective vaccine proves difficult. As the virus evades the bodys immune responses, Korber said, it consistently changes within every infected persons body.

Her desire to start studying HIV was a personal one. Her best friend and former housemate when she was studying immunology at California Institute of Technology, physicist Brian Warr, was diagnosed with AIDS. He died in 1991.

And theres nothing you could do at that point, she said. There were no drugs, no therapy, there was nothing. You just had to watch the disease take the people you love.

Korber came to LANL in 1990, after a few years of post-doctoral work at Harvard, for the opportunity to focus more on the theoretical side of biology. Her mentor, the late Gerry Myers, started the labs HIV sequence database  the first-ever sequence database for a pathogen  in 1987. She described Myers as a leader in defining how HIV evolved and how diverse it was.

Today, more than 850,000 sequences have been inserted and annotated into the database.

There wasnt even a web when he started, Korber remembered. It was a book. And people had it chained to their desks so no one would steal it, because it was so valuable to be able to look at it.

Korber inherited the sequence database and combined it with her own immunology database that tracks the bodys various immune responses. The site and its interactive tools are accessible to scientists worldwide.

The database is the foundation for all of her teams work, she said, including the mosaic vaccine. To develop the code more than a decade ago, she partnered with former LANL machine learning expert Simon Perkins.

The code pulls data from the databases natural sequences to generate artificial sequences. The proteins designed with the mosaic code undergo hours of recombination and evolution to come up with something with optimal coverage for all types of HIV, she explained.

It evolves the sequences on the computer and selects for the things I want to select for, Korber said of the code. So they look and feel like HIV sequences, but theyre not. They dont exist in nature.

She also emphasized that mosaic is just one of many vaccine concepts she and her team at LANL are working on.

Its just that mosaics are the furthest along, she explained. We have a bunch of things going along in parallel that might help, and many other groups have other ideas that may help. We dont know if any of them will work or if some will work. That remains to be seen.

Other viruses

Korber described herself as just one small part of the massive government-supported effort in the search for an HIV vaccine. The NIHs Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology & Immunogen Discovery funds long-term research out of Duke University  which she works with  and Scripps University.

And her efforts expand beyond HIV to other variable viruses.

A study she co-authored about a vaccine that protected mice from sequences of the Ebola virus and Marburg, a closely related virus, was published at the end of February. Like HIV, those viruses can have different sequences, depending on the outbreak and the species they come from.

We dont know why these things move into humans, she said. We dont know what happens. We dont know whats lurking, (or) what could happen next year. So we wanted to get something that would cover everything that we know about.

Along with colleagues, she created a database with all of the Ebola and Marburg sequences over the past 50 years. And with the help of her husband, fellow LANL scientist James Theiler, she developed a second-generation mosaic code. It uses different mathematics and generates results more quickly. In a trial, all but one of the 32 mice that didnt receive a vaccine  which was developed by a colleague at Oxford  died.

Every mouse that got the vaccine did fine, she said of the Ebola and Marburg study. No symptoms at all. Thats what we were aiming for and it worked  in mice. That doesnt mean its going to work in monkeys or humans. But its an important hurdle.

Promising so far

Over the past 35 years in the global fight against HIV, the mosaic-based vaccine is just the fifth concept to reach the stage of clinical trials in humans, according to Dan Barouch, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the director of the universitys Center for Virology and Vaccine Research.

Barouch has been working with Korbers team for the past decade on a variety of projects, including mosaic. He described the technology as an important new concept because of its computational approach for attacking a pathogen with intrinsic variability.

After the mosaic design study was published in 2007, the sequences were sent to collaborators at Harvard and Duke. The vaccines worked well in small animals. Then macaque monkeys were given the vaccine in what Korber called a make or break moment.

The immune responses the macaques made to these mosaic vaccines were nicely cross-reactive, she said, meaning it worked against varying strains of HIV.

The next step was to test the safety of the vaccine in volunteers and see if it caused similar immune responses in humans as seen in monkeys. The studies showed both, she said.

The effects we were seeing in pre-clinical studies and clinical studies are largely what we had hoped with the promise of the technology, said Barouch.

In November 2017, the human efficacy stage of its clinical trials began in Africa. Results are expected around 2021.

The study includes 2,600 women who are at high risk of contracting HIV. The women are from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. Half will be given the vaccine and half a placebo. The name of the clinical trial is Imbokodo, which means rock in Zulu. Korber said there is a phrase in Zulu that translates to If you strike the woman, you strike the rock.

The studies that Barouchs team have done already indicate the vaccine triggers some kind of immune response in humans. What we dont know is if those immune responses will help protect against infection, he said. That is the question. In other words, are those immune responses useful?

Given the number of years she has put into this design, Korber is excited that mosaic has reached this stage.

It worked in monkeys against this strain of virus (that Barouch) used, said Korber. Now, were asking it to work in a different host against the whole world of (HIV) viruses in Southern Africa. So its two big hurdles.

But she says even if the mosaic vaccine isnt the answer, the project has still been productive work.

Hopefully, this would work  that would be amazing  well enough to be worth using, said Korber.

If it doesnt, I know well be able to learn from it. And theres other good things in the pipeline.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  An unusual idea is propelling this years push to allow recreational marijuana in New Mexico.

The state itself would get into the cannabis business  operating a network of retail stores to sell marijuana to adults 21 and older.

So far, the proposal has made it further than any other marijuana legalization measure in state history, narrowly passing the House in a dramatic late-night vote last week. The measure is now advancing through Senate committees, fueling optimism that theres at least a narrow path to passage in the final week of the session.

If any are going to make it, itll be this one, Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, said.

The proposal, House Bill 356, is the result of bipartisan negotiations between a handful of House Democrats and Senate Republicans.

The GOP support is critical  because previous attempts to legalize recreational marijuana have failed in the Senate, where moderate Democrats have joined Republicans in opposition.

A different approach

But this years proposal is substantially different from previous attempts at legalization.

A state Cannabis Control Commission would operate cannabis shops by summer 2020.

The marijuana would be sold on consignment, meaning the state wouldnt own the cannabis. It would be grown by private businesses under a complex regulatory system and sold only at state-run stores, with limited exceptions.

It would give the state tremendous control over where and how the products are sold and who can get their product to customers, supporters said.

The idea isnt as unusual as it sounds, proponents say. Some states have a similar system for alcohol sales, and there are government-run cannabis stores in parts of Canada.

But the system proposed in New Mexico would be the first of its kind for marijuana in the United States, according to the Drug Policy Alliance, a supporter of the bill. Only 10 states altogether have legalized recreational cannabis.

Sen. Cliff Pirtle, a Roswell Republican whos working on the proposal, said the state-run stores could be used to promote business development among local growers and manufacturers. It would also ensure that cannabis shops arent clustered together in a green mile.

You have the ability to control product placement, to prevent the green mile as its been termed, and it allows your smaller growers and manufacturers to get their product statewide without having to invest a lot in the infrastructure, Pirtle said. Its really a great way for the smaller guys to get their product on the market.

The idea has managed to soften some of the opposition, though it isnt clear that it will win Senate approval.

The House vote was very close  36-34 in favor, with every Republican joining 10 Democrats in opposition.

In the Senate, Democrats hold a 26-16 majority, but enough Democrats have opposed the idea in previous sessions to block its passage.

Pirtle is working with two other Republicans this year  Sens. Mark Moores of Albuquerque and Craig Brandt of Rio Rancho. Theyve argued that legalization is inevitable and that state-run stores would help limit exposure to children and allow New Mexico regulators to respond to problems.

A Democratic senator who has opposed previous legalization proposals, Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces, commended the sponsors for their work.

I think its a very innovative idea that we havent seen before, Sen. Cervantes said. It addresses some of the concerns from the past.

But he isnt yet ready to support the bill.

Cervantes said he has critical reservations about how to address impaired driving, including how to detect whether someone is driving under the influence. For alcohol, police can use a breath test.

Theres nothing like that for marijuana, Cervantes said. That makes it very hard to enforce driving under the influence.

He favors his own proposal, which would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. It has passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House.

The broader marijuana legalization proposal, House Bill 356, would dedicate some of the tax revenue from cannabis sales to research into cannabis impairment, purchasing roadside testing equipment and to train more police officers as drug recognition experts when drivers are stopped.

Supporters say driving under the influence of marijuana is already illegal and that the bill would set the state on a path to better understand and measure impaired driving.

A government business?

The bill still faces plenty of skepticism.

A hearing in the Senate Public Affairs Committee on Saturday offered a peek at the complex policy decisions lawmakers face if they allow a recreational cannabis industry.

The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce questioned whether its appropriate to create a new business sector thats operated essentially within the government. Medical marijuana producers said they feared the recreational industry would damage their own work.

And others said the measure is too complex to have a good handle yet on potential unintended consequences.

We would hope you would slow this down, Allen Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, told lawmakers Saturday.

But the proposal is still alive. It passed the Senate Public Affairs Committee on a 5-2 vote and now heads to Senate Finance  a final potential barrier to the bill reaching the Senate floor.

Rep. Javier Martinez, an Albuquerque Democrat and sponsor of the bill, is working with Moores and others on amendments at each step  to address the concerns raised in committee hearings and by fellow lawmakers.

With six days left in the session, he said, we had to compromise.

Any marijuana legalization bill, of course, would also be subject to approval by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The governor is encouraged by the possibility of bipartisan and bicameral legislation addressing recreational cannabis, Lujan Grisham spokesman Nora Sackett said Saturday. She has said all along she will sign a bill with the proper safeguards for public safety and workplace regulation, among other things. If the Legislature can check those boxes, bring it on.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexico early childhood programs would be consolidated under the roof of a new Cabinet-level state agency, under a bill thats headed to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams desk for final approval.

The House resoundingly voted Saturday to approve the creation of an Early Childhood Education and Care Department, which would have oversight over home-visiting, child-care assistance and prekindergarten programs.

I think this is probably the biggest thing New Mexico has done in a couple of decades to positively impact poverty, Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, the bills sponsor, said in an interview after the House voted 47-8 to approve the measure.

Currently, more than 90,000 children take part in programs that are scattered across four different state agencies, including the Public Education Department and the Children, Youth and Families Department.

The bill approved Saturday would consolidate those programs in the new department that would be created in July, but not be fully functional until July 2020.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who took office in January, is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days after pushing for its passage.

If she does, the governor would be able to appoint a Cabinet secretary to run the department. An assistant secretary mandated by the bill would also be hired to focus on providing services in Native American communities and working with tribal governments.

About half of New Mexico children are covered by Medicaid, which provides health insurance coverage to low-income families, and lawmakers have ramped up spending on early childhood programs in recent years in an attempt to break the states cycle of poverty.

Specifically, total state and federal spending on early childhood programs has jumped from $136.5 million in the 2012 budget year to $313.2 million in the current year.

But backers of the bill approved Saturday said the state would be better able to target those funds if the programs are housed within a single agency.

This will eliminate that duplication of services, Rep. Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, one of the bills co-sponsors, said during the House floor debate. Its not going to cost us any more than what were already paying in multiple departments.

But some House Republicans argued the measure could lead to more bureaucracy.

We have lots of state government, considering the size of our state, and I think adding another state department will increase that even more, said Rep. Paul Bandy, R-Aztec, who voted against the measure.

The state currently has 23 Cabinet-level departments and more than 40 administrative agencies.

While its unclear exactly where the new early childhood department might be physically located, the bill appropriates $1.25 million to help set up the department and transfer the necessary equipment from other agencies. Some of that money would also be used to establish a financial plan for the department.

On a practical level, backers say current programs would not be interrupted by the change. The delivery of pre-K services, for example, would still happen in private child-care centers and in schools.

The bill, which was also backed by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, initially struggled to gain traction at the Roundhouse during the 60-day session that ends Saturday, and was significantly amended in a Senate committee.

But those amendments were later stripped out of the legislation, and it picked up momentum even before winning decisive approval in the full Senate.

This is the hardest thing Ive ever done legislatively, Padilla told the Journal after Saturdays vote, adding he had been working on the idea for the last nine years.
A man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs from her rural Wisconsin home in the fall after her parents were killed has purportedly written a letter from jail saying he regretted the crimes and committed them mostly on impulse.

The letter supposedly from Jake Patterson, who was arrested in January after Closs escaped from his home, was sent to KARE 11 News reporter Lou Raguse in response to questions Raguse had mailed the inmate.

Wisconsin authorities have told the news station they believe the letter, postmarked Feb. 28, is authentic. The Washington Post has not confirmed the authenticity of the letter; Pattersons attorney, Charles Glynn, did not respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

Police say Patterson confessed to stalking Jayme in October and to fatally shooting her parents, James and Denise Closs, at their home in Barron, Wisconsin, on Oct. 15. According to a police complaint, he then kidnapped Jayme and kept her captive at his cabin, about 65 miles to the north, for nearly three months  until she escaped on Jan. 10.

The letter seems to express remorse and confusion over the crimes, which set off a massive search for the missing teen and shook the states residents for months as they went unsolved.

I knew when I was caught (which I thought would happen a lot sooner) I wouldnt fight anything, the letter says. I tried to give [police] everything . . . so they didnt have to interview Jayme. They did anyways and hurt her more for no reason.

The letter claims that the writer planned to plead guilty later this month so her relatives wouldnt have to worry about a trial. In response to various questions about his motives for carrying out such crimes, the letter writer told Raguse it was not black and white.

I cant believe I did this, the letter says. . . . It was really stupid though looking back. . . . At the time I was really pissed. I didnt want to. . . . The reason I did this is complicated.

On the back of the letter, according to an image posted by KARE 11 News, are large bubble letters: Im Sorry Jayme! For everything. I know it doesnt mean much.

A full transcript and images of the letter are on the news stations website.

Patterson has been charged with two counts of intentional homicide and one count each of kidnapping and armed burglary. He is being held at the Polk County Jail on $5 million bail.

The kidnapping and killings were publicized across the nation as a desperate search for Jayme unfolded over nearly three months. Only after her rescue would police detail the lengths Patterson had allegedly gone to keep the 13-year-old captive, as The Washington Post reported in January:

The girl told police that Patterson would have her hide under his twin bed, stacking the area around it with tote bags, laundry bins and weights so that he would be able to hear or see if she moved, The Post report said. Police said she told them that Patterson made it clear that nobody was to know she was there or bad things would happen to her. Guests had apparently come and gone to his house while she was under the bed, the complaint said.

And he made her stay under the bed when he left the house, sometimes as long as 12 hours with no food, water or bathroom break, the complaint said, the report said. He struck her with a hard household object one time when she upset him, threatening that the punishment would be worse if it happened again.

On Jan. 10, Patterson told her he was going to leave the house for five or six hours, the complaint said, making her crawl under the bed beforehand, according to The Post report. But after he left, Jayme moved the bins and weights away, put on a pair of his shoes, and walked out toward the road until she found a woman walking her dog. Jeanne Nutter told police that Jayme told her her name during the encounter. I dont know where I am, the disheveled girl told her. He killed my parents. And, Please help  I want to go home. 

In the letter, the writer says he tried to control what Jayme saw on the news about her kidnapping while she was trapped in his cabin.

I followed it . . . through my phone, the letter says. If something popped up on TV about it, I would change the channel. . . . Would tell Jayme Im sorry, I cant watch this. [I dont know] what she knew.

The letter notes that the writer was able to keep his family members from learning Jayme was at the cabin because he kept her hidden on Saturdays, the days his father visited.

My family respects privacy so no one even went in my room, the letter says.

The letter also accused the police of misrepresentation.

The cops say I planned this thoroughly, and that I said that, the letter says. Theyre really good at twisting your words around, put them in different spots, straight up lie. Little mad about that. Trying to cover up their mistakes I guess. This was mostly on impulse. I dont think like a serial killer.



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Video: A months-long manhunt ended Jan. 10 after 13-year-old Jayme Closs, who went missing for three months after her parents were murdered, fled her captor and sought help east of Gordon, Wis.(Allie Caren/The Washington Post)

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For President Rodrigo Duterte, all Catholic priests and bishops are stupid. Is there an intelligent priest? They are all stupid. If they arent stupid, they wouldnt enter [the] priesthood, Duterte said in a speech in Negros Occidental on Friday. You are a man, but you chose to be a priest. You keep on looking at all the beautiful women that you cant court. My God. The President attacked religious officials for failing to observe the separation of Church and State. The priests shouldnt overstep their boundaries. You know that they started it first. Tell them that there is a separation of Church and State. The sons of b****** attack me in the pulpit using the religion, Duterte said. If you are a priest and you want to attack me, dont do it in the pulpit because this is the spokesman, the table of the church. Step away from it... Because if you do, when I retaliate, the church will be hit as well. And that is what happened, he said. Duterte recalled an instance where a priest supposedly prayed for his death as a Mass was being held in support of the Presidents outspoken critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. In December 2018, the President hit back the Catholic Church, urging loiterers and drug addicts to rob and kill rich Catholic bishops. Duterte surmised that some priests became rich from taking the donations from the people. Two months after the Presidents verbal attacks, Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle informed the President about the death threats received by clergymen. Duterte then retracted his previous statement, calling on the public not to take his verbal attacks against clergymen too seriously. But on Friday, his anti-church rhetoric resurfaced. If a priest dies, the first person they point their fingers at is me. You started it. Ill hit you, that is your problem, he said. The Palace insists that the Presidents remarks were not to blame for the threats against priests.The President also expressed doubts about the concept of original sin in the Bibles creation story cited in the book of Genesis. Thats not Gods handiwork. Thats not the real story of how earth came to be. Would you do that? And from then on, everyone who will be born into this world will be born with the original sin. Nah, youve been had. It was just Adam and Eve who had sex there. So why are we all born with the original sin? What did I do wrong? he said. Duterte, who previously said he does not believe in heaven and hell, urged others to do the same. Dont believe in heaven and hell. They only use that to scare you. The nomadic tribes in the desert, some time 3,000 years ago, may be smarter than us, he said. That is what they used to scare us, the concept of hell. They say that if you go there when you die, you will burn. You will burn in hell. But if you are kind, you will go to heaven, he added. In the same speech, the President also told women to avoid the priests. The women should refrain from going near the priests because when you are near him, he will just smell the scent of your body. And if he corners you in the church, youre dead, he will court you. Do you know why? Its because he is a man, the President added, saying that it is in the nature of the priests, as men, to feel affection towards women. God gave him a penis. What will they do with that? Will they slap it against the door every morning? But he created a woman. The woman has a vagina. So thats it, the end. Yes, thats true. Frankly speaking. Im not joking with you. Right? If he didnt create a womanwhat for? Duterte issued this latest remark on women as the country celebrated the International Womens Day. READ: Duterte takes up cudgels for priests
As taxpayers, we understand and respect the need for transparency in our government institutions, including the nonprofit organizations that raise money for these institutions. But as longtime donors, volunteers and leaders of many nonprofits, we are alarmed by House Bill 29  because it fails to consider the privacy rights of nonprofit donors and employees, and because it will have unintended negative consequences throughout New Mexico.

Everyone who donates to non-profit organizations that support state or municipal institutions  including public colleges, universities, museums and libraries, just to name a few  should also be concerned about House Bill 29 and its resulting erosion of personal privacy. Every donor should ask: If this bill passes, does it mean anyone can ask for my information including my address, phone, email, giving history, gift amounts and other information? Who can request information about the nonprofits I support? Might they learn the details of my personal finances or estate plan? If someone accesses my information, how will they use it? Will they harass or troll me because of the donation information they were able to access by means of a public records request?

Unfortunately, House Bill 29 ignores the very clear distinction between transparency as it pertains to the fiduciary responsibilities of a nonprofit and mandatory public disclosure of a donors private information that can be used for telemarketing, or worse, identity theft, fraud and extortion.

What about employees of these nonprofits? Under House Bill 29, can anyone demand an employees address, contact information or salary? What if an employee is in a domestic abuse situation? Does this bill allow the abuser to request information and find their spouse? Can a disgruntled former employee ask someone to request records on the person who fired him or her so he or she can confront that employee at their home? Will employees become targets and be harassed or trolled for insider information?

While the public should know that nonprofits supporting our government institutions are operating in an ethical and lawful manner, the public should not have the right to know how any particular donor chooses to support such an organization. Giving choices are a persons private business and should not be subject to public records requests. In its current form, House Bill 29 will undoubtedly lead to less support from generous donors, which will only harm our government institutions.

Likewise, the public should not have the right to obtain personal or sensitive information about nonprofit employees. In its current form, House Bill 29 will only make it more difficult for nonprofits to recruit and retain qualified employees.

These cannot be the intended consequences of House Bill 29.

We hope our legislators will amend the bill to strike a balance between transparency and the legitimate need for donor and employee privacy. A bill clearly focused on audit, compliance and donor intent is a more appropriate approach than exposing thousands of donors and employees to unnecessary harm through unfettered public access to their private information.

Former chairs of the UNM Foundation Board of Trustees Gary L. Gordon, Carl M. Alongi and Anne Yegge also authored this op-ed. All the authors are donors to many causes across New Mexico.
Greatly increased, stable and steady revenue is the only way New Mexico can invest in the education, health, public safety and transportation that families and businesses need to succeed. Why would we raise taxes when we have such a huge surplus?

Simple: House Bill 6 is the best solution to the oil and gas roller coaster weve been on. We need revenue stability to make the needed investments in education during both boom and bust times.

State District Judge Sarah Singletons ruling in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit makes clear every student must be provided an equal opportunity to succeed. Sufficient funding for this base of support is a constitutional right. The judge stated a lack of funds is not a viable excuse for not providing that right. Should revenue shortfalls happen, cuts will likely have to be (in) other areas of state spending. So the revenue in HB 6 is needed for all critical state services. New Mexico needs a stable revenue base.

House Taxation and Revenue Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, answered the why now, question from Republican legislative colleagues. You left us a mess. We have a $400 million deficit in education, even though its like a billion that were behind  that should have been taken care of  Also, were appropriating $400 million for our roads because you let them deteriorate.

The most fundamental principle of tax policy is adequately funding government, notes Rep. Antonio Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, who added, this bill is adequately funding constitutional government.

Its time to change course. We are grateful that the oil and gas industries provides tremendous resources to our state! However, we must break the oil and gas boom-and-bust cycle with a stable revenue system. We must be able to confidently invest for the long term, not relying on only one revenue source. Support HB6!
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

The Air Force Research Lab is on the cutting edge of everything from space technology to developing microwave energy systems capable of disarming improvised explosive devices.

But agency leaders know that in order to continue that important work into the future, they need to invest in young people and come up with cool ways to get them interested in science.

So AFRLs Tech Engagement Office comes up with innovative experiments.

Schoolchildren may see a 55-gallon drum filled with water implode during a demonstration by Outreach Branch Manager Oscar Martinez to illustrate the effects of a change in air pressure.

Or theyre shown  and encouraged to touch  a silver sphere to jolt their knowledge of how electrons react on satellites.

Kids like hands-on experience, said Matthew Fetrow, executive director of the Tech Engagement Office.

He highlighted those efforts during a recent Leadership New Mexico tour of the ARFL office at Innovate ABQ at the Lobo Rainforest Building.

AFRLs outreach activities have also included schoolchildren and grown-ups getting a chance to write code for robots during an event open to the public called National Hour of Code Day also held at the Lobo Rainforest Building.

Fetrow said AFRL likes to give showy and classroom types of demonstrations to schoolchildren in the area.

The Super STEM Saturday event AFRL hosted in February at the Albuquerque Convention Center is an event where the showy stuff was on full display.

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Kids were able to experience demonstrations with drones and rockets.

During classroom demonstrations, schoolchildren could be asked probing questions such as: You saw the rocket launch, how do you think the satellite made it into orbit?

The AFRL has hosted camps and other activities through La Luz Academy with activities geared toward fifth- through 12th-graders through a partnership with New Mexico Tech.

AFRLs Tech Engagement Office program is trying to get students excited about careers in STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, as part of its focus on workforce development with industry partners that may pay dividends down the road for AFRLs work in developing space and defense technology at Kirtland Air Force Base.

Part of that effort, Fetrow said, is training educators to be able to teach STEM-related activities in the classroom.

Fetrow is concerned about the low number of computer science teachers in New Mexico and the fact that few students are taking Advance Placement computer science courses.

That was part of the idea behind a computer science camp held for teachers last year that was sponsored by AFRL, the University of New Mexico and the Computer Science Teachers Association.

Fetrow said 186 teachers participated in the camp. He said there are plans to hold the camp again this year.

AFRL has also provided 3-D printer training for Albuquerque Public Schools teachers.

We have a makerspace on base, Fetrow said. A lot of schools are starting makerspaces with 3-D printers in all grade levels. And working with APS, we recognized not all of those teachers have the training in working with 3-D printers.

AFRL provided training through a two-week event.

In the second week, we actually brought in some kids for a makerspace camp where teachers taught them the skills they learned in the first week, Fetrow said.

AFRL also recently hosted the second annual New Mexico Excellence in STEM Awards, also known as the STEMYS.

Sponsorships enabled AFRL to give out $16,000 in cash awards at the event.

I think its important to recognize the excellent STEM work thats being done, Fetrow said. Our honorees came from all over the state  Las Cruces, Roswell, Farmington, Los Alamos, Belen and of course, Albuquerque. Theres great work being done all over this place.

The STEM education emphasis is only a small part of AFRLs more than $600 million impact on the New Mexico economy a year.

About 2,000 people work on AFRL projects at Kirtland. Roughly half of those are federal employees, Fetrow said.

Of that, a quarter are military, he said. About three-quarters are civilian workers.

Full-time contractors make up the other half of the workforce. Fetrow said another 2,000 people work on AFRL projects in other parts of the state.

AFRL is the only Air Force group in the state that works on space technology. Fetrow said AFRL keeps track of more than 5,000 satellites and other objects orbiting the earth as part of its Space Vehicle Directive.

AFRL also works on developing technology to improve the satellites the Air Force sends into space.

AFRLs other directive is the The Directed Energy Directorate. Its major focus is on microwave energy and lasers used for defense.

The AFRL has developed the CHAMPS system, a system that can be installed on cruise missiles that can knock out electrical and communication systems without creating collateral damage.

The AFRL also developed MAXPOWER, a vehicle that uses microwave energy to disarm IEDs, or improvised explosive devices.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Editors note: Today the Journal kicks off a four-part series that introduces you to Border Patrol Agent Joe Romero and what he and his colleagues experienced during a normal shift last Monday as they patrolled the border from El Paso to Sunland Park, N.M. Stories will be published today, Monday and next weekend.

SUNLAND PARK  Border Patrol Agent Joe Romero looks across into Anapra, Mexico, his gaze fixed on a woman and two children walking with determination past Monument One, an official border marker for the spot where New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua converge.

If you dont mind turning yourself in, this is a great place to do it and easy way to do it, Romero said of the stretch at Sunland Park that has become a busy crossing point for Central American families.

God willing well get asylum, said Imelda Garcia, who traveled from El Salvador with her 11-year-old son, Danny. The girl with them is an unaccompanied minor who connected with Garcia on their trip to the U.S.

As elected officials from Washington, D.C., to Santa Fe grapple with the policy implications of tens of thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children seeking refuge at our nations southwestern border, agents like Romero are on the front lines watching the chaos unfold.

From late afternoon into Monday night, Romero will encounter more than 60 such migrants, with the vast majority asking for asylum. They are all ages, including infants and toddlers in the arms of their parents. They also cover the gamut from well-dressed and rested to exhausted, bedraggled and extremely fearful.

Romero will also run into four heavily armed militia members who have camped out to keep watch. And he will spot a man wearing sunglasses and a cap seated across the border in Mexico taking notes, clearly a lookout for the human smugglers, the agent says. (See Mondays story.)

The influx of families and children from Central America is just one of the many changes Romero has seen in his 13 years of service.

Back when he started, the people he apprehended were mostly from Mexico and included many undocumented workers coming to fill jobs. In those cases, they were usually quickly deported back to Mexico.

These days, the El Paso sector, which includes all of New Mexico, is coping with a 430 percent increase in family migration. Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released the latest numbers for the entire border, and February set a record with more than 76,000 parents with children and juveniles arriving on their own.

In most cases, they have paid smugglers to drop them off near the border.

Most of the attention has focused on large groups crossing at remote spots like Antelope Wells in southwest New Mexico, but many migrants are now choosing to cross in or near El Paso and Sunland Park.

By weeks end, agents took in more than 1,000 people in El Paso alone. Across the border in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez has become a hub for people seeking asylum, like Imelda Garcia.

My son is in danger, she said in an interview. Gang violence is a pervasive threat in El Salvador. But she said the small girl in a winter coat who walked across the border with them is not her daughter.

Shes alone, Garcia said. Poor thing. The child, Estela Enriquez, said she is 14, and that she is trying to get to Virginia to reunite with her mother.

Minors are handed over to Health and Human Services, which cares for them in shelters until a parent or other relative who can serve as a guardian in the U.S. is located.

An unaccompanied child crossing into the U.S. isnt uncommon here. But something is unusual about this group that catches Romeros attention.

They werent dirty at all. Their shoes were clean, Romero said. Their appearance suggests the trio did not walk far and were probably dropped off right at the border.

In fact, the smaller groups often pay extra to be delivered to a spot right on the border where they can turn themselves in to an agent.

Garcia did not want to reveal details about how they got from El Salvador, but Romero said hes sure they used a human smuggler.

What was particularly unusual about this group was that two Juarez City Police vehicles followed behind them up to the border while a third unit watched.

Not one unit, three for three people, Romero said with concern, wondering whether some police officers were working with smugglers.

Border Patrol agents often talk to Mexican police they see right on the border and work together in some instances, according to Romero. But this time the police vehicles took off quickly when they spotted his uniform.

A Juarez City Police spokesperson said the department had no knowledge of that situation.

A long way from Brazil

Along another stretch of border in Sunland Park, Romero peeked around a gap in the border fence.

This is where weve seen a few of the large groups come through. They come to the end of the fence, come right around this edge and make their way and turn themselves in to the agents here, he said.

Others appear at an opening in the fence a few miles east of the state line, inside El Paso city limits. As hes driving down the highway, Romero sees four people standing in that spot. Two are carrying red suitcases.

They look like theyre on their way to Disneyland, Romero said, referring to the well-dressed woman and young man.

They tell him they are from Brazil and only speak Portuguese. The woman has highlighted hair, wears gold earrings and carries what looks like an expensive purse. In a few words of broken Spanish, she says her traveling companion is her 17-year-old son.

Romero suspects they paid smugglers for a premium package.

Those people told us they flew in. Theyre not as tired. Theyre not as worn, Romero said.

The Brazilian woman looks worried when Romero pulls her son aside to check for weapons, a standard procedure.

Soon a Border Patrol vehicle arrives to transport them  as well as another Brazilian woman with a little girl  to the processing center. While most of those crossing the border seeking asylum are Central Americans, a growing number are Brazilians and Cubans as well.

Seeking a better life

Along a stretch of border inside El Paso, the migrants Romero encounters are a larger group of weary and bedraggled Central Americans.

Were fleeing unemployment, corruption and a country that is very dangerous, said Jose Francisco Juarez, a Honduran father traveling with his two girls.

You want the best for your children, Juarez said.

Five-year-old Perla Victoria sits on her fathers lap wearing a winter hat with a teddy bear face on it, while her 17-year-old sister, Helen, stands nearby on the verge of tears waiting for the Border Patrol van to take them to the processing center in downtown El Paso.

Im tired, said Helen, Juarezs older daughter.

Its getting dark and they had clearly been there a while, waiting for someone to turn themselves in to.

Some agents spend their shifts shuttling migrants to the processing center while other agents are dedicated to filling out paperwork for hundreds of parents and children seeking asylum. Other agents are assigned hospital watch and accompany migrants sent for medical care.

Limited resources

The sheer number of migrant families is straining Border Patrol facilities and manpower. Indeed, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan sounded the alarm last week.

The system is well beyond capacity and remains at a breaking point, he said.

The El Paso sector includes seven legal ports of entry, including three in New Mexico: Santa Teresa, Columbus and Antelope Wells. While asylum seekers are encouraged to file a claim with Customs and Border Protection officers at legal border crossings, CBP has instituted a metering system that limits the number of claims accepted each day to as few as 20 in El Paso.

Migrants need only to step foot on U.S. soil to ask for asylum, so hundreds a day are crossing between ports of entry and approaching Border Patrol agents instead of waiting in Mexico. The El Paso sector covers 268 miles of border and employs 2,400 Border Patrol agents according to CBP. There are, however, many vacancies among the Border Patrol ranks in the El Paso sector.

Id like to give credit to these agents, said Border Patrol Chief Aaron Hull, who is in charge of the El Paso sector. Regardless of the conditions they face, they demonstrate time and time again that theyre tough enough to do a job that a lot of people are not willing or able to do. I have nothing but respect for the professionalism and dignity in which they conduct themselves regardless of the circumstances that were asking them to face.

A panicked dash

After dark, Romero encounters another group of parents with kids along the busy Border Highway in El Paso near the Bridge of the Americas. They are waiting on U.S. soil, but on the other side of the border fence. Border fences or walls are not built right on the boundary between the U.S. and Mexico, because agents need access to operate, and crews often have to repair the barriers.

Romero escorts this group to a spot where they can exit to the other side of the fence and join another group already waiting with Border Patrol agents for transportation to the processing center.

A woman holding a toddler in that group bolts across a lane of the highway and onto the median. A Border Patrol agent goes after her and brings her safely back to the side of the road. He and the rest of the group dont know what caused her to panic.

That scared the living daylights out of me, Romero said.

Before this night is over, agents in the El Paso sector will take more than 400 people into custody. Most are what they refer to as give ups.

Agents will catch fewer than a handful of people trying to sneak into the country. But those cases worry Romero most.

The people that were chasing now, you can almost guarantee that every single person that is not giving themselves up, that is actually running to try to get away from us, they are the felons, they are the criminals, they are the people who cannot afford to get caught, Romero said.

Now  as the number of undocumented workers from Mexico crossing illegally has plummeted  authorities worry that drug and human smugglers are using the large groups of Central Americans to divert Border Patrol agents attention.

When agents were busy Wednesday with hundreds of migrants arriving on the border in El Paso, they also caught two convicted sex offenders as well as a U.S. citizen trying to sneak into the country, according to CBP. The citizen was a self-proclaimed prison gang member who had a warrant out for his arrest.

Lost in the cold

On the moonless night near Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, agents see another incoming group, and they suspect they are trying to sneak into the country from Mexico, because of the route they are taking.

If you dont want to get caught (a border crosser will) end up using the mountain, Romero explained.

Agents with the horse patrol wait in silence in the dark as another agent drives to the spot where activity was detected.

Over the radio, the agent identifies the Central American group he found as more give ups, among them parents with children.

They had been wandering, obviously cold and not dressed for the weather, desperately looking for the Border Patrol.

A cold wind whips through the darkness as the Horse Patrol arrives on the spot to wait for transportation for the weary group sitting on the ground.

The smuggler pointed the way, but didnt give real good directions. They just got lost, Romero said.



8 hours on the border by Albuquerque Journal on Exposure
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small says U.S. customs and border patrol are in desperate need of more agents to deal with the influx of asylum seekers crossing in to the U.S., and she is introducing legislation to bolster the number of agents.

We dont have the manpower to process asylum seekers, Torres Small said in an interview with the Journal on Friday. We dont have the manpower to stop the illegal activities coming across the border.

She is introducing the bipartisan U.S. Customs and Border Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act with Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas. The legislation would require CBP to come up with a strategy to address recruiting and retention issues.

The freshman Democratic lawmaker represents New Mexicos 2nd Congressional District, which covers New Mexicos 200-plus miles along the border with Mexico.

She blamed the Trump administrations policy of limiting the number of asylum seekers allowed into the United States each day through ports of entry to contributing to the rise of migrant families crossing the Mexican border, especially at remote places.

She said migrants being turned away from ports of entry are showing up in mostly rural places like Antelope Wells in New Mexicos Bootheel region. Border agents told the Journal they are now also seeing an influx of migrants crossing in El Paso and Sunland Park.

The policy to limit the daily number processed at ports of entry, known as metering, also came up Feb. 27 during questioning of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen before the House Homeland Security Committee.

Nielsen defended the policy during the hearing, saying it was within her departments authority with an agreement with Mexico to return migrants across the border while they awaited their asylum hearings.

As for the manpower shortage, Torres Small said U.S. Customs and Border Protection currently has 1,117 unfilled positions, and U.S. Border Patrol has 1,993 unfilled positions.

Its a problem, Torres Small said. We are losing as many officers as we are gaining.

She said last year there was a net increase of officers and agents, but it was very small.

While the manpower shortage has been a problem all along the border, Torres Small noted that it is an even bigger problem in rural areas like Antelope Wells, where hundreds of migrants  many of them families and unaccompanied minors  have been crossing the border since late last year.

In order to ensure that CBP can properly adapt to the changing circumstances along the remote sections of our southern border, we must ensure it has the resources to do so, and that starts with personnel, Torres Small said.

She said she wants CBP officials to talk to the agents in the field to see if solutions can be found.

Torres Small said officers and agents have left jobs for better pay and benefits with other law enforcement and federal agencies, but funding isnt necessarily the problem.

Among issues contributing to recruitment and retention problems are the long commutes officers and agents face and time away from their families, she said.

Torres Small said providing families with such benefits as housing assistance could help keep agents on the job.

She and Hurd are also backing the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendment Act.

It makes changes to their outdated leave policies, she said.

Current policies penalize agents for such actions as taking leave for National Guard duty, she said.

The bill would allow agents to work longer days in a more condensed schedule.

That would allow them more time with their families, Torres Small said.

Addressing the manpower shortage is just one part of the puzzle in addressing problems along the border, especially the Bootheel.

Were seeing some real challenges, Torres Small said.

She said significant resources were needed in transporting migrants from remote places along the border for processing and medical issues. Torres Small is suggesting contracting out transportation.

She said more medical resources were needed in the area and suggested working with local medical facilities to find out what assistance they needed.

They are also being really impacted by this, Torres Small said.
U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland continues to make history during her first term as New Mexicos 1st Congressional District representative.

On Thursday, she became the first Native American woman to preside over the House of Representatives.

When a young woman of color sees me in the Speakers Chair, I want them to think, I can do that, thats part of why Im here, Haaland said. I want to help those who have not been represented before to identify with me and identify with Congress. Its their Congress, too  it belongs to all of us.

Haalands New Mexico colleagues, Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, have also presided over the House in the last couple of weeks.

Lujan and Haalands predecessor, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, were among those congratulating her on Twitter.

Haaland presided over a debate about the For the People Act, which is legislation she co-sponsored that would make Election Day a holiday, allow same-day voter registration and addresses campaign finance issues.

The For the People Act passed the House on Friday.

Along with Haaland, Lujan and Torres Small voted in favor of the bill.

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., announced plans Wednesday on the floor of the Senate for a companion bill, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has vowed not to allow the legislation to come up for a vote.

We were elected to represent the interests and will of all Americans, Udall said. But our democratic system has been broken by secretive and corrupt politics, out of control money, and systemic and rampant disenfranchisement of voters.

HEINRICH INTRODUCES ACA BILL: Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday to repeal a provision in the Affordable Care Act known as the Cadillac Tax, which taxes high-cost health insurance plans and impacts middle-class health benefits.

Eliminating this onerous tax on employees health coverage will protect important benefits for workers and ensure that businesses and families get a fair deal, Heinrich said. Im proud to join Senator Rounds in leading this bipartisan effort to ensure millions of middle-class families who rely on employer-based health care arent unfairly penalized by this tax.

Beginning in 2022, the Cadillac Tax would impact employers and families whose health insurance plans cost more than $11,100 for an individual, and $29,750 for family coverage. The tax could negatively impact 718,000 people in New Mexico, including public employees, service industry workers, and small business owners and retirees, according to information released by Heinrichs office.

Scott Turner: sturner@abqjournal.com
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Priest sexual abuse survivors have until June 17 to file a proof of claim in the ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

A Friday order by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David T. Thuma approving the deadline for claims tasks the archdiocese with getting the word out to clergy abuse victims, primarily by publishing notices in more than 22 newspapers or other publications in New Mexico and elsewhere.

The order is the first step in what we hope will be a global resolution to provide fair compensation to all survivors of sex abuse by clergy, said Archbishop John C. Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in a news release.

Wester said the archdiocese, the largest of New Mexicos three Catholic dioceses, is working collaboratively with a creditors committee of sex abuse survivors and our insurers to maximize the outreach to those who might have claims.

Claims will be sealed and wont be available to the public unless the claimant indicates otherwise.

After the claims filing deadline of June 17, 2019, Wester stated, we are hopeful that mediation among the survivors committee, insurers, archdiocese and other parties will result in a consensual plan providing an appropriate resolution for each and every claimant.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy reorganization in December, citing the financial burden of continuing litigation brought by victims, most of whom allege they were sexually abused by priests decades ago.

The establishment of a deadline to file claims is critical in this case because it will allow the Debtor and other necessary parties to understand the universe of claims asserted against the Debtor, stated attorneys for the archdiocese in a Feb. 1 filing.

In its bankruptcy petition, the archdiocese identified 36 pending lawsuits or claims that had been filed alleging priest sexual abuse.

Wester has previously estimated that the archdiocese has spent million of dollars since the 1990s paying claims of abuse survivors, many of whom were altar boys who served Mass and helped priests in other religious ceremonies.

So far, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has publicly identified nearly 80 priests or clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Two of them, Arthur Perrault and Marvin Archuleta, both in their 80s, are facing criminal sexual abuse charges brought by federal and state agencies over the past year.

Meanwhile, the state Attorney Generals Office has been investigating two other priests in connection with the repeated rape of a boy over several years in the 1980s while they served as church leaders in Albuquerque and as Boy Scout leaders while on outings in wilderness areas of New Mexico.

Albuquerque attorney Brad D. Hall has said his law firm over the past five years has represented more than 100 victims of clergy sexual abuse who have filed civil claims. A number of those, now middle-age, had repressed memories of the childhood abuse until undergoing therapy to deal with other issues in their lives. Several had moved out of state.

Notification requirements

Under the bankruptcy deadline order, notifications to prospective claimants are to be published in newspapers that include the Albuquerque Journal and its Journal North publication, The Arizona Republic, El Paso Times and The Denver Post. A one-time only notice will be published in the nationally-circulated USA Today.

The archdiocese is also required to mail a copy of the notice to the AGs office, every district attorneys office in New Mexico, to each of the more than 90 parishes of the archdiocese and affiliated missions and the public health agency for each county where the archdiocese has a parish or mission, the order states.

The notice must also be sent to a substance abuse agency, if any, in each county where the archdiocese has a parish or mission, including the Agora Crisis Center in Albuquerque.

Notification is also required to be sent to New Mexico police and sheriffs offices and hospitals where the archdiocese has a parish or mission. The judges order, which was signed by attorneys for the archdiocese and the claimants, also attempts to ensure Native Americans in New Mexico receive adequate notice. Pueblo governors and/or presidents of tribes and Indian nations in New Mexico are also on the list to be notified.

All such recipients are being asked to publicly post such notices until the expiration of the June 17 deadline.

Those who fail to file claims by the deadline may not be treated as a creditor with respect to such claims for the purposes of voting on and distribution under any Chapter 11 plan proposed and/or confirmed in this case, the judges order stated.

The archdiocese retains the right to dispute any filed claim, including raising defenses under the statute of limitations, and can request information from sexual abuse claimants, the order added.

The archdiocese and its bankruptcy attorneys have said that a separate fund for future claims would be established for those who assert claims after the bankruptcy case is over.

At least one victim sent a letter to Judge Thuma filed Feb. 21 seeking a earlier deadline for proof of claims.

I have been waiting for years to get closure to my case with the SF Archdiocese and the courts. My case was getting ready to go to mediation when the Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy, putting a halt to my process. Please be the voice that we need so all of us can sleep better at night and bring closure to this nightmare, stated the victim, identified only as John Doe.

Those who want information on how to obtain and file a proof of claim for and associated documents can go to the archdiocese website at archdiosf.org, or call the archdiocese hotline at 1-505-831-8144 or the official committee of unsecured creditors appointed in the case at 1-888-570-6217.

Proof of claim forms must be written in English and submitted to the Bankruptcy Court Clerk at the Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse, 333 Lomas Blvd. NW, Suite 360, Albuquerque, N.M., 87102, by 5 p.m. on or before June 17.

Such forms shall be sealed and wont be available to the general public unless a sexual abuse claimant affirmatively indicates his or her desire the claim be made public, the judges order states.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump is reviving his border wall fight, preparing a new budget that will seek $8.6 billion for the U.S-Mexico barrier while imposing steep spending cuts to other domestic programs and setting the stage for another fiscal battle.

Budget documents are often seen as just a starting point of negotiation, but fresh off the longest government shutdown in history Trumps 2020 proposal shows he is eager to confront Congress again to reduce domestic spending and refocus money on his priorities. It calls for boosting defense spending and making $2.7 trillion in nondefense cuts.

Trumps proposal, titled A Budget for a Better America: Promises Kept. Taxpayers First and set for release Monday, embodies fiscal responsibility, said Russ Vought, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Vought said the administration has prioritized reining in reckless Washington spending and shows we can return to fiscal sanity.

Two administration officials confirmed that the border wall request was part of Trumps spending blueprint for the 2020 budget year, which begins Oct. 1.

That document, which sets the stage for negotiations ahead, proposes increasing defense spending to $750 billion  and standing up the new Space Force as a military branch  while reducing nondefense accounts by 5 percent, with cuts recommended to safety net programs used by many Americans.

The plan sticks to budget caps that both parties have routinely broken in recent years and promises to come into balance in 15 years, relying in part on economic growth that may be uncertain.

The officials were not authorized to discuss budget details publicly before Mondays release of the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity.

While pushing down spending in some areas, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the proposal will seek to increase funding in others to align with the presidents priorities, according to one official.

The administration will invest more than $80 billion for veterans services, a nearly 10 percent increase from current levels, including significant investments in rehabilitation, employment assistance and suicide prevention.

It will also increase resources to fight the opioid epidemic with money for prevention, treatment, research and recovery, the administration said. And it seeks to shift some federal student loan costs to colleges and universities.

By adhering to strict budget caps, Trump is signaling a fight ahead. The president has resisted big, bipartisan budget deals that break the caps  threatening to veto one last year  but Congress will need to find agreement on spending levels to avoid another federal shutdown in fall.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Trumps budget points a steady glide path toward lower spending and borrowing as a share of the nations economy. He also told Fox News Sunday that there was no reason to obsess about deficits, and expressed confidence that economic growth would top 3 percent in 2019 and beyond. Others have predicted lower growth.

The border wall, though, remains a signature issue for the president and is poised to stay at the forefront of his agenda, even though Congress has resisted giving him more money for it.

Leading Democrats immediately rejected the proposal.

Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. They said the money would be better spent on rebuilding America.

In seeking $8.6 billion for the wall, the budget request would more than double the $8.1 billion already potentially available to the president after he declared a national emergency at the border last month in order to circumvent Congress  although theres no guarantee hell be able to use that money if he faces a legal challenge, as is expected. The standoff over the wall led to a 35-day partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

Along with border wall money, the proposed budget will also increase funding to increase the manpower of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Customs and Border Patrol at a time when many Democrats are calling for cuts  or even the elimination  of those areas. The budget also proposes policy changes to end sanctuary cities, the administration said.

The budget would arrive Monday as the Senate readies to vote this week to terminate Trumps national emergency declaration. The Democratic-led House already did so, and a handful of Republican senators, uneasy over what they see as an overreach of executive power, are expected to join Democrats in following suit. Congress appears to have enough votes to reject Trumps declaration but not enough to overturn a veto.

Trump invoked the emergency declaration after Congress approved nearly $1.4 billion for border barriers, far less than the $5.7 billion he wanted. In doing so, he can potentially tap an additional $3.6 billion from military accounts and shift it to building the wall. Thats causing discomfort on Capitol Hill, where even the presidents Republican allies are protective of their power to decide how to allocate federal dollars. Lawmakers are trying to guard money thats already been approved for military projects in their states  for base housing or other improvements  from being shifted to build the wall.

The wall with Mexico punctuated Trumps campaign for the White House, and its expected to again be featured in his 2020 re-election effort. He used to say Mexico would pay for it, but Mexico has refused to do so.

___

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.
PARADISE, Calif. - A tiny Camp Fire survivor is back home following an emotional reunion with its grateful humans. Dexter the cat's home though, is now in Missouri.

That is where Paul and Sandra Ritchie moved after losing their home in Paradise. Missouri is where they were reunited Friday with their beloved pet, Dexter.

Reporter Angela Greenwood caught the reunion on video. Amongst tears and alot of hugs Paul and Sandra Ritchie embraced their cat, lost for four months. They were certain they would never see Dexter again.

As of Friday, Dexter is back in their arms after flying from Sacramento to St. Louis. The Ritchie's spoke to Greenwood over the phone Thursday as they anxiously waited for Dexter's arrival.

"It's gonna be unbelievable. I think I'm gonna just stand there and cry and want to hug him.," they said.

The couple lost their home in November's Camp Fire and in the rush to evacuate could only find three of their four cats. Dexter was still inside the home, but at some point managed to escape.

The FieldHaven Feline Center in Lincoln helped bring Dexter back to his family, which was pretty easy thanks to a microchip.

Leslie Zalatel was the rescuer who trapped Dexter in the burn zone. "He was found about a mile away from his home," she said. She was with Dexter on his flight to Missouri Friday.

Surviving the Camp Fire, and then living 102 days alone in the burn zone was quite an ordeal.

"I never thought I'd see Dexter again," his family exclaimed.

Dexter the cat may have used up a couple of lives on this journey.

Now the Camp Fire cat survivor starts a new one -- joining his owners and three feline siblings in their new home in Missouri.

200 cats rescued from the Camp Fire by the organization in Lincoln are still waiting to be reunited with their families.

It is estimated that there could still be up to a thousand cats waiting to be rescued from the Camp Fire.
CHICO, Calif. - Community members came together at one mile in Bidwell Park for the 11th annual citywide Walk4Water fundraiser.

A nonprofit foundation called Bridging the Gap focuses on bringing awareness to the need for clean water. They will get the proceeds from the fundraiser to fund water projects in developing countries, mainly in Uganda, Zambia and Ethiopia.

Participants walked either three or five kilometers in order to fill buckets of water to get a sense of what so many people do daily to obtain water in order to survive.

Alfred K. Koala used to attend Chico State and is a person who was helped by a philanthropic project that provided clean water to his community. He said, "You can't really think beyond the lack of clean water. If you don't have clean water to drink, if you dont have food to eat, you're limited to: 'I need food. I need water.'"

"Once you have those basic components, then you can think farther," said Koala.

Bridging the Gap says every 40 dollars they they raise is enough to give one African clean water for life.
House appropriations committee chairmanafter it had already been approved by the bicameral conference committee after the Senate made a similar accusation against the House last week. Senators are desperately looking for ghosts in the 2019 General Appropriations Act. The problem [is], they seem to find ghosts everywhere except... [in] their own house, he said in a statement. If post-bicam itemization of lump-sum budget by the House of Representatives is unconstitutional or irregular, what about post-bicam realignment by the Senate of P77 billion in the national budget? Andaya said. The realignment by the Senate, he said, was nowhere to be found in the bicameral conference committee report. Worse, unlike in the House of Representatives, there are no proponents for the realignment. Meaning, the funds are parked somewhere in the national budget. This is clearly parked pork, he said. The senators may try to justify the realignment by describing them again as institutional amendments. But how can they describe the Senates P25-billion realignment that was parked in the DPWH budget? Still institutional amendments? He said of the P77 billion in post-bicam realignments by the Senate, at least P25 billion was parked as additional funds for the senators pet projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways. None of this was contained in the bicameral conference committee report, he added. The House, for its part, did its job. We itemized our amendments. The itemization was within the parameters of the bicameral conference committee report ratified by each chamber. If lump-sums are not itemized, then that is illegal and unconstitutional. That was the main reason why we scrutinized the budget proposal because there were insertions made without the knowledge of officials concerned. Now, it seems we go back to the same practice after all has been said and done, he added. At the same time, Andaya said if senators feel that the 2019 ratified budget was flawed, they could ask President Rodrigo Duterte to veto some portions of it. We are not afraid of a budget that would show what agency would benefit and what programs would be funded, he said. What are the senators afraid of about the itemized budget? As far as the House is concerned, we have all the records to substantiate our stand and the legal basis as well as the established traditions and practices to back us up, he added. He said Congress only itemized lump-sum funds contrary to the claim of Senate President Vicente Sotto that it allegedly realigned some P79 billion under the ratified 2019 national budget as reported to him by the Senates Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office. The proposed 2019 national budget, when ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives, contained lump-sum funds that need to be further itemized by both Houses. That was the agreement at the conclusion of the meetings of the bicameral conference committee. The House did its part. We itemized our amendments. The people should ask the Senate if they did theirs, Andaya said. We will print the 2019 General Appropriations Act so the people would know where the projects and programs that will be implemented this year from health to education to agriculture to infrastructure would go, he said.He said the itemization was agreed during the bicameral meeting, adding there was nothing unconstitutional when Congress itemized its P4.5-billion budget out of the total P15-billion health facilities enhancement program after the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report. The itemization was within the parameters of the bicameral committee report ratified by each chamber, he said. The House did not touch the tens of billions in Senate amendments because per agreement, it was their duty to do such. If the House did not do its duty, then the budget would be vague and opaque. That will only leave people guessing as to where the taxes that fund the budget go, he said. He said instead of putting the entire budget in jeopardy, they could ask the President to veto the portions they opposed. That is his prerogative. Dont take that right away from him. If the contested appropriations represent 2 percent of the national budget, then why should it jeopardize the uncontested 98 percent? Why hostage the national budget over unfounded and unreasonable fear? he asked. He also challenged Senate leaders, led by Senator Loren Legarda, committee on finance chairperson, to hold a joint press conference in the interest of transparency on the 2019 national budget. He said such a move would enable the public to determine who is telling the truth on the realignments and itemization of the lump sum funds after the P3.757-trillion national budget was ratified by Congress. Also on Sunday, Senator Panfilo Lacson said if the House insists on its amendments to the budget after it had already been ratified, the government would operate on a reenacted budget until August. In an interview on radio dzBB, Lacson said Sotto would not sign the enrolled bill for President Dutertes signature if the House sticks with its amendments. Lacson earlier accused House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of allotting P25 million for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program funds of each of the districts of lawmakers who elected her as Speaker in July last year. Only P8 million each were allocated by Arroyo to the districts of lawmakers who did not support her election to the speakership, Lacson added. But Andaya said the House was merely itemizing the lump sum HFEP funds. READ: 'Budget probe not over'
REDDING, Calif. - Los Angeles, here we come!

The Redding Airport launched it's first flight to Los Angeles Saturday morning.

The inaugural United Airlines flight took to the skies at 6:35 a.m. The Redding Fire Department commemorated the event with a water salute.

Passengers got a little extra special treatment with swag bags to celebrate the occasion.

There was a lot of excitement in the air as passengers boarded the flight.

Sean Brennan is the Assistant Manager for the Redding Airport. He talked about the passengers, saying they, "...seemed really excited, especially when they realized, 'Hey, I'm number one. I'm out to Los Angeles, first one from Redding!'

There was a similar reaction from arriving passengers Friday night, coming to Redding from LAX.

Brennan says the flight was sold out -- but after a few cancellations they ended up with 43 out of 53 seats filled.

The plane made it to the City of Angels in a very quick 75 minutes.
Los Molinos High School is one of 22 distinguished schools in the entire state to be honored by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond for their exemplary Career Technical Education program.

The school only has a little more than 200 students. Though small, the campus was recognized for promoting technology, academic excellence and career technical education, standing high on the list of California's exemplary schools.

The school is located in Tehama County. It is very rural and is surrounded by farmland. More than 60 percent of the students are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged.

During the 2017/2018 school year math and English CAASSP scores at the high school increased by ten percentage points. Also, teachers held a math camp for students who needed some extra help.

Los Molinos High uses incorporates Google Chromebooks into their educational program. Google Classroom makes it easy to give assignments, give feed back and communicate with other students.

The Los Molinos Schools sSuperintendent told Action News Now Friday that they are very honored to receive the recognition and will send a team to Disneyland in Anaheim next month to accept their award.

Los Molinos High School students can also take advantage of dual enrollment with Shasta College through a special program. This allows them to take online courses or participate in site-facilitated college courses.
SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - About a dozen volunteers gave up their Saturday morning to help out a senior in need.

It was all for one woman who had a stroke and now, can not do much work around the house. She hired yard workers from Craigslist to help -- but was ripped off.

The community group United Shasta heard about the woman's situation and offered to help with cleaning and repairs.

It was a small effort, but the woman says it has made a world of difference.

Volunteer Robert Balke said, "I mean she pretty much lost it. She broke down...cried... which almost brought me to tears... and she's just thankful."

"Now we've got about 10 or 11 volunteers here," Balke explained. "The house is already cleaned... vacuumed. We've got the fence temporarily propped back up," he explained.

It only took about two hours for volunteers to get all the work done.

One neighbor even offered to pay for supplies if the group would replace the fence that borders his property.

They say they will be back to finish the job as soon as the ground dries.
While we demanded and got the necessary medical attention my sons medical issues required after liability-free vaccinations failed him, we never got any sort of counseling about what to do next. Why would we? Those we previously trusted denied any wrongdoing. The companies that provided the shots also didnt have to do anything. Since that Act, which I knew nothing about until after well after we discovered the injury, the pharmaceutical industry has not had to back their claims. They do not have to insure that their products come with any sort of warranty either. The Act Provides that no vaccine manufacturer shall be liable in a civil action for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death Its a hard fact to swallow, but its true.

Instead of top notch customer service, we got confused looks from medical staff when we mentioned that we thought the vaccines hurt him. Later, when I had to bring Ronan back to the doctor because he was getting sicker, we presented a timeline of the vaccinations received and when new issues started. Referencing dates that were documented in his medical record  and all of the problems that began post-vaccination, we again encountered silence. Theyd known Ronan since birth. Theyd seen him grow and develop typically to a point in time. But instead of jumping to assist us or to affirm that our hunch, that something happened to our once typically developing child, we were left on our own. Thats in thanks of the National Childhood Injury Act of 1986 .

A few weeks ago, our car was involved in a hit and run. We were not in the vehicle at the time, so we did not sustain any physical injuries. Regardless, damage was done. Something, or someone, hit our car and took off. No note was left. No explanation, no apology, no chance to make amends. Despite us not witnessing it or being physically there, auto insurance covered the hit and run claim. They did so with no questions asked. I took photos as soon as we discovered our car had been hit to help prove everything, but they believed us before I offered to send them. Once the claim was filed, the insurance company promised to cover the repairs, compensate the fee of the rental car wed need while our vehicle was in the shop, and theyd promise to make sure to keep in touch with us during the lengthy repair process. The body shop that conducted the repairs even offered us a lifetime warranty on their work. For the time we own the vehicle, all paint and body repairs are guaranteed. I wish I could say we had the same customer service and product warranty for the liability-free vaccines my son received when he was younger.

We hear from the medical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as growing number of legislators, that vaccines are only safe and only effective. Over the airwaves, in magazine advertisements, and across all sorts of social media platforms, its what the manufactures and our government hope consumers would continue to believe, Vaccines are safe. Vaccines are effective. Yet, according to the CDC and the vaccine package inserts published by the FDA, all vaccines come with risk. In fact, all medical procedures come with risk. But only one, vaccination, does not require informed consent. Because of that, there is no need for your doctor to go over a lengthy 11-page vaccine insert, like this MMR insert for example, or this 28-page Gardasil insert, to more fully inform patients of the facts, including that for some people, some vaccines can cause serious problems. Since customer service is not a top priority for these industries. There is no need to counsel vaccine customers, as we werent, beyond the one-page Vaccine Information Sheet, like the MMR and Gardasil VIS pages, and there is no need to keep products truly safe.

Vaccines come with no warranty.

Laws that protect vaccine customers, those who opt for them and those who are forced into them, dont exist as they do for the vaccine manufacturers. Even more disturbing, double-blind placebo studies havent been conducted as the manufactures and our government claim have happened. Why would they need to do that when theres no legal recourse for American vaccine consumers?

Consumers have the right to get vaccines, but they have to recourse should a vaccine fail or cause injury or death.

While consumers cannot bring civil action, some vaccine claims do get processed. Since 1988, US government payouts , which are funded by a $.75 excise tax on vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for routine administration to childrenThe Department of Treasury collects the excise taxes and manages the Funds investments Monies have been allocated to those who have been successful in proving that liability-free vaccines have caused harm to their children. But that process, which is arduous, is hardly shared by those who work directly with vaccine consumers. As a fellow advocate and parent has pointed out, the vaccine consumer is not top priority: These are government lawyers, representing a government agency, presenting government-funded science to government judges, with no jury and no normal rules of evidence. Where's the justice in that?" Whats worse, during the proceedings, they are told that it cant have been the vaccines. Liability-free vaccines are safe and effective, those protecting them insist. Thats not what Congress said, though, about them. Its not what the Supreme Court reiterated years later. Unavoidably unsafe products. There are some products which, in the present state of human knowledge, are quite incapable of being made safe for their intended and ordinary use. These are especially common in the field of drugs...

Documented side effects and adverse events, including death, are listed on package inserts of vaccines produced, sold, and administered in the United States.

The National Childhood Injury Act of 1986 protects pharmaceutical companies. Instead of offering that same protection to parents who vaccinate, it removed parents rights to sue those companies when injury or death occurs. What needs to be done about that? What can be done to change that? Some groups are calling for the Act to be repealed. Pharmaceutical companies need to be accountable, responsible, improve safety measures and policies, and have a reason to care. What isnt needed are mandates, censorship, and the disrespect that parents of children like mine have had to deal with since we approached our childs doctor with our initial concerns.

Pharmaceutical companies are the priority, not its consumers.

My son is still dealing with medical issues he never had until after he received liability-free vaccines. He requires round-the-clock care now and likely will for the foreseeable future. Insurance didnt cover the vaccine injury itself, but they, for the most part, cover the medically necessary treatment Ronan requires due to that vaccine injury. What a stark difference between the experience weve had with the medical field and insurance compared to the vehicle hit and run claim we filed recently.

Delivered to us with pomp and circumstance after being in the shop for a week, our car looked better than when we bought it. Within two days, though, I had to go back to the body shop. Id noticed that a small piece of trim on the door was damaged and not secure. Ready to have to fight to have the car part replaced, the gentleman at the shop opened the door for me, greeted me politely, and immediately asked what he could do to help. I told him that the trim wasnt broken when we brought the car in for the repairs, but its broken now. Without judgement or hesitation, he pulled up our record, saw that the door panel had been worked on in their shop, and ordered a new part. Then he apologized profusely. From start to finish, it took less than 10 minutes for him to find a solution and to act on it.

Some of my sons providers have yet to acknowledge that liability-free vaccines are what triggered some of his medical issues over a decade ago. They wont listen. They dont need to care. They and the pharmaceutical companies arent responsible, and our government allowed that. They will continue to allow that until more people demand change. I pray that happens soon and before anyone else experiences vaccine injury.

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
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President Rodrigo Duterte has again threatened to kill businessman Peter Lim for going into hiding over his alleged involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Cebu. In his speech during a campaign rally of the ruling PDP-Laban in Negros Occidental, Duterte said he was willing to kill Lim, an alleged drug lord, and be jailed for it. This Peter Lim. He has a house in Canada, a house in Bahamas, mo**** f*****, he even has a house in Hong Kong. Peter Lim, if I see you, wherever it may be, I will kill you and I will go to jail for it, Duterte said. He made his statement even as the police in Bataan arrested a couple and confiscated from them llegal drugs worth P500,000 and two pistols in a raid in Hermosa early Sunday morning. Maj. Madtaib Jalman, Hermosa police chief, identified the suspects as Henry Layug, 22, and his live-in partner, Jinky Villareal, 19, both residents of Balsik village. Layug was the subject of a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms, but it turned out he also had shabu and drug materials. This is the result of the surveillance conducted by the police and simultaneous operations on the implementation of the search warrant, Jalman said.Months before the court issued an arrest warrant against Lim for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Lim went into hiding and remains on the run. Duterte had previously admitted he did not know Lims whereabouts, but the Palace said Duterte was now more convinced about Lims involvement in illegal drugs. Duterte had also said it would be better for Lim to commit suicide because he would face 200 years in jail once he gave up. Since August 2018, the authorities have been hunting down Lim following the arrest warrant issued by Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos of Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Makati City. According to his co-accused, Kerwin Espinosa, a self-confessed drug dealer, Lim was his supplier of illegal drugs in the Visayas but Lim had denied it.
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Rabbi-Yitzchak-Abarbanel-Renaissance-Man.html

An advisor to kings, Rabbi Don Yitzchak Abarbanel dedicated his life to helping Jews in Europe.

In the late Middle Ages, the learned members of the Jewish Abarbanel family emerged as advisors to kings and princes. As the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance, one scion of the Abarbanel family  Rabbi Don Yitzchak Abarbanel  emerged as a true Renaissance man. Scholar, religious leader, philanthropist, diplomat, banker and royal advisor, few figures in European history can match Rabbi Yitzchaks erudition and greatness  and his concern for his fellow Jews.

Rabbi Yitzchaks father, Rabbi Judah Abarbanel, was an advisor to a local Spanish ruler, King Henry, who ruled in the city of Castile. King Henry relied heavily on Judahs good advice and resisted calls by Catholic leaders to persecute the Jews in his kingdom. But the relative peace of that regions Spanish Jews was shattered when a charismatic populist emerged, preaching hatred against Jews.

Ferrand Martinez, a local monk and royal confessor, hated Spains Jews and lost no time in fanning the flames of hatred in his fellow Christians. He would preach against Jews, then lead a mob from town to town, attacking Jewish quarters, breaking into synagogues, and threatening to kill Jews unless they converted on the spot. Seville, Cordova, Toledo and many smaller towns were all attacked by Martinezs mobs, and the region began to empty of its Jews.

King Alfonso appointed Yitzchak treasurer of the royal court of Portugal.

Rabbi Judah Abarbanel fled along with many of his compatriots, settling in neighboring Portugal where his innate talents once again caught the eye of the local royal rulers. Judah became a favorite advisor to King Alfonso V of Portugal. Wealthy and secure at last, he was able to provide a solid education for his brilliant young son Yitzchak. Yitzchak mastered many languages with ease and excelled in Jewish studies and philosophy. He began to write books about some of the most fundamental questions in Jewish thought, addressing issues such as the nature of prophecy. He also composed commentaries on the Torah. Yitzchak became a rabbi like his father. Eventually, he was forced to abandon his full-time studies when King Alfonso demanded he join his father in working for the royal family and appointed Yitzchak treasurer of the royal court of Portugal.

In the Royal Court of Portugal

Rabbi Yitzchak advised the king well and helped Portugal grow in importance and prestige. He never forgot his Jewish brethren and was always on the outlook for ways to ease the many burdens placed on the Jewish community in what was often a harsh, Catholic land. In 1471, when King Alfonso captured a town in Morocco, he placed the towns 250 up for sale as slaves. Rabbi Yitzchak sprang into action. He knew it would be impossible to change the kings mind about the sale, so he offered his own money and raised additional funds among Portugals Jews to purchase the slaves himself and then free them. For two years afterwards, Rabbi Yitzchak personally supported these 250 Moroccan Jews, until theyd learned to speak Portuguese and had settled into jobs and occupations.

When King Alfonso died in 1481, Portugal became markedly less tolerant of Jews. The old kings son, King John II, accused many of his fathers old advisors of plotting against him. He summoned a host of advisors and ministers to his palace, including Rabbi Yitzchak. Rabbi Yitzchak was on his way to meet the new king when a friendly informer stopped him with horrifying news: as each royal advisor approached the palace, they were seized and then beheaded. Rabbi Yitzchak lost no time, turning around on the spot and trying to flee with his wife and children to Spain.

Torah Commentary

The family settled in Toledo. There, the uprooted family found themselves bereft, penniless and without connections. Rabbi Yitzchak started working for a Jewish banking company and spent his free time writing commentaries on the Torah. These beautiful, insightful works continue to be studied widely today.

Rabbi Hersh Goldwurm ztl explained the enduring nature of Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanels appeal:

Abarbanels literary output was voluminous and multi-facetedAbarbanel is unique among Jewish Bible commentators in that he does not hesitate to quote the comments of Christian exegetes such as Jerome, Nicholas de Lyre, and others, sometimes even accepting their views. A striking feature of Abarbanels works...is their comprehensiveness. One can expect to find in them, on any topic, a comprehensive digest of...views. (Quoted in The Early Acharonim, compiled and edited by Rabbi Hersh Goldwurm. Mesorah Publications Ltd.: 2008.)

The Abarbanels peaceful life in Toledo came to an end in the year 1484, when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain commanded Rabbi Yitzchak to become their royal treasurer, reprising the career hed once performed with distinction in Portugal.

Rabbi Yitzchak could hardly refuse a royal order but he might have had a secondary reason to comply. The feared Spanish priest Tomas de Torquemada was now head of the Inquisition in Spain and he was leading the charge to root out secret Jews whod pledged loyalty to the Catholic Church out of fear, but who retained a Jewish lifestyle in secret. These secret Jews were subject to horrific torture and murder. Historians speculate that Rabbi Yitzchak thought that by becoming close to Spains royal rulers, he might use his influence to blunt the harshest decrees and laws against Jews.

Ferdinand and Isabella

While Rabbi Yitzchak did become a vital advisor to Ferdinand and Isabella, they were ardent supporters of the Inquisition and seem to have had personal antipathy to Jews. Rabbi Yitzchak served as Queen Isabellas personal financial agent and raised the money that she and Ferdinand needed to capture the city of Grenada and complete the unification of Spain as a single, Christian country under their rule. Instead of being grateful for his role in their victory, Ferdinand and Isabella turned on Rabbi Yitzchak and the rest of Spains Jews. They issued a decree: in 1492, only Christians would be allowed to reside in Spain. Any Jews who refused to convert would be forced to leave.

Rabbi Yitzchak pleaded with the royal couple to avert this decree, to no avail.

Rabbi Yitzchak pleaded with the royal couple to avert this decree, to no avail. He offered to raise vast sums of money for the royal court if only the Jews could stay. Ferdinand and Isabella were unmoved. They told Rabbi Yitzchak that if he converted to Christianity he could remain and keep his position in the royal court. Rabbi Yitzchak told them that was impossible.

Ferdinand and Isabella

On the solemn Jewish holiday of Tisha BAv in the Jewish year 5252 (July 30, 1492), Rabbi Yitzchak and his family joined tens of thousands of other Spanish Jews at the nations ports, crowding onto ships to take them away from Spain. Many of these desperate refugees were taken advantage of, sold into slavery or even thrown overboard by unscrupulous ship captains. Rabbi Yitzchak and his family managed to make it to the town of Naples.

When King Ferdinand heard that Spanish Jews were landing in that Italian city, he sent word to the local king of Naples (also named Ferdinand) demanding he deny Jews entry. King Ferdinand of Naples refused to be cowed, and allowed the Jews to settle in his domain. Rabbi Yitzchak had hoped to work full time on writing his Torah commentaries again, but the king of Naples demanded that Rabbi Yitzchak once again assume the role of treasurer in his new home.

No Rest

He became treasurer and royal advisor to King Ferdinand of Naples, as well as his son, King Alfonso II, when he succeeded his father in 1494. Rabbi Yitzchaks travails were not over. In 1495, Naples fell to France and King Alfonso II fled to the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Rabbi Yitzchak and his family went with the deposed king, continuing to serve him in exile.

Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel desperately worked to make his communities a safer, better place for Europes battered, persecuted Jews.

He was by now in late middle age but his wanderings never ceased. When King Alfonso II died, Rabbi Yitzchak moved to the Mediterranean island of Corfu where he lived in poverty, writing and studying and working on his voluminous writings. He moved back to Naples, then later to Venice where the city elders invited him to become a government official. Ever the dazzling statesman, Rabbi Yitzchak eventually rose to become one of the rulers of the Venetian Republic. He died in 1509, a celebrated and famous Venetian. Leading members of Venices government attended his funeral, in the Italian town of Padua, which was then home to a large Jewish population and contained a Jewish cemetery.

King Alfonso II

In his commentary on the famous Biblical story when Jacob confronts his brother Esau (who has vowed to kill him), the Abarbanel noted that Jacob feared Esau and his fear was like that of a real hero who, going to battle, is afraid of death and senses the danger, but out of noble motives scorns life and chooses a brave death (Quoted in New Studies in Bereshit by Nehama Leibowitz). This nuanced description of our patriarch Jacobs feelings might reflect the dramatic realities of Rabbi Yitzchaks life as well. Time and again, he faced danger and the threat of death. Yet throughout his long life, Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel went into battle, immersing himself in public life, desperately working to make his communities a safer, better place for Europes battered, persecuted Jews.
BAGHDAD  The Iraqi government and the United Nations are working together to establish a museum documenting Islamic State (IS) atrocities against the Yazidi religious minority in Sinjar.

The idea stemmed from a 2018 visit by representatives of UNESCO and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq to the village of Kocho in the Sinjar district of Ninevah province. Residents had requested a memorial in the village. Their request was approved.

So far, at least 67 mass graves left behind by IS have been found in Sinjar, said Mohammed Taher al-Tamimi, Iraq's director of nongovernmental organizations at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. He hopes to see the first Yazidi museum in contemporary history.

In cooperation with UNESCO's office for Iraq, Tamimi's department organized a Feb. 18 meeting of experts in Baghdad. The meeting was designed to ponder with the experts, and international and domestic stakeholders, a systematic approach to decide on an adequate concept for the Yazidi memorial monument." The group studied memorials built in various countries as examples.

Majid Mohammed Amin, who represented the Ministry of Education at the meeting, tldo Al-Monitor, We went to the Kocho school site, heard the survivors testimonies and viewed the marks of the radical organizations atrocities. It was agreed that the Kocho school, where the crime started, will accommodate the museum. This is why the school building needs to remain, as much as possible, as it is, and the traces of crimes need to be preserved on the walls and other places."

He explained, The school will serve as the genocide museum center, and other complementary monuments will be built as well, such as a shrine that is in line with the Yazidi architectural specifications. Its design, however, is yet to be completed.

The mass graves that were found in Kocho and other parts of Sinjar won't be abandoned after the victims remains are excavated, according to village spokesman Sheikh Nayef Jassem Qassem. He told Al-Monitor, In my capacity as tribal leader of the village, I take upon my own shoulders" to mark the graves' boundaries and install memorial shrines at each one. "This way, the visitors will not only come to see the school that is planned to serve as the museum center, but will also stop at the mass graves, and this will help them develop a complete picture of the crime scene.

Karim Asad Khan, a British lawyer appointed to lead the UN investigative team to hold IS accountable, also attended the meeting.

A commemoration in memory of the victims is not tantamount to mere architectural designs. Rather, it is an initiative to accord the victims their rights, underline the atrocities they experienced, do them justice and document their suffering. The Holocaust memorial monuments built in Yugoslavia, Rwanda and other parts of the world show to what extent the people of the 21st century are committed to humanitarian actions that would do justice to children and women victims," he told Al-Monitor.

Justice is an integral part of democracy.

Khan added, I am proud to be working with [Tamimi] and to be provided with such major support from the Iraqi government, high religious authorities such as [Shiite Ayatollah] Ali al-Sistani, the Yazidi baba [head] sheikh, as well as the Sunni and Shiite endowments, to document these crimes."

The investigative team will help Iraq gather, store and safeguard proof of IS war crimes.

Yazidi architect Darsem Neamo Khairi, who lives in Germany, designed the memorial monument for her master's thesis. In her eyes, the monument needs to represent the 74 massacres and genocide the Yazidis have experienced throughout history, according to Yazidi statistics. She believes it should also reflect the bright side of Yazidi traditions and culture, which are rooted in Iraq's ancient civilizations. The monument, she said, needs to be the link between the Yazidi and international communities, in a way that acknowledges a positive image of the Yazidis, and doesn't represent them only as genocide victims.

There's also a desire to set up a museum documenting crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes perpetrated by IS against other minorities  such as Christians, ethnic Shabak people in the Ninevah Plain and Mosul, Turkmens in Tal Afar and Yarsan in Kirkuk  as well as the estimated 1,700 Shiite youth volunteers killed in the Camp Speicher massacre. This desire could pose a challenge to the Yazidi monument, but a considered approach could turn the museum into a symbol of unity, rather than one of competition over which group has suffered the most at the hands of IS.

Khan suggests establishing a national museum commemorating the various stories of Yazidi survivors as well as the Sunni, Shiite and other communities who came to their aid. He said such an initiative could express Iraqi unity in times of distress, and reveal that differences vanish when people face fateful and existential challenges.
Iraq is ready to help steer the region away from confrontation and toward integration, Iraqi President Barham Salih told the sixth annual Sulaimani Forum on March 6. Everyone can share a degree of success in Iraqs reconstruction, he said, adding that Iraq can be a bridge to the economies of the region by linking the infrastructure between Iraq and the Gulf and Turkey between Iran and the Arab region and the Mediterranean.

Expanding on these themes in an interview with Mina Al-Oraibi of The National, Salih added, It is incumbent on us as this new team leading Iraq to move and push forward the Iraqi agenda that we consider to be vital for a new regional order based on economic integration and collaboration among the nations of the region, but also internationally in the fight against extremism.

The Iraqi president envisions a network of interrelated interests such as regional railways, pipelines and free trade zones across Iraqs borders with all of its neighbors, Ali Mamouri reports.

These calls for more openness toward Arab states weren't limited to the Kurdish and Arab Sunni figures alone, Mamouri writes, but even Iraqi Shiite figures who are known as close allies of Iran demanded rapprochement with Arabs and called for Baghdad to play an intermediary role between Iraqs neighboring countries. For example, Ammar Hakim, head of the Hikma movement, said, Iraq must be the peace gate of the region.

Arab figures seemed to be very realistic in addressing the regional conflict between Iran and Arab countries, adds Mamouri. They all called for reaching out to Iran via Iraq instead of escalating the confrontation.

The first step in Iraqs new regional policy is the Iraq-Jordan trade agreement signed Feb. 2. Jordan Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri, who spoke at the forum, praised the agreement as a breakthrough and model for further integration among Arab states.

Last month we wrote that the agreement signaled a new direction in Iraqi foreign policy that seeks comity and economic engagement with all its neighbors, including Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, while keeping close ties with the United States. Iraqs leadership of this trend toward a more open and economically focused foreign policy, including and especially in the Levant, could be a catalyst for a new direction in regional politics.

The trade agreement should help Jordan address its unemployment crisis. Osama Al Sharif reports that the official unemployment rate in Jordan is 18.7%, which is troubling enough, but that the rate among college and university graduates is 24.5%, and that it is 78.2% for women with a university degree.

The lack of jobs has spurred a dramatic march to the capital by unemployed youth from Aqaba, which has support among many Jordanians. So far the marches have been peaceful, writes Sharif, but as they continue to spread, they will put pressure on both the Royal Court and the government to come up with solutions. While the Cabinet was correct in asserting that immediate solutions cannot be found, local observers fear that the frustration among the unemployed could turn into anger, providing fresh ammunition to anti-government protests that had subsided in the past few weeks.

Iraqs focus on defusing regional tensions and expanding trade will be on display when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives in Iraq for a formal state visit March 11.

Iraqs ties to Iran continue to be an irritant in US-Iraq relations. At the forum, Salih emphasized the importance of Iraqs alliance with the United States, including the need for continued collaboration against extremism in the region and the Islamic State. In response to a question about US troops also being in Iraq to watch Iran, the Iraqi president said Baghdad doesnt "want to be part of these conflicts. Iraq is still not a very stable country, and putting an extra political burden on it is unacceptable."

There is also US pressure on Iraq over its imports of Iranian natural gas and electricity, which have left Baghdad stuck between a rock and a hard place, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani. In December, the Trump administration issued a second waiver that allowed Iraq to continue paying for such imports for another 90 days. The Iraqis have responded by saying that they need around two years to adapt, and last month reportedly signed a one-year contract to renew electricity imports from Iran. The government in Baghdad cannot afford renewed civil unrest over electricity shortages, particularly as summer approaches.

Iran has sensed, and seized, an opportunity in the crisis caused by US sanctions on Iran to boost economic ties with Iraq. Iran has not sat idly by amid the pressure, Shabani continues. Rouhanis visit will focus on trade and investment. At present, bilateral exchanges stand at $12 billion per year, and the two sides seek to increase it to $20 billion. Indeed, while US sanctions have sought to restrict Irans regional linkages, data suggest that the opposite has occurred. Isolated from international markets, Iran has rather focused its energy on its neighbors. Moreover, as sanctions have weakened the rial, Iranian goods and services have become more attractive. As a result, in October, Iraq even overtook China as Irans prime non-oil export market.

With regard to the US military presence in Iraq, the Pentagon rerouted millions of dollars worth of weapons and vehicles from Iraq to Syria in the second half of 2018, Jack Detsch reports, as US-backed forces cornered the last remnants of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Iraqi Ambassador to the United States Fareed Yasseen said, Iraq will likely see an internationalization of the Western military presence thats there in support of Iraqi military capabilities.

That includes a new NATO training operation led by Canadian Gen. Dany Fortin, writes Detsch. The US-led coalition fighting in Iraq told the Pentagons inspector general last month that training of Iraqi forces is of a basic nature and does not fit US definitions of counterinsurgency instruction.
CAIRO  The Division of Recruitment Companies at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce held March 3 a meeting, which Al-Monitor attended, to discuss the findings of the committee formed in December 2018 to identify ways out of the crisis facing the recruitment of Egyptians for jobs abroad. The committee was also tasked with proposing alternatives to the Gulf states, which have opted for policies to nationalize jobs available in their markets.

Ahmad al-Rai, recruitment director at the Cairo-based El-Owaida agency, gets dozens of phone calls daily from individuals looking for a job in the Gulf states. He takes the job seekers' contact details and promises to get in touch once work visas are granted again.

The number of people for whom the agency managed to secure a job in the Gulf, particularly in Saudi Arabia, has dwindled by more than 70% since 2017. Rai told Al-Monitor that only 600 workers were employed in the Gulf in 2018 compared to more than 2,150 in 2014.

El-Owaida, which has been operating since 1998 and has three other offices in different Egyptian governorates, mainly caters to the Saudi markets demand for construction engineers and workers.

Rai said that the construction sector in Saudi Arabia has witnessed a major decline with the Saudi government adopting policies to cut expenses and subsidies in this sector as oil prices have plummeted since 2014. This has caused the firm to lose an important part of its recruitment services, he added.

In the past two years, hundreds of recruiters in Egypt witnessed a decline in available jobs in the Gulf. These agencies are now looking for new markets as a way out of the crisis ensuing from the war in Yemen, drop in oil prices and nationalization of jobs in the Arab Gulf.

Hamdi Imam, chairman of the Division of Recruitment Companies at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, told Al-Monitor, The Gulfs demand for Egyptian workers has decreased by 80% since 2017. He noted that nearly 200 out of 1,200 recruitment agencies officially registered with the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration have forcibly closed their doors since 2015. He attributed the decline to the worsening situation in Saudi Arabia, as well as other Gulf states, due to the war in Yemen and drop in oil prices.

A September 2017 report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) noted that Saudi Arabia employs the largest Egyptian labor force with 2.9 million Egyptian workers. According to Saudi data published Feb. 8, 1.6 million foreign workers left Saudi Arabia between early 2017 and late 2018.

At its March 3 meeting, the committee, headed by the divisions Deputy Chairman Abdel Rahim el-Morsi, put forth a number of proposals to resolve the crisis. It suggested to resort to African Union (AU) countries  mainly Nigeria, South Africa, Niger and Ghana  as Egypt is currently presiding over the AU. The committee believes it is necessary to coordinate with the commercial attache at each of the Egyptian embassies in AU countries in order to identify the target sectors. It also announced that a new initiative, dubbed Egypt in Africa and designed to open up new markets to the Egyptian labor force, will be launched at the divisions March 31 conference.

Moreover, the committee suggested coordinating with the Egyptian security services to allow Egyptians to work in Libya again. A Libyan delegation from Benghazi had asked to involve Egyptian workers in the reconstruction of the city during its Jan. 8 visit to the Chamber of Commerce.

Morsi also came up with the idea that Egyptian workers willing to work in Africa attend a three-month training course at a training center run by the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration.

Secretary-General of the Division of Recruitment Companies Khaled Mustafa explained at the March 3 meeting that supervisors speaking the language of the African countries could accompany the Egyptian workers to facilitate communication with the employers. He stressed the need to counter fake recruitment companies, via a social media campaign to raise awareness among those willing to work abroad.

On Dec. 16, 2018, the Division of Recruitment Companies had held a meeting at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce bringing together the directors of most of the recruitment agencies with the goal of finding solutions to the great recession in this sector. As a result, a committee was formed to identify potential new markets outside the Gulf states, with the help of the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration.

According to its 2017 report, CAPMAS indicated that 9.5 million Egyptian workers are employed overseas, mostly in Saudi Arabia, followed by Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The Central Bank of Egypt reported in August 2018 that remittances by these workers amounted to $26.5 million in fiscal year 2018.

During the meeting in December, the participants conversed about the reasons behind the declining demand for Egyptian workers, spearheaded by the "Saudization" of several sectors since 2016 to reduce the unemployment that reached 12.1% among Saudis in 2016. Workers in pharmacies and phone shops, and those driving small and medium lorries are mainly affected.

The Saudi authorities embarked Jan. 7 on the implementation of another phase of the Saudization plan, which involves limiting 12 job types to Saudis, including jobs at shops selling motorcycles and automobiles, clothes, home appliances, electronic devices, medical equipment, construction and building materials, auto parts, carpets and sweets.

Likewise, Kuwait launched in July 2017 a five-year program to "Kuwaitize" jobs and thus recruit nationals instead of migrant workers. On Aug. 26, 2018, the government announced that of the 44,572 individuals it employs the 3,140 government positions for non-Kuwaitis would be canceled. The measure was put into practice in the first year of the program.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba quoted in April 2018 sources as saying that Egypt comes second in terms of the number of migrant workers in Kuwait, with 610,000 people. Yet there are no statistics on the number of Egyptians in a government job in Kuwait or the key sectors they work in abroad. In January, the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration said the preparation for a database on the Egyptian labor force abroad is underway.

Abdul Meneim al-Sharawy, chairman of Al-Sharawy, a recruitment agency for employment abroad, told Al-Monitor the slump in oil prices and subsequent decline of the Saudi real estate sector and the war in Yemen have had an impact on the Saudi work visas available for the agency.

He said that the Saudi work visas available are limited to domestic workers, drivers and employees in some medical fields. Sharawy said that 2018 had been the worst year for his agency since its inception in 1984, noting that his firm managed to find jobs for only 40 people in the Gulf, mainly in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, compared to 250 in 2014.

Imam estimated that more than 250,000 Egyptian workers returned from Saudi Arabia in 2018, and expects the same number of Egyptians to return home in 2019.

Ahmad Abdo, executive director of El-Rahma, a recruitment agency for international employment, told Al-Monitor that opening up new markets to Egyptian workers would not be fruitful in the long run. He said that such a proposal would face several problems, as the workers neither speak the same language nor have the skills required for these markets. In addition, there is a lack of coordination between the recruiters in Egypt and employers in these markets, and lack of trust on the part of Egyptian workers in the offers made.

Abdo said that his agency was granted work visas in Malaysia early last year, but that the Egyptian job seekers, however, were not interested.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Despite a massive blackout that has plunged most of embattled Venezuela into darkness, a Palestinian delegation of doctors continued its efforts this week to provide aid in the capital of Caracas.

Sent by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a team of 16 doctors arrived Feb. 28 on a monthlong mission to perform free surgeries there, where a struggle for the presidency has thrown the country into chaos. The blackout struck March 7 and continued today, worsening the situation.

Venezuela has been embroiled in growing tension since Jan. 23, when opposition chief Juan Guaido declared himself acting president until new elections are held. Current President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in Jan. 10 for a second six-year term.

Maduro's government is reportedly blaming opposition extremists for the blackout, claiming they launched a technological and cyberattack on a hydroelectric plant. The opposition denies the accusations and claims poor maintenance and simple neglect led to the outage.

Meanwhile, Osama al-Najjar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the West Bank, said the medical team includes physicians specializing in general surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, and gynecology and obstetrics, in addition to anesthesia and recovery specialists.

He told Al-Monitor the delegation is distributed over three hospitals in Caracas and, before the blackout, planned to carry out six specialized surgeries per day.

The doctors took with them medical equipment, medicine and medical consumables for the operating rooms and emergency departments, at the request of the Venezuelan Ministry of Health.

The medical delegations mission comes as a message of loyalty to the Venezuelan people, and the leaders who stand with the Palestinian people, Najjar said. It is a humanitarian message to all the countries of the world that Palestine can offer support to any friendly country that needs support and assistance.

He noted that Maduro has shown distinctive and supportive positions toward the Palestinian people. We hope this medical delegation will be a message of support to him," Najjar said.

Western countries, most notably the United States, are recognizing Guaido as interim president. By sending a medical delegation to Caracas, the Palestinian presidency seems to be taking a stance opposing the Western inclination.

The United States is seeking to remove Maduro from office. On March 1, the US Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions on six Venezuelan security officials aligned with illegitimate former President Nicolas Maduro. On Feb. 28, the United States applied visa restrictions on 49 Maduro-aligned officials it accused of violating human rights, stealing from the Venezuelan people and undermining Venezuelas democracy.

In a bid to pressure Maduro out of office, Venezuelan opposition chief Guaido vowed in a March 5 statement to paralyze the public sector in Venezuela. Maduro, replying that same day, countered: No one and nothing  neither external nor internal aggression  can disturb peace in Venezuela."

The PA has historic relations with Venezuela, which has shown unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Venezuelas support was mostly felt with the advent of Hugo Chavez to the presidency, which he held from 1999 to 2013.

Venezuela and the Venezuelan people took an honorable stance and supported us at the United Nations and in all fields," said Abbas Zaki, a Fatah Central Committee member. "We maintain relations based on bilateral cooperation. Sending the medical delegation is a gesture of loyalty to return the favor to Venezuela, [which is] currently hit by an emergency situation."

According to the Venezuelan Association of Medical Doctors, some 22,000 physicians have left that country in the past five years. This has caused a shortage of specialized, intensive and emergency care.

Zaki told Al-Monitor, Palestinians must be the peace dove. We send our best [physicians] to heal the wounds of our brothers in Venezuela. He stressed the reliable relationship between Palestine and Venezuela. When President Maduro was a foreign minister under Chavez, he expelled the Israeli ambassador in protest against the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in 2009.

Chavez officially recognized the state of Palestine in 2009 and inaugurated the first Palestinian Embassy in Caracas. Until his death in 2013  when he was replaced by Maduro, who followed in his footsteps  Chavez never ceased to assert his support for the Palestinian people.

Writer and political analyst Raed Nairat, a political science professor at An-Najah National University in the West Bank, believes the PA is trying to depoliticize the message behind the recent medical delegation to Venezuela. The United States, however, can't help but see the PAs aid as a political message, he added.

The PA has been insisting ever since the Venezuelan crisis flared up that it is taking a neutral stance toward Venezuela and does not interfere in the complex Venezuelan situation. I don't believe the PA would put itself in a position against the US," he told Al-Monitor. The PA has chosen to stand with the government of President Nicolas Maduro on a humanitarian basis only.

On the possible US position toward the PA in this particular matter, Nairat wondered, What can the US do? Washington has been adopting escalating policies against the Palestinians ever since Donald Trump became president.

Fatah's Zaki said the PA can't rely on the US administration. The US is all about deals and trading positions. The current US administration doesn't apply Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and lacks George Washington's wisdom.

He continued, The US administration has exerted all kinds of pressure against the Palestinian people. It's not qualified to lead its own country, so why would we comply with its aggressive plans? The US measures against Venezuela follow political and financial pressure by the US administration against the PA.

On March 3, Zaki visited the headquarters of the Venezuelan Embassy in Palestine and met with Venezuelan Ambassador Maher Taha. The PA-affiliated Wafa news agency reported that during the meeting, Zaki expressed Palestines solidarity and support to the friendly Venezuelan people and Maduro. Meanwhile, Taha confirmed the unfaltering position of Maduro toward Palestinians. Maduro sees himself as part of the Palestinian people, Wafa quoted Taha as saying.

Walid al-Mudallal, a political science professor at the Islamic University of Gaza, told Al-Monitor, The Palestinian medical mission must be understood within the context of humanitarian cooperation and relief. It falls within the framework of popular diplomacy and is part of the PAs attempt to strengthen its mutual relations with Venezuela.

He acknowledged that the United States could see the mission as a kind of counter-action and political position against Washington. But, he added, the PA, for its part, can justify its actions as offering aid to the Venezuelan people."

In a Jan. 24 letter addressed to Maduro, Fatah slammed the interference of some countries in Venezuela's domestic affairs. On March 2, hundreds of Palestinians took part in a solidarity rally for Venezuela organized by Palestinian activists in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

In a May piece on Wafa's website called "Venezuela illuminates the darkness of Palestine," the agency noted there are 10,000 to 15,000 Palestinians in Venezuela, most of them living in Valencia and Caracas. Venezuela allows Palestinians to enter its territory without a visa.
CAIRO  By the time Egypt's parliament finally ratifies a law that will allow local elections to be held, the country's women should be ready to field candidates.

Manal al-Absy, head of a group known as the General Assembly of Egyptian Women, recently launched the With Egypt campaign, which aims to explain and promote the benefits of constitutional amendments the parliament is considering. The campaign seeks to support women in all Egyptian governorates through a panoply of seminars designed to shed light on the advantages of these amendments. The seminars target an elite group of jurists, parliamentarians, members of political parties and public figures.

On Feb. 14, parliament members discussed a memorandum previously submitted by the Egypt Support Coalition, a party that supports President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The memorandum covers the proposed constitutional amendments, the reasoning behind them and their objectives. After a two-thirds majority approved it, speaker Ali Abdul Aal referred the memorandum to a legislative committee to draft the amended articles for final approval.

Under the 2014 Egyptian Constitution, the state guarantees "adequate" representation of women in parliament without specifying a specific percentage and stipulates that 25% of the seats on local councils shall be allocated to women.

The proposed amendments aim at increasing the female quota on local councils to a currently undisclosed figure and instituting a quota for parliament of at least 25%. (Egypt is considering adding a second chamber  a senate  to its legislature.) Multiple female members of parliament such as Maysa Atwa of the Manpower Committee and Mona Mounir of the African Affairs Committee stressed the need to raise the quota for representation of women on local councils.

Speaking to Al-Monitor by phone, Absy also indicated that a quota on local councils is fundamental to empowering women in Upper Egypt and its rural areas, as quotas underline womens competence in providing other women with economic, social and cultural support everywhere women are marginalized.

She pointed out that women in Upper Egypt and rural areas are the main targets of the With Egypt campaign.

Sahar Wehbe, rapporteur of the National Council for Women in the Sohag governorate, told Youm 7 on Feb. 20, The council will support the candidacy of 300 women in the upcoming local elections by training them to manage their campaigns and communicate their political message and electoral platform."

There is no specific date as of yet for local elections, which haven't taken place since 2011. Yet they are expected to be held once parliament ratifies the local election law it's working on.

Speaking to Al-Monitor by phone, Wehbe noted that local elections in Upper Egypt and other rural areas are of particular importance. The area known as Upper Egypt is actually the country's southern portion and is so named because the Nile River flows from south to north.

Unlike the big cities like Cairo and Alexandria [both in the far north], multiple villages in the countryside and Upper Egypt continue to have no access to [utility] services, which the local councils ought to ensure, such as water, electricity, sewage systems, paved roads, education and health care, she said. Wehbe added, Women will gain more experience and grow in popularity there if they manage to ensure access to the above-mentioned services while serving on the local councils."

She indicated local councils will allow women to work with the government in developing plans to preserve security, counter higher prices and greed via market control, and develop and invest in the state resources in all of the villages.

Womens success in the local elections will help them develop faith in their own capabilities, Wehbe said. Their success will also alter the general public's perspective once it sees them in the local councils providing services and managing the villages, she added.

Currently, there seems to be no faith in womens capabilities in much of Upper Egypt and rural areas. Women hailing from these parts manage to have access to parliament either through the mandatory womens quota on the lists in the past elections or via direct appointment to some posts in the ministries and government bodies, such as the post of mayor.

In February, Nermeen Zared was appointed mayor of a village in al-Halafi in the northern, rural Kafr el-Sheikh governorate. She is the second woman to assume such a post in that governorate and the fifth in the entire Egyptian Arab Republic.

Like Wehbe, Kom Bouha village Mayor Eva Habeel stressed that providing women with further support via government appointments and the quota system in parliament and local councils will help them prove themselves in the face of those who question their competence. Habeel told Al-Monitor that such policies have been the most important feature distinguishing the rule of Sisi.

Ahmad Abdel Fattah, a journalist for al-Ahram newspaper, disagrees with the ideas of quotas and appointing women simply because they are women. The government appointments must necessarily depend on the competence of the individual alone, regardless of the gender," he said.

Abdel Fattah said, "The quota system is one of the so-called positive discrimination systems that are based on supporting marginalized groups. Yet it does reflect the genuine societal perception of women.

He added, Many people in Upper Egypt and the countryside continue to have no faith in women's leadership abilities, and I am against this culture. I do, however, believe that raising awareness of womens value and competencies through education and media campaigns is better than the imposition of a quota system. This is because [this system] does not mirror reality and paves the way for other groups to claim similar quotas, such as peasants  and others, and this would render parliament more like a syndical council.

Hoda Badran, head of the Egyptian Feminist Union, told Al-Monitor the quota system and appointment of women to leadership positions represent opportunities for women to face the cultural bias that perceives them as unqualified. She added that reducing or abolishing the quota system would genuinely test whether the culture has changed -but women first need the opportunity to prove themselves.
A suspect has been charged in a fire that damaged a fried chicken restaurant in Mobile.

Demetrius Antonio Murphy was booked into the Mobile County jail on Saturday morning, records show. Hes charged with second-degree arson, a Class C felony thats punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The fire caused about $5,000 worth of damage at Harts Fried Chicken on Spring Hill Avenue, according to the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department. It happened on March 1 just after 1 a.m.

The fire was quickly extinguished, causing minimal damage to the exterior wall of the structure and gas meter, said fire department spokesman Steven L. Millhouse in a news release. Because of suspicious circumstances investigators were called to the scene.

This image was taken from surveillance video at Hart's Fried Chicken, where about $5,000 was caused by arson, authorities said.

Murphy was identified as a suspect through surveillance video, Millhouse said. Murphy was charged after being questioned by investigators.
Lipa City, BatangasHeeding her mothers admonition to be kind, Davao City MayorThe Inday Sara show has packed up, she said on the sidelines of a campaign stop for her Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Lipa City. No more, so sad. The mayor, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte and Elizabeth Zimmerman, said her mother called her from Davao Sunday morning and told her to stop picking fights with the opposition, and reminded her to be kind before anything else. She sort of scolded me, Duterte said in Filipino. She said everybody knows you are the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, but you are also my daughter. When the mayor said she was only responding to an attack, her mother said, You have to be kind, first of all. if this meantand the senatorial bets under Otso Diretso, Duterte said yes, then added: Lets see how long I will last.Early Sunday morning, she issued a statement chiding Robredo for her hiding behind the Robredo camp when responding to attacks. It says a lot about your fake courage, the mayor said. She added that Robredo was a fake vice president, because her election victory is still under protest. The Davao City mayor has also been at odds withbeing a requirement for those running for office.Duterte said the Constitution does not call for honesty as a requirement for political candidates. Earlier, Duterte said she had no problem with a debate against the Otso Diretso senatorial hopefuls, but she said she does not want to debate with disorganized and depressed candidates who cant organize such an event. She recalled that the opposition group even asked her to draft the rules for the debate. So I told them, I am not the secretary of that black hole, Duterte said. At a campaign stop in Calamba City, former senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, both running for the Senate, joked that the person who put them behind barsformer Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Limawas her self still detained. They also told the crowd they were innocent of the charges that they received huge kickbacks from the pork barrel scam. The HNP stage also served as a venue for the reconciliation between political rivals E.R. Ejercito and incumbent Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez. Estrada, a first cousin of Ejercito, called on him and Hernandez to settle their differences for the sake of their constituents. To cheers from the crowd, they shook hands. READ: Inday Sara hits out at Leni over 'honesty'
Four months ago, voters flocked to the polls and delivered an overwhelming show of support for Republicans by further entrenching the partys supermajority status in the Legislature.

The new group of lawmakers were termed by one political strategist as one of the most conservative governments weve ever had.

But that same group is poised to begin in its term with a tax increase as its first action of any kind. And that reality isnt sitting well with tea party groups and conservative tax watchdogs who believe that their new state government is behaving more progressive than anticipated back in November.

Theyre addressing in what most places would be called a progressive agenda, said Ralph Long, a Lauderdale County Republican and chairman of the Stop the Alabama Gas Tax PAC, which was formed recently to advertise against the Rebuild Alabama program which would be financed by a 10-cent increase in gasoline and diesel taxes.

Fake Republican

The tax increase proposal, which could pass the Legislature next week and be signed by Gov. Kay Ivey, is creating friction within the Republican Party and its conservative base and party leadership. The Alabama Republican Partys state executive committee, late last month, voted overwhelmingly to oppose the tax increase without any offsetting decreases in taxes elsewhere.

Opponents are led by the newly formed PAC, which is raising money. In recent days, theyve issued sometimes colorful press releases such as one calling the special session government malpractice. It followed up with a Wednesday release questioning the allegiances of Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, a former Republican state representative from Guntersville.

On Thursday, the group sent out another press release introducing a new directory of Fake Republicans. The directory lists all the House Republicans and places a red Fake Republican logo over the eyes of 59 Republican House members who voted in support of the legislation, including House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, state Rep. Bill Poole of Tuscaloosa and the bills sponsor, and state Rep. Lynn Greer of Rogersville.

Greer, who represents portions of Lauderdale County, said the opposition forces are being led by tea party groups and others who would oppose any and all taxes.

Im not anti-tea party but we have to occasionally  for good education and highways, you need to bite the bullet and move forward, said Greer, who chairs the Alabama House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee which oversaw the public hearing into the legislation Thursday. Of course, they are going to be at us. But the people you will get re-elected four years from now, are the people who are going to support this bill, in my opinion.

The Rebuild Alabama proposal, which won support in the Alabama House by an 83-20 vote Friday, now moves on to the Alabama Senate where it could be voted on early next week. Ivey would then likely approve it.

Though lawmakers have discussed the potential of raising the gas tax  noting that it hasnt been done since 1992, and that the states infrastructure is need of improvement  the special session hasnt been embraced by conservative Republicans.

Distrust has followed, especially with the calling of a special session to approve the plan and tax increase allowing the Legislature to pass a bill with a simple-majority vote. During regular session, the House and Senate have to pass a budget isolation resolution which requires a three-fifths majority.

The Stop the Alabama Gas Tax PAC has also issued a warning: We will not let the state forget this vote, said the groups spokeswoman, Hannah Ford, who also has served as a spokeswoman for conservative lawmakers including former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice and Senate candidate Roy Moore.

Said Long, We are going to keep a list of them updated.

Interesting noise

Some longtime observers of Alabama politics are skeptical that the political threats will amount to much.

Jess Brown, a retired political science professor at Athens State University, said the opposition will provide interesting noise for a while in the political discourse in Montgomery.

But he said that opponents do not represent a source of real power in Montgomery, unlike groups such as the Business Council of Alabama and a host of transportation-related interest groups which are all backing the Rebuild Alabama program.

Legislators instinctively know, at least the smarter ones do, that little movements and groups come up on a particular bill or issue and that most are frankly, a flash in the pan, said Brown. Some of the people very interested in the gas tax, six months from now, will be interested in another issue.

Robert Blanton, chairman of the University of Alabama at Birminghams Department of Political Science and Public Administration, said he hasnt gotten a sense that the opposition group is well-organized.

I dont see a counter proposal out there, said Blanton. The opposition Ive seen is general mistrust. But I dont see anyone out there trying to do anything about it.

Steve Flowers, a former Republican Alabama House member and a current political commentator and writer, said that despite Alabamas deep red nature, most Republicans are more in the middle and would not be considered a right-wing anti-tax tea partier.

The far-right wing tends to get more involved in party politics, therefore, their position on issues will be more conservative, said Flowers. But having been around this stuff for a long time, even when the Democratic Party was the majority party, most legislators could care less on what the party position is. They dont kowtow to the party issues.

Flowers, however, sympathizes with the rookie Republicans who were first elected in November.

I bet there is some freshman representative from (a rural part of the state) and hes not sleeping well tonight because he has the governor wanting him to vote for that tax and hes thinking about going back home and the people there are saying, We sent that boy down here and the first thing he did was vote for a gas tax, said Flowers.

He added, This is the most unusual vote and the most important vote that we will watch this quadrennium (four years). And the irony is its their first vote.

Bipartisan issue

Few freshmen lawmakers spoke during Fridays hearing. State Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals is one who did and he admitted that he simply could not vote for the measure because his constituents simply dont want it.

Im not upset with anyone who is voting yes, said Sorrell. But my constituents overwhelmingly oppose.

Other Republican lawmakers representing rural constituencies also voiced their concerns.

State Rep. Tommy Hanes, R-Scottsboro, in the northeastern part of the state, said his constituents are tired of taxes even though he realizes there is a need for improvements to Alabamas roads and bridges.

It will be a hardship, said Hanes, who suggested Friday that lawmakers considered repealing a host of tax abatements.

Proponents of Rebuild Alabama, including the bills House sponsor Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, say that the magnitude of fixing the states infrastructure problems is so staggering. He said that lawmakers, over the years, have explored multiple options to fix the states crumbling roads and bridges.

Poole, on Thursday, provided some eye-opening examples: Of the over 16,000 bridges in Alabama, about 7,500 are 50 years old. A bridges general lifespan is 50 to 75 years.

They are aging and not getting any younger and are not getting replaced, he said. That problem is not going to get better. Its going to get worse.

He added, This is not a partisan issue. Its a bipartisan issue. Its an issue for everyday Alabamians and every corner of the state now and into the future.
ComebackTown is published by David Sher for a more prosperous greater Birmingham.

David Sher is Co-Founder of AmSher Compassionate Collections and past Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, ONB, and CAP.

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It really didnt hit me until my family went to the beach last year.

We arrived in Destin  immediately driving to a nearby Publix on Highway 98 to buy our groceries.

We pushed our cart through the store and selected food, drinks, and snacks for our four day stay.

At the checkout counter, our cashier printed a receipt and told us how much we had saved on BOGOs and other discounts.

But she didnt mention one other big discount.

Our total bill was $121.42.

What was the other discount?

There is no sales tax on groceries in Florida.

None, zero, zilch!

I couldnt believe my eyes.

If we had purchased the same items at our Publix in Vestavia Hills our sales tax would have been $12.14. (10 percent)

Do the math and guesstimate what we must all pay in grocery sales taxes every year.

But then my big idea!

Folks from Alabama could buy groceries in Florida with no sales tax to take back home to sell for 5 percent more. The buyer would save 5 percent and the sellers would earn 5 percent.

Okay, so this idea is not very practical.

But it does make you think.

Alabama, its counties, and municipalities fully tax groceries  only one of seven states to do so.

Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato told me when Hoover was evaluating a sales tax increase, his intention was to recommend Hoover not charge sales tax on groceries, but was told by his legal department that the state would not allow it.

Also keep in mind that according to USA Today, Alabama has the highest local tax rate in America. States like Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no sales tax at all.

Governor Ivey is now proposing we raise our state gas tax by 10 per gallon to fund better roads and bridges. Its estimated that this will cost the average driver $55 per year or more.

Some Alabama lawmakers are proposing we cut taxes on groceries to balance out the increase in the gas tax.

Nearly 62 percent of respondents said theyd support raising gas taxes if grocery taxes were decreased by the same amount, according to a statewide poll commissioned earlier this month by the Alabama Forestry Association. 

What do you think?
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has been all over the news in recent weeks. The freshman congresswoman cant seem to go ten minutes without saying something deemed anti-semitic. Democratic leadership has been in a quandary about how to deal with Omars ill-advised words, whether intentionally anti-semitic or simply ignorant. You see, religious intolerance wasnt supposed to be their brand going into 2020.

Remember, these are the people whorightlyhad a fit over the tiki torch set chanting Jews will not replace us! in Charlottesville. The people who, like me, cant tolerate Rep. Steve Kings open racism. The political set which has considered itself safely ensconced on the moral high ground with regard to racial, ethnic and religious tolerance for a long time.

Omar is like the preachers kid, cursing out loud in church. Awkward.

I almost feel sorry for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Here she sits, back in the power seat with a million objectives shed like to accomplish heading into the next election cycle. With a president who manages to smash his own hand daily with the hammer that is his phone, all Pelosi needs is for her own people to not self-destruct for a few months.

Or be socialists.

Sorry, Nancy. They cant pull it off.

I feel her pain, though. I remember when my party held the moral high ground on not electing sleazy adulterers who slept with porn stars and lied a lot. It has been pretty hard to watch that credibility melt like a popsicle in July.

So what were left with, it seems, is a couple of political labels that mean less and less each day. You cant count on Democrats to be tolerant of other religions, and you cant count on Republicans to carry the mantle for moral values (or understand that tariffs are taxes, or care about the massive national debt that will soon crush us into a fine powder, but I digress).

Its as if were going to have to start evaluating individual candidates on their merits because the party affiliations they claim dont tell the whole story.

How utterly inconvenient. How in the world are we supposed to have the energy to own the libs or own the MAGA types if we have to clean our own houses, too? There are only 24 hours in a day, yall.

Party politics is so much easier. Less thinking, more finger-pointing. Thats what we like.

So we were not surprised when Democratic leadership defanged the anti-bigotry resolution they passed Thursday. Instead of naming Omar and making the resolution about the issue at handher anti-semitismthey broadened it to talk about every type of discrimination in the world and did not call the freshman from Minnesota by name, sparing her the full brunt of condemnation.

It felt a lot like All Lives Matter. Remember when we were told that condemning all disregard for life wasnt an acceptable way to approach disregard for black lives? Dont Jewish Americans deserve the same kind of consideration as hate crimes against them ramp up globally and at home?

It took Republicans far too long to condemn Steve King, but when they did it, they did it. They passed a resolution specifically condemning him and his white nationalist comments, and stripped him of his committee assignments.

By contrast, Omar is able to hide behind Pelosis skirt, sticking out her tongue in this moment and shouting Yeah! Down with Islamaphobia! She and two other Muslim lawmakers already issued a statement to that effect.

Our nation is having a difficult conversation, but we believe this is great progress. pic.twitter.com/gSua9a8mki  Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) March 7, 2019

This doesnt really comport with the most recent FBI report demonstrating that Jews were the target of 58.1 percent of religious hate crimes, and Muslims were the target of 18.7 percent. How sitting members of Congress talk about Jewish people and US-Israeli policy matters. Thats not to say we cant and shouldnt have real debate about policy. But Omar has a responsibility to understand the position Jewish Americans are in right now, and temper her words accordingly. She refuses.

Whats the point? The point is that American voters are increasingly on their own, with its two mainstay parties drifting ever further from their ideological roots to pick up pockets of support and cash and stay in power. These are not your daddys Democrats and Republicans. Do your homework.
Ahead of poll to elect new parliament, Jose Mario Vaz says Africas first narco state still a cocaine trade hub.

Bissau, Guinea-Bissau  In an interview with Al Jazeera ahead of key legislative elections, the president of Guinea Bissau appealed to the international community to help stop drug traffickers using his countrys shores to land cocaine.

President Jose Mario Vazs comments came after a meeting with UN Security Council ambassadors who were visiting ahead of the twice-delayed legislative elections, now scheduled for Sunday, March 10.

I would like to ask for help to fight these people because they are strong, said Vaz, adding he was afraid.

Once labelled Africas first narco-state, Guinea-Bissau lacks the resources to tackle traffickers, according to Vaz.

We dont have aeroplanes, we dont have boats, we lack the radars that would give us control over our  economic zone, he said.

His plea in the interview, which took place mid-February, came as fighting among political rivals intensified in the run-up to the bitterly-contested poll.

Since independence in 1974, the country of nearly two million has been blighted by successive coups and attempted coups, with Latin American drug lords exploiting the instability to use its complex coastline as a staging post for their illicit cargo.

It's important to respect and give strength to the head of the army. When other people come to me, I send them back. Today we can say the armed forces of Guinea Bissau are calm. Jose Mario Vaz, Guinea-Bissau president

Weak institutions and corrupt officials made the country easy prey.

Vazs election in 2014 was supposed to herald a new dawn. But while he may become the countrys first elected president to complete a full mandate this June, his time in office has been marred by internecine fighting within the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), to which he belongs.

The feud pitted Vaz against party president Domingos Simoes Pereira, whom he sacked as prime minister on corruption charges in 2015. Since then, there have been six prime ministers.

The situation is complicated further by Vazs fraught relationship with former party allies, who were kicked out of the PAIGC in 2016.

Last year, the so-called Grupo dos quinze (group of fifteen) were hit with sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, by regional bloc ECOWAS for blocking attempts to find a consensus prime minister.

Exasperated by Vazs inability to win back influence in the PAIGC, they have formed a new political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MADEM G15).

Amadu Djamanca, executive secretary of think-tank the Observatory of Democracy and Governance, believes the squabbling ultimately comes down to a battle for control of the PAIGC, the countrys dominant party, which enjoys quasi-mythical status as the movement that overthrew the Portuguese in one of Africas most fiercely fought independence wars.

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This fight is not about an election. It is a fight between these men, he said.

Egos aside, there are also other, more material concerns.

Its an existential fight, said one diplomatic source, who requested anonymity. Its people with kids, houses and expensive lovers in Europe who dont know how to do anything else but thieve from the state, that are fighting for their survival.

The political battle of wills has paralysed the impoverished country, whose main official export is cashew nuts, for over three years.

But, as the source noted, politicians have at least refrained from violence.

Vaz himself holds up the relative peace as his main legacy.

Nobody has been beaten, nobody has been killed, there have been no coups, there is peace, there is stability, there are no arbitrary imprisonments, freedom is total, he said. It has been very difficult to achieve this peace and stability. And I dont play with this.

It is a moot point; the past three years have seen successive waves of teacher strikes over pay and conditions, with teachers union SINDEPROF claiming that over CFA500 million is now owed to staff. Last month, Bissau descended into chaos after a student protest in support of teachers ended in confrontations with security forces.

Since then, the country has swirled with rumours of agents provocateurs infiltrating the protests.

Can the election end deadlock?

Diplomats in the capital who spoke to Al Jazeera suspected that top officials may have engineered conflict in a bid to delay elections and preserve the economic benefits of being in power.

Questioned on the allegations, which have placed him under scrutiny, Vaz agreed that the protests had been instrumentalised.

There are some citizens who are not ready to go to the elections, so the protests might help them, he said. Their goal was to ruin the image of the country.

For the first time since independence, the military has remained in barracks throughout the turmoil.

Vaz, who has a strong relationship with the current army chief, said military reform had been his highest priority.

There were problems of tribalism and religion in the armed forces. The main way to fight this problem is to respect the chain of command. Its important to respect and give strength to the head of the army. When other people come to me, I send them back, he said. Today we can say the armed forces of Guinea Bissau are calm.

Djamanca agreed that the president deserved credit for reining the military in. But, with the army out of the picture, people were becoming increasingly aware that the countrys main problem was its politicians, he said.

This political class we have right now doesnt know what it means to rule in the public [interest], he said. They just care about themselves and their families. They dont have money to pay teachers, but they have money to buy expensive cars.

While there are hopes Sundays legislative election could settle current disputes once and for all, it could just as well end in another stalemate. Observers think it unlikely that the poll will hand a majority to a single party, meaning that rivalries could deepen.

The political issues will get more intensive because now the parties know that they can arrange friendships, bring down a government and raise another one, said Djamanca.

In truth, all eyes are on the presidential election, which is slated for November or December. For now, Vaz says he is focused on being the first elected president to reach the hitherto-elusive finishing line.

Nobody can say for sure to what extent drug lords still wield influence here.

But everyone knows how much havoc they can wreak. Ten years ago, almost to the day, sitting president Joao Bernardo Nino Vieira and army commander General Batista Tagme Na Waie were assassinated in what was thought to be a tit-for-tat double murder, the former attacked with a machete hours after the latter was bombed at military HQ.

The pair were thought to be competing for stakes in the drugs trade.

It is prohibited to beat [prisoners], said Vaz. But If I catch these people, I will order them beaten.
Algiers, Algeria  Tens of thousands of people braved cold weather on Friday in Algiers to demand President Abdelaziz Bouteflika step down, as rallies against the ailing leaders re-election bid spread across Algeria for a third consecutive week.

The protest, which coincided with International Womens Day, saw an even larger crowd pour onto the streets of the capital compared with the previous mass gatherings.

In what has become a habit since February 22, the mostly young demonstrators chanted slogans against the 82-year-old president, his brother and le pouvoir, or the powers that be  a vague term Algerians use to refer to the shadowy clique of politicians, high ranking military officials and oligarchs who they believe have been running the country.

A day earlier, and from his hospital bed in Geneva where he has sought medical treatment since February 24, Bouteflika on Thursday warned against infiltration by internal and external elements who sought to stir sedition and spread chaos.

He has tried to make concessions by offering to organise a national dialogue conference, changing the constitution and holding a vote within a year if re-elected in which he vowed not to take part.
An Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet travelling from Addis Ababa to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and eight crew members on board. There were no survivors according to the airline.

The plane took off at 8:38am (05:38 GMT) from Bole International Airport and lost contact six minutes later.

Flight ET 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said, adding that the plane was a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

Crash debris appeared to be spread across a large flat plain. There was a large crater, and metal fragments of the plane strewn around.

At Nairobis Jomo Kenyatta airport some relatives and friends of passengers waited for hours with no information from airport authorities.

People from more than 30 nationalities were on board flight ET 302. They included 32 Kenyans and nine Ethiopians.

Authorities said other victims include 18 Canadians; eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; and four each from India and Slovakia.
By resigning from the cabinet, Wilson-Raybould and Philpott showed there is still honour in Canadian politics.

Like most epicentres of power, prestige and position, Ottawa is a haven of hypocrisy.

This truism has been on blatant, near nauseating display over the past several weeks, as a still brewing scandal has engulfed Canadian politics like a hard-to-extinguish bush fire.

At issue: whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his senior staff, and other prominent officials in the Liberal government, pressured then justice minister and attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, to abide by their not-so-vague wishes and forgo a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, a major Quebec-based engineering firm facing bribery and corruption charges, and strike a plea deal on the eve of a federal election.

Of course, Trudeau and his crew recoil at the word pressure, preferring instead to describe their repeated overtures to Wilson-Raybould as the routine business of government when, regrettably, the politics of saving jobs sometimes collides with malleable concepts like the rule of law.

So, any suggestion that Trudeau or anyone in his inner orbit would, heaven forbid, pressure Wilson-Raybould to pollute a legal process with parochial political considerations is inconceivable given the integrity of Trudeau and company  powerful men and women who just happened to keep urging Wilson-Raybould again and again and again to think hard about the implications of her impending decision on the SNC-Lavalin file.

Nope. That doesnt constitute pressure, Trudeau and his crew insist; thats a vigorous debate, where, alas, at some ill-defined point, there was an erosion of trust between the former justice minister and all those political apparatchiks who were frequently trying  ever so benignly, apparently  to get her to make up her mind since she, alone, was the decider.

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Anyway, Trudeau and his crew say that if Wilson-Raybould felt that she was being pressured by Trudeau and his crew to abdicate her independence and do their bidding, then she ought to have gone to Trudeau and his principal secretary, Gerry Butts, to tell them she was being pressured by Trudeau and his crew and they should stop. But, she didnt, Trudeau and his crew say.

Despite charging that Wilson-Raybould was derelict in her duty to inform, Trudeau and his crew reject casting any uncharitable aspersions against Canadas first indigenous justice minister. No. No. No. They would never, for example, call her a liar or a jilted fabulist who went public with her complaints about political interference over a sensitive and sacrosanct judicial matter only after she lost her dream job in a cabinet shuffle earlier this year.

Rather, they would imply it in sombre tones at a justice committee hearing and a press conference where they graciously pointed out that two people can have two different interpretations of the same event.

Oh, and Trudeaus faithful female surrogates in the cabinet would appear on radio and television to testify that their former cabinet colleague was certainly entitled to tell her truth, which may not, however, reflect the objective truth.

Yes, but how to arrive at the objective truth? The Liberal Party enjoys a healthy plurality in the House of Commons. As such, it holds a majority of seats on the justice committee, which is seized ultimately with answering the seminal question: Who is telling the truth?

In a five-to-four vote, the Liberal Party dominated committee rebuffed recalling Wilson-Raybould to respond to the principal secretarys version of events. And the prospect of Trudeau agreeing to opposition demands for a public inquiry into the querulous saga is about as remote as Donald Trump agreeing to testify in person before Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Not to worry, Trudeau and his crew say, the usually moribund Ethics Commissioner will probe this whole, unfortunate misunderstanding with the tenacity of a chihuahua and likely report his findings to Parliament after the October 2019 election.

Still, through all the murky thicket of accusations, allegations and yes, thinly veiled aspersions, Jody Wilson-Raybould has declared: Here I stand.

Its rare that a Canadian politician would sacrifice the honour as well as the comfortable perks and weighty prerogatives that come with being a member of the Queens Privy Council on a matter of principle.

Its rarer still that a politician chooses, on that matter of principle, not to bow to the throne in order to please the occupant of the throne.

Yet, that is how Wilson-Raybould has responded. She said no when so many above and around her clearly wanted her to say yes. And, in doing so, she reaffirmed that the rule of law must mean something, no matter the political consequences for a government and prime minister she once served.





Indeed, in a belated televised statement designed to address the SNC-Lavalin issue directly, Prime Minister Trudeau largely confirmed the central thrust of Wilson-Rayboulds truth.

He acknowledged that he met Wilson-Raybould in September 2018 and reminded the lone decider that he was a Quebec MP and that many jobs were at stake. [I] reiterated that this issue was one of significant national importance, Trudeau said, at a time when the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General was open to considering other aspects of the public interest. However, I now understand that she saw it differently.

In Trudeaus cockeyed calculus, his meeting with Wilson-Raybould was not about partisanship or pressure, but a humble member of parliament doing his job. My goodness.

Imagine the breadth and strength of Wilson-Rayboulds will and conviction to defy such an overt entreaty from the prime minister of Canada. It is not only remarkable but a testament to her steadfast character.

Then, earlier this week, another senior Liberal cabinet minister, Jane Philpott, quit her post in solidarity with Wilson-Raybould because she had lost confidence in her governments handling of the affair and, perhaps more importantly, to underscore her friends version of the truth.

To the incomparable @janephilpott, truly the #MOCFor almost 4 years our country has witnessed your constant & unassailable commitment to always doing what is right & best for Cdns. You are a leader of vision & strength & I look forward to continuing to work alongside you. U. pic.twitter.com/bwL6ouQjSA  Jody Wilson-Raybould  Vancouver Granville (@Puglaas) March 4, 2019

Unfortunately, the evidence of efforts by politicians and/or officials to pressure the former Attorney General to intervene in the criminal case involving SNC-Lavalin, and the evidence as to the content of those efforts have raised serious concerns for me, Philpott wrote in a blunt, unequivocal letter of resignation addressed to the prime minister. The solemn principles at stake are the independence and integrity of our justice system. It is a fundamental doctrine of the rule of law that our Attorney General should not be subjected to political pressure or interference regarding the exercise of her prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases. Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised.

Wilson-Raybould and Philpott have done what most cynics consider politically fatal and improbable: publicly break ranks with their boss in defence of a solemn principle, whatever the repercussions. Their defiant actions are profound and, I dare say, poignant.

Canadian history will no doubt afford the resolute pair the credit they are due and judge them favourably.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
The 82-year-old, whose bid to seek a fifth term sparked widespread demonstrations, was in Geneva for medical treatment.

Amid the biggest threat to his 20-year rule, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrived at an airbase southwest of the capital, Algiers, according to state media.

His aircraft on Sunday flew into the Boufarik military airport from the Swiss city of Geneva, where the 82-year-old leader  whose bid to seek a fifth term has been met with unprecedented protests  had a two-week medical trip, Ennahar television said.

State TV carried a statement from the presidency saying he had returned to Algeria after routine medical checks. Images later showed a convoy departing the airport.

The president, who is confined to a wheelchair, has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, prompting critics to question whether he is being used as a puppet candidate by a faction of civilian and military figures.

Massive protests began on February 22 to denounce Bouteflikas plans to extend his rule in the April 18 polls.





Bouteflika has offered to limit his term after the election and has vowed to change the system that runs the country. The promises, however, have failed to quell public anger, galvanising discontent among different sectors, particularly students and other young people.

Some long-time allies of Bouteflika, including members of the ruling FLN party, have expressed support for the protesters, revealing cracks within a ruling elite long seen as invincible.

In the clearest indication yet that the generals sympathise with protesters, the chief of staff said the military and the people had a united vision of the future, state TV reported. Lieutenant General Gaid Salah did not mention the unrest.

Bouteflikas system is over, said a commentator on Ennahar, which is close to the presidents inner circle.

A convoy believed to be carrying Bouteflika is seen driving along the highway in Algiers [Ramzi Boudina/Reuters]

Students have been at the heart of the protests and more rallies took place on Sunday in Algiers, where thousands of flag-waving supporters poured onto the streets shouting slogans such as: Bouteflika, there will be no fifth term.

Many shops in the capital were shut and residents said train services had been suspended.

We have taken to the streets today to protest a fifth presidential term. We are against a fifth term. This is enough, protester Zakaria told Reuters news agency in front of the Central Postal Office.

We want Bouteflika and all his mafia to leave. They have to leave this country, added Salim, a high school student among thousands of people demonstrating on Sunday.

Holiday time

A general strike has hit the countrys Mediterranean oil ports of Skikda and Bejaia but exports were not affected, according to port staff.

The government, meanwhile, has brought forward a scheduled university holiday by two weeks  in an apparent attempt to defuse student-led rallies against Bouteflika.

The ministry of higher educations decision on Saturday came a day after tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the centre of Algiers.

Without giving a reason for the move, the ministry said in a decree the spring break would be brought forward by 10 days to run from Sunday to April 4.

Teachers and students at several universities have gone on strike, while others had vowed to begin striking on Sunday.

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While rallies in Algiers and elsewhere were mostly calm, police reportedly used tear gas in several areas of the capital, including to block the road to the presidential palace.

State media also said security forces arrested 195 protesters, citing offences including looting.

Bouteflika has been in Geneva, Switzerland, for the past two weeks for what his office called routine medical tests.

On Thursday, he issued his first warning to protesters, saying the movement  now entering its third week  could create chaos in the oil and natural gas-producing North African country.

This time, its quite different. What we see now is a momentum that is building up across Algeria, Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, who has covered the region extensively, said of the ongoing demonstrations.

Many people believe if this momentum continues for the next two weeks, it could be a game changer, Ahelbarra added.

Looking ahead, Ahelbarra said a key date for the country was going to be March 13, when Algerias constitutional committee is set to determine the legitimacy of the presented candidacies for next months elections.
With no civilians emerging from Baghouz in days, US-backed militia says final battle is now under way.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) resumed their assault against the last ISIL enclave in eastern Syria, aiming to wipe out the last vestige of its self-declared caliphate that once spanned one-third of Iraq and Syria.

Explosions and fires illuminated columns of smoke over Baghouz village after the Kurdish-led SDF launched the offensive around 6pm (16:00 GMT) on Sunday. The fighting began anew after a deadline for the groups armed men to surrender expired.

Rustam Hasake, an SDF commander, said several ISIL tunnels were destroyed by the advancing troops.

We have been able to liberate a number of positions from them. We are currently advancing with the support of the international coalition from the air and on the ground as well, he said.

While Baghouz represents the last shred of populated land held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levants (ISIL or ISIS) fighters, the armed group is still widely seen as a big security threat with remote territory elsewhere and the continued capacity to launch attacks.

The SDF have been poised to advance into the enclave for weeks, but have repeatedly held back to allow for the evacuation of civilians, many of them wives and children of ISIL fighters.

Mustafa Bali, the head of the SDF media office, said on Sunday no further civilians had emerged from the enclave at the Iraqi border since Saturday and the SDF had not observed any more civilians in the area, prompting the decision to attack.





The military operations have started. Our forces are now clashing with the terrorists and the attack started, he said.

Bali said the SDF had given the ISIL fighters time to surrender, and that time was over.

ISIL surrounded

Tens of thousands of people have streamed out of the shrinking territory held by the ISIL in recent months. Aid agencies in the area are struggling to cope with the influx, according to NGOs, including Save the Children.

Bali said more than 4,000 fighters had surrendered to the SDF in the past month.

Earlier on Sunday, a correspondent of the Reuters news agency saw the SDF advance into a tented area of Baghouz after the ISIL fighters withdrew from it. The SDF fighters gathered some ammunition and rifles left behind by the armed group.





The SDF announced the military operation to capture Baghouz in September, but has held off a full-blown assault after it became apparent that a huge number of civilians were still inside.

Syrian military air raids against the ISIL fighters further west in the countrys central desert were a reminder of the constant warnings by both Arab and Western officials that the group will continue to pose a serious security threat.

After its sudden advance across swaths of Syria and Iraq in 2014, the group held about one-third of both countries, but its wholesale slaughter or sexual enslavement of minorities and its grotesque public killings roused global anger.

Separate offensives by different forces in both countries steadily drove it back, inflicting major ISIL defeats in 2017, and eventually forcing it back on Baghouz, a little cluster of hamlets and farmland on the Euphrates.








Al Jazeera takes a look at the years of repression of Tibetans by the Chinese government.

It has been 60 years since Tibetans rose up against Chinese rule.

Tibetans world over are expected to commemorate the day through demonstrations and protests on Sunday.

But not in Tibet.

China has put restrictions on tourists and journalists who want to visit the region, critics say it is another sign that China is repressing the rights of Tibetans.

Al Jazeeras Rob Matheson reports.
An official says nine civilians killed after Afghan security forces bombed a Taliban hideout in Sayed Abad district.

At least nine civilians, including women and children, have been killed during an overnight operation in Afghanistans central province of Wardak, an official said.

The incident took place when Afghan security forces were bombing a Taliban hideout in Sayed Abad district of Wardak, provincial council member Masoud Shanizai said on Saturday.

The spokesman for the police chief of Wardak, Hekman Durrani, however, confirmed only six civilian deaths in the operation.

Last month, hundreds of Afghans protested in southern Helmand province against the deadly attacks on civilians.

Raids by security forces over the past two months on suspected Taliban hideouts in Helmands Sangin district killed at least 30 civilians and wounded many, including women and children.

Air raids in Sangin have further killed 21 civilians, officials said.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed its strong concern over the rise in the number of civilian casualties from air attacks in 2018.

It said aerial bombardment killed 149 civilians and wounded more than 200 others in the first half of 2018, up 52 percent from the same period last year.

In Kunduz in April last year, an Afghan air attack on a religious gathering killed or wounded 107 people, mostly children, UNAMA said in its report on the incident.

The Afghan government and the military said the attack had targeted a Taliban base where senior members of the group were allegedly planning attacks.

Afghan forces are struggling to combat the Taliban, which holds sway over nearly half of the country and carries out daily attacks on security forces.
The twin-engine propeller plane crashed in the province of Meta, killing all on board, civil aviation agency says.

Fourteen people were killed in a plane crash in the Colombian province of Meta on Saturday, the countrys civil aviation agency has said.

The Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics said there were no survivors of the crash, which occurred after the DC-3 aircraft made a distress call at 10:40am local time (15:40 GMT).

The US-made twin-engine propeller plane was en route to central Villavicencio from the southern city of San Jose del Guaviare, the agency added.

Unfortunately there were no survivors, the agency said, adding that the wreckage was found close to Villavicencio.

The plane of Laser Aereo Airlines  a cargo and passenger transport company  crashed midway through its flight, in San Carlos de Guaroa municipality.

The airline said it had no comment to offer immediately.

The planes navigability permissions were up-to-date, as were the medical certifications of its crew, according to the civil aviation authority [EPA]

Among the victims was the Mayor of the municipality of Taraira, Doris Villegas, her husband and daughter, as well as the owner of the aircraft, pilot Jaime Carrillo, copilot Jaime Herrera and an aviation technician, identified as Alex Moreno.

President Ivan Duque paid tribute to the victims on Twitter. My solidarity with the families, he wrote.

The aircrafts navigability permissions were up-to-date, as were the medical certifications of its crew, the aviation agency said.
Ambitious expansion has allowed Ethiopian Airlines to outpace regional rivals to become biggest carrier on continent.

Since its establishment in 1945 as a joint venture with now-defunct US carrier Trans World Airlines (TWA), Ethiopian Airlines has gradually grown into one of Africas leading carriers.

The state-owned carrier has outpaced regional competitors Kenya Airways and South African Airways to become the continents biggest airline by revenue and profit, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Ethiopian Airlines has grown rapidly since launching in 2010 a 15-year expansion strategy to double its fleet to 120, leading it last year to revise that objective to 150 or more by 2025.

Last year, it surpassed the 100-mark in two major areas: the number of destinations served at 113, and the number of aircraft operated at 108.

Safety in African air travel has been improving in recent years, with IATA in November citing two years free of any fatalities on any aircraft type compared with an industry average of 0.19 for every million flights in 2018.

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While Ethiopian Airlines has a relatively sound track record and seen as one of the continents safest, it has suffered a few incidents in the past couple of decades.

The most recent came when one of its newest planes, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed on Sunday shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board.

Prior to that, the last major accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was a Boeing 737-800 that crashed into the sea after taking off from Lebanon in 2010, killing 83 passengers and seven crew members.

Fourteen years before that, 125 people were killed when a hijacked Ethiopian airliner carrying 175 ran out of fuel and crashed near the Comoros Islands in 1996.

Rapid expansion

Sundays crash comes as Ethiopias reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

Since the launch of its expansion plan, Ethiopian Airlines has had cumulative annual growth averaging 25 to 30 percent CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told Forbes.

In December 2011, it became part of Star Alliance, an airline network giving it access to more routes and sharing agreements with partner airlines.

In its 2016/17 financial year, Ethiopian Airlines generated $2.7bn in revenue, up more than 11 percent from the previous year.

Passenger numbers climbed by more than 18 percent to nine million last year, while net profit was $233m, up from a little more than $220m.

Ethiopian Airlines expansion also included the recent opening of a route to Moscow and the inauguration in January of a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity accommodating up to 22 million passengers a year, making it the largest aviation hub in Africa.

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Speaking at the inauguration, Abuy had challenged the airline to build a new Airport City terminal in Bishoftu  where Sundays crash occurred.

Vast route network

Aviation expert Alex Macheras said Sundays incident has focused attention on the safety of the aircraft rather than on the airline.

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in Africa. They operate a vast route network and operation and are really respected internationally in terms of their safety standards worldwide. That is why they are allowed to fly all over the globe, Macheras told Al Jazeera.

They have suffered an accident with the Boeing 737 MAX which is the latest Boeing aircraft. Everyone is drawing the link between this aircraft and aircraft involved in the fatal accident in Indonesia five months ago, he explained referring to the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed last October, 13 minutes after the take-off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

If there are jitters across the world right now in terms of how passengers feel, it is more to do with the aircraft rather than the airline.

In a statement released on Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines said it would be conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, in collaboration with the aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.
All 157 people on board Boeing 737 killed in plane crash en route to Nairobi, Ethiopian Airlines says.

None of the 157 people on board a new Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday morning en route to Nairobi from Addis Ababa have survived, the airline said.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, took off at 08:38am (05:38 GMT) and lost contact with air traffic controllers six minutes later.

It crashed near Bishoftu, southeast of the Ethiopian capital, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew members on board, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the plane, which had been delivered to the airline in November.

According to Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam, the pilot, who had been working for the carrier since 2010, sent out a distress call shortly after take-off and was given clearance to return.

Tewolde, who visited the scene of the crash, also said that the brand-new airplane had flown 1,200 hours and had arrived from Johannesburg on Sunday morning.

Accident Bulletin no. 2

Issued on march 10, 2019 at 01:46 PM pic.twitter.com/KFKX6h2mxJ  Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019

Ethiopian Airlines later published a photo on Twitter showing him standing in the wreckage, lifting what appeared to be a piece of the plane debris at the bottom of a large crater in an empty field.

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Little of the aircraft could be seen in the freshly-churned soil.

The CEO expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident, the post said.

Ethiopian state media said more than 30 nationalities were on board flight ET 302.

They included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; four each from India and Slovakia, among others.

Foreign governments said tourists, business people, doctors, and a Kenyan football official were among the dead.

Also on board was at least one staff member of the UN Environment Programme meeting in Nairobi from Monday for an annual assembly of 4,700 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, senior UN officials and civil society representatives. The head of the World Food Programme also wrote on Twitter that agency staff were among those on board.

Ethiopian Airlines said it set up a committee with all stakeholders concerned to conduct forensic investigations and identify the victims.

Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi, reporting from Nairobi airport, said an information and service desk has been set up for the relatives looking for information.

Edward Gathu [Tasmin Abdi Fatah/Al Jazeera]

Among them is Edward Gathu, 39, who has been waiting to hear information about his 45-year-old brother, Benson, who was on the flight.

I feel very weak. I wish they can give me information so that I can accept and move on, Gathu told Al Jazeera.

He spoke with his wife last night. Until now we have no information about his whereabouts.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed last October, 13 minutes after the take-off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

The last major accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was a Boeing 737-800 that exploded after taking off from Lebanon in 2010, killing 83 passengers and seven crew members.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds office tweeted it would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.

Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta offered prayers for the family members and loved ones of those on the flight.

We are saddened by the news of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger aircraft that is reported to have crashed 6 minutes after takeoff en route to Kenya. My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, Kenyatta said on Twitter.

Brand new aircraft

US aerospace giant Boeing said it was deeply saddened by the accident and would provide technical assistance to find out why its aircraft crashed.

A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

A passenger safety instruction card seen at the scene of the crash [Tiksa Negeri/Reuters]

Kyle Bailey, an aviation analyst and pilot, said the pilots distress call signalled that the plane may have gone down due to a controllability issue than an explosion.

That may lead me to believe that the problem wasnt imperatively serious, he told Al Jazeera from New Jersey. Typically in major disasters when crashes happen, when there are explosions, usually there is no communication from the pilots, Bailey added.

The pilots are so focused on that catastrophic event, that they dont have time to call air traffic control.

The fact that there was a call made to air traffic control, in this instance, makes us believe that it was a controllability issue  that they were struggling for control.

Ethiopian Airlines flight #ET302 dropped from radar 6 minutes after departure from Addis Ababa The jet is a brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8  delivered to the airline just four months ago. pic.twitter.com/o01HDgEI16  Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) March 10, 2019

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Malaga, Spain, aviation analyst Alex Macheras explained that the 737 MAX is the brand new updated version of the Boeing 737.

The MAX is in service all around the world. Airlines such as the Ethiopian Airlines are using this aircraft, as it is the latest, the most fuel-efficient, short-range Boeing aircraft on the market.

Macheras said new aircraft do have their hiccups but that is not to say they are unsafe or more prone to being involved in accidents.

There are certain advisories for lots of new aircraft and thats perfectly normal as they enter the market place, he added.

The Boeing 737 MAX was initiated in response to Airbuss A320 Neo. Both planes feature modifications to make the aircraft more fuel-efficient.

Its a very safe aircraft, Macheras said, but of course this accident will send jitters across the industry.
The Palace last week announced that President Rodrigo Duterte had fired the general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Alexander Balutan, over serious allegations of corruption. As he was departing, however, Balutan denied any wrongdoing and hinted that powerful people had wanted him out. In a statement posted on social media, Balutan said that when he became general manager in 2016, he told PCSO employees that if somebody from the Office of the President or Congress asked or ordered him to do something he could not stomach, he would resign.

"Career for me is just temporary but character is lifetime... even beyond my grave," he said, adding that he never asked for the job, and that the President even asked him to retire from military service ahead of his retirement so he could serve in the administration. His deputy spokesman said Balutan resigned for personal reasons. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, however, made it clear that Balutan was fired. We hope that this will serve as a stern warning to all government officials and employees that there are no sacred cows in the current administration, especially when it comes to serving the Filipino people with integrity and loyalty, he said in a statement.Who are we to believe? Last year, Balutan came under fire for throwing a P6.3-million Christmas party at the five-star EDSA Shangri-La hotel for the PCSOs 1,580 employees and guests in 2017. The Commission on Audit, in its 2017 report, flagged this as an extravegant expenditure. There have also been allegations of corruption in the operation of the PCSOs small-town lottery that led to a Senate investigation in January 2018. In the aftermath of those investigations, at least two senators said Balutan should go, and one urged the administration to file criminal charges against him. This recommendation makes eminent sense. If the government can prove its case against the sacked official, then firing him should only be the first stephe must be made accountable in a court of law. At the heart of this issueand the Presidents anti-corruption campaign as a wholeis the question of honesty, a trait that President Duterte clearly holds dear. Was the government official in question being honest in the way he ran his agency? This is a crucial question, the answer of which determines whether or not he is fit for public office, regardless of what anybody else might say. The President is clearly an honest man. That should be the measure, too, for those who work with him and for him.
PM Narendra Modi is running for a second straight term in the national election to be held in seven phases.

India has announced the dates for a national election that will see close to 900 million voters cast their ballots in nearly a million polling booths  the worlds biggest ever democratic exercise.

In a press conference in the capital New Delhi on Sunday, the countrys chief election commissioner, Sunil Arora, unveiled the timeline for Indias mammoth seven-phase election to be held on April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19.

The counting of votes will be held on May 23.

Elections will also be held simultaneously to four State assemblies  Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha  along with the parliamentary polls. Jammu and Kashmir will not be going to polls in this excercise although the state has been under central rule since the coalition governement state government collapsed in June 2018.

Although admired for its ability to conduct the polls with few hitches, Indias election commission had come under pressure from opposition parties for the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

To allay fears of poll fraud, Arora said the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system will be used in all the polling booths during the election.

VVPAT is a device that is attached to an EVM and prints a small slip of paper carrying the symbol, name and serial number of the candidate voted for. This is visible to the voter for a short period and can be later used by the ECI to verify the votes.

Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner: Total electorate in this Lok Sabha elections will be 900 million, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group. pic.twitter.com/LyqvJtu3gQ  ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

The voters will elect 543 of 545 MPs to Indias lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha.

The remaining two seats are reserved for the Anglo-Indian community, which traces part of its ancestry to Europeans who intermarried with Indians in the colonial era. These members are nominated by Indias president.

Indias Hindu nationalist PM Narendra Modi is seeking a second straight term [Abhishek N Chinnappa/Reuters]

Modi seeks second term

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be running for a second term against a group of opposition parties, led mainly by Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, the latest scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty.

The two leaders are the strongest challengers from a field of hundreds of political parties from across the culturally and geographically diverse country of 1.3 billion.

Modi, whose right-wing party won an outright majority in the 2014 election, enters the race in a strong position and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to defeat Gandhis Congress once again.

His Hindu nationalist political machine is riding on Modis personal popularity and an array of emotive issues, including renewed hostility with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan.

But opinion polls have suggested ebbing support for the BJP mainly over jobs and economy, and even that the party may fall short of the 272 seats it needs to form a government on its own.

Rahul Gandhi, president of Indias main opposition Congress party, flanked by his sister and a leader of the party, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra [Pawan Kumar/Reuters]

The opposition

Gandhi, long criticised as a lacklustre leader, has also started looking more recently like a serious challenger.

Congress, which has ruled India for much of its time since independence from Britain in 1947, won three key state election victories in December, chipping into Modis core support base in the Hindi Cow Belt regions, home to nearly half a billion voters.

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He has also gone on the offensive over Modis economic record, with the Congress state wins attributed to the prime ministers perceived failure to help impoverished farmers and to create enough jobs.

Modi has also sought to contrast his claim of being a humble tea seller against Gandhi, the 48-year-old half-Italian princeling of Indias most famous family.

Gandhis party, the Congress, has made alliances with a number of regional parties across India in an attempt to make the 2019 election a bipolar contest between the BJP and a united opposition.

But in critical states like Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 legislators to Lok Sabha, the Congress has failed to align with the main regional players  the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Parties asked to stop using army images

Indias election commission has asked political parties not to use images of the countrys armed forces in their campaign posters and other advertising material during the general election.

The poll panels notice followed pictures posted on social media recently showing the ruling BJP using images in their campaign posters of a captured Indian Air Force pilot recently returned by Pakistan after a clash with India over the disputed Kashmir territory.

Is BJP allowed to use Abhinandan in its posters? This is Delhi, not some far-flung corner of India. I covered BJP election rallies in Haryana after Kargil when a serving soldier gave speeches. Slippery slope to politics & military. Enough examples in South Asia to be wary of. pic.twitter.com/DVqz18zA7e  rama lakshmi (@RamaNewDelhi) March 9, 2019

The election commission said in a notice on its website on Saturday that political parties must refrain from using photographs of defence personnel in advertisements or their election campaign propaganda as the armed forces are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy.

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The pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman, was shot down on February 27 by Pakistani aircraft during clashes between the two nuclear-armed powers that began last month after at least 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed in a suicide blast in Indian-administered Kashmir.

India blamed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) for the attack, and later air raided a site inside Pakistan it claimed was a JeM training camp. That triggered aerial clashes that led to Varthamans capture and subsequent release two days later.

Recent social media posts showed a campaign poster in New Delhi with Varthamans face alongside Modis, along with the words: If Modi is in power, it is possible! NaMo again 2019! NaMo is an acronym for Modi.
The Indian government has blocked ads to Kashmir Reader and Greater Kashmir following the Pulwama attack.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir  Major English- and Urdu-language newspapers in Indian-administered Kashmir have printed blank front pages to protest against the central governments decision to block advertisements to two dailies.

In place of regular news, the papers front pages, on Sunday featured a message denouncing the unexplained denial of government advertisements to Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader. Several journalists, led by the Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG), also held a demonstration in the main city of Srinagar, demanding the withdrawal of the ban.

The government action against the two newspapers came two days after a deadly suicide attack in Pulwama on February 14, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

Newspapers in India are heavily dependent on government advertisements for their survival and the ad-blockade hit both Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader. The first was forced to cut its 20-page edition to 12, while the second went from 16 to 12.

The decision has neither been conveyed formally nor was any reason detailed to the respective organizations, so far, the KEG said in a statement.

The region has been under the direct rule of the central government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a fragile coalition government collapsed in June 2018. Speaking to Al Jazeera on behalf Satya Pal Malik, the states appointed governor, Vijay Kumar, his principal adviser, said: There are always some norms on which certain decisions are made.

Kashmir journos stage protest against advt ban to newspapers https://t.co/gQNFtSXLc1 pic.twitter.com/dGPemPBecg  Kashmir Reader (@Kashmir_Reader) March 10, 2019

Accusing the Modi establishment of political vendetta, Bashir Manzar, the KEGs secretary general, told Al Jazeera: We have decided to fight the deliberate strangulation and subversion of the institution of media in the state.

We have been asking the government for an explanation but there has been no response in 15 days. Today, we were forced to come up with the blank front pages. Thats all we can do as newspapers, he said, adding that the government was doing injustice with the readers by blocking the flow of information.

On the ground, when our reporters go out to report, some are beaten and some [are] hit with pellets. This atmosphere is going on for the past 30 years. It is just killing the messenger, Manzar said.

Last months attack in Pulwama, which killed 42 Indian paramilitary security forces, was the deadliest in the decades-long armed rebellion in Kashmir against Indian rule.

In recent years, the disputed region has witnessed a spike in gun battles between the security forces and the rebels, who either want freedom or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Both India and Pakistan claim the whole of Kashmir territory and have fought two of their three wars over it.

Act of crude intimidation

In a statement on Sunday, Daniel Bastard, the Asia-Pacific head of the press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), denounced the government ban against the two newspapers.

Amid a surge in tension in the Kashmir valley, it is absolutely vital that newspapers should be able to cover the situation in a completely independent manner, especially as press freedom is an essential condition for defusing tension, he said.

Targeting the two newspapers in this completely arbitrary manner clearly constitutes an act of crude intimidation, Bastard added.

The authorities have no right to harass the publications they dislike with the aim of imposing their own version of the facts.

India is ranked at 138th out of 180 countries in the RSFs 2018 World Press Freedom Index.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Shekhar Gupta, the president of the Editors Guild of India, described the governments ban as reprehensible and called for its immediate withdrawal.

It is a cheap trick on part of any government to use advertising as a pressure against the media.

Journalists work under extreme conditions in the region. On January 22, four journalists were shot with pellets by security forces when they were covering a gun battle in southern Kashmir. On January 26, when India marked its Republic Day, accredited Kashmiri reporters were denied entry to an official parade despite the fact that they carried the government-issued passes to the event.

According to the November 2017 report by the International Federation of Journalists, at least 21 journalists have been killed in the conflict  either directly targeted or caught in crossfire in Kashmir.
Activists say the proposed Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport Corridor project will damage the environment.

Environmentalists in northeast Kenya are campaigning against a major construction project which they say is taking place on land grabbed illegally.

The Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project is worth an estimated $24.5bn. Activists say it will damage the environment.

But the government has accused the activists of standing in the way of progress, even labelling them as terrorists.

Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi reports from Nairobi.
Bodies of Italian and British climbers found at a height of 5,900 metres, two weeks after losing contact with base camp.

Two European climbers who went missing nearly two weeks ago while scaling Nanga Parbat  the worlds ninth-highest peak in the Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan  have been confirmed dead.

Italys ambassador to Pakistan, Stefano Pontecorvo, tweeted on Saturday that the search for Italian Daniele Nardi and Briton Tom Ballard ended after their bodies were found at a height of about 5,900 metres on Nanga Parbat.

With great sadness I inform that the search for @NardiDaniele and Tom Ballard is over as  the search team have confirmed that the silhouettes spotted on Mummery at about 5,900 meters are those of Daniele and Tom. R.I.P. #NangaParbat, Italian envoy Stefano Pontecorvo tweeted.

Nardi and Ballard lost contact with the base camp on February 24 while trying to climb the 8,126-metre summit, also known as the killer mountain because of the dangerous conditions. The pair was at more than 6,000 metres when they went missing.

With great sadness I inform that the search for  @NardiDaniele and  Tom Ballard is over as @AlexTxikon and the search team have confirmed that the silhouettes spotted on Mummery at about 5900 meters are those of Daniele and Tom. R.I.P. #NangaParbat pic.twitter.com/vBmsRKJgKC  Stefano Pontecorvo (@pontecorvoste) March 9, 2019

Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Pakistan Alpine Club, said Pakistani authorities had done all they could to find the climbers.

Pakistan dispatched helicopters carrying four rescuers led by Spanish mountaineer Alex Txikon, despite the closure of its airspace amid tensions with neighbouring India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. He said foul weather hindered their efforts.

Haidri said that due to the altitude and the difficult conditions on the mountain, it would not be possible to bring the bodies down.

The first successful winter ascent of the summit was made in February 2016 [Musaf Zaman Kazmi/AP]

Ballard, 30, is the son of famed British climber, Alison Hargreaves, who became the first woman to climb Mount Everest unaided in 1995 but died later the same year while descending from the summit of Pakistans K2, the worlds second-tallest mountain.

Nardi, 42, from Rome, had attempted to scale Nanga Parbat in winter several times.

The first successful winter ascent of the summit was made in February 2016.

A Polish climber died on the mountain in January 2018, but his female French climbing partner was saved by climbers who were airlifted from K2 to conduct a daring night-time rescue mission.

Hundreds of mountaineers, most of them from Europe, try to scale half a dozen peaks in the region every year in summer, but only a few make the attempt in winter.
Millions cast their votes to elect members of the national legislature without being able to choose their candidates.

Millions of North Koreans are going to the polls on Sunday to elect roughly 700 members of the national legislature.

The elections, held every five years, are for the entire Supreme Peoples Assembly, its rubber-stamp legislature.

There is only a single candidate registered for each constituency and, under North Korean law, citizens can vote from the age of 17. The elections will replace those picked in the first parliamentary elections under the current leader in March 2014.

The candidates are selected by the ruling Korean Workers Party and a couple of other smaller coalition parties  Social Democratic and Chondoist Chongu  that have seats in the assembly but exercise little independent power.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who recently held a second round of talks with US President Donald Trump in Vietnam, is the most prominent candidate and is running for re-election in his Pyongyang district.

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The candidates include workers, farmers, intellectuals and soldiers striving to uphold leader Kims ideology and leadership, and backing his push for national development, Yonhap news agency reported citing Norths state media.

Voting is generally regarded as a duty and responsibility in North Korea. After the last election in 2014, North Korean state media reported a 99.97 percent voter turnout, and called it an expression of the absolute support and trust of all voters in the DPRK government.

The election will strikingly manifest the fixed will of our people to firmly trust and uphold to the last Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un despite storm and stress, the ruling partys official daily said in a commentary on Sunday.

All the people have to fully display through the election the invincibility and might of the DPRK advancing by dint of the single-minded unity, it said, using the acronym for the countrys official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Voting began at around 9am local time (midnight GMT) depending on the location and continues until late evening.

Voters show election officials their ID cards to receive their ballot, which they cast in a private booth. If they approve, they simply put the ballot in the box. If they do not approve, they cross the name out and put it in the same box but in practice that is unheard of.

Its Election Day in North Korea pic.twitter.com/PaiG7lknOI  Sebastien Berger (@slhberger) March 10, 2019

Im very proud to be voting for the first time, said 19-year-old university student Kim Ju Gyong, who cast her vote on Sunday morning in Pyongyang.

I feel happy to be a citizen and I want to do my best for the future of my country.

With a total absence of electoral competition, analysts say the vote is held largely as a political rite to enable the authorities to claim a mandate from the people.

It was the result of established institutional inertia and a need to legitimise the government by simulating democratic procedure, said Andrei Lankov of Korea Risk Group.

North Korea is just emulating all other Communist states, said Lankov. The early Communists sincerely believed that they were producing a democracy the world had never seen. So they needed elections and it became a very important part of self-legitimisation.

According to Youngshik Bong, a research fellow at the Yonsei University in Seoul, Kim and his administration will be trying to appease the North Korean public following the failed Hanoi summit.

This is a crucial moment for North Koreas leadership, Bong told Al Jazeera.

Kim is trying to appease the public because North Koreans had such high hopes for breakthroughs made in Vietnam and that didnt happen.

While North Korea is the most isolated country in the world, it does not mean that North Koreans are unaware of what is happening in the world.
Dalai Lama supporters gather at Dharamsala temple and in New Delhi to commemorate 1959 rebellion against Chinese rule.

Huge crowds have gathered at the Dalai Lamas temple in India to commemorate 60 years of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that drove the spiritual leader into exile.

Supporters of the 83-year-old peace icon chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile after fleeing a deadly Chinese crackdown in Tibet in 1959.

Devotees in the Indian hill station the Dalai Lama has called home for six decades waved Tibets colourful snow lion flag, which China has outlawed as a symbol of separatism.

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Some had Free Tibet painted on their faces along with the colours and distinct golden sun of the iconic flag.

The Dalai Lama himself was not present at the anniversary ceremony, but chief representatives of the exiled Tibetan administration and foreign dignitaries gathered for the solemn occasion.

Tibet belongs to Tibetans, Prime Minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay said in a fiery speech to the gathering.

Sixty years of the occupation of Tibet and the repression of Tibetans is too long, he said.

The Tibetan leader claimed that Beijing wanted to eradicate the Tibetan culture with systemic policies and that it was stopping all flow of information into Tibet.

He thanked all those who showed solidarity with the demand for a middle way or autonomy within China, and urged Tibetans across the world to continue our commitment to struggle for justice.

A Tibetan activist riding a horse escorts a vehicle with the picture of Dalai Lama in New Delhi [Sajjad Hussain/AFP]

Performers dressed in traditional attire danced and recited Tibetan songs at the temple for guests, which organisers said included parliamentarians from 10 nations.

A minutes silence was observed at the outset to remember those killed when China brutally crushed the fledgeling Tibetan revolt  a crackdown the government-in-exile claimed killed tens of thousands.

Tibetan activists also put up posters and marched in Indias capital, New Delhi, as police in riot gear patrolled the streets.

Thorn in Chinas side

Buddhist Tibet, a vast Himalayan area of plateaus and mountains, declared independence from China in the early 20th century but Beijing took back control in 1951, having sent in thousands of troops.

The Dalai Lama, chosen at the age of two in 1937 as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhisms supreme religious leader, was enthroned as the head of state after the Chinese invasion.

His co-existence with the Beijing authorities was tense and when the Chinese authorities summoned him to an event without his bodyguards on March 10, Tibetans feared a trap that could endanger their leader.

Thousands of his supporters assembled at his summer palace to prevent him from leaving; thousands more demonstrated in Lhasa to demand the Chinese depart, the Dalai Lama would later say.





Beijing sent more troops into Tibet, and in the bloodshed that followed, refugees poured over the border into Dharamsala, already then a sanctuary for Tibetan exiles fleeing Chinese repression.

The Dalai Lama evaded Chinese authorities and slipped away dressed as a soldier, escaping to India with an entourage of supporters in a gruelling two-week trek through the Himalaya.

There he formed a government-in-exile and demanded autonomy for Tibet, a decades-long quest that would earn him worldwide respect as a figure of non-violence. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

He remains a thorn in the side to China, which adamantly rejects any suggestion of Tibetan autonomy and blacklisted the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist.

The Stream: A conversation with the Dalai Lama

Beijing continues to be accused of political and religious repression in the region, but insists Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms and that it has brought economic growth.

Max Oidtmann, who specialises in modern Chinese history at Georgetown University in Qatar, said China has invested a lot in Tibet and while life is getting better in many ways, Tibetans want to be treated as equal citizens.

They [Tibetans] feel like they dont have a lot of control or decision-making power over their lives, Oidtmann told Al Jazeera.

The primary goal of most Tibetans would be to get more respect from the Chinese state and to actually receive the privileges which are guaranteed to them by the Chinese constitution.
Fears in Baghdad that the United States will eventually ban Iraq from importing all Iranian goods.

The Trump administration is giving Iraq a few more months to continue buying oil and electricity from neighbouring Iran before the United States enforces sanctions against Tehran.

After years of conflict, Baghdad now relies heavily on Iran for goods and services.

And Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is visiting Iraq to solidify ties between the neighbours, trying to convince them to defy the US president.

Al Jazeeras Natasha Ghoneim reports from Baghdad, Iraq.
Preliminary findings revealed that the deaths were likely caused by septic shock resulting from blood infections.

Tunisias health minister Abdel-Raouf El-Sherif has resigned following multiple investigations launched into the sudden deaths of 11 newborns at a state maternity hospital in the capital.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed accepted El-Sherifs resignation, according to official news agency TAP, after the health ministry said 11 newborns were reported dead on Thursday and Friday at Rabta hospital in Tunis.

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Chahed has ordered an investigation into the deaths and vowed to hold those responsible accountable.

Preliminary findings revealed that the deaths were likely caused by septic shock resulting from blood infections, the ministry said.

The Tunisian prosecutors office has also ordered the opening of a judicial investigation into the deaths.

The public health system in Tunisia has been hit by management and financial problems that lowered standards and caused drug shortages.

Tunisians have complained about a decline of state services since the overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 which has brought a democratic transition but also thrown the country into an economic crisis.
Venezuelan president says complete blackout caused by an international cyber-attack with support from within.

Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro says the countrys complete electrical failure has been caused by an international cyber-attack but that his administration has defeated their coup.

Power and communication outages continue to hit Venezuela on Sunday, intensifying the hardship of a country paralysed by economic and political crises.

The blackout heightened tensions between the opposition and government loyalists, who accuse each other of being responsible for the collapse of the power grid.

I will tell this for the first time, Maduro told the hushed crowd in Caracas on Saturday. We are in the process of investigation and correcting it all because there are many infiltrators attacking the electrical company from within.

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Maduro stated that Venezuela had been hit yet again by another cyber-attack at noon on Saturday.

Permanent state of alert

Speaking to Al Jazeera from the Perez Carreno flagship hospital in Caracas, Lorelei Gorrin, an emergency surgeon, said she had just completed one of the toughest shifts of her life.

I didnt stop receiving patients. We could only help those who had life-threatening issues, said Gorrin.

The generator worked, but I was worried it would suddenly stop working. We dont know when were going to lose power again, or how were going to deal with that. If we had to resort to manual respiratory aid devices, we would not have enough to help all those that need them.

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Were in a permanent state of alert, which is mentally and emotionally draining, she said.

Across Venezuela, millions of people are affected by the continued blackout.

Valeria Castillo, a 43-year-old actress, told Al Jazeera she briefly escaped her home where she takes care of her ailing parents to attend an opposition rally in the capital.

The entire floor of the house is full of candle wax. My father is very old and sometimes soils himself and washing him has been a real pain with no power and no water as the pump does not work, said Castillo.

Support for Maduro

Still, many Venezuelans continue to support Maduro in his ongoing fight against what he calls US imperialism.

On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators at a pro-Maduro rally danced and waved flags on what organisers labelled a day of anti-imperialism, in a show of defiance towards the US, which has imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela in an attempt to overthrow the president.

Many showed up wearing red caps and shirts in support of the self-proclaimed socialist revolution of leader Hugo Chavez, who died six years ago and was succeeded by his protege, Maduro.

Lidia Calderon, 37, joined the rally saying she relies on Maduro to fix the situation.

He does what he can to maintain the peace. And it is very clear that the electricity [situation] is a war against the people, said Calderon.

Maduros government has not moved directly against opposition leader Juan Guaido since he returned to Venezuela from a Latin American tour on Monday.





But on Saturday, Maduro stepped up verbal attacks on Guaido, calling him a clown and puppet in a speech to his supporters outside Miraflores, the presidential palace.

He scoffed at Guaidos claim in late January to be interim president of Venezuela, a declaration supported by the US and about 50 other countries.

We have defeated their coup, said Maduro. They tried illegitimately to turn into a president a person in a public square and now, today, it is obvious to the world he is not a president, not anything. A clown and a puppet is what that man [Guaido] is. Delinquent citizen.

Maduro also accused Guaido and his US allies of sabotaging Venezuelas Guri Dam, one of the worlds largest hydroelectric stations and the cornerstone of Venezuelas electrical grid.

He said authorities had restored 70 percent of power in Venezuela since a nationwide outage hit late Thursday, but progress was lost on Saturday when infiltrators allegedly struck again.

The Venezuelan opposition and US officials say Maduros attempts to pin blame on his political adversaries is absurd, and that government corruption and mismanagement over many years caused the blackout and wider deterioration of the economy.

In another blow to Venezuelas infrastructure, an explosion occurred at a power station in the countrys Bolivar state on Saturday, according to local media.

Netblocks, a non-government group based in Europe that monitors internet censorship, said on Saturday that the second outage had knocked out almost all of Venezuelas telecommunications infrastructure.

Additional reporting by Alicia Hernandez in Caracas
Hamas criticise Mohammad Shtayyehs appointment, calling it reflection of Abbass unilateralism and monopoly of power.

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, has appointed long-time ally Mohammad Shtayyeh as prime minister, according to officials.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Abbas received Shtayyeh, a member of the central committee of the presidents Fatah party, at his office on Sunday and asked him to form a new government, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Some analysts view appointing 61-year-old Shtayyeh to replace outgoing Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah as part of Abbass efforts to further isolate Hamas, a rival political group that runs the besieged Gaza Strip.

The previous government was formed during a period of improved relations between the two most dominant parties in the Palestinian political scene.

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The new administration is expected to be dominated by Fatah, though other smaller parties will be represented.

Hamas, which will not be included, said the appointment reflected Abbass unilateralism and monopoly of power.

Hamas stresses that it does not recognise this separatist government because it was formed without national consensus, spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement.

Shtayyeh, a former government minister, has been part of a number of Palestinian negotiating teams in the United States-brokered talks with Israel, and is a former government minister.

No public successor

Hamdallahs government submitted its resignation in late January, though it has continued on an interim basis.

Abbas remains the primary decision-maker and interlocutor with the international community.

Hamas has been the de facto ruler in the Gaza Strip since 2007, after defeating the Fatah party in parliamentary elections. It then pushed Fatah out of Gaza when the latter refused to recognise the result of the vote.

Since then Abbass governments have maintained limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank.





Abbas has recently been in conflict with US President Donald Trumps administration, which is expected to release its long-awaited peace plan in the coming months.

Abbas froze ties with the White House after Trump declared Jerusalem as Israels capital in 2017.

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Trump has since taken a series of steps against the Palestinians, including cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.

Palestinian leaders call it an attempt to blackmail them into accepting a plan that they believe will destroy their hopes for independent statehood. They view Trumps administration as blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

Abbas won a four-year term as president in 2005, but he has since remained in office without further elections.

The 83-year-old who has recently had health issues has not publicly lined up a successor and the move to name Shtayyeh could put him among the potential candidates.

Others mentioned as possible successors include veteran leader Mahmoud al-Aloul, Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary General Saeb Erekat, senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub and head of Palestinian intelligence Majid Faraj.

Polls show the most popular Palestinian leader is Marwan Barghouti, but he is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail for allegedly organising and authorising a series of killings of Israelis.
Each day over the past week saw between 70 and 80 asylum seekers arriving in Paris as the Calais Jungle was cleared.
About the show

A weekly programme that examines and dissects the worlds media, how they operate and the stories they cover. Watch The Listening Post every Saturday at 0830GMT
If Democrats have one advantage over Republicans, it's their innate ability to tailor language to fit their politics. They use qualifying adjectives to pander to specific identity groups when it suits them  such as "white privilege" and "black lives matter"  and then chose more universal terms when they find themselves boxed-in by their own ideology.

A prime example of this is the response to the anti-Semitic comments made by Democratic freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar. In January Omar tweeted that Israel had "hypnotized the world," and recently stated that American support for Israel was "all about the Benjamins" and involved "allegiance" to a foreign country.

As David French wrote in the National Review, "Each of these statements represents a classic anti-Semitic trope, and the latter statements were made after she came under fire for her previous comments. She knew she was under scrutiny and yet doubled down."

When pushed to specifically address Omar's derogatory attitude toward Jews, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to issue a more bland, universal rebuke  offering a resolution condemning "hateful expressions of intolerance" without mentioning Omar by name.

According to the New York Times:

It started as a resolution condemning anti-Semitism. Then, anti-Muslim bias was added in. After that came white supremacy. And by the end, it cited "African-Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, immigrants and others" victimized by bigotry.

Incredibly, it doesn't appear Omar will be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee or be made to apologize. Because Omar is a Muslim female and refugee from Somalia, she's dealt a different standard of discipline. She is a member of the Democrat's protected victim class, and reprimanding her directly would be a major conflict of interest. So instead of demanding a personal apology, Pelosi whitewashed Omar's anti-Semitism by ultimately hiding behind a resolution condemning "hateful expressions of intolerance."

It's so good of the Democrats to rise above the fray and offer a universal resolution that doesn't single out any one race or religion. God forbid they lower themselves into the muck of identity politics when disciplining a freshman Representative who just so happens to believe Jews are hypnotizing the world, and that Jew loyalty can be purchased with cold hard cash.

The Democrats' objectivity seems to begin and end with Omar's anti-Semitism, however. When it comes to other social issues not related to female Muslim refugees from Somalia, they aren't quite so levelheaded.

Take "black lives matter" for example. Don't all lives matter? Wouldn't it be better for race relations if we just agreed to come together and promote universal standards of human behavior, much like the general resolution to condemn all "hateful expressions of intolerance"?

No. All lives don't matter. And saying so is racist and misses the point of the mantra to begin with, which is that if you want to exploit America's racial unrest for political gain, you have to qualify your social cause with a word that will demonize your enemies while creating a "victimized" class of loyal supporters. Hence the phrase "black lives matter," which is conveniently trumpeted in mostly lily-white liberal enclaves and on Ivy League campuses, and not in Chicago where 561 people  mostly African American  were murdered in 2018.

The same goes for "white privilege." Shouldn't the entire upper tier of society  no matter their color or creed  be aware of their advantages in order to develop tolerance and compassion for their fellow man? Shouldn't "privilege" be called out in general, so that wealthy Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes, tenured professors, Silicon Valley billionaires, and establishment media elites keep their massive egos in check and remember those who aren't as fortunate?

Not really. You need the term white privilege to successfully polarize Americans along racial lines, and to achieve the two-pronged goal of demonizing your political enemies while simultaneously developing the loyalty of an angry, resentful victim class.

Which is why liberals rail against "toxic masculinity" and not "toxic human behavior." Women can just as easily dominate relationships, be overly aggressive and competitive, and act like pompous jerks. Yet somehow this behavior is attributed primarily to men, and stereotyped as "masculine." Why? To exploit sexism and create a culture of bitterness in certain Democrat constituency groups. Interestingly, the most "toxic" form of masculinity in America is father absence, but good luck getting liberals to admit as much; Democrats aren't big on the whole cohesive family unit thing. Still, children from fatherless families are more likely to have behavioral problems, become pregnant as a teen, drop out of high school, abuse drugs and alcohol, suffer from obesity, and commit a crime and go to prison.

Instead of Gillette lecturing men about whistling at women on street corners, perhaps they could ask guys to respect their baby's momma by paying child support and actually fathering their children?

Which leads to the issues of crime and justice. Now, it used to be that a crime was a crime (like failing to pay child support), and justice was justice. Not anymore. Liberals have now managed to stamp crime with the qualifying adjective "hate" and justice with the modifier "social," so as to make certain crimes by certain constituency groups more or less heinous, and the punishments they receive more or less deserving. And how does one know whether the crime is heinous and the justice is proper?

That's for Democrats to decide.

Like with the anti-Semite freshman Rep. from Minnesota, Ilhan Omar. Because she's a Muslim woman and refugee from Somalia, she can tweet disparaging comments about Jews and not have to apologize for it. And because Nancy Pelosi is a liberal, and liberals have the innate ability to tailor language to fit their politics, the House just passed a generic resolution condemning "hateful expressions of intolerance," rather than calling out Ilhan Omar's hate speech specifically and mentioning her by name.

Image: Leopaltik1242 via Wikimedia Commons.
On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, signed a "Document on Human Fraternity For World Peace and Living Together ('Doc')." The Doc is deemed a historic detente between the Christian religion as represented by the Catholic Church and Islam, which, to put it mildly, have had a lot of intense conflicts over the centuries. The document is not a peace treaty as such, but a philosophical statement of presumed good intentions going forward between the two religions. Specific theological differences are not mentioned, and that gloss presumably adds to the intended sense of unity and peace.

Despite my personal disgust at this pseudo-reconciliation, in the interest of having a more truthful world, a world with greater moral clarity, and a world where vile deceptions are repudiated, it will be helpful to assess a few of the statements in this document.

Let us acknowledge upfront that the nature of Almighty God is in no way clarified by this document; the purpose of life on Earth for humanity as a whole is not defined; and specific reasons for 1,400-year-old conflicts between Islam and Christianity are not listed, addressed, or expressly forgiven (though the existence of the document itself is, one infers, meant to imply forgiveness).

The background for the word "fraternity" in the Doc is important. It is rooted in and connotes a connection with a secularization of culture and is notably found in the motto of the French Revolution, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." Once the monarchy was overthrown, it replaced the French motto "One King, One Faith, One Law," which had held sway since the early 16th century, when Francis I was king of France.

The words "life" and "pursuit of happiness" found in the American Declaration of Independence are conspicuously absent in the French revolutionary motto. Equality and fraternity are used instead because of the deeply anti-Christian themes in French history. France had numerous wars of religion against the Protestants in the 16th century, and kicked them out when the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. Further, as the French Revolution picked up steam, the French clergy who were Roman Catholic had their lands confiscated, and the clergymen themselves were imprisoned, were executed, or fled in large numbers from France. Thus, while there were still many believing Catholics in France, the revolution was basically atheistic, and it appealed  through many vicissitudes  to a bloodthirsty, homogeneous mass of anti-clerical "citoyens" (citizens). Given its identification with non-theistic politics, one might expect the pope to be somewhat uncomfortable with the word "fraternity," yet it is embraced here.

This Doc begins sounding like our Declaration of Independence. It states, "In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duty and dignity ..." This is the natural rights segment, sounding like our Declaration, which refers to "inalienable rights" that have been "endowed by our Creator." Then it states, "... who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters ..." This is a shift more to the French equality and fraternity. Then it switches suddenly to a more transcendent level not found in either the American or French founding documents. This Doc states, "... to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace." Here we see that rights and equality are not ends in themselves, but have a teleology or purpose. Even Thomas Aquinas assured the Catholic Church that salvation, not any type of worldly happiness, is the purpose of life. Yet the pope abandons his most glorified philosopher. Instead, the signers are leading toward the actualization of goodness, love, and peace.

So the purpose of life in the Doc is at odds with Catholic philosophy. But we might also ask, would the approximately 800 million Protestants agree with "the actualization of goodness, love, and peace" as the purpose for life? While not all Protestants will agree with the Westminster Shorter Catechism (published 1649), the answer it provides is that the purpose of life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Christians are to be good  i.e., follow a path of holiness; to love one's neighbor as ourselves; and to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind (Matt. 22:39, 37); and "as much as lies in you, [to] live peaceably with all men" (Rom. 12:18). But these good things are not separately or together the purpose of life. Protestants have known this for the past 370 years, if not longer.

Further, at the beginning of the first and eleventh paragraphs of this document, the signatories cry out passionately, "In the name of God ..." Yet this sense of urgency raises the question: in the name of whose God? What indeed is the name of God? Islam rejects the hypostatic unity (oneness) of the Trinity of Christianity and, instead, defines Christianity as a polytheistic theology. Christ's very nature or essence ("ousia") defined by the Council of Nicaea in 325 as the same as God the Father ("homoousia") is totally rejected by the Islamic world's theologians.

The Doc goes on to provide a brief overview of the successes and dislocations found in the modern world. While acknowledging many successes in various fields of endeavors in the modern world, the Doc deplores that the world has "generated, and continues to generate, vast numbers of poor, infirm and deceased persons." Anyone will be happy to confirm, along with the authors of this Doc, that the world's mortality rate continues to be 100%, so at least in that respect, the Doc is accurate. However, in New York City, there are many hospitals and other institutions trying to deal with poverty and life-and-death issues, but where are the Islamic institutions in dealing with the teeming millions of NYC? There are Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Catholic hospitals and social services agencies that serve all people regardless of religion, national origin, race, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Yet, despite many private Muslim schools in the area, there are no Islamic institutions whatsoever serving the needs of all persons. Further, to what extent are Muslim refugees being supported or welcomed into Muslim-majority nations? For the pope even to give credence to language about "compassion" from his Islamic counterpart is to this writer even more offensive than to have that claim made by the Islamic co-signer.

Also, it is worth noting that the signees of the Doc "affirm also the importance of awakening religious awareness and the need to revive this awareness in the hearts of new generations[.]" However, the truth is that the life of true Christian faith offers salvation, not mere "religious awareness." In a free society, anyone is free to accept or reject that salvation claim, but "awareness" alone does not provide the embrace of the godhead that true religion requires.

Lastly, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where this Doc was signed, Catholic churches can operate freely, although Islam is the official religion of that country. It should be noted that apostasy laws are in effect, so no Christian organizations can try to win converts, and conversion is punishable by death. Would any honest observer consider this an environment of reconciliation? How can the pope sign this Doc in a location like this?
Each faith has its own rules for right behavior to which non-members are not bound. My Jewish friends don't care if I eat a pork chop. Whether or not non-Catholics eat a steak on Ash Wednesday or don't go to church means nothing to me. It's one of the glories of our country that we respect these differences. Tolerance and mutual respect help us live together in peace, but they constitute the seed of relativism with which every faith in our open society has to contend.

How do we understand what values are particular to our faith group and which should be universal? A chaste college freshman encountering free-love dorm life may think, "Although it is wrong for me to engage in promiscuous premarital sex, it's not against the moral code of my classmates and is therefore not wrong for them." This perspective leads directly to rationalizing abortion on the same ground. To adopt the "personally opposed to abortion but won't oppose a woman's choice" position, by the nature of abortion, requires accepting simultaneous conflicting fundamental truths and in turn requires that no essential truth exists. If someone close to you has an abortion, it can't be murder because your loved one is not a murderer. Morally, how do you square the near universal revulsion at a mother killing her newborn baby with the large segment of society that will fight for her right to end the baby's life a week or two earlier?

By continuing to allow legal abortion, we tacitly proclaim that abortion is not wrong. If deliberately terminating an innocent baby is not wrong, then what is wrong? The answer is "nothing." If nothing is wrong, then morality is just a construct, and no religion has any basis for claiming validity.

This nothingness is why we can't rationally discuss important issues anymore. The idea of a higher truth encourages debate. No matter how firmly we hold our convictions, if we believe there is an ideal truth that we desire to comprehend, it is possible to rationally argue, with the hope of persuading or learning from people with whom we disagree.

If we don't believe in an ultimate truth, but only our own individual truth, then such a discussion serves no purpose. It would be like arguing that green is better than purple  utterly meaningless.

There are elements of radical Islam that are truly alarming, exemplified by documented statements of adherents that they are called to kill people who do not practice Islam. Reasonable people should agree that that motivation is really bad. Yet when a murder is a direct result of that call, news reports obscure this motivation.

Try mentioning real threats from radical Islam to a "no-truth" young person, and you are met with stony silence. Among people who do not recognize an essential truth, there is no basis on which members of one faith group can find fault with or discuss the relative merits of the tenets of a different faith. From this point of view, all religion is illegitimate. We deprive ourselves of the ability to protect ourselves if we don't honestly examine and face threats.

Problematic effects extend beyond the threat from radical Islam: if deliberately killing an innocent baby is not wrong, and nothing is wrong, then the continued existence of each of us is due solely to power and chance.

Our rights are nominally enshrined in law, but court rulings demonstrate that truth and the plain language of our laws are irrelevant, and the government that is supposed to protect our constitutional rights is complicit in violating them. Just ask former CBS correspondent Sharyl Attkisson what happens to you when you report on a topic the government wants ignored or former Vascular Solutions CEO Howard Root about when the Department of Justice decides to make up charges and criminally prosecute you.

Abandoning truth to enable the legal abortion industry has opened a Pandora's box of dangerous effects and has produced a new world of inward-looking people clinging to personal dogmas without the tools or humility to seek real wisdom.

Another teen suicide in our town this week prompts the following question. How can we reinforce the message that each teen's life matters despite how hopeless he may feel when we are also trumpeting that continuing a pregnancy is a choice? How many feel they are not wanted and have absorbed the message that if a child is not wanted, he has no intrinsic value?

Here's another bleak thought. Sometimes I want to ask a beaming new grandmother who is also fervently pro-choice, "What make this one different?" What about the babies you marched for your son and daughter to abort? Or the other women's grandchildren who existed but will not be born alive because of legal abortion? Why is it good that this one is alive but not they?

Do we want to live in a world ruled solely by power, or will we accept the essential postulate of the existence of truth so that justice can have a chance? If we don't want to live in a world run by the strongest with no respect for the least, then we must stand up for the dignity of the very least among us.

Cassandra Chambers is a pen name.
For a few years now, there has been an on-and-off controversy about PayPal's refusal to agree on operations in the Palestinian areas. There were politely worded reasons tendered as to why this was not feasible, but anyone with half a brain knew that the real reason was fear of Palestinian money-laundering to support terror  that and fear of being sued.

The controversy reached a height in 2016, when groups took PayPal to task. Why was PayPal willing to provide services to Israelis in Judea and Samaria (the settlements), which some consider "illegal" under international law, yet would not provide PayPal access to nearby Palestinians?

In 2016, in response, PayPal issued this statement:

We appreciate the interest that the Palestinian community has shown in PayPal. While we do not have anything to announce for the immediate future, we continuously work to develop strategic partnerships, address business feasibility, regulatory, and compliance needs and requirements, and acquire the necessary local authority permissions for new market entries.

Without going into all the details, one can surmise some reasons:

1. A reluctance to get involved in an area where payments could be transferred to terrorist groups.

2. A lot of PayPal's staff are former IDF soldiers who might be reluctant.

3. Fear of lawsuit by pro-Israel groups like the Israel Law Center (Shurat Ha-Din).

PayPal has also been quick to close any account connected to BDS.

The giant US online payment service PayPal shut down the account of a major French boycott, divestment and sanctions organization targeting Israel on Friday, after being informed by The Jerusalem Post that site was in violation of France's anti-discrimination Lellouche Law, which bans discrimination based on national origin.

If the purpose of all of this was to cripple BDS, or terrorism, it may have backfired.

Anyone should have foreseen that Hamas would go to Bitcoin.

Earlier this week, the Israeli blockchain analytics firm Whitestream identified several bitcoin wallet addresses referred to on official Hamas digital media channels in public requests for donations. One such appeal for bitcoin donations to support "the resistance" was issued on January 31, via a Telegram channel run by Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing. As the Israeli newspaper Globes reported, those wallets included a Coinbase account.

Indeed, Hamas had earlier openly declared its intention to use Bitcoin.

"The Zionist enemy is fighting the resistance by trying to cut its support by all means," the request claims, asking "all supporters of the resistance and of our just cause to support it through Bitcoin, through means that we will announce soon."

The Telegram account can be seen here. Google translates the account ownership as "Abu Ubaida" military spokesman in the name Al-Qassam Brigades. Whether that is a real account, or a black-op account set up by who knows whom, I do not know.

What is clear is that Hamas is now operating in crypto-currencies.

As expected, within days, the Israel Law Center (Shurat Ha-Din) threatened to sue the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange for allowing Hamas to trade on its platform.

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been threatened with a lawsuit by an Israeli civil rights NGO Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center) if it continues to allow Hamas to fundraise via its platform, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Bitcoin is not as anonymous as people think.

Anyone with half a brain should have known that. The blockchain in crypto-curreny transactions carries a massive amount of information. And there are way to trace transactions.

Using a unique clustering algorithm, Crystal can determine which bitcoin address belongs to certain users. The solution also utilizes web crawlers and manual registration on various services to name the entities and assign them a risk score based on the type of service. Crystal, which has assisted financial institutions and law enforcement in identifying and tracing criminal activities such as extortion and money-laundering, assigns a risk score based on every bitcoin address that has ever appeared in the blockchain.

There is no way that a crypto-currency can be as anonymous as cash...or gold. Many exchanges (not all) now require a lot of verification before you are allowed to trade in Bitcoin. The U.S. and the E.U. are clamping down.

Exchanges operate under stringent KYC regulations. It means they have to adhere to the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. And apparently, the US Securities and Exchanges Commission is so tough on this issue. Therefore, buying platforms are pushed into enforcing stringent ID verification which in turn makes it hard for beginners to buy bitcoin. ! It becomes a problem when it takes up to 5 days for your account to be verified. ... [T]hese processes and checks make it a bit harder to buy bitcoin in the United States.

This has pushed many customers to foreign Bitcoin exchanges.

There are ways around this, but the underlying problem remains. Bitcoin necessarily leaves an electronic footprint.

For Israel  or governments fighting money-laundering  this is a game of whack-a-mole, and the problem will not disappear. Hamas will just find another platform or set up more temporary accounts.

I am not recommending that Israel allow PayPal as the lesser of two evils. It may or may not be.

This problem will not go away. Bitcoin exchanges can be set up in countries friendlier to the Arab cause. Chile comes to mind. Chile is borderline first-world now, with roughly half a million well educated Palestinian sympathizers, many of whom are in banking. Chile could provide a perfect opportunity for Hamas to interface with respectable first world banking.

Chile, though it has tough banking laws, could prove to be a nightmare when it comes to tracing Palestinians accounts. The Bank of Palestine has an office in Chile.

The world is a bit more difficult now. The only option would be to shut down all Palestinian access to the internet. Many here might applaud that. I withhold comment.

Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who wishes he had availed himself more fully of the opportunity to learn Spanish better in high school, lo those many decades ago. He runs a website, Latin Arabia, about the Christian Arab community in South America.
Last Wednesday, it was revealed that the government of Australia revealed that it was banning Milo Yiannopoulos from entry to the country by denying him a visa on the basis of character.

A letter to Yiannopoulos from Australian immigration officials before Wednesday reportedly said they had a right to bar someone who could "incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community."

As in Berkeley, where Antifa rioters did extensive property damage while shutting down a sold-out auditorium seating thousands, Yiannopouloss previous speaking tour Down Under was harassed by lefties trying to prevent him from being heard;

(photo credit)

Yiannopoulos' 2017 Australian tour sparked outrage and violence, particularly in Melbourne, Victoria, where his show attracted an extra 300 police officers to deal with protests. Victoria fined Yiannopoulos more than $35,000.

The blame-the-victim mentality on display in fining him and then banning him just because anti-free speech activists dont want him to be heard is antithetical to a democracy. And, apparently, Australia is still democratic enough for a blowback to have enough influence to get the Australian government -- led by the ostensibly conservative party there, called the Liberal Party  to reverse itself. The Washington Times reported yesterday that the government was planning to issue a visa to him, and the Australian media confirmed today that this would happen:

David Coleman, Australias minister of immigration, is slated to personally approve a visa application submitted on behalf of Mr. Yiannopoulos, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. (snip) Mr. Coleman disagreed with the decision and is expected to intervene, however, the newspaper reported. Common sense has prevailed after ordinary Australians threw a fit, Mr. Yiannopoulostold The Washington Times. American conservatives should take note. Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia, briefly discussed the situation while addressing reporters in Perth. Theres a process that is followed in relation to character issues regarding people who wish to come to Australia and the minister [Coleman] has been following that normal process, said Mr. Morrison. There have been decisions taken to date by the department and it is open to the minister to play a role in that process where he believes it is necessary to do some.

Meanwhile, talk show host and best-selling author Michael Savage, who holds a doctorate from UC Berkeley, remains banned from entering the United Kingdom, also a country with an ostensible conservative government.

The Left knows that the only way to win a discussion on the issues is to silence opponents.

Hat tip: John McMahon
Elizabeth Warren made the obligatory appearance for Democratic presidential candidates at SXSW and insisted that she was no socialist like Bernie Sanders or even a democratic socialist. She claimed she believed in markets, but with limits.

Fox Business News:

All I can tell you is what I believe  theres an enormous amount to be gained from markets. Markets create opportunities.  but markets have to have rules. They have to have a cop on the beat, Warren told an energetic crowd at the Austin City Limits Moody Theater.

Note: As of 2018, there were 185,000 pages in the Federal Code of Regulations. Each and every page in the code carries with it the force of law. The overwhelming majority of pages in the code are aimed directly at American business.

She doesn't want a cop to police markets. She wants the Gestapo.

Warren also ramped up criticism of the tech giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Google while speaking in front of an Austin crowd containing at least a few of their employees. Hours earlier, she unveiled a proposal to curb the power of tech companies through various means, including the reversal of what she called anti-competitive mergers such as Facebooks acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp and Amazons purchase of grocery chain Whole Foods. Warren also called for Amazon and Googles various businesses  in the latters case, its search engine and ad platform -- to operate as separate entities.

"Reversing mergers" and talk of "curbing the power" of tech companies doesn't sound much like supporting the market to me. Amazon, Facebook, and other tech companies have gotten large because they give customers what they want. We don't have to like what they do or what they've become. But they've become wildly successful by following the rules of the free market.

How big is too big? Warren doesn't say and I doubt whether she would have a clue about the answer.

Warren has struggled to define differences between the avowed socialist Bernie Sanders and herself. It may be that the rabid activists in the Democratic party prefer the socialist real thing - Sanders - to Warren's "Sanders-lite." She is lagging in the polls as ordinary Democrats can't get past her Indian heritage fakery.

Warren is going to need lightening to strike during the debates which will begin this summer. Right now, she is just a poor echo of Bernie Sanders and may fall out of the top tier of candidates unless she can start generating some buzz around her candidacy.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hung out for a while with the hipsters and geeks at the SXSW and gave her uniquely ignorant take on current affairs and history.

Fox News:

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed political moderates at the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals in Austin, Texas, calling their views misplaced as she defended her progressive politics in a room full of supporters. Moderate is not a stance. It's just an attitude towards life of, like, meh, the New York Democrat said Saturday during an interview with Briahna Gray, senior politics editor for the Intercept. Weve become so cynical, that we view meh, or eh  we view cynicism as an intellectually superior attitude, and we view ambition as youthful naivete when ... the greatest things we have ever accomplished as a society have been ambitious acts of visions, and the meh is just worshipped now, for what?

Like all rabid idealogues of the left and right, AOC doesn't do nuance. If you don't "feel it" it's not real. It's a "stance."

The self-declared Democratic socialist also criticized the treatment of minorities throughout American history, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, which she claimed was racist, to Ronald Reagan's policies, which she said "pitted" white working class people against minorities in order "to screw over all working-class Americans, particularly African-Americans and Hispanics.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the perfect manifestation of what the public school system in America has accomplished in the past 40 years. Namely, the failure to teach students how to think critically. This was a deliberate omission made by liberal educators who knew the only way they could impart their vision of America and American history is if they were able to prevent even simple questions from being asked.

The crowd, larger than for any Democratic presidential candidate, cheered its approval.

Other topics Ocasio-Cortez discussed included the Green New Deal and capitalism, which she said could not be redeemed because it puts profit above everything else. The most important thing is the concentration of capital, and it means that we prioritize profit and the accumulation of money above all else, and we seek it at any human and environmental cost But when we talk about ideas like democratic socialism, it means putting democracy and society first, instead of capital first; it doesnt mean that the actual concept of capitalistic society should be abolished, she said.

Don't abolish capitalism but we have to abolish capitalism. There is no logic or reason to what she says. She doesn't realize that putting "society first" means that someone, somehow, somewhere is going to have to determine what, in society, should be "first." Who sets priorities? Who will determine what's best for everyone? What if a lot of people disagree?

AOC cannot imagine anyone disagreeing with her social justice agenda. It is so self-evidently "good" and "compassionate" and "just" that anyone who disagrees is a racist pig who needs to be reeducated.

She reminds me of the Valley girls from the 1980's - empty headed, moronic, contradictory.

I know that many readers are sick of reading about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But the reason we cover her is simple; she should be seen as the most dangerous politician in America, someone who threatens our freedom and our future. There can be no compromise with her views, nor with her legions of followers.
The RAND Corporations annual Red on Blue wargame simulation found that the United States would be a loser in a conventional confrontation with Russia and China.

The RAND Corporation think tank in Santa Monica, California has hosted annual Red on Blue wargame simulations since 1952. The exercise purpose is to understand how the United States represented by Blue can counter Red adversaries. By modeling how adversaries could use of asymmetric strategies or weapons, Pentagon planners are forced to deal with unfamiliar threats. The goal is educating the military on how to formulate strategies for training and response for emerging threats and capabilities.

But RAND analyst David Ochmanek told the Breaking Defense that with Blue representing the current U.S. military capabilities and Red representing the combined capabilities of Russia and China in a conventional war, Blue gets its ass handed to it.

RANDs Americas Security Deficit released on March 7 found that despite spending $700 billion a year on an array of superweapons including stealth aircraft and 1,100-foot carriers, the U.S. forces suffer heavy losses in one scenario after another and still cant stop Russia or China" from overrunning U.S. allies in the Baltics or Taiwan.

To counter President Reagans increase in U.S. defense spending to 5 percent of GDP in the 1980s to fund the launch of his Strategic Defense Initiative, the Soviet Union spiked defense spending to 20% of GDP. With the USSR suffering a financial collapse in 1991, the U.S. military was rated as omnipotent.

President Clinton declared a peace dividend to cut spending back to 4 percent of GDP, but the 9/11 terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center and subsequent Middle East wars through the 2000s pushed defense spending back up. President Obama approved plans to build 10 of the 1,106-foot long Ford-class aircraft carriers, with carrier designated CVN-81 to begin construction in 2024 as the USS Barack Obama.

RAND highlights that the post-Cold War expansion of NATO to include former Warsaw Pact members in Eastern Europe and Baltic States created undefined U.S. security obligations. Coupled with Chinas economic success funding a rapid offensive military modernization, America now faces vulnerabilities in U.S. power-projection capabilities.

Many of the U.S. high-tech weapons systems acquired over the last two decades have value. But weapons deployed to big land bases and giant aircraft carriers are now vulnerable to Russian and Chinese advances in long-range precision-guided missiles.

Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, who has decades of RAND wargaming experience, recently warned: In every case I know of, the F-35 rules the sky when its in the sky, but it gets killed on the ground in large numbers.

Work cautioned: Whenever we have an exercise and the Red Force really destroys our command and control, we stop the exercise because it is exceedingly difficult to lead from a command post with blank screens and radio static.

RANDs Ochmanek identifies the growing Red arsenals of smart weapons as an existential threat to things that rely on sophisticated base infrastructure like runways and fuel tanks are going to have a hard time. Regarding the wisdom of building $13 billion carriers, Things that sail on the surface of the sea are going to have a hard time.

The RAND study also found that huge Army supply bases and the 58 NATO Brigade Combat Teams across Europe are virtually undefended from cruise missiles, drones, and helicopters, because the Army largely got rid of its mobile anti-aircraft troops.

The RAND study specifically focus on the need to invest about $24 billion in missiles. to shoot down Red offensive missiles, aircraft, and drones. A short-term fix would include buying lots of the Armys new Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (MSHORAD) batteries -- Stinger missiles mounted on Stryker armored vehicles. The long-term response requires investment in lasers, railguns, and high-powered microwaves to shoot down incoming missiles.

RAND complimented the Trump administrations 2020 defense budget proposal that plans a decades-early retirement of the USS Harry Truman carrier and cuts two amphibious landing ships. Money is being reinvested in ground-based air and missile defenses, plus the rollout of Marine Corps F-35 jump-jets that can take off from tiny ad hoc airstrips.
"Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. Socialists cannot be pro-Israel because Israel is a successful example of nationalism. The Jews require national independence in order to survive. Therefore, according to orthodox socialists, the Jews' survival has to be sacrificed for the good of globalism. What looks like anti-Semitism to Jews and objective Martians is merely socialist opposition to the continued functioning of all independent states, and Israel is emblematic of such units.

For socialism, this paradigm of the sacrifice of all units smaller than the State stems directly from communist ideology. Indeed, any unit smaller than the state is invalid and must be stamped out because it is a potential source of opposition to centralized power. This is true of the independently functioning human being; marriage; the nuclear family; town, county, and state authorities. Owning guns that could be used against the state cannot be allowed.

Since revolution is the most important value of socialism, meeting any subsidiary socialist goals is irrelevant. Israel has national health insurance, universal education, subsidized university tuition, high taxation rates, and a centralized bureaucracy that by percentage dwarfs government employment in the United States. The entire country was founded upon the individual's labor for the benefit of the state. Kibbutzim, where people farmed the land without salary, were the foundational units of early Israel. Few Americans could happily live in that collectivized manner, but the Jews did so. There are to this day more than 250 kibbutzim in Israel, where people still work without cash compensation for their entire lives. No one has to stay on the kibbutz and many leave for reasons of personal fulfillment. The kibbutz may have an Olympic swimming pool, but when an individual member can swim is governed by committee.

Most kibbutzim have turned from purely agricultural pursuits to industrial units, where many military and consumer products are produced. This mixed system, with socialist units supporting the capitalistic superstructure of the country, is unique in the world. Sitting above the socialist kibbutzim is the capitalist economy of the Startup Nation. Israel's socialism is almost a voluntary system.

Dogmatic socialists cannot tolerate either flexibility or stability. This model of a mixed economy is hateful to real socialists. That is too bad, because flexibility is the foundation of economic and social success. People are happy in Israel because it is a mixed economy, and that mix is always changing. Both within the Israeli government and among the general population, people are always arguing about this or that policy, so policies are always changing. No ideologue can tolerate such chaos.

To reiterate, socialists are about as rigid as a piece of clay sewer pipe. The poor luck of the Jews is to be subjected to this old socialist need for extreme concentration of power. No matter how socialist Israel's policies, they would still be castigated and tortured because they are too Jewish  i.e., particularistic. That is why Stalin could roundly and sincerely condemn anti-Semitism at the very same time he was killing Jewish intellectuals. He was against both anti-Semitism and Jews, not unlike our current American breed of socialists and their European counterparts.
Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk.

Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen.

If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned.

I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country.

It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously.

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An assembly bill could change the language on the term, activists and law enforcement have different views on what that could mean for all involved
March 11th marks the eighth anniversary of the major earthquake that hit northeastern Japan and the ensuing nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

The magnitude-9.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of the northeastern Tohoku region at around 2:46 PM on March 11th, 2011. A quake-induced tsunami higher than ten meters hit the coast of Tohoku and Kanto regions.

Japan's National Police Agency says that as of March 8th, 15,897 people had been confirmed dead, and 2,533 others are still missing. At least 22,131 people have died from the 2011 disaster, including those whose health deteriorated while evacuating.

Many problems have been left unresolved in the affected areas, including a declining regional population and elderly people living in isolation.

Seven municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture still have no-entry zones. A Reconstruction Agency survey in February shows 51,778 people from the affected areas are still staying elsewhere across the country as evacuees. The number of evacuees has been gradually decreasing. But the evacuation period is getting unprecedentedly long.

In the 2011 disaster, three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant experienced a meltdown in what's considered one of the world's worst nuclear accidents.

Last month, a robotic probe sent inside one of the reactors made direct contact with debris, which is believed to be a mixture of molten nuclear fuel and structural parts. The debris resembling a clay mound was too hard for the robotic probe to move. Further probes and assessments have been underway.

The removal of the debris is considered the most difficult part of the decommissioning of the plant.

The government and Tokyo Electric Power Company that operates the plant say that based on the results of the assessment, they are hoping to start removing the debris from the reactors in 2021 after considering ways to carry out the work by the end of March, 2020.

In the meantime, coolant water that is being poured over the debris in the three reactors is collecting under the ground. That water, mixed with groundwater flowing into the compound from nearby hills, continues accumulating as contaminated water.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority says releasing the water into the ocean after sufficiently diluting it below the government's maximum allowable radioactive level will be a reasonable way to cope with the problem.

But a final plan on how to deal with the contaminated water has yet to be decided because of objections from local fishermen.

They protested to the proposal at hearings held in Fukushima and other prefectures last August, citing radiation-related rumors over their catches.
Luckily this time the next battle will be at the polls. A British reporter on a short trip to Barcelona was stupefied when attempted to understand the medium-term Spanish and Catalan political strategies. He couldn't understand either. I reassured him: many in favor of sovereignty dont, either. We concluded, as a top Catalan businessman would agree a few days later in a private conversation, that if any positive lesson can be drawn from recent years, it is that Barcelona has not been bombed this time. The conclusion is not so cynical as it is a sadness disguised as irony that attempts to make bearable the impotence and humiliation of collective defeat. Collective defeat in Spain and Catalonia, words that have yet to be written or verbalized by some of the players who want to lead the future, given this stalemate that threatens to be become chronic, unless it is seriously worsened by a victory of the right in Spain. The victory of the right and the return of direct rule is an option that continues to seduce some who have not yet read what happened on the afternoon of October 27 after the declaration of independence, or who underestimate the importance of keeping the institutions alive.

The trial of the Catalan political prisoners has so far confirmed their determination and leadership, at the same time as it has also shown the fragility of the situation after this week's testimony by two high-ranking Catalan police officers. The sentence is open and the prosecution is beginning to have some public cards to play. While we wait for the verdict, which will mark a new political milestone, the preparation of electoral lists for the general election has become an agonizing process of reconstructing an ideological space, in some cases and, above all, one of controlling the lists. With a unified pro-sovereignty bloc in Madrids parliament once again ruled out, ERC is making overtures to Bildu with no internal conflict, while the post-Convergencia space has played a leading role in a battle to kill the willing-to-negotiate soul that characterized the parliamentary group in Madrid. Presidents Puigdemont and Torra have drawn up customized lists with the surrender of David Bonvehi and Ferran Bel. Still divided between pragmatists and legitimists, the neo-Convergent space of PDECat (1), the pro-Puigdemont list of JxCat, and the Crida project are fighting over a restructuring that foretells the end of the Convergent PDECat, which favored negotiated agreements in Madrid, giving way to a position that the sector imposing it defines as "positive confrontation". Catalan president Quim Torra is strengthened and Puigdemont has shown that he continues to pull the strings from Waterloo, as even Ines Arrimadas recognizes. The unknown is whether Jordi Sanchez shares the strategy and will be in a position, from prison, to lead this new phase. At the moment, his first statements emphasize "trying once again to create a space for dialogue with Spain after April 28", but heading a list with key players from Torra's circle.

Resist or lead?

The country is bogged down with a sentimentally humiliated pro-sovereignty movement, prisoners with growing moral leadership but who are threatened with long prison sentences, an exile with unavoidable problems of disconnection, a stressed but disciplined ERC, thanks to the influence of Junqueras, and a tense pro-Puigdemont political alternative that has not yet defined its own ideological space.

Leading a country requires authority, responsibility, and a long-term vision that assesses the forces that it asks of its citizens at each step. Gaziel said that in Catalonia we do not know how to do politics. He defined it this way: "A player who we say has bad luck is not a player who always loses. Even the most unlucky have good days. It is the whole of his attempts to win his fortune that in the end finally sinks the unfortunate player. Not the impossible coincidence that, whenever he plays, he loses everything he gambles. If around an ill-favored table you find "the player that always loses", who realistically cannot play his cards without losing his skin, youd be wise to distrust them right away. The odds are that he is not an unlucky player, but a bad one, which is a completely different thing. You just have to sit behind him silently to see how he plays. It will not take long to discover that he is playing spades when hearts are called for, and betting when he should pass, and not hitting on anything. Well, Catalonia is this kind of player." Gaziel did witness the Barcelona bombardment before writing The Kind of People We Are. Today we have the right to hope and demand that the country's president and political leaders make a responsible calculation that any step taken will be sustainable over time and supported by an unquestionable majority. The dignity of our institutions belongs to all Catalans, and the first test is that of today's reality, which precedes history.

__________

Translators note:

(1) To a large extent, Catalonias PDECat is the successor of Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya, the party founded by Jordi Pujol who went on to be the president of Catalonia for over two decades and had a pragmatic stance when it came to dealing with Madrid.
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.
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Hi there, my partner and I applied for our 820 visa almost 12 months ago and haven't heard anything yet. But my friend and his wife applied 16 months prior to us, had their 820 granted already, and have now just had further evidence requested from the department, to coincide with their being married 2 years, and now applying for the 801 permanent visa.



I am concerned about some of the evidence requested, that this may be difficult for my partner and I and wanted your opinion.



The department has requested from my friend and his wife:

- plane ticket evidence that he has visited the Ukraine to see his wife's family and friends

- payslips for both him and his wife to show they are financially secure

- bank statements for the same

- more photo evidence

- wills



My concern here for my partner and I, is that I have not visited his family in France yet. He has not been back to France either in the last 3 years. Must I visit France with him in order for him to be granted a visa? Also it seems odd to me that we must both show payslips to show we are sufficiently employed? BTW we have heaps of other evidence as we have been defacto more than 2 years.



The other thing that has happened with my friend is that he says his wife (from the Ukraine) is being assessed for her visa by the London Embassy who are extra strict? Does that happen with everyone??



Thank you!
Palmdale, CA (93550)

Today

Windy. A steady rain this morning, with showers continuing this afternoon. High 53F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 32F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
As concerns rise over the safety of Boeings 737 MAX series, China, Ethiopia and the Cayman Islands have grounded their MAX aircraft pending further investigation. China ordered all its airlines to ground their Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft by 6 p.m. Monday following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on Sunday. In a letter to the airlines, which have dozens of the type, Chinas Civil Aviation Administration said it took the action in view of the fact that the two air crashes were newly delivered Boeing 737-8 aircraft and had certain similarities, according to a report in the Guardian.

The British paper said Cayman Airlines had also grounded its two MAX aircraft. The FAA has not confirmed whether its considering a grounding. The FAA is closely monitoring developments in the Ethiopian Flight 302 crash early this morning, the agency said in a statement. We are in contact with the State Department and plan to join the NTSB in its assistance with Ethiopian civil aviation authorities to investigate the crash.

All 157 people aboard the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 were killed early Sunday when the aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Bole International Airport in the capital of Addis Abada. News agencies reported that the aircraft was en route to Nairobi and lost contact with air traffic control about six minutes after takeoff.

The crash follows the loss of another 737 MAX in Indonesia that killed 189 people last October, a crash thats still under investigation. Both aircraft were relatively new airplanes, having been delivered within the last year. An airline spokesperson told CNN that the Ethiopian crash victims are believed to be of 32 different nationalities and included Kenyans, Canadians and at least eight Americans.

The flight took off in good weather, officials said, but The New York Times reported that the aircrafts vertical speed was unstable, according to data published by FlightRadar24. Tewolde GebreMariam, the chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines, told news reporters Sunday that the flight crew had been given clearance to return to the airport in Addis Ababa after reporting difficulties.

The Lion Air flight that crashed on Oct. 29, 2018, in Indonesia encountered similar pitch and vertical speed anomalies. Investigators are probing whether the MAXs unique autotrim system, called MCAS for Maneuvering Characteristic Augmentation System, may have played a role in the accident. MCAS automatically rolls in nose-down trim in certain flight conditions. Boeing had been criticized for not making operators aware of its existence on the new aircraft.
The red-blue divide has a big impact on Americans' views of companies, with only two  Wegmans and Publix Supermarkets  appearing on the top 10 list of favorite companies for both Democrats and Republicans, according to an Axios-Harris Poll survey of corporate reputations.

Expand chart Data: The Axios Harris Poll 100; Chart: Chris Canipe, Lazaro Gamio/Axios

The big picture: People's political views lead them in different directions. Democrats favor the Kraft Heinz Company, while Republicans like Chick-fil-A. But they agree more on the companies they hate  because bad performance affects everyone.

The main takeaways from the Axios-Harris Poll 100:

The big tech companies do better with Democrats than Republicans, at a time when they've been accused of being biased against conservatives. Even the low-ranked Twitter was slightly more popular among Democrats.

do better with Democrats than Republicans, at a time when they've been accused of being biased against conservatives. Even the low-ranked Twitter was slightly more popular among Democrats. The most polarized companies were the Trump Organization  which scored highly with Republicans and dead last among Democrats  and Target, which did better among Democrats than Republicans.

were the Trump Organization  which scored highly with Republicans and dead last among Democrats  and Target, which did better among Democrats than Republicans. When you include independents, Wegmans was the only company that made all three top 10 lists.

Wegmans was the only company that made all three top 10 lists. Independents' favorite compan y was Amazon.

y was Amazon. The least favorite companies had privacy scandals (Facebook), other scandals (Wells Fargo), are going bankrupt (Sears), or cut off their customers' HBO (Dish).

Between the lines: Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema said it wasn't obvious why Kraft Heinz did so well with Democrats, since they don't have a clear political leaning. (Chick-fil-A has a more defined political identity since its founder opposed same-sex marriage, though it has been trying to play down politics to broaden its appeal.)

But Gerzema noted that Democrats gave Kraft Heinz a better rating on growth potential than Republicans, suggesting that Republicans may just think the company isn't likely to grow.

The companies that Democrats, Republicans and independents all hate:

Facebook

Philip Morris

Dish

Sears

Wells Fargo

The U.S. government

The bottom-ranked companies for each group:

Democrats: The Trump Organization

The Trump Organization Republicans: Dish

Dish Independents: The U.S. government

Methodology: The Axios Harris Poll 100 survey was conducted November through January in a nationally representative sample. One group, 6,118 U.S. adults, was asked to identify the two companies they believe have the best and worst reputations. Then, the 100 most visible companies were ranked by a second group of 18,228 adults across key measures of corporate reputation.
More than a dozen books about Trump's Washington are on the way from prominent journalists who signed lucrative deals, with a subgenre of five major books that are entirely or partly about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The big picture: One reason for the burst of books  money. Publishers are paying big advances, for some nearing or topping $1 million. "Trump has dominated everything else, so it only makes sense that that would include the publishing industry," said Matt Latimer of Javelin, a literary agency that has handled James Comey, Cliff Sims and other hot names.

There's a tight pack promising the real story on Kavanaugh:

First will be "The Hill to Die On"  April 9 from Politico's Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer  covering Congress from Election Day '16 to the shutdown. Jake says: "Every page  literally  has something new. ... But since you mentioned Kavanaugh  we have the definitive story about how he got confirmed."

"The Hill to Die On"  April 9 from Politico's Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer  covering Congress from Election Day '16 to the shutdown. Jake says: "Every page  literally  has something new. ... But since you mentioned Kavanaugh  we have the definitive story about how he got confirmed." The N.Y. Times' Carl Hulse will be out June 25 with "Confirmation Bias," which "goes all the way through Kavanaugh and the midterms into this year."

will be out June 25 with "Confirmation Bias," which "goes all the way through Kavanaugh and the midterms into this year." Ruth Marcus, a Harvard Law graduate who's a Washington Post columnist and the deputy editorial page editor, is on book leave for a Kavanaugh project that covers "who he is, what happened, what it means." Ruth told me: "Im going back to my first love, which is reporting, not opinionizing."

a Harvard Law graduate who's a Washington Post columnist and the deputy editorial page editor, is on book leave for a Kavanaugh project that covers "who he is, what happened, what it means." Ruth told me: "Im going back to my first love, which is reporting, not opinionizing." The Times' Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin will cover Kavanaugh's early years in "The Education of Brett Kavanaugh." They wrote: "Already the ugly tweets have started coming in, an indication of the polarized world in which we're operating. 'Grats on the money grab,' wrote one person ... Others have suggested we title the book 'The Smear' or 'The Crucible.'"

Kate Kelly and Robin Pogrebin will cover Kavanaugh's early years in "The Education of Brett Kavanaugh." They wrote: "Already the ugly tweets have started coming in, an indication of the polarized world in which we're operating. 'Grats on the money grab,' wrote one person ... Others have suggested we title the book 'The Smear' or 'The Crucible.'" Jackie Calmes, L.A. Times White House editor, is writing "The Fifth Man," about Kavanaugh's confirmation and "how the Republican Party transformed through successive revolutions."

Also imminent:

"Kushner, Inc.," from investigative reporter Vicky Ward on March 19, takes in New York, New Jersey, D.C., Saudi Arabia, China, Israel, Qatar and Russia.

from investigative reporter Vicky Ward on March 19, takes in New York, New Jersey, D.C., Saudi Arabia, China, Israel, Qatar and Russia. " The Enemy of the People," coming June 11 from CNN's Jim Acosta, details his interactions with Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders and other top officials, and reflects on how the nation's press should be treated.

coming June 11 from CNN's Jim Acosta, details his interactions with Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders and other top officials, and reflects on how the nation's press should be treated. "American Carnage," out July 23 from Politico's Tim Alberta, looks inside the GOP and how it evolved from Bush to Trump  with, I'm told, good juice on what GOP leaders really think of Trump.

out July 23 from Politico's Tim Alberta, looks inside the GOP and how it evolved from Bush to Trump  with, I'm told, good juice on what GOP leaders really think of Trump. "Border Wars," coming Oct. 8 from the N.Y. Times' Julie Davis and Mike Shear, draws on more than 100 interviews to tell how Trump stoked public fear and anger about immigrants to propel himself to the presidency, then battled bureaucrats, Congress and the courts in the quest to enact his agenda.

Also in the works:

USA Today's Susan Page, who will be out April 2 with "Matriarch," about Barbara Bush, has already made reporting trips to Baltimore and California for "Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Arc of Power."

who will be out April 2 with "Matriarch," about Barbara Bush, has already made reporting trips to Baltimore and California for "Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Arc of Power." The N.Y. Times' Jeremy Peters is writing "Insurgency" for Crown (early next year) with the same editor, Kevin Doughten, who just edited Jake and Anna. Peters will cover Steve Bannon and the establishment Republicans, Christian conservatives and right-wing media figures whose civil war gave us Trump.

is writing "Insurgency" for Crown (early next year) with the same editor, Kevin Doughten, who just edited Jake and Anna. Peters will cover Steve Bannon and the establishment Republicans, Christian conservatives and right-wing media figures whose civil war gave us Trump. The WashPost's Phil Rucker (White House bureau chief) and Carol Leonnig (an investigative reporter covering the Trump probes) are planning a book as well.

What's next ... Two whole new categories: Mueller books and 2020 books.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro thanked the country's military Saturday for overcoming a "coup" orchestrated by the U.S. and opposition leader Juan Guaido, the BBC reports.

They invited the armed forces to carry out a military coup and their reply was clear - they have defeated the coup plotters."

Details: Maduro blamed opposition "cyber attacks" for being behind Venezuela's crippling power cuts (Maduro had claimed Thursday that the U.S. caused it.). He's yet to provide proof of the source of the outages.

The big picture: Guaido's supporters clashed with police in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, earlier Saturday, as pro- and anti-government protesters demonstrated in the streets.

Go deeper: Stay up to date on Venezuela.
This week Puerto Rico made a 25% cut to a food stamps program used by more than 1 million of its residents, as U.S. lawmakers have chosen not to approve additional emergency disaster funding that would keep the program afloat, The Washington Post reports.

Between the lines: The Trump administration has increasingly opposed funding for disaster relief for the U.S. territory. Per the Post, President Trump reportedly told top White House officials that Puerto Rico has used the food stamps ineffectively and the country is abusing the government's service. Demand for the food stamp program increased substantially following 2017's Hurricane Maria; these recent cuts were made to keep up with demand absent additional funding.
President Trump attacked California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) Saturday over newly built shelters for asylum-seekers and the sidelining of a planned high-speed rail project.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Why it matters: The attack is the latest in a war of words between Trump and Newsom in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential race, as California spearheads liberal states' fight against Trump. California has launched a series of lawsuits against the president. Newsom had attacked the Federal Government Friday while visiting the shelters, telling CNN: "Its the Federal Governments responsibility. ... These are people that came through the process legally, seeking asylum legally." The pair last clashed over the scaled-back rail project over Twitter in February.
To prevent leaks from Trump's Friday night Mar-a-Lago speech to RNC donors, security guards made attendees put their cellphones in magnetized pouches that they carried around like purses until they left the club.

So leakers had to rely on their memories. Trump entered to Lee Greenwoods "Proud to Be an American," then launched into one of his trademark stream-of-consciousness speeches, according to three people who were there. They said the crowd roared with laughter throughout.

Some of his remarks raised eyebrows.

1. Referring to the recent anti-Semitism controversies with Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, Trump told the donors: "The Democrats hate Jewish people."

Trump said he didn't understand how any Jew could vote for a Democrat these days. Trump talked about how much he'd done for Israel, noting his historic decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Trump said if he could run to be prime minister of Israel, he'd be at 98% in the polls, according to three sources who were there.

2. Trump went off on what one guest called a "bizarre tangent." He described being home alone in the White House over Christmas "while the Democrats were in Hawaii."

Trump described opening his curtain to look at Secret Service agents swarming the White House lawn. "They're in the trees, on the lawn," he said.

He said he saw agents wearing night vision goggles. "They're in blackface," Trump added, jokingly referring to the masks over the agents' faces.

Trump joked that the agents were "in blackface" because of the masks so maybe "they have to take them away," according to two sources who were there. (The sources assumed Trump was referring to the recent controversy in which the Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was caught in a racist costume in his 1984 medical school yearbook.)

Behind the scenes: The confab was for the RNC to update its donors on its activities. Secretaries Wilbur Ross and Linda McMahon attended, as did Don Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Guests munched on surf and turf under a tent with dangling chandeliers. Many of the private discussions turned to the 2020 race.
International mediators brokering a peaceful solution to the protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have urged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from statements and actions suggesting significant changes to the situation on the ground ahead of their summit talks expected soon.

In a statement published on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) official website, Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group Igor Popov, of Russia, Stephane Visconti, of France, and Andrew Schofer, of the United States, welcomed the commitment of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to meet soon under the auspices of the Co-Chairs.

The Co-Chairs said that working closely with the two countries foreign ministers, they have been making preparations for this important leaders meeting, which will be the first direct contact between Pashinian and Aliyev conducted under Co-Chair auspices.

The Co-Chairs underlined the importance of maintaining an environment conducive to productive discussions and continue to assess positively the recent lack of casualties on the front lines.

The Co-Chairs also welcome some initial steps being taken in the region to prepare the populations for peace and encourage the sides to intensify such efforts. At the same time, the Co-Chairs reiterate the critical importance of reducing tensions and minimizing inflammatory rhetoric. In this context, the Co-Chairs urge the sides to refrain from statements and actions suggesting significant changes to the situation on the ground, prejudging the outcome of or setting conditions for future talks, demanding unilateral changes to the format without agreement of the other party, or indicating readiness to renew active hostilities, the mediating troika said.

Pashinian and Aliyev traded accusations in their public statements earlier this month just days after the U.S., Russian and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group announced that the two leaders had agreed to meet soon for further talks.

Speaking in parliament on March 6, the Armenian prime minister dismissed Bakus offers to grant Karabakh a high degree of autonomy, insisting that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have a right to self-determination and must be able to exercise that right. The Azerbaijani leader claimed, for his part, the day before that Yerevan is not showing a serious desire to conduct substantive negotiations and is trying to impede a Karabakh settlement by all means.

Referring to some contradictory recent public statements on the substance of the Minsk Group process, the Co-Chairs reiterated that a fair and lasting settlement must be based on the core principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including in particular the non-use or threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

It also should embrace additional elements as proposed by the Presidents of the Co-Chair countries in 2009-2012, including: return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and self-governance; a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will; the right of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former places of residence; and international security guarantees that would include a peacekeeping operation.

In their statement the Co-Chairs further stressed their view that these principles and elements must be the foundation of any fair and lasting settlement to the conflict and should be conceived as an integrated whole.

Any attempt to put some principles or elements over others would make it impossible to achieve a balanced solution, the mediators said.

The Co-Chairs are prepared to meet with the leaders and foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan at any time, and call on the leaders to resume negotiations in good faith at the earliest opportunity. Continuous and direct dialogue between Baku and Yerevan conducted under the auspices of the Co-Chairs remains an essential element in building confidence and advancing the peace process. The Co-Chairs will also continue to discuss, as appropriate, relevant issues with the interested parties directly affected by the conflict, recognizing that their views and concerns must be taken into account for any negotiated solution to succeed, Popov, Visconti and Schofer emphasized in their joint statement.

The Co-Chairs stress that they remain fully committed, in accordance with their mandate, to helping the sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Co-Chairs also express their full support for the impartial and critical monitoring work undertaken by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and his team.
By Trend

Promotion of female entrepreneurship in the country is among the main activities of the Azerbaijan Micro-Finance Association (AMFA) in 2019, Jala Hajiyeva, the director of the association, told Trend.

"We will also continue measures to improve financial literacy, as well as expand our activities in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. We will hold training sessions in Nakhchivan with the joint support of the US and the UN," Hajiyeva said.

She noted that training sessions will be held for those entrepreneurs who want to start their business, but do not know how and where to start.

She further said that the association has begun operations in four economic zones, and the work in this direction will continue in 2019.

Also, a fair for investors, which is held every two years, is planned to be held in October 2019, Hajiyeva said.

"We hope that foreign investors will show a great interest in the fair," the director said.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

SOCAR Trading, a trading house of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, plans to consider the possibilities of extending the contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the export of crude oil, SOCAR told Trend.

"The contract with NNPC expires in June 2019 and we plan to view the possibilities of extending it," said the company.

SOCAR said that it exports averagely around 1 million barrels of crude oil from Nigeria per month.

SOCAR Trading opened its representative office in Nigeria in November 2009.

SOCAR Trading, headquartered in Geneva, was established in late 2007 by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.



The company sells SOCAR crude oil from Ceyhan port (Mediterranean Sea, Turkey), trades oil and oil products of other countries, and also assists the parent company in international investments. The SOCAR Trading operations cover the countries of Europe, Asia and America.

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By Trend

Azerbaijan supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through result-oriented and intensive negotiations, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said.

She was commenting on the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the upcoming meeting between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

"There were proposals from the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in connection with the meeting of the President of Azerbaijan with the Prime Minister of Armenia. We would like to note that Azerbaijan is committed to the negotiation process and always ready for substantive negotiations. Azerbaijan supports the efforts of the co-chairs to resolve the conflict through result-oriented and intensive negotiations. As known, so far three meetings have been held between the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and there were four meetings between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

This statement by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group is a signal to Armenia and we welcome it. When receiving the Minsk Group co-chairs, President Ilham Aliyev brought to their attention our countrys position in this regard. Negotiations on resolving the conflict are conducted between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The format of the negotiations remains unchanged. Attempts to attract the separatist regime established in our occupied territories to negotiations and attempts to change the format are unacceptable. The statement of the co-chairs also includes the steps to be taken in connection with the settlement of the conflict," spokesperson said.

She added that one of the first steps envisages the liberation of the territories surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and the return of internally displaced persons who were expelled from these territories by force.

"As for the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, this may be a subject of discussion not to the detriment of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan, having repeatedly stated its position on this issue, said that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan should be determined by communities of this region, thats to say, the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities. As known, the principle of self-determination of peoples should not violate the principle of the territorial integrity of states. And the Helsinki Final Act is taken as the basis in the statement of the co-chairs. Namely this document reflects "respect to the equal rights of peoples and their right to self-determination, acting at all times in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and with the relevant norms of international law, including those relating to territorial integrity of states".

As for the interested parties in the negotiation process to resolve the conflict, these are the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, and these communities are equal," Abdullayeva said.

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.

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By Trend

Statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in recent months nullify fragile hopes for the prospects of the negotiation process, Member of Parliament of Azerbaijan, Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Azay Guliyev told Trend.

According to Guliyev, the Azerbaijani delegation, for the first time at the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, welcomed the statements made in January by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries in connection with the peace talks and called on the Assembly to support these positive messages.

"However, the recent behavior of Pashinyan and the statements he voiced negate cautious optimism that the negotiations will be resultative. As I noted in my press statement on March 2, after analyzing Pashinyans statements and behavior, I personally had the impression that this person approaches the peace process irresponsibly, perhaps he does not understand what he wants or what he says," he said.

Vice-President of the OSCE PA added that on the one hand, Pashinyan tries to change the format of the negotiations and bring the separatists to the negotiating table and on the other hand, he sends the foreign minister to a meeting and when he meets with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, he tries to establish a contact and speaks of his readiness for bilateral talks.

"I think that Pashinyan, fearing internal public opinion and his competitors, is forced to demonstrate a different position from official negotiations, and make pathos statements, or this person is simply not sincere, does not fully understand the seriousness and responsibility of the issue. I think that both situations are dangerous for Armenia and do not promise anything good to the Armenian people. Pashinyan knows perfectly well that it is impossible to change the format of negotiations with international status, and neither Azerbaijan nor the OSCE, which has approved this format, will agree to this," Guliyev said.

Guliyev stressed that the promotion of such initiatives can be perceived as a refusal of Armenia from the negotiation process, which further actualizes the military solution of the conflict, which is an alternative to peaceful negotiations.

He noted that using all the possibilities of diplomacy it is necessary to continue to bring this reality to the attention of the international community.

"On the other hand, the time has come for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to express their attitude to the statements of Pashinyan threatening the peace talks. Everyone knows that contradictory and meaningless statements by the Armenian leadership and artificially delaying time have no political perspective," he said.

He stressed that Pashinyan and his team will be forced to demonstrate a specific policy and experience the consequences of this policy.

"From this point of view, the time of Pashinyan is gradually narrowing. I hope that the official meetings expected in the coming weeks will take place, the position and policy of the Armenian leadership regarding the conflict will be fully clarified and in accordance with this, we will once again consider the next steps that we will take," Guliyev said.

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By Trend

In the framework of his official visit to Iran, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov met with the Chairman of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani, Trend reportswith reference to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov conveyed the sincere greetings of the Chairman of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Ogtay Asadov to the Chairman of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani. Ali Larijani thanked the Minister and requested from his side, to convey his sincere greetings to the attention of Ogtay Asadov.

At the meeting the sides discussed the relations between the two states, including developing the bilateral relations in political, economic, cultural and other spheres.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed the Iranian Speaker about the bilateral economic projects under implementation. The activity of the Interstate Joint Commission between the two states was assessed. Minister noted the contribution of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group to the bilateral relations.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed his interlocutor on the current stage of negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It was emphasized that Azerbaijan is in favor of peace and stability in the region.

Chairman of the Parliament of Iran Ali Larijani said that they support the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means and negotiations. It was underlined that the statements made by the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri during his visit to Azerbaijan represent the official position of Iran. Iranian Speaker underlined support to the settlement of the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Within his official visit to Iran Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov conveyed the greetings of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov congratulated the Iranian side on the opening of the Rasht-Gazvin railroad. Iranian President expressed his gratitude for participation of the high level delegation from Azerbaijan at the event dedicated to the commissioning of the railroad.

The sides exchanged views on the economic projects of the bilateral agenda. Also, the development of cultural, political, economic relations between the two states was underlined.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani noted his satisfaction over the development of existing relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. It was stressed that all branches of government in Iran support the development of relations with Azerbaijan. President Rouhani expressed their support to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful and diplomatic negotiations based on the territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of Azerbaijan.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov presented the letter of invitation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the Summit meeting of the Heads of States and Governments of the Non-Aligned Movement to be hosted on 25-26 October of this year in Baku. President Hassan Rouhani accepted the invitation with great pleasure.

Supporting the bilateral and multilateral coperation formats between the two states, Iranian President appreciated the existing Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia trilateral cooperation format and noted the importance of organizing the next meeting of the heads of states. Also, highly appreciating the Azerbaijan-Iran-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Iran-Turkey-Georgia formats, the significance of continuing cooperation in these directions was emphasized.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani border guards prevented an attempt of armed men from Iran to violate the state border, the Azerbaijani State Border Service told Trend on March 10.

The incident occurred at about 06:50 (GMT+4) on March 10. Despite the legitimate demand and warning shot made by Azerbaijani servicemen, the offenders opened fire.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Turkey's purchase of S-400 missile defense system from Russia has "nothing to do" with NATO, F-35 fighter jets or security of the U.S., but it is rather about the country's independence in terms of making its own regional decisions, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reported citing Daily Sabah.

"Everyone knows that this issue has nothing to do with neither NATO and F-35 project nor the security of the U.S.," Erdogan told a meeting of Turkey Youth Foundation in the southeastern Diyarbakir province.

The president said Turkey is facing pressure against buying S-400 air defense system, adding: "The issue is not about S-400. It is because Turkey takes action with its own will regarding the regional developments, particularly Syria."

"It is clear why Turkey is buying this air defense system and how it will use it," he added.

Erdogan also said that this issue will be resolved through logic and common sense.

---

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By Trend

Algerias President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is expected to return to the country on Sunday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, Trend reports.

The Algerian government plane that took Bouteflika to Geneva for medical treatment last month left Algerian airspace and headed north earlier on Sunday, flight radar applications showed.

---

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By Trend

US nationals will no longer be able to enter the Schengen Area without a new kind of visa  a European Travel Information and Authorisation System or ETIAS starting in 2021, the EU bloc announced, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

An ETIAS visa, which is good for three years, enables Americans to enter the bloc as often as they like.

The move to introduce a new type of a visa was taken by the bloc in order to improve security and "to avoid any further problems with illegal migration and terrorism," according to the ETIAS website.

The Schengen Area is a zone which includes 26 EU states (plus Norway) where no internal borders exist and people are allowed to move freely.

This comes after in June last year, the EU parliament held a vote supporting the Commission's decision to impose visas on American nationals.

In 2016, the European Commission urged the US authorities to provide the bloc's member-states Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania and Cyprus the right to travel visa-free just like the majority of EU citizens; this has led to a drawn-out dispute between the US and the bloc.

---

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By Trend

The Pentagon warned that should Turkey move ahead with its purchase of a Russian-made air defense system there would be grave consequences for Ankara, Trend reported citing The Hill.

There would be grave consequences in terms of our military relationship with them, Defense Department spokesman Charles Summers told reporters at the Pentagon.

Turkey, a NATO ally, plans to buy Russias S-400 long-range air defense system, but the United States has been trying to convince the nation to buy a Patriot air defense system instead.

The U.S. military has threatened to withhold delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey if Ankara goes through with the Russian purchase. Trump administration officials were in Turkey this week to work on the issue.

Summers said that if Turkey buys the S-400, then they would not get the F-35s or the Patriot system.

The comment follows testimony this week from U.S. European Command head Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who told Congress on Tuesday that he would recommend that the United States not follow through with the F-35, flying it or working with an ally thats working with Russian systems.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, dismissed such threats and on Wednesday said that the decision has already been made.

The S-400 is a done deal, there can be no turning back. We have reached an agreement with the Russians," Erdogan said in an interview with Kanal 24 television. We will move toward a joint production. Perhaps after the S-400, we will go for the S-500.

Turkey is a partner in making the F-35. Parts of the jet are built in the country, and Turkey is supposed to eventually get 116 of the fifth-generation fighter jets. But U.S. officials have expressed concerns that the S-400 could be used to gather information on the advanced aircraft.

Summers would not say whether the F-35 partnership with Turkey would be eliminated as part of the warned consequences.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 51F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
At 12:45 a.m. Thursday, a Harris County Precinct 4 constable made a traffic stop on Camila Benitez, 26, after spotting her Ford was traveling down the 500th block of Atascocita Road with two tires missing.

Benitez was found to be driving while intoxicated after the constable administered field sobriety tests.
Among the 23 killed in the aftermath of a deadly tornado in Alabama March 3 was a nurse at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, WSFA-12 News.

Three things to know:

1. Maggie Robinson, RN, had worked at the hospital since she was 17, and was about to celebrate her 40th work anniversary.

2. She began her career at the hospital as a nursing assistant in progressive care and became an RN in 1991. She most recently worked in EAMC's endoscopy unit.

"Everybody loved Maggie because she made it easy to love her, and like her. The Bible says the righteous will be remembered forever; I would like to say I believe that to be true about our Maggie. She had a heart of compassion and was so loving to us and to her patients," one of Ms. Robinson's co-workers told WSFA-12 News.

3. Hospital officials confirmed to the publication that Ms. Robinson's home was also destroyed by the natural disaster.
The advisory board created by Norfolk-based Eastern Virginia Medical School in response to a controversy involving racist depictions in its yearbooks said it will not investigate a 1984 yearbook photo involving Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, MD, The Virginian-Pilot reports.

Six things to know:

1. The medical school said last month it would create an advisory panel to investigate the school's history of yearbooks and the photo that allegedly shows Dr. Northam dressed in blackface.

2. However, the head of the panel said the advisory board will instead focus on assessing the medical school's current culture and provide recommendations.

"We are not there to issue a report on the governor," said Gilbert Bland, the businessman chosen by EVMS officials to head the panel.

3. Richard V. Homan, MD, president, provost and dean of the medical school, told The Virginian-Pilot March 3 he was comfortable with the board's decision to narrow its scope, stating an "environmental scan" would be helpful in allowing the school to "look ahead and focus on the future."

4. Dr. Northam came under fire last month after a news outlet published a photograph of a 1984 EVMS yearbook that allegedly depicted him in blackface. Though he initially apologized for having appeared in the photograph, he later denied being in it and has since resisted calls for his resignation.

5. An analysis by The Virginian-Pilot found many of the advisory board members appear to hold ties to Dr. Northam, either by serving as administration appointees on other boards and committees or by directly contributing to his political campaigns.

6. Mr. Bland said he does not believe the board's appointments or donations will conflict with its work.

"It's no different than anyone being appointed to a public board. Once the appointment is made, you're there to represent the public," he said.

To access the full report, click here.
Karen Bradley has said she deeply regrets the remarks and has apologised for the offence caused (David Young/PA)

Belfast Telegraph readers have narrowly backed calls for Karen Bradley to resign as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in our online poll.

In a poll of over 10,000 online readers, 57% said that Bradley should resign following her comments on security force killings in Northern Ireland, while 43% wanted her to keep her job.

Mrs Bradley has come under huge pressure to resign her position after comments she made in the House of Commons last week that suggested that security forces killings "were not crimes".

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They were people acting under orders and under instruction and fulfilling their duties in a dignified and appropriate way, she said.

Following the comments she faced calls from victims' families, Sinn Fein and the SDLP to leave her position.

The DUP has accused Sinn Fein of hypocrisy by calling for the Secretary of State to resign.

Mrs Bradley has since apologised for her comments and met with victims' families on Friday. She has said she intends to remain in position.

Commenting on our poll Frank Smyth said that even disregarding her comments it was obvious that "time and time again, she does not get Northern Ireland".

"She just does not understand the history, communities and cultures here. She's in the wrong job," he said.

Janice Wilson-Haslem sad that "irrespective of what she said she should resign anyway as she has done nothing to help Northern Ireland".

Mark Short said that Mrs Bradley had "proven time and time again that she has no understanding of the context in which she finds herself working".

"She has clearly made no effort to improve her knowledge," he said.

Defending Mrs Bradley Graeme West said that he thought she had worded her statement "incorrectly" and didn't understand the "big fuss".

Claire Norwich said that she wasn't confident if Mrs Bradley resigned that there was "anyone more competent regarding knowledge of Northern Ireland history to take her place".
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Police have made a number of arrests after incidents in Ballysillan Avenue. Credit: Google

Four men have been arrested following a night of chaos in north Belfast.

Shortly after 2.30am police received a report that a car parked outside a house on Ballysillan Avenue had been damaged by a petrol bomb.

A short time later "some form of altercation" took place outside a house on Silverstream Road.

A 29-year-old man sustained a stab wound to his lower abdomen during the incident. His injuries are not considered to be life threatening.

Three men are then reported to have forced their way into a house on Ballysillan Avenue, before assaulting the male and female occupants with what were described as batons.

The 19-year-old man and 21-year-old woman sustained bruising to their bodies as a result.

Police responded and arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and a 29-year-old man on suspicion of aggravated burglary at the scene. Two other men, aged 32 and 34, were arrested in the area on Sunday afternoon.

Detective Inspector Kerry Brennan said police were doing all they could to apprehend those involved.

This must have been a terrifying experience for local residents in the area and I wish to reassure the local community that Police are doing all they can to identify those responsible for these incidents and bring them before the courts," she said.

I am appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and who witnessed the incidents or anyone who knows anything that can assist us with our investigation to contact detectives in Musgrave on 101, quoting reference 232 10/03/19.

"Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.

Update - Three men aged 19, 32 and 34 were released on bail pending further investigation on Monday morning.

A 29-year-old man remains in custody.
Police are investigating after a digger was used to steal an ATM from a filling station in Dungannon on Sunday morning.

A digger was used to remove the "built in" cash machine from a filling station on the Ballygawley Road at around 4.15am causing substantial damage to the building.

Police believe the digger was stolen from a business a short distance away, which caused damage. The digger was set alight at the scene immediately after the theft.

Retail NI CEO Glyn Roberts said that the robbery was the fifth similar attack in the past few months.

This is yet another disgraceful attack on one of our members . It is has caused extensive damage to a local retailer that provides an invaluable service to the local community," he said.

He said the attacks were becoming a "major problem" for local retailers.

"The PSNI need to redouble their efforts to put the criminal gangs behind these attacks in front of the courts, Mr Roberts said.

With so many bank branch closures in rural towns and villages in recent years, our members ATMs provide an invaluable service to their local communities.

There is a real danger our members could start to remove these ATMs if these attacks continue, leaving many rural areas without the ability to access cash.

Detective Inspector Trevor Stevenson said police are looking to speak to anyone who saw a vehicle that may have been involved in the crime.

I am appealing to anyone who was in the area between 4am and 4:15am and saw what happened, or who has information which could assist our investigation to call us," he said.

"In particular, I am appealing to anyone who saw a jeep-type vehicle towing a trailer in the Gortlenaghan Road/Ballygawley Road areas around these times to get in touch with detectives in Omagh CID by calling 101, quoting reference 340 of 10/03/19."

"Alternatively information can also be provided by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
Police believe the burglaries could be linked.

Police are currently investigating whether five burglaries in Co Tyrone on Saturday could be linked.

The burglaries took place at homes in the Dungannon, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy areas.

In the first report, made to police around 7:50pm, a house in the Church Street area of Ballygawley was targeted sometime between 2:45pm and the time the incident was reported to police.

Rooms in the house were ransacked and cash, including Euro notes, and jewellery were reported stolen. Damage was caused to a gate and a window.

Just after 8:30pm it was reported entry had been forced to a house a short distance away, in the Fair Green area of Ballygawley, sometime between 6:35pm and 8pm. A bracelet and sum of money were reported stolen. Damage was caused to a window.

Shortly after 9pm police received a report of a burglary at a house in Coronation Park in Derrycush, Aughnacloy. It was reported entry had been forced to the property sometime between 7:50pm and 8:45pm.

Rooms were ransacked and a sum of money and jewellery were reported stolen. Damage was caused to a window.

In the fourth report, entry was gained to a house around 9:45pm in the Old Omagh Road area of Dungannon. A sum of money was reported stolen.

Around 11:30pm police received a report of a second burglary at a house in Coronation Park in Aughnacloy. Entry to the property was forced sometime between midday and 10:30pm. Nothing is believed to have been taken at this stage.

Detective Inspector Trevor Stevenson said police are keen to speak to anyone who saw a Audi A4/S4 vehicle in any of the areas mentioned.

"We are currently examining whether these incidents are linked, and we would like to speak to anyone who may have been in the areas where the burglaries occurred, who saw any individuals acting suspiciously or any strange vehicles," he said.

"We would also like to hear from anyone who is offered jewellery for sale in suspicious circumstances."

Detective Inspector Stevenson also appealed to home and business owners to protect their properties.

"We are aware of the impact that burglaries can have on individual householders. Dont make it easy for thieves. Stay alert to your surroundings and report anything suspicious to police immediately," he said.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Ian Ogle's daughter Toni pictured at the parade. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Ian Ogle's daughter Toni pictured at the parade. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 10th March 2019 Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. The parade came in the wake of the murder of 45-year-old east Belfast community worker Ian Ogle outside near to his Cluan Place home in January. Mr Ogle died after being beaten and stabbed by several men. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. Ian Ogle's daughter takes place in the march. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. Ian Ogle's daughter took part in the march. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 10-3-2019 Following on from International Women's Day on Friday, a march was held in east Belfast today, (Sunday), with women taking a stand and are saying to paramilitaries that enough is enough! Organisers said, " That since the brutal murder of Ian Ogle it's come to light the many people and many families that have also been attacked, intimidated, harassed, threatened, blackmailed for money and even forced out of their homes by the same gang of cowardly thugs! We the community were shocked to find out at how extreme it had been for Ian Ogle and his family the past 18 months over a so called apparent dirty look ! " "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WE SAY NO MORE ! We stand behind Ian Ogles family in their fight for justice against these scumbags."

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

10/3/19 PACEMAKER PRESS A womens march for justice about the murder of Ian Ogle left Cluan Place on Sunday afternoon. PICTURE MATT BOHILL PACEMAKER PRESS

East Belfast was urged to take a stand against thugs who stabbed a community worker to death close to his home. (Michael McHugh/PA)

Women in east Belfast come together for a march against intimidation by paramilitary organisations in the area. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye

East Belfast has been urged to take a stand against thugs who stabbed a community worker to death close to his home, as hundreds of women marched through the city on Sunday.

Ian Ogles daughter Toni Johnston said her fathers violent death earlier this year should mark the end of paramilitary intimidation and punishment beatings.

She led a protest inspired by the recent International Womens Day.

Demonstrators held a large banner promoting justice for East Belfast and declaring they had had enough of the shadowy threat posed by gangsters.

Ian Ogle murder: women of East Belfast rally in solidarity with his family against paramilitary violence. @PA pic.twitter.com/YhbGIGiZ2R  michael mchugh (@mmchugh02) March 10, 2019

Ms Johnston declared: Please do not let my dad die in vain.

Take a stand against these thugs, look after each other and take East Belfast back.

The women walked from the scene of the Albertbridge Road killing on January 27 to CS Lewis Square, which commemorates the Belfast-born writer, a short distance away.

Mr Ogle was a community worker aged 45.

He was stabbed 11 times in the back during a frenzied attack.

He was left for dead on his own street, his daughter said, dying in his own sons arms because of an apparent dirty look.

She recounted beating herself up about what would have happened if the family had gone to police over earlier concerns, whether her father would still be alive.

On Sunday, she asked: What if we exposed those thugs long ago?

Expand Close Demonstrators walked through East Belfast to call for an end to paramilitary intimidation on Sunday (Michael McHugh/PA). / Facebook

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Whatsapp Demonstrators walked through East Belfast to call for an end to paramilitary intimidation on Sunday (Michael McHugh/PA).

Ms Johnston has previously described her family being subjected to a campaign of intimidation for 18 months before the murder.

She asked people to report perpetrators to police: We as a community are saying no more violence on our streets.

No more intimidation and drug dealing, no more punishment beatings, no more bullying or destroying our community  we have had enough.

One of the protest organisers, Mr Ogles niece Emma Dryburgh, said she was there to demonstrate that people were sick of the violence on the streets.

She said she wanted East Belfast to be peaceful.

It is one of the best places to live, I always used to be proud of East Belfast and used to feel very safe in the community and now it is completely and utterly changed.

You are always looking over your shoulder, you are scared to speak out to the wrong person in case you are threatened, I want all that to stop.

She said women represented the voices behind their partners and brothers.

We always say that behind a strong man there is an even stronger woman.

We are sticking up for our men as well, we dont want our men to have to go through what Ian went through.

Several people have been charged in connection with Mr Ogles killing.
A memorial to three Scottish soldiers murdered by the IRA has been unveiled in the Rathcoole estate on the anniversary of their deaths.

Dougald McCaughey, 23, was killed along with brothers John and Joseph McCaig, 17 and 18 respectively, from Ayr on March 10 1971.

The 1st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers, had been socialising in Belfast city centre when they were lured to the remote White Brae on the Ligoniel Road by a republican woman and murdered.

Nobody has ever been convicted in connection with the killings.

Cloughfern Young Conquerors Flute Band are behind the new mural and raised funds in the local area to pay for it.

Other memorials to the three soldiers have been repeatedly attacked over the years.

The mural was officially unveiled in Rathcoole at 1pm on Sunday after a short band procession.

Kris McGurk, director of the Three Scottish Soldiers Campaign for Justice group said the victim's families had been "humbled" when told about the mural.

He said that family members had been unable to travel for the official unveiling of the mural due to their own memorial event in Scotland, but had given it their blessing and planned to visit Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

"They know that something was getting done, but I don't think they really appreciated how prominent a feature this was going to be, when we too the pictures to them they were really humbled," Mr McGurk said.

Expand Close Dougald McCaughey and brothers Joseph and John McCaig / Facebook

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"With all the goings on in regards to the memorials being attacked, they are the most heavily attacked memorials in all of Northern Ireland, with that in the back of their mind, to see this new act of remembrance, it's just really nice people doing a really nice thing."

Mr McGurk said that his campaign group were still fighting for justice for the three soldiers.

"There is an overwhelming sense of injustice and the families want to see if anything can be done," he said.

"I think through everything that has gone on people are really losing sight of the fact people died over there. Northern Ireland is not some separate entity, it's part of the UK. I just feel that something needs to get done.

"The campaign is now maneuvering itself into a position to get this looked at again."

He paid a special tribute to the flute band behind the new mural.

"Sometimes loyalist flute bands tend to get bad publicity, sometimes justified, I just felt that the people in Rathcoole have funded this from their own pocket and artists have worked in the cold, the flute band have done this selflessly," Mr McGurk said.

"Those guys have been out at night fundraising and liaising with the families, they deserve a lot of credit."
The Donaghanie Road has been closed. Credit: Google

A security alert in Omagh has ended after a suspicious object was declared to be nothing untoward.

The object had been discovered in the Donaghanie Road area.

The Donaghanie Road has now reopened to motorists.
Seven British and one Irish passengers were among the 157 people killed when an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after take-off, officials have said.

Some 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to have been on the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane destined for Nairobi when it crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.

Kenya's transport secretary James Macharia told reporters that he could confirm there were nationals from at least 35 different countries on board, including seven passengers from the UK and one from Ireland.

The state-owned airline, thought by many to be the best-managed in Africa, said there had been no survivors of the flight that hit the ground at about 8.45am.

The airline's CEO told journalists at a press conference today that the victims included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese citizens, eight Americans, seven British citizens, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians, four people from Slovakia, three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Poles and two Israelis.

An eyewitness told the BBC there was an intense fire when the plane crashed.

"The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn't get near it," he said. "Everything is burnt down. There are four helicopters at the scene now."

A statement from Boeing said the manufacturer was "deeply saddened" to learn of the disaster, adding: "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team."

The last fatal Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane crash was in 2010 when all 90 on board were killed when the aircraft crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut.

The Foreign Office was not immediately able to confirm any British deaths.
An 18-year-old man has been stabbed in the neck, chest and armed after a disturbance at a house party in east Belfast.

Local PUP councillor Dr John Kyle said that the man required 32 stitches before being released from hospital on Sunday.

Police received a report shortly after 4am that a large crowd of between 30 and 40 people were outside on the street at Templemore Avenue.

Officers attended the scene and the crowd was moved on.

A short time later it was reported that a number of people had again gathered on the street and it was reported that a man was in the area brandishing a knife.

He is described as being around 6' tall, was bare chested and wore grey tracksuit bottoms.

It was further reported that two men had been assaulted.

An 18-year-old man sustained stab wounds to his neck, chest and arm and was taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries which are not life threatening.

A second man, also aged 18, was reported to have sustained cuts to his arm and shoulder and scratches to his ear after he was assaulted by three men in the area.

Dr Kyle said that the incident was a result of a brawl at a house party.

"The tragic consequences of knife crime are still being felt by the people of East Belfast following the brutal murder of Ian Ogle a short time ago, he said.

Anyone who arms themselves with a knife does so with the knowledge that using it could very easily result in the loss of life. It is therefore incumbent of our judiciary to hand down sentences commensurate with these crimes.

Sergeant Austin Grant appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

"I want to appeal to anyone who was in the area and saw what happened or anyone who has information which may assist our investigation to get in touch with us by calling the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 327 of 10/03/19," he said.

"Alternatively information can also be provided by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
Snow could be on its way back to Northern Ireland

The Met Office have issued another weather warning for Northern Ireland, with snow and ice forecast for Sunday night into Monday morning.

On Saturday a weather warning for snow and ice was issued for Northern Ireland until 11am on Sunday.

Another weather warning has now been issued between 9pm on Sunday and 10am on Monday.

"Widespread icy patches will develop on untreated surfaces Sunday evening and night. Wintry showers will also continue through Sunday evening and night onwards into Monday morning, especially over Scotland and Northern Ireland," a Met Office spokesperson said.

"Snow accumulations will tend to be largely confined to hills and mountains above 200-300 metres where a few cms snow is possible. At lower-levels, any accumulations of snow will tend to be quite small and patchy in nature with most areas not seeing any snow settling."

Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services and some injuries could occur from slips and falls on icy surfaces

There will probably be some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Yellow warnings have also been issued for strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Warnings will be in place between 3pm on Tuesday and 3pm on Wednesday.

Gusts of up to 50-55 mph are likely inland and 65 mph along western coasts. Winds will gradually ease during the afternoon.

The Met Office have warned motorists and commuters to expect delays, with a risk of power outages and loss of other services a possibility.

Its likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities are affected by spray and/or large waves.
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The Irish passenger who died on an Ethiopian Airlines plane which crashed just minutes after takeoff has been named locally as Irish developmental aid worker Michael 'Mick' Ryan.

Mr Ryan, a native of Lahinch, Co Clare, had been working with the United Nations world food programme.

Tragically, the accident occurred just weeks before he was to relocate with his wife, Naoise, and their two young children from Ireland to Italy.

Mr Ryan was described in both Lahinch and Ennistymon, where he boasted many friends, as "a wonderful, compassionate man who lived for his job of helping others."

He is the son of Christina and the late Jack Ryan. His mother is a retired teacher who was based at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon.

His late father, Jack, who died in 2013, was a respected accountant in Clare.

Mr Ryan is survived by his siblings, Cristin, Siobhan and Tiernan.

In a special message, the Lahinch Parish extended the sympathies of the entire community to the Ryan family.

"We pray for all who have died so unexpectedly in this tragedy, their families, colleagues and friends.

"We pray for all working at the accident site at this present moment.

"We hope that God will bless everyone in this tragedy for so many people."

Mr Ryan was one of Ireland's most respected developmental aid workers. He had worked on various UN programmes across the world including high profile projects in both Africa and Asia. He was especially proud of a project he had worked on for the UN in Bangladesh.

It is understood he was flying to a development project in Africa when the tragedy occurred.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed just six minutes after it took off from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

The flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38 am local time, before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44 am.

"There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries," said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, quoting an unidentified source at the airline.

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All 157 people on board perished in the tragedy.

It has now emerged the pilot reported difficulties with the aircraft, which is just four months old, and had been granted permission to return to Addis Ababa.

The death toll included citizens from at least 33 countries.

The airline's CEO told journalists at a press conference today that the victims included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese citizens, eight Americans, seven British citizens, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians, four people from Slovakia, three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Poles and two Israelis.

Belgium, Indonesia, Somalia, Norway, Serbia, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen each had one citizen onboard.

Four of those onboard were listed as using United Nations passports and their nationalities were not immediately clear.

Expand Close Rescuers use a digger at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after take-off (Yidnek Kirubel/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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The airline CEO told journalists there was "one Irish passport holder" on board. Mr Ryan was the only Irish national on board.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was doing everything possible to assist the family involved.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the incident, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested."

The chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines Tewolde Gebremariam visited the crash site some 60km from the capital and extended his sympathies to all the families involved.

Mr Gerbremariam confirmed that the pilot had reported difficulties and asked to turn back due to "no known technical problems".

The airline boss said the pilot involved had an excellent safety record.

One report from Ethiopia has indicated the brand new plane had an unstable vertical speed in the minutes before the tragedy.

It is the second fatal accident involving the brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet in the past six months.

A Lion Air plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Indonesia on October 29 2018 resulting in the death of all 189 passengers and crew.

While Boeing refused to comment on whether there will be an investigation into the model or if any planes will be recalled, a spokesperson for the aerospace company told the Independent.ie that they are prepared to dispatch a technical team to assist with the Ethiopian airline crash.

"Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane," he said.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team.

"A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board."

Meanwhile, another United Nations worker has been named as one of the seven British passengers who were among 157 people killed.

Joanna Toole, a 36-year-old from Devon, was said to have been among those killed on the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane destined for Nairobi when it hit the ground six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.

Colleagues at the United Nations fisheries and aquaculture department described her as a "wonderful human being", while her father said she was a "very soft and loving" woman.

Additional reporting from PA
Irishman Michael (Mick) Ryan, killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash was dedicated to helping the worlds most vulnerable (WFP/PA)

An Irishman killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash was dedicated to helping the worlds most vulnerable.

UN aid worker and engineer Michael (Mick) Ryan was formerly from Lahinch in Co Clare in Irelands west. He was believed to be married with two children, a priest in the county said.

He was employed by the UNs World Food Programme (WFP), which is a leading humanitarian organisation delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with impoverished communities to improve nutrition.

A WFP spokesman confirmed: I can very, very sadly confirm that Michael Ryan worked for WFP and was based at our headquarters in Rome and was among those killed on ET 302.

All of WFPs thoughts and condolences are with the families of those killed.

The plane was en route from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to Nairobi. It crashed on the eve of a UN Environment Assembly in the Kenyan capital.

Several WFP staff were on the flight, ahead of this weeks conference.

The married father-of-two was global deputy chief engineer with the WFPs engineering division.

On Twitter, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Mr Ryan.

Our thoughts tonight are with families of all those lost in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, including Irish engineer Michael Ryan, he tweeted.

Michael was doing life-changing work in Africa with the World Food Programme. Deepest sympathies to family, colleagues & friends.

Mr Ryans past projects included creating safe ground for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in preparation for the monsoon season.

He had also helped assess the damage to rural roads in Nepal which were blocked by landslides.

The disturbances blocked deliveries of food and other emergency supplies in response to a 2015 earthquake.

Lahinch is a popular surfing town on the Atlantic seaboard in Irelands far west.

Mr Ryan was from nearby Attychristoria, his church parish said.

Catholic parishioners in the town of Ennistymon, which is close to his former home in Co Clare, said they were in shock.

A parish statement added: We ask for prayers for his wife, children, mother, sisters, brother, mother and father in law, in laws, aunts, uncles, relatives, neighbours, UN colleagues, many friends around the world & the extended Ryan, Connolly and O Donoghue families.

Deeply saddened at news of the death of Michael Ryan from Lahinch one of the 157 on board the Ethiopian Airlines plane. Michael worked with the UN on the World Food Programme helping the most vulnerable people on our planet. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  Martin Conway (@conwayforclare) March 10, 2019

He is the son of Christina, a retired teacher in Ennistymon, and the late Jack Ryan. Mr Ryan is also survived by two sisters and a brother.

The parish priest in Ennistymon said he had been living in Cork in the Republic with his family.

Senator Martin Conway, who is from Co Clare and represents Irelands largest party Fine Gael, said he was deeply saddened.

Michael worked with the UN on the World Food Programme helping the most vulnerable people on our planet. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Jeremy Hunt has insisted officials are working on how to rescue British children born to Islamic State runaways after the death of Shamima Begums baby in a Syrian camp.

The Foreign Secretarys defence came on Sunday after it was reported that two further women married into the terror group have been stripped of their UK citizenship while being held in detention camps with their children.

Ms Begum, who fled east London to join the cult aged 15, had pleaded to return to Britain with her boy after already losing two children, but Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her passport.

He has faced growing criticism over the move after her three-week-old son died in a camp last week, with his Labour counterpart Diane Abbott calling the death a stain on the conscience of this Government.

Mr Hunt said the British boys death was an incredibly distressing and sad situation but that it was too dangerous to dispatch officials to the war zone, adding that they are at a greater risk than the journalists who have interviewed her.

Shamima knew when she made the decision to join Daesh (IS) she was going to a country where theres no embassy, where theres no consular assistance. And Im afraid those decisions, awful though it is, they do have consequences, he told BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show.

Mr Hunt said he is working with International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt on how children can be safely returned.

We have been looking at how we can get in touch with these children, how we can find a way to get them out. Sadly in this case, as we know, it wasnt possible, he added.

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How to treat innocent British children who are stuck in the squalor of Syrian detention camps will be an increasing issue.

The Sunday Times reported that two women, with five boys under the age of eight between them, had their UK nationality stripped after marrying into a terror cell linked to the murder of western hostages.

Quoting legal sources, the paper named the women as Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, whose parents are originally from Pakistan.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases.

Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly, a spokesman added.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are preparing for the birth of their first child (Tolga Akmen/PA)

Heres a look at the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs forthcoming baby in their own  and others  words:

 Kensington Palace

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019  The official announcement of Meghans pregnancy in October.

 On the Royal Tour

We have to try to pace her. We have to make sure she is well paced and not overdoing it. She had a very late night last night. She wants to do everything, but Prince Harry is encouraging her to pace herself  A royal source about Meghan in Australia during the couples overseas tour.

 Meghan

Im feeling very pregnant  The duchess on a visit to the Royal Variety care home in Twickenham in December.

End of April, early May. One of my friends was saying she was five weeks early, so you can never really gauge  when its ready. Were ready. Were so excited  Meghan about her due date on a trip to Birkenhead.

Youre a fat lady  Care home resident Peggy McEachrom to Meghan during a visit to the animal charity Mayhew. The duchess laughed and replied Ill take it.

I dont, I promise you  no  were going to be surprised  Meghan on not knowing whether the baby is going to be a boy or a girl.

Everyone has a strong opinion on this  The duchess on the sex of the baby.

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Hes going to make a fantastic father  Meghan about Harry.

Hes going to be a good daddy  The duchess about her husband at the Endeavour Fund Awards in February.

Were nearly there!  Meghan at the reception marking the 50th anniversary of the Prince of Waless investiture.

 Harry

From myself and my wife and our little bump, we are so grateful to be here  Harry during a visit to the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand.

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As someone who is about to become a father, I am acutely aware of our shared responsibility to make this world more resilient and its inhabitants more accountable for the next generation  The duke at a Commonwealth Youth Roundtable meeting in January.

Theres a heavy baby in there Harry at a reception at the Endeavour Fund Awards when Meghan was seven months pregnant.

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Youre pregnant? Is it mine?  Harry jokes with Meghan during their trip to Morocco after being congratulated on the pregnancy.

 The Duchess of Cambridge

Its such a special time to have more kiddies  and a cousin for George and Charlotte and Louis, so it will be really special  Kate about the royal baby during a trip to Leicester.

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 The Queen

Closer to home, its been a busy year for my family, with two weddings and two babies, and another child expected soon. It helps to keep a grandmother well occupied  The Queen in her 2018 Christmas Day message.

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 George Clooney

Theyre just chasing Meghan Markle everywhere, shes been pursued and vilified. Shes a woman who is seven months pregnant and she is being pursued and vilified and chased in the same way that Diana was, and its history repeating itself. And weve seen how that ends  The actor on the treatment of Meghan.

 Thomas Markle

Im certainly hoping that everything goes well and they produce a beautiful baby and Ill get to see a little Meghan or little Harry  I think shell make a great mum  Meghans father on Good Morning Britain.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE



Were family. Please reach out to me.



Meghan Markles father Thomas says he tries to reach out to his daughter every day but hasnt had a response.@piersmorgan | @susannareid100 | #GMB pic.twitter.com/o4VgU96SGD  Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 17, 2018

There has to be a place for me, Im her father  and I will be the grandfather to her children. Im here. She knows it and I reach out to her and I need her to reach back to me.- Thomas Markle on his role as a grandfather and his rift with Meghan.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussexs baby will be the newest addition to the Windsors.

Heres a look at royal babies through the decades:

Princess Elizabeth

Princess Elizabeth, now the Queen, arrived third in line to the throne on April 21 1926.

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She was born by caesarean section in her maternal grandparents London home, 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, while the home secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks waited in the next room.

The presence of the government minister was an age-old custom designed to ensure that no substitute had been smuggled in hidden in a warming pan or similar receptacle.

Apparently one of Elizabeths first acts was to yawn at Sir William.

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Elizabeths father George VI only became king after the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, so when she was born, the princess was not expected to be Queen.

Prince Charles

Prince Charles, now the Prince of Wales, was born at Buckingham Palace  the Queen had all four of her children at home.

The Duke of Edinburgh, said to be not indifferent but restless, played squash while his wife was in labour.

Baby Charles arrived at 9.14pm on November 14, 1948, weighing 7lb 6oz.

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News of the birth was cabled across the world and crowds gathered outside the gates of the palace, while the fountains of Trafalgar Square were lit blue for a boy.

But the first glimpse of the new royal baby came a month later on his christening day in December 1948.

Charless birth was the first in centuries without a government minister present to witness the arrival of a future heir to the throne.

Princess Anne

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburghs second child, and their only daughter, Princess Anne, now the Princess Royal, was born in 1950.

Elizabeth wrote to a friend how she hoped Charles, who was nearly two, would take kindly to his new sibling, joking how he encountered one baby and tried to pull her toes off and poke her eyes out.

The prince grew into a sensitive home-loving child, while Anne was more boisterous.

Princess Anne was a very naughty little girl, a regular monkey, a member of Philips staff told biographer Sarah Bradford.

Prince Andrew

Andrew, now the Duke of York, was born in 1960 and was a chubby, happy baby.

Expand Close With one hand for his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the other for big sister Princess Anne, laughing Prince Andrew sits up in his pram in the grounds of Balmoral (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp With one hand for his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the other for big sister Princess Anne, laughing Prince Andrew sits up in his pram in the grounds of Balmoral (PA)

He was the first baby born to a reigning monarch for 103 years, and the Queen, who was settled in her role as sovereign, had more time to devote to her third child.

Prince Edward

The Queens youngest offspring Prince Edward, now the Earl of Wessex, arrived in 1964, and she told a friend: Goodness what fun it is to have a baby in the house again!

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Andrew was particularly fond of his younger brother, describing him as my baby.

Prince William

William, now the Duke of Cambridge, became the first future British king to be born in a hospital.

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He arrived at 9.03pm on June 21 1982 at the Lindo Wing of St Marys Hospital, Paddington.

Charles, who was at the birth, wrote to a friend: He really does look surprisingly appetising and has sausage fingers just like mine.

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At the time, new mothers usually stayed in hospital for between five and eight days after giving birth, but the Princess of Wales took many by surprise by leaving 21 hours after William was born.

Prince Harry



Prince Henry of Wales, known as Harry and now the Duke of Sussex, was born on September 15 1984.

The arrival of a second son was a surprise to Charles, but not to Diana.

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The princess told biographer Andrew Morton when she collaborated with him on the bombshell book Diana: Her True Story: I knew Harry was going to be a boy because I saw it on the scan. Charles always wanted a girl I knew Harry was a boy and I didnt tell him.

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Diana claimed Charless first comment was Oh God, its a boy, followed by and hes even got red hair.

The princes joke was the beginning of the end of their marriage, with Diana recalling: Something inside me closed off.

A smiling Charles chatted to reporters outside the hospital, describing his new son as marvellous, adding when asked if he expected a boy: No. It doesnt matter what it was as long as its alright I couldnt be more delighted.

Prince George

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridges first child, Prince George, was introduced to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing in 2013, wrapped in a white shawl.

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The future king weighed 8lb 6oz, and the duke said in a statement that he and the duchess could not be happier.

Georges next public appearance showed how much he had grown, when the three-month-old was carried into his christening by his proud father.

Expand Close William arrives, holding his son Prince George, at Chapel Royal in St Jamess Palace, ahead of the christening (John Stillwell/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp William arrives, holding his son Prince George, at Chapel Royal in St Jamess Palace, ahead of the christening (John Stillwell/PA)

Princess Charlotte

Doll-like Princess Charlotte made her debut on the steps of the Lindo in 2015.

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Charlotte was photographed by Kate at Anmer Hall ahead of her first birthday.

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Prince Louis



The youngest Cambridge sibling, Prince Louis, arrived on patriotic St Georges Day in 2018.

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His name  a tribute to Charless much-loved great uncle Earl Mountbatten who was murdered by the IRA  was not announced until four days later.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to share a new photograph of their family.



The photograph, taken by Matt Porteous, shows The Duke and Duchess with their three children at Anmer Hall, and features on Their Royal Highnesses Christmas card this year. pic.twitter.com/6XqCMlhLi8  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) December 14, 2018

William joked he had thrice the worry as he took the prince home to Kensington Palace.
Seven British passengers and one from Ireland were among the 157 people killed when an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after take-off.

Eight crew members and 149 passengers were thought to have been on the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane destined for Nairobi when it hit the ground six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.

The Foreign Office confirmed that at least seven Britons were on board flight ET302, which crashed at about 8.45am local time leaving no survivors.

Ethiopian Airlines said an Irish citizen was also on board, while the Irish foreign ministry said officials were supporting a family.

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was deeply saddened to learn of the disaster.

At this very difficult time my thoughts are with the families and friends of the British citizens on board and all those affected by this tragic incident, she said.

The airline said it had contacted the families of all victims, who came from 35 nations.

Expand Close Rescuers use a digger at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after take-off (Yidnek Kirubel/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Their identities started to emerge, with Slovakian MP Anton Hrnko saying in deep grief that his wife and two children were killed in the crash.

Aid workers, doctors and a prominent football official were also believed to be among the dead.

While the cause is not yet known, the crash shared similarities with last years Lion Air jet plunging into the Java sea, killing 189. That also involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 crashing minutes after takeoff.

Ethiopian Airlines Group press conference on flight ET 302 accident Posted by Ethiopian Airlines on Sunday, March 10, 2019

On Sunday, visibility was clear but air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said vertical speed was unstable after take off.

The pilot had sent out a distress call and was given the all clear to return, according to the airlines chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam.

Senior captain Yared Getachew had a commendable performance having completed more than 8,000 hours in the air, the airline said.

The plane had flown from Johannesburg to Addis earlier on Sunday morning, and had undergone a rigorous testing on February 4, a statement continued.

Records show the plane was new and delivered to the airline as recently as November.

An eyewitness told the BBC there was an intense fire when the plane crashed.

The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldnt get near it, he said. Everything is burnt down. There are four helicopters at the scene now.

Mr Gebremariam was pictured leafing through what little was left of the wreckage as he visited the freshly ground earth under the blue sky of Ethiopias capital.

Minister Therese Coffey said no officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) were on board, though she suspected some of the passengers had been travelling to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

UK investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are likely to be communicating with their counterparts in Ethiopia to keep next-of-kin informed.

Very sad to hear of the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi and the death of all passengers on board. I anticipate that several passengers will have been travelling to the UN Environment Assembly, though no one from Defra was on board. RIP.  Therese Coffey #PlanforJobs (@theresecoffey) March 10, 2019

Many of the passengers were from Kenya, but others were said to be from Italy, France, the US, Canada, Ethiopia, China, Egypt, Germany, Slovakia and India.

A statement from Boeing said the manufacturer was deeply saddened to learn of the disaster, adding that it was sending a technical team to the crash site.

The last fatal Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane crash was in 2010 when all 90 on board were killed when the aircraft crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: Following the Ethiopian Airlines crash, we can confirm at least seven British nationals were on-board flight ET302.

Our staff at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa are in touch with the relevant authorities in Ethiopia. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have lost loved ones and those affected by this tragic event.

Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of the incident and providing consular assistance.
A teenager has suffered a potentially life-changing injury following a large scale disturbance in a flat which left three people injured.

Emergency services were called to the scene in Newlands Road, near to Holmlea Road, Glasgow, at around 12.30am on Sunday.

Two 18-year-old men were taken to the citys Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment, with one of them being treated for a potentially life changing hand injury.

A 16-year-old boy is understood to have been treated at the scene.

The three suspects were wearing dark clothing with their faces covered and there was a lot of shouting and noise during the incidentDetective Constable Paul McKenna, Police Scotland

Police are hunting three suspects and appealed for information about the incident.

Detective Constable Paul McKenna, of Govan Police Office, said: Our officers have been checking CCTV as well as making door-to-door enquiries to establish exactly what happened and to identify those involved.

We are appealing for anyone who has not already spoken to us, and who may have information, to get in touch.

The three suspects were wearing dark clothing with their faces covered and there was a lot of shouting and noise during the incident.

Think back, do you remember seeing or hearing anything in the early hours?

We urge you to get in touch.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police via 101, quoting incident number 0149 of Sunday March 10, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given in confidence.
State-owned Ethiopian Airlines is widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa (Ben Curtis/AP)

All passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa are dead, according to Ethiopias state broadcaster.

The airline has said 157 people were thought to be on board the flight to Nairobi in Kenya.

Broadcaster EBC said the passengers included 33 nationalities.

The cause of the crash of the new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane was not immediately known.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions to become the gateway to the continent.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

The crash occurred around 31 miles south of the capital, shortly after taking off, the airline said.

A statement by the Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

Sundays crash comes as the countrys reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new Airport City terminal in Bishoftu  where Sundays crash occurred.

Records show that the Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane that crashed was a new one.

The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the plane was delivered to the airline in mid-November.

My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, said Kenyas president, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Bombardier are among the companies to sign the letter.

Some of Northern Ireland's biggest firms have weighed into the Brexit debate by signing a letter calling on the government to avoid a no-deal Brexit on March 29.

Bombardier, Coca-Cola and First Trust are among the 50 firms warning Westminster of the consequences of leaving the European Union without a deal on the 560,000 private sector employees here.

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The letter, organised by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), is being sent to all 650 members of the House of Commons today.

It comes after Prime Minister Theresa May pleaded for "one last push" by MPs to get her Brexit deal through parliament. On Tuesday, the Commons is due to vote for a second time on Mrs May's proposed withdrawal terms with her warning of a "moment of crisis" with the possibility of the UK never leaving if MPs vote it down.

The signatories underline what they believe could be "significant damage to our export markets, supply chains, consumer spending power" in the event of a no-deal situation.

"Although Brexit has not yet happened, the negative economic impact is already starting to bite in terms of the private sector's ability to invest," it states.

"Northern Ireland industry also notes with much regret, uncertainty around future funding for local infrastructure given the immediate loss of approximately 450 million from the European Regional Development Fund which was once earmarked for significant infrastructure projects.

Expand Close Theresa May has appealed to EU leaders for one more push to get a deal over the line (Christopher Furlong/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Theresa May has appealed to EU leaders for one more push to get a deal over the line (Christopher Furlong/PA)

"The uncertainty linked with Brexit has additionally contributed to significant skill and labour shortages."

Other big hitters on the list include Devenish Nutrition, Fane Valley, Norbrook Laboratories and both universities.

In the letter, they lay out a grim prediction of "significant job losses", with a no-deal threatening to "stifle opportunities for the next generation across Northern Ireland".

Theresa May's hopes of a Brexit breakthrough are hanging in the balance after the EU appeared to rebuff her latest appeal for help in getting her withdrawal deal through Parliament.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said they would be "working intensively" in the coming days to resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland backstop ahead of Tuesday's crunch vote by MPs. However, his suggestion the UK could unilaterally pull out of the planned single customs territory if it chose was dismissed by ministers as an attempt to "rerun old arguments".

The DUP said Northern Ireland would still be in the backstop, effectively drawing a "border in the Irish Sea" with the rest of the UK, something Mrs May has repeatedly ruled out.

Meanwhile, the Irish government has been told it needs to "stay strong" as Brexit looms, Sinn Fein has said.

Party president Mary Lou McDonald said the divorce should not wreck the Irish economy or the Good Friday Agreement.

Ms McDonald said: "It goes without saying that at this critical juncture, the Irish government needs to hold firm. They need to stay strong at the 11th hour, regardless of the overtures or pressure that might be applied from London. Whether there is a deal or not, the reality is that Brexit is bad for Ireland. Citizens in the North will be left behind."

Full list of signatories to CBI letter:

AES UK and Ireland

Allianz

Andras House Ltd

Aurora Prime Real Estate Ltd

Avondale Foods Ltd

Beyond Business Travel

Bombardier Aerospace

Canyon Europe Ltd

CBI NI

CBRE

Chartered Accountants Ulster Society

Coca-Cola Hellenic Northern Ireland Ltd

Construction Employers Federation

Creagh Concrete Products

Danske Bank

Deli Lites

Denroy Plastics

Denman International Ltd

Devenish Nutrition Ltd

Duncrue Food Processors

Eakin Healthcare Group

Etain Software

Evermore Energy

Fane Valley

First Trust Bank

Forde May Consulting Ltd

Graham Group

Greiner Packaging Ltd

Hilton Meat Products Ltd

Interfrigo Ltd

Lanyon Communications

Linden Foods

Maxol Oil

McCloskey International Ltd

Mineral Products Association NI

Mount Charles Group Ltd

Norbrook Laboratories Ltd

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd

OHare and McGovern Ltd

PKF-FPM

Queens University Belfast

Quinn Building Group

Rainbow Communications

SDC Trailers Ltd

SHS Group

T G Eakin Ltd

Thales

Thompsons

Ulster University

Viridian Group

Walter Watson

W & R Barnett Ltd

Westland Horticulture Ltd

Whites Speedicook Ltd

Wilsons Country Ltd

Yardmaster International
After years of arabization, Morocco will start teaching scientific subjects like mathematics, physics and biology in French at the high school level as the language is already in use in universities.

The decision is backed by education minister Said Amzazi who is facing criticism from Islamists and conservatives, ardent defenders of arabization.

For the minister, the use of French is dictated by Moroccos economic context that requires good command of French.

He argues that the decision gives consistency to the educational system, fights drop out at the university and helps students continue their scientific studies instead of being intimidated by French.

Islamists and conservatives alike joined forces slamming the decision as disrespectful of the constitution and the national identity saying that teaching should be done in the mother language.

Some linguists oppose this idea as the mother languages for Moroccans are Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and variants of Amazigh while classical Arabic is not spoken as a mother tongue.

Amzazi said that ideological considerations should be put aside while discussing a framework law on education providing for the promotion of foreign languages.

The adoption of the law stalled because of the disagreements between the opponents and proponents of the use of French.
The Malaysian police chief on Sunday announced the arrests last month of nine suspects linked to an African-based terror group, including five alleged members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood who planned to launch large-scale attacks in several countries.

Police Inspector-General Mohamad Fuzi Harun issued a statement announcing the arrests of two Malaysians, six Egyptians and one Tunisian national between Feb. 2 and 9 in the Klang Valley and the east Malaysian state of Sarawak. The Egyptians and the Tunisian have been deported.

The Federal Polices Counter Terrorism division made the arrests after receiving information from foreign intelligence agencies that several terrorist fighters were planning the attacks. The suspects are described as members of the Ansar-al Sharia in Tunisia, which operates in North Africa and is classified as a terror group by the United Nations because of its coalition with al-Qaeda, according to Fuzi.

Five Egyptian nationals who were arrested admitted to being members of the Muslim Brotherhood and had facilitated the accommodation, transport, employment and purchased flight tickets for two members (the remaining Egyptian and the Tunisian) of the Ansar-al Sharia group, Fuzi said.

This operation is a follow-up to a counter-terrorism operation conducted in April and November last year where two Egyptian members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested and deported due to their involvement in the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda terror groups, he said.

Fuzi said the arrests began in Sarawak, on Feb. 2, when an Egyptian along with a Malaysian man and woman were taken into custody.

The trio, aged between 20 and 54, were nabbed for hiding information regarding the presence of Ansar al-Sharia operatives who were in transit in Malaysia, providing shelter for them and acting as facilitators in providing them with accommodation, jobs and flight tickets, he said.



That same day, Fuzi said a 42-year-old Egyptian working as a religious school teacher was arrested in Kuala Lumpur. The suspect admitted to being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and provided accommodation to two members of the Ansar al-Sharia who infiltrated Malaysia in October 2018.

A 24-year-old Egyptian national who was a student at a university in the Klang Valley was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 2 as well. The man, who admitted to being a Muslim Brotherhood member, confessed to having bought flight tickets for two Ansar al-Sharia members who came into Malaysia in October 2018, according to Fuzi.

A 28-year-old Egyptian student who acted as a facilitator to the Ansar al-Sharia group members and assisted Essam Marzouk Al Hafez, an al-Qaeda operative who has since been deported to his home country, was arrested Feb. 2 in Selangor, the police chief said.

Two days later, a Tunisian and an Egyptian, ages 21 and 22, were arrested in Kuala Lumpur. They are suspected members of the Ansar al-Sharia group and had been arrested in 2016 for trying to sneak into a Central African country, Fuzi said.

Both suspects entered Malaysia using fake Syrian passports, with the intent of using Malaysia as a transit point before entering a third country to launch attacks, he said.

Fuzi said a 50-year-old Malaysian who works as an Arab language teacher was arrested Feb. 9 in Selangor. The suspect is an alleged member of the Muslim Brotherhood who provided accommodation to two Ansar al-Sharia members last year.

In December, Fuzi announced police foiled an alleged plot by IS to attack places of worship in the capital Kuala Lumpur with the arrest of two suspects. The pair were among seven suspected militants  five Malaysians and two Filipinos  taken into custody through a series of raids between Nov. 19 and 28 in Kelantan, Selangor, Sabah and Kedah states.

Safe haven

Fuzi said investigators had determined that the foreign suspects arrested in February were trying to make Malaysia a safe haven transit point and logistics base. They had allegedly entered the country using legitimate and fake documents. In some cases, they married locals to obtain spouse visas, and exploited education facilities or conducted businesses.

The infiltration of foreign terrorist fighters into this country has to be taken seriously, especially following the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Fuzi said. They could use this country as a base to attack other countries or launch attacks within the country.

Since the presence of the foreigners could endanger national security, all the (foreign) suspects were deported to their home countries, according to provisions under the immigration law, and marked for being blacklisted from entering Malaysia for life, Fuzi said.



Counter terrorism analyst Ahmad el-Muhammady told BenarNews that the arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members reflected the cooperation between the Malaysian security agencies and friendly foreign intelligence services.

The case might send a strong message to the radical Muslim Brotherhood group that Malaysia is no longer safe for them to operate freely, said Ahmad, a lecturer at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.



Meanwhile, Lawyers for Liberty executive director Latheefa Koya previously said that deported suspects could be executed by the military regime in Egypt.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, she said the suspects were members of jailed former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsis party and face persecution for their political beliefs.

Zam Yusa in Sabah, Malaysia, contributed to this report.
A police officer inspects the area where a bomb exploded outside a provincial police station in the southern Thai province of Satun, March 10, 2019.

Updated at 6:06 p.m. ET on 2019-03-10

Several small bombs exploded in the Deep South and in two nearby provinces beginning late Saturday, officials said Sunday, the day insurgents marked the 110th anniversary of a treaty where Thailand returned parts of its far south to Britain.

Attackers successfully detonated bombs at public places in Pakpayoon district and Maung district of Pattalung province, followed by two explosions at Satuns Maung district police station, police said, adding no one was injured by the blasts. The bombs were set off two weeks before junta-ruled Thailand was scheduled to hold its first general election since the military seized power through a coup five years ago.

Both provinces are adjacent to the northern section of the Deep South, where a bomb was defused in Rue Soh, a district in Narathiwat, along with another in Yalas Bannang Sata district, officials said.

There were about eight bomb explosions while some others did not explode since Saturday evening, said Pol. Lt. Col. Samroeng Machoo, the chief of Pakpayoon police station in Pattalung. The latest bomb targeting a rail track at Trai Pon village this afternoon was removed and destroyed.

Satun governor Jaruwat Kliangklao said investigators have not determined if the one group is responsible for the bombings.

Security officials are trying to handle this matter, he told reporters.

After the attacks, Col. Pramote Prom-in, military spokesman in the Deep South, said authorities could not immediately determine the cause.

But we do not rule out insurgents involvement, political conflict in the elections or underground gangsters  human traffickers and drug dealers who suffered from suppression, Pramote said.

Stolen motorcycle

He added that a bomb-rigged motorcycle used in an attack was stolen from Saba Yoi in Songkhla province, one of 37 districts in the conflict zone in the Deep South, late last year.

We believe they are the same group who planned and coordinated attacks to undermine the image and the trust in the government, Pramote said, adding there were injuries as a result of the explosion.

A defense ministry spokesman said Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, the deputy prime minister for security affairs, will fly to the south to oversee the investigation.

In recent years, human rights activists have condemned violence in the Deep South that has killed about 7,000 people since insurgents reignited their separatist campaign in January 2004.

On Friday, a military spokesman said security officials in Deep South have been on full alert in reaction to graffiti reading Patani 110, in reference to the anniversary of the 1909 Anglo-Siamese Treaty began appearing in the insurgency-hit region.

Siam, the former name of Thailand, signed a treaty with Britain, which included a transfer to the British government all rights of protection, administration and control over the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, and adjacent islands.

The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its embassy in Bangkok, issued a statement advising citizens traveling to or residing in Thailand to remain vigilant and pay close attention to personal safety at all times.
Johnson & Johnson Vision study reveals seven in 10 Singaporeans and eight in 10 Thais suffer from symptoms of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction but do not seek professional help, putting eyesight at risk

A new survey conducted by Johnson & Johnson Vision has revealed that a majority of Singaporeans (70%) and Thais (77%) regularly suffer from symptoms of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), a leading cause for Dry Eye Disease (DED). Despite this, most Singaporeans and Thais (86% of Singaporeans, 79% of Thais) are unfamiliar with MGD, and a majority (76% of Singaporeans, 69% of Thais) choose not to seek professional help, putting their eyesight at risk.

The online survey, which polled over 1,000 individuals in Singapore and Thailand respectively, was aimed at further understanding the prevalence of dry eye symptoms as well as the lack of awareness around the condition among the population in both countries.

Majority of Singaporeans and Thais do not know they suffer from MGD

MGD is a leading cause of DED, which affects more than 340 million people around the world. However, many cases go undetected because of the lack of awareness around MGD and what its symptoms are.

MGD is a chronic, progressive and obstructive condition that can affect both the structure and the function of the oil glands in the eyelids. The oils are necessary for protecting the tears from pathogens, allergens and evaporation. Without proper functioning meibomian glands, patients may face eye discomfort, inflammation, fluctuating vision and be at risk for developing dry eye.

Symptoms experienced across both markets include:

Soreness (40% in Singapore, 48% in Thailand)

grittiness, the feeling of having dust in your eye (31% in Singapore, 34% in Thailand)

dryness (51% in Singapore, 27% in Thailand)

excessive watering (18% in Singapore, 17% in Thailand)

burning sensation in the eye (11% in Singapore, 48% in Thailand)

These symptoms may all be signs of MGD.

The survey also revealed the key contributing factors to MGD symptoms. About half of all respondents (51% in Singapore, 49% in Thailand) report that they typically experience these MGD symptoms when looking at digital screens. Work was also a key contributing factor to MGD symptoms in Singapore, with 49% of Singaporeans stating that they experience these symptoms at work. However, due to the lack of awareness around the disease, Singaporeans and Thais do not recognise their risk.

Patients who suffer from frequent types of irritation and discomfort in their eyes should not ignore their symptoms, said Dr Lee Hung Ming, Senior Consultant and Medical Director of Lee Hung Ming Eye Centre. Often, these symptoms not only can affect daily life, but they can also be a sign of underlying chronic eye conditions such as MGD, which can be managed best with early diagnosis.

Treatment for MGD Symptoms

When asked how Singaporeans and Thais treat their symptoms, the most common self-care treatments were the use of store-bought eyedrops (48% in Singapore, 33% in Thailand) or simply limiting their screen time (37% in Singapore, 42% in Thailand). These methods offer temporary relief from symptoms, but do not treat the primary cause of MGD  blocked meibomian glands. Only a minority (12% in Singapore, 27% in Thailand) sought professional advice or treatment from an expert such as a pharmacist or eyecare professional.

Of the respondents who reported turning to self-care methods for relief of symptoms that could be related to MGD, a small number (11% in Singapore, 17% in Thailand) reported finding them effective. On the other hand, more (21% in Singapore, 33% in Thailand) patients who chose to seek professional help for their symptoms reported finding their treatment highly effective.

Our eyesight is the most precious of our senses. However, it is threatened by conditions and diseases such as MGD, which is a leading cause of Dry Eye Disease. MGD has been found to be twice as prevalent in Asians, posing a real threat to our sight, said Mr Christoph Vonwiller, Regional Vice President, Surgical Vision, Asia-Pacific and Japan, at Johnson and Johnson Vision.

Johnson and Johnson Visions aim is to change the trajectory of eye health, and our hope in sharing the results from the survey at the APAO is to raise the publics understanding of MGD and equip both Singaporeans and Thais with knowledge they need to protect their sight, added Mr Vonwiller.

Patients seeking professional help are diagnosed by eye doctors to assess frequency and severity of symptoms, as well as help track progression over time.

The doctors may then recommend treatments, depending on the patient condition and potential co-existing illnesses. Some of the treatments that can be administered in the Doctors clinic include:

Vectored Thermal pulsation: Meibomian glands function is improved by liquifying the gland contents and gently and simultaneously evacuating the liquified contents out of the glands.

Other in office treatments such as Meibomian Gland probing: The main ducts of the meibomian gland are pierced using a surgical instrument.

Doctors may also recommend home treatments in combination with or prior to prescribing in-office treatments. Some of them include:

Daily or twice daily application of warm compress and/or eyelid hygiene

Omega-3 supplements

Eye drops to manage inflammation

Patients are advised to have their eye health checked as part of their routine checkups to lower their risk of eye disease. With eye conditions such as MGD, advancements in medical technology have made diagnosis and treatment immensely efficient. In fact, through proper advice and care from an eyecare professional, patients can experience relief from symptoms like eye discomfort and dry eye, said Dr Nattawut Wanumkarng, Director of At Eye Clinic and Ophthalmologist at Bumrungrad International.

MGD is Prevalent in Asia

MGD has been found to be highly prevalent in Asian countries reporting an incidence rate of between 46% to 70%. The high prevalence rate of MGD is a cause for concern, considering that it is the leading cause of DED.
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The Tree of Life Synagogue, where a far-right domestic terrorist killed 11 people in 2018. Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

For the past several years, reports have indicated that domestic terrorists  specifically acts of mass violence by white men  are a far greater threat than actions perpetrated by Islamic extremists. According to the Washington Post, the trend continues: Internal FBI figures reviewed by the paper show more domestic terror suspects were arrested in 2018 than those allegedly inspired by international terror groups.

According to FBI data, 150 Americans were arrested for planning to engage in acts of domestic terrorism in 2017, compared to 110 international suspects; in 2018, the ratio was 120 to 100. An FBI official claims that the decrease in the arrests of potential terrorists inspired by ISIS or Al-Qaeda in 2018 can be attributed to a growing number of Americans attempting to join the Islamic State abroad.

The bureau investigates thousands of Americans for charges related to terrorism every year, though, as the Post notes, the public only is aware of dozens of the high-profile suspects charged with violent crimes, or the plans to carry them out. Sometimes, its the violence that motivates someone more than any particular ideology, an FBI official told the Post. Its a theory that certainly applies to the most recent high-profile case of domestic terror: Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Hasson, who was arrested for stockpiling weapons for a domestic terror plot targeting journalists and politicians, including Chris Hayes, Ilhan Omar, and much of the 2020 Democratic field. I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the Earth, Hasson allegedly wrote.

Most alleged terrorists dont actually face terrorism charges  rather, like Hasson, theyre arrested for relatively minor drug and gun charges, including the use of firearm silencers and possession of a controlled substance. Like a mob figure charged on a RICO predicate, its much easier to prosecute a gun charge or a federal hate-crime statute than to convict on an official charge of terrorism. Notoriously, there is no federal crime for domestic terrorism.

The rise in domestic terrorism  as profiled in a captivating New York Times Magazine report from 2018  is largely driven by an uptick in far-right extremism. Of the 263 acts of domestic terrorism that occurred between 2010 and the end of 2017, 92, around a third, were committed by Americans on the far right. If you have politicians saying things like our nation is under attack, that there are these marauding bands of immigrants coming into the country, that plays into this right-wing narrative, Gary LaFree, a criminologist at the University of Maryland, told the Post. They begin to think its okay to use violence.

With the increase in right-wing terrorism has also come an increase in hate crimes: FBI statistics show that these acts have been growing for the past three years. Anti-Semitic attacks are driving the increase of hate crimes in New York City, which, in February, were up 72 percent compared to that month last year.
Hakeem Jeffries. Photo: Bennett Raglin/WireImage

Everywhere Hakeem Jeffries travels, the prospect of his next job in politics precedes him like a rhetorical red carpet, unfurled for the four-term congressman to walk upon should he choose to.

On Martin Luther King Day, as Jeffries zooms around New York City from small church service to political rally to evening Scripture reading, that next step is sometimes explicit  We dont want to get too much ahead of ourselves but you are looking at future Speaker of the House of Representatives, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tells the morning crowd at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where Jeffries is hosting a King celebration  but more often than not, a yellow brick road leading to a gestured at but unnamed Political Oz.

The sky is the limit for Hakeem Jeffries, said Joe Crowley, the former Queens congressman whose upset loss last summer paved the way for Jeffries to take his spot in the House leadership. He can reach the highest heights in our caucus and I think it would be great for New York as well to have a Speaker. Its been a long time.

He is beyond a rising star, he is like a supernova in the universe right now, Laurie Cumbo, a city councilmember from Jeffriess home base of central Brooklyn, told the crowd at the same event.

For his part, Jeffries, who is currently the fifth-highest ranking member of the Democratic leadership in the House, never says a word when a dozen will do. He pauses before he speaks, and then delivers a perfect paragraph, one that touches on all of the partys talking points, and then stops when he reaches the end, and can sit through the longest of awkward silences without starting again. Even friends and congressional colleagues find it uncanny.

Democrats in 2018 didnt ignore Trump, he says, they developed a process to resist the notion that we have to chase the after the shiny objects he holds out in front of the American people as bait for Democrats to react and to distract from the issues that Americans care about most.

Congressional Democrats in 2020 wont be focusing on battleground districts, he says, but there are targets of opportunity that may develop over the next two years, and with regards to those targets of opportunity, because we were so successful in winning more seats than any midterm election since Watergate, we have to protect our frontline members who the Republicans will be targeting, and so we will have to be like Willie Mays, who played both great offense and great defense.

And so, over a late lunch of grilled fish, steamed vegetables, and green tea at Juniors in Brooklyn, Jeffries predictably demurs when asked if he has his heart set on the Speakers gavel.

My sole focus is to make sure the House Democratic Caucus is successful in delivering on our political agenda and helping our eventual Democratic presidential nominee be successful in 2020. In my view, you do the current job you have, you do it well, and the future will take care of itself. We have a lot on the agenda and the last thing we should be doing is thinking about future ambitions for this, that, or the other office.

As my eyes rolled, he continued: I enjoy the job that I have. It is a great privilege to be able to represent the Eighth Congressional District of Brooklyn and Queens. We will see what the future holds. 

Hakeem Jeffries making remarks on MLK Day. Photo: Charles Norfleet/Getty Images

Jeffriess rise has been both steady and nothing short of remarkable. His grandfather moved to New Jersey as a child after his own father, a mason down in Georgia, was lynched by the Klan. Jeffriess grandfather was a tailor in New York. His father, Marland Jeffries, moved to New York and got a job as a caseworker with the citys Department of Social Services. His mother, Laneda, was a social worker. Jeffries grew up in Crown Heights in the 1980s. His parents still live in the neighborhood, as does he. Wondering whether or not the sounds outside the house were gunshots or firecrackers was a childhood pastime. His mother, he says, got mugged repeatedly, and his father took up martial arts. Marland Jeffries ran for the State Assembly in 1978 as part of a group of black nationalists challenging the Brooklyn Democratic machine. He got kicked off the ballot. (Jeffriess uncle, Leonard Jeffries, is a former professor at the City University of New York who was removed from his position for incendiary comments about whites and Jews.)

Jeffries went to SUNY-Binghamton, got his law degree from New York University School of Law, and received a master of public policy degree from Georgetown, where he roomed with future Washington mayor Adrian Fenty.

After Georgetown, Jeffries landed at the white-shoe law firm Paul, Weiss and spotted an opening in the State Assembly where Roger Green, a longtime lawmaker and civil-rights activist, was seen as out of step with a changing district. Jeffries, then just 30, went door-to-door in the district, and grabbed a surprising 40 percent of the vote. The next year, the Assembly Democrats redrew district lines after the census, and drew Jeffriess home one block outside district lines. (Brooklyn politics can be pretty rough, Jeffries said in a 2010 documentary about gerrymandering. But that move was gangsta.) In 2002, Jeffries bought a home in the new district and moved his young family in, and eventually won the seat. He was immediately pegged as a rising star, someone who could nearly clear the field if he ever decided to run for mayor, but he decided instead to run for Congress against Ed Towns. Like Green, faced with the prospect of a campaign against Jeffries, Towns decided to retire.

His ascent in Congress was equally quick. After just two terms, in the wake of the Democrats staggering defeat in the 2016 election, Jeffries was named co-chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, charged with communicating the partys priorities to the wider public.

It is easy to see why. As careful as Jeffries is in conversation, he is equally caustic on the stump. After Trump told a rally crowd in Cleveland that Democrats were treasonous for not clapping during the State of the Union, Jeffries took to the floor of the House with a sign that said in big red letters, Treason?

How dare you lecture us about treason? Jeffries proclaimed, noting that a truer definition of treason would be meeting with Russian intelligence to rig the 2016 election. This is not a dictatorship, it is a democracy and we do not have to stand for a reality-show host masquerading as president of the United States.

Jeffries has often been compared to Obama, but if Obamas mere presence stood for racial reconciliation, and if Cory Booker, another figure to whom Jeffries has been compared, stands for the healing power of love, Jeffries is more interested in calling out bullshit when he sees it.

These are strange times in Washington, Jeffries told one crowd on Martin Luther Jr. Day. We have a hater in the White House, the birther-in-chief, the Grand Wizard of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. One thing we have learned is that while Jim Crow may be dead, he has still got some nieces and nephews that are alive and well.

They arent gaffes; Jeffries is incapable of making those. Asked whether it is really elevating the discourse to call the president of the United States the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, the congressman shrugs. It is unfortunate that someone with the tendency to act like a racial arsonist now finds himself as president of the United States of America, who should be trying to bring us together instead of tearing us apart. 

If such language shocks the delicate sensibilities of the pundit class (it doesnt really  Jeffries remains a favorite of cable news bookers) or leads to reprimands from parliamentarians on the House floor (as has been known to happen), it causes Jeffries no trouble at home.

He feels his district, said Cedric Grant, his former chief of staff. When he talks about President Trump, he is saying the things they would say and feel. It may be a shock to some, but it reflects his constituency back home.

Jeffries got his position in the leadership when Joe Crowley, the two-decade incumbent congressman from Queens, lost in a shocking upset to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crowley lost in part because he had moved his family down to the Washington suburbs and was more focused on replacing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker than he was to the concerns of his district. Jeffries still lives in the neighborhood where he grew up with his wife, a social worker, and his two teenage sons, both of whom attend public school in the area. And although it can be jarring  Jeffries does after all have a law degree and is over a decade into a political career  he drops hip-hop references with ease, paying tribute to Notorious B.I.G. on the floor of the House and nominating Pelosi for another term as Speaker by declaring that House Democrats are down with N.D.P.  Nancy DAlesandro Pelosi, flourishes intended to remind his constituents back in Brooklyn that he hasnt forgotten them.

But since Democrats won control of the House in November, Jeffriess uninterrupted rise has at last run into turbulence. In December, Politico ran a story soon after his ascension to the House leadership, that allies of Ocasio-Cortez were preparing to challenge Jeffries, arguing that he was too much of a centrist, especially after he had beaten Barbara Lee  a 72-year-old member of Congress from the East Bay beloved by liberals, in part for being the only lawmaker to vote against the war in Afghanistan  for his post as caucus chair. In print, Jeffries shrugged off the story, quoting Notorious B.I.G. again: Spread love, its the Brooklyn way.

Jeffries on the day he beat Barbara Lee in the House leadership vote. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Ocasio-Cortez ultimately denied that she was targeting her fellow New Yorker, but the story clearly bothered Jeffries. Mr. Jeffries is nearly as moderate as a safe seat Democrat gets, proclaimed The Economist before the election, touting his support of charter schools, his relative hawkishness on foreign policy, especially around the Middle East (his district is one of the most Jewish in the country), and his friendliness with the partys pro-business wing.

Jeffries doesnt shirk from the label, but also touts his A rating from the ACLU, NAACP, and the League of Conservation Voters. Mathematically I am one of the 25 most progressive members of the United States Congress. There were some in the aftermath of the competitive leadership race that [suggested] I was a big-money centrist. It was a strange accusation to make. I would hear it and I would look around and ask, Are they talking about me? Where are you deriving this conclusion from? I plead guilty to the fact that I am not as progressive as Barbara Lee but neither are 435 other members of the House of Representatives.

Jeffries cant complain much about primaries; challenging Democratic incumbents brought him to both the Assembly and to Congress. Ocasio-Cortez did not deny the story when it ran, but later did so on Twitter when pressed. Jeffries said that she had not brought it up to him personally to say that it was not true.

She is a dynamic new member of Congress and has a lot to contribute, but so do this wonderful freshman class as a collective entity. My view is I want everyone to be successful, including Alexandria, but without losing focus on many of the members who were elected from tough districts who need to be successful if we are going to keep our majority, he said. With respect to Alexandria, we have participated in New York delegation meetings together, we are very cordial with each other, and I wish her nothing but the best.

Any primary challenge against him would be hard. As central Brooklyn has changed, Jeffries has benefited. The white gentrifiers who have moved in in droves for the past two decades see him as one of them: a striver with the proper pedigree, and a corporate lawyer with a burning hatred of Donald Trump. He remains a member of the Cornerstone Baptist Church where he grew up, is a favorite of the pastors in the community, and works the district relentlessly.

I dont think you can underestimate the power of someone who gets on both MSNBC three days a week and shows up at church on Sundays. Its a full-frontal assault, said one Jeffries friend. Any primary challenge would look a lot like Barron  with is to say an easy win by Jeffries. There is a ceiling.

More worrisome for Jeffries and his likely ascension to the Speakers chair is that he barely eked out a victory over Lee. Jeffries is supposed to be the future of the party at a time when the question of who will replace the current leadership of Pelosi and her allies is tantamount. Jeffries ended up winning by only ten votes, and when you figure its likely that none of the moderate factions of the caucus, like the New Democrats or the Blue Dogs voted for Lee, and that almost all of New York  besides Ocasio-Cortez  were behind Jeffries in the secret ballot, it means that she must have won nearly all of the other votes that were up for grabs. According to some reports, it was only arm-twisting from some members of the House leadership that brought Jeffries over the edge.

If you want to move up the ranks, you cant just have charisma, said one senior House aide. You have to put in the time, you have to have the skills to convince people to work on your behalf, and you have to have a vote-counting operation. Half of our caucus thought that Barbara Lee was the future of our party? That says a lot about his deficiencies.

Jeffries was mentioned as a potential Speaker even before the 2018 election, back when there remained consternation in the Democratic ranks that Nancy Pelosi would spell certain electoral defeat. His team worked hard to tamp down the speculation, and Jeffries has remained a loyal lieutenant. His advisers acknowledge that the prospect of a Speaker from New York would be difficult as long as the Senate Majority Leader is New Yorker Chuck Schumer.

Still, its hard to see anything that would slow Jeffriess rise.

Later on MLK Day, Jeffries stopped by the National Action Network headquarters in Harlem. There, Al Sharpton introduced him. Giants stand on the ground and reach new heights. He has grown to be a giant but he is grounded.

Jeffries led the crowd in a No Justice! No Peace! chant, repeated his claim that there was a Grand Wizard in the White House and told two stories. One was about fearful flyers who encounter turbulence in the air. Up in the air 30,000 feet high, the plane rocking back and forth, no place to go, at that point everybody on the plane gets religion. Lord, just let me place my feet on solid ground. What am I trying to say? You cant get from your point of departure to your point of destination without encountering turbulence.

The second was about a group of young people who snuck onto the property of an enormous estate where the was a lake filled with crocodiles and alligators and a single small turtle The owner eventually showed up, caught the kids, and offered them a deal. If any of them were willing to jump in the lake, rescue the turtle, and swim to the other side, he would give them anything they wanted. None of the kids responded. The owner turned around to leave, when he heard a splash, turned around, and saw one of the kids in the lake, frantically swimming. The kid dodged alligators, grabbed the turtle, dodged crocodiles, and arrived panting safely on shore.

The owner of the estate said, I am not sure how you did it but congratulations. Now as I promised, you can have anything you want.

The young person paused for a moment.

Well, he said. I just want to know who pushed me in the lake.
South Africa: President releases SSA review panel report

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the publication of the High Level Review Panel report on the State Security Agency (SSA), which has assessed the mandate, capacity and organisational integrity of the agency.

The review panel was appointed in June 2018 to assess the structure of the SSA relative to its mandate and enquire into its systems and capacity.

The panel was chaired by Dr Sydney Mufamadi and included nine other members with a wide range of senior level experience and expertise in law, security studies, civil society, academia, the intelligence and security community and other arms of government.

President Ramaphosa asked the panel to identify all material factors that contributed to current challenges in the SSA, so that appropriate measures could be instituted to prevent a recurrence.

The main objective of the review panel was to assist in ensuring a responsible and accountable national intelligence capability for the country in line with the Constitution and relevant legislation.

Among the key finding of the panel included political malpurposing and factionalisation of the intelligence community over the past decade or more that has resulted in an almost complete disregard for the Constitution, policy, legislation and other prescripts.

The panel proposed, amongst others, an urgent development of a National Security Strategy as an overriding basis for redefining and refining the concepts, values, policies, practices and architecture involved in South Africas approach to security.

It also proposed that SSA should be separated into two services, a domestic and a foreign service, with prudent delineation of scope.

With regard to investigations and consequences, the panel recommended that the President instruct the appropriate law enforcement bodies, oversight institutions and internal disciplinary bodies to investigate all manifest breaches of the law, regulations and other prescripts in the SSA, with a view to instituting, where appropriate, criminal prosecution and/or disciplinary proceedings.

The Presidency has shared the report with a range of stakeholders, including State Security Minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Inspector-General of Intelligence, Dr Setlhomamaru Dintwe, and Parliaments Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.

At a gathering with SSA leadership and staff in Pretoria on 15 February 2019, the President gave an undertaking that the report of the review panel would be published for the benefit of all South Africans, including the intelligence community. The report would also be the subject of engagement with Parliaments Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and the Auditor-General.

President Ramaphosa has expressed his appreciation for the panels dedication to their task and for producing insights and recommendations that will enable open engagement on the role and character of the intelligence community in support of South Africas national development objectives and international relations, the Presidency said.

The report has been redacted for public consumption in view of the fact that the full report contains the names and identities of persons who cannot be named at this point, as well as details of operational matters that would compromise SSA work.

A redacted version of the High Level Review Panel on the State Security Agency has been declassified and can be viewed at https://bit.ly/2ELYzQ8 - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, which was dissolved after the BJP withdrew support to the PDP government led by Mehbooba Mufti, would not be conducted along with the Lok Sabha elections 2019, the Chief Election Commisisoner Sunil Arora announced on Sunday.

"No assembly polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir considering the recent incidents, security of candidates," Sunil Arora said at a press conference on Sunday at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. He said that the Commission has decided to announce only parliamentary elections in J&K. The elections will be held in five phases and counting for all states will be held on May 23.

Sunil Arora also announced that Anantnag constituency, which falls in the militancy-hit south Kashmir region, will go for polling in three phases due to security reasons. Speaking to media, Arora said, "We will have to carry out three phases of election for just one constituency of Anantnag... so you can imagine how complicated it is."

Also Read: Complete list of state wise Lok Sabha election 2019 dates: EC announces 7-phase poll, result on May 23

The state has been under President's rule following expiry of six months of Governor's rule in December. The 87-member state assembly plunged into a political crisis after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew support to the PDP government led by Mehbooba Mufti in June last year.

The EC decision not to hold assembly elections along with Lok Sabha polls drew strong criticism from Kashmir leaders. In a series of tweets, National Conference leader and former chief Omar Abdullah slammed PM Modi for not handling national security properly.

Balakote & Uri are not symbols of PM Modi's handling of national security, J&K is and look at the mess he has made there. The abject surrender to anti-India forces is a crying shame. - Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

Mehbooba Mufti also took to Twitter to express her disgust after EC deferred State Assembly elections.

Decision to hold only Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms sinister designs of GoI. Not letting people elect a government is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. Also a tactic of buying time to disempower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives. - Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 10, 2019

Earlier this month, all political parties in the State had appealed to the Election Commission for simultaneous polls for both Lok Sabha and the state assembly.

On November 21, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state assembly after the PDP, supported by the Congress and their arch rival National Conference, had staked claim to form the government. The governor had dissolved the assembly citing horse trading and lack of stability to form a government as the reasons.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Election to be held in 7 phases, results to be declared on May 23

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar
In a relief to buyers of high-value cars and jewellery, the CBIC has said that the TCS amount would be excluded from the value of goods for computing GST liability.

Under the Income Tax Act, tax collection at source (TCS) is levied at 1 per cent on purchase of motor vehicles above Rs 10 lakh, jewellery exceeding Rs 5 lakh and bullion over Rs 2 lakh. TCS is also levied on other purchases at different rates.

Also Read: Apollo Tyres expects returns from investments in India, Europe by 2021

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in a circular said that the TCS amount would be excluded from the value of goods while computing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) liability.

Earlier in December, the CBIC had said that the TCS amount would also be included while ascertaining the GST liability on goods on which TCS is applicable under the I-T Act.

In view of the representations received from various stakeholders and after consultation with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the CBIC has decided to exclude the TCS amount paid while valuing the goods for the purpose to levy GST.

The CBDT has clarified that TCS is not a tax on goods but an interim levy on the possible "income" arising from the sale of goods by the buyer and to be adjusted against the final income-tax liability.

"For the purpose of determination of value of supply under GST, Tax collected at source (TCS) under the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 would not be includible as it is an interim levy not having the character of tax," the CBIC said.

EY India Tax Partner Abhishek Jain said: "This clarification comes as quite a relief for businesses specifically the automotive sector. While most industry players already believed that GST should not be levied on the Income-tax TCS component, given the otherwise clarification by the Government, they were quite apprehensive of litigation on this aspect".

Also Read: Data usage in India to grow at 73 per cent CAGR by 2022: Study

AMRG & Associates Partner Rajat Mohan said the erstwhile circular issued by the CBIC unnecessary complicated the mechanism of calculating GST where TCS-Income tax was also collected by the supplier.

"Recent corrigendum of CBIC eased the calculation process by breaking the circular referencing which would also result in marginally rationalising the tax payments (GST and income tax both)," Mohan said.

Also Read: PNB sanctions loans worth Rs 689 crore to 1,600 MSMEs via 59-minute loan portal

Also Read: Central Bank says no data on demonetised 500, 1,000 notes used at petrol pumps
A man who walked out of Staples with a laptop hidden in his pants was sentenced to time served and probation on Thursday.

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A man who walked out of Staples with a laptop hidden in his pants was sentenced to time served and probation on Thursday.

Jason Allan Gross, 37, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court to multiple charges including theft under $5,000.

Police were called to Staples on June 22, Crown attorney Marnie Evans told the court, after an employee noticed a laptop had been stolen.

Surveillance video showed Gross enter the store and wander around a bit before heading over to the laptop display, Evans said.

He then can be seen looking around before picking up a silver Microsoft Surface laptop and stuffing it down his pants and walking out.

Police had been interacting with Gross the same day regarding a different investigation, Evans said, so they called Gross and asked him to come into the station regarding the theft.

Gross did not deny stealing the laptop and told police he would turn himself in later that day, Evans said. He never showed up.

It wasnt until December that Gross was pulled over while driving in Winnipeg and arrested, Evans said.

In addition a period of custody, Evans asked the court to order restitution for the laptop, worth approximately $1,050.

"The reality is Staples is never going to recover (the amount) that laptop would have given them had it not been stolen," Evans said. "This is an appropriate situation to order restitution."

Defence lawyer Ryan Fawcett told the court Gross was intoxicated at the time of the offence and has struggled with a serious addiction issue for some time.

"Ive been taking steps toward my ongoing sobriety  Im not going home to nothing. Ive been working pretty hard to set something up when I get out so things arent the same," Gross said. "I apologize to Staples for the inconvenience  I take full responsibility for my actions. It was my mistake, and I definitely shouldnt have done that."

Gross turned over the laptop to Winnipeg police when he was arrested, Fawcett noted, and was therefore asking restitution not be required.

Judge Donovan Dvorak sentenced Gross to 20 days time served to be followed by one year of supervised probation.

He also ordered Gross pay restitution of $1049.80 to Staples.

"(The laptop) is not in sellable condition anymore, knowing that Staples is not in the business of selling used laptops," Dvorak said.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
VANCOUVER - Eight years have passed since David Lloydsmith learned British Columbia's Civil Forfeiture Office wanted to seize his modest two-bedroom bungalow, but he says the panic and anger that gripped him that day have not gone away.

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The B.C. Supreme Court shown in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday June 2, 2015. Critics of civil forfeiture hailed the Lloydsmith decision as one that sent a message about the need to protect charter rights. Some were shocked on Tuesday when the B.C. government announced it intends to dramatically expand civil forfeiture. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - Eight years have passed since David Lloydsmith learned British Columbia's Civil Forfeiture Office wanted to seize his modest two-bedroom bungalow, but he says the panic and anger that gripped him that day have not gone away.

Lloydsmith is still outraged that the office tried to seize his home based on a police search without a warrant that produced no criminal charges. B.C.'s Supreme Court and Court of Appeal eventually ruled his rights were violated, but he says the emotional scars remain.

"It cost me friends. It cost me a relationship. I still haven't been able to have another relationship since," he said, adding he still owes a friend money for helping cover tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills.

"I have serious trouble sleeping. It's done damage to me that I don't know if I can ever get over."

Critics of civil forfeiture hailed the Lloydsmith decision as one that sent a message about the need to protect charter rights. Some were shocked on Tuesday when the B.C. government announced it intends to dramatically expand civil forfeiture.

Calling it the "most significant revision" of the Civil Forfeiture Act since its introduction in 2006, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced three proposed changes, which he said were aimed at organized crime and fentanyl trafficking.

Under the changes, the onus would be shifted to a defendant to prove that an asset is not an instrument or proceed of unlawful activity, in cases where the Civil Forfeiture Office provides the court with "sufficient evidence" clearly linking the asset to crime.

The office would also be able to ask a judge to order an accused person's assets be held before it formally sues them, and finally, it would be able to compel banks to hand over information before customers transfer assets.

Shifting the burden of proof to a defendant is "obviously terrible," said Micheal Vonn of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

The Civil Forfeiture Office files lawsuits to seize assets believed to be the proceeds or instruments of illegal activity, regardless of whether the asset owner has been charged or convicted, and even if they've been acquitted, of a crime.

Vonn noted the standard of proof is already lower in a civil trial than a criminal one. In civil proceedings, one party's case must simply be more probable than the other's, while in criminal trials, guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Civil forfeiture defendants are also ineligible for legal aid, unlike many people charged with crimes, she added.

"Now, they're actually reversing the onus on certain portions of this," Vonn said. "So you show up in court  very lucky if you're able to defend yourself at all, vis-a-vis counsel or otherwise  to prove that you are not guilty.

"That's a standard that almost never will you see justified constitutionally."

As for the amendments aimed at stopping people from transferring assets before they can be seized, Vonn said she's concerned about the forfeiture office accessing banking information using a lower legal standard than police.

"We have processes whereby police are entitled to investigate on a warrant standard of reasonable and probable grounds. We have a reason for that  so we protect against abuse," she said.

There is already a criminal forfeiture process that seizes assets after conviction, she added.

She said the civil liberties association would consider challenging the amendments if passed, adding she's baffled by Farnworth's comments that the government consulted with experts and believes the amendments are constitutional.

Phil Tawtel, executive director of B.C.'s Civil Forfeiture Office, said the program focuses on "property, not people."

"There is no case where someone is going to go to jail for this," he said. "The question is: is there enough evidence to show that an asset, a property, is either the proceeds or an instrument of unlawful activity?"

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld provincial civil forfeiture laws, he said, ruling unanimously in 2009 that they aim to deter crime and do not encroach federal jurisdiction over criminal offences.

"Certainly, it's still incumbent on the director to bring evidence to satisfy the court that the forfeiture is in the interests of justice," Tawtel said.

The office has brought in $87 million since 2006, spending $37.5 million on crime prevention initiatives and $1.63 million on victim compensation. The remainder has been spent on legal counsel and office operations, Tawtel said.

Bibhas Vaze, a lawyer who has represented many civil forfeiture defendants including Lloydsmith, said he's worried that in the face of criticism about the office, the government wants to expand it further.

Police showed up at Lloydsmith's home in Mission in 2007 and said they were investigating a 911 call. When he refused to let them in, they forced their way in and found, seized and destroyed a number of marijuana plants.

Lloydsmith said the plants were for his own medical use and he was not charged. Nevertheless, the forfeiture office sued to seize his home in 2011, and only abandoned the case after the courts ruled the "unreasonable" search violated his rights.

Vaze said civil forfeiture enables the government to use evidence found in illegal police searches that would not be admissible in criminal trials.

Tawtel responded that it's up to the court to decide whether charter breaches have occurred and what the remedies are.

"I'm not out there saying that government should not be able to seize assets of people who are engaging in illegal activity," said Vaze. "The problem is: at what cost?"
A mother and daughter from Edmonton, a renowned Carleton University professor and an accountant with the City of Calgary were among the 18 Canadians who died Sunday when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard.

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Rescuers search at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Sunday, March 10, 2019. The Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board, authorities said, including 18 Canadians. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP

A mother and daughter from Edmonton, a renowned Carleton University professor and an accountant with the City of Calgary were among the 18 Canadians who died Sunday when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard.

Mohamed Hassan Ali said his sister, Amina Ibrahim Odowaa, and her five-year-old daughter, Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir, were on board the jet that went down six minutes after it took off from the Addis Ababa airport on the way to Nairobi, Kenya.

"(She was) a very nice person, very outgoing, very friendly. Had a lot of friends," he said of his sister, who lived in Edmonton and was travelling to Kenya to visit with relatives.

Carleton University confirmed Pius Adesanmi, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, was also killed in the crash.

Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the school's president and vice-chancellor, described him as a "global thinker," and a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship."

Bacon said Adesanmi made an enormous impact on the university community since joining it in 2006, both as an academic and a person.

"What's striking about him was that he welcomes you with his whole being," he said in a phone interview.

"He's a person of integrity, of wholeness, of warmth, and you can imagine the impact of his brilliant intellect as a great scholar and of the kind of man he was, the kind of person that he was."

Tributes also poured in from Adesanmi's students and colleagues, both in Canada and his native Nigeria.

Mitchell Dick, a Carleton student, said Adesanmi was among his most "memorable" professors.

"He was extremely nice and approachable and his way of teaching was very vivid and accessible for everybody whether you were an English major or not," he said from the Canadian university men's basketball championship in Halifax, where a moment of silence was held Sunday for the victims.

Gladys Kivia, a domestic violence counsellor with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter, said her husband, Derick Lwugi, was also among the victims.

The accountant who worked for the city leaves behind three children, aged 17, 19 and 20, Kivia said. The couple had been in Calgary for 12 years, and Lwugi had been headed to Kenya to visit both of their parents.

"His mom was not feeling well," Kivia said in a brief interview.

Media reports indicate that Danielle Moore, 24, of Winnipeg, was also among the victims. In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Moore wrote that she was excited to be attending a UN environment event in Nairobi.

"I feel beyond privileged to be receiving this opportunity," she wrote.

Monica Phung, a friend of Moore's who worked with her through a conservation program called Ocean Bridge, said she last spoke to her friend Friday night.

"I messaged her to congratulate her. She just got accepted to the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Ottawa," said Phung. "That's what she felt like she was meant to do."

Asked what comes to mind when she thinks of her friend, Phung said she pictures "laughing and sunshine.

"She had a loud and happy laugh all the time. And the biggest smile," said Phung. "And she was just a light. She would always make you feel good and you could feel her energy in the room. She was so positive and just always brought a goodness to everyone around her."

It was not clear what caused the Ethiopian Airlines plane to go down in clear weather six minutes after departing Bole Airport in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on its way to Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya. The accident was strikingly similar to last year's crash of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.

Both crashes involved the Boeing 737 Max 8, and both happened minutes after the jets became airborne. In the wake of Sunday's crash, Ethiopian Airlines as well as all Chinese airlines have ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes indefinitely.

The Ethiopian pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport in Addis Ababa, the airline's CEO said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash.

"On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our heartfelt condolences to those who have lost family, friends, and loved ones as a result of this tragedy," he said in a statement. "We are providing consular assistance, and working closely with authorities to gather further information. We join the international community in mourning the loss of so many lives, including those countries who have also lost citizens in this devastating crash."

Trudeau reached out to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to express condolences.

At least 35 nationalities were among the dead, including 32 Kenyans, and people from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia.

Families around the world grieved. At the Addis Ababa airport, a woman called a mobile number in vain. "Where are you, my son?" she said, in tears. Others cried as they approached the terminal.

At the crash site, the impact caused the plane to shatter into small pieces. Personal belongings and aircraft parts were strewn across the freshly churned earth. Bulldozers dug into the crater to pull out buried pieces of the jet.

Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. In one photo, teams could be seen loading black plastic bags into trucks.

As the sun set, crews were still searching for the plane's flight-data recorder, the airline's chief operating officer said.

Ethiopian Airlines said it had contacted the families of the victims and would soon conduct forensic investigations to identify the 149 passengers and eight crew.

Some of those aboard were travelling to the United Nations environmental meeting scheduled to start Monday in Nairobi. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said staff members were among the victims, as were colleagues from the United Nations. A UN official said the United Nations expects that about a dozen passengers affiliated with the world organization were on the Ethiopian Airlines jet.

 With files from Keith Doucette, Adam Burns, Hina Alam, Allison Jones and The Associated Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had an incorrect spelling for Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir. It also said she was six years old.
OTTAWA - A leader of the Metis National Council has asked Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay to act quickly to ensure an apology is issued to Metis veterans from the Second World War before it's too late.

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OTTAWA - A leader of the Metis National Council has asked Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay to act quickly to ensure an apology is issued to Metis veterans from the Second World War before it's too late.

In a letter to the minister, the council's vice-president, David Chartrand, says an apology to veterans must happen soon because surviving veterans are nearing the end of their lives and "time is running out."

"Upon their return from the war, they were met with disrespect, then ignored, and never to receive the economic benefits and reintegration supports that they were promised," he wrote on Mar. 4.

"It is unfortunate there have been delays outside of our control. Yet, I cannot impress more upon you, your staff and your government how important this is to the Metis veterans."

The Manitoba Metis community recently lost another Second World War veteran who did not receive recognition and justice before his death, Chartrand said, adding Canada is indebted to Metis veterans for all they did.

The federal government and the Metis Nation were closing in on an agreement with the support of former veterans affairs minister Seamus O'Regan, Chartrand said.

O'Regan was moved out of the portfolio and into Indigenous Services during a January cabinet shuffle that has recently been the subject of much political controversy.

Jody Wilson-Raybould was moved out of the justice file to take over veterans affairs but she resigned from cabinet on Feb. 12, saying her removal from the justice file was because she was not willing to intervene to provide Quebec engineering giant SNC-Lavalin a remediation agreement  a kind of plea deal for companies to avoid criminal prosecution.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied that was the reason for the shuffle.

MacAulay's office said Sunday the minister plans to speak with Chartrand and the Metis National Council in the near future on the issue.

"He remains committed to appropriately recognizing Metis veterans for their courage, achievements and sacrifices that they have made in defence of Canada," the office said.

"We have been working closely with the Metis Nation and we will continue to work closely and expeditiously on the way forward in support of reconciliation."

Last week, Trudeau delivered an apology in Iqaluit to Inuit for the handling of tuberculosis between the 1940s and 1960s.

Many Inuit were sent south for treatment during this period and some never returned home and were buried in southern Canada. Their families were never told of their deaths, nor their final resting places.

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OTTAWA - Federal victims' ombudsman Heidi Illingworth is speaking out against what she says are worrying gaps in proposed legislation around victims' rights in the military justice system.

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This article was published 10/3/2019 (1004 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Heidi Illingworth, federal ombudsman for victims of crime, takes part in an interview at her office in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019. Illingworth is speaking out against what she says are worrying gaps in proposed legislation around victims' rights in the military justice system. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Federal victims' ombudsman Heidi Illingworth is speaking out against what she says are worrying gaps in proposed legislation around victims' rights in the military justice system.

The Senate is preparing to study a proposed declaration of rights for victims of military crimes after the House of Commons passed legislation late last month with minimal changes.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Illingworth says one of the main deficiencies is that the declaration does not require military police, prosecutors and others to inform victims of their rights.

It's also unclear in the proposed legislation exactly who is responsible for providing services to victims, she says, which raises the risk that victims will through the cracks.

The federal auditor general warned last fall the military had failed to support victims of sexual misconduct, with authorities often failing to tell them about available services or updating them about their cases.

The military says it is working to address the auditor general's concerns, but Illingworth says improving the proposed declaration would go a long way to assisting those efforts.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - In a story March 11 about the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft after a crash in Ethiopia, The Associated Press reported erroneously that China grounded its models of the same plane for nine hours. China's aviation authority ordered its airlines to ground their Boeing 737 8 Max jets within nine hours, or by 6 p.m.

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This article was published 10/3/2019 (1004 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Family members of the victims involved in a plane crash react at Addis Ababa international airport Sunday, March 10, 2019. An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 people thought to be on board, the airline and state broadcaster said, as anxious families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the destination, Nairobi. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - In a story March 11 about the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft after a crash in Ethiopia, The Associated Press reported erroneously that China grounded its models of the same plane for nine hours. China's aviation authority ordered its airlines to ground their Boeing 737 8 Max jets within nine hours, or by 6 p.m.

A corrected version of the story is below:

The Latest: Boeing model grounded in China after crash

China's civilian aviation authority has ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after one of the aircraft crashed in Ethiopia

The Latest on Ethiopian Airlines crash (all times local):

6 a.m.

China's civilian aviation authority has ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after one of the aircraft crashed in Ethiopia.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said the order is to take effect by 6 p.m. Monday.

It said the order was taken out of safety concerns because the Ethiopian crash was the second in similar circumstances since an Indonesian crash in October also killed everyone aboard.

It said further notice would be issued after consultation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing on safety measures taken.

Eight Chinese nationals were among the 157 people aboard the plane when it crashed Sunday shortly after takeoff.

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This story has been corrected to say Indonesia crash occurred in October.

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12:30 a.m.

The Norwegian Refugee Council says it is "deeply distressed" by the Ethiopian Airlines crash and that two colleagues are missing.

A statement says the two staffers had been scheduled to travel on the Sunday morning flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya.

The statement gives no further details.

All 157 people on the plane were killed.

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11:17 p.m.

The United Nations migration agency says the U.N. and its agencies on Monday will fly flags at half-staff after early indications show 19 employees of U.N.-affiliated organizations died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

A statement says the organizations include World Bank, International Telecommunications Union, the U.N. Environment Program and others.

The statement also says one of the migration agency's staffers died. Anne-Katrin Feigl was a German national who was en route to a training course in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the plane's destination.

All 157 people on board died minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

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11 p.m.

Nigeria's foreign affairs ministry says a former ambassador is among the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

A statement says Abiodun Oluremi Bashua was a retired career envoy who served in various capacities in Iran, Austria and Ivory Coast.

It says the ambassador, born in 1951, was a "seasoned U.N. expert" with experience in several United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa.

All 157 people died when the plane crashed minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa.

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10:30 p.m.

The World Food Program is confirming that two of the eight Italian victims aboard the Ethiopian Airlines jet worked for the Rome-based U.N. agency.

A WFP spokeswoman identified the victims as Virginia Chimenti and Maria Pilar Buzzetti.

Another three Italians worked for the Bergamo-based humanitarian agency Africa Tremila: Carlo Spini, his wife Gabriella Viggiani and the treasurer, Matteo Ravasio.

In addition, Paolo Dieci, a prominent aid advocate with the International Committee for the Development of Peoples, known by its acronym CISP, was killed.

Also among the Italian dead was Sebastiano Tusa, a noted underwater archaeologist and the Sicilian regional assessor at the Culture Ministry. RAI state television said he was heading to Malindi, Kenya to participate in a UNESCO conference on safeguarding underwater cultural heritage in east Africa, which opens Monday.

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10:15 p.m.

A U.N. official says the United Nations expects that about a dozen passengers affiliated with the world organization were on the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed outside Addis Ababa killing all 157 people on board, but it could be more.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Sunday that national delegates who might have been heading to U.N. meetings, including the U.N. Environment Program's assembly, wouldn't be included in the count.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said some colleagues were among the victims.

Earlier, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is "deeply saddened" by the crash that including U.N. staff members, according to a statement from U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who gave no details.

--By Edith M. Lederer

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10:10 p.m.

The father of a British woman named Joanna Toole has told the DevonLive website that he has been informed that she was among the people who died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

Adrian Toole said his 36-year-old daughter Joanna was travelling for her work for the United Nations.

He told the website she was a fervent environmentalist who had worked on animal welfare issues since she was a child.

He said "Joanna's work was not a job, it was her vocation."

Adrian Toole said his daughter used to bring home pigeons and rats in need of care and had travelled to the remote Faroe Islands to try to stop whaling there.

She is one of seven British nationals confirmed to have died in the crash.

According to her Facebook page, she worked for the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

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9:55 p.m.

Wreckage lies at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Sunday, March 10, 2019. The Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board, authorities said, as grieving families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the destination, Nairobi. (AP Photo)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is deeply saddened by the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, including 18 Canadians.

Trudeau said in a statement he joins the international community in mourning the lives of so many. He says the Canadian government is providing consular assistance and working with local authorities to gather further information.

He said he is reaching out to Kenya's president and Ethiopia's prime minister. The flight departed from Addis Ababa and was heading to Nairobi.

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9:40 p.m.

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the Ethiopian Airlines crash because there are French citizens among the 157 killed.

The prosecutor's office announced the decision Sunday, without elaborating. It is a standard procedure when French citizens are killed abroad.

The French government announced that eight French people are among the victims and opened a crisis centre for families of victims, but is not releasing the identities. The airline says seven French citizens are among the victims. The reason for the discrepancy isn't immediately clear in the chaos of the crash aftermath.

Separately, France's air accident authority, known as the BEA, said it would likely be involved in the Ethiopian-led investigation because French company Safran jointly manufactured the Boeing jet's engines along with General Electric.

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9:25 p.m.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says "it is with great sadness and shock" that refugee agency colleagues were among the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash.

A statement by Filppo Grandi says his office is working to confirm how many colleagues were on board the plane that crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.

Both cities are hubs for humanitarian workers.

The statement also says that "colleagues from the United Nations and other partners were also on board."

None of the 157 people on board survived.

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8:40 p.m.

The United Nations secretary-general says he is "deeply saddened" by the Ethiopian Airlines crash outside Addis Ababa and sends his sympathies to families of the victims, who include U.N. staff members.

The statement by the spokesman for Antonio Guterres gives no details on the victims but says the U.N. is working closely with Ethiopian authorities.

Ethiopian Airlines' list of 35 nationalities represented by the victims notes that one had a U.N. passport.

The plane was heading to Nairobi, where a U.N. environment summit starts on Monday.

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8:25 p.m.

Ethiopia's House of People's Representatives has declared Monday a national day of mourning for all 157 victims of Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office says the cause of the crash will be "communicated promptly to the public as updates come in."

The prime minister visited the crash site earlier Sunday, as did the airline's CEO. The plane had been en route to Nairobi.

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7:55 p.m.

Identities of the 157 victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash continue to emerge, along with condolences.

Many of the 35 countries that had victims are hurrying to confirm deaths and inform families.

The Russian Embassy in Ethiopia says the airline has identified the three Russians on board as Yekaterina Polyakova, Alexander Polyakov and Sergei Vyalikov. News reports identify the first two as husband and wife. State news agency RIA-Novosibirsk cites a consular official in Nairobi as saying all three were tourists.

Serbia's foreign ministry confirms that a citizen was among those killed but gives no details. Local media identify the man as 54-year-old Djordje Vdovic. The Vecernje Novosti daily reports that he worked at the World Food Program.

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7:50 p.m.

An Italian aid group that partners with UNICEF in northern Africa says one of its founders, Paolo Dieci, is among the dead in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

The International Committee for the Development of Peoples, known by its acronym CISP, in a statement said "the world of international co-operation has lost one of its most brilliant advocates and Italian civil society has lost a precious point of reference."

UNICEF Italia sent a tweet of condolences over Dieci's death. It noted that CISP was a UNICEF partner in Kenya, Libya and Algeria.

In all eight Italians were killed Sunday. Three belonged to the Bergamo-based humanitarian group Africa Tremila and one was the Sicily regional assessor to the culture ministry, officials said.

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7:40 p.m.

Germany's foreign ministry says "we must unfortunately assume that German citizens are also among the victims of the plane crash in Ethiopia."

Ethiopian Airlines' list of nationalities for 150 of the 157 people on board included five from Germany. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi on Sunday morning.

German officials didn't say how many Germans were believed to have been on board.

The ministry said German diplomats "are in close contact with Ethiopian Airlines and the Ethiopian authorities to get confirmed information as soon as possible."

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7:35 p.m.

A prominent Kenyan soccer official is believed to be among the 157 people killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash.

Hussein Swaleh, the former secretary general of the Kenyan soccer federation, was due to return home on the flight after working as the match commissioner in an African Champions League game in Egypt on Friday.

The plane was destined for the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, but crashed minutes after takeoff Sunday in Addis Ababa.

Kenyan soccer federation president Nick Mwendwa said Swaleh was one of the 32 Kenyan nationals on the flight. Mwendwa wrote on Twitter: "Sad day for football."

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7:25 p.m.

The United States confirms that Americans are among the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash outside Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.

A brief State Department statement says U.S. embassies in Addis Ababa and Nairobi are working with Ethiopia's government and Ethiopian Airlines "to offer all possible assistance."

The airline has said eight Americans were killed. All of the 157 people on board died.

The State Department says it will directly contact victims' family members and that "out of respect for the privacy of the families, we won't have any additional comments about the victims."

The airplane crash occurred around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the capital, Addis Ababa, shortly after taking off at 8:38 a.m.;

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7:10 p.m.

Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reports that the number of Ethiopian victims in Sunday's plane crash is 18 and their families have been notified.

Ethiopian Airlines had said nine Ethiopian passengers were killed. This new total includes the flight crew.

People from 35 countries were on the flight. All 157 people were killed.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash of the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane six minutes after it took off en route for Nairobi.

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7:05 p.m.

British officials have confirmed that seven British nationals have died in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

British ambassador to Ethiopia Alastair McPhail says in a video posted by the Foreign Office that embassy staff is working to get details.

The victims have not been named. The airline says all 157 on board were killed.

McPhail expressed condolences to the victims and urged people worried about loved ones to follow the Foreign Office's social media channels.

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7 p.m.

Austrian media report that three local doctors were among the passengers on board an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed near Addis Ababa shortly after taking off for Nairobi.

The Austria Press Agency quotes a spokesman for the country's foreign ministry, Peter Guschelbauer, saying the doctors were between 30 and 40 years old and worked at hospitals in Linz.

Guschelbauer, who couldn't immediately be reached for comment, told APA that the doctors were travelling to Zanzibar for professional purposes.

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6:55 p.m.

A Slovak lawmaker says his wife, daughter and son were killed in the crash of a passenger plane in Ethiopia.

Anton Hrnko with the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party says he is announcing "in deep grief" that his wife Blanka, son Martin and daughter Michala were among the 157 people killed outside Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.

President Andrej Kiska offered his condolences to Hrnko and the relatives of the fourth Slovak victim.

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6:50 p.m.

The mayor of the northern Italian city of Bergamo says three members of a local humanitarian organization, Africa Tremila, were aboard the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed after takeoff, killing all aboard.

Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said in a Facebook post that the president of the aid group, Carlo Spini, his wife and the treasurer, Matteo Ravasio, had been en route to South Sudan.

The foreign ministry says in all eight Italians were among the dead. They included the Sicilian regional assessor to the Culture Ministry, Sebastiano Tusa, according to the Sicilian regional president.

In a tweet, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said it was a day of pain for everyone: "We are united with the relatives of the victims and offer them our heartfelt thoughts."

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6:40 p.m.

Ethiopian Airlines says Ethiopian authorities, manufacturer Boeing and other international stakeholders will collaborate on an investigation into the cause of Sunday morning's crash after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

A new statement by the airline also says families of the 157 victims have been contacted and that remains will be returned to them once identified.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. The new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane had been en route to Nairobi. Victims came from 35 countries.

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6:30 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other senior German officials are sending Ethiopia their condolences following news of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane destined for Nairobi.

Merkel's spokeswoman Martina Fietz said Sunday on Twitter that the chancellor expressed her "deeply felt condolences and sympathy for the relatives of the victims."

Authorities in Ethiopia said all 157 people on board were killed in the crash. Five Germans were among the victims, said authorities.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier likewise issued statements of condolence.

Maas said Germany's embassy in Addis Ababa was in close contact with Ethiopian authorities.

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6:20 p.m.

As sunset approaches at the site of an Ethiopian Airlines crash, searchers and a bulldozer pick through the scattered remains of the plane.

No one survived the crash. Authorities say 157 people were on board, with 35 nationalities represented.

Red Cross and other personnel are scouring a vast area for remains and pieces of the plane, which disintegrated with no large segments remaining.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash. The jetliner, a new Boeing 737-8 MAX, showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post.

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5:35 p.m.

Ethiopian Airlines has issued a new list of crash victims that now includes German, Austrian, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Israeli citizens and others.

The new list shows 35 nationalities among the dead after the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi on Sunday morning. In all, 157 people were on board.

Five Germans were killed and three each from Russia, Austria and Sweden. Spain, Israel Morocco and Poland each lost two citizens.

Countries losing one citizen were Belgium, Djibouti, Indonesia, Ireland, Mozambique, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Serbia, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Nepal and Nigeria.

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5:15 p.m.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms that two Israeli citizens were among the 157 people killed in an Ethiopian Airlines crash outside Addis Ababa.

Netanyahu's office said he spoke with Israeli envoys who briefed him with details. Netanyahu says in a statement that "our hearts go out to their families."

More than 30 nationalities were among the victims.

Meanwhile, Slovakia's foreign ministry confirms authorities' earlier reports that four Slovak nationals were killed.

And a Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman says embassy staff are working to confirm that five citizens from the Netherlands are among the dead.

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5:10 p.m.

The Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday morning likely was carrying people set to attend a major United Nations environmental conference in Nairobi.

Authorities have said more than 30 nationalities were among the dead.

The U.N. Environment Assembly is set to begin on Monday in Kenya's capital, where the plane was headed.

French President Emmanuel Macron and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among those expected. U.N. Environment has said more than 4,700 heads of state, ministers, business leaders and others would attend.

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4:50 p.m.

Ethiopia's prime minister has visited the site of an Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people thought to be on board.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office says he expressed his "profound sadness" and ordered a full investigation and "all required support" to the families of the dead.

More than 30 nationalities were among the victims.

The plane en route to Nairobi crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa. The cause of the crash of the new Boeing 737-8 MAX is not yet known.

Images from the crash site show little left of the plane.

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4:20 p.m.

The new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday morning was one of 30 purchased and being delivered to the rapidly expanding airline.

A Boeing statement in July noted the delivery of the first plane.

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO says the plane that crashed with 157 people thought to be on board had been delivered in mid-November.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash just six minutes after takeoff en route to Nairobi. The CEO says the pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return.

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3:30 p.m.

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO and Kenya's transport minister say Canadians, Chinese, Americans and others are among the many nationalities among the victims of Sunday morning's deadly plane crash after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

Authorities earlier said 32 Kenyans and nine Ethiopians were killed. Now they add 18 Canadians; eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; five from the Netherlands and four each from India and Slovakia.

The airline has said 157 people were thought to be on board.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash of new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane shortly after takeoff from Bole Airport en route to Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

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2:45 p.m.

Ethiopian Airlines has published a photo that appears to show its CEO standing amid the wreckage of the plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

Little of the plane can be seen in the freshly churned earth.

The airline's social media post says that "Tewolde Gebremariam, who is at the accident scene now, regrets to confirm that there are no survivors. He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident."

The airline has said 157 people  149 passengers and 8 crew  are thought to have been on board the flight that crashed six minutes after takeoff en route to Nairobi.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash.

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1:50 p.m.

A spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines says the among the dead in the crash Sunday are 32 Kenyans and 17 Ethiopians. Asrat Begashaw said that 31 other nationalities were also among those on board the new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane that crashed, killing all the 157 people thought to be on the flight.

1:35 p.m.

Ethiopia's state broadcaster says all passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa are dead.

The airline has said 157 people were thought to be on board the flight to Nairobi on Sunday morning.

Broadcaster EBC says the passengers included 33 nationalities.

The cause of the crash of the new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane is not immediately known.

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1:10 p.m.

Records show that the Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane that crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi was a new one.

The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the plane, a Boeing 737-8 MAX, was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November.

The Ethiopian Airlines' statement says the 737-8 MAX crashed six minutes after takeoff, with 157 people thought to be on board.

The cause of the crash is not immediately known.

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11:45 a.m.

Ethiopian Airlines says it believes 149 passengers and eight crew members were on board a plane that crashed six minutes after taking off from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on a flight to Nairobi.

A statement from the airline on Sunday morning said the Boeing 737 crashed around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of the capital, shortly after taking off at 8:38 a.m. local time.

The airline statement said "search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties."

The Ethiopian prime minister's office in a separate, earlier statement offered condolences to families.

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11:33 a.m.

The Ethiopian prime minister's office says an Ethiopian Airlines plane has crashed on its way to Nairobi, with deaths reported.

The office issued a statement Sunday morning saying the Boeing 737 was on a regularly scheduled flight when it crashed. The statement gave no details.

A spokesman for the airline confirmed the plane crashed while heading from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. It is not yet clear where the crash occurred. The airline has not issued a statement.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.
Irish diplomats are expected to travel to Syria in the coming days after it emerged an Irish woman is being detained in the country.

37-year-old Lisa Smith, from Dundalk in County Louth, is being held at a camp there after being picked up by US forces.

She is being held along with her two-year-old son.

The former member of the Irish Defence Forces travelled to war-torn country in 2015.

Irish soldier held in Syria worked on Government jet

By Sean O'Riordan

A former female Defence Forces soldier arrested in Syria on suspicion of joining Islamic State (IS) also served in the Air Corps, where she helped work on the government jet.

The woman, believed to be in her 30s, was reportedly detained in northern Syria a few days ago.

Shes believed to be the first former member of the Defence Forces to have gone on to join IS, although it is well known that a number of former soldiers defected to the Provisional IRA in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The woman, who is believed to have married a Tunisian and has a young child, was detained a few days ago by forces fighting the last remnants of IS in the region and is understood to want to return to Ireland.

According to a well- informed source, the woman first worked as a private in the Irish Army, before transferring to the Air Corps. She is a native of one of the border counties and left the Defence Forces around five years ago.

Its understood that it was around this time that she began to be radicalised and she is said to have left for Syria in 2016. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said they were aware of reports of an Irish passport-holder being detained in Syria.

Appropriate consular assistance is provided to all Irish citizens where it is possible to do so, the spokesman added.

The Defence Forces press office said it couldnt comment on the arrest as it didnt yet have all the facts to hand. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar recently said Ireland would take back extremists or sympathisers who have travelled to war-torn regions as we shouldnt expect our citizens to be somebody elses problem.

He added hed be loath to revoke anyones citizenship provided they are a citizen by right or acquired their citizenship appropriately.

Last January Alexandr Bekmirzaev, 45, who was born in Uzbekistan and then moved to Belarus, was arrested in Syria on suspicion of fighting for IS, which he denied. He was granted an Irish passport in 2010.
The Irish person who was among the 157 people on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight has been named as Michael Ryan from Lahinch Co Clare.

According to RTE, a UN World Food Programme spokesperson confirmed the identity of Mr Ryan, who was working as an engineer with the programme, was on board the aircraft when it crashed.

They have also said that they have been in touch with Mr Ryan's family and offer their deepest condolences.

One Irish person among 157 dead after Ethiopian Airlines plane crash

By Marita Maloney

One Irish person has died in today's Ethiopian Airlines plane crash which occurred shortly after taking off for Nairobi.

The airline confirmed that an Irish citizen was on board in a press conference today.

The company's CEO said that there was "one Irish passport holder" on the flight.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it is "aware of the incident, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested.

The airline said there were no survivors of the crash and that 157 people, 149 passengers and eight crew members, were on board.

Passengers from at least 30 countries were on the flight which was travelling from Addis Ababa to the Kenyan capital.

Among the fatalities were: 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese citizens, eight Americans, seven Britons, seven French nationals, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Slovakians, three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Polish citizens, and two Israelis.

There was one person on board from Belgium, Indonesia, Somalia, Norway, Serbia, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen.

Four passengers were listed as using United Nations passports and their nationalities were not immediately clear.

The cause of the crash of the new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane was not immediately known.

The aircraft took off at 08:38am local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44am.

A statement by the Ethiopian prime minister's office offered its "deepest condolences" to families.

The Irish Embassy in Kenya said in a Tweet that it was a "dreadfully tragic accident".

Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those who have lost their lives today in this dreadfully tragic accident @dfatirl https://t.co/FXfwjKN3BQ  Embassy of Ireland (@IrlEmbKenya) March 10, 2019

Additional reporting PA
Update: Sarah Reilly has been found safe and well.

Earlier: Gardai are asking for help to find a teenage girl who has been missing for five days.

15-year-old Sarah Reilly has been missing from her home in Ballinteer, Dublin 16, since Monday, March 4.

Sarah is described as being five foot five inches tall, with long brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen Sarah was wearing a white hoodie and white runners with ripped jeans.

Gardai said she is known to frequent Dublin city centre and the Ballyfermot area of Dublin.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardai at Dundrum Garda Station on 01 666-5600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
Mullingar in Co Westmeath has been revealed as the host of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann next year.

The town has been chosen by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann to hold the traditional Irish music, language, song and dance event.

The announcement comes after a meeting of its Ard Comhairle in Monkstown in Dublin last night.

The last time Mullingar hosted the Fleadh was in 1963 and it is expected to generate over 50m for the local economy.

Joe Connaire, Chairperson of Westmeath Comhaltas, said they were "deeply honoured and humbled" to have their town chosen to host the event.

"We are bringing the Fleadh back to its roots, back to where it all began, and back to where our great organisation was founded," he said.

"Our bid was founded on positivity from the start. Through our regular public meetings, we have built up a momentum to gain the full backing of the people of Mullingar and the wider community.

"We have been committed to planning a world-class cultural festival, drawing on and cultivating our significant musical traditions in Mullingar, and particular strengths in traditional singing and dancing, and renewing our links with the founding members of Comhaltas, many of whom were from Westmeath," he said.

Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2020 will take place from August 2 to August 9.

This year's Fleadh will be held in Drogheda, Co Louth again this year from Agust 11 to Agust 18.
Protestors have targeted the home of Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe as part of an ongoing "bring it to their door" campaign.

Business Minister Heather Humphreys has condemned the protest, which follows similar pickets outside the family homes of Ministers Simon Harris and Richard Bruton.
Latest: All passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa are dead, the airline has confirmed.

The company has said 157 people were on board the flight to Nairobi in Kenya, including one Irish citizen.

The spokesperson confirmed the fatalities following a visit of the airline's CEO to the scene of the accident.

Passengers from over 30 countries were on the flight.

The cause of the crash of the new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane was not immediately known.

The plane had showed unstable vertical speed after take-off, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility was clear.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions to become the gateway to the continent.

The crash occurred around 31 miles south of the capital, shortly after taking off, the airline said.

A statement by the Ethiopian prime minister's office offered its "deepest condolences" to families.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

Today's crash comes as the country's reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

Authorities said other victims include 18 Canadians; eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; five from the Netherlands and four each from India and Slovakia. Spains foreign ministry said two Spanish nationals were on the passenger list.

The pilot was a senior one, joining the airline in 2010, he said.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was one of 30 being delivered to the airline, Boeing said in a statement in July when the first was delivered.

In a statement, Boeing said it was deeply saddened to hear of the crash and that a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new "Airport City" terminal in Bishoftu - where Sunday's crash occurred.

Records show that the Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane that crashed was a new one.

The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the plane was delivered to the airline in mid-November.

"My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board," said Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Earlier: Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes en route to Nairobi with 157 people on board

File image

An Ethiopian Airlines flight has crashed on its way to Nairobi, with deaths being reported, the Ethiopian prime minister's office said.

It is understood that there were 149 passengers and 8 crew on board the flight.

The flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in "an accident" around Bishoftu today, a spokesperson for Ethiopian Airlines said.

The aircraft took off at 08:38am local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44am.

Search and rescue operations are in progress the airline could not confirm any information about survivors or any possible causalities.

PA & Digital Desk
The Talking Heads album, Remain In Light, along with the too rarely remembered album, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, made roughly concurrently by Heads man David Byrne and Remain In Lights producer Brian Eno, brought together New Yorks anxious post-punk, Middle Americas religious heart and West Africas rhythms and drive  particularly that of Nigerian Fela Kuti.

It wasnt just exciting, physical music; for western music ears in 1980 it was as important as Paul SimonsGraceland would be six years later (and Miriam Makeba, two decades earlier), in opening paths to exploring, understanding  and exploiting - some of the cultures on a continent too long ignored.

Angelique Kidjo Credit:Edwina Pickles

Nearly 40 years on, Benins most famous musical figure, Angelique Kidjo  who calls the South African Makeba her "musical mother" and found fame in the early '90s mixing traditional and Euro-dance styles - has reversed the flow somewhat, taking on Remain In Light in her own image, in a show which was only stopped from being a joyous all night dance by the slow-to-get-up-and-then-stay-up audience.

The upside of that may be that the album now comes with a more relaxed tenor (the tension-free Once In A Lifetime and a busy rather than urgent Crosseyed And Painless), some lighter rhythms (the almost gentleBorn Under Punches, with a dancing rather than probing guitar) and a sense of celebration (The Great Curve, a nuanced paen to women and potential, and the best realised Talking Heads song of the night), augmented not just by Kidjos jubilantAfirika, celebratory Tumba and contemplative Cauri but her flair, vibrant dancing and connection to us.
News outlet BuzzFeed has abandoned its truth defence to claims Emma Husar is "a slut who boasts about who she has had sex with", in a major win for the Labor MP in her court battle against the company.

Ms Husar, 38, the federal member for Lindsay, is suing BuzzFeed and its former political reporter Alice Workman for defamation in the Federal Court over a story, tweet and Facebook post on August 2 last year detailing allegations of misconduct made against her by staff members.

Emma Husar leaves the Federal Court in February. Credit:AAP

She claims BuzzFeed conveyed a range of false and defamatory allegations about her, including that she is "a slut who boasts about who she has had sex with, which includes other members of Parliament and members of her staff".

BuzzFeed says it did not use the word "slut" and the publications do not convey that imputation, but had nevertheless sought to rely on a defence of truth if the court found those claims had been made.
Mal Lanyon hit the NSW Police big time two months ago when he was appointed a Deputy Commissioner. Its nice to see the police operate such a family-friendly workplace  his other half has now moved just down the hall!

The acting manager of Police Commissioner Mick Fuller's Executive Advisory Unit is the partner of one of his deputies. Credit:Shakespeare

As we reported in November, one of the most senior managers in the office of Police Commissioner Mick Fuller was marched out after being charged with impersonating a cop while trying to ingratiate himself with the management of Darlinghurst nightclub Arq.

His removal left a position vacant at the very top of the executive advisory unit, which provides governance and policy advice to the top cop brass.

That position has now been awarded to Kelly Langley, a highly-regarded policewoman who by coincidence is  Mrs Mal Lanyon.
Rachael Natoli moved to Australia in 2007 after a holiday romance, ready to start a family and a new life with a new Australian partner.

Instead she found herself deep in an emotionally, physically, financially and sexually abusive relationship, "miserable and isolated," and the mother of twin boys.

Rachael Natoli is a survivor of domestic and family violence and the founder of The Lokahi Foundation.

"I was a shadow of my former self. I had no family here. The only person I knew was in Melbourne and he made sure that relationship was destroyed ... there was no one I could confide in or trust," she said.

It would be seven years before she found the strength to leave and armed with an apprehended domestic violence order and two two-year-old boys in tow, the now single mother moved between five different homes in seven weeks in search of a life after family violence.
The two Federal leaders were in campaign mode for their respective NSW state leaders on Sunday, except only one was officially invited on stage to publically endorse the candidate.

Bill Shorten was first up at NSW Labor's campaign launch at Revesby Workers Club on Sunday morning, delivering a keynote speech ahead of Michael Daley's address.

Bill Shorten at the NSW Labor election launch at Revesby Workers Club. Credit:Christopher Pearce

He described Mr Daley as a "great bloke" who will always stand up for people.

"He is a man who loves his family and loves the community and genuinely cares about helping people," Mr Shorten said.
It's been three months and 14 days since registered nurse Solita Honorio was struck and seriously injured by a passing car while driving out of the Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane's north.

Rushed to hospital, she died several days later on November 30, 2018.

Solita Honorio died in November days after a traffic crash outside Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside. Credit:Facebook

Her death has led to renewed calls for road safety upgrades and the installation of traffic lights on Hamilton Road, Chermside, outside the hospital.

At a community event held on Sunday, friends from Ms Honorio's church choir sang in her honour, while her best friend Pamela spoke of their friendship, born from a shared faith and a love of adventures.
Queensland graziers whose cattle was washed away, fences buried and stations ravaged by floodwaters last month are slowly rising from the mud.

After almost a decade gripped by brutal drought, the barren landscape is now coming to life as feed pushes up through the soil.

Trapped and dead livestock near flood-ravaged Julia Creek in north-west Queensland last month. Credit:Rae Stretton - Supplied

But after losing almost everything in the flood, grazier Corbert Tritton says farmers like him want more rain.

"We've got grass, but it's amazing how quickly it dries off," he told AAP.
A second measles warning has been issued after an infected person visited popular locations south-east of Brisbane.

The person was likely to be infectious while visiting the Redlands area earlier this month.

South-east Queenslanders are being warned to look out for symptoms of measles. Credit:Shutterstock

Affected areas include Cleveland Farmers Markets between 8am and 10am and Wellington Point Park between 3pm and 5pm on March 3 and Capalaba Central's Woolworths between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on March 6.

The warning came after Queensland Health on Friday called for passengers from an Emirates flight from Dubai to check for symptoms after a person on the plane was found to be infectious.
Police are working to track the movements of two cars following the fatal stabbing of a man who was dropped at a Brisbane hospital overnight

A woman drove the 42-year-old Mount Gravatt man to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital in Coopers Plains about 10.30pm on Saturday night, alerting medical staff that he needed help before leaving.

Police and State Emergency Service officers at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Wishart, on Brisbane's southside, Sunday, March 10, 2019. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia

The man died in hospital just after midnight from "significant" injuries, while police established a crime scene at Lani Street in Wishart in Brisbane's south-east.

A large-scale search was underway on Sunday afternoon involving SES and specialist police including divers. Several items were seized.
A man has been charged with murder over a fatal shooting in south-east Melbourne.

Detectives from the homicide squad arrested a 19-year-old man in Dandenong about 11.20am on Monday, about 12 hours after emergency services were called to Springvale Road in Springvale just before midnight on Sunday.

A man, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. He was found with a single gunshot wound.

A 19-year-old was arrested on Monday morning and he was later charged with one count of murder.
Essendon couple Trevor Salvado and Jacinda Bohan failed to return from a bushwalk in Victorias high country on Friday. Credit:ninevms

The search for an Essendon couple missing in Victoria's high country has been called off for the night, three days since they were last seen.

A police-led search on foot, helicopter and horseback has failed to find Trevor Salvado, 60, and Jacinda Bohan, 58, who haven't been seen since they left to go hiking on Mount Buffalo on Friday morning.

The missing couple are described as experienced hikers.
A man died after his black Holden sedan lost control and crashed into a parked car in Clayton South on Sunday.

The death of the driver, who was the only person in the car, comes after a horror night on Victoria's roads, which has left another man fighting for his life and three others in hospital with serious injuries.

In a separate accident in Toolern Vale, north-west of Melbourne on Saturday night, three people were left with serious injuries after a two cars collided on the Melton Highway.

Police believe a black Subaru RX was driving at high speed, when it collided head-on with an oncoming silver Ford station wagon about 10.20pm.

The two male occupants of the Ford, both French nationals aged in their late 20s, were transported to hospital for treatment.
Punters have all but given up on Scott Morrison leading the Coalition to victory at the election, predicting Labor will sweep the nation and command a parliament that may not include Tony Abbott.

Since November, odds across a string of electorates have swung towards Labor, with betting agency Sportsbet now installing ALP candidates as favourites in 24 Coalition-held electorates.

When Sportsbet opened seat-by-seat betting in August, Labor was in front in 10 Coalition-held electorates, which would give Bill Shorten a three seat majority in the 151-member House.
NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has headlined his pitch to voters with new funding commitments in education, health and water security, as he doubled down on Labor's opposition to the government's Sydney's stadium policy.

Launching Labor's election campaign at Revesby Workers Club in western Sydney on Sunday, Mr Daley declared his team was "united, ready, willing and able to govern", as he repeated his central pitch that Labor "will put schools and hospitals before Sydney stadiums."

Michael Daley at the NSW Labor election launch at Revesby Workers Club on Sunday. Credit:Christopher Pearce

"We can win this election," Mr Daley said. "Were ready because unlike the Liberals and Nationals were listening to the people of NSW."

The launch coincided with a new state-wide poll showing Labor had edged in front of the Liberals 51 to 49 on a two-party preferred basis with less than two weeks until election day.
New York: When an aircraft carrying 157 people crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday, killing all aboard, it was the second time in less than six months that this particular plane model was involved in a catastrophic accident.

The plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, was the same model that crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189 people.

The Boeing 737 MAX airplane Credit:Bloomberg

In both cases, brand new planes faltered minutes after take-off and plunged into a deadly descent, leaving no survivors.

The investigation into both cases is continuing, but the latest crash renewed questions about the safety of the 737 MAX, which Boeing unveiled in 2017 and sold as a fuel-efficient, technologically advanced upgrade to its popular 737.
Moscow: Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Moscow and two other Russian cities to rally against tighter internet restrictions.

Demonstrators at the Free Internet rally in Moscow protest against a Russian government bill calling for all internet traffic to be routed through servers in Russia  making VPNs ineffective. Credit:AP

Lawmakers last month backed tighter internet controls contained in legislation they say is necessary to prevent foreign meddling in Russia's affairs, but some Russian media likened it to an online "iron curtain" and critics say it can be used to stifle dissent.

People gathered in a cordoned off Prospekt Sakharova in Moscow on Sunday, made speeches on a stage and chanted slogans such as "hands off the internet" and "no to isolation, stop breaking the Russian internet".

The rally gathered around 15,300 people, according to White Counter, an NGO that counts participants at rallies. Moscow police put the numbers at 6500.
Golan Heights: Benny Gantz stood on the ridge and peered through the mist towards the Syrian border below as reporters waited anxiously to catch a word with the ex-army general now favourite to lead Israel.

But when Gantz finally spoke on the Golan, the territory captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war, he offered nothing new.

What is more, Gantz quickly sped off after his short speech without taking questions, to the disappointment of the journalists who had waited in the rain to speak to him only to be left empty-handed - again.

Less than five weeks ahead of the April 9 elections, Israelis still know little about the man who hopes to lead them into a post-Netanyahu era. Gantz, 59, has so far made only two speeches and given a single interview.
Caracas: Thousands of opposition supporters have marched to central Caracas, defying a government ban on rallies in the Venezuelan capital's core and testing a heavy police presence as the country struggled to emerge from its worst blackout in recent memory.

Clashes between police and protesters were reported early on Saturday, but a cordon of officers stepped aside to allow the demonstrators to rally and hear from opposition leader Juan Guaido.

"We have to conquer public spaces in a peaceful manner," Guaido, standing atop a car, declared through a megaphone. "We have to prepare ourselves for very tough times."

Power was intermittent in Caracas on Saturday, two days after the country went dark, and it remained off in large portions of the country's west. Much of the country's telecommunications network was offline after another power failure on Saturday, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group. State utility workers say it will take days to fully restore the national grid.
Latest News Thinktank prices record $750m issue Deal is thought to be the largest ever priced in Australia

AFG announces new strategic partnerships manager Experienced former Westpac and BoM channel expert joins to assist broker network

The head of an aggregation firm has urged brokers to keep the faith in the fight to save trail, after senior politicians pledged they were working to secure a strong and vibrant future for the industry.

Loan Market executive chairman Sam White, along with Loan Market Ellenbrooks Brett and Tania Richardson, attended an industry gathering in Perth last week, during which Prime Minister Scott Morrison reassured attendees that he, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Attorney-general Christian Porter, were working to secure the future viability of the broker channel.

Following the event, White had a private meeting with the politicians.

Whats become clear is that the work brokers have done, advocating and educating politicians, is working, White said.

We have been really heartened by how many politicians are listening to how we work and the value we provide. In particular we found that the Attorney-general to be aware of the current structure of our industry and the challenges that may be posed to it by Labors policy.

The Prime Minister understands the crucial role brokers play in the communities, he added.

During the event, Morrison acknowledged the competitive edge brokers have brought to the home loan market.

These are community-based businesses, basically looking after their communities when dealing with the banks. Their clients are their neighbours, he said.

Were going to keep working with you guys about how to get the right answer here, but know that the answer is going to be based on ensuring you have a strong and vibrant future in the industry, he added.

White has urged brokers to continue the momentum that has gathered over the last month

I encourage everyone to continue this great work educating their MPs and communities right up to the election - maintain the rage. When combined with the tireless efforts of both MFAA and FBAA, I continue to be confident in the viability and sustainability and our ability to continue to deliver great outcomes, White said.
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Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (MP) has recounted the tremendous constraints that Ghana has faced and the remarkable progress it has experienced across sectors, since independence, acknowledging the numerous friends and partners who have supported the country in this journey.



She was addressing a section of the Ghanaian community as well as the diplomatic and business communities at the anniversary celebration of Ghanas 62nd Independence in London.



The Hon. Minister was particularly enthusiastic about gains made in the trade and investment sector, applauding growing relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom saying, it is transitioning from aid dependence to one of trade and economic partnership.



The growing relations between the two countries has seen the inauguration of the United Kingdom/Ghana Business Council, informing the signing of a communique.



This according to the Hon. Minister would further boost the trade and investment relations between the two countries and prepare the grounds for improved relations as the Brexit negotiations approaches closure.



On tourism, Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey encouraged Ghanaians in the diaspora, people of African descent and all well-wishers and lovers of freedom to support the commitment of ensuring that the bolts on Ghanas history would never recur.



She encouraged Ghanaians to take advantage of the 2019 Year of Return Celebrations and to see at first hand, developments taking place in the country. I am hopeful that participating in this event will enable many of our compatriots to take the bold step of moving back home and contributing to the development of our motherland said the Hon. Minister.



Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey used the occasion to announce the decision of Government of Ghana to review downwards, Visa Fees in the United Kingdom (UK), a move that is expected to be replicated across Ghana Missions around the globe.



Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Papa Owusu Ankomah said his outfit had taken steps to reduce to the barest minimum the involvement of Ghanaians in criminal activities in the UK, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two countries.



The UKs envoy to the Commonwealth, Philip Parnham could not agree more, when he took his turn to address the gathering. He was full of praise for Ghanas role in supporting not only the UK but the Commonwealth values of democracy and good governance as well as peace, mutual understanding and reconciliation which underscores the theme for the 2019 Independence celebration.



Ghanas 62nd Independence celebration as commemorated in the United Kingdom (UK) also showcased the rich Ghanaian culture through food, performances and regalia.

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
An Ethiopian Airlines jet has crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, killing all on board. The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were on flight ET302 from the Ethiopian capital to Nairobi in Kenya.



It said 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, eight Americans and seven British nationals were among the passengers.



The crash happened at 08:44 local time, six minutes after the months-old Boeing 737 Max-8 took off.



The cause of the disaster is not yet clear. However, the pilot had reported difficulties and had asked to return to Addis Ababa, the airline said.



"At this stage, we cannot rule out anything," Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.



"We cannot also attribute the cause to anything because we will have to comply with the international regulation to wait for the investigation."



Visibility was said to be good but air traffic monitor Flightradar24 reported that the plane's "vertical speed was unstable after take-off".



An eyewitness at the scene told the BBC there was an intense fire as the aircraft hit the ground.



"The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn't get near it," he said. "Everything is burnt down."



First word of the crash came when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his "deepest condolences" on Twitter. The airline said that search and rescue operations were under way near the crash site around the town of Bishoftu, which is 60km (37 miles) south-east of the capital.



Who are the victims?

Mr Gebremariam told the news conference that passengers from more than 30 countries were on board the flight.



He said they included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese, eight Americans, seven Britons, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians and four people from Slovakia.



Slovak MP Anton Hrnko later confirmed via Facebook that his wife and two children were on the plane.



Three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Poles and two Israelis were also on the flight.



Image captionThe crash site is around 60km (37 miles) south-east of the Ethiopian capital

There was also one passenger each from Belgium, Indonesia, Somalia, Norway, Serbia, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen.



Four people held United Nations passports, the airline said, and it believed some passengers could have been heading to a session of the UN Environment Assembly which begins in Nairobi on Monday.



The pilot was named as Senior Captain Yared Getachew who had a "commendable performance" with more than 8,000 hours in the air, the airline said.



The plane's First Officer Ahmed Nur Mohammod Nur had 200 flight hours, it added.



What do we know about the plane?

The 737 Max-8 aircraft is relatively new to the skies, having been launched in 2016. It was added to the Ethiopian Airlines fleet in July last year.



Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" by the crash and offered to send a team to provide technical assistance.



Another plane of the same model was involved in a crash five months ago, when a Lion Air flight crashed into the sea near Indonesia with nearly 190 people on board.



The victims by Nationality:

32 Kenyans

18 Canadians

9 Ethiopians

8 Chinese

8 Italians

8 Americans

7 French

7 British

6 Egyptians

5 Dutch

4 Indians

3 Russians

2 Moroccans

2 Israelis

1 Belgian

1 Ugandan

1Yemeni

1 Sudanese

1Togolese

1 Mozambican

1Norwegian

4 UN passports holders.

Source: BBC









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
With fugitive scamster Mehul Choksi incorporating a company in London after calling himself a Belgian citizen, the Congress on Sunday accused the Modi government of trying to shield him by not seeking his extradition from either the UAE or Belgium with which India has treaties.

Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera showed documents revealing that Choksi on March 7 applied for incorporating his company "Reh Venture LLP" in London wherein he has claimed to be a Belgium citizen and given his principal address to be "Miloni Gems, Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)".

Pointing out that India has extradition treaties with both Belgium and the UAE, Khera demanded to know why were the Indian investigating agencies trying to get Choksi from Antigua, a country with which India has no extradition treaty.

"Choksi clearly states that he is a citizen of Belgium, with which India has an extradition treaty. He gives his principal address as Dubai in UAE, a country with which we have an extradition treaty. So why are the Indian agencies trying to look for him in Antigua where he neither lives nor has citizenship?" asked Khera.

The Congress spokesman asked if the Indian agencies intentionally did not act to save Choksi, a prime accused in the multi-million rupee Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

"Choksi, against whom the Modi government claims to have issued a Red Corner Notice, just three days back, opens a shell company and the Indian agencies have no clue about it.

"The question is whether the UK provided the information and the agencies intentionally did not act or the UK authorities did not inform the Indian authorities despite a Red Corner Notice."

Accusing Prime Minister Modi and his government of assisting "fraudsters" like Choksi and Nirav Modi to "loot and scoot", Khera accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of failing to nab the absconders.

"Are the ED and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) blissfully unaware of this? If not why haven't they requested Belgium for an extradition? This points to a major intelligence failure by the Modi government if they aren't even aware of his nationality."

--IANS

and/pg/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK has entered into an electoral pact with actor-politician Vijayakanth's DMDK, which contest four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, Deputy Chief Minister and party Coordinator O. Panneerselvam said on Sunday.

Announcing the tie-up, he said the DMDK will also support his party in the by-elections for 21 Assembly constituencies.

He said though the Election Commission has announced by-elections only for 18 assembly constituencies along with the Lok Sabha polls, the DMDK will support the AIADMK whenever the bypolls are held for the remaining three seats.

Panneerselvam said the constituency allocation will be made to the alliance parties after mutual discussions.

DMDK Treasurer Premalatha said the alliance will continue even for the local body elections in Tamil Nadu.

--IANS

vj/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday called for an end to politicization of the armed forces for political gains.

Welcoming the directive of the Election Commission (EC) against use of pictures relating to defence personnel for election propaganda or campaigning, Amarinder said "earning brownie points through politicization of forces was as wrong".

In a statement here, Amarinder, who served in the Army as a Captain in the 1960s, said: "It is good that the EC had taken note of the shameful practice of using such photographs for electoral gains, especially in the wake of the recent IAF air strikes across the LoC (Line of Control). Political parties should desist also from any attempt to politicize the forces.

"The armed forces are above all petty considerations such as caste, religion or political affiliations and need to be kept so if India is to remain an independent sovereign power," said the Chief Minister, who is himself a strong advocate of freedom to the armed forces to handle all sensitive situations at the border as they deem fit.

Any political interference in the functioning of the forces would be highly detrimental to the security and the larger interest of the nation and its people, Amarinder said.

"Political control of the armed forces could have devastating effects on a country and its future, as much as interference by the forces could have on its polity," he said, warning political parties "not to make the mistake which some other nations had done to their peril".

The armed forces are a vital institution of our country and any erosion in their authority could be dangerous to the safety and security of our people, he warned.

The EC had on Saturday issued an advisory to all national and state political parties of the country, asking them to refrain from display of photographs of defence personnel or photographs of functions involving defence personnel in advertisements, or otherwise, as part of their election propaganda or campaigning.

--IANS

js/pgh/bc

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEWSALERT-UK-JOHNSON-BABY UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and wife Carrie announce the birth of a baby girl, their second child. (AP)UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and wife Carrie announce the birth of a baby girl, their second child. (AP)



AMS
Admiral L Ramdas (retd) LARA - RAMU FARM

PVSM AVSM VrC VSM Village Bhaimala

Former Chief of the Naval Staff P.O.Kamarle. Alibag,

Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar PIN 402201

Magsaysay Awardee for Peace Tel 02141-248711

Tel 02141-248733

Mob 9860170960/ 9422383930



06.03.2019

Shri Sunil Arora,

Chief Election Commissioner of India,

Nirvachan Sadan,

Ashoka Road,

New Delhi a 110001

Sub : Stop Politicization of Armed Forces by Political Parties

Dear Sir,

On behalf of a number of my colleagues from the armed forces veterans, this is Admiral L Ramdas a a former Chief of the Naval Staff a writing to share some of my concerns regarding recent instances of using the Armed Forces for political gains, especially in the aftermath of both Pulwama and the strikes in Balakot and the shooting down, capture and repatriation of an Indian Air Force pilot.

I am sure that you are well aware that the Armed Forces have always prided themselves on belonging to a structure, an ethos and environment which has been both a-political and secular. With elections due a few weeks from now, it is particularly important that there should not be any misuse of these recent events by any political party to send triumphalist or jingoistic messages which can influence the electorate.

And it is in this context that as a responsible citizen and a proud veteran of the Indian Armed Forces, I share our collective sense of dismay and deep concern at how some political parties are brazenly pushing their agenda using images, uniforms and other examples, showing pictures of the armed forces with political figures, in public spaces, in media, election rallies and so on.

This is completely unacceptable since it has the potential to destroy the very foundations and value system of our armed forces, drawn from the vision, the spirit and intent of the Indian Constitution.

We, therefore, urge the Election Commission to immediately intervene and send a strong message to the political parties that there should be no misuse of the photographs as indeed any other material/reports or other information pertaining to the armed forces for electioneering in any way.

Just as an example of what is happening, please browse through the links below. (The authenticity of these need to be verified at your end.)

An image of the poster posted at Colaba, Mumbai, is also attached. [This was subsequently taken down overnight after a local citizens group raised an objection.]

https://www.jansatta.com/trending-news/social-media-users-troll-bjp-photo-abhinandan-varthman-poster-narendra-modi-leaders-loksabha-election-2019/932815/

Photo of a poster by a political party using the image of serving officer [Photo carried in Jansatta]

Looking forward to immediate action on this matter by the Honourable Election Commission. In the interest of time, I have not circulated this open letter for more signatures, although many veterans are duly agitated by these attempts to compromise the integrity and secular nature of the Indian Armed Forces.

Thanking you,

Yours Truly,

L Ramdas

Former Chief of the Naval Staff
Nine policemen have been killed in a militant attack in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict.

The attack late Saturday took place in Yoetayoke village, just an hour north of Rakhine state's capital Sittwe.

"Nine police were killed, one was injured and another one is missing," a senior police officer told AFP, not wanting to be named.

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Scientists say they have developed a new quantum sensor that can outperform existing technologies and promises significant advancements in long-range 3D imaging and monitoring the success of cancer treatments.

The sensors developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada are the first of their kind and are based on semiconductor nanowires that can detect single particles of light with high timing resolution, speed and efficiency over an unparalled wavelength range, from ultraviolet to near-infrared.

The technology, described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, also has the ability to significantly improve quantum communication and remote sensing capabilities.

"A sensor needs to be very efficient at detecting light. In applications like quantum radar, surveillance, and night-time operation, very few particles of light return to the device," said principal investigator Michael Reimer, an assistant professor at Waterloo.

"In these cases, you want to be able to detect every single photon coming in," Reimer said in a statement.

The next generation quantum sensor designed in Reimer's lab is so fast and efficient that it can absorb and detect a single particle of light, called a photon, and refresh for the next one within nanoseconds.

The researchers created an array of tapered nanowires that turn incoming photons into electric current that can be amplified and detected.

Remote sensing, high-speed imaging from space, acquiring long range high resolution 3D images, quantum communication, and singlet oxygen detection for dose monitoring in cancer treatment are all applications that could benefit from the kind of robust single photon detection that this new quantum sensor provides.

The semiconducting nanowire array achieves its high speed, timing resolution and efficiency thanks to the quality of its materials, the number of nanowires, doping profile and the optimization of the nanowire shape and arrangement.

The sensor detects a broad spectrum of light with high efficiency and high timing resolution, all while operating at room temperature. Reimer emphasizes that the spectrum absorption can be broadened even further with different materials.

"This device uses Indium Phosphide (InP) nanowires. Changing the material to Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs), for example, can extend the bandwidth even further towards telecommunications wavelengths while maintaining performance," Reimer said.

"It's state of the art now, with the potential for further enhancements, he said.

Once the prototype is packaged with the right electronics and portable cooling, the sensor is ready for testing beyond the lab.

"A broad range of industries and research fields will benefit from a quantum sensor with these capabilities," said Reimer.

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Over 4.47 crore electors are eligible to cast their votes for 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, elections to which will be held on April 23, state Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishna said here Sunday.

Notification for the election will be issued on March 28 and candidates can fill nomination forms between March 28 and April 4, Krishna told reporters.

Scrutiny of nomination forms will be held on April 5, and candidates can withdraw their nomination forms by April 8, he said, adding that the model of conduct had now come into force.

"There are around 4.47 crore voters in the state. Votes will be cast across 51,709 booths. Of these 4,47,464,179 voters, 2,32,56,688 are men and 2,14,88,437 women," he said.

He said bypolls would also be held during this period though the state election commission had not yet received any notification regarding them.

Krishna said voters can use toll-free number 1950 to get information regarding polls, voting, and also to register violations of the model code of conduct.

A mobile application called Voter Helpline has also been launched to act as a single point of service and delivery to voters.

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Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas appointed long-time ally Mohammad Shtayyeh as prime minister on Sunday, a senior official said, in a move seen as part of efforts to further isolate Hamas.

Abbas asked Shtayyeh, a member of the central committee of the Palestinian president's Fatah party, to form a new government, Fatah vice president Mahmoud al-Aloul told AFP.

Official Palestinian agency WAFA also reported the move.

Some analysts view bringing in Shtayyeh to replace outgoing prime minister Rami Hamdallah as part of Abbas's efforts to further isolate political rival Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip.

Shtayyeh, 61, is a long-term Abbas ally, while Hamdallah was politically independent.

The previous government was formed during a period of improved relations and had the backing of Hamas.

This government is instead expected to be dominated by Fatah, though other smaller parties will be represented. Hamas will not be included.

Hamas said the appointment reflected "Abbas's unilateralism and monopoly of power".

"Hamas stresses that it does not recognise this separatist government because it was formed without national consensus," spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement.

Shtayyeh has been part of a number of Palestinian negotiating teams in US-brokered talks with Israel, and is a former government minister.

He is also an academic and economics professor.

Hamdallah's government submitted its resignation in late January, though it has continued on an interim basis.

Abbas remains the primary decision-maker and interlocutor with the international community.

Palestinian has essentially been paralysed since 2007, when Islamist group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas's forces in a near civil war, a year after winning parliamentary elections.

Since then Abbas's governments have maintained limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, while Hamas has led a rival administration in Gaza.

Abbas has recently been in conflict with US President Donald Trump's administration, which is expected to release its long-awaited peace in the coming months.

Abbas froze ties with the White House after Trump declared Jerusalem Israel's capital in 2017.

Trump has since then taken a series of steps against the Palestinians, including cutting some USD 500 million in aid.

Palestinian leaders call it an attempt to blackmail them into accepting a plan that they believe will destroy their hopes for independent statehood.

They view Trump's administration as blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

Abbas won a four-year term as president in 2005, but he has since remained in office without further elections.

The 83-year-old who has had recent health issues has not publicly lined up a successor and the move to name Shtayyeh could put him among the potential candidates.

Others mentioned as possible successors include Al-Aloul, Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary-general Saeb Erekat, senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub and head of Palestinian intelligence Majid Faraj.

Polls show the most popular Palestinian leader is Marwan Barghouti, but he is serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail for allegedly organising and authorising a series of killings of Israelis.

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Welcoming the election commission's move to call upon all parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel in advertisements, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh sought an end to "politicisation of the armed forces for political gains."



"Earning brownie points through politicisation of forces is as wrong as using photographs of defence personnel to take political mileage," he said in a statement issued here on Sunday.

The Election Commission had on Saturday asked political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" against the backdrop of a picture showing a hoarding with images of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as well as leaders of a party.

In a fresh instruction issued to all political parties, the EC had referred to its December 2013 letter in which it had "called upon all political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel or photographs functions involving defence personnel in advertisements".

"It is good that the EC has taken note of the shameful practice of using such photographs for electoral gains, especially in the wake of the recent IAF air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan," Singh said.

The chief minister, a former army man himself, said the armed forces are above all petty considerations such as caste, religion or political affiliations and need to be kept so if India is to remain an independent sovereign power.

Any political interference in the functioning of the forces would be highly detrimental to the security and the larger interest of the nation and its people, Singh said.

"Political control of the armed forces could have devastating effects on a country and its future, as much as interference by the forces could have on its polity," he said and warned the political parties not to make the mistake which some other nations had made to their peril.

The armed forces are a vital institution of our country and any erosion in their authority could be dangerous to the safety and security of our people, he warned.

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The Punjab government has notified the appointment of DSPs and SPs for the recently created posts in investigation cadre, separated from the Law and Order Department of the Punjab Police.

This move was in line with the Supreme Court's order on police reforms.

The names of officers were notified on Saturday against 108 posts of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) and 28 posts of superintendents of police, which were created on February 8, for effective supervision of investigations.

A Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting for screening eligible inspectors for promotion to the DSP rank was held on February 22, and 163 inspectors were promoted as DSPs on March 5, an official release said.

Fifty-seven DSPs were placed as officiating superintendents of police (SP) on March 5, after screening by a Departmental Screening Committee (DSC) on December 28, 2018.

The SPs have been posted in every district and commissionerate to look after the work of Punjab Bureau of Investigations, organised crime and narcotics. The aim is to ensure focused attention on investigations, organised crime and the anti-drug drive of the state government, it said.

The state government has also posted DSPs to look after specialised crime investigations, including crime against women and children, financial crime, technical support and forensics, anti-narcotics, criminal groups and cyber-crime and cyber forensics.

This is the first time that gazetted officers have been posted in every district and police commissionerate, and have been assigned specialised crimes to focus upon, it said.

"This innovation will effectively ensure the separation of investigation function of the police from the law and order function, go a long way in implementing the Supreme Court directions and, improve the quality of investigation," it said.

Notably, in July last year, the apex court had issued a slew of directions on police reforms in the country.

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With young voters likely to play a key role in the Lok Sabha polls, political parties in Uttar Pradesh have set their sights on them and are trying to reach out with various programmes and campaigns.

A spokesperson for the ruling BJP said the party believes young voters not only actively participate in the electoral process, but also act as a catalyst for others to cast their votes.

With 'Mera Pehla Vote Modi Ko (my first vote for Modi)' campaign, the BJP hopes the young electors will help it replicate its 2014 performance.

As per Election Commission date, there are 14.40 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The count of first time voters stands at approximately 45 lakh, of which 16.75 lakhs are in the age of 18-19 years.

"The BJP was rather early in reaching out to the young voters. The party had run a Young Voters' Campaign from October 7-11. The campaign was run by BJP's youth wing BJYM (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha)," UP BJP media coordinator Rakesh Tripathi told PTI.

More than 6.21 lakh youngsters filled up form-6, which pertains to inclusion of name of an individual in the electoral roll, in the campaign.

"The excitement towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi is clearly evident among the youngsters. They want to associate themselves with the spirit of nationalism," Tripathi said.

A young voter who associates himself/herself with the party tends to remain connected with it for a long time, he said, adding that camps were organised to enrol them.

For the Samajwadi Party, its spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said its youth wing is actively reaching out to youngsters, especially college students.

"We are telling them about the welfare works done by the party when it was in power in the state e.g. the scheme to distribute laptops among meritorious students and the job opportunities created by it," he said.

Lallan Kumar, a member of the Election Campaign Committee of the state Congress, said his party is working on ways to strengthen the educational system so that youngsters can get the career of their choice.

"And with this message, we are going to the youth explaining what the party is doing to enable them get a suitable career and subsequently jobs," he said.

There are some families which cannot pay fees as a result of which they could not get education, he said, adding the party is working on ways to ensure that poor students get quality and affordable education.

"The party is focussing on ways to know the aspirations of the youth. We do not indulge in 'Mann Ki Baat', but listen to other people as well," he said, taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi's monthly radio programme.

In the last parliamentary elections, the BJP won 71 seats in the state, securing 42.63 per cent of the votes cast. Its ally Apna Dal bagged two.

The SP had won five seats with a vote share of 22.35 per cent. The BSP did not win any but secured 19.77 per cent of votes cast.

The Congress registered wins on two UP seats -- Amethi and Raebareli -- in 2014, bagging 7.53 per cent of the votes.

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With the Election Commission sounding the bugle for Lok Sabha elections, the date sheet shows Varanasi constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi voting last on May 19 while a number of high-profile seats including of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi will vote on May 6.

Voting in Lucknow, which elected Home Minister Rajnath Singh in 2014, would also vote on May 6 and so will be the case for another high-profile union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Hajipur constituency.

Vadodara, which had also elected Modi in the 2014 general elections, will go to vote on April 23 and so will Puri in Odisha, which is being widely rumoured as another seat from which the prime minister can fight the 2019 elections. However, there has been no official word from the BJP on this.

BJP's senior leader Lal Krishna Advani's Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat will also vote on April 23, the same day when polling will take place in Pilibhit, currently represented by Maneka Gandhi. Her son Varun Gandhi's Sultanpur constituency will vote on May 12.

Mainpuri, one of the two seats that elected Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014, will also vote on April 23, while voting in Azamgarh, which the senior Samajwadi Party leader retained, will happen on May 12. Kannauj, which elected his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav in 2014, will vote on April 29.

Firebrand saffron party leader Uma Bharati's Jhansi constituency and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi's Kanpur constituency will also vote on April 29, while Vidisha, which elected senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in 2014, will go to polls on May 12.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia's Guna seat in Madhya Pradesh will vote on May 12. The party chief Rahul Gandhi's Amethi seat and Sonia Gandhi's Rae Bareli will vote on May 6.

Amritsar, from where Arun Jaitley lost in 2014, will vote on May 19.

During the entire poll schedule of more than one month, the first phase voting will take place on April 11 and the last seventh phase on May 19.

Counting of votes will happen on May 23.

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A clash broke out between groups of rival demonstrators assembled outside the in on Saturday.

said one man was arrested for "breach of peace" during a face-off between UK-based Kashmiri and pro-Khalistan outfits chanting anti- slogans and counter protesters chanting pro-Modi slogans.

The Metropolitan Police said the man was later "de-arrested, with no further action".

Members of groups such as the Overseas Pakistanis Welfare Council (OPWC) and Sikhs for Justice clashed with counter-protesters from groups including the Friends of Society, UK, during a demonstration called to protest against "atrocities on ethnic minorities in India".

There were no reports of injuries during the clash, which involved several police officers intervening to control the few dozen protesters.

Images and videos of the clash have since been posted on social media, with either side blaming the other for turning a peaceful protest violent.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday insinuated that MNS leader Raj Thackeray "parrots" the script given by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

He was speaking at a women's gathering organised by the BJP in Mumbai where Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was present.

Without naming Pawar, who hails from Baramati in Pune district, Fadnavis said, "Baramati is always in search of a new parrot. There are certain things that they cannot say, but they are making the parrot speak it against the BJP for them."



"Being an artist, he (Raj) can read out a script well. Nowadays, his script is coming from Baramati," he added.

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The RSS passed a resolution on Sunday stressing on the need to protect the beliefs and traditions of the Hindu society.

The resolution was passed on the final day of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's three-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meet here.

The resolution described the Supreme Court ruling on Kerala's Sabarimala temple as "unfortunate" and one given without considering the "nature and premise of traditions".

The RSS said it was the considered opinion of the ABPS that there was a "systematic design to insult and hurt Hindu beliefs and traditions" on the basis of a non-Bharatiya perspective by entities with vested interests.

"The case of the Sabarimala temple is a recent example of this design," it said in the resolution.

"A resolution to protect Hindu traditions and beliefs was passed at the RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha," RSS general secretary Bhaiyaji Joshi told reporters here.

The Supreme Court, in an order on September 28 last year, had allowed women in the 10-50 age group to enter the Sabrimala shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, considered by the devotees as "eternally celibate".

On the apex court order on the Sabarimala temple, the RSS resolution read, "Sabarimala is a case of a unique relationship between the deity and the devotees. It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court, while arriving at the decision, did not take into consideration the nature and premise of the tradition that has been accepted by the society and continuously followed for many years."



"The version of religious heads was not taken into account, the sentiments of women devotees were also not heeded," it further stated.

The resolution added that the "Pratinidhi Sabha hopes that the Honourable court will comprehensively consider all these concerns in the review and other petitions".

It also hit out at the stand of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala on the temple row and claimed that the latter's actions were creating "emotional disturbance" among the devotees.

"The actions of the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala have created a severe emotional disturbance among the Ayyappa devotees. The attempts of the state government to sneak in atheist, ultra-left women activists through the backdoor (of the temple) have hurt the sensitivities of the devotees," the resolution said.

It emphasised that "Hindutva is not a monolithic or exclusivist thought but a view of life" manifested in diverse and varied ways of cultural expressions, characterised by the uniqueness in the modes of worship, local traditions and festivities.

It was anomalous to impose monotonous homogenisation over the beauty of diversity in our traditions, the RSS further said.

The ABPS is the Hindutva organisation's highest decision-making body and its three-day meet, involving over 1,400 members, had started here on Friday.

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A schoolgirl suffered burn injuries on Sunday after an unidentified man allegedly hurled acid at her in Bihar's Aurangabad district, police said.

The incident happened at Amba village when the girl was riding her way back home on a bicycle, after attending special classes at a private school in the village, the police said.

The private school organises special classes every Sunday, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Aurangabad, Anup Kumar, said.

The man hurled acid on the girl's face and fled the scene, the DSP said.

The girl, a resident of Ibrahimpur village under the jurisdiction of Amba police station, suffered burn injuries, the police officer said, adding, she was taken to Kutumba hospital.

The doctors there administered first aid to her and referred her to Sadar hospital in Aurangabad.

According to doctors, the right side of the girl's face has been affected and she is out of danger.

The victim could not identify the person who attacked her, the DSP said.

An investigation has been initiated, he added.

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Seven soldiers and 38 militants died in an assault by the jihadist group Boko Haram in southeastern Niger, the defence ministry said on Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks that have shattered months of relative calm near the Lake Chad basin.

"Armed forces... strongly repelled an attack by the terrorist group Boko Haram on the outskirts of Gueskerou," the ministry said in a statement read on state television.

Gueskerou is located in the Niger region of Diffa close to the birthplace of Boko Haram in neighbouring northeastern Nigeria.

According to a provisional toll, seven soldiers and "38 terrorists" were killed. One was taken prisoner.

Five vehicles belonging to the attackers and "a large quantity of weapons (four AK47 rifles, eight machine guns, two RPG rocket launchers, ammunition) were recovered", the statement added.

The attack on Friday was the second in less than a month and targeted a remote military position on Lake Chad, which straddles Niger, Nigeria and Chad, the scene of many raids by the jihadist group since 2015.

On February 16, seven Niger soldiers were killed during an attack on Chetima Wangou, also in southeastern Niger.

In early January, the Niger army claimed to have killed more than 280 Boko Haram militants in days of land and air raids.

In November, around a dozen girls were taken in raids on several border villages in the southeast.

In the same month, seven local employees of a French drilling firm and a government official were killed after suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed their compound.

The government on Friday night named a new governor in Diffa. Mohamed Mouddour will replace Mahamadou Bakabe who had been in post since April 2018. No reason was given.

Boko Haram's bloody insurgency began in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 but has since spread into neighbouring countries, prompting a regional military response.

Some 27,000 people have been killed and two million others displaced, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region.

Militants have targeted both soldiers and civilians and have been blamed for abductions of children and employees of foreign companies.

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BJP president Amit Shah urged people on Sunday to "bless" his party in the Lok Sabha election, saying the Modi government has taken bold decisions for their welfare in its first term and will ensure India's giant leap to make everyone "happy and prosperous" in its second.

Welcoming the poll announcement, Shah made a strong pitch for the re-election of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre, saying it has achieved "phenomenal results" in various spheres of governance during this term.

Shah put out a series of tweets with hashtag #PhirEkBaarModiSarkar (Modi government once again).

"PM Narendra Modi's government has dared to take bold and futuristic decisions for the welfare of 130 crore Indians. It has struck at the root of corruption and celebrated honesty.#PhirEkBaarModiSarkar will ensure India's giant leap, where everyone will be happy and prosperous," he said.

"I urge 130 crore people of India to bless BJP in the upcoming polls," he added.

Shah said India has emerged as the fastest-growing economy in the world with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government undertaking "unprecedented reforms", which made doing business in the country easier than ever before.

Initiatives such as Jan Dhan, Ujjwala, Mudra Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, PM Awaas Yojana and more have ensured a life of dignity to millions of Indians, he said and asserted the Modi government's efforts to eliminate poverty has shown transformational results.

"Under PM Narendra Modi, India's security and strategic interests have received a strong impetus. Our nation is no longer helpless in the wake of terror attacks. Any force attempting to disturb peace and harmony is being given befitting response. This is New India," he said.

In the past five years, the BJP chief said, India's prestige in the world enhanced significantly.

"Value of the Indian passport has increased. Our country has emerged as a leading voice in the global fight against terrorism, climate change and black money," he added.

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"Sharp Objects" showrunner Marti Noxon has said that the second of the HBO series might happen.

The series, based on author Gillian Flynn's debut novel of same name, featured Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina and Eliza Scanlen. The show premiered on HBO in July last year.

Speaking at the SXSW conference, Noxon revealed that she is talking with the author about the possibility of a second season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Maybe there will be a sequel and we'll get to find out. Gillian and I have some thoughts on it," she said.

Noxon had previously ruled out a sophomore season of the show, saying it was difficult to assemble an A-list cast for the show.

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Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Sunday lamented that the solution to the decades-old Naga political issue could not be found before the Lok Sabha election.

"We were hoping against hope that the solution will come before the election," he said.

Rio was speaking on the occasion of the completion of one year of his People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) government of which the BJP is a part.

A new government, which came to power in Nagaland under Rio early last year, had raised hopes of a solution to the Naga political problem.

Earlier Sunday in Delhi, the Election Commission announced that the Lok Sabha election will be held from April 11 to May 19.

The government and the Naga people now do not know what the negotiating parties are thinking, Rio told reporters without elaborating it.

"If it (Naga political solution) does not come...it will be problem for our Naga society to carry on," the chief minister said.

Even after the signing of the framework agreement with the NSCN(IM) in 2015 and six Naga nationalist political groups joining the peace talks separately, there has not been a breakthrough on the decades-old Naga problem.

The PDA, comprising 17 Nationalist Democratic Progress Party (NDPP) MLAs, 12 BJP, 2 NPP and one JD(U) and an Independent, came to power after defeating the 15-year-old Naga People's Front government in the 2018 assembly election.

Thanking the allies, Rio said, "We could not have made it, unless we received firm support from our alliance partners."



"We promised to bring change (before the assembly poll), but the change has to start from the attitude and mindset of the people towards positivity," he said.

He said a move towards plastic-free state and initiatives of tobacco-free villages and green villages are positive changes and such initiatives will bring positivity.

"Real change will happen when we all come together in unison with the singular purpose of changing our society for the better," the chief minister said.

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The SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh had no accommodation problems and is battle-ready to take on the in the Lok Sabha polls, RLD vice president Jayant Chaudhary said Sunday, asserting the tie-up was made on workers' feedback and not through a "top-down process".

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav announced last week that the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will contest three Lok Sabha seats -- Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar -- as part of the alliance with the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

In an interview to PTI, Chaudhary said his father and party president Chaudhary Ajit Singh has announced his intention to contest from Muzaffarnagar, while he was keen to take up the electoral challenge in Baghpat. He said the party will take a decision on Mathura soon.

Asked how the workers of the three parties will be able to connect at the ground level with the seat-sharing talks having taken a long time, Jayant said he believes regional parties have a better connect with their workers.

"This alliance decision was not a top-down process but in fact taken after feedback from workers and leaders. That is why you haven't seen problems in accommodation and adjustments between the BSP, SP and RLD. This means that the ground is already ready for us. Now we just need to keep up the campaign," the 40-year-old leader said.



On the equation between the Congress and the grand alliance in UP, Chaudhary said the issue had been addressed at the recent press interaction in Lucknow and he did not have any more information on it.

After repeated questions by reporters at the press conference, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had said the Congress was "very much in the alliance". "We have left two seats (Amethi and Rae Bareli) for the party (Congress)," he had said.

Jayant, grandson of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, said the electoral contest between the opposition and the would be a "make or break" for the right idea of India.

"The mainstreaming of violence, the 'othering' of our minorities and weaker sections, the saffron washing of our cultural heritage, the nonchalance with which even our intelligentsia is ready to dismiss diverse opinions, the intentioned and sustained attack on institutional credibility, make this a make or break for our idea of an inclusive, progressive, developing Bharat!" he said.

Asked about the narrative of Modi versus the rest and the BJP's "mahamilavat" (highly adulterated) barb at opposition alliances, the RLD leader said the fact is that the diversity of India can have true political representation only through alliances.

The also ran a government in alliance with many parties and will have tie-ups in many states including UP, he said.

Slamming the BJP for the Modi versus the rest narrative and the "mahamilavat" jibe, Chaudhary said leaders don't walk alone, they build a team of capable leaders and this has been Modi's "big failure" in government.

"We know that he likes to work alone and walk alone, but India needs a leadership that listens to feedback, collaborates with others and respects diversity," he said.



Hitting out at the use of the term "mahamilavat" by Modi and the BJP, he said it betrays a "negative mindset".

"The notion of purity was the basic foundation of caste oppression in India. To imply that the opposition is impure, to me, this slogan uses the language and symbolism that divided our country into castes and that is why I strongly object to it," he said.

Asked whether national security and the post-Pulwama airstrikes will be the major issues in UP or the alleged agrarian distress, Chaudhary said it is the "jawan and kisan who have borne the brunt of the myopic and adhoc policies the incumbent government has unleashed over last five years".

"Therefore, both will feature prominently. Note ban had a debilitating impact on rural livelihoods, and economic activities in our hinterland. Farmers have faced rising input costs, depressed produce prices and diminishing returns," he alleged.

Rural labourers and artisans, as well as dairy farmers have also suffered. They are not willing to listen to a government that gives "paltry sums" on the cusp of elections and "trumpets empty failing schemes" like the kisan bima yojana and the soil health card, he claimed.



"National security has been a major failing of this government. We have been subjected to more attacks, lost more jawans than before and it still appears we have no comprehensive policy on Pakistan. Our responses should always be measured and fit with our larger, long term geopolitical and security strategy," he said.

Instead, there has been only a reactive policy from this government, the RLD leader alleged.

"The 'shaheed' status demand, OROP and issues highlighted by para- and retired forces' welfare associations will be addressed by us if given a chance," he asserted.

On Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's entry into active politics and the impact of her campaigning, the RLD leader said he was not privy to what has been planned in terms of the Congress campaign, and cannot comment on the impact.

"But, I think there is a positive energy that people attribute to Priyanka ji so it's good that she has decided to take the plunge. Look forward to her intervening especially on issues relating to gender equity and women's welfare which I believe are underrepresented in the mainstream politics," he said.
The SP-BSP-RLD alliance in had no accommodation problems and is battle ready to take on the BJP in the polls, RLD said Sunday, asserting the contest will be a "make or break" for the idea of an inclusive and progressive

(SP) chief announced last week that the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will contest three seats -- Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar -- as part of the alliance with the SP and the (BSP).

In an interview to PTI, Chaudhary said his father and party president Chaudhary has announced his intention to contest from Muzaffarnagar, while he was keen to take up the electoral challenge in Baghpat. He said the party will take a decision on Mathura soon.

"Chaudhary Sahab (Ajit Singh) was deeply pained by the breakdown in social relations in the region after the trauma of riots. Kairana by-election was a defining moment in which people rejected the hate campaigns and forced parties to pay attention to real issues," said. The RLD chief has announced his intention to fight from Muzaffarnagar to further take forward the message of brotherhood and "kisan mazdoor ekta" to its logical progression, he said.

Asked how the workers of the three parties will be able to connect at the ground level with the seat-sharing talks having taken a long time, said he believes regional parties have a better connect with their workers.

"This alliance decision was not a top-down process but in fact taken after feedback from workers and leaders. That is why you haven't seen problems in accommodation and adjustments between the BSP, SP and RLD. This means that the ground is already ready for us. Now we just need to keep up the campaign," the 40-year-old leader said.

On the equation between the and the grand alliance in UP, Chaudhary said the issue had been addressed at the recent press interaction in and he did not have additional information.

After repeated questions by reporters at the press conference, SP chief had said the was "very much in the alliance". "We have left two seats (Amethi and Rae Bareli) for the party (Congress)," he had said.

Jayant Chaudhary, grandson of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, said the electoral contest between the opposition and the BJP would be a "make or break" for the right idea of

"The mainstreaming of violence, the 'othering' of our minorities and weaker sections, the saffron washing of our cultural heritage, the nonchalance with which even our intelligentsia is ready to dismiss diverse opinions, the intentioned and sustained attack on institutional credibility, make this a make or break for our idea of an inclusive, progressive, developing Bharat!" he said.

Asked about the narrative of Modi versus the rest and the BJP's "mahamilavat" (highly adulterated) barb at opposition alliances, the RLD leader said the fact is that the diversity of can have true political representation only through alliances.

The BJP also ran a government in alliance with many parties and will have tie-ups in many states including UP, he said.

Slamming the BJP for the Modi versus the rest narrative and the "mahamilavat" jibe, Chaudhary said leaders don't walk alone, they build a team of capable leaders and this has been Modi's "big failure" in government.

"We know that he likes to work alone and walk alone, but India needs a leadership that listens to feedback, collaborates with others and respects diversity," he said.

Hitting out at the use of the term "mahamilavat" by Modi and the BJP, he said it shows a "negative mindset".

"The notion of purity was the basic foundation of caste oppression in India. To imply that the opposition is impure, to me, this slogan uses the language and symbolism that divided our country into castes and that is why I strongly object to it," he said.

Asked whether national security and the post-Pulwama air strikes will be major issues in UP or the alleged agrarian distress, he said it is the "jawan and kisan who have borne the brunt of the myopic and adhoc policies the incumbent government has unleashed over last five years".

"Therefore, both will feature prominently. The note ban had a debilitating impact on rural livelihoods, and economic activities in our hinterland. Farmers have faced rising input costs, depressed produce prices and diminishing returns," he alleged.

Rural labourers and artisans, as well as dairy farmers have also suffered. They are not willing to listen to a government that gives "paltry sums" on the cusp of elections and "trumpets empty failing schemes" like the kisan bima yojana and the soil health card, he claimed.

"National security has been a major failing of this government. We have been subjected to more attacks, lost more jawans than before and it still appears we have no comprehensive policy on Our responses should always be measured and fit with our larger, long term geopolitical and security strategy," he said.

Instead, there has been only a reactive policy from this government, the RLD leader alleged.

"The 'shaheed' status demand, the OROP and the issues highlighted by para- and retired forces' welfare associations will be addressed by us if given a chance," he asserted.

On Priyanka Gandhi's entry into politics and impact of her campaigning, he said he was not privy to what has been planned in terms of the campaign, and cannot comment on the impact.

(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.)
Raheem Sterling's rapid second-half hat-trick moved Manchester City four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Watford as Tottenham's hopes of a top-four finish faltered again in a 2-1 defeat to Southampton.

The Saints' spirited second-half comeback ensured they remain two points above the relegation zone despite Cardiff's 2-0 win over West Ham, while victory for Brighton and Newcastle also boosted their survival hopes on Saturday.

City and Sterling had fortune on their side to end Watford's resistence after a goalless first-half.

A minute into the second period Sterling was initially flagged offside as Daryl Janmaat's attempted clearance ricocheted off the England winger and into the net.

However, after a long discussion with his assistant, referee Paul Tierney awarded the goal because Janmaat's intervention meant Sterling was onside.

"The first goal will be debated. I don't like this situation but it is what it is. I'm sorry if it was offside but we deserved to win," said City boss Pep Guardiola.

"Next season, hopefully, we will have VAR and it will be clear."



There was no doubt when Sterling rounded off a fine team move involving David Silva and Riyad Mahrez four minutes later.

Sterling then completed his hat-trick with some neat footwork from Silva's pass before Watford substitute Gerard Deulofeu pulled a goal back just 22 seconds after coming on.

- Spurs on the slide -



======================Tottenham reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in midweek, but are now in grave danger of missing out on that competition completely next season.

Mauricio Pochettino's side remain in third but their lead over Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea is a precarious one with all three chasers in action on Sunday.

"The second-half we did not take it seriously. I don't want to criticise too much but when you lose a game that was under control after 45 minutes, should be 3-0, 4-0 and finishes in 2-1 defeat, it is difficult to accept," said Pochettino, who was serving the first of a two-game touchline ban.

"When you lose the momentum after 45 minutes, that is about mentality, that is about being strong and keeping the right. For us, we lost the momentum and gave them relief."



Dele Alli made his return after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury and the England midfielder teed up Harry Kane to score his 200th career goal on 26 minutes.

However, Spurs' wastefulness in failing to add to their lead came back to cost them as Ralph Hassenhuettl's men improved markedly after the break and secured a vital three points in their attempt to beat the drop.

Fresh from scoring his first professional goal away to Manchester United last weekend, right-back Yan Valery levelled from Stuart Armstrong's cross.

James Ward-Prowse then completed the comeback with a stunning free-kick curled into the top corner to leave Hugo Lloris helpless.

"The manager told us to be a bit more aggressive, we sat off them a little in the first half. The second half epitomised everything he has done for us so far," said Ward-Prowse.

Newcastle remain six points above the relegation zone and moved up to 13th after coming from 2-0 down to beat Everton 3-2.

Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez's double in the final 25 minutes earned the Magpies a deserved victory after Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison put the visitors in front.

Brendan Rodgers secured his first win as Leicester boss thanks to Jamie Vardy's double to beat Fulham, who are now 13 points adrift of safety, 3-1.

Vardy's first goal was his 100th for the Foxes.

"He's showed over the last couple of years that he's a world-class striker," said Rodgers.

"I'm just really glad that he's here. He's a brilliant focal point for the team." Huddersfield also look dead and buried as Bournemouth cruised to their first away win since October with a 2-0 victory at the John Smith's Stadium thanks to goals from Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser.

Cardiff, though, gave themselves hope as early goals in each half from Junior Hoilett and Victor Camarasa gave the Welsh side a precious three points over a hugely disappointing West Ham.

Brighton also secured a much-needed win to move level on points with rivals Crystal Palace, five above the drop zone, as Anthony Knockaert's stunning strike 16 minutes from time earned a 2-1 win.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP will use leaflets to ask people whether they would vote for parties that questioned the valour of the country's armed forces in connection with the February 26 air strike and the aerial engagement with Pakistan fighter jets the next day.

Speaking at a gathering of the BJP's women workers here on Sunday, senior leader and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj signalled that the military action against Pakistan after the February 14 Pulwama attack would be a poll issue for the ruling party.

"We should ask questions about whether our jawans should count the dead bodies (after dropping bombs on terror camps) or return safely after carrying out the air strike. BJP workers should ask counter-questions to those who raise doubts about the impact of our air strike," Swaraj said.

The February 26 air strike is at the centre of a political slugfest with some opposition parties demanding that the Narendra Modi government furnish proof of its efficacy in terms of terrorist casualties at the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp that was bombed.

"We (BJP) should ask questions like whether you (voter) will support parties that side with separatists. We should ask people whether they want to vote for those who question the valour of our jawans," she said.

"We will have two leaflets of which one will be about these logical counter statements. BJP workers should use it during the poll campaign. The other leaflet will be about government welfare schemes for women. The two leaflets will be made available soon," Swaraj said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the families of the 40 CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama as to who released Masood Azhar, whose Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the terror attack.

Taking to Twitter, he alleged that it was the present National Security Adviser who went to Kandahar to hand over the "murderer" Azhar.

Azhar, along with some other terrorists, was released by the Indian government in December 1999 in lieu of the release of over 150 hostages of the IC-814 Indian Airlines flight that was hijacked to Kandahar.

"PM Modi please tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar? Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan," Gandhi tweeted.

At least 40 CRPF jawans were killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14 for which JeM has claimed responsibility.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Election Commission has made it compulsory for candidates contesting polls to advertise their criminal antecedents in TV and newspapers at least three times during electioneering.

Though directions in this regard were issued on October 10, 2018, the rule will be used for the first time in this Lok Sabha election, scheduled to be held from April 11 to May 19. The results will be announced on May 23.

According to the directions, political parties too will have to give publicity to the criminal records of candidates fielded by them.

This means that candidates and parties contesting the election will have to publicise their criminal records at least on three different dates in widely circulated newspapers and popular TV channels during the campaign period.

Candidates who do not have records have to mention that. The candidates will now have to fill up an amended form (number 26).

They will have to inform parties about their antecedents such as cases in which they have been convicted and cases pending against them.

The parties, the EC said, will be "obliged" to put the information about the candidates on their websites.

Though the EC direction is silent on whether the candidates will have to pay from their pocket for the publicity, a senior functionary said since it's a poll-related expenditure, the candidates will have to bear the cost.

Parties which fail to comply, face the prospects of getting their recognition withdrawn or suspended.

Candidates have to submit clippings of their declaration published in papers and parties have to submit details about the number of such candidates in a state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. Near record high temperatures. High around 80F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Sunday approved the ordinance to increase reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 14 per cent to 27 per cent, making MP the only state in India to have 27 per cent quota for OBCs. In a big move before the Lok Sabha elections, the Kamal Nath government in MP issued an ordinance, almost doubling the reservation for OBCs to 27 per cent. State Law and Legal Affairs Minister PC Sharma on Saturday told news agency PTI the ordinance had been "issued and notified".

Political analysts are saying the move has been taken to woo OBC voters before the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The ordinance was forwarded to the governor on Friday, following which she gave her consent to increase the reservation for OBCs to 27 per cent in MP. As per reports, the Elections Commission of India (ECI) could announce election date soon, and states and central government are doing everything they can to appease voters before the Model Code of Conduct kicks in.

Also Read: Central Bank says no data on demonetised 500, 1,000 notes used at petrol pumps

OBCs in the state are generally favourable to the BJP since Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was MP's longest-serving CM having been on the post between 2005 and 2018, is from the community, reported PTI. In the recently held Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, more than half of the OBC votes were polled in favour of the BJP, which lost the elections to the Congress by a thin margin. While the Congress party won on 114 seats, Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led party in the state managed to win on 109 seats. The BJP had to face a big defeat in three Hindi heartland states, including MP, Rajasthan, and Chhatisgarh. Currently, the BJP holds 26 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state. With the Congress government in power in the state, the party will try their best to win maximum Lok Sabha seats this time.

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Lok Sabha election 2019: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced final dates for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 during a press conference at 5PM on Sunday. The General Elections 2019 will be conducted in seven phases in April-May, beginning from April 11. The elections will be held for 543 seats on nearly 10 lakh polling booths across the country, while the counting of votes will take place on May 23. With the announcement of election dates, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect from today, says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. At the press conference, CEC Sunil Arora said that nearly 90 crore people are registered as voters, of which 1.5 crore voters in the age of 18 and 19. The current Lok Sabha's tenure ends on June 3.

Here is the timeline of all updates on the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on BusinessToday.In blog.

8:00pm: Samajwadi Party chief and former CM of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav demands change in election dates for the Lok Sabha elections.

7:30pm: Patidar leader Hardik Patel today announced that he will join the Congress on March 12 in presence of party chief Rahul Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet in Ahmedabad and will contest from Jamnagar.

To give shape to my intentions to serve society & country, I have decided to join Indian National Congress on 12th March in presence of Shri Rahul Gandhi & other senior leaders. - Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) March 10, 2019

"I would also like to state that if there is no legal hindrance and party decides to field me in electoral politics, I would abide by the party's decision. I am taking this step to serve 125 core citizens of India," he tweeted.

Also Read: Lok Sabha polls 2019 begins from April 11, counting on May 23; model code of conduct imposed

7:20pm: Following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, BJP President Amit Shah said that Modi government has dared to take bold and futuristic decisions for the welfare of 130 crore Indians.

PM @narendramodi's government has dared to take bold and futuristic decisions for the welfare of 130 crore Indians. It has struck at the root of corruption and celebrated honesty.#PhirEkBaarModiSarkar will ensure India's giant leap, where everyone will be happy and prosperous. - Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 10, 2019

7:10pm: Kashmir leaders slammed Centre for not announcing state elections in J&K in parallel with Lok Sabha elections. CEC Sunil Arora in a press briefing said that no assembly polls will be held in J&K considering the recent incidents, security of candidates.

Decision to hold only Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms sinister designs of GoI. Not letting people elect a government is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. Also a tactic of buying time to disempower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives. - Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 10, 2019

The Commission has decided to announce only Parliamentary elections in J&K. Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in J&K to go for polling in three phases due to security reasons, says EC.

Former Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah also criticised PM Modi for not handling national security properly.

- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

Also Read: Seven-phase Lok Sabha polls to begin April 11, counting on May 23: Election Commission

7:00pm: Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party has welcomed the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule and said the victory will be of the truth.

6:50pm: After the Election Commission announced the final dates for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 during a press conference at 5PM on Sunday, AAP head and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that time has come to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. The elections to seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will be held on May 12.

Ultimately back to We the people -the real power of our democracy. Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. Time to seek answers on demonetisation, jobs, destruction of traders n destroying brotherhood amongst different communities - Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 10, 2019

6:44pm: Phase 7 of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Polls will be held on May 19 in a total of 59 constituencies spread across 8 states. Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Chandigarh (UT), Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

6:42pm: Phase 6 of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Polls will be held on May 12 in a total of 59 constituencies spread across 7 states. Delhi-NCR, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

6:40pm: Phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Polls will be held on May 6 in a total of 51 constituencies spread across 7 states. Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

6:37pm: Phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Polls will be held on April 29 in a total of 71 constituencies spread across 9 states. Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

6:35pm: Phase 3 of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Polls will be held on April 23 in a total of 115 constituencies spread across 14 states. Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

6:30pm: Notable deviations from 2014 in EC schedule:

Odisha: 4 phases instead of 2

WB: 7 phases instead of 5

Delhi, Haryana, Punjab: pushed to later phases in May

J&K: No assembly elections

6:25pm: CEC Sunil Arora on J&K Assembly polls: No assembly polls will be held in J&K considering the recent incidents, security of candidates. The Commission has decided to announce only parliamentary elections in J&K. Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in J&K to go for polling in three phases due to security reasons, says EC.

6:24pm:Phase II of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Issue of gazette notification : 19th March

Last day of nomination: 26th March

Date for scrutiny of nomination: 27th March

Last date of withdrawal: 29th March

Date of Poll: 18th April

Counting of votes: 23rd May

6:22pm: Phase 1 of Lok Sabha elections: Important dates

Issue of gazette notification : 18th March

Last day of nomination: 25th March

Date for scrutiny of nomination: 26th March

Last date of withdrawal: 28th March

Date of Poll: 11th April

Counting of votes: May 23

6:20pm:

LIVE Now : Press Conference by #ElectionCommission of India https://t.co/s05XsYHmKh - PIB India (@PIB_India) March 10, 2019

6:10pm: Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Guided by 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', NDA seeks your blessings again. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous & secure India. #PhirEkBaarModiSarkar."

6:00pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished election officials and security personnel ahead of Lok Sabha elections which will begin next month."The festival of democracy, Elections are here. I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout. I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers," PM tweeted after EC announced election dates.

Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

5:55pm: Jammu & Kashmir to have five phase Lok Sabha elections. However, the state will have no assembly election, which is presently under the President's Rule.

5:52pm: Former Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah first reaction on EC announcement.

What happened to @rajnathsingh's assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls? - Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

"In light of the failure to conduct assembly elections on time in J&K I'm retweeting my tweets from a few days ago. PM Modi has surrendered to Pakistan, to the militants & to the hurriyat. Well done Modi Sahib. 56 inch chest failed," he tweeted.

5:50pm: CEC Sunil Arora on J&K Assembly polls: The commission has been looking at security preparedness including recent developments; had several rounds of meetings with all stakeholders. Based on all inputs and recommendations, constraint of security forces and logistics, keeping recent incidents in the state, we have decided only Lok Sabha polls in the state. Assembly polls in the state soon. 3 observers appointed.

5:47pm: 2 phases elections will be held in Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura

3 phases: Assam, Chhattisgarh

4 phases: Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha

5 phases: Jammu and Kashmir

7 phases: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal

5:45pm: Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu will be held in a single phase.

5:40pm: Phase1 Poll in 91 constituencies across 20 states, Phase 2 Poll in 97 constituencies in 13 states, Phase 3 Poll in 115 constituencies in 14 states, Phase 4 Poll in 71 constituencies in 9 states, Phase 5 Poll in 51 constituencies in 7 states, Phase 6 Poll in 59 constituencies in 7 states, Phase 7 Poll in 59 constituencies in 8 states.

5:38pm: 10 lakhs polling stations to be set up for Lok Sabha polls against nine lakhs in 2014, says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

5:37pm: Counting of votes of Lok Sabha polls to be on May 23: EC.

5:35pm: Fourth phase polling to be held on 29th April, fifth phase polling on 6th May, sixth phase polling on 12th May, seventh phase on 12th May.

5:32pm: Second phase of Lok Sabha polls to be held on 18th April and third phase on 23rd April.

5:30pm: First phase of Lok Sabha polls to be held on April 11.

5:28pm: Android app to help voters record poll violations and send it to EC: CEC Arora.

5:26pm Special observers will be sent to states where we expect security to be an issue, says Chief Election Commission

5:25pm: Candidates cannot use loudspeakers between 10 pm to 6 am: CEC

5:24pm: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect from today itself in the entire country. Any violation will be dealt with in the strictest manner.

5:22pm: There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations in this Lok Sabha Elections as compared to 9 lakh polling stations in 2014.

5:20pm: CEC Sunil Arora said that as of 2019, 900 million people are registered as voters, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group.

5:18pm: Election Commission has been working for the elections for the past many months. MHA was roped in on 22,23rd January to assess security

5:16pm: VVPATS will be used at all polling stations. Photographs of candidates will also be there next to the symbol. In wake of complaints regarding security of EVMs, now last mile transportation of these machines will be tracked through GPS.

5:15pm: Examination schedule has been kept in mind to avoid inconvenience to students: CEC Sunil Arora

5:14pm: 84.3 million new voters since 2014, 15 million voters in the age of 18 and 19, says CEC Sunil Arora

5:12pm: "India, by conducting elections, emerged as a beacon of light for the world," he said.

5:10pm: We interacted with political parties to discuss elections, says Sunil Arora

5:08pm: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora addresses the press conference. He is accompanied by Election commissioners Sushil Chandra and Ashok Lavasa.

5:05pm:

#WATCH live from Delhi: Election Commission of India addresses a press conference. https://t.co/E0yEp9LHYq - ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

5:00pm: Election Commission will announce the Lok Sabha election dates in a press conference shortly. The poll panel of the EC is currently holding a meeting at Vigyan Bhavan.

4:55pm: Ahead of the announcement of final dates for the Lok Sabha elections 2019, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday signalled that Biju Janata Deal (BJD) will reserve 33% seats for women in upcoming general elections. If the party implements it in the coming general elections, the BJD will become the first political party to take such a move. The Naveen Patnaik-government had already passed the resolution seeking implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies in November 2018.

4.20pm: Really happy about Election Commission's advisory to political parties: Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh

Really happy about #ElectionCommission advisory to political parties to refrain from using defence personnel pics in election propaganda. Let's follow it up with an end to politicisation of the armed forces, which I find to be equally wrong. - Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) March 10, 2019

Also Read: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announces 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha elections

4.00pm: "When I left from Delhi to Mumbai, I did not know that election commission will be taking press conference at 5pm. This will be my last Sabha before the code of conduct. After URI attack, surgical strike and after Pulwama attack, airstrike, I greet Modi Ji. I was asked what about third surgical strike, I said third surgical strike will be done by people of our country by voting in favour of Modi Ji," says Sushma Swaraj

3.30pm: Actor-turned-politician KamalHaasan thanks the Election Commission of India for allotting his party Makkal Needhi Maiam the battery torch symbol.

Actor-turned-politician #KamalHaasan on Sunday thanked the #ElectionCommission of India for allotting his party #MakkalNeedhiMaiam (MNM) the battery torch symbol, calling it appropriate and in keeping with the party's vision. https://t.co/292THxMzRp #LokSabhaElections2019 - DT Next (@dt_next) March 10, 2019

3.05pm: During the last five years, the Bharatiya Janata Party's performance in the Lok Sabha bypolls has failed to impress or make a positive impact. In a total of 27 Lok Sabha bypolls since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP has managed to win only five seats. While BJP's tally stands at 268 seats, Congress's has managed to capture 45 seats. However, out of 542 parliamentary constituencies, 22 are still vacant.

2.40pm: The election to fill 5 vacancies in the Telangana Legislative Council will be held on Monday, reports PTI.

2.19pm: After the implementation of the Code of Conduct post the Election date announcement today, the country will be spared of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hollow announcements, says BSP supremo Mayawati.

2.10pm: Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav says UP DGP should be removed from his post before election.

Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief: We demand that the UP DGP be removed from his post before election. Police personnel themselves are getting involved in theft cases. If it's happening, then DGP is responsible too. If Mayawati ji has said that the DGP be removed, what she said is correct pic.twitter.com/3tJyEjXWIX - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 10, 2019

1.50pm: The Election Commission Saturday asked political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" against the backdrop of a picture showing a hoarding with images of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as well as leaders of a party.

1.40pm: The impasse between the CPI(M) and the Congress over the seat-sharing deal in Bengal seems to have resolved after intervention of Rahul Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury. According to PTI, after the CPI(M) announced candidates for Raiganj and Murshidabad Lok Sabha seats, the state unit of the Gandhi-led party urged the AICC to look into the matter.

1.10pm: Will the EC announce dates for Assembly polls in J&K? While there is a view that the J-K assembly elections can beheld along with the Lok Sabha polls, a lot depends on the complex security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border. The Centre and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed Governor, are against holding the two elections together, reported PTI. However, all political parties in the state favoured simultaneous polls during a meeting with the Election Commission earlier this week. The J-K assembly's six-year term was to end on March 16, 2021, but it got dissolved after a ruling coalition between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell apart.

12.52pm: PM Narendra Modi addresses the CISF personnel at the 50th Raising Day ceremony of Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF), at Ghaziabad. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated projects worth several crores in Greater Noida on Saturday.

12.51pm: AAP leader Sanjay Singh asks: "Does the Election Commission of India work from the BJP headquarters?"

?2014 5 ,5 , , , - Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) March 10, 2019

12.43pm: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announces 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha seats for Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

12.41pm: Sitanshu Kar, Principal Spokesperson and Director General of Press Information Bureau, invites media for press meet on the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Kind Attn Media : #ElectionCommission Press Conference at 5pm today ie 10th March 2019 at Vigyan Bhavan, Plenary hall. Entry would be on the basis of PIB card especially for the camera teams with their equipment. Entry to begin by 3.30pm for camera teams to start setting up - Sitanshu Kar (@DG_PIB) March 10, 2019

12.40pm: "I have announced 33 per cent reservation for women in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections," says Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.

Odisha CM and BJD President Naveen Patnaik: I am delighted to be in Kendrapara today. Here, I have announced 33 per cent reservation for women in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. pic.twitter.com/rmBnnEmm6L - ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

12.35pm: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was dissolved last year. The EC is bound to hold fresh polls in the militancy-hit state in at least six month, which will end in May. The EC may announce Assembly polls date for Jammu and Kashmir too.

The #ElectionCommission of India is likely to announce the Lok Sabha elections 2019 schedule dates today. India Today's @PoulomiMSaha tells you more about it.#ITVideo More videos: https://t.co/Nounxo6IKQ pic.twitter.com/Hs691tD29r - India Today (@IndiaToday) March 10, 2019

12.26pm: There is a strong possibility that the EC may go by the precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls. Notification for the first phase could be issued by the end of March for voting some time in early April, reports PTI.

12.23pm: Among other things, the Model Code of Conduct bars the government from announcing policy decisions.

12.07pm: Former CEC Dr SY Quraishi on the Lok Sabha Elections 2019: The past three elections (2004, 2009 & 2014) were held from April 20 to May 10 (in four phases), April 16 to May 13 (5 phases) and April 7 to May 12 (9 phases), respectively.

There is much speculation about election dates. Last three elections (2004, 2009 & 2014) were held from 20 Apr to 10 May (4 phases), 16 April to 13 May (5 phases) and 7 April to 12 May (9 phases), respectively. The window available this time is still similar. But not much. - Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) March 9, 2019

11.51am: It is not a political candidate, constituency, election issue or some big-ticket political funding, the Lok Sabha elections 2019 may see a 'swing factor' in women empowerment.

11.50am: Political parties have resorted to big poll campaigning on social media with the Lok Sabha elections 2019 just a few months away. Pro-BJP groups spent over Rs 2.15 crore out of the total Rs 4.13 expenditure all parties incurred on political advertisement on Facebook in February, as per the social media site's Ad Archive Report.

11.48am: The present term of the present Lok Sabha will end on June 3. Polling will be held for 543 Parliamentary constituencies.

#ElectionCommissionOfIndia to address media at 5pm today at Vigyan Bhavan, plenary hall. Media entry on the basis of #PIB card especially for the camera teams with their equipment. Entry to begin by 3:30pm for camera teams to start setting up - PIB India (@PIB_India) March 10, 2019

11.00am: The Election Commission of India to hold a press conference at 5pm today.

Election Commission of India to hold a press conference at 5pm today. pic.twitter.com/M8hrrpQBr4 - ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

10.39am: The Model Code of Conduct will come into force once the polling dates will be announced by the Election Commission at 5PM today.
Union Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Mehghwal on Sunday said in Bikaner, Rajasthan, that India had stopped water of three eastern rivers flowing to Pakistan. The decision, announced by the Minister, came in the wake of the Pulwama suicide bombing attack in which over 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Speaking to media, Meghwal, said that water of 0.53 million acre-feet of eastern rivers, which was flowing into Pakistan, had been stopped and it could be used for drinking and irrigation purposes. "0.53 million acre-feet water has been stopped from going to Pakistan and has been stored. Whenever Rajasthan or Punjab needs it, that water can be used for drinking and irrigation purposes," he said.

The decision by the Modi government does not violate the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 as New Delhi is entitled to stop the flow of its share of water from the three eastern rivers - Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej - to Islamabad.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty, India shares water of the Beas and Sutlej rivers with Pakistan.

In the year 1960, India and Pakistan had signed one of the most liberal water distribution agreements to use the water available in the Indus system of rivers originating in India. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan.

According to the treaty, all the waters of the three eastern rivers, averaging around 33 million acre-feet (MAF), were allocated to India for exclusive use, while the waters of the western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab - averaging to around 135 MAF, were allocated to Pakistan.

Last month, the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had threatened to choke Pakistan's water supply by building projects on three rivers flowing into the belligerent neighbour.

"Three of our rivers have been flowing into Pakistan. So water which we rightfully owned was going into Pakistan. Now we are planning to create a project and divert the waters of these three rivers to the Yamuna. So you can understand that there will be enough water in the Yamuna," Gadkari had said.

After the Pulwama attack, not only has India tried to stifle Pakistan by courting global support to declare it a terror monger, but the Modi government has also made efforts to cripple its economy by increasing duties on essential products.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019 schedule LIVE updates: Election Commission to announce final dates at 5 PM today

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar
Apollo Tyres expects returns to start accruing from 2021 for the investments it has put in over the last few years across its operations in India and Europe, a top company official said.

The company has put in close to Rs 4,000 crore in a new facility in Hungary and has also earmarked another Rs 3,800 crore for a greenfield project in Andhra Pradesh.

It has also invested in upgrading its existing manufacturing plant in Chennai, expanding truck tyre radial production to 12,000 units a day from earlier 6,000 units.

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"We expect the year 2021 where this capex which we have invested to start giving us output leading to free cash generation," Apollo Tyres Vice Chairman and MD Neeraj Kanwar told PTI on the sidelines of the 89th edition of Geneva Motor Show.

The tyre major expects operations to gather steam in Europe in the next financial year as it starts catering to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from its Hungary plant.

"Hungary plant has now started to produce around 8,000 passenger car tyres a day and around 500 truck tyres a day...we are gaining market share and growing faster than the market in the passenger car segment. In truck segment feedback is very positive. So we are very bullish here," Kanwar said.

The company has started supplies to various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in Europe like Volkswagen, Ford and Audi and is in talks with the BMW group, he added.

The capacity utilisation for passenger car radial segment at Hungary plant currently stands at 80 per cent while for truck radial the capacity utilisation is still below 50 per cent, Kanwar said.

"That is why we are saying that FY 20 is the year when we really stabilise," he added.

With an already strong presence in the replacement market in Germany and Netherlands, the company now plans to focus on countries like France, Italy, Spain and the UK, Kanwar further said.

The company currently gets 95 per cent of its revenues from aftermarket segment in Europe and rest from supplies to OEMs, he added.

"It is important to be with the OEMs as over 50 per cent are repeat customers in that segment..we need to take small steps as this is just the beginning," Kanwar said.

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Commenting on the company's domestic business, Kanwar said: "In India as per our vision 2020 we are gunning for leadership positions in whatever product categories we are currently present." The company is currently market leader in truck radial segment and has gained market share in car radial segment, he added.

"Timely investment in AP (Andhra Pradesh) will be able to give us next level of growth," Kanwar said.

Apollo had commissioned its Hungary plant in 2017. Last year, it announced setting up of a manufacturing facility at Chinapanduru village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

Also Read: PNB sanctions loans worth Rs 689 crore to 1,600 MSMEs via 59-minute loan portal

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The Election Commission has imposed 'model code of conduct' with immediate effect for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on Sunday. Commission further announced that 'voter-verifiable paper audit trail' (VVPAT) will be used in all voting stations from this time.

Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner, said that the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday and 10 lakh polling stations would be set up this time as against about 9 lakh in 2014. The model code of conduct prohibits the government from announcing any policy or making a similar move that may affect the voters' decision. The Lok Sabha polls will start from April 11 and will be held in seven phases followed by vote counting on May 23.

Announcing the schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission said the VVPAT will be used in all polling stations this time. Chief EC said that all advertisements made by political parties on social media will also need a pre-certification.

Sunil Arora added that the first phase of voting will be held on April 11, second on April 18, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes would be done on May 23 for all seven stages of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

2014's Lok Sabha elections were held across 9 stages, from April 7 to May 9 and the final decision was announced on May 16. Total of 8,251 candidates, with an average of 15 contestants in each constituency participated in previous elections. However, around 7,000 contestants' deposits were forfeited.

Additionally, more than 55 crore voters, 66.3 per cent of total voting citizens of the country, practiced their voting right in over 9 lakh polling stations. Interestingly, out of the total 543 elected candidates, only 62 were women.

(Edited By Vivek Dubey)

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State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has sanctioned loans worth Rs 689 crore to over 1,600 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the psbloansin59minutes.com portal as part of its effort to promote such industries.

Under the Mudra Yojana, the bank has offered loan to over 2.69 lakh small entrepreneurs this fiscal (till February 14, 2019).

Also Read: Apollo Tyres expects returns from investments in India, Europe by 2021

"In November 2018, Hon'ble Prime Minister announced the launch of the 59-minute loan portal to enable easy access to credit for MSMEs. Under this initiative, the bank has sanctioned loans to over 1,600 accounts with a total sanctioned amount of Rs 689 crore (till February end)," PNB managing director Sunil Mehta told PTI.

MSMEs through this portal can avail loans of up to Rs 1 crore in 59 minutes or less than an hour. MSMEs apply for loans using their GST registration as the portal is integrated with GST server at the back-end as well as IT, credit bureaus and banks. It is able to quickly score the applicant on individual models of lenders (currently only public sector banks).

It is a strategic initiative of SIDBI led PSB consortium incubated under the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance. Other partner banks are the SBI, Bank of Baroda, PNB, Vijaya and Indian Bank.

With regard to the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Mehta said since the inception of the scheme, PNB has sanctioned loan to over 17.16 lakh accounts with the total amount of 21,019 crore till December 31, 2018.

Also Read: Central Bank says no data on demonetised 500, 1,000 notes used at petrol pumps

"In the current financial year, the bank has offered the loan to over 2.69 lakh accounts with total amount sanctioned being 5,290 crore till February 14, 2019. The scheme has helped millions of small enterprises in the country and will continue to do so, in the coming years. The bank has exceeded the government targets under Mudra scheme and has provided an additional working capital limit to MSMEs," he said.

PNB has bagged many awards last month under the Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE) reforms agenda. The bank won the Reforms Excellency Award. It was also declared the winner in the customer responsiveness, responsible banking and credit Off-take category.

The bank has also figured in the Forbes world's best bank 2019 report in terms of customer satisfaction ratings.

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Queer Miami: A History of LGBTQ Communities, a new exhibit opening Saturday, March 16 at HistoryMiami Museum, explores Miamis queer past, reflecting its gender and sexual diversity for over a century.

Curated by author and historian Julio Cap, Jr., the exhibition presents the stories of Miamis queer communities who, despite discrimination, isolation, and violence, managed to carve out spaces for themselves and made their voices heard in South Florida. Hundreds of artifacts, photographs, archival footage and other items were assembled for the exhibit.

Displayed in the museums 5,000 square foot gallery,Queer Miami will address topics ranging from policing and criminalization, community development, advocacy and activism, immigration and the AIDS crisis to what the future holds for Miamis queer community.

Visitors will be able to examine memorabilia from some of Miamis oldest gay bars, photographs of rallies and marches, archival material from Anita Bryants Save Our Children campaign, historical footage and original video interviews from the people involved in building Miamis LGBTQ communities. Interactive components will also encourage visitors to contribute their own stories to the exhibition.

HistoryMiami Museum executive director Jorge Zamanillo said, This exhibit is unique because the story is still being told and changing every day. Were inviting visitors to tell their own stories and be a part of history.

He added, We live in such a diverse city, it can be a challenge to tell every story. I think it will be eye-openingPeople will come out learning a lot more than they expect, especially the deep history of the struggle, going back to the beginning of the 20thcentury. Theres a lot of important history that has taken place right here.

Its an excitingand most necessarytime to tell these stories, added Capo. One of the greatest challenges in studying LGBTQ history is that our lives and experiences are so often purposefully erased from history books and archives. As this exhibit will show, our LGBTQ community, of which I am also a proud member, has persisted and persevered in Miami since its inception.

An expert on the intersection of gender and sexuality throughout history, Capo is also the author of Welcome to Fairyland: Queer Miami Before 1940. Published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2017, his book received honors from the Florida Historical Society, Florida Book Awards and Southern Historical Association. Capo is currently an associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

HistoryMiami museum will open the exhibition with a preview party on Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. The opening reception will feature live music, performances and complimentary beverages. Tickets are $10 or free with pre-registration at bit.ly/Queer-Miami-Party. The museum is open Tuesday  Sunday and regular admission is $10. For more information, go to HistoryMiami.org.
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: Customs signs protocol agreement with LAGA

The Directorate General of Customs has signed a protocol agreement with The Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA) to tackle the illegal cross border trade in protected wildlife.

The ceremony was presided at by the Director General, Fongod Edwin Navuga who seized the opportunity to highlight the necessity to share information and collaborate in the field so as to enhance the customs administration abilities to effectively deal with wildlife trafficking. The protocol agreement specifies the terms of the collaboration that shall include provision of capacity training to the customs agents to be able to tackle an increasing sophisticated cross border trade in wildlife species.

On his part, the National Coordinator of LAGA, Eric Kaba Tah, said formalizing an already existing collaboration that has in the past produced results, was important. He cited the case of the arrest of a Chinese national with 80kg of pangolin scales in Limbe in 2013 by customs and the collaboration that resulted and the sentencing of the trafficker to 6 months in prison. He equally gave other examples of collaboration between LAGA and customs including the arrest of two Chinese nationals at the Nsimalen airport with illegal wildlife products and their prosecution.

It should be noted that Cameroon is both a source and transit country for illegal wildlife products that are destined for Asian, European and American markets. Some of the contraband is exported to the West and North African regions. Experts say the trade is essentially cross border necessitating improved effectiveness in dealing with it. Kaba Tah said For example, Cameroonians have very little use for pangolin scales but the trade is being stimulated by demand from a far distant land and our pangolins are dying.

Specimens of plants and animals are traded in hundreds of millions every year under the regulatory authority of CITES, the convention that governs the international trade. While there is a legal trade, a huge corresponding illegal trade exists and this is what is causing all sorts of problems in CITES member countries among which is Cameroon.

The trade is the 4th global illegal trade behind the illegal trade in drugs, human trafficking, smuggling and counterfeiting. Early this year Hong Kong authorities seized 9 tons of illegal pangolin scales that was said to be shipped from Nigeria. While it is not certain if an investigation has been carried out to ascertain the exact origin of the scales, it is worth noting that one of the routes used by traffickers to illegally export pangolin scales start from countries in the sub region where the scales are collected, transiting through Cameroon to Nigeria, where it is exported.

LAGA has been assisting the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife since 2003 in the tracking and prosecution of traffickers and according to statistics from the conservation group, over 500 traffickers have been prosecuted during this period. Such assistance has now been extended to the customs administration.
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Walking through a quiet forest of snow gums, passing scar trees, there is the sense that we are entering a hallowed and ancient ground. The forest opens into a clearing, and Uncle Max starts calling out to the ancestors to make them aware of our approach. The Yuin elder has gathered Koori elders and clans in the Walgalu high country, the birthplace of Australias major rivers high in NSWs Kosciuszko National Park. They are here to perform a Narjong - a water ceremony - to invoke the sacred duty of caring for the river systems, a tribal responsibility for thousands of years. "Weve visited the source of several rivers which are holy to us," says Indigenous author Bruce Pascoe. "Ill never forget Uncle Max taking us to the source of the Nepean, which rises in a peat bog." Uncle Max and local guide Richard Swain have organised the ceremony to show the damage done to Kosciuszkos delicate alpine wetland by feral horses. But they also want to expose the myth around brumbies that resulted in the NSW government passing a law that recognised the heritage value of an animal that has only been in the Snowy Mountains for about 180 years. Swain wants people to understand the reality of feral horses in the park, compared to the myth. The reality, which is backed by scientific studies, says that the horses destroy sensitive and important alpine ecosystems at the origin of our rivers. The myth of the brumby in popular culture portrays them only as majestic wild horses. But in reality many are in poor health and show signs of abnormalities that are almost certainly the result of inbreeding. As he walks, Uncle Max feels the hardness of the bare ground underfoot, pockmarked with horse hoofprints. There is no give in it, he says. The horse is much heavier than us, so when they tread on this, they are turning the taps off on the Murrumbidgee River. Uncle Max is referring to is the hydrology of the sphagnum bogs and the river which forks through the mountains. The wetlands house sphagnum moss that can retain water for up to seven years. Textured like a sponge, it naturally filters the water and slowly releases it down into the river systems and helps prevent the low-flow systems which favour growth of blue-green algae. Algal blooms deplete oxygen in the water, and were the major cause of the massive fish kills in the Darling River in recent months. Just across the border in Canberras Namadgi National Park, ACT Parks manager Brett McNamara and his rangers are working to control and monitor feral animals. Hes concerned an unchecked feral horse population in northern Kosciuszko will soon set up shop in Namadgis delicate alpine wetlands, which feed the Cotter River, which in turn gives the nation's capital 80 per cent of its drinking water. Im yet to meet a feral horse that can recognise a border, McNamara says. The wetlands were recently declared endangered and news that NSW park rangers removed zero horses from Kosciuszko was slammed as irresponsible by ACT Environment Minister Mick Gentleman. McNamara says as far back as the 1900s, newspapers were reporting on the plight of pastoralists pitted against the pillaging feral mobs of wild horses. Only decades after Banjo Patersons 1890 poem "The Man From Snowy River" the Sydney Morning Herald was referring to brumbies as a scourge in 1913. Feral horses got so out of control that in the 1940s, farmers were asking to use machine guns to thin out their numbers. When Canberra was founded, one of the first laws passed was the Cotter River Act to protect the quality of the rivers water, at risk of damage by a then-strong feral horse population in Namadgi. Upholding the act was one of the first jobs of McNamaras predecessor. But pastoralists took it upon themselves to brutally cull the horses in NSW. They corralled them through V-shaped fencelines where, through the gap at the bottom of the V, they would hold out a knife and slit the horse's throat as it ran past. A far cry from the dreamy, wistful image conjured by Patersons romantic ballad - though perhaps we would do better to remember the movie, where the brumbies are rounded up and removed from the high country by the daring young stockman Jim Craig. Protections for the horses were spearheaded by NSW deputy premier and Nationals MP John Barilaro. He holds the state seat of Monaro, an electorate that covers 22,000 square kilometres in the states south, including the Snowy Mountains. His so-called Brumby Bill passed NSW parliament in June last year and will see a new horse management plan drafted allowing only non-lethal methods to control their numbers, including re-homing. Conservative estimates currently put Kosciuszko's feral horse population, stretching from south of the ACTs borders to the Victorian border, at about 8000. The bill saw the NSW government ditch the proposed plan from its own independent reference group, which in 2016 recommended bringing horse numbers down to 600 within two decades. For a time, the deputy premier lauded the cultural values of the brumby and refused to be drawn on the damage an unchecked population could cause. But Barilaros recent comments at a public forum in Jindabyne have given some hope to anti-brumby advocates. Lets get it clear, the Brumby Bill recognises the cultural connection. Thats why we have over decades, over decades, struggled to manage horse numbers in Kosciuszko, Barilaro told the forum. What it does put in place, for the first time, it got all stakeholders at the table where we all agree we need a 50 per cent reduction immediately. But when asked why NSW needed to bin the 2016 independent report and form a new scientific committee, Barilaro says they needed to organise a recount of the horse population. We cannot put a final number on it until we follow the process, identify the parts of the park that are suitable, and know how many horses there currently are, he says. One of the scientists who was on that independent reference group was botanist Professor Geoff Hope. He says a 50 per cent reduction would not be enough and the group agreed a population of 600 was the most sustainable. Our view was the park could tolerate a few out in the harder, lower parts, he says. While a fresh count is necessary, the count doesnt need to happen before horses are removed, he says. The higher wetlands are home to the critically endangered Northern Corroboree Frog, no bigger than a thumbnail, and the Broad-toothed Rat. But Hope says the biggest concern is once the wetlands and grasslands are gone, Kosciuszkos insect and invertebrate biodiversity plummets. Weve got a pretty unusual park. From a scientific perspective its also remarkable, Hope says. The horses are eating up and pugging - stomping - the riverbeds, making them wider and shallower and muddying their flow. Pascoe says that sheep are also incredibly destructive of soil. "The first Europeans found soils so friable you could run your fingers through them but after only a year of grazing by sheep, all the Aboriginal crops were gone and the soil had been beaten into a water-resistant pan. We have soft-footed animals already grazing on Australian farms, we should eat them and keep the horses to the race track and the house paddock." Just on the Victorian border, the difference between untamed Kosciuszko and paddock Kosciuszko is clear. Fenced-off sections to keep horses out are flourishing with tussock. The rest of the plain by Wombat Trail is muddy, with a brown creek running at a gurgle. But the horses have other supporters besides Barilaro. Snowy Mountains local Peter Cochran has been a passionate advocate for allowing feral horses in Kosciuszko since he entered politics in 1988. Now, 20 years after leaving parliament, Cochran runs horseback tours through the Snowys with the chance to see feral horses a key selling point of his packages. He and his wife made separate $5000 donations to Barilaros election campaign in 2011 but havent made donations since. Cochran is quite open about his hands-on involvement in putting together the Brumby Bill with Barilaro in 2017. Now is that a crime? Everybody has a vested interest, he says. His family has been in the Snowys for generations and he says brumbies are part of their cultural heritage. When it comes to scientists who are concerned about the impact of horses on Kosciuszko: Wouldnt trust em as far as I can kick em. When it comes to the concerns Canberra has about the future of its water supply: Bullshit. And the fenced-off areas to protect grasslands from horses on the Victoria-NSW border? A concocted scientific experiment. Back on the plains, Narjong performers from different parts of the river system paint up for ceremony: Ngarrindjeri from the the Murray mouth in South Australia, Barkindji from the Darling River, and Ngaran from the headwaters. A good crowd has gathered to show support for the ailing river systems, and hear the call to take responsibility for protecting country. There are also people from the Snowy Mountains Brumby Sustainability and Management Group present. They have been camped next to the Narjong campers with their horses for a few days, in something of a standoff that reflects the polarisation around this issue. The group's president, Alan Lanyon, denies the horses have had an impact on high country eco-systems, and describes this impact instead as evidence of existence. The scientists, whose studies say otherwise, are dismissed as being tied to a particular cluster of environmental groups that promote the complete removal of horses from the high country. The ceremony begins with dancers circling the corroboree ground in full voice to the percussion of clap sticks, each group and river system singing up its name - Indi(Upper Murray river), Murrumbidgee, Galari(Lachlan River), Barka (Darling River) and then they merge into the Murrundi(Murray River). The fire stick dance then follows, with the rhythmic chant of Shulumun Baba to call up the fire spirit. The fire makers spin their fire-making sticks with increased fervor. The chant and movement of dancers quickens, culminating in a crescendo of clap sticks as the fire sparks and takes hold. Coolaman smoking fires are then lit from the one sacred spark, and all those gathered pass through the smoke - including the brumby advocates. The smoking ritual is to encourage people to focus their energy on caring for the rivers and the landscape. After the smoking is completed, the ashes from the fire are dug into the bank of the Murrumbidgee, giving ceremonial energy to the river. Dancers then proceed to bathe and wash off their ceremonial ochre into the river, also giving the river the power of the ceremony. After the ceremony, Ngarrindjeri elder Major Moogy Sumner says hes come from Coorong in South Australia, at the mouth of the Murray. Without water, like everything else, we will just die, he says. Like the fish that died the other week [in the Murray], that water was dirty. That water was poison. So if the fish die, and the little animals and plants that rely on the water die ... when is it our turn that well be dying, that well be missing from this country?

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I tried to start a book club once. It didnt work. We were young mums of child-bearing age and I selected Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale as our first book. I was cheating, Id already read it, and loved it. But perhaps in those fertile years in our early 30s it was way too close to home. Of-husbands as we were then. We didnt even have a meeting. Everyone started the book, no one else liked it. Not that thats a prerequisite for a book club, isnt that the whole idea, to challenge and provoke and incite conversation? So we shelved the idea and just met on the occasional Tuesday for a glass of wine or three. Which, if were all honest, is the only reason we have book clubs and Tupperware parties, or those risque naughty adults-only versions which also include hard plastic. Not that anyone has ever invited me to one of those. Hello? Just recently my friends and I have spoken about resurrecting the whole book club thing. A proper book club where we promise to read and discuss the book. I think it has something to do with the fact that, for the most part, our children are getting older and were finding space in the back of our brains that is no longer full of information concerning the minutiae of raising small children. Were at that point too, perhaps, where we need to remind ourselves were capable of critical thought and intellectual analysis. And if you can throw in a wine and a catch-up, all the better. But heres the problem. Which book to choose? Ive read some great books of late but I dont know how many of them would work for a book club. Jack Heaths cannibal detective novel Hunter (and the original Hangman) was a cracker but not really book club material. I knocked over Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine over summer and loved it. That might work. Less by Andrew Sean Greer. The Lost Man. Scrublands. Beck Dorey-Steins From the Corner of the Oval Office, an account of a stenographers time in the Obama administration, would appeal to a certain core group of my friends. Not the other core group who read a lot of serious non-fiction. And ones Im even yet to read. Boy Swallows Universe. Bridge of Clay. Leigh Sales Any Ordinary Day. Sally Rooneys Normal People. So many books. So little time. We have this problem every time we discuss the idea of a book club. So one conversation we came up with the idea of a Cultural Appreciation Club. Where once a month wed decide upon the topic of conversation. It might be a book, or a movie, we might catch some live music, or visit a gallery, we might select a wine or two and match some food, we might go for a hike, or visit a place weve never been. Just something regular for us. Something regular to get the brain ticking, maybe occasionally get the body ticking too. Its too easy when youre busy raising children, defining yourself in a motherly way, to forget that youre an intelligent woman capable of so much outside the domestic sphere. Ive got wonderful amazing friends who cook, who write, who sing, who take beautiful photographs, make amazing birthday cakes, who push boundaries at work, and play. But we gather in groups and more often than not, conversation falls back to the children, to relationships, to our day-to-day lives. Dont get me wrong, I treasure these conversations. Treasure the fact I have friends who I can open my heart and mind to. Who will listen to my bullshit and call me on it but keep listening. I like it that Im perhaps that friend to them as well. But one thing I have missed in the past couple of years is regular adult conversation. That moment when someone, other than your teenage children, is there at the dinner table to listen. Someone to share your innermost secrets and thoughts. Someone to argue with, to banter with, someone to listen, someone to hear. Should we start that Culture Club? Would you like to come along?

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There is an age difference of several decades between them, but the bond between the participants of this Canberra playgroup couldn't be stronger. Run by Playgroups ACT every Monday out of the Mirinjani aged care facility in Weston, the intergenerational initiative aims to bring some of Canberra's youngest and oldest residents together for play time, singing, stories and even visits from animals. The program has been running since 2016, with dozens of children and elderly residents attending every week. Playgroups ACT development and support worker Chandani Ramasundara said there was a real connection between the participants. "There's a lot of families here in Canberra who don't have their grandparents with them, so it's a good opportunity for children to play with the residents at Mirinjani," Ms Ramasundara said. "A lot of the people who are very isolated have created amazing bonds." Norma Sumner, a care services worker at Mirinjani, said the program had helped to reduce social isolation for its elderly residents. "There are definitely health benefits. Some of the residents rarely come out of their rooms, and yet you see them out and about playing with the kids on playgroup day," Ms Sumner said. "For many, it helps them relive their memories of when their own kids were growing up. It's wonderful to see." The health benefits of intergenerational playgroups aren't limited to the Canberra program. A 2014 Australian study found elderly residents who took part in similar programs had higher levels of self-esteem, increased happiness, more active participation in the community and an increase in dignity for those living with dementia. Mirinjani resident Judy Baker has lived at the aged care facility for more than two years and said the intergenerational playgroup was the highlight of her week. "It's the best day of the week, as far as I'm concerned," Mrs Baker said. "I don't have any grandchildren of my own, but when all the kiddies are here, it's just lovely." Such is the connection between the generations, Mrs Baker still speaks every week with some of the children who once attended the program but now live interstate. "There were twins who came here from when they were just four-months-old, and they left before Christmas to go and live in Brisbane," Mrs Baker said. "Every Monday they still speak to me over FaceTime and they blow kisses to me." The program in Weston is one of two intergenerational playgroups in the ACT, with three new playgroups to start in coming weeks. Before Ms Ramasundara was helping to run the program, she was a participant with her own child. She said in the more than two years it had been operating, the program had gone from strength to strength. "The bond between the generations is very important, and there's a lot of new mums who get a lot of parenting advice from the older generations," she said. "It really does feel like a family."

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I note with interest Ian Pilsner's letter ("Political Karma", March 5) suggesting that Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop have had their just desserts, now that they're out of the Australian Liberal Party and politics altogether. I'd like to suggest that rather than implying in a very superficial way that Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop played a leading role in ousting Tony Abbott as the then prime minister, Ian Pilsner needs to dig deeper to get an understanding of the party political context within the Liberal Party of Australia and other influencing factors like sample polling, and the impact that undesirable policies have on the electorate. I don't think Malcolm Turnbull or Julie Bishop set out to destroy the Australian Liberal Party, but to make it more progressive and reflect the views, sentiments and the demographics of the electorate. In fact, sample polling and the party's internal polling of marginal seats suggested that Malcolm Turnbull was a better proposition as leader. In the case of Tony Abbott he was the one instrumental in dismantling the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull as Leader of the Opposition. Abbott had nothing to lose but everything to gain from challenging Malcolm Turnbull, given that the election of a Coalition government was within its reach and given the instability of Julia Gillard's Labor government with leadership squabbles. More recently, the downfall of Malcolm Turnbull was his climate change policy and his efforts to meet Australia's obligations, and also to run a centrist government. The ousting of Tony Abbott from the prime ministership was not the doing of Malcolm Turnbull but again forces within the Liberal Party who used him as a vehicle, to address what the polls were saying about the unpopularity of Tony Abbott as leader. Thomas Natera, Ngunnawal It is long past time that Australia focused on appointing long-serving, experienced members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to important positions as ambassadors and consuls-general. They would bring experience and insight to these roles. Both major parties have a history of rewarding their own with these jobs. This degrades the positions and leaves the parties open to accusations of cronyism. Steve Ellis, Hackett Since the Canberra Mothercraft Society can no longer continue to run the QEII hospital maybe it's time the ACT government took it over and ran QEII directly as a government service. It has become clearer and clearer in recent years how mistaken the era of privatisation has been, and how much expensive damage has been done. Taking over the QEII and running it as a government function is a small step, but by doing so the ACT government could signal its rejection of the privatisation rhetoric which has bamboozled so many for so long, and its return to direct government provision of services. Then we could start planning how to get electricity and water back. Gordon Soames, Curtin A bushwalk last week in the Snowy Mountains between Mt Jagungal and Munyang Power Station showed us the impact of the drought on the Snowy Mountains. It was very dry and there were few birds. Very noticeable was the lack of Australian Ravens or crows as many call them. The National Park and Wildlife Service of NSW at Jindabyne said that drought had led to lower numbers of insects, especially Bogong moths which are a food source for the raven. It was of concern to read that fewer Bogong moths could affect the critically endangered alpine Mountain Pygmy Possum as Finbar O'Mallon recently reported ("How Canberrans watering their lawns could help the endangered pygmy possum", March 2, p15). During our walk we also saw bushfire smoke originating from near Tooma Dam masking Mt Jagungal to the north. Climate change is making such conditions increasingly prevalent, to the detriment of our unique wildlife and of our natural environment which supports the human race. It's a pretty bleak outlook. Are the politicians fully aware of what's happening? Judy Kelly, Aranda ACT Parks removed a thorn tree shrub from behind Campbell High School outside the Mount Ainslie reserve area this week. This large shrub has survived everything the drought could throw at it and on Monday morning it was providing sustenance to the superb parrots, the rainbow lorikeets (rare in Canberra), king parrots and cockatoos all at the same time which was an amazing sight and now it is gone. There is another shrub nearby and I am worried this is going to get the same treatment. Why was this removed? Even if it's not native, it is providing a welcome habitat to native birds. Rosemary Matley, Reid The chief executive of Wing stated at the ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry on delivery drones that there are three entities apparently concerned with drones in Canberra: the ACT government, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and Airservices Australia ("Delivery drone trial boss fronts ACT government committee", March 7). It is obvious there are huge regulatory gaps. Further, who is protecting the interests of animals? At the same inquiry hearing, the ACT Equestrian Association, the Belconnen Dog Obedience Club, and Tuggeranong Dog Training Club outlined in detail the sort of havoc that drone noise creates for horses and dogs. This is because of the extending hearing range of these animals that pick up drones well before humans do. Consequently they go into fight or flight mode, explaining why dogs bark so much with such invasive noise. With Wing literally planning to take over the sky with over 10,000 drone deliveries a day by 2030, this spells considerable stress for these animals if such a scenario eventuates. As for the birdlife, the Bonython experience underlines that the birds just disappear. Is it any wonder? Murray May, Cook Gwyn Rees, chief executive of ClubsACT, (Letters, March 6) points out Justice Debbie Mortimer of the Federal Court considers Dr Charles Livingstone has no capacity as an independent expert on gambling because he is an advocate for the applicant. So, one is debarred from being an independent witness if one has reached a conclusion. Surely that would depend on the evidence produced. G Wilson, Macgregor Lake Tuggeranong is the south's main silt trap for the Murrumbidgee River. Its other role (seen by many as the main one) as a safe, attractive, swimmable water feature, has not been, and apparently cannot always be achieved. That's despite new catchment-area wetland works and planting designed to intercept and break down detritus. So, the lake gets a lot of smelly toxic blue-green algae, etc, such as we're seeing now. Its main dry-time flow depends on a tributary of the Murrumbidgee, Tuggeranong Creek, which isn't much. Increased continuous flow could come from the Murrumbidgee itself. Substantial pumps at that river's Angle Crossing, upstream from Tuggeranong, were installed to pipe water a long way over a ridge, to supplement our vast back-up dam, Googong. Icon Water recently decommissioned the pumps because, apparently, with our new over-sized Cotter Dam, we don't need that supplementation. In dry times, the pumps could send Murrumbidgee water via a large supplementary pipe, to the headwaters of Tuggeranong Creek (Rocky Gully), and so into the lake. The flow could prevent the algae etc, while filling the lake, sending most of the pumped water over the lake's dam, back into the Murrumbidgee. The Commonwealth, which designed and built the lake (and Tuggeranong), should contribute to this rectification. Jack Kershaw, Kambah Is this another "unintended consequence" of the ACT's new land tax laws on vacant properties? A 97-year-old lady, living in her own townhouse, with assistance, until last November, finally had to enter permanent residential care. This necessitated considerable reorganisation of finances, but was found possible to do without selling her home, at least for the time being, in case occasional visits were possible and the time required to clarify her wishes and determine the best course of action regarding the house and her possessions. However, as it is no longer her permanent home, in addition to her health care fees, the residential home fees and the government's means-tested fees, she has just been hit with her first quarterly land tax bill for $600. For a 97-year-old, whose previous permanent home is currently vacant while her future options remain uncertain, to be charged a tax aimed at developers, is hardly the intended action of a sympathetic government. Jim Cullen, Melba So this good old local government is once again ripping off Canberra residents with its so-called "land tax". Empty properties began incurring land tax from July 1 last year. I have a number of words to describe this local government but that would fill a number of pages so not practical in a letter to The Canberra Times. So a person cannot purchase/own a property and leave it vacant if they choose to do so without incurring a "fine", in the form of a land tax charge. An owner should have the right to do with their property whatever they want (as long as it is not being used for illegal purposes). This government, among other things, is pathetic and manipulative. Phil Nicolls, Monash Conspicuous in much of the analysis surrounding Opal Tower has been the careful exemption of the largest, longest-established players from being named in the construction quality scandal which has for at least two decades beset the industry. For no reason other than that all the fault must surely lie with the more obscure operators lately attracted to that honeypot. It is interesting therefore now to note the just-released findings of Sarah Russell's government-commissioned report on Home (Aged) Care Package providers. It identifies that industry's worst performers as the largest ones. It is no coincidence that the same has always been notoriously true of property developers. Big names unscrupulously trade on the public's perception that big is good, big is safe and you can't go wrong with big. The biggest developers have exploited this for decades as they set new lows in construction standards for the whole industry  in Canberra, Sydney and everywhere  and indeed established their wealth and power. Come to think of it, it's been the same with banks and insurance companies, as another royal commission seems to have proven. Since we continue to seem mysteriously unlikely to have a royal commission into this greatest bank robbery of all, we should carefully glean and note all we can from the others. Just like the Opal disaster was never an isolated incident, it was never just the result if its developer being merely an unfamiliar name. Alex Mattea, Sydney, NSW Phil O'Mara (Letters, March 5) contradicts himself. On the one hand he states "The company makes a profit and pays 30 per cent tax on behalf of that individual or other entity". He then states "the dividend imputation debate becomes confusing when assumptions are made that companies and investors are one and the same  which they are not". Perhaps he should peruse Marlene Hall's excellent letter of the same day to get the proper picture. A company and its shareholders are totally different legal and financial entities. A company pays income tax on behalf of itself  because it has a legal obligation to do so. The company does not pay income tax on behalf of its shareholders. You cannot conflate the position of a company which may have paid tax, with the taxation position of any individual shareholder. The bottom line of this debate is that if a taxpayer is paying no tax, he should not be receiving a tax refund of tax he has not personally paid. Peter Costello has a lot to answer for with his ill-thought-out, vote-buying, middle-class welfare. Rob King, Melba THE MATTER OF NAMES No, Peter Hughes (Letters, March 5), The Canberra Times did not wrongly state "that the elected body which preceded the Assembly elected in March 1989 was called the Advisory Assembly" (with capital letters). The paper simply reported a quote by Gary Humphries that referred to "the old advisory assembly" (without capital letters), which was a fair description of the House of Assembly that was replaced by our Legislative Assembly in 1989. Frank Marris, Forrest PM'S WASTEFUL VISIT Scott Morrison's Christmas Island visit was a waste of time and a waste of our money. Jeff Bradley, Isaacs SOLAR'S GAIN The power of the sun to provide free energy cannot be denied. It also does not cause any pollution, unlike coal. The cost of solar panels has reduced dramatically, making it very affordable. From the time of installation, in most instances, there will be no electricity bills to pay for decades providing extra cash for families, saving thousands of dollars each year. Roy Gray, Gordon WHY ARE WAGES STATIC? Nobody seems to have convincingly explained why wage growth has substantially slowed. Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic PANELS, BATTERY SAVE US We are proud solar panel and battery owners. The solar panels and battery save us about $200 per quarter in our all-electric home. We are great supporters of renewable energy and we are pleased that we live in Canberra with our strong renewable targets. However we all need to do our best to help mitigate climate change. It is easy now as the costs are decreasing all the time and the technology is improving. Sylvia Carr, Curtin PARENTS' INPUT KEY Proverbs 22:6 King James Version: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." No bullying of any kind, in or out of school. No illegal drugs. No phone use in school. Parents, it's your responsibility to give them the right values, not just the school, police and so on. It's not rocket science. Russ Morison, Theodore A QUESTION OF FAITH ACT public schools are free to decide many things, but they are not free to engage chaplains, according to the ACT government. Students in public schools who are uncomfortable with faith-unfriendly secularist assumptions are apparently not worthy of faith-friendly pastoral support. Such students may also be the subject of bullying. Arthur Connor, Weston ROLE REVERSAL How would Optus go rolling out China's 5G network? Not well I think. N. Ellis, Belconnen 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).

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A new report has found child-like sex dolls may "bridge the gap between fantasy and reality" for potential paedophiles by allowing them to carry out physical acts. The Australian Institute of Criminology published a report on the implications of child-like sex dolls this week, finding there was nothing to support the "hotly debated" theory that the dolls could give paedophiles a way to satisfy their urges without acting on their fantasies with real children. While acknowledging the topic was under-researched, report authors Rick Brown and Jane Shelling found it was reasonable to assume that interaction with child-like sex dolls could increase the likelihood of the user going on to commit child sexual abuse. The report comes as Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton attempts to ban the possession of such dolls in Australia after what he called an "abhorrent" trend that has seen increasing numbers of the dolls imported. An Australian Border Force spokesman said child-like sex dolls were seized at the country's borders on fewer than 10 occasions annually in the three years to 2015-16. The number of seizures grew significantly to 78 in 2016-17, before dropping back to 15 last financial year. Importing child-like sex dolls is punishable in Australia by up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to $525,000. When the dolls are detected at the border, they are automatically seized. "Where ABF officers find additional evidence of child exploitation material it is referred to the appropriate federal and state authorities for investigation," the Border Force spokesman said. While the importation laws are clear, Mr Dutton last month introduced draft laws in the federal parliament that would clarify legislation relating to the possession of child-like sex dolls across the country. A man was jailed in NSW in 2016 for possession of a child-like sex doll after a judge ruled that it could be classified as child abuse material, but the Institute of Criminology report found possession laws in other jurisdictions was not as clear. "Legislation in other states and territories could also be used to prohibit child sex dolls, although this largely remains untested in the courts," the report said. In February, Mr Dutton told the House of Representatives his new laws would be a "comprehensive, technology-neutral and future-focused response" to protect children from abuse. "In particular, the bill will clarify the law to ensure that the abhorrent new trend of child-like sex dolls, used to simulate sexual intercourse with children, is clearly and robustly stamped out in Australia," Mr Dutton said. The Institute of Criminology report authors found despite a lack of robust evidence around child sex dolls, there was "reason to suggest they may lead to societal harms". "They may bridge the gap between fantasy and reality by allowing potential offenders to move from the virtual world to the physical world," the report said. They said the dolls desensitised the user to the physical, emotional and psychological harm caused by child sexual abuse and normalised the behaviour in the mind of the abuser. "Child sex dolls continue to fuel the fantasy perception of children as sexual beings, further supported by the lack of negative feedback received from a doll," the report said. The finding backed up 2017 research by City University of New York academics, which found such dolls were typically silent and gave no emotional feedback to the abuser, or in the case of some robotic models, gave only positive responses. "[Child-like sex dolls] fail to provide paedophiles with accurate emotional feedback from aggressive actions, particularly ones that would result in emotional and physical damage if performed on a real child," the US research found.

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Most Canberrans are robbing themselves of the chance to save up to $1016 on their energy bills because they're not shopping around. According to the Australian Energy Market Commission's latest figures, 70 per cent of ACT electricity customers and 68 per cent of the territory's natural gas customers are still on default offers, commonly known as standing offers. As of Tuesday, ACT residents on the ActewAGL standing offer would have an annual energy bill of $3834 if they used seven megawatt hours of electricity and 39 gigajoules of gas per year. An analysis of the ACT's residential energy market offers shows using the same amount of energy on Origin Energy's 25 per cent maximiser market offer would bring the bill down to $2818  a saving of $1016. Energy Australia's no frills market offer for electricity and its 11 per cent anytime saver market offer for gas would slash the yearly bill by $705. ActewAGL's 20 per cent dual fuel market offer worked out to be $627 cheaper than its standing offer. Standing offers used by energy suppliers have been criticised for years because loyal customers miss out on discounts and are punished for not shifting to different suppliers. Consumer Affairs and Climate Change Minister Shane Rattenbury encouraged all Canberrans to get in touch with local retailers and actively look for ways to save. "There is competition in the ACT and there are savings to be had," he said. "This includes changing between standing and market offers with your current provider. The difference between offers is increasing which makes it more important than ever that consumers shop around for a better energy deal." Origin Energy general manager of retail sales and marketing Duncan Permezel said the number of ACT customers on standing offers was striking. "Around 70 per cent of the market isn't even engaged," Mr Permezel said. "The ability to save 25 per cent with just one phone call or by going online is a lot easier than trying to change your habits around electricity usage. "Even if it's not with Origin  even if you go with one of our competitors  it's that simplicity of change. Staying on a standing rate is very expensive." O'Connor resident Simon Wilson, who recently switched from a standing offer to a market offer, said he was thrilled with the "significant savings" of about 12 per cent on his bills. "It's just made a massive difference with the bills," he said. According to the federal government's Your Home guide to environmentally sustainable homes, 40 per cent of the average Australian household's energy bill is spent on heating and cooling. To save money during the warmer months, the guide recommends setting the air-conditioning to 24 degrees Celsius or higher, because each degree under that uses about 10 per cent more energy. It also says using the air-conditioning only when the temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius could save you up to $340 a year. During Canberra's freezing winters, it is best to set the heating between 18 and 20 degrees, because each degree above 20 uses about 10 per cent more energy. Heating and cooling is by far the greatest use of residential energy in Australia. Hot water and appliances each account for 21 per cent of the average household's usage, with cooking, refrigeration and lighting each making up 6 per cent. Both sides of federal politics have promised to take action on energy bills in the lead-up to this year's election. In October, federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor outlined new measures to set a default offer price that would save millions of customers on standing offers up to $832 a year. That followed Opposition leader Bill Shorten's announcement in August of plans for simpler bills with "capped" prices under a Labor government. The federal government is currently running an advertising campaign encouraging all Australians to ask their energy company for a better deal. Tips on how to do this are available at poweringforward.energy.gov.au. Correction: An earlier version of this article said residents on the ActewAGL standing offer would have an annual energy bill of $3384 if they used seven megawatt hours of electricity and 39 gigajoules of gas per year. This was a typographical error. It should have said an annual bill of $3834.

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Published On Mar 10, 2019 12:42 PM By Dhruv for Tata Harrier

A tougher, off-road version of the Harrier is in the offing but the wait will be long

Petrol and automatic variants of the Harrier will be launched before the 4WD variant.

4WD likely to be offered only with the diesel variant.

Upcoming 7-seater Harrier will also get 4x4 variant.

The Harrier is currently available only in a 4x2 diesel-manual combo in India. With a petrol variant expected to arrive in the first half of next year, the Harrier is set to get a more affordable starting price tag. Tata is also working on offering an automatic transmission with the Harrier at the earliest. Thats not all, Tata is mulling options of equipping the Harrier with a sunroof as well.

Off-road enthusiasts also have something to cheer about. Speaking to CarDekho on the sidelines of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Tata Motors chief technology officer Rajendra M Petkar said that the Harrier and Buzzard could get a 4x4 variant once Tata fulfils its current priorities. We have got feedback that there is a requirement for an off-road-spec Harrier and we will certainly look at offering a 4x4 derivative in the Harrier as well as the Buzzard once weve met our more pressing objectives, said Petkar.

Also Read: Production-spec Tata H2X Micro SUV To Debut At 2020 Auto Expo

What are these objectives, you might ask? Well, there are two new cars that Tata is looking to launch in India before the end of the year - a premium hatchback called the Altroz and the seven-seater version of the Harrier, which will be called the Buzzard in global markets except India. Tata is also working on giving the Harrier an automatic transmission in the same time frame. The carmaker is also focusing on making its entire portfolio comply with BSVI emission norms before the April 2020 deadline. Post that, we could see the introduction of Tatas first long-range electric vehicle, the Altroz EV.

Once all of the above is done, Tata will look to divert its R&D bandwidth towards a 4x4 variant of the Harrier. By our estimates, the 4x4 Harrier will arrive only by the last quarter of 2020, if not later. Also, by that time, the Harrier will almost be two years into its product cycle and could be due for a facelift. That could mean the 4x4 Harrier may see the light of day in the facelift version rather than the current iteration.

Which update are you looking forward to the most in the Harrier - a 4x4 system, petrol engine, automatic transmission or a sunroof? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to CarDekho for more information about the 4x4 Harrier.

Read More on : Tata Harrier diesel
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Photo: The Canadian Press WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visits an Ebola treatment centre in Butembo.

Heavily armed assailants again attacked an Ebola treatment centre in the heart of eastern Congo's deadly outbreak on Saturday, with one police officer killed and health workers injured, authorities said, while frightened patients waited in isolation rooms for the gunfire to end.

The early-morning attack in Butembo came less than a week after the treatment centre reopened following an attack last month, which forced Doctors Without Borders to suspend operations in the city amid warnings that ending this outbreak is impossible if health workers aren't protected.

Dozens of armed groups are active in mineral-rich eastern Congo, though some have allowed health workers access to administer Ebola vaccines and track contacts of infected people after delicate negotiations.

Security forces on Saturday repelled the attackers, one of whom was wounded, Butembo Mayor Sylvain Kanyamanda said. Congo's health ministry in a statement said forces had surrounded the centre after being tipped to a possible assault, "saving many lives."

The attack occurred hours before the World Health Organization director-general and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director visited the centre, which remained open. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus encouraged workers to continue their fight against the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which is spreading in a region compared to a war zone.

"It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and police officer who died in today's attack," Tedros said. WHO has requested and received more support from United Nations and local police forces to protect treatment centres, he said, and blamed the attack on "elements who are exploiting the desperation of the situation for their own purposes."

Some community members wary of outsiders after years of deadly rebel attacks have shown hostility to health workers in a region that is facing its first Ebola outbreak. Misunderstandings have been high, especially over the need to conduct safe burials, a highly sensitive issue. Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever, is spread via bodily fluids of those infected, including the dead.

On Thursday, the Doctors Without Borders president warned that Ebola containment efforts face a "climate of deepening community mistrust" seven months after the outbreak was declared, and the use of security forces complicates efforts. People are still reluctant to bring the sick to treatment centres, Joanne Liu said.

That hesitance, and sometimes outright evasion, by some community members has deeply complicated efforts to track contacts of infected people and carry out vaccinations.

To conquer Ebola, "we must strike a delicate balance between providing accessible care, maintaining the neutrality of the response and protecting patients and staff from attacks by armed groups," the WHO chief said on Saturday.

Another Ebola treatment centre in Katwa was attacked late last month, with one person killed. Doctors Without Borders suspended its operations there. The attacks enormously disrupted virus containment efforts, Congo's health ministry said, warning that a "significant upsurge" in new Ebola cases could follow.

For those trying to contain the outbreak, the attacks are occurring in the worst possible locations. Butembo and Katwa made up more than 86 per cent of new confirmed cases over the past three weeks, the health ministry said Monday.

The ministry, which on Sunday tweeted a photo of smiling workers reopening the Butembo treatment centre, says 854 Ebola cases have been confirmed since this outbreak was declared on Aug. 1, including 578 deaths.
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TRM Insurance, a Chattanooga-based insurance agency, announces the appointment of Fred White as the vice president of the Life and Long Term Care division of the insurance agency.



Mr. White brings over four decades of industry experience to the newly-created position. Prior to joining TRM Insurance, Mr. White was a regional insurance strategist with BB&T Life Insurance Services, specializing in estate and business planning.



Freds valuable experience in the field and deep understanding of client needs make him the perfect fit for this role, said Darren Thompson, principal of TRM Insurance. He keeps his clients best interests at heart while delivering options that exceed their expectations.



Mr. White is the current government relations director of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors in Chattanooga and was named the Tennessee Insurance Professional of the Year in 2007 by the same organization. He is the past president of both the Chattanooga and Tennessee Associations of Life Underwriters and the Chattanooga Chapter of the American Society of CLU and ChFC.
Unless your last name is Duggar, its not too common to have lots of children anymore. As people start getting married later  or not get married at all  the average number of children per household is steadily decreasing. But if anyone can afford to have a big family, its the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

People have been speculating that Prince William and Kate Middleton are considering another baby for months now. Even though their youngest son, Prince Louis, isnt even one yet, people are obsessed with the idea of Kate Middleton having another baby. And she way have just admitted she wants one, too.

However, there are a number of risks associated with Kate Middleton having a fourth baby. Heres why it might be a bad idea.

Kate Middleton | Max Mumby/Indigo-Pool/Getty Images

Did Kate Middleton confess she wants another baby?

The rumors came to a head early in 2019 when the royal couple was visiting Northern Ireland. While greeting the crowd, the Duchess of Cambridge remarked over how cute one of the children was, and said he was making her feel broody. This is a British word to describe the desire for more children. Did that small slip prove that Prince William and Kate Middleton will have a fourth baby?

Its possible. And with a new royal baby due in a few months, fans also speculate that when William and Kate see Prince Harry and Meghan Markles newborn baby, it will make them feel even more like considering another baby.

However, a fourth pregnancy might not be easy for the Duchess.

Would another pregnancy be high risk for Kate Middleton?

Kate Middleton | Suzanne Plunkett  WPA Pool/Getty Images

The main issue with Kate Middleton having a fourth child isnt the expense of another child  its the pregnancy itself. Now that Kate is 37, shell be considered Advanced Maternal Age (AMA) or a geriatric pregnancy, which could lead to all sorts of issues. Geriatric pregnancies are naturally harder on a womans body and can lead to complications such as gestational diabetes, low birth weight, higher risk of C-section, and high blood pressure.

Plus, an over-35 pregnancy is more likely to result in multiple births or chromosomal abnormalities. Sadly, the risk for miscarriage also increases with age. Recovery from the birth experience  even if its not a C-section  may take longer, too.

When Kate Middleton was in Ireland, she also mentioned that her husband Prince William might be worried about having another baby. But why would she say that?

Does Prince William want to have a fourth child?

Prince William and Kate Middleton | Samir Hussein/WireImage

Its possible that Prince William may want another child. However, he is concerned about his wife being pregnant again. Duchess Kate probably thinks hell be worried about her welfare during pregnancy since she suffers from a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum while expecting.

This extreme morning sickness can cause nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and malnutrition in pregnant women. In some cases, it even leads to hospitalization.

No doubt Prince William hates seeing his wife suffering so much during pregnancy and cant bear the thought of it a fourth time. That coupled with her age may be enough to encourage the couple not to try for a fourth child.

Then again, babies are adorable and pregnancy is short. Its certainly possible that Prince William and Kate Middleton will have another baby soon.
The thing about cheating is that it rarely stays a secret. Most extramarital affairs come to light eventually, even if its well after the relationship is over.

The public has been wondering about Donald and Melania Trumps slightly odd relationship for a while. Donald is well-known for his high-profile affairs and its no secret that hes been unfaithful in at least one past marriage.

But the one thing people want to know is: did Donald Trump ever cheat on his current wife, Melania Trump?

Donald Trump and Melania Trump | Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The pair met while Donald was on a date

Donald first met model Melania Knauss at a Manhattan night club in 1998. Though the businessman was 24 years her senior, that didnt stop him from approaching her and trying to get her number. Though their relationship did come with a rather interesting start  Donald was at the club with a different date and promptly dropped her when he laid eyes on Melania.

Since she was born in Slovenia, Melania did not know about Trumps name or fortune. But she did know she wanted to be treated differently. When Trump asked for her phone number, she insisted on taking his instead. He gave her multiple ways to reach him and then waited. In a week, she finally called.

He came to the party with a date! I had heard he was a ladies man, and so I said, Im not one of the ladies, she said later in an interview.

Donald Trump and Melania Knauss | Ron Galella/WireImage

Donald Trump has been married before

But before he ever met Melania, Trump had a whole other life.

Donald Trump married Ivana in 1977 and the two had three children together  Donald Jr, Ivanka, and Eric. He began an affair with Marla Maples while he was still married to Ivana and eventually, he and his wife divorced in 1992. Trump went on to marry Marla Maples in 1993. The couple had a daughter, Tiffany, and then divorced in 1997.

Trump and Melania Knauss met in 1998 and married in 2005. Rumors of affairs have been prevalent for all of Trumps adult life, including the infamous Stormy Daniels allegations. The former adult film star claims she had a relationship with Donald Trump in 2006, right after his son Barron was born.

Has Donald Trump cheated on Melania?

They say once a cheater, always a cheater, but its also true that people can change. While many people believe Stormy Daniels is telling the truth, Trump himself has never publicly admitted to cheating on Melania. However, Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen was accused of making an illicit payment of $130,000 to Daniels. Was it all a big cover-up?

Donald and Melania | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A Playboy model named Karen McDougal also says she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006 close to the birth of his son. She says the relationship spanned several months. A statement from the White House denied these allegations, too.

Does Melania Trump believe her husband cheated on her?

The person most affected by the affairs is Melania herself. But does she believe Donald Trump cheated on her?

Mostly, she just ignores the rumors, and obviously she is still married to him. When asked about the cheating accusations, Melania said she has more important things to think about other than whether her husband is being faithful.

I know people like to speculate and media like to speculate about our marriage and circulate the gossip, she said. But I understand the gossip sells newspapers, magazines  and, unfortunately, we live in this kind of world today.
Pete Davidson made quite an impression during Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update with his joke comparing R. Kelly to supporting the Catholic Church.

SNL started with a parody of the R. Kelly and Gayle King interview with Leslie Jones as King and Kenan Thompson hilariously playing Kelly. The sketch was well received as Thompson hit a home run with his take on Kellys constant confusion and bizarre misunderstandings during the interview. He even announced Live from New York, its Saturday Night! initially to a houseplant believing it was a camera.

Pete Davidson, Colin Jost |Photo by: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

While the audience laughed along with the cold open, they had a different tone toward Davidsons controversial jokes during Weekend Update. Did Davidson eventually get the audience to laugh?

Davidson was there to discuss the controversy surrounding R. Kelly and Michael Jackson

Davidson launched into his discussion explaining how terrible R. Kelly is and that he should go to jail forever. But if you support the Catholic church, Davidson begins. Isnt that the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan?

Josts eyes scanned the crowd as people shouted boos and groans. A few laughs are heard but mainly the audience seems pretty displeased. Davidson laughs, I dont really see the difference. Only ones music is significantly better. Ok, theres the laughter from the audience.

Davidson continues by saying his mom told him she was going to mass. So he said, OK, Im going to go listen to the Ignition remix. This produces big laughs from the audience.

Davidson dives in deeper

He adds that everyone is upset about people like Kelly and Michael Jackson because they made great music. If I found out Macklemore did some weird stuff Id be happy to free up space on my iPhone. Davidson says, People ask, how can you listen to that music after what he did?' He laughs, Headphones? More laughs.

Davidson says while it may be difficult to stop listening to some music, it is better to admit what they did first. You can buy a Mustang, but say, Henry Ford hated the Jews, as you buckle in. The full sentence should be Mark Walberg beat up an old Asian dude but Id like one ticket to Daddys Home 3 please.'

This is when he really brings it home

Davidson continues by saying he wont mind if he ever sees a Kevin Spacey movie again. But if the CEO of Swisher Sweets turns out to be a canibal , I cant just change my whole life!

He offers a plan: to donate $1 to charity every time you listen to a song or watch a movie by an accused serial predator. Ive already donated $142 and thats just from the Ignition remix alone.

When Jost asks Davidson if there is anything else hed like to address. He really scores big with this joke. Davidson says that people have a strange fascination with his age difference to new girlfriend Kate Beckinsale. He adds hes new to this. But people who have questions about people with big age differences should ask Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Larry King, Larry King, Larry Kingthe list seems endless. Meanwhile, the crowd is shouting approval and laughing. Mic drop.

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Meghan Markle, the royal familys new duchess who has been vocal about her support for feminism and womens rights, recently spoke at a panel for International Womens Day in London. In between discussions with other distinguished guests about gender equality, the Duchess of Sussex shared a wish she has for her expecting bundle of joy.

I had seen this documentary on Netflix about feminism, and one of the things they said during pregnancy was I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism,' she told. I loved that, so boy or girl  whatever it is  we hope that thats the case with our little bump.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have supported many causes for women

The duchess desire for her baby to understand the importance of gender equality perhaps comes as no surprise given her and Prince Harrys humanitarian history.

Before joining the royal family, Meghan Markle was an actress who often used her platform to speak on several issues that she felt strongly about, with womens empowerment being very high on that list. In fact, when she was only 11 years old, Markle was already writing to public officials and companies to protest sexist commercials that were perpetuating unfair gender roles.

Her fight for feminism as an adult actually led her to being named the United Nations Womens Advocate for Womens Political Participation and Leadership in 2015.

As the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle continues to use her voice to support women in any way possible. In 2018, for example, she worked with women who had been victims of the Grenfell Tower fire to help them publish a cookbook. Last month, she also traveled to Morocco to support education for girls.

While the duchess  husband Prince Harry has not been on her level of being outspoken and vocal about feminism, its clear he shares many of her views. He is a confirmed feminist and has shown support for causes that advocate for women. In 2015, he gave a speech in Nepal to talk about the importance of girls receiving education to reach their potential and escape poverty. Prince Harry has also shared that he believes men need to play their part in helping the fight for equality.

"Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve."-Prince Harry #HeForShe pic.twitter.com/BZjNAVSNub  HeForShe (@HeForShe) September 25, 2014

The couple will employ modern approaches to raising Baby Sussex

Since both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are known to not always follow rules and traditions that they deem outdated, it is expected that their parenting will reflect that.

There had been reports recently that they were raising their child in a gender-fluid environment, though that had been denied by Kensington Palace. Nevertheless, there are still signs the pair is looking to be more progressive than other royals before them. It was revealed that their nursery will not be in traditional blue or pink, but rather shades of white and gray. And given Meghan Markles protest against gender roles as a child, it is likely that, regardless of gender, Baby Sussex will grow up not being forced to conform to many stereotypes of the past.

Additionally, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly following in the footsteps of Prince William and Kate Middleton in trying to be more emotionally close with their children compared to older royals  not too surprising given that both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also are close with their own mothers. They will probably only hire one nanny to help look after Baby Sussex (a huge change from Queen Elizabeths nanny team that cared for her own kids) and will not ship their child off to boarding school yet at a young age.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Facundo Arrizabalaga  Pool/Getty Images

Are tensions running high at the Sussex household as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry prepare for the birth of their first child? Markles right-hand woman (assistant private secretary), Amy Pickerill, recently handed in her resignation to the Royals just one year after she began her position.

The duties of the assistant private secretary

Meghan Markle's Assistant Private Secretary Amy Pickerill Has Quit https://t.co/MfvzuYAMK7  Harper's Bazaar (@harpersbazaarus) March 9, 2019

Pickerills official duties include helping Markle organize charity projects as well as the day-to-day tasks of the duchesss life. She also, unofficially, helped Markle adjust to royal life, according to E! News.

Shes leaving on good terms

Despite the high turnover, the royal couple has experienced lately with their staff, Pickerill says shes leaving on good terms and will stay until after the birth of Markle and Harrys child this spring.

Amy will be leaving but has agreed to stay on to help following the birth of the baby, a source told NBC News. She and Meghan are very close and its all very amicable. She has been with her since she moved from Canada and she will remain as a personal adviser to her in the long term.

Amy Pickerills replacement

According to The Times, Markle and Harrys temporary private secretary, Samantha Cohen, does not wish to stay in the position permanently. She also plans on departing shortly after the baby is born. According to The Times, Markle was hoping to keep her on permanently.

50-year-old Cohen, who hails from Australia, has worked for the royal family for 17 years. She is Queen Elizabeth IIs former assistant private secretary. Perhaps it was just time for Cohen to move on.

Sam will be a huge loss, a source close to Meghan told The Times. Going forward, Meghan might need someone cut from a slightly different cloth to traditional courtiers, who is not a career civil servant or royal insider.

Meghan Markles personal assistant quit

Duchess Meghans personal assistant has quit suddenly, ergo Meg is a diva https://t.co/EpsiuyihbC  Kaiser@Celebitchy (@KaiseratCB) November 11, 2018

Just before Cohen announced her departure, Markles personal assistant, Melissa Touabti, quit after working for six months in her position. E! News reports that the two had a difficult relationship.

Touabtis role included managing the Sussexes schedules and helping the royal couple with their wedding preparations.

All of these departures are taking place amidst rumors that state that the Duchess is a hard boss to work for.

In November, The Daily Mail featured a source saying that Meghan typically starts her day at 5 a.m. and messages her staff with requests about seven times a day.

Meghan needs someone with reserves of energy and patience to help her define her future role, the source told the publication.

Meghan Markles dad responds to the rumors

Markle and her father havent always had the best relationship, but he reportedly gave a statement to the Daily Mail about his daughters nature.

The Meghan I know was always sweet, kind, generous. She was always demanding but never rude, Meghans father, Thomas Markle, told the Daily Mail.

Read more: The Real Reason Meghan Markle Wants Her Children to Attend an American School

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There are so many controversial figures on the right that its easy to forget certain former household names when they leave the regular public conversation. Milo Yiannopoulos is one such person. Though he hasnt been a part of the usual discussions as of late, Yiannopoulos has found a way to make the occasional headline, although certainly not in the ways he might like to. Recently, the question of his financial situation came to light. Heres what we know about Yiannopoulos these days, including his supposed net worth.



Milo Yiannopoulos | Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Who is Milo Yiannopoulos?



Known as a journalist by trade, Yiannopoulos is primarily known for his hateful actions. He covered Gamergate, airing on the side of the supporters. From there, he joined Breitbart, a far-right leaning publication that has been cited for making up stories. Yiannopoulos has been linked to numerous controversies, including the UKs No Platform policy, as well as his association with white nationalists and neo-Nazis.



After being suspended twice prior, Yiannopoulos was permanently banned from Twitter in 2016, largely due to his comments against Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones. In 2017, he was fired from Breitbart and, later, The Daily Caller, due to flippant comments her made about paedophilia. He also wrote a book, Dangerous.



What Yiannopoulos net worth?



According to Celebrity Net Worth, Yiannopoulos net worth is somewhere around $4 million, however, based on the description, this likely isnt taking into account his unemployment over the last year or so. Unless he has some major deals in the works, or some very expensive properties, Yiannopoulos net worth has probably not increased, only decreased.



He is auctioning off his possessions on Instagram



Milo Yiannopoulos, now more than $2 million in debt, has resorted to auctioning stuff on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/r6oBWWJ6eP  Will Sommer (@willsommer) March 9, 2019

One reason to believe the Yiannopoulos isnt doing as well as his net worth might suggest is that he has taken to auctioning off personal items on Instagram. As The Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer shared on Twitter, the controversial figure has posted an image of a large print of himself, which he is selling to the highest offer. According to Yiannopoulos caption, he is moving house, which could be another indication that his finances arent in great shape, if he is downgrading.



Yiannopoulos was reportedly banned from Australia



Never one to be without at least a small scandal following him, it has been reported that Yiannopoulos was banned from Australia. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a Department of Home Affairs letter from the Australian government was issued, stating that he didnt pass a character test that would grant him entry into the country under the Migration Act.



However, this decision was later rescinded. Sky News host Andrew Bolt said of the matter, This whole thing has just been so pathetic. Banning him wouldnt have just stripped his right to speak from him, but the right of 26 million Australians to decide who they listen to.



Heres what Yiannopoulos is up to these days



According to his own Instagram account (the bio for which reads Make America Great Again in Russian), Yiannopoulos has been keeping busy commenting on the news, selling t-shirts to support Roger Stone, and sharing photos of his 90s boy band-era throwback hair. He does frequently talk about money, posting his new impossibly hard-to-obtain Cal Alumni Association branded Visa debit card and tallying up his supposed earnings while flying coach. Chances are well likely never know his exact wealth, but were sure hell let us know when he scores a big payday for selling his sunglass collection.



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Payne Lindsey, the host of Up and Vanished and Atlanta Monster, is aiming at one of the most perplexing and highly publicized cases in history; the Zodiac Killer. In a new podcast with HowStuffWorks, Lindsey has left Georgia and is now hunting for a killer in California alongside the podcasts host Matt Frederick. What they find, and whether old clues will lead to new evidence in the case is unknown, but what we do know is that Frederick and his team are hellbent on reinvigorating the cold case that has become an urban legend in many ways.

Why are people still searching for the Zodiac Killer?

The case of the Zodiac Killer has baffled police and the general public for over 50 years. While the murders ended abruptly in 1969 after the killer taunted police and media with ciphers and letters, the public has never let go of the crimes. Not only did the media-hungry killer break all the molds in involving the public in a cat and mouse game, but he vanished into thin air.

Fifty years later, countless armchair detectives, private investigators, and true crime aficionados have attempted to look at the case. There have been books, dozens of different theories, and even family members coming out of the woodwork to accuse individuals of potentially being the cunning serial killer. The fascination runs deep, and for a good reason. Not only was the Zodiacs sudden arrival in California completely unprecedented, but so was his swift departure.

Could Payne Lindsey crack the case?

Lindsey, a documentary filmmaker, took his first crack at podcasting with Up and Vanished, a true crime podcastthat attempted to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a popular beauty queen and school teacher in Georgia. He is serving as executive producer on Monster: The Zodiac Killer.

(l-r) Donald Albright, Payne Lindsey, Megyn Kelly

(Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

The case of Tara Grinstead began in 2005 when the popular high school teacher disappeared into thin air. Her car remained parked in her driveway, her home seemed secured, but there were no signs of the then 30-year-old Georgia native. Lindsey, shedding new light on a long-forgotten case, helped bring Grinstead back into the collective conscience, and with that came several new developments in the case. After ten years arrests were made and trials were set.

While Lindsey himself didnt crack the case, he isnt the first non-law enforcement individual to help breathe fresh life into an old case. That appears to be precisely what he is hoping to do with Monster: The Zodiac Killer. Who knows, perhaps Lindsey and Frederick will stumble upon the answer to the 50+-year-old serial murder spree.
Much is happening for the Giudice family. Not only is Juicy Joe nearing the end of his 41-month prison sentence, but the felon is likely to be shipped back to Italy, a country he left when he was just one-year-old. While the Giudices have made fans giggle for years on RHONJ with their invented drama and overblown feuds, this real-life issue is no laughing matter.

Teresa Giudice

(Photo by Nancy Rivera/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Teresa Giudice, who served 11-months for similar crimes, has been open about the fact that she will not be moving to Italy and her marriage will effectively end if Joe is booted back to Europe. If you think her take on the situation is coldhearted you are not alone!

Jacqueline Laurita weighs in on Teresas decision

Jacqueline Laurita, a former housewife herself, believes that Giudice is coldhearted. According to Hollywood Gossip, Laurita doesnt understand why Giudice would not stand by her man and keep the family together as a unit, no matter where they need to be stationed. Laurita went on to tell the gossip mag that Giudice is merely selfish.

Giudice has argued that her kids are not interested in living in Italy, and she is making the decision for them, but it seems like most people arent buying that line. Giudice has been seen out and about with a new man in recent months, and she indicated to Cohen that she doesnt believe Joe would be faithful if the couple went long distance.

Teresa doesnt want to leave the spotlight

Giudices decision to leave her husband behind if he is deported likely has a lot to do with her current role on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Back in December 2018, Giudice got real with Kim Zolciak on House of Kim, The Real Housewives of Atlanta stars podcast. Giudice said she doesnt always enjoy appearing on RHONJ, but she refuses to leave now.

(l-r) Margaret Josephs, Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Dolores Catania, Siggy Flicker (Photo by: Rodolfo Martinez/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Giudice went on to claim she made the show what it is today, and she plans on cashing Bravo paychecks for as long as she can. The 46-year-old reality star is rumored to make roughly $1 million per season for the show. She is the only original cast member still appearing.

The $1 million paydays are keeping her family afloat at the moment, and Giudice just cant imagine walking away from that. If she were to head out to Italy, her role on the famed Bravo show would need to come to a close, and it doesnt look like Giudice is willing to entertain the idea.

A Giudice spinoff could be in the works

Teresa Giudice hasnt spent the time that Joe has been in prison pining away. Allegedly, the reality star has been jockeying for her own spinoff show. According to Celebrity Insider, the mother of four has pitched the idea of a new reality show to Bravo executives. The show would follow her life as a single mom once Joe is sent back to Italy.

According to insiders, Giudice is hoping any payday form a new show would allow her to buy out Joe in what is sure to be a messy divorce. Insiders note that Giudice is concerned about money, and thinks a new reality show could be her meal ticket. She would, after all, be raising the couples children alone and that could get expensive.

Joe has not spoken about a potential divorce or his family plans if he is sent packing. The reality husband has been heavily featured on RHONJ, and all the cast members, both past and present, seem to have nothing but nice things to say about him. Teresa Giudice, however, is far more polarizing.
With her exact due date still a mystery, fans are wondering when Meghan Markle will go on maternity leave. The answer, it turns out, might be found in her calendar of royal engagements.

Meghan Markle | Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting a baby in the spring

Remember when the official announcement about Markles pregnancy came out from Kensington Palace? It was all so very cryptic, with a mention of babys arrival being in the spring.

That tiny clue got royal fans excited to try and crack the code to see if they could predict when Baby Sussex will be born. It hasnt been easy, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have stayed pretty mum about any details, but most guesses have ranged from April to May.

VIDEO: That chat Meghan had about her baby at yesterdays Buckingham Palace reception for the Prince of Wales.

Welsh Sec @AlunCairns: All in good order? Im sure everyone is asking.

Meghan: No, its actually very sweet. Its a nurturing thing to ask. Were nearly there! pic.twitter.com/HiyxaKz6rM  Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 6, 2019

Markle dropped a recent clue about when Baby Sussex will be born

When the Duchess of Sussex was asked about her pregnancy during a recent Buckingham Palace event honoring Prince Charles, it seemed she might have given away a bit of information about the babys arrival.

When Welsh Secretary of State Alun Cairns asked Markle: All in good order? Im sure everyone is asking, Markle shared: No, its actually very sweet. Its a very nurturing sweet thing to ask. Were nearly there!

Many believed that nearly there could be a major hint that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might be having the baby sooner than later.

Then again, when Markle was asked during a visit to Birkenhead when she was having the baby, she noted, end of April, early May.

Markle hasnt slowed down with her many royal duties

Throughout her pregnancy, Markle has been very busy, kicking off with a 16-day royal tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand with Prince Harry right after her pregnancy was announced.

What followed was a steady calendar of appearances, with a short bit of time off for her lavish New York City baby shower, before she returned to London and the couple left for a quick three-day visit to Morocco.

When will Markle start her pregnancy leave and how long will it last?

Markle will reportedly start to slow down her public appearances as she approaches her due date and is expected to begin maternity leave in late March. Its unclear how much time Markle will take off to be with baby Sussex, though Prince Harry is expected to take a few weeks off after the baby is born, PEOPLE reports.

Some royal fans are looking to Kate Middletons maternity leave times as a guide for how long Markle might take. Middleton returned to public appearances less than six weeks after Prince George was born in 2013 and took a four-month break when Princess Charlotte was born in 2015. Middletons leave for Prince Louis started about a month prior to his arrival and then she took about six months of time off, with a few public outings during her leave, including attending Meghan and Harrys wedding.

Markle took part in a panel discussion for International Womens Day recently and will be at the upcoming Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey followed by a Commonwealth Day at Canada House. Fans on royal baby watch should definitely look for the Duchess of Sussexs appearances to slow down and end for a time when she gets nearer to the babys due date.
There are plenty of lovable cooks on The Food Network, but few have captured our hearts as quickly as Ree Drummond. The star of The Pioneer Woman is beloved by all for her delicious-looking meals and tales of life on the ranch, and she even attained fame prior to her show thanks to her award-winning blog. On her Pioneer Woman blog, fans get to hear even more about her personal life  and they also get plenty of family photos, too.

Fans of the Drummonds are just as involved in Rees culinary skills as they are with her children, too. We remember years ago when kids were very young, but now, two of her daughters are off to college. Heres where they go and what theyre up to.

Alex Drummond attends Texas A&M University

Theres no doubt Ree misses her two daughters who are away at school, as we remember them helping her out in the kitchen on The Pioneer Woman fairly frequently. Alex, her oldest daughter whos 21 years old, seems to be thriving at her university, however. Southern Living notes she goes to Texas A&M University and is already receiving high honors for her performance.

Ree posted on Instagram all about Alex receiving her Aggie ring, which is a tradition that has existed at Texas A&M since 1889. Students at the school get the ring once theyve completed a certain number of hours toward their degree and maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average, the publication notes. It seemed like a huge day for Alex, as Ree and Ladd went out to see the ceremony and revel in the celebrations. This, in the life of a Texas A&M student, is a very big deal. Ladd and I were there to celebrate along with her and her great group of friends, many of whom also received their rings on the same day, Ree added to an Instagram post.

Paige Drummond recently went off to University of Arkansas

While it was tough for Ree to see Alex leave the home, it seems she also had an equally difficult time letting her second-oldest, Paige, go to university as well. Sweet Paige, second child, beautiful soul. She graduates in a month and no, Im not ready, thank you very much! But she is most definitely ready, and thats really all that counts, Ree captioned this Instagram post. And when it was finally time for Paige to head out to the University of Arkansas, Ree added another photo of her daughter explaining her sadness to see her go.

It seems like Paige is also thriving at school, however. Southern Living notes the second-oldest Drummond child clearly has a knack for interior design, as she made her college dorm bedroom absolutely gorgeous. And Ree recently added a photo of Paige and her Arkansas friends who seem to all be in a sorority together.

All of Rees kids were homeschooled before heading to college

Ree still has two sons at home, but theyre growing up fast, too. And perhaps one of the biggest reasons she finds it so heartbreaking to see them go is because theyve been home on the ranch with her their whole lives. Ree has blogged about her decision to homeschool in the past, and while it may not be everybody, she explains her remote location was a huge factor as to why she decided it was best for her family. Something about my five-year-old spending upwards of three hours on a school bus each day didnt seem quite right to me, she wrote. Ree eventually made the decision along with her friend Hyacinth to take the plunge and start homeschooling after meeting other successful families who took the same approach.

The flexibility is perfect for our ranching lifestyle, allowing the kids the opportunity to work with Marlboro Man during busy times, Ree wrote. And she also added that the amount of time she got to spend with her kids during the day also made homeschooling worth it. Theres a sense that were a team, that were all in this together, and that any learning that needs to be done around here is a group effort.

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Every member of the royal family is important, but when it comes to the actual line of royalty, some family members are more important than others. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are about to welcome their first child, which means Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are about to have their first cousin. But theres a chance Prince William and Kate Middletons children will be jealous of Baby Sussex  heres why.

Pool/Max Mumby/Getty

Will and Kates kids have a lot of royal responsibility

Prince Charles is next in line for the throne. And according to royal tradition, the oldest child will one day become king or queen (for a long time, males took precedence over females in terms of succession, but the rules have recently changed). This means that George, being the oldest child, will eventually rule. And should something tragic ever happen to George, Charlotte is then the one who would take over, and then Louis, should it come down to that. But with the potential to rule comes a lot of royal responsibility. Growing up, William always had a lot on his plate in terms of keeping his reputation nearly perfect. This means Will and Kates kids wont enjoy quite as much royal freedom as their cousin.

Baby Sussex wont need to follow the same royal rules as his or her cousins

Baby Sussexs life will be a little more lenient than the life George, Charlotte, and Louis live. This is because Baby Sussex is so far from the throne that he or she will probably never rule. Think of it this way: The reason Princess Eugenie can have an Instagram account and Princess Beatrice can live in New York is because the chances of either woman ruling are very slim. Baby Sussex is a cousin to the future ruler the same way Beatrice and Eugenie are cousins to a future ruler, which means theyre not as high up in terms of royal importance.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their first child in April. | John Phillips/Getty Images

Harry always envied those who didnt have to live the royal life

If George, Charlotte, and Louis are anything like Harry, they will definitely be envious of their cousin. When Harry was growing up, he always hated the royal spotlight. After his mother died, he recalled having to walk behind her casket in front of thousands of people while millions of other people watched him on television. I dont think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances, Harry told Newsweek in a 2017 interview. Harry lashed out a bit as a teenager and young adult because he didnt like all of the royal rules. Now, hes learned that he can use his influence to do good in the world. But growing up, there were times when he didnt want any part of it.

George will have more responsibility than any royal in his generation

If anyone will feel the pressure of growing up, it will be George. George, provided he is able, is guaranteed to rule one day; Charlotte and Louis are not. Georges life will be very different from any of his cousins, since his whole upbringing will be preparing him to one day take the throne. While Kate and William try to keep their household as normal as possible for the kids, there is a lot of responsibility on Georges shoulders, and it will only grow as he grows. There will likely be times when these royals look over at their cousins and wish they had a bit more freedom.

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Born-again firefighter says Bible supports beards for men as bosses require him to shave

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A firefighter and Pentecostal pastor who was denied an accommodation to grow a beard says his religious freedom was violated because the Bible requires facial hair for men.

It affects me tremendously because it is my beliefs and convictions. I dont feel that I should have to compromise what I believe, what I am convicted of spiritually because a policy is in place that is not willing to give an accommodation. That affects me tremendously, Alexander Smith, 42, said in an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday.

In the lawsuit which was filed last week, according to NJ.com, the 15-year veteran firefighter who also leads the Community Harvesters Church in Atlantic City, is suing the city and his superiors, Chief Scott Evans and Deputy Chief Thomas Culleny Jr. for threatening to suspend him without pay unless he shaves the beard he insists he grew for religious reasons.

The request from his bosses violates his religious freedoms under the First Amendment and is also a violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, he argues.

Smith who is pursuing a Masters of Divinity from Rockbridge Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, and serves as a Police and Firemens Chaplain for Atlantic City, explained to CP that while he doesnt require all the men in his Pentecostal church to wear a beard, Scripture supports his position.

This is my stance, scripturally, he said. I believe that it is a requirement because it is a natural occurrence. Its the way that God created us. In the Old Testament, it was forbidden to cut your beard. That was a forbidden practice. So most of the prophets, Aaron, Moses, Jesus Christ Himself, according to my research and study of the Bible, they wore beards following the Jewish law.

When it was noted that he is not a Jew but a Gentile, he responded: Right, but some of the things that are written in the Scripture, it applies to Gentiles also. Its not my personal belief, it is Scriptural what I believe about facial hair. Its based off what Ive studied.

According to Heath Henning of Truth Watchers, a website on Christian culture and theology: To the Jewish concept as presented in the Old Testament, a shaved beard was a reason for embarrassment to the Jews (2 Sam. 10:4-5), and to the mid-eastern culture it was to represent defeat (Isa. 7:20). Shaving off ones beard was self-inflicted only for the purpose of cleansing from plagues according the Levitical laws (Lev. 14:9), or mourning (Ezra 9:3; Isa. 15:2).

He argued that historically men in the early church also wore beards.

Apologetics website, Revelation.co, notes that, Gods word reveals that beards are a blessing to men, which is sadly forgotten in todays age. While not required, growing a beard can, in a sense, give honor and glory to a God who created man with that ability. Not out of requirement, not out of salvation, but out of appreciation for God giving man that distinction.

When asked why all his photos on social media show him without a beard, Smith said before he became a firefighter he wore one for religious reasons.

I have pictures to prove that I had facial hair and I wore a beard for religious reasons, he said.

I dont have my beard [in the photos] and the reason why is for the first 12 years of my career, I was in fire suppression. Fire suppression is when you are stationed at the fire houses. [During] this time your primary responsibility is either if we have a fire, to go in and extinguish the fire, or to perform search and rescue depending on whether you are in an engine company or a ladder company, he said.

About three years ago Smith said, he got a promotion, and is no longer fighting fires.

For the past three years Ive been a part of fire administration. And with my current job, responsibility and duties, I dont go into fires as an air mask technician. I was trained to be a firefighter and to fight fires, thats true, but with the promotion I received, over the past three and a half years, I havent been required to go into fires, I havent taken the fit test, for those reasons, he said.

While he was on vacation from his $115,000 a year job as an air mask technician with the fire department in December however, Smith said he felt it was safe for him to publicly express his religious belief on beards again, but his superiors at the Atlantic City Fire Department wouldnt accommodate him.

His lawsuit said he tried to get special accommodation for his 3-inch beard from the city on Jan. 3 since beards are prohibited by the fire departments guidelines. His request was denied on Feb. 15, however due to overwhelming safety concerns for Smith, as well as other firefighters, the lawsuit said. Facial hair can affect the seal of the breathing apparatus mask firefighters wear when they face fires.

When asked why he didnt previously ask for any special accommodation, Smith said he didnt feel he would be supported.

When I was in suppression, I didnt have support and I wasnt willing to fight the issue. But since Ive been moved, I didnt think, as a matter of fact, I consulted with the city attorney before I asked for an accommodation and he told me that it was an easy situation. There was an exception for religious reasons and I shouldnt have a problem but lo and behold, here we are filing a lawsuit because they denied my accommodation, he said.

All the guys on my job, they know that Im a pastor or what have you and I was on vacation and I decided to regrow my beard, Smith said.

He said on Thursday, he was in court with his boss in a mediation process seeking to resolve the issue but they refused to accommodate him.

They pretty much are sticking to the decision that they made to deny the accommodation, he said. They didnt offer much of anything.

Due to the denial of his religious accommodation, Smith is now required to show up for work clean shaven. Smiths attorney, Luna Droubi, has filed a request seeking a temporary restraining order against the shaving requirement until his lawsuit is resolved, allowing him to keep his beard for now.

Smith must prove he would face irreparable injuries and that his constitutional rights would be violated in order for a temporary restraining order to be granted.

With his beard, Smith said: I feel strong in faith. I feel liberated and I am able to without shame, express and to really show people part of who I really am and what I really believe in.

I was hoping that it wouldnt go to this level and I tried to do everything in my power  I tried my best to avoid legal action but  I had to do it, he said of the lawsuit.

I have a family. I have responsibilities that I have to take care of. I cant afford to be suspended without pay. I was pretty much under duress, he said.
Calif. bill could require Planned Parenthood phone number to be added to student IDs

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A California Democratic lawmaker is denying that his bill requiring all student ID cards to include the phone number to a reproductive health care clinic, such as Planned Parenthood, would only serve to promote abortion providers.

Last month, Assembly member Jesse Gabriel of San Fernando Valley introduced Assembly Bill 624, the Pupil and Student Health bill, that would require all middle schools, high schools and colleges  both public, private and Christian schools  to carry student IDs with numbers to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and Planned Parenthood or another sexual health and abortion provider.

AB 624 has garnered criticism from many pro-life advocates who say that, among other things, the bill would force students to promote Planned Parenthood.

"By slapping Planned Parenthoods hotline on the back of every 12- to 24-year-olds ID, California essentially would be forcing every student to join an abortion sales team," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. ... "Gabriels bill doesnt just force young people to violate their beliefs  it promotes an industry that jeopardizes these girls health," he added.

In a statement released Thursday, Gabriel disputed accusations that his bill is an effort to promote and advertise for abortion providers. He said the claims were offensive, misleading, and flat out wrong.

Gabriel was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and received a $4,400 donation to his campaign last June.

Im proud to be a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood and womens reproductive freedom, but AB 624 is not an effort to promote any particular organization or viewpoint, Gabriel said. Its an effort to ensure that students ... are able to access timely and accurate information that may be essential to their physical or mental health.

Last week AB 624 was referred to the Assembly Committees on Education and Higher Education.

The bill builds off of legislation signed into law last year that added the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to the backs of student ID cards.

AB 624 states that the additional hotlines will be added starting July 1, 2020, for any academic institutions that offer grades 7-12, with no exemptions given for religious schools.

Greg Burt, director of capitol engagement for the California Family Council, said in a Tuesday interview with "The Denice Gary Show" that the bill opens the opportunity for schools to promote Planned Parenthood.

In the bill itself, Planned Parenthood is not mentioned. But it opens the door and the school district is going to think, OK, now what number are we going to put on the back of our IDs? Burt posited. Well, the group out there thats already in the schools, teaching sex ed, the organization thats already promoting itself as the state-supported place to go if you want sexual reproductive health is Planned Parenthood.

"This isnt going to sit well with parents and private school educators who vehemently oppose abortion and the sexual behavior promoted by Planned Parenthood," Burt added in a statement released March 1.

"On top of this, legal experts say the legislation is clearly unconstitutional," he said.

This is government compelled speech, which targets and burdens religious free exercise, similar to the legislation U.S. Supreme Court smacked down in NIFLA v. Becerra, explained Attorney Dean Broyles with the National Center for Law and Policy. The radicals in the California legislature just dont get it! We still have a First Amendment.
Evangelical Leaders Sign 'Chicago Invitation' to Counter Pro-Trump Narrative of Evangelicalism

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Over three dozen progressive evangelical leaders signed onto a statement countering the "false narrative" that has led many to paint evangelical Christians as only white conservative Trump supporters.

Organized by the evangelical social justice organization Sojourners and Evangelicals for Social Action, at least 39 left-leaning Christian leaders have signed on in support of a new declaration called "The Chicago Invitation: Diverse Evangelicals Continue the Journey."

The document comes 45 years after Evangelicals for Social Action and Sojourners helped organize the "The Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Concern."

The declaration embraced the rights of the poor and called out the American Church's involvement and attitudes on racism that helped fuel structural injustices. The 1973 declaration also called for better redistribution of wealth and challenged the "misplaced trust" in the nation that led to a "national pathology of war and violence."

Although the declaration brought about a movement of "new evangelicals," Sojourner's founder Jim Wallis, who was included in that left-leaning group, believes that the evangelical movement has been taken over by the conservative religious right and politically co-opted through the 1980s up to today.

Today, many Americans associate the word "evangelical" with white social conservative Christians who heavily supported President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

On the 45th anniversary of the 1973 gathering to draft the "Chicago Declaration" in September, a younger generation of evangelical leaders met with some of the declaration's original signatories to draft the brand-new "Chicago Invitation."

"Sadly, in 2018, several false narratives around the identity of evangelicals in the United States undermine Christian witness and distort American politics," the document reads. "Often, evangelicals are identified in the media and by the public as being predominantly white, right wing, and unconcerned about the poor and oppressed."

The document condemns the media narrative that stems from exit polls that show that 81 percent of evangelicals voted for Trump in the 2016 election. The new document declares that exit polling data only represented white evangelical voters and did not accurately tally evangelical voters of color.

"When evangelicals of color and younger evangelicals are accurately accounted for, the picture changes significantly," the invitation declares. "For example, evangelicals of color voted overwhelmingly otherwise."

In contrast to prevailing narrative, the document notes that the term "evangelicals" refers to an ethnically diverse group of believers who reflect an ongoing commitment to Christ, authority of Scripture, evangelism and "God's biblical call to justice."

"As diverse evangelicals, our faith moves us to confess and lament that we have often fallen short of the biblical values and commitments proclaimed in the Gospel and affirmed in the 1973 Declaration," the Chicago Invitation asserts. "In addition to the 1973 Declaration, many diverse evangelicals, including women, African-American, Latino, Asian Pacific Islander, and Indigenous leaders, have put out strong statements that have often been ignored. Millions of people, especially young believers, have left the faith during a time in which evangelicalism has become increasingly partisan and politicized."

The invitation asserts that evangelicals should "not be captive to any political party."

"Like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we believe the Church is 'called to be the conscience of the state, not the master or the servant of the state,'" the new statement reads. "In Affirming the 1973 Declaration, as well as other historic statements from diverse evangelicals, we recommit to an evangelical faith that follows Jesus' example of living and sharing a Gospel that always proclaims good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed."

The document also commits those who signed it to "love and protect all people," including those of color, refugees, women, LGBT communities, indigenous groups, people with disabilities and anyone who is marginalized, hungry, thirsty, imprisoned or sick.

"We commit to resisting all manifestations of racism, white nationalism, and any forms of bigotry  all of which are sins against God," the invitation declares. "We commit to resisting patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and any form of sexism and to always affirm the dignity, voices, and leadership of women."

Those who signed onto the Chicago Invitation include, Wallis, Sojourners Executive Director Adam Taylor, Red Letter Christians' Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne, activist and author Lisa Sharon Harper, and Evangelicals for Social Action President Emeritus Ron Sider, also an original signatory of the 1973 declaration.

Joel Hunter, a former megachurch pastor who served as one of President Barack Obama's spiritual advisers and prayed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, also signed the statement.

Other signatories include Hyepin Im, CEO of Faith and Community Empowerment and member of the Evangelical Immigration Table; Mae Cannon, author of the Social Justice Handbook who previously served at Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois and World Vision; Jason Fileta, executive director of Micah Challenge USA; Mayra Macedo-Nolan, board chair of the Christian Community Development Association; Walter Arthur McCray, the president of the National Black Evangelical Association; and Soong-Chan Rah, professor of church growth and evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary.

"Reaffirming the truth about evangelicalism is critical, in part, because public perceptions of evangelicals continue to undermine and hurt the very witness and reputation of the Christian church as a whole," Wallis and Taylor wrote in a joint op-ed Wednesday. "Sadly, many unaffiliated Americans, who represent the fastest growing group in our religious landscape, often don't differentiate between evangelicals and other Christians. By correcting the public narrative to include diverse evangelicals, we can help rehabilitate the perception of evangelicals and enable our nation and the church to better cross the bridge into a more inclusive, multiracial future that mirrors God's kingdom come."

In May, a group of about 50 evangelical leaders met at Wheaton College, an evangelical institution in the Illinois suburbs of Chicago, to discuss the state of evangelicalism in the era of Trump. Wallis was one of the leaders who attended that meeting.

"What we are now engaged in is 'spiritual warfare,' as described in our Scriptures." Wallis wrote in a reflection of the meeting. "We don't finally put our trust in politics, but in God who will win with the long arc of the universe that 'bends toward justice' as Dr. King reminded us. I only made one comment at the end of the Wheaton meeting when I said, 'I have been listening as I hope you all have been too. The question this meeting is asking about the future of evangelicalism has been answered by the voices of color and women in this room. They are pointing us to the evangel, the Good News Jesus said he would bring to the poor in his opening statement in Luke 4. That's our future, let's listen.'"

Last month, another meeting was held in Chicago in which the "Chicago Invitation" emerged. The document was intentionally called an invitation as a symbol of the leaders inviting an open dialogue about the present and future of the evangelical movement.
How do pastors guard against abusing their power? Evangelical leaders weigh in

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To guard against the temptations and abuses that come with positions of power and influence in the church, pastors must cultivate a life of prayer marked by honesty and vulnerability, two evangelical leaders have said.

In a recent video posted on the Gospel Coalition website, Kyle Strobel, professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California, and Jamin Goggin, a pastor at Mission Hills Church in San Marcos, California, warned that every pastor will, at some point, be tempted by worldly power in ministry.

Just because youre doing ministry doesnt mean somehow youre not going to be tempted to employ worldly power for the sake of it, said Strobel.

One way to combat this temptation, Strobel said, is to cultivate a life of prayer where honesty is at its core. He encouraged pastors to consider the areas in their lives where they might be tempted toward power, from getting more people to download sermons to filling church pews.

We need to be open to all these areas in our hearts where we're actually trying to use God, he said. We're actually trying to come up with ways where we can employ ourselves and wield them to try to further His Kingdom. All of these things are temptations toward power.

As I see myself being tempted by these things, now I have to come and say, Lord, look at this, Strobel continued. "'I hear your message. I hear that without you, I can do nothing. I look at my life. I know how much you've done for me. I know everything I have is because you are a gracious Father, and yet I consistently look for ways where I can wield worldly power.'"

The Formed for the Glory of Godauthor pointed out that far too often, pastors read Scripture to preach and explain it, but they dont take time to truly feel the weight of the words.

We have to cultivate this openness of heart so that we can really sit with and see the truth of ourselves in the very presence of God, Strobel said.

Goggin, co-author of Beloved Dust, added that according to Scripture, the pastoral office is a position of power, vested with authority by Christ.

The question is not, are we in a position of power, but ... what kind of power are we embracing in those moments, he explained. Is it worldly power or Kingdom power? Is it power and strength for the sake of control? Or is it power known in our weakness for the sake of love and dependence upon Christ?

Prayer is incredibly important in this conversation, that what were cultivating in our prayer life is an ongoing dialogue with God about the very real temptations we face in these moments of preaching and pastoral care and all the areas of leadership and life of churches, he continued.

Goggin added that friendships marked by genuine reciprocity, vulnerability, and honesty help combat the temptations that come along with ministry.

I think we need a variety of kinds of friendships that can help us guard against temptations and power, Goggin said, adding that pastors need to be friends not just with church leadership, but with congregation members, too.

When I was a young pastor, I was often told, I think implicitly and sometimes explicitly, that I couldn't really be friends with people in my church, and I've come to just believe this is a false reality, he said. Of course, there are proper boundaries we need to hold and wisdom and discernment in this regard. But we need to have real relationships with people in the life of our church, where were known ... and where vulnerability is a part of our relationships.

Goggin also encouraged pastors to be friends with those outside of the church who are thoroughly unimpressed with the fact that we're pastors.

These are really important relationships to have, he said. [They see us] as people and value us, but don't find our position or authority in the life of the church as anything noteworthy or impressive. It's these kinds of relationships that can actually be really grounding for us and provide a helpful mirror of humility in our vocation.

In recent years, a number of scandals involving the abuse of authority by leaders in churches have made headlines. In 2014, Mark Driscoll, the former pastor of the now-defunct Seattle megachurch Mars Hill, was forced to resign from his position following accusations of bullying and fostering an abusive work environment.

Previously, Jimmy Evans, senior pastor of Gateway Church, a multicampus church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, told The Christian Post that the problem often begins when pastors isolate themselves  from others, from accountability, and ultimately, from the truth.

"We're all human beings, and I believe pastors who fall put themselves in a position of secrecy," he explained. "I've never met a pastor that didn't have the same basic temptations as the other guy. The difference is how we deal with it."

Isolation, Evans contended, is one of Satan's greatest weapons.

"The devil works in the darkness," he said. "As pastors, we need to not put ourselves in a position of living a private life away from the eyes of others. That's why pastors fall, and it can happen to any pastor. It's the way we carry ourselves, the way we relate to people around us, whether we're honest or dishonest."

Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Cross Church of Northwest Arkansas, told CP that pastors, just like everyone else, are not exempt from spiritual warfare, and Satan loves to attack those who lead God's church.

He encouraged church members to "gather together and pray for your pastor, that there will be a shield of protection around him, and that he will be able to discern when something isn't right and flee from it like Joseph (in Genesis) did."
Govt bus company changes course, allows pro-life ad with photos of unborn baby

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An Indiana-based pro-life group will now be allowed to run an ad on the sides of buses featuring two images of human fetuses after being initially rejected by a public transportation system.

The Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation, also called CityBus, recently agreed to allow an ad from Tippecanoe County Right to Life less than a year after the pro-life group filed a lawsuit against them.

Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Samuel Green, whose law firm represented Right to Life, celebrated CityBus decision in a statement released Thursday.

We are thankful that CityBus is now allowing this educational message to reach people as they study, shop, and commute. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech for all people, regardless of their beliefs or their viewpoint, stated Green.

Right to Lifes ad features photos of three babies, two in the womb and one newborn. The first photo, a sonogram image, has the caption "Me." The second says "Me, again" while the newborn photo says "Still Me."

Last July, Right to Life filed the lawsuit against CityBus in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, arguing that the bus system discriminated against them for refusing to run the ad.

"By rejecting TCRTL's educational ad while accepting other educational ads and ads that are explicitly political, CityBus violated TCRTL's constitutional rights and discriminated against TCRTL by denying it equal access to CityBus's advertising forum," read the complaint.

"TCRTL asks this Court to require CityBus to allow TCRTL's educational ad on its buses and to declare that certain provisions of CityBus's Advertising Policy violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments."

For its part, CityBus had argued that the proposed pro-life ad violated their policy against political ads, though critics were quick to point out that more overtly political ads such as electoral campaigns had gotten approval in the past.

Last November, U.S. District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen rejected CityBus motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Right to Life was within its rights to file the suit.

Judge Van Bokkelen also took issue with the defendants claim that CityBus General Manager Marty Sennetts initial rejection was not grounds for litigation.

There is no doubt that Sennetts initial decision to reject the ad amounted to a definitive position that inflicted an actual, concrete injury, wrote Van Bokkelen, as reported by the Lafayette Journal & Courier.
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With the news last week that Amazon has banned Mohammeds Koran: Why Muslims Kill for Islam, co-authored by British activist Tommy Robinson and Peter McLoughlin, Amazon has crossed a very dangerous and precarious line.

Two immediate questions come to mind. First, why ban a book critiquing Islam when a host of other books critiquing  no, harshly attacking  other religious faiths are available on Amazon? Second, why ban this book and not other books that critique Islam? Why draw the line here?

When McLoughlin, who helped expose the grooming crimes committed by some British Muslims, received word that the book had been removed from Amazon, he wrote, This is the twenty-first century equivalent of the Nazis taking out the books from university libraries and burning them.

Can you think of another scholarly book on Islam that has been banned by Amazon? Mein Kampf is for sale on Amazon. As are books like the terrorist manual called The Anarchist Cookbook.

Yet Mohammeds Koran gets banned?

According to Robert Spencer, who has authored scholarly works critiquing the Koran, Robinson and McLoughlins book endeavors to illustrate how violent jihadists justify their actions by referring to Islamic texts and teachings -- and thats all. Robinson and McLoughlin call for no violence. Their book is accurate.

Indeed, one could readily ask, if their book was banned by Amazon, why not ban Spencers related books, such as: The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion; or, The Complete Infidels Guide to the Koran; or The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades); or The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS? (Note that this last title, released in 2018, is currently #1 on Amazon under the category, Muhammad and Islam.)

Do you see where this is going?

More disturbingly, why ban Mohammeds Koran while allowing books to be sold on Amazon like these, by Christian author Texe Marrs? Among his many books are: Holy Serpent of the Jews: The Rabbis' Secret Plan for Satan to Crush Their Enemies and Vault the Jews to Global Dominion (published in 2016); and Blood Covenant With Destiny: The Babylonian Talmud, the Jewish Kabbalah, and the Power of Prophecy (published in 2018).

According to Marrs, The Jews are on the fast track to their occult fate. They have made an agreement with hell, a covenant with death, and payments on their debt to Satan must be made in accordance with that contractual agreement.

Yes, The ultimate goal of the Jews is the annihilation of almost every Gentile man, woman, and child and the establishment of a satanic Jewish-led global dictatorship (the Jewish Utopia) encompassing the planet. This goal is expressed by the Jews in their most sacred books, the Babylonian Talmud and the Kabbalah. (For the record, Ill be addressing the writings of Marrs in the revised and updated version of my book Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the Church and the Jewish People, due out in September).

I own the Kindle version of Mohammeds Koran, having purchased it in 2017. And although I havent read all of it, I can tell you that nothing I have seen in the book comes anywhere close to Marrss insidious attacks on the Talmud and Kabbalah.

Why are his books available while Mohammeds Koran is not?

Is it that Robinson has become a marked man? Is it because of pressure from Islamic activists? Whatever the reason, it is not good enough.

By banning this book, Amazon is opening up one of two possibilities: Either Amazon will not be consistent, thereby demonstrating extreme hypocrisy. Or Amazon will start banning many other books, leading to a very dangerous precedent.

Which books and authors will be next? And what can conservative, Bible believers expect? Perhaps our books opposing LGBT activism or exposing the evils of abortion will be next?

Amazon has no problem publishing atheistic attacks on religion, like Richard Dawkins bestseller The God Delusion.

In this book, Dawkins famously claimed that, The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

How many Bible believers did this offend, including both Jews and Christians? How many find these words to be ugly and bigoted? Should Amazon then ban The God Delusion? And again, I found nothing in Mohammeds Koran attacking Allah with this same level of vitriol.

An almost endless stream of objectionable volumes could be listed here, including books like, The Talmud Unmasked: The Secret Rabbinical Teachings Concerning Christians; or Jesus the Sorcerer; or There Was No Jesus, There Is No God: A Scholarly Examination of the Scientific, Historical, and Philosophical Evidence & Arguments for Monotheism.

If Mohammeds Koran is banned, why not ban these?

To repeat: Amazon has crossed a very dangerous and precarious line, and this Bezos-owned mega-company needs to revere course quickly, issuing an apology and reinstating the book.

Anything less than this is a cause for real concern.

If you agree  even if you are a Muslim or an atheist  I encourage you to let Amazon know.
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When Darryl Burton stopped going to church, his grandmother warned him, One of these days, boy, you are going to need Jesus. I hope you remember to call on Him. Burton didnt think much of his grandmothers advice at the time, but she was right.

In 1985, Burton was convicted of a murder he didnt commit and sent to prison. For the next fifteen years, as he later recounted, I was really angry and upset and really frustrated about my situation and being wrongfully imprisoned. Finally he remembered his grandmothers words and said to himself, Well, I have tried everything but God, what do I have to lose.

Several people had been persistently witnessing to Burton, and because of their influence he gave his life to Jesus. Centurion Ministries, which takes on cases of the wrongly convicted, came alongside to help with his legal challenges. It took eight more years, but eventually a judge overturned Burtons conviction.

Now Burton shares his testimony in the local church where he serves as pastor, and his ministry touches people around the world. He has an insightful way of viewing what happened to him: God had to work something out of me (bitterness and hatred), in order to work something into me (love and grace), in order to do His work through me.

Everyones life includes certain imposed confinements, which are sometimes as real as prison bars. We all face limitationssometimes physical, sometimes financial, sometimes geographical, sometimes vocational. We must decide whether were going to let our problems hem us in or whether were going to let Him enter our space for His glory.

How we deal with our limitations is at the core of our character. The same was true in biblical times. Some of the heroes of Scripture were hemmed in by massive problems; others werent as confined. But all of them faced challenges that drove them to the Lord.

Take Esther, for example. Talk about limitations! She was an exiled and orphaned Jew living in the Persian city of Susa and being cared for by an older relative named Mordecai. Esther probably thought hers was a limited future, destined to obscurity. But God had given Esther the gift of physical beauty, and when King Ahasuerus needed a new queen she became the unlikely candidate. Almost overnight, Esther, whose Jewish heritage was a secret, found herself in the corridors of power, caught up in a web of political intrigue that threatened the very survival of the Jewish people. She also confronted an evil archenemy, Haman, and had to overcome his plot to destroy her and her people.

The word God is found nowhere in the book of Esther, but the Lords unseen hand is everywhere helping Esther, Mordecai, and the Jewish people in their moment of crisis. The fast-paced book of Esther shows there are no coincidences for the children of God. If we encounter problems, its because God allows them. If we face limitations, its because God wants us to overcome them. If we feel confined or trapped, we have an open channel above us and can approach the throne of grace.

When it comes to our problems, then, we have two choices. We can either let them confine our possibilities or we can let them clarify our potential.

Problems Can Confine Our Possibilities

Wouldnt it be interesting if we could chat with Esther about our problems? What if you could tell her about your limitations right now? You feel confined. You need more money, more wisdom, more time, more recognition, more opportunities, more options, more relationships. Esther might reply by telling you of a time when she was beset by limitationsan exiled Jewish orphan, destined, it would seem, to a life of poverty. God overruled the circumstances of her life and opened the door for her to sit on the throne of Persia. Yet, perhaps to her surprise, Esther faced even greater limitations in the palace. Yes, she was the queen, but she couldnt approach the king whenever she wanted; only when he called for her. She had little authority on her own. She was hemmed in by powerful political enemies, especially the wicked prime minister, Haman. And Esther knew that if her people faced a bloodbath, she would not escape their doom.

Its easy to emotionally suffocate when limitations like those tighten around you. But Esther decided she wouldnt be confined by her problems. Though it took enormous courage, she made up her mind to turn the tables, expecting God to bring about deliverance.

As Hamans plot unfolded, Esther devised a plot of her own, but it took the prompting of her relative, Mordecai. He sent a warning, saying, Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the kings palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your fathers house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:13-14)

Problems Can Clarify Our Potential

Mordecai knew that it was not an accident Esther had assumed the throne just when the Jews were facing an existential attack. It was not a matter of luck or chance or good fortune. For children of God, there are no coincidences. God was moving the pieces on the chess board. He was making His move, and He was in absolute control, knowing well how to ordain His plan and orchestrate His people. How important to remember that!

Esther fasted and planned, using God-given wisdom to arrange her next moves. She told Mordecai, Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish! (Esther 4:16) She invited the king and prime minister to a set of banquets, and she trusted God to be in the details. Her attitude was one of stoic faith and dogged faithfulness.

The story ends with Haman executed on the gallows he had built for Mordecai and with the Jewish people empowered to protect themselves in all their dispersed locations around the world.

Esther and Mordecai were ordinary people like us, born into uncertain times but born according to divine destiny. As we learn from their story, the lives of Gods children are appointed by His sovereignty and orchestrated by His providence. We are not here by chance. We are born at just the right time in the will and wisdom of God; our backgrounds are known to God in advance; our gifts and abilities are bestowed by Him; and well go to heaven when He calls us home.

God has placed you on this planet for such a time as this, and when you run into problems and limitations you can be certain God wants to use them as occasions to clarify your thinking and show you a new set of possibilities. Our steps are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). Remember what Darryl Burton said: God had to work something out of me (bitterness and hatred), in order to work something into me (love and grace), in order to do His work through me.

Helen Keller, who grew up both blind and deaf, said something similar: The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.

Esther threaded the dark valley, illumined by the path-lights of Gods providence, until it led her upward to the throne and onward to the hilltop of Gods overruling grace. Lets learn from that. Let your problems create new possibilities. Without the Lord, adversity would confine us, limit our moves, and lessen our options. Imagine how trapped we would feel. But with the Lord, our problems dont confine us; they simply lead us to new and clarified possibilities.

Even in the dark valleys, God will meet you in all your emotional, physical, and spiritual limitations and show you a purpose, plan, and a path forward. Decide to think of your problems as opportunities for God, and let Him turn your limitations into launching pads for His fresh work in your life.
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I became convinced, after watching my wife endure a 31-hour labor, that women have a kind of strength men dont have. Theres no question in my mind that after less than five of those full-on labor contractions, wed be crying like a baby instead of delivering one.

And yet, an incredibly obvious thing that is now somehow controversial to say out loud in 2019 is that, on average, men are physically stronger than women. In fact, its not even close. According to a 2009 study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, the average male has a greater total muscle mass and strength than 99.9 percent of females.

Decades of research have demonstrated that real and biologically-ingrained differences, like the level of physical strength, exist between the sexes. Another study back in 1981 found that even if physically untrained men were scaled to the same size and weight as trained female athletes, they would still be stronger, on average, by every measure.

These scientific conclusions need to be fresh in your mind as I tell you about a ruling by Texas Federal District Court Judge Gray Miller just last week. Miller, after a suit was brought by a so-called mens rights group, declared that it is unconstitutional for the United States to require only men to register for the military draft. Women, he determined, must register, too.

Now, of course, military conscription hasnt been used for forty years in this country. As of now, our military is an all-volunteer force. But any man whos ever turned eighteen in America knows (or should know) that hes required to register with the Selective Service or face financial and even criminal penalties.

A previous U.S. Supreme Court ruling excluded women from the draft on the grounds that they werent allowed in combat roles. But as Judge Miller points out, that changed in 2015, when the military opened up such roles to women. The activists who brought this suit insist it only makes sense for women to also be required to register with the Selective Service. If they get their way, women as young as eighteen will be on the rolls alongside men, and in time of war could be forced into the military and sent to the front lines.

Judge Miller concluded that 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. He concludes that If there ever was a time to discuss the place of women in the Armed Services, that time has passed.

Well your honor, I beg to differ. Strongly. In 2017, Marine Corps Training and Education Command reported that three out of four women who signed up failed to meet combat standards in boot camp. There are women, of course, who excel their peers, but they are few and far betweenandthis is important, theyre volunteers. Because the policy up until now has been to maintain one combat fitness standard for both men and women, there hasnt been much of a problem.

But should women be drafted into the military instead of volunteering, one of two things will have to happen: either huge percentages of women will wash out of boot camp, or officers will have to introduce two standardsone for men, and one for womenthat would severely compromise the combat-readiness of our military.

This kind of gender politics, like the underlying postmodern worldview its based on, doesnt align with reality. It expects reality to align with it, something reality consistently refuses to do. The battlefield brings with it a rude introduction to reality. Its not the place to turn our military into a social experiment.

Forcing our daughters to register for the draft is a repugnant idea. The current system which accepts women who can meet the standards for combat is fine. Theres no need to change it.

I admit, the prospect of this idea going anywhere is as unlikely now as the reinstatement of the draft. But I assure you as the father of three girls, Im with Rod Dreher. Id take my daughters abroad before Id see them forced into combat.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of women who have served and continue to serve honorably, voluntarily, and well in our armed forces. But if being a man means anything, it means using our God-given strength and our lives to protect those under our care. Our daughters included.

Resources

Drafting Only Men for the Military Is Unconstitutional, Judge Rules, Tyler Pager | New York Times | February 24, 2019

Originally posted at Breakpoint.
8 notable women in Christian history

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March is Womens History Month in the United States, a time in which Americans focus on the many contributions women have made in the past.

The observance has its federal roots in a February 1980 proclamation by President Jimmy Carter meant to celebrate National Womens History Week during the week of March 8, which is International Womens Day. It became an official annual month celebration by an act of Congress in 1987.

Through the centuries, women have made substantial and various contributions to church history, from evangelism to leadership. Indeed, there are too many to list in a single piece.

With that noted, here are eight notable women from Christian history. They include a French warrior, a prolific hymnist, a famed abolitionist and a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian.

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Russia to deport 2 American Mormons arrested at church under anti-evangelism law

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Two Americans affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were arrested in Russia and will soon be deported back to the U.S., their lawyer says.

Russian attorney Sergey Gliznutsa told CBS News that Kole Brodowski and another unidentified volunteer were arrested while they were teaching English at a church in Southern Russia.

He went on to explain that the deportation order was given earlier this week, but because of a national holiday, Brodowski and the other man will likely not be released and deported until sometime next week.

Russia has barred foreign missionaries from evangelizing in that country, but the LDS Church maintained that the two Americans fit the definition of volunteer and were not violating any laws.

Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for the LDS Church, said in a statement that he was concerned about the decision by authorities to detain and deport the two Americans.

While we are grateful these young men are reportedly in good condition and are being treated well, we are troubled by the circumstances surrounding their detention, said Hawkins, according to Fox News.

They have both spoken to their parents. We will continue to work with local authorities, and encourage the swift release of these volunteers.

In 2016, Russia passed an anti-missionary law as part of a broader anti-terrorism law. The measure targets religious minorities to the benefit of the influential Russian Orthodox Church.

About a year after the law was enacted, the Norway-based group Forum 18 recorded 181 cases of Russian authorities using the law to crack down on non-Russian Orthodox religious groups.

The 181 prosecutions included more than 80 cases against individuals representing various Protestant churches, as well as 41 cases against Jehovahs Witnesses, and several cases against Buddhists, Muslims, and a dozen Hare Krishna members.

The detaining of the Mormon volunteers comes a month after a Russian court sentenced Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, a Jehovahs Witness, to six years in prison due to the religious sect being declared extremist under the nations criminal code.

Christensen was arrested in 2017 while giving a sermon.

The case against Christensen and the raids against Jehovahs Witness adherents violate the right to freedom of religion, denying them the right to worship, and cannot be justified as either a necessary or proportionate measure to protect public safety or public order, stated Human Rights Watch.

The conviction is a blatant violation of the rights to religious freedom and expression. Russian authorities should immediately move to set aside the conviction and free Christensen.
South African court rules Dutch Reformed Churchs gay marriage ban is unconstitutional

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A court in South Africa ruled Friday that the Dutch Reformed Churchs rules against same-sex marriage are unlawful and invalid.

The decision comes from the bench of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria led by Judge Joseph Raulinga, which reversed a decision to not recognize same-sex marriage in the church that was made by the denominations general synod in November 2016.

The general synods 2016 decision came after the Dutch Reformed Church moved in 2015 to allow individual church councils to recognize same-sex marriages. The decision was reversed a year later after immense pressure from church members.

Along with not allowing same-sex marriage, the church required lesbian and gay people to remain celibate if they choose to serve as clergy.

The synods 2016 decision was challenged by the Rev. Laurie Gaum, his father, Frits Gaum, and eight other members of the Dutch Reformed Church, all of whom advocate for LGBT issues and launched litigation in an attempt to have the synods decision ruled unconstitutional.

They claimed that the churchs position violated section 9 of the South African Constitution that deals with equality and discrimination, according to SABC News.

Minister Andre Bartlett, who fought for the right of same-sex relationships, praised the courts decision.

Gay members of the church are fully accepted and can be elected to all positions in the church, whether they are in relationships or not, Bartlett told the South African television outlet eNCA after the ruling. It also means that church councils that dont feel free to elect people to their councils can do so.

Bartlett assured that the ruling means that gay ministers can be licensed and ordained whether they are in relationships or not.

The only norm would be that all relationships in the church  whether they are heterosexual or homosexual  there are certain norms that have to be held to, he said.

The 24-hour television news broadcaster reports that the Dutch Reformed Church is reviewing the high courts decision but has not yet indicated that it will appeal the courts ruling.

Dutch Reformed Church General Secretary Gustav Claassen told eNCA outside the courtroom that for now, the church holds to its 2016 position against same-sex marriage.

Our current position is that of 2016, Claassen said. So I cant actually react on that but we will scrutinize the judgment and we will come back and comment on it.

Guam said that he is grateful and elated by the decision. Guam said the ruling is just the first step and now it is up to everyone on the grassroots level to step up to the plate.

The courts actually assist us in moving forward and making clear to us what is really discriminatory. It is an infringement on human dignity as the court has said in this case, he told eNCA in a phone interview. Therefore, the church, by all means as a religious institution, is supposed to embody what the Gospel  the good news  is supposed to be all about.

In the interview, Guam was asked if he anticipates that other denominations will face a similar fate in the courts and if he plans to assist others who want to challenge the traditional marriage stances of their churches.

It is not only applicable on our internal denomination but also [for] religious institutions in general and institutions in general, Guam said. It holds them up against the background of the Constitution to which all of us in South Africa need to adhere. The Constitution is helping us and we should see it as an invitation for all institutions, especially for churches and religious institutions.

The president of South African Union Council of Independent Churches, Archbishop Patrick Shole, told eNCA in an interview that he believes the Dutch Reformed Churchs policy on sexuality is correct. He added that his church also does not recognize same-sex marriage.

He voiced his support for a South African constitutional courts decision last year to throw out a lawsuit filed by a lesbian minister against the Methodist Church of South Africa. The minister was fired after she announced in 2010 that she was marrying her partner.

According to our statement of faith, we dont conduct lesbian and gay marriages, Shole said, adding that practicing homosexuals probably would not feel welcome in many Pentecostal or charismatic churches in his network. God created man and woman, not same-sex. It is man and woman.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in South Africa since 2006.
China will continue implementing prudent monetary policy in 2019, said Yi Gang, head of the People's Bank of China (PBOC).

Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang attends a press conference on the financial reform and development for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Li Ran]

He made the remarks on Sunday during a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing.

"The monetary policy will be reasonable in the matter of total amount, not too eased nor too tightened, which means the growth rate of M2 money supply or social financing will be kept at about the same level with the growth rate of the GDP of the private economy," said the PBOC governor.

China will continue implementing prudent monetary policy in 2019, said Yi Gang, head of the People's Bank of China (PBOC).[File Photo: VCG]

In the meantime, the structure of the country's monetary policy will be improved by giving more support to small and micro enterprises as well as private enterprises, Yi added.

He also noted that the monetary policy will be balanced based on China's domestic and foreign situations, as the economy of China is deeply integrated with the rest of the world.

To better comprehend the contents of China's prudent monetary policy, the central bank's governor recommended that there should be comparisons between a wider range of time rather than just looking at the data of only one or two months.
More civilians flee Islamic State's Syria enclave, delaying final assault

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) paused military operations against Islamic State (IS) militants holed up in the group's final enclave in eastern Syria, expecting more civilians to be evacuated from the area on Saturday, an SDF official said.

Thousands of people - many of them the wives of IS fighters and their children - have been streaming out of besieged enclave at Baghouz for weeks, forcing the SDF to delay the assault to wipe out the last vestige of the jihadists' territorial rule.

The SDF has said it wants to make sure all civilians are out of the enclave before launching its final assault. Hundreds of IS fighters have also surrendered, but the SDF believes the most hardened foreign jihadists are still inside.

"There are a number of families ... military operations are paused now for their evacuation," Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, told Reuters.

Trucks used for the evacuations went into Baghouz on Saturday and four have so far emerged carrying people, a Reuters witness said.

On Friday, Bali said the SDF would resume the assault if no more civilians had emerged by Saturday afternoon.

Those emerging from Baghouz are screened by the SDF and most are sent north to the al-Hol camp, already overcrowded with uprooted Syrians and Iraqis from years of war.

More than 62,000 people displaced by fighting around the IS enclave have flooded al-Hol camp, with 5,200 arriving between March 5-7 and thousands more expected, the United Nations said on Friday.

The weather is cold and rainy and there is a shortage of tents and supplies. Dozens of children have died on the way to the camp. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Friday said al-Hol was at "breaking point".

"No one could have guessed that such a large number of women and children were still living in Baghouz," IRC spokeswoman Misty Buswell said.

Those arriving in al-Hol are in "extremely poor health" with malnutrition, diarrhoea and skin diseases. Many of the women arriving at the camp are either heavily pregnant or have recently given birth, IRC said.

After suddenly seizing swathes of land straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border in 2014 and declaring it their caliphate, Islamic State was beaten back by numerous local and foreign forces in both countries, suffering major defeats in 2017.

However, the jihadists remain a threat. In Iraq they have gone to ground, staging waves of killings and kidnappings. In Syria, their comrades hold out in remote desert areas and have carried out bombings in areas controlled by the SDF.

Islamic State on Saturday said it had carried out a suicide car bomb attack near the Syrian town of Manbij to signal to foreign troops that they are not safe in the country. Manbij is controlled by a militia allied to the SDF.

"The crusaders on Syrian soil shall know they are being watched and will not be secure while our blood beats," a statement published by the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said.

In an email to Reuters, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition backing the SDF, Colonel Sean Ryan, denied Islamic State's claim that the blast had killed three U.S. armed forces members and injured others.
Teacher who told student to wipe off Ash Wednesday cross apologises

A teacher in Utah has apologized to a fourth-grade student whom she ordered to remove the ash cross that was on his forehead for Ash Wednesday.

William McLeod of Bountiful, Utah, went to school Wednesday with an ash cross on his forehead that he had received earlier that morning at church.

"A lot of students asked me what it is. I said, 'I'm Catholic. It's the first day of Lent. It's Ash Wednesday,'" McLeod told local news outlet FOX13.

He was the only one in his class with the ashes on his forehead.

William attempted to explain what it meant to his teacher but she required him to wipe it off and handed him a disinfecting wipe.

After hearing about what happened, the school's principal phoned McLeod's family to apologize.

"I was pretty upset," said Karen Fisher, McLeod's grandmother.

"I asked her if she read the Constitution with the First Amendment, and she said, No," Fisher said, recounting the conversation she had with the teacher who had ordered her grandson to remove the cross from his forehead.

The school district has also apologized, saying every student should be welcomed regardless of their faith.

"Why that even came up, I have no idea," said Chris Williams, a school district spokesperson.

"When a student comes in to school with ashes on their forehead, it's not something we say 'Please take off.'"

The teacher, who gave a handwritten apology to McLeod along with some candy, also might face disciplinary action.

"I hope it helps somebody and I hope it never happens again," Fisher said. "I don't think it will."

The imposition of ashes is an observance celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church and in other liturgical churches to mark the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. As the ashes are imposed on each forehead the priest will say something like "remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return."

As The Christian Post reported this week, worshipers usually choose to leave the ashes on their foreheads for the remainder of the day as an outward sign and symbol of grief, as well as purification and sorrow for sins.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel speaks of seeking the Lord for the release of His people from Babylonian exile with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes (Daniel 9:3).

In some churches, palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday service are saved, and then burned to produce the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service.

Courtesy of The Christian Post
What the torture and execution of Jesus did to his body

As an RSL Sub-Branch funeral officer, I get to visit many churches and chapels to do the ex-servicemen and women's rites.

At the older and more traditional churches, the paintings and statues draw my attention.

Crucifixion Statue

I'm interested in those of Jesus on the cross during his crucifixion. One of the Catholic churches has a larger-than-life statue of Jesus hanging on the cross along with the crown of thorns, a spear wound in his side and nails in his feet.

What it doesn't show is the terrible wounds He suffered during the scourging or flagellation before He was returned to Pilate for final sentence.

I grew up believing Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged but not too badly because "I have found in him no crime deserving death." (Luke chapter 23, verse 22). The opposite seems to be the truth because Pilate wanted to appease the mob so he ordered Jesus be scourged in an extreme manner.

Flagellation

Roman flagellation was one of the most feared of all punishments. It was a form of brutal, inhumane punishment generally executed by Roman soldiers using the most dreaded instrument of the time, called a flagrum.

This was a whip consisting of three or more leather tails which had plumbatae, small metal balls or sheep bones at the end of each tail.

These plumbatae tore the skin to pieces, inflicted internal injuries to kidneys, liver and lungs and even broke ribs.

The victim was stripped of all clothing and chained to a pillar, low down so he was in a kneeling position which allowed the torturer to gain greater weight with the flagrum. The torturer would change sides so as to ensure all parts of the body were equally dealt with.

Then came the 'Crown of Thorns

Dr. Michael Evanari, Professor of Botany at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has opined the Syrian Christ Thorn, which was available in Jerusalem, was the plant most likely to be used for the crown of thorns.

It wasn't for show.

The thorns were meant to drive deep into the scalp, damaging nerves and blood vessels and causing severe facial pain.

According to Dr Evanari, they could also cause spasmodic episodes of stabbing, lancinating and explosive pain.

Passover in Jerusalem was a flashpoint. The men who executed Jesus had been recruited to suppress recurrent rebellion in Palestine. Their job was to maintain public order, and maintain it they would.

As we know, this scourging did not appease the mob, nor would the mob allow Jesus to be swapped for the terrorist, Barabbas, so Pilate, again intimidated by the mob at the time of the Passover, ordered His Crucifixion.

The Short Cross

The cross itself was the ultimate torture where many victims suffered for several hours before dying.

Here's something else I learned about the cross and crucifixion when reading what Dr Evanari and others had to say.

"How could a humiliated, weakened, beaten, bleeding, mangled mess of a man already suffering from breathing difficulties, as well as hypovolemic and traumatic shock, carry a T-shaped cross which weighed between 175 and 200 pounds? The short answer is that He did not."

The cross used in Roman crucifixions consisted of two parts: "the upright or mortise, referred to as the stipes, or staticulum, and the tenon or crosspiece, which is called the patibulum or antenna."

Jesus carried the crosspiece. At Calvary He was nailed to the crosspiece on the ground through the palms of his hands, not his wrists. The crosspiece was then placed into a rectangular notch or mortice carved into the tip of the stipes.

Dr Evanari said roman crosses stood about seven to seven-and-a-half feet in height because from a practical point of view, it was easier to lift the crosspiece and victim into position on a shorter cross

"It was also easier to remove the victim from a short cross after death. Shorter crosses also made it easier for wild animals to finish off victims.

"They then bent His knees until His feet were flush to the cross and nailed His feet to the upright," Dr Evanari wrote.

It is difficult to imagine the pain our Lord was in but He knew from the start this had to happen for Him to pay the price for man's sins. We have the chance of life everlasting because of what Jesus did.

Personally, I prefer paintings and statues of the Risen Christ.

Courtesy of Press Service International
James S. Waters Jr. and Paul Gueneau grew up separated by an ocean.

Both had dreams of being engineers. Both also saw their lives upended -- one dramatically -- in the battlefields of France during World War I.

The two men are the subject of the exhibit "100: The Great War Seen through the Eyes of Two Soldiers" that closes this month at the Fondren Library at Rice University.

A Galveston native, Waters graduated from Rice Institute in 1917 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. That May, a month after the U.S. declared war on Germany, he enlisted and went through First Officer's Training Camp in central Texas.

The French-born Gueneau's engineering plans ended when he dropped out of school at 14 to work as a bank clerk to support his family after his father's death. By December 1914, with France already at war with Germany and the Ottoman Empire and his homeland under siege, Gueneau joined the French 56th Infantry Regiment.

RODEO: Vintage souvenir programs tell story of RodeoHouston

Much of the exhibit focuses on Waters' story overseas, which originates from a scrapbook his wife kept that is now in the collection of the Woodson Research Center at Rice. Gueneau's experience on the frontlines is told through a private archive of photos he captured with his Vest Pocket Kodak camera, a line of cameras popular with WW I soldiers. Through that, visitors get a look at life in the trenches for soldiers.

Gueneau's granddaughter, Pulcherie Gueneau de Novoa, organized the exhibit. She said her grandfather never talked much about the war, but that her father was interested in sharing Gueneau's story and photos as France marked the war's centennial. During that time last year, Waters' experience in France was also the subject of an exhibit in the French municipality of Pont-Saint-Espirit.

Gueneau's time in the trenches came to an end in September 1918 when he was burned in a mustard gas attack. Days later, Waters would end up on the front line in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel campaign.

Researching Waters' life, Gueneau's granddaughter said, helped to provide insight into the Houston experience during the Great War.

More Information Contact the Fondren Library at 713-348-5698 for hours, including for adjusted hours during spring break. See More Collapse

"It has helped me feel like I'm growing roots here," said Gueneau, who has lived in Houston for a decade. "It has really tied me to the history of Houston."

After the war, Waters would join Rice's faculty, eventually serving as chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department. He would remain at the university -- except during another stint in the military during World War II -- until his retirement in 1964.

The exhibit is curated by the French non-profit "Cercle de Valmont" in partnership with the Woodson Research Center to honor American soldiers who fought in France.
UPDATE:

Gregory Norwood was a 20-year-old black man who died March 10 from a gunshot wound at 11007 White Oak Bend Dr., Houston.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A man died early Sunday morning in northwest Houston after being shot while driving in a white pickup truck, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.

The victim, a black male of an unidentified age, was shot in the head in the 1100 block of White Oak Bend Drive near Jones Road around 1:45 a.m. after being chased by another vehicle, authorities said.

The person in the car chasing the pickup pointed a gun out of the window and started shooting at the truck about six to seven times. One of the bullets went through the back of the window and hit the pickup truck driver in the head. He lost control and crashed into a parked car. The suspect in the other car fled the scene.

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The drivers were coming off of Jones Road, authorities said, when they turned and sped down White Oak Bend and the shooting began. The man who was shot was dead at the scene. There were a number of shell casings in the road.

RELATED: 5-year-old girl found dead from trauma in southeast Houston

Police believe the incident may be drug related because the deceased driver was holding a bag of marijuana in his hand.

Harris County homicide investigators are looking into where the suspects came from and why they were chasing the pickup.

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Fiction

1. Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens. A woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

2. The Chef

by James Patterson with Max DiLallo. Caleb Rooney, a police detective and celebrity food truck chef, must clear his name of murder allegations.

WORKING INSIDE THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE: New book tells young women, 'Yes she can'

3. Never Tell

by Lisa Gardner. D.D. Warren and Flora Dane investigate whether a pregnant woman shot and killed her husband.

4. The Silent Patient

by Alex Michaelides. Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

5. Black Leopard, Red Wolf

by Marlon James. A loner named Tracker teams up with a group of unusual characters in search of a mysterious boy.

6. An Anonymous Girl

by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Jessica Farris life unravels when she signs up for Dr. Shields psychology study.

7. Mission Critical

by Mark Greaney. The eighth book in the Gray Man series. Court Gentry must track down assassins.

8. Connections in Death

by J.D. Robb. Eve Dallas scours tattoo parlors and strip joints for clues to the cause of Lyle Pickerings death.

9. The Reckoning

by John Grisham. A decorated World War II veteran shoots and kills a pastor.

10. Fire and Blood

by George R.R. Martin. The first volume of the two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

Nonfiction

1. The Threat

by Andrew G. McCabe. The former deputy director of the FBI describes major events of his career and the ways the agency works to protect Americans.

2. Becoming

by Michelle Obama. The former first lady describes how she balanced work, family and her husbands political ascent.

3. Educated

by Tara Westover. The daughter of survivalists leaves home for university.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: The tale of a million-dollar Bible

4. Spearhead

by Adam Makos. A U.S. tank gunner faces enemies in Cologne, Germany, during World War II.

5. Grateful American

by Gary Sinise with Marcus Brotherton. The Oscar-nominated actor describes how he has entertained troops and helped veterans.

6. The Uninhabitable Earth

by David Wallace-Wells. How climate-related crises may cause food shortages, refugee emergencies and other catastrophes.

7. Bad Blood

by John Carreyrou. The rise and fall of the biotech startup Theranos.

8. Maid

by Stephanie Land. An unexpected pregnancy forces the author to navigate challenges faced by the working poor.

9. The First Conspiracy

by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch. The story of a secret plot to kill George Washington in 1776.

10. Women Rowing North

by Mary Pipher. Reflections on the ageism, misogyny and loss that women might encounter as they grow older.

New York Times

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Orchestras in Humble ISD schools recently drummed up plenty of accolades in late February.

The schools were participating in the latest University Scholastic League contest, which took place at Summer Creek High School on Feb. 27 and 28 and Atascocita High School on March 5. The term "sweepstakes" could be seen in many of the tweets, meaning the orchestras got a Division 1 ranking from state judges in both categories, concert  on-stage performance and sight-reading  playing a new musical piece.

Kingwood Middle School's non-varsity orchestra got a sweepstakes, their first in 15 years. The Kingwood Park High School orchestra sent their congratulations via a tweet this past Wednesday.

"I kind of let out a little shout and gave a high-five to my high-school director," said Kenneth Hale, Kingwood Middle School's head orchestra director. "I felt pretty good!"

Hale cited "slow repetition" as the factor that guided the non-varsity orchestra toward the win. It enabled everyone to detect small flaws and remedy them.

"It was a good way for me to not just win something but to influence these kids in the long term, so it was a very rewarding experience from beginning to end," he said.

Hale added that his school's orchestra will set their sights on more competitions. He advised, cheerily, that Creekwood and Riverwood middle schools should "watch out."

Summer Creek High School's full orchestra also got a sweepstakes for the third consecutive time, said to Director Kyle Davis. To him, it was a combination of having the best players and working hard "just about every Monday night from end of October until February" that got them the high scores.

"Those kids have gone above and beyond to come together and perform some incredible repertoire," he said.

The school's sub non-varsity orchestra had its own first win as well.

As for what is happening after this competition, Davis said the orchestra will go to San Antonio in April to compete in the American Classic Festivals. The venue will be the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, home of the San Antonio Symphony.

"I'm incredibly proud of all the students in both band and orchestra, and the incredible directors that I work with here including my assistant, who's invaluable, Mr. Evan Farmer," he said.

Rounding out the list of Humble ISD schools whose orchestra also brought home winning hardware at the UIL contest are Woodcreek Middle School, Ross Sterling Middle School, Kingwood Park High School, Humble High School, West Lake Middle School, Timberwood Middle School, Kingwood High School, Atascocita High School, Creekwood Middle School, Riverwood Middle School, and Atascocita Middle School.

This story has been updated with the correct venue and additional schools that also won awards.

nguyen.le@chron.com
Deputies are now searching for the killer of a Shell gas station clerk in northwest Harris County. Authorities say that several males entered a Shell Gas Station store at around 10 p.m. Friday.

A female store clerk was held at gun point when one of the suspects opened fire on the clerk, reported Metro Video. The woman then died inside the store on Perry Road near FM 1960.
Two men were shot in a parking lot of a north Houston bar Saturday morning, leaving one dead and another in critical condition.

The two men were shot while inside a truck outside the Mi Tavenera bar, Houston police said. The male in the driver's seat died at the scene and the other male was found lying on the ground next to the truck with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.
Texans Embracing Americas Military is planning a send-off on March 31 for Katy-area recruits to the armed services. The send-off will begin at 2 p.m. at Second Baptist Church-West Campus, which has hosted the last three sendoffs.

The featured speaker will be Bill Hastings, retired Katy police chief. The January featured speaker was Chuck Brawner, Katy mayor and retired police chief of the Spring Branch Independent School District Police Department. The church is located at 19449 Katy Freeway.

The man behind the send-off program is Ralph Oliver.

How long have you lived in the Katy area? What brought you to Katy?

I have lived in Katy for 36 years. I moved down here from Grand Junction, Colorado, after Exxon pulled the plug on their oil extraction production which left the town in a unrecoverable downward spiral. My wife at the time, was born and raised in the Sugar land area and convinced me that this would be a good place to start over.

Do you have a military background?

Yes. My father served in World War II. He started out in North Africa, and then he was with the Big Red One (the 1st Infantry Division) on Omaha Beach during the invasion of Normandy. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was the sergeant of the guards during the Nuremberg prison trials. He received a Silver Star, Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and a Combat Infantryman Badge. I spent six years with the Texas State Guard after 9-11 and was part of a QRT (Quick Response Team). I received training from Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Homeland Security.

How did you come up with the idea to organize Texans Embracing Americas Military?

I got the idea from an Army recruiter in my hometown of Canon City, Colorado. His name is Sam Naber. He had a young recruit who was headed to boot camp and the young recruits mother had recently passed away and had no one there to be with him when he left for boot camp. So Sam reached out to the local American Legion Post 13, which a friend of mine Frank Martinez is a member of. They all gathered together on a Sunday afternoon and did what is called a Shippers Ceremony for the young recruit. After four years, they are doing it on a regular basis. Frank would always tell me about the recruits that they were sending off, and the ceremony that they held for them. I knew at the time that there was nothing like that being done down here in the Greater Houston and Katy area. I came up with the acronym T.E.A.M or Texans Embracing Americas Military and launched our first send-off on March 25, 2018. We did six events in 2018 and our first one in 2019 in January. We have several more events planned for this year.

How has the send-off evolved since you first started TEAM?

We started out at the Katy Elks Lodge which held our first two events. We quickly outgrew the attendance capability that they had. We moved over to the Katy VFW Post which had recently been renovated after Hurricane Harvey. After two events there we realized that they did not have the adequate parking that we needed for all of the first responders that have made this event so tremendous. We were referred to a contact over at Second Baptist Church-West Campus through Harris County Constable Precinct 5s Sgt. Roy Guinn. The church had plenty of parking and a very nice facility to handle the 300+ people that attend. They have held our last three events and are scheduled to hold our March 31 event.

Are you surprised at the response the send-offs have produced or the way the event has grown?

In a way yes. But on the other hand no. I know Texas and Texans are big military supporters, and in my mind I cant see anyone that would not support our military. But then again. There are those that oppose it.

Have you heard from any of the recruits who participated in the earlier send-offs?

We have had a send-off for over 150 young men and women so far. We have only heard from a few. Weve established a Facebook Page and also an alumni Facebook page, which is a closed group so parents and recruits can share with each other if they choose to do so. We are working on a better system to keep in contact with all of our recruits. You also have to remember these are teenagers. LOL!

Why is this important to you?

Its important to me because this is still the greatest country in the world. The only country that we can still have the Second Amendment. Freedom of speech. And the freedom to choose how we live. If it werent for the great men and women in our Armed Forces that made the sacrifice, we would not have those privileges. I dont care who came up with the phrase, but making America great should be the goal of every individual. Showing these recruits how much we support them and their families is one big step.

Do you have other plans related to recruits to the military for the future?

My plan has always been to expand into other areas. There are so many young men and women that we miss and dont have the chance to be a part of a send-off. We have organizations in Galveston, Baytown, Cypress and College Station that are wanting to put together a send-off for the recruits in their area.

How can the community help?

Be there. Be there and show support and encouragement to these young recruits and show support to the families because they will have to go through a lot themselves. We are also asking for donations to help us offset the out-of-pocket expenses for some of the things we do for the event.

Is there anything else youd like to add?

I would personally like to thank the Katy and surrounding community for their support  the nonprofit organizations and all veteran organizations, first responders from Harris County, Fort Bend County and Waller County. Without them and their tremendous show of support this event would not be what it is today.

karen.zurawski@chron.com
With anticipation dripping off his every word, potential presidential contender Beto ORourke made a surprise appearance at South By South West on Saturday but gave no new indication of when he will announce his run for the White House in 2020.

Yea, I wish I had more to give you, ORourke said when asked by reporters about when hes going to announce if he will be in the growing Democratic field .

It has been 10 days since the former El Paso Congressman told reporters hes come to a decision with his family, but he has yet to share it with the world.

I want to make sure I do it the right way, ORourke says. Ive got to be on the timeline that works for my family and for the country.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

ORourke was in Austin for a premiere showing of a HBO documentary about his 2018 campaign for the U.S. Senate during which he went from a virtual unknown to a national political figure. When the lights dimmed at the start of Running With Beto, ORourke, his wife Amy and their daughter Molly slipped into the theater surrounded by key former campaign staffers that helped on the race.

ORourke said reliving the 2018 campaign for the U.S. Senate from a seat in the Paramount Theater was moving.

Seeing everybody again was very emotional, he said. Physically, it was running through me.

When the film ended, ORourke joined members of the film production and his campaign to take questions from the audience. It didnt take long for him to field questions about if he was running for president.

ORourke didnt give much in the way of specifics, but instead used it to reflect on the last two years and other successes at the ballot box in 2018, including noting 17 African American women being elected to judicial positions in Houston and Harris County. He also noted that people associated with the campaign are now embarking on their own bids for office, like Marcel McClinton, a 17-year-old gun violence activist who is running for city council.

We got to be a part of this amazing thing in Texas over the last two years and it continues, he said.

ORourke lost his campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, but it was the closest U.S. Senate race in Texas since the 1970s. ORourke lost by less than 3 percentage points as record Democratic turnout flooded polling locations in Texas. Since that run, ORourke has been getting encouragement to run for president. Once adamant he would not, ORourke has become more open to the idea in recent comments, saying he was looking for a way to continue to push ideas and a vision he outlined on the campaign trail.

ORourke has been teasing speculation that hell seek the Democratic nomination in 2020 for three months now. Hes released position papers on immigration reform and criminal justice reforms recently. And his former campaign staffers have been emailing supporters with statements that suggest ORourke is ready to run nationwide. In one recent email, deputy campaign director Cynthia Cano says and now Im ready for us to bring our movement to the rest of the country. But she stops short of saying ORourke is running.

Those who came out for the screening of the film said they cannot wait for ORourke to run. Kim Canseco said she never volunteered for a campaign before, but two years ago was drawn to ORourkes campaign.

I saw it then that he was presidential material, said Canseco, who is from Del Rio. Hes so real.

Canseco was wearing a green T-shirt with Beto of President 2020 on it.

Andrea Yz brought her two daughters to the premiere with the hope that ORourke would make an appearance. She said ORourke authenticity was a welcome change from what is usually in politics. She said shes not sure if hell run for the White House, but if he does, hell bring perspective of being from a Texas border city that can really help change the discussion around immigration issues.

He represented a lot of the values of where he comes from, Yz said. He brings a different outlook by coming from a border city.

By being at SXSW in Austin on Saturday, ORourke was close to a lot of Democratic rivals he could be facing next February in Iowa and New Hampshire. Seven other Democratic candidates who have announced for 2020 had speaking engagements at SXSW on Saturday or Sunday. U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg were among those speaking on Saturday. On Sunday, former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro is scheduled to speak at SXSW.

SXSW is a 10-day conference once known for music acts. But in recent years it has become a political draw. Besides the presidential contenders, other notable politicians like former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and U.S. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are part of events. The festival draws more than 400,000 people a year to Austin, according to event organizers.
The world's largest social media site will soon take aim against anti-vaxxers.

Facebook will start by lowering the ranking of groups and pages that spread misinformation about vaccinations in its news feed and search options, a representative said Wednesday.

"These groups and pages will not be included in recommendations or in predictions when you type into Search," Monika Bickert, Facebook's vice president of global policy management, said in a statement.

She added that when ads that include misinformation about vaccinations are found, "We will reject them."

Ad accounts that continue to violate company policies may even be disabled.

Facebook won't be disabling personal accounts that post misinformation about vaccines, a spokeswoman told CNN on background. General misinformation doesn't violate the company's community standards. If something blatantly violates the standards, it will be removed, but that will not happen to individual posts containing misinformation.

Bickert said the company is also "exploring ways to share educational information about vaccines," possibly by adding educational information to inaccurate posts.

The effort is company-wide and will be unrolled in the next few weeks.

About half of U.S. teens use the social media site, and the number of American users 65 and older has doubled to 41 percent since 2012, according to Hootsuite, social media management platform.

The explore and hashtag pages of Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, also will not show or recommend content that contains anti-vaccination messages, Bickert said, explaining the details with a simple example.

If verified vaccine hoaxes -- identified by World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- appear on Facebook, the company will take action.

"For example, if a group or page admin posts this vaccine misinformation, we will exclude the entire group or page from recommendations, reduce these groups and pages' distribution in news feed and search, and reject ads with this misinformation," Bickert said.

A page labeled "your ad preferences" reveals how the social media site categorizes the interests of each user, a recent Pew Research Center survey noted.

However, the majority of survey participants, 74 percent, reported not knowing that a list of their traits and interests existed within the company's data.

And once directed to their "ad preferences" page, half said they are not comfortable with the company creating such a list.

Art Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine, has said he would welcome changes, but said it may be necessary for Facebook to pull "scurrilous and erroneous sites down completely."

Others believe Facebook is striking the right balance.

"They're avoiding censorship, but they're not necessarily recommending it to their readers, and that's probably the best way to go about it," Lata Nott, executive director of the First Amendment Center at the nonpartisan Freedom Forum Institute, said late last month when the social media giant was working on the changes.

Last year, the U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority banned a Facebook ad paid for by a U.S.-based anti-vaccination campaign group.

The company did not say whether it is taking these new steps to avoid similarly arousing the ire of U.S. regulatory authorities.
WASHINGTON - In private discussions with his aides, President Donald Trump has devised an eye-popping formula to address one of his long-standing complaints: that allies hosting U.S. forces don't pay Washington enough money.

Under the formula, countries would pay the full cost of stationing American troops on their territory, plus 50 percent more, said U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the idea, which could have allies contributing five times what they provide.

Trump calls the formula "cost plus 50," and it has struck fear in the hearts of U.S. allies who view it as extortionate.

TEXAS TAKE: Get all your Texas political updates each weekday

Rumors that the formula could become a global standard have especially rattled Germany, Japan and South Korea, which host thousands of forces, and U.S. officials have mentioned the demand to at least one country in a formal negotiation setting, said people familiar with the matter.

National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said the Trump administration "is committed to getting the best deal for the American people" but would not comment "on any ongoing deliberations regarding specific ideas."

Trump has long complained that U.S. and NATO allies freeload on U.S. military protection, but the cost-plus-50 formula has only gained traction in recent months, said current and former U.S. officials, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

It is not a formal proposal or policy but serves as a kind of "maximum billing" option designed in part to draw attention to an issue that speaks to Trump's demand that allies shoulder more of the burden of their own defense, a senior administration official said.

RELATED: Americans must soon register-but not get visas-to travel to some European countries

One of the first U.S. allies to confront the Trump administration's hardball tactics was South Korea, which last month agreed to pay $925 million for hosting 28,500 American troops. That was an 8.2 percent increase from the previous year's payment and about half the total costs. South Korean officials preferred a five-year agreement, but the deal covers only one, meaning they could face pressure to meet Trump's cost-plus-50 demand next year.

A U.S. military official said U.S. Forces Korea had been "sweating" the signing of a new agreement for months.

There are numerous burden-sharing ideas floating around, and Trump has not settled on any one, officials said.

Although it may be a red herring, the phrase "cost plus 50" has appeared on informal lists of options, one official said. But it is not clear what Trump advisers mean by "cost," whether it's the entire budget to run a base and pay U.S. armed forces or some part of that.

U.S. allies hosting permanent American military installations pay for a portion of costs in various ways. Japan and South Korea make cash contributions, while Germany supports the U.S. troop presence through in-kind contributions such as land, infrastructure and construction, in addition to foregone customs duties and taxes.

Trump has called that "in-kind" contribution insufficient, a senior U.S. diplomat said.

For decades, leading foreign policy figures in both parties have urged U.S. allies to take on greater responsibility for their security, but even staunch advocates of burden-sharing have questioned Trump's approach.

"Trump is correct in wanting U.S. allies to bear more responsibility for collective defense, but demanding protection money from them is the wrong way to do it," said Stephen Walt, a scholar of international relations at Harvard University. "Our armed forces are not mercenaries, and we shouldn't send U.S. troops into harm's way just because another country is paying us."

The cost-plus-50 idea would probably not be presented as a blanket demand to all allies, even if Trump ended up signing off on it, several people familiar with elements of the discussion said. Many of his top aides oppose the formula and have succeeded in the past in bringing him down from the maximalist approach, the people said.

The existence of Trump's formula was first reported by Bloomberg News.

Critics of U.S. bases around the world say the bases are costly, stoke tensions with adversaries and have unintended consequences. The Pentagon counters that its 54,000 troops in Japan and presence in South Korea allow it to project power and deter North Korea and China.

In Germany, where the Pentagon has more than 33,000 troops, the U.S. Army announced last year that it could add 1,500 more by 2020 in "a display of our continued commitment to NATO and our collective resolve to support European security."

- - -

Trump's idea has been rumored in European capitals for months, though senior European diplomats said they knew of no formal presentations or threat from the White House. Such a proposal appears aimed principally at Germany, the subject of frequent Trump complaints about NATO defense spending and what he says is an unfair German reliance on American forces for its defense.

Trump does not accept the argument that U.S. forces in Germany are a strategic asset for the United States and maybe an overall cost savings because they help facilitate U.S. military actions in the Middle East and Africa as well as across the European continent, former U.S. officials said.

That disconnect predates the discussion of billing Germany for the cost of basing forces there, and some former advisers had hoped they could steer Trump toward a wider view of what the United States gains from the arrangement. American lives that might have otherwise been lost on the battlefields of Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, for example, are often saved at Landstuhl military hospital in Germany.

"When he says, 'Thirty thousand American forces are there protecting Germany,' that is a completely inaccurate explanation of what American forces in Germany are there for," retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges III, said in an interview in the fall as Trump's rhetoric on the issue heated up. Hodges was addressing the president's complaints about the number of U.S. forces in Germany - more than 30,000 - and threats to downsize or relocate forces, not the specific idea of billing Germany.

The benefit to the United States can't be measured in the transactional ways Trump frames it, said Hodges, who served as commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe. "Like with our base in Ramstein, this is a platform for power projections in the Middle East, Africa, Russia."

Emma Ashford, a scholar at the libertarian Cato Institute, agrees with Trump that the U.S. military is overextended but said his latest gambit is the wrong tactic.

"The solution to America's unbalanced commitment to rich allies is to gradually shift the burden to them and remove the troops," she said. "Not to keep American troops there and charge for them like they're mercenaries."

The discussion comes as allies prepare for the annual summer summit, where Trump has twice berated German Chancellor Angela Merkel over her country's defense contributions. Trump routinely misstates the NATO funding arrangement and defense spending targets, but Germany acknowledges that it has not met the threshold goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

Trump could undermine the effort to increase European NATO defense spending if he starts demanding bilateral payments, said Jeffrey Rathke, president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

"The United States, including under the Trump administration, has had a lot of success in persuading Germany and other NATO allies that they need to contribute more to their own defense," Rathke said. "That is possible because the spending is directed at a common NATO objective, and that is collective defense," which is more politically palatable in Western Europe.

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Hector Maldonado was nearly out of time.

The Sam Rayburn High School senior had spent months on his Western-themed colored-pencil drawing, including a few nights in December when he worked on it until 3 or 4 in the morning before dragging himself out of bed for school.

He didnt really think he had a shot of winning the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeos annual school art competition, which draws more than 200,000 entries each year from across Texas. But his parents had always taught him to try his best.

Lord knew he could use the prize money.

In January, on the night before the contest deadline, Hector still wasnt satisfied with his drawing, which depicted a young bareback rider, sitting on a fence awaiting his turn on the back of a bucking horse.

TEXAS LIFESTYLE: Get your updates on Texas events and entertainment

Hector stayed up that entire night, shading subtle streaks of blue in an otherwise cloudy sky.

I wanted it to be perfect, he said.

Hectors twin brother, Axel, also planned to enter the contest but, like most of the other students in their class, hed finished his cowboy painting several weeks earlier.

The boys were born in Mexico 18 years ago and were still toddlers when their parents brought them to Pasadena in search of a better life. Their dad delivers bread for a bakery; their mom waits tables at a taqueria. They bring in enough to get by, but not enough for a serious college savings fund.

Thats part of the reason the parents teared up in January, when rodeo judges announced that Axels oil painting had won a best-in-show award and would be among 72 pieces sold during the rodeos annual Student Art Auction, good for a $2,500 scholarship.

RELATED: Rodeo 101: Here's your guide to understanding the events at RodeoHouston

The boys mother openly wept a few minutes later when the judges revealed that Hectors drawing not only was among the winners, but had been selected as the grand champion, earning him a scholarship of up to $38,000.

Im not going to lie, Axel said. I got a little jealous of my brother. But Im proud of him.

After their mother had wiped her tears, she gave her boys a directive: No desperdicies el dinero, Hector remembered her saying.

Dont waste the money.

On Sunday, Hector climbed onto stage at NRG Arena, holding his drawing at the start of the charity auction. The proceeds pay for the art program scholarships and contribute to the rodeos broader educational fund. Hector was the fourth Sam Rayburn High student to win the statewide contest in the last four years, a run of dominance that he attributes to the work of Pasadena ISD art teachers like Daniel Reyna.

Hector wore faded jeans, a blue checkered shirt and stiff leather boots  a suburban kid in a cowboy costume that hed picked up two days earlier at Cavenders Boot City.

He smiled, shuffling back and forth on stage with his drawing, as the auctioneer rattled off names and numbers.

Fifty thousand, do I hear fifty?

Seventy-five, seventy-five ...

Ive got one hundred thousand!

Hector thought he could feel his face twitching as he walked back and forth as hed been instructed, forcing a posed smile as folks in cowboy hats slipped their hands into the air to bid what seemed to him like insane amounts of money for a picture hed sketched in his bedroom.

One-fifty, one-hundred-fifty thousand ...

Now one-seventy-five, one-hundred-seventy-five thousand, one-seventy-five, leave it or buy ...

Two hundred thousand, give me two-ten ...

Hector didnt know it, but Lane McGehee, the 21-year-old cowboy pictured in the photograph that inspired his drawing was in the audience for the auction. When McGehee first saw Hectors drawing posted online a few weeks ago, he thought it was another photograph.

That kid can really draw, the cowboy said, with a thick South Texas twang.

Two-fifteen, two-fifteen, give me two-fifteen ...

Two-forty, two-hundred-forty thousand, leave it or buy ...

Sold it to ya, $240,000 to the Somerville family! A new rodeo record!

The buyers climbed on stage and posed for photos with Hector. A woman held a microphone to his face and asked him questions.

What was going through his mind as strangers bid hundreds of thousands of dollars on his artwork? What inspired his drawing? Where does he plan to go to college?

Both of the Maldonado twins say they want to attend the University of Houston or Texas A&M, and both hope to become architects one day.

But first they plan to put in a couple of years at San Jacinto College, a community college close to home.

Their mom told them not to waste the money, and they dont plan to disappoint her.

mike.hixenbaugh@chron.com

Twitter.com/Mike_Hixenbaugh

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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Assault, Severance Circle: At 9:25 a.m. March 2, police were called to MetroHealth Hospital, 10 Severance Circle, where it was reported that an assault had occurred involving a staff member and a patient.

A hospital employee, 37, told police that he was attempting to help a MetroHealth officer detain a female patient, 29, who was trying to run out of the hospital.

The employee said the patient threw a can of ginger ale at him, then, when she was on the floor, dug her fingernails into him. The man was scratched several times and had a cut above an eye.

The hospital police officer told Cleveland Heights police that the hospital policy is that any patient under the influence of a drug or considered a risk to themselves, is not permitted to leave the facility without a ride from a responsible driver. That is why he attempted to stop the patient.

A doctor said the woman was not medicated to medical standards. The employee signed a complaint for assault against the woman.

As police were wrapping up the matter, an officer saw that the suspect had a box cutter in her purse. It was later found that the still irate woman also had two pair of scissors, razor blades and a disposable razor in her purse.

Domestic violence, Nela View Road: At 9:10 a.m. Feb. 28, a woman went to the police station, accompanied by her daughter, 7, and said she had been assaulted by her husband.

The woman explained to police that she went to the house she owns, and where her husband lives separately from her, to gather supplies for her daughter for school. As she unlocked the door, she heard her husband running down stairs inside the house, yelling.

The woman and her daughter immediately went to their car in the driveway and the husband followed. He demanded a key back from the woman and, when he was told she didnt have it, the man climbed on her and a struggle ensued. The woman ended up injuring her knee as she tried to get out of the car and the man put his body weight on top of her.

The woman did not wish to pursue charges, but police did so for domestic violence and, because the child was near, child endangerment.

Disorderly conduct, Woodview Road: At 4:50 p.m. Feb. 28, a man reported that his great-nephew, 21, was pushing him.

Police found the nephew outside the home with his girlfriend. The nephew said his uncle would not allow his girlfriend into the house, which caused an argument. It was later learned that the uncle did not own the house.

The nephew said he only bumped his uncle. Another nephew showed police video of the outdoor incident. The video showed that both the uncle and his nephew had yelled at each other and pushed each other. Both were cited for disorderly conduct.

Disorderly conduct, Northhampton Road: At 10:45 p.m. March 1, a woman called police stating that there had been a disturbance involving her and her live-in boyfriend.

The woman told officers that one of the reasons the two had argued was that her boyfriend had his brother over at the house and that the two had spent the whole day drinking alcohol. She said that, while drunk, her boyfriend punched a wall, injuring his hand, then fell down and cut his lip.

Police then spoke with the drunken boyfriend. He claimed that the woman had hit him in the lip.

Neither party wanted to pursue charges against the other. The man said he just wanted to leave.

As he gathered his things, the man yelled and used profane language in front of children. He was told several times not to use such language. When he refused to stop, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Disorderly conduct, Blanche Road: At 8:50 p.m. March 2, police were called to a home where two intoxicated women were arguing. Officers told the women, who are friends, that they should be separated and a friend of theirs was called to pick up one of the women and take her home.

Police warned the women that if officers were called back, they could be cited.

At 9:35 p.m., police were called back to the house. The two had physically fought, leaving marks on both of their faces. The women were cited for disorderly conduct.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
BEACHWOOD, Ohio  One man was injured Saturday night in a shooting outside Beachwood Place mall, police say.

Few details about the shooting were released Sunday morning.

The shooting happened about 8:30 p.m., according to a Beachwood police news release. Mall security and Beachwood police officers found the man, who told them he had been shot.

The man was treated for his gunshot wound at a local hospital, police said.

Officers learned that the shooting happened when an argument broke out between the injured man and another man. Two shots were fired, the release says.

No one else was injured.

Beachwood Place continued to operate as normal throughout the incident, police said.

The suspect in the shooting has not been publicly identified, and no other details in the case were made available.

This post will be updated Sunday if additional information is provided.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 94-year-old woman beaten to death during a home invasion in the city's Slavic Village neighborhood was in town from Honduras visiting her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a family member said.

Eucebia Garcia died from blunt force trauma to the head during early Monday, police said.

Her 74-year-old daughter, Marina Garcia, is in and out of consciousness at MetroHealth's intensive care unit, Marina Garcia's son-in-law, Chris Cinolotac said. She suffered a concussion and has bleeding on her brain, Cinolotac said.

"We're just upset at everything right now," Cinolotac said. "They didn't deserve this. Whoever did this went too far. They didn't need to do this."

Cinolotac lives with his wife next door to the home where the beating death happened. His family is in shock. He said the killer stole an iPad, iPhone and jewelry.

He said Eucebia and Marina Garcia visit their family in Cleveland every year, typically for about six months, in order to spend time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were set to return to Honduras in two weeks.

Cinolotac said the family is devastated, particularly because the two women live in Honduras, where rampant violence has become the norm.

"Honduras is known for its violence," Cinolotac said. "Then they come here and this happens. It's not fair."

Eucebia Garcia raised her children in Honduras on the money she and her late husband made by running a general store. She closed the store when her husband died. Her daughter lives with her in Honduras and looks after her, despite being only able to see out of one eye, Cinolotac said.

Both particularly loved taking road trips and were healthy and active.

Cinolotac owns three houses in a row on Gertrude Avenue in Slavic Village. He lives in one, allowed his mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law to live in the other and is fixing up the third house.

While she lived in the Gertrude house this summer, Eucebia Garcia planted flowers in the yard and spruced up the porch with even more flowers, Cinolotac said.

He said he usually works on the homes until 2 a.m. He went to sleep early Sunday night, and Marina Garcia woke him after she made her way to his house after the beating.

A burglar about 1:30 a.m. Monday removed a window air-conditioning unit and climbed into the home, according to police and Cinolotac.

Once inside, the burglar "confronted" the two women and beat them, causing severe head injuries, according to police. The man ran away and police have not yet identified the attacker.

Eucebia Garcia was taken to MetroHealth, where she died.

Cinolotac said he attends community meetings and has expressed his desire for more police officers to patrol the area. He said the officers who do are dedicated, but they need more.

He said drug deals and prostitution are daily occurrences in the neighborhood. Several abandoned homes on his street bring even more crime to the area, he said.

"We've found people shooting up in an abandoned house across the street," he said. "We had one man, who was clearly high on drugs run in to the house (where the fatal beating happened) because he was running from a drug dealer."

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CLEVELAND, Ohio  The tea was steeped in dialogue, sweetened by mutual understanding.

Teatime for Peace, a group dedicated to building bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims, had come to the Affinity Missionary Baptist Church on Feb. 28, the exact date of Teatimes three-year anniversary.

Since its founding, Teatime for Peace has brought its program of sharing a little tea and empathy to 21 churches and schools across Northeast Ohio.

Participants meet, talk, sip and nosh while hopefully getting to know and understand each other a little better.

Eppalonian Isaac, 32, a Muslim from Shaker Heights, was among the nearly 70 people sharing their thoughts and experiences at the church.

Isaac, who sometimes feels apprehensive when she goes out wearing her Hijab headscarf, and was once even called a terrorist to her face, said she enjoyed the program.

Its always good to open dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims, she said.

Here, I feel welcomed and accepted for who I am, she added.

April Stoltz, co-founder of Teatime for Peace, said 70 percent of Americans dont know Muslims, who represent about 1 percent of the population in Ohio and the U.S.

So if you dont know anybody who believes in Islam, its so easy for your mind to believe the lies, the false stereotypes, that are being promoted, even inadvertently through the media, she said.

That kind of misinformation prompted the formation of Teatime for Peace, according to Stoltz.

The language that was happening with our presidential candidates in 2016 was very divisive, and we wanted to do something in response to that, she explained.

There are real consequences when we use this kind of language, she added. Theres a spike in hate crimes, and we needed to let our Muslim brothers and sisters know that were there for them.

She partnered with the Cleveland-Northeast Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to set up the first tea, held at her church, the West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Rocky River.

The positive response led to other teas, usually attended by about 100 people.

Whats happened is that people show up and get engaged in real conversations with each other, she said. Its a way to build bridges and make connections through person-to-person conversations. It is our antidote to the false information that is being fed to us.

In welcoming the nights guests, Ronald Maxwell, senior church pastor, noted, this is an increasingly angry and violent world.

He said thats why its so important to sit down and get to know each other and give testimony to love, when there seems to be so much hate.

In the program, participants broke into small groups and met around tables to discuss such reflection questions as their familys history, the values and philosophy of their faith, and how they can work to promote the respect of diversity in religion.

The informal format is intentional, according to Emma Krueger, of Teatime for Peace, who said, When you break bread with someone, how can you hold anger against them?

And both sides can learn something.

During the night at the Affinity Missionary Baptist Church, a Muslim man at one table explained the purpose and practices of Ramadan, while a non-Muslim man at another table noted that his mother was scared to death about him coming to the tea.

She believed Id be hurt by some Muslims, he explained, and added, hatred is taught.

Isam Zaiem, co-founder of the local CAIR chapter and a member of the Teatime steering committee, noted, People hate what they dont know, and once people get to know a Muslim . . . all these stereotypes fall apart.

Zaiem said that given the current climate of hate and misperception, the gathering humanizes us, protects us, helps us bring assurance to our fellow Americans that we are not the enemy, we are an integral part of our nation, and we deserve to be respected like anybody else.

He added, When they sit down, break bread, eat some Baklava and have a cup of tea, all of a sudden you realize that the fear, the irrational fear that is being portrayed in media or by some people who are Islamophobes, is really not true.

One black non-Muslim man told his table-mates about the prejudicial scrutiny from whites that he grew up with.

He noted that when he goes to the airport, Muslims now seem the target of the same hyper-critical-attention, and sheepishly confessed to feeling that, at least its not me.

A Muslim woman advised folks at her table, You have to educate other people. It takes away the fear. So we have to keep this up.

Teatime member Tony Whitehouse said the Muslims he knows are not the angry people that are often portrayed in our news media. But some of our leaders are working hard to present the story that all Muslims are alike  they hate Americans and want to take over our country and institute Sharia law.

The Muslims he has met represent a far different reality, and I am inclined to trust what I see with my own eyes, he added.

Part of the program at the church included Rezah Quereshy, 13, of Richfield, reading a school essay he had written, calling for increased emphasis in schools to counter misinformation and fears about Muslims.

We need to take every opportunity to enlighten ourselves, Quereshy said. At the end of the day, remember, we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

As the program neared its conclusion, Muslim Ivana Zajkovska, stood to tell participants, this is not an end. This is where it starts. I can look back and say, Im not by myself. There are so many people to help me.

And Sharon Waltermire, of Chardon, who was visiting her second Teatime for Peace event, described the gatherings as wonderful exchanges, a way to get to actually speak to someone who is raised differently than you were, and who has the same values that you have, but you wouldnt be aware of that without sharing a meal with them.

I think its really a very valuable adventure, she added. I would just like more people to know about it, and step out of their comfort zone.

(Information about Teatime for Peace can be obtained by e-mailing teatime4peace@gmail.com.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robert Howse claims his crimes were crimes of mistakes. He would have the public believe that it was a mistake that he took a gun to Gates Mills last September looking for homeowners to rob.

He wants us to believe it was a mistake that he ambushed former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius in his backyard at gunpoint and forced him to lie on his stomach and fear for the worst. He wants us to believe it was a mistake that he threatened to kill Jurevicius if he didnt give him money and electronics.

It was apparently also a mistake that he performed a similar home invasion in Gates Mill two days earlier, pointing a gun at an unsuspecting 70-year-old woman when she walked into her bedroom. In Howses criminally warped world, mistakes and crimes are indistinguishable. He would have us believe he mistakenly chose to perform random house invasions in Gates Mills while on parole for a prior home invasion in Cleveland.

Jurevicius spoke briefly to the court Thursday before Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy McDonnell issued her sentence. Heres part of what he had to say:

Im all about second chances but I think his have come and gone. Clearly, he didnt learn his lesson and was not rehabilitated. And Im requesting that he receive the maximum sentence allowed by law.

McDonnell appears to have agreed with Jurevicius. She sentenced Howse to 43 years in prison. Barring an early release, Howse, 24, will not come home until 2062. His life as a free man is essentially over.

Few people weep any tears for Howse. I certainly dont. Howse was a menace to society. He was an indiscriminate violent threat to the young and the old. The rules of a civil society were of no concern to him.

However, a difficult question must be considered:

Did Howses crimes deserve a life sentence?

Rapists and murders frequently serve far less time than Howse will serve for an armed robbery.

This case is important for another reason. It offers a glimpse of countervailing trends in our criminal justice system, and the way that Americans look at crime, punishment, and rehabilitation.

On one hand, Americans clamor for law and order. Americans want tough judges and stiff punishments for those who violate our sense of safety. We love our hanging judges.

On the other hand, we know our prisons and jails are overcrowded. Our penal institutions teem with non-violent and low-level drug offenders. These are people who should  and can  be rehabilitated. Still, the criminal justice system continues a wild lurch between a desire to punish and a stated mission to rehabilitate.

Cleveland attorney Terry Gilbert is recognized as one of Clevelands leading civil rights attorneys. He has long advocated for criminal justice and sentencing reforms. He watched with some interest as the Howse case was adjudicated. He told me he found the sentence to be severe, but not necessarily surprising.

People will look at this case and justifiably feel outraged. The defendant deserved a significant sentence. But, this punishment appears to preclude any chance of him being able to change his life and to rehabilitate, said Gilbert.

We have to decide as a society what we want from our criminal justice system and what we hope to achieve with our sentencing structures. The basic questions are: what is fair and what is just? said Gilbert.

Gilbert then added this hypothetical twist that bears considering.

We know there is bias in the system. What happens when some young person from a more suburban area, who has some privilege, commits a horrific act? What if that person gets five years as opposed to a life sentence? Will we then begin to call for more uniformity and consistency in sentencing?

Howse didnt make a mistake when he stuck a gun to Jurevicius head. He made his mistake when he decided hed rather risk spending his life in a cage than remain free in civil society. He made a mistake when he violated parole and threw away a second chance at life.

But, the question remains: Do we still believe in rehabilitation and for whom?
CLEVELAND -- Every day in our community, workforce agencies see people who want to work and have skills to offer but cant get jobs. At the same time, employers often say they cant find workers for openings they have. What gives?

Real barriers, such as a lack of access to quality, affordable child care and difficult commutes, prevent people from getting good jobs and shrink the hiring pool for businesses. But one of the biggest obstacles to securing employment is a past conviction. Ohios state prison population has tripled over the last 35 years, leaving a lot more potential employees with a record. These past offenses then act like a de facto life sentence, foreclosing employment opportunities due to hiring practices.

Of course, some convictions do not square with certain occupations (think money fraud and a bank); however, one-size-fits-all approaches can have sweeping effects.

Brad Whitehead is president of the Fund for Our Economic Future.

This is unfortunate because research suggests that people with records typically perform in jobs at or above the level of those without records. A recent study found that individuals with records had less turnover, and in a survey of more than 500 managers, 82 percent said those with records performed similarly or better.

Addressing this barrier is not only good civics, but also good business. Leaders are increasingly recognizing this reality, but they havent yet effectively dismantled the roadblock, at least in part because our community hasnt understood just how pervasive it is. Until now.

New research conducted by Policy Matters Ohio and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, sponsored by the Fund for Our Economic Future, shows that about 850 state laws called collateral sanctions restrict access to a quarter of Ohio jobs for nearly 1 million residents with felony convictions who have already served their time.

The jobs blocked can be good ones. Our analysis shows they pay better and are growing at twice the rate of other Ohio jobs. People are also blocked from some first-rung jobs that could help them get a toehold in the labor market. Many food service, janitorial, commercial driving, and public sector jobs have these sanctions. (Read the full report at https://tinyurl.com/ychsmuvl.)

Amy Hanauer is executive director of Policy Matters Ohio.

The typical Ohioan out of work after serving time for a felony conviction lost $36,479 in wages in 2017. That amounts to roughly $3.4 billion in lost wages across the state that year.

These short-sighted policies affect all Ohioans, black, white and brown. But African-Americans are disproportionately harmed. Black Ohioans are six times more likely to have a felony conviction than white Ohioans. This is no surprise: Black residents are treated more severely at every step in the criminal justice process than white residents. Black community members are more likely to be stopped, arrested, charged, detained pre-trial, convicted, and given long sentences, even when circumstances are similar, according to a Vincent Institute of Justice brief issued last year.

Limiting prospects for Ohioans with convictions hurts workers, hurts businesses, and hurts our economy. It may even undermine the very safety that collateral sanctions seek to protect. Limiting legitimate work opportunities can push people to re-offend.

Happily, these barriers are being acknowledged in regional discussions about how to find skilled employees. The next step is implementing more sensible hiring policies and practices.

The main policy fix is to eliminate excessive, arbitrary collateral sanctions that prevent people from getting licensed or hired for 1.3 million of the jobs in our state. Instead, we should keep targeted provisions that make sense and that account for time since conviction and demonstrated recovery.

We should ban the box requiring applicants to list criminal convictions in applications. Managers can consider these factors later, but it makes little sense to unilaterally eliminate people before theyve had a chance to compete. Ohio already does this for public jobs; we should ask private employers to do the same. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offers guidelines employers can use to do this in a smart, safe way. The fact that many of the sanctions are discretionary means enormous strides in equity and competitiveness can be made without compromising public safety.

In Columbus, lawmakers are considering proposals to reform our criminal justice system. We applaud that and encourage them to advance a proposal that will substantially reduce our overinflated prison population. But its also essential that we let people rejoin our economy when they get out. When we dont, firms lose earnings potential, the state economy is smaller, and communities are left less safe.

Lets bring down the barriers weve created to earning a living for our neighbors who made a past mistake.

Brad Whitehead is president of the Fund for Our Economic Future, an alliance of more than 40 local and national funders. Amy Hanuaer is executive director of Policy Matters Ohio, a progressive think tank based in Cleveland.

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When outside inspectors arrived at the Cuyahoga County Jail in recent years, you have to wonder if they donned blindfolds. Since last June, eight county jail inmates have died and one remains hospitalized. Yet regular inspections of the county jail by inspectors from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) found no major faults.

Likewise, for ten years, before a damning late-2018 inspection by the U.S. Marshals Service using FBI agents and personnel from outside Ohio identified appalling and inhumane conditions, local U.S. marshals didnt find much bad to say about the jail, either.

One state inspector, Joel Commins, did conduct a special review of medical conditions at the jail after media reports on a May 22 Cuyahoga County Council committee hearing highlighted testimony critical of those conditions. But Commins concluded in a letter to then-Jail Director Ken Mills that, apart from failing to complete medical reviews in a timely way, the jail was in compliance with most state standards relative to the problems cited at the May 22 hearing. By the time Mills received the Commins letter on July 30, three jail inmates had already died.

As the jail deaths mounted and after federal inspectors from outside Ohio flagged serious deficiencies in a U.S. Marshals Service inspection report made public in November 2018, inspectors views seemingly changed.

In the states 2018 report on the Cuyahoga County Jail, just released last month, inspector Commins suddenly found a raft of jail deficiencies. As outlined by cleveland.com reporter Adam Ferrise, the report found the jail noncompliant in 84 different aspects examined in the downtown facility, including 35 of the standards considered to be the most serious and another 49 that are rated as important.'  The jail failed to meet minimum standards in two-thirds of 135 areas the state inspected.

Did conditions inside the jail rapidly deteriorate after the earlier inspections? Or did those inspections simply miss problems that should have been reported?

The states spotty explanation of the discrepancies raises additional questions about how credible these inspections are.

New Gov. Mike DeWine should direct ODRC to review all state inspections of the Cuyahoga County jails  the main jail and its two suburban satellite facilities -- and offer a public explanation of how they failed to find problems.

That should be followed by a credible plan to fix gaps in the process so that future jail inspections are meaningful.

ODRC spokeswoman JoEllen Smith suggested some of the gaps were the countys fault, telling the editorial board via email that the county jail had failed to provide supporting or appropriate documentation for at least 29 standards."

Smith added that Cuyahoga Countys takeover of Clevelands House of Corrections last year had "an operational impact with the reception process which led to additional areas of noncompliance.

U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott organized a team of investigators that included FBI agents and marshals from outside Ohio who found "inhumane conditions" at the Cuyahoga County Jail.The Plain Dealer

Pete Elliott, the U.S. marshal for northern Ohio, told Ferrise that the periodic local inspections by federal marshals were primarily for internal bookkeeping purposes, to note conditions federal prisoners might encounter, and therefore by nature cursory and reliant on data from jail officials.

Yet these responses fail to explain why none of these inspections noticed the problems cited by outside federal inspectors: vermin and filth in the downtown County Jail kitchen; overcrowding and understaffing that led to periodic lockdowns of inmates; the denial of food as a punishment; housing children with adults; inconsistent or absent medical care and other abuses -- or the serious risks associated with inadequate jail staffing by corrections officers and nurses.

Inhumane jail conditions are unconstitutional. Theyre also morally wrong. But such abuses can and will continue -- not just in Cuyahoga County but elsewhere -- when taxpayers are kept in the dark about conditions because state and federal jail inspectors dial it in or present Pollyannish versions of jail operations.

Now that Cuyahoga Countys grossly deficient jail conditions are being addressed, can the public believe jail inspections going forward?

Rigid jail standards periodically verified by credible inspectors must become the norm. That requires a full state investigation -- and public explanation -- of what went wrong with prior inspections and a thoroughgoing U.S. Marshals Service look at ways to improve its local inspection practices. Those reviews must then result in a full revamp of both state and federal jail inspection practices, to ensure they include meaningful safeguards and sufficient staffing, so that jail inspections going forward are both credible and complete.

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COLUMBUS, OhioA day after U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown ruled out a presidential run, the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party announced his fellow Democratic senator and declared presidential candidate Kamala Harris will speak at the partys annual dinner on April 28.

Harris, a U.S. senator from California, is the first major candidate among the 14 declared 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls to schedule a visit to the Buckeye State.

Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper said, despite talk of Ohio becoming more of a red state than the important bellwether it has been, Harris visit shows that Ohio remains an important goal on the path to the presidency.

Shes clearly putting a marker down early that this is an important place for her, Pepper said of Harris. To have a candidate stepping away from the first couple states to go to a county partys dinner is clearly a big deal and tells you something about the importance of that county and our state in the 2020 election.

Harris spokeswoman Lily Adams said in a statement that Ohio is and will remain a priority state for our campaign.

Senator Harris campaigned hard for candidates in Ohio in 2018 and is excited to be back to support the Cuyahoga Democratic Party, Adams stated.

Tom Sutton, a political scientist at Baldwin Wallace University, said Harris visit will help her build name recognition in the Midwest, the home of only two lesser-known Democratic presidential candidates: U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Clearly, she understands that she needs to reach into the Midwest, and this is opportunity for her to do so, Sutton said.

Harris most recently visited Ohio last October, when she spoke at the Ohio Democratic Partys state dinner in Columbus.

While Harris visit to the Cuyahoga County Democrats dinner in downtown Cleveland has been in the works for some time, it wasnt made public until Brown announced he wont be running for president.

Cuyahoga County will be pivotal to turning Ohio blue and that is why we are thrilled to welcome Senator Harris to Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chair Shontel Brown said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan has also been talked about as a possible presidential candidate, though the Youngstown-area Democrat hasnt yet announced his plans. Long-shot presidential candidate Andrew Yang also made a three-day swing through Ohio last month.

Ohios 2020 primary is scheduled for March 10, though early voting will start a month before then, as voters in the first primary states head to the polls. State Rep. Jack Cera, a Belmont County Democrat, has introduced legislation to push Ohios primary to May, though its still unclear how much support his idea has in the Republican-dominated General Assembly.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The second season of Starzs American Gods and the third season of CBS All Access The Good Fight are among the top viewing choices for the week:

American Gods (8 p.m. Sunday, March 10, Starz): After a wildly uneven, sometimes-brilliant first season, the series adaptation of Neil Gaimans 2001 fantasy novel finally returns with new show runners and new faces (including Dean Winters and Kahyn Kim). Semi-regulars Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth wont be back for this much-delayed second-season mix of ancient and modern mythology, but the main cast is mostly intact, including Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon, Crispin Glover as Mr. World and, best of all, Ian McShane as that sensational con-man take on the god Odin, Mr. Wednesday. Newcomers include Dean Winters, Devery Jacobs, Sakina Jaffrey and Kahyun Kim.

Manhunt (Monday, March 11, Acorn TV): The streaming service specializing in programming from the United Kingdom presents the American premiere of the hit British miniseries based on the London polices investigation of the 2004 murder of Amelie Delagrange, a 22-year-old French student visiting England. Martin Clunes stars as detective chief inspector Colin Sutton, the senior investigating officer in pursuit of a serial killer.

Triple Frontier (Wednesday, March 13, Netflix): Also opening in a few theaters this week, director J.C. Chandors action thriller follows former Special Forces operatives who reunite to plan a heist in South America. The cast includes Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal. The film has been in development for many years, first announced in 2010 as a project for Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), with Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp being considered for lead roles.

The Good Fight (Thursday, March 14, CBS All Access): Christine Baranksi returns as Diane Lockhart with a third season of the stylish streaming sequel series to The Good Wife. Laced with social and political commentary, the legal drama also stars Rose Leslie and Erica Tazel. The first season saw Diane rebounding from financial and professional disaster. The second season saw her become a name partner in the firm Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart. The third season will see rocky times for the firm. Michael Sheen is among the new additions giving this unpredictable ride more than a few wild jolts.

Catastrophe (Friday, March 15, Amazon Prime): This will be the fourth Amazon season for the British comedy created, written and directed by co-stars fand executive producers Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan. They plays characters named Rob and Sharon, who met in a London bar in the first episode. They got married when Sharon told Rob she was pregnant. The six-episode fourth season begins with Rob convicted of drunk driving and Sharon caught swapping price tags in shops.

Love, Death + Robots (Friday, March 15, Netflix): This animation anthology features wildly different styles since the many short pieces are from different production teams. The stories different in tone, too, covering horror, science fiction and fantasy.

Shrill (Friday, March 15, Hulu): Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) stars in this six-episode series adaptation of Lindy Wests memoir. She plays Anne, an overweight woman who wants to change her life but not her body. The challenges include bad boyfriends, a sick parent and a perfectionist boss.
Invesco's Kristina Hooper believes Wall Street's preoccupation with the global growth slowdown is misguided.

But she understands why there's worry.

According to Hooper, significant shifts in central banks' monetary policies are fanning those fears instead of giving the market confidence. She suggests it's creating more questions than answers  and that's a problem.

"I don't think the slowdown is going to be that bad as we sit here today, and certainly that's not what we got from the ECB [European Central Bank] in terms of their downgrade of growth forecasts," the firm's chief global market strategist said Thursday on CNBC's "Futures Now." "We're not seeing any kind of major turmoil at this point."

The latest shift came last week when the ECB slashed its growth forecasts and issued a warning about the "threat of protectionism."

"Don't forget that just a few months ago we heard from Jay Powell saying that balance sheet normalization would remain on autopilot. He changed rather dramatically," said Hooper. "Now that we have the European Central Bank piling on, that raises questions about what's going on. What are central banks worried about that is causing them to make rather dramatic pivots?"

Despite the Street's negative reaction to the latest ECB's growth comments, Hooper isn't alarmed.

"Investors that have a long-term time horizon should use this as an opportunity," she said.

She sees emerging markets catching a bid from more accommodative central bank policies. Hooper particularly likes emerging markets in Asia and China is a big piece of that despite the U.S. trade tensions.

"China is employing a lot of stimulus both monetary and fiscal," said Hooper. "We could actually see signs of some improvement in economic data in China."
A new Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 bound for Nairobi crashed shortly after take-off on Sunday morning, killing all 149 people and eight crew members on board. It was the second fatal crash of the new and popular Boeing jet in less than five months.

Flight 302 left the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. local time and lost contact six minutes later, the airline said. It crashed in a rural area southeast of the capital.

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Passengers aboard the plane were from all over the world and included eight U.S. citizens, eight from China, eight from Italy, seven each from Britain and France, 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, and nine Ethiopians, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said in a news conference.

The plane had arrived from Johannesburg on Sunday morning, said GebreMariam. The state-owned airline took delivery of the plane from Boeing in November 2018, he said.

The captain of the plane has been flying for the airline since 2010 and is a "senior pilot" with more than 8,000 flight hours and an "excellent record," GebreMariam said.

This is the second fatal crash of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a top selling and new jet, since October, when Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 on board. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24, said that data on the Ethiopian Airlines flight "show that vertical speed was unstable after take off."

The pilot had reported "difficulty" during the flight, asked to return and was given clearance, said GebreMariam.

Flight 302 was Ethiopian Airlines' most deadly crash. Ethiopian's last fatal crash was in January 2010 when a Boeing 737-800 crashed near Beirut's airport after pilots lost control of the plane, killing the 90 people on board, according to the the Aviation Safety Network.

While the cause of the Ethiopian Airlines crash is still unknown but it is likely to ramp up scrutiny of Boeing and the popular plane.

"Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane," the airline said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team."

Boeing has delivered 350 of the Boeing 737 MAX jets and had remaining orders for 4,661 of the planes as of January, according to the company.

The Chicago-based aerospace giant said it has a team set to provide technical assistant at the request of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

The NTSB is sending a team of four officials to the crash site, a spokesman for the agency said.

Ethiopian Airlines first announced its order for 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets in 2014 in an effort to become the "leading airline group in Africa." The airline took delivery of the first one in July 2018 and has six in its fleet, the company said Sunday.

The airline has expanded rapidly in recent years, adding destinations worldwide, including service to Washington D.C. and Chicago. The carrier serves 107 international destinations from Addis Ababa hub, according to the airline's website.
Paul Manafort, advisor to Donald Trump, is seen on the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 19, 2016. Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

WASHINGTON  Recent court filings from special counsel Robert Mueller shed new light on a mysterious payment to lawyers for Paul Manafort, the onetime chairman of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The payment, for $125,000, was made in June 2017, halfway through Trump's first year in office. But it wasn't disclosed publicly until late last year, when prosecutors accused Manafort in court filings of repeatedly lying to them about where the money actually came from. Manafort was convicted in 2018 of tax evasion and bank fraud, and sentenced in Virginia on Thursday to 47 months in prison. He faces another sentencing next week in Washington, D.C. (Update: Manafort was sentenced to an additional 43 months in prison Wednesday.) In the world of presidential campaign fundraising, where millions of dollars are often raised and spent in a matter of weeks, $125,000 can seem like a drop in the bucket. But the route this money traveled, from its origin as a donation made to a pro-Trump political group, to its final destination in the bank account of Manafort's attorney, offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of relationships Manafort built over 40 years in Republican politics. These relationships have drawn fresh scrutiny in recent weeks. Both Manafort and another key figure in this story, Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, were among 81 individuals and entities that received formal document requests on Monday from the House Judiciary Committee, which is investigating a broad range of potential presidential misdeeds. The path taken by this $125,000 also highlights the ways that Manafort took advantage of the Trump campaign's underdeveloped leadership structure to install his allies in top positions across the Trump political landscape. Nowhere was this more evident than in the murky, loosely regulated world of super PACs and other political "dark money" groups, which are permitted to raise unlimited amounts of money from donors as long as they don't "coordinate" directly with campaigns, a legal standard that leaves plenty of room for interpretation. In this world, Manafort's longtime associates could hold key positions, and oversee the raising and spending of huge sums of money, often with little to no direct oversight. One of these positions was leading a pro-Trump super PAC that Manafort helped to establish in June 2016 called Rebuilding America Now. To run the group, Manafort tapped an old friend, Connecticut-based lobbyist Laurance "Laury" Gay. A former official in President Ronald Reagan's administration, Gay went on to work at Manafort's lobbying firm in the late 1980s. He is also the godfather to one of Manafort's daughters. With Manafort's blessing and Gay at its helm, Rebuilding America Now raised more than $24 million between June and December 2016, more than any other pro-Trump super PAC did during the entire election.

Paul Manafort, Campaign Manager for Donald Trump, speaks on the phone while touring the floor of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena as final preparations continue July 17, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images

According to the transcript from a Feb. 4 hearing in Manafort's trial, prosecutors believe that in 2017, Rebuilding America Now under Gay's leadership also played a central role in what they describe as a "scheme" to provide Manafort with "a way of getting cash" out of his time as the unpaid chairman of Trump's 2016 campaign.

The payment

Manafort's decision to take a volunteer job at the top of Trump's presidential campaign drew national attention to his lobbying career. By the summer of 2017, Manafort was the target of multiple investigations into his personal finances, campaign work and foreign lobbying. Faced with mounting legal bills, Manafort reached out to Gay in June of that year and asked him to arrange a $125,000 payment to Manafort's lawyers, according to both prosecutors and Manafort's defense attorneys. Rather than give Manafort the money himself, however, Gay called someone else. "At the request of Paul Manafort, Laury [Gay] asked that funds be forwarded to an entity designated by Mr. Manafort to assist with his legal expenses," said Anthony J. Iacullo, a criminal defense attorney who represents Gay, in a recent interview with The New York Times. It's not clear why Manafort asked for this specific amount. In an emailed response to CNBC, Iacullo said Gay "has not been charged with any wrongdoing nor has he done anything that violates any federal or state laws." He added that "out of an abundance of caution and respect for the process itself, we decline to comment any further at this time." CNBC attempted to reach Gay several times, but the phone at Gay's Canaan, Connecticut-based consulting firm, Business Strategies & Insight, had been disconnected. In order to get the $125,000, Gay reached out to someone else, whose name is redacted in court filings. Prosecutors described the person as having "a long relationship" with Manafort. Manafort's defense attorneys said the person had "been a vendor on all these campaigns [Manafort has] used in the past." Crucially, in a January court filing the special counsel also noted that this person ran a firm that had been paid "approximately $19 million" by the super PAC that Gay was running in 2016. There is only one firm that received anything near $19 million from Rebuilding America Now. And reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show that this firm received almost exactly $19 million, leaving little doubt about which firm it was that prosecutors were referring to. It is a political ad-buying firm called Multi Media Services Corporation, or MMSC, based in Alexandria, Virginia. At first glance, MMSC appears to be a small, two-man shop with no obvious ties to Manafort or anyone else with whom Manafort has "a long relationship." Moreover, there are no signs that either of the principals at MMSC was ever "a vendor on all these campaigns [Manafort has] used in the past," which is how Manafort's lawyers described the person who ran this firm. But there is more to MMSC than meets the eye. Interviews and corporate records unearthed by CNBC have revealed that MMSC has a silent owner: Tony Fabrizio, a longtime Manafort associate and the chief pollster on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Fabrizio's dual role as: a) the owner of MMSC, which was the biggest vendor to the top pro-Trump super PAC, Rebuilding America Now, and b) the Trump campaign's lead pollster, has not been reported until now. As for the source of the $125,000, CNBC has also uncovered a compelling detail buried in one of the hundreds of exhibits that Mueller's prosecutors have entered into the record in the case against Manafort in Washington. This one appears to be a bank transfer record of the payment itself. Under the heading "Debit Information" there is a line on the transfer record that reads "Account: MMSC SECONDARY - *7107* - Checking - $132,087.56." Again, MMSC is the acronym for Multi Media Services Corporation. Two political operatives who spoke to CNBC referred to the firm by its acronym. CNBC tried repeatedly over several weeks to reach Fabrizio, but he did not respond to emails or phone messages left for him. To be clear, at no point in any publicly available filings does Mueller suggest that Fabrizio or MMSC committed any crimes. On the contrary, details that appear to have been provided by Fabrizio are cited frequently as evidence of Manafort's alleged misdeed: lying to prosecutors about the source of the $125,000. Manafort's lawyers deny that he lied. They told the court that he was merely confused or misremembered during each of the three interviews where he told the government three different stories about where the money came from. Legal experts also told CNBC that there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with what Fabrizio appears to have done, namely, use money from a firm he controls to make a payment on someone else's behalf. In addition to Fabrizio, Manafort and Gay, CNBC also reached out to former Rebuilding America Now political director Ken McKay, former general counsel Cleta Mitchell and finance director Christina Culver. None responded to emailed questions about the group or about their work for it. The connection between Fabrizio, Manafort and the money sent to Manafort's lawyers from MMSC is only the latest chapter in a relationship between the two men that dates back more than 20 years.

Fabrizio's role

In 1996, Fabrizio and Manafort worked together on the failed presidential campaign of former Kansas Republican Sen. Bob Dole. Then, as in 2016, Manafort was initially brought on board to manage the delegates at the 1996 Republican National Convention, while Fabrizio worked as the Dole campaign's pollster. Since then, Fabrizio has also done work for some of Manafort's most controversial clients. In 2012 and 2013, foreign lobbying records show that Manafort paid Fabrizio $278,000 for work Fabrizio did to help Manafort's political clients in Ukraine. Fabrizio's role in Manafort's Ukrainian lobbying wasn't revealed until a year after Trump was elected, however, when Manafort was required to file a foreign agent registration form with the Justice Department. On it, he listed five separate payments to Fabrizio, as well as payments to various other subcontractors. Three years after they worked together on the Ukraine job, Manafort hired Fabrizio again, in May 2016, this time to work for the Trump presidential campaign. At the time, Fabrizio's hiring was greeted with fanfare in Republican circles, where it was viewed as a sign that Trump's chaotic, bare-bones primary operation was maturing into a national presidential campaign, one capable of taking on the massive machine backing Democrat Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, the fact that Trump had hired a pollster at all was newsworthy, coming, as it did, after months of the candidate insisting that political pollsters were a waste of money. "One of Paul Manafort's best decisions was hiring Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio to determine how to beat Hillary Clinton," wrote Roger Stone, a longtime friend of Manafort's, Trump's and Fabrizio's, in his 2017 book, "The Making of a President." "In the end, it was the pugnacious and bulldog-like Fabrizio who insisted that the Trump campaign had to expand the map into Wisconsin and Michigan, while doubling down on Pennsylvania," Stone wrote. Stone was arrested earlier this year on charges that included lying to Congress about his contacts in 2016 with Wikileaks, which published thousands of emails allegedly stolen from the Clinton campaign by Russian state hackers. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The charges against Stone are unrelated to the Manafort prosecution, nor do they have anything to do with Fabrizio or Gay. Two weeks after Manafort hired Fabrizio to poll for the campaign, Manafort and longtime Trump ally Tom Barrack set up the Rebuilding America Now super PAC so they could raise millions at a time from wealthy GOP donors to help Trump, who was reportedly growing tired of spending his own money to fund his campaign. Five days after Rebuilding America Now was formed on June 2, campaign finance records show that it made its first payment to MMSC, Fabrizio's ad-buying firm, for a $1 million ad buy. According to prosecutors, Rebuilding America Now hired MMSC "at Manafort's suggestion." The rapid succession of these hirings  first Manafort to chair the campaign, then Fabrizio to poll for the campaign, then Gay to run Rebuilding America Now, then Fabrizio's ad-buying firm to buy the airtime for Rebuilding America Now  offer a striking example of how Manafort turned his unpaid role on the Trump campaign into an opportunity to secure lucrative work for his longtime associates. In hindsight, however, this work appears to have come at a high cost to those who did it. On March 4, Fabrizio was one of more than 80 members of Trump's extended political and professional orbits to receive a formal letter from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. In it, Nadler wrote that the committee is investigating "allegations of obstruction of justice, public corruption, and abuses of power" by Trump and those around him. According to the letter, the documents Nadler's committee is seeking from Fabrizio include anything related to "discussions or attempts to provide or receive election information, campaign data, or campaign communications with, to, or from foreign entities or individuals in connection with the 2016 U.S. Presidential primary or general elections." The letter goes on to say: "this includes, but is not limited to, voter data, polling information, political ad targeting, voter registration rolls, social media data, and campaign or party e-mails." The special counsel's interest in hearing from Fabrizio predates the Judiciary Committee's letter by more than a year, however. In early February 2018, Fabrizio was seen by CNN leaving the special counsel's office in Washington. The network later confirmed that he had been meeting with members of Mueller's team.

Tony Fabrizio Gage Skidmore

More recently, court filings in the Manafort case also repeatedly mentioned another interview with an individual who appeared to be Fabrizio, this one conducted on Nov. 6, 2018. Prosecutors said this individual provided accurate details about the $125,000 payment and how it was arranged, that they were later able to corroborate with text messages and bank records. The individual also described a financial relationship between MMSC and Rebuilding America Now that was more complicated than it initially appeared in the campaign finance reports that the super PAC submitted to the FEC.

Unusually high commission rates

According to the account of the individual who appears to be Fabrizio, Rebuilding America Now agreed to pay Fabrizio's firm a surprisingly high commission rate, 6 percent, on its media buys during Trump's 2016 campaign. The reason for this above-average rate, the person said to prosecutors, was that "half the commission was to be provided to" the head of Rebuilding America Now, in this case, Gay. They also said the commission split "was not reflected in the written contract" between MMSC and Rebuilding America Now. This wasn't the first time that questions had come up about the commission rates Rebuilding America Now was paying for its ad buys. During the 2016 presidential race, potential donors to the PAC also reportedly questioned the rates, along with other elements of Rebuilding America Now's spending. "The main question is where the money is going," an attendee at a Rebuilding America Now fundraising meeting during the Republican National Convention told CNN in the summer of 2016. During that meeting, specific questions were also raised "about the super PAC's commission rates," the attendee said. Commission rates on political ad buys are particularly difficult to track, because campaigns and groups like Rebuilding America Now are not required to report them separately from the money they spend to air the ads themselves. So, for example, if a super PAC reported an expense of $20 million paid to an ad-buying firm, it would be impossible to tell how much of that money went to the firm as commissions, and how much of it was actually spent to buy airtime. But "if Gay and Rebuilding America Now knew that 3 percent of all commissions paid to Multi Media Services Corporation would be routed back to Gay, those transactions should have been reported to the FEC as payments to Gay" and not merely as commissions to MMSC, said Brendan Fischer, director of the federal reform program at the nonprofit watchdog group The Campaign Legal Center. Federal campaign finance law requires that PACs, like political campaigns, accurately report their expenditures to the FEC. "If a payment is made to one vendor with the intention that it be directed to another person or subvendor, and that recipient isn't disclosed, then the committee has violated the law" by failing to disclose their expenditures accurately, Fischer said. Gay's attorney declined to respond to questions about the commission split from CNBC, as did Fabrizio. But the alleged existence of a secret commission split wasn't the only thing about the relationship between MMSC and Rebuilding America Now that experts said raises questions about where donors' money was actually ending up.

Unusual reimbursements

In May 2017, six months after Trump had won the presidency and Rebuilding America Now had stopped buying ads on TV, campaign finance records show that Fabrizio's ad-buying firm, MMSC, made three large cash transfers to Rebuilding America Now. The first was on May 27, for $150,000, according to campaign finance records, which detail all these payments and their dates, sources, amounts and recipients. Three weeks later, on June 15, MMSC again transferred money to its former client, only this time it was a much larger amount: $625,000. The very next day, June 16, it transferred $25,000 to Rebuilding America Now, for a total of $800,000 from the ad-buying firm to the super PAC in a little under a month. And not just any month. This was the month leading up to the mysterious $125,000 payment to Paul Manafort's attorneys. That payment, from the account labeled MMSC - Secondary, occurred on June 26, precisely 10 days after the third and last payment from the firm to the PAC.

Republican nominee Donald Trump and Campaign Manager Paul Manafort do a walk thru at the Republican Convention, July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Brooks Kraft | Getty Images

Records show that Rebuilding America Now reported the $800,000 it received in May and June as media reimbursements. This helps to explain why the money does not appear to have raised any red flags so far with the FEC, even though several other aspects of the PAC's finances have prompted the FEC to formally request additional information or corrections. Ad-buying firms frequently reimburse clients after elections for any money that doesn't ultimately get spent by the firm on ads. This payment is called a reconciliation, and it's usually made as soon as possible, and it's precise down to the dollar, said Barbara Kittridge, the founder of Motive LLC, a political media-buying and strategy firm in Washington. "January is what we media buyers call 'audit season,' where we go back through all our ad contracts from the previous year and carefully match the money that was paid with the actual ads that were run. If there's any money that wasn't spent, it's returned to the client right away," she said. "Typically, ad-buying contracts require that reconciliations be paid somewhere between 15 and 45 days after the end of either the campaign or the calendar year. Six months is some of the longest I've ever seen for a repayment," Kittridge said. "It's also odd to see even numbers" like $150,000 and $25,000 in ad reconciliations, she added. "Depending upon the channel that you're purchasing ads on, it's not typical that your costs are that even." Interestingly, several months before MMSC returned exactly $800,000 to Gay's super PAC in the summer of 2017, campaign filings show that the firm made a different reimbursement payment to Rebuilding America Now, one that Kittridge said looked much more like a typical ad reconciliation than the later amounts did. On Feb. 10, 2017, five weeks after the end of the fourth quarter, MMSC transferred $347,505 back to its client, Rebuilding America Now. Campaign legal experts said the transfer matches what media reconciliations typically look like, because it happened quickly and it was for a very precise amount. "This reimbursement would be more normative, from both a timing perspective and from an amount perspective," said Kittridge. Yet the same qualities that make the February payment appear run-of-the-mill, experts said, are what make the May and June payments look so unusual. "Six months after the election, with big round numbers, are definitely more suspect," Kittridge said. "I have never seen such large reimbursement payments coming so long after the election for which the ads were created. It strains credulity well beyond the breaking point to believe that these payments are reimbursement for unaired general election ads," said a campaign finance lawyer who has been practicing before the FEC for 30 years, and who requested anonymity to discuss an issue that could come before the commission. CNBC attempted to reach Fabrizio, as well as MMSC's president, Dwight Sterling, and its media director, Neal McDonald, for several weeks to ask them about these unusual reimbursements. None responded to phone messages or emails. Yet one thing is clear from the PAC's financial reports: In the year that followed these three unusual cash transfers from Fabrizio's firm to Rebuilding America Now, no one took home more of that money from the PAC, in consulting fees and expenses, than Laurance Gay.

Gay's role

Gay first entered Trump's orbit in April 2016 as a high-level campaign volunteer, one of several lobbyists Manafort recruited to help him professionalize the Trump campaign as it became increasingly likely Trump would be the Republican nominee. But Gay and Manafort's professional relationship dates back to long before there was ever a Trump campaign. In the 1980s, Gay worked with Manafort and Stone at their lobbying firm, Black, Stone, Manafort & Kelly. Gay is also reportedly the godfather to one of Manafort's daughters. During the 2016 campaign, Gay touted his personal and professional relationship with Manafort as one of the major assets Rebuilding America Now had that other pro-Trump super PACs did not. "The advantage that we bring, without compromising any of the boundaries, is we know how Manafort thinks. I've done over 40 campaigns with Paul," Gay told Politico in the summer of 2016. For Gay, his relationship with Manafort would also prove to be extremely lucrative. Between June 2016 and June 2018, Gay collected just over $1 million in consulting fees from Rebuilding America Now. More than three-quarters of that, a total of $775,000, was paid to Gay after 2016, and after Rebuilding America Now had shed staff and stopped running TV ads for Trump. During that same two-year period, Gay collected another $254,000 in travel reimbursements from the super PAC. Again, the majority of this money, $149,164.03, came after 2016 was over. Added together, the expenses and fees that Gay took home from Rebuilding America Now in the 18 months after 2016 equaled $924,164.03. This is very close to the combined total of $925,000 that was paid to the super PAC and Manafort's lawyers ($800,000 to the PAC plus $125,000 to Manafort's lawyers) by Fabrizio's firm, MMSC, in May and June 2017.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort (R) arrives at the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse for an arraignment hearing as a protester holds up a sign March 8, 2018 in Alexandria, Virginia. Getty Images

In June 2018, Rebuilding America Now's travel expenses caught the attention of the FEC. In a letter to Rebuilding America Now's treasurer, Ryan Call, the FEC asked him to explain the $42,286 the group had paid to Gay for "Travel" during the first three months of 2018. The FEC gave the group until Aug. 2, 2018, to reply, but so far it has not responded to the request. By this point, more than a year after Trump was elected, Rebuilding America Now appeared to be operating as little more than a meme-posting operation on Facebook and Twitter, trying to engage Trump supporters with "Like if you agree!" style posts. Facebook ad records show that in the spring and summer of 2018, Rebuilding America Now ran a series of ads on Facebook. They asked viewers to "Like" posts if, for instance, they "think Hillary [Clinton] should be behind bars," and "think CNN sucks." Yet despite spending money to buy Facebook ads, to pay Gay $35,000 a month and to pay other consultants and lawyers, Rebuilding America Now effectively stopped raising any money after the 2016 election, and only spent money. Between June 2017, when the PAC received the last of the three unusual transfers from MMSC, to October 2018, when Palm Beach real estate developer Llwyd Ecclestone gave the group $25,000, campaign finance records show that Gay did not raise any money at all. Ecclestone's gift came long after the PAC had effectively gone dormant. He did not respond to an email from CNBC on Friday asking what prompted him to donate $25,000 to the group more than two years after he had last given it any money and months after Rebuilding America Now had stopped doing anything more than posting photos online. Now, it barely even does that. Rebuilding America Now's Twitter account posted its last tweet on Oct. 10, 2018. And the PAC's website was taken down sometime in the fall, although it is difficult to tell precisely when. As of March 6, the Rebuilding America Now Facebook page was still active, however, and it linked to the nonexistent website. CNBC sent a message to the Facebook page but has received no response. While the name of Rebuilding America Now may have faded from the pro-Trump political landscape, Gay's name has re-emerged in the news in recent weeks. This time it is in connection with a different pro-Trump entity that is currently under investigation: Trump's presidential inaugural committee, or PIC. Bloomberg News recently identified Gay as having been in charge of the ticketing operation for Trump's inaugural events. This appeared to be the first time Gay had been identified by name as having had an official role in Trump's inauguration.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump dance at the Freedom Ball on January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Getty Images
Christian Mejia thought he had a shot at getting out of immigration detention in rural Louisiana after he'd found a lawyer to help him seek asylum.

Then he was quarantined.

In early January, a mumps outbreak at the privately-run Pine Prairie U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center put Mejia and hundreds of other detainees on lockdown. "When there is just one person who is sick, everybody pays," Mejia, 19, said in a phone interview from the Pine Prairie center describing weeks without visits and access to the library and dining hall.

His attorney wasn't allowed in, but his immigration court case continued anyway  over a video conference line. On Feb. 12, the judge ordered Mejia deported back to Honduras.

The number of people amassed in immigration detention under the Trump administration has reached record highs, raising concerns among migrant advocates about disease outbreaks and resulting quarantines that limit access to legal services.

As of March 6, more than 50,000 migrants were in detention, according to ICE data.

Internal emails reviewed by Reuters reveal the complications of managing outbreaks like the one at Pine Prairie, since immigrant detainees often are transferred around the country and infected people don't necessarily show symptoms of viral diseases even when they are contagious.

ICE health officials have been notified of 236 confirmed or probable cases of mumps among detainees in 51 facilities in the past 12 months, compared to no cases detected between January 2016 and February 2018. Last year, 423 detainees were determined to have influenza and 461 to have chicken pox. All three diseases are largely preventable by vaccine.

As of March 7, a total of 2,287 detainees were quarantined around the country, an ICE official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters.

Ten Democratic members of Congress sent a letter on Feb. 28 to ICE acting director Ronald Vitiello seeking more information about viral diseases at immigration detention centers in Colorado, Arizona and Texas. Lawmakers did not mention the Pine Prairie outbreak.

Pablo Paez, a spokesman for The GEO Group, the private prison operator that runs Pine Prairie under government contract, said its medical professionals follow standards set by ICE and health authorities. He said medical care provided to detainees allows the company "to detect, treat and follow appropriate medical protocols to manage an infectious outbreak."
Apple CEO Tim Cook (a.k.a. Tim Apple) told investors last week that Apple is rolling the dice on future products that will blow you away. The company has recently and radically increased its research and development budget to above $10 billion per year.

I believe one of those dice-rolling initiatives is Project Titan  Apples self-driving car.

I talk to a lot of informed readers, industry notables and news junkies, and everybody seems to have a different idea about whats going on with Titan. Is Apple building its own Tesla? Or is it simply improving its CarPlay dashboard system? Or something in between?

Its an important question, because the direction Apple takes with Titan could have huge consequences for enterprises, transportation, artificial intelligence and the consumer electronics market.

Before we get to all that, lets dispel the many misconceptions around Apples Project Titan.

1. Apple is killing off its self-driving car program

False. Yes, Apple said last month that it will lay off 190 Silicon Valley employees in its self-driving car unit by April 16  38 engineering program managers, 33 hardware engineers, 31 product design engineers and 22 software engineers.

But Reuters reported that court documents reveal that some 5,000 Apple employees are working on Titan at least part time, with 1,200 employees working on it full time. So Apple still has thousands of people working on Titan, despite the layoffs.

2. Apples self-driving technology is way behind other companies

False. The conventional wisdom in the media is that Apple is far behind Waymo and other self-driving car efforts.

The evidence for this claim comes from public California DMV records. Its based on the number of disengagements reported for tests on public roads  the number of times the test or safety driver disengages autonomous systems to take over and drive manually.

Apples 66 self-driving Lexus SUVs have a lot of disengagements  a whopping 69,510 disengagements in 2018 while driving 79,745 miles in autonomous mode. That comes to one disengagement for every 1.1 self-driven miles.

Thats far more than Googles Waymo, which averaged one disengagement for every 11,017 self-driven miles. Apple, in fact, is second-to-last on a list of 28 companies testing in public.

But it did do better than Ubers average of one disengagement for every 0.4 self-driven miles.

In any case, we dont know (yet) how many disengagements were necessary, and how many were elective.

We do know that Apple told the DMV in a letter that its approach to disengagements is conservative, and that it would start categorizing them in the future as important (i.e., life-saving or law-breaking) or not. We also know that Apples disengagement rate is probably improving faster than any other companys.

Ultimately the rate of reported disengagements tells us very little about how advanced Apples self-driving technology is.

3. Apple has a secret former military base test track outside Silicon Valley

False. A number of reports falsely claim that Apple is leasing a decommissioned naval station for testing Titan self-driving cars.

What actually happened is that Apple engineers were once spotted touring the GoMentum Station, a 2,100-acre former naval base near Silicon Valley that has been offered to self-driving car companies as a for-pay proving and testing ground, as reported in 2015 by The Guardian newspaper. The former base has nearly 20 miles of old roads and streets, including a patch where fast driving can be tested.

Many autonomous car projects have been tested there. Apples may have been tested there. But we dont know for sure. We do know that Apple does not have exclusive use of the facility.

4. Apples self-driving car will be a car

False. When the public thinks of a self-driving car, it tends to think of a Tesla or Lexus or Toyota that has automated driving. But the future of self-driving vehicles isnt like todays cars.

Think of a future self-driving car as a conceptual sandwich  two slices of bread with meat in the middle. The bottom slice of bread is the mobility part  a chassis with huge batteries and an electric motor for the wheels.

The top slice of bread is the self-driving part  the sensors (cameras, lidar and others) plus connectivity and AI to safely convey the vehicle around autonomously.

And then theres the meat in the middle. What will the meat be?

Fully automatic, ultra-safe self-driving cars of the future will have interiors that will probably be more like game rooms, offices and even hotel rooms than cars. Theyll be cubes where people will be able to actively ignore the fact that their bodies are being conveyed from one place to another.

A German publication called Manager Magazin this month reported that Apples self-driving car may be a van, rather than a car, according to multiple sources. That report also said Apple engineers are working on the vehicles interior.

A van is the closest thing in appearance today to the self-driving car of tomorrow.

Apple is also working on dog-fooding Titan in the form of self-driving Volkswagen vans that will shuttle employees between Apple campuses in Silicon Valley. The program is called Palo Alto to Infinite Loop, or PAIL.

5. Apple is working on its car project in Silicon Valley exclusively

False. Famously secretive Apple is known to have secret locations within a few miles of its Apple Park headquarters, specifically in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, where the Titan project is being worked on.

We also know that the Sunnyvale building was leased in 2014 and was retrofitted by Apple with new labs and workshop areas. Apple also installed high-tech security in the space.

But an Apple self-driving car office also occupies a floor of a building in central Berlin. We would not even know about this office if it werent for serious sleuthing by some intrepid reporters.

Its likely that Apple has other Titan offices we dont know about scattered around in various cities.

6. Apple will only do the software part of a self-driving car

False. Cook told Bloomberg two years ago that when it comes to autonomous cars, Were focusing on autonomous systems, by which he means the top slice of bread in the autonomous car sandwich.

But then six months ago, Apple rehired Doug Field to serve as Apples vice president of special projects. He is, by all accounts, the perfect person to head Titan. Field graduated from MIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. During his career, hes worked at Segway and, most recently, five years at Tesla. Crucially, he has the trust of senior Apple executives because he worked for five years at Apple previously as vice president of hardware engineering for the Mac.

This hire also telegraphs Apples intentions: Apples head of Titan is not a software engineer or an AI scientist, but a mechanical engineer  a hardware engineer.

Its also worth noting that most of Apples automotive patents  and it has many  are related to physical car design.

For example, Apple was recently granted a patent for a next-generation lighting system for cars, specifically optical-fiber interior lighting that blends in with the cars interior without the use of bulbs or LEDs. Apple has patents for sunroof designs, car seat systems, augmented reality windshields, in-the-air gesture controls and more.

Two more recently published patents show Apples inventions in the areas of wireless systems for enhancing situational awareness and car-to-car communication for safety.

Yet another patent essentially describes Face ID for cars.

Its unlikely that Apple would aggressively pursue all these patents if it had no plans to design physical car hardware.

7. Apple will probably build its own cars

False. Apple is unlikely to build a Detroit-style  or Tesla-style, for that matter  factory and build its own cars.

The actual builder of Apples car will almost certainly end up being Austrian automobile contract manufacturer Magna Steyr, which built the new Mercedes G-Wagen, the super SUV that has tested as one of the safest cars ever built.

Bloomberg reported a few years ago that, back then, around a dozen Magna Steyr engineers were working full time at Apples secret Sunnyvale facility for Titan.

If Apple does cars like it does iPhones, it will use a contract manufacturer to build the car Designed by Apple in California.

8. We know Apple wont operate a ride-sharing service

False. In the same Bloomberg interview where Cook said the company is focused on self-driving AI as the mother of all AI projects, he also pointed out that Apples self-driving car efforts focused on three areas: self-driving cars, electric vehicles and ride-sharing.

In other words, Apple is working on: 1) autonomous vehicle hardware/software systems; 2) Apple cars; and 3) an Uber-like ride-sharing service.

What we do know about Apple is that the company likes to provide and profit from all aspects of a platform. If you look at the iPhone, Apple provides and profits from the hardware, the OS, the core apps, the cloud storage service and more. It takes a huge percentage of all revenues for third-party apps and many accessories. It owns and operates retail stores.

Apple will have the cars. It will have Apple Maps. And Apple already has your credit card data.

Most importantly, an Apple Uber-like ride-sharing service makes sense as a next-generation replacement for Apple Stores, an Apple-designed space where random passengers can experience Apple technology, content and services in luxury.

9. Apple sees cars as primarily about transportation

False. Apple Senior Vice President Jeff Williams said on stage at the Code Conference that the car is the ultimate mobile device.

And we know from published patents that Apple is hard at work polishing the self-driving car user experience.

That patent I described as Face ID for cars specifies that identification of individuals could not only unlock the car, but also customize music and other content settings for the individual users.

Another Apple patent recently published involves the use of the car itself as a wireless Apple Pay  the idea being that you roll up to the Starbucks drive-through, and your latte is paid for like Easy-Pass pays for toll roads.

Ultimately, Apple probably sees cars as mobile devices that will be one of the many technologies that will replace smartphones (the others include smart glasses, smart speakers and smart displays, and smart offices).

10. Cars are completely outside Apples narrow product scope

False. Apple optimizes its products for content consumption or content production. Its iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and other products are optimized for fixing the content consumption experience, in the Apple view.

In the future, people will likely spend up to a third of their waking hours in autonomous vehicles. They wont be driving. How will they spend the time?

Obviously, self-driving cars will be moveable content consumption experiences.

And thats what Apple does. It creates the best hardware, software and services it can for optimizing content consumption (and communication). And, years from now, that means it will have to lead self-driving cars or cede the content consumption experience to other companies.

Thats what I think its driving at.
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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-12-07, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
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All the 12 people aboard were killed in a plane crash in Colombia on Saturday, said the country's Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics.

An Air Columbia Douglas DC-3 built in 1942 at the airfield in Cumaribo, Colombia, 16 March 2017. [Photo: IC]

The plane was identified as a Douglas DC-3 registered at the airport in the city of Villavicencio.

"We regret the accident of the aircraft that covered the route (between the municipalities of) San Jose del Guaviare and Villavicencio," tweeted the civil aviation agency.

The agency said in a statement that the aircraft had declared itself in emergency shortly before crashing.

The plane reportedly carried nine passengers and three crew members, including the mayor of Taraira, a municipality located in the southeastern province of Vaupes.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the causes of the accident, said the agency.
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Contributed / Stratford Police Department

STRATFORD  A local man was charged with first-degree assault in a shooting that took place Thursday night on Success Avenue in town.

On Sunday, David Williams, 39, of Stratford was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal possession of ammunition, weapons in a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and criminal possession of a firearm.
EASTON  Town police took to social media on Friday to warn residents of social security scams.

Social security scams can come in all types of forms  an email, text message or phone call. A good way to filter out legitimate calls for fake ones is to ask the person on the other end for a number to return their call on or to speak with a supervisor.

No matter what you do, police said, do not give personal information over the phone or internet.

The Easton Police Department is here to help you in situations in where youre just not sure, the department said. Give us a call, 24 hours a day, and an officer can help you determine if the call or email is legitimate.

Detective Lyman is available at 203-638-0595 for any concerned residents with questions.

Anyone who thinks they may have received a social security scam call or email can report it to the Social Security Administration at https://www.ssa.gov/.

The SSA can be reached via phone at 1-800-269-0271 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the deaf or hard of hearing, a TTY line is available at 1-866-501-2101.
SEYMOUR  Longtime Seymour High School teacher and member of the Board of Selectmen Karen Stanek was remembered fondly after news of her death spread Saturday.

Online records showed Stanek was 70.

I was saddened to hear the news, said Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller. Karen was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who cared greatly about her family.

Miller said Stanek was a dedicated educator and member of the Board of Selectmen.

Karen was quick to put the needs of others before her own, he said. She will be greatly missed by not only me, but many people all around Seymour.

Before becoming a teacher at Seymour High School, Stanek graduated from the school herself in 1966. She taught at the school for 35 years and created and led a mock trial team at the high school. Stanek received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Board of Education in 2016.

On the Board of Selectmen, Stanek served alongside Miller, Al Bruno, Robert Findley, Annmarie A. Drugonis, Stephan Behuniak and Trisha Danka.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating a serious crash involving a Williamsburg County Transit bus and a car that injured a total of 22 people.

The crash happened Saturday at approximately 7:30 a.m., according to Georgetown County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Assistant Chief Tony Hucks.

South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. Sonny Collins said 21 people from the bus were transported to area hospitals.

The driver of the car was airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Collins said. Hicks said the driver suffered life-threatening injuries.

The Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team responded to piece together what led up to the crash. Highway Patrol officials say the investigation is not complete.

Tidelands Health hospitals treated a total of nine victims, hospital spokesman Carl Lindquist said. Seven had been treated and released as of 12:45 p.m. As of shortly before 2 p.m., the remaining two patients had been released, as well, Lindquist said.

Hospitals in Georgetown County and Conway were also treating the injured, Collins told WMBF News.

Collins said 38 passengers were on the bus at the time of the accident.

No deaths have been reported.
Marty Hardiman stood at the head of the Milford St. Patrick's Day Parade route Saturday as 1 p.m. drew close, holding a clipboard and checking off units as they marched by.

Milford's St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 9, marked its 29th year, and Hardiman, parade chairman, has been at the front of the line for the past 21 years.

Parade day is a busy one for Hardiman and the rest of the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, which runs the annual parade.

As more than 50 units lined up in and around the Wasson parking lot behind the Parson's Government Center, many of the marchers stopped and asked Hardiman to point the way to their group. Megan Flaherty, a local teacher, asked for directions to her group of students from Harborside Middle School. Warren Pawlowski, a Milford Board of Education member, stopped to say hello, and to call out, "We all love you Marty."

And then the local high school bands, civic groups, business members and community leaders  plus Governor Ned Lamont, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Senator Richard Blumenthal  started to roll out of the parking lot, toward River and Broad streets. This year's Miss Emerald Isle Caitlyn Zawadski and Grand Marshal TJ Casey also helped lead the way.

Hardiman signaled them forward, keeping the line going.

There were 52 marching units this year, plus a couple of groups that showed up and asked to join the march.

"We have more than usual," Hardiman said, maintaining his calm.

"I'm the one who keeps everyone calm," he said with a smile as the parade, one of Milford's biggest annual events, got underway.

Hardiman wasn't even frazzled that the governor showed up, the first time he said he can remember that a governor has marched in the Milford St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Skies were sunny Saturday for the 1.5 hour-long parade, and temperatures were comfortable at about 50 degrees, according to the Milford Bank thermometer. There was snow on the green, but city workers had converged with shovels and other equipment in the days prior to make sure there was plenty of clear ground to stand on.

A crowd that some parade organizers estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 found plenty of standing room as the floats, school groups, dancers, bagpipers and more marched by, tossing candy and beads to those watching.

Peter Ortoleva, who has marched in the parade as St. Patrick for 22 years, said the crowd looked quite big to him. "Lots of people," he said at the end of the march.

Hardiman agreed, saying he thought it was the biggest crowd ever.

But it wasn't the end of the event for him. Hardiman and some of the bagpipers then met up to visit the downtown businesses who contributed to the event to play some Irish tunes and say thanks for the funds. It costs about $20,000 to run the parade, and that comes from donations, Hardiman said.

And when it's all over, Hardiman said he doesn't get sad. "I'm happy to get to the end of the parade," he said. "I take a look at the crowd, and everyone is happy."

Then he starts planning for next year's parade.

A few stragglers still making their way from the downtown area after the last unit had passed by at about 2:30 p.m. raved about the event. Cole Reher, 5, liked catching the candy, and Jackson Magun, 6, liked the motorcycle unit. Adelaine Primavera, 5, really liked the Irish dancers, and they all liked seeing St. Patrick dressed in green and carrying his staff.

The adults still walking by said they loved it too.

"It was great," said Terri Boone, who lives in Stratford. "I've never seen a Milford parade this good. It was a great community atmosphere."

Meg O'Donnell, also of Stratford, agreed, and said it was wonderful to see people outside celebrating.

Milford Alderman Bryan Anderson said it's a day that shines a spotlight on the city.

"I love the feeling that the St. Patrick's Day Parade marks the beginning of spring, and it's so festive and well organized, and with such a great turnout we have, you can't help but have pride in Milford."
HAMDEN  On Friday, a fifth-grader at Spring Glen School brought a distressing story to the attention of her mother, Rhonda Caldwell: during a disagreement, Caldwells daughter told her, a classmate had told the young black girl that she should be hanged.

In tears, Caldwells daughter left the classroom and ran into the bathroom, after which the teacher came in to suggest she go to the nurses office and take some time to calm down. She returned to class, and  after being spoken to by the teacher  the other student apologized.

These are the events as Caldwell said she heard them from her daughter. Though she expected to hear something from the school, she had yet to receive any communication as of early afternoon Saturday, which concerns her.

The system is broken, Caldwell said of how such incidents are handled. There needs to be a mechanism in place for how they report it.

Caldwells comments speak to one of the goals of her parent group, the Hamden Anti-Bias Anti-Racism Community, or ABAR, which started with a push to include more reading materials by diverse authors in the school curriculum, she said. Caldwell said she plans to get in touch with the school next week.

After receiving a phone call Saturday afternoon from the Register about the incident, Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler said he had not been made aware of the events. However, he later spoke to the principal, who will follow up with the teacher on Monday, Goeler said. .

Often, such incidents are handled within the schools, he said, though principals can reach out to central administration if they feel its necessary.

It was difficult for Goeler to comment on this incident, he said, since those involved did not give him the details. If it did occur as described, he said, he expected the teacher would have wanted to contact a parent.

With busy classrooms, teachers are constantly making calls on when conflicts warrant further action, Goeler said, and he hates to second-guess a teachers judgment, especially without the full story.

But, Goeler said, incidents involving hate speech rise to the top to be addressed immediately...I dont want any child to feel as though...their identity is being devalued in any way.

When such incidents arise, Goeler said, its not only important to determine appropriate consequences for the students using hateful language, but to teach students about the implications of their words.

He encouraged parents to contact principals when students experience such hateful behavior, noting that the district works to ensure easy communication between parents and staff.

Caldwell said that during their meeting Saturday afternoon, ABAR had planned to discuss what happened to her daughter and how it relates to wider circumstances.

We want to make sure the district has zero tolerance of hate speech...and help them come up with a mechanism to address it. People need to understand that talk about lynching is hate speech, she added.

Caldwell is hopeful the administration will be supportive in their goals.

Goeler said the district is looking at ways to foster a community of belonging, a topic of continued discussion.

During a workshop next month, a group of some 30 students and teachers will ask themselves how schoolwide interactions can reflect inclusivity, in an effort to come up with a picture of what a community that values belonging should look like.

Afterwards, they will visit classrooms to record what kinds of interactions they see and compare those observations to their initial image of inclusivity. Then, Goeler said, the district will put together a plan for how to address any discrepencies.

But Goeler is not convinced a streamlined approach to incidents like the one Caldwell recounted would be the most beneficial, he said. Given how dynamic an educators work is, a simple, standardized process might not work, he said.

Caldwell said lately she feels like ABAR has been getting unwarranted negative criticism; the group just wants to help the district make positive change, she said.

Hamden school administrators also are investigating a swastika found drawn on a Hamden High School students assignment recently, Goeler said Thursday.

Goeler said a teacher saw the swastika drawn on the students assignment as they turned it in, then reported it to the administration. The student was interviewed about the matter, he said.

Administration is following up on all leads, said Goeler. We take all matters related to hateful speech and imagery seriously.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
WEST HAVEN  A dying man who made international headlines Tuesday when he got a bucket list telephone call of encouragement from President Donald Trump received hand-delivered gifts Saturday from the Trump family, including a red Make America Great Again cap, autographed by the president himself and a Build the Wall toy building block set.

Its pretty cool, pretty bad ass, a smiling Jay W. Barrett said of the gifts of mostly rare 2016 campaign bling. Hes (Trump) the person I always thought he was. He (Trump) needs to be portrayed as a better person.

Mayor Nancy Rossi, a Democrat, threw Trump some public love too on behalf of West Haven.

The gifts were delivered to Barretts home by close Trump family friend and HUD official Lynne Patton, who grew up in New Haven and now lives in Westchester County, N.Y.

In addition to the trademark cap, among the treasures delivered in red and blue gift bags was a rare 2016 Trump campaign jacket and some shirts from The Girls  Ivanka Trump, Erics wife Lara, Don Jr.s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle; Trump gear designer Christl Mahfouz and Patton  and a Build the Wall building locks toy set. Patton said there are only about 100 of the campaign jackets in existence.

Attorney Albert V. Carocci of East Haven, whom Patton introduced as her best friend gave Barrett an unopened blanket that was a special gift that came with him being invited to Trumps inauguration.

The devout Trump fan  described by his largely Democratic family as a Republican through and through  also received a heartfelt note from Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump saying the president and entire family were touched by his story and are thinking of him. The notecard cover is the Trump family insignia.

Barrett, who is in the end stages of cystic fibrosis, was released from Yale New Haven Hospital last week to begin hospice care at the West Haven home of his sister, Democratic First District City Councilwoman Bridgette Hoskie.

Part what has made Barretts story resonate worldwide  he has heard from publications in Egypt and Japan  is that his politically active sister, Hoskie, is 100 percent Democrat and made it all happen by putting the word out across the political aisle about her brothers wishes. Hoskie said at the time that Barrett is her baby brother and politics and religion shouldnt separate families.

Barrett said Saturday, My sister is 100 percent Democrat and Im 100 percent Republican, but we love each other. Even Trump called Hoskie a great sister during his call with the president.

Barrett said hes lost friends over his love of Trump, but, Politics shouldnt divide us.

As a result, folks from both political parties dropped their differences and worked to get Barretts wishes fulfilled.

In a move perhaps less likely to happen in West Haven than a presidential telephone call, Rossi on Saturday declared March 5 as Political Unity Day, as that was the day West Haven folks of both political parties, came together and put political differences aside to request the last wish, of Barrett to speak with Trump. That was the date of Trumps call to Barrett.

The proclamation read by Rossi urges all residents to join her in commending the President of the United States for his compassion in this difficult time.

Rossi said shes always for both parties working together.

Barrett got the attention of the Trump family through Patton, who is originally from New Haven, via Facebook, after a story appeared in Hearst Connecticut Media about how Hoskie was on a campaign to get folks to email the White House to see if they could get Trump to send a card or email to Barrett, as his time is running out. His biggest wish still is to visit Washington and his fantasy is to run into Trump and shake his hand.

Theres nothing thats going to stop me from doing anything  except God himself, Barrett said.

The day after the first Hearst Connecticut Media story ran, Eric Trump called and on Wednesday, the president himself made a surprise call Barrett. They chatted like buddies  Barrett even used a few swear words  and the president told him to keep fighting because the campaign needs fighters. Trump also promised Barrett that when he has a rally in this area Barrett will be front and center.

Barrett, a fighter by nature, is hoping to defy the odds of six months or less to live and beat back the congenital illness that requires him to be on oxygen around the clock. Barrett told Trump he intends to vote for him in 2020.

Among those gathered at the Hoskie home to see Barrett receive his gifts were his mother, Glenda Barrett of New Haven, who fought back tears of joy seeing her son so happy. She lost another son soon after birth to CF.

I think he deserves it  hes been fighting for 44 years, Glenda Barrett said, referring to the illness her son has had since birth.

There were a few giggles in the room when Hoskie  who describes herself as 100 percent Democrat  received a Trump campaign T-shirt as a gift from Patton, who while handing it to her said, You can sleep with it.

To which Hoskie said, I can do a couple of things with it. Laster, Hoskie said she may use it to dust.

Barretts best friend since childhood, Mike Milano of New Haven, said all the hubbub has lifted Barretts spirits.

It was good for him, Milano said of the attention Barrett has received.

Rossi, a close friend of Hoskie told Barrett, I think you look a lot better since all this happened.

After the gift presentation, Patton, Carocci, Barrett, Hoskie, Rossi and others headed toward a fundraising West Haven Pizza Wars event at the West Haven Italian American Club, which sparked a Facebook firestorm among Republicans at the event who couldnt wait to meet Patton.

The gift from Carocci  Pattons best friend  had a special meaning because he belongs to a charitable group, New Havens Finest, which raises money for cystic fibrosis, the congenital disease that Barrett has suffered since birth. Carocci told Barrett when he handed him his gift the goal is to change the abbreviation CF to stand for Cure Found rather than cystic fibrosis.

All that has happened means a lot to me because none of it had to happen, Barrett said.
Authorities said a man is accused of breaking into a Phoenix apartment and helping himself to tortillas and soup.

Court documents show that 31-year-old Jerry Christopher Drane was arrested March 1 on suspicion of criminal trespassing.
Its a major disappointment to me and others that our Culver City Unified School District is ranked 831 out of 940 school districts in the State of California. Could it be that another parcel tax is on the way? You are darn tootin. I believe those on the Culver City School Board are very nice, but are over their head in financial soundness. So I am recommending Saundra Davis -- who has all the credentials -- to hit the road running. If you remember, she served eight years and has more honors and awards than an army of educators. I hope she runs.

Local media reported that our junior Senator Kamala Harris was accused by employees in the California Department of Justice who claimed they were sexually harassed or were retaliated against. California paid $1.1 million to settle those claims between 2011 and 2017.

What is wrong with the City of Los Angeles spending time and resources to pass and promote the straws on request law, which goes into effect on larger businesses on Earth Day, April 22, and every place else in October. Just remember: only if you ask you will get a straw.

All you fly boys who fought in the Korean War keep Saturday June 16, open as there will be a celebration in Lancaster with all branches participating at the US Air Force Flight Test Museum. Also attending will be members of the Veterans alliance and the Patriot Guard.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian said recently, 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.

I can hardly wait  Southwest Airlines will soon fly from four California cities to Hawaii. No, not Los Angles at this time, but you can be scheduled for take-off from San Diego, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento.

Can you believe flight MH370 carrying 239 people became the worlds greatest aviation mystery when it vanished on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014? Yes, it was five years ago and we still have no idea what happened.

I just finished reading an article stating that, undetected fractures linked to back pain in older men. In a new study, 3 in 5 older men with tiny spinal fractures related to osteoporosis reported new or worsening back pain. Only about one quarter of new vertebral fractures is diagnosed by a doctor, the study team writes in Journal of Bones and Mineral Research.

Can I please hear every one sing Happy Birthday for Oliver Hardy? He was born on January 18, 1892 in Harlem, Georgia. Whenever we are close by, we stop at the museum and yes, they know about Culver City.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com; strolling down the page and underneath Opinion look for Rubenstein.
It's not a goat or calf, but a white deer, also known as a rare piebald
Tory MP Peter Bone will propose restoring the old system of twice-weekly Prime Minister's Questions

Tradition-loving Tory MP Peter Bone will this week propose restoring the old twice-weekly Prime Ministers Questions infamously merged into one by Tony Blair.

Theresa May could do the Tuesday one, says proud No Deal Brexiteer Bone. And then Oliver Letwin or whichever sell-out Remainer is running the Government that day could do the Thursday one. Ouch.

The idea of drafting in Blairs ex-flatmate Lord Falconer to sort out Labours anti-Semitic crisis outrages arch-Corbynistas who moan the New Labour government Charlie served in was hardly blameless on the issue.

In 2005, Blair faced calls from Jewish academics to scrap Election posters showing Tory leader Michael Howard grafted on to the body of a flying pig. Labour said they were not anti-Jewish but anti-Tory, but later withdrew them.

Will Heidi bounce into top Tigger role?

Move over smooth-talking Chuka Umunna  what about Heidi Allen, left, as leader of the fledgling Independent Group, now affectionately referred to as TIGgers? A little-known Heidi for PM Facebook site hails the ex-Tory as the one MP up to the job of [being] a new and better Prime Minister. Better ignore comments branding her a hypocrite who should resign and fight a by-election in her Cambridgeshire seat.

Newly knighted Tory Sir John Hayes couldnt resist a dig at party hate-figure John Bercow even as he thanked him for hosting a celebration in the Speakers splendid State rooms. Such is my gratitude that I am encouraged to stand again as president of the Tory John Bercow Appreciation Society, said Sir John. I dont imagine I will be contested  its such a small organisation. Cheeky.

Latest candidate set to join the crowded field of would-be successors to Bercow is Sir Henry Bellingham, a Tory MP whose family havent always, er, been sticklers for the Houses conventions. His merchant ancestor John Bellingham got so fired up at lack of help after being wrongly jailed in Russia that he shot dead Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in the Commons in 1812. He was hanged a week later.

Latest candidate set to join the crowded field of would-be successors to Bercow is Sir Henry Bellingham

Joans troubled waters

The sound of Simon and Garfunkels Bridge Over Troubled Water was heard coming from Labour Corbynista Chris Williamsons Commons office after he was suspended for saying the party had apologised too much over anti-Semitism. Dog doubts the haunting lyrics soothed his next-door office neighbour  Joan Ryan, who stormed out of the party last month in fury at Labours failure to deal with anti-Jewish abuse.

MPs nursing pints on the Commons Terrace are casting nervous glances above them at newly installed scaffolding over the hallowed Strangers Bar entrance, which is there to allow a survey of the masonry conditions of the crumbling building, say officials. It forms a preventative barrier to mitigate any risk of falling debris  or rather, to stop rocks hitting MPs on the head as they sup.
'There will be no fudge! Geoffrey Cox booms to me with conviction and passion, as well as a slight hint of desperation. Moments earlier the Attorney General had burst into his office, scarf trailing behind him, with the urgency of a Battle of Britain pilot returning from a mission, but already hungry for the next sortie.

Which, in a sense, is what he is. In a few hours he is leaving for Brussels for a set of talks described by a Cabinet colleague as the most important bilateral diplomatic negotiations since the Munich crisis. But before he departs, The AG, as he is known, wants to make his case directly to the readers of The Mail on Sunday.

That morning  last Monday  a report had appeared claiming he had abandoned plans for a legally binding exit mechanism to the backstop, the blood-red line etched by Conservative Eurosceptics as the price for backing the Prime Ministers Chequers deal.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is pushing for an arbitration mechanism that would enable Britain to leave the backstop

The article implied Cox will be forced to massage the legal advice he presented to the Prime Minister on November 13  warning she could be bound into a customs union indefinitely  if he is to help her deal pass the Commons on Tuesday.

I will not change my opinion unless Im sure there is no legal risk of us being indefinitely detained in the backstop, he pledges. I am putting my hand on my heart. I will not change my opinion unless we have a text that shows the risk has been eliminated. I would not put my name to anything less.

As he does so, he leans intently forward on the edge of his green ministerial sofa, as if he feels he can force a deal through purely with his own strength of character.

But as Cox privately knows, strength of will is not going to be enough. Not least because his energies are split between placating two separate  but equally unyielding  forces.

First he must convince the European Union to grant meaningful concessions. And, secondly, he must convince sceptical Tory MPs that those concessions have sufficient legal weight to withstand the challenge from an army of spurned Eurocrats.

On the second point, Cox is well aware that the European Research Group has established a Star Chamber of eight qualified lawyers  seven of them MPs  to pass their own legal judgment on his negotiating efforts. Yet he professes to be unfazed.

Im only too aware there are over 100 lawyers within a mile and a half of Westminster who will give an opinion on a deal, he jokes. But what he challenges with direct and deadly seriousness is any suggestion he would tweak his advice purely to help Theresa May secure a political solution to her Brexit crisis.

Any arbitration mechanism would dramatically alter the balance of power between UK and EU negotiators

I have been a barrister for 36 years, and a senior politician for seven months, he insists. My professional reputation is far more important to me than my reputation as a politician. If the risk of being trapped in the backstop had not been removed, then I would make it as clear and plain and in exactly the same way as I did on November 13.

So what precisely is it he intends to wrest from the cold, dead hand of Michel Barnier and Jean-Claude Juncker, to save the day for the nation? On the detail of the negotiations, Cox is more circumspect. But it is an open secret in Westminster that he is pushing for an arbitration mechanism that would enable Britain to leave the backstop at a time broadly of our own choosing.

This has been painted as a surrender by some hard-line Brexiteers, who want the backstop completely excised from the agreement. But Cox is adamant that the deal he is seeking will, in his words, give us the unilateral right to trigger the process that would lead to our exit from the backstop.

If that device is an arbitration mechanism, it would, he admits, give the EU the opportunity to appeal against Britains withdrawal. But he insists that, if the EU did try to bind us in bureaucratic chains, it would be easy to demonstrate negotiations had been exhausted. It would be obvious by that point we had been going round in circles, he explains.

Even more importantly, any arbitration mechanism would dramatically alter the balance of power between UK and EU negotiators.

The key thing is the onus would be on them to prove we cant leave. And they would have to try to do that even though we wouldnt have evolved our positions in months. Its the reason why some EU officials dont like it  it works.

But even if he can win approval for this plan from the EU, there is no guarantee it would be sufficient to placate Tory MPs convinced Brexit is being shunted into a Brussels siding.

Which is why he floats one tantalising prospect in front of the recalcitrant rebels.

If we did secure an arbitration mechanism, it could be triggered on the very first day we entered the backstop. Thats because the transition period would have already given two years for completion of negotiations.

The backstop would not have been formally removed, but it would effectively have been neutered.

Before we can explore this possibility further, the door opens and a bark comes from the corridor. Geoffrey, we have to go. Now!

The AG is again being called into battle. The view in Westminster is that the odds are stacked against him. That his opponents  foreign and domestic  do not intend to yield. That Theresa May has finally run out of time to get her Brexit deal over the line.

But Geoffrey Cox has placed his hand on his heart and pledged to me he will do his duty. I believe him. I have no other choice.

A bridge too far for trooper Theresa?

A dark mood is enveloping Downing Street. Theresa May has confronted numerous crises, always managing to soldier doggedly on. But theres a growing sense Tuesdays Meaningful Vote could represent a bridge too far.

I dont see how we get out of this now, one official admits. Unless something miraculous happens, were going down by a big margin. At that point, well lose control of the Brexit process. And once that happens, I dont see any way we resolve this without a General Election.

A Cabinet Minister agrees. Were at the point where the various leadership candidates are about to make their move. Everyones been crouched at the starting line for a long time. I think the guns about to fire. We have been here before, but the Prime Minister really needs that Tuesday miracle.

Labours anti-Luciana plot

At Wednesdays PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn went out of his way to congratulate newly independent Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger on the birth of her new child.

But I understand Labour officials are considering an incredible plan to unseat Berger at the next Election, with serious consideration being given to parachuting in Corbyns office manager Karie Murphy to challenge for the constituency.

Luciana has been told Murphys going to run against her, a fellow TIG MP informs me. Shed have Corbyns blessing and the backing of her old friend Len McCluskey. That really would add injury to insult.
The shocking level of violence on our streets is not only painful to see, it is traumatising for the family and friends of the victims.

Believe me, I know. It is nearly 26 years since my friend Steve Lawrence was killed in front of me. And I can tell you that it still hurts  as if it were yesterday.

Todays epidemic of knife crime, and the fear it generates, is having a terrible impact on the mental health of our young people. The killing must stop.

Yet what is the publicity-hungry Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, doing about this?

'Todays epidemic of knife crime, and the fear it generates, is having a terrible impact on the mental health of our young people. The killing must stop. Yet what is the publicity-hungry Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, doing about this?'

Khan, after all, is the Police and Crime Commissioner for London  but the answer is almost nothing.

He has refused to take responsibility or show real leadership. It is all very well for him to roll his eyes and lose his temper when questioned, as he did last week on TV.

The fact is he is failing abysmally  and his failure is costing the lives of our valuable young people on a weekly basis. It is true that in July 2017, the Mayor produced a Knife Crime Strategy  amid much fanfare.

Yet, at the same time, he was cutting the funding for frontline police in the capital  blaming the Government in the process.

Yes, these are tough times financially, but a leader has to know how to put their resources to the best use.

And Khans true priorities were shown only last week when it emerged that he is spending a vast 57 million on City Hall staff  21 million more than his predecessor Boris Johnson  with a 27 per cent increase in the number of posts.

He has previously been attacked for spending 1.7 million on water fountains and 30,000 on a Twitter campaign to boost tourism.

All Khan thinks about is self-promotion in my view  and, in particular, his political career.

'So here we are, 20 months later, with record numbers of stabbings, yet none the wiser to how the Mayors Knife Crime Strategy is actually working, what has been implemented or what is to happen next'

It is no secret that his ambition is to become Labour leader in the post-Corbyn era, and then Prime Minister.

I believe that this is what consumes his energies, not the crisis on the streets.

So here we are, 20 months later, with record numbers of stabbings, yet none the wiser to how the Mayors Knife Crime Strategy is actually working, what has been implemented or what is to happen next.

We dont even have knife amnesty bins in the worst-affected areas, where people are being stabbed.

His latest trick  blaming the violence on our streets on schools and teachers  is a new low even for him. Khan is without a doubt the worst mayor London has ever seen.

What is he doing to help those who have been traumatised and are struggling to recover?

I know from hard experience how hard this is to tackle, and how important.

Or what is he doing to improve the life chances of young Londoners  to support young entrepreneurs who require start-up funding, for example?

More job opportunities would give our young people a real sense of hope.

We need more police, to be sure. And stronger tactics, but only with better cooperation between our communities and the police. Greater use of stop and search might help  but that by itself will not stem the level of knife crime on our streets.

The ultimate fix demands that we heal our young people and our communities. Too many of our teenagers and young adults are suffering from untreated trauma. We must get to them before they get caught up in the drama.

We must cut the pipeline that takes youngsters from school exclusion to pupil referral units then gangs and then to prison.

Londoners will need to realise this is a problem for all of us. It demands resources and real leadership if we want to give our young people hope.

We are fed up with Khans excuses.
Today I will join the nation in enjoying probably the finest of all British institutions: the great Sunday roast. And I suspect that families across the country will sit down at the table this week and end up talking about the topic that has been dominating the news: chlorinated chicken.

Weve had spirited public debate recently  as you would expect from the great British public. But, ultimately, the issue of how chicken should be cleaned is just a distraction.

Ive said it before and I will say it again: the very idea of chlorinated chicken is simply the EUs way of blocking fair competition from the American poultry industry.

The fact is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with chlorine washes.

You might disagree with us when we say that it is safer than other methods of cleaning chicken, but it is certainly not unsafe. You already eat chlorinated salads and drink chlorinated water and, until 1997, you ate chlorinated chicken here in Britain.

Woody Johnson (left) is serving as US Ambassador to UK under current President Donald Trump, who he hosted at the London Embassy during his controversial business trip last year

When youve gone on vacation to places such as New York or Vancouver, Tokyo or Shanghai, you probably enjoyed eating it without even thinking about it.

At the end of the day, if you dont want to buy certain types of US chicken (and only around a fifth is even washed in chlorine), you wont have to. But theres no reason to ban it.

Brits are more than capable of making up their own minds about what they buy in the supermarket.

You might prefer to get the more expensive organic free-range eggs, for example. But you probably dont want to pass laws saying that other people cant buy basic eggs.

Britain and America are democracies  we believe in the right of individual consumers to make their own choices. We vote for what we want with our wallets. Its time to move on from chlorinated chicken. Its just a bogeyman used to scare you out of doing a great trade deal with America that will give your businesses a huge competitive advantage.

America and Britain are already huge trading partners  about 184 billion, or $240 billion, a year, claims Ambassador Johnson

After all, we have been clear that we are prepared to do a truly ambitious deal with our closest allies in the United Kingdom.

And we want it to be a comprehensive deal.

We dont want to leave out any business sector from the negotiations  certainly not a critical industry such as agriculture.

AMERICAN farmers play a fundamental role across all 50 states. Agriculture will always be an important priority in any trade negotiation we do. And why should it be any less of a priority for British politicians  especially those in rural constituencies?

British farmers are currently missing out on a huge opportunity. America is the largest consumer market in the world, bar none. America and Britain are already huge trading partners  about 184 billion, or $240 billion, a year.

But when it comes to the trade in agriculture between the US and the UK, the amount we trade is extremely small.

America is the largest food importer in the world, yet buys less than one per cent of its imports from the UK. We can do a lot better.

There is a huge opportunity for British products to be extremely successful in America, and vice versa. But quite aside from the business opportunities for American and British farmers, we should also be focusing on the wider benefits of free trade  and, in particular, the enormous challenge of population growth ahead of us.

There has never been a more critical time in the history of global agriculture. Before we know it, in our own childrens lifetimes, the world will have an additional two billion mouths to feed.

Yet we are running out of resources. The world is currently using an area the size of South America for crops, and Africa for pasture.

We are already draining our water supplies. Today, 70 per cent of all freshwater goes to agriculture, so we need to find a way to feed billions more people  not by using more land and water, but less.

Johnson has called the EU a 'bogeyman used to scare you out of doing a great trade deal with America that will give your businesses a huge competitive advantage'

We need nothing short of the biggest agricultural revolution there has ever been  and we need it fast. If we are going to succeed, we need to give our scientists the power and freedom to find new solutions. That is the approach of the American government.

And I want to be clear about this, too: we never compromise on food safety.

This is why the World Health Organisation has found that North America has the lowest burden of food-borne disease in the world.

Having ensured that our food is safe, however, the US government does something important. It chooses to get out of the way, allowing our scientists and farmers to do what they do best  innovate. They are really rising to the challenge.

YET their vital breakthroughs are being stymied in the European Union  not by European scientists, I might add, but by short-sighted European bureaucrats who put their own political and commercial interests first.

This is a problem for Britain as much as it is for America. Both of our countries, for example, are world leaders in biotechnology. But needless intervention from the EU is strangling new innovation.

The European Court of Justice ruling on genome editing last year is a perfect example. The ruling means that precise new gene-editing technologies  which do not involve inserting foreign DNA into experimental plants  are to be covered by the same stringent rules as for fully GM, or genetically modified, crops.

Professor Johnathan Napier, from one of Britains oldest agricultural research institutes, Rothamsted Research, called it a backward step, not progress, saying it could slam the door shut on revolutionary technology.

Britain did not lead the world in the agricultural revolution at the turn of the 18th Century by ignoring science and being hamstrung in its ability to try new things.

Yet, when I speak to many fishermen, farmers and scientists here they all say that is exactly what is going on.

Leaving the EU gives Britain the chance to decide its own rules and priorities.

You can finally embrace genuinely free, fair and balanced trade and get rid of all the protectionist barriers which farmers on the Continent have successfully demanded.

You can finally give your farmers better opportunities in markets across the whole world.

Most importantly of all, you can finally unleash the full force of British ingenuity in the battle for global food security.

One thing is sure: the world needs British scientists, farmers and fishermen more than ever before.
She wasn't shy about showing off her legs before, but Meghan Markle seems to be embracing shorter hemlines more than ever as she approaches the end of her pregnancy.

The duchess, 37, stepped out last week in a sixties-inspired roll neck 'Azzura' dress from Reiss cut several inches above the knee, teamed with an old faithful Alexander McQueen blazer.

She also opted for a cream embroidered frock which also skimmed her knees to a reception at Buckingham Palace in London to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales.

It's a style departure for Meghan who previously favoured midi length hemlines for public engagements.

Celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage told Femail: 'Meghan has always had a pair of enviable pins and whilst her maternity wardrobe enters its latter stages it seems she is letting her legs take centre stage.

The Duchess of Sussex, 37, stepped out today in a sixties-inspired 'Azzura' dress from Reiss cut several inches above the knee

'Chic high neck dresses with stylish overcoats are becoming her wardrobe staple.

'Her enviable look is one that many expecting mothers utilise as showing your legs gives a spring feeling when you may want to keep over areas of your body covered.'

While her hemlines are getting shorter, Meghan's necklines are becoming noticeably higher.

Meghan looked a picture of grace as she attended a reception at Buckingham Palace in London to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales on Tuesday this week

The Duchess of Cambridge, pictured visiting a primary school in Oxford in March last year while pregnant with Prince Louis, also embraced a shorter hemline when she was expecting

Today's Reiss dress featured a flattering roll neckline which ensured her look oozed royal chic while also keeping out the harsh March wind.

The duchess, who is eight months pregnant, opted for a similar style last month, donning a custom cream roll-neck dress by Calvin Klein to attend the gala performance of 'The Wider Earth' at the Natural History Museum in London.

Rather than a short blazer, this time Meghan plumped for a 895 cream coat by royal favourite Amanda Wakeley.

Cream appears to be a firm favourite of Meghan; back in January the outfit she wore to visit the 'Mayhew' animal welfare charity in London was a budget copy of her Natural History Museum get-up, with a turtleneck dress from high street store H&M's maternity range.

Meghan also opted for a shorter hemline when attending the gala performance of 'The Wider Earth' at the Natural History Museum last month

Cream of the crop! Meghan plumped for a knee-length frock from H&M's maternity range to visit the 'Mayhew' animal welfare charity in London back in January

Meghan, who has previously favoured a more midi style, even flashed a bit of leg when it came to the floor-length evening gown she wore to watch the Cirque du Soleil premiere of TOTEM at the Royal Albert Hall in January.

The glowing duchess looked stunning in a glittering Roland Mouret gown with a front split to the knee.

Today Meghan joined forces with Annie Lennox to mark International Womens Day with a star-studded panel discussion hosted by the Queens Commonwealth Trust.

During the discussion she spoke excitedly about 'our little bump' and joked that she could feel the 'embryonic kicking of feminism' inside her.

The duchess showed a glimpse of leg in a glitzy floor-length gown as she joined Harry to watch the Cirque du Soleil premiere of TOTEM at the Royal Albert Hall in January




Baptiste viewers were left despairing at the the French detective's blunder after he was betrayed by someone he trusted.

Fans of the BBC drama were gripped as they watched Julien Baptiste (Tcheky Karyo) edge closer to solving his case before he was blindsided by Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander).

In a dramatic climax to episode four the detective was left standing helplessly in an Amsterdam street after Stratton tricked him out of his car and drove off with the money that Baptiste had spent the episode trying to recover.

Viewers took to Twitter to mock Baptiste after the mystery-solver was deceived by what appeared an obvious trick.

Fans of the BBC drama were gripped as they watched Baptiste (Tcheky Karyo), pictured, edge closer towards solving his case - before being blindsided by a member of his inner circle. The betrayal left the French detective standing in the middle of a deserted Amsterdam street

Baptiste viewers took to Twitter to mock the French detective after he was deceived and betrayed by someone he trusted at the climax of the latest episode

The former police officer had been tasked with tracking down a bag containing 1 million that had been stolen by prostitute Natalie Rose from a fearsome Romanian gang ruling the Amsterdam underworld.

He was hoping to return the money to the gang in the hope they would spare his family.

After deducing the prostitute, who died in the second episode of the series, would likely have intended for the money to be passed onto her son, Baptiste ended up at the doorstep of Natalie's father-in-law, a tulip farmer named Herman.

Herman explained the money had been stolen from the boot of his car, and believed his friend might have been responsible.

When Baptiste tracked down the friend he discovered the reclusive man did indeed have a secret - but it was not that he had stolen the money. However with the man's help Baptiste did find out the real culprit: the local dentist.

Baptiste had been tasked with tracking down a bag containing 1 million that had been stolen by prostitute Natalie Rose from a fearsome Romanian gang ruling the Amsterdam underworld. He hoped to return the money to the gang in the hope they would spare his family

After deducing the prostitute, who died in the second episode of the series, would likely have intended for the money to be passed onto her son, Baptiste ended up at the doorstep of Natalie's father-in-law, a tulip farmer named Herman, pictured

Herman said the money had been stolen and believed his friend might have been responsible for the theft. When Baptiste tracked down the friend, pictured, he discovered the reclusive man did indeed have a secret - but it was not that he had stolen the money

It transpired the friend had illegally bugged public buildings and private homes in the area and monitored them from a station in his basement, pictured. However with the man's help Baptiste did find out the real culprit: the local dentist

After following the dentist to a strip club, where he was frittering away the stolen cash on lap dances, pictured, Baptiste was able to persuade him to hand over the money and phoned Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) so they could arrange a meeting to return it to the mobsters

After following the dentist to a strip club, where he was frittering away the stolen cash on lap dances, Baptiste was able to persuade him to hand over the money and phoned Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) so they could arrange a meeting to return it to the mobsters.

But moments after they set off in the car to the meeting, Baptiste was unwittingly ambushed by Stratton and a prostitute working with the Romanian gangsters.

Stratton drove off with the money, leaving Baptiste standing speechless in the middle of a deserted Amsterdam street.

Edward Stratton (Tom Hollander) met with Romanian gangster Constantin (Alec Secareanu) and revealed he had been asked by the police to wear a wire during their conversation

Meanwhile transgender cafe owner and sex work activist Kim Vogel (Talisa Garcia) came out to her partner Greg in a tearful scene.

'I always knew, from a young age, I felt this body was not mine,' she told him. 'For a long time I ignored it and it made me angry,' before going on to hint at her former life as the crime boss of a Romanian gang.

She continued: 'I fell in love with you after the operation and you fell in love with me and I couldn't bring myself to tell you.'

Meanwhile transgender cafe owner and sex work activist Kim Vogel (Talisa Garcia), pictured, came out to her partner Greg in a tearful scene

A furious Greg, pictured, rejected her after the revelation and left her sobbing on the floor

Hours later - before they had a chance to speak again - Kim was mercilessly killed by masked moped riders, in an apparent hit by the gang she once ruled

Greg was left tearful as he was called in to identify Kim's body in the morgue, pictured

However Greg rejected her and left her sobbing on the floor.

Hours later - before they had a chance to speak again - Kim was mercilessly killed by masked moped riders, in an apparent hit by the gang she once ruled.

More also emerged about British officer Genevieve Taylor, who it transpired was the mistress of the man she has been visiting in hospital.

Meanwhile Martha Horchner, who it emerged might have an alcohol problem, was told she only had three months left at the police.

Baptiste returns to BBC1 on Sunday at 9pm.
TV reporter Laura Turner has paid tribute to her sister Skye on the two-year anniversary of her tragic death after she died of a heroin overdose.

The Channel Nine journalist received a heartbreaking phone call from her mother Marie after her sister was found dead inside a van at the age of 36 in March 2017.

In an emotional piece on 9Honey, the young mother, from Melbourne, spoke candidly about the 'life lessons' she learnt while losing her only sibling.

TV reporter Laura Turner (left) has paid tribute to her sister Skye (right) on the two-year anniversary of her tragic death after she died of a heroin overdose

The Channel Nine journalist (pictured) received a heartbreaking phone call from her mother Marie after her sister was found dead at the age of 36 following a drug addiction in March 2017

Skye (pictured) tragically died following a drug addiction in March 2017

'She was a beautiful, headstrong, complicated soul whose troubles wove their way through my life and wrapped so tightly around me that at times I felt I could have suffocated,' Laura said.

'Skye taught me a love I once never knew. It was an unconditional love. It was a love that transcended the false hope, disappointment and utter heartbreak that the siblings of addicts have to cope with.'

Laura said she was bracing herself for the day she would have to tell her twin daughters Matilda and Isabel - who were born in November last year - about their aunt Skye.

'I'll have to explain why sometimes mum has to break her gaze because all she can see in their eyes is her own sister staring back at her,' Laura said.

She will also teach her daughters the 'life lessons' she learnt, such as 'helping' the 'helpless' and finding 'hope in the hopeless'.

Laura said she will also teach her daughters the 'life lessons' she learnt, such as helping the 'helpless' and finding 'hope in the hopeless'

Laura said she was bracing herself for the day she would have to tell her twin daughters Matilda and Isabel - who were born in November last year - about their aunt Skye

Laura revealed her anguish after her sister Skye battled with an addiction behind closed doors

In June 2017, the TV reporter bravely covered her own sister's death in a gut-wrenching interview with her mother Marie for A Current Affair.

'My sister was beautiful and intelligent, she was three years older than me and she was my idol. She was an exceptional sprinter from a young age and went on to be a Victorian sprint champion,' Laura said.

Skye had her demons, and later in life addiction took over

'But Skye had her demons, and later in life addiction took over.'

Interviewing her own mother, Marie revealed how she begged the hospital to keep her daughter Skye in a psychiatric ward for treatment just days before she died.

'She told me ... that she was worthless and that she may as well die,' Marie recalled.

The worried mother - who was with her daughter in hospital at the time - alerted medical staff after she started 'threatening her own life'.

'I said, "My daughter has threatened her own life. She has told me that she wants to die, that her life is not worth living, she has told me this today because I had been in the room with her",' Marie said.

In June 2017, the TV reporter (right) bravely covered her own sister's death in a gut-wrenching interview with her mother Marie (left) for A Current Affair

Mother Marie (pictured) revealed what really happened in the days leading up to her daughter Skye's tragic death following a drug overdose

But Marie claimed hospital staff responded: 'They all say that.'

Despite her daughter's suicidal admission, Marie claimed the hospital released her daughter into the care of another heroin addict.

We knew Skye was suffering but she didn't tell us how seriously. She never mentioned she turned to heroin. She was ashamed to ask or tell us what she was doing. And then she was gone

When her mother asked why, she was told 'she just needs to get off the drugs'.

And just days later on March 10, 2017, police officers arrived at Marie's home to deliver the tragic news.

'One of them said "there's no easier way for me to say this..." I knew I had lost Skye, I knew that she was gone.'

Laura added: 'We knew Skye was suffering but she didn't tell us how seriously. She never mentioned she turned to heroin.

'The thing that hurts too is the fact that we had no idea. She was ashamed to ask or tell us what she was doing. And then she was gone.'

Laura (left) has spoken openly about her sister Skye's (right) death in an effort to save lives

The family have been campaigning for safe injection rooms across the country for drug addicts in an effort to raise awareness to prevent more deaths

The family have been campaigning for safe injection rooms across the country for drug addicts in an effort to raise awareness to prevent more deaths.

Last year on August 31, Laura shared a photograph of herself and her late sister on International Overdose Awareness Day.

'This is my sister and I. Skye died from a heroin overdose. One of the heaviest weights on her shoulders was the burden of shame and stigma that she felt from society,' Laura wrote.

'It came from strangers, from those quick to judge without knowing her plight, and even from the medical fraternity.

'Please spare a thought for those suffering from addiction... and do your best to end the stigma and shame associated with drug addiction.

'To shame someone is to drive them deeper into the darkness. To reach out to them is to reinforce hope. There can be no recovery without hope.

'I love you Skye and will never be the same without you.'

For confidential support 24/7, you can call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14
The Queen Mother and Prince Philip battled over his decision to install telephones in Buckingham Palace, a new documentary has revealed.

The Duke of Edinburgh, now 97, apparently clashed with his mother-in-law in the 1950s after he removed the footmen who used to take messages from one royal to another.

According to Channel 5's The Queen Mum: The Reluctant Queen, set to air on Saturday, the royal pair 'never really got on'.

Prince Philip stands next to his mother-in-law, the Queen Mother, in a photoshoot to announce his engagement to the Queen (then Prince Elizabeth) in July 1947. Left: Queen Elizabeth II, far right: King George VI stands next to his daughter, Princess Margaret. A new documentary says the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen's mother, real name Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 'never really got along'

One insider revealed that the Queen Mother, real name Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, disliked Philip's 'progressive' attitude towards technology.

He was famously the brains behind the decision to broadcast his wife's Coronation on TV in 1953.

As the first ever Coronation to be televised, it was watched worldwide by 27 million people, staggering numbers for the time.

She also resented moving out of Buckingham Palace to the 'small and horrid' Clarence House, the show says.

In contrast to her mother, the Queen, 92, has embraced technology during her reign and even composed her first ever Instagram post recently to share an image of a letter sent to her great-great grandfather, Prince Albert, by computing pioneer Charles Babbage.

The Duke of Edinburgh, now 97, clashed with his mother-in-law in the 1950s after he removed the footmen who use to take messages from one royal to another (pictured together at an Easter parade at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in the early 1990s)

The documentary also reveals the Queen Mother resented having to move out of Buckingham Palace upon her husband's death to make way for the newly-married Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The three are pictured together in 1999

Speaking of the Queen Mother, who died aged 101 in 2002, biographer Robert Lacey said: 'There she was unashamedly harking back to when Britain had an empire  charming, aristocratic, frankly snobbish, no pretence of actually living in the 20th century.'

It's not the first documentary to shine light on their tumultuous relationship.

In Netflix's 'The Royal House of Windsor' the narrator says: 'The Queen Mother was wary of Prince Philip.

'She thought he bullied his son and failed to appreciate how sensitive he was.'

But Prince Philip wasn't the only family member she clashed with.

The Queen Mother also clashed with her sister-in-law, Wallis Simpson, who infamously shook the royal family after Prince Edward abdicated to marry the American divorcee. It is believed it's her personal influence as Queen Consort that was instrumental in Simpson being denied the title, Her Royal Highness

The Queen Mum: The Reluctant Queen also it was Elizabeth's personal influence as the new Queen Consort that was instrumental in her sister-in-law Wallis Simpson being denied the title, Her Royal Highness, on her marriage in 1937 to the Duke of Windsor, after he had abdicated the throne as Edward VIII.

His reign lasted less than 11 months. The denial of the HRH has been challenged as contrary to Common Law.
Sarah Ferguson has revealed she was left 'shocked' and 'sad' after making a recent trip to one of the poorest areas of Sierra Leone.

Sharing photos of her African trip, three weeks ago, to her 174,000 followers on Instagram, Fergie revealed how 'many families have lost everything and are living in the open air' after devastating fires hit the region.

The 59-year-old made the journey to Kroo Bay, a slum in Freetown, at the start of February, where she visited several schools and met with locals as part of her work for her charity Street Child.

A proud Princess Eugenie praised her 'amazing' mother's charity work in her Instagram story on International Women's Day.

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The Duchess of York, 59, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram asking people to donate money to help the inhabitants of a slum in Sierra Leone; Fergie revealed she was left 'shocked' and 'sad' after hearing that Kroo Bay, in Freetown, had been left devastated by fire

On Friday, Princess Eugenie praised her mother's charity work in her Instagram story on International Women's Day calling her mother 'amazing'

Harrowing: A recent fire reduced most of the houses in Kroo Bay to ashes, revealed the duchess, who asked her Instagram followers to donate to her charity's emergency appeal

Fergie posted several images of her experiences in Kroo Bay, Freetown, one of the poorest parts of Sierra Leone, to her 174,000 followers on the social media site

Charity: Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice pictured at the Education in Emergencies panel discussion at House of Lords back in February

She wrote: 'You are amazing and the work you do is so important,' she wrote, posting a picture of the duchess in Sierra Leone. So proud of you today and all days,' she added.

The mother of Princess Beatrice, 30 and Princess Eugenie, 28, is currently working on a project which aims to raise money to help disadvantaged children across ten countries get into education. She admitted that their lack of access to classrooms left her heartbroken.

In the photos, Fergie is wearing a khaki jacket and camel-coloured trousers with a street child badge on her coat.

During her trip to Sierra Leone, she visited Freetown's largest slums, Kroo Bay, one of the most impoverished places in Western Africa.

In her most recent Instagram post, Fergie revealed that a fire had made life even more difficult for the inhabitants of Kroo Bay.

Throwback: Princess Eugenie also shared pictures of a young Princess Beatrice and herself holding her mother's hand during an outing. The two princesses sported matching shorts and t-shirts and yellow boots

Mutual love: Fergie also shared this snap of her daughters, Beatrice, left, and Eugenie, right, on Instagram to celebrate International Women's Day

Princess Eugenie, 28, praised her older sister Beatrice's work to promote gender equality on International Women's Day

Fergie, pictured with Princess Beatrice at a recent event for the Street Child charity, appealed for people to make a donation to its emergency appeal to help Kroo Bay's inhabitants

'I was so shocked and sad to hear that a huge fire has now destroyed the homes and livelihoods of many hundreds of people,' the Duchess wrote on Instagram.

'Thank goodness, nobody was killed and the We Yone school which my charity supports survived.'

Fergie then appealed for people to make a donation to Street Child's emergency appeal in order to help the distraught population.

The emergency appeal seeks to provide clothing, toiletries and provisions to the affected families.

The duchess added that the population of Kroo Bay had very little and that most families made a living 'working on a vast rubbish dump.'

Beatrice also shared throwback pictures of a young Princess Beatrice and herself holding her mother's hand during an outing. The two princesses sport matching shorts and t-shirts and yellow booties.

'Thank you for those shoes,' the all-grown up Eugenie joked.

The Princess, who recently married wine merchant and brand ambassador Jack Brooksbank, also shared several pictures of her older sister Beatrice, praising her work to promote gender equality.

'Beatrice visited @the_oecd to launch @SIGI on International Women's Day, wrote Eugenie on her Instagram story.

'The #SIGI report provides policy recommendations to help governments deliver on their commitments to promote #genderequality,'

'You are pretty amazing Bea and we celebrate you on #IWD2019 #IWD."
Journalist and mother Melanie Reid lived life at 100 miles an hour  until 2010, when a horse-riding accident paralysed her from the chest down. She spent almost a year in hospital before returning to the remote cottage in Scotland she shared with second husband Dave, 73, and her son Dougie. In her new inspirational yet often darkly funny memoir, Melanie, now 61, tells her incredible story of tenacity and survival . . .

I knew it was catastrophic. I said, Ow! to myself when my face slammed into the turf, and then I experienced a blinding red flash and felt my whole body suffuse with a most beautiful, intense feeling of warmth; my own internal nuclear explosion; my own terrible mushroom cloud.

In those seconds I was already aware that my life, as I knew it, had ended.

Here are the bald facts. My horse had refused a piddly jump, on a piddly little British Horse Society instruction day for piddly middle-aged wannabes. Harmless, happy people like me, playing at the bottom end of a thrilling, dangerous sport; pretending that I was 32 when I was 52.

That day my steady, handsome chestnut horse didnt want to do it. At the take-off stride, he ducked out sharply. I carried on going.

Melanie Reid, 61, (pictured) from Scotland recounts the horse-riding accident that paralysed her from the chest down in a new memoir

My pride made me try to stay on by gripping his neck, which was the worst possible thing I could have done. It meant my arms were not in front of me when I hit the ground, so I did a fairly steep, slow-motion head plant. My body and long, long legs pivoted over my neck. A millimetre or two difference, I would have been fine.

Wedged face-down, I could taste dry, gritty, late-winter Perthshire soil, and I realised I couldnt move anything but my right arm and shoulders.

I reached down and touched my leg  the hand feels the leg, feels the texture of the riding breeches; the leg doesnt feel the hand. Doesnt feel it at all.

Then, still face-down, I heard the helicopter, felt the shock waves of noise, an implacable clatter descending.

The crew turned me, releasing me from the earth, slowly, carefully  I dont know how many of them, I couldnt feel their hands  onto a spinal board.

I could only look straight up, a small dinner plate of vision. My friend Katie was bending over me, telling me I was going in a Sea King helicopter to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.

Things got a bit blurry after we got to hospital. Time and cognitive slippage as shock and morphine kicked in.

At some point my poor husband Dave appeared at my bedside, his handsome, ever-optimistic face crushed with shock. I dared not even think about my son Dougie, at university, just emerging from his teenage years, or of my sorry future.

Horses, eh? said the orthopaedic surgeon. Used to keep them myself. Dangerous things.

He seemed almost cheerful, as if I was more satisfying than a road accident. He told me I had fractured my spine and, worse, broken my neck, compressing the spinal cord on one side and stretching it on the other.

What I didnt know was that Dave had already been taken aside and gently told to prepare for me being in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.

Melanie (pictured with her husband David MacNeil) spent almost a year in hospital after her accident, an epiphany made her realise her family matters most of all

In the very early days after my accident, in the loneliness of a night-time ward, I found myself contemplating my situation with sudden forensic coolness. I put away the inner child and appraised as an adult. Yes, it appeared that things were bad, very bad. So bad that I couldnt cope. I was paralysed. It was unbearable.

Then, out of nowhere, came the epiphany. With the utmost clarity, I realised that actually, things could be worse.

What mattered most of all? Not me. Us. Them. My DIY family, Dave and Dougie, created by me from two marriages and held together by love and determination.

Our happy, often dysfunctional little unit, our laughter, our independent hobbies, our loving madness, our group hugs, when we shouted and pogoed to the words of the Sister Sledge song We Are Family  three different surnames under one roof. My two adored ones.

I convinced myself that if I could take back control and start doing things for myself, then all would return to normal. I thought my hands would work if I really asked them to, of course they would! So I asked the nurse to leave that days pile of greetings cards on my bedclothes, rather than set them aside for Dave.

I tried to pick up the top card and watched with bewilderment as my fingers refused to grip. The cards slid slowly off my chest onto the floor and I watched them go, passive and helpless.

My right wrist still had something going for it. There was still strength there. Dougie went shopping and found me a travel cup with the handle open at the bottom. I could wedge my palm under the handle and lift a mug of that precious weak, tepid, milky NHS tea high enough to drink through a straw  my first independent action as a doubly-incontinent tetraplegic.

I genuinely could not find any beauty in my body in my wheelchair, only loss

On the spinal injury severity scale, mine counted as complete. Completely buggered: no power or sensation below the injury to the spine. They didnt tell me that. Not then.

As soon as my neck was judged suitably stable, they started to hoist me into a wheelchair. Getting up was a ritual, like preparing a medieval knight for battle. First, the nurses have to dress you. It feels like they are stuffing a giant sausage. No underwear, just the baggiest T-shirt and joggers you possess. I had asked the boys to bring me in one of my 10km race T-shirts and the nurses cut the neck to widen it.

It was a symbol of who I really was and my statement of intent  a sporty person who shouldnt be here. As reality bit, I felt embarrassed and threw it away.

I couldnt help but reflect on how I had changed. In my 40s, I had fallen in love with exercise and before my accident I had been in the best shape of my life, trimmed down to size 12 jeans  a statement which now rings with futile vanity, a pathetic boast.

I genuinely could not find any beauty in my body in my wheelchair, only loss.

When I made an effort with mascara and a pretty scarf, friends would say gamely: You look lovely today, because they were kind and wanted to encourage me to feel good. Youre still you inside.

Melanie (pictured horse-riding) says after her accident she felt envious of other women who had everything she lost

But they knew and I knew and they knew I knew. When I looked, I saw a shipwreck. A wheelchair first, and then that strange, still person in it, her dowagers hump growing, her middle settling.

That wasnt me. But it was. Physical pride. Femininity. I had to let them go, fluttering from the window, letting the past fall away. Gone was sensuality and sexual movement. Never mind spontaneity. When your limbs do not work and you cannot feel, you can hardly make lunch, let alone love.

Sometimes, after my accident, Dave admitted he would see a couple walking in the street together, hand in hand, laughing, bumping shoulders like mates, and would feel a terrible pang.

I felt furiously envious of women who looked stunning in clothes, whose bodies still signalled attraction. Who still had everything I had lost.

I tried to resist the inevitable lure of the miserabilist high ground of disability: the sour voice that said my incurable suffering trumps your trivial pursuit of a designer label. You want Gucci? Me? I just want to walk.

Sitting in my chair one day, six or seven weeks after my accident, I convinced myself that my left thigh had twitched sideways on command. I stared at it, willing it to move inwards towards the other knee. I was sure there was a flicker. Well, maybe.

I felt furiously envious of women who looked stunning in clothes, whose bodies still signalled attraction

I told Susan, my physiotherapist, and she gave me an Oh, yeah, who are you kidding? look, because part of her job was to stop people like me destroying ourselves with false expectations.

Show me, she said. I tried.

Two grown women bent over, gazing intently at a set of knees. See! It flickered.

She put my feet up on the bench, took off my trainers and liberated my toes from the dreaded elastic stockings.

Try and move your toes. And as I watched, willing them to move, the middle and fourth toe went up and down. Susan looked intrigued; my brain was boiling with joy, excitement, amazement.

I began to wonder if my diagnosis had been so accurate after all. I redoubled my efforts at the gym; after hours and hours of graft I learned how to transfer  that is, move myself from wheelchair into bed and back out again without a hoist. For a tetraplegic, this is epic, a passport to a kind of independence.

But for everyone with a spinal injury, there was an elephant in the room.

It was that looming, enormous question  will I ever walk again?  which haunted you in every quiet moment of your day, and at night was answered by your subconscious, when in your dreams you sprang to your feet and danced around. As the weeks turned into months, my focus on rehabilitation became more and more intense as I was re-diagnosed from a complete injury to an incomplete one. In other words, there was some scope for recovery.

Melanie (pictured with her son Dougie) urges others to cherish the people they love and not to waste life as we only have one

My legs, after months of grinding exercise and electrical stimulation to encourage the regrowth of neural connections, had become strong enough to bear my weight.

In the hydrotherapy pool I had managed to stand, propped between the side of the pool and a physio. And then, supported by the water, I had swung my legs forward in a few consecutive steps. It was walking, Jim, but not as youd know it.

Welcome to my new world, the eternal torture of possibility.

I left hospital a week before the first anniversary of my accident, and returned home to our long, higgledy-piggledy old cottage which had been comprehensively ramped and now resembled a skateboard track.

As time passed, and my body settled down, it did continue to improve in numerous tiny, slow-motion ways  a process that goes on to this day.

A former patient told me not to say: I will always be disabled, but state instead: I will always be recovering from my injury. I can now walk with a frame, placing my feet deliberately without wearing ankle splints. With slowly increasing stamina, I could stagger up to 100m.

Then I realised I had recovered some sensation under the skin; and next, after seven years or so, I noted the return of some form of long-distance skin sensation. Its what a healthy person might feel, perhaps, if someone was stroking them through two or three thick duvets.

We only have one life and, take it from me, we should never waste it

Approaching a decade post-accident, this is where I am. I am still doubly incontinent, the motor functions controlling my main muscle groups are effectively dead and my life is still that of a paralysed person, spent in a wheelchair.

Hope has never left me, but it now co-exists with acceptance. Life may be smaller, but life is still immeasurably good. All you have to do is stop and look, but so few of us do.

One autumn, I witnessed an extraordinary 20 minutes of frenzy and clamour when a flock of redwings descended on the rowan tree at the front door, heavy with red autumn berries, and stripped it like locusts.

In my old life, I realised, I would have jumped out of my car and I might have noticed, in passing, that the tree was suddenly denuded. Now I was catching the secret dramas. These were close to privileges of a kind I could never have imagined.

In this way, you learn, very slowly, to rediscover joy.

So please, pause and appreciate exactly what you have.

Dont get angry about discarded socks, wet towels dumped on the floor or traffic jams; dont waste time and energy moaning about your job, your relationship, the weather or your unfulfilled aspirations.

We only have one life and, take it from me, we should never waste it. Cherish the people you love, change your job, tilt up your face and kiss the rain, follow your dreams. Because you can.

Adapted from The World I Fell Out Of, by Melanie Reid (Fourth Estate, 16.99).  Melanie Reid. To order a copy for 13.59 (offer valid to March 18), visit mailshop.co.uk/books, or call 0844 571 0640.
Britains first dedicated medical cannabis clinic has been accused by doctors of making unfounded claims for the drugs pain-relieving qualities.

The private Medical Cannabis Clinic (MCC) opened in Manchester last week amid complaints that patients have been denied access to the drug by the NHS. Further branches are scheduled for Birmingham and Londons Harley Street.

The MCC website claims the drug can help with chronic pain, but guidelines issued by the Royal College of Physicians state there is no robust evidence for such use.

Medical Cannabis Clinic (MCC) opened in Manchester last week amid complaints that patients have been denied access to the drug by the NHS

And yesterday Dr Barry Miller, dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, said: We are aware that clinics are being established in the UK by companies with a direct financial interest in cannabinoids.

The faculty is deeply concerned by this development which appears in contrast to the very limited data available on the use of cannabinoids for pain management and that these clinics are being introduced before the findings of research being undertaken by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence are published.

In a letter to The Times newspaper last year, more than 150 leading pain specialists expressed concern about prescribing cannabis for pain.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that European Cannabis Holdings, the parent company of the MCC, runs a self-styled Academy Of Medical Cannabis.

Drinks help pot users cheat tests Dozens of cleansing drinks that help cannabis users to cheat urine tests are on sale in the UK. The supplements contain chemicals that flush cannabis toxins out of the body, allowing users to hide their use of the drug if their urine is tested by police or employers. One drink called Ultimate Detox, made by an Edinburgh-based firm of the same name, costs 30 and is marketed with the slogan, Never worry about a drugs test again! Critics last night accused manufacturers of helping cannabis users to break the law. Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, chairman of an all-party parliamentary group investigating the effects of cannabis on the brain, said: The open availability of these drinks on the market is deeply worrying. Ultimate Detox did not respond to request for comment last night. Advertisement

It lists smoking joints and eating sweets laced with the drug as ways of medicating for various health conditions.

The academy is presented as offering doctors impartial advice about how cannabis can be used to treat people with pain, epilepsy and other conditions.

Its website features videos fronted by Dr Edmund Bonikowski, a GP and rehabilitation specialist, who cites studies in which patients with neurological problems smoked cannabis with favourable results.

But it has been condemned for failing to fully outline potential dangers. Sam Ahmedzai, professor emeritus of palliative care at Sheffield University, claimed suggesting people smoke joints for pain relief was misleading and irresponsible.

The academy insists it does not encourage smoking cannabis, saying: From a medical point of view this cannot be recommended.

The MCCs clinical director is neurologist Professor Mike Barnes. Last night, he said patients would not automatically be given cannabis and they would have to be referred by a GP or hospital consultant.
When Eleanor Anstruther was growing up, her father Ian made no secret of the fact that he had been given away by his own mother. As an adult, she was determined to find out what lay behind this shocking family event

Ian Anstruther aged between 12 and 14

Eleanor Anstruther was born into a family that seemed to have everything: huge wealth, beautiful homes, loving parents and a large gaggle of children. But at the heart of her familys gilded life was a shameful event that cast its shadow over all of them. My father was quite open about it, says Eleanor. He used to say, I was sold by my mother. She gave me away, for 500.

While Eleanor and her five siblings were aware of the outline of the story, the details were a mystery. Why had their grandmother handed her young son over in exchange for a cheque? How had other family members allowed it to happen? And what was the fallout for both mother and child?

Perhaps it was the experience of having children herself that led Eleanor, now 47, to decide she was going to unravel the tale, she tells me when we meet at the handsome and remote farmhouse where she now lives, with its stunning views across the Surrey hills. In 2007 I gave birth to twin boys, and it got me thinking more about this tale of maternal abandonment.

She had already spoken to her father, Sir Ian Anstruther, who had told her all he knew; and Eleanor has spent the decade since poring over family letters, visiting the houses where relatives lived, unearthing documents and searching through archives. What she uncovered astonished her. The key to her fathers sale had its origins in the First World War, and two tragedies that befell her great grandmother, Sybil, in quick succession. First, her husband, Lord George Campbell, son of the 8th Duke of Argyll, died in 1915.

The following year the couples only son, Ivar, was killed at Gallipoli. The family fortune  a proper fortune, says Eleanor, with lots of very valuable land around South Kensington in London  now belonged to Sybil. With her son dead, her thoughts turned to a new heir. It had been drummed into her from an early age that passing on the estates was the number-one priority, says Eleanor. What mattered was making sure the lands and the assets ended up in the right pair of hands. She didnt even question it  like other aristocrats, shed been taught that protecting wealth was more important than anything else.

Novelist Eleanor hopes to lay the ghosts of her familys past to rest

Sybils other two children were daughters, one of whom  Eleanors grandmother Enid  was married and had a son, Fagus, but it turned out that he had serious medical problems. Once it became clear he was blind and couldnt walk, the family decided his disabilities excluded him from inheriting. He was dispatched to a home on the South Coast, where he received occasional visits but was never allowed back home. In upper-class circles, the tradition was that we dont present the imperfect to the world, says Eleanor. My family had no idea how to look after someone like him, and the doctors told them he needed to be in a home. They said hed be happier there, and my family agreed to that. They werent cruel or heartless, they just didnt question the norms of their class. They went along with the expected ways of doing things.

Enids sister Joan was unlikely to produce an heir for Sybil because she was gay  though this couldnt be acknowledged in the 1920s. She and her companion Pat were part of the Bloomsbury Set and friends of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. Joan and Pat understood how to play the system, says Eleanor. They knew they could never be open about their relationship, but they were able to live together as friends and had a rather racy and exciting life together, travelling and having parties and lots of fun.

In many ways Joans love life, though clandestine, was much happier than that of her younger sister Enid, whose emotional fate had been sealed by her familys inability to lose face over an engagement announcement placed in The Times by her mother-in-law. Enid had fallen in love with an MPs son called Douglas Anstruther; but he was way below her mother Sybils expectations, and she decreed that the pair could only marry if, having spent a year apart, they still felt they were in love. With the year almost up, and excited at the idea of the wealthy Enid as a catch, Douglass mother posted the announcement. By this stage, however, Enid had realised she didnt love Douglas after all.

But the announcement had been made, and the family couldnt back down, says Eleanor. The wedding went ahead, and my grandparents were never happy. Of course, in those circles, happiness wasnt what anyone thought was important.

Enids miserable marriage almost certainly fed into the postnatal depression she suffered, especially after the birth of her third child and second son Ian, Eleanors father, in 1922. Tragically, for all their wealth and connections, her family had no idea how to deal with Enids illness. It was regarded as weakness and an inability to cope, says Eleanor. And the important thing, which had been drummed into everyone, was to be seen to go on coping. Events came to a head one day in 1924 when Enid, in a desperate state, walked out on her husband and young children and took refuge at a Christian Science centre in Norfolk. She was in acute psychological distress and was getting no help at all in dealing with it, says Eleanor.

Looking after the family fortune was more important than looking after people

With Enid gone, her elder sister Joan stepped into the breach. She and Pat were kind and loving, and they looked after my father, who was two, and his sister Finetta, then four, says Eleanor. Their father Douglas spent a lot of time away working in South Africa. Sybil, meanwhile, had hit on how to safeguard the family fortune. She decided shed leave it to Joan, who in turn would bequeath it to Ian, says Eleanor. Enids mental health problems were given little thought, if any. She had assumed the family would come looking for her, to see how they could help. Instead, they simply forgot about her and carried on as though she didnt exist.

But Enid hadnt disappeared, and two years after she left, now recovered, she returned home. When she realised Joan had usurped her as her childrens mother, she invited the now four-year-old Ian over to her house for tea  and when he arrived she grabbed him and shut the nanny out. It was the start of a long battle between Enid and Joan for custody of Ian; and because Douglas backed Joans claim  Enid having been written off for absconding  the latter had a strong case. The tabloids had a field day when the two sisters faced one another across a London courtroom, and the case dragged on for years. For a while it looked as though Joan would win, but in the end the judge ruled in Enids favour.

It was a bittersweet triumph: Enid was broke; her husband Douglas refused to let her move back to the family home and divorced her. The family no longer bailed her out, leaving her in impoverished exile. A few months later, Enid, in debt and desperate for money, approached Joan with an offer: in return for the 500 she needed (almost 35,000 in todays terms) she would relinquish her rights over her son. But what she didnt realise, says Eleanor, is that it would mean the end of her relationship with Ian.

Ian's grandparents Lord George Campbell (1850-1915) Son of 8th Duke of Argylll and Sybil Lascelles Alexander (1860-1947), the matriarch who guarded male line of inheritance

Ian was stunned. He told Eleanor of how he remembered being on a train, going back to Eton where he was at school, and thinking at least I know what Im worth. Contact between mother and son was severed from this moment: Ian was 17. Decades later, when Eleanor spoke to him, he still felt very hurt and angry about what had happened. He remained in touch with his father and was close to Joan until she died  as a child Eleanor heard lots of stories about Aunt Joan but didnt even know what her grandmothers first name was until she started digging into her familys history.

Sitting with Eleanor beside her Aga, everything about her is warm and emotionally astute. But what she discovered, when delving into her familys past, was how many of her aristocratic relatives were unable to deal with suffering, mental health problems and feelings. The rich are different, she says. Its drummed into them that the head is more important than the heart and that looking after the family fortune is more important than looking after individuals and their psychological traumas.

Abandoning her family meant that Enid would be vilified and ghosted out of the family story. Almost a century on, with so much more known about postnatal depression and mental health, the granddaughter she never knew became the first person in her family to look on her story with kindness, and from her vantage point. Eleanor also began to understand many traits of her fathers character. Ian, who died in 2007, was almost forensic in his love of order. What I now know was that this was the result of his chaotic early life, says Eleanor. He had to have absolute certainty: he got up at a certain time, always had dinner at a certain time, hated surprises. When I spoke to him at the end of his life about Enid I was shocked by how hurt he still was. I like to hope that, in writing this story, Ive helped the ghosts of those involved to find peace with one another.

Ian's mother Enid (1892-1964; above left) suffered from postnatal depression; her sister Joan (1887-1960; above right) was secretly lesbian and raised Enids children Ian and Finetta from 1924

Alongside their inability to explore their feelings or allow them to add any weight to the way they lived their lives, Eleanors research also highlighted the ingrained sexism of her family and their class. My grandmother Enid had three children but one of them, Finetta, was a girl, she says. She was the archetype of the forgotten child because, being a girl, she didnt merit any thought at all. Although Sybil was in charge of the family fortune, she didnt see another female as its rightful inheritor. So all the angst was about my father and my uncle: no one fought over Finetta, who was shamefully neglected. Eleanor didnt know her aunt; in fact, she knew no one in the story apart from her father, since the others were all dead by the time she was born: But Finettas silence speaks volumes about the position of women in her day in upper-class circles.

When Eleanor was growing up in the 1970s and 80s, her family was taking its girls a bit more seriously: she was educated at Westminster School and went on to study art history at Manchester University. Her parents Sir Ian and Susan, Lady Anstruther owned valuable swathes of Central London, and when she left university she was given a private income that allowed her to travel the world in her 20s.

Ian's sister Finetta (1920-2001) was ruled out of the family's line of inheritance

Education wasnt valued in upper-class families the way it is in middle-class families because, for aristocrats, it doesnt represent the key to success  for them, bloodline is everything. What put Eleanor in touch with her emotional inner life was the 12 years she spent travelling in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, where she trained to be a yoga teacher. When she returned to the UK in the mid-90s she ran her Surrey farm as a commune, an arrangement that ended when she and her then husband had their twin sons.

What, though, would a family from another class have done differently, faced with the tribulations Eleanors found themselves up against? I think less privileged people might have been better at looking after one another, she says. Joan and Enid, for example, might have been able to talk about how they felt, there might have been a conversation that led to a better understanding of one anothers position, then everything would have been easier. Instead, everyone was emotionally strangled: they didnt know how to support one another, and they had no idea how to access what they were truly feeling inside themselves.

Eleanor has cherished her role as the familys retrospective therapist. In her head she listened to the voices of all her relatives; she tried to understand the culture that surrounded them, and she feels shes finally put their pain and agonies to rest.

I feel theres been a lightening of the load, she says.
Arizona has more than 3,800 hours of sunshine a year  equivalent to over 10 hours a day. It is the sunniest state in the US but several others, including California, Nevada and New Mexico, are not far behind. America is a sunny place and that makes it ideally-suited to solar energy.

To the outside world, the US may seem an unlikely place to bang the drum for renewable energy these days. President Trump is a well-known climate-change sceptic, a keen supporter of the oil and gas industry and publicly opposed to any greenhouse gas-curbing policies that jeopardise US jobs.

At an individual state level however, attitudes are very different. Most US states have clean energy targets and even those which do not are increasingly interested in renewable power, particularly solar.

Clean energy: Solar one of the cheapest sources of power in the US

Their enthusiasm reflects a dramatic change in the economics around this energy source. Building and operating solar plants used to be exceptionally expensive but prices have tumbled over past decade, making solar one of the cheapest sources of power in the US.

US Solar Fund intends to tap into this trend. The company expects to list on the Stock Exchange next week and investors can apply for shares until Wednesday. Shares will be priced at $1 (76p) each but investors can subscribe in pounds or dollars and the minimum application is $1,000 or 1,000.

The flotation looks appealing, with chief executive John Martin targeting a 5.5 per cent dividend yield from 2020, rising steadily in subsequent years.

Martin has form. An Australian with more than three decades' experience in the energy sector, he has been running a Sydney-listed solar energy fund for the past three years, acquiring solar farms in Australia and the US. That fund attracted interest from British investors so Martin decided to establish a new, London-listed operation, focused solely on the US solar market. The decision is timely.

As solar prices have fallen, demand has surged, with increasing numbers of electricity companies aiming to source a chunk of their energy from solar plants.

Plants urgently need to be built to increase capacity and the US Solar Fund is keen to help. The fund hopes to raise $250million (190million) and will borrow an equal amount from banks so it will have $500million to invest in new plants.

Martin has already identified a $4.8billion pipeline of assets across America so he can afford to be choosy about which ones he pursues.

The fund will also be highly selective in its choice of customers, only selling to large, reputable utility groups. Energy contracts in the US tend to be fixed over 15 to 20 years so, once the plants are built and deals are established, US Solar Fund will have a long-term, highly predictable revenue stream.

Building solar plants is relatively simple too. Martin expects to have committed the flotation cash by the end of the year and have his new sites up and running in 2020. There will be five to ten plants at first, generating about 500 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 180,000 households.

President Trump is a well-known climate-change sceptic but individual states' attitudes are very different

A small maiden dividend will be paid this November, but payments should rise significantly once the plants start producing and selling energy.

Over time, US Solar Fund is likely to raise more money on the stock market to expand its portfolio and build new farms. Size brings cost efficiencies, so the larger the portfolio, the more profitable US Solar is likely to be.

In time, the fund may invest in battery storage too. Today, the cost of storing energy via batteries is prohibitive but the economics are changing fast. Once storage becomes commercially viable, US Solar can store some of the energy it creates during daylight hours and sell it for night-time use, thereby increasing overall revenues.

Midas verdict: The US Solar Fund offers UK investors access to a fast-growing renewable energy market, with a robust long-term outlook. An attractive investment, despite President Trump's antipathy.
Property tycoon Nick Candy owns 46% of Metals Exploration

The bosses of an Aim-listed miner controlled by property tycoon Nick Candy are set for crunch talks with lenders to avert its collapse.

Metals Exploration owns the Runruno gold and molybdenum mine in the Philippines, but the firm has been hit by the country's crackdown on mining.

The company, 46 per cent owned by Candy, agreed with its banks last month that it would raise $20million (15.3million) by issuing new shares this month so loan repayments of $63.3million are delayed.

But Candy and second-largest shareholder Runruno Holdings have now said they will not put up the money, having previously backed the firm financially.

'The company's major shareholders have advised the company that they are currently not willing to support an equity fundraising,' Metals Exploration said.

It means new chief executive Darren Bowden faces crucial meetings with lenders HSBC and BNP Paribas. If the talks fail, a $35million repayment due at the end of the month could push the firm into administration.
Ryanair boss Michael OLeary infuriated his rivals last night by predicting a series of takeovers that he believes will soon leave just five main airlines operating in Europe.

In a provocative interview with The Mail on Sunday, OLeary suggested that London-listed Wizz Air, Norwegian Air, Alitalia and Air Portugal will all fall into the hands of larger peers in the next five years.

He said many other firms would be forced out of business as they contend with steep fuel prices, Brexit uncertainty and another summer of delays and cancellations caused by strikes.

'Five major airlines will control over 80 per cent of the traffic' said Ryanair boss O'Leary

OLeary claimed the only big survivors would be easyJet, Germanys Lufthansa, Franco-Dutch giant Air France KLM, International Airlines Group  the FTSE 100-listed owner of British Airways  and Ryanair.

You are going to see more failures and more consolidation, he said. I think in Europe... five major airlines will control over 80 per cent of the traffic.

Everybody else in the next five years is either going to be taken over by, become a partner of, or be subsumed into one of those groups.

Flybmi, Germania, Primera Air and Cobalt of Cyprus have all gone bust recently, while Norwegian Air and Thomas Cooks airlines arm have been the subject of takeover rumours this year.

OLeary added: The obvious developments, as we would see it: I think IAG will eventually buy Norwegian; I think that would lead to Lufthansa probably buying Wizz; I think its inevitable eventually that when the Italian government stops screwing around with Alitalia they will finish up back in the Air France KLM family; Tap [Air Portugal] will finish up as part of IAG.

An industry source last night described OLeary as a Machiavellian and a troublemaker.

A Norwegian Air spokesman said OLearys comments had no root in reality, adding: Norwegian has been through a period of significant growth and as has been previously announced the airline will change its strategic focus from expansion and growth to profitability.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG, last week declined to rule out a future bid for Norwegian, telling reporters: Never say never, but I think its unlikely.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG, last week declined to rule out a future bid for Norwegian

His firm previously looked at making a bid but chose not to push ahead with a takeover earlier this year.

OLeary told The Mail on Sunday that Ryanair is planning to grow organically by increasing its existing operations rather than buying rivals. But he added: Opportunities, though, crop up.

He ruled out any interest in buying Norwegian Air or Thomas Cooks airline business.

Airline executives warned last week that the coming summer could be just as bad for delays and cancellations as 2018 when they are estimated to have cost the EU economy 15.2 billion.

The industry claims that 60 per cent of the delays were due to air traffic control disruption including from strikes in France and Germany. Lengthy hold-ups result in the airlines having to pay substantial compensation to passengers.
A former outlaw bikie member charged with raping a 12-year-old girl is a father-of-two and the ex-Sergeant at Arms of the Nomads national division.

Police said Husa Hasanovic, a father-of-two, allegedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl he met on a train on February 14, and took back to his house.

Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad arrested Hasanovic, 27, this week after a month-long investigation into the alleged assault.

Husa Hasanovic (pictured), 27, was once a leading Nomads OMCG enforcer but is now facing charges of raping a 12-year-old girl at his home in Sydney's south-west on February 14

Police allege that Hasanovic spoke to the girl at a train station and then again on the train, before he led her to a home at Chester Hill and sexually assaulted her.

'It will be alleged the male resident was arrested following a violent struggle with Strike Force Raptor, during which two operatives were injured,' police said in a statement.

Hasanovic was taken to hospital for treatment where he remains under guard.

He was also charged with hindering arrest.

Hasanovic (right) allegedly met the girl at a train station before the pair boarded the carriage together. After departing the train he lured her back to his unit where he allegedly raped her

Hasanovic was once a leading OMCG enforcer, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other high-ranking members in club photos.

But Daily Mail Australia has been told he was booted from the club just weeks ago.

Before leaving the club, Hasanovic had held senior positions within the OMCG including National Sergeant at Arms.

Hasanovic once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with high ranking members of the Nomads OMCG but is now facing a lengthy stint in prison if convicted

Hasanovic is due to face Liverpool Local Court on March 13.
Smoke reported on board an Air Transat flight forced an emergency landing Saturday at a New Jersey airport, where the 189 passengers were evacuated by emergency slides.

Air Transat Flight 942 was on its way from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when it reported a possible fire in the cargo hold and was diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, a Federal Aviation Administration representative said.

The Boeing 737 landed and remained on the runway while airport firefighters responded, and all 189 passengers evacuated via emergency slides, she said. Passengers were then taken by bus to the terminal.

Local tv images show a Canadian jet which made an emergency landing at Newark with a possible cargo hold fire, halting flights

Two of the passengers reported minor injuries, neither related to smoke, and one was taken to a hospital to be examined, said Steve Coleman, deputy director of media relations at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

No fire was found and the cause of the smoke remains under investigation, he said.

'Our 189 passengers' safety is our top priority and they were evacuated promptly upon landing,' said Debbie Cabana, Air Transat marketing director.

Another aircraft was to be sent to Newark to operate the flight to Fort Lauderdale, she said.

Both runways were closed during what Newark Liberty called an 'airport emergency,' but officials later announced that flights had resumed by 11am.

'It was my first time on a plane in 29 years,' said one passenger to the New York Post. 'It was a little concerning.'

Air Transat Flight 942 is towed along the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport after making an emergency landing on Saturday morning

Two passengers suffered minor injuries after evacuating via the emergency slides. No fire was found and the cause of the smoke remains under investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also released a statement on the incident saying, 'Air Transat Flight 942, a Boeing 737, reported a possible fire in the cargo hold and diverted to Newark Liberty International Airport at 8:30am.

'The aircraft landed on Runway 4 Right and remained on the runway while airport firefighters responded. Passengers evacuated on the runway via emergency slides. The source of the smoke reported in the cargo hold has not yet been confirmed.'

As noted by the FAA, the Boeing 737 remained on Runway 4R at Newark Airport leading to numerous diversions and multiple delayed departures.

Inbound flights were diverted to airports across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic including Washington-Dulles and Philadelphia.
Nearly four dozen fishermen were stranded on Lake Erie after a sheet of ice broke loose more than a mile offshore.

Around a hundred more fishermen were able to grab their gear and scramble to safety before any additional ice broke off, according to The Blade of Toledo.

The remaining 46 fishermen had to wait on the ice floe off of Catawba Island for nearly three hours before emergency crews could get to them on the ice Saturday morning.

Among them was 42-year-old Tony Adkins, who described the moment the ice began to crack, quickly creating a huge gap between the floe and the shore.

'It happened really fast,' Adkins, of Akron, Ohio, told The Blade. 'We didnt know there was open water beyond us.

'Thank God the Coast Guard was here for us. You live and you learn, I guess.'

Forty-six fishermen had to be rescued by the Coast Guard after they got stranded on an ice floe on Lake Erie near Catawba Island in Ohio on Saturday morning

Windy and warm weather conditions reportedly caused the sheet of ice break off about a mile offshore. The fishermen are seen walking back to safety after being stranded for three hours

The Coast Guard and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office began receiving reports about the stranded fishermen around 8.30am Saturday.

Petty Officer Brian McCrum said the Coast Guard launched helicopters out of Detroit and sent airboats with local rescue personnel out to retrieve the fishermen.

He said 46 people were rescued, including two fishermen who were hoisted by helicopter and medically examined.

It ended up that no one was injured, authorities said.

Coast Guard and local emergency crews sent helicopters and airboats to rescue the fishermen

James Gibelyou said he was too far from shore to make a run for it as he and others watched the ice break.

'We were out about a mile and a half, and out of nowhere that wind just picked up and everything broke fast,' said Gibelyou, 33, of Wakeman.

Gibelyou said that he noticed the weather was getting warmer Friday and that ice conditions were beginning to change. The fishermen should have called it quits then, he said, and 'not come out this morning.'

The weather wasn't suited for fishing Saturday morning and caused a threat to the safety and lives of those who were on the ice floe, said Toledo fisherman and ice guide Mark Duszynski.

'The wind started shifting and opening up the ice. They can't get across the cracks when they open that quick,' said Duszynski, who watched the rescue action from the shore.

'They shouldn't have been out that far. They couldn't get back across. When that ice has room to move, it moves fast.'

In February 2009, one fisherman died and dozens of others were stranded on a Lake Erie ice floe.
Showtime has pulled the plug on the comedy series 'SMILF' after just two seasons, amid allegations of on-set misconduct from the show's creator.

Writer, lead-actor and executive producer Frankie Shaw has also had her development contract with ABC suspended, a dual announcement revealed on Friday.

'After weighing a variety of factors, Showtime has decided that SMILF will not move forward for a third season,' the network said in a statement.

'We remain extremely proud of the two seasons of SMILF, and thank Frankie Shaw for her singular voice and unique creation'.

But ABC added that Shaw has been suspended without pay while an investigation into a series of alarming allegations is carried out.

After just two seasons Showtime has pulled the plug on the comedy series 'SMILF', amid allegations of on-set misconduct from the show's creator, Frankie Shaw (above)

Between December and January, showrunner Shaw was accused of racial segregation and pressuring a co-star into performing a nude sex-scene.

'SMILF,' which features Shaw as a down-on-her-luck single mom in Boston, premiered to critical acclaim in 2017

First, staffers on the production raised the alarm to the Writers Guild of America, claiming Shaw had separated them into different rooms based on their race, as well as improperly crediting and compensating their work.

In response, Shaw's attorney publicly stated that 'There was never an intention or desire to group the writers based on gender, race, or sexual orientation, nor was that ever consciously done by anyone,' he said.

'Smaller breakout groups are formed solely based on ability and the strengths of the individual writers.'

In a separate allegation the following month, Samara Weaving alleged that Shaw had forced her into performing a nude scene during the first season - despite having a 'no nudity' clause in her contract - as well as violating an agreement to have a closed set for a sex scene in season two.

Weaving's claims were supported by a number of complaints from the crew, who branded her conduct 'completely unprofessional', according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Shaw, however, denied the allegations, saying she worked to create a safe environment and it pained her to learn that any cast and crew were uncomfortable on her set.

Co-star Samara Weaving (pictured right with Shaw) alleged that Shaw had forced her into performing a nude scene during the show's first season, as well as breaching an agreement to have a closed set during a sex scene in season two

Shaw has denied the allegations, saying she worked to create a safe environment and it pained her to learn that any cast and crew were uncomfortable on her set

During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers in January, Shaw addressed the claims surrounding the controversial environment on set.

'I would say Ive learned so much; there are so many lessons,' Shaw said. 'I went from making short films in my basement to running a crew of over 215 people, and theres a lot of lessons along the way.

'I mean, Im right now thinking about a better structure for communication and how to delegate more . . . Thinking about how everyone can feel seen and heard, essentially.'

'SMILF,' which features Shaw as a down-on-her-luck single mom in Boston with a cast that includes Rosie O'Donnell and Connie Britton, was built on a short film Shaw presented at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

It premiered in 2017 to critical acclaim and got two Golden Globe nominations.

Shaw said in a statement: 'I can't express how much I've loved making this show, how much I love the cast and crew and appreciate Showtime and ABC as creative partners.'

SMILF's now-season finale will air on March 31.
Tempers boiled over at the ISM Raceway in Phoenix on Friday, as two NASCAR drivers exchanged blows after their elimination from the first round of the Cup Series.

In the explosive footage, Daniel Suarez can be seen leaping over a concrete wall and exchanging some heated words with fellow driver Michael McDowell.

Clearly unimpressed by the Mexican's demeanor, McDowell - still wearing his racing helmet - can be seen lunging for Suarez's throat, and punching him in the head.

Suarez responds by grabbing McDowell by the chest and throwing him to the ground as the pair continue exchanging blows.

Shortly after Daniel Suarez (left) leaped over a concrete wall, McDowell (right) made a lunge for his throat and delivered the first blow

Suarez responded by throwing some punches of his own, before throwing McDowell to the ground

Crew members to scrambled to pull the pair apart

Blows continued to be exchanged throughout the scuffle before both drivers were eventually pulled away from one another

Crew members rushed to separate the scuffle before it escalated any further.

Suarez found himself pinned against the bonnet of a car by one bystander, with McDowell attempting to get the last shot in, before desperately pulling at his leg.

The two drivers had been jockeying for position on the track just moments before. Their private jousting ultimately hindered both of their times, causing each of the pair to blame the other for their disappointing finish.

'It's just a lack of respect,' Suarez told reporters after the fight. 'Everyone here knows the second lap is a good one. You have to try to get out of the way if somebody is coming in your lap. He didn't.'

McDowell however insisted it was all a 'miscommunication'.

"It's just a lack of respect."@Daniel_SuarezG explains why he decided to have a visit with @Mc_Driver during #BuschPole qualifying. pic.twitter.com/wMwBallgPi  NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 9, 2019

After the race Suarez (left) blasted McDowell (right) for his conduct on the track. However, according reports, the pair later sat down to talk things over

'Its just unfortunate. He was upset. I held him up on his good lap and then he tried to crash us and I just didnt appreciate it,' McDowell said.

He also went on to describe the brawl as 'heat of the moment stuff', saying it all comes part of an 'emotional sport'.

McDowell qualified in 27th and Suarez finished in 28th.

The two drivers later sat down with one another to discuss the track antics amicably, according to CBS.
Erik Prince, the billionaire head of mercenary firm Blackwater, admitted on Friday to attending a Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr and a representative of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during the presidential campaign.

Prince, the Republican donor and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, publicly acknowledged taking part in the meeting for the first time even though he told Congress in 2017 that he had no 'official' or 'unofficial' role with the Trump campaign.

The meeting was significant since it represents the first time that a country other than Russia had been suspected of offering assistance to the Trump campaign in the months leading up to the 2016 election.

Erik Prince responds that the U.S. Congress got the transcript wrong when asked why he didnt tell the House Intel Committee about an Aug 2016 meeting he attended at Trump Tower. @Mehdirhasan goes 'head to head' with Erik Prince NOW @AJEnglish. pic.twitter.com/VCB7HKdyjT  Head to Head (@AJHeadtoHead) March 8, 2019

Erik Prince, the CEO of private security contractor Blackwater, acknowledged in an interview which aired on Al Jazeera on Friday that he took part in a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with top Trump campaign officials and representatives of Saudi Arabia and UAE

Prince did not disclose the meeting to Congress during his testimony in November 2017. The meeting included Donald Trump Jr (left) and George Nader (right). Nader is a Lebanese-American businessman who was acting as an emissary for Saudi Arabia and the Emiratis

In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Prince said he had no official or unofficial role in the campaign except for putting up a yard sign and writing papers.

But he was forced to admit in an interview with Al Jazeera that he did indeed attend a meeting at Trump Tower on August 3, 2016.

During the interview on Al Jazeeras Head to Head program, Prince admitted: We were there  to talk about Iran policy.

The presenter, Mehdi Hasan, then noted that Princes statement contradicted what he told Congress during his testimony on November 30, 2017.

Prince responded that the discrepancy was likely to due to problem with Congress transcription.

Hasan then noted that Prince could be legally exposed to criminal charges from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has indicted a number of Trump associates for making false statements to investigators and to Congress.

Prince was asked why he didnt disclose the meeting to Congress.

Initially, he said he disclosed any meetings, the very, very few.

When pressed further, Prince said: I dont believe I was asked that question.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been gathering evidence related to possible attempts by foreign countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, to assist the Trump campaign. Trump Tower, where the meeting took place, is seen in the stock image above

Prince then contradicted himself again, saying he did inform Congress of the meeting.

I dont know if they got the transcript wrong, he said.

Lying to Congress leaves one vulnerable to charges of perjury, which is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison if convicted.

Prince added that he believed not all of the discussion that day was transcribed and that he remembers talking about the meeting with investigators.

It included George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who was acting as an emissary to both the Saudis and the UAE.

Nader reportedly told Don Jr that the ruling royals in those countries were eager to see his father win the election, according to The New York Times.

Nader was reportedly interested in using private military contractors to destabilize Iran.

The meeting also included Stephen Miller, who was an advisor to the campaign and is now a top White House aide, and Joel Zamel, an Israeli social media expert.

Zamels company, Psy-Group, employs former Israeli intelligence operatives, whose specialty is to manipulate social media.

Nader reportedly paid Zamel upwards of $2million for his services after Trump won the election, according to the Times.

Cyprus-based Psy-Group reportedly worked on a proposal for a 'covert multimillion-dollar online manipulation campaign' to help Trump, utilizing thousands of fake social media accounts, the Times report said.

Rick Gates, a Trump campaign official, reportedly contacted Psy-Group to seek the companys help.

Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Donald Trump Jr, said last May: 'Prior to the 2016 election, Donald Trump Jr. recalls a meeting with Erik Prince, George Nader and another individual who may be Joel Zamel.

'They pitched Mr. Trump Jr. on a social media platform or marketing strategy.

'He was not interested and that was the end of it.'

An attorney for Zamel, Marc L. Mukasey, told the Times: 'Neither Joel Zamel, nor any of his related entities, had any involvement whatsoever in the U.S. election campaign.

Project Rome was presented to the Trump campaign team

In the above document created by Psy-Group, Trump was code-named 'Lion' and his opponent, Hillary Clinton, was 'Forest'. One goal of the firm was to gather information about Clinton and her '10 closest associates'.

Cyprus-based Psy-Group reportedly worked on a proposal for a 'covert multimillion-dollar online manipulation campaign' to help Trump, utilizing thousands of fake social media accounts, The New York Times reported

'The D.O.J. clarified from Day 1 that Joel and his companies have never been a target of the investigation.

'My client provided full cooperation to the government to assist with their investigation.'

Nader's attorney, Kathryn Ruemmler, told the Times: 'Mr. Nader has fully cooperated with the special counsels investigation and will continue to do so.'

Saudi Arabia denied that Nader was authorized to speak for the kingdom.

This is not the first time that Prince has reportedly been caught making inaccurate statements to authorities linked to Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Last April, a witness who was interviewed Mueller's investigators told a different account of a mysterious Seychelles meeting in January 2017 involving Prince than the one Prince testified about to a committee.

The meeting had already drawn attention from investigators because of the way it brought together Prince, representatives of the UAE, and a Russian oligarch just days before Donald Trump took office.

A top Democrat has said Prince may have been trying to establish a back channel to Russia, which he denies.

Among the claims Prince made when he testified under oath before the House Intelligence Committee is that he met coincidentally with the oligarch, Kirill Dmitriev, 'over a beer.'

That encounter followed his meeting with United Arab Emirates officials, who arranged the meeting with Prince, who said he was there for business reasons.

'So, as I recall, I met him, this same guy I talked about, Kirill Dmitriev. Met him down in the bar after dinner, and we talked for 30 minutes over a beer, and that was it,' he said.

But Nader, who has been interviewed by Mueller's team several times, said the Emiratis wanted to introduce a Russian close to the Kremlin to someone who was close to the incoming administration, according to ABC News.

Sources told the network Nader met with Prince at the Pierre hotel in New York in advance of the Seychelles get-together, which took place Jan. 11 in the Pacific nation.

He also sent biographical information to Prince about the meeting  which might suggest something other than a chance encounter.

Prince (seen above before Congress in October 2007) is also drawing scrutiny from Special Counsel Robert Mueller over a mysterious January 2017 meeting in Seychelles involving Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian oligarch. The meeting was held days before Trump took office

FANCY MEETING YOU HERE: The meetings occurred in the Seychelles before Trump took office

That information 'noted that Dmitriev had been appointed by Putin to oversee the state-run sovereign wealth fund,' the report said, citing sources.

Nader also says he attended the meetings, although Prince didn't mention him when asked about other people who were there.

A Prince spokesman told ABC: 'Erik has said all there is to say to the committee and has nothing further to add.'

Prince also testified that his purpose wasn't to represent the Trump campaign in any way.

Nader was convicted of possession of child pornography, in a case that was unsealed just last month. He got arrested after getting caught with videos of minors engaged in explicit conduct. His lawyers have accused rivals of trying to discredit the Mueller probe.

He is a Lebanese-American businessman who has advised successive administrations and found himself negotiating arms deals, hostage situations, and Middle East allies and adversaries of the U.S.

He has appeared before a federal grand jury in addition to sitting for interviews with Mueller's team.

Prince told Fox News: 'I never ever have represented as anyone from the Trump transition, and the only reason I went to the Seychelles' was to see UAE crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

'No one from the Trump transition team knew I was going,' he said.
The United States is set to dethrone Saudi Arabia as the world's leading oil exporter for the first time in over six decades.

According to Rystad Energy, by the end of this year, America will best the middle eastern country in the exportation of oil and other energy goods, such as natural gas liquids and petroleum products.

This is the first time the US have achieved such a milestone since Saudi Arabia began selling oil to other countries in the 1950s.

'It's nothing short of remarkable,' said energy strategist Ryan Fitzmaurice to CNN. 'Ten years ago, no one thought it could happen.'

In large, the power shift has been credited to what experts call the 'shale boom', establishing Texas as the epicenter of America's oil trade.

The profound energy power-shift has largely been credited to the 'shale boom', thanks to technological breakthroughs. Sites such as the the Permian Basin, in West Texas, have become the epicenter of production

Technological breakthroughs have also played their part, with drilling innovations helping to access huge swaths of oil trapped in shale oilfields across America.

With an emphasis on shale-based fuel - an organic-rich sedimentary rock - US oil production has doubled over the last 10 years.

Ryan Fitzmaurice called the US' milestone 'remarkable', insisting nobody would've predicted it would be possible ten years ago

And with Production at the Permian Basin, in West Texas, having reached an all-time high, the US is now pumping more oil than any other country - including Saudi Arabia and fellow powerhouses Russia.

'The shale boom has driven incredible increases in production, Fitzmaurice said to CNN. 'US production is off the charts.'

In 2015, Congress lifted a 40-year oil export band which led to an explosion of international sales. States across the US' Gulf Coast are now scrambling to build more infrastructure to help meet the ever increasing demand for US crude.

'Excess fossil fuels from America will find plenty of eager buyers in fast-growing Asia,' Rystad said in their report.

In Saudi Arabia, oil exports currently sit at around seven million barrels of crude oil a day, along with two million barrels of natural gas liquids and petroleum products.

In contrast, the the US exports three million barrels of oil and five million gas and petroleum barrells.

But according to Rystad, the current disparity between the two will vanish by the end of the year. Saudi Arabia, however, will remain the world's leading crude oil exporter specifically.

With a shift in emphasis towards shale - an organic-rich sedimentary rock - US oil production has doubled in the last decade

By 2020 the US is predicted to export more energy than it imports for the first time since 1953

The Permain Basin is considered the center of the US' shale boom success, where developing technology is allowing companies - such as BP and ExxonMobil - to drill profitably at lower prices.

Exxon now say the plan to produce more than 1 million barrels of oil per day from Permain alone, by 2024.

'Increasingly profitable shale production and a robust global appetite for light oil and gasoline is poised to bring the US to a position of oil dominance in the next few years,' Rystad's report determined.

Such dominance will allow the United States to be more energy self-sufficient that ever before.

Vice President Mike Pence remained unphased by warnings that the increase of oil production will cause irrevocable damage to the environment, during his appearance at Ohio Oil and Gas Association meeting on Friday

The Energy Department have predicted that by 2020 the US will export more energy than it imports for the first time since 1953.

However, environmental experts say the unprecedented prosperity poses 'catastrophic' problems for the climate.

On Friday, the Trump administration seemed unphased by the projections though, as Mike Pence appeared at the Ohio Oil and Gas Association's annual meeting hailing the US' soon-to-be global oil dominance.

The Vice President also used the opportunity to slam the Democrats 'Green New Deal', backed by the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

'The only thing green about the Green New Deal is how much green it is going to cost all of us,' he said with a wry smile.
Americans may struggle to get up in the morning after losing an hours sleep overnight.

Daylight savings across much of the U.S. takes place at 2am EST, at which point the clocks will jump forward an hour to 3am.

Digital devices should automatically shift forward from 2am to 3am.

However you may still need to change the dial on your manual clocks, so consider setting clocks an hour ahead before bed Saturday night.

Daylight will begin to last longer into the evening but the sun will take an hour longer to emerge in the morning.

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

Many Americans will lose an hour sleep on Sunday night as the country's time zones move into daylight savings time (file image)

As daylight saving time takes effect, the Washington state House of Representatives passed a measure Saturday that would make those later sunsets permanent in the state all year.

The measure passed the chamber on an 89-7 vote and now heads to the state Senate, which has its own bill on the topic. The vote comes as more than two dozen other states are considering measures to avoid the twice-yearly clock change.

Currently, clocks are changed twice a year - going forward on the second Sunday in March, and back on the first Sunday in November.

Washington state's Democratic Rep. Marcus Riccelli of Spokane cited safety and health benefits among the reasons he sponsored the measure. 'It's time to hashtag ditch the switch, bring the light and put Washington at the forefront of this movement,' he said during debate before the vote.

At least 26 states are considering legislation related to the practice of changing clocks twice a year, including the three West Coast states, according the National Conference of State Legislatures.

That's the most number of states with bills on the issue since the group started tracking the topic five years ago, said Jim Reed, who has been following daylight saving bills for the conference.

Florida passed a similarly conditional measure last year. This past week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, both of Florida, introduced measures to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.

Clocks will go forward one hour at 2am - giving people more daylight hours in the evening

In November, California voters passed a ballot measure to permit the state Legislature to establish daylight saving time year-round if federal law changes. A bill was introduced there a month after the election.

While federal law allows states to opt into standard time permanently - which Hawaii and Arizona have done - the reverse is prohibited and requires Congressional action.

Reed said while about half the states are seeking to move to permanent daylight saving time, like Washington and California, about half have bills to adopt permanent standard time. Oregon is considering measures for both approaches.

On Thursday, British Columbia Premier John Horgan sent a letter to the governors of Washington, Oregon and California about bills each of the states are considering, writing that 'a change in any of these jurisdictions in our time zone would have significant impacts on British Columbia.'

'It makes sense to me that we move in unison on this matter,' he wrote, and asked for each state to provide an update on where they stood. He said that while there were no imminent changes planned in British Columbia, 'we are closely following developments on the West Coast of the U.S.'

Democratic Rep. Zack Hudgins of Tukwila said after the vote that he was among those opposed because he didn't see the point of the Legislature passing a bill that is ultimately dependent on what Congress does.

'I love late sunsets too, but I think this is Congress' deal,' he said.

Many devices will switch over automatically but if unsure it is best to wind the clock forward before bed (file image)
Summer might be over but the weather is showing no signs of cooling down.

Autumn has been delayed for parts of Australia as people flock to the beach to take advantage of the extended summer.

The warm weather is set to continue this week as temperatures along Australia's east and west coasts soar into the mid 30s and beyond.

Sydney will reach a top of 34 degrees on Tuesday while further north, Queensland's south-east is sweltering through a three day severe heatwave with temperatures up to eight degrees higher than the early autumn average.

Parts of of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia will swelter though higher than average temperatures this week

'Ready for some Autumn heat? A severe heatwave is forecast from Sunday with temperatures in southern Qld set to rise up to eight above average. Heat records may be broken on Monday,' the Bureau of Meteorology tweeted.

A severe heatwave warning is also in place for Western Australia's northern and central regions, where Port Headland is forecast to reach a scorching 44 on Sunday.

On the other side of Australia in Queensland's south-east, the Sunshine and Gold coasts will reach the mid 30s on Monday and Tuesday.

The mercury will rise further inland, where Brisbane will hit 33 degrees on Sunday before reaching highs 36 on Monday.

Ipswich in the city's south-west is tipped to get up to 37.

Brisbane will cool down to 33 on Tuesday and temperatures will remain in the 30s until at least next Saturday.

Further west, the Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley regions will swelter through the high 30s.

'A trough off the south-eastern Queensland coast has been quite persistent in its location, so the northerly winds will bring warm air to the region over the next few days,' Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michael Gray told Daily Mail Australia.

'It will start to cool down after Tuesday but the warm weather will be around until next weekend with temperatures in the mid 30s for those away for the coast. Central Queensland will also see above average temperatures right through to the end of the week.'

Brisbane's Southbank beach (pictured) will be packed on Monday with a top of 36 expected

Temperatures on the Gold Coast will remain in the 30s for much of the week.

'We're expecting big crowds,' Lachlan Weston from Surf Life Saving Queensland told the ABC.

The March record stands at 37.9 degrees for Brisbane and 38 for Ipswich.

Mr Gray said the warm weather isn't unusual for this time of the year in south-east Queensland.

'It's only been a few weeks since summer has ended,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

A top of 34 is forecast for the Gold Coast (pictured) on Monday, where temperatures will remain in the 30s for most of this week

'We're in the middle of the transition from summer into the cooler months, so there will be a few more weeks of warm weather.'

Mr Gray had this advice for residents in south-east Queensland over the coming days.

'Stay inside in the air conditioning, keep water bottles full and don't go outside in the hottest part of the day between 10am and 3pm,' he said.

South-west Queensland and parts of Western Australia will be the hottest places in the country over the coming days with severe heatwave conditions

Elsewhere across Australia, Sydney will get up to highs of 34 on Tuesday before plummeting to 24 on Wednesday.

While parts of east coast will swelter on Tuesday, it will be a different story in Victoria and Tasmania, where maximum temperatures will be in the teens.

Hobart will reach a top of 16 before warming up to a weekly high of 23 on Thursday.

Sydneysiders will flock to Clovelly Beach (pictured) on Tuesday with a top of 34 forecast

Melburnians will also see cooler weather with a top of 18 on Tuesday before reaching a high of 26 on Thursday, while Adelaide's temperatures will remain in the low to mid 20s this week.

Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide all copped their own blast of an early autumn heatwave last week.

Further west, Perth will remain in the high 20s for much of the week before getting up to 31 on Friday while in the Top End, Darwin will be 34 degree for much of the week.

The extended summer will continue with in parts of Australia to cop a heatwave this week
A 20-year-old Croatian man appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of teenager Jodie Chesney, whose death shocked the nation.

Manuel Petrovic looked calm as he was led into the glass dock at Barkingside Magistrates Court in East London for a three-minute hearing.

Miss Chesney, right, was stabbed in the back as she listened to music with her boyfriend and friends in a park in Harold Hill, East London, on March 1.

Jodie Chesney, 17, was stabbed in the back in a park in Harold Hill, East London

The Explorer Scout, 17  described by her father as a great girl and a proud geek  died at the scene.

Petrovic, from Collier Row, East London, was arrested in Leicester on Tuesday and charged in the early hours of today with Jodies murder. He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday. A second man was last night still being questioned by detectives.

Petrovic appeared in the dock dressed in a grey prison-issue tracksuit. He spoke only to confirm his birth date, nationality and address.

Told to sit, he glanced at reporters in the crowded public gallery.

Crown prosecutor Varinder Hayre told magistrates: Mr Petrovic is charged with an offence of murder of the victim Jodie Chesney.

Police work at the scene in Harold Hill, Romford where Jodie Chesney was stabbed to death

Magistrate Nigel Bower told Petrovic: You have heard whats gone on. You are remanded in custody and are going to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. You may go.

Mr Petrovic nodded and said thank you before he was led out of the dock and back to the cells. Later, obscured from view, he was placed in the back of a white van and driven away.

A post-mortem gave the cause of Miss Chesneys death as trauma and haemorrhage. Police have said they are still trying to determine a motive.
rs Bibi, 53, and her husband have not been allowed to leave the country

Asia Bibi was on death row for nine years after being wrongly accused by fellow villagers in Pakistan of insulting the Prophet Mohammed

The daughter of a Christian woman who faced the death penalty for blasphemy has pleaded for her mother to be allowed to leave Pakistan.

Asia Bibi was on death row for nine years after being wrongly accused by fellow villagers in Pakistan of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

She was finally cleared by the countrys Supreme Court last year, but riots broke out following the verdict and she was taken into protective custody.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday from a secret location in Canada, her youngest daughter Eisham Ashiq, 18, said: I am missing her so much, I think about her all the time, and I speak to her on the phone all the time. I say to her, Have faith in God, because if God can release you from jail, God can release you from where you are now. He will bring you out. 

Eisham has been living with her sister Esha, 21, since December and last hugged her mother nine years ago, although she did see her through prison bars in October.

She said: I could touch her hands and kiss and shake her hands, but could not hug her.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday from a secret location in Canada , her youngest daughter Eisham Ashiq, 18, said she last hugged her mother nine years ago. Eisham has been living with her sister Esha, 21, since December

The family fear that the risk of Mrs Bibi being attacked will grow the longer she stays in Pakistan. At the moment, she has security, but she could face problems any moment, any time, and it could happen very quickly, Eisham said

When she comes, I will hug her and kiss her, and that day will be a very special day when my mummy arrives, and I know I will be very happy, and will thank God before anything else.

A petition against the Supreme Court decision clearing Mrs Bibi was rejected in January and she is a free woman.

However, Mrs Bibi, 53, and her husband, Ashiq Masih, 59, have not been allowed to leave the country.

Appealing directly to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Eisham said: I would like to tell him to think about us, and release my mother.

We love Pakistan very much, and my mummy will never speak against Pakistan as she loves it too.

The family fear that the risk of Mrs Bibi being attacked will grow the longer she stays in Pakistan.

At the moment, she has security, but she could face problems any moment, any time, and it could happen very quickly, Eisham said.

Eisham was only nine when she witnessed her mother being beaten by a baying mob in front of village elders.

Mrs Bibi had been accused of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet following a row that broke out when other village women refused to drink water from the same cup as her because she was Christian.

She was finally cleared by the countrys Supreme Court last year, but riots broke out following the verdict and she was taken into protective custody




Police have launched a murder inquiry after a girl was found dead in a flat in a Yorkshire village.

Kelsey Womersley, 19, died in the early hours of Friday after an ambulance was called to an address in Birstall, West Yorkshire.

Paramedics alerted police, who arrested four people on suspicion of murder. Officers were last night continuing to quiz a 17-year-old girl, but released two men, aged 20 and 19, and a 23-year-old woman without further action.

Murder probe: Police have launched a murder inquiry into the death of Kelsey Womersley

Kelsey's family yesterday left balloons, flowers and cards outside the block of flats where she died. One card, signed 'Dad and Sarah', read: 'Always in our hearts.' Another said: 'To a special granddaughter. Love always. Nanna.'

Friends of Kelsey, who is understood to have been training for a role in childcare and who would have turned 20 next month, took to Facebook to pay tribute. Bethany Purdy wrote: 'Still cannot believe this. Why did it have to happen to such a nice girl?'

Another post read: 'You was one in a million, you always had a heart of gold, always knew how to make us smile.'

Local Labour MP Tracy Brabin described Kelsey's death as 'absolutely devastating news' and locals in Birstall, which is six miles outside Leeds, spoke of their shock.

As a police car remained parked outside the flat located in a block of maisonettes down a country lane, a neighbour described how he was woken by police knocking on the door.

'I could see a lot of people were at the flat. There were at least five girls and boys,' said the neighbour, who asked not to be named. 'I did not hear any music and I don't think there was a party. I could not say for certain if the girl who died lived there or not.'

Detective Superintendent Jim Griffiths, from the homicide and major inquiry team at West Yorkshire Police, said yesterday: 'We are continuing to investigate the circumstances of what took place in the property and the precise cause of Kelsey's death.'
Tobacco tycoon and notorious playboy Travers Beynon was surrounded by young women at an exclusive after-party celebrating the success of his bizarre marketing ploy.

Beynon, better known as The Candyman, invited fans to get branded with free tattoos at more than a dozen Celebrity Ink locations across Australia, Thailand, Indonesia and India.

On Saturday night, the flashy mogul partnered with Love Nightclub, in Broadbeach, where his DJ son Valentino headlined.

Tobacco tycoon and notorious playboy Travers Beynon was surrounded by young women at an exclusive after-party celebrating the success of his bizarre marketing ploy

Beynon, better known as The Candyman, invited his followers to get branded with free tattoos at more than a dozen Celebrity Ink locations

On Saturday night, the flashy mogul partnered with Love Nightclub in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast

The exclusive party celebrated the success of the weekend, as both Saturday and Sunday were booked out at three tattoo parlours across the Gold Coast.

The event was initially tabbed as being held on one day only, but the overwhelming support forced the tycoon to extend by an extra day.

There were two tattoos on offer - the 'TB' Candyman logo or 'Freechoice', his tobacco company.

Those who received the tattoos have 'priority VIP access' to the mogul's upcoming exclusive parties, which included afterparty on Saturday night.

Freechoice general manager Bryn Sharp told Daily Mail Australia Beynon himself spent hours talking to his fans while they were getting inked.

The first eight people who turned up to Love Nightclub on Saturday branded with the exclusive tattoo were also gifted with a private booth for them and six of their friends.

Beynon had a private booth at the party with up to 40 people invited inside, a high percentage of which were young women.

'Celebrity Ink also had a booth next to us,' Mr Sharp said.

The exclusive party celebrated the success of the weekend, as both Saturday and Sunday were booked out at three tattoo parlours across the Gold Coast

The event was initially tabbed as being held on one day only, but the overwhelming support forced the tycoon to spread it out over a weekend

There were two tattoos on offer - the 'TB' Candyman logo or 'Freechoice', his tobacco company

Eight of Beynon's most avid fans were also partying in their own exclusive booths.

'One of the key things is that Valentino was the head DJ at the party,' Mr Sharp said.

Beynon's son has been slowly building his career, playing at nightclubs across Surfers Paradise.

Mr Sharp said there was already quite a queue at the nightclub when he arrived at 9.30 - and even those without a tattoo were treated by Beynon.

'The guys and girls who didn't get tattoos, Travers invited them into his personal booth and had a chat and a drink,' Mr Sharp said.

Mr Sharp said people of 'all shapes and sizes' had come out in droves to get inked - with the expensive lingerie and skimpy outfits usually seen on Mr Benyon's associates absent.

Those who received the tattoos have 'priority VIP access' to the mogul's upcoming exclusive parties, which included afterparty on Saturday night

Beynon's son Valentino (pictured left with his father) DJ'd the party, held at Love Nightclub in Broadbeach

Eight of Benyon's most avid fans were also partying in their own exclusive booths

'Travers spoke to every customer that got a tattoo yesterday,' Mr Sharp said.

'There were over 300 of them in the parlour. They come in and get a free tattoo and talk to The Candyman.'

Mr Beynon himself went to the Coomera shop at 9am on Saturday to watch the first woman receive the tattoo.

He remained at the parlour until it closed at 6.30pm, posing for photos and meeting his fans.

Mr Beynon has imprinted his logo on many over the past few years, setting up personal tattoo stations at his own mansion.

Most recently, he installed one in the lavish living room of his luxury home, echoing Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, where multiple women could be seen being worked on by one of The Candyman's tattoo artists.

The walls, meanwhile, were adorned with stylish art as a dozen or so other women appeared to wait their turn.

The 'M' when turned on its side spells out Beynon's initials.

Mr Sharp said people of 'all shapes and sizes' had come out in droves to get inked - with the expensive lingerie and skimpy outfits usually seen on Mr Benyon's associates absent

Mr Benyon himself went to the Coomera shop at 9am on Saturday to watch the first woman receive the tattoo
The number of young thugs being locked up has plummeted, despite soaring violent crime.

Fewer than 300 teenagers were put behind bars last year for serious attacks, down from more than 1,000 a decade ago.

And only half of yobs repeatedly caught wielding blades are being put away, as judges ignore a tough new two strikes law that should ensure second-time offenders are locked up.

The shock figures uncovered by The Mail on Sunday last night sparked fears that soft justice is fuelling Britains knife crime crisis, as dangerous youths are given the message they can carry on wounding and terrifying people with impunity.

The number of young thugs being locked up has plummeted, despite soaring violent crime. Stock image

The figures come after a bloody week in which six people were fatally stabbed across the UK. In other developments yesterday: A 19-year-old was stabbed in the chest on a bus (pictured) in North London

Former MP Nick de Bois, who drew up the two strikes law, said: The dramatic reduction in immediate custodial sentencing over the past ten years is telling todays violent young criminals they have nothing to fear from the courts. Jail time alone may not deal with the complex causes of increasing violent crime but it does mean serious offenders are taken off the streets and shows others they will answer for their crimes.

Judges need to understand this poor track record in sentencing is making the problem worse and they are letting down victims and their families.

The figures come after a bloody week in which six people were fatally stabbed across the UK. In other developments yesterday:

Former MP Nick de Bois, who drew up the two strikes law Former MP Nick de Bois said: Judges need to understand this poor track record in sentencing is making the problem worse and they are letting down victims and their families

A 19-year-old was stabbed in the chest on a bus in North London, while three revellers were knifed at a nightclub in Birmingham, just yards from where Home Secretary Sajid Javid met police on Friday;

Three young men  including a 15-year-old boy  appeared in court accused of three of the latest killings in London;

Police chiefs prepared to demand more than 50 million a year extra from the Government to stem the violence;

l Legendary NYPD boss Bill Bratton told this newspaper that Britain must get more bobbies on the beat  but warned that indiscriminate use of stop-and-search risks sowing discord;

l London Mayor Sadiq Khan was revealed to have spent 620,000 running private opinion polls to test the popularity of his policies enough to pay the starting salaries of 26 police officers  prompting allegations he is focused on a possible Labour leadership bid at the expense of tackling knife crime.

In a graphic example of the weak sentences handed down by judges, police revealed yesterday that a thug caught with three huge knives at a busy railway station was spared jail  to the fury of officers.

Jodie Chesney, 17, who was stabbed to death at a park in Harold Hill, Havering, Romford, London. She is one of the victims of three latest stabbings in England

The man was arrested a week ago at Birmingham New Street with a camouflage Rambo knife, a hunting weapon with a 10in blade and an even longer kitchen knife. But British Transport Police said he had been given a suspended jail term and his only other punishment will be an eight-week curfew.

Richard Cooke, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation, tweeted: Yet another dangerous knife criminal walks free from court! If this isnt part of the problem we are truly kidding ourselves. This is a travesty of justice & makes a mockery of our work fighting the knife crime epidemic.

And on Friday, 18-year-old Devante Omer was also given a suspended sentence for possession of a fearsome knife in Enfield, North London. Superintendent Roy Smith of Scotland Yard tweeted: I wonder if this judicial outcome serves as either a deterrent or offers any hope at rehabilitation.

The cases illustrate just how few teenagers are now sent to young offender institutions for possession of weapons and violent offences.

Ministry of Justice statistics show that 1,057 juveniles were locked up for violence in 2008 but a decade later that number had dropped to just 288  a 72 per cent fall.

Most were given cautions (869) or community sentences (820). By contrast, the majority of adults still receive immediate custody for violent offences. The drop in tough sentences has come despite rising knife crime in recent years. From a low of 2,670 in 2014, the number of weapon offences committed by juveniles almost doubled to 4,492 last year.

Violence now makes up 29 per cent of all offences committed by children, a bigger proportion than any other type of crime, up from 19 per cent a decade earlier.

Under a law introduced in 2015, anyone over 16 convicted of a second weapon possession offence is meant to be locked up for a minimum of six months. But the latest figures show that just 45 per cent of the 384 under-18s convicted under the two strikes law in 2018 were put behind bars, down from 53 per cent the year before.

John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation representing rank-and-file officers, said: While the prison system is not perfect, we should never shy away from jailing offenders in the interest of public safety.

All too often the voice of those supporting offenders is much louder than those supporting victims. This is wrong. Its essential the victims and their families are heard.

And David Fraser, a former senior probation officer and criminal intelligence analyst, said: We need to start locking up violent offenders at the first sign of trouble. These children should be punished so severely they would never do it again.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: The number of children entering the criminal justice system has fallen 86 per cent in the last decade and we welcome the fact this figure continues to go down.

Under this Government, the most serious offenders are more likely to go to prison, and for longer  helping protect the public and keep communities safe.
The Mail on Sundays Save Our Parks campaign has scored a double victory after two local authorities scrapped plans to axe green spaces.

A proposal to pave over a park and turn it into a car park for council staff in Loughton, Essex, has been dropped after a backlash from residents.

Campaigners are also toasting victory in Devon after residents killed off a councils plans to build houses on their village green in Westward Ho!

A proposal to pave over a park and turn it into a car park for council staff in Loughton, Essex, has been dropped after a backlash from residents. The Mail on Sunday's campaign has scored a double victory after two local authorities scrapped plans to axe green spaces

Both schemes were featured in our campaign to save thousands of parks under threat from council cutbacks and developers.

Councillors performed a U-turn on a 300,000 taxpayer-funded plan to build a council car park on Marlescroft Way Green in Loughton just days after our report last week.

Epping Forest Council cabinet member Syd Stavrou said: I feel we have to listen to local people. I have listened and decided the potential benefits of this car park dont sufficiently outweigh the objections.

Ada Sula, 37, a mother-of-two who lives near the green, said: This is a victory for common sense.

In Devon, campaigners praised our coverage for playing a key role in stopping ten houses from being built on a park in Westward Ho!

We first reported on the plans in October, forcing councillors to send the project back to the drawing board.

Last week, Torridge District Council members finally ditched the housing scheme after hearing that Northam Town Council, which covers Westward Ho!, had a business plan to save the 1-acre park.

One of the campaign leaders, Nick Laws, said: Our community has killed off any idea of building houses on the park. The Mail on Sunday played a totally crucial role in that.

In Devon, campaigners praised our coverage for playing a key role in stopping ten houses from being built on a park in Westward Ho! Both schemes were featured in our campaign to save thousands of parks under threat from council cutbacks and developers

You publicised our fight at the start of your parks campaign and you kept up the pressure.

The victories come after the Government last month pledged a 13 million cash injection to help improve Britains parks.

Earlier this year, campaigners backed by The Mail on Sunday hailed a victory in the High Court after judges ruled against plans to build dozens of luxury homes on a historic park in Liverpool.
She came. She saw. She conquered.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dominated the South by Southwest conference with her mere presence, bringing in a larger crowd than any of the 2020 presidential contenders, all of whom were asked about her or her Green New Deal in their own sessions at the popular event.

The 2,000 plus ballroom - one of the biggest in the Austin Convention Center - was packed, the overflow rooms were flooded with attendees and Bill Nye tweeted a photo of himself from the room waiting to hear the freshman Democrat from New York speak.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez drew massive crowds at SXSW

She spent much of her talk decrying the treatment of minorities

The crowd rose to its feet, whooping, cheering and hollering when Ocasio-Cortez entered, but, when she spoke, you could hear a pin drop.

Her one-hour talk was filled with economic policy, social policy and what she's learned in her two months as a member of Congress.

But her bigger message was one of hope, inclusion and equality, particularly for blacks and latinos.

She slammed the treatment of minorities throughout recent American history from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, which she claimed was racist, to Ronald Reagan's treatment of them.

She decried the idea of incrementalism, a belief in change via small steps, and said it took big sweeping ideas to make a difference.

'This idea of like 10 percent better than garbage shouldn't be something we settle for,' she said.

The crowd cheered her on.

Ocasio-Cortez, 29, berated the New Deal, Franklin Roosevelt's massive public works program worshiped by Democrats, as 'an exercise in racism,' arguing it made life and home loans easier for whites but left African Americans and Latinos behind.

She pivoted to her Green New Deal, which she claims would focused on those in need first.

'We fix the pipes in Flint first. We fix the electrical grid in Puerto Rico first. And we fully fund the pensions of coal miners in West Virginia,' she said to applause.

She also blamed the current racial tensions on Reagan, whom she claimed "pitted white working-class Americans against brown and black working-class Americans to screw over all working-class Americans is Reaganism in the 80s when he started talking about welfare queens.

She added that Reagan's description painted a resentful vision of black women who were doing nothing that were sucks on our country.'

Bill Nye tweeted he was looking forward to the congresswoman's talk

The crowd was delighted when Nye asked Ocasio-Cortez a question

She blasted cynicism and moderatism as too common place in America.

'We've become so cynical that we view 'um,' 'meh' ... we view cynicism as a intellectual superiority,' she said, adding: 'Moderate isn't a stance, it's an attitude towards life.'

She defended herself as a self-defined socialist, slamming the 'fear mongering' of socialism, calling it a fear that 'governments going to take over the private sector.'

She complained it's actually the opposite.

'We should be scared right now because corporations have taken over our government,' Ocasio-Cortez said.

She also offered the crowd a rallying cry, tied to the Green New Deal she is pushing.

'Our mission right now should be that all jobs should be paid a dignified living wage. Our mission should be to save our freaking planet,' she said.

While her talk focused on issues central to her brand, there were light hearted moments.

Attendees were invited toward the end to ask her questions and the crowd roared in delight when one of those was Nye, or "The Science Guy" as he is known.

Ocasio-Cortez was just as delighted to see him.

'Oh my goodness,' she said, jumping to her feet and applauding him.

Nye thanked the room and then turned his focus on Ocasio-Cortez asking her about the feeling of 'fear' pervading America, which he argued came from white men like himself worried about what they would have to give up.

'We can give without a take,' she responded.

Elizabeth Warren (left), Howard Schultz (center), and Amy Klobuchar spoke to smaller crowds earlier in the day

Her talk at SXSW - a tech focused festival that has branched out its roots to entertainment and politics - was filled with a diverse group that reflects the roots of the Democratic Party: young and old, male and female and people of all races.

Curiosity brought them, one attendee told DailyMail.com while some young woman wanted to see a fellow female who had ascended to Capitol Hill.

And Ocasio-Cortez encouraged them to follow in her footsteps.

'Stop trying to navigate systems of power and start building your own party,' the youngest member of Congress told one young woman who asked her how she could get into politics.

'If I ran my election on a platform that was more moderate I wouldn't have won my election,' she said of her 2016 June primary win that shocked the Democratic Party. 'It has to be different.'

But the majority of her talk was directed toward the disenfranchised.

'It doesn't feel good to live in an unequal society,' Ocasio-Cortez told the room - another applause line.

There were nods and mummers of agreement.

She blasted corporations for their outsized influence on politics and government.

''It's not the CEO that's creating billions of dollars of value a year; it's workers who are creating it,' she said.

'I think that the effort to divide to race and class has always been the tool of powerful to take away the control of the government from the every day working people,' she told the crowd to great applause.

She slammed capitalism as 'unsustainable' and irredeemable.

'We seek and prioritize profit and the accumulation of money above all else ... above any human and environmental cost,' she said. 'To me that ideology is unsustainable and it cannot be redeemed.'

Neil Gaiman spoke in the same room before Ocasio-Cortez and his daughter tweeted about the two meeting

Ocasio-Cortez will be at SXSW for two days

The line to see Ocasio-Cortez snaked around the four floors of the Austin Convention Center.

Earlier in the day, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz spoke in the same room with seats to spare.

Author Neil Gaiman spoke in the same room before Ocasio-Cortez and his daughter Maddy tweeted a photo of him meeting the lawmaker after his conversation: 'My dad has met @AOC backstage at #SXSW and now he is officially cool.'

Democratic contenders Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, and Pete Buttigieg all spoke in a smaller setting.

But all were asked about Ocasio-Cortez or the Green New Deal she is pushing.

Schultz slammed it as 'never gonna happen' while Klobuchar praised it. And Warren was asked if the youngest member of Congress was under-hyped or overhyped?

'Right hyped,' the Massachusetts senator said.

Ocasio-Cortez was asked about the upcoming presidential but didn't endorse a contender.

'What is the story that they tell I think is really important to ask and look for in people,' she said.

And when asked how Democrats could pick a nominee who can defeat President Trump, she replied: 'I think the person we believe in is the person who will win.'
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has spent over 5.6 billion for social and environmental initiatives across its businesses, the firm said in a statement Sunday.

SMC recently pledged 1 billion to undertake, together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), an extensive cleanup of the Tullahan River system which is connected to the Manila Bay undergoing rehabilitation.

The company, through its San Miguel Foundation, also spent 332 million to provide livelihood opportunities to over 160 families of soldiers and police officers killed in action during the Marawi siege. The program includes a 2 million business startup package for each affected family.

SMC has provided around 1.3 billion in assistance for disaster response and rebuilding as of 2018, and 1.1 billion for housing programs.

The San Miguel Foundation also donated 126 million worth of Rapiscan mobile X-ray units to the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and 50 units of BMW motorcycles to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

SMC also raised its number of scholars to 102, as 68 beneficiaries graduated with various degrees from accountancy to engineering the previous year. SMC officers and employees also set aside a part of their salaries for the "Helping People Help People" project that funded the education of underprivileged youths in Montalban, Rizal.

The firm also set community clinics in Valenzuela, Pampanga, Batangas, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao del Sur to provide consultation, diagnostic services and medicines to indigent patients.

"We are gradually reworking our CSR (corporate social responsibility) strategy in ways that transcend the traditional thinking on corporate giving, expanding the reach of our programs and engaging our employees and other stakeholders so that more people can have a vessel to make a difference and participate in causes that are close to our hearts," Ferdinand Constantino, chairman of the San Miguel Foundation was quoted saying.

He said San Miguel's CSR programs are aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In adherence to the sixth SDG that pushes for clean water and sanitation, San Miguel has significantly started to reduce its water footprint through its "Water For All" sustainability project. As of the end of 2018, SMC and its subsidiaries saved 7.7 billion liters on "non-product water."

SMC also discontinued its plastic bottled water business and will aim to utilize the Purewater brand in filtration technology to provide clean and safe drinking water to people in flooded areas during calamities.

In 2012, the firm donated 500 million for the housing of Typhoon Sendong victims in Mindanao, particularly the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. A year later, San Miguel donated the amount of 15.4 million and 332 million for relief distribution and housing, respectively, following the destruction brought about by Super Typhoon Yolanda in Western Visayas.

San Miguel, through its foundation, will be setting up at least two Better World communities in Manila within 2019.

"We hope to create an environment for the poor to amplify and grow their own impact, first by addressing the issue of hunger, but not stopping there. We hope to capacitate them and connect them more strongly and positively to their own communities," Constantino said.
Absent fathers have a significant impact on the behaviour of young people caught up in crime, drugs and gangs, a shocking report has found.

Experts who examined the lives of 60 vulnerable teenagers in South London found that nearly three quarters were not living with their fathers.

Four in ten witnessed domestic abuse and many of the parents had problems with drink or drugs or were in trouble with police themselves  with their children often following suit.

Absent fathers have a significant impact on the behaviour of young people caught up in crime, drugs and gangs, a shocking report has found. Stock picture, shows a drug pusher bringing drugs to a man sat inside a car

Experts who examined the lives of 60 vulnerable teenagers in South London found that nearly three quarters were not living with their fathers.

The report was commissioned after three teenagers were stabbed to death in Croydon, South London, in November last year.

The report by the Croydon Safeguarding Children Board concluded: A significant proportion of fathers were absent from the family home, which meant they had limited parental control or influence on their childs behaviour, with the remaining parent finding it increasingly more difficult to curtail risky, or troublesome behaviours.

Many of the youths parents themselves committed crime or abused drugs or alcohol, possibly indicating to the child that such behaviour is acceptable. Domestic abuse also had a significant impact on the childs behaviour and relationship with figures of authority.

Of the 60 teenagers studied in the past two years, five have died including the three who were stabbed, one who was killed in a moped crash and another who took a fatal dose of drugs.

All of them were known to social services  a quarter of them before their first birthday. Nineteen were expelled from primary school and all of this group went on to be convicted of crimes. Overall, three-quarters had gone missing on at least one occasion  including all of the girls  and half were in gangs.

By the end of the study, 50 of the youths had criminal convictions, including three of the boys who were in jail for murder.

Of the 55 still alive, 23 are now behind bars, five are in care, three of the girls are pregnant and one is homeless. During the study, more than a quarter had no home. Six of the girls are still in education, with one hoping to go to university.

Croydon councillor Alisa Flemming said: The findings are a powerful reminder of the reality these children are living  from a very young age, many of them feel unsafe and isolated, and all of them desperately need support and stability. Five of these young people have tragically lost their lives. We must come together as a community to support the remaining 55.
Tory grandee Lord Carrington, who resigned as Foreign Secretary to take responsibility for the invasion of the Falklands, left 36,798,038 in his will.

The hereditary peer, who died aged 99 last July, was the last surviving member of Winston Churchills government of the 1950s.

His two daughters Alexandra and Virginia were left his interest in two properties in Chelsea and his collection of watercolours.

Lord Carrington (left) shares a laugh with former-US President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The hereditary peer died last year aged 99

The Eton-educated peer left his farm in West Rasen, Lincolnshire, to his grandson Robert. His wife Iona died aged 89 in 2009 after 67 years of marriage.

Tory grandee Lord Carrington, who resigned as Foreign Secretary to take responsibility for the invasion of the Falklands, left 36,798,038 in his will.

Lord Carrington served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, reaching the rank of major and winning the Military Cross.

Lord Carrington was Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's first Foreign Secretary in 1979, and would later resign over the handling of the invasion of the Falkland Islands after the Argentinian attempt to retake the islands

High profile politicians, colleagues and relatives attended Lord Carrington's funeral in 2018, including former Foreign Secretary William Hague (left) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (right)

A junior Minister in the departments of Agriculture and Defence under Churchill, he spent three years as High Commissioner to Australia in the 1950s before becoming First Lord of the Admiralty under Harold Macmillan.

Lord Carrington was Defence Secretary under Edward Heath from 1970 until 1974.

He became Foreign Secretary in 1979 under Margaret Thatcher but resigned in 1982 when Argentinian forces landed on the British territory in the South Atlantic, believing the failure of the Foreign Office to foresee the invasion required him to leave the Government. Lord Carrington then served as Secretary General of Nato from 1984 to 1988.

David Cameron led tributes to the peer after his death, describing him as a lovely man and a great public servant.
Kimberly Guilfoyle turned 50 on Saturday and she celebrated the landmark in some style - a birthday dinner with the President in Mar-a-Lago.

The former Fox News host was all smiles as she posed for a photo around the dinner table at the exclusive Palm Beach club, next to beau Donald Jr., and across from his father, the 45th president of the United States.

Commemorating what she later described as a 'special' weekend, Kimberly took to Twitter to share the photo - originally posted by conservative writer Charlie Kirk - and paid tribute to the President Trump for giving her a particularly memorable birthday gift.

'A great group of patriots and our incredible President @realDonaldTrump,' Kimberely said of the dinner table contingent, which included Senator Rand Pauls deputy chief of staff Sergio Gor and Co-Chair Tommy Hicks.

Pictured left-to-right: Don Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Sergio Gor, Tommy Hicks, President Trump and Charlie Kirk

Sharing the photo, the birthday girl paid tribute to the 45th President of the United States, thanking him for an extra-special gift

'Thank you for another record breaking low unemployment for Hispanics. What a great way to celebrate a birthday weekend'.

The tribute was signed off with a 'Make America Great Again' hashtag.

Her followers flooded the photo with comments and well wishes, with many thanking the Republican for her contribution to the country.

The 50-year-old will now enjoy the rest of the weekend soaking up the sun at the Trump Family's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Along with the president, Melania and 12-year-old son Barron are also staying at the resort.

However the weekend away wasn't entirely dedicated to Kimberly's birthday celebrations however; Trump hosted two evening events on Friday night, a joint fundraising committee roundtable and a reception for Trump Victory, a Republican National Committee operation working in tandem with his 2020 reelection campaign.

Don Jr. and Kimberly have been dating since April. The 41-year-old business finalized his divorce from ex Vanessa at the end of last year

Are wedding bells on the cards? Don Jr. hinted they could be, as he remarked 'I look forward to celebrating many more of this with you.'

Hundreds took to Twitter to wish the former Fox News host a very happy birthday

Don Jr. and Kimberly have been dating since April, and her 41-year-old businessman boyfriend certainly pulled out all the stops for her birthday weekend.

Paying tribute to his 'love' on Instagram, Trump Jr. thanked Kimberley for all she does and hinted that marriage could even be on the cards by saying 'I look forward to celebrating many more of this with you.'

The heartwarming post was accompanied by a slideshow of images of the pair together.

On Thursday, Kimberly kick-started her milestone commemoration with two other members of the Trump family that she 'loves most', Eric and Lara.

Alongside Don Jr., the quartet were pictured smiling from ear-to ear-inside Omar at Vacaluse in New York City.

'Lovely evening celebrating my birthday with people I love,' she captioned the image.

'@donaldjtrumpjr @laraleatrump @erictrump Thank you for a great dinner kicking off the bday weekend. #birthday #birthdaygirl #familyandfriends.'

In the image, Kimberly is cuddled close to Don Jr. while Lara and Eric stand on opposite sides each other. Both couples appear to be enjoying their night on the town and are smiling for the camera.

Family: Kimberly Guilfoyle celebrated her 50th birthday with her boyfriend Donald Trump Jr. (center), his brother Eric (right), and his sister-in-law Lara (left) a few days early on Thursday

Kimberley was surprised with a delicately decorated birthday cake at Omar at Vacaluse in New York City

The whole restaurant joined in for a verse of happy birthday, including high profile guests to the celebration, such as Sergio Gor

Make a wish: Don Jnr. watched on lovingly as his girlfriend of 11 months blew out her candles

The lucky birthday girl was also treated to an impromptu verse of 'Happy Birthday' from the whole restaurant, after a waiter presented her with a delicately decorated cake.

Don Jr. beamed as he watched her blow out the candles.

Eric, 35, and Lara, 36, arrived at the restaurant together, flanked by Secret Service agents as they made their way inside the venue at about 7 p.m.

Lara, who was carrying a black gift box, wore a long tan coat over a white long-sleeve top and tan pants.

She added some glitz and glamour to her outfit with a pair of sparkly heels that complemented her suit.

Eric, meanwhile, sported a black suit and white button-down, which he wore sans tie. He was the first to step inside the restaurant, and he walked in without holding the door for his wife.

The couple was followed by Don Jr. and the birthday girl, who also had Secret Service detail.

Kimberly was decked out in a backless, sleeveless white top, which she tucked into a pair of black dress pants that featured a tied bow at the waist.

In a birthday post on Saturday, Kimberley thanks all of her friends for the 'best of birthdays' to commemorate her 50th

The television personality appeared to be more concerned with her outfit than keeping warm. Despite the chilly winter weather, she didn't wear a coat and was seen warming her hands in the pockets of her pants.

She topped off the look with a pair of black sky-high stilettos and dangly statement earrings that peeked out from underneath her long brown waves.

Don Jr. paired his navy suit with a pink and white gingham button-down shirt, and like his brother, he left it open at the collar.

The president's eldest son led the way as they walked into the restaurant together for her birthday dinner, but he held the door for his girlfriend and let her walk in first.

Ivanka Trump may have have missed out on Kimberly's birthday dinner, but there were plenty of other guests there to celebrate.

Among the attendees were Sen. Rand Paul's deputy chief of staff Sergio Gor, businessman, Russ Coniglio, businesswoman Yaz Hernandez, the restaurant's owner Omar Hernandez, and Fox News commentator Jesse Waters.

The party lasted a little over three hours, and everyone left the restaurant at 10:30pm
A small publishing start-up founded by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez owes New York State back taxes, it has been reported.

Brook Avenue Press, a publisher of childrens books which the freshman congresswoman founded in 2012, owes Albany $1,870.36 in corporate taxes, the New York Post reported.

The company was founded in order to help develop and identify stories and literature in urban areas .specifically in communities like The Bronx, Ocasio-Cortez says in a 2011 YouTube video.

She was just 22 years old at the time she started the company.

Ocasio-Cortez spent $1,000 of her own money to rent office space in the Bronx for her company, according to DNAinfo.

A small publishing start-up founded by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez owes New York State back taxes, it has been reported

Brook Avenue Press, a publisher of childrens books which the freshman congresswoman founded in 2012, owes Albany $1,870.36 in corporate taxes. Ocasio-Cortez is listed as the founder of Brook Avenue Press in the above financial disclosure form

The company was founded in order to help develop and identify stories and literature in urban areas .specifically in communities like The Bronx, Ocasio-Cortez says in a 2011 YouTube video. She was just 22 years old at the time she started the company

Months after recording the video, she filed incorporation papers for her company.

At the time, Ocasio-Cortez, who is known for supporting higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans, supported doubling tax deductions for small businesses like hers.

You dont really make a profit in your first year, Ocasio-Cortez said in 2012.

To get taxed on top of that is a real whammy.

The state issued a warrant to the company in July of 2017, just two months after Ocasio-Cortez declared her candidacy in the Democratic primary.

Ocasio-Cortez shocked the political world by beating powerful incumbent Joe Crowley, paving the way to her electoral victory in New Yorks 14th Congressional District.

New York State taxes corporations on a sliding scale based on revenue.

The Post cited public records which showed that the state dissolved Brook Avenue Press.

The publishing house was launched through the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator, a New York City-subsidized program designed to help small businesses in The Bronx.

The initiative was headquartered in an old converted factory in the Hunts Point section of The Bronx, where entrepreneurs like Ocasio-Cortez paid monthly rent which ranged between $195 and $275 per person.

Nonetheless, the company failed to publish a book.

'This is the first were hearing of it, and we wont have any additional comment until we look into it,' Ocasio-Cortezs spokesman, Corbin Trent, told the Post on Saturday.
Twenty-nine passengers are being treated for injuries sustained during major turbulence on a Turkish Airlines flight en route to John F Kennedy International Airport, authorities say.

Spokesman Steve Coleman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said that four passengers were taken to a hospital after the plane landed Saturday at 5.35pm.

One had a broken leg and others suffered bumps, bruises and cuts.

Coleman says most of the passengers were treated inside an airport terminal.

The New York City Fire Department tweeted about the incident on Saturday evening, reporting that all of the wounded, two of whom are children, had sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The FDNY initially reported that 32 people were injured but later downgraded the number to 29.

Twenty-nine passengers are being treated for injuries sustained during major turbulence on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to New York New York City on Saturday evening

A Port Authority spokesman said four passengers were taken to a hospital after the plane landed at John F Kennedy International Airport in Brooklyn around 5.35pm

The majority of those injured were treated by the FDNY in the airport terminal, officials say

The Turkish Airlines Flight 1 reportedly encountered the turbulence about 45 minutes before landing at JFK.

The Boeing 777 had taken off from Istanbul with 326 passengers and 21 crew members.

The National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center had warned pilots of severe turbulence over New England on Saturday evening.

The incident comes just hours after neighboring Newark Airport was forced to close all of its runways after a flight from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale made an emergency landing due to smoke in the cargo hold.

The National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center warned pilots of severe turbulence over New England on Saturday evening. The map above shows a triangle of rough air above where the Turkish Airlines flight reportedly experienced turbulence 45 minutes before landing

The New York City Fire Department tweeted about the incident on Saturday evening, reporting that all of the wounded, two of whom are children, had sustained non-life-threatening injuries

Several FDNY vehicles were seen outside the airport terminal as the wounded were treated
A judge at Crufts has been forced to step down after it was revealed he was once involved with scientific experiments on beagles.

Ron James had been selected as one of the elite panel choosing the Best In Show champion at tonights finale of the worlds biggest dog show. But two weeks ago, the vet and expert beagle breeder was told to stand aside.

The Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, gave no explanation for his sudden removal.

Ron James had been selected as one of the elite panel choosing the Best In Show champion at tonights finale of the worlds biggest dog show. But two weeks ago, the vet and expert beagle breeder was told to stand aside.

But now The Mail on Sunday has learned that Dr James, 70, used to work at animal testing centre Huntingdon Life Sciences where he published four scientific papers based on experiments on beagles. In one study, chemicals were fed to the dogs to observe any side-effects, while another experiment involved taking tissue samples from a beagles testes.

One dog-lover attending Crufts voiced horror over the revelations, saying: Im shocked and disappointed, its just so backwards. We must take responsibility for protecting dogs  theyre sentient beings, not property.

Dr Jamess departure is further embarrassment for Crufts, coming a week after this newspaper revealed another judge had to stand down amid allegations of fraud.

Kathryn Begg, an expert on Bolognese toy dogs, quit following claims made by a former business partner. Her replacement, Howard Ogden, is a lawyer who had once defended Fred West before being sacked by the serial killer.

Dr James  who worked in the controversial Cambridgeshire lab from the late 1970s until 1990  told The Mail on Sunday last night: I stepped down because I was asked to step down, but this is a matter between me and the Kennel Club.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that Ron James used to work at animal testing centre Huntingdon Life Sciences where he published four scientific papers based on experiments on beagles. He has been forced to step down after the news was revealed. A beagle is pictured in a drug laboratory

A spokesman for the Kennel Club said: Dr Ron James worked as a veterinary consultant and adviser at various biomedical companies, where his responsibility was to ensure that animal welfare standards were maintained.

Due to privacy and data issues no further details around the Best In Show appointment decision can be given.

We wish to make it entirely clear that the Kennel Club is against animal testing, and actively supports groups that try to find ways to replace animals in testing wherever possible.

The Crufts champion will be announced at the NEC in Birmingham tonight. Clare Balding will host live coverage on Channel 4 from 7pm.
Jasvinder Sanghera, the womens rights campaigner who accused Lord Lester of promising her a peerage in return for sex, falsely claimed to be the daughter of an elderly friend whose estate she had inherited, according to the coroner who heard the inquest into her death.

Retired health worker Marianne Gentle, who suffered from depression, had left instructions that her blood relatives should not be informed she was dead, and they were not told of her funeral.

She made her last will leaving Sanghera 353,000 when she was already seriously ill, four months before she died aged 76 on October 5, 2015.

Jasvinder Sanghera who has declined to comment, has justified her claim by saying Gentle was a dear friend who referred to me as her daughter. Retired health worker Marianne Gentle made her last will leaving Sanghera 353,000 when she was already seriously ill

Afterwards, according to Professor Paul Marks, the senior coroner for Hull and the East Riding, Sanghera paid him a visit, urging him to conduct an inquest claiming there were questions to be answered over her medical care, saying she was Gentles adopted daughter.

She made no mention of her real biological family. The adoption claim, he later said in court, displayed some economy of the truth.

The coroner eventually decided that Sanghera did regard herself as tantamount to Gentles daughter.

However, they were not actually related at all. Sanghera had known Gentle for about six years and was 50 when she died from complications after an operation.

In English law, adoption as an adult is impossible. Having signed the will leaving Sanghera all but 15,000 of her estate, Gentle also appointed her executor, and gave her control over her affairs.

It is understood that Sanghera, who has declined to comment, has justified her claim by saying Gentle was a dear friend who referred to me as her daughter.

Marianne Gentle at a family celebration with a nephew. The coroner eventually decided that Sanghera did regard herself as tantamount to Gentles daughter. However, they were not actually related at all

Last year she claimed former Liberal Democrat peer Lord Lester tried to grope her when she stayed at his home in 2008, and after promising a peerage in return for sex threatened consequences if she refused.

He denied this. An inquiry found in her favour, though neither were cross-examined. Lester still protests his innocence, but resigned on health grounds.

Sangheras actions towards Gentles real relatives have left them deeply distressed.

Gentles daughter Jo, who has asked us not to publish her real name, said: Learning of her death months later was unbelievably painful. Sanghera treated us with a total lack of compassion. How can someone go to see a coroner to ask for an inquest and not even mention the deceased had a family?

She added: My mum was an elderly, vulnerable adult, and her mental health problems were the reason why she refused to see me, although I tried many times. Even so, we all did our best to support her in very difficult circumstances.

The MoS has seen Gentles medical records, which confirm she suffered depression and anxiety for more than 25 years.

Documents show that one aspect of her illness was a tendency to pick fights with family members, sometimes making false allegations they were trying to steal her money.

The papers also reveal Jo kept in touch with the mental health professionals who treated her.

Gentles sister Jennifer, 79, told the MoS: When I saw Jasvinder was making these claims about Lord Lester, it brought it all back. I want to say to them, Stop putting her on television! How can you not tell a womans sister and daughter that she has died? 

Summing up at the end of the inquest, Prof Marks said that Gentle became fixated with death and her own funeral arrangements. She had a strong, independent personality which caused her on occasions to fall out with and relinquish contact with both family and friends.

On the day after Marianne died, Sanghera signed a typed statement, saying: I am the daughter of Marianne Sylvia Gentle. Later she inserted a handwritten addition: Note not biological daughter I am also next of kin and executor.

According to the coroner, Sanghera then went to see him, again saying she was Gentles daughter and next of kin. Court documents show he clearly believed she was adopted.

Last year she claimed former Liberal Democrat peer Lord Lester tried to grope her when she stayed at his home in 2008, and after promising a peerage in return for sex threatened consequences if she refused. He denied this

In March 2016, Prof Marks held a preliminary hearing, at which Sanghera referred to Gentle as my mother without qualification. Prof Marks described Sanghera and her daughter Natasha as the family.

At this stage, Jo had only just discovered her mother was dead and had no idea there would be an inquest. When she learnt one was pending, she contacted Prof Marks, who ordered her to appear with her birth certificate to prove that Gentle was her mother.

He told her in a letter: Jasvinder Sanghera has claimed that she was an adopted daughter of your mother.

After Jo provided proof, Sanghera wrote a new legal statement saying: Our relationship was such that Marianne referred to me as her daughter and our closeness was such that I regarded her as my mother.

Later, at the inquest hearing, she insisted: At no point have I ever implicated or intermitted [sic] that I am the adopted daughter. After she said this, Prof Marks said she had previously displayed some economy of the truth.

In fact, Sanghera first met Gentle in 2009, when she moved to the same North Yorkshire village  which friends of Sanghera have asked us not to name, saying she is at risk from vigilantes owing to her work supporting victims of forced marriage.

By then, Jennifer and Jo had not seen Gentle for several years. Their letters to her were returned torn up, and she refused to talk to them by phone.

By the time of the inquest in February 2017, Sanghera had received her legacy.

Gentles family asked her to give them family heirlooms and photos, but she refused. In an email to Gentles niece, Sanghera wrote: I will not be handing anything on to you or anyone else. This is because she clearly instructed me not to.
Donald Trumps man in London today launches an extraordinary broadside against the European Union for strangling innovation and attempting to wreck UK and US relations.

Risking a major rift between Washington and Brussels, Woody Johnson, US Ambassador to the UK, accuses Eurocrats of scaremongering in a bid to hinder a revolutionary US/UK trade deal.

In a powerful intervention in The Mail on Sunday, the billionaire businessman-turned-diplomat says for too long Britain has been stymied in the EU with needless interventions and red tape from Brussels.

US President Donald Trump waves next to US Ambassador to UK Woody Johnson as he leaves the latter's residence during his controversial business trip last year

And the major Trump donor takes aim at short-sighted European bureaucrats who put their own political and commercial interests first.

Mr Johnson highlights the row over the possible import of chlorinated chicken from the US. He says the storm is designed to scare the UK out of doing a great trade deal that would give Britain huge competitive advantage.

And the tycoon lays the blame firmly at the door of the European Commission, saying the confected row is simply the EUs way of blocking fair competition.

Bernie: 'Like you, I thought, if it's s healthy why wait until you're dead'

Mr Johnson, who has been the US Ambassador since January 2017, argues that ultimately, the issue of how chicken should be cleaned is just a distraction.

And he points out that in the UK, you already eat chlorinated salads and drink chlorinated water and until 1997 you ate chlorinated chicken. The fact is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with chlorine washes.

And he says fears over a treatment given to just one in five US chickens is not a valid reason to risk a comprehensive free trade deal with America, as consumers would still have a choice.

At the end of the day, if you dont want to buy certain types of US chicken  and only around 20 per cent is even washed in chlorine  you wont have to, he writes.

Downing Street said last week: We have always been clear that we will not lower food standards as part of a future trading agreement.

AMBASSADOR 'WOODY': Don't let the EU's chicken scare stories stop Britain and America striking a magnificent trade deal

Today I will join the nation in enjoying probably the finest of all British institutions: the great Sunday roast. And I suspect that families across the country will sit down at the table this week and end up talking about the topic that has been dominating the news: chlorinated chicken.

Weve had spirited public debate recently  as you would expect from the great British public. But, ultimately, the issue of how chicken should be cleaned is just a distraction.

Ive said it before and I will say it again: the very idea of chlorinated chicken is simply the EUs way of blocking fair competition from the American poultry industry.

The fact is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with chlorine washes.

Johnson accuses Eurocrats of scaremongering in a bid to hinder a revolutionary US/UK trade deal. The billionaire businessman-turned-diplomat says for too long Britain has been stymied in the EU with needless interventions and red tape from Brussels

You might disagree with us when we say that it is safer than other methods of cleaning chicken, but it is certainly not unsafe. You already eat chlorinated salads and drink chlorinated water and, until 1997, you ate chlorinated chicken here in Britain.

When youve gone on vacation to places such as New York or Vancouver, Tokyo or Shanghai, you probably enjoyed eating it without even thinking about it.

At the end of the day, if you dont want to buy certain types of US chicken (and only around a fifth is even washed in chlorine), you wont have to. But theres no reason to ban it.

Brits are more than capable of making up their own minds about what they buy in the supermarket.

Mr Johnson highlights the row over the possible import of chlorinated chicken from the US. He says the storm is designed to scare the UK out of doing a great trade deal that would give Britain huge competitive advantage

You might prefer to get the more expensive organic free-range eggs, for example. But you probably dont want to pass laws saying that other people cant buy basic eggs.

Britain and America are democracies  we believe in the right of individual consumers to make their own choices. We vote for what we want with our wallets. Its time to move on from chlorinated chicken. Its just a bogeyman used to scare you out of doing a great trade deal with America that will give your businesses a huge competitive advantage.

After all, we have been clear that we are prepared to do a truly ambitious deal with our closest allies in the United Kingdom.

And we want it to be a comprehensive deal.

We dont want to leave out any business sector from the negotiations  certainly not a critical industry such as agriculture.

AMERICAN farmers play a fundamental role across all 50 states. Agriculture will always be an important priority in any trade negotiation we do. And why should it be any less of a priority for British politicians  especially those in rural constituencies?

British farmers are currently missing out on a huge opportunity. America is the largest consumer market in the world, bar none. America and Britain are already huge trading partners  about 184 billion, or $240 billion, a year.

But when it comes to the trade in agriculture between the US and the UK, the amount we trade is extremely small.

America is the largest food importer in the world, yet buys less than one per cent of its imports from the UK. We can do a lot better.

You already eat chlorinated salads and drink chlorinated water and until 1997 you ate chlorinated chicken. The fact is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with chlorine wash,' Johnson pointed out in a speech in London

There is a huge opportunity for British products to be extremely successful in America, and vice versa. But quite aside from the business opportunities for American and British farmers, we should also be focusing on the wider benefits of free trade  and, in particular, the enormous challenge of population growth ahead of us.

There has never been a more critical time in the history of global agriculture. Before we know it, in our own childrens lifetimes, the world will have an additional two billion mouths to feed.

Yet we are running out of resources. The world is currently using an area the size of South America for crops, and Africa for pasture.

America and Britain are already huge trading partners  about 184 billion, or $240 billion, a year, claims Ambassador Johnson

We are already draining our water supplies. Today, 70 per cent of all freshwater goes to agriculture, so we need to find a way to feed billions more people  not by using more land and water, but less.

We need nothing short of the biggest agricultural revolution there has ever been  and we need it fast. If we are going to succeed, we need to give our scientists the power and freedom to find new solutions. That is the approach of the American government.

And I want to be clear about this, too: we never compromise on food safety.

This is why the World Health Organisation has found that North America has the lowest burden of food-borne disease in the world.

Having ensured that our food is safe, however, the US government does something important. It chooses to get out of the way, allowing our scientists and farmers to do what they do best  innovate. They are really rising to the challenge.

YET their vital breakthroughs are being stymied in the European Union  not by European scientists, I might add, but by short-sighted European bureaucrats who put their own political and commercial interests first.

This is a problem for Britain as much as it is for America. Both of our countries, for example, are world leaders in biotechnology. But needless intervention from the EU is strangling new innovation.

The European Court of Justice ruling on genome editing last year is a perfect example. The ruling means that precise new gene-editing technologies  which do not involve inserting foreign DNA into experimental plants  are to be covered by the same stringent rules as for fully GM, or genetically modified, crops.

Professor Johnathan Napier, from one of Britains oldest agricultural research institutes, Rothamsted Research, called it a backward step, not progress, saying it could slam the door shut on revolutionary technology.

Britain did not lead the world in the agricultural revolution at the turn of the 18th Century by ignoring science and being hamstrung in its ability to try new things.

Yet, when I speak to many fishermen, farmers and scientists here they all say that is exactly what is going on.

Leaving the EU gives Britain the chance to decide its own rules and priorities.

You can finally embrace genuinely free, fair and balanced trade and get rid of all the protectionist barriers which farmers on the Continent have successfully demanded.

You can finally give your farmers better opportunities in markets across the whole world.

Most importantly of all, you can finally unleash the full force of British ingenuity in the battle for global food security.

One thing is sure: the world needs British scientists, farmers and fishermen more than ever before.
Sajid Javid's Tory leadership ambitions were dealt a blow last night after the death of jihadi bride Shamima Begum's infant son sparked a furious backlash over his decision to strip her of British citizenship.

The under-fire Home Secretary was branded an 'unlucky general' as a string of Whitehall rows about Brexit, knife crime, online harm and immigration left him isolated from both Downing Street and Cabinet colleagues.

Senior Tories last night distanced themselves from Mr Javid's decision after Conservative MPs broke cover to describe the Government as 'morally responsible' for the death of the newborn in a Syrian refugee camp.

Sajid Javid's Tory leadership ambitions were dealt a blow last night after the death of jihadi bride Shamima Begum's infant son sparked a furious backlash over his decision to strip her of British citizenship. Mr Javid is pictured

Baby Jarrah was born a British citizen on February 16, shortly before the Home Secretary stripped his 19-year-old mother of her passport as she was considered a national security threat.

The decision sparked a debate over the rights of IS brides and fighters to return to the UK, with the row reignited following the news of Jarrah's death.

Last night it was reported that two more jihadi brides had been stripped of their British citizenship. Sisters Reema and Zara Iqbal, who between them have five boys under the age of eight, fled from East London to join IS in Syria. They are reportedly now in a refugee camp in northern Syria.

Begum's British family had begged Mr Javid to allow safe passage for Jarrah to come to London.

Conservative MP Philip Lee suggested it was Mr Javid's desire to lead the party that was behind his blocking of Begum's return. He urged him to reflect on a decision 'driven by populism and not by any principle I recognise'.

He added: 'I think we had a moral responsibility to her and her baby.'

Former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell demanded Mr Javid restore Begum's British citizenship.

And one Minister said Mr Javid was 'shaping up to be an unlucky general' who was always 'in the wrong place at the wrong time  either on holiday or on the wrong side of the argument'.

Miss Begum's British family had begged Mr Javid to allow safe passage for Jarrah to come to London. Miss Begum is pictured soon after the birth of her baby boy in Syria

Dal Babu, a former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent and a friend of the Begum family, also criticised Mr Javid, saying: 'This was an entirely avoidable death of a British citizen. There was no attempt to help by the Home Office. It's shocking how the Home Secretary has treated this situation.'

There was still some support for Mr Javid last night. Security Minister Ben Wallace said: 'Only the hardest and dedicated IS members stayed until the end.'

Mr Javid also found himself at the centre of a fresh Cabinet row last night after an extraordinary blast at potential leadership rivals Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock, accusing the successive Health Secretaries of failing to train enough British nurses.

Signalling his intention to extend a one-year exemption after Brexit for foreign doctors and nurses from strict immigration rules that set an earnings floor at 30,000, Mr Javid wrote in a private letter to Cabinet members seen by this newspaper: 'More work needs to be done.

'There remains a significant need to attract overseas nurses.'

Lord Macdonald, who was director of public prosecutions of England and Wales between 2003 and 2008, told the Observer last night: 'No dignified self-governing state should abandon responsibility for its own citizens in this way, trying to dump them on to poorer countries with failed security arrangements.

'Mr Javid's behaviour is a recipe for refugee chaos and moral cowardice of the worst sort.'
Stressed Britons are increasingly resorting to self-help books in a bid to cope with their daily lives.

More than three million of the books were sold last year  an increase of 20 per cent from 2017.

The sales boom means self-improvement and popular psychology is one of the fastest-growing genres in the publishing world.

Keira OBrien, of The Bookseller magazine, said a sub-genre of authors were appealing specifically to men. She said it was 'almost like male readers are looking for guidance or reassurance on how to be a man in a post #MeToo world' [File photo]

Author Suzy Reading said: Over the past ten years or so, theres been a shift from psychologists just studying mental illness, and more on to what makes life worth living.

At the same time, people are more aware about mental health issues and wellbeing, so these books can help them.

The psychologist and mother of two, whose book The Self-Care Revolution: Smart Habits And Simple Practices To Allow You To Flourish is among the top titles of the year, added: Of course, theres always room for using a therapist to deal with traumas and conflict.

But its good that people can work on things with books. They can help open peoples eyes.

Keira OBrien, of The Bookseller magazine, said a sub-genre of authors were appealing specifically to men.

She added: Its almost like male readers are looking for guidance or reassurance on how to be a man in a post #MeToo world.
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

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[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.

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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.
Catherine Shaw, 23, had been travelling through a mountainous region of the country

Fears were growing last night for a young British woman who has been missing for nearly a week in Guatemala.

Backpacker Catherine Shaw, 23, from Witney, Oxfordshire, had been travelling through a mountainous region of the Central American country.

She had been staying in a hotel, but her female room-mate woke up to find she had gone without taking her passport, belongings or money.

Her parents Anne and Tarquin yesterday issued an emotional video appeal on Twitter.

Mrs Shaw said: Hello, Catherine, youve been out of touch for five days now and we, your friends and family, really need to know that youre happy and that youre well, so please get in touch.

Her father added: Please come home, sweetheart.

Last night, Mr Shaw was flying out to help with the operation to find her. Police in San Pedro, near Lake Atitlan, a four-hour drive from the capital Guatemala City, have set up searches aided by volunteers in the area, which is a favourite with backpackers.

Friends have launched a social media campaign aided by the Lucie Blackman Trust in Britain  a charity set up to help the families of Britons missing abroad.

Foreign Office advice cautions visitors that Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, warning to take care in all parts of the country.

A member of staff at the Hotel Mayachik told The Mail on Sunday: She seemed very happy when she was staying with us and she was in good spirits. Were working with the police now and helping them in any way we can. Its very sad whats happened but were hopeful Catherine can be found.

The hotel said Catherine had been recorded on CCTV leaving at 1.37am on Tuesday carrying a musical instrument. Lake Atitlan is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, but San Pedro itself is packed with a strip of lively bars known as the Gringo Trail. Catherine left Britain last September and was travelling for two weeks in Guatemala, having previously been in Mexico and California.

Friend Paco Patchouli urgently appealed on his social media page, writing: HELP! My friend has been missing since last Monday in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. She has no belongings with her, passport, money or mobile phone.

Calls to the family home, where Catherines mother Anne and sister Jenny live, were referred to the Lucie Blackman Trust. Matt Searle, its chief executive, said: Catherines family and friends are extremely worried about her. We would ask anyone who thinks they may have seen her to contact us.

Anyone with information should contact the trust on +44 800 098 8485 from overseas and 0800 098 8485 from the UK.
A New York City woman is suing her nanny for $10,000 for allegedly forcing her newborn baby to eat formula instead of breast milk.

Lynn Wojton, 37, wanted to nurse her child because she believes it is healthier.

But she claims her nanny, Marcia Chase-Marshall, gave baby formula to the infant while the mother slept, according to the New York Post.

Chase-Marshall allegedly preferred formula because having Wojton breastfeed her baby was a longer process that required more energy, according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Lynn Wojton (above left and right) had recently given birth, and wanted to nurse her child because she thought it was healthier. But her nanny, Marcia Chase-Marshall (not pictured), allegedly gave the child formula

Wojton gave birth to her daughter, Wilder, at Mount Sinai Hospital last September, the Post reported.

For the first two nights Wojton nursed the infant, after she brought her home to their Union Square apartment in Manhattan. According to the lawsuit, Chase-Marshall slept in the same room as Wilder.

When the baby needed milk, Chase-Marshall would wake up Wojton.

On the third night, however, Wojton says the nanny admitted that instead of waking her up, she fed Wilder baby formula.

'I was very upset,' Wojton, a registered cosmetic nurse, told the Post.

'This is not what I wanted - this is not what I want - for my baby.

'I cried for an hour, honestly.'

Wojton claims that Chase-Marshall deliberately ignored her instructions because the nanny believed that baby formula was better.

But Chase-Marshall allegedly admitted later on that the real reason she gave Wilder formula was because it was less of a hassle and she wanted to sleep.

The nanny declined to comment to the Post.

Wojton says she paid the nanny $4,200 before confronting her about the formula.

At that point, Chase-Marshall allegedly fled the apartment.

Chase-Marshall allegedly admitted to giving Wojton's infant daughter, Wilder, baby formula because she wanted to sleep more and not go through the hassle of waking the mother up in the middle of the night to nurse. The above image is a stock photo

'Your instincts do kick in,' Wojton said.

'It was the last straw, the way she was behaving and the way she was speaking to me.'

Wojton says she resented Chase-Marshall because the doula was overcritical of her as a mother.

'If I didn't change the diaper the way she thought was best, she would criticize me the whole time,' Wojton said.

'It makes you second-guess yourself. You're a new mother and this is all very new.'

Wojton says she has a new nanny with whom she is happy.
A backpacker killer and university shooter have won a payout of more than $10,000 each after they were bashed behind bars.

The duo successfully claimed guards used unnecessary force in two separate incidents at jails in Victoria.

Jonathan Horrocks, who shot and killed Leon Capraro at a La Trobe University campus bar in Bundoora, Melbourne, in 1999, won the compensation over an incident in 2010, the Herald Sun reported.

Jonathan Horrocks (centre), who shot and killed Leon Capraro at a La Trobe University campus bar in Bundoora, Melbourne, in 1999, won the compensation over an incident in 2010

Luke Wentholt also won a payout for a 2014 altercation with a prison guard, while serving time for killing Irish backpacker David Greene after stomping on his head in 2012.

A relative of Mr Capraro was shocked to learn of the payout when they were told by the Herald Sun.

'How does a prisoner in jail for murder apply for anything?' the relative said.

'It's a pity he (Horrocks) didn't break his neck. These people deserve nothing. The more I think about it, the more angry I get.'

A relative of Mr Capraro (pictured) was shocked to learn of the payout

Horrocks, who broke his arm after he refused to leave his cell, filed his case seven years after the incident, county court documents reveal

He argued the incident caused a 'psychological disturbance' and tried to receive cash for loss of future earnings. He is eligible for parole in 2024.

Geo Group Australia, the private security running the prison, rejected his complaint claiming Horrocks did not cooperate with security when incident occurred.

Wentholt sued prison operator G4S after he was allegedly attacked by a guard while handcuffed.

His statement of claim said he was allegedly thrown on a bed, hit multiple times and then his head was pushed to the ground.
An enormous, dead alligator gar was pulled from a lake at a park in New Orleans after the fish began creating a stink.

Officials dragged the creature from the lagoon at Lafreniere Park in Metairie.

Its not cleat how long it had been lying in the water rotting away, but a spokesperson for the park said the alligator gar was discovered after park employees smelled a foul odor and eventually tracked the revolting scent to the fish.

A prehistoric monster of a fish was pulled from a lagoon at a popular Metairie park near New Orleans

Workers pulled a monster 100lb alligator gar from the lagoon on March 7

There were no official measurements, but the gar was gigantic compared to the cart crews pulled it away on

The lagoon is 14-acres in size and 16-feet deep in some areas 'connected to a drainage canal via large concrete pipes and it's believed the fish got into the lagoon that way,' the spokesperson said describing the odor coming from the fish as 'stomach-turning.'

The park posted some pictures of the find onto its Facebook page with images of the large fish.

'Welp. Scratching swim nude in Lafreniere Park off my bucket list,' one person joked.

'What is that?!! Did a fish and an alligator mate? Omg, that's scary and it's so big. Is it a fish? What type with a mouth so big?' another commented.

Workers posted pictures on the parks website and noted that the fish was found dead

A number of people had commented that they had reported seeing it swimming in the lagoon

'That thing has been dead for a while,' a third person noted.

Alligator gars are found in North and Central America and can grow up to 10-feet in length with some weighing as much as 300 pounds.

Despite the creatures looking frightening, they are not known to attack people, although the eggs are poisonous to humans if eaten according to Fox News.

The prehistoric fish usually eats smaller fish and have even been known to eat small turtles and ducks.
A witness has broken her 10-year-silence over the murder of Bob Chappell and the revelation could be the final breakthrough to exonerate his wife of murder.

Sue Neill-Fraser has spent nine years behind bars for the murder of her partner on their yacht in Tasmania on Australia Day in 2009.

The couple spent their last day together on the yacht before Mr Chappell decided he would stay aboard overnight while his wife returned home on a dinghy.

The yacht was discovered half-submerged the following morning and Mr Chappell was missing, presumed dead.

Scroll down for video

Sue Neill-Fraser (pictured) has spent nine years behind bars for the murder of her partner on their yacht in Tasmania on Australia Day in 2009

A witness has broken her 10-year-silence over the murder of Bob Chappell (pictured) and the revelation could be the final breakthrough to exonerate his wife of murder

Although his body was never found, Neill-Fraser was found guilty of attacking Mr Chappell and dumping his body in the River Derwent.

Ten years on from the horrific incident, Meaghan Vass has confessed to Channel Nine's 60 Minutes that she was on the yacht the night of Mr Chappell's death.

Not only was she on the yacht that night, she also saw who exactly killed him.

'I saw a lot of blood,' Ms Vass, who was homeless and 16 at the time, tells Liam Bartlett.

When Bartless asks Ms Vass if an innocent woman has been sitting in jail for nine years, Ms Vass replies with a tearful 'yes'.

If her confession is correct, her testimony could be the final piece of evidence needed to get Ms Neill-Fraser out from behind bars.

The case has been labelled a 'horrendous miscarriage of justice' by some of the country's top police and legal minds.

Former Victoria Police detective Colin McLaren previously told A Current Affair he does not believe there was a legitimate, objective investigation carried out.

Although his body was never found, Ms Neill-Fraser (pictured) was found guilty of attacking Mr Chappell and dumping his body in the River Derwent

The mother and grandmother maintains her innocence as she serves a 23-year jail sentence in Tasmania. Right to left: Bob Chappell, Susan Neill-Fraser, Neill-Fraser's daughter Sarah Bowles (nee Fraser-Meeker) and son-in-law Mark Bowles

Ten years on from the horrific incident, Meaghan Vass (pictured) has confessed to Channel Nine's 60 Minutes that she was on the yacht the night of Mr Chappell's death

Mr McLaren has joined forces with former Victoria Police detective Charlie Bezzina.

The pair have spent years analysing evidence, uncovering police mistakes and have discovered missing items they say are crucial.

The prosecution alleged Ms Neill-Fraser killed her husband with a wrench in the cabin then winched his body up to the deck and disposed of it.

They said she wanted out of the 18-year relationship and stood to gain financially.

Mr Mclaren and Mr Bezzina claim that two other people tried to burgle the boat that night - Meaghan Vass and her boyfriend.

Susan Neill Fraser (pictured, right) has always denied killing partner Bob Campbell (pictured, left)

The yacht (pictured) was discovered half-submerged the following morning and Mr Chappell was missing, presumed dead

They claim the DNA of then homeless 16-year-old Vass found on the deck of Four Winds.

Originally she denied ever being on the yacht and the prosecution said that her DNA was on board due to 'secondary transfer'.

Ms Neill-Fraser and her family have adamantly denied she committed the crime.

Although she's lost multiple attempts to overturn the conviction, both she and her family maintain her innocence.

'Witness to Murder' airs this Sunday at 8.30pm on 60 Minutes on Channel 9.
The ex-partner of a woman who has gone on the run with their three-year-old son after becoming embroiled in family court litigation has urged her to have faith in the justice system.

Patrick Sheridan, who has not seen son Olly Sheridan for eight months, said relatives of ex-partner Ellie Yarrow-Sanders have been given 'every reassurance'.

He said he worries he is fading from Olly's memory and the word despair 'doesn't even begin to cover how I feel'.

Ellie Yarrow-Sanders with her three-year-old son Olly Sheridan. Ms Yarrow-Sanders disappeared six months ago amid Family Court litigation with her ex partner and Olly's father Patrick Sheridan

Miss Yarrow-Sanders, who is aged in her 20s, disappeared with Olly in July in the midst of a family court dispute over the boy with Mr Sheridan, who is in his 40s.

A High Court judge now overseeing the case has made public appeals for information.

Mr Justice Williams initially raised the alarm at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in December.

Patrick Sheridan with his son Olly, who he has not seen for eight months

Patrick Sheridan, pictured with Olly, had been involved in litigation with Ms Yarrow-Sanders about their son's future. Today, a High Court Judge and Ms Yarrow-Saunders mother and sister made a direct appeal to the 26-year-old mother-of-one

Three-year-old Olly was at the centre of family court proceedings between his parents (Patrick Sheridan/PA)

Hearings had been staged in private but Mr Justice Williams has said members of the family, who come from Basildon, Essex, can now be identified in media reports in the hope that publicity will produce information.

He has said he is gravely concerned for Olly's welfare.

In February, the judge used Twitter to send Miss Yarrow-Sanders a plea to return home.

He promised her she would be fairly treated and given a voice in court.

Miss Yarrow-Sanders's mother, Donna Yarrow, last week asked Home Secretary Sajid Javid for help.

She has written to Mr Javid and asked him to give her daughter 'amnesty' and 'reassurance that she will not be prosecuted'.

But Mr Sheridan said the 'focus' must remain on Olly.

Mr Justice Williams said he remains 'gravely concerned' about the situation

He told the Press Association: 'Olly's now been apart from us for seven months.

'We're constantly asked by friends and family if there's been any news, and it's so heart-breaking to have to say no every time, and to worry that as the months go by, we're fading away from his memory.

'He has been taken away from us and his mother's family for so long, which must be having a devastating effect on him.

'Ellie needs to have some faith in the justice system. Her family have been given every reassurance they could possibly want for her, and yet we've heard nothing.'

Mr Sheridan urged anyone with information to contact police.

'My message to the public is if you have any scrap of information  even if you think it isn't relevant  please get in touch with the police,' he said.

'Even the smallest piece might spark a new lead.

Ms Yarrow-Sanders had previously sent a letter to her mother and sister stressing that Olly was safe with her. She said she wrote the letter to explain why she took such an action

'Despair doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about it.'

Mr Justice Williams, who is overseeing the case at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, urged Miss Yarrow-Sanders to bring Olly back tweeting on February 1.

His plea was delivered in a tweet posted on the Judicial Office Twitter account - https://twitter.com/JudiciaryUK - using the hashtag '#comehomeolly'.

Lawyers think it is the first time a judge has made such use of Twitter.

The tweet was issued after Mr Justice Williams analysed the latest stage of the litigation at a hearing on Friday.

He oversaw a hearing in private, but authorised lawyers to release a statement detailing his message to Miss Yarrow-Sanders.

They issued a joint statement after a judge analysed the latest stage of the litigation at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

A tweet from the Judicial Office with the hashtag #comehomeolly

Patrick Sheridan with his son Olly (Patrick Sheridan/PA)

'We just want to know that Olly is safe and we plead for Ellie to return home as soon as possible,' they said.

'We all agree that Olly needs to come home to his normal life surrounded by family and friends.'

Mr Justice Williams had initially raised the alarm in December.

He said he remained gravely concerned but promised to deal with her case fairly.

A Courts Service official said that while Justice Williams has appointed a senior social worker to act in the case and to promote Olly's welfare, it does not mean there is any chance that the child will be placed in foster care.

Miss Yarrow-Sanders, who is from Basildon, Essex, disappeared with Olly in July, a few weeks before she was due to give evidence in a 'critical' family court hearing, according to lawyers.
The California mansion where shamed rock producer Phil Spector murdered Lana Clarkson is on the market, seeking a new owner.

Nicknamed the 'Pyrenees Castle', the Southern France-styled gated chateau sits on two-and-a-half acres of land in Alhambra, with a panoramic view of the San Gabriel Valley around it.

The largest property in the area, the price tag is currently set at $5.5 million but it comes with a dark past.

It's owner, Phil Spector, 79, is currently serving a sentence of 19-years to life for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in the home's foyer in 2003.

Known as 'Pyrenees Castle', the Southern France-styled gated chateau sits on two-and-a-half acres of land in Alhambra, California

In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead, slumped over a chair in the house's foyer (pictured)

Lana Clarkson (right) suffered a single gun-shot to the mouth and her teeth were found scattered over the carpet. Spector (right) said he death was an accident but he was eventually found guilty of her murder in 2009

The 40-year-old actress who starred in the cult film 'Barbarian Queen' was found dead at the property on February 3, 2003.

She had suffered a single gun-shot to the mouth and her teeth were found scattered over the floor.

Speaking to Esquire in 2003, Spector claimed Clarkson's death was an 'accidental suicide' and that she had tried to 'kiss the gun' before it inadvertently went off.

In an emergency call from Spector's home, the music virtuoso can be heard saying 'I think I killed someone'.

His driver, Adriano de Souza, says he saw Spector emerge from the back of the home clutching a snub-nosed pistol, shortly after making the call.

In both of his trials - the first ending in a mistrial - jurors were taken to examine the murder scene.

Spector was eventually convicted of her murder in 2009.

In both of his trials - the first ending in a mistrial - jurors were taken to examine the murder scene

The 8,700 square foot home was built in 1925 by Sylvester Dupuy, who modeled the knoll-top structure on a chateau in the South of France

Imposing fireplaces and crystal chandeliers are found throughout the home's interior

IT boasts two full kitchens, a games room and an employee quarters, complete with a separate staff entrance

The gated chateau also has a panoramic view of the San Gabriel Valley around it

The property surfaced on the market just over a month after the 16th anniversary of Clarkson's death.

The 8,700 square foot home was built in 1925 by Sylvester Dupuy, who modeled the knoll-top structure on a chateau in the South of France.

Its quarter-mile long gated driveway leads up and around to an elegant fountain poised near the home's entrance, and its detached four-car garage.

Inside the turreted 'castle', are nine bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, three half bathrooms, two home offices, a hair salon and a butler's pantry.

Crystal chandeliers and darkened hardwood flooring are found throughout the mansion's interior.

The fateful foyer is lined with disco-like mirror panels, accented with a marble-floor.

The home also boasts two full kitchens, a games room and an employee quarters, complete with a separate staff entrance.

A number of imposing fireplaces are also found throughout the home, along with wooden beam ceilings and hand-stenciled wall decorations.

Famed for pioneering the 'Wall of Sound' recording technique in the 1960s, Spector produced hits such as 'Be My Baby' by the Ronnettes (pictured with the Ronnettes in 1963)

His driver, Adriano de Souza, says he then saw Spector emerged from the back of the home clutching a snub-nosed pistol (pictured)

Spector is eligible for parole in 2028. He will be 88 years old

According to the Wall Street Journal, the home is being sold as part of a divorce settlement with his wife, Rachelle Short, whom he married just before his first trial in 2006.

Spector filed for divorce in April 2016, citing 'irreconcilable differences'. Short was just 26 when they first tied the knot.

Listing agent Ladd Jackson, of Hilton & Hyland, says he doesn't think the home's dark past will hinder its sale.

'L.A. is full of homes with pasts,' he told the WSJ.

Famed for pioneering the 'Wall of Sound' recording technique in the 1960s, Spector produced hits such as 'Be My Baby' for the Ronnettes, and helped to produce the Beatles' 'Let It Be' album.

Spector is eligible for parole in 2028. He will be 88 years old.
The NSW Liberal Party has launched its election campaign in Sydney's west, where Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised to splash billions on health and education and asked voters to let her get the job done.

Ms Berejiklian told the Penrith Panthers Leagues club on Sunday NSW deserved to 'have it all' : schools, hospitals and stadiums.

She said her government's job was 'far from done,' and warned against handing the reins to Labor, which has campaigned on a platform of 'schools and hospitals before stadiums'.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured at Sunday's campaign launch) says residents can 'have it all' if the NSW Liberal Party is re-elected on March 23

'We cannot allow Labor to jeopardise our future,' Ms Berejiklian told the crowd.

'Now is not the time to change course.'

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet attacked Labor leader Michael Daley, who he described as 'all protest, not progress'.

'A man who will stop at nothing to stop everything,' Mr Perrottet said.

While the NSW Liberal Party launch was held in Penrith, Opposition Leader Michael Daley (pictured) launched Labor's state election campaign in Ryde

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian shared a warm greeting at the NSW Liberal Party campaign launch in western Sydney on Sunday

Former prime minister John Howard (left) was also at the Liberals' campaign launch at Penrith Panthers in a show of support for NSW Premier (right)

The premier sought to counter Labor's attack on her government's spending priorities, promising to spend more than $8 billion on hospitals over the next four years, including a $1.3 billion redevelopment of Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.

'I will never ask you to choose between having world-class schools, hospitals, transport, roads, stadiums or cultural facilities,' Ms Berejiklian said.

'The hard work we've done means that today, NSW can have it all.'

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told supporters her government's job was 'far from done'

Former NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell pledged his support for his former transport minister Gladys Berejiklian, who recently celebrated two years since becoming Premier

She likened controversial features of her state's $90 billion infrastructure spend to the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

'And yet, in their time, none of these projects was universally supported or easily delivered,' she said.

The premier also promised $120 million to make before and after school care available to all children at public primary schools by 2021.

Also in attendance was Nick Greiner (left), who served as NSW Premier between 1988 and 1992

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison and one of his predecessors John Howard, were in the crowd, neither addressed the event.

Mr Morrison said he didn't mind not having a speaking role.

'It's a state affair today...it's all about the team here today, I'm very happy to be here and happy to be participating in the campaign here in NSW,' he told reporters after the event.
Electricians are the most trustworthy tradies, a hipages survey reveals.

The Tradie Trust Index has found both customers and other tradies have voted electricians as the most trustworthy, even though there is more money in plumbing.

Some electricians believe this is because of the extensive qualifications they are required to get before they begin work.

Electricians have been selected as the most trustworthy tradies, despite there being more money in plumbing (stock image)

Michael Harvey, an electrician based in Pymble, told The Daily Telegraph his industry is hard get into now because there are so many qualifications needed.

Not only is there three years of theory training and four years of being an apprentice, there's also lots of tests to pass at TAFE.

'You have to get 65 per cent and above in every single section,' Mr Harvey said.

The survey also found that regional areas trust tradies more compared to suburban and metropolitan areas.

It also found that women are more trusting of tradies than men are.

Chief customer officer of hipages Stuart Tucker said multiple factors come into how trustworthy tradies are, including response rate and cost.

Electricians are also the most commonly hired tradies across Australia, with many of the jobs being last-minute or an emergency.

The hipages Tradie Trust Index has found that across all Australian trades, both customers and other tradies have voted electricians as the most trustworthy (stock image)

'When hiring an electrician, it's more often an emergency situation with your local sparky coming to the rescue,' Mr Tucker said.

Mr Harvey said he commonly comes across 'horrendous' old work that the customer doesn't realise is a bad job.

The hipages Tradie Trust Index also found that one third of Australians don't usually check tradesman's licenses when they hire them for a job.

Mr Tucker said it's best to formalise all details of a job in writing before paying or beginning work to avoid a dodgy job.
African and Pacific Islander teenage gangs went to war in Melbourne on Saturday night.

Witnesses watched on in horror as hundreds of riot squad officers were forced to use capsicum spray and batons to break up a series of organised brawls across the city.

One man likened the scenes to 'something out of Braveheart', claiming officers could do little but watch on as the clashing groups fought outside Flinders Street Station.

'I saw about 5 massive clashes, with the Islanders coming out on top in all of them. Pound for Pound they were formidable and unstoppable,' he wrote online.

'They would charge at each other randomly. Like something out of Braveheart.'

Brawling groups of ethnic youths have marred the Moomba Festival yet again, with five people arrested following three separate incidents in Melbourne's CBD

Confronting footage taken outside St Paul's Cathedral showed dozens of young men and women watch as a topless man threw punches (pictured)

Dramatic footage posted online (pictured) showed more than a dozen teenagers sprinting down a set of escalators at Flinders Street station

Dramatic footage posted online showed more than a dozen teenagers sprinting down a set of escalators at Flinders Street station.

They appeared to corner a smaller group of boys and lay into them with flying kicks and punches as others encouraged them on from a distance.

Just two minutes up the road at St Paul's Cathedral, dozens of young men and women watched on as a topless man threw punches at the crowd.

Police arrested five people following three separate incidents, which they believe were all linked.

The organised street brawls started from 10pm and carried through until 2am on Sunday night, police confirmed.

The brawls followed Melbourne's notorious Moomba Festival, a three-day free family event run by the council.

One social media user reported the events at Flinders Street were like something 'out of The Warriors' movie, with more than 150 police officers 'reluctant to do anything other than randomly spray capsicum (pictured officers usher a camera away)

Moomba Festival has been spoiled by youth gang violence for the past four years.

Police arrested 24 people in 2016, and more than 50 in 2017 when young thugs from the Apex gang ran riot through the city centre.

Saturday night's violent incidents came despite Victoria Police pre-empting trouble surrounding the family-friendly event, promising a dedicated police presence throughout the city.

In other footage taken next to Flinders Street Station by a passer-by, a young woman could be seen being allegedly thrown to the ground by an officer after she had walked up to him.

The 15-year-old who filmed the fight said officers had blocked off a platform because of a fight when the woman went up and tried to negotiate with them.

'She tried to get past them because she kept saying she was in a rush to catch her train, it was real late,' he said.

'When she walked up to the cops he told her 'back off', she just said 'I'm going this way'.'

The violent incidents came despite Victoria Police pre-empting trouble surrounding the family-friendly event, promising a dedicated police presence throughout the city (pictured man who was one of those arrested in subdued by police)

'She kept trying to get past him, that's when he threw her towards a wall.'

'Her face was all bruised and beaten , she had a bruise on the right of her lip straight away.'

His mother said the incident left her doubting whether her children could have faith in the authorities.

'My son's 15 and my daughter's nearly 12, if they can't trust police then what?' she said.

'If that was my daughter, oh my god.'

In response, Victoria Police said the incident showed the need for 'members of the public to stand back to give police the space to ensure a safe and timely outcome for all parties'.

The incident will however be investigated, a spokesperson confirmed.

Vision also showed a young woman being allegedly thrown to the ground by an officer

Vision also showed a young woman who appeared to have been affected by capscium spray being attended by officers.

'On each occasion two groups of youths began fighting before Public Order Response Team and Uniform police immediately intervened,' a police spokesperson said.

Three people were arrested for assault over the course of the night, and two others for drunken behaviour.

A further two penalty notices were also issued, one for riotous behaviour and one for weapons offences.

Four years of riots: The violent history of the Moomba Festival Last year African gang violence (pictured) ruined Moomba for the third year in a row Footage from the 2018 festival showed girls trading punches while frightened visitors ducked for cover Last year African gang violence ruined Moomba for the third year in a row, with dozens of teenagers caught on camera charging onto a tram with police in hot pursuit. Footage from the 2018 festival also showed girls trading punches while frightened visitors ducked for cover. But police said there were only a small number of incidents and their operation was successful. Federal Liberal MP Jason Wood said police were reluctant to make arrests due to fear of criticism. Dozens of teenagers were caught on camera charging onto a tram with police in hot pursuit There has been an increased police presence around the Moomba Festival following the 2016 'Moomba riots' (pictured) linked to the Apex gang Police arrested more than 50 people in 2017 when Apex thugs ran riot through the city centre. Weapons including knives, scissors, a taser and a knuckle duster were seized after officers conducted more than 800 searches. In 2016 officers were forced to deploy pepper spray and arrest 24 people as organised brawls broke out in front of horrified families. Approximately 150 youths stole phones, goaded police and terrorised the public. In 2016 officers were forced to deploy pepper spray and arrest 24 people as organised brawls broke out in front of horrified families Police are pictured in full force for the 2016 event, which has been followed by violent clashes at subsequent Moomba Festivals African community leaders worked closely with police in the lead-up to the 2018 event, following the amount of violence in previous years (2016 event pictured) Advertisement

There has been an increased police presence around the Moomba Festival following violence in previous years.

During the 2016 riots, 150 youths stole phones, taunted police and terrorised the public.

More than 30 teens were arrested over those riots and police have had a strong presence at the festival since then.

Ahead of this year's event, Commander Tim Hansen told reporters more police resources would be deployed this year than ever before.

'If there are those of you ... that want to come into Moomba and want to cause trouble, and cause harm to those families that come down to celebrate Melbourne, we will be here in force waiting for you, and ready for you,' he warned.
A young woman who lost her legs and fingers to meningococcal disease thought she was just catching a cold.

Sydney woman Juttima Chinnasri, 28, went to bed early one night in October last year, concerned that her fever was a sign on an oncoming flu.

When she woke up the next morning, she was covered in blotchy, dark rashes and was rushed to hospital.

Scroll down for video

Juttima Chinnasri (rash) went to bed one night in October with flu symptoms and woke up the next morning covered in a deadly rash

The young woman's body was coated in black splotches, diagnosed as meningococcal disease, and comatose for ten days (pictured)

Doctors at St George Hospital told Ms Chinnasri she was 'very, very sick', with blood testing confirming she had meningococcal B.

She was placed in a coma as hospital staff worked desperately to save her life.

When she woke up after ten days, she was told her fingers and legs had to be amputated.

'Half of me didn't believe it,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

'I hoped there was another way out so I did not have to lose my legs and hands.'

She would spend the next three months in hospital, learning to live without her extremities.

Wheelchair-bound, she has since returned to her parent's south Sydney home in Kogarah.

Ms Chinnasri says she is lucky to be alive, as meningococcal B kills one in every ten sufferers

Ms Chinnasri (pictured) is now learning to adjust to life in a wheelchair after her legs were amputated

Despite not being able to walk, she says she still considers herself very lucky.

'I just try and think I am lucky I'm still here, it could have been way worse,' she said.

One in every ten people who are diagnosed with meningococcal B - the most common of the five strains of the disease - die.

Meningococcal Australia's Eliza Ault-Connell previously told Daily Mail Australia timing is key when it comes to surviving meningococcal disease.

'We've seen people at breakfast be dead by dinner, you literally see rashes develop before their eyes.'

WHAT IS MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE? Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can cause death within hours if not recognised and treated in time. There are five main strains of the infection, each of which now have a vaccine available in Australia. Although the majority of victims will recover fully, 10% of those infected will die, and around 20% will have permanent disabilities. If left untreated, the disease is fatal. Amputation is not uncommon. Neither is organ failure and kidney damage, with extreme cases requiring long-term dialysis. Babies and children up to five-years-old account for two-thirds of cases due to their less mature immune system. Source: Meningococcal Australia Advertisement




A woman who police believe was murdered spent her final days holed up in a hotel with her alleged killer before vanishing without a trace.

Samah Baker, from Parramatta in Sydney's west, hasn't been seen since January 4.

In the days prior to that, she was caught on eerie CCTV footage in a hotel elevator with her alleged murderer James Hachem, 32.

Police believe the 30-year-old spent a lot of her last two days alive with Hachem inside the $183-a-night Vibe Hotel in North Sydney.

Hachem was arrested at Hurstville Shopping Centre on Friday morning and charged with her murder.

Samah Baker, 30, (pictured) hasn't been since January after she spent her last days alive with her alleged killer in the $189-a-night Vibe Hotel in North Sydney

It is believed that Ms Baker spent alot of her final days alive with James Hachem, 32, inside the hotel - Hacham has since been arrested and charged with her murder

The arrest came after items linked to the alleged murder were found at a highway rest stop near Goulburn nearly 200km southwest of Sydney

Assistant Commissioner Julie Boon added she believed Ms Baker 'was an acquaintance' with the accused, 7 News reports.

The man was refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Bail Court via video link on Saturday.

Ms Baker, was last seen after she was dropped off by a friend at her Parramatta home, in Sydney's west, in the early hours of Friday, January 4.

She was reported missing by relatives later that day when they were unable to contact her.

Police are now alleging Ms Baker never made it out of her Parramatta unit alive and are suspecting she was murdered between 2am and 8am on January 4.

Ms Baker's body remains undiscovered.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

It is not yet known why the pair were at the hotel (pictured: a standard room at the Vibe Hotel in North Sydney)
A group of novice campers were savaged by firefighters after lighting a campfire in the middle of a 'dry' forest on Saturday.

Victoria's Woodend Country Fire Authority posted the picture on their Facebook page to educate others about using common sense when out in the wild.

The fire authority unit, located between Melbourne and Bendigo, were called to a smoke sighting at Wombat Forest just after 4pm on Saturday.

Tankers and firefighters responded, but initially felt finding the source of the smoke was like 'trying to find a needle in a haystack'.

Tankers and firefighters from the CFA unit between Melbourne and Bendigo 'couldn't believe' the first time campers had lit a fire in the middle of a dry forest

The campers reportedly intended to make a bonfire, which could have spread easily, creating an instant bushfire in a remote area of Victoria

They were then horrified after discovering a group of first-time campers on a remote track had started the fire - without following basic requirements.

'They had not cleared an area around the fire or dug a pit. They (campers) just lit the fire on the ground surrounded by dry fuels,' the Facebook post read.

'They also put many large logs onto the fire and let it spread. 'Their intention was to build it into a nice bonfire during the night.'

Campers are permitted to start a fire during the fire danger period for warmth and cooking as long as there is little wind.

The fire is not allowed to be more than one square metre in size, and must also be in a pit at least 30cm deep.

After clearing the blaze, crews on the scene read the riot act to the sheepish campers.

The furious CFA unit took to social media to blast the group for the 'stupid' stunt.

'What do idiots do when they go camping in the bush for the first time?' they wrote.

'Well, of course, you drive in to the middle of a tinder dry forest and light a camp fire that has potential to start a seriously dangerous bush fire.'

This irate Facebook user questioned if the campers had 'learnt anything growing up'

Facebook user June Fountain was a little more measured, stating the campers should be required to 'attend a mandatory course to give them skills in case of a bushfire'

The reaction on social media was typically blunt, with one asking if the campers 'had learnt anything growing up.'

Another stated the campers should be required to 'attend a mandatory course to give them skills in case of a bushfire.'

A spokesperson from State Control Centre told Yahoo7 News on-the-spot fines apply to those who fail to comply with campfire rules.

'The safest option is not to light a campfire. Consider whether you really need one,' the spokesperson said.

'If you choose to have a campfire, ensure you do extinguish them properly. Never leave a fire unattended, even for a short while.'
A service station worker is lucky to be alive after his head was beaten to a pulp with a hammer during a violent armed robbery.

The attack happened at about 5am on Sunday when two people on a dirt bike rode up to the store at the Westside service station in Ingleburn in Sydney's south-west.

Wearing helmets, the thugs chased after international student Muhummad, 25, who had just ducked out of the store during his shift to grab a jacket from his car.

Trapped inside his car, the thugs began striking his window with a hammer. They eventually broke through and delivered 16 blows to his skull.

Service station worker Muhammad, 25, was struck on the head 16 times with a hammer during a violent armed robbery in Ingleburn in Sydney's southwest on Sunday morning

The thugs rode up to the Westside service station on a dirt bike and wearing helmets - they then smashed Muhammad's car windows as attempted to hide

'At that point I realised if he takes the key it's all over, because he's not going to let me live,' Muhammad told 7 News.

After giving up on getting the key, the bandits then ran towards the Fast and Easy.

CCTV captured the two bandits using the hammer to smash their way into the store and raiding it - getting away with cash from the register and boxes of cigarettes.

After failing to retrieve the key from Muhammad, they then smashed their way into the Fast and Easy store with the hammer

They were captured on CCTV leaving the store with cash and cigarettes - police are now urging the public with any information to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers

Muhammad was taken to hospital and treated for serious head injuries.

'I talked to the doctors and they told me that I was lucky to have survived,' he said.

Police are still hunting the bandits and urge anyone who may be able to identify them to contact Crime Stoppers.
An adventurer and Guinness World Record holder has revealed that living on the UK's streets was 'more lucrative' than he imagined.

Ed Stafford, a former army captain and amazon trekker, spent two months being homeless in Glasgow, Manchester, and London.

He found that as well as gaining 11lb because passers-by kept giving him fast food, sandwiches, and burgers, he could also make up to 200 a night.

Ed Stafford, a former captain in the British army, lived on the streets for two months

He found that there was more food than he was expecting. In Glasgow he saw 26 volunteers giving out food to two homeless people

Ed Stafford has done several other survival series including 'Walking the Amazon', where he avoided snakes, roasted monkeys, and met people that live in the rainforest while walking the length of the river

After living without a roof over his head for Channel 4's series 60 Days on the Streets, which will be shown next week, Ed said that some parts were 'easier' than he expected.

'I think I was shocked by the amount of food that was available,' he said.

'I thought I was going to lose loads of weight and it was going to be harder to physically survive - but in fact, there was an abundance of people wanting to help, in all three cities.

'In Glasgow, I witnessed 26 volunteers handing out food one night, and there were only two rough sleepers there. I even met one homeless man who complained the public 'overfeed' him.'

'And begging seemed to be more lucrative than I ever imagined.

'It was common in London for people to make 100 to 200 in an evening, which is more than the average person earns in work.'

Ed lived homeless on the streets of Manchester (pictured), Glasgow, and London for Channel 4's series 60 Days on the Streets

He also found that he could make up to 200 a night when he was on the streets

One homeless man he accompanied in Manchester made 20 in 30 minutes when asking passers by for money for a hostel - although in reality it was to fund his crack cocaine addiction.

Comparing the cities, he said living on the streets in Manchester was 'manic' as spice 'laid waste to sections of the homeless community'.

'You see them in the main squares, frozen like zombies.'

In London he struck up more friendships but saw a large contrast between rich and poor.

Ed said that the situation in Manchester for homeless people was shocking, with whole sections of the homeless community being 'laid waste' by the drug spice

Ed said he was shocked at how resigned some homeless people were to their situation. (Pictured) Ed tries to stay warm in Glasgow

'I remember living on the Strand, near all the theatres,' he said.

'I remember sitting in the doorway of Halifax and hordes of people coming out of the Adelphi Theatre.

'The triviality of what these people were talking about really struck me. I just remember getting almost angry at how inane the conversations were.'

Ed said he was most shocked by how resigned some homeless people were to their situation.

'I had assumed no one would want to be on the streets if they had a choice - but actually, some of the community prefer life on the streets living on one's wits, to one in temporary accommodation navigating the benefits system.'

After being on the streets, Ed said he would not give directly to homeless people, but does believe they need a great deal more support to help them escape the situation.

He also said that in London (pictured) the contrast between rich and poor was much more obvious

He said he was really annoyed at how 'inane' some people's conversations were as they stepped out of the Adelphi Theatre

There are around 4,000 to 5,000 people that sleep rough on the UK's streets each night, according to magazine Big Issue

'At a deep level, it's not a lifestyle any of them would have chosen for themselves - even if now they are resigned to it.

'All of them have been driven to the streets by tragedy in their past - whether it's something that happened in their childhood, a parent that's an addict, or an abusive partner.'

Around 4,000 to 5,000 people sleep on the streets each night, according to magazine Big Issue, which tries to help homeless people by asking them to sell its publication.

After living on the streets, Ed found he would not give money to people directly, but said they needed a lot more support to get them out of the situation they were in

It also said that 78,930 people were in temporary accommodation, meaning families are in shelters, hostels, B&Bs, and refuges, among others.

Shelter UK, a charity that campaigns to help homeless people, said one in every 200 people in the UK is homeless, or 320,000 people.

The adventurer holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon river.

The program will air on Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4.
A British rapper has accused Airbnb of cancelling his booking because the host had an issue with 'coloured folk and felt uncomfortable.'

Grime artist Jermaine Sinclair, better known by his stage name Wretch 32, has claimed the property rental company did not honour a reservation he made.

The 34-year-old tweeted: 'Imagine @Airbnb_uk cancelled my booking, stole half my money because the host had an issue with 'Coloured folk & felt uncomfortable' I've heard of birthday beats but not birthday teefs.'

Wretch 32, pictured performing at Reading Festival in 2018, claims the property rental company did not honour a booking because the host had an issue with 'coloured folk & felt uncomfortable'

Wretch 32 tweets Airbnb with a complaint about a cancelled reservation. It appears to have happened on his birthday

Social media users reacted with fury with many calling the decision 'disgraceful' and called for Airbnb to remove the host from its website.

One person said: 'That's disgraceful! @Airbnb_uk give at least the money back and booking voucher!!!'

While another person said: 'I hope you can offer a full refund and remove the host from your site.'

Airbnb was founded in 2008 and allows people to book homes or flats from ordinary people looking to make some extra money.

Hosts and guests can then write reviews about each other, which can then be seen on the property's page.

The room letting website responded to the rap artist, who is from North London, on Twitter.

A tweet posted by Airbnb Help said: 'Airbnb does not condone discrimination in any way.

'Please see our policy here (link). Please DM the full name, phone number, and email address on your account so we can follow-up and connect you with our dedicated team.'

A spokesman for Airbnb said: 'We were concerned to hear about this experience and have reached out to Wretch32 and his management to learn more.

'Discrimination has no place on Airbnb and goes against everything our community stands for.'
Sergei Skripal (pictured) unmasked dozens of secret agents and gave information to MI6

Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence, was considered by the Kremlin to be one of the most damaging spies of his generation.

He was responsible for unmasking dozens of secret agents threatening Western interests by operating undercover in Europe.

Col Skripal, 66, allegedly received 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6.

In 2006, he was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp after being convicted of passing invaluable Russian secrets to the UK.

A senior source in Moscow said at the time: 'This man is a big hero for MI6.'

After being convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' by Moscow's military court, Col Skripal was stripped of his rank, medals and state awards.

He was alleged by Russia's security service, the FSB, to have begun working for the British secret services while serving in the army in the 1990s.

He was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp when he was convicted of passing secrets to Britain

He passed information classified as state secrets and was paid for the work by MI6, the FSB claimed.

Col Skripal pleaded guilty at the trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time. He admitted his activities and gave a full account of his spying, which led to a reduced sentence.

In July 2010, he was pardoned by then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and was one of four spies exchanged for ten Russian agents deported from the US in an historic swap involving red-headed 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman.

Mrs Chapman, then 28, was a Manhattan socialite and diplomat's daughter, who had lived and worked in London during a four-year marriage to British public schoolboy Alex Chapman.

After the swap at Vienna airport, Col Skripal was one of two spies who came to Britain and he has kept a low profile for the past eight years.

He moved into a 350,000 home in Salisbury and collapsed outside a shopping centre in the city centre

He is understood to have been debriefed for months before being given a home and a pension.

The former spy was living at an address in Salisbury, Wiltshire, when the suspected poisoning took place in the city centre.

Reports in Russia suggested that Mr Skripal was originally recruited by MI6 in Tallinn, Estonia, and may have lectured on the KGB tactics since moving to Britain.

He often went to his local shop to buy a particular type of Polish sausage and spent up to 40 a time on lottery scratch cards and was described as a 'polite' and 'kind' customer who often won money.

Adam Blake who owns local firm A2B Taxis, said he 'fairly regularly' used to pick up Mr Skripal, who is fighting for his life after being exposed to a mystery substance.

Mr Blake told the Daily Mirror: 'He had a black-faced ring with an animal on it, a wolf I think, and would kiss the ring and ask if you wanted to kiss it.

'Then he would look each way, as if joking, and say, "I'm a Russian spy". He would say it to all the drivers and nobody ever believed him.

'I would often see him standing around town in doorways too, looking around suspiciously as if he was really trying to portray the spy image.'

He also joined the 10-a-year Railway Social Club in the city and neighbours said they did not know him well, although he organised a house-warming party shortly after moving in, inviting people by dropping notes through doors.

It was also revealed how he had suffered two bereavements within just five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his son Alexandr passed away aged 43 in 2017.

This video shows the evidence used to convict Skripal of spying in Russia and his high-profile arrest in Moscow in 2004

His neighbour Blake Stephens, 24, said: 'He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died in a car accident a while ago.'

Col Skripal was turned by MI6 when he was posted abroad as a GRU military intelligence agent in Europe in the mid-1990s.

During his years working for MI6, the balding spy unmasked dozens of agents threatening Western interests.

Col Skripal was so well-connected that even after his retirement from his spy service in 1999 he continued to pass exceptional secrets to London by staying in touch with his former colleagues as a reservist officer.

He was nicknamed 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him carrying a bag at an airport en route to a meeting with his handlers.

He may finally have been snared by the FSB after passing his intelligence to MI6's infamous James Bond-style 'spy rock'  a fake stone packed with receiving equipment in a Moscow park.

Russian secret services exposed the ploy in 2006, revealing how British agents transmitted their data to the rock via a hidden hand-held device while walking past it.

Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'

After Col Skripal's conviction, one official said: 'His activities caused a significant blow to Russia's external security.'

Chief military prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky said: 'It is impossible to measure in roubles or anything else the amount of harm caused by Skripal.'

State-run TV in Russia even compared him to the legendary Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky, who spied for Britain and the US during the height of the Cold War.

Penkovsky was shot by a firing squad in 1963 and is regarded as one of the most effective spies of all time.
Felix Ngole, a devout Christian from Barnsley, Yorkshire, was forced to leave his two-year social work course at Sheffield University

The human right to free speech could be at risk if a ruling against a devout Christian kicked off his university course for 'anti-gay' comments is not overturned, the former student will argue in the High Court next week.

Felix Ngole, a devout Christian from Barnsley, Yorkshire, was forced to leave his two-year social work masters at Sheffield University after he posted 'homosexuality is a sin' to Facebook.

The 40-year-old argued he had been unfairly punished for sharing his Christian believes and his removal from the course breached his human right to freedom of speech and thought, enshrined in the Europeans Convention on Human Rights.

He will appear at the Appeal Court on Tuesday, more than a year after Deputy High Court judge Rowena Collins-Rice found Mr Ngole's rights to free speech had not been infringed by his removal from the course during a trial in London in October 2017.

During a request for appeal Paul Diamond, a barrister specialising in religious and human rights, will suggest that regulators would, by implication, have to be given the powers of the Orwellian thought police to monitor social media accounts.

He is expected to argue that it would leave a fifth of the workforce vulnerable to the charge that they had breached their professional code of conduct if they expressed unpopular beliefs. There are more than 200 regulated professions in the UK.

Mr Ngole posted 'homosexuality is a sin' and 'the devil has hijacked the constitution of the USA' on Facebook after Kim Davis, a county clerk from Kentucky, was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licences after the introduction of same-sex marriage in 2015.

Mr Ngole also quoted a verse from Leviticus describing it as an 'abomination' during a discussion on a public Facebook page.

He commented: 'It is a wicked act and God hates the act; God hates sin and not man.'

On November 11, 2015, a Sheffield University departmental investigating team met with Mr Ngole.

At the meeting he said he could still carry out the role of a social worker without being discriminatory.

The university's lawyers said they had to consider the mature student's 'fitness to practise' and warned that his posts would damage public confidence in social workers.

His barrister Mr Diamond plans to argue that the university should not have assumed that Mr Ngole was wrong to express his beliefs. If he was entitled to express his religious views then he showed integrity by refusing to renounce them.

Outside court during the trial that found Mr Ngole's human right to freedom of speech had not been infringed in 2017

The court will hear that Mr Ngole's comments on Facebook are shared by millions of Christians that simply quote or paraphrase the Bible and are beliefs protected by human rights laws.

Mr Ngole's lawyer will cite a notorious case involving Ken Livingstone who, when he was mayor of London, compared a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard. The High Court ruled in 2006 that he had not breached the mayoral code of conduct, in part because there is a distinction between him bringing himself into disrepute and bringing his office into disrepute.

He is set to argue that a student should not be held to a higher standard than London's mayor. Mr Ngole was commenting in 2015 on a debate about a US official who was jailed after refusing to issue marriage licences to gay couples.

The university have previously argued Mr Ngole was unfit to practise after he failed to show 'insight' into the consequences of his actions and the Health and Care Professions Council intervened.

A University of Sheffield spokesperson said: 'This appeal follows the ruling by a Deputy High Court judge that the decision to exclude Mr Ngole from the MA Social Work course on the grounds of Fitness to Practise was lawful and proportionate.

'The University of Sheffield supports the right of students to hold and debate a wide range of views and beliefs.

'However, students studying on courses that lead to professional registration have additional responsibilities and universities are required to assess these in line with national professional guidelines.'

The former student has previously told the university that, regardless of his beliefs, he does not discriminate against gay people. His appeal argues that victims are protected in law and so limits on freedom of expression cannot be justified on the grounds of a hypothetical risk.

It is understood that his barrister will point out that the university has itself acted on the assumption that people can set aside their personal beliefs.

Mr Ngole, who is married with four children, has been unable to return to his career as a teacher and said he has had job offers withdrawn after revealing his legal battle with Sheffield.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is backing the student, told MailOnline: It is a really important case that will affect many of us. Posting on a Facebook account can actually cost you your job.

The views Felix expressed were views that come out of love for his Christian faith and his desire to support the freedom of others in a Facebook discussion.

Generally Felix is very vocational, passionate about his work, about serving others and it is tragic when someone like this is lost in the public space because of his views on marriage.

We hope justice is done and it helps to lead us towards a situation where the climate of fear will be broken and the intolerance of the all-consuming equality of sexuality and gender will begin to be seen for what it is.

In 2017 Ms Williams, commenting on the ruling against Mr Ngole, said it would have a 'chilling' effect on Christians' ability to share their views.

She said: 'The court has ruled that though Mr Ngole is entitled to hold his Biblical views on sexual ethics, he is not entitled to express them.

'It is the expression of Biblical morality that has been singled out for sanction by the university.

'This ruling will have a chilling effect on Christian students up and down the country who will now understand that their personal social media posts may be investigated for political correctness.'

Mr Ngole enrolled on a two-year MA social work degree course in September 2014 at Sheffield University - one of 24 elite Russell Group universities.

University bosses said he had posted comments on a publicly accessible Facebook page which were 'derogatory of gay men and bisexuals'.

Following a disciplinary hearing, the student was told he had brought his profession into disrepute and breached personal conduct guidelines. A separate fitness to practise panel later concluded that he was entitled to his opinion about gay marriage but may have caused offence to some individuals.

At the time of his expulsion Mr Ngole said: My beliefs about marriage and sexual ethics reflect mainstream, biblical understanding, shared by millions around the world.

Simply expressing that understanding, in a personal capacity, on my Facebook page, cannot be allowed to become a bar to serving and helping others in a professional capacity as a social worker.

A growing culture of intolerance at universities meant some student unions adopted 'safe space' policies that banned controversial speakers who were deemed offensive.

Historian David Starkey was removed from a promotional Cambridge University video over claims his views were 'racist'.

Facebooks Community Standards states it does not allow content that directly attacks individuals based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or medical condition.

But it does allow people to discuss and criticise broad religions, institutions, ideas and beliefs as part of a balance between giving people the freedom to express themselves and maintaining a safe and trusted environment.




Australians are going wild for Aldi's limited edition 'Tomusto Sauce'.

The product, which costs just $2 a bottle and is only available in Queensland, is a blend of tomato sauce and American mustard.

'If you're the sort of person who takes your burgers with tomato sauce and mustard, then Tomusto will be right up your alley,' Aldi's website explains.

The barbecue condiment is a huge hit online, with scores of customers taking to social media to praise the German supermarket chain.

Aldi has another item which is sending customers wild after it introduced 'Tomusto Sauce' bottles which mixes two of the most popular sauces together in one container

The product is a blend of tomato sauce and Mild American Mustard an dis being marketed as the perfect sauce for a BBQ, whether for hot dogs or burgers and it drew attention on social media

'Tomusto' sauce!! Tomato sauce and Mustard in a merger, a hybrid, a Siamese meshing of condiments?!' one user wrote alongside a post about the sauce.

'43 years on this planet and had no idea someone, obviously a genius, invented Tomusto sauce,' another added.

One social media user pointed out the convenience of the sauce blend product.

'When you can't be bothered with two sauce bottles - go Tomusto!' they wrote.

'Makes life a bit easier for hot dogs!!' another chimed in.

The product, made from Australian grown tomatoes, was trademarked in June 2017.

Some social media users welcomed the tomato sauce and american mild mustard blend while others took aim at grammar and the necessity of the product

'If you're the sort of person who takes your burgers with tomato sauce and mustard, then Tomusto will be right up your alley,' the Aldi website stated

Aldi isn't alone in its tomato and mustard sauce blend.

Masterfoods already produces and sells its own Tomato and Mustard Sauce which is sold on Coles supermarket shelves for between $2 and $3.

'Errr masterfoods (and other brands) have been doing tomusto for a while. It's not an Aldi invention,' one keen eyed consumer wrote on Twitter.
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Joanna Toole (pictured) has been named as one of the British victims of the air disaster in Ethiopia

A 36-year-old animal welfare campaigner and a polar expert on her way to tackle plastic pollution were among seven Britons killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet crashed within minutes of its take-off from Addis Ababa, losing and gaining speed dramatically in its final seconds after setting off for Nairobi.

The crash on Sunday morning killed all 149 passengers -- including seven Britons, one Irishman and eight Americans - as well as eight crew members.

British victim Joanna Toole, from Exmouth, Devon, was among at least 12 passengers who were travelling to a UN environment meeting in the Kenyan capital.

Paying tribute today, her father Adrian called her a 'very soft and loving person' whose work with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation was 'not a job but a vocation'.

Mr Toole said she had flown around the world but added: 'Personally I never wanted her to be on a single one of those planes.'

Polar expert Sarah Auffret, who had French and British dual nationality, was also killed in the crash. Colleagues paid tribute to her as a 'true friend and beloved colleague'.

Another victim was named as Joseph Waithaka, a native Kenyan who lived in Hull for more than a decade and was on his way home from visiting his family in the city.

Flight-tracking data revealed that the plane's vertical speed - the rate of climb or descent - varied from 2,624 feet per minute to minus 1,216 within minutes of take-off.

According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane, which was new and was delivered to the airline last November, 'had unstable vertical speed' shortly after take off.

Aviation experts described this as extremely unusual because once a plane has taken off the vertical speed should rise or remain stable.

Sarah Auffret (pictured), a French-British dual national, has been identified as a victim of the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302

The graphic shows how the plane's vertical speed fluctuated in the minute before it crashed near Addis Ababa airport

Rescue team collect bodies in bags at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa

Mr Toole said Joanna's partner had called him with the news that his daughter had been on board the doomed flight, on her way to represent the UN's fisheries wing at the environment assembly.

He said: 'Joanna's work was not a job - it was her vocation. She never really wanted to do anything else but work in animal welfare since she was a child.

'Somehow that work took her into the international sphere and for the last 15 years she has been working for international animal welfare organisations.

'That involves a lot of travelling around the world - although personally I never wanted her to be on a single one of those planes.

'I'm an environmental campaigner myself, so partly it was because of the damage to the environment but also because it's a dangerous occupation to be flying. Up until now she had been lucky.

'Joanna was a very soft and loving person. Everybody was very proud of her and the work she did. We're still in a state of shock.

Joanna Toole, pictured, was the first British victim to be named. Paying tribute her father Adrian said she was a 'very soft and loving person' whose work with the United Nations was 'not a job but a vocation'

Wreckage lies at the crash site after the Ethiopian Airlines jet came down within minutes of take-off on Sunday morning

'Joanna was genuinely one of those people who you never heard a bad word about. She was one of those people who burned the candle at both ends.

'I have just come off the phone with her boss, the assistant director general at the UN who has told me her work will not finish - they will carry on.

'She never had any doubt that she wanted to work in animal welfare and on the international scene, that meant a lot of travel. It's hard to imagine life without her. We've been told there are no survivors so we're guessing this is the end.'

One of her UN colleagues, Manuel Barange, called her a 'wonderful human being who loved her work with a passion', saying he was 'so profoundly sad and lost for words' at the news of her death.

According to her LinkedIn page she had worked for the UN since 2016, living in Rome where she recently set up home with her partner.

She previously worked at World Animal Protection and Animal Defenders International, after graduating from Anglia Ruskin University in 2004 with a degree in Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Biology.

Ms Toole, pictured, was one of 149 passengers killed

In a blog she wrote when she worked for WAP she described herself as a keen diver, adding: 'I'm committed to the protection of all animals, but the underwater world and the animals within it are my greatest passion.'

She also describes herself as a 'lover of yoga and vegan foodie' and has campaigned to reduce Britain's plastic consumption.

Another victim, 55-year-old Joseph Waithaka, lived in Hull for more than a decade before returning to his native Kenya in 2015.

He had been visiting his wife and children, who still live in Hull, and was on his way back to Kenya via Ethiopia when he boarded the doomed flight.

Meanwhile polar expert Sarah Auffret, a French-British dual national, died on the flight as she made her way to Nairobi to talk about a Clean Seas project.

'Words cannot describe the sorrow and despair we feel. We have lost a true friend and beloved colleague,' her employers at the Norway-based Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators said.

Irishman Michael Ryan (pictured left), who worked for the UN's World Food Programme, and Kenyan national Joseph Waithaka (right) - who used to live in Hull - were also among of the 149 passengers killed

Hospitality company Tamarind Group announced 'with immense shock and grief' that its chief executive Jonathan Seex (pictured) was among the fatalities

Mr Waithaka worked for the probation service during his time in Hull and his family said he had 'helped so many people' during his time in England.

His son, Ben Kuria, said: 'My dad was a private man but he also had a pastoral heart. He really championed people. He really helped people realise their potential.

'He would tell stories which would inspire the young people he was helping who were not at a great time in their lives.

'As a father he was very protective and he really wanted us to do well. He supported us and ensured we got stuck into our education. He really rooted for his children.'

Tonight Prime Minister Theresa May said she was 'deeply saddened to hear of the devastating loss of life following the plane crash in Ethiopia'.

'At this very difficult time my thoughts are with the families and friends of the British citizens on board and all those affected by this tragic incident,' she said.

The one Irish victim was named as engineer Michael Ryan, an employee of the UN's World Food Programme - which said seven of its staff members had died in the crash, including two Italians.

The Rome-based aid worker and engineer, known as Mick, was from Lahinch in Co Clare in Ireland's west and was believed to be married with two children.

The wreckage of the plane - showing the colours of the Ethiopian flag on the plane's livery - lies at the scene of the crash

The families of those on the plane have been arriving at special information centres to find out their next steps

Family members of the victims involved in a plane crash react at Addis Ababa international airport Sunday, hours after their loves ones took off

A spokesman said: 'I can very, very sadly confirm that Michael Ryan worked for WFP and was based at our headquarters in Rome and was among those killed on ET 302. All of WFP's thoughts and condolences are with the families of those killed.'

Irish premier Leo Varadkar said: 'Michael was doing life-changing work in Africa with the World Food Programme. Deepest sympathies to family, colleagues and friends.'

Representatives of the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees and an employee of the World Bank also lost their lives in the disaster.

Aviation expert Sally Gethin said the plane's rapidly fluctuating speed may indicate that the aircraft stalled in the moments before it crashed.

She said: 'It's the rate of climb or descent - the most critical phases of flight. Instability at that point e.g. too slow - could destabilise the aircraft, potentially risking stalling and other hazardous consequences. It might indicate the pilots had difficulty controlling the climb/ascent.'

An experienced pilot told MailOnline the activity was highly unusual.

He said: 'A positive number indicates the aircraft is going up. After takeoff you would expect all these numbers to be positive as the aircraft climbed away from the ground, or zero if they are flying level. The small amount of data released so far indicates that after only one minute or so of the flight this aircraft started a descent at a rate of up to 1920 feet per minute down. If the data is correct that is extremely unusual.

Ethiopia Airlines group CEO, Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, who is pictured at the accident scene. Firefighters spent hours trying to get to the scene

Wreckage lies at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 which came down en route to Nairobi

Part of the plane lies on the ground near Bishoftu following the crash on Sunday morning in which 157 people were killed

Lucky passenger avoids crash after missing flight A passenger has spoken of his relief after he missed the doomed Ethiopian Airlines flight. Ahmed Khalid was connecting in Addis Ababa on his way from Dubai to Nairobi but the first half of his trip was delayed. As a result he missed the ill-fated flight and boarded a later connection to Kenya. He said passengers were asking the cabin crew what had happened but received little information, Global News reported. Upon arrival in Nairobi he was greeted by his equally relieved father, Khalid Bzambur. Passenger Ahmed Khalid (left), who missed the doomed Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 while connecting from Dubai, meets his father Khalid Bzambur (right) in Nairobi Advertisement

'The data then shows the aircraft going up and down until the data stops. That is why some people are referring to unstable vertical speed. You would not expect a descent unless you were immediately returning, and if that was the case you wouldn't then expect the aircraft to climb again. After takeoff aircraft either climb or fly level for a period then climb again.'

Boeing said it was 'deeply saddened' by news of the crash and would sent technical experts to Ethiopia to help investigate the crash.

As many as 50 delegates are believed to have been on the plane heading to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, which begins tomorrow.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed there were UN staff on board, offering his 'heartfelt condolences' to their families.

The plane came down near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the capital. A witness told the BBC it took rescuers until 11am to arrive.

Witness Bekele Gutema said: 'The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn't get near it. Everything is burnt down.'

The pilot had sent out a distress call and was given the all clear to return, according to the airline's chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam.

Senior captain Yared Getachew had a "commendable performance" having completed more than 8,000 hours in the air, the airline said.

The plane had flown from Johannesburg to Addis earlier on Sunday morning, and had undergone a "rigorous" testing on February 4, a statement continued.

Boeing has said it will send a forensic team out to the crash site however it has been a site of activity all day with dozens of locals crossing on foot and big machinery being driven over

Pictures from the wreckage show people's shoes and burned bags scattered across the ground after the crash in Ethiopia

A relative reacts as he leaves the information centre following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi

Debris from the plane is strewn around the area while locals comb the area for any signs of survival from the crash

After the news all onboard had died families cried and talked on the phone at the airport. Families have said they are being told nothing about what has happened

A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya

Family members arrive at Bole International airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after hearing news of the crash

The plane, a 737 MAX 8, is believed to be a new addition to the EA fleet having been delivered last year - and is the same model as the Lion Air plane which crashed in Indonesia in October.

Boeing issued a safety warning last November about its new 737 Max jets which could have a fault that causes them to nose-dive. The MAX-8 planes were launched in 2016 and are used by major airlines all around the world.

While it remains unclear what happened onboard, there was a an urgent investigation in Indonesia in November 2018 - calling for all MAX jets to be inspected after the crash.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

Ethiopian Airlines said they had contacted the victims' families and said the bodies would be returned home once they had been identified.

Anton Hrnko, an MP for the nationalist Slovak National Party, said he was 'in deep grief' to announce that his wife Blanka, daughter Michala and son Martin were among the dead.

Abiodun Oluremi Bashua, a Nigerian former ambassador who had worked as a diplomat in Iran, Austria and Ivory Coast, was also killed.

Hospitality company Tamarind Group announced 'with immense shock and grief' that its chief executive Jonathan Seex was among the fatalities.

Hussein Swaleh, the former secretary general of the Football Kenya Federation, was also named as being among the dead by Sofapaka Football Club.

Rescue team walk past collected bodies in bags at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa

The scene of the crash on rural land in Ethiopia. All people onboard the plane died on Sunday, the airline later confirmed

But relatives in Nairobi said they had not been told anything - and that they only heard about the crash on Facebook - despite being at the airport waiting for loved ones.

Wendy Otieno told Reuters: 'We're just waiting for my mum. We're just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. She's not picking up her phone.'

Peter Kimani told AFP as he sat in the arrivals lounge he was waiting for his sister who had been on a mission to the Congo as a nurse.

'I am still hoping that all is fine, because I have been waiting for my sister since morning and we have not been told anything,' he said.

A spokesman for the airline confirmed the plane had crashed while heading from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. It was due to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at around 10.25am.

The airline's statement said: 'At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no information about survivors or any possible casualties.'

One woman was seen in tears this morning as she waited for news of her fiance.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam inspects the newly-arrived Boeing 737 Max 8 months before the crash

List of nationalities on board the Ethiopia Airlines flight Kenya: 32 passengers Canada: 18 Ethiopia: 9 China: 8 Italy: 8 United States: 8 France: 7 UK: 7 Egypt: 6 Germany: 5 India: 4 Slovakia: 4 Austria: 3 Russia: 3 Sweden: 3 Spain: 2 Israel: 2 Morocco: 2 Poland: 2 Belgium: 1

Djibouti: 1

Ireland: 1

Indonesia: 1

Mozambique: 1 Norway: 1 Rwanda: 1 Saudi Arabia: 1 Sudan: 1 Somalia: 1 Serbia: 1 Togo: 1 Uganda: 1 Yemen: 1 Nepal: 1 Nigeria: 1 U.N. passport: 1 Djibouti: 1 Advertisement

An Ethiopian Airports fire engine rushes to the scene of the crash on Sunday morning. It took them until 11am to get there

The loved ones of plane passengers heading to Nairobi are waiting for news at the airport although there is 'little' information

The plane had been heading towards Nairobi when it came down in Ethiopia. It was just 31 miles from Addis Ababa Airport

The plane had reportedly travelled for six minutes when it came down to the ground

Ethiopian Airlines hopes to become the most prominent airline on the continent. Pictured: A man looks at his phone outside the Ethiopian Airlines offices in downtown Nairobi, Kenya

Ethiopian Airlines Corporate Communications Director Asrat Begashaw said there were 33 nationalities on board the plane when it crashed. Among the dead are believed to be eight Chinese people.

The Ethiopian prime minister's official Twitter account on Sunday sent condolences to families of those onboard.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Twitter said: 'The office of the PM, on behalf of government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express it's deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.'

A Djiboutian national Hiba (L) is comforted by a relative as she waits for details of her loved one that was on board the flight Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi

Passengers wait outside the Bole International airport Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Families returned to the airport to try and get news of the crash

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta offered his 'prayers' to all the families and associates of those on board the plane.

'We are saddened by the news of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger aircraft that is reported to have crashed 6 minutes after takeoff en route to Kenya,' he wrote on Twitter.

Max Kingsley-Jones, group editor of online news site Flight Global, said Ethiopian Airlines has a 'great reputation' in the aviation world.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: 'Ethiopian [Airlines] is really the jewel in the crown for Africa's airlines. In fact, international airlines across the world look up to Ethiopian.

'It's got a fantastic network, it's got a great reputation and it has a fleet to go with that operation.

'It operates long-haul aircraft, all the latest technology... and then on short-haul it's got [Boeing] 737s.'

Flights out of Addis Ababa were delayed or cancelled on Sunday morning, it has been reported. A control centre phone number is being set up for the loved ones of those who were onboard.

A flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 is seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Boeing 737 Max jets investigated after Indonesia plane crash: Boeing issued a safety warning last November about its new 737 Max jets which could have a fault that causes them to nose-dive. The special bulletin sent to operators was about a sensor problem flagged by Indonesian safety officials investigating the crash of a Lion Air 737 that killed 189 people just a week before the memo was sent. Since the 737 Max was unveiled in 2017, 350 of the jets have been bought, with around a further future 4,761 orders placed. More than 40 airlines around the world use the 737 Max, which has four kinds in the fleet, numbered 7, 8, 9 and 10. Airlines such as Norwegian Air, Air China, TUI, Air Canada, United Airlines, American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Icelandair and FlyDubai. The 8 series, which was involved in the crash in Indonesia, has been flying the longest of all the Maxes. Boeing said in November that local aviation officials believed pilots may have been given wrong information by the plane's automated systems before the fatal crash. An AOA sensor provides data about the angle at which wind is passing over the wings and tells pilots how much lift a plane is getting. According to a technical log the Lion Air plane, which had only been in service a few months, suffered instrument problems the day before because of an 'unreliable' airspeed reading. The MAX models are relatively new but has already been investigated after problems reported. Pictured: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 (stock image) Minutes after takeoff the plane suddenly nose-dived hitting speeds of 600mph before slamming into the sea. The warning issued today read: 'The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has indicated that Lion Air flight 610 experienced erroneous input from one of its AOA (Angle of Attack) sensors. 'Boeing issued an Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB) directing operators to existing flight crew procedures to address circumstances where there is erroneous input from an AOA sensor.' As a result of an investigation into the crash the jet manufacturer is said to be preparing a bulletin to be sent to operators of the 737 jets warning about faulty cockpit readings that could cause a dive. The notice refers to the 'angle of attack', which is the angle of the wing relative to oncoming air stream, a measure that indicates if a plane is likely to stall. This angle of attack, which is a calculation of the angle at which the wind is passing over the wings, is used to be determined if a stall is imminent. Inspectors found faults on two other Boeing 737 MAX jets, including one which mirrored a problem reported on board the Lion Air plane. Advertisement

Ethiopian Airlines air crash is the second involving brand new Boeing 737 in just three months after 189 were killed in Indonesia tragedy

By Joel Adams for MailOnline

The tragic deaths of 157 passengers and crew today, when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed within minutes of take-off in Addis Ababa, are raising serious questions over the safety record of both aircraft and airline.

It was on another brand new Boeing 737 Max 8, in Indonesia less than five months ago, that 189 people lost their lives in the Java Sea when Lion Air Flight 610 plummeted out of the skies minutes after taking off from Jakarta.

And the incident brings the African carrier's death toll to 482 across 22 fatal incidents since its inception in 1965 - and almost 500 more people have been injured in EA crashes and incidents, according to information from the Flight Safety Foundation.

For comparison, only one British Airways flight has only ever been involved in one fatal incident: the Zagreb runway crash of 1976 when all 176 people aboard two planes died when BA Flight 476 collided with another aircraft on takeoff due to an air traffic control error.

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 went down within six minutes of take-off this morning (pictured: stock image)

Initial reports today show considerable similarities between the Ethiopian and Indonesian disasters which involve the same plane.

Today's flight lost contact about six minutes after take-off, having requested and been given clearance to return to the airport in Abbis Ababa.

Last year, Lion Air 610 also went down minutes after take-off having requested permission to return to base.

Today, telemetry shows the plane's vertical airspeed fluctuated rapidly in the minutes and second before its crash, including in the final moments when it seems to have been locked in a terrifyingly accelerating nosedive,.

Investigations thus far by the Indonesian and American aviation authorities have concluded the Lion Air plane also hit the sea after a violent nosedive.

The New York Times reports today that investigators are considering whether that dive might have been caused by updated Boeing software that was meant to prevent a stall - but that can send the plane into a fatal descent if the altitude and angle information being fed into the computer system is incorrect.

The change in the flight control system, which can override manual motions in the Max model, was not explained to pilots, according to some pilots' unions.

After that crash, Boeing said that it was continuing 'to evaluate the need for software or other changes as we learn more from the ongoing investigation.' It was unclear if the company had made any changes.

In a statement on Sunday, Boeing said it was 'deeply saddened' to learn of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Indonesian emergency services carry a body bag in the wake of the Lion Air disaster last year

'A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board,' the company said.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

The airline does have a better safety rating and a newer fleet than some neighbouring operators - a number of African airlines are banned outright from EU airspace including the flag-carrier of neighbouring Eritrea.

But in addition to 16 fatal incidents costing 102 lives in the 1960s, 70s, and 1980s; the airline has now suffered six fatal incidents in the last thirty years, including other two huge tragedies.

In 1996 after a hijacking and a failed water landing, 125 people died on Flight 961 in Moroni, the capital of the Union of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean.

And in January 2010, 82 passengers and eight crew died when EA flight 409 from Beirut to Addis Ababa slammed into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off.

Boeing's 737 is the world's most-sold passenger jet family and is considered one of the industry's most reliable.

The MAX 8 is the latest version of the aircraft, which Boeing rolled out in 2017 as an update to the already redesigned 50-year-old 737.

By the end of January, Boeing had delivered 350 MAX jets out of the total order tally of 5,011 aircraft.
By Trend

Development of small and medium-sized enterprises is the engine for the further development of Azerbaijan's economy, Mercy Tembon, the World Banks (WB) Regional Director for the South Caucasus, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.



Tembon said that the WB is ready to support Azerbaijan in this direction by all means.

According to the WB regional director, it is very important to develop entrepreneurship and agriculture, where the country has a great potential, but development of infrastructure and reconstruction of roads also play a significant role.

"Development of infrastructure and reconstruction of roads are important for entrepreneurs and manufacturers to bring their goods to both local and foreign markets," she said.

Currently, as Tembon stressed, the bank mainly focuses on development of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan's economy.

She also mentioned that the bank cooperates with Azerbaijan in different directions and eager to continue this cooperation.

Azerbaijan joined the World Bank Group in 1992. During this period, the bank allocated loans for the implementation of over 50 projects in the country worth over $3 billion. Seven more projects worth about $1.5 billion are being implemented.

Besides the loans, WB allocated 45 grants to Azerbaijan totaling $41.586 million in 1995-2014.
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Millions of North Korean voters, including leader Kim Jong Un, went to the polls today to elect a new lineup of roughly 700 members for the next session of the national legislature .

But voters were presented with just one state-sanctioned candidate per seat and cast their ballots not to select but rather to show their approval or, at least theoretically, disapproval of that candidate.

The elections, last held in 2014, are for the entire Supreme People's Assembly, which on paper is the highest organ of power in North Korea. Its delegates come from all over the country and all walks of life. The candidates are selected by the ruling Korean Workers' Party and a couple of other smaller coalition parties that have seats in the assembly.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un casts his vote in the election for the Supreme People's Assembly in North Korea

Kim, fresh off his trip to Hanoi for his second summit with President Donald Trump, is a member of the assembly, though his power rests in his complete control over the ruling party, government and military.

State media showed footage of him casting his vote at a polling center at Pyongyang's Kim Chaek University of Technology.

As was the custom in the Soviet Union and other communist countries, turnout is generally reported at 99 percent or higher. Voting is generally regarded as a duty and responsibility. Simply staying at home is not an option.

'I'm very proud to be voting for the first time,' said 19-year-old university student Kim Ju Gyong, who cast her vote Sunday morning at the Pyongyang Primary School No. 4 polling station. 'I feel happy to be a citizen and I want to do my best for the future of my country.'

Voters queue to cast ballots at '3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory' during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly elections

Children march to encourage voters to cast their ballots for an election in which there could be only one winne

Under North Korean law, citizens can vote from the age of 17.

Voting begins at around 10 a.m. depending on the location and continues until late evening. Voters show election officials their ID cards to receive their ballot with the sole candidate's name on it, which they cast in a private booth. If they approve, they simply put the ballot in the box. If they don't approve, they cross the name out in put it in the same box.

But one official told The AP that basically never happens.

A ballot box is displayed at a voting centre at the 'Pyonyang number four Primary School'

'No one votes against the candidate,' said Jin Ki Chol, the chairman of an election committee supervising a polling station at a cable factory in central Pyongyang.

Election days have a festive mood. Bands play music as voters wait in line, and there is group dancing for those who have already finished.

'The election will strikingly manifest the fixed will of our people to firmly trust and uphold to the last Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un despite storm and stress,' the ruling party's official daily said in a commentary today.

A voter enters a room to cast their ballot, at a voting centre at the 'Pyonyang number four Primary School'

Dancers perform outside a voting centre, election days have a festive mood. Bands play music as voters wait in line

The number of deputies in the assembly is based on population - each represents from 30,000-35,000 people.

Officials at two polling stations visited by The AP said they were not sure of the exact number this year, or when the results would be announced. Five years ago, 687 deputies were elected and the results despite being a foregone conclusion were announced two days after the vote.

The elections are decidedly not intended to foster policy debates among the general populace or for the voters to change the nation's course from the bottom up.

Dancers perform outside a voting centre at the '3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory' during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly elections

Woman wearing a traditional dress walks along a street during voting. Under North Korean law, citizens can vote from the age of 17

But for the authorities, they provide a veneer of democracy and a means of monitoring the whereabouts and loyalties of citizens. Being chosen for the assembly is a big honor, so the elections are also an important means for the regime to reward up-and-coming cadres and replace incumbents who have already served their usefulness.

Like the elections, the legislature is quite different from what is normally seen in democracies.

The deputies to the assembly generally meet just once or sometimes twice a year, usually in March or April, to approve policies already hashed out by the ruling party, which is headed by Kim.

A child plays a violin as a photographer arranges a work group for photos outside a voting centre at the '3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory'

A much smaller group - the presidium of the assembly - meets more often and is more closely involved in the actual functions of the government.

'As a deputy my main job is to take care of problems that come up with my constituents, like water problems or food,' said Jo Kil Nyo, a candidate who was put up for re-election. 'If I can't resolve something, I take it to the assembly.'

A voting booth stands beneath the portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at a voting centre at the 'Pyonyang number four Primary School'

An official holds a ballot paper at a voting centre at the 'Pyonyang number four Primary School'

Voters queue to cast their ballots at the '3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory' during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly

Voters look at a display of electoral rolls as they queue to cast their ballots at a voting centre at the 'Pyonyang number four Primary School
David Davis warned failure to deliver on the referendum will trigger a 'Trump Moment' in British politics today.

The ex-minister said it could sweep the newly founded 'Brexit Party' to election victory if Leave voters felt betrayed by the 'establishment'. Nigel Farage has endorsed the Brexit Party set by ex-Ukip officials.

Mr Davis' warning came as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there was a risk of 'losing Brexit' if MPs crush Theresa May's deal for a second time on Tuesday.

Mr Hunt said if MPs reject it again, Britain could be forced into a permanent customs union with Brussels - meaning no new trade deals.

Mr Hunt's warning came amid claims today Mrs May could resign by the summer as the price for getting support from Brexiteers.

Mrs May faces the prospect of near certain defeat on Tuesday night as weeks of negotiations with Brussels have so far produced no substantial concessions.

Brexiteers immediately warned anyone who used a defeat to frustrate Brexit would have to act in public view and said Remainers would be to blame.

The PM must have new concessions sealed by early tomorrow morning for MPs to vote on them on Tuesday amid speculation she could still make a pre-dawn dash to Brussels tomorrow.

In a desperate scramble to win votes, Chancellor Philip Hammond is set to promise MPs a 20billion suspending bonanza in Wednesday's spring statement - but only if they pass the deal.

Theresa May (pictured today in Maidenhead) has been warned she may have to quit Downing Street to have any chance of passing her Brexit deal on Tuesday

Mrs May (pictured at church this morning) faces the prospect of near certain defeat on Tuesday night as weeks of negotiations with Brussels have so far produced no substantial concessions

David Davis warned failure to deliver on the referendum will trigger a 'Trump Moment' in British politics today

Despite the push from ministers, Brexiteer rebels and the DUP said today the deal was 'unchanged' meaning a repeat of January's historic defeat was 'inevitable'.

With just hours to the vote, EU negotiator Michel Barnier is not even in Brussels today - instead he is in Dublin for the Ireland vs France Six Nations match.

Talks are only happening on a technical, official-led level - making it highly unlikely a major breakthrough can be made in time.

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab - who voted against the deal in January - warned today only a huge 11th hour concession from Brussels had any chance of saving Mrs May.

And he hinted Mrs May could be pushed out by her party if she takes defeat and tries to delay or frustrate Brexit.

Elsewhere today, a survey by ComRes found that 44 per cent of the public now believe the UK should leave without a deal if Brussels refuses to make any further concessions - a six-point rise from January.

Jeremy Hunt (pictured today on Marr) warned MPs of the risk of 'losing Brexit' today if they reject Theresa May's divorce deal a second time on Tuesday

A survey by ComRes found that 44 per cent of the public now believe the UK should leave without a deal if Brussels refuses to make any further concessions - a six-point rise from January

Mr Davis told the BBC's Andrew Marr today the plan 'won't get the vote through' because 'this deal is worse than current membership'.

He warned refusing to deliver on the Brexit vote would undermine democracy and predicted it would mean 'Britain will get its Trump moment'.

Raab warns May not to delay Brexit Dominic Raab warned the Prime Minister not to delay Brexit today. The ex-Brexit Secretary who resigned in November said he would like Theresa May to be able to step down at a moment 'of her own choosing'. But he warned if defeat of the Brexit deal on Tuesday delays or reverses Britain's exit her situation would get 'trickier'. 'She has said she is going to step down,' Mr Raab said on Sophy Ridge on Sunday. 'I would like to see her able to do that in a way of her own choosing. 'But the government has found itself in a precarious situation and particularly if the government extends Article 50 or tries to reverse the Brexit promises that we have made I think that situation will get even trickier.' Advertisement

Mr Davis told Marr: 'I mean, what happens is that the British people, who voted for this, and a large number of remainers who didn't vote for it but still think it should be carried through because they believe in democracy, will see a government walking away.'

He said the Tory Party would be 'massively damaged' and added: 'The government might argue for an extension. It might even get that through the House of Commons and the European Union agrees it.

'What has to happen then? It has to have a European Election in this country.

'Who do you think would win that European election? I don't think it can be either of the major parties.

'It might be the new Brexit Party or something like that, because the British people would say, ''we want to teach you a lesson''.'

Mr Hunt told Marr: 'We have an opportunity now to leave on March 29 or shortly thereafter.

'It's very important we grasp that opportunity because there is wind in the sails of people trying to stop Brexit.'

He added: 'If you want to stop Brexit, you only need to do three things - kill this deal, get an extension and then have a second referendum.

'Within three weeks those people could have two of those three things.

'Quite possibly the third one could be on the way through the Labour Party.

'So we are in very perilous waters.'

Brexit Secretary 'engaged' with second referendum MPs Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay held talks with second referendum MPs and 'engaged' with the idea, it was claimed today. Labour MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson held talks with Mr Barclay about their plans to try and force a referendum on the deal. The 45 minute Downing Street talks came last week amid stalemate in Brussels and with just three weeks until exit day is due. Mr Kyle told the Observer: 'Clearly the Brexit secretary is fully engaged in the battle to deliver support for the vote on Tuesday. But that didn't stop him from engaging fully with the possibilities our compromise offers. 'We didn't enter the meeting with expectations of converting him to our cause but we hope that government now understands what our plan offers, should a new direction be demanded by parliament in the coming days.' A senior Downing Street source said May remained '100% opposed to a second referendum, with bells on'. Advertisement

ERG deputy Steve Baker warned Brexiteers would not take the blame if the mission to leave the EU falls apart.

He said: 'The people who would stop Brexit should know just this: what you do, you'll have to do in public now.

'And everyone will know just what you have done.

'Stopping Brexit will be on you, not Brexiteers. Don't kid yourselves otherwise.'

Amid a scramble to win the vote, one ally of the Prime Minister told the Mail on Sunday: 'If she has to make that sacrifice in order to secure her legacy, then I think she would.'

Another powerful Downing Street figure added: 'The only way she would countenance going voluntarily is if it could get her deal over the line.'

As the Government tries to win the vote Mr Hammond is due to make his Spring Statement on Wednesday afternoon - the day after MPs vote on the deal and hours before they vote on no deal if Mrs May has been defeated again.

He will tell MPs 'serious' money amounting to 20billion is available and a three-year spending review will start in the summer and report in the autumn if the deal passes.

The money will be divided between the public services, targeted tax cuts, long-term investment and keeping Britain's debt burden on a downward trajectory.

A source told the Sunday Times: 'We will be in a position to spend quite a lot of money this autumn.

'Austerity will be well and truly over. But there's no way we can do that until Brexit is resolved.

'We absolutely must have a deal or all bets are off.'

If MPs reject the deal, Mr Hammond will instead axe a three-year spending review and switch the Treasury to a one-year emergency scramble to shore up the economy.

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured today on Sky News) - who voted against the deal in January - warned today only a major 11th hour concession from Brussels had any chance of saving Mrs May

Senior Brexiteer Steve Baker said today it was 'inevitable' the deal would be defeated for a 'second time on Tuesday night

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said the deal was 'unchanged' from when Eurosceptics voted it down by 230 in January

Despite the promises, leading Brexit backers today warn the PM she will lose the vote on Tuesday.

Former Brexit Secretary Mr Raab told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday the deal was 'near the end of the road' and said the EU had to finally make concessions to save the plan.

He said: 'What we need is legally binding changes, that is what Parliament wants.

'This is for the EU to decide now.'

Tory Steve Baker and DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds wrote in the Sunday Telegraph today another defeat as 'inevitable' and Britain should now leave on time with no deal.

In a desperate scramble to win votes, Chancellor Philip Hammond is set to promise MPs a 20billion suspending bonanza in Wednesday's spring statement - but only if they pass the deal

The pair want Mrs May to pursue the second part of their so-called 'Malthouse Compromise' that says Britain should ask the EU for a three-year transition period on current terms in exchange for billions of pounds but axe the rest of the deal.

They said: 'It is inevitable that this unchanged Withdrawal Agreement will be voted down again.

'The union of the UK is too precious to put at risk and Eurosceptics do not trust the EU to regulate our economy in the backstop.

'If the Government and parliamentarians want to avoid overthrowing the referendum result and threatening faith in democracy, if they want to avoid the political chaos of a purposeless extension, it is time for them to embrace Malthouse compromise Plan B and leave on March 29, offering all sides the three safety nets of our basic transition agreement.'

The leading candidates to succeed Mrs May - Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, his predecessor Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Sajid Javid  are all ready to launch immediate leadership bids.

Other potential candidates  including Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss, who are on a joint trip to America this weekend  are 'considering their options'.

Tense negotiations between the UK and the EU are expected to continue all weekend and until late tomorrow, with Ministers in London being updated on the progress by video-link.

Last night, a Downing Street source hinted that a dramatic breakthrough might still be possible by saying that RAF Northolt had put the PM's plane on standby for a last-minute dash to Brussels.

The source said the Prime Minister was 'intensely focused' on making progress but 'these are tough talks we are expecting to go right down to the wire'.

Nerves are still jangling in No 10 following the provocative offer on Friday by the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier of limiting the backstop  staying aligned to EU rules  to Northern Ireland only.

No 10 reminded Mr Barnier, who is today planning to be in Dublin for the France-Ireland Six Nations rugby clash, that the idea was first rejected a year ago because it would divide the UK.

On Friday, talks between EU and UK officials continued into the night. Mrs May was briefed in the early hours of yesterday on the limited progress.

Government sources said the current expectation was that Brussels would unveil a 'small concession' on the backstop  but not, they feared, one which would be sufficient to win over all the rebels.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who is leading the efforts to alter the withdrawal agreement, tells today's Mail on Sunday that he will 'not put his name' to any legal opinion which backs the EU's proposals if there is any risk of us being indefinitely detained in the backstop.

'My professional reputation is far more important to me than my reputation as a politician,' Mr Cox says.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who is leading the efforts to alter the withdrawal agreement, tells today's Mail on Sunday that he will 'not put his name' to any legal opinion which backs the EU's proposals if there is any risk of us being indefinitely detained in the backstop

The eminent QC reveals that he has been working on an arbitration mechanism which would 'give us the unilateral right to trigger the process that would lead to our exit from the backstop' and would dramatically alter the balance of power between UK and EU negotiators by putting 'the onus on them to prove we can't leave'.

Mr Cox adds: 'It's the reason why some EU officials don't like it  it works.'

Tory whips have warned that the Government could lose the vote by a margin of between 50 and 150 if Mr Cox is unable to change his legal advice  seen as key to winning over Brexit hardliners and the DUP. One senior Cabinet Minister told The Mail on Sunday that Mrs May 'does not have a hope in hell' of winning the vote on Tuesday, with the expectation that 'all hell would break loose' after that.

Defeat on Tuesday would trigger a day of parliamentary drama on Wednesday, with MPs voting on whether to veto 'No Deal' and extend Article 50  and even the possibility of another no confidence vote in the Prime Minister from Labour.

Downing Street is divided about whether to order Ministers to vote in favour of No Deal  which would risk mass resignations  or put down a motion which only rules out leaving the EU without a deal in March, not at some other point later in the year.

In the wake of a defeat, Mrs May's allies expect pro-Remain MPs, led by Labour's Yvette Cooper, to seize control of the process to both delay Brexit and 'soften' it by keeping the UK in a customs union.

They have been urging Tory MPs to 'save Brexit' by voting for the deal for fear of much worse.

But last night, Tory Brexiteer leader Jacob Rees-Mogg  chairman of the party's European Research Group  denied that voting down the deal would hand control of the process to a Remain-dominated Commons. He told The Mail on Sunday: 'Brexit can only be blocked if the Government wants to do it. That would be a breach of all its commitments.

'If the Government holds steady, Parliament cannot stop Brexit.'

With just hours to the vote, EU negotiator Michel Barnier is not even in Brussels today - instead he is in Dublin for the Ireland vs France Six Nations match

The approach of the crunch vote has led to tensions spilling over in Cabinet meetings.

Last week, Home Secretary Sajid Javid clashed with Philip Hammond over the Chancellor's plans to bail out the economy if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

The Chancellor  who has been widely criticised within Government for failing to devote signifi-cant funds to No Deal planning  was rebuked by the Home Secretary for belatedly setting up a fund to jump-start the economy if talks with Brussels collapse.

Mr Javid told Mr Hammond at a meeting of Theresa May's Brexit 'doomsday committee' last week that he didn't think that he or his Treasury officials were 'properly equipped' to make such 'commercial judgments'.

The 21-member EU exit and trade (preparedness) committee was established by Theresa May 'to streamline the process to oversee the delivery of plans for an orderly exit from the EU'.

It has been dubbed the 'doomsday' committee because it is obliged to countenance the worst-case scenarios of a No Deal Brexit.

The committee was discussing Project Kingfisher, which The Mail on Sunday revealed last month was the codename for Mr Hammond's secret bailout fund. It includes the establishment of a short-term fiscal stimulus package designed to prop up the UK's manufacturing and industrial sectors, with Ministers ordered to draw up top-secret lists of specific firms and sectors they believe will most need the money.

Mr Javid is also overseeing his own No Deal disaster committee codenamed Operation Snow Bunting, designed to deal with civil unrest and rioting in the wake of a messy EU divorce.

Chancellor Philip Hammond will use his spring statement this week to pledge a 200 million, post-Brexit push to keep Britain as a scientific world leader  including the creation of a national super-computer in Edinburgh to aid medical, climate science and aerospace research.
The Queen will use her Commonwealth Day message to hail the value of international co-operation in what is likely to be interpreted as another royal remark on Brexit.

In the message, released ahead of the celebration on Monday, the Queen notes how millions of people are 'drawn together' because of the values shared by the institution.

She also speaks of 'value of belonging in a connected Commonwealth' and notes the 'times of great change' which Britain and others are going through.

The Queen has used her Commonwealth Day message to hail the value of international co-operation in what is likely to be interpreted as another royal remark on Brexit

Her remarks will feature in the order of service at the event at Westminster Abbey, which will be attended by senior members of the Royal Family and national figures.

Despite being constitutionally obligated to be above politics, The Queen has made remarks in recent speeches which have hinted at Britain's Brexit debate.

In January, she referred to 'respecting different points of view' and 'coming together to seek out the common ground' in a speech to mark the centenary of the Sandringham Women's Institute.

In a message ahead of the celebration on Monday, the Queen notes how millions of people are 'drawn together' because of the values shared by the institution. She also speaks of 'value of belonging in a connected Commonwealth' and notes the 'times of great change' which Britain and others are going through

Meanwhile, in 2016 BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the monarch had apparently made her views clear at a private lunch before the referendum June referendum.

According to Miss Kuenssberg's contact, the Queen told guests at the lunch: 'I don't see why we can't just get out. What's the problem?'

Even her headwear choice at the June 2017 opening of parliament - a blue hat with yellow dots - which drew comparisons with the EU flag was seen as a clue of her Brexit views.

The Queen's headwear choice at the June 2017 opening of parliament - a blue hat with yellow dots - which drew comparisons with the EU flag was seen as a clue of her Brexit views

The monarch, who is head of the Commonwealth, says in her latest message: 'Today, many millions of people around the world are drawn together because of the collective values shared by the Commonwealth.

'In April last year, I welcomed the leaders of our 53 nations to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and we all witnessed how the Commonwealth vision offers hope, and inspires us to find ways of protecting our planet, and our people.

'We are able to look to the future with greater confidence and optimism as a result of the links that we share, and thanks to the networks of co-operation and mutual support to which we contribute, and on which we draw.

'With enduring commitment through times of great change, successive generations have demonstrated that whilst the goodwill for which the Commonwealth is renowned may be intangible, its impact is very real.'

In February, the Duke of Cambridge Prince William also made remarks on 'working for the common that were seen as a coded Brexit plea.

Speaking about the 'appointment of former Olympian Dame Mary Peters to the Order of the Garter in Belfast, Prince William said: '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.'

The Queen will be joined at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey by the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke of York.

Other guests among the 2,000-strong congregation will include Prime Minister Theresa May, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland, alongside high commissioners, ambassadors, faith leaders and more than 800 schoolchildren and young people.

Prince Charles, pictures at an event in Reading on Friday, will also be at the event along with the Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister Theresa May and other royals

The Duchess of Cambridge (left) and the Duchess of Sussex will also be at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. They will be joined by Princes William and Harry and the Duke of York

As well as coming shortly before Britain's departure from the European Union, this year's Commonwealth Day has another special significance as 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth.

The institution is a global network of 53 countries and almost 2.4 billion people.

The theme for this year's service is 'A Connected Commonwealth' which highlights the co-operation between the culturally diverse family of nations who work together in friendship.

Highlights of the service include performances by Grammy-winning group Clean Bandit and tenor Alfie Boe. A reflection will be given by Lewis Pugh, an endurance swimmer, ocean advocate and the UN Patron of the Oceans.

Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the UK and will be broadcast live on BBC One.

Later in the evening, Charles and Camilla will be guests of the Commonwealth Secretary-General at the annual reception which traditionally takes place on Commonwealth Day at Marlborough House, the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the institution's civil service.
A key aide to Jeremy Corbyn is facing a potentially expensive court case after being accused of libel by Countdown's Rachel Riley.

But Laura Murray - who backs the Labour leader's plan for a wealth tax - will have no trouble funding the case after her aristocrat family anonymously sold a prized Picasso painting for 50 million.

The 30-year-old is the daughter of one of Mr Corbyn's guru's Andrew Murray, and became embroiled in a row with anti-Semitism campaigner Rachel Riley after Mr Corbyn was hit by an egg while visiting a mosque.

Just one day later Labour confirmed the 30-year-old was being drafted in to the party's anti-Semitism complaints investigations team - despite now facing legal action.

Laura Murray is the stakeholder manager to the leader of the opposition and backs the Labour leader's plans for a wealth tax. On her Facebook profile she says 'Please no bourgeoisie on my profile. Thanks.'

Laura Murray is the stakeholder manager to the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn

The oil painting, called L'Enfant au Pigeon was created by Picasso when he was 20-years-old in 1901 and shows a child clutching a dove

Ms Murray declares that 'no bourgeoisie' are allowed on her Facebook page and posted an image on Instagram captioned with 'f**k the tories.'

But despite her socialist proclamations her family sold a famous work by Picasso called L'Enfant au Pigeon (Child with a Dove) which sold for 50 million, as reported by The Sunday Times.

The oil painting was created by Picasso when he was 20-years-old in 1901 and shows a child clutching a dove.

The sale was overseen by Ms Murray's mother Susan Michie and her uncle Jonathan Michie, who is a friend of Labour's communications director Seumas Milne.

The Labour aide's father is Andrew Murray, 60, a key Corbyn adviser who is a member of the Scottish aristocracy, and was previously a member of the Communist Party.

She is also the great-granddaughter of the 2nd Baron Aberconway and Lady Aberconway - who is rumoured to have been gifted the painting by Samuel Courtauld.

The painting was auctioned by Christie's in 2012 and it thought to have gone to the Qatar royal family.

Ms Murray is at the centre of a libel case brought by Countdown presenter Ms Riley over tweets posted after an incident in which Mr Corbyn was allegedly egged

Ms Murray's mother's ancestors include Sir James Hopetoun, a lawyer and ally of Oliver Cromwell.

The left-winger is also thought to own a share of a 1.3 million property transferred to her by her mother.

Ms Murray hit the headlines last week after getting involved in a Twitter dispute with Countdown presenter Rachel Riley.

She is said to have accused the Countdown presenter, 33, who is Jewish, of saying the Labour leader deserved to be attacked because he was a Nazi, branding Ms Riley as 'dangerous'.

This appears to have been based on the TV star highlighting a comment from leftiwing commentator Owen Jones from January in which he said 'if you don't want eggs thrown at you don't be a Nazi', describing it as 'good advice'.

It was also revealed that Ms Murray sought to block the suspension of a member who defended an anti-Semitic mural.

Leaked emails show she said the member should be allowed to stay in the party despite describing the image of a group of 'hook-nosed' men sitting at a Monopoly board as 'great'.
Neighbours said Geoffrey Elton, 55, shared a home with murder victim wife Gloria and their youngest son Alonso

A British father being held under police guard in hospital following the alleged killing of his wife in an attempted murder suicide at their Costa del Sol villa has been named.

Neighbours said Geoffrey Elton, 55, who was a wealthy retired businessman, shared a four-bed detached home near the Costa del Sol resort of Estepona which he shared with murder victim wife Gloria, 58, and their youngest son Alonso.

Police say the 55-year-old harmed himself at the popular holiday resort and is accused of murdering his wife.

A police source also revealed he attacked himself with what is believed to be the same weapon with which he allegedly stabbed his Spanish wife to death.

The father-of-two, whose eldest son is currently living in Australia, had been spending time with his UK-based brother Simon after his younger sibling jetted to Spain for a holiday.

Simon, unaware of the horrific incident that was about to unfold in his sibling's sunshine villa, posted happily family pictures of them relaxing at a Costa del Sol beach bar at the end of last month and wrote: 'Lovely lunch with my brother and Co. in the sunshine.'

A source close to Mr Elton and his wife said he had moved out of their villa briefly about three years after a fling with another woman - but had returned a month later after things with his new partner failed to work out.

Police say the 55-year-old man harmed himself at the popular holiday resort of Estepona, a 20 minute drive west of Marbella, and is accused of murdering his wife

The dead woman, 58-year-old Gloria Tornay who came from a small village near the beautiful town of Ronda an hour's drive inland from the Costa del Sol, is thought to have been married to the Brit expat for around 30 years.

One friend said they had sold a holiday home they owned in Florida so they could pay off the mortgage on their Spanish home.

Two cars - one Mr Elton owned and another his wife used - were parked on their drive outside their home on a residential estate a short drive from Estepona town centre on Sunday but there was no sign of the police.

Police were sent to the property in the early on Saturday morning after Gloria was found dead in the couple's bed with multiple stab wounds and her husband with self-inflicted knife wounds beside her.

The whereabouts of their teenage son, who is understood to have been locked out of the house by his father before he allegedly killed the boy's mother, was not confirmed by officials but he is believed to be staying with relatives who live in Spain.

Mr Elton's mother Carol is based on the Costa del Sol with her new partner but his father is understood to live in the UK.

One Brit neighbour, who only found out about the grisly killing when TV crews started to arrive, said: 'I saw Geoffrey hours before this awful incident and he seemed fine. He asked me if some painters who had been at my property earlier in the week had finished.

'A week earlier he had been round to have a look at a problem I had with my boiler and had organised for a plumber to come and see it.

'Gloria was a lovely lady and she doted on her younger son. If Geoffrey has done what they say he's done, it's absolutely terrible.

'If there were problems in his marriage, why didn't he try to find another solution instead of taking that poor woman's life!'

Another added: 'He was very conscious about security and had CCTV cameras all over the place.

The British man is currently under police guard in hospital

'He didn't do anything work-wise as far as I know. He gave up work years ago. He said it was because he didn't want to pay so much tax as a high earner.

'I know he had a holiday home in Florida which he ended up selling to pay off the mortgage on his place in Spain.

'He actually said he had got bored of holidaying in Florida which I found a bit bizarre.'

The dead woman is believed to have been one of ten siblings.

Diego Sanchez Sanchez, mayor of her native village of Montejaque which has just over 1,000 inhabitants, said: 'We would like to think this is just a terrible nightmare and nothing of what has happened is real.

'It pains us to offer our condolences to the family, especially in these circumstances.

'We pray for her eternal rest alongside those of her loved ones who have already departed.'

Her husband remained under police guard at Marbella's Costa del Sol hospital today following his suicide attempt and will be questioned by a judge as part of a criminal court investigation once he is well enough.

Police were called to their home around 11.45pm on Saturday.

It later emerged the alleged killer had forced his teenage son out of the home he shared with his wife after they rowed before allegedly stabbing her to death.

Well-placed sources said the 15-year-old, thought to have been locked out so he wouldn't see the violent scene unfolding inside, tried desperately to get back into the house as he heard shouting.

A neighbour alerted police and officers found the youngster beside himself with grief when they reached the property, on a residential estate known as Forest Hills a short drive from Estepona town centre.

According to police, the man tried to harm himself with the same weapon that is believed to have been used to stab his wife at the popular resort of Estepona, 20 minutes west of Marbella

The source said he told officers he believed his father may have killed his mother, and police found her dead in her bed when they forced the door open.

Her 55-year-old suspected killer was in bed beside her alive, but bleeding heavily from apparent self-inflicted knife wounds.

There was blood around the house which investigators believe indicate Gloria may have been trying to escape as she was chased.

Mr Elton was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella where medics managed to save his life. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Estepona Town Hall declared three days of mourning and held a minute's silence today/yesterday (SUN) in front of the council HQ.

Estepona's mayor Jose Maria Garcia Urbano tweeted: 'There is no room for male violence. I want to express my repudiation and consternation about the murder that's occurred in Estepona and transmit my support for the relatives and friends of the victim.

'We have decreed a period of official mourning and a minute's silence.'

Maria Gomez, central government representative for the area, said she felt 'anger and pain' at another 'repugnant' case of violence against a woman.

A spokesman for Spanish National Police said: 'Yesterday (SAT) at 11.45pm a gender violence crime occurred in Estepona which resulted in the death of a 58-year-old Spanish woman.

'The suspected author is her 55-year-old husband who is under arrest and has been admitted to hospital after injuring himself.

'We are not aware of previous domestic violence incidents involving the couple.'
An elderly woman who was roughed up by a gang of armed men that broke into her home says she hopes the trio are caught and 'rot in hell'.

June McConnell, 76, was inside her Wavell Heights home, Brisbane, when three men wielding hammers and a tomahawk smashed through her front door on Friday night.

The pensioner's 87-year-old husband was in the shower at the time of the wild break-in, which police later clarified was a case of mistaken identity.

Mrs McConnell told 9 News the men demanded to know where 'Seb' was and proceeded to smash up furniture and belongings inside her home.

A man has been charged in relation to a violent home invasion which left June McConnell, 76, (pictured) and her 87-year-old husband scared for their lives in a case of mistaken identity

At about 6.30pm three men smashed through their back door (pictured) armed with hammers and a tomahawk before destroying everything in sight

CCTV footage captured the three men being dropped off by a black sedan in the quiet street before making their way to Ms McConnell's home.

The entire ordeal lasted less than 45 seconds.

'I ran, I was screaming, I ran out onto the front steps just calling for help. Help! Help! Help!' It was absolutely horrific, you have no idea,' Mrs McConnell said.

'They can rot in hell for me, they can go to jail.'

Police have confirmed the violent home invasion was a case of mistaken identity.

They said the three men were actually searching for Mrs McConnell's next door neighbour who had moved away a little over a month before the attack.

After a public appeal for information, police arrested a 20-year-old man over the alleged break and enter.

The Deagon man was charged with enter dwelling with intent, wilful damage, possessing dangerous drugs and possessing a knife in a public place on Sunday.

Two of the three home invaders are yet to be charged or identified by police.

The 20-year-old man is due to appear in Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Monday.

If you have any information that may help police with their investigation, contact Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000
Ferne McCann's ex has told a model he met online that he wants to conceive a child together through IVF while he serves a 20 year sentence in jail.

Arthur Collins, 26, is serving 20 years for throwing acid over 22 people in a night club attack in April 2017.

Collins was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after spraying party-goers with acid following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London.

The attacker begged a 25-year-old model to visit him in prison, asking her to settle down with him and have children - while he serves his time behind bars.

At the time of the attack his then girlfriend reality star Fearne McCann was pregnant with his child, and publicly spoke about her devastation after dumping the criminal

The model told the Mirror yesterday: 'It's insane. He's been texting me loads and calling.

'He's asked me to wait for him and has put me on his visiting list.

'He asked if I wanted to settle down with him and said we can use IVF to get started with children.

'But he's proper jealous and asked if I am speaking to anyone and going out.

Collins appealed against his sentence in October but was rejected and continues to serve a 20-year-sentence for his crime which has been called one of Britain's worst acid attacks.

Ferne McCann stepped out with her daughter Sunday and reality film crew in Brentwood, Essex, in November after throwing her a lavish first birthday party

Ferne McCann spoke out on her acid attacker ex Arthur Collins on the first series of her reality show First Time Mum

Collins had spent the day of the attack with this then-girlfriend Ferne McCann and she had announced she was pregnant. He said he later went to the nightclub to celebrate

At the time of the attack his then girlfriend reality star Fearne McCann was pregnant with his child, and publicly spoke about her devastation after dumping the criminal.

Their daughter, named Sunday, was born in November 2017, Collins is believed to first have contacted the unnamed model shortly after.

Collins was jailed in December 2017 leaving Ferne McCann a single mother to a one-month-old baby.

Several clubbers have spoken out about their experience of the April 2017 and revealed their scars for life.

Phoebe Georgiou desperately poured bottles of water over herself after the acid was thrown

Phoebe Georgiou, who was a victim of the acid attack, lying in hospital with her wounds bandaged

The horrific incident left 22 innocent clubbers injured, several of whom confronted him in court, with one woman recalling the moment she felt her skin 'come off'.

Arthur claimed he thought he was throwing a date rape drug, but he was labelled a 'calculating liar' who has not shown the 'slightest remorse' by the judge.

Phoebe Georgiou, 23, and Lauren Trent, 22, were celebrating their birthdays on April 17 when they were caught by the acid flung by Collins.

Graphic photos show Miss Georgiou's wounds from the attack, leaving her with life long scars

Miss Georgiou was hit by the acid over her chest and arm

Once active and outgoing, Miss Georgiou now confines herself to her family home in north London and suffers night terrors and anxiety in crowded places.

She said: 'I stepped on the step and literally one second after I felt a big splash all over my chest and my arm.

'I looked up and I saw it flying in the air. It was a thick liquid, it was steaming. And then I smelt the smell.'

For Miss Georgiou, the effects of the attack persist through her routine of applying cream three times a day to alleviate tightness of the skin, and twice-daily applications of scar gel.

Ms Trent was celebrating her birthday with her friend Sophie Hall, who was also injured

She wears a pressure garment on her left arm to keep the wounds from thickening, and is due to receive laser therapy on some of the worst-affected areas.

Of the 22 people who reported injuries to the police from the attack, 16 suffered chemical burn injuries and three people were temporarily blinded - one of whom still suffers from blurred vision in one eye.

Arthur Collins, 26, has been relentlessly sending the unidentified model messages

Victims described a burning smell after the acid was thrown. They said their skin started 'blistering straight away' before everyone started 'screaming, shouting, running'.

The substance was later found to have a rating of pH1 - indicating a strong acid.

Arthur was given an additional eight months added onto his term in January 2018 after he was caught trying to smuggle a phone into prison.
The mayor of Bologna is on a passionate crusade against spaghetti bolognese, condemning it as 'fake news'.

Despite it being famous the world over, Virginio Merola wants his northern Italian city to wash its hands of the dish.

He said it 'doesn't exist' and went as far as to call the pasta dish 'fake news'.

The 64-year-old is leading a social media campaign against the dish, asking for others to join

'Spaghetti bolognese doesn't actually exist, yet it's famous the world over,' Bologna mayor Virginio Merola told Italian radio broadcaster RAI.

'What we'd prefer the world to know is that Bologna invented tagliatelle, tortellini and lasagne.'

The 64-year-old bespectacled democrat is leading his campaign on social media where he is calling out for images from fellow Italians disgruntled by the apparently mythical dish.

Virginio Merola, the 64-year-old democrat is leading his campaign on social media

Upon tweeting his outrage, Merola received a sleuth of replies, including this from Denmark

This bagged Dutch version from Knorr, a German food and beverage brand, was sent to him

'Dear residents, I am collecting photos of spaghetti Bolognese from around the world (speaking of fake news),' he tweeted last month.

'This one is from London, please send me yours,' added, along with a photo of a restaurant chalkboard advertising the 'specialty of the house,' spaghetti bolognese.

His outcry has received many replies that would incense Italians. Not least a Danish squeezable pasta sauce.

A Twitter user called Nicoletta Peddis voiced her outrage of this rendition of the mythical dish

The mayor said that he will use the images in an exhibition in the FICO Eataly World, the largest food theme park in the world.

He told The Telegraph: 'It is strange to be famous all over the world for a dish that isn't ours.

'Of course we are happy that it draws attention to our city, but we would prefer to be known for the quality food that is part of our culinary tradition.'
Hilarious video (top-left) captured the moment two women desperately cling onto a trampoline while winds try to carry it away, as Storm Barra continues to leave a trail of destruction across the British Isles. The UK was pounded by strong wind and heavy rain overnight as the storm swept through from the west, felling trees (inset) and leaving some areas without power. Counties in the south-west of England and in Wales remain under a yellow weather warning until 6pm tonight, meaning residents face delays to transport and the risk of power outages. Around 1,000 homes are still without power as a result of the 'weather bomb', with the Met Office warning of potential floods (bottom-middle, crashing waves on the Isle of Wight) and other hazards on the roads up and down the country (bottom-left). In one viral clip in County Cork, Ireland, a trampoline - turned magic carpet by fierce gusts - was seen leaning against a fence while two women grabbed it. A strong surge of wind saw the pair tumble forward, with of the women - wearing a dressing gown and a towel on her head - left dangling in the air by the strength of the gale. Meanwhile, in Wales, one school was forced to shut temporarily after gusts of more than 70mph ripped part of its roof off on Tuesday evening. No-one was injured as most people had left the premises, the school said, although Dyfed-Powys Police were called to the scene to deal with debris that had been blown onto a nearby road (top-right). Elsewhere, Mountain Rescue Teams spent 16 hours helping a walker in difficulty in snowy conditions (bottom-right).
The wife of a convicted paedophile who horrifically molested their children has shared the horror she lived through on a daily basis.

Sydney woman Rachel, whose true identity has been suppressed, was married to Timothy James Stewart for 12 years before she learnt of his crimes in early 2014.

The realisation sparked a four-year legal battle, which ended with the 45-year-old being locked behind bars for 32 years.

Now, with her tormentor imprisoned, Rachel has revealed the moment she learnt she was married to a 'monster'.

The wife of Timothy James Stewart (pictured) has shared the moment she realised her husband was a paedophile

Doctors could never work out why Rachel was always so lethargic, she wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald.

But when her youngest daughter came to her saying she didn't know 'who he really is', her husband's true intentions became apparent.

The mother of two discovered that Stewart would drug her and her eldest daughter, aged only 12, before sexually assaulting the latter.

She learnt that he had groomed and molested her over the course of four years.

He then targeted the youngest daughter, whose age is undisclosed. She wrote a letter to her mother to raise the alarm, but Stewart destroyed it before Rachel could read it.

When Stewart complained that the eldest daughter no longer called him 'Dad' anymore - despite him being her step-father - Rachel asked her why.

She told her: 'You don't know him. You have no idea who he really is.'

Stewart complained to the mother of two that her eldest daughter no longer called him 'Dad'. When the 12-year-old said she had 'no idea' who he really was, she knew something was awry

Rachel vividly remembers the moment: 'The minute she said it, I knew. A pit opened up in my stomach. I told him, "Everything she says, points to you being inappropriate with her".'

Stewart fled their home without saying a word and was arrested in the Blue Mountains only hours later.

In hindsight, Rachel says she wishes she found him and 'pushed him off a cliff' instead of enduring the four long years of legal battles.

Memory cards devoted to his paedophilic acts eventually proved to be the condemning evidence that drew a guilty verdict in late 2017.

But Rachel says the continual delays in court dates and subsequent stress made her doubt the legal system.

As a result, she's supporting a campaign to build a South-West Sydney Justice Precinct in an effort to streamline the entire system.

'They say justice delayed is justice denied,' she says.

'I was denied justice for far too long because of the lack of court facilities in south-western Sydney. It need not keep happening.'

Domestic Violence Helpline - 1800 737 732
By Trend

In the framework of his official visit to Iran, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov met with the Chairman of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani, Trend reportswith reference to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.



Minister Elmar Mammadyarov conveyed the sincere greetings of the Chairman of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Ogtay Asadov to the Chairman of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani. Ali Larijani thanked the Minister and requested from his side, to convey his sincere greetings to the attention of Ogtay Asadov.

At the meeting the sides discussed the relations between the two states, including developing the bilateral relations in political, economic, cultural and other spheres.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed the Iranian Speaker about the bilateral economic projects under implementation. The activity of the Interstate Joint Commission between the two states was assessed. Minister noted the contribution of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group to the bilateral relations.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed his interlocutor on the current stage of negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It was emphasized that Azerbaijan is in favor of peace and stability in the region.

Chairman of the Parliament of Iran Ali Larijani said that they support the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means and negotiations. It was underlined that the statements made by the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri during his visit to Azerbaijan represent the official position of Iran. Iranian Speaker underlined support to the settlement of the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
A young woman has been filmed getting thrown against a brick wall by authorities during a violent brawl on Saturday night.

The footage shows the moment the woman is allegedly shoved by a Protective Services Officer at Flinders Street Station in Melbourne's CBD at about 1.30am.

She is shoved with such force that she falls on her back and slams her head on the wall.

The young woman, sitting in shock with her hair covering her face, is attended to by a shirtless man as audible gasps from surrounding witnesses can be heard.

The woman is seen being allegedly hit by a Protective Services Officer Flinders Street Station in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday night - She's hit with such force that she is flung onto a brick wall

The 15-year-old who filmed the fight said officers had blocked off a platform because of a fight when the woman went up and tried to negotiate with them.

'She tried to get past them because she kept saying she was in a rush to catch her train, it was real late,' he said.

'When she walked up to the cops he told her 'back off', she just said 'I'm going this way'.'

'She kept trying to get past him, that's when he threw her towards a wall.'

'Her face was all bruised and beaten, she had a bruise on the right of her lip straight away.'

She is then seen getting back up and confronts the PSO's who stand armed with pepper spray

His mother said the incident left her doubting whether her children could have faith in the authorities.

'My son's 15 and my daughter's nearly 12, if they can't trust police then what?' she said.

'If that was my daughter, oh my god.'

Police claim that in the lead up to the incident she was interfering with an arrest and continued to ignore their directions to stand clear.

Victoria Police said the incident showed the need for 'members of the public to stand back to give police the space to ensure a safe and timely outcome for all parties'.

The woman has yet to make a complaint however Professional Standards Command says they've received a third-party complaint which will be investigated.
A huge fireball engulfed a bus in Stockholm city centre after it crashed into the entrance to a tunnel this morning.

The vehicle was travelling towards a height restricted bridge when it crashed into warning barriers hanging from the top.

As the bus struck the heavy pontoons, it is thought the gas tank on the roof was pierced and caused an explosion.

The bus was engulfed in a fireball after colliding with the warning barriers on a height restricted bridge in the centre of Stockholm today

Smoke was sent billowing after a bus exploded and caught fire on Klarat in central Stockholm

The vehicle, which was thought to have not been in service at the time, became engulfed in flame, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air.

Emergency services were called around 11.25am local time on Sunday morning

Emergency services were called at around 11.25am local time and rushed to the scene at the Klarat tunnel in the middle of busy Stockholm city centre.

The driver was injured and believed to be the only person on-board at the time.

He was taken to hospital as police closed off the area, sources told Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet.

Bjorn Wallentin, who lives near the explosion, told the paper: 'I thought it was a terrorist attack.

'I heard a big bang first and then several smaller ones. It seemed like a scaffolding collapsed.'

Photos and video footage from the scene show the bus in flames and thick black smoke.

Thick black smoke was sent flying through the air along the Stockholm skyline after the bus crash this morning

Emergency services battled to stop the fireball spreading from the burning bus to nearby buildings

Witnesses described seeing black smoke rising from the site of the accident.

Others believed scaffolding had fallen down after the huge bang was heard ringing out.

People nearby the scene thought it was a terrorist attack, but police confirmed it was not

Andrei Picus, who was in a car behind the bus moments before the explosion, said the vehicle smashed into the entrance of a tunnel.

He tweeted: 'The explosion in Stockholm was caused by a bus hitting the top of the entrance to a tunnel.

Only the driver of the bus was thought to be on-board at the time of the accident. The driver was rushed to hospital

'The gas tank which was above exploded on impact. We were in the car next to them. The bus was empty. They hit the height warning device behind them but didn't notice.'

According to Asa Skold, management operator at the emergency serviceshe gas tank on the roof has exploded, local media reported.

Just under 40 minutes after the explosion, the emergency services still fought against the flames, it was reported.

Mr Skold told local media firefighters extinguished the flames and tried to protect nearby buildings.
A Virginia woman won the lottery 30 times in one day after purchasing 30 tickets that netted her $150,000.

Deborah Brown bought 20 Pick 4 tickets from the Virginia Lottery, and all of them had the same four digits for the same drawing on February 11.

'A couple of times during the day, I saw those numbers,' she said.

Deborah Brown (pictured) said she almost 'had a heart attack' after she won the Virginia Lottery 30 times in one day. Brown bought 30 Pick 4 tickets that netted her $150,000 in winnings last month

Brown said she started the day with the 20 tickets and a little while later she bought 10 more plays with the same number combination: 1-0-3-1.

When that number combination was drawn in the February 11 night drawing, each of her 30 plays won the $5,000 top prize, which brought her total to $150,000.

'I nearly had a heart attack!' Brown, of Richmond, told representatives of the Virginia Lottery as she claimed her prize.

All of the tickets were purchased at the Irongate Shell located at 6437 Iron Bridge Road in Chesterfield County.

Brown said she has no immediate plans for her winnings, but she's considering some home renovation.

Pick 4 drawings are held daily at 1.59pm and 11pm.

Brown said she started the day with the 20 tickets and a little while later she bought 10 more plays with the same number combination: 1-0-3-1. She said she has no immediate plans for her winnings, but she's considering some home renovation

The top prize for a $1 play is $5,000. The chances of matching all four numbers in exact order are 1 in 10,000.

Now in its 30th year, the Virginia Lottery generates more than $1.6million per day for Virginia's K-12 public schools.

The city of Richmond received more than $17.3million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year.
Labour's plan for a soft Brexit could be agreed in a matter of weeks with Brussels, shadow chancellor John McDonnell claimed today.

Mr McDonnell said the EU has already 'looked positively' on the proposals which are based around a new customs union between Britain and Brussels.

Labour wants to negotiate a British 'say' on trade deals signed by the bloc in future - but admit it would rule out UK-specific deals sought by Brexiteers.

The proposals break Theresa May's red lines but were seized upon by Brussels after her deal was crushed by MPs in January.

Labour's plan for a soft Brexit could be agreed in a matter of weeks with Brussels, shadow chancellor John McDonnell (pictured today on Marr) claimed today

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in London today) wants to negotiate a British 'say' on trade deals signed by the bloc in future - but admit it would rule out UK-specific deals sought by Brexiteers

Labour is pushing its plans again this week as the Prime Minister faces near certain defeat in a second vote on on the deal within weeks.

Mr McDonnell told the BBC's Andrew Marr today: 'We could agree ... Labour's deal within a matter of weeks - the European Union has looked positively on that

'In all the discussions we've had they see that as the foundation of a proper negotiation.'

Mr McDonnell said he expected a three month delay to be agreed by the EU if and when Mrs May's deal is voted down on Tuesday night.

In the event of defeat, Mrs May has promised MPs will get to vote on delaying Brexit on Thursday - a day after they vote on whether to accept a no deal Brexit.

Elsewhere today, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has said he expects Tuesday's Commons debate to end with a single vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal.

'I think there is a growing feeling that this Tuesday should be a straight up-and-down vote on that deal,' he told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme.

Labour's proposals break Theresa May's red lines but were seized upon by Brussels after her deal was crushed by MPs in January

'I don't know whether something dramatic will happen in the next 24 hours but unless it does, exactly the same deal is going to be put before Parliament.

'That is eight weeks of failure to come back and present exactly what was rejected so on Tuesday that has got to be exposed.'

Sir Keir said he still expected there would be an opportunity for MPs to vote for a second referendum in the days ahead, either on a Labour amendment or one tabled by backbenchers.

'It doesn't mean that a public vote is gone. It doesn't mean we won't come to it. We will have to work with others,' he said. 'There is going to be plenty of opportunities for amendments.'
Christian Mejia thought he had a shot at getting out of immigration detention in rural Louisiana after he'd found a lawyer to help him seek asylum.

Then he was quarantined.

In early January, a mumps outbreak at the privately-run Pine Prairie Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center put Mejia and hundreds of other detainees on lockdown.

'When there is just one person who is sick, everybody pays,' Mejia, 19, said in a phone interview from the Pine Prairie center describing weeks without visits and access to the library and dining hall.

Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Pine Prairie, Louisiana, was the site of a mumps outbreak this January leaving detainees such as Christian Mejia, 19, in quarantine

Managing outbreaks like the one at Pine Prairie is complicated by the fact immigrant detainees often are transferred around the country and infected people don't necessarily show symptoms of viral diseases even when they are contagious

His attorney wasn't allowed in, but his immigration court case continued anyway - over a video conference line. On Feb. 12, the judge ordered Mejia deported back to Honduras.

The number of people amassed in immigration detention under the Trump administration has reached record highs, raising concerns among migrant advocates about disease outbreaks and resulting quarantines that limit access to legal services.

As of March 6, more than 50,000 migrants were in detention, according to ICE data.

Internal emails reviewed by Reuters reveal the complications of managing outbreaks like the one at Pine Prairie, since immigrant detainees often are transferred around the country and infected people don't necessarily show symptoms of viral diseases even when they are contagious.

ICE health officials have been notified of 236 confirmed or probable cases of mumps among detainees in 51 facilities in the past 12 months, compared to no cases detected between January 2016 and February 2018.

The first cases at Pine Prairie were detected in January in four migrants who had been recently transferred from the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, Mississippi

Tallahatchie County Regional Correctional Facility in 2004. Tallahatchie, run by private detention company CoreCivic, has had five confirmed cases of mumps and 18 cases of chicken pox since January

Last year, 423 detainees were determined to have influenza and 461 to have chicken pox. All three diseases are largely preventable by vaccine.

As of March 7, a total of 2,287 detainees were quarantined around the country, an ICE official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters.

Ten Democratic members of Congress sent a letter on February 28 to ICE acting director Ronald Vitiello seeking more information about viral diseases at immigration detention centers in Colorado, Arizona and Texas. Lawmakers did not mention the Pine Prairie outbreak.

Pablo Paez, a spokesman for The GEO Group, the private prison operator that runs Pine Prairie under government contract, said its medical professionals follow standards set by ICE and health authorities.

He said medical care provided to detainees allows the company 'to detect, treat and follow appropriate medical protocols to manage an infectious outbreak.'

Emergency and Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility personnel outside the gates on July 21, 2004. Tallahatchie houses hundreds of migrants recently apprehended along the U.S.- Mexico border

UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS

The first cases at Pine Prairie were detected in January in four migrants who had been recently transferred from the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi, according to internal emails.

Tallahatchie, run by private detention company CoreCivic, has had five confirmed cases of mumps and 18 cases of chicken pox since January, according to company spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist.

She said no one who was diagnosed was transferred out of the facility while the disease was active.

Tallahatchie houses hundreds of migrants recently apprehended along the U.S.- Mexico border, ICE offcials said.

People in a caravan of migrants departing from El Salvador en route to the United States wait to board a bus, in San Salvador, El Salvador, February 28, 2019

People in a caravan of migrants departing from El Salvador en route to the United States are interrogated by a police officer at a bus terminal, in San Salvador, El Salvador

On Tuesday, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters that changing demographics on the southwest border, with more immigrants from Central America traveling long distances, overwhelmed border officials and raised health concerns.

'We are seeing migrants arrive with illnesses and medical conditions in unprecedented numbers,' McAleenan said at a press conference.

However, vaccination rates in the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are above 90 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ICE detainees come from countries all over the world, with varying degrees of vaccination coverage.

Central American migrants heading to the United States with a second caravan arrive at Ciudad Hidalgo, after crossing the border from Guatemala, in southern Mexico on January 17, 2019

HIGH PROFILE REMOVAL

At Pine Prairie, staff members were at times at odds with the warden about how to manage the mumps outbreak, internal emails show.

The warden decided not to quarantine 40 new arrivals from Tallahatchie in February despite concerns raised by the medical staff, one email showed.

The warden, Indalecio Ramos, who referred questions about the outbreak to ICE and The GEO Group, argued that quarantining the transfers would keep them from attending their court hearings, the facility's health service administrator wrote in a Feb. 7 email.

In a Feb. 21 email, ICE requested that medical staff members at Pine Prairie clear a detainee quarantined for chicken pox and mumps for travel, calling him a 'high profile removal scheduled for deport.'

Central American migrants heading to the United States arrive in southern Mexico on January 17, 2019. Vaccination rates in the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are above 90 percent, according to the CDC

In an email to staff later that day, warden Ramos wrote that medical staff had wanted to exclude the detainee from transfer, but 'ICE wants him to travel out of the country anyway ... Please ensure he leaves.'

The ICE spokesman said that travel is restricted for people who are known to be contagious but those exposed to diseases who are asymptomatic can travel.

Since January, the 1,094-bed Pine Prairie facility has had 18 detainees with confirmed or probable cases of mumps compared to no cases in 2018, according to ICE.

As of mid-February, 288 people were under quarantine at Pine Prairie. Mejia said his quarantine ended on Feb. 25.

Detention centers in other states also have seen a rise in outbreaks.

People walk in a caravan of migrants departing from El Salvador en route to the United States, in San Salvador, El Salvador

Migrants departing from El Salvador en route to the United States. According to a claim by Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, sick migrants are arriving at the border in 'unprecedented numbers.'

There have been 186 mumps cases in immigration detention facilities in Texas since October, the largest outbreak in centers there in recent years, said Lara Anton, the press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In Colorado, at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility near Denver, run by The GEO Group, 357 people have been quarantined following eight confirmed and five suspected cases of mumps detected since February, as well as six cases of chicken pox diagnosed since the beginning of January, said Dr. Bernadette Albanese from the Tri County Health Department in Colorado.

Civil rights attorney Danielle Jefferis said court hearings for quarantined immigrants at Aurora were largely canceled.

At Pine Prairie on Feb. 12, Mejia said he felt confused and hopeless during his video hearing, with no attorney by his side.

After Mejia's lawyers complained, attorneys were allowed to visit quarantined detainees on Feb. 13 - one day too late for Mejia.

While he is appealing his case, his lawyers say he could be deported at any time.
Naturists have leapt to the defence of a nude swimming session for adults and children after concerned parents raised fears that paedophiles might attend.

The event, held at Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent, encourages visitors to step out of their costumes and go swimming naked for two hours on April 13.

But after seeing adverts for the session, parents said the event should be adult only because 'paedophiles will surely just show up', Metro.co.uk reported.

British Naturism has leapt to the defence of a nude swimming swimming session for adults and children at Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent (pictured) after concerned parents raised fears that paedophiles might attend

The event encourages visitors to step out of their costumes and go swimming naked for two hours on April 13, but a petition signed by 4,000 people has raised the prospect that paedophiles may attend

More than 4,000 people have now signed a petition calling for children's involvement to be stopped.

One person commenting said: This is vile having NAKED children around NAKED adults is not ok, simple as that.

Another said: This NEEDS to stop its disgusting, children need protecting. I don't even get why anyone would even think of creating such an event it's perverting.'

One person commenting on the Change.org petition said: This NEEDS to stop its disgusting, children need protecting. I don't even get why anyone would even think of creating such an event it's perverting'

Another said: This is vile having NAKED children around NAKED adults is not ok, simple as that.

Another, Naomi B, said that, having spent years 'protecting children from monsters', children shouldn't be put 'legally' in front of them through the event

Katrina Hilden said that it was not fair on children 'to see random strangers

Good grief. Under fives go free. Horrendous. Im genuinely shocked. This needs to be stopped, a third person said.

Emma Hadaway, the creator of the petition, wrote that she is not against naturists but thinks that nude events are a 'massive safeguarding issue'.

Yet British Naturism, which exists to 'unite and support naturists,' said that nude family swimming has been 'in existence for decades' and that the petition was targeting the 'wrong group'.

A spokesman told Metro.co.uk that naturist events 'do not necessarily lead to any greater risks' and denied any link between paedophiles and naturism.

He added that while children are 'always at risk', naturists are 'more vigilant' because of the dangers.

They are never unaccompanied and are always supervised by parents or guardians. It is just like any other event except the dress code is different,' he said.

Mr Welch encouraged others to try naturism, saying that being nude is 'our natural state' and that children can see what 'real bodies are like' at the upcoming sessions.
Kalesha Peterson ( pictured), 37, claims she was acting out a scene from a movie when she allegedly shot and killed her boyfriend

A Missouri woman claims she was acting out a movie when she allegedly shot and killed her boyfriend.

Kalesha Marie Peterson, 37, called 911 around 10.22pm on March 7 to report that she had accidentally shot her 36-year-old boyfriend, David Dalton.

When officers from the Fulton Police Department arrived to the scene, they found Dalton suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

Officers administered life-saving measures until medics arrived, but Dalton was pronounced dead a short time later.

According to police, Peterson told authorities that 'she and Dalton had been watching a movie and drinking alcoholic beverages that evening'.

A bottle of whiskey was found in the bedroom where Dalton had been shot.

She reportedly told police that 'Dalton suggested the two play out a scene in the movie that involved a firearm'.

Peterson said the pair got the handgun that Dalton kept in his bedroom and acted out the scene.

She then told police that she had the gun in her hand when it discharged.

Peterson (right), 37, called 911 around 10.22pm on March 7 to report that she had accidentally shot her 36-year-old boyfriend, David Dalton (left)

Peterson also informed police that she attempted to stop the bleeding from the gunshot wound to Dalton's head.

The medical examiner's office confirmed that Dalton suffered a single fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities said the firearm located at the scene was a Taurus brand, .38 caliber revolver.

There were two spent shell casings in the revolver.

According to Peterson, Dalton had used the firearm some weeks prior and had not removed one of the spent shell casings in the gun.

Peterson voluntarily took a breathalyzer test while at the police department and admitted to taking 'several medications' in addition to drinking.

At the scene of the shooting, officers didn't find prescriptions in her name; however, they did locate medications known to increase impairment when used with alcoholic beverages.

Peterson has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death.
The babies of Britain's runaway ISIS brides could be brought to the UK under new plans being drawn up by Whitehall officials.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that his department is working out how to rescue the children of UK jihadis who are holed up in Syrian camps.

His revelations come just days after Shamima Begum's three-week-old baby, Jerah, perished at Al Hawl camp in the northeastern part of the war-torn country.

But although Mr Hunt called the death 'an incredibly distressing and sad situation', he also said that the then 15-year-old was well aware of the risks she was taking when she fled the UK to join the terrorist group.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that his department is working out how to rescue UK the the children of UK jihadis who are holed up in Syrian camps

His revelations come just days after Shamima Begum's three-week-old baby, Jerah, perished at Al Hawl camp in war-torn country

'Shamima knew when she made the decision to join Daesh (IS) she was going to a country where there's no embassy, where there's no consular assistance, he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.

'And I'm afraid those decisions, awful though it is, they do have consequences.'

Mr Hunt said he is working with International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt on how children can be safely returned.

He said: 'We have been looking at how we can get in touch with these children, how we can find a way to get them out. Sadly in this case, as we know, it wasn't possible.'

The Foreign Secretary shed light on his plans after it was reported that two further women married into the terror group have been stripped of their UK citizenship while being held in detention camps with their children.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid ignored Begum's (pictured) pleas to return home and instead stripped her of citizenship

The Sunday Times reported that two women, with five boys under the age of eight between them, had their UK nationality stripped after marrying into a terror cell linked to the murder of western hostages.

Quoting legal sources, the paper named the women as Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, whose parents are originally from Pakistan.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases.

'Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly,' a spokesman added.

The government has come under fire for its handling of runaway jihadis, with Labour's Diane Abbott taking aim at Home Secretary Sajid Javid who ignored Begum's pleas to return home and instead stripped her of citizenship.

Ms Abbott called the baby's death a 'stain on the conscience of this Government'.
One Nation recruit Mark Latham says he is 'bemused' that people still talk about his overly aggressive handshake with John Howard.

More than a decade on from the infamous confrontation, which many say lost him the 2004 federal election, Mr Latham maintains he did nothing wrong.

The New South Wales leader for Pauline Hanson's One Nation party also says he has no regrets for an altercation with a taxi driver which left the latter with a broken arm.

Mark Latham (pictured right with Pauline Hanson) says he has no regrets on a pair of controversial incidents

Mr Latham, who was sacked as a commentator on Sky News last March, admitted to Channel Nine's 60 Minutes he brings a speckled history to the party.

One of his most memorable confrontations was a seemingly-hostile handshake with his opposition in the 2004 election.

In their meeting on the eve of the federal election, Mr Latham pulled Mr Howard in for a handshake.

Bursting out from behind a closed door, he gripped Mr Howard's hand and brought his face within centimetres of his counterpart's.

The bizarre confrontation saw many label Mr Latham a 'bully', a trait he says he's been unable to shake in his political career.

'You'd think I chopped the bloke's head off or something,' he says.

'Everyone's got regrets in life, of course, you wouldn't be human.'

But he says the meeting was not 'the top of the list'.

Latham infamously painted himself as a 'bully' when he aggressively shook John Howard's hand in 2004 (pictured)

Senator Hanson, meanwhile, said her counterpart has a 'good, firm handshake', which she appreciates.

She was quick to jump to his defense a second time, when he was asked about an incident in which he broke a taxi driver's arm.

Mr Latham and a 35-year-old driver had a verbal stoush over a fare charge in 2001, with the former lashing out and crash-tacking the driver.

'I'm outspoken,' he admits.

'The media carry on about these things but isn't it sad that their focus is on the skirmishes instead of the policies?

'I do take the view that I'm not a punching bag.'

He maintains he never broke the law when he tackled the taxi driver, who he claims ran off with his bag.

Mr Latham is preparing to contest for an Upper House seat as the New South Wales leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation

Mr Latham is preparing to contest for an Upper House seat in the upcoming election, due to be held March 23.

The announcement that he was joining Senator Hanson in a self-described 'marriage' was met with confusion and criticism when it was made last November.

But despite their critics, the politicians say their bond is stronger than ever and they're ready for the polls to do the talking.
A witness has come forward after 10 years to claim a woman jailed over her husband's murder is innocent - and says she knows who the real killer is.

Sue Neill-Fraser has spent nine years behind bars for murdering Bob Chappell on their yacht Four Winds in Tasmania on Australia Day in 2009.

The yacht was discovered half-submerged and Mr Chappell was missing, presumed dead.

Scroll down for video

Witness Meaghan Vass (pictured) has come forward after 10 years to claim a woman jailed over her partner's murder is innocent - and says she knows who the real killer is

Sue Neill-Fraser (left) has spent nine years behind bars for murdering Bob Chappell (right) on their yacht Four Winds in Tasmania on Australia Day in 2009

Although his body was never found, Neill-Fraser was found guilty of attacking Mr Chappell and dumping his body in the River Derwent.

Former Victoria Police detective Colin McLaren has previously said he does not believe there was a legitimate investigation carried out.

Now, in a tell-all interview on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes, Meaghan Vass, 25, has claimed she was on board the yacht on the night Mr Chappell was killed.

A 15-year-old homeless girl at the time, Ms Vass said she had climbed on board the vessel with two men.

One of the men she was with, she said, had made a habit of stealing things from boats so he could sell them for money.

On this occasion, she said the person she was on board the boat with had been spotted by Mr Chappell.

'They've had an argument, it's escalated. He's hit Bob, I don't know what with,' she said.

'I saw a lot of blood but I cant give any more than that ... I can't remember.'

The now 25-year-old said she had only come forward a decade later to tell the truth because she was 'too frightened' in the past.

Susan Neill-Fraser with her partner Bob Chappell, daughters Sarah Bowles and Emma Fraser-Meeker

When asked by reporter Liam Bartlett about how angry the man she accuses of murdering Mr Chappell would be about her revelations, she replied tearfully 'probably furious'.

Despite Ms Vass' previous battles with drug addiction, leading Australian barrister Robert Richter QC said the fact the young woman had changed her story did not mean she was not a credible witness.

'The fact she has changed her story from time to time does not make her an unreliable witness now because her account is the only one that fits the objective evidence and that's the difference.'

If Ms Vass' confession is correct, her testimony could be the final piece of evidence needed to get Neill-Fraser (pictured) out from behind bars

Ms Vass had initially denied she was even on board the yacht, even though DNA in the form of her vomit was found on the vessel.

If her confession is correct, her testimony could be the final piece of evidence needed to get Neill-Fraser out from behind bars.

Ms Vass has signed an affidavit saying what she saw that night, which could spark a legal move seeking to overturn Ms Neill-Fraser's prison sentence.

The case has been labelled a 'horrendous miscarriage of justice' by some of the country's top police and legal minds.

The mother and grandmother maintains her innocence as she serves a 23-year jail sentence in Tasmania. Right to left: Bob Chappell, Susan Neill-Fraser, Neill-Fraser's daughter Sarah Bowles (nee Fraser-Meeker) and son-in-law Mark Bowles

Mr McLaren has joined forces with former Victoria Police detective Charlie Bezzina.

The pair have spent years analysing evidence, uncovering police mistakes and have discovered missing items they say are crucial.

The prosecution alleged Ms Neill-Fraser killed her husband with a wrench in the cabin then winched his body up to the deck and disposed of it.

They said she wanted out of the 18-year relationship and stood to gain financially.

Mr McLaren and Mr Bezzina claim that two other people tried to burgle the boat that night - Meaghan Vass and her boyfriend.

Ms Neill-Fraser and her family have adamantly denied she committed the crime.

Although she's lost multiple attempts to overturn the conviction, both she and her family maintain her innocence.

Susan Neill-Fraser (pictured, right) has always denied killing partner Bob Campbell (pictured, left)

The yacht (pictured) was discovered half-submerged the following morning and Mr Chappell was missing, presumed dead
By Trend





In the framework of his official visit to Iran, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry.

At the meeting, along with the various issues of the bilateral relations agenda, regional and global security issues were discussed. Also an exchange was held over the security, cooperation and development in the region.

Touching upon the bilateral economic relations, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed his interlocutor on the economic projects under implementation. He informed the other side on the current negotiations process over the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ali Shamkhani noted that the position of Iran on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unchanged. He underlined the support of his country to the resolution of the conflict by peaceful means and diplomatic negotiations based on the territorial integrity and inviolability of borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The sides also discussed the joint actions against ISIS and other terror groups, which pose threat to regional security.
An ISIS 'wife' has said Yazidi women can be raped as sex slaves because it states prisoners of war are 'property' in the Quran - before admitting she had not read the text.

The unidentified female was speaking to another woman who asked her about the treatment of Yazidis under the so-called caliphate.

Speaking to a mobile phone camera, she described her interpretation of the Quran as a justification for the rape and murder of Yazidi women taken prisoner as sex slaves, saying because the Muslim holy book defines prisoners of war as 'property' they can be treated as objects.

But when pressed on if it does actually states in the Quran that prisoners can be treated this way, the woman replied she 'did not know much' about the Islamic text.

In fact, sura 24, verse 33 of the Islamic holy book explicitly states: 'Force not your slave-girls to whoredom that ye may seek enjoyment of the life of the world, if they would preserve their chastity.'

Another verse extols followers to treat prisoners respectfully and to 'feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive.'

The unidentified ISIS woman said the Quran stated prisoners could be treated as property

Women walking with belongings and their children as an SDF fighter helps them, near the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, in Syria yesterday

Some fundamentalist Islamic scholars have argued passages of the Quran justify the keeping and holding of female slaves.

Wearing a black niqab with glasses, she added that 'it's not rape in Islam..because they are your property'.

The woman is thought to have originally come from outside Iraq and Syria, and made the comments in a refugee camp in the Kurdish-controlled north of the country.

She said: 'They were prisoners of war, and they become slaves, it is in [the] Quran.

'They are property so in Islam you are allowed to use them, it's not rape in Islam. Because they are your property they are your slaves.'

She then went on to say: 'If it's in the Quran then who am I to question [it]?'

When asked if does state this in the Quran, the woman replied while laughing: 'I don't know much about the Quran.'

Afarin Mamosta posted two videos on social media yesterday evening.

She previous posted videos of children of ISIS fighters raising the jihadi 'tawheed' finger gesture.

ISIS overran the Yazidi faith's heartland of Sinjar in northern Iraq in 2014, forcing young women into servitude as 'wives' for its fighters and massacring men and older women.

The Yazidis are a religious sect whose beliefs combine elements of several ancient Middle Eastern religions.

Speaking to a phone camera, the woman claimed the Islamic holy book allowed prisoners to be sexually assaulted because 'it's not rape in Islam'

A tent at a makeshift camp for ISIS group members and their families in the town of Baghouz

A Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter takes aim with his Kalashnikov rifle after seeing a man walking towards his position in Baghouz as the bid to push militants out of their last stronghold continues

Islamic State considers them devil worshippers and its attacks on the group were condemned as a 'genocide' by the United Nations.

Thousands of Yazidi women were forced into sex slavery by their ISIS 'husbands' when their homeland was overrun by militants in 2014.

One Yazidi sex slave changed 'owners' 17 times as she was raped and abused by ISIS thugs who was forced her to eat grass before she fled from Baghouz.

A Swedish jihadi owner would lock her in the home for days without food while he went to fight.

Another man, an Albanian, stomped on her hands in his military boots, after she scolded him for buying a nine-year-old slave girl.

Jihadis decapitated dozens of Yazidi women and dumped the heads in dustbins, according to British SAS troops who entered recapture ISIS territory

A month ago the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched what it called a 'final battle' to take the cluster of houses and farmland, and people leaving in the enclave of Baghouz near the Iraqi border have described harrowing conditions of peril and hardship.

When asked if the Quran does actually state prisoners can be treated as sex slaves, the woman replied she 'did know much' about the Islamic text

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) standing near a civilian who was evacuated from the fighting near the village of Baghouz

As the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) besieged the enclave at Baghouz, some surviving Yazidi women and children emerged among many thousands of others fleeing deprivation and bombardment, including the militant group's own unrepentant supporters.

Diehard jihadists swelling Syrian refugee camps have vowed revenge as the last remaining ISIS holdout in Baghouz faced collapse.

One veiled woman, feared to be among thousands of unrepentant fanatics who have fled Baghouz and surrendered to US-backed Kurdish forces, chillingly warned: 'We will seek vengeance, there will be blood up to your knees.

'We have left, but there will be new conquests in the future.'

At an outpost for US-backed forces outside the village, ten women stood in front of journalists, pointing their index fingers to the sky and shouted: 'The Islamic State is here to stay!'

The gesture - known as 'tawheed' - is used by ISIS supporters to proclaim the 'oneness of God'.

A still from a video released by the Free Burma Rangers showing people moving between tents in a makeshift camp in the last ISIS-controlled piece of territory in Syria's Baghouz

Yazidi women attend a ceremony at Lilash Temple on Friday to commemorate the deaths of thousands of women killed by ISIS militants during their reign of terror

One 60-year-woman, who did not want to be named, said that ISIS will continue because the boys under the terror group's rule have been trained to fight from a young age.

The remaining hardened militants and their families were forced to set up camp amongst battered pickup trucks and tents on the last scrap of land of ISIS-controlled territory between advancing Kurdish forces and a riverbank.

Those who have fled Baghouz have mostly gone to al-Hawl, a displacement camp in northeast Syria whose population has swelled to 62,000 people, 90 percent of them women and children.

An estimated 3,000 Yazidis are still unaccounted for in the besieged ISIS stronghold of Baghouz.

Close to 200,000 members of the minority fled their homes when ISIS swept into their heartland over four years ago

International airstrikes had killed some Yazidis living as slaves in the caliphate and there are thought to still be 1,000 Yazidis inside Baghouz, including 130 boys training to become jihadis.

International Women Day on Friday, Yazidi worshippers gathered at Lilash Temple in Shikhan in the north of Iraq to remember the thousands killed by ISIS.
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has revealed how she was often ignored by rooms full of men during her time in parliament.

Ms Bishop spoke of the 'gender deafness' she experienced during an all-female panel discussion called Leading While Female at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday.

Recalling incidents in 2013, where she was at one point the only woman in cabinet, she spoke of the difficulty of getting her voice heard in a room full of 18 men.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop spoke of her experiences being the only woman in cabinet on an all-female panel discussion at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday

'There'd be silence': Ms Bishop told of the incidents where she was ignored completely by the room full of men during her time in cabinet

'People would be talking and then I would intervene to say something and there would be silence, and then they'd just keep on talking,' she said, according to news.com.au.

'(Then) somebody would say precisely what I'd said and all the guys would say 'gee that's a great idea, why don't we do that?' And I'd think, didn't I say that?

The 62-year-old announced her resignation from politics last month.

She revealed the culture started to change once Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer joined the cabinet and began to speak up in defense of Ms Bishop.

Ms Bishop also spoke of the loneliness she felt during her time in Parliament House, calling it a place 'not for making deep friendships'.

Ms Bishop also told the audience that her time in Parliament House was often lonely - saying she 'You keep very much to yourself as a woman'

Ms Bishop, who announced her retirement from politics in February, said that there 'was not the same camaraderie' with the men in Parliament House

'You keep very much to yourself as a woman. 'You don't go out drinking with the boys  you can  but it's just not the same camaraderie.'

Ms Bishop sat alongside Liberal MP Julia Banks, Labor MP Linda Burney and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young for the panel discussion.

Her comments come just days after Scott Morrison was forced to defend his widely-condemned comments on female empowerment.

Mr Morrison told the Chambers of Minerals and Energy in Western Australia women's rights should not take precedent over men's on International Women's Day.

In response to international criticism he's garnered from the comments, the PM said his words were misconstrued and he's a 'champion of women'.

Ms Bishop sat alongside Liberal MP Julia Banks, Labor MP Linda Burney and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young for the panel discussion titled Leading While Female

On Sunday it was revealed that Celia Hammond has been chosen as the Liberal Party's candidate to replace Ms Bishop in its safest seat in Western Australia.

The former University of Notre Dame vice-chancellor has been pre-selected as the candidate for Curtin, at a meeting in Perth today, to fill the seat Ms Bishop held for two decades.

Ms Hammond, 50, won the vote ahead of four other candidates; foreign affairs specialist Erin Watson-Lynn, resources executive Anna Dartnell, and local councillors Karen Caddy and Andres Timmermanis.

Ms Hammond won 51 votes ahead of Ms Dartnell's 28 votes, and one vote was each given to the remaining candidates.
One California man makes his living off of putting a price tag on the country's most horrific murder scenes, like JonBenet Ramsey's home and the house where Nicole Brown Simpson was killed.

Randall Bell has earned the nickname 'Dr. Disaster' in real estate circles after having worked in appraisals of devalued property for decades, simply because he got bored putting a price on commercial real estate.

'I thought it would be fascinating, because I think I have adult ADD, and I like interesting, challenging things,' he told Rolling Stone.

It was the OJ Simpson case that really got things going for Bell's 'stigmatized' property appraisal business, after a brief write-up in a newspaper included a quote from him about the home where Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered.

Randall Bell makes his living off of putting a price tag on the country's most horrific murder scenes, like JonBenet Ramsey's home and the house where Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered. OJ Simpson's home is pictured

Randall Bell (pictured0 has earned the nickname 'Dr. Disaster' in real estate circles after having worked in appraisals of devalued property for decades, simply because he got bored pricing commercial real estate

'Nobody knew who I was or cared until OJ came,' Bell, who has a PhD is Sociology said.

Bell said the firestorm came after he had been out to dinner with George Ryun, who had appraised the Menendez brothers' home in Bel Air, and his wife, Ruth Ryon, who wrote a column called Hot Properties in The Los Angeles Times' real estate section.

'I was asking George about the Menendez property and Ruth called me up and said, "Hey, I heard youre working on the OJ thing," and she put one or two sentences in the newspaper with my name, and what I told her was pretty benign, but I swear to you the whole world called and Ive never looked back since the OJ Simpson case.'

Bell got involved with the Simpson property because Lou Brown, the father of Nicole Brown Simpson lived in his neighborhood and asked for his help.

'Lou is a really cool guy, but he thought the property would be more valuable because it was famous,' Bell said.

'I had the delicate task of sitting with him over lunch and saying, "Hey, just because something is well-known doesnt mean its necessarily more valuable. I hate to tell ya, but theres good news and bad news: the bad news is that the property value has gone down, but over time it can be somewhat restored." So we got a renter in there to pay the bills, and he sold it later.'

Nicole Brown was murdered at her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on June 12, 1994

Bell said that from the hundreds of cases he's seen, the typical loss in value runs between 10-25 percent for a crime scene property, and bulldozing and rebuilding doesn't help.

'[W]hen you bulldoze a property, you have not bulldozed the stigma. The stigma is attached to the land,' Bell said.

'Ill give you an example: Megan Kanka, the little girl in Megans Law  [the law requiring sex offenders to register for a public database] house was bulldozed, now its a park. Jeffrey Dahmers property was bulldozed and that land  I was just there two months ago and its still vacant.

Bell said that from the hundreds of cases he's seen, including working on the home of JobBenet Ramsey (pictured), the typical loss in value runs between 10-25 percent for a crime scene property, and bulldozing and rebuilding doesn't help.

'Think of it this way: have you been to a Civil War site around the country? You go there and you dont see any bodies or cannons or swords, but because what happened on that land is so profound and important, the land is considered sacred to so many people. Its the same with crime scenes. The stigma is attached to the land: you can bulldoze, but you cant get rid of the stigma.'

Dahmer's property is a bit of an exception, though, Bell said, because it sold for a premium due to a pre-existing land development deal.

Another exception would be the Lizzie Borden house in Massachusetts, which very successfully 'monetized that crime,' Bell said.

'They have bed and breakfasts and you can sleep in the room where Lizzie Bordens mother was murdered with an ax for hundreds of dollars a night,' he said.

'But as a general rule, those kinds of things dont happen. Heavens Gate, JonBenet Ramsey, OJ - theres literally hundreds of cases people havent heard of, and those typically fall into the 10-25 percent pattern, but there are some unique one-off circumstances.'

'But as a general rule, those kinds of things dont happen. Heavens Gate, JonBenet Ramsey, OJ - theres literally hundreds of cases people havent heard of, and those typically fall into the 10-25 percent pattern, but there are some unique one-off circumstances,' Bell said. The home of JonBenet Ramsey is pictured

In trying to quantify the loss for a particular 'stigmatized' property, Bell said there are several considerats.

'We divide everything into three categories: cost, use and risk,' he said.

'The costs are the cleanup costs of the blood or the bullet holes or what have you. In one case, Satan worshippers were coming into the house and they started a fire inside the garage in a Satanic ritual, so those all have costs.

'The second element of use means the house isnt being normally used, so theres a way to calculate the loss of use.

'And the word "risk" is synonymous with stigma, which means theres a resistance on part of the market to pay full value. So thats how we do every case.'

Bell said he does what he does because he wants to help people mitigate all three types of loss, to the best of his ability, out of a desire to get people through traumatizing times.

'I have a high threshold for drama, for some reason. I really do. I volunteer with prisoners at San Quentin and at Orange County jail. For some reason, Im able to handle a high level of trauma,' he said.

He swears it's not out of morbid curiosity, although he has plenty of stories of valuing property where horrific things have happened.

Bell is pictured standing in front of the Heaven's Gate estate where 39 people committed suicide in 1997

For instance, Bell was involved in appraising the Heaven's Gate mansion, where Marshall Applewhite and 38 followers committed a mass suicide by overdosing on vodka and the narcotic phenobarbital in shifts over three days in 1997.

'I dont have any morbid curiosity. I dont want to see bodies or crime scene photos, Im not into that,' he said.

'With Heavens Gate, I waited till after they finished taking out the bodies. But when I went in, I just wanted to barf because it smelled so bad. There had been bodies decomposing for three days, and there was blood all over the place  blood on the carpet and the marble, all throughout the house.'

Bell said the blood came from the bodies leaking after they had been decomposing for days.

Bell was involved in appraising the Heaven's Gate mansion, where Marshall Applewhite and 38 followers committed a mass suicide by overdosing on vodka and the narcotic phenobarbital in shifts over three days in 1997

Although Bell has worked on valuing such high profile pieces of real estate as the World Trade Center and the Flight 93 crash site, he said there are many under the radar situations that would turn stomachs.

He shared one particularly wild story of a crime scene property that the buyers were unaware they had acquired.

'Here in southern California, in Mission Viejo  this family bought a house, and they move in, and the daughter is putting her clothes away in the closet, and she notices a hole in her closet floor. So she gets her dad and says theres a hole in the closet floor and sure enough, its a bullet hole and then the dad looks around and sees one in the ceiling and lines up the trajectory and goes downstairs, and behind the water heater up on the ceiling was a bunch of blood and brain matter,' Bell said.

'The family had not been told the house had belonged to a guy who committed suicide in the garage and the people that sold it failed to disclose it, and failed to cleaned up the blood and the brains. So that was really pretty disturbing for this family, and I saw it myself, it was disturbing to me. They filed a lawsuit against the broker and the seller, because legally, in New York and California, you have to disclose that stuff.'

Even as Bell shared that story, he insisted, 'I dont look at the macabre.'

'Im not there to gawk at the murders and suicides, but I love helping people through really tough times. Its kinda like a fireman helping people in horrible auto accidents. Im there to help. Im not there to gawk and stare and be a voyeur,' he said.

'I look at my whole career built around helping people through really tough situations, because while people are freaking out and are in total shock and their lives are destroyed, I can walk in and because Im acclimated to this, Im able to give them sound advice and sound information to help them through it, at least in part, and in some way make their life a little bit better and take some of the stress off them.'
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Incredible new images of of an elderly Jewish community, including Holocaust survivors, who lived in South Beach in the 1970s have been unearthed in Florida.

A new exhibition titled, 'Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweets South Beach 1977-1980' celebrates the work of legendary photographer Andy Sweet.

The Florida native, who went on a mission photograph the Old-World Jewish culture that then distinguished South Beach, was brutally stabbed to death in his Miami beach apartment in 1982 aged 28.

Because he died so young, Sweet's work was almost lost forever as boxes of his photos and negatives could not be found.

But in 2006, Andys sister, Ellen Sweet Moss, and her husband Stan Hughes, miraculously discovered boxes of precious test-prints, contact sheets and work prints that no one knew existed.

The couple then decided to dedicate their time to maintaining the memory of Sweets work.

The boxes contained no color negatives, and because the test-prints in these previously undiscovered boxes were faded after so many years, the project would require extensive restoration.

Hughes decided to research into Sweets early work and his style of photography, to be able to try to restore them to their original colors with the guidance of Gary Monroe.

Stan Hughes then spent over 12 hours a day painstakingly and tirelessly restoring these newfound test-prints to their original colorful glory.

The exhibition, which takes place in the Jewish Museum of Florida (FIU), features an intimate look inside the artists working process, with more than 60 images, plus original photographs that have never been shown.

South Beach was predominantly a Jewish enclave in the late 1970s when Andy Sweet photographed the elderly population. Many of the residents who holidayed there were New York transplants and Holocaust survivors.

More than 20,000 elderly Jews lived in South Beach then, within a compressed area. They banded together into a tight-knit community to help each other, often converting the lobbies of Art Deco buildings into makeshift synagogues.

Susan Gladstone, the museums Executive Director, was a young social worker when Sweet was documenting this community with his camera.

She claimed: 'This exhibition is about more than just nostalgia,its about the life of a young photographer who was destined to become an important artist were it not for his sudden end at the age of 28.

'Many of the people in Sweets photographs smiled back at his camera,' adds Gladstone.

'Many of his subjects exuded a sense of urgency to live out their lives to the fullest on South Beach  some of them were still laughing, dancing, and living before it was too late.'

More information on the exhibition, which runs from March 19 until June, is available at http://jmof.fiu.edu/calendar/2019/exhibition-opening-shtetl-in-the-sun-andy-sweet-south-beach-1977-1980-1/

Three elderly Jewish women pose poolside as they enjoy a sunny day at a South Beach hotel circa 1979 in their bathing suits

A group of swimmers stop for a chat and are seen laughing together as they take a break from the water at South Beach

Sweet captured elderly people sitting outside the iconic Leslie Hotel on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach as they soak up the rays

Andy Sweet (center) alongside some of the people whose images he took on a busy day at South Beach in the summer of 1979

A Jewish couple in matching bathing costumes stop for a dance as they pose for a picture on South Beach on a sunny day

This colorful lady is sensibly seen taking a break from the sunshine and holds an umbrella over her head in a grass resting area

A Jewish woman can be seen cheerfully singing a song as she is accompanied by musicians, with onlookers enjoying the spectacle

People dressed in summer clothing, as well as bathers, sit on a wall at South Beach as they take in the good weather

An elderly woman appears deep in thought as Sweet takes her image a location in South Beach in the 1970s

Jewish band members smile at the crowd as the play music for a New Year's Eve party at an unknown location in South Beach

Two friends put the world to rights as they take a break in the shade outside a hotel as Sweet takes a candid snap of them

Taking a cue from the new book from Letter16 Press, edited by Brett Sokol, this is the Sweets work will be on display at The Jewish Museum of Florida (FIU) and will run from March 19 until June
A staggering 6,000 strangers have been tested to see if they are a stem cell match for a five-year-old boy fighting a rare cancer.

As many as 1,090 potential donors were swabbed in Guild Hall, Worcester, yesterday in a bid to help Oscar Saxelby-Lee.

The youngster is in a race against time to find a life-saving stem cell donor after he was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL).

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A woman is swabbed at Worcester Guild Hall to help find Oscar Saxelby-Lee, five, a stem cell donor

Oscar Saxelby-Lee, five, who needs a stem cell donor after battling a particularly aggressive form of leukaemia. He is pictured here with his parents Olivia Saxelby and Jamie Lee

Doctors say he has three months to find a stem-cell match - which could save his life.

Oscar has already had chemotherapy since being diagnosed on December 28, but will need more aggressive treatment in order to overcome the disease.

His parents Olivia Saxelby and Jamie Lee, of St Johns, Worcester, first became concerned when they noticed unexplained bruising on his body.

Yesterday's event followed last weekend where 4,855 people queued in the rain at Pitmaston Primary School to see if they were a match.

Leukaemia, a cancer of the blood, can be treated with stem cells which are taken from a donor and put into the patient's body to replace the diseased blood cells which are killed during chemotherapy. Pictured are some of the 4,800 donors that queued in the rain through the gates of Pitmaston Primary School, Worcester, at last Saturday's event

Oscar, pictured before he became ill, was diagnosed with leukaemia in December after his parents noticed unexplained bruising on his body

DKMS, the charity that tests the swabs, said its previous record for the highest number of people to take part in a registration event was 2,200 people.

Among those to join the event yesterday were Worcester MP Robin Walker and Mayor of Worcester Jabba Riaz.

Louise White, 35, from Worcester, who helped organise the event, said: 'My friend works for visit Worcester and she was asked if the Guild Hall would be a good place to do a DKMS event.'

Mayor of Worcester Jabba Riaz swabs his mouth with two buds at yesterday's event in Worcester where more than 1,000 people turned out

People queue to register and get swabbed at Worcester Guild Hall to find Oscar a stem cell donor. Oscar has T-Cell acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia - a rare type of cancer

Oscar has been told by doctors he could only have three months left to live

Ms White continued: 'I ran it past Oscar's mum Olivia and she asked me if I could organise it, so I said yes.

'This has been a few weeks of planning, it's really snowballed in the last week.

'We put lots of requests out on social media for volunteers and we've got about 50 adults and some students helping out with the stewarding and handing out refreshments.'

The meet up yesterday took the total number of people swabbed to support Oscar over the 6,000 mark

As many as 1,090 potential donors were swabbed in Guild Hall, Worcester, yesterday

Oscar has already had chemotherapy since being diagnosed in December, but will need a more aggressive treatment in order to overcome the disease. A man swabs his mouth at the event yesterday

The mother-of-two said: 'We've got around 2,000 kits today and a couple spare just in case.

'I've got two children myself, my son went to pre-school with Oscar, it's quite hard to see the pictures of him in hospital.

'It's overwhelming how kind people are and how much they care.

'People are asking how long will it take for us to find out if Oscar has a match, what are the chances of him finding a match, it just shows how much people care.

'It shows that people are willing to give up their time and so much to help this little boy, it's just so lovely.

A woman smiles in the Guild Hall in Worcester yesterday and shows the three buds she used to swab her mouth

The event yesterday saw people registering around a large table in the High Street venue

Oscar's parents were not at the event yesterday as they were at Birmingham Children's Hospital with their son

'Oscar's parents are not here at the event they're at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

'I should they are overwhelmed by all the support, Olivia messaged me this morning to say thank you.

'They are just really touched that so many people are coming to register, they want to save Oscar but as well as raise awareness about this.'

HOW DO STEM CELL TRANSPLANTS WORK? As a treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), stem cell transplants work by replacing blood cells which are diseased or destroyed by chemotherapy. Having a stem cell transplant means the body can withstand higher doses of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. During chemo, while cancer cells are destroyed by the drugs, so too are healthy blood cells which are necessary for the internal organs and immune system to work properly. If too many of these are destroyed it can be deadly, so doctors must control how much chemotherapy someone has  they want to destroy as many cancerous cells as possible without killing a deadly amount of healthy cells. Having a donor means that cells killed by chemo can be replaced using donor stem cells  which turn into red and white blood cells once injected into the body  helping the patient to recover quicker from the gruelling therapy. Stem cells are taken from a donor's blood sample so are preferable to bone marrow transplants, which have to be done under general anaesthetic. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

ALL is a rare illness and only affects around 650 people in the UK each year, around half of whom are children.

It is a fast-growing, aggressive cancer which causes large numbers of underdeveloped white blood cells to be released from diseased bone marrow.

These blood cells continue to spread and cause symptoms like tiredness, difficulty breathing, pale skin, fever, and bone and joint pain.

Oscar has had 20 blood transfusions and four weeks of chemotherapy.

Olivia Saxelby and Jamie Lee, of St Johns, Worcester, launched an appeal to find a match after Oscar's diagnosis.

They aimed to get as many people as possible to sign up to a blood stem cell donor register as part of a campaign called 'Hand in Hand for Oscar'.

Olivia, 23, said: 'We felt like we could not see light at the end of the tunnel, but when looking at Oscar's cheeky smile, bravery and determination, we managed to pull our strength together again.

Louise White, 35, from Worcester, who helped organise the event yesterday, said: 'My friend works for visit Worcester and she was asked if the Guild Hall would be a good place to do a DKMS event'

Ms White said: 'I ran it past Oscar's mum Olivia and she asked me if I could organise it, so I said yes. 'This has been a few weeks of planning, it's really snowballed in the last week.' Pictured is volunteers registering at last Saturday's meet up at Pitmaston Primary School, where oscar went before he got ill

The charity which tests swabs collected at registration events, DKMS, said its previous record for a single event was 2,200 people, meaning the turnout for Oscar's last week more than doubled the record

'From that moment of fear and confusion, we as a family became stronger than ever. Oscar reminded us how to fight again and just how courageous he is.

'Not once has he shown weakness, nor has he ceased to amaze us throughout the most difficult times and that to us is a true warrior.

'Oscar is a fun, loving, energetic five-year-old boy who deserves to live to the full alongside the other troopers fighting such horrific diseases.

'Not only does he need to enjoy a normal life a child should live, he now needs someone else to save him.'

WHAT IS ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA? Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a type of blood cancer that starts from young white blood cells in the bone marrow. There are around 810 new cases in the UK every year. In the US, ALL affects approximately 1.7 adults per 100,000. Anyone can develop ALL, however, it mainly affects younger people. Many ALL symptoms are vague and flu-like, such as: General weakness

Fatigue

Fever

Frequent infections

Bruising or bleeding easily, including nosebleeds, heavy periods and blood in the urine or faeces

Unexplained weight loss

Bone or joint pain

Breathlessness

Swollen lymph nodes

Feeling full

Paler skin than normal Risks for developing ALL include exposure to radiation, smoking, being overweight and having a weak immune system. Research suggests being breastfed and exposed to childhood infections may reduce a person's risk. The main ALL treatment is chemotherapy. Patients may also have radiotherapy, steroids or bone marrow transplants. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

Mother-of-one Jo Martyr, 47, of St Johns, Worcester, said at yesterday's event she wanted to help Oscar in any way she could.

Ms Martyr said: 'The common link is that it's mostly mum's from the community, there are other people here that just want to pull together.

'It's kind of grown exponentially really, a lot of us have even met before, we're all joining up via social media to rally the troops.

'We've got t-shirts printed, flyers, children from other locals schools and folks are here from DKMS.

'I've never seen anything like this before, I've never been involved in something so remarkable, so wonderful but so bittersweet.

'But out of this drive to save little Oscar, so many of us have come together.

'The mayor and MP Robin Walker are here too which is wonderful.

'My son is in the same class as Oscar, there is only four days between them and they were born in the same hospital - it just really hits home.

'I know Oscar and his parents, I wanted to offer what ever I could.

'There is a lot of kick-ass women making some difference today but we just really wanted to pull everyone here today to help Oscar.'

To join the stem cell donor register visit DKMS.
Gin and Tonic lovers across Britain can finally raise a glass of the drink, safe in the knowledge that the iconic pairing will remain just that after four years of regulatory wrangling in Brussels.

The European commission has ruled that drink manufacturers can label their quinine flavoured traditional gin mixer 'tonic' - despite the fact they don't have health benefits, reports The Financial Times.

Tonic is said to have originated in the British Raj in India.

British people in India are thought to have developed the habit after putting quinine tablets, used to protect against malaria, in their gin along with lemon and lime.

When returning to the UK they missed the drink and continued to drink the concoction.

Gin and tonic served with a traditional slice of lime. Can also be served with various botanicals to bring out the flavour of the gin

A patent for the first 'aerated tonic liquid' was granted in 1858 to Erasmus Bond and Schweppes started producing their tonic in 1870.

Despite today's tonic still containing small amounts of quinine to flavour the product it has no positive medical effects.

The commission will allow the term 'tonic' and it's various translations across the EU, to be used as a 'generic descriptor' as customers don't associate the word tonic with receiving health benefits.

The argument for a change in the name came about after concerns rose that companies would make false health claims about products.

Sales of tonic water have risen alongside a boom in gin consumption in recent years, but manufacturers feared a possible crackdown against companies who made false health claims about their products.

Gavin Partington, director-general of the British Soft Drinks Association told The Financial Times: 'Whatever happens with Brexit, at least we can now relax in the knowledge that the future of the quintessentially British gin and tonic is secured.'

This final ruling over the use of the word tonic has put an end to four years of campaigning to persuade Brussels that the product was traditionally used across Europe.

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

The ruling has now been published in the Official Journal of the European union.

The word 'tonic' has been used since its invention in the mid 19th century to describe the non-alcoholic quinine flavoured bitter drink.

Tonic is usually sweetened with sugar or other sweeteners then used as a mixer.

Other British manufacturers of tonic include Fevertree and Britvic.

A European Commission official joked to The Financial Times: 'Britain prepares to leave but tonic water stays.'

A change to regulations in the 27 remaining member states could have proved costly to the manufacturers.

Sales of tonic water were at 687m last year in the UK up 34.5 per cent compared to 2017, according to Nielsen, a market research company.

Non-coincidentally there was a surge in UK gin sales, worth over 1.6bn in 2018, up 38 per cent on 2017, reported The Financial Times.
A journalist has fired back at Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar after she accused him distorting her words about former President Obama.

The freshman Congresswoman claimed Tim Alberta of Politico misquoted her when she made comments about Obama's 'bad policies' and 'pretty face.'

But Albert hit back: 'Exhibit A of how politicians use the media as a straw man to avoid owning what they said.

'Your tape...supports what I wrote 100%. So does my longer tape. It's beyond dispute. Next time, a phone call from your office before the Twitter ambush would be appreciated.'

Omar, 37, told Politico Magazine that while she finds some of President Donald Trump's initiatives objectionable, Obama escaped the consequences of his own 'bad policies' because of his 'pretty face.'

After the news outlet quoted from the interview, Omar tweeted that the result was '[e]xhibit A of how reporters distort words. Im an Obama fan!'

'I was saying how Trump is different from Obama, and why we should focus on policy not politics. This is why I always tape my interviews,' she added, along with a winking, tongue-out emoji and nearly two minutes of audio.

Her tweet accusing Alberta of distortion has since been deleted.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called out former President Barack Obama, comparing him to President Trump and saying 'many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies'

Omar discussed President Obama as she spoke about politicians who are 'polished' but still have 'bad policies'

Tim Alberta fired back at Rep. Omar after her claims on Twitter that he distorted her words and requested that next time her office call him rather than the Congresswoman ambush him on Twitter

In a since deleted tweet, Omar claimed that Alberta who quoted her on Obama had distorted her words, and released a 2-minute audio clip from the interview  which indicated the journalist got it right

DailyMail.com reviewed and transcribed the recording, which supports what Politico reporter Tim Alberta wrote.

The first-term Minnesota congresswoman bashed the Obama administration's forceful use of military drone technology to try to take out terror networks, and likened Obama's policy of separating migrant adults and children at the U.S.-Mexico border to Trump's.

Obama's aggressive aerial hunt for al-Qaeda and other terror groups drew criticism from the left, leading him to reel it in after misjudgments came to light.

Omar also implied Obama was a politician with a 'pretty face' that masked his bad policy choices, an attack that is at odds with public approval ratings that historically earn Obama support in the high fifties with even more backing among members of his own party.

'We can't be only upset with Trump  His policies are bad, but many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies,' Politico quoted Omar saying.

'They just were more polished than he was,' Omar continued. 'And that's not what we should be looking for anymore. We don't want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished. We want to recognize the actual policies that are behind the pretty face and the smile,' she said.

WHAT ILHAN OMAR SAID ABOUT TRUMP AND OBAMA 'I think for many of us, we think of ourselves as Democrats. But many of the ways that our Democratic leaders have conducted themselves within the system is not one that we are all proud of. 'You know, I will talk about the family separation or caging of kids and then people will point out that this was wrong  I mean this was Obama. And you know I'll say something about the droning of countries around the world and people will say that was Obama. And all of that is very true. What is happening now is very different. A lot is happening with secrecy. It's happening with the feel-good polished way of talking about it. 'And when we talk about waking people up from complacency, it's to say that we can't be only upset with Trump because he's not a politician who sells us his policies in the most perfect way. His policies are bad, but many of the people who came before him also had really bad policies. They just were more polished than he was. 'And that's not what we should be looking for anymore. We don't want anybody to get away with murder because they are polished. We want to recognize the actual policies that are behind the pretty face and the smile, so that we can understand the kind of negative impact, or positive impact, they will have on us for generations.' Advertisement

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (l) had to navigate challenging party dynamics this week and assemble a resolution

Omar criticized the Obama administration drone program, which drew criticism for insufficient oversight and some mishaps. Here local residents watch ongoing demolition of the compound where Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was slain last year in the northwestern town of Abbottabad on February 26, 2012

Her slam on the two-term Democratic president was published after the House passed a resolution condemning hate language on Thursday.

The legislative move was a response to comments from Omar that many of her colleagues deemed anti-Semitic. The charged fight over the resolution consumed lawmakers' attention this week, caused an internecine war among Democrats, and drew the media spotlight away from the sentencing of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort.

The final vote was 407 to 23 with one lawmaker voting present. All the no votes were Republicans.

Omar's comments had infuriated senior congressional Democrats, including some committee chairmen who are Jewish, and who publicly called out the use of anti-Semitic 'tropes.'

In the interview, Omar also drew comparisons between a crop of, new, progressive Democrats who are challenging party leaders and the conservative Tea Party.

'We look at the negative aspects of the Tea Party and not really at the part of them that spoke to the American people, that made them feel like there were people actively fighting for them,' she said. 'There's a resemblance there. A lot of us are not that much different in our eagerness to want to come here and fight for our constituents, fight for the American ideals we believe in.'

Among her comments that drew fire, Omar tweeted 'It's all about the Benjamins baby' to criticize lawmakers who support Israel.

Another remark by Omar raised criticism that she was reviving 'dual loyalty' attacks that have been used on Jews and other groups in the past.

Speaking about the Arab-Israeli conflict, Omar said, 'I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country.'

Angry Jewish Democratic members pushed back their support for Israel was based on their own views, not money or loyalty to a foreign nation.

Said Florida Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch on the House floor: 'We are having this debate because of the language of one of our colleagues, language that suggests that Jews like me, who serve in the United States in Congress and whose father earned a Purple Heart fighting the Nazis in the Battle of the Bulge  that we are not loyal Americans?'

Omar's attacks on the popular former president are just the latest time the first-term lawmakers has found herself in controversy during just her third month in office.

Yemenis walk past a graffiti depicting a US drone, after alleged US drone raids killed dozens of Islamic State (IS) fighters, in Sana'a, Yemen, 17 October 2017. President Trump signed an executive order on 06 March 2019, ending an Obama-era policy requiring US intelligence officials to publish the number of people killed in targeted strikes

She entered Congress as one of several 'fresh face' lawmakers who drew attention for their vows to shake up the system. Having spent part of her youth in a Kenyan refugee camp after fleeing war-torn Somalia before immigrating to the U.S., Omar is one of the first two women Muslim members of Congress.

The House changed a rule that prohibited head-coverings on the House floor, allowing Omar to wear her traditional dress while casting votes.

The fight over the anti-Semitism resolution forced party leaders to contend with various constituent groups, as well as pushback from Omar allies and critics of Israel policy.

First they broadened the text of the resolution to include condemn Islamophobia and white supremacism after Omar's defenders said one form of hate should not be singled out. Omar herself has been the recipient of hateful attacks.

Then, minutes before the scheduled vote Thursday Democrats pulled it again, to add several groups not included in the original measure, including Latinos, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQ community.

Intervening from afar was President Trump, who on Friday before leaving town declared the Democrats an 'anti-Jewish' party after the conflagration.
President Donald Trump on Monday will ask Congress to give him $8.6 billion to build his border wall, setting up another clash with Democrats over his signature campaign promise.

The president's demand is more than six times what Congress allocated for border projects in each of the past two fiscal years, and 6 percent more than Trump has corralled by invoking emergency powers this year.

And it's in addition to the roughly $6.5 billion the president said he would redirect under emergency powers after Democrats denied his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall.

President Donald Trump on Monday will ask Congress to give him $8.6 billion to build his border wall when his budget request lands on Capitol Hill

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats denied the president's last request for border wall money

The $8.6 billion request is part of the president's 2020 budget, which will land on Capitol Hill on Monday.

White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said on 'Fox News Sunday' the president will demand funds for his border wall although he did not get into specifics.

'I suppose there will be. I would just say that the whole issue of the wall, of border security, is of paramount importance. We have a crisis down there. I think the president has made that case very effectively,' he said.

'He's going to stay with his wall, and he's going to stay with the border security theme,' Kudlow noted of the president. 'I think it's essential.'

One senior administration official told The Washington Post the $8.6 billion in the budget request, combined with the funds Trump wants to redirect with through his national emergency declaration, would allow the White House to complete at least 722 miles of new barriers, which has been Trump's goal.

The president's demand for funds for his barrier comes on the heels of a five-week partial government shutdown, the longest in American history, where Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi battled over border money.

Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement condemning the president's move, saying they hoped 'he learned his lesson.'

'President Trump hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall, which he promised would be paid for by Mexico. Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson,' they said on Sunday.

Trump had wanted $5.7 billion to build his border wall while Democrats offered $1.375 billion for border measures in their battle earlier this year.

The clash resulted in a delayed State of the Union address, Trump canceling Pelosi's government flight for a visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and bitter back-and-forths over the border.

The final compromise bill offered $1.37 billion in funds to existing forms of border barrier and did not fully fund the president's wall request.

It limited funds to 'operationally effective designs deployed as of the date of the [2017 funding law] such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, that prioritize agent safety.'

It was Democrats that emerged triumphant from that clash and their control of the House makes it highly unlikely the president will receive the money he is asking for in his 2020 budget.

White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said on 'Fox News Sunday' the president will demand funds for his border wall

Trump's move shows he intends to keep the battle for his border wall alive as the 2020 election heats up

But after the government funding was settled in February, President Trump then announced a national emergency that would allow him to spend $8 billion to build his wall.

His move has already been challenged in court with a coalition of 16 U.S. states led by California suing Trump and top members of his administration in an attempt to block his emergency declaration.

Additionally the House passed a resolution denying President Trump emergency powers to build his border wall and it's now in the Senate, where enough Republican senators have expressed support for it that it could pass the upper chamber.

Trump has vowed to veto it should it come to his desk and neither chamber has the three-fourth majority required to override the president.

Several Republican senators took issue with how the president made his move, arguing Trump violated the line that separated the powers of the executive and legislative branches when he declared a national emergency.

Trump's budget request shows he plans to keep the border wall issue alive as the 2020 presidential campaign heats up.

Although the president's budget request lands on Monday, there is still time to negotiate.

Funding legislation needs to be passed before Oct. 1 - the start of the 2020 federal fiscal year - or the government could shut down again.
Gardinia McCullough, 23, reportedly stole a Toyota Rav4 from Ace Rent a Car in Florida

A Florida woman who allegedly stole a rental car last week has claimed that 'demons' made her do it.

Gardinia McCullough, 23, reportedly stole a Toyota RAV4 from Ace Rent a Car in Jacksonville on Thursday because she was upset that they were overbooked.

Surveillance footage showed McCullough standing inside the company before being turned away.

Moments later, the white RAV4 is seen driving away.

According to News 4 Jax, McCullough was found with the vehicle less than a mile away at the Travelodge Inn and Suites on Airport Road.

When asked why she allegedly stole the SUV, she told the station that 'demons told me to do it'.

'I didn't take it, the demons took it.'

McCullough appeared in court on Friday on car theft charges. Her bond was set at $15,003.

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Surveillance footage showed McCullough standing inside the company before being turned away

Moments later, the white RAV4 (pictured) is seen driving out of the company's parking lot

The rental facility's assistant general manager, Marly Rose, said the woman was upset because they were overbooked.

But McCullough claims that she 'tried to rent it, but y'all didn't want to rent me a car'.

'Y'all talking about how y'all didn't have any cars to rent so I stole y'all's.'

McCullough has been arrested multiple times. In January, she was arrested on charges of trespassing, resisting police and giving a fake ID to authorities.

McCullough has also been arrested in Miami on charges that include battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting police and petty theft.

It's believed that McCullough is a transient based on her prior arrests.

When asked why she allegedly stole the SUV, she told the station that 'demons told me to do it'. 'I didn't take it, the demons took it'

McCullough (pictured) has been arrested multiple times. In January, she was arrested on charges of trespassing, resisting police and giving a fake ID to authorities
A top Marvel executive says 'the world is ready' for a gay lead superhero in a feature film.

Production chief Victoria Alonso said the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is ready to create an LGBTQ character, but stopped short of confirming when and in what film that might be, in an interview with Variety on March 6.

The questions arose after ThatHashtagShow.com reported on March 1 that Marvel was actively seeking a gay lead for its upcoming 'The Eternals' film.

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Marvel's production chief Victoria Alonso (left) has said 'the world is ready' for a gay lead superhero in a feature film at the March 4 Los Angeles premiere of 'Captain Marvel,' which features a female lead superhero (played by Brie Larson, at right) for the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

'We are going to cast the best "Eternals" cast that we can and when were ready to announce it we promise you we will,' Alonso said at the 'Captain Marvel' premiere, which features a female lead superhero (played by Brie Larson) for the first time in the MCU.

Alonso then emphasized how committed Marvel is to diversity.

'Why wouldnt we be?' Alonso said, speaking about Marvel's commitment to diversity.

'Im so passionate about this Ive got to tell you. Our entire success is based on people that are incredibly different.'

She added: 'Why would we only want to be recognized by only one type of person? Our audience is global, is diverse, is inclusive.

'If we dont do it that way for them, we will fail. If we dont put pedal to the metal on the diversity and the inclusivity, we will not have continued success. Our determination is to have that for all of the people out there watching our movies.'

The issue arose after ThatHashtagShow.com reported on March 1 that Marvel was actively seeking a gay lead for its upcoming 'The Eternals' film. (Left to right) President of Marvel Studios/Producer Kevin Feige, and Executive Producers Jonathan Schwartz, Victoria Alonso and Louis D'Esposito attend the Los Angeles World Premiere of Marvel Studios' 'Captain Marvel' at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 4

The question came from a report from ThatHashtagShow.com that the studio was looking for an actor of any ethnicity between the ages of 30-49 who 'physically looks like a superhero' and who is preferably openly gay to play the first known homosexual character in an MCU film.

The report said the studio was going to great lengths to keep the identity of the character a secret.

Other lead characters in the film are expected to be 'Sersi,' 'Ikaris' and 'Piper.'

'Eros' who is also called 'Starfox,' and is the brother of 'Thanos,' is also believed to be premiering in the movie, according to Newsweek.

Filming on 'The Eternals' is scheduled to begin in September in the United Kingdom and continue through January, with no premiere date set at this time.
By Trend

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Iraq's capital Baghdad ahead of an official visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Trend reported citing Xinhua.

Rouhani is expected to visit Iraq on Monday to meet Iraqi top officials, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) said in a brief statement.

An official from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry told Xinhua that Rouhani is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, as well as other political and religious leaders.

Rouhani's visit came at the official invitation of his Iraqi counterpart to discuss bilateral ties, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The visit comes as the United States has been exerting sanctions on Iran's oil industry and its banking and transport sectors, after Washington pulled out from the 2015 landmark nuclear deal last May.
Muslim children were encouraged to chant 'shame, shame, shame' towards their headteacher who told them it was okay to be gay during a protest this week.

During the protest against Birmingham headteacher Andrew Moffatt's decision to introduce lessons on equality, same-sex marriage and relationships one speaker said being gay should not be given a 'positive spin'.

He then called the lessons, designed to teach the children at Parkfield Community Scool about equality and introduce them to books called 'Mummy, Mama and Me' and 'King & King', 'toxic' and an 'aggressive indoctrination'.

The speaker questioned where the headteacher of the school received his religious education and called him a 'mufti moffatt' which caused a laugh from the crowd

More than 200 people turned up waving placards and shouting through loudspeakers outside the gates in Birmingham

And the children gleefully chanted 'shame' along with their parents after he directed the words 'shame, shame, shame' at their headteacher.

He said: 'We have to make one thing very clear.

'This program is not just about telling people there are other families and other types of lifestyles exist it is actually aggressively promoting them.

'Giving a positive spin and telling people that it is okay or you to be Muslim and for you to be gay. Mr Moffatt. Shame, shame, shame.'

Placards can be seen outside the school where parents and their children are protesting

The speaker then questioned where the headteacher of the school received his religious education and called him a 'mufti moffatt' which caused a laugh from the crowd.

A mufti is qualified to give an opinion on a point of Islamic law. In history they were a scholar who interpreted what Islamic laws meant.

The speaker said: 'I did not want to make this personal but Mr Moffatt has decided to reinterpret our religious scripture.

'Our beliefs are not here to be changed.

'This is an aggressive indoctrination that we are against. If it was not aggressive promotion then you would not have had all these parents come out on the street.

'As I have said to you this program is very toxic. Not only are we going to have it abolished at this school but in every school in Birmingham and every school in the country.

'That is going to happen from parents coming out and fighting for their childrens rights.'

Parents and pupils stage protest outside Parkfield community school Saltley, Birmingham, demanding LGBT lessons are banned

Despite an earlier report the lessons had been scrapped the school has insisted the 470-pupils at Parkfield Community School learn about same-sex relationships in classrooms after Easter.

The school said 'equalities education' will continue at the school and that staff will be working in consultation with parents.

However, more than 200 people turned up waving placards and shouting through loudspeakers outside the gates in Birmingham.

They accused gay assistant head Andrew Moffatt of promoting homosexuality and LGBT issues without their consent.

Parents at the school, where 99 per cent of pupils are Muslim, want the lessons scrapped because homosexuality is banned in Islam. They also said their children are 'too young' for the content while one mother complained her child told her 'it's ok to be gay'.

Parents and pupils stage protest outside Parkfield community school today despite earlier claims the lessons were stopped

A podium was set up for speakers to address the crowds outside the school in Birmingham

The school has been accused of 'exploiting innocence' of the children. Pictured: protests last week

Today children and parents protested outside the gates waving banners saying the school is 'Exploiting Children's Innocence'.

Many of the children were dressed as fictional characters such as Captain America, Mary Poppins, and the Incredible Hulk, for World Book Day.

Placards being waved by the youngsters read: 'Say no to sexualising children' and 'Respect and be respected.'

Parents also created a podium in which they voiced their concerns from a microphone and speaker mounted on the back of a truck.

Seven police officers also attended the 45-minute protest which passed off peacefully.

Father-of-three Abdul Muhammad, 46, who has a two-year-old at the school said: 'We are here today to protest for our children's rights.

'The school is denying our right as a parent, the equality act of 1994 states it's the parents right, when it comes to education you cannot teach anything that the parents are not ok with.

Children held up banners during the protest outside the school in Birmingham

'This school has made some kind of experiment thinking, they can do this behind the parents.

'The school has not provided us with any consultation.

'We are against this programme, we are not homophobic, we are not against anybody.

'We are saying this is not age appropriate for the children.'

Mariam Ahmed, 30, full-time mum-of-two, was one of the first mothers to protest 'No Outsiders' said: 'When I first saw it I had a few concerns.

'As I started speaking to other parents about it, they started coming forward saying that their children are coming out with saying 'it's ok to be gay.'

'Mr Moffat was telling them it was ok to gay and Muslim, you can be whatever you want to be.

'It just gradually got worse, it has been taught in lessons continuously, they are saying it's only five times a term but it's not.

'They're doing weekly assemblies and role plays.

'Mr Moffat even tells the children about his own personal life, I'm sorry but you shouldn't be doing that.

'My child is coming home to me saying 'I can swap clothes with opposite gender and change my name too.'

'Why is my four-year-old coming home and saying things like this?

'She should be concentrating on things like Maths and English and not homosexuality.

'It's way too young for children of this age.'

Selma Khalil, 35, full-time mum of three, said: 'The main issue I have with 'No Outsiders' programme is that it is not age appropriate.

'Every parent here lives with different sexualities and we've got no problem with that but teaching our children it's not appropriate.

Parents insisted lessons which include books on same sex couples should be scrapped

'As far as I remember I was never taught at school about homosexuality, living in society you just come to know of it.

'That's the best way in my opinion, our children will be able to see for themselves.

'Just let the children be children and go out and play.

'We will continue with our protest and hopefully get a good outcome.'

In January school bosses started a consultation process with parents about the LGBT section of the course with some taster lessons taught in school.

Last week the school denied making a U-turn after reports the classes had been shelved following pressure from parents.

Hazel Pulley, Chief Executive of Excelsior Multi Academy Trust which runs the school, said: 'The lessons are there for after Easter.

'Equalities education will continue.'

Parents say they will continue to hold protests outside the school every week until the 'No Outsiders' programme is scrapped.
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A photographer has captured an image of an alpha male silverback gorilla posing candidly after 10 painstaking years of trying - before his subject merely 'scratched himself then left'.

David Yarrow, from Edinburgh, Scotland had travelled to Rwanda seven times in the past decade and trekked the equivalent of around 77,000km all in a bid to capture the endangered mountain gorilla in its natural habitat.

The 53-year-old former financier had seen the wild beasts through the bushes in the past, but could never get a clear shot.

David Yarrow had travelled to Rwanda seven times in the past decade and trekked the equivalent of around 77,000km all in a bid to capture the endangered mountain gorilla in its natural habitat. He caught this candid snap of an alpha male last week

'I wanted to get a proper image of a big alpha male but it needed to be a portrait with a sense of place,' he told The Times.

He set off from the village of Bisate with his guide and porters at 7.30 am on Wednesday. 'It quickly dawned on me why I was alone - this was going to be one hell of a climb - and we were already at 9,000 ft,' Yarrow said on his website.

A series of labyrinth-like forest-covered ridges in the mountainous Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is where the majestic creatures - of which there are only around 1000 left in the wild - make their home, suitably hidden from the dangers down below.

Around 400 gorillas, in around 10 groups led by males flow freely between the Rwandan protected area and Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A series of labyrinth-like ridges in the mountainous Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is where the majestic creatures live, sheltered from the dangers below. Yarrow said he took a lot of shots but 'I knew immediately when I got the right one'

Yarrow had struggled to get close to any of them, due in part to trekking up the mountain with groups of tourists.

'For this trip I went without any other tourists but working closely with five rangers. There were about 12 gorillas around, which was a little threatening. The rangers make gorilla-like noises to calm them down,' he said.

He traced the movements of the group he encountered and set his sights on the stunning animal that we see in his incredible image.

'I chose my spot and then the alpha male came over and sat down just above me and looked straight at me. The most amazing thing was his left hand and his enormous fingers.'

He said he took a lot of shots but 'I knew immediately when I got the right one.'

'The perspective was exactly what I was looking for,' he added.

Despite the beast having a family full of females and youngsters to protect, and the obvious dangers that come with that, Yarrow said that it merely 'looked at me, scratched himself  and then got up and left.'
Democratic presidential contender Julian Castro on Sunday whacked at rival Bernie Sanders over reparations, asking why he's not willing to write a check to descendants of slaves when he's willing to spend on Medicare for all.

In back-to-back appearances at South by Southwest, Castro criticized Sanders on the issue.

'Why wouldn't we be bold on reparations?' he asked at his talk at the annual festival.

Democratic presidential contender Julian Castro whacked at rival Bernie Sanders over reparations for the descendants of slaves

Bernie Sanders has not backed financial reparations for descendants of slaves

Earlier, on the same stage, Castro made the same argument during an appearance on CNN's 'State of the Union.'

'What he said on 'The view' the other day, I think, he didn't think the best way to address this was for the United States to write a check,' Castro said of Sanders' response to the reparations question.

'It''s interesting to me that when it comes to medicare for all, health care, you know the response has we need to write a big check, that when it comes to tuition-free or debt-free college, the answer has been we need to write a big check. So if the issue is compensating descendants of slaves, I don't think the argue about writing a big check ought to be the argument you make if you're making the argument that a big check needs to be written for a whole bunch of other stuff,' Castro said on CNN.

Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio who ran the Housing Department under President Obama, is making a long shot bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

He barely gets 1 percent in polling on the race.

And he's one of the few Democrats talking about reparations.

'What I said was that I've long believed that this country should address slavery, the original sin of slavery, including by looking at reparations. If I'm president, then I'm going to appoint a commission other task force to determine the best way to do that,' he told CNN.

Sanders told ABC's 'The View' last week that more attention needs to be paid to 'distressed communities' but would not commit to fiscal reparations.

'I think what we have got to do is pay attention to distressed communities: black communities, Latino communities, and white communities, and as president, I pledge to do that,' Sanders said.

Pressed on the issue, Sanders would not say money should be paid to descendants.

'I think that right now, our job is to address the crises facing the American people and our communities, and I think there are better ways to do that than just writing out a check,' he said.

Sanders' Medicare for all plan would cost an estimated $32.6 trillion over 10 years, according to a study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Research from the University of Connecticut found that slave labor would be worth $5.9 trillion in 2016 wages.

Other Democratic presidential contenders - including Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren - back reparations.

Julian Castro is making a long shot bid for the Democratic presidential nomination

Sanders is making his second bid for the Democratic presidential nomination

Castro, who was mayor of the town about an hour down the road, got a light reception at SXSW with the room barely half full for his talk.

He was asked by the moderator, HuffPost editor in chief Lydia Polgreen, why he wasn't running for an office in Texas given the hope among Democrats the state is starting to trend blue.

Many Democrats in the Lone Star State felt a boost after Beto O'Rourke came within three points of knocking off GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2018 Senate race.

'I have a vision for the future of this country and that's where my focus is,' Castro said.

Then he noted his twin brother Joaquin is considering a challenge to Republican Sen. John Cornyn next year.

'I have a brother, Joaquin, who is thinking about taking on John Cornyn,' he said, expressing confidence his twin would win if he runs.
A fisherman who fell overboard 25 miles offshore in extreme weather conditions today was rescued by helicopter after spending more than hour in the water.

HM Coastguard coordinated the large scale search and rescue mission for the missing fisherman after they received a mayday call at 4.45am this morning.

The fishing vessel made a mayday broadcast and the HM search and rescue helicopter based at Newquay, Cornwall, quickly made their way to the scene off Salcombe, alongside RNLI Lifeboats.

A French Navy aircraft which had been training in the area at the time and a number of fishing vessels responded to a Mayday Relay broadcast issued by HM Coastguard and also joined the search.

HMS Mersey, a River-class offshore patrol vessel, based in Portsmouth, Hants, also joined in with the extensive search.

Luckily, the fisherman was located by his own crewmates after an hour and the helicopter was alerted to his position using a smoke marker.

They then conducted a double winch recovery operation and were able to pluck him from the water.

The fisherman had spent an hour in the nine degrees Celsius water with three to four metre high seas.

The Newquay Coastguard helicopter then flew him directly to Plymouth Hospital, Devon, where he is now doing well and in good spirits.

Speaking after today's dramatic rescue, helicopter Captain Jorg Brunner from HM Coastguard said: 'This is an incredible rescue story.

'We got the call to help just five minutes after the fisherman had fallen overboard.

'Despite horrendous weather conditions on the scene with winds in excess of 60 knots, we were preparing ourselves for an extensive search and rescue operation.

'The fishing crew had done all the right things and even from a distance we quickly spotted the smoke marker and the life ring they had released.

'The fisherman was spotted by his crew about 40 metres on the starboard side of his fishing vessel, some 400 metres away from smoke marker position.

Moment helicopter spots missing fisherman after shining powerful light into the ocean

Rough seas can be seen below as the Newquay Coastguard helicopter winches up the man who had been afloat for over an hour

'We flew towards that position and saw the casualty immediately as he was wearing a reflective life jacket.

'We lowered our winchman into the water in very rough conditions and conducted a double winch recovery which only took about two minutes.

'Once on board we flew straight to Derriford Hospital and handed him over to A&E department, where we have now heard that he's doing well and in good spirits.'

HM Coastguard Duty Controller Dai Jones said: 'We could not have hoped for a better outcome.

'Our own Coastguard helicopter, A French Navy helicopter, along with a number of fishing vessels and the RNLI, had been searching for an hour this morning in very rough seas and challenging weather conditions.

'Thankfully, the fisherman was wearing a lifejacket, which no doubt aided his survival and enabled his crewmates to find him quickly.

'By taking this simple safety precaution means that when he fell into the water his survival time increased significantly, despite the cold water and the horrendous weather conditions.

'This could have been a very different outcome today had he not been wearing his lifejacket and we commend his actions, which have assisted in saving his life.

'We wish him a speedy recovery.'

The rescuer can be seen helping the fisherman, who was wearing a life jacket, on board the helicopter
A conspiracy theory that First Lady Melania Trump uses a body double has resurfaced after her latest appearance with President Trump in Alabama.

Trump and his wife Melania visited communities in eastern Alabama on Friday that were devastated by recent tornadoes that left 23 people dead.

Almost as soon as they arrived in Alabama, Twitter was alight with the hashtag #FakeMelania as conspiracy theorists fed the baseless claims that Melania had a stand in.

A conspiracy theory that First Lady Melania Trump uses a body double has resurfaced after her latest appearance with President Trump in tornado-stricken Alabama on Friday

Those convinced she uses a body double at public events drew on her height, hair, nose and demeanor on Friday.

They claimed that the differences proved it wasn't actually Melania in Alabama with her husband.

'The recasting of Melania is the worst I've seen since they recast Aunt Viv in Fresh Prince #fakemelania,' one Twitter user wrote.

'I clicked on #FakeMelania against my better judgement and I have to say that it DOES NOT look like Melania,' another tweeted.

The claims about Melania using a body double at public events first arose in October 2017 when she appeared beside her husband as he addressed the media about hurricane relief for Puerto Rico.

During the press conference, Trump pointed out the presence of his wife even though she was standing in clear view of the cameras.

'My wife, Melania, who happens to be right here,' he said.

Conspirators have based their theory of a Melania body double on the fact that Trump pointed out the First Lady was there to cover for the fact she was actually somewhere else.

The theory resurfaced again in August last year during a trip to Columbus, Ohio with the President.

The conspiracy theories are often renewed when Melania appears alongside her husband wearing sunglasses or whenever a grainy photo of her emerges.

In Alabama on Friday, Melania wore sunglasses as she paid her respects to the victims in the tornado-ravaged area.

The Trumps then went on a helicopter tour of the area, visited the homes of some victims and went to a disaster relief center at the Providence Baptist Church in Opelika to meet with survivors, volunteers and first responders.
The Pentagon is planning to tap $1 billion in leftover funds from military pay and pension accounts to help President Donald Trump pay for his long-sought border wall, a top Senate Democrat claimed.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin told The Associated Press: 'It's coming out of military pay and pensions. $1 billion. That's the plan.'

Durbin said the funds are available because Army recruitment is down and a voluntary early military retirement program is being underutilized.

The development comes as Pentagon officials are seeking to minimize the amount of wall money that would come from military construction projects that are so cherished by lawmakers.

The Pentagon is planning to tap $1 billion in leftover funds from military pay and pension accounts to help Donald Trump pay for his border wall, Democrat Senator Dick Durbin (pictured) said

Durbin said: 'Imagine the Democrats making that proposal - that for whatever our project is, we're going to cut military pay and pensions.'

Durbin, the top Democrat on the Appropriations panel for the Pentagon, was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers who met with Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Thursday morning.

The Pentagon is planning to transfer money from various accounts into a fund dedicated to drug interdiction, with the money then slated to be redirected for border barriers and other purposes.

More attention has been paid to Trump's declaration of a national emergency to tap up to $3.6 billion from military construction projects to pay for the wall.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats denied the president's last request for border wall money

Pentagon officials are seeking to minimize the amount of wall money that would come from military construction projects that are so cherished by lawmakers for Trump's border wall

The Democratic-controlled House voted last month to reject Trump's move, and the GOP-held Senate is likely to follow suit next week despite a White House lobbying push.

The Army missed its recruiting goal this year, falling short by about 6,500 soldiers, despite pouring an extra $200 million into bonuses and approving some additional waivers for bad conduct or health issues.

Congress also appropriated money to give members of the military incentive to take early retirement, but enrollment in the program is coming in well under expectations.

'This is pay that would have gone to Army recruits that we can't recruit,' Durbin said.

'So there's a 'savings' because we can't recruit. The other part was they offered a voluntary change in military pensions, and they overestimated how many people would sign up for it.'

Meanwhile on Monday, President Donald Trump on Monday will ask Congress to give him $8.6 billion to build his border wall, setting up another clash with Democrats over his signature campaign promise.

The president's demand is more than six times what Congress allocated for border projects in each of the past two fiscal years, and 6 percent more than Trump has corralled by invoking emergency powers this year.

And it's in addition to the roughly $6.5 billion the president said he would redirect under emergency powers after Democrats denied his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall.

The $8.6 billion request is part of the president's 2020 budget, which will land on Capitol Hill on Monday.

Senators are increasingly uneasy ahead of voting this week because they don't know exactly where the money to build the wall will come from and if it will postpone military projects in their home states.

White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said on 'Fox News Sunday' the president will demand funds for his border wall although he did not get into specifics.

'I suppose there will be. I would just say that the whole issue of the wall, of border security, is of paramount importance. We have a crisis down there. I think the president has made that case very effectively,' he said.

'He's going to stay with his wall, and he's going to stay with the border security theme,' Kudlow noted of the president. 'I think it's essential.'

One senior administration official told The Washington Post the $8.6 billion in the budget request, combined with the funds Trump wants to redirect with through his national emergency declaration, would allow the White House to complete at least 722 miles of new barriers, which has been Trump's goal.

The president's demand for funds for his barrier comes on the heels of a five-week partial government shutdown, the longest in American history, where Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi battled over border money.

Trump wanted $5.7 billion to build his border wall while Democrats offered $1.375 billion for border measures.

The clash resulted in a delayed State of the Union address, Trump canceling Pelosi's government flight for a visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and bitter back-and-forths over the border.

The final compromise bill offered $1.37 billion in funds to existing forms of border barrier and did not fully fund the president's wall request.

It limited funds to 'operationally effective designs deployed as of the date of the [2017 funding law] such as currently deployed steel bollard designs, that prioritize agent safety.'

It was Democrats that emerged triumphant from that clash and their control of the House makes it highly unlikely the president will receive the money he is asking for in his 2020 budget.

White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said on 'Fox News Sunday' the president will demand funds for his border wall

Trump's move shows he intends to keep the battle for his border wall alive as the 2020 election heats up

But after the government funding was settled in February, President Trump then announced a national emergency that would allow him to spend $8 billion to build his wall.

His move has already been challenged in court with a coalition of 16 U.S. states led by California suing Trump and top members of his administration in an attempt to block his emergency declaration.

Additionally the House passed a resolution denying President Trump emergency powers to build his border wall and it's now in the Senate, where enough Republican senators have expressed support for it that it could pass the upper chamber.

Trump has vowed to veto it should it come to his desk and neither chamber has the three-fourth majority required to override the president.

Several Republican senators took issue with how the president made his move, arguing Trump violated the line that separated the powers of the executive and legislative branches when he declared a national emergency.

Trump's budget request shows he plans to keep the border wall issue alive as the 2020 presidential campaign heats up.

Although the president's budget request lands on Monday, there is still time to negotiate.

Funding legislation needs to be passed before Oct. 1 - the start of the 2020 federal fiscal year - or the government could shut down again.
A Harvard law professor has slammed Jared Kushner for being the 'beating heart' of the 'deeply evil' Trump administration.

Constitutional law professor, Laurence Tribe, made the comments on Saturday.

Tribe was responding to Newsweek columnist, Seth Abramson, who had called President Donald Trump's son-in-law 'the greatest domestic danger to America'.

'Im with @sethabramson here. Smarmy, slimy, smiling Jared Kushner of 666 Fifth Avenue is the beating heart of this unprecedentedly corrupt and deeply evil administration,' Tribe tweeted.

'Hell eventually be exposed as an insatiably greedy Benedict Arnold,' he added, implying that Kushner would betray the United States.

Tribe responded to Abramson's Twitter thread after he made the case that 'Kushner is going to get us into a *devastating* war with Iran'.

Harvard law professor, Laurence Tribe (left), has slammed Jared Kushner (right) for being the 'beating heart' of the 'deeply evil' Trump administration

'Im with @sethabramson here. Smarmy, slimy, smiling Jared Kushner of 666 Fifth Avenue is the beating heart of this unprecedentedly corrupt and deeply evil administration,' Tribe tweeted (pictured)

'Jared, singlehandedly. Jared, to make money for himself. I'll say now that Jared more richly deserves to be in prison for the rest of his life than Manafort, and Manafort richly deserves it. That's how bad this is,' Abramson wrote.

Abramson, who is also an author, made the claims 'many months' of research for his forthcoming book titled, Proof of Conspiracy.

In a series of tweets, Abramson said that 'our foreign policy is totally off the rails in a way that is dangerous, and the sole reason for this is the Kushner-Trump axis'.

'Our values have been betrayed in ways that we may shortly feel so keenly our heads will spin. We need whistleblowers to blow their whistles now,' he added.

Abramson and Tribe's tweets came just a day after it was revealed that amid the public document fight between the White House and the House Oversight Committee over Kushner and Ivanka Trump's security clearance, the panel has already procured key documents through a leak.

Even as the White House dug in over its claim of a privilege to withhold the documents, the panel as documents that outline the entire approval process that resulted in the power couple getting their security clearances, Axios reported.

The committee, which has broad jurisdiction and has been looking at the White House clearance process for more than a year, has had the documents since February.

A Democratic aide told the publication they represent 'part of the puzzle that we would be asking for'.

Tribe was responding to Newsweek columnist, Seth Abramson, who had called President Donald Trump's son-in-law 'the greatest domestic danger to America'

Abramson and Tribe's tweets came a day after it was revealed that amid the public document fight between the White House and the House Oversight Committee over Kushner and Ivanka Trump's security clearance, the panel has already procured key documents through a leak

House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings of Maryland ramped up his requests following a New York Times report that claimed President Trump intervened on behalf of Kushner's clearances.

The White House countered by attacking the committee's request and saying there needs to be a process of negotiation.

The revelation that the panel already has key documents in its possession came after a bombshell report that former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly wrote a memo detailing that President Trump 'ordered him' to overrule officials and grant Kushner's clearances.

The CIA and other agency officials had recommended Kushner not get the high level clearance he was seeking, according to the Times.

Former White House counsel Don McGahn also wrote that he was against granting the top secret clearance.

CNN then reported that Trump had also overruled Kelly and McGahn in the case of daughter Ivanka Trump's clearance. She is a senior advisor to the president, and had stated publicly her father had 'no involvement' in getting her or Kushner clearances.
An offer for 'Britain's cheapest Sunday roast' has drawn dozens of visitors and rave reviews to a small Kent pub.

The Britannia in Margate is making the popular meal with all the trimmings for just 1 - slashed from its usual price of 7.50.

Around 100 people packed themselves into the pub to try a 1 Sunday lunch for the first time today.

The Britannia pub in Margate, Kent has slashed the price of their Sunday roast from 7.50 to a pound. Customer numbers have increased massively, with 100 people turning for the first day of the offer

Pub landlords Paul, 66, and Edna Rollins, 67, have said the amazing success of the offer means they are now thinking of taking on new staff

The dinner, a choice of beef or turkey, comes with generous helpings of roast potatoes, carrots, green beans, parsnips, stuffing, cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings.

Customers such as pub regular Joe Dryden, 31, were thrilled with the experience, and said the food tasted better than usual.

'The beef was actually a bit better. I was quite surprised. It is nice to see a lot of new faces,' said Mr Dryden.

The dinner is a choice of locally-sourced beef or turkey, and comes with generous helpings of roast potatoes, carrots, green beans, parsnips, stuffing, cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings

'Usually on a Sunday you kind of know people, but if you look round now, I don't know anyone here which is good.'

The pub's owners Paul Rollins, 66, with his wife, Edna, 68 have kept it for the last four years and the amazing success of the offer means they are now thinking of taking on new staff.

Mr Rollins said: 'When it was 7.50, we used to get between 20-50, today we have got 100. It is fully booked next week as well.

'I have managed to get very good publicity and get the money back from the advertising and manage to pass it on to the customers.

An advertisement for the offer jokes that 'The landlord has taken leave of his senses!'. To claim the 1 roast you need to spend 3 at the bar, but this is still 3.50 less than the original price of the meal

'You get turkey or beef, parsnip, green beans, carrots, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and stuffing.

Since news of the 1 lunch was announced, the pub has had bed and breakfast bookings from as far a field as Bradford, Yorkshire.

Mr Rollins explained a woman rang up asking to book one of the 60 Bed and Breakfast rooms because she wanted to taste the food.

He said it is great for Margate and the local area, adding that being able to use local butchers helps the economy of the area.

FeMail's Hayley Richardson tries a full Sunday roast for 1.00 at the Britannia pub in Margate on Kent's north coast

More than 100 people came through the doors yesterday after an advert was posted which said: 'The landlord has taken leave of his senses!'

Today was the first time the pub had put the offer on.

The pub is offering either a turkey or roast beef roast with meat supplied by the local butcher for 1 when customers spend 3 at the bar.

The offer brought back the daughter of the pub's former landlady and landlord.

A usual Sunday roast at the pub would attract between 20-50 diners, but today restaurant saw 100 Sunday lunchers through the door. The roast is fully booked for next week already

Tracey Pettman, 55, ate at the pub for the first time in 40-years with her daughter Lauren, 26, when a friend told her of the offer.

When she was 11-years-old her mother and father bought the pub in January 1975.

Sitting next to her daughter she recalled her father, Wally Street, was a docker in East London and who fell in love with area when he was evacuated to Whitstable in the Blitz.

After he was made redundant, he and his wife Joyce, looked at pubs in area and settled on the Britannia Inn.

Mr Rollins explained a woman from Yorkshire rang up asking to book one of the 60 Bed and Breakfast rooms because she wanted to taste the food. He added that the has been great for Margate and the local area, and uses local butchers to provide the meat

Born in 1933, he was 42 when he and his wife took over and ran it until selling it in 1979.

Tracey was thrilled with the food when she visited.

She said: 'We just thought we would come and try it. All of it was lovely, nice and hot.'

Lauren, who works in sales, added: 'It was really nice. My favourite part was the beef and cauliflower cheese.'

Wally died when he was 61 but his widow is still alive and aged 83.

Customers are also treated to music by two-man jazz band Maple Dilley, made up of band members Roger Dilley, 56, and Paul Maple, 53.

They were joined by friends Emily Thomas, 43, and Janett Edwards, 52 who both work for charities.

Janett said of the food: 'I thought it was lovely. It is a nice friendly place and the service is good.'

She and Emily had the beef while Paul had the turkey. Guitarist Roger praised the grub saying: 'It was piping hot.

'The beef was superb- the whole meal was superb. The fact it was piping hot was a big thumbs up for me because I cannot stand cold food.

'I would definitively recommend it.'
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cancelled her final South by Southwest appearance on Sunday as she is 'under the weather' after event organizers moved it to a bigger room and she attended a red carpet premiere earlier in the day.

The freshman Democrat from New York was scheduled to tape an episode of the Skullduggery podcast as her final appearance at the technology and film festival.

Organizers had moved the taping to a larger venue, likely after her Saturday evening event was filled to the gills and the overflow rooms overflowed with attendees eager to see the rising Democratic star.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cancelled her final South by Southwest appearance on Sunday

But she was on the red carpet earlier in the day taking pictures with fans to promote the documentary 'Knock Down the House'

Ocasio-Cortez's office said she was 'under the weather'

But her office said she was ill and unable to attend.

'We were extremely excited to join Michael Isikoff and Dan Klaidman in a conversation about big tech and antitrust. Unfortunately Representative Ocasio-Cortez is under the weather and unable to attend the Skullduggery podcast. We are looking forward to continuing this very important conversation in the future,' her communications director Corbin Trent said in a statement posted on Twitter by podcast host Daniel Klaidman.

SXSW also blasted out the news to its attendees via its app.

The cancellation was announced about 30 minutes before the event began, as people were already lining up outside Salon E, where her taping had moved.

Several attendees expressed their disappointment in the cancellation, which was their last chance to see the congresswoman.

Salon E in the JW Marriott Hotel can hold 615 people versus the 240 that fit in the room where Ocasio-Cortez was originally scheduled to join the taping, according to the hotel's website.

Earlier Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez was spotted giving interviews on the red carpet and taking pictures with fans for the premiere of 'Knock Down the House,' the documentary that followed the primary campaigns of four women running for Congress, including Ocasio-Cortez.

She was also spotted at the annual Vox's dinner Saturday night at The Belmont, according to Politico's Playbook.

Ocasio-Cortez's Saturday evening talk was filled to capacity

The Skullduggery hosts expressed their disappointment their interview is not taking place.

'We are bummed - and hope @AOC gets better soon. We look forward to rescheduling,' Isikoff wrote on twitter.

'We're sorry @AOC is not feeling well. We are very much looking forward to rescheduling this important conversation with @SkullduggeryPod soon. Here's the official statement from her office. And stay tuned,' Klaidman tweeted.
With circus performers, silent discos and several fireworks displays, Melbourne's Moomba festival is supposed to be a fun-filled family event.

But recently it has been spoiled by terrifying gang violence which erupted again on Saturday night as police used batons and pepper spray to break up running battles.

Organised fights between rival gangs of young men have plagued the festival since 2016.

Saturday night: Several police officers were needed to arrest a violent youth in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday night

That year, police arrested 24 people after organised brawls broke out in which 150 youths stole phones, taunted police and terrorised the public.

In 2017, thugs from the gang Apex ran riot through the city centre.

Police arrested more than 50 people and confiscated weapons including knives, scissors, a taser and a knuckle duster after conducting more than 800 searches.

Last year was quieter although footage showed girls trading punches while frightened visitors ducked for cover as another video captured dozens of teenagers charging onto a tram with police in hot pursuit.

And the gang violence flared up again this year as groups of African and Pacific Islander teenagers brazenly brawled in the streets in organised fights.

2018: Last year footage showed dozens of teenagers charging onto a tram with police in hot pursuit

2016: Police arrested 24 people after organised brawls (pictured) broke out in which 150 youths stole phones, taunted police and terrorised the public

2016: Police tried to quell the violence in the city centre. Gangs have been warring at Moomba festival for four years

On Saturday night witnesses watched in horror as hundreds of riot squad officers were forced to use capsicum spray and batons to break up several brawls.

One man likened the scenes to 'something out of Braveheart', claiming officers could do little but watch on as the clashing groups fought outside Flinders Street Station.

'I saw about five massive clashes, with the Islanders coming out on top in all of them. Pound for Pound they were formidable and unstoppable,' he wrote online.

'They would charge at each other randomly. Like something out of Braveheart.'

Dramatic footage posted online from Saturday night showed more than a dozen teenagers sprinting down a set of escalators at Flinders Street station.

They appeared to corner a smaller group of boys and lay into them with flying kicks and punches as others encouraged them on from a distance.

Brawling groups of ethnic youths have marred the Moomba Festival yet again, with five people arrested following three separate incidents in Melbourne's CBD

Confronting footage taken outside St Paul's Cathedral showed dozens of young men and women watch as a topless man threw punches (pictured)

Dramatic footage posted online (pictured) showed more than a dozen teenagers sprinting down a set of escalators at Flinders Street station

Just two minutes up the road at St Paul's Cathedral, dozens of young men and women watched on as a topless man threw punches at the crowd.

Police arrested five people following three separate incidents, which they believe were all linked.

The organised street brawls started from 10pm and carried through until 2am on Sunday night, police confirmed.

In other footage taken next to Flinders Street Station by a passer-by, a young woman could be seen being allegedly thrown to the ground by an officer after she had walked up to him.

One social media user reported the events at Flinders Street were like something 'out of The Warriors' movie, with more than 150 police officers 'reluctant to do anything other than randomly spray capsicum (pictured officers usher a camera away)

The 15-year-old who filmed the fight said officers had blocked off a platform because of a fight when the woman went up and tried to negotiate with them.

'She tried to get past them because she kept saying she was in a rush to catch her train, it was real late,' he said.

'When she walked up to the cops he told her 'back off', she just said 'I'm going this way'.'

The violent incidents came despite Victoria Police pre-empting trouble surrounding the family-friendly event, promising a dedicated police presence throughout the city (pictured man who was one of those arrested in subdued by police)

'She kept trying to get past him, that's when he threw her towards a wall.'

'Her face was all bruised and beaten , she had a bruise on the right of her lip straight away.'

His mother said the incident left her doubting whether her children could have faith in the authorities.

'My son's 15 and my daughter's nearly 12, if they can't trust police then what?' she said.

'If that was my daughter, oh my god.'

In response, Victoria Police said the incident showed the need for 'members of the public to stand back to give police the space to ensure a safe and timely outcome for all parties'.

The incident will however be investigated, a spokesperson confirmed.

Vision also showed a young woman being allegedly thrown to the ground by an officer

Vision also showed a young woman who appeared to have been affected by capscium spray being attended by officers.

'On each occasion two groups of youths began fighting before Public Order Response Team and Uniform police immediately intervened,' a police spokesperson said.

Three people were arrested for assault over the course of the night, and two others for drunken behaviour.

A further two penalty notices were also issued, one for riotous behaviour and one for weapons offences.

Ahead of this year's event, Commander Tim Hansen told reporters more police resources would be deployed this year than ever before.

'If there are those of you ... that want to come into Moomba and want to cause trouble, and cause harm to those families that come down to celebrate Melbourne, we will be here in force waiting for you, and ready for you,' he warned.
By Trend

The Pentagon warned that should Turkey move ahead with its purchase of a Russian-made air defense system there would be grave consequences for Ankara, Trend reported citing The Hill.

There would be grave consequences in terms of our military relationship with them, Defense Department spokesman Charles Summers told reporters at the Pentagon.

Turkey, a NATO ally, plans to buy Russias S-400 long-range air defense system, but the United States has been trying to convince the nation to buy a Patriot air defense system instead.

The U.S. military has threatened to withhold delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey if Ankara goes through with the Russian purchase. Trump administration officials were in Turkey this week to work on the issue.

Summers said that if Turkey buys the S-400, then they would not get the F-35s or the Patriot system.

The comment follows testimony this week from U.S. European Command head Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who told Congress on Tuesday that he would recommend that the United States not follow through with the F-35, flying it or working with an ally thats working with Russian systems.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, meanwhile, dismissed such threats and on Wednesday said that the decision has already been made.



The S-400 is a done deal, there can be no turning back. We have reached an agreement with the Russians," Erdo?an said in an interview with Kanal 24 television. We will move toward a joint production. Perhaps after the S-400, we will go for the S-500.

Turkey is a partner in making the F-35. Parts of the jet are built in the country, and Turkey is supposed to eventually get 116 of the fifth-generation fighter jets. But U.S. officials have expressed concerns that the S-400 could be used to gather information on the advanced aircraft.

Summers would not say whether the F-35 partnership with Turkey would be eliminated as part of the warned consequences.
A man was arrested this week after police say he allegedly assaulted another man because he was singing Christmas songs in the car.

Clayton Lucas, 25, from Harrison, Pennsylvania, told police he began to choke a man who was driving the car because the driver was singing Christmas songs and wouldnt stop, according to court documents.

Police said they responded around 9 am on Monday to a car parked along Route 28 in East Deer for what they understood to be a medical emergency.

Clayton Lucas, 25, (pictured) from Harrison, Pennsylvania, told police he began to choke a man who was driving the car because the driver was singing Christmas songs

Investigators say a state trooper spotted a Chrysler Town and Country minivan parked on the hard-shoulder, and two men on the other side of the guide rail, according to Pittsburgh CBS Local.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim told the trooper he was driving the minivan with his passenger, Clayton Lucas.

Police said they responded around 9 am on Monday to a car parked along Route 28 in East Deer for what they understood to be a medical emergency

The victim told the trooper that Lucas reached around his seat while he was driving and began choking him.

He would not listen when the state trooper tried to handcuff him. After several verbal commands, he ended up having to sweep Lucas legs from under him to get control of the situation.

The victim told the trooper he was singing Christmas songs. As a result Lucas tried to choke him to make him stop singing. It is not known which carols he was singing.

In the complaint, the victim went on to tell the trooper on scene that Lucas restricted the air and blood from around his neck to the point he was about to pass out.

The trooper noticed the victims neck was red and his eyes were bloodshot.

Lucas is currently in the Allegheny County Jail. He is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, strangulation, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
The tragic deaths of 157 passengers and crew today, when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed within minutes of take-off in Addis Ababa, are raising serious questions over the safety record of both aircraft and airline.

It was on another brand new Boeing 737 Max 8, in Indonesia less than five months ago, that 189 people lost their lives in the Java Sea when Lion Air Flight 610 plummeted out of the skies minutes after taking off from Jakarta.

And the incident brings the African carrier's death toll to 482 across 22 fatal incidents since its inception in 1965 - and almost 500 more people have been injured in EA crashes and incidents, according to information from the Flight Safety Foundation.

For comparison, only one British Airways flight has only ever been involved in one fatal incident: the Zagreb runway crash of 1976 when all 176 people aboard two planes died when BA Flight 476 collided with another aircraft on takeoff due to an air traffic control error.

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 went down within six minutes of take-off this morning (pictured: stock image)

Initial reports today show considerable similarities between the Ethiopian and Indonesian disasters which involve the same plane.

Today's flight lost contact about six minutes after take-off, having requested and been given clearance to return to the airport in Abbis Ababa.

Last year, Lion Air 610 also went down minutes after take-off having requested permission to return to base.

Today, telemetry shows the plane's vertical airspeed fluctuated rapidly in the minutes and second before its crash, including in the final moments when it seems to have been locked in a terrifyingly accelerating nosedive,.

Investigations thus far by the Indonesian and American aviation authorities have concluded the Lion Air plane also hit the sea after a violent nosedive.

Rescue team collect bodies in bags at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa

The wreckage of the plane - showing the colours of the Ethiopian flag on the plane's livery - lies at the scene of the crash

As in the case of October's Lion Air crash - also suffered by a Boeing 737 Max 8 - the plane seems to have suffered a rapid increase in vertical speed in the moments before its crash

The New York Times reports today that investigators are considering whether that dive might have been caused by updated Boeing software that was meant to prevent a stall - but that can send the plane into a fatal descent if the altitude and angle information being fed into the computer system is incorrect.

The change in the flight control system, which can override manual motions in the Max model, was not explained to pilots, according to some pilots' unions.

After that crash, Boeing said that it was continuing 'to evaluate the need for software or other changes as we learn more from the ongoing investigation.' It was unclear if the company had made any changes.

Today the Daily Telegraph reported that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive in November last year in relation to one of the flight systems on the Boeing 737-8 and 737-9 series of aircraft.

That was published following the crash of Lion Air flight 610 on October 29.

The FAA directive warned that an 'angle of attack' censor, which is supposed to help to prevent a plane from stalling, could lead to an 'excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with the terrain'.

This 'unsafe condition  is likely to exist or develop' in the Boeing 737-8 and 737-9 designs, the directive concluded.

Boeing last night announced it will be sending a technical assistance team to the site of the crash.

When asked by the paper about the travel alert appearing to coincide with the crash, a US State Department official said: 'On March 8, US Embassy Addis Ababa released an alert related to concerns about traffic in the city due to expected protests.

Due to those concerns, US government travellers were advised not to arrive or depart Bole International Airport. The restriction on travel to and from the airport was lifted on March 9.'

In a statement on Sunday, Boeing said it was 'deeply saddened' to learn of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

'A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board,' the company said.

Ethiopian Airlines hopes to become the most prominent airline on the continent. Pictured: A man looks at his phone outside the Ethiopian Airlines offices in downtown Nairobi, Kenya

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

The airline does have a better safety rating and a newer fleet than some neighbouring operators - a number of African airlines are banned outright from EU airspace including the flag-carrier of neighbouring Eritrea.

But in addition to 16 fatal incidents costing 102 lives in the 1960s, 70s, and 1980s; the airline has now suffered six fatal incidents in the last thirty years, including other two huge tragedies.

In 1996 after a hijacking and a failed water landing, 125 people died on Flight 961 in Moroni, the capital of the Union of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean.

And in January 2010, 82 passengers and eight crew died when EA flight 409 from Beirut to Addis Ababa slammed into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off.

The Lion Air aircraft crashed in October about 13 minutes after taking off for Indonesia

Human remains were placed in body bags after being recovered from the scene of the crash off Indonesia

Boeing's 737 is the world's most-sold passenger jet family and is considered one of the industry's most reliable.

The MAX 8 is the latest version of the aircraft, which Boeing rolled out in 2017 as an update to the already redesigned 50-year-old 737.

By the end of January, Boeing had delivered 350 MAX jets out of the total order tally of 5,011 aircraft.
A 19-year-old is fighting for his life after being stabbed at a housing estate in the latest in a string of knife attacks across London this week.

The man was knifed in broad daylight on Pytchley Road, East Dulwich in south east London at 3.20pm.

Officers, paramedics and London's Air Ambulance all attended, and a 19-year-old man was taken to hospital with a stab injury.

His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing, Scotland Yard said.

Police arrived at the scene as they cordoned off the road and spoke to witnesses after the shocking attack

Police arrived at the scene on the Dog Kennel Hill Estateas they cordoned off the road and spoke to witnesses after the shocking attack.

The incident comes amid a wave of stabbings across the country which have prompted warnings of a 'national emergency'.

A total of five victims have been stabbed in London in the space of a week, after teenager Jodie Chesney, Spanish national David Martinez and 50-year-old Elize Stevens were knifed to death in the last seven days.

Girl scout Ms Chesney, 17, was stabbed to death while playing music with friends in a Romford park on Friday night.

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday and another today.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was 'filled with anger' and 'devastated' by the killing of Ms Chesney.

'My thoughts are with her loved ones,' he said.

'It fills me with anger that violent criminals are targeting young Londoners with their whole lives before them. I encourage anyone with information to contact the police.'

On Saturday, 17-year-old Yousef Makki died after a knife attack in the village of Hale Barns, Greater Manchester.

Another 17-year-old has been charged with his murder.

Spanish national David Martinez was stabbed to death after he was chased in Leyton, east London, on Wednesday.

In addition the body of French woman Laureline Garcia-Bertaux, 34, was discovered in a shallow grave near her home in west London late on Wednesday night.

A man was was stabbed to death in the same estate just weeks earlier in a reported row over cigarettes.

Dennis Anderson, 39, died in East Dulwich in the early hours of Sunday morning when he was reportedly confronted in a corner shop.

Witnesses said an argument ensued before he was attacked and killed.

A total of 24 murder probes have now been launched in London this year, including 12 in the last 17 days.
Was it a hoax? Or the work of the Devil? Some experts predicted it was the thin end of the wedge and would lead all the way to Armageddon.

They declared children would suffer terrible psychological problems or birth defects  all caused by monster scientists playing God.

It was into this hostile environment that Louise Brown, the worlds first test tube baby, was born in 1978.

To prove it wasnt trickery, my colleagues, Bob Edwards and Patrick Steptoe, allowed TV cameras to film her birth by Caesarean section.

Dr Simon Fishel (pictured) was a part of the team that delivered the first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978

It had taken ten years, and 450 failed attempts, to reach this ground-breaking moment. This is going to be bigger than mans landing on the moon, said Patrick. And he was right.

These days, IVF seems commonplace: after all, it has led to the birth of eight million babies around the world. So its hard for us to imagine how far-fetched it felt back then.

But I had a front-row seat at the theatre of elations and frustrations at that exciting time in history. Without the restrictions of todays regulations, we tried everything and anything (within reason) in our quest to give infertile couples babies.

There were dizzying highs  such as discovering and solving problems such as male infertility and how best to freeze eggs.

But there were also crashing personal lows. Not least the threat of bankruptcy and, most memorably, having a gun held to my head by a maverick colleague.

Thats not forgetting the many human stories that ended in despair  such as the couple denied a saviour sibling for their dying son, something that is allowed relatively often now.

I was 27 when I started work at Bourn Hall in Cambridgeshire, the worlds first private IVF clinic. Id been doing a PhD in mammalian embryo development and implantation at Cambridge University when Bob invited me to be his Deputy Scientific Director.

Dr Robert Edwards holding Louise shortly after being delivered at Bourn Hall in 1978

Patrick was Medical Director, and John Webster, who had assisted with the birth of Louise Brown, was his deputy.

The year was 1980 and Abba were cruising the charts. In the two-year gap between Louise being born and Bourn Hall opening, only two more IVF babies had come into the world.

My world first donor-egg twins

Susan Ooi was a Malaysian woman living in Britain who came to the Park Clinic for IVF. Because of her condition  failed ovarian function  I couldnt collect any eggs from her, so the only way that she could have a baby was to use someone elses. I asked the hospital ethics committees and we concluded that egg donation could be beneficial only if it was from family members. We flew Susans sister over from her home in New York for an egg donation, synchronising the two women to undertake a fresh embryo transfer, but also freezing any remaining embryos. The first embryo transfer in November 1986 was successful, but it sadly resulted in miscarriage. When Susan returned, we built up the lining of her womb with oestrogen and progesterone and transferred two frozen embryos on Saturday, March 7, 1987. Her twin boys, Robin and Simon (who was very kindly named after me), were born in September that year at 28 weeks. This was not only the UKs first IVF with donor eggs, but the worlds first twins born from frozen embryos created by donated eggs. It generated a lot of publicity. Now sister-to-sister egg donation is relatively commonplace, and even daughter-to-mother or vice versa. Advertisement

Soon, however, there was a flurry of successes; 1981 saw the first IVF baby in the U.S., and in February 1982 there was one in France. This was followed in August that year by Israels first IVF birth.

It was all very competitive. But the success rate was still extraordinarily low. (In the UKs top IVF clinics we can now achieve a 35 per cent live birth rate from all mothers, and more than 50 per cent if the woman is under 36.)

Back then our methods were so laborious. We didnt know how to manipulate a womans cycle to produce eggs on demand, which meant we had to work to her natural, spontaneous cycle.

She would have to spend ten days in the clinic having her urine tested every two hours during the day  and twice at night  to detect when she would begin ovulating; this became known as the infamous wee run.

How ludicrous that seems now.



One of my earliest embryo transfers was for Louise Browns mother, Lesley, to have a second child. No pressure!

Happily, it resulted in the birth of Natalie, Louises sister, who later became the first woman conceived through IVF to have her own children naturally. Maybe that makes us the first IVF surrogate grandparents!

At the clinic there were folk from every walk of life, all united by the burden of infertility.

It cost 1,2002,000 for treatment  the average annual income was then around 6,000  which inevitably led to a preponderance of people with means.

We had a sheikh from the Middle East who would have his wifes halal food delivered by Rolls-Royce from Fortnum & Mason, and another sheikh whose minder would hand out 50 notes to anyone who opened the door for him (which pleased the staff no end).

There were also many ordinary people whod mortgaged everything they had for the chance of a baby. It was humbling to see them all praying for the same result.

The world's first test tube bay Louise Brown, now Louise Mullinder, celebrated her 40th birthday last year

There was one horrifying time in 1984 when the prevailing hostility towards IVF even threatened to land me in jail.

Id published a paper with Bob in the journal Science, explaining how we had discovered the human embryo is the source of a substance called hCG (the hormone now detected by pregnancy tests).

This process had involved experimenting on embryos  albeit not viable ones.

After the paper was published, we were served with writs for murder by those believing an embryo was a human being. I was consumed with worry for months until eventually the Director of Public Prosecutions informed us that there was no case to answer.

Thank you for creating my sister by Louise Brown, Britain's first test tube baby When I was born in July 1978 , the impact was felt all around the world. For my mum, Lesley, and dad, John, it was the dream ending to a ten-year struggle to have a child. IVF had worked at the first try for Mum, and she just wanted to go home and enjoy her baby. Mum had her second treatment at the Bourn Clinic, and it worked first time again  bringing my sister, Natalie, into the world. She was only the 40th IVF baby in the world, and Simon Fishel was part of the team that created her. I enjoyed many happy hours at Bourn Hall as a child, meeting the ever-growing IVF family which is now in the millions and spread worldwide. I saw first-hand how Simon, and others like him, continued to push the boundaries and develop new techniques so that today more and more people can find a solution to their fertility problems. It is only by having pioneers that medical science can progress. We need good regulation of fertility treatment but above all we need to have trust in the doctors working on taking fertility treatment to new levels. They need the freedom to try out new things  as Bob Edwards did to create me. I hope that by reading this story others are inspired to push the boundaries. Long may Simon Fishel continue his work Advertisement

From Bourn Hall, I went on to set up an IVF unit at Park Hospital in Nottingham, where I also held an academic research post at the University of Nottingham.

More drama lay ahead. There, we continued to break boundaries, including proving that infertility affected men as well as women.

In fact, today Id estimate at least 4050 per cent of infertility cases are caused by problems with the sperm. A career high was inventing a micro-injection for sperm that couldnt penetrate the shell of the egg, called Sub-Zonal Insemination (SUZI).

Frustratingly, the governing body at the time wouldnt allow me to use it on patients until Id proved it was safe. But how could I do that without using it on patients?

The answer led me to a very bizarre period in Italy. Severino Antinori, an exuberant obstetrician and gynaecologist, had invited me to set up an IVF clinic in Rome: You can do whatever you like and be a superstar!

I wasnt interested in superstardom but I was definitely attracted by the fact Id be able to use SUZI without the restrictions placed on me in the UK.

By then I was married to my second wife, Judy. Sometimes Id be away from home for three weeks at a time, with 48 hours back there before I had to go off again.

It was all worth it, though, because in 1990 I finally achieved the worlds first birth using SUZI: a baby girl, Maria Russo. Two years later, we had our first British SUZI success for a couple who had a son, James. They were featured on the front page of the Mail (Meet James the First).

But after three years with Antinori, his increasingly violent and aggressive nature led me to quit. Furious, he asked me to sign a hastily drawn-up contract stating I wouldnt work for anyone else in IVF ever again. I protested and  I still cant believe this part  he took out a gun and put it to my temple. Sign it! Otherwise, I kill you, he threatened.

Needless to say, I signed the contract, packed my bags, and fled.

By far the most frustrating and traumatic point in my career then came when, after a dispute over funding, I was served a writ by the University of Nottingham, my employer at the time.

The legal battle lasted three long years and threatened not only to besmirch my name for ever, but to bankrupt me in the process.

IVF treatment in the 1980s cost 1200-2000, according to Dr Fishel. The average annual income was 6000 at the time

There were 21 accusations: the main one being that any work Id done abroad belonged to the university rather than me. I should therefore pay the university the overblown sum of 400,000  an amount that would have bankrupted me on its own, let alone with added legal costs.

The second was that Id breached my contract by not gaining the proper permission to work outside the university and the clinic.

In fact, Id received permission both from my head of department and from the Dean of the Medical School, which was common practice in universities.

Other claims were more bizarre, including accusations that I had clandestine bank accounts and a secret car hidden somewhere. Apparently Id been doing all sorts of things!

More than 8 million babies have been born from IVF since 1978, according to the European Society of Human Reproduction

After a very convoluted legal battle, I ended up in court and the verdict was returned in January 2000. It was one of those situations in which both sides claim a victory (in my lawyers words, it went to penalties).

Of the list of claims against me, I won 19 and lost two. I was particularly pleased when the judge said I was someone who wasnt motivated purely by money.

Legally speaking, my main triumph was I didnt have to account to the university for my foreign fees.

Where I lost was in that I was found to have been in technical breach of my contract by not gaining proper approval of the university senate to work abroad. But I didnt have to pay damages.

Dr Fishel set up the Centre for Assisted Reproduction, or CARE after a long-running court battles

Amid this drama, I resigned and set up the Centre for Assisted Reproduction, or CARE, with my old employers at the Park IVF Clinic.

We now have clinics all over the country, treating both private and NHS patients.

As technology has allowed us to do more and more with IVF, so the voices of opposition have risen.

Some of the questions theyve asked have been interesting: when, if ever, is it allowable to select an embryo based on its sex or health? Are there certain people who shouldnt be given IVF?

And where do we draw the line when it comes to manipulating the genetic make-up of an embryo?

These are valid points, but whenever the cry of Its a step too far! goes out, I have to ask: A step too far for whom? For the couple without a baby? For the mother and father watching their child die of a debilitating disease?

Maybe, just maybe, its for the parents to make that decision, not for anyone else.
Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney on Sunday charged Democratic congressional leaders with 'protecting' Rep. Ilhan Omar's 'bigotry and anti-Semitism' by 'refusing to name her' in their anti-hate resolution that passed the House last week.

Cheney explained to NBC's "Meet the Press" she voted against the resolution because she was angry at how Democrats weren't holding Omar accountable by naming her or stripping her of seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

'I decided to vote against it because I think it was really clearly an effort to actually protect Ilhan Omar, to cover up her bigotry and anti-Semitism by refusing to name her,' Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, said on the Sunday show.

GOP Rep. Liz Cheney charged Democratic congressional leaders with 'protecting' Rep. Ilhan Omar's 'bigotry and anti-Semitism'

Rep. Ilhan Omar came under fire for suggesting that supporters of Israel were urging lawmakers to have 'allegiance to a foreign country'

'The Democrats have yet to take any action to remove her from her committee. And they've got a real problem. I mean, the extent to which they are now abiding by anti-Semitism, enabling anti-Semitism in their party is something we watched them struggle with but something that's very dangerous for the country. So I'm hopeful that they will be able to stand up and do the right thing on this,' she added.

Cheney also blasted Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for not including Omar's name in the resolution, which condemned hateful language against a variety of groups.

'I think it is absolutely shameful that Nancy Pelosi, and Leader Hoyer, and the Democratic leaders will not put her name in a resolution on the floor, and condemn her remarks, and remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee,' she said.

Cheney, a member of the House GOP leadership, dismissed questions about whether her fellow Republican leaders were angry at her for voting no on the resolution.

The rest of the GOP House leadership voted in favor of it and urged other Republican lawmakers to do the same, their argument being it was a vote against hate language and they wanted to show their unity on the matter.

'You know how the Hill works. There are always those anonymous sources who are out there sniping,' Cheney said of the rumors.

'The important thing for us to be focused on and to remember, the Democrats have been in charge now for about two and a half months in the House. And in that time they've become the party of anti-Semitism, the party of infanticide, the party of Socialism,' she said.

Politico reported last week that Republicans were 'quite peeved at Cheney' for voting differently from leadership on the resolution.

Republicans hoped to contrast Democrats' attempts to handle the Omar controversy with their handling of conservative Rep. Steve King, who was charged with being sympathetic to white supremacists.

King was stripped of his committee assignments by GOP leadership, a move that left him basically powerless in the House.

The House on Thursday passed a resolution condemning anti-hate language after alleged anti-semitic comments from Omar consumed lawmakers' attention for a week.

The final vote was 407 to 23 with one lawmaker voting present. All the no votes were Republicans.

As the gavel slammed down to close the vote, it carried with it the hopes of Democratic leaders that the issue can be put to rest and the party can move forward after an internecine war broke out among Democrats over the freshman lawmaker's remarks.

The House passed a resolution condemning hate language 407 to 23

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) and Rashid Tlaib (right) defended Omar

Omar, who is one of the first Muslim women in Congress, came under fire for suggesting that supporters of Israel were urging lawmakers to have 'allegiance to a foreign country.'

Her words split Democrats down the middle and left Pelosi in a bind: too harsh a resolution would alienate the liberal lawmakers - led by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashid Tlaib - who have rallied to Omar's side but not harsh enough would anger powerful Jewish lawmakers and their supporters, who vote Democratic and contribute heavily to the party.

The vote, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed among the outrage and as Pelosi tried to settle her ruffled lawmakers.

Democratic leaders had hoped to dispatch with the issue quickly through a hastily written resolution condemning anti-semitism.

But they broadened the text to include condemn Islamophobia and white supremacism after Omar's defenders said one form of hate should not be singled out on the House floor.

Democrats had battled over the wording of the resolution - should it directly refer to Omar and anti-semitism or should it be broadened to condemn all hate speech.

Minutes before the scheduled vote Thursday Democrats pulled it again, to add several groups not included in the original measure, including Latinos, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQ community.

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert took to the House floor on Thursday before the vote on the anti-hate resolution to announce his opposition to it, arguing the original measure 'should never be watered down.'

'There's never been a persecution of people like the Jewish people,' he said.

Republican Rep. Steve King, who has been accused of supporting white supremacists, was the present vote.

Some Democrats agreed with him but supported the legislation.

Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, who is Jewish, said he would vote for the resolution but was disappointed there wasn't a separate resolution just condemning Omar's comments.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (right) cleared Rep. Ilhan Omar (left) of intentional anti-Semitism in her controversial remarks

Lawmakers held a contentious debate on the House floor Thursday for nearly an hour before the vote occurred with Republicans questioning why such a resolution was necessary.

'We shouldn't have had to go through the number of versions we have had to,' GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said, adding: 'I will pledge to you this: from this side of the aisle  and I hope you understand this clearly, any hatred, we take action.'

And Republican Rep. Doug Collins pointed out lawmakers were 'debating a resolution we should have learned in kindergarten. Be nice.'

He also criticized the measure as so 'thrown together at the last minute' that 'we left out disabled people.'

The chaos surrounding the vote reflects the disarray among the Democrats after Omar made comments that were alleged to be anti-Semitism.

Pelosi cleared Omar of intentional anti-Semitism.

'It's not about her, it's about these forms of hatred,' Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday of the resolution.

'I don't think the congresswoman perhaps doesn't appreciate how it was heard by other people although I don't believe it was intended as anti-Semitic although that's how it was interpreted,' the speaker said.

'We're not policing the speech of our members,' Pelosi said, but argued the measure about condemning hate speech.

Omar's name was not specifically mentioned in the 1,400 word text, which some Democrats had argued for while the congresswoman's defenders countered that would require a resolution any time a lawmaker said or tweeted something offensive.

'One resolution is not mentioning her name because it's not about her,' Pelosi noted.
Welsh Valleys hairdresser Natasha John will play Diana, Princess of Wales, in the West End musical Call Me Diana

With tousled hair, casual yet stylish attire and sunglasses perched on top of her head, she undoubtedly bears a strong resemblance.

Now Natasha John, a hairdresser from the Welsh Valleys, is to play Diana, Princess of Wales, in a stage musical about the royals life.

Miss John was asked to audition for the role after she appeared in the unexpected star slot on Michael McIntyres Big Show on BBC1.

Call Me Diana is due to have its premiere at the Leicester Valleys Square Theatre in London in September.

Yesterday Miss John, 26, who works in her mothers hair salon in Pencoed, Mid Glamorgan, said: Im nervous about playing Diana but also excited. Theres some pressure, but its also a privilege.

I was very young, only five, when she died but I do remember it because my whole family and everyone in our village was distraught. They all loved her.

A salacious big budget US musical, Diana, opened last month in San Diego, California, and was panned by the critics.

Ms John was chosen to play Lady Diana after appearing on Michael McIntyre's Big Show on BBC1

The team behind the British production say their show is a tribute fit for a princess.

Co-writer Brian Watson said: Its the story of Diana from the moment she gets engaged to Prince Charles to her death. The finale is an uplifting celebration of Dianas legacy.

Natasha is not a lookalike and was never intended to be. She was given the part because of her singing and acting ability.
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the powerful chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, advised special counsel Robert Mueller to put President Donald Trump 'under oath' in the Russia probe as it's 'the best way to get the truth.'

'I do think ultimately it's a mistake because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath,' Schiff told NBC's 'Meet the Press.'

'Because, as he's made plain in the past, he feels it's perfectly fine to lie to the public. After all, he has said, 'It's not like I'm talking before a magistrate.' Well, maybe he should talk before a magistrate,' the Democratic lawmaker added.

Rep. Adam Schiff said an in-person witness interview is better than written questions

Schiff advised special counsel Robert Mueller (left) to put President Donald Trump (right) 'under oath' in the Russia probe

Schiff, who hauled former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen before his committee twice in the past two weeks, said 'written answers' are 'really the lawyer's answers.'

Trump's legal team submitted written answers to Mueller in November about Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded. They did not answer questions related to possible obstruction of justice charges.

'I've said all along that I don't think Bob Mueller should rely on written answers,' Schiff said.

'When you get written answers from a witness, it's really the lawyers' answers as much as the client's answer. And here you need to be able to ask follow-up questions in real time,' he added.

He also said Mueller would likely be constrained by the attorneys general overseeing his Justice Department work - first the former acting Attorney General Matthew Whittaker and now current Attorney General William Barr.

'I think the constraint that Bob Mueller's operating under is he had an acting attorney general who was appointed because he would be hostile to a subpoena on the president. And now he has a permanent attorney general who was chosen for the same hostility to his investigation, who would likely oppose that step. I also think that the special counsel feels some time pressure to conclude his work. And knowing that the White House would drag out a fight over the subpoena, that may be an issue as well,' Schiff noted.

Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said in December he wouldn't let the president be interviewed by Mueller because of fears of a perjury trap.

But Schiff also expressed skepticism that his committee's questioning of witness Michael Cohen could be trusted.

In December, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.

'I don't think in terms of making the case to the public, and here we're not making the case to a jury, about what took place that we can rely solely on the testimony of Michael Cohen. We're going to need corroboration,' Schiff told NBC News.

Schiff said former acting Attorney General Matthew Whittaker (left) and current Attorney General William Barr (right) could be constraining Mueller

Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said in December he wouldn't let the president be interviewed by Mueller because of fears of a perjury trap

But he vowed that the transcripts of Cohen's testimony to the Intelligence panel would eventually be made public.

'You know to me, in looking at what Michael Cohen said in the open hearing and then what his lawyers said afterward, it was very much like what Donald Trump did when he said he had no knowledge of these payments to Stormy Daniels and then Rudy Giuliani said, 'Oh, yes, he did.' Well, where is the truth there? We asked Michael Cohen about this extensively. Those transcripts will be made public. The public can evaluate his credibility themselves,' he said.

Cohen reports to prison in May, and is cooperating with Mueller's investigation.

'I believe that all of the members were satisfied with the statements and the responses that I gave to them,' Cohen told reporters on Wednesday at the Capitol after a long day of testimony.

'I told them that any additional information that they would want, they should feel comfortable to reach out to my counsel and I would continue to cooperate to the fullest extent of my capabilities,' Cohen said.
A young woman who died shortly after developing symptoms of meningitis shared a selfie to Instagram only hours earlier.

Chloe Boniface contacted her mother from her dorm room at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, complaining of flu-like symptoms on November 7, 2018.

But her mother, Tarsha Boniface, put the illness down to a combination of stress from her first year university exams and fatigue.

A young woman who died shortly after developing symptoms of meningitis shared a selfie to Instagram only hours earlier

Chloe Boniface contacted her mother from her dorm room at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, complaining of flu-like symptoms on November 7, 2018

Meningitis symptoms  Fever  Severe headache  Vomiting  Feeling sleepy/confused/delirious  Loss of consciousness  Joint pains  Aching muscles  Stiff neck  Sensitivity to bright lights  Rash - purple or red spots or bruises. Source: Meningitis Centre Australia Advertisement

While she was in bed with aches and pains, an aversion to light and a headache, Chloe shared a selfie to Instagram.

The 18-year-old had pulled her blankets up around her face and was glancing away from the camera in the photo, which cropped out half of her face.

It was the last photo she ever posted on social media.

The deadly infection spread rapidly, attacking her brain and vital organs overnight while she slept.

At 5am Chloe died in her sleep, only five hours after she shared the candid snap.

The aspiring marine biologist was considered a 'high risk' of developing the disease, as are all first year university students who choose to live on campus.

Chloe Boniface, 19, died in her dorm room at Victoria University in New Zealand after she contracted a rare strain of meningitis earlier this month (pictured with her mum)

Chloe (pictured), an aspiring marine biologist, was in her first year of uni and her mother thought stress of exam season was a reasonable excuse for her daughter's fatigue

The aspiring marine biologist (pictured age three) was considered a 'high risk' of developing the disease, as are all first year university students who choose to live on campus

Health specialists say university students are likely to be sharing cutlery, drinks and cigarettes, which allow germs to spread.

'When she left home for uni, we had talked about the dangers of walking alone at night and protecting her drinks from getting spiked if she went to a club. Not once did we think about talking to her about meningitis and its symptoms,' Chloe's father, Ricky Boniface told Woman's Day.

The family are petitioning for a free vaccine to be offered to all young adults under 20.

They said they would have definitely paid for Chloe to have the vaccine had they known she was at risk.

Chloe had been infected by the B strain of the disease, most commonly spread through sneezing, saliva and coughing

Chloe had been infected by the B strain of the disease, most commonly spread through sneezing, saliva and coughing.

Her family said it didn't feel real at the time.

'It didn't sink in until we saw her on the bed in Wellington. The purple rash was on the inside of her arms. Something that gave us a bit of peace was that she would've died in her sleep when the infection attacked her brain. So hopefully she wasn't in any pain,' Mr Boniface said.

Following her daughter's death, Ms Boniface hopes to help people understand that the disease that killed Chloe affects people from all walks of life.

Despite any preconceived notions about the condition, she said Chloe was a healthy woman, who didn't come from a poor family and looked after herself.

The grieving mother appealed to all parents, whether they believe in vaccination or not, to get the facts before sending their children off to college or university.
Children should start school at the age of three to give them the best start in life and to stop Australia falling behind Europe and China, leading experts claim.

Lobby groups are urging the Federal Government to boost funding for more children to have access to school earlier.

More and more private schools and early learning centres are offering 'pre-kindy' which exposes children to play-based learning so they are better prepared for when they start school.

Many programs have lengthy waiting lists and now an initiative led by the Early Learning Benefits campaign wants extra funding so more children have access to pre-school education.

Latest statistics show only 58.5 per cent of three-year-olds in Australia are enrolled in pre-school programs (stock image)

International research showed children introduced to high quality education earlier were more likely to go to university, gain better jobs and even own their own homes (stock image)

'We have some children already having access to high quality learning, but many are missing out  equity is a big issue,' Early Childhood Australia CEO Samantha Page told The Courier Mail.

Latest statistics show only 58.5 per cent of three-year-olds in Australia are enrolled in pre-school programs, compared to 95-100 per cent of children in France, Denmark, Norway, Israel and Spain.

University of the Sunshine Coast senior lecturer Dr Ali Black, said international research showed children introduced to high quality education earlier were more likely to go to university, gain better jobs and even own their own homes.

They were more resilient, had better social skills and had fewer behavioural issues.

Australian Catholic University early childhood specialist, Laurien Beane, said the push would follow the lead of cutting-edge Scandanavian countries, who have invested huge resources to educating kids from birth to the age of five.

'We invest in the 5-18 age group and it starts too late  that's why as a nation we are languishing so far behind a number of other countries,' Ms Beane said.

Ms Beane said the main objectivity of early education was not about literacy and numeracy but to foster curiosity, creativity, imagination and social development.

Children would typically attend two days a week for five-and-a-half hours.

They would have lessons in music, literature, languages, as well as more social-based lessons about respecting others and regulating emotions.

Ms Beane said the main objectivity of early education was not about literacy and numeracy but to foster curiosity, creativity, imagination and social development (stock image)

Ms Page said Labor made a commitment in October to extend funding to early education for three-year-olds by 2021.

Some parents say they feel pressured to be in favour of the push as primary schools are likely to give preference to children attending pre-kindergarten programs.

Other fears include schools will favour children in those programs to boost rankings and funding.

Childcare and early learning provider C&K is among those leading the way with pre-kindergarten rooms, like Banyo in Brisbane's north.
Frustrated police officers have hit out on social media at soft knife crime sentences as scores of dangerous offenders walk free from courts.

Officers around the country have criticised judges and magistrates for handing out suspended sentences to knife-wielding thugs at a time of record levels of fatal stabbings.

On Wednesday a tweet about an 18-year-old walking free from court after admitting possession of what police described as a fearsome weapon caused astonishment among officers.

Devante Omer, a knife offender who has posed for photographs on social media making gang signs and showing off wads of cash, was handed a six-month suspended sentence after being caught with a knife in Enfield, north London.

Superintendent Roy Smith, of the Metropolitan Police, tweeted: I wonder if this judicial outcome serves as either a deterrent or offers any hope at rehabilitation.

Last month he said prison sentences of less than six months could be axed because they are simply not working. Stock image

An officer in Barnet, north London, responded: Suspended sentence! Seriously! Perhaps the courts need to catch up on current affairs!

Colin Sutton, the retired detective who led the inquiry into Milly Dowlers killer Levi Bellfield, also criticised the sentence, saying: I am sure there are some who share my view  what is the point?

He said officers do their very best, but find the system beyond them just doesnt want to assist.

Greater Manchester Police officers revealed on Facebook on Tuesday that a teenage yob caught with a samurai sword had escaped jail for a second time.

Officers wrote on the forces Failsworth and Hollinwood neighbourhood page: A teenage youth from Failsworth who recently appeared at Tameside Magistrates for possessing a meat cleaver in a public place was back in court today.

'He pleaded guilty to having a samurai sword in a public place. The courts revoked his referral order for the last offence and then issued another referral order. Neighbourhood officers are disappointed.

Police anger comes as Justice Secretary David Gauke is under pressure to water down plans to abolish short sentences amid concerns it could lead to around 4,000 knife criminals a year avoiding jail

The post sparked fury, with more than 100 local people complaining of the diabolical decision and saying that knife offenders were laughing at the justice system.

And British Transport Police said that a thug caught with three knives at Birmingham New Street railway station had been spared jail.

He was arrested with a Rambo knife, a hunting weapon with a ten-inch blade and an even longer kitchen knife, but on Friday he received only a suspended jail term and an eight-week curfew.

Richard Cooke, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation, tweeted: Yet another dangerous knife criminal walks free from court! If this isnt part of the problem we are kidding ourselves. This is a travesty of justice and makes a mockery of our work fighting the knife crime epidemic.

Police anger comes as Justice Secretary David Gauke is under pressure to water down plans to abolish short sentences amid concerns it could lead to around 4,000 knife criminals a year avoiding jail.

Last month he said prison sentences of less than six months could be axed because they are simply not working.

Mr Gauke argued that community penalties should be imposed more often, although he said violent offenders should still face jail.

Now he is examining whether to exempt knife attackers after the Government came under fire for failing to tackle rising knife crime.

There were 285 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in the year to March 2018  the highest level since records began in 1946. Ministry of Justice figures show that 4,300 offenders  which is 59 per cent of knife criminals in England and Wales  received jail terms of six months or less last year.

A spokesman said: We are considering how to reform short sentences, but we are not going to take away the tools that judges have to impose tough sentences on those involved in knife crime.

A 19-year-old youth was stabbed in East Dulwich, south-east London, yesterday. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries. No arrests have been made.

The teenagers who are getting away with knife crime: Seven blade-carrying yobs as young as 13 walk free from courts in just one week

Teenagers who carry knives are routinely being spared jail in magistrates courts across the country.

There is a minimum six-month prison sentence for adults convicted for the second time of carrying a knife, while youths face at least a four-month detention and training order.

But last week when the Daily Mail attended magistrates and youth courts across the UK, repeat offenders regularly escaped jail.

Kyle Davis, 18, was seen outside court smirking and posing for a selfie on the steps of after he was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended

Birmingham magistrates: Kyle Davis, 18, was seen outside court smirking and posing for a selfie on the steps of after he was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years for his second knife offence. His case was highlighted by the Mail last week.

Liverpool youth court: A 16-year-old student was given a 12-month referral order for knifing a 15-year-old boy in the hand during a classroom row.

Highbury Corner youth court, north London: A 16-year-old from Camden, caught twice with kitchen knives, was spared jail despite admitting that he would not comply with his 12-month intensive referral order and three-month curfew.

Highbury Corner youth court: A 15-year-old boy caught with a lock knife  the second time in less than a year that he had been found with a knife  was given a nine-month referral order.

Birmingham magistrates: Bailey Bell, 19, was spared jail and given a 12-month community order for carrying an eight-inch carving knife and cannabis around Birmingham city centre.

Willesden youth court, north-west London: A 13-year-old boy caught with a hunting knife with a ten-inch blade in a McDonalds restaurant was let off with a 12-month referral order. He had received a caution for bringing a kitchen knife into his school in 2017.
Thousands of the worlds foremost experts in road infrastructure, transport and technology sector will be in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi this October for the first-ever World Road Congress in the Middle East region.



Being held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Congress comes even as the UAE got recognised by the World Economic Forum for having the best roads in the world from 2015 to 2018.



Organised by the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport (DoT), the major event is expected to attract more than 5,000 delegates from 120 countries with at least 40 government ministers, said the organisers.



The 26th World Road Congress will be a five-day event discussing the over-arching theme of Connecting Cultures, Enabling Economies.



The UAE has been recognised consistently since 2015 for having the best roads in the world.



The World Road Congress 2019 will kick off on October 6 and run for the next four days at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, thus offering a unique global platform for the UAE to demonstrate its commitment to innovating in the surface transport, tunnels, bridges and infrastructure space.



Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority  Land & Maritime, emphasized the UAE's distinguished position and its potential for hosting international conferences, due to its advanced infrastructure, which represents a model of best international practice.



"This year, the 26th International Road Conference will be an opportunity to present and address programs and issues related to different modes of transport and advancements in the sector, such as smart innovations," noted Al Nuaimi.



"It will be an opportunity to demonstrate the development and sustainability of the UAE infrastructure and to meet like-minded industry experts to share experiences and information on applying the latest global standards in planning," he stated.



I look forward to bringing together industry leaders in Abu Dhabi to examine what the next four years and beyond holds for the future of road and transport infrastructure, remarked Al Nuaimi.



The World Road Association (PIARC) has organized the World Road Congress since 1908. It aims to share worldwide techniques, innovations, political strategies, trends and developments as well as best practice in the fields of road, infrastructure and transport.



PIARC President Claude Van Rooten said: "Every country in the world has come to depend on roads to provide year-round access and mobility for their populations. As our populations evolve, todays road network must meet new demands and expectations."



The World Road Congress is the global industrys signature event, bringing together road administrations, equipment and service providers, consultants and road-related organizations, as well as Ministers from across the world to present their views on key themes such as artificial intelligence, land use planning and the future transport network, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Kyle Davis (pictured), 18, was seen outside court smirking and posing for a selfie after he was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended

Teenagers who carry knives are routinely being spared jail in magistrates courts across the country.

There is a minimum six-month prison sentence for adults convicted for the second time of carrying a knife, while youths face at least a four-month detention and training order.

But last week when the Daily Mail attended magistrates and youth courts across the UK, repeat offenders regularly escaped jail.

Birmingham magistrates: Kyle Davis, 18, was seen outside court smirking and posing for a selfie after he was handed a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years for his second knife offence. His case was highlighted by the Mail last week.

Liverpool youth court: A 16-year-old student was given a 12-month referral order for knifing a 15-year-old boy in the hand during a classroom row.

Highbury Corner youth court, north London: A 16-year-old from Camden, caught twice with kitchen knives, was spared jail despite admitting that he would not comply with his 12-month intensive referral order and three-month curfew.

Highbury Corner youth court: A 15-year-old boy caught with a lock knife  the second time in less than a year that he had been found with a knife  was given a nine-month referral order.

Birmingham magistrates: Bailey Bell, 19, was spared jail and given a 12-month community order for carrying an eight-inch carving knife and cannabis around Birmingham city centre.

Willesden youth court, north-west London: A 13-year-old boy caught with a hunting knife with a ten-inch blade in a McDonalds restaurant was let off with a 12-month referral order. He had received a caution for bringing a kitchen knife into his school in 2017.

Guildford youth court, Surrey: A 17-year-old drug dealer caught with a knife and cocaine was given a 12-month youth rehabilitation order. He had a previous conviction for carrying a baton.
A man has been stabbed in the chest, arms and head in Bognor Regis as Britain's spate of knife crime reached England's south coast today.

The victim, believed to be in his 20s, was left with serious stab wounds after the attack in the West Sussex town at around 5.30pm on Sunday evening.

A 23-year-old man from Barnet, London, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody tonight.

Police said the man was left bleeding 'quite heavily' after the assault in a park and was taken to Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital with serious injuries.

Forensics teams are continuing to investigate the park in Bognor Regis where a man in his 20s was stabbed in his head, chest and arms

Police at the scene of a stabbing in Bognor Regis on Sunday evening which saw a man in his 20s left with serious injuries

The man was stabbed at about 5.30pm yesterday and police detained a man nearby 10 minutes after a suspect was seen running off

Officers attended the scene and detained a man nearby around 10 minutes after a suspect was seen running off, West Sussex Police said.

Detectives have urged the public to get in touch if they witnessed the attack or if they see anyone with a knife in the street.

The attack tonight follows another knife assault in London on Sunday afternoon in which a 19-year-old was left fighting for his life in Dulwich.

The teenager was knifed in broad daylight on Pytchley Road, East Dulwich, at 3.20pm on Sunday.

A helicopter at the scene of the stabbing on England's south coast on Sunday evening. A 23-year-old man from London has been arrested

Officers, paramedics and London's Air Ambulance all attended, and the 19-year-old was taken to hospital with a stab injury.

The assaults are the latest in Britain's violent crime wave which has gained fresh political attention in the last two weeks after a spate of knife murders.

The killings of girl scout Jodie Chesney and Manchester Grammar School student Yousef Makki, both 17, have sparked a renewed focus on the issue.

Prime Minister Theresa May has faced a backlash after claiming there was no link between rising crime and police cuts carried out while she was Home Secretary.
The great Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once lamented that Britain had become two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each others habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets.

Disraeli was writing of the gulf between rich and poor in the 19th century. But his words echo down the decades. It seems, at times, that our country is now just as divided  between those insulated by wealth from the effects of globalisation and those who feel shut out; or between those who compete on Twitter to signal how virtuous they are and those who are made to feel that patriotism is prejudice and love of country is now the love that dare not speak its name.

There are other divisions, too  between politicians in Westminster and a population becoming alienated because of those politicians failure to listen. Between broadcasters who seek to serve the public and a public that is increasingly switching off.

Between elites who think their professional success means they know all the answers and those who wonder why these elites failed to see the banking crisis coming and failed to spread economic growth more fairly in the boom years.

'For democracy to work, there has to be understanding between people; there has to be compromise and a coming together' writes Environment Secretary Michael Gove

Those divisions in our society were exposed for all to see by the Brexit referendum. There were different reasons why people voted to leave the EU, but at the heart of the campaign was a wish on the part of the majority to take back control from unaccountable elites, to make politicians more answerable to the people, and to make our country work in the interests of all: one nation once again.

But since the referendum, it has often seemed as though that desire for a fresh start has been continually frustrated by an unwillingness to come together behind that democratic vote.

Listening to some partisans in the ongoing Brexit debate, it is clear that they behave as though they think the other side are indeed dwellers in different zones or inhabitants of different planets. Insults are hurled, cries of treachery traded, any suggestion of finding common ground denounced as a heresy. Sympathy for others seems in short supply.

But for democracy to work, there has to be understanding between people; there has to be compromise and a coming together.

Along with a majority of other people, I voted to reinvigorate our democracy by taking power back from unaccountable institutions and taking back control of our laws.

I recognise, however, that while the majority to leave was decisive, executing that decision, like all democratic decisions, means respecting everyone in our democracy.

Forty-eight per cent of the country voted to remain. Their voices need to be listened to, their hopes incorporated in our plan for the future. That doesnt mean giving in to the much smaller number who want to overturn the decision and frustrate Brexit.

But it must mean that none of us Leavers should try to make our perfect Brexit the enemy of the common good.Which is why I hope that everyone who believes in our democracy  in the importance of delivering Brexit and in the critical need to unite our country  will get behind the Prime Ministers deal this week.

It is, of course, a compromise. But so many of the great British traditions and institutions I and many others value are the result of compromise.

We are governed by a system that reconciles the different interests of Government, Parliament and the Courts; our constitutional monarchy is underpinned by centuries of compromise, as is our national Church.

The devolution settlement is a compromise; our Press balances freedom of speech with a responsibility to be accurate in reporting; our economic system and welfare state balance the individual freedom to pursue success with the collective need to protect the vulnerable.

As the great liberal thinker Isaiah Berlin rightly argued, when one value or a single perspective is valued above all others, the tree of liberty is hacked at its roots. So while the Prime Ministers deal is a compromise, it is not to be rejected for that reason alone. Quite the opposite. In balancing the freedoms that Brexit brings with assurances that smooth our path out of the EU, it provides the best way of delivering an exit that can secure our countrys unity and prosperity.

Of course, there are some who voted Remain for whom no Brexit is acceptable. Whatever deal Mrs May secured, they would find fault with it. But their answer, a second referendum, would only deepen and inflame the divisions it is our duty to overcome.

The demand for another vote is a declaration that those who voted Leave in 2016 were too stupid to know what they were doing or too prejudiced to appreciate the consequences.

Holding another referendum would only confirm the feeling among many that politicians dont listen and wont change.

It would undermine confidence in our democracy and any campaign that ensued would further fray the bonds that hold us all together  not least by fuelling demands for new votes in Scotland and Northern Ireland to break up the United Kingdom.

But its not only those calling for a second referendum who are, I fear, making a mistake. Some of those who believe most sincerely and passionately in Brexit have allowed arguments to be made about the Prime Ministers deal which dont reflect the reality of whats been achieved.

It is not the case that this deal makes us a colony or vassal state. How could it when it gives us total control over our borders and ends our automatic payments to the EU? Colonies, by definition, dont have control over their borders and they give up their natural resources to others.

This deal means we have the absolute freedom to decide who comes into this country, and on what terms. It also allows us to decide what pan-European programmes, if any, we want to join in.

As one of the leaders of the Leave campaign, I know that two of the most resonant demands from voters were control of our borders and money. This deal delivers  completely and, as it happens, without compromise  on both.

It also ensures we leave the EUs legal order and, save for a few very limited areas, we are outside the control of the European Court of Justice. We can, if we wish, choose to continue to meet EU standards, as they change, to make cross-border trade easier. But we can refuse to accept any new EU rule on goods or agriculture we dont want.

The ratchet of European integration has been stopped. Ever closer union ended.

We can begin to do things differently in all manner of ways when the deal is concluded. We can have new rules for our service sector to help create new jobs in the fastest growing part of our economy. We will continue to maintain the highest environmental standards but we no longer need to follow the EU rulebook and can do things in our own, better, way.

The deal also means we arent bound by the EUs Common Defence and Security Policy and were out of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy. Our farmers are freed from the bureaucracy that held them back, and we take back control of all our fish stocks and access to our waters.

There are, of course, aspects of the deal which cause concern. It requires us to accept an arrangement called the backstop which places certain restraints on the ability of Northern Ireland to diverge from the EU in the event that we dont conclude a full trade deal by the end of 2020.

The Irish government have pressed for a backstop throughout these talks because they see it as an insurance policy in order to keep the current open border on the island of Ireland.

But the backstop weve now agreed is very different from the arrangement the Irish government and the EU first wanted. It places more cards in our hands than theirs. If we play them with skill, we can get the final deal we want.

As a Unionist and a Brexiteer, there are aspects of the backstop I certainly find uncomfortable. It creates a difference in treatment between Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is troubling. Id much prefer it if we had a unilateral exit mechanism.

But while its uncomfortable for us, its a mistake to think its a bed of roses for the EU. There are many reasons why they would not want it to last indefinitely  and its worth looking at them in detail.

If the backstop ever kicked in, wed still be able to export our goods to Europe without any tariff barriers, but we would also have full control of our own borders, with free movement of people having ended. More than that, we wouldnt be paying the EU any money any more. Not a penny.

More, even, than that, we could stop EU vessels entering our fishing waters. If we wished, we could deny French and Danish boats any of our fish. But they couldnt stop us selling our catch to them.

On top of that, in the backstop our ability to ignore new EU laws, and indeed roll back the vast majority of existing EU laws, would be extensive. We could make our economy more competitive from day one, and still have guaranteed access to their economies.

In the backstop we could still negotiate, sign and implement new trade deals. They wouldnt cover goods but could cover services, professional qualifications and investor protections.

I cannot imagine EU politicians tolerating for very long an arrangement which allows us to keep them out of our waters but sell all the fish we want to them; allows us access to their markets but restricts their citizens coming here; allows us to make our economy more competitive and ends all payments to their institutions. EU countries would want it to end. And if we do play our cards right, we can ensure that it does  on our terms.

Any objective assessment on this deal shows it delivers on the key Brexit demands and gives us the freedom to go further in the future.I fear, if MPs dont support the PMs deal this week, then the chance to come together as a country may be taken from us.

Some may say that ditching this deal will allow us to leave without any compromises. But we didnt vote to leave without a deal. That wasnt the message of the campaign I helped lead. During that campaign, we said we should do a deal with the EU and be part of the network of free trade deals that covers all Europe, from Iceland to Turkey.

Leaving without a deal on March 29 would not honour that commitment. It would undoubtedly cause economic turbulence. Almost everyone in this debate accepts that.

EU tariffs on food would hit farmers; new trade frictions would harm manufacturers. We would get through it, of course  were a great and resilient country. But jobs would be lost in the short term and none of us can be blase about the damage leaving without a deal would cause.

We would also be open to criticism from those many Remain voters who are prepared to compromise and leave with a deal, but dont want to depart without a deal, that wed preferred our perfect to their good. They could argue wed preferred ideology to inclusivity. Given the fragility of faith in our politics at the moment, its not a course Id want to take.

And its a course we may not be able to take anyway. If the deal is voted down, then the Government is no longer determining events.

Parliament will then vote on whether we leave without a deal on March 29. A majority are likely to say they dont want to take that risk, and Parliament is likely to ask for an extension of EU membership.

Whatever the merits of that course, its undoubtedly the case that it creates another risk  of the Commons diluting Brexit or the EU offering us a poorer deal.

The decisions all MPs face in the next few days will not be easy. And I respect the sincerity and passion with which every one of my colleagues holds to their position.

But if we dont think coolly about whats in the best interests of our country, we may find that we have failed to rise to this moment; failed to find the common ground on which our best future rests.

Delaying and diluting what we have or leaving without a deal risks perpetuating the difficulties when we need to overcome divisions to meet new challenges. Its time we became one nation once again.
Michael Gove today warns rebel Tory MPs they have less than 48 hours to save Brexit.

In a rallying call on the eve of tomorrows momentous vote, the Environment Secretary declares that everyone who believes in democracy should get behind the Prime Ministers deal.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he argues the agreement is the only way to heal the nations bitter divisions and make sure Brexit happens. Mr Gove, who helped lead Vote Leave, warns that leaving without a deal would not honour the commitment made to voters ahead of the referendum.

Andrea Leadsom, another prominent Eurosceptic, also last night issued a stark warning to rebels, saying: Its now or never.

The Commons Leader said if Theresa Mays deal is rejected its really clear that the next steps Parliament will take make the Brexit we want a fading reality.

Mrs May is expected to make a dash to Brussels this morning in a last ditch attempt to secure changes to her deal. But sources on the Continent were yesterday playing down hopes of any meaningful concessions, saying talks could be as little as a phone call.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove is warning rebel Tory MPs that they have less than 48 hours to save Brexit. Gove backed the Leave campaign during the referendum alongside Boris Johnson and Andrea Leadsom

British officials spent the weekend locked in negotiations with their EU counterparts over their demands for alterations to the withdrawal agreement so the country cannot be trapped in the Northern Ireland backstop.

Whitehall sources said the atmosphere was grim with concerns that any changes may not be enough to satisfy rebel Tory MPs and the Democratic Unionist Party.

The Prime Minister has promised that if her deal is rejected for a second time tomorrow that MPs will get the chance to vote on leaving the EU without a deal or delaying Brexit beyond March 29.

Senior Tory figures yesterday warned Mrs Mays position could become untenable if she is forced to seek an extension to the two-year Article 50 process.

The second so-called meaningful vote on the Brexit deal comes after it was rejected by a majority of 230 MPs in January, in a historic defeat for the Government. In a further development last night, Downing Street did not rule out amending tomorrows vote on the deal so it is less binding but conditional on securing extra changes from the EU before the end of this month.

Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at Orsted's East Coast Hub in Grimsby, England. Mrs May said she remained committed to achieving substantive changes to the so-called Irish backstop, imploring EU negotiators to make concessions that would help get her Brexit deal through parliament

Meanwhile, Philip Hammond is understood to be ready to promise billions of pounds of extra cash for the police, schools and tax cuts in his Spring Statement on Wednesday  if the deal is passed.

The Chancellor will release around 20billion currently ring-fenced as a contingency in case of No Deal.

Mr Gove is pleading for Tory rebels to take a second look at the withdrawal agreement, arguing they should not make our perfect Brexit the enemy of the common good.

In his article for the Mail, he says: I hope that everyone who believes in our democracy  in the importance of delivering Brexit, but also in the critical need to unite our country  will come behind the Prime Ministers deal this week.

He insisted that while the deal is a compromise, it provides the best way of delivering an exit that can secure our countrys unity and prosperity.

Mr Gove warns that many of the arguments made against the deal dont reflect the reality of whats been achieved.

Then-Justice Secretary Michael Gove speaks during a press conference in central London with Boris Johnson after Vote Leave wins the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union

It is not the case that this deal makes us a colony or vassal state. How could it when it gives us total control over our borders and ends our current automatic payments to the EU? he writes.

While admitting there were aspects of the backstop he found uncomfortable, Mr Gove says the version now agreed is very different from the arrangement the Irish Government and the EU first wanted. It places more cards in our hands than theirs. If we play them with skill we can get the final deal we want, he adds.

While its uncomfortable for us its a mistake to think its a bed of roses for the EU I cant imagine EU politicians tolerating for very long an arrangement which allows us to keep them out of our waters but sell all the fish we want to them, allows us access to their markets but restricts their citizens coming here, allows us to make our economy more competitive and ends all payments to their institutions.

EU countries would want it to end. And if we do play our cards right we can ensure that it does  on our terms.

Mr Gove warns that Eurosceptic rebels who believe that voting against the plan tomorrow will lead to a No Deal Brexit are likely to be disappointed. He says: Some may say that ditching this deal will allow us to leave without any compromises, but we didnt vote in June 2016 to leave without a deal. That wasnt the message of the campaign I helped lead.

He adds: It would undoubtedly cause economic turbulenceWe would get through it, of course, were a great and resilient country. But jobs would be lost in the short term and none of us can be blithe or blase about the inevitable damage leaving without a deal would cause.

Mr Goves warning comes after Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Tory MPs they risk losing Brexit altogether if they fail to back Mrs Mays deal. He said there was wind in the sails of the opponents of Brexit and that it would be devastating for the Tories if they failed to deliver on their commitment to take Britain out of the EU.

But Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, retorted that it would be the Remainers to blame if Brexit was halted. Dont kid yourselves otherwise, he said.

MICHAEL GOVE: Only by backing the Prime Minister's deal with the EU will ensure Brexit happens and heal the bitter divides across the country

The great Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once lamented that Britain had become two nations between whom there is no intercourse and no sympathy; who are as ignorant of each others habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were dwellers in different zones, or inhabitants of different planets.

Disraeli was writing of the gulf between rich and poor in the 19th century. But his words echo down the decades. It seems, at times, that our country is now just as divided  between those insulated by wealth from the effects of globalisation and those who feel shut out; or between those who compete on Twitter to signal how virtuous they are and those who are made to feel that patriotism is prejudice and love of country is now the love that dare not speak its name.

There are other divisions, too  between politicians in Westminster and a population becoming alienated because of those politicians failure to listen. Between broadcasters who seek to serve the public and a public that is increasingly switching off.

Between elites who think their professional success means they know all the answers and those who wonder why these elites failed to see the banking crisis coming and failed to spread economic growth more fairly in the boom years.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Gove said 'while the majority to leave was decisive, executing that decision, like all democratic decisions, means respecting everyone in our democracy'

Those divisions in our society were exposed for all to see by the Brexit referendum. There were different reasons why people voted to leave the EU, but at the heart of the campaign was a wish on the part of the majority to take back control from unaccountable elites, to make politicians more answerable to the people, and to make our country work in the interests of all: one nation once again.

But since the referendum, it has often seemed as though that desire for a fresh start has been continually frustrated by an unwillingness to come together behind that democratic vote.

Listening to some partisans in the ongoing Brexit debate, it is clear that they behave as though they think the other side are indeed dwellers in different zones or inhabitants of different planets. Insults are hurled, cries of treachery traded, any suggestion of finding common ground denounced as a heresy. Sympathy for others seems in short supply.

But for democracy to work, there has to be understanding between people; there has to be compromise and a coming together.

Along with a majority of other people, I voted to reinvigorate our democracy by taking power back from unaccountable institutions and taking back control of our laws.

I recognise, however, that while the majority to leave was decisive, executing that decision, like all democratic decisions, means respecting everyone in our democracy.

Forty-eight per cent of the country voted to remain. Their voices need to be listened to, their hopes incorporated in our plan for the future. That doesnt mean giving in to the much smaller number who want to overturn the decision and frustrate Brexit.

But it must mean that none of us Leavers should try to make our perfect Brexit the enemy of the common good.Which is why I hope that everyone who believes in our democracy  in the importance of delivering Brexit and in the critical need to unite our country  will get behind the Prime Ministers deal this week.

It is, of course, a compromise. But so many of the great British traditions and institutions I and many others value are the result of compromise.

We are governed by a system that reconciles the different interests of Government, Parliament and the Courts; our constitutional monarchy is underpinned by centuries of compromise, as is our national Church.

The devolution settlement is a compromise; our Press balances freedom of speech with a responsibility to be accurate in reporting; our economic system and welfare state balance the individual freedom to pursue success with the collective need to protect the vulnerable.

As the great liberal thinker Isaiah Berlin rightly argued, when one value or a single perspective is valued above all others, the tree of liberty is hacked at its roots. So while the Prime Ministers deal is a compromise, it is not to be rejected for that reason alone. Quite the opposite. In balancing the freedoms that Brexit brings with assurances that smooth our path out of the EU, it provides the best way of delivering an exit that can secure our countrys unity and prosperity.

Of course, there are some who voted Remain for whom no Brexit is acceptable. Whatever deal Mrs May secured, they would find fault with it. But their answer, a second referendum, would only deepen and inflame the divisions it is our duty to overcome.

The demand for another vote is a declaration that those who voted Leave in 2016 were too stupid to know what they were doing or too prejudiced to appreciate the consequences.

Holding another referendum would only confirm the feeling among many that politicians dont listen and wont change.

It would undermine confidence in our democracy and any campaign that ensued would further fray the bonds that hold us all together  not least by fuelling demands for new votes in Scotland and Northern Ireland to break up the United Kingdom.

But its not only those calling for a second referendum who are, I fear, making a mistake. Some of those who believe most sincerely and passionately in Brexit have allowed arguments to be made about the Prime Ministers deal which dont reflect the reality of whats been achieved.

It is not the case that this deal makes us a colony or vassal state. How could it when it gives us total control over our borders and ends our automatic payments to the EU? Colonies, by definition, dont have control over their borders and they give up their natural resources to others.

This deal means we have the absolute freedom to decide who comes into this country, and on what terms. It also allows us to decide what pan-European programmes, if any, we want to join in.

As one of the leaders of the Leave campaign, I know that two of the most resonant demands from voters were control of our borders and money. This deal delivers  completely and, as it happens, without compromise  on both.

It also ensures we leave the EUs legal order and, save for a few very limited areas, we are outside the control of the European Court of Justice. We can, if we wish, choose to continue to meet EU standards, as they change, to make cross-border trade easier. But we can refuse to accept any new EU rule on goods or agriculture we dont want.

The ratchet of European integration has been stopped. Ever closer union ended.

We can begin to do things differently in all manner of ways when the deal is concluded. We can have new rules for our service sector to help create new jobs in the fastest growing part of our economy. We will continue to maintain the highest environmental standards but we no longer need to follow the EU rulebook and can do things in our own, better, way.

The deal also means we arent bound by the EUs Common Defence and Security Policy and were out of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy. Our farmers are freed from the bureaucracy that held them back, and we take back control of all our fish stocks and access to our waters.

There are, of course, aspects of the deal which cause concern. It requires us to accept an arrangement called the backstop which places certain restraints on the ability of Northern Ireland to diverge from the EU in the event that we dont conclude a full trade deal by the end of 2020.

The Irish government have pressed for a backstop throughout these talks because they see it as an insurance policy in order to keep the current open border on the island of Ireland.

But the backstop weve now agreed is very different from the arrangement the Irish government and the EU first wanted. It places more cards in our hands than theirs. If we play them with skill, we can get the final deal we want.

As a Unionist and a Brexiteer, there are aspects of the backstop I certainly find uncomfortable. It creates a difference in treatment between Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is troubling. Id much prefer it if we had a unilateral exit mechanism.

But while its uncomfortable for us, its a mistake to think its a bed of roses for the EU. There are many reasons why they would not want it to last indefinitely  and its worth looking at them in detail.

If the backstop ever kicked in, wed still be able to export our goods to Europe without any tariff barriers, but we would also have full control of our own borders, with free movement of people having ended. More than that, we wouldnt be paying the EU any money any more. Not a penny.

More, even, than that, we could stop EU vessels entering our fishing waters. If we wished, we could deny French and Danish boats any of our fish. But they couldnt stop us selling our catch to them.

On top of that, in the backstop our ability to ignore new EU laws, and indeed roll back the vast majority of existing EU laws, would be extensive. We could make our economy more competitive from day one, and still have guaranteed access to their economies.

In the backstop we could still negotiate, sign and implement new trade deals. They wouldnt cover goods but could cover services, professional qualifications and investor protections.

I cannot imagine EU politicians tolerating for very long an arrangement which allows us to keep them out of our waters but sell all the fish we want to them; allows us access to their markets but restricts their citizens coming here; allows us to make our economy more competitive and ends all payments to their institutions. EU countries would want it to end. And if we do play our cards right, we can ensure that it does  on our terms.

Any objective assessment on this deal shows it delivers on the key Brexit demands and gives us the freedom to go further in the future.I fear, if MPs dont support the PMs deal this week, then the chance to come together as a country may be taken from us.

Some may say that ditching this deal will allow us to leave without any compromises. But we didnt vote to leave without a deal. That wasnt the message of the campaign I helped lead. During that campaign, we said we should do a deal with the EU and be part of the network of free trade deals that covers all Europe, from Iceland to Turkey.

Leaving without a deal on March 29 would not honour that commitment. It would undoubtedly cause economic turbulence. Almost everyone in this debate accepts that.

EU tariffs on food would hit farmers; new trade frictions would harm manufacturers. We would get through it, of course  were a great and resilient country. But jobs would be lost in the short term and none of us can be blase about the damage leaving without a deal would cause.

We would also be open to criticism from those many Remain voters who are prepared to compromise and leave with a deal, but dont want to depart without a deal, that wed preferred our perfect to their good. They could argue wed preferred ideology to inclusivity. Given the fragility of faith in our politics at the moment, its not a course Id want to take.

And its a course we may not be able to take anyway. If the deal is voted down, then the Government is no longer determining events.

Parliament will then vote on whether we leave without a deal on March 29. A majority are likely to say they dont want to take that risk, and Parliament is likely to ask for an extension of EU membership.

Whatever the merits of that course, its undoubtedly the case that it creates another risk  of the Commons diluting Brexit or the EU offering us a poorer deal.

The decisions all MPs face in the next few days will not be easy. And I respect the sincerity and passion with which every one of my colleagues holds to their position.

But if we dont think coolly about whats in the best interests of our country, we may find that we have failed to rise to this moment; failed to find the common ground on which our best future rests.

Delaying and diluting what we have or leaving without a deal risks perpetuating the difficulties when we need to overcome divisions to meet new challenges. Its time we became one nation once again.
The girlfriend of a British climber who died on a Himalayan peak known as the Killer Mountain has revealed she begged him not to go.

Stefania Pederiva said she repeatedly urged Tom Ballard not to climb Nanga Parbat, in northern Pakistan, where his body was found over the weekend.

Miss Pederiva, who is Italian, said she felt heartbreaking pain and strong anger over his decision to ignore her warnings.

Tom Ballard's girlfriend, Stefania Pederiva said she repeatedly urged Tom Ballard not to climb Nanga Parabat, in northern Pakistan, where his body was found over the weekend

The mountain (pictured above) which Tom and his friend Daniele had been scaling before they failed to make contact

A map of the Nanga Parbat mountains in Pakistan (pictured above) which shows where Tom went missing and where his mother went missing in 1995

She added: There are or will never be words suitable to describe the void you left.

Officials confirmed on Saturday that both Mr Ballard, 30, and his Italian climbing partner Daniele Nardi, 42, had died  a fortnight after they vanished.

Mr Ballard was the son of Alison Hargreaves, who died aged 33 while descending nearby K2 in 1995.

Addressing her boyfriend in a post on Facebook, Miss Pederiva said: Your dreams were not there, and that is why Mother Nature no longer protected you. I will find you in nature, in the rivers in the trees in the mountains, you will always be my most beautiful rock.

She added that she felt a heartbreaking pain and a strong anger for not listening to my constant words that told you that on that mountain you didnt have to go.

The Pakistani authorities last week dispatched a specialist team of four climbers  led by Spanish mountaineer Alex Txikon  to find the missing pair. They had last made contact on February 24.

On Wednesday the rescue team spotted two silhouettes at a height of about 19,400ft on Nanga Parbat, the worlds ninth-highest mountain. Mr Nardi had tried to climb it several times before.

Over the weekend officials confirmed the identities of the bodies. However, they were in a place that was difficult to reach, Italys ambassador to Pakistan said. Stefano Pontecorvo added that everything possible would be done to try to recover them.
Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has offered to buy 30 tons of buttons from a 104-year-old factory before it closes.

Brown & Co Buttons in Croydon, south London, is shutting after a slump in sales.

It was left with 1.5million of buttons and managers feared they would be dumped. But after the factory pleaded for help on social media, the contemporary artist, known for pouring 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds into the Tate Modern in 2010, tweeted: Can I have them all?

Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has offered to buy 30 tons of buttons from a 104-year-old factory before it closes

It led to speculation the buttons could be used for a sequel to that installation.

Yesterday Sarah Janalli, from the Brown family, said she had not yet responded to his message because she had been inundated with requests. We know for sure that no buttons will go into landfill, which is amazing, she told The Independent.

Ai was detained for 81 days during a crackdown on activists in China in 2011.
Labour MP Jess Phillips was dubbed a 'traitor' for saying she thought she would be a better Prime Minister than Jeremy Corbyn

A Labour MP suffered a torrent of abuse from hard-Left trolls yesterday after saying she would make a better Prime Minister than Jeremy Corbyn.

Jess Phillips was dubbed a traitor by online critics, who also called for her deselection.

The 37-year-old MP for Birmingham Yardley has been an outspoken critic of the party leader.

But she refused to buckle in the wake of online abuse following an interview in which she savaged the politicians leadership.

In a wide-ranging profile article, she likened both Mr Corbyn and Theresa May to characters from 70s sitcom The Good Life.

She said: I think Id be a good Prime Minister. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are of a bygone era. Its like The Good Life  shes Margot, hes Tom.

Theres an old-fashionedness about them. Their politics are so 70s  its hate migrants, love miners. Theyre both in this terrible situation where theyre very traditional, very stubborn, bloody difficult people and they cant assimilate with groups of people who arent like them  or admit when theyve made mistakes.

In a wide-ranging profile article, Ms Phillips likened both Mr Corbyn and Theresa May to characters from 70s sitcom The Good Life. She said: I think Id be a good Prime Minister. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are of a bygone era. Its like The Good Life  shes Margot, hes Tom

Posing for a photoshoot in The Times in bright red lipstick and a metallic jacket, she said of the Labour Party: Its nothing more than a logo if it doesnt stand for something that I actually care about  its just a f****** rose.

And Mrs Phillips said it was no coincidence that many of the Left-wing advisers around Mr Corbyn went to private schools  and his hard-Left backers Momentum were strongest in middle class parts of Brighton, Bristol, Canterbury and London.

The mother-of-two said: Its Up the workers, but theyre not exactly dockers.

They dont understand what real peoples lives are like. They have dinner parties and hang out with other people who dont have to worry about which school their children go to, because if they cant get into a good school theyll pay for it.

Theyve never had to scrabble down the side of the sofa to find money to put petrol in the car because you cant get to work.

Corbyn supporters boast that they could never be friends with a Tory. But Mrs Phillips said: I know Jacob Rees-Mogg better than Jeremy Corbyn. I dont want to just talk to the people who agree with me. That would be really boring.

She added that she did not want to be crammed into a particular group, adding: Im always being asked to put myself into parameters designed by somebody else  the Blairite/Corbynite thing  but Im not going to f****** define myself by some f****** dude from the Labour Party. Sod that. Im Jess.

Corbyn supporters later laid into her on Twitter. Labour-backing economist Grace Blakeley said: Sad to see Phillips refer to her party as just a f****** rose.

The Labour Party is the political representative of the labour movement, not some astroturf campaign that came out of a focus group. A social media user called Red til Im Dead said: The arrogance of Jess Phillips calling the Labour movement just a f****** red rose. Another added: Horrible woman. One tweet read simply: Traitor. #deselection.

The MP also came under fire for wearing designer clothes  including 475 Jimmy Choo shoes  in the photoshoot while talking about her working class roots. Mr Corbyn appeared on the front of the mens magazine GQ in 2017 wearing a 200 M&S suit.

Khaled Elawadi tweeted: Youve tried more ways to reinvent yourself than Madonna and that photoshoot was embarrassing to see mutton dressed up as lamb.

Twitter trolls turned their fire on Conservative MP Nick Boles on Saturday when he posted: There is something about @jessphillips that I find irresistible. I would walk over hot coals for her. And yes she would be a great Prime Minister.

Some critics described Mr Boles, who is gay, as creepy .

Others suggested the pair might have a future in the newly formed Independent Group (TIG).

In the interview, Mrs Phillips also discussed the abuse she had suffered, much of it from the hard-Left. The MP said she had been sent a whole file of people talking about stabbing me.

When a neo-Nazi plot to kill Labour MP Rosie Cooper was foiled, a message from a party member suggested the one we want them to murder is Jess Phillips. She also said she had received 600 rape threats on Twitter in a night.
She says it's 'impossible to be sad in Toulouse' and people are friendly

Toulouse, capital of the Occitanie, is France's pink city  La Ville Rose  guarded by the Pyrenees on the Spanish border and watered by the Garonne River, which leaps through land rich in wine and crops.

History refracts from every terracotta brick: here was the heart of the Troubadour culture; here grew Bastide towns once besieged by the Black Prince; and here was born the notorious Cathar heresy that left the region soaked in blood.

I arrive late at night and awake as the sun is rising over the ancient city centre. My hotel, the Novotel Toulouse Centre Wilson, is next to the enchanting, Faberge-like Place de Wilson.

Spanning centuries: The ancient 15th century Pont Neuf lit up by night

With its hand-painted 18th Century carousel, gold and copper cafes and views of the Garonne, bridged by the 15th Century Pont Neuf, this is a place where dreams are made.

Toulouse seems a place apart from the modern world. It's a mosaic of a city, embellished with medieval palaces, churches and basilica.

I make my way across the quiet cobbled streets, where a ban on cars has made walking into the past a year-round adventure, to les Cordeliers in rue du Taur.

Built in 1222, this captivating abbey was once the most important convent in France, and was famous for its subterranean cave where the dead nobles of Toulouse went through a process of mummification.

Part of the convent was destroyed by fire, but the chapel and the facade remain; a towering castellated steeple, whose colour changes from rose to purple as the sun rises higher in the sky.

In the same street is a marbled mansion, now overgrown with tumbling jasmine, which was once a hiding place for Cathars; the medieval sect that embraced women priests, denied the authority of the Papacy and whose members were hunted down by the Catholic church.

The city's hand-painted 18th century carousel is one of many attractions, and Petronella Wyatt took a whirl on it

Yet it's impossible to be sad in Toulouse. There is no Northern French 'de haute en bas', or suspicious reserve. Everyone talks to you and is delighted by my fractured French. A man playing La Vie En Rose on a concertina stops to direct me to one of the best breakfast cafes in town, Patisserie Conte in rue Croix Baragnon.

Toulouse is technicolour for the taste buds. What we think of as provincial French cooking comes from here: cassoulet, coq au vin, confit of duck and foie gras, which is eaten nightly as we might eat pasta or Indian takeaways in the UK.

I order a chouquette with candied fruit, another regional speciality, and the local breakfast dish of serpent saucisse  sausage encased in pastry.

Twice in its history, Toulouse has enjoyed an embarrassment of riches. In the early Middle Ages, the region produced large crops of a plant called pastel, which when boiled became an indelible blue dye that was exported all over Europe. These days, overtaken by cheaper modern dyes, it is still used as an anti-ageing protein in creams sold in every chemist.

In the 19th Century Toulouse became famous for violets, and my next stop is La Maison de la Violette, a painted barge on a canal on Boulevard Bonrepos. This homage to violets sells a cornucopia of products, ranging from violet confectionery to candle wax, soaps, body lotions, jams and teas, and a potent liqueur which is mixed with champagne or white wine.

Homage to violets: La Maison de la Violette barge sells everything from soaps to jams

TRAVEL FACTS For more information visit Toulouse-visit.com. Advertisement

Fortified by my Kir Violette, it's time to visit Place du Capitole, the beating heart of Toulouse. The city hall was first built in 1190, and redesigned in neo-classical style in 1750. To its right is the splendid opera house overlooking marble colonnades that front gilded bars and restaurants.

Next to the opera is the oldest hotel in the city, the Grand Hotel de l'Opera. An alleged secret tunnel here inspired the 19th Century French author Gaston Leroux to write Le Fantome De L'Opera.

I take lunch next door at the Grand Cafe de l'Opera, with its mirrored walls and scarlet banquettes. It has a reasonably priced 45 (38) set menu typical of the region.

I stroll back past the Monastery of the Jacobins. Constructed in 1230 it is made entirely of pink Roman brick and its vaulted roof, known as Le Palmier for its single column from which the ribs radiate like fronds, remains unique in European architecture. In the reliquary by the altar are the bones of the theologian St Thomas Aquinas, the father of modern philosophy.

In Place du Wilson, I ride the carousel, feeling a childlike elation, before bathing in violet oil at my hotel. The evening is spent at No 5 Wine Bar in rue de la Bourse, voted Best Wine Bar in the World 2018. It has an astonishing 500 wines by the glass, ranging from local sauvignon to Chateaux Lafite. Few cities cater as well to the temporal as they do to the spiritual.

The streets are now bustling with locals. There is a bright moon, and the pink walls of Toulouse have become pale pearl. I walk from square to square, through tiny streets with thatched 13th Century houses to the Pont Neuf and watch the stars play on the river.
Karl Stefanovic and his brother Peter are reportedly chasing a 'tell-all interview' with the friends and family members of gangland lawyer and police informant, Nicola Gobbo, 46, according to the Sun-Herald's Emerald City section this week.

Karl, 44, and Peter, 37, who were both dumped from the Today show last year during Nine's staffing 'bloodbath,' are supposedly planning to resurrect their TV careers by 'locking in a deal' with the disgraced lawyer's close relations.

The publication also reported ABC's 7:30 presenter, Leigh Sales, 45, is perusing the story about Nicola, who was finally unveiled as the mysterious 'Lawyer X' by the High Court this month.

Karl Stefanovic, 44, (left) and his brother Peter, 37, (right) plan to resurrect their TV careers by 'chasing tell-all interview' with the friends and family of gangland lawyer Nicola Gobbo, 46

The award-winning journalist and author is said to have reached out to Nicola's sister, Catherine, who leads a respectable life as a top barrister in Melbourne.

Earlier this month, Nicola was finally unveiled as the mysterious 'Lawyer X' who for years had passed confidential information from her gangland clients - including Carl Williams - on to police.

For years, Nicola's dangerous double-life was kept a secret until it was lifted by the High Court this month.

Nicola was finally unveiled as the mysterious 'Lawyer X' who for years had passed confidential information from her gangland clients - including Carl Williams - on to police. Pictured is former gangland lawyer Nicola Gobbo, 46

The award-winning journalist and author (left) is said to have reached out to Nicola's sister, Catherine (right) who leads a respectable life as a top barrister in Melbourne

Victoria Police argued that identifying Nicola as 'Lawyer X' would put the lives of her and her two children at risk.

The full bench of High Court judges agreed, but said there was more at stake.

'Large though those considerations may be, they do not detract from the conclusion that it is essential in the public interest for the information to be disclosed,' they told the court.

Immediately after the decision, Nicola and her two children went into hiding.

Meanwhile, it was announced on December 18, last year that Peter would not be returning to Channel Nine in 2019.

'Parted ways': On December 18, last year it was announced that Peter (left) had 'parted ways' with Channel Nine and just one day later his brother Karl was axed as host of Today. Peter pictured alongside Allison Langdon (right)

Just one day later, Peter's brother Karl, who hosted the weekday edition of the Today show, was axed while on his honeymoon with new wife Jasmine Yarbrough.

Karl has another two years left on his contract with the Nine Network however it is unclear what his next move will be now that This Time Next Year has wrapped filming.

There have even been rumours circulating that the journalist would anchor a late-night news show in competition to Channel Seven, however those claims were 'shot down by network bosses,' the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Is Jimmy Page the unluckiest of rock stars? Just weeks after ending a gruelling five-year planning battle with next-door neighbour Robbie Williams, I can reveal the Led Zeppelin legend is now locked in a row with another wealthy neighbour.

Former Prudential chairman Sir Harvey McGrath has angered the veteran rock star with plans to install four air-conditioning outlets at his 10 million mansion in Holland Park, West London.

Sir Harvey is also hoping to move a wall  prompting an angry response from Page.

Furious: Just weeks after ending a gruelling five-year planning battle with next-door neighbour Robbie Williams, I can reveal that Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page is now locked in a row with another wealthy neighbour. (Above, Page with his girlfriend Scarlett Sabet, 29, last week)

Pages feud with Robbie Williams (left) over the former Take That stars bid to build a basement swimming pool raged for years. Now, former Prudential chairman Sir Harvey McGrath (right) has angered the veteran rock star with plans to install four air-conditioning outlets at his 10m mansion in Holland Park, West London

Not only is the 75-year-old furious that the new units will infringe on his music studio, in a letter to Kensington and Chelsea Council he also voices fears that The Tower House, his Grade I listed home for more than 46 years, will be affected by vibrations caused by the renovations.

Pages feud with Robbie Williams over the former Take That stars bid to build a basement swimming pool raged for years.

A compromise was reached recently when Williams was granted permission to build the pool  on condition that the work was done using only hand tools.

Jimmy is reported to be still awaiting an opportunity to discuss the project with Williams over a cup of tea.

Not only is Page angry that the new units will infringe on his music studio, in a letter to Kensington and Chelsea Council he also voices fears that The Tower House, his Grade I listed home (above) for more than 46 years, will be affected by vibrations caused by the renovations

Ironically for a man famed for his bands high-decibel output, Jimmy seems highly sensitive to noise.

In his letter objecting to Sir Harveys plans, he writes: I urge the council to refuse the application as having the potential for harmful impact on living conditions in The Tower House.

I use the area to listen to and scrutinise recordings, requiring my full concentration with no distracting noise and/or vibration from other sources, for meetings away from the main house and for recorded interviews where naturally there cannot be any constant background noise.

Sir Harvey, 68, has previously frustrated Page with extensive renovations to his property, including installing a lift.

Last week, Page appeared with poet girlfriend Scarlett Sabet, 29, as she celebrated her new collection of works. The pair met six years ago.

Ive seen some bizarre hair trends over the years but this one has to be the strangest.

Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo sported 24 silver-coloured section clips in her crop at the premiere of her latest movie, Us, in Austin, Texas.

The 36-year-old, who won the Best Supporting Actress gong for her role in 12 Years A Slave, combined the look with red eye shadow.

Paying my respects to tha Doggfather, she captioned the snap on Instagram.

Is she now taking her inspiration from rapper Snoop Dogg?

Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo sported 24 silver-coloured section clips in her crop at the premiere of her latest movie, Us, in Austin, Texas

Vogue's birthday boy goes AWOL

Questions were asked when Vogue editor Edward Enninful wasnt seen at the Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris last week.

Could he have been a little tired after his energetic 47th birthday party, thrown the night before by Karlie Kloss and Moda Operandi co-founder Lauren Santo Domingo at Laurens Parisian home?

Guests included Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, and the party rocked until the early hours.

Im told: Edward is usually here, there and everywhere so it was obvious when he didnt appear at Louis Vuitton.

The official explanation? He got stuck in traffic  and had to watch the show from backstage.
SNC-Lavalin, a leading project management and infrastructure company, said its Middle East Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Business Network has signed the United Nations Womens Empowerment Principles (UN WEPs) which are aligned with the companys commitment to foster an inclusive culture that promotes gender equality and supports employees professional development, skills and knowledge throughout their career.



Coinciding with International Womens Day, the signing ceremony took place in Dubai, during a business networking event held by SNC-Lavalin and attended by clients and other industry peers who have also signed the UN WEPs, including Parsons, SSH, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), BAM International, in addition to dmg events.



The event was also attended by Alice Laugher, a board member of the United Nations Global Compact UAE Network, the chair of its WEPs taskforce and CEO of Committed to Good, and hosted a panel to discuss ways to advance womens empowerment in the industry across the region, and share key learnings and commitments made in organizations.



The panel discussion was moderated by Nicole Malick, a Sustainability Consultant and an expert in UN WEPs toolkit, and included senior leadership speakers from SNC-Lavalin, Jacobs, Parsons and SSH.



"In todays market, a diverse workforce is a key driver to boosting productivity and innovation in the construction industry. Signing the UN WEPs underpins SNC-Lavalins long-term commitment to supporting gender equality and empowering women at all levels across the organization," said Grant Porter, CEO, Engineering, Design and Project Management, Middle East and Africa at SNC-Lavalin, and Chairman of the companys Middle East D&I Network.



By bringing together industry players to share key learnings, we are not only raising awareness about womens empowerment but also leading the way to create rewarding career opportunities and future growth for female talent across the region, he stated.



In 2016, SNC-Lavalin launched its diversity and inclusion program globally with a focus on increasing the percentage of women in technical and management positions - to 20 per cent by 2020, up from the current 14 per cent.



Following the acquisition of Atkins in July 2017, SNC-Lavalins (Nisa) has joined forces with Atkins Womens Business Network to launch the companys D&I Business Network in February 2019.



The newly established network will focus on driving the companys diversity and inclusion targets, and leading on proactive employee and local community engagement initiatives, trainings and awareness campaigns.



"The Womens Empowerment Principles agenda celebrates diversity, champions of inclusion, and empowers women to participate fully in the economy. All businesses stand to benefit from gender equality and womens empowerment, said Laugher.



I spend a lot of my time working to empower women across the globe, specifically in developing countries, and what Ive learnt is if you want to create meaningful change, then you need to be doing as much as you can to create it. Support for the seven WEPs Principles has gathered global momentum  thousands of companies worldwide are now WEPs champions  thereby contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 5 for Gender Equality, she stated.



Since its launch in 2010, the UN WEPs initiative has been at the forefront of transforming business policies, practices and approaches to advance gender equality and create opportunities for women, engaging more than 2,000 businesses globally to date.



The principles offer businesses guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.-TradeArabia News Service


Alex Brooker is said to be trying to save his marriage with wife Lynsey after allegedly having an affair with a 36-year-old beautician.

According to a report from The Mirror, the married Last Leg star, 34, had met the woman in a London pub while he was filming for the Channel 4 series.

Speaking to the publication on Saturday, a source said: 'Last year was a really tough year for Alex and Lynsey. He was filming in London and she was at home up north. It was a real strain on the marriage.

Fling: The Last Leg's Alex Brooker 'trying to save his marriage amid claims he had an affair with beautician he met while filming the Channel 4 series', it was reported on Saturday

'He met this other woman while filming in London for The Last Leg. They had a real connection and became really friendly.

'Things turned romantic in July and this lasted for about a month, before she is believed to have ended things in August.'

MailOnline have contacted representatives of Alex for comment.

Difficult period: A source said 'last year was a really tough year for Alex and Lynsey' and his filming commitments in London kept them apart, which put a 'strain on their marriage'

The publication claimed that Alex's wife is aware of his infidelity, and added that they're working on getting their marriage 'back on track'.

Alex allegedly tried to rekindle the romance after the beautician, who is said to have had a boyfriend during that time, broke off the relationship with him.

The television personality was said to have felt guilty following the fling, and then told his wife about what had taken place.

He married Lynsey in 2014, and the couple share daughter Daphne, who was born in March 2017.

Alex, who was born in Ashford Kent, was born with hand and arm deformities, and wears a prosthetic leg.

The presenter has appeared on Channel 4's The Last Leg since 2016 which he co-hosts with Adam Hills and Josh Widdicombe.
Little Monsters star Lupita Nyong'o couldn't help but turn heads when she walked the red carpet at The Paramount Theatre for the South by Southwest Festival in Austin Texas Saturday.

The 36-year-old star lived up to her billing as one of Hollywood's foremost fashionistas as she donned a multicolored long-sleeved skirt choc with vivid colors and floral patterns, along with a leopard-skin scarf.

The 12 Years A Slave star rounded out her ensemble with a matching Brahmin purse and pointed heels, with her hair impeccably styled to the side for the daytime premiere.

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Out and about: Little Monsters star Lupita Nyong'o, 36, and director Abe Forsythe, 37, posed on the red carpet at The Paramount Theatre for the South by Southwest Festival in Austin Texas Saturday

The Kenyan-Mexican beauty posed with the film's director, Abe Forsythe, 37, at the festival screening in Texas.

Forsythe wore a white T-shirt, grey jeans and black sneakers as he posed on the red carpet with the leading lady.

The Academy Award-winning actress in Little Monsters plays a kindergarten teacher named Miss Caroline, who 'finds herself on this farm with 11 students and a hapless, rubbish, parent' during a zombie apocalypse, she told IndieWire last month.

'Ms. Caroline has to try and keep the children away from the trauma of the zombies and kind of preserve their innocence,' said the actress, who played Nakia in Black Panther. 'Her aim is to preserve that innocence by keeping away all dangers, both inside and out.'

Stylish: The Oscar-winning star lived up to her billing as one of Hollywood's foremost fashionistas as she donned a multicolored long-sleeved dress choc with vivid colors and floral patterns

Multitasking: It's been a busy weekend for Lupita, who is also promoting Us, another film that debuted at the festival from Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele

Fun day: The leading lady and filmmaker posed with SXSW's Jarod Neece at the screening

It's been a busy weekend for Lupita, who is also promoting Us, another film that debuted at the festival from Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele.

This year's festival has been a hub for not only the showbiz community, but the political one as well, as a number of 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls have appeared in different capacities coinciding with the festival.

Among them include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Interesting role: In Little Monsters, Lupita says she plays a kindergarten teacher named Miss Caroline, who 'finds herself on this farm with 11 students and a hapless, rubbish, parent' during a zombie apocalypse

Stunning: The actress chatted during the debut at the Paramount Theatre in Austin
Sandi Toksvig has hit out at Olivia Colman's movie The Favourite for its portrayal of lesbian couples.

Speaking to The Mirror, the Great British Bake Off host, 60, slammed the BAFTA winning film as she believes the story of same-sex couples still 'need to be told'.

She explained: 'I still haven't seen the lesbian love story  that relationship where two people adore each other, love each other, support each other.

Unimpressed: Sandi Toksvig has hit out at Olivia Colman's movie The Favourite for its portrayal of lesbian couples

'I still think that story needs to be told. I get so mad, I got really mad at The Favourite'.

She added: 'There are lots of stories that need to be told, they're important. My wife and I have been married 13 years and I love her more every day.'

In the film, Olivia, who plays Queen Anne, has a lesbian relationship with Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and is later seduced by Emma Stone's Abigail Masham.

Unrealistic? Speaking to The Mirror, the Great British Bake Off host, 60, slammed the BAFTA winning film as she believes the story of same-sex couples still 'need to be told'

Couple: Mother-of-three Sandi entered a civil partnership with Debbie Toksvig in 2007 and the pair later wed in 2014

The TV personality also went on to reveal how Channel 4 bosses urged her to be 'more upbeat' when appearing in an item about coming out stories.

But that didn't deter her from saying that she believes it's important to tell the 'dark side' of what has happened to herself and others regarding their sexuality.

Sandi is mother to daughters Megan and Jesse and son Theo all of whom were carried by her ex partner Peta Stewart.

Sad: Sandi explained: 'I still think that story needs to be told. I get so mad, I got really mad at The Favourite', where Olivia played the main character of Queen Anne

Behind the scenes: Actresses Olivia and Emma previously spoke out about their preparations for the film's sex scenes

She previously revealed that her three children inspired her to come out publicly and has previously spoken out about the subsequent death threats she received.

The TV personality is now married to Debbie Toksvig who she entered into a civil partnership with in 2007.

The duo later converted their partnership into a marriage in December 2014.

Actresses Olivia and Emma previously spoke out about their preparations for the film's sex scenes.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, The Help star revealed: 'We did a whole bunch of crazy stuff. We learned to be embarrassed in front of each other and rely on each other.

'So when I had to have sex with Olivia, it was very comfortable because we were very good friends.'

Adding to the discussion, The Crown star said: 'Playing meant we could all be unembarrassed in front of each other.'
It appears that Channel 10's Sunday Night Takeaway is already cutting costs.

Following two weeks of disappointing ratings, The Daily Telegraph reports that the show is advertising for 'unpaid stand ins' for studio rehearsals.

'Unfortunately we can't pay, but you will receive a catered lunch,' a post in private Facebook group, 'Australia, I Need Crew (Entry Level), allegedly said this week.

Would you work for free for 10 hours? An employee from Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown's Sunday Night Takeaway has 'posted an advert looking for unpaid stand ins' for the show

The newspaper claims the show required people from 8:45AM to about 7PM (but possibly earlier) on Saturday, and 9:45AM to 5PM on Sunday.

'Going on feedback from last week, our stand ins gained valuable experience about how a big studio show runs,' the post stated.

The post was shared by a production coordinator from ITV, who produce the show.

Worth it? The newspaper claims the show required people from 8:45AM to about 7PM on Saturday, and 9:45AM to 5PM on Sunday - but you would receive a free 'catered lunch'

Channel 10's Sunday Night Takeaway, with Dr Chris Brown and Julia Morris, debuted to 383,000 viewers on February 24.

The second episode shed 93,000 viewers, and attracted a metro audience of 290,000 viewers on March 03.

The program is based on the UK format, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which has been a huge success for 10 years.

Last year, the UK version peaked at 8.6 million viewers during one episode.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment.
It's been a rough period for friends and family since the death of Beverly Hills, 90210's Luke Perry on March 4.

And on Friday, his co-star Jennie Garth learned just how vicious social media trolls could be.

The 46-year-old actress was attacked for not publicly making a Luke Perry tribute after she posted a photo of her daughters for International Women's Day.

Rude people: On Friday, Luke Perry's co-star Jennie Garth, 46, learned just how vicious social media trolls could be when they attacked her for not publicly making a tribute for Luke Perry, who died March 4; pictured in 2008

The 90210 star, who played Kelly Taylor from 1990-2000, ignited the online fury after posting a sweet photo to Instagram of her three daughters, Luca Bella, 21, Lola Ray, 16, and Fiona Eve, 12, all from her marriage to ex-husband Peter Facinelli, 45.

The three young women were pictured hugging and giving the brightest smiles.

'These women ,' she captioned the photo, followed by multi-colored heart emojis and the hashtags #internationalwomensday and #sisters.

Happy family: The 90210 star, who played Kelly Taylor from 1990-2000, ignited the online fury after posting a sweet photo to Instagram of her three daughters, Luca Bella, 21, Lola Ray, 16, and Fiona Eve, 12. 'These women ,' she captioned the photo

The picture was Jennie's first post since Luke's death on March 4, and Instagram users started to comment on it, questioning the lack of a tribute for him.

Bolder users even accused her of not mourning the former heartthrob's death.

'Not cool,' she replied to one comment, before launching into a more detailed statement.

Old friends: The picture was Jennie's first post since Luke's death on March 4, and Instagram users started to comment on it, questioning the lack of a tribute for him; publicity still for Beverly Hills, 90210

'Hey everyone... I chose to post a pic of my girls today. Because they are my life. Because today is a day to celebrate all women. It took a lot for me to want to celebrate anything. I thought about it and I know that's the way my dear friend would have wanted it. His kids were his life. And anyone who knew him knows that and knows he didn't give a f*** about social media. So please don't assume or judge or make rude comments. That's really uncool.'

The TV star's critics seem to have missed a statement she gave on Luke's passing to People earlier in the week.

'My heart is broken. He meant so much to so many. Such a very special person. I share my deep sadness with his family and all who loved him. Such a terrible loss,' she told the magazine.

Taking a stand: 'Hey everyone... I chose to post a pic of my girls today. Because they are my life. Because today is a day to celebrate all women'; pictured with Luke Perry (L) in 2011

Not taking it: 'I thought about it and I know that's the way my dear friend would have wanted it. His kids were his life'; shown in June

A real friend: 'And anyone who knew him knows that and knows he didn't give a f*** about social media. So please don't assume or judge or make rude comments. That's really uncool'; pictured with ex-husband Peter Facinelli in 2005

The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star died as the result of complications from a stroke he suffered on February 27.

The actor, who starred as Dylan McKay from 19901995 and 19982000, apparently never regained consciousness following the devastating stroke, according to People.

He was surrounded in his final hours by his children, Jack, 21, and Sophie, 18, as well as his fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett and friends and family.

The film and TV star reportedly left all his assets to his two children, according to Radar Online.
His portrayed Home and Away's iconic Alf Stewart for the past 31 years.

But now, actor Ray Meagher, 74, has revealed his plans to give the character a 'rest.'

Speaking to the Sun Herald, the soap actor has said he was making arrangements to enjoy a little more time off-screen.

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Iconic Home and Away actor Ray Meagher, 74, is making arrangements to 'rest' his long-running character Alf Stewart

'I said I wanted to work less weeks, so we've worked that out, but I'll still be there more often than not,' he told the publication of his role.

Having recently signed a new contract with the show, Ray scoffed at rumours he's set to retire soon.

'I don't really think much about retirement,' he said.

Not going anywhere! 'I don't really think much about retirement' Ray said

'I guess the time will come and I will, but I just signed another contract for three years... but sometimes contracts are made to be broken.'

Ray went on to gush about his former co-stars Isla Fisher and Hollywood hunk, Chris Hemsworth, saying of the Thor actor: '[I] knew he would go far.'

Ray first started on Home and Away back in 1988 and holds the Guinness World Record for longest serving actor on an Australian serial.

Privilege: 'It's a privilege to have a job for 30 years and really enjoy it for that time': Ray previously said of his role on Home and Away, which he started on back in 1988. Pictured with actress Judy Nunn

Speaking to New Idea magazine in September, he said: 'It's a privilege to have a job for 30 years and really enjoy it for that time.'

The acclaimed star won the Gold Logie Award in 2010 for his enduring role, with him winning a second Logie last year.

He also recently launched his debut unisex perfume, Raygrance Number 1.
Susie Bradley, 25, appears to have responded to rumours she is pregnant.

On Wednesday, fans came up with a bizarre theory that the blonde was 'expecting' after she wore a billowing blue dress on MAFS companion show Talking Married.

Seemingly setting the record straight, Susie shared a photograph to Instagram while out partying on Saturday night.

Mum's no longer the word! Married At First Sight's Susie Bradley appeared to respond to 'pregnancy' rumours with a telling photograph out partying on Saturday night in Brisbane

In the image, Susie appeared to be drinking an alcoholic beverage while at Blackbird Bar & Grill in Brisbane.

The beauty's big night out comes days after Married At First Sight viewers were whipped into a frenzy last week after her Talking Married appearance.

As the mother-of-one sat down on the panel of the show, the fabric of her frock blue bundled up around her stomach.

'Is she pregnant?' Fans went into overdrive speculating that Married At First Sight bride Susie Bradley is 'expecting' on Wednesday night following an appearance on Talking Married

Taking to Twitter, one fan shared screenshots of Susie on the program, writing: 'Umm excuse me for being rude but is Susie pregnant?'

Echoing that thought, a second fan pondered: 'Is Susie pregnant? She looking pregnant on #TalkingMarried on the side in that dress.'

'Susie looks pregnant to me,' wrote another viewer, as the theory quickly spread across social media.

Fashion faux pas! As Susie sat down on the panel with John Aiken, the fabric of her billowing blue dress bundled up around her stomach

'Umm excuse me for being rude': Taking to Twitter, one fan shared screenshots of Susie on the show

'Susie looks pregnant to me': The fan theory went viral due to Susie's dress bundling up

One fan even suggested that Susie had been sat on the end of the panel on purpose, in a bid to show off the apparent 'bump' and spark speculation.

'If Susie is pregnant does it work in Channel Nine's favour? Would they not have sat her where John [Aiken] is sitting,' they questioned.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nine for comment.

Laughing it off? Susie is yet to directly respond to the fan speculation. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nine for comment

Over already! Despite currently being 'married' to Billy Vincent (pictured) on the Nine show, Susie is believed to be in a relationship with NRL star, Todd Carney

Despite currently being 'married' to Billy Vincent on the Nine show, Susie is believed to be in a relationship with NRL star, Todd Carney.

Last month, the pair were caught kissing outside of a hotel in Brisbane.

Although she then went on to play down the pictures in interviews, the couple appeared very much an item while holidaying in Byron Bay on Sunday.

Several onlookers spotted Susie and Todd sitting down for lunch at The Beach Hotel, with her on-screen 'husband' Billy Vincent nowhere to be seen.

The blonde has a four-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, named Baby.
Call The Midwife's Judy Parfitt has spoken out about her anguish of watching her husband Tony Steedman living with dementia.

The actress, who plays dementia sufferer Sister Monica Joan in the hit BBC period drama, spoke to The Mirror about how the thought of Tony's distress would make her 'top herself'.

Judy, 83, explained how her career as an actress is detached from her emotions surrounding her husband's death.

Heartbreak: Call The Midwife's Judy Parfitt has spoken out about her anguish of watching her husband Tony Steedman living with dementia

She added: 'If I went through life thinking about Tony I'd top myself. You can't do that.'

The Hello Carter actress continued: 'Tony had vascular dementia  the oxygen wasn't getting to his brain because of circulation. It's the most appalling thing.

'Even when someone has the most dreadful disease you still communicate'.

Tragic: The actress spoke to The Mirror about how the thought of Tony's distress would make her 'top herself (pictured 1988)

Sad: Judy, 83, explained how her career as an actress is detached from her emotions surrounding her husband's death: 'If I went through life thinking about Tony I'd top myself. You can't do that'

But Judy admitted that the communication between the two ended because of Tony's heartbreaking disease and although she lost her husband, but found 'my child'.

Actor Tony passed away in 2001 after a 38-year marriage to Judy in which they welcomed one son.

With the eighth series of Call The Midwife recently finished, Sister Monica Joan left fans worried about her future after her eyesight and memory faded.

Candid: The Hello Carter actress continued: 'Tony had vascular dementia  the oxygen wasn't getting to his brain because of circulation. It's the most appalling thing' (pictured March 2016)

And Judy revealed that the unpredictability of her character's state of mind is a challenge to play.

Earlier this month, the BBC revealed that there have been two further series' of the show commissioned.

The show will appear on screens until 2022, and with a host of Christmas episodes, producers hope to move the plot into the late-sixties.

If you've been affected by this article, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or 020 7734 2800
They're two of Australia's most recognisable media personalities.

But Dr Chris Brown, 40, and Julia Morris, 50, looked like completely different people after undergoing an astonishing special effects transformation as part of a segment to be aired on Sunday Night Takeaway this weekend.

In social media snaps teasing the upcoming episode, which sees the duo prank radio personality Steve Price, Chris and Julia are seen posing in wigs, prosthetic facial features and heavy makeup

Is that really you? Dr Chris Brown (left) and Julia Morris (right) have gone undercover in wigs, prosthetic facial features and 'two hours' worth of makeup to prank radio host Steve Price on Sunday Night Takeaway

Comedian Julia looked barely recognisable as she was revamped into a blonde bombshell, while the former Bondi Vet was given a more mature makeover.

Julia traded her sleek brunette bob for bouncy blonde waves, which cascaded beautifully over her shoulders.

She was also fitted with what appeared to be a prosthetic nose and chin to completely alter her visage.

New hair, don't care! Julia (pictured) traded her sleek brunette bob for bouncy blonde waves, which cascaded beautifully over her shoulders

The award-winning stand-up comedian completed her markedly different look with a generous slick of foundation, false eyelashes, polished brows and a pop of pink lipstick.

Meanwhile, the blond heartthrob was transformed into a senior citizen complete with grey hair, wrinkly skin and bushy eyebrows.

Chris, who is known for his beach blond waves, was turned into a fully fledged silver fox, complete with a bushy grey beard and a manicured mustache.

Amazing makeover: The veteran comedian looked barely recognisable as she was revamped into a blonde bombshell, while the former Bondi Vet was given a more mature makeover

'Two hours worth of makeup': The award-winning stand-up comedian completed her markedly different look with a generous slick of foundation, false eyelashes, polished brows and a pop of pink lipstick

Details: Julia was also fitted with what appeared to be a prosthetic nose and chin to completely alter her visage

Chris was fitted with an aged mask, which featured faux sun spots, a creased forehead, deep crow's feet lines around the eyes and furrowed brows.

It seems Julia could have worn a face covering too as a makeup artist was seen holding two latex masks during a teaser clip shared to the show's official Twitter page on Sunday.

'Steve Price won't know what hit him when Chris and Julia go undercover for an all time classic stitch up,' the caption read.

Silver fox! Chris, who is known for his beach blond waves, was turned into a fully fledged silver fox, complete with a bushy grey beard and a manicured mustache

Julia also took to her Instagram account on Sunday to share a series of photos of the duo's remarkable transformation.

'Tonight on Sunday Night Takeaway we surprise the magnificent @steveprice7571 it was worth the 2 hours in make up!' she captioned the slideshow of images.

The segment, which has been touted as the 'TV event of the year' by the show's official Twitter account, could be a turning point for the program after it premiered this month to disappointing ratings.
She launched her lifestyle brand Goop in 2008.

And Gwyneth Paltrow stepped out in style to support the website/online shop in the Big Apple on Saturday at the In Goop Health Summit New York at Seaport District NYC.

The 46-year-old actress was not spotted with her husband Brad Falchuk, but she did share a video from her Instagram story from the event, showing her mother, Blythe Danner.

Gwyneth steps out: Gwyneth Paltrow stays warm in a trench coat after a Goop event in NYC

Gwyneth's mom: She was not spotted with her husband Brad Falchuk, but she did share a video from her Instagram story from the event, showing her mother, Blythe Danner

Paltrow looked fresh wearing a white dress under a lengthy trench coat that fell to her calves.

The actress was also wearing white heeled boots as she made her way out of the big event.

When Paltrow launched Goop in 2008 it started as a simple lifestyle newsletter, but it quickly expanded in the decade that followed.

Stylish Gwyneth: Paltrow was seen wearing a white dress under a lengthy trench coat that fell to her calves during her Saturday outing

Boots are made for walking: The actress was also wearing white heeled boots as she made her way out of the big event

Paltrow soon expanded Goop - whose name was derived from her initials and a joke that all successful Internet companies have two O's in the name - to have an online presence as a web-based company.

The brand expanded into a magazine, podcast, pop-up shops and several wellness events, and there are even more plans for expansion.

Goop sealed a deal with Netflix in January for a brand new documentary series, according to Variety.

The docuseries, comprised of 30-minute episodes, will be co-hosted by Paltrow and Goop's chief content officer Elise Loehnen.

Paltrow on Netflix: The docuseries, comprised of 30-minute episodes, will be co-hosted by Paltrow and Goop's chief content officer Elise Loehnen

The show will feature, 'experts, doctors, and researchers to examine issues relating to physical and spiritual wellness,' according to Variety.

'We were speaking to the platform question, and where our people are. Theyre watching Netflix. Some of the more strategic, bigger stories we want to tell require a TV budget. Obviously, theres no better partner in that,' said Loehnen.

Paltrow will return as Pepper Potts in the highly-anticipated Marvel Studios adventure Avengers: Endgame, the follow-up to last year's Avengers: Infinity War.

She will also make her return to television with The Politician, from series creator Ryan Murphy and her husband, producer Brad Falchuk.

Paltrow is part of an ensemble cast with Lucy Boynton, Jessica Lange, Dylan McDermott and January Jones.

Staying busy: Paltrow will return as Pepper Potts in the highly-anticipated Marvel Studios adventure Avengers: Endgame, the follow-up to last year's Avengers: Infinity War

Goop show: The show will feature, 'experts, doctors, and researchers to examine issues relating to physical and spiritual wellness,' according to Variety

Gwyneth and Demi: Gwyneth Paltrow poses with actress Demi Moore at the Goop Health Summit New York on Saturday

Goop trio: Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow is flanked by Arianna Huffington and Demi Moore
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  Four senatorial aspirants were invited to the CNN Philippines' senatorial forum on Sunday. Only three, however, made it.

CNN Philippines grilled Senate bets Leody de Guzman of the Partido Lakas ng Masa, Atty. Larry Gadon of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, and Dan Roleda of the United Nationalist Alliance.

Doctor Willie Ong, a cardiologist and a former newspaper columnist running under the Lakas-CMD was absent at the forum.

Here are the highlights of this Sunday's forum:

Unanimous Yes answers

During the Yes/No portions, all three candidates agreed that there is a need a to review the 68-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States. The treaty was a hot topic among defense officials from both countries, amid tensions in the South China Sea.

De Guzman, Gadon, and Roleda also unanimously agreed on declaring their campaign expenses on social media. All three have said they have the financial support of friends in their senatorial campaign.

The Commission on Elections had said it plans to regulate candidates' social media expenses, as they require social media platforms to submit poll ad spending reports.

Improving women's rights

In light of Women's Month, the all-male group of senatorial candidates were asked on their proposed legislations that will promote and protect women's rights.

Roleda said he will push for a Magna Carta for Families to promote women's role in the family, as his priority legislation.

"Ako naniniwala kasi na ang nagpapatibay sa ating sosyedad, lalo na sa mga pamilya ay 'yung mga Nanay o ang mga kababaihan. History would show na ang stability ng mundo ay dahil sa inspirasyon na binibigay ng kababaihan, lalo na sa pagpapatibay ng ating mga disiplina, ng mga values," Roleda said.

[Translation: I believe that social units, particularly the family, are reinforced by mothers or women. History would show that the world's stability is anchored on inspiration given by women, especially in the process of instilling discipline and values.]

De Guzman said there are still pockets of inequality between men and women, and proposed a different measure in favor of stay-at-home mothers and housewives.

"Tingin ko dapat ma-konsider ng gobyerno na bigyan na rin ng sweldo o allowance 'yung mga babaeng nandoon sa bahay na siyang tumutulong at naghahanda sa pagtatrabaho ng kanilang mga asawa," he said.

He also wants government to push for free hospitalization for these housewives, considering the amount of work they do in the household.

Gadon, meanwhile has nothing to add, saying enough legislations are in place to promote the welfare of women and children.

"Siguro paigtingin lang ang pag-implement nito," Gadon said. "Hindi ko masasabi na ang mga babae ngayon ay mas mababa ang tingin (sa lalaki). In fact, pantay na pantay na sila. Mas nabibigyan pa sila ngayon ng karapatan."

[Translation: Maybe we have to strengthen its implementation. I cannot say that women are not at par with men today. In fact, they are equal. They are even given more rights.]

He said the presence of women in the military and police force, as well as women leaders in industries are good indicators of gender equality.

Priority legislations

If elected, Gadon wants to prioritize passing a bill which will lower electricity prices.

"Magagamit nila ang matitipid nila sa ibang bagay na kanilang kailangan kagaya ng pagkain, tuition, education at mga gamot," he said.

[Translation: They can use whatever they save for other necessities such as food, tuition, education, and medicine.]

He said lower power prices would invite investors in the Philippines and provide more employment opportunities for Filipinos.

Gadon also wants to limit the privatization of power sectors and return some aspects of electrification to the government.

Meanwhile, de Guzman will push for the regularization of labourers and standardizing wages for the nation.
The pharmaceutical sector in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) has witnessed tremendous growth over the last few years and is projected to reach around $60 billion by 2025, according to studies.



With governments in the region focusing more and more on the wellbeing of a growing population and enhancing healthcare services, timely and safe delivery of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, especially temperature controlled products has become a vital for the sector.



The ongoing and future challenges and solutions in the industry will be discussed at the Middle East Pharma Cold Chain Congress, an important platform for the pharmaceutical industry in Mena, to be held on March 19 to 21, at Millennium Airport Hotel in Dubai, UAE.



According to studies, the pharma sector growth is largely fuelled by high population growth, increased life expectancy coupled with the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, and aspiration for excellent healthcare services among countries in the region.



The UAE is leading the growth with over $1.2 billion funnelled into the healthcare system in the 2019 budget, and topped up with more support with substantial funds allotted in the $540 million innovation fund by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fund.



With the recent approval of Dubai Silk Road Strategy and existing outstanding logistics infrastructure, the UAE is fast turning into a source market, which is manufacturing and exporting pharmaceuticals to high-demand markets such as Africa and Asia.



Accelerated drug-registration system, investments in R&D, innovation, and technological advancement, has led to a rise in the number of international pharmaceutical companies from 30 in 2013 to 47 in 2016, and is expected to reach 75 in 2020.



Moreover, around 95 per cent of the global pharmaceutical companies have a base in the UAE, which gives them logistics access to 43 countries worldwide.



The congress will focus on challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies in the Mena with the globalisation of the pharmaceutical supply chain requiring them to maintain ever-changing regulations and compliance for temperature-sensitive products.



It will also discuss Good Distribution Practices and varying regulations across different countries. It will delve into strategies including regulatory compliance, integrating cold chain management, selecting the appropriate partners, maintaining supply chain integrity, achieving real-time traceability and more.



The congress is co-organised by Saudi Pharmaceutical Society and Maarefah Management and supported by leading pharmaceutical companies including Global Pharma, LisaLine, Zaklady Farmaceutyczne UNIA Spoldzielnia Pracy, Polish Investment and Trade Agency, and Technical Supplies & Services Co.  TradeArabia News Service
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Britannia may rule the waves, but her Queen displays caution when she confronts them in these exclusive pictures from the next series of ITVs hit drama Victoria.

The monarch, played by Jenna Coleman, looks back hesitantly as she steps from her bathing machine, carefully holding on to the handrail as she immerses herself.

Finding she is not a natural swimmer, Victoria quips: The Queen of England is not a fish.

If Jenna appears to be approaching the sea gingerly, its not all acting. For although the scene is supposedly set on the Isle of Wight, it was actually shot on the chilly North East coast.

Writer Daisy Goodwin said: It was absolutely freezing. Jenna was a trouper. There were children present, so everyone was watching their language.

The third series of Victoria will air later this year, and Ms Goodwin is already working on a fourth.

Jenna Coleman, as Queen Victoria, gives a quick look to say 'are you sure this is a good idea?' before taking a few steps down into the sea off the north east coast
Richard Madden is reportedly considering moving to the United States to try out his luck in Hollywood, after winning a golden globe for his role in Bodyguard.

According to The Sun, the actor, 32, told pals he's keen to go Stateside and make his mark across the pond after his successful turns in Bodyguard and Game Of Thrones.

Speaking to the publication on Sunday, a source said: 'Richard's career is going from strength to strength - the world really is his oyster.

Stateside move? Richard Madden is reportedly considering moving to the United States to try out his luck in Hollywood, after winning a golden globe for his role in Bodyguard

'He never really used to like Los Angeles, but went there a couple of times at the end of last year and fell in love with the place.'

But they were quick to add: 'Obviously Britain will always be home but if Richard does make it big in the States, it certainly wont do his Bond chances any harm.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Richard for comment.

Richard is widely tipped to become the seventh incarnation of Bond after Daniel Craig completes work on his fifth and final film as the iconic secret agent in 2020.

Hunky: According to The Sun , the actor, 32, told pals he's keen to go Stateside and make his mark across the pond after his successful turns in Bodyguard and Game Of Thrones

The Scottish star is the latest in a long line of actors to be connected with Bond following Daniel's decision to give up the role some 15-years after making his debut in Casino Royale.

Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Aidan Turner and James Norton have also been linked with the role, but Madden has emerged as front-runner following his appearance as protection command bodyguard Sergeant David Budd.

Speaking in 2018, the actor - whose found fame as the doomed Robb Stark in Game Of Thrones - admitted he was honoured to be associated with Bond.

'This is what happens with all these shows, like Tom Hiddelston in The Night manager. Then there's the next one. I'm the next one,' he told GQ.

'I'm more than flattered to be mentioned, for people to consider putting me in that role. I'm very flattered and thankful. It's a really brilliant thing to be in. I don't want to curse anything by saying anything.'

However Madden may well make another appearance as Budd in the second series of Bodyguard before the Broccoli family make a final decision regarding the next Bond.

A second series is said to be 'very much on the cards,' but Hawes insists her own character, Home Secretary Julia Montague, will definitely not be returning.
Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller is looking happy and healthy as she continues her road to recovery from Burkitt lymphoma.

The 53-year-old shared a new snap on Instagram, where she was bundled up in a furry coat to stay warm.

'What am I staring at??? Maybe dreaming of warmer climates?' Miller shard in her caption, adding #thebestisyettocome #aldcla #dancemoms #season8 #ALDC.

Staying warm: Abby Lee Miller shares a new photo looking happy and healthy on Instagram

Miller was in Glassboro, New Jersey when she shared the photo on Instagram on Saturday afternoon.

She also posted a photo with herself and fellow Dance Moms co-star Gianna Martello.

'Teamwork makes the dream work!!,' Miller said in the caption, along with the hashtags #dancemoms #abbyleemiller #duo #dance #aldcalways #aldc.

Dancing again: Late in February, Miller shared a new video that showed her getting back to dancing, after being diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma in April 2018

Late in February, Miller shared a new video that showed her getting back to dancing, after being diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma in April 2018.

'Back to dancing, one step at a time. Port de bras,' Miller said in the caption of the Instagram video.

She also shared another photo during her rehab, as she tries to walk again with the help of her trainers.

Back to dancing: She also shared another photo during her rehab, as she tries to walk again with the help of her trainers

'Still giving it my all 3 days a week at Physical Therapy - thanks to everyone at Healthsouth Harmarville Rehabilitation Center!' Miller said.

She also added the hashtags #dancemoms #abbyleemiller #thebestisyettocome #ALDCLA @aldcstudiola @aldcstudiopgh.

The reality star is getting ready to return the hit reality series Dance Moms, with the upcoming eighth season debuting this summer.

Co-stars: She also shared another photo with herself and fellow Dance Moms co-star Gianna Martello on Saturday afternoon as well

It was announced in July 2018 that Miller would return to Dance Moms for Season 8, after leaving the show in March 2017.

Miller had been indicted on fraud charges and she was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, starting in July 2017.

She was transferred to a halfway house in March 2018 to serve the rest of her sentence before returning to her reality show.

The new season of Dance Moms, Dance Moms: Resurrection, debuts June 4.
There's still more than a week of winter left, but Paris Hilton is already in a summer mood.

The 38-year-old reality TV legend flashed a winning smile as she was spotted in Los Angeles' LAX airport with a new mystery man.

The Simple Life star was decked out in a flowing floral dress that belied the wintry season.

Having a blast: Paris Hilton, 38, flashed a winning smile as she was spotted in Los Angeles' LAX airport with a new mystery man

The 5foot8 blonde beauty wore the sheer, peach-colored dress, which showed off her toned arms.

The ruffled floral-print outfit featured a lacy white belt cinched around her midriff that showed off her trim frame.

She was decked out in a pair of large black sunglasses and a had a large metallic necklace for a bit of added flair.

The heiress toted along a large clutch that perfectly matched her dress color, as did her peach heels.

All smiles: The 5ft8in blonde beauty wore the sheer, peach-colored dress, which showed off her toned arms

Exquisite figure: The ruffled floral-print outfit featured a lacy white belt cinched around her midriff that showed off her trim frame

Paris was joined on her trip to the airport by an unidentified possible boyfriend in a blue hoodie.

The night before, Paris showed off her fashion prowess during an LA runway show for Christian Cowan.

The Powerpuff Girls-themed show featured edgy, punk-inspired looks mixed with the vibrant colors of the Cartoon Network staple.

New friends? Paris was joined on her trip to the airport by an unidentified possible boyfriend in a robin's egg blue hoodie

Big night: The night before, Paris showed off her fashion prowess during an LA runway show for Christian Cowan. The Powerpuff Girls-themed show featured edgy, punk-inspired looks mixed with the vibrant colors of the Cartoon Network staple

Paris' sighting with a new man comes after she broke off her engagement to The Leftovers star Chris Zylka in November.

While chatting with The Mirror earlier this month, the Confessions Of An Heiress author seemed to downplay the likelihood of an new romances.

'I don't have time for love right now. I hardly have time for myself,' she said.

She was recently seen cozying up to rapper Machine Gun Kelly during a party in late February.

Moving on: Paris' sighting with a new man comes after she broke off her engagement to The Leftovers star Chris Zylka in November; pictured in 2017

Too busy: While chatting with The Mirror earlier this month, the Confessions Of An Heiress author seemed to downplay the likelihood of an new romances. 'I don't have time for love right now. I hardly have time for myself,' she said; pictured March 8
Olivia Wilde is getting ready to premiere her directorial debut Booksmart at South By Southwest on Sunday.

And on Saturday the actress-turned-director, 34, posed in the SXSW Film Festival Portrait Suite with stars Kaitlyn Dever, Katie Silberman, Billie Lourd, and Beanie Feldstein.

After its SXSW debut, Wilde's film Booksmart is set to debut in theaters on May 24.

First film: Olivia Wilde poses with the cast of her first directorial effort, Booksmart, debuting at SXSW on Sunday

Co-stars: Wilde also took to Instagrtam to share a photo with Dever and Feldstein, along with a heartfelt message about her first feature film

Wilde was wearing a full-length pink dress over a black turtleneck with a brown hat and several Foundrae necklaces seen dangling around her neck.

The filmmaker also took to Instagram to share a photo with Dever and Feldstein, along with a heartfelt message about her first feature film.

'I really cant explain my respect and love for these two brave, brilliant young women,' Wilde began.

Wilde and cast: Wilde was wearing a full-length pink dress over a black turtleneck with a brown hat and several necklaces seen dangling around her neck

New movie: Booksmart centers on two young girls (Dever and Feldstein), described as 'academic superstars,' who are about to graduate from high school

'They let me into their hearts and let me tap into their joy, fear, weirdness, and sadness, all so that we could tell a story that might make someone out there feel happy, or at least less alone,' Wilde added.

'To them, all I can say as we head to @SXSW to crack open this egg we all laid together, is thank you, thank you, thank you,' the first-time director added.

'The future of Hollywood is safe (and much much better) in your hands,' Wilde concluded.

SXSW bathroom break: Wilde also took to her Instagram story on Saturday afternoon, sharing a brief video from her 'SXSW bathroom break'

Wilde also took to her Instagram story on Saturday afternoon, sharing a brief video from her 'SXSW bathroom break.'

'First chance to stop talking in hours. Enjoying it,' Wilde added.

She also posted brief videos of her in the van with her cast mates on the way to SXSW, and another of Wilde and Co. going on stage at the festival.

En route: She also posted brief videos of her in the van with her cast mates on the way to SXSW, and another of Wilde and Co. going on stage at the festival

Booksmart centers on two young girls (Dever and Feldstein), described as 'academic superstars,' who are about to graduate from high school.

They realize they didn't spend enough time having fun during their high school years, and set out to 'cram four years of fun into one night.'

The cast also includes Wilde's husband, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte and Skyler Gisondo.

Director: The cast also includes Wilde's husband, Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte and Skyler Gisondo
Married At First Sight couple Jules Robinson, 36, and Cameron Merchant, 34, have recently had to battle speculation their marriage is on the rocks.

But it appears the reality TV golden couple are stronger than ever, with Jules wishing her 'mother-in-law' a happy birthday on Sunday.

In a gushing post shared to Faceook, Jules wrote to Cameron's mother Marg: 'Happy birthday to the best mother in law ever!'

So they ARE still together! MAFS' Jules Robinson has thanked Cameron Merchant's mother for creating 'the best husband ever' as she wished her a 'happy anniversary' on Facebook this Saturday

'May we celebrate the anniversary of your fine self today and my fellow fish.'

'Your truly gorgeous and thank you for being you AND giving me the best husband ever [sic],' she added.

Jules signed off the post: 'Love you.'

Gushing: 'Your truly gorgeous and thank you for being you AND giving me the best husband ever [sic]': Jules wrote to her 'mother-in-law' Marg (pictured) on Saturday

From strength to strength! Showing how strong the couple are, Jules even called Cameron's mother her 'mother-in-law', before signing off with 'Love you'

It comes after the couple spoke to Peninsula Living Magazine this month, revealing that other couples problematic marriages affected them at times.

'... Being involved in everyone's relationships is hard. Everyone's issues and problems being to affect you,' Cam told the publication.

'There can be a lot of toxicity at the dinner parties and commitment ceremonies.

Struggles: 'Some couples just aren't happy and there are some people who thrive on conflict', Cameron said of the loved-up pair's struggles while on the show

'Some couples just aren't happy and there are some people who thrive on conflict.'

It comes after Cameron and Jules reportedly hit an obstacle after he was caught liking raunchy snaps of Instagram models, according to NW magazine.

According to the publication, Cameron stormed out of a Sydney hotel room he was sharing with Jules after she caught him liking raunchy models' posts in January.

'Things were going so perfectly and this threw everything off course,' a source told the magazine.

Married at First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine
Matthew McConaughey hit the red carpet with two very special women on Saturday.

The actor, 49, attended the premiere of The Beach Bum at SXSW in Austin, Texas with his wife Camila Alves, 37, and his mother, Mary Kathleen McCabe.

Matthew smiled from ear to ear as he posed with the women, clearly overjoyed to be sharing the special moment with them.

Family affair! Matthew McConaughey attended the premiere of The Beach Bum at SXSW in Austin, Texas with his wife Camila Alves and his mother, Mary Kathleen McCabe

Mary smiled as she posed beside her pride and joy, happy to be celebrating his latest success.

She kept it casual for the red carpet, opting for a playful pink top, chic trench coat, jeans, and knee high boots.

Mary cinched off the low-key yet sleek look with a leather belt.

Camila exuded boho glamour in a flowing, semi-sheer white dress with plunging neckline.

Boho glamour: Camila dazzled in a flowing, hippie chic off-white dress

Say cheese! Alves and her husband beamed ahead of the big premiere

Man of style! Matthew, meanwhile, wore a Southwestern inspired, lucha libre shirt, jeans, boots, and a fun pair of shades

Hair was scraped back into an effortlessly chic 'do, allowing her radiant features to shine through to perfection.

She dressed up the look with a gold chain necklace.

Matthew, meanwhile, wore a Southwestern inspired, lucha libre shirt, jeans, boots, and a fun pair of shades.

Very vibrant! Isla Fisher and LaShawnna Stanley rocked the red carpet in their fun looks

Lights, camera, action! Harmony Korine directed the upcoming comedy which sees Matthew play the stoner Moondog

Smile! Martin Lawrence, Stefania LaVie, Harmony, Jimmy Buffett, and Isla were in high spirits ahead of the show

Red carpet stand-outs included The Beach Bum co-star Isla Fisher, who look chic and playful in a pink suit with low-cut white shirt.

LaShawnna Stanley cut a fun look in a bright green blouse, white skinnies, and colorful strappy heels.

The upcoming, Harmony Korine-directed comedy The Beach Bum stars Matthew as rebellious stoner Moondog and his unconventional approach to life.

The film boasts a cast of Zac Efron, Jonah Hill, Martin Lawrence, Snoop Dogg, and is set for release on March 29, 2018.
Mick Gould slammed 'wife' Jessika Power for choosing to remain in the social experiment with him on Sunday night.

The Queensland farmer, 31, branded his wife 'full of s***' for saying she hopes to salvage their 'marriage' during the latest commitment ceremony.

After sending shock-waves through the group with her decision, Jessika, 27, then boasted to producers she only chose to stay to build a 'future' with Daniel Webb.

'It's like flogging a dead horse': MAFS' Mick Gould slammed Jessika Power for choosing to continue their 'marriage' during Sunday's episode of the show

While sitting in front of the relationship experts earlier in the episode, Mick wasted no time in revealing he had chosen to leave the experiment.

When it came time for Jessika to reveal her decision, the beauty hesitated, before saying: 'I immersed myself in Mick's home stay this week and I had to opportunity to meet his family.

'And I feel like he should have the opportunity to come into my life and meet my family and get a different opinion [on them], so I chose to stay.'

Quickly realising he now has to spend another week with Jessika, Mick hit out: 'F***. Unbelievable... it's like flogging a dead horse.'

Not a popular choice! The Queensland farmer, 31, branded his wife 'full of s***' for saying she hopes to salvage their 'marriage' during the latest commitment ceremony

As Jessika was then confronted over her controversial choice by co-stars Jules Robison and Ning Surasiang, she attempted to defend her decision.

'I am here to commit myself to a relationship and to try and make it work with somebody,' said Jessika.

Disagreeing, Mick responded: 'Pig's a***! You're full of s***.'

With expert John Aiken then explaining that the couple must remain on the show until next week's commitment ceremony, Mick hit out once again.

'I guarantee you right now that this will say the same thing next week,' said Mick, while holding up his card which read 'leave'.

'I you right now that this will say the same thing next week': Mick told the relationship experts that another week with Jessika will change nothing and he will write 'leave' again

During a private chat with producers afterwards, Jessika revealed why she really chose to remain on the show.

'I do feel like my relationship is over with Mick,' said Jessika.

'I did come here looking for love. I feel like I'm staying here for selfish reasons but who's to say what's selfish when it comes to love?

'Staying tonight for Dan is for our future. It just gives us the chance to explore this feeling we've got for one and other.'

'Staying tonight for Dan is for our future': Jessika later said to producers that she only chose to stay to continue her 'affair' with Daniel Webb (pictured), admitting this was 'selfish' of her

Last week, Jessika and Daniel Webb shared their first kiss while agreeing to continue in the experiment with their partners solely to have an 'affair'.

During Sunday's commitment ceremony, Dan and 'wife' Tamara Joy had also chosen to stay together for another week.

But Dan has since revealed he is having mixed thoughts, and may remain with Tamara instead of pursuing things with Jessika.
Brandi Glanville is happy that Lisa Vanderpump has become something of an outcast among the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast.

'It's so crazy, and I'm so happy this is finally happening,' the reality star, 46, said Friday on her podcast, Unfiltered, over a controversy on the Bravo show related the English restaurateur's possibly unwittingly using her RHOBH castmates in a ploy to kickstart another spin-off show called Vanderpump Dogs, based off the Los Angeles animal shelter she runs.

Glanville said that Vanderpump, 58, has long been playing the cast of the series off one another like pawns to further her own agenda.

The latest: Brandi Glanville, 46, says she's happy that Lisa Vanderpump, 58, has become an outcast among some of her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills castmates amid the show's latest scandal, dubbed Puppy Gate

'Lisa Vanderpump is a manipulative person,' Brandi said, 'and when I was on the show, I did a lot of her dirty work for her.'

Glanville said she didn't quite realize the extent of Lisa's influence when she pushed back on her, which she said ultimately led to her ouster from the series in June of 2015.

'I finally realized it and I started calling her on her s*** and I had no backup, zero, and that got me no job,' she said, adding that she 'was let go.'

Glanville, who's been seen on reality shows such as Famously Single, Celebrity Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother, said that 'it's just so refreshing to see all of these girls finally figuring it out' in terms of her thoughts on Lisa's character, adding that 'it's about f***ing time.'

Out and about: Brandi showed off her mile-long legs at an event in LA last year

Under fire: Lisa has faced resistance over her supposed ploy to create a new reality series, and using her RHOBH castmates to unwittingly help. She was snapped in LA last month

Glanville said Vanderpump's latest gambit is another in a line of machinations the British star has executed over the span of the series.

'This is a setup; this is what she does,' Brandi said. 'It only took nine years, nine seasons for this to be recognized.'

Glanville said she believes Vanderpump 'is so busy with everything that she's doing' in her career that she's been 'slipping' in her scheming.

The controversy involving Vanderpump - dubbed 'Puppy Gate' - began when the show's Dorit Kemsley adopted a puppy from Lisa and subsequently gave it away to someone else. The puppy was next sent to a kill shelter, and eventually wound up at Lisa's shelter. Lisa's staffer John Blizzard told the cast's Kyle Richards and Teddi Mellencamp the details, which began the drama.

Both the show's Lisa Rinna and Mellencamp have criticized Vanderpump claiming she orchestrating the incident for promotional purposes.

Mellencamp told US that 'at Lisa Vanderpump's instruction' she became engaged into the 'petty drama' of the situation.

Rinna criticized Vanderpump in an Instagram Stories post Thursday, making clear she would explore legal remedies if the situation progressed: 'I get paid for what I do ... so if this indeed becomes another show my lawyer will be calling.'

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays on Bravo at 9/8c.
She's modelled for haute couture labels including Celine, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier.

But after quitting the fashion industry in 2010 to pursue a Hollywood career, Bad Mothers star Tess Haubrich has admitted she 'overdid it' to meet catwalk body standards.

'I probably overdid it with the weight,' the 28-year-old told this weekend's Sun Herald.

'I probably overdid it with the weight!' Bad Mothers star Tess Haubrich claims pressures to stay thin saw her quit modelling for acting. She's pictured at the Academy Awards Charity Event at on February 25, 2019 in Sydney, Australia

The Sydney-raised star refuse to divulge how much weight she lost but revealed she gained '15 kilos' after two years on the catwalk.

'I knew I didn't want to model anymore and [after quitting] I gained 15 kilos before going to the Actors Studio in Sydney.'

The mum-of-one, who's since enjoyed starring roles in Alien: Covenant and Bleeding Steel with Jackie Chan, admitted in 2017 quitting modelling meant she could be taken 'seriously as an actor.'

'I knew I didn't want to model anymore!' The Sydney-raised star refuse to divulge how much weight she lost but revealed she gained '15 kilos' after two years on the catwalk. She's pictured at the Alien: Covenant London premiere in May 2017

'I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor,' Tess told Daily Telegraph in 2017.

'Even though I enjoyed modelling immensely and I was really lucky with the experiences that I got quite quickly, I just always wanted to act.

'Being a model and an actor, the lines were blurred a little bit and I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor,' she continued.

New leading lady! The statuesque beauty (pictured) was a late addition to the cast of Bad Mothers after Packed to the Rafters star Jessica Marais pulled out from production with reps citing health reasons

Recently splitting actor Nicholas Gell, the father of three year-old daughter Juniper, Tess landed her biggest role to date in Nine's Bad Mothers.

The statuesque beauty was a late addition to the cast - which also includes Melissa George - after Packed to the Rafters star Jessica Marais pulled out from production.

Last October, reps for Jessica, 34, claimed the actress was 'stepping away from acting to focus on her health.'

Previously, Jessica was forced to miss the Logie Awards in July in order to receive treatment for 'urgent' issues at a mental health facility in Bronte, Sydney
Dubais external non-oil trade in 2018 reached Dh1.3 trillion ($353.93 billion) despite challenges facing global trade growth resulting from trade tensions between major economic powers and a global growth slowdown, said a report.

The latest trade figures show that Dubai is moving forward steadily as a leading international and regional trade hub that efficiently connects diverse international markets. The emirates overall trade performance reflects its status as one of the worlds best-performing trade logistics service providers, said the Wam news agency report.

According to Dubai Customs, trade through free zones in 2018 grew by 23 percent to Dh532 billion. Direct trade touched Dh757 billion while customs warehouse trade weighed in at Dh10.4 billion. Re-exports grew 12 percent to Dh402 billion, while imports totalled Dh770 billion ($209.64 billion) and exports Dh127 billion.

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, praised the trade sector's performance in 2018 that enabled sustained growth in Dubais non-oil trade.

"The current growth of Dubais non-oil foreign trade is an indication that we are on the right path of revenue diversification in alignment with the values and standards outlined in the 50-Year Charter. The Dubai Silk Road Strategy supports decades of successful investment in developing the emirates infrastructure. In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, we are committed to develop our government services so that we can become a world-class model for future governments based on knowledge, innovation and advanced AI applications. We are currently developing a virtual commercial zone, the first of its kind in the region, which will allow investors to open bank accounts and grant e-residencies according to the highest standards of international laws and regulations," Sheikh Hamdan said.

Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group chairman and CEO and chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said: "Dubais non-oil foreign trade is flexible and agile enough to overcome different global economic crunches. Despite a number of challenges that world trade has been through in the last decade, Dubais trade grew 72 percent from 2009 and 2018, and the volume of goods in this period grew 44 percent. This again reflects Dubais ability to attract global trade and investments and to keep up with changes, especially the rise of Asia and China as a global export hub. Dubai is a very important link in this global activity. Our international network of ports and free zones in different countries coupled with Dubais leading airline network have helped the emirate in its journey towards more success and progress."

Bin Sulayem added: "Advanced facilities and services provided to investors and businesses have improved different aspects in the business sector. The number of transactions made by Dubai Customs in 2018 rose to 9.6 million compared to nine million in 2017, and the number of companies registered at Dubai Customs rose to 223,000 companies. Dubai Customs hit a record in client happiness by topping the happiness metre with 97.49 percent. Advanced systems and products, which employ artificial intelligence and smart applications such as the iDeclare application that enables passengers to declare what they carry in less than 5 minutes, were behind this achievement."

He pointed out that the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) has seen rapid growth and development since its official launch under the aegis of the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) in October 2016.

The latest external trade figures show coherence, integration and diversity among the different modes of shipping: land, sea and air. Airborne trade rose 3.2 percent to reach Dh612 billion and sea trade rose 3.4 percent to Dh483 billion while land trade touched Dh205 billion.

Phones of all types topped the list of commodities in Dubai's foreign trade in 2018 with Dh150 billion worth of trade. This reflects the adoption of advanced communications technology in Dubai as part of its journey to become the smartest city on earth. Next on the list was gold with Dh146 billion worth of trade, followed by jewellery at Dh106 billion, diamonds at Dh94 billion, and cars with Dh65 billion.

China maintained its position as Dubais biggest trading partner in 2018 with Dh139 billion worth of trade. India came in second with Dh116 billion worth of trade, followed by the US in third place with Dh81 billion. Saudi Arabia continued to be Dubais largest Arab trade partner and its fourth largest global trade partner with Dh55 billion, followed by Switzerland in fifth place with Dh49 billion, said the report.
He stars in new film, Hotel Mumbai, which focuses on the terrorist attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India in 2008.

Now, English actor, Dev Patel, who plays a Sikh waiter named Arjun, said the Australian-American thriller should be celebrated for 'embracing' non-white actors.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, Dev explained: 'A film like this, with a bunch of brown faces, would not have been made 10 years ago.'

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'A film with a bunch of brown faces would not have been made 10 years ago': Dev Patel (pictured) said his new movie Hotel Mumbai should be celebrated for 'embracing' non-white actors

'But people are embracing new faces. Why not embrace brown ones?' the actor added.

Dev, who was born and bred in London to Gujarati Indian Hindu parents also told the publication he was concerned he might be subjected to limited acting opportunities when he first started his career.

Dev has seen a meteoric rise from his days on the television series Skins to Hollywood elite.

'But people are embracing new faces. Why not embrace brown ones?' Dev, who was born and bred in London to Gujarati Indian Hindu parents told the publication on Saturday

Successful actor: Dev (right) has seen a meteoric rise from his days on the television series Skins to Hollywood elite Dev (right) pictured at Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018

He has starred in a slew of successful films, including Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and of course its 2015 sequel.

In October last year, the actor and his girlfriend Tilda Cobham-Hervey were seen stepping out together to promote their new movie Hotel Mumbai at Adelaide's Hilton Hotel in Australia.

Dev and Tilda met while filming the based-on-a-true-story drama, Hotel Mumbai.

Spotted: Dev (right) made a rare public appearance with his girlfriend Tilda Cobham-Hervey (centre) in Adelaide last year as they promoted their new film Hotel Mumbai in Australia. Pictured with their co-star Armie Hammer (left)

The movie focuses on the lives of the victims and survivors of the attacks. Dev plays the character of Arjun, Tilda portrays Sally and Armie is David.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018 and is due for release on March 14 2019.

Prior to dating Tilda, Dev was in a relationship with Freida Pinto from 2007 until 2014.
Married At First Sight bride Jessika Power, 26, has undergone a dramatic physical transformation in recent years thanks to the power of cosmetic injectables and dentistry.

And the busty reality star debuted a new look yet again when she shared a sultry selfie to Instagram on Sunday.

The reality TV 'villain' looked almost unrecognisable in the close-up snap, which saw her flaunting a distinctively smooth complexion.

Is that you, Jessika? Married At First Sight Power looks unrecognisable with her impossibly perfect complexion in her latest Instagram snap

The starlet also appeared to have gained an even fuller pout and more contoured cheekbones than usual in the snap.

Choosing not to caption the image, Jessika added two simple emojis: a flower and an emoji which had nails being polished.

Jessika has undergone a number of procedures, having revealed last month that she had extensive dental work before appearing on the show.

Big changes: The starlet also appeared to show a more contoured face, along with more fuller lips in the sultry selfie she posted to Instagram

It's a trend! Ines Basic has also looked almost unrecognisable in a slew of glossy Instagram snaps in recent weeks

Something to smile about! Pictures from a Western Australian dental clinic showed the reality star flaunting her new smiles after her extensive dental work was completed

In comparison snaps that emerged from back in October 2016, it revealed the starlet had a gappy grin fixed before her rise to fame.

In the before pictures, Jessika displayed a set of teeth riddled with aesthetic blemishes, including gaps, chips, yellow discolouration and misalignment.

However in the after images, the blonde reality TV star flashed her transformed dentistry, sporting a set of perfectly straight pearly whites.

Before: In before images, Jessika displayed a set of teeth riddled with aesthetic blemishes, including gaps, chips, yellow discolouration and misalignment

Before and after! In January, 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. Pictured left in 2017 and right in a recent Instagram snap

In January, 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'.

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 Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine
She's the former Bachelor star who's not afraid to flash the flesh.

And it was no different on Sunday, as Kiki Morris flaunted her dangerous curves and pert derriere in a black string bikini.

Taking to Instagram, the glamorous blonde, 31 stunned followers while keeping little to the imagination.

That's cheeky! Former Bachelor star Kiki Morris flaunted her bountiful booty in a black string bikini on Instagram on Sunday

Taming her tresses with a floral sun hat, Kiki emphasised her features with a natural makeup palette.

Posing against a sunny backdrop, she captioned the post: 'This is livin, Barry.'

The stunning display comes after Kiki's return home from Hawaii was derailed when her plane back to Australia malfunctioned in January.

Bikini babe: The 31-year-old former reality star regularly showcases her enviable figure in skimpy bikinis on social media

At the time, the former reality star shared the terrifying ordeal with her followers.

She revealed the pilot was forced to turn back and land in Honolulu after a generator blew up mid-flight.

'A generator has blown up after take off on my flight home,' she wrote on Instagram.

Scary: The stunning display comes after Kiki's return home was derailed after her plane back to Australia malfunctioned last month

'We just had to dump fuel for an hour to land safely back in Honolulu. Looks like one more night on the island.'

Kiki has remained in the spotlight since her stint on The Bachelor with Richie Strahan in 2016, largely thanks to her dedicated following on Instagram.

The animal rights activist initially built a modelling portfolio that extended to racy men's magazines such as Ralph and Zoo.
Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay has had an exciting love life and she thinks it's high time it was documented for yet another reality show.

The 33-year-old American told Nine Honey on Sunday that she hopes to become the next Bachelorette, since she dates the contestants anyway.

'I've been on many dates with The Bachelorette rejects and I've kind of lived my own LA bachelorette life,' the reality star told the publication.

New gig? Vanderpump Rules' Scheana Shay (pictured in 2019) revealed on Sunday that she wants to be cast as America's new Bachelorette

She added: 'Until [US network] ABC makes me the Bachelorette, I will keep dating the guys who don't win!'

Scheana has been enjoying a vacation in Australia and while in town, she also set her sights on a local celebrity.

The brunette told Confidential last week that she's been sending messages to Love Island Australia and I'm a Celebrity.... Get Me Out Of Here! star Justin Lacko.

Candid: The 33-year-old American (pictured) told Nine Honey that she hopes to become the next Bachelorette, since she dates the contestants anyway . 'I've been on many dates with The Bachelorette rejects and I've kind of lived my own LA bachelorette life' she said

Might as well! 'I've been on many dates with The Bachelorette rejects and I've kind of lived my own LA bachelorette life,' the reality star told the publication. Pictured: Becca Kufrin from 2018's Bachelorette USA

She told the publication that she'd noticed the 28-year-old Chadwick model, who hails from Melbourne, on social media and asked to meet him later that evening.

'We've been DMing (direct messaging), he's this really hot Australian guy who's on reality shows,' she told the publication.

Scheana added that while Justin was unavailable for a date, he may meet with her when she is back in America.

Talent! Scheana has been enjoying a vacation in Australia and while in town, she also set her sights on a local celebrity. Pictured in a recent social media snap

Babe town: The brunette told Confidential last week that she's been sending messages to Love Island Australia and I'm a Celebrity.... Get Me Out Of Here! star Justin Lacko (pictured)

In it! 'We've been DMing (direct messaging), he's this really hot Australian guy who's on reality shows,' she said of Justin (pictured)

'He said he was getting on a flight back to Melbourne but he said he was maybe going to be in the States soon. Reason to come back.'

Hunky Justin told the publication that the pair had a 'Sliding Doors moment' when Justin saw the brunette disembark from an elevator.

Late last year, Scheana confirmed she was single following her split with Rob Valletta at the beginning of 2018.

Justin failed to find romance while appearing on Love Island last year, and has been the subject of rumours surrounding his sexuality.
Alex Nation and Richie Strahan fell in love on The Bachelor in 2016, only to devastatingly part ways months later.

And Bachelor in Paradise fans were treated to a sneak peek of their dramatic showdown as they reunite in the upcoming season.

In a brief promo clip released on Sunday, Richie, 33, explains in a voiceover: 'The circumstances of our break-up were quite brutal.'

'I don't know if Australia is ready for the grubby details!' Alex Nation (left) and Richie Strahan (right) clash as they face off over break up in explosive Bachelor in Paradise promo

Discussing the relationship with host Osher Gunsberg, Richie says, 'I don't know if Australia is ready for the grubby details surrounding it.'

Meanwhile, Alex, 28 is seen entering the luxury Fiji resort and in a voiceover, admits, 'Richie and I do not talk anymore and I do not want to meet him in Paradise.'

But after an awkward reunion, the pair appear to waste no time getting into a bitter face off.

Discussing the relationship with host, Osher Gunsberg, Richie says, 'I don't know if Australia is ready for the grubby details surrounding it'

'Do you want to go there Rich?' the mum-of one rants while he fires back with: 'Don't beat around the bush Alex, because you're not going to like my response.'

Alex then continues: 'So you're honestly sitting there saying you were perfect in our relationship'

An enraged Richie responds: 'Don't put words in my mouth!'

Alex then cryptically claims, 'It was me! I actually can't believe that you were telling me, it was me.'

Alex, 28 is seen entering the luxury Fiji resort and in a voiceover, admits, 'Richie and I do not talk anymore and I do not want to meet him in Paradise'

The showdown comes after Alex insisted she fell in love with the hunk with 'every fibre of my being'.

Sharing a slew of candid photos on Instagram last month from her experience on the Bachelor, to commemorate the third anniversary of her appearance on the show, Alex insisted her feelings were real for Richie.

'Do you want to go there?' The pair appear to waste no time getting into a bitter face off

In the post, she wrote: 'It's a bizarre thing falling in love on national television. Did I really fall in love with Richie?

'At the time, I believed that with every fibre of my being.

'What we were in that moment was powerful and special and I was on cloud nine and what we went through and experienced together was unique.'
She is best known for strutting down the Victoria's Secret catwalk in skimpy lingerie.

And Izabel Goulart channeled her inner VS angel as she slipped into a diamante chain bra for the Rio de Janeiro Carnival on Saturday.

Joined by actress Bruna Marquezine, the model, 34, ensured all eyes were on her as she showcased her jaw-dropping figure in the racy top.

Eye-catching display: Izabel Goulart showcased her phenomenal figure in a diamante chain bra for the final day of the Rio Carnival on Saturday

Izabel looked like she was dripping in diamonds in the high collared bra, with the jewels cascading down onto her enviably-toned stomach.

The runway queen left little to the imagination as she flashed plenty of sideboob and her fabulous figure in the backless bralet during the raucous street party.

Isabel complemented her eye-catching look with teeny-tiny hot pants and gold hoop earrings.

Turning up the heat: The model, 34, ensured all eyes were on her as she showcased her jaw-dropping figure in the racy top

Racy: The runway queen left little to the imagination as she flashed plenty of sideboob and her fabulous figure in the backless bralet during the raucous street party

Carnival queen: Isabel complemented her eye-catching look with teeny-tiny hot pants, a white shirt and gold hoop earrings

She wore her brunette locks in a sleek high ponytail and accentuated her golden glow with a glamorous make-up look.

Izabel took to Instagram to post a photo of her jaw-dropping outfit as she stood side-by-side with pal Bruna.

Bruna upped the skin-flashing ante in a sheer black studded leotard and ripped denim hotpants.

Diamond girl: Izabel looked like she was dripping in diamonds in the high collared bra, with the jewels cascading down onto her enviably-toned stomach (pictured with Fernanda Motta)

Stunning: Joined by actress Bruna Marquezine, the model ensured all eyes were on her as she showcased her jaw-dropping figure in the racy top

Celebrating the last day of the carnival, the pair looked like they were having the time of their life as they watched the famous parade take place down the Sambadrome Marques de Sapuca.

Bruna upped the skin-flashing ante in a sheer black studded leotard and ripped denim hotpants

Drop-dead gorgeous: Izabel looked like she was dripping in diamonds in the high collared bra, with the jewels cascading down onto her enviably-toned stomach

Party girls: Izabel took to Instagram to post a photo of her jaw-dropping outfit as she stood side-by-side with pal Bruna

Celebrating the last day of the carnival, the pair looked like they were having the time of their life as they watched the famous parade take place down the Sambadrome Marques de Sapuca.

Izabel returned to her home country just two weeks after she enjoyed a break in Paris with her fiance Kevin Trapp.

The couple's love story goes back to when they first started dating in 2016 but the couple have kept their romance fairly low-key in the limelight.

The lovebirds very happily announced their engagement in July last year during their romantic break to Mykonos, Greece.

Carnival time: Members of Unidos de Vila Isabel performed during the samba school's champions parade at Sapucai Sambadrome

Going for gold: Members of the parade painted themselves in gold as they performed

Spooky: Several of the parade members looked like moving statues with their ensembles

Making a statement: The costumes were designed to turn heads on the night

Eye-catching: The looks on the night were designed to turn heads on the evening

Putting on a show: The crowds were treated to dances and songs by the perfomers

Getting wiggy with it: One member donned a giant cream wig for the ceremony

Sheer daring: The eye-catching ensembles left little to the imagination at the parade

Glamorous: Queen of Percussion Sabrina Sato of Unidos de Vila Isabel was at the parade
Jessika Power fought back tears as she discussed her difficult childhood and family life on Sunday night's episode of Married at First Sight.

The 26-year-old was prompted to reveal her past to the experts and group, after her 'husband' Mick Gould slammed her family last week.

Jessika confessed: 'I've had a really rough upbringing. I didn't have much family around me growing up.'

'I've always sort of been on my own': MAFS' Jessika Power (pictured) fought back tears as she revealed her 'rough upbringing' on Sunday episode's of Married of First Sight

She went on: 'I've always sort of been on my own, I brought my little sisters and brother up.

'My father wasn't around for my whole life and we've reconnected in the last six years, and it has been the best six years of my life getting to know this man. And my sister is like my rock'.

The emotional blonde went on to say that she was excited for Mick to spend time with her family during their home stay only to discover her 'husband' wasn't keen.

Jessika confessed: 'I've always sort of been on my own. I've had a really rough upbringing. I didn't have much family around me growing up'

Upset: The emotional blonde went on to say that she was excited for 'husband' Mick Gould to spend time with her family during their homestay only to discover he wasn't keen

'I'm thinking, "I can't wait for my home stay so my family can meet him again" [and] all the while knowing he hates them,' she said.

The emotional confession comes after Jessika had raged at her 'husband' over several derogatory remarks he had made about her family off camera last week.

'Last night Mick made comments about my family and how they were acting at our wedding - and it really upset me,' said Jessika, while introducing the spat.

Tears: The emotional confession comes after Jessika had raged at her 'husband' over several derogatory remarks he had made about her family off camera

She claimed: 'Mick said my father was quite rude to some people and called him a drunk, he then called my brother a "f**k head". Jessika is pictured with Mick on Married at First Sight

'Mick said my father was quite rude to some people and called him a drunk, he then called my brother a "f**k head".

'I mean, like, they're difficult at times but that's my family - I love them. I'm very disappointed and disgusted in him.'

The Queensland farmer did not deny the claims, explaining that her family were 'basically just acting like t***s' at the wedding and he was just 'being honest'.

Protective: Jess was estranged from her former boxer father Troy (left) but they reconnected six years ago. Troy caused a drama at the wedding as he threatened violence against Mick. Jessika is pictured with her father at her wedding to Mick

Stealing the spotlight: Another breakout star from Jessika's wedding was her handsome brother Rhyce Power (pictured)

'You don't talk like that about somebody else's family, it's f***ing disgusting and it has really upset me. The sad thing is I genuinely liked you... up until that,' raged Jessika.

'This paints me a picture of what you're really like as a person. You're f***ing disgusting and you're rank.'

Speaking to producers, Jessika added: 'I want nothing to do with him - I hate him.'

No deal? Rhyce (left), a heavily-tattooed male stripper for the Magic Men Australia agency, quipped that Mick was not good looking enough for his sister (right)

Jessika's 'husband' Mick did not impress her protective biological father Troy or handsome brother Rhyce at their wedding.

The former boxer certainly his presence known when he threatened violence against Mick at the wedding reception.

Rhyce, a heavily-tattooed male stripper for the Magic Men Australia agency, also quipped that Mick was not good looking enough for his sister.

The beauty went on to have an 'affair' with another groom, Daniel Webb, with the pair sharing a clandestine kiss during last week's dinner party.
He purchased a 5million home late last year following his divorce from ex-wife Lisa Armstrong.

And it has been revealed Ant McPartlin will finally settle into the swanky abode in the summer without girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett, marking the first time he's living away from sidekick Declan Donnelly since over 25 years ago.

According to The Mirror, the TV presenter, 43, was spotted 'chatting to builders on site' as his house undergoes extensive renovations.

Fresh start: Ant McPartlin will move into his new 5million home in the summer without girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett, according to The Mirror

Late last year, a source revealed to the The Sun that the ITV host will not be living with former PA Anne-Marie, 42, as she resides nearby with her two children.

They detailed in October: 'The next couple of months will be difficult for him, given hes not in Australia with Dec for Im A Celebrity.

'But this house provides him a fresh start... its a big project for him that hes going to throw himself into before going back to work.'

Next step: The TV presenter, 43, was spotted 'chatting to builders on site' as his house undergoes extensive renovations

Apart: The host's move will mark the first time he's living away from sidekick Declan Donnelly since over 25 years ago

The Geordie presenter and his co-star Dec, 43, will be living away from each other for the first time since they moved to London over 25 years ago.

During the start of their careers, the dynamic duo shared a flat before settling into separate houses in the English capital's affluent district Chiswick.

Ant even rented a property close to Dec's home after leaving his marital abode, which he shared with make-up artist Lisa, 42.

Meanwhile, he is reportedly embroiled in a dog custody battle against ex-wife Lisa over their pet pooch Hurley, and are said to have eventually drawn up a rota for shared time after adopting him together in 2013.

According to the Daily Star, the former couple  who, since their January split, have been spending a week each with the pooch  were said to be ironing out an agreement that would see Hurley endure as little disruption as possible.

Ant is understood to have credited the Labrador with helping him through his well-documented struggles with alcohol and substance abuse issues, with Hurley even given allowance to visit him in a residential rehabilitation centre.

However, make-up artist Lisa is said to be equally attached, and frequently fills her Instagram page with posts of herself and the dog she shares with Ant.

Split: He purchased a 5million home late last year following his divorce from ex-wife Lisa Armstrong

Reports: Meanwhile, the Geordie host is reportedly embroiled in a dog custody battle against ex-wife Lisa, 42, over their pet pooch Hurley

The BGT star bought Maltipoo puppies Milo and Bumble - which are a cross between a Maltese terrier and a poodle and typically cost 1,000 each - a few weeks ago.

Ant and Anne-Marie went public with their romance last year and have since looked incredibly loved-up at every turn, with their recent Abu Dhabi holiday being the next step.

He previously credited his partner for 'saving his life', after battling addiction, a drink-drive conviction and divorce.
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He recently splashed out $13.8 million on an empty property complete with 2.34 acres of land in Los Angeles neighbourhood, Bel-Air.

And Calvin Harris appears to have centred his attention on his new purchase as he's put his Hollywood Hills home on the market for $5.75million.

The 35-year-old record producer's sprawling residence, which is also available to rent at a whopping $25,000 per month, is situated above the stunning Hollywood Reservoir, and boasts six bathrooms, a home bar lounge area and an outdoor pool.

Out with the old: Calvin Harris has put his Hollywood Hills home on the market for $5.75million, just months after splashing out $13.8 million on an empty property complete with 2.34 acres of land in Los Angeles neighbourhood, Bel-Air

Forbes' highest-paid DJ in the world originally snapped up the 1940s property in 2017 for just over $5million from fellow musician Steve Angello.

The Ready for the Weekend hitmaker's wealth is displayed throughout the lavish abode, which features four bedrooms and six bathrooms in just over 6,000 square feet between the main residence and a two-storey attached guesthouse and recording studio.

Perfect for fun-filled nights with guests, the mansion includes a cosy home bar area, featuring sleek cabinets and minimalist furnishings.

The house's open-plan living room onlooks the refreshing scenery of California through its huge wall of windows.

Enviable: The 35-year-old record producer's sprawling residence, which is also available to rent at a whopping $25,000 per month, is situated above the stunning Hollywood Reservoir, and boasts six bathrooms, a home bar lounge area and an outdoor pool

Bottoms up! Perfect for fun-filled nights with guests, the mansion includes a cosy home bar area, featuring sleek cabinets and minimalist furnishings

Mixing sleek themes with old French interior design, the airy space is complete with a chateau-style fireplace, glossy parquet floors, an 18-foot high wood-beamed ceiling and a statement chandelier piece.

Another lounge room features both structured brown chairs and a comfy white six-seater corner sofa, connected to the kitchen.

Made with glossy black stone countertops, the kitchen, combined with a dining room, opens out onto a courtyard and swimming pool through massive twin glass doors.

Adding a striking contrast to the monochrome-toned food area, a brown wooden bench is situated in the dining area, decorated with a simple green plant and matching vase.

Glitzy: The house's open plan living room onlooks the refreshing scenery of California through its huge wall of windows

Statement pieces: Mixing sleek themes with old French interior, the airy space is complete with a chateau-style fireplace, glossy parquet floors, an 18-foot high wood-beamed ceiling and a statement chandelier piece

Unwind: Connected to the kitchen, another lounge room features both structured brown chairs and a comfy white six-seater corner sofa

Cooking up a storm: Made with glossy black stone countertops, the kitchen, combined with a dining room opens out onto a courtyard and swimming pool through massive twin glass doors

Guests are transported from the first floor of the house to the second via a French country-style staircase, detailed with a mini seating area underneath.

Attached to the plush property, the guesthouse contains an enviable two-storey suite with a polished black marble fireplace.

The master bathroom comprises of a cream-toned tub, sleek white cabinets and a comfy window seat, boasting views of the outdoor swimming pool.

Showcasing Calvin's love for music, the home studio includes an array of guitars and comfy twin sofas for breaks in between recording.

The study area goes against the house's huge rooms as the mini space features a modest table lamp and mirrored worktops, perfect for some quiet time.

Pop of colour: Adding a striking contrast to the monochrome-style food area, a brown wooden bench is situated in the dining area, complete with a simple green plant and matching vase

Up, up and away: Guests are transported from the first floor of the house to the second via a French country-style staircase, detailed with a mini seating area underneath

Sprawling: Attached to the plush property, the guesthouse contains an enviable two-storey suite with a polished black marble fireplace

Calvin currently lives in a $15,000,000 (11.69 million) compound in the mountains above California, in an area known as Beverly Hills Post Office.

The Scottish-born producer has been building his real estate portfolios over the past few years and his latest purchase of the Bel Air estate is certainly a gem in his list of homes both Stateside and in his native country UK.

In 2016, it was revealed he splashed out almost 3million ($4million) on a five-bedroom mansion for his parents in Somerset as he moved them out of their more modest home in Dumfries, Scotland.

It was reported at the time that his own company CH Music Ltd financed a 2.8million loan to buy the home.

Lap of luxury: Sectioned off with glass pair doors, the master bathroom comprises of a cream-toned tub, sleek white cabinets and a comfy window seat, boasting views of the outdoor swimming pool

Musical talent: Showcasing Calvin's love for music, the home studio is complete with an array of guitars and comfy twin sofas for breaks in between recording

Up for the market: Calvin currently lives in a $15,000,000 (11.69 million) compound in the mountains above California, in an area known as Beverly Hills Post Office

Moving on: The Scottish-born producer has been building his real estate portfolios over the past few years and his latest purchase of the Bel Air estate is certainly a gem in his list of homes both Stateside and in his native country UK

Purchases: In 2016, it was revealed he splashed out almost 3million ($4million) on a five-bedroom mansion for his parents in Somerset as he moved them out of their more modest home in Dumfries, Scotland

A source said: 'Calvin's chuffed to bits to be able to splash out on a mansion for his mum and dad because they've supported him through thick and thin.

'It's everyone's dream to be able to give something back to their parents and Calvin is most definitely living the dream.

'The house is impressive but you wouldn't expect anything less from a guy who wrote a song called Mansion. It was a bit of a wrench for David and Pamela to leave Dumfries but that's offset by the fact they are now closer to Sophie, who has two kids.'

Wow: The study room goes against the house's vast sections as the mini space features a modest table lamp and mirrored worktops, perfect for some quiet time

Refreshing: The outdoor seating area onlooks the fresh greenery in the hillside neighborhood

Come alive at the night time: The balcony is decorated with pretty light bulbs and grey sofas

It has been a successful time for the DJ as of recent after bagging his first ever BRIT Award for Producer of the Year last month, before going on to also win British Single of the Year for his track 'One Kiss' which features Dua Lipa. Calvin and The 1975 were the big winners at the BRIT Awards, each taking home two prizes.

As for his love life, the hunk and Aarika Wolf go way back because they dated for seven months in 2015 before the DJ dumped the model to date Taylor Swift.

How Deep Is Your Love hitmaker Calvin romanced Taylor, 28, for 15 months before the couple called it quits on their love in June 2016.

The Story Of Us songstress was spotted with actor Tom Hiddleston shortly after the split but their PDA-fest was short-lived and now Taylor is dating Joe Alwyn.

Dazzling: Forbes' highest-paid DJ in the world originally snapped up the 1940s property in 2017 for just over $5million from fellow musician Steve Angello
Big Brother narrator Mike Goldman believes the death of his close friend Annalise Braakensiek was an 'accident'.

The glamorous model and socialite was found dead at her Sydney home in January at the age of 46, with initial reports suggesting she committed suicide.

But speaking with The Herald-Sun on Monday, Mike insisted that Annalise was in a good place at the time of her passing, telling the publication: 'She was excited about so many things in the future.'

Annalise Braakensiek's close friend Mike Goldman (pictured) told The Herald Sun on Sunday that he believes the model's tragic passing was an accident

Tragedy: Annalise (pictured) was found dead at her Sydney home in January at the age of 46, with initial reports suggesting she committed suicide

Mike interviewed Annalise for his On The Mike podcast just three months before her death, where the pair spoke at length about her past achievements and her pending plans.

He told The Herald Sun that he simply cannot fathom that her death may have been deliberate.

'It annoyed me to see people jump to conclusions, which I personally think is the wrong conclusion,' he said.

Mysterious passing: Several of Annalise's friends believe she died of an accidental drug overdose. She is pictured in June 2018

'It's a real sad loss and personally I think it was an accident.'

Last month, another friend also cast doubt on claims that Annalise may have taken her own life.

The anonymous pal, who was friends with the model for more than two decades, told The Daily Telegraph: 'I saw her just days before and while everyone knew Annalise could be a fragile person, that doesn't mean she was depressed or depressive.'

The friend is adamant that Annalise died of an accidental drug overdose.

Household name: Annalise was one of Australia's most successful swimsuit models

Popular: The model reached the heights of her fame in the early 2000s. She is pictured in 2002

Annalise's mother, Vera Stevens, similarly believes her daughter died accidentally.

Speaking on Channel Seven's Sunday Night program a fortnight ago, she stated: 'I believe that she went out New Year's Eve and she partied and partied and she made a fatal mistake with what she ingested.

However, during her interview, Vera painted a very different picture of Annalise than the one painted by her friends.

She claimed her daughter was obsessed with presenting a picture-perfect life on social media, and had complained that she was 'depressed'.

'I never looked at her Instagram, I never looked at her Facebook, because it upset me': Annalise's mother Vera Stevens recently told Sunday Night that her daughter became increasingly obsessed with presenting a picture-perfect life on social media

'I never looked at her Instagram, I never looked at her Facebook, because it upset me,' Vera told the program.

'It wasn't true. She'd put a post like that on Instagram, she'd ring me and say, ''I can't breathe. I'm so depressed"

Annalise was one of Australia's most successful swimsuit models, reaching the heights of her fame in the early 2000s.

She also starred in the popular 2003 film Fat Pizza, the year after she married stockbroker Danny Goldberg.

The pair split last April after sixteen years of marriage.

The Coroners Court is set to review her death this coming July.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14.

Anyone across Australia experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide can contact Lifeline.
An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet has crashed on a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi killing all 157 on board, a report said.

The flight ET 302 was involved in an accident today around Bishoftu (Debre Zeit), the airline said in a statement.

It is believed that there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight and all aboard had died in the accident, the airline said.

The airline said that there were 33 different nationalities on board. It is not yet clear what caused the accident. The aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET- AVJ took off at 08:38 am local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 am, it said.

"At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible causalities. Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services," it said.

Ethiopian Airlines is establishing a passenger information centre and telephone numbers will be available shortly for family or friends of those who may have been on flight ET 302.
She is the latest recruit to sign-up to ITVBe's hit reality show, The Only Way Is Essex.

And Demi Sims ensured she captured the spotlight ahead of her debut as she stepped out in a skin-flashing black swimsuit while sunbathing at her hotel in Thailand on Saturday.

Joined by her sister Chloe, 36, and the rest of the bikini-clad cast, the reality starlet, 22, displayed plenty of underboob as she strutted around the pool in the teeny-tiny one-piece.

Bikini babe: TOWIE's newbie Demi Sims (R) stepped out in a skin-flashing black swimsuit while sunbathing with sister Chloe (L) at her hotel in Thailand on Saturday

Demi showcased her slender physique in the cut-out swimsuit, which she teamed with a zebra print mini-skirt and black chunky sandals.

Styling her brown ombre hair in a sleek straight centre-parting, the TOWIE newbie looked dolled to the nines as she headed to the pool with her glamorous sister.

Taking fashion tips from Demi, Chloe also flaunted her surgically-enhanced cleavage and derriere in a high-rise cut-out black one-piece.

Jaw-dropping cleavage: The reality starlet, 22, displayed plenty of underboob as she strutted around the pool in the teeny-tiny one-piece

Quirky style: Demi showcased her slender physique in the cut-out swimsuit, which she teamed with a zebra themed mini-skirt and black chunky shoes

Busty display: Taking fashion tips from Demi, Chloe also flaunted her surgically-enhanced cleavage and derriere in a high-rise cut-out black one piece

Sun-drenched break: Styling her brown ombre hair in a sleek straight centre-parting, Demi finished off her look with black aviators

Essex queens: The TOWIE newbie (R) looked dolled to the nines as she headed to the pool with her glamorous sister (L)

TOWIE VeThe mother-of-one accessorised her racy swimwear with a sheer white shirt and donned a pair of oversized sunglasses

Pout: The pair were poker-faced as they posed up a storm for photos before heading to the pool

The mother-of-one accessorised her racy swimwear with a sheer white shirt and donned a pair of oversized sunglasses.

While the Sims' sisters opted for black swimsuits, Georgia Kousoulou stood out from the crowd in a tangerine orange bikini.

The 27-year-old Essex beauty cut a vibrant figure as she posed by the poolside and exhibited her hourglass figure in the bandeau bikini top and matching high-waisted bottoms.

Head-turner: While the Sims' sisters opted for black swimsuits, Georgia Kousoulou stood out from the crowd in a tangerine orange bikini

Bright: The 27-year-old Essex beauty cut a vibrant figure as she posed by the poolside

Feeling the heat: Adapting to the country's balmy climes, she slicked her blonde locks off her face and back into a low ponytail and posed with Chloe Ross

Gossip: Her best pal accompanied the group for a debrief after their night out in Koh Samui

Embellished: Clad in a silver sequin two-piece, the beautician, 26, showcased her incredible figure

Chic: She kept cool with a white shirt and tied her brunette hair back into a high bun

Loving the attention: Chloe is said to have caught the eye of the single men on the show, and has made no secret of the fact that she is looking for a boyfriend

Adapting to the country's balmy climes, she slicked her blonde locks off her face and back into a low ponytail and shielded her eyes from the sun with reflective sunglasses.

Her best pal and TOWIE newbie Chloe Ross accompanied the group for a debrief after their night out in Koh Samui.

Clad in a silver sequin two-piece, the beautician, 26, showcased her incredible figure as she posed up a storm alongside Georgia.

Relaxing: The group were no doubt wanting to nurse their sore heads after an all-day pool party and raucous night out

The group were no doubt wanting to nurse their sore heads after an all-day pool party and raucous night out.

While Demi and Chloe R have jetted out to Thailand to be introduced to the rest of the crew, a host of the show's stars are said to be quietly seething after learning bosses have signed up a slew of younger social media stars.

A source told The Sun: 'Rather than bring in cast members who have links to the current stars, bosses have decided to bring in a bunch of all-new signings who are well known in Essex, they all have a huge social media followings...

'They are already keeping the old cast members on their toes following the big cull, the rest of the cast were told there was a new group of signings on the first night of their Thailand trip, but they don't know who they are yet.

Sparks flyling: Beautician Chloe has apparently wasted no time getting to know the boys on the show - including newly-single Dan Edgar

'The revelation was met by mixed reactions by regulars who are desperate to find out who they are, half felt threatened by having a new group of younger, fresher Essex newbies stealing the headlines while the other half were excited to have fresh meat.'

MailOnline has contacted ITV representatives for further comment.

Beautician Chloe has apparently wasted no time getting to know the boys on the show - including newly-single Dan Edgar.

Chloe is said to have caught the eye of the single men on the show, and has made no secret of the fact that she is looking for a boyfriend.

An insider told The Sun: 'Chloe is a perfect addition to the show  she's gorgeous, friendly and as a single lady is on the hunt for a new man.

'Dan has already shown an interest in her but he's not the only one to think she's a hot new signing.

'Chloe's also caught the eye of Gatsby, Sam Mucklow and Diags  and there's no better way for her to get to know them all than in Thailand.'

Any sparks between Chloe and Dan will no doubt make uncomfortable viewing for his ex-girlfriend Amber Turner, who he split from at the end of December.

The news will no doubt come as an even heavier blow to the blonde bombshell given that she fell victim of the huge cast cull this season.

Joining the likes of Myles Barnett and Kady McDermott, James Lock and Yasmin Oukhellou, the 25-year-old reality star was been told by producers that she will not come back.

The next series of TOWIE kicks off next Sunday at 9pm on ITVBe.
Jessika Power's aggressive flirting with 'married' Dan Webb resulted in their first illicit kiss during Wednesday night's explosive dinner party.

But after being branded the 'most hated woman in Australia' for 'cheating' on 'husband' Mick Gould, the 27-year-old blonde has blamed alcohol for her behaviour.

'Id had a few wines, I cant blame my actions solely on alcohol but I had a few,' she told this Monday's Herald Sun.

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'I would hate me too!' MAFS star Jessika Power claimed intoxication was to blame for aggressive flirting with 'married' Dan Webb...after being branded 'selfish' for choosing to remain with 'husband' Mick Gould

'You can see Im doing one interview to camera and Im completely sober and the next one Ive obviously had a few wines,' she told the publication.

And after watching it back, the reality star claimed she would 'hate' herself too.

'I thought If I wasnt you I would hate you, get that cow off TV.'

'I am here to commit myself to a relationship and to try and make it work with somebody': Jessika attempted to defend her decision to stay with Mick in front of the group

Meanwhile, Jessika was at the centre of drama on Sunday night's episode of the dating show.

'Husband' Mick slammed Jessika for choosing to remain in the social experiment with him.

The Queensland farmer, 31, branded his wife 'full of s***' for saying she hopes to salvage their 'marriage' during the latest commitment ceremony.

Not a popular choice! The Queensland farmer, 31, branded his wife 'full of s***' for saying she hopes to salvage their 'marriage' during the latest commitment ceremony

After sending shock-waves through the group with her decision, Jessika then boasted to producers she only chose to stay to build a 'future' with Daniel Webb.

'I do feel like my relationship is over with Mick,' said Jessika.

'I did come here looking for love. I feel like I'm staying here for selfish reasons but who's to say what's selfish when it comes to love?

'Staying tonight for Dan is for our future. It just gives us the chance to explore this feeling we've got for one and other.'
She's set to return to the small screen later this month for the upcoming series of The Only Way Is Essex.

And Georgia Kousoulou stood out from the crowd as she sunbathed at her hotel in between filming scenes for the ITVBe show in Ko Samui, Thailand, on Saturday.

The TV personality, 27, commanded attention as she cut a vibrant figure in a tangerine orange two-piece during her idyllic trip.

Wow-factor! Georgia Kousoulou stood out from the crowd as she sunbathed at her hotel in between filming scenes for ITVBe's TOWIE in Ko Samui, Thailand, on Saturday

Highlighting her hourglass figure, the reality star's bikini set featured a bandeau top and matching high-waisted bottoms.

Adapting to the country's balmy climes, the blonde slicked her locks off her face and back into a low ponytail while shielding her eyes from the sun with reflective sunglasses.

Georgia displayed her naturally radiant complexion with minimal make-up, and accessorised with statement gold dangle earrings.

The TOWIE veteran caught the eye as she complemented her neon ensemble with a bright yellow manicure and pedicure.

Catching the eye: The TV personality, 27, commanded attention as she cut a vibrant figure in a tangerine orange two-piece during her idyllic trip

Smokin' hot! Highlighting her hourglass figure, the reality star's bikini set featured a bandeau top and matching high-waisted bottoms

Although Georgia was not seen with her beau Tommy Mallett, he recently shared a snap of the pair soaking up the sun at a beach club.

Tommy showed off his toned physique in the snap, after revealing he had lost two stone in six months after creeping to his 'biggest weight' at 17 stone (110kg) last year.

The 32-year-old candidly admitted that he put on weight during an ongoing battle with his mental health during a recent Instagram post.

Mental health problems have taken a toll on the reality star over the last year which he cited as one of the main reasons for piling on the pounds.

Details: Adapting to the country's balmy climes, the blonde slicked her locks off her face and back into a low ponytail while shielding her eyes from the sun with reflective sunglasses (pictured with co-star Chloe Ross)

Radiant: Georgia displayed her naturally glowing complexion with minimal make-up, and accessorised with statement gold dangle earrings

Standing out: The TOWIE veteran caught the eye as she complemented her neon ensemble with a bright yellow manicure and pedicure

Striking: Clad in a silver sequin two-piece, beautician Chloe, 26, showcased her incredible figure

Tommy broke down in tears on TOWIE when he documented a 'scary' depressive episode he experienced where he couldn't even bring himself to leave the house.

He said on the show: 'I woke up one morning I just sat there and looked at a wall. I couldn't leave the house. I know it was only a few days but still. It was scary.

'I feel like I need to do something to people. I need to sort myself out first more than anything but I'd like to try and help people, because it can be naughty. Young men if you're going through something and you don't talk about it, it can f*** you.'

Georgia, who once said she would be furious if her beau proposed on TOWIE, has offered her support and all her love to help him.
They called it quits over the Christmas period after a one-year tumultuous relationship.

But Amber Turner, 25, and Dan Edgar, 28, have reportedly rekindled their romance as they enjoyed a belated Valentine's dinner together, according to the blonde's best pal Chloe Meadows.

In an interview with The Sun, reality star Chloe, 26, who is currently filming the latest series of TOWIE in Thailand, insisted the pair 'still need to figure things out' as they'll 'always be a spark between them'.

Back on? Amber Turner, 25, and Dan Edgar, 28, have reportedly rekindled their romance as they enjoyed a belated Valentine's dinner, according to the blonde's best pal Chloe Meadows

TV personality Amber and hunky Dan embarked on a casual fling in 2017 before making things official last year, but broke off their relationship in December.

Speaking on their difficult romance, Chloe told the publication: 'As of right now they're not together but who knows... Amber is quite hard to get information out of.

'They went for a belated Valentine's dinner last Saturday. I think there will always be a spark between them. They still need to figure things out.'

The former barmaid insisted she and gal pal Courtney Green are currently 'checking up' on Dan, who is said to have hit it off with TOWIE's new girl Chloe Ross, during filming for the latest series in the Asian country.

Inside details: In an interview with The Sun , reality star Chloe, 26, who is currently filming the latest series of TOWIE in Thailand, insisted the pair 'still need to figure things out'

Off/on: TV personality Amber and hunky Dan embarked on a casual fling in 2017 before making things official last year, but broke off their relationship in December

Earlier this year, fashion blogger Amber joined the likes of Myles Barnett and Kady McDermott as she fell victim of the huge cast cull.

Chloe claimed Amber's stint on the show 'would have helped' her relationship with Dan.

She explained: 'It is a shame... we've been on the phone to Amber and she's been asking what's been going on.'

Chloe also claimed she thinks Amber will make a return to the reality series as she's 'too involved' in their group.

Hopeful: 'They went for a belated Valentine's dinner last Saturday. I think there will always be a spark between them. They still need to figure things out', Chloe revealed

She's out! Earlier this year, fashion blogger Amber joined the likes of Myles Barnett and Kady McDermott as she fell victim of the huge cast cull

MailOnline has contacted Dan and Amber's representatives for comment.

Earlier this year, insiders revealed exclusively to MailOnline that show bosses had been sympathetic to Amber's plight, while TOWIE representatives confirmed she was told her contract for the coming series had been terminated so would not be returning.

The bombshell 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.

That's what friends are for: The former barmaid insisted she and gal pal Courtney Green are currently 'checking up' on Dan during filming for the latest series in the Asian country

Newbie: TOWIE's new girl Chloe Ross appears to be ruffling feathers as she is said to have hit it off with 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.

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.'

An official start date for TOWIE's season 24 has yet to be confirmed but it is expected to air later this month.
They first erupted into a furious row after she accused him of selling stories about her during her stint on Dancing On Ice.

And Gemma Collins, 38, and Jason Gardiner, 47, will reportedly be kept separate during the series' grand finale on Sunday in a bid to avoid drama, according to The Sun.

The publication have also revealed the former TOWIE star has unfollowed some of her former co-stars to 'unclog her feed' on Instagram.

Distance: Gemma Collins, 38, and Jason Gardiner, 47, will reportedly be kept separate during Dancing On Ice's grand finale on Sunday in a bid to avoid drama, according to The Sun

Previously insisting he was 'over' their feud, the choreographer recently told This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield he thought the GC 'was a refrigerator' - causing the TV personality to brand him a 'bully'.

To avoid 'any more explosions' between the pair during the finale, a source said: 'Gemma and Jason will be kept separate so they won't be crossing paths backstage tonight.'

Following his recent interview, Jason issued an apology to his rival, insisting the term 'the GC' reminds him of 'a white goods appliance', hence the fridge comparison.

Detox: The publication have also revealed the former TOWIE star has unfollowed some of her former co-stars to 'unclog her feed' on Instagram

Drama: They first erupted into a furious row after she accused him of selling stories about her during her stint on Dancing On Ice (pictured with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and DOI partner Matt Evers)

Bitter: he choreographer recently told This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield he thought the GC 'was a refrigerator'

Hitting back: Outraged by the comment, the TV personality branded her rival a 'bully'

He told hosts Lucy Horobin and Jamie Theakston: 'If people are taking it that way, look Im really sorry  it was just a way of just diffusing any tension and making light of the situation and the GC part of her persona.'

Meanwhile, Gemma has undergone a social media cleanse as she's unfollowed a selection of her pals, including the likes of former DOI partner Matt Evers and Kim Kardashian's BFF Jonathan Cheban.

The Essex beauty currently follows only 28 accounts, including finalists Wes Nelson, Saara Aalto and James Jordan, on social media, with a source explaining her decision: 'Gemma wanted to unclog her feed. It's nothing personal.

Change: Meanwhile, Gemma has undergone a social media cleanse as she's unfollowed a selection of her pals, including the likes of former DOI partner Matt

'Beyonce did the same, and Cheryl has too in the past. She wishes everyone at Dancing on Ice well, and even sent out a message of support to them this morning'.

MailOnline has contacted Gemma and ITV's representatives for further comment.

Meanwhile, the blonde, who recently rekindled her romance with on-off beau James 'Arg' Argent, hinted at an upcoming music project with Naughty Boy earlier this month.

'It's nothing personal': The Essex beauty currently follows only 28 accounts, including finalists Wes Nelson, Saara Aalto and James Jordan, on social media

Documenting their recent meeting on social media, she was treated to the culinary skills of the music maker, 34, as he cooked up a curry for her at her Essex home.

Her exciting new career venture has also been backed up by her desires to crack America and move to glamorous Los Angeles - where she wants cameras to be on her the minute she lands.

Gemma and Naughty Boy, real name Shahid Khan, first hit it off at the Brits, when the blonde beauty belted out his Beyonce collab Runnin' - leading him to proclaim her voice had 'touched his heart' in a way few had.

New friends: Meanwhile, the blonde, who recently rekindled her romance with on-off beau James 'Arg' Argent, hinted at an upcoming music project with Naughty Boy earlier this month

Making music: The producer, 34, hinted that they are set to release music together by captioning their selife: 'GC X NB = album soon come #music #real #naughty #2019'

The 34-year-old also hinted that they are set to release music together by adding: 'GC X NB = album soon come #music #real #naughty #2019.'

Meanwhile, she revealed her desires to crack America during an appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show.

The reality star shared: 'Ive never been to LA. (Im going to LA because) the cameras want to be on me the minute I touch down in LA, to follow me having a go at it (hitting the big time in America).'
With a house full of sisters and cousins, he's always got plenty of playmates.

And Saint West clearly loves to play with his large family, as a new set of photos shows.

In images posted to Instagram by his doting mother Kim Kardashian on Sunday morning, the three-year-old was seen expertly playing hide and seek.

Spot the kiddo: Kim Kardashian crowns son Saint West The King Of Hide And Seek as she finally finds him face down in ball pit on Sunday morning

Surprise! Upon realising he's been spotted, the preschooler shoots Kim a wide smile

Kim crowned her son The King Of Hide And Seek after finding him beneath the plastic balls in the ball pit.

The pictures show Saint's T-shirt beneath a pile of balls. Upon realising he's been spotted, the preschooler shoots her a wide smile, as his one-year-old sister Chicago climbs in to play.

Along with his two sisters - he also has five-year-old big sister North - he will soon have a little brother.

Kim and her rapper husband Kanye West expecting their fourth child together via surrogate.

And the two couldn't be more excited.

Play time: His one-year-old sister Chicago joined Saint in the pit

A source said: 'Kim and Kanye are really excited about the new baby. It's a bright spot right now given everything else that's going on in the family.

'At this point they've been working on the baby's nursery at their home and putting all that stuff together.'

The two are looking into getting bigger cars, as their growing family is getting too large to fit in one vehicle.

Speaking to E! News, the source added: 'They're also trying to think about getting a new car  with four kids, two adults and a couple nannies, they definitely need to invest in a car that suits the entire family so that's an ongoing discussion.'

Meanwhile, 38-year-old Kim said she's feeling 'calm' about her impending arrival, though she was initially 'stressing' about welcoming another tot.

Here he is! The pictures show Saint buried beneath a pile of balls

She said last month: 'I was kind of stressing.

'My house is so full [but] I heard that parents of four are the most enlightened and calm of all parents.'

And sources previously claimed Kim and Kanye, 41, had always wanted a 'big family' and are blessed to have an 'incredible gift' on the way.

They said: 'The couple has always wanted a big family and their first time with surrogacy went so well, they decided to do it again.

'The couple is excited to welcome such an incredible gift in 2019.

'They've also talked that after this child, they are most likely done having kids.'

Mom's the word: Kim with a young Saint and North in 2017




She catapulted to fame on Snog, Marry, Avoid before overhauling her image with the aid of plastic surgery.

And Chloe Khan took to Instagram on Sunday to reveal the results of her bum job, just one day after she underwent surgery to replace her 'saggy' implants.

The glamour model, 26, flew out to Turkey to have the procedure and flaunted her peachy derriere on the site before sharing a cryptic snap marking her two-year anniversary with her secret boyfriend 'on the other side of the world'.

Peachy: Chloe Khan took to Instagram on Sunday to reveal the results of her bum job, just one day after she underwent surgery to replace her 'saggy' implants

While showing off her enhanced posterior to the camera, Chloe discussed her reasoning behind getting larger implants.

'So guys I'm one day after surgery. I did have to have my butt implants out because they had dropped so much and they were causing me a lot of problems shape-wise.

'I had them replaced with higher, better-shaped, better-positioned slightly larger implants.'

Surgically-enhanced: The glamour model, 26, flew out to Turkey to have the procedure and flaunted her peachy derriere on the site

Pert: While showing off her enhanced posterior to the camera, Chloe discussed her reasoning behind getting larger implants

Bum job: 'So guys I'm one day after surgery. I did have to have my butt implants out because they had dropped so much and they were causing me a lot of problems shape-wise'

The former X Factor star was joined by plastic surgery lover Rodrigo Alves aka the Human Ken Doll in Turkey.

Chloe also teased she had another surgery at the clinic Comfort Zone, but is keeping the procedure under wraps for now.

Despite being delighted with the results, Chloe went on to tell her followers: 'I really do'nt want to promote young girls getting surgery and stuff.

'But if people have made up their mind then I would recommend safe surgery.'

Chloe later took to Instagram to share a snap of a bouquet of everlasting white stem roses and clear balloons to mark her two-year anniversary with a secret boyfriend.

Surgery: The former X Factor star was joined by plastic surgery lover Rodrigo Alves aka the Human Ken Doll in Turkey

Wearing just a bra and tiny miniskirt: 'Its our 2 year anniversary and we are at the other side of the world thanks for our gorgeous flowers and balloons.'

It is not the first time Chloe has needed to fly out to Turkey for corrective surgery.

The mother-of-one has been open about having nose jobs, lip enhancements, breast augmentations and her bottom enlargement.

Last February, the jet-setter took a break from her travels to appear on Good Morning Britain to debate with Aisleyne-Horgan Wallace about corrective plastic surgery.

Chloe, who has spent more than 100,000 on sculpting her figure, locked horns with the beauty when she argued the NHS shouldn't fund corrective procedures.

Aisleyne said: 'People don't go abroad and think, I'm going to have real bad problems when I come back, I'm going to have to turn to the NHS.'

Chloe bit back: 'Do you not think that people should take responsibility for a choice, if you have surgery, it's your choice, you're taking a risk, you know that.

'I myself have had a very bad cosmetic surgery and I would never dream of looking to someone else to pay for it. It was abroad.'

Aisleyne didn't hold back when she called out Chloe for getting expensive cosmetic procedures for free by advertising them.

She called out: 'But you get your surgery for free because you advertise it!' leading Chloe to retort 'So, you've had things done for free as well! I've paid for surgery too.'
She never puts a foot wrong when it comes to her style.

And Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo pulled another sartorially savvy look out of the bag as she arrived at The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, on Sunday for the GLAMOUR Beauty Festival 2019 in association with Boots.

The ex-Made In Chelsea star, 24, looked sensational as she slipped her slender physique into an edgy red and black patterned dress.

Out and about: Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo pulled another sartorially savvy look out of the bag as she arrived at The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, on Sunday

Showcasing her enviably-lean legs, the former I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! winner paired the long-sleeved frock with a stylish belt to highlight her slim waist.

The reality star upped the style ante in the footwear department as she boosted her frame in a pair of black biker boots, with her essentials in a matching bag.

Never one to shy away from glamour, Toff opted for thick layers of mascara and heavy foundation, which she paired with a pink lip.

Looking good: The ex- Made In Chelsea star, 24, looked sensational as she slipped her slender physique into an edgy red and black patterned dress

All in the details: The reality star upped the style ante in the footwear department as she boosted her frame in a pair of black biker boots, with her essentials in a matching bag

Meanwhile, Georgia was recently spotted leaving a BRITs 2019 after-party in the company of Love Island star Sam Bird in late February.

The pair tried to keep a low profile as they left the Warner Music & CIROC Vodka House bash in London's Chiltern Firehouse together, getting into the same taxi.

Toff and Sam looked cosy as they sped off into the night, making for an unusual pairing.

Georgia Steele's ex-boyfriend kept his distance from her in the taxi, suggesting they were friends and nothing more romantic.

Radiant: Never one to shy away from glamour, Toff opted for thick layers of mascara and heavy foundation, which she paired with a pink lip

MailOnline has contacted both stars' representatives for comment.

Elsewhere, the reality star was recently forced to deny she'd had plastic surgery.

She shared a selfie, but was immediately inundated with comments such as: 'Oh please don't tell me you've put plastic your face?????...'

'Nooooooo your far too young. ', one person exclaimed, whilst another quipped: 'Please don't touch your face you are beautiful don't do any plastic surgery'.

Setting the record straight, she defiantly replied: 'No I haven't touched my face why does everyone keep asking this'.
When it comes to her children, Kyle Richards spares no expense.

And the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star turned her backyard into a lavish fairground as Portia Umansky - her youngest daughter - turned 11 on Saturday.

The pre-teen was treated to a back yard wonderland which featured a fairground, cotton-candy machine and yurt.

Birthday girl: Portia Umansky - Kyle Richard's youngest daughter - celebrated with a lavish birthday party on Saturday

Yummy mommy: Kyle celebrated her youngest daughter's birthday on Saturday (pictured Feb 12)

Kyle, 50, who has starred in RHOBH since its premiere in October 2010, shared images of the big celebrations on her Instagram.

She posted a picture of Portia, who was wearing jeans and a black gypsy top, captioned: 'Our birthday girl looks so grown up I cant believe it  We love you Portia & are so lucky to have been blessed with you . Loved celebrating you today  #eleven #11.'

The post was liked by her former RHOBH co-star Yolanda Hadid, but none of her co-stars appeared to attend.

Fun! The daughter of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was treated to a back yard wonderland bash

The details of the bash were shared on her Instastories, with a pretty yurt by Wondertent Parties being the focus of the event.

It featured a sweetly decorated interior, with cushions and fairy lights, and Kyle revealed that Portia slept the night under the Mongolian-style canvas.

There were plenty more adrenalin-fuelled activities for the lucky guests too.

Yurt style: Kyle, who has starred in RHOBH since its premiere in October 2010, shared images of the big celebrations on her Instagram

Inflated: Pink and purple balloons decorated the premises

Dancing queens: An inflatable disco dome blasted out music inside

Got moves: Portia and her pals were led in dance routines on the back patio

Sipping tea: A fairground ride was available for thrill-seekers

Lucky girl: The now 11-year-old looked to be enjoying the festivities

Celebrations: She partied with her family and friends

Wonderful! The decor from Wondertents looked very pretty

Star turn: The details were all very well placed

Magical: Fairy lights sparkled inside the Mongolian-style yurt

Bling! A glitter ball hung above the dance floor in the disco room

Family affair: She was seen with her sister Kim Richards

Stepping out: The sisters appeared to be having a great time

An inflatable disco dome blasted out music inside, with a glitter ball above, and a fairground ride was available for thrill-seekers.

Pink and purple balloons decorated the premises and music blasted, while the younger guests were led in a dance routine.

Kyle has been married to second husband Mauricio Umansky since 1996, together they share three daughters, Alexia, 22, Sophia, 18, and 11-year-old Portia.

She also has 30-year-old daughter Farrah from her first marriage.

Kyle, who was a child actress on Little House On The Prairie, had beef earlier this week with Lisa Vanderpump, after LVP appeared to suggest she - and the other Housewives should be fired from the show.

Below a screen-grab showing that Lisa had in fact retweeted a comment which read 'Fire them', Kyle added the word: 'Interesante' and a pipe-smoking cartoon.
Soap actor Jed Allan, best known for his role in Beverly Hills, 90210, died Saturday in Palm Desert, Ca, aged 84.

He played Steve Sanders dad, and actor Ian Ziering, who played Sanders, lead the tributes on Sunday.

Allan also starred in Santa Barbara as C.C. Capwell.

'So sad': Ian Ziering leads tributes to 'great guy' Jed Allan as his Beverly Hills 90210 father dies aged 84

Fresh from mourning his co-star Luke Perry, who died last Monday, 'Ziering wrote: So sad to hear we've lost another 90210 castmate. I had the pleasure of working with Jed Allan from 94 to 99.

'He played Rush Sanders, Steve's father. Such a great guy to work with, he will be missed. #ripjedallan'

Jed's son Rick Brown wrote: 'So sorry to post the very sad news of my fathers passing tonight. He died peacefully and was surrounded by his family and loved so much by us and so many others.'

A longtime character actor on TV, Jed's first role in daytime dramas occurred in 1963 when he joined General Hospital to play Edward L. Quartermaine the 3rd.

Previous role: Jed Allan pictured as Don Craig in Days of Our Lives, circa 1972

After stints on classic shows like Lassie, Columbo, Mod Squad, Love, American Style and Adam-12, Allan joined Days of Our Lives in 1977 to play Don Craig.

He stayed on the NBC drama until 1985 before joining Santa Barbara a year later to play C.C. Capwell. He remained there until 1993.

In 1994, he went primetime to play Ian Zierings dad, Rush, on Foxs Beverly Hills, 90210 for five years.

Allan also had a brief career in game show hosting: he held the mic for Celebrity Bowling during the 70s.

Allan was married to Toby Brown from September 21, 1958 until her death in 2001.

He is survived by their three sons, Mitch, Dean, and Rick.
By Aas Mohammed Kaif, TwoCircles.net

A massive fire engulfed the Macheraan Basti in Meerut on Wednesday, destroying over 200 homes. The citizens blamed the local police and authorities, pointing out that the same afternoon, officials from the Meerut Cantonment had arrived to evict the residents as it was an encroachment on public land. What followed was massive protests from residents leading to firing and lathi charge from the police side.

The residents allege that by evening, the entire colony was engulfed in fire. Following the fire, allegations of police involvement spread quickly which led to anger among residents. As a result, teams of security forces were brought into the area and internet services were stopped in the whole region of Meerut. Although tense, the situation is under control as of now with people slightly reluctant to step outside the homes.

amilies most affected by this tragedy have been left without any roof and support. The residents, most of whom are very poor, have been left devastated even as the authorities refute any claims of their involvement in the fire. They said that residents used petrol bombs against the police which led to the fire. However, the 200 families most affected by this tragedy have been left without any roof and support. The residents, most of whom are very poor, have been left devastated even as the authorities refute any claims of their involvement in the fire. They said that residents used petrol bombs against the police which led to the fire.

The residents say that just a day ago, a report published in a newspaper had listed Meerut as one of the dirtiest cities in the country and had ranked it below 150. The colony, which is home to mostly Fishermen community, was targeted as it was a slum and the authorities wanted to clear it as soon as possible. It was not until midnight that the fire was controlled, although by that time there was little to save in the colony.

Following the fire, humanitarian efforts poured in from various locals who arranged for food for the residents. According to SSP Nitin Tiwari, a conspiracy cannot be ruled out because the way the fire spread across the colony was not normal or natural.

A local resident Alam Mahagir pointed out that the colony was located in proximity to a few gas cylinder factories which could have contributed to the fire. He blamed the police saying they caused the fire after locals refused to evict the land. Another resident Shahzad said, After the police were unable to evict the residents, they lit the fire. They chased the people out and then lit up the fire to ensure that no one returned to their homes.

The authorities meanwhile, also said that the fire was caused by locals after they created a ruckus the whole day to escape punishment. However, this idea was dismissed by Badar Ali, a social activist, who questioned how anyone could believe that people would burn their own homes.

The fire also spread out to some of the gas factories in the vicinity and caused explosions. Although there were no fatalities, the explosions lead to injuries to a few women and children.
Daylight savings saw California skip an hour's sleep on Sunday morning.

And North West appeared to be feeling the pain of the clocks going forward, as she hitched a lift with her famous father, Kanye, 41.

The five-year-old eldest daughter of Kim Kardashian and the rapper looked a bit sleepy as the family showed up for his Sunday Service in Calabasas, California, along with a star-studded congregation.

Hitching a lift: North West appeared to be feeling the pain of the clocks going forward, as she hitched a lift with her famous father, Kanye

Daylight savings? The five-year-old eldest daughter of Kim Kardashian and the rapper seemed a bit sleepy as the family showed up for his Sunday Service in Calabasas, California

Guests including Paris Jackson, Babyface, Diplo and legendary music producer Rick Rubin were among the crowd.

Kanye was dressed in his favorite style of neutral colours. Meanwhile, North appeared to be rebelling against his washed-out palette.

She was wearing a salmon pink tracksuit, with a multi-coloured furry gilet.

Guest: Paris Jackson and her boyfriend arrive at church

Part of the family: Legendary music producer Rick Rubin were among the crowd

Ready to worship: Kylie Jenner was at the celebration

Low key: Kylie arrived with her pal Yris Palmer

Musical movement: Guests included Diplo and Babyface, who brought along his daughter, 11, to the service

Rainbow Doc Martens added even more colour, while Kim was feeling beige in her trench coat and sneakers.

Her famous mum appeared to have crimped her long dark locks, which she wore straight with the front in a tight ponytail.

The reality television star added giant sunglasses, which swamped her pretty features.

Unusually covered: The reality television star added giant sunglasses, which swamped her pretty features

Neutral ground: Kim was feeling beige in her trench coat and sneakers

Bright: North was wearing a salmon pink tracksuit, with a multi-coloured furry gilet

The Kardashian and Jenners have been spending many of their Sundays with their families, a gospel choir and a band.

Kanye started posting the service, which heavily features music, in January and it's become a regular feature for the family.

Kim and Kanye are expecting their fourth child together via surrogate.

And the two couldn't be more excited.

A source said: 'Kim and Kanye are really excited about the new baby. It's a bright spot right now given everything else that's going on in the family.

Happy days: Kanye looked happy to be there as he chatted to others

Greys: Kanye was dressed in his classic style of neutral colours

'At this point they've been working on the baby's nursery at their home and putting all that stuff together.'

The two are looking into getting bigger cars, as their growing family is getting too large to fit in one vehicle.

Speaking to E! News, the source added: 'They're also trying to think about getting a new car  with four kids, two adults and a couple nannies, they definitely need to invest in a car that suits the entire family so that's an ongoing discussion.'

Meanwhile, 38-year-old Kim said she's feeling 'calm' about her impending arrival, though she was initially 'stressing' about welcoming another tot.
A crowd of more than 70,000 people have celebrated the end of a sparkling Rio Carnival with a star studded samba parade.

The champions parade at the huge concrete Sambadrome arena, where samba schools compete to be crowned carnival winners, finished off the week-long cultural extravaganza.

Stunning photos highlight the beauty and pageantry of the annual event in Brazil's largest city.

A member of Unidos de Vila Isabel performs during the samba school's champions parade at the Sapucai Sambadrome on the final day of the 2019 Carnival

Victoria's Secret catwalk model Izabel Goulart was spotted at the all night party in a phenomenal diamante chain bra on Saturday.

She was joined by actress Bruna Marquezine, 34, but ensured all eyes were on her as she showcased her jaw-dropping figure in the racy top.

The carnival began on the afternoon of Friday, March 1, with the last main parade taking place on Wednesday, March 6.

Eye-catching display: Izabel Goulart showcased her phenomenal figure in a diamante chain bra for the final day of the Rio Carnival on Saturday

Bruna upped the skin-flashing ante in a sheer black studded leotard and ripped denim hotpants

While the parade arena was full to capacity, blocos - street parties during the carnival - are believed to have brought over two million people out in the streets singing or dancing each day.

Model Izabel looked like she was dripping in diamonds in the high collared bra, with the jewels cascading down onto her enviably-toned stomach.

The runway queen left little to the imagination as she flashed plenty of sideboob and her fabulous figure in the backless bralet during the raucous street party.

Isabel complemented her eye-catching look with teeny-tiny hot pants and gold hoop earrings.

Rio's two main nights of Carnival parades began on March 03 in a burst of fireworks and to the cheers of thousands of tourists and locals. A member of Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel Samba School performs during the parade

Elaborate flotillas are constructed by each of the samba schools, who are made up of neighbourhoods with some kind of common background in the hope of being crown carnival champions. The Grupo Especial Mocidade Alegre take their float through the main parade

Drum queen Camila Silva from Mocidade samba school performs during the afternoon of the second day of parades at the Sambadrome

More than 200 different samba schools compete annually for the carnival crown. A member of Mangueira school shows off a large feather headdress in classic carnival colours green and blue

Carnival time: Members of Unidos de Vila Isabel performed during the samba school's champions parade at Sapucai Sambadrome

Putting on a show: The crowds were treated to dances and songs by the perfomers who were costumes inspired by their communities

She wore her brunette locks in a sleek high ponytail and accentuated her golden glow with a glamorous make-up look.

Izabel took to Instagram to post a photo of her jaw-dropping outfit as she stood side-by-side with pal Bruna.

Bruna upped the skin-flashing ante in a sheer black studded leotard and ripped denim hotpants.

The 70,000-seater Sambadrome in Brazil's biggest city Rio de Janeiro. The massive concrete arena runs across multiple roads in the Cidade Nova neighbourhood which have to be closed for the week-long parade

Music is another integral part of the carnival and is encorporated into the samba schools' acts for their parade. Members of the Paraiso do Tuiuti are pictured

Getting wiggy with it: One member of Unidos de Vila Isabel donned a giant cream wig for the ceremony for what bears a passing resemblance to beauty and the beast

Star of the stage: A performer wears a large spiky star on his back and stands in front of a menacing machine on the parade route

A smartly dressed troupe from the Mangueira samba school look keen to impress in green patterned suits and pink ties. One performer balances a tambourine on his fingertips

Making a statement: The costumes seen in the parade were designed to turn the heads of spectators as well as other competitors on the two-night party

Members of the Portela samba school pull white ribbons out of a sewing-inspired float. HIgh quality costume designs are a key part in deciding the worthy champions of the Rio Carnival

Celebrating the last day of the carnival, the pair looked like they were having the time of their life as they watched the famous parade take place down the Sambadrome Marques de Sapuca.

Izabel returned to her home country just two weeks after she enjoyed a break in Paris with her fiance Kevin Trapp.

The couple's love story goes back to when they first started dating in 2016 but the couple have kept their romance fairly low-key in the limelight.

The lovebirds very happily announced their engagement in July last year during their romantic break to Mykonos, Greece.

Uniao da Ilha samba school performers act out a scene in front of a giant fish flotilla surrounded by octopus tentacles

Under the spotlight: A dot-inspired group from the Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school enjoy themselves on the parade route

Some costumes can be incredibly intricate in detail and take days to put together for the annual event

Huge stone giants dominate this large float created by members of the Vila Isabel samba school for one of the two days of main parades on March 4
No matter what's going on, Jennifer Garner always keeps the faith.

The 46-year-old actress was snapped in Pacific Palisades, California on Sunday attending church services in a black sweater, smart grey slacks and black loafers.

The Houston native - mother to daughter Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10 and son Sam, six, with ex-husband Ben Affleck - wore her brown hair parted and down with black sunglasses on the chilly morning in the well-heeled Southern California suburb.

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Out and about: Jennifer Garner, 46, actress was snapped in Pacific Palisades, California on Sunday attending church services with her children

The outing comes as her ex was back in the headlines this week amid his romantic reconciliation with Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus.

The the pair attended the New York City premiere of Triple Frontier more than six months after their split last August.

Affleck continues to remain on good terms with Garner, telling the Today show earlier this month that he's 'lucky' his three children have such 'a great mom.'

'She helps out a great deal with making sure we coparent in as good a way as possible,' he said of the Golden Globe-winning actress. 'Shes wonderful. Somebodys the mother of your kids, theyre going to be the most important, central part of your life, and thats good.'

Stylish: Jen donned a casual ensemble of a black sweater with grey slacks and black loafers

Focused: The actress has been thriving both personally and professionally in 2019's opening months

Garner, who's been linked to businessman John Miller closing in on a year, has been busy with both her career and business endeavors as of late.

She provides vocals in the upcoming animated comedy Wonder Park, and is linked to an upcoming comedy called Yes Day, according to IMDb.

Business-wise, the Camping actress has been promoting her organic baby food brand Once Upon A Farm, stopping off last month at a Costco store in Livermore, California in support of her brand.

Earlier this month, Garner announced that she was going to make her products available for families who qualify for WIC in in the states of Florida and West Virginia.

'I'm committed to finding ways of providing healthy food to children who have less access and often limited opportunities,' she said in a statement. 'Bringing better nutrition to children everywhere has been our mission since the beginning - it's never been and will never be about just feeding children who have a socio-economic advantage. '
She is rumoured to be moving to Los Angeles full-time.

And Instagram sensation Tammy Hembrow certainly looked like a local during a wild night out in Hollywood over the weekend.

The Gold Coast-based model, 24, looked every inch the LA party girl while arriving at the Avenue nightclub on Saturday.

Living the LA life! Instagram sensation Tammy Hembrow flaunted her toned legs in knee-high boots and denim shorts while partying in Hollywood on Saturday

Tammy - who has two children, son Wolf, four, and daughter Saski, two - dressed to impress in denim shorts and patterned knee-high boots.

Taking style tips from her friend Khloe Kardashian, she paired her Daisy Dukes with a longsleeve white top and leather handbag.

She was pictured walking arm-in-arm with her pal Carrington Durham, who looked equally glamorous in a red mini dress and black booties.

BFFs! The 24-year-old fitness star was pictured walking arm-in-arm with her pal Carrington Durham, who looked equally glamorous in a red mini dress and black booties

In January, it emerged that Tammy had discussed with her family the idea of permanently relocating to Los Angeles.

Her sister Emilee Hembrow said in a YouTube video that the Saski Collection founder was 'trying to make us all move to LA or America'.

Emilee, who has two children under the age of four and is based on the Gold Coast like Tammy, admitted she was concerned about the move.

'I have mixed feelings, because I hear raising kids in America isn't the best,' she said.

Party girl: Taking style tips from her friend Khloe Kardashian, Tammy paired her Daisy Dukes with a longsleeve white top and leather handbag

Tammy, who owns her own activewear label, boasts more than 9.3 million Instagram followers and 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube.

She is the daughter of Australian director, screenwriter and musician Mark Hembrow and has four sisters - Amy, 28, Emilee, 26, Starlette, 18, and Ava, 13.

Until last year, she was engaged to Australian streetwear designer Reece Hawkins, who is the father of her two children.

She was recently linked to U.S. rapper Tyga, who is the ex-boyfriend of Kylie Jenner.
Karl Stefanovic's 19-year-old son Jackson has hinted that relations between them are still strained - three months after the Channel Nine star married shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough in Mexico.

It was widely rumoured last year that father and son were 'estranged' amid Karl's bitter divorce from his ex-wife, and Jackson's mother, journalist Cassandra Thorburn.

And despite standing by his dad by flying to Los Cabos for his wedding in December (albeit for the reception only, he didn't attend the ceremony), it seems Jackson is still struggling to come to terms with Karl's decisions.

'Despite what happened, he's still my dad. I'll leave it there for now': Karl Stefanovic's son Jackson, 19, has hinted their relationship is strained. Pictured: Jackson (right) with Karl (centre) and Jasmine Yarbrough (left) on December 2, 2018 at Los Angeles International Airport

In an interview with Woman's Day published on Monday, the university student chose his words very carefully when asked about his father.

'What's done is done,' he said when quizzed about Karl's decision to leave Cassandra in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. 'Despite what happened, he's still my dad. I'll leave it there for now - who knows what happens next.'

While this seems to suggest that Jackson's relationship with Karl, 44, is on shaky ground, he had nothing but praise for his mother, Cassandra.

Speaking out: In an interview with Woman's Day on Monday, Jackson chose his words very carefully when asked about his father. Meanwhile, he had nothing but praise for his mother, Cassandra Thorburn (left), who is now back in the spotlight on Dancing with the Stars

Jackson said: 'My mother is the most extraordinary person, and what she has weathered in these past few years, no one deserves the backlash.

'To watch my parents' private lives play out so publicly was incredibly destructive for all of us - someone had to step up to protect her, and I knew that person was me.'

Tellingly, Jackson declined to answer questions about his father's tarnished public image and career woes, instead choosing to discuss his mother - who is now back in the spotlight as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

He spoke warmly about her 'remarkable courage', but cheekily acknowledged that she isn't exactly the world's most accomplished dancer.

Divorce woes: It was widely rumoured last year that father and son were 'estranged' amid Karl's bitter divorce from his ex-wife, and Jackson's mother, journalist Cassandra Thorburn. Pictured: Karl and Cassandra in Melbourne on May 1, 2011

It comes after Jackson - who has two younger siblings, Ava, 13, and River, 12 - told Daily Mail Australia that he did not attend his father's nuptials to Jasmine Yarbrough in Los Cabos, Mexico on December 8.

Despite flying overseas with Karl and Jasmine, 35, for the spectacular three-day wedding, he was not present for the ceremony itself.

'I didn't go to the ceremony, I went to say congratulations [to Karl and Jasmine] after they'd all left the chapel but it was a lot later,' Jackson said on December 17.

Snubbed! It comes after Jackson told Daily Mail Australia that he did not attend his father's nuptials to Jasmine Yarbrough in Los Cabos, Mexico on December 8. Pictured: Karl and Jasmine on their wedding day, flanked by bridesmaids and groomsmen

'My brother and sister didn't want to go, and I was not going to leave them on their own so I looked after them,' he added.

'I figure at their age they may not have an understanding of watching a parent get remarried. They might not understand it's just a parent moving on.'

Jackson also denied reports at the time that he and his English girlfriend Anna Blackwell had been kicked out of the wedding.

'I left with my girlfriend and they said it was because we were too drunk which is just stupid,' Jackson said. 'We left because it was s**t.'

When asked about the wedding experience and the trip to Mexico, Jackson spoke of his time positively.

'It was alright, I was pretty much just with my girlfriend the whole time just enjoying the country and not worrying about the wedding,' he said.

'I went to say congratulations after they'd all left the chapel but it was a lot later': Despite flying overseas with Karl and Jasmine for the spectacular three-day wedding, Jackson was not present for the ceremony itself. Pictured:The newlyweds at their beachside wedding reception

However, when it came to his relationship with his new stepmother, the teenager was reluctant to say too much.

'She's nice, yeah. I don't really know what else I can say,' he said.

Last year, several publications reported that Jackson was 'estranged' from his famous father - however, this does not appear to be entirely true.

Rumours of animosity intensified in April 2018 when Jackson changed his Instagram handle from 'Jackson Stefanovic' to 'Jackson Thorburn'.

On December 19, while on his honeymoon with Jasmine, Karl was sacked as host of Channel Nine's Today show. He remains under contract with the network.
She's known to command attention on any runway.

And Candice Swanepoel was certainly seeking the sun as she showed off a cheeky bikini on Instagram Sunday morning.

The 30-year-old supermodel seemed to be enjoying some well-earned time away from the catwalk as she stretched toward the sky wearing a tiny two-piece for a photo shoot on the beach in Brazil.

Perky: Candice Swanepoel was certainly seeking the sun as she showed off a cheeky bikini on Instagram Sunday morning

The mother-of-two looked toned and tanned with her back facing the camera, revealing a strappy yellow bikini top and black, high-waisted bottoms.

She was quick to correct commenters and took to her Instagram stories to explain a small mark on her backside.

'For those who are asking.. I have a scar on my bum,' she wrote. 'When you grow up on a farm in Africa that's where you get your vaccinations.'

Swanepoel carried a few woven bags on her shoulder and hid her dark blonde hair underneath a striped bucket hat.

Model behavior: She enjoyed some rest and relaxation alongside Cintia Dicker as the darling duo posed in bikinis at Barre Grande in the state of Bahia

Moves: Candice was certainly in a flexible mood as she bent over backwards with Noemi Manser, tagging her bikini like Tropic of C in the acrobatic image

She enjoyed some rest and relaxation alongside Cintia Dicker as the darling duo posed in bikinis at Barre Grande in the state of Bahia.

Candice was certainly in a flexible mood as she bent over backwards with Noemi Manser, tagging her bikini like Tropic of C in the acrobatic image.

The Victoria's Secret Angel posted that she was 'missing paradise' as she reminisced a peaceful meditation overlooking the tropical jungle.

A mood: The 30-year-old supermodel seemed to be enjoying some well-earned time away from the catwalk as she stretched toward the sky wearing a tiny two-piece for a photo shoot on the beach in Brazil

Vacation all I ever wanted: Candice shared a few scenes from her tropical getaway

She walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in November after welcoming her son Ariel in June.

The model - who also has son Anaca, two, with ex-fiance Hermann Nicoli - revealed the secrets to her pre-show preparations, saying she combines a strict fitness regime with the everyday stresses of parenting, adding that 'taking care of two kids will get you in shape real quick.'

The couple met in Paris when she was 17 and he was 23 and got engaged in August 2015 but reportedly parted ways in November.

Swanepoel launched her swimwear range last year and, as ever, is the best model for her brand.

Namaste: The Victoria's Secret Angel posted that she was 'missing paradise' as she reminisced a peaceful meditation overlooking the tropical jungle
Married At First Sight star Susie Bradley, 25, has been the subject of copious amounts of online hate since she entered as an 'intruder' on the show.

And according to NW magazine, the public backlash is becoming all too much for the Brisbane-based nurse.

The publication claims the reality star she is 'struggling to cope' with the constant bullying from fans online.

'She's not coping': Married At First Sight bride Susie Bradley, 25, (L) is 'struggling' to deal with the online 'trolling and constant bullying'

'The trolling and the constant bullying has really started to affect her,' an unnamed 'source' told the publication.

'She's not coping well.'

A number of Twitter users have hit out at Susie's 'narcissistic' personality.

Struggling: 'The trolling and the constant bullying has really started to affect her,' a 'source' told NW magazine of the controversial reality star

The online commentary came to a head when controversial feminist Clementine Ford was accused of bullying Susie over her Twitter account last week.

The Fairfax columnist, who is outspoken on gender issues, wrote: 'Susie is a f**king bully... Imagine if this were a man screaming at a woman like this.'

She then continued: 'This is so awful and hard to watch. Poor Billy.'

She's not Ines! Comparisons have been made to Susie's co-star Ines Basic (pictured) , who also struggled with the social media backlash back in February

Susie, however, found unlikely support in comedian Dave Hughes who defended her on the social media platform.

'You know it's not real yeah? You know the producers pull all the strings yeah? Why are you trolling these poor people. I thought you were anti bullying?'

The claims come after her own TV husband Billy Vincent blasted her for bullying him during Sunday night's commitment ceremony.

'I thought you were ANTI bullying?' David Hughes (left) clashed with feminist author Clementine Ford (right) in a Twitter debate about Susie last week

'I've seen dogs being shown more respect than what you show me!' the 28-year-old barista told Susie in the explosive ceremony.

As the couple sat down in front of the show's 'relationship experts', Billy didn't hold back in expressing how he was feeling.

He stated: 'Things have deteriorated... I think I've been suppressing my personality quite a bit. To the point I'm not actually being true to myself,' he said.

In a dramatic climax, Susie spectacularly shocked everyone when she voted to stay, while Billy voted leave.

Meanwhile, Susie's co-star Ines Basic also reportedly struggled with the social media backlash last month.

Married At First Sight continues on Channel Nine, Monday, 7.30pm.
Outspoken Anglican rector Rod Bower will take leave from his NSW parish to run for the Senate as an independent candidate in the upcoming federal election.

Father Bower announced on Sunday he would take leave in April and May from his parish in Gosford to ensure climate change is at the top of the Australian agenda.

The pro-refugee activist also wants transparency and accountability in government.

"I will be a candidate for the Senate in the forthcoming federal election. My commitment is to try and be a different kind of politician," Fr Bower wrote on social media.

Fr Bower, who is known for his politically-charged billboard, previously announced his intention to run in Australia's upper house in October.

"The more energy the climate-focused campaigns get, the stronger the message we will send to the incoming government," he said Sunday.

"Cheap politics is easy, it has to be because it is essentially lazy. It's obviously easy to feed people stones and convince that that they are eating bread because it happens all the time. It is up to 'we the people' to discern the difference between stones and bread and then to demand only bread."
New Zealand's Neil Wagner celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's Mohammad Mithun at Wellington

New Zealand short-ball maestro Neil Wagner believed a result in the rain-affected second Test against Bangladesh was still "definitely possible" after New Zealand trailed by 173 at stumps on day three in Wellington on Sunday.

New Zealand reached 38 for two in reply to Bangladesh's first innings 211 after the first two days were washed out.

Thirteen wickets fell in the 72 overs possible, leading New Zealand's chief wicket-taker Wagner to think there was still time to force a result in the remaining two days.

"It's definitely possible," Wagner said having removed the cream of the Bangladesh side with four for 28.

"If we keep taking it session by session and get ourselves into the lead and pile on whatever we can, anything is possible."

New Zealand will resume on Monday with Ross Taylor on 19 and Kane Williamson on 10.

Bangladesh's Abu Jayed celebrates New Zealand's Tom Latham being caught behind during day three of the second Test in Wellington

Tamim Iqbal gave the tourists a sound start with 74 as Bangladesh reached 119 for one before the next nine wickets fell for just 92 runs.

New Zealand, in reply, were reduced to eight for two as Abu Jayed claimed both openers cheaply, but Williamson and Taylor steadied the innings before the rain returned to force an early close.

- No demons -

Williamson, who won the toss, had no hesitation in bowling first on a green wicket but it did not hold the demons that conditions suggested.

Tamim and Shadman Islam put on 75 for the first wicket -- their third consecutive fifty-plus stand as new-ball pair Boult and Tim Southee were unable to generate much swing or effective seam movement.

Once they were out of the attack the wickets began to fall with Colin de Grandhomme accounting for Shadman for 27 before Wagner weaved his magic.

Neil Wagner (centre) celebrates the key wicket of Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal

"I tried to pitch my first over up and went for 10 runs so there wasn't a lot of swing or a lot of movement at that point of time," Wagner said explaining why he reverted to his favoured short deliveries.

"Obviously, I wanted to try and make the most out of the bounce ... and try and get nicks, try and get a glove and see if it goes through to BJ (Watling) and luckily it worked on the day."

Unlike the first Test when the Bangladesh batsmen were troubled by the menacing height he extracted from the pitch, this time they were the architects of their own downfall with the wickets coming from injudicious pull shots or unnecessary leg side flicks.

Ground staff pull on the covers as rain returns to bring an early close on day three of the second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Wellington

"Batsmen have to think before playing their shots," said Liton Das, the second highest scorer with 33.

"We know (Wagner) will bowl short from where you have very little to do. Sometimes the only way to tackle him is by leaving the deliveries. If we can focus more against him and leave him more, it might help us."

In a telling 13-ball spell either side of lunch, Wagner first removed Mominul Haque (15) and Mohammad Mithun (three) before the break and soon after the resumption took the key wicket of Tamim, who top-edged an attempted pull shot.

Boult mopped up the tail with three wickets for four runs in nine balls.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said his country faces an "economic seige" at a meeting with China's assistant foreign minister

President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday Syria was suffering an "economic siege" as his regime faces a raft of international sanctions over the eight-year civil war.

"The war on Syria has taken on a new form that is basically siege and economic war," he said, according to a statement released by the presidency.

"International political tools have changed," he said, as he met Chinese assistant foreign minister Chen Xiaodong in Damascus.

Instead of dialogue, foreign powers have adopted "a different approach consisting of boycott, ambassador withdrawal, economic siege, and the use of terrorism", he said.

The president describes both rebels and jihadists as "terrorists".

The United States and the European Union have slapped a series of sanctions on Syrian officials since the war started in 2011.

Many foreign nations closed their embassies in Damascus while others scaled down their representation, and Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011.

As the war enters its ninth year this month, the country is gripped by a fuel crisis that has seen price hikes and long queues for cooking gas.

The United States has moved to stem petroleum shipping to Syria, and major oil and gas fields remain out of the government's control in the northeast of the country.

Syria's conflict has killed 360,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the repression of anti-government protests.

But the war is also estimated to have set Syria's economy back by three decades, destroying infrastructure and paralysing the production of electricity and oil.

After a series of victories against rebels and jihadists since a Russia military intervention in 2015, the regime now controls almost two-thirds of Syria.

It also appears to be making a timid comeback on the regional stage.

In December, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir made the first visit by any Arab leader to the Syrian capital since 2011, and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain reopened their embassies in Damascus.

Countries including Lebanon and Tunisia have called for it to be readmitted to the Arab League.
By Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net

Following countrywide protests, the much-criticised 13-point roster system for Indian universities has been overturned and the original 200-point roster system has been restored.

The 200-point roster system ensured that teaching positions were reserved by treating the university as one unit. So, a deficit of reserved seats in one department could be compensated by more people from the reserved communities in other departments. However, the 13-point roster considers each department as one unit. So, for at least one appointment from each reserved category to be applicable, there must be a minimum of 14 appointments made (hence the term 13-point roster). This can have an adverse impact on the reservation and hence resulted in anger among marginalised communities.

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The 13-point roster was first passed by the Allahabad High court and then upheld by the Supreme Court.

Following the SC order, several teachers associations wrote to the Ministry of Human Resources and Development and the Union Cabinet approved the ordinance on March 7 to restore the 200-point roster system. Thousands came out in protest against the 13 point roster demanding to #BringBack200pointroster

A nation wide Bharat bandh was also organised on 5th March on the issue of the 13 point roster and Forest rights.

The same day the ordinance was passed, the UGC ordered all central, state and deemed universities to resume the recruitment of teachers which had been put on hold from July 2018.

The SC order had seen a lot of backlash in various universities in the country including JNU, Delhi. Speaking to TwoCircles.net, Deeksha Rahul, an MA Sociology student from JNU and a member of Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA) said, The protest against 13-point roster is a concrete example of agitation advocating the collective dissent by people over the denial of a constitutional right by the Supreme Court. The fight against 13-point roster is against the Brahmanical idea for keeping away the marginalised from their constitutional right to representation.

The 200-point system ordinance over the 13-point system is the success story of the Bahujans. Dr B.R. Ambedkar asked us to Educate, Agitate and Organise. When educated Bahujans start understanding the Brahmanical face of the system, they come together to agitate for their rights and organise themselves for the assertion of unity and strength.

Akash Poyam, Founding Editor of Adivasi Resurgence told TwoCircles.net, The ordinance is a victory of peoples movement and of all the students who vehemently protested against the 13-point roster. It was a clear threat to the majority of marginalised communities from the SC, ST, OBC communities. For example, ST representation did not even come under the 13-point system and was placed at the 14th number.
"Early indications are that 19 staff members of UN affiliated organizations perished," said International Organization for Migration head Antonio Vitorino

At least 19 affiliated with the United Nations were among those killed in the crash Sunday of an Ethiopian Airlines jet near Addis Ababa, according to the UN migration agency chief.

Authorities said all 157 people on board were killed when the Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on a flight to Nairobi, where the UN conference was being held.

"Early indications are that 19 staff members of UN affiliated organizations perished," said International Organization for Migration head Antonio Vitorino.

"Numerous other staff members from at least five UN and affiliated organizations are understood to have also perished," he said. Along with the IOM, the World Food Program, UN Refugee Agency, World Bank, UN Environment Agency and others lost colleagues, he said.

Among the IOM staff on the plane was Anne Feigl, who worked for the agency's mission in Sudan.

Mission chief Catherine Northing remembered Feigl as "an extremely valued colleague and popular staff member, committed and professional."

Meanwhile World Food Program director David Beasley, who confirmed seven of his staff had died, said: "As we mourn, let us reflect that each of these WFP colleagues were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place to live."

In a statement, Geneva-based UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, did not confirm the number of colleagues among the dead -- but said his agency had suffered a "huge loss."

A UN source had earlier added that that freelance interpreters traveling to a UN conference on the environment might also be among the dead.

Establishing the exact number of UN personnel on the flight was complicated by the fact that some had informed the United Nations of their travel plans while others had not, and not all were using their UN passports to travel, the source said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives."

"He conveys his heartfelt sympathies and solidarity to the victims' families and loved ones, including those of United Nations staff members, as well as sincere condolences to the government and people of Ethiopia," the statement said.

"The United Nations is in contact with the Ethiopian authorities and working closely with them to establish the details of United Nations personnel who lost their lives in this tragedy."
WASHINGTON (AP) - Donald Trump heard words from a judge that the judge didn't speak, as the president reached to denounce the Russia investigation as a hoax and celebrate an exoneration he wasn't given. Democrats persisted in assailing the Trump administration for putting migrant children in the same type of holding facilities used when Barack Obama was president.

A look at some of the political rhetoric over the past week:

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS

TRUMP: "Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia." - tweet Friday about the case of his former campaign chairman.

THE FACTS: This did not happen, loudly, quietly or at all.

The case in Virginia was not related to Manafort's work on the Trump campaign and did not take up the question of whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Manafort was convicted for tax and bank fraud related to his own work advising Ukrainian politicians.

This March 7, 2019, courtroom sketch depicts former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, center in a wheelchair, during his sentencing hearing in federal court before judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria, Va. Manafort was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud related to his work advising Ukrainian politicians, a significant break from sentencing guidelines that called for a 20-year prison term. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Judge T.S. Ellis III neither cleared nor implicated the president. Ellis emphasized that Manafort was "not before this court for anything having to do with collusion with the Russian government."

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TRUMP: Manafort's lawyer "went out of his way to make a statement last night, no collusion with Russia. There was absolutely none. The judge, I mean for whatever reason, I was very honored by it, also made the statement that this had nothing to do with collusion with Russia. So you know, keep it going. Keep the hoax going." - remarks to reporters before visiting Alabama on Friday.

THE FACTS: Trump is misquoting Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, who did not say there was no collusion with Russia. Downing only argued that no evidence emerged in the trial that his client, in particular, was involved in any collusion. The judge did say the trial was not about Russia but that was not a statement of vindication for Trump or anyone. It was a reflection of the nature of the unrelated charges against Manafort.

Whether the campaign and Russia worked together to tilt the election toward Trump is a core issue in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which continues.

Like other Americans close to the president who have been charged in the Mueller probe, Manafort hasn't been accused of involvement in Russian election interference. But he has not been cleared of that suspicion, either.

For example, court papers in recent weeks revealed that Manafort shared polling data related to the campaign with Konstantin Kilimnik, a business associate U.S. authorities say is tied to Russian intelligence. A Mueller prosecutor has said that an August 2016 meeting between Manafort and Kilimnik goes to the "heart" of the Russia probe.

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TRUMP, on turning over documents requested by congressional committees: "President Obama, from what they tell me, was under a very similar kind of a thing - didn't give one letter. They didn't do anything. They didn't give one letter of the request. Many requests were made; they didn't give a letter." - remarks Tuesday.

THE FACTS: Not true. The Obama administration gave Congress hundreds of thousands of pages of documents requested in oversight investigations.

The Obama White House turned over tens of thousands of documents to the Republican-led investigation of the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, for example, and the State Department released hundreds of Hillary Clinton's emails from that time, when she was secretary of state. The Obama administration also gave Congress volumes on the collapse of the solar energy firm Solyndra. It resisted turning over documents on the botched Operation Fast and Furious gun-trafficking probe until a court forced it to release them to Congress.

"It is a false and ridiculous claim that we didn't respond to oversight requests from Congress during the Obama administration," Andy Wright, who helped manage those requests in the Obama White House, told The Associated Press.

Trump was responding to a House Judiciary Committee effort to get documents from 81 federal agencies, people and organizations as part of an investigation into possible obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power.

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CHILDREN IN CAGES

REP. KATHLEEN RICE, Democrat of New York: "It was a policy announced by the attorney general of this country that families were going to be separated. That was a policy. He did not say we're going to start enforcing a law. It was a policy by this administration that only ended when there were pictures of little kids in cages that had been ripped away from their parents." - House hearing Wednesday.

REP. MARK GREEN, Republican of Tennessee: "In regard to the child separation, and then we talked about the cages here, as I recall, the images that circulated around the internet were actually from the Obama administration. They later found out that the picture that circulated the internet of a child in a cage came from the time frame when it was the Obama administration." - House hearing Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Green is correct. Some Democrats continue to evoke images of children in "cages" that spread online at the height of the family-separation controversy and sparked rage over supposed Trump administration cruelty. But the pictures in question were taken by the AP in 2014 and depicted Obama administration detentions of children. They were widely misrepresented as illustrating Trump-era detention.

The Border Patrol temporarily houses children who are apart from families in the same facilities used by the Obama administration. They are chain-link enclosures inside buildings, which Democrats call cages.

The Homeland Security Department's inspector general testified to Congress this past week on conditions for detainees. John Kelly, the inspector general, faulted the department for keeping children for longer periods in facilities meant for short-term detention. But he said the facilities his office inspected were in compliance with standards. "The children had access to hygiene items and clean bedding," he said. "We did not encounter issues with temperature or ventilation, access to emergency medical care, supervision or access to phones." He said "children had access to food and snacks and did not complain of hunger."

In stark contrast, he reported unhealthy and unsafe conditions in four or five Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities used for adults.

Immigration officials are allowed to take a child from a parent in certain cases - serious criminal charges against a parent, concerns over the health and welfare of a child or medical concerns. That policy has long been in place and is separate from the now-suspended zero-tolerance Trump administration policy that saw children separated from parents only because they had crossed illegally.

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VETERANS

TRUMP: "No administration has accomplished - probably, you could say this with absolute surety - in the first two years anywhere near what we have accomplished. Whether it's the tax cuts; whether it's regulation cuts; whether it's the Veterans Administration - what we've done with the Veterans Administration with Choice and so many other things that nobody thought would be possible to get passed." - remarks Tuesday.

TRUMP: "We're extremely proud of Choice. It's been many, many decades that they've been trying to get Choice where a veteran can go out and see a doctor if the lines are long." - remarks Tuesday.

THE FACTS: You wouldn't know from Trump's boasting that it was Obama who won passage of the Choice program. Trump is expanding the program. Its ultimate scope remains uncertain, in part because of questions of money.

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TRUMP: "Supporting veterans in distress is a critical priority for our entire administration - everybody in the administration. ... Every VA medical center now offers same-day emergency mental health care." - remarks Tuesday.

THE FACTS: This may be the case, but again it happened before Trump took office. VA's effort to provide same-day primary and mental-health care when medically necessary at every VA medical center was publicized in April 2016, during the Obama administration. By late 2016, the department's blog announced that goal would be achieved by year's end.

A Dec. 23, 2016, article in the Harvard Business Review cites new same-day services at all VA hospitals as evidence of notable progress at the department. Former VA secretary David Shulkin told Congress in late January 2017 the services already were fully in place.

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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

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Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd

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A Maine fire chief died has died after suffering a medical emergency at the funeral of another firefighter who was fatally injured while shielding a colleague from flames this month.

Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco, 63, suffered the emergency as several thousand people, including hundreds of firefighters from across New England, gathered to honor Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes' sacrifice on Sunday.

Barnes was fatally injured in a four-alarm fire earlier this month.

Maine Medical Center spokesman Matt Wickenheiser confirmed that Sacco was stricken at the funeral, rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead in the emergency room. No further details have been released.

Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco, 63, died from an unknown medical emergency while attending the funeral of another fallen firefighter

In this June 11, 2017, photo provided by Erin Thomas, Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes pulls a ladder at the scene of a structure fire in Somersworth, New Hampshire. Barnes died on March 1, 2019, while battling an apartment fire

A firefighter from St. Johnsbury, Vt., salutes during a memorial service for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes, Sunday, March 10, 2019, in Portland, Maine. Barnes was fatally injured while shielding another firefighter from flames. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

'Our hearts, already broken by the loss of Captain Joel Barnes, also mourn the loss of Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco,' said Maine Gov. Janet Mills in a statement. 'In a testament to his own character, Chief Sacco lost his life while honoring that of his fallen brother, fellow firefighter Captain Barnes.'

Sacco, a veteran firefighter, had been the chief of Oxford Fire/Rescue in Oxford, Maine, since 2017, after retiring from the New Gloucester Fire Department.

'The Oxford Fire Department wishes to express our deepest condolences to the entire Sacco family,' the department posted on its Facebook page. 'Chief Sacco was a consummate professional. Not only did he love the job, he had a passion for the fire service like no other.'

The department also noted that he died of 'unknown medical problem' at the time of the statement.

Gary Sacco (right) with wife Sandi Sacco (left) was the Oxford Fire Department chief since 2017 after retiring from the New Gloucester Fire Department

Firefighters salute fallen Berwick, Maine firefighter Capt. Joel Barnes as they escort his body to Tasker Funeral Home in Dover, New Hampshire on March 2, 2019

The casket of Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes is carried atop a fire truck during a procession leading to memorial service, Sunday, March 10, 2019, in Portland, Maine

The casket of Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes is wheeled out at the end of a memorial service Sunday, March 10, 2019, where Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco suffered an unknown medical emergency that led to his own death

The service Sacco attended was held at the Cross Insurance Arena, one of the few venues in Maine big enough to host such a large gathering.

The 32-year-old Barnes was the first firefighter to die while battling a fire in at least three decades in Maine.

The last time it happened was in 1980 when Portland Firefighter Joseph Cavallaro Jr. died of burns and asphyxiation while fighting a three-alarm fire at the Phoenix Nightclub, McCausland said.

Gary Sacco was called a 'consummate professional' by the Oxford Fire Department who had a 'passion for the fire service like no other'

Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes at Berwick Public Safety Day in Berwick, Maine in May 2017

Barnes' uncle, also named Joel, grew teary as he described a nephew who grew up dedicated to serving the community as a firefighter.

He recalled how an elderly neighbor once gave a plastic firefighter hat to then-toddler Joel, who soon became 'obsessed' with studying fire science books and preparing himself for a career that took him from Maine, to Massachusetts, to South Carolina and back to his family in Maine.

Barnes was one of two firefighters who encountered a wall of flames on the third floor and had to be rescued during a March 1 four-alarm fire in Berwick, Maine. Five firefighters were injured that day, and Barnes died at a hospital in New Hampshire.
The poll bugle to General Elections 2019 has officially been sounded with the Election Commission of India (ECI) giving out the dates for the big electoral battle.

The election will be held in seven phases between April 11 and May 19. Results of the elections will be announced on May 23.

Here are the top five issues on which the General Elections are likely to be fought  and what this means for the parties entering the contest:

National security

The February 14 terror attack in Kashmirs Pulwama changed the discourse around the Lok Sabha elections in a big way, making it the main theme on which the upcoming elections are now to be fought. The sight of the bodies of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans shook the nation, stirring unprecedented anger against Pakistan after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a terror outfit based in the neighbouring country, claimed responsibility for the cowardly and brutal attack.

Pulwama has changed the political mood  and aspirations  of India. (Photo: Reuters)

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving a free hand to all three wings of the armed forces  and hitting back at Islamabad within 12 days of the strike on February 26, by ordering an air-strike on terror infrastrature in Pakistan  Indians not just felt Pulwama had been avenged but were also filled with a sense of pride due to the strong stance taken by the government.

One of the reasons that propelled Modi to the Prime Ministers chair in 2014 was India wanting a strong leadership.

With the strikes coming right before the election dates were announced and India-Pakistan tensions at an all-time high, people are once again overwhelmingly of the opinion that only Modi can give Pakistan a befitting reply and act tough against terror emanating from Pakistani soil.

The questions raised by Congress and other Opposition parties over what impact the air-strikes had also led to some anger against the Opposition camp from several quarters for choosing politics over national interest. Alongside, questions have been raised over whether BJP leaders politicising the strikes is indeed apt behaviour.

Kashmir

While Pakistan officially sponsors mindless terror against India, it tries to cover it up as a legitimate fight for Kashmir. The issue of militancy in Kashmir, aided and abetted by Pakistani terror handlers, has taken centrestage ever since the Indian Army launched Operation All-Out to fight militancy in the state.

The Kashmir conundrum is back as a mainstream poll issue. (Photo: Reuters)

Pulwama has brought the issue of Kashmir into the limelight yet again. Once again, there is a sense that the Modi government can handle the issue of Kashmir with decisiveness. Many see the Congress as a party that handled the problems of Jammu and Kashmir with kid gloves, mostly getting nowhere.

The ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, believed to be working in tandem with Pakistan-based terror outfits, and the withdrawal of security cover provided to Hurriyat leaders have been appreaciated by a majority of people. These could be factors helping Modi win a second term in office. Alongside though, there are also strong concerns over the state of peace and militancy in Kashmir and the growing induction of local youth into terrorist groups. The unresolved issues of the Kashmiri Pandits is also going to be a drawback the Modi government will have to face.

Modi versus the missing Opposition face

Given that the elections are being held at a time when nationalist sentiments have been stirred up and the country is looking to its leadership to respond not just to Pakistan but also assert Indias position as a global economic power, the absence of a strong face as the prime ministerial candidate from the Opposition camp can help Modi emerge as the de facto choice.

There's his face. And to counter it, whose? (Photo: Reuters)

From Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee and Bahujan Samaj Partys Mayawati to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo KCR, the chieftains of almost all regional outfits have an eye on a greater role at the centre once a coalition government is formed.

It is this uncertanity over who would lead the coalition government which may act as advantage BJP.

Jobs and farmers

The one front where Modis leadership stands to be challenged in a very big way is the issue of jobs. Modi has come under intense criticism for not being able to create enough jobs and trying to hide his alleged failure on the employment front by raising doubts over data itself.

A draft report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) said Indias unemployment rate had surged to a four-decade record.

The NSSO survey had shown that unemployment was at a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in FY18 compared with 2.2 per cent in FY12.

While the government has claimed high economic growth that is soon to see India as the worlds fifth largest economy, experts claim the growth figures are at odds with the employment generation rate.

Is the Indian economy a sleeping giant or has it actually passed out? (Photo: Reuters)

In a country where more than 50 per cent people are below the age of 25 and more than 65 per cent below the age of 35 years, a lack of jobs could hit a government hard.

The job scenario could compel voters to look for options beyond Modi. However, with the Opposition camp failing to provide any coherent economic roadmap, people do not seem to have too many choices.

Indias farm sector has been under distress for a long time, with parties not doing much beyond announcing farm loan waivers and similar sops every election season. While such waivers do little to mitigate the problems of the farmers, they act as a burden on the overall economy of the country. However, there is also no overlooking their undeniable electoral impact.

The Gujarat Assembly elections saw a large section of the farming community express its anger against the BJP government by voting for the Congress. Will that anger hold in the Lok Sabha elections?

The benefits of the recently announced Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna, a scheme under which farmers are supposed to get Rs 6,000 per annum, recently started reaching the bank accounts of farmers. Will this help?

We would know only when the election results are announced on May 23.

Rafale

Congress president Rahul Gandhi made Rafale the single-biggest issue for his party this election season, with National Herald even publishing an article titled (rather ironically) Rafale: Modi's Bofors.

Sustained attacks on the BJP and Modi himself, however, seem to have made little difference as yet to the electorate for two main reasons  one, people see Modi as a clean leader, incapable of personal corruption. His distance from his own family and personal ties has helped this image grow. Two, defence dealings are so complicated that people do not get into the nitty gritties of these and indeed, Rafale's many intricacies, claims and counter-claims now seem to have stepped into an alternate experts' universe, leaving most voters unmoved.

Has the Rafale controversy flown into an alternate universe of experts-only now? (Photo: India Today)

Beyond Rafale, there is hardly any major corruption charge against the Modi government yet, which the Opposition can use to corner the dispensation.

As things stand today, this election looks to be going in favour for the BJP under Modi. However, not all is lost for the Congress and the rest of the Opposition. If the parties can quickly come up with a strong, coherent roadmap and help focus the narrative sharply on very real issues like jobs and farmers' distress, there is a chance for them to give the BJP a very tough fight in this BJP Versus All battle.

Also read: General Elections 2019: Even after Balakot, are major BJP states not joining General Elections, wary of an uncertain mood?
Amid calls for changes to the contentious ownership norms for private sector lenders, the RBI is likely to look into various proposals including setting up of a review panel and making the regulations more friendly towards Indian control of home-grown banks.

The move is significant as it comes in the wake of the regulator having been dragged to the Bombay High Court by Kotak Mahindra Bank. Its peer Bandhan Bank merged with Gruh Finance, in a deal widely considered to have been driven by the need to comply with the promoter shareholding norms.

"RBI has received at least three proposals and one of them relates to setting up a review committee on ownership norms for private sector banks and all options are being explored, a source said.

Other proposals relate to individual cases including granting more time and more possible routes to meet the norms, unlike the review panel one which would have wider ramifications for the entire sector, the source added.

The common viewpoint on both sites is that the stand-off with Kotak Mahindra Bank needs to be resolved at the earliest as it might be sending a wrong impression to the investor community, including the foreign institutions.

An email sent to the banking regulator did not elicit a response immediately. Governor Shaktikanta Das had recently declined to answer a specific question on whether the RBI is mulling a re-look at the promoter shareholding norms, citing that the matter is sub0judice.

It can be noted that KMB had taken the unprecedented action of dragging the RBI to court last year, days ahead of the December 31 deadline to get the promoter holding down to 20 per cent from the around 30 per cent loomed.

The Bombay High Court has refused any temporary relief to KMB and the matter is scheduled to come up for hearing on Tuesday.

The bank had proposed one preference share route to reduce the promoter shareholding in August 2018, only to be shot down by the regulator.

In late December, there was also speculation of billionaire investor Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathway entering KMB.

Kotak has found support from the right-wing bodies, who have been urging the RBI to not insist on the promoter holding requirements, saying this will naturally increase the foreign investors' play in the Indian banks.

The Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), a right-leaning think tank, has said it is high time for a review of regulations and for re-working the model of governance and ownership norms for Indian private sector banks.

The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) has also said there was an urgent need for a rethink on the regulatory framework for private bank ownership so that it remains in Indian hands.

"None of us want Indian homegrown banks to go into hands of foreign players," the SJM had said recently.

Almost all major private sector lenders have ownership of over 50 per cent by foreign investors collectively. The RBI wants the banks to have a diversified ownership in best interest of governance practices and also limits the voting rights in cases.

In the last few months, Kotak group has successfully tapped into foreign money like getting a USD 500 million commitment from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) to invest in stressed assets in the country.

In case of Bandhan Bank, the micro-lender turned commercial bank announced a deal months after facing regulatory pressure for not complying with promoter shareholding requirements.

The RBI had refused to allow the lender from automatically opening branches and had also frozen CEO C S Ghosh's remuneration.

The bank responded with the all-share Gruh deal, which brought down the promoter shareholding to 60 per cent, which is still higher than the 40 per cent requirement. In media interactions, the bank management has sounded confident of meeting the 40 per cent level.
The move has been looked at politically rather than through the prism of economics. Second, it has not always been seen as preparatory to the GST. The real test will lie in the LS verdict

This writer saw a glimpse or two of demonetisation way back in early 1946 as a nine-year-old. We had moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata) less than two years before that. One evening, my father came home and promptly showed my mother two large currency notes with a portrait of King George VI, the like of which the writer had never seen before. Each was worth a thousand rupees. My father explained how he was offered five such notes at Rs 600 each only and he declined, thinking it was illegal. Eventually, his office colleague thrust two of them into his jackets pocket. He brought that home. The next day, he was meant to go to the bank which would give him new Rs 1,000 notes in exchange. My father went on to explain that during World War II, which had ended in August 1945, many a trader had profiteered by selling war materials for American as well as British troops, who had been deployed on the Burma (now Myanmar) front. The suppliers made money but did not always pay taxes. The British Indian Government, therefore, decided to demonetise the thousand rupee note. Since then, this writer has not been unfamiliar with the process.

The year 1946 is too long ago but in 1978/79, too, the Janata Party Government of Morarji Desai had demonetised high-value notes. But the measure was so half-hearted that most people cannot remember it. Even this writer cannot recollect the details. In contrast, the Modi Governments action has had an enormous impact; though it took time for many people to comprehend what exactly were the implications. But most, who had stocks of untaxed cash, lost their money. Those, who could not find a way out, deposited it in the bank on the fair assumption that they would sort it out with the Income Tax officer at the time of assessment, with or without penalty. A Kolkata person, who reportedly had Rs 7,000 crore, could have done the same unless his cash was gained not only from an untaxed source but also from a dubious earning like smuggling.

This writer discovered how unusual the move was on the evening when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his step with regard to the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The writer and one of the most informed veteran journalists were dining at a club when the announcement was made. But that gentleman needed to be explained the implications.

Those, who had bundles and bundles of unaccounted notes of the two denominations, lost heavily that night. One person was rumoured to have become poorer by Rs 7,000 crore in one stroke. Many small holders managed to change their notes at a discount of between 20 and 50 per cent with the help of brokers, who had connections with willing bank managers. This was one of the several mismanagements reported against the Government. Another was the delay at many banks of new supply of currency. The rest was the loss of money by the middle class to upper class holders. Some felt gravely upset and sinned against for being suddenly deprived of their hard earned money. They were right, except that they overlooked that they had not paid income tax on the money they lost.

The first reaction this writer heard of was from three of his acquaintances  a teacher, a technocrat and a businessman. Each one of them stood to lose up to Rs 50 lakh, which were lying in the house or a safe deposit locker. They all swore against the Government. On the other hand, the average lower middle class and poorer people were vicariously happy that the rich people have been hit for their ill-gotten wealth. Until then, their impression was that only the poor get punished while the rich get away with the help of their influence and wealth.

The real stunning effect was that a great deal of informal (euphemism for black) money ceased to be legal tender. Most of it went into the banks. In the process for a few days to a couple of months, parts of over 85 per cent of the currency notes, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, became non-legal tender. Immediately, there was a liquidity crunch also because of the delay in supply of new notes. Except for Rs 2,000 notes, others were not printed for reasons of secrecy. How much of the secrecy was for a dramatic effect and how much was to prevent transfer of cash by the big holders were a matter of conjecture. But one thing was certain that demonetisation was a stinging message against black money as never before in India. It was also a warning that more steps were coming. Sure enough the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was on the anvil.

For those not emotionally involved, could understand that a digital, or just a modern economy could not exist on two parallel money streets  one white and bankable and the other black and not bankable. One which proposes to be taxable and the other which evades tax from start to finish. The latter would continually undercut the former because it would always be cheaper. Those opposed to demonetisation keep calling the latter informal instead of black. Even well-known economists and scholars talk in these terms  possibly they are being considerate to a great portion of yesteryear traders in our country.

This writers personal experience is interesting. My company manufactures toothbrushes, whose sales shot up by over 50 per cent on the morrow of demonetisation and more so after the introduction of GST. The explanation was that his competition in the cheaper varieties was taking no notice of taxation; with the changes, several of the competitors stopped manufacturing. There is no doubt that the so-called informal sector has been stunned. Liquidity had shrunk while new currency notes were being printed. Once they came into full flow, there was no such problem. The only difference was that black money has to be spent; whereas money in the bank is usually spent with care and caution. The reported reduced consumer demand is due to the comparative reduction in superfluous spending.

There are several other countries, which have demonetised their currency, including the UK and Australia, so has Pakistan. Zimbabwe had done something unique  it abolished its own currency and replaced it with the US dollar. Yet other countries are North Korea, Myanmar, Nigeria and Ghana. By and large, they have not benefitted, not because of demonetisation per se, but due to the lack of any improvement in financial management. Whenever the Government faced a shortage of funds, its banks resorted to printing notes to meet its expenditure.

Regrettably, demonetisation in India has been looked at politically rather than with the help of economic logic. Second, it has not always been seen as preparatory to the GST, which makes trading with black money almost impossible. Moreover, paying GST means also exposing ones turnover to the income tax authorities. For those, who were used to tax-free trading, these measures are doubly painful. Its impact on the general elections remains to be seen.

(The writer is a well-known columnist and an author)
The Syrian and Yemeni civil wars may be stumbling towards an end but the events are still too fresh in peoples minds for them to want to try again

Slogans of the Arab Spring are being heard again in the Arab world. The people want the fall of the regime, chant the protesters in Sudan, where almost three months of popular demonstrations challenge the power of the long-ruling dictator Omar al-Bashir. He acknowledges the parallels himself, condemning the demos as an attempt to copy the so-called Arab spring for Sudan.

At the other end of the Arab world, in Algeria, the demos began only last month, when President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power for the last 20 years, announced that he will run for a fifth term in the forthcoming elections. He is 82-years-old and so badly affected by a stroke six years ago that he can hardly walk or talk.

Bouteflikas last public speech was in 2014, and the most common poster in the street protests just shows a wheelchair with a big red X over it. As Algerian writer Kamel Daoud put it, by offering a candidate who is almost dead, the regime is showing its contempt for the young people in Algeria (where more than 30 per cent of people aged under 30 are unemployed).

The real reason for putting up Bouteflika once again is that the various elements of le pouvoir (the power), as everybody call the regime, could not agree on any other candidate. But it is an insult to the public and the regime is frightened by the reaction.

Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia praised the demonstrators for using strictly non-violent tactics (as in the time of the Arab Spring), citing an incident where they gave roses to the security forces policing the protests. But he pointed out: The non-violent pro-democracy demonstrations in Syria in 2011, which triggered a ghastly civil war, also started with exchanges of roses. So, is the Arab Spring coming back so soon? Probably not.

You couldnt find two Arab countries with much less in common. Algeria is a reasonably well-educated, middle-income country; Sudan is a very poor country where literacy rate is actually falling. Sudanese are Black; Algerians are White. The varieties of popular Arabic spoken in Algeria and Sudan are mutually incomprehensible. But they do have two things in common.

They are both dictatorships of very long standing. The National Liberation Front has ruled Algeria since 1962, with Bouteflika as its front man for the past 20 years. Bashir came to power in a military coup 30 years ago. And both countries largely missed out on the original Arab Spring: There were scattered demonstrations, quickly appeased or crushed but nothing more.

As in the Arab Spring, the protests this time are really fuelled by falling living standards. A dictatorship that was tolerated while living standards were rising becomes intolerable when there are not enough jobs and its getting hard to put food on the table.

In Sudan this time, it was a cut in the subsidy on bread that set off the protests but that was the last of many cuts over the past decade. Sudan lost three-quarters of its oil income when South Sudan became a separate country in 2011 and the regime can no longer afford to buy the population off with subsidies of various sorts. Algeria still has its oil but has been hurt badly by the sustained fall in oil prices since 2014.

This doesnt mean that Sudanese and Algerians would love their rulers if there was more money in their pockets. They have never more than tolerated them but the cost of trying to do something about the situation seemed too high. Now, it doesnt seem that high any more, at least not compared to the alternative.

The protests in Sudan may actually succeed in unseating Bashir, although not necessarily the military-dominated regime he leads. The regime in Algeria has already made a key concession, with Bouteflika promising to hold a referendum on a new constitution and then call fresh elections (in which he will not run) before the end of his next five-year term.

The regime is hoping that will be enough to let it stay in power, and it may be right. Algerians are deeply scarred by the terrible civil war of the 1990s, when Islamists waged a ten-year campaign of terror after their impending victory in a free election was cancelled by the military. People remain frightened of anything that could bring back that time, may be even including too-free elections. And nobody else in the Arab world is ready to pick up the torch just yet. The Syrian and Yemeni civil wars, both triggered by the popular, initially non-violent revolutions of the Arab Spring, may finally be stumbling towards an end but the whole tragic sequence of events is still too fresh in peoples minds for them to want to try again.

(The writers new book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work))
In its current form, the draft is an improvement from the 1983 Act but the current paradigm demands a wider and thorough approach. We need a Comprehensive Migration Management Act that should address every aspect of the exploitation of migrant workers

The Indian diasporas long cry may turn bitter if the new draft Emigration Management Bill 2019 is passed. The need for a comprehensive legislation, revamping the existing Emigration Act of 1983, was well understood by all parties and stakeholders in the field of migration. Even though the process for a new migration legislation gathered steam in 2012, the Government never showed the needed political will to enact it.

It was a pleasant surprise at the fag end of the present Governments tenure that a sudden stakeholders meeting was called and a draft Bill prepared and published. For the Indian diaspora, it is a welcome sign, even though it looks like an appeasement exercise, keeping the more than three-crore strong Indian diaspora in mind. The Emigration Act of 1983 had many anomalies like not being migrant-friendly and was not representative of the the multi-layered immigration problems and challenges.

The Governments approach towards the restructuring and revamping of the Emigration Act was callous, which was evident in the hurriedly-convened stakeholders meet and the draft Bill. In the Bill drafting process, the real migrants, their CSOs, or the State Government bodies like NORKA and APNRT were neither consulted, nor their opinion sought. Going through the provisions of the draft Bill, it looks headed to meet the same fate as the 1983 Act even as it is treacherously disappointing.

The new draft does not address the welfare needs and the kaleidoscopic changes in the socio, political, economic, demographic and cultural relationships in the countries of destination. The need of the hour is a Comprehensive Migration Management Act (CMMA), which should end the stark exploitation in the migration cycles, mainly in the recruitment process, at work and return and re-integration of the migrants. The new Act should be inclusive to result in a win-win situation for all the migration stakeholders. Further, the new CMMA should view migration in the developmental perspective and an economic activity for both India and the Countries of Transit and Destination.

A Migration Management Ministry should be created at the Centre besides a Migration Management Authority in all States as well as the Centre. The responsibility of complete restructuring and revamping of the recruitment, placement, work, return and re-integration should be vested with the State Governments and the institutions and authorities constituted for this purpose through the Comprehensive Migration Management Act. The Protector of Emigration is a colonial institution and it should be abolished and put into the restructuring process.

A Pravasi Commission with quasi judicial authority should also be constituted at the Centre and in all the States. For the inclusion of migrants in the democratic and developmental process and for governance, a body with legislative powers should be constituted under this Act both at the Centre and State levels. The legislation aspects of the migration governance can be through a quasi legislative body, having specific rules and regulations.

It is appalling to note that the Indian Government has no data bank on its migrant demography. It should be provisioned in the Bill for compulsory data collection of Indians going abroad for whatever reasons. Identity smart cards should be provided to the migrants. It should address both permanent and contractual migration and should be able to protect and safeguard the interest of all migrant workers.

The underlying ethos of the CMMA should be based on the principles of freedom, equality and dignity, as enshrined in the Constitution of India and the new Act should ensure the same in the destination countries.

Well-managed migration brings development to both India and the countries of destination. In this perspective or guiding principle, the new comprehensive migration Act should be developed.

The very basic element of the new Act should focus on implementing all the UN and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, treaties, multilateral commitments to migrants human and labour rights. Those not yet ratified should be done, made binding and applicable to migrants across the board.

The proposed legislation should have the migration elements related to those of the SDG goals and should be in the broader framework of the 23 directive principles and objectives of the Global Compact on Migration. Regularisation and regular pathways for human mobility across the plank should be core to the drive for the new CMMA of India and should facilitate human mobility with human rights and labour rights of the migrants.

There should also be strict provisions for the protection of migrant women. They are not by nature vulnerable population in need of rescue but too often, find themselves in vulnerable situations due to (migration) policies, values and the denial of rights. Hence, this new enactment should ensure without fail the rights to migrant women and their children, as enshrined in the Constitution of India, UN treaties and conventions.

There should not be deportation of children in any circumstances and they should not be separated from their families. Provisions should be made to protect and respect citizens and organisations that help undocumented migrants in need. The new law should have a human touch. Provisions against commodification of the migrants/trading of migrants should be incorporated.

A majority of the Indian migration is Asia-centered and economically on temporary contractual migration. The interest of this segment of migrants should be well protected in the upcoming Act. The CMMA should address the need for ethical recruitment, decent jobs and labour mobility with the protection of the labour rights of migrants. Recruitment fees should be borne by the employer, not the migrant worker and any fees collected from the migrant worker should be treated as bonded labour and trafficking in humans.

Portability of salary, social security benefits, indemnities and pension etc should be guaranteed to the migrant worker without any hindrance, both from the destination countries and the employers. Forced repatriation and administrative deportation should not be allowed. Their voluntary return should be tailor-made and context specific, involving a process with true choices, including choosing the moment of return. To change the narrative and perceptions on migration, the migrants voices need to be audible.

What the Indian migrant wants is a CMMA that will protect and safeguard them in the true sense. We can always wait for a few months more for this to become a reality since we have been waiting for the last 35 years.

(The writer is an NRI working on the welfare of migration workers in the Gulf sector)
Counting on May 23; simultaneous Assembly polls in Andhra, Arunachal, Odisha & Sikkim but not in J&K

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the votes will be counted on May 23, announced the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Sunday.

Calling the Indian parliamentary battle the largest festival of democracy, CEC Sunil Arora on Sunday said 91 constituencies (spread across 20 States) will see polling on April 11, followed by 97 constituencies spreading across 13 States on April 18, 115 Lok Sabha constituencies in 14 States on April 23, while 71 in 9 States/UTs on April 29, 51 Parliamentary constituencies in seven States on May 6, 59 constituencies (also 7 States) on May 12 and 59 constituencies (8 States) on May 19.

With nearly 90 crore voters across 10 lakh booths in 543 constituencies as against about nine lakh in 2014, India is set to hold its 17th Lok Sabha elections over the next few weeks. Arora announced that the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time.

With the announcement of the polls, the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday, Arora said.

The tenure of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 3. Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously. However, elections for the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, which was dissolved after the ruling coalition between the BJP and the PDP fell apart, will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Both the National Conference and PDP have criticised the decision not to hold Jammu & Kashmir Assembly election along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Questioning Election Commissions decision, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said, First time since 1996 Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership, he tweeted.

In another tweet Omar said, In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & Assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K, Omar wrote on Twitter.

Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti also opposed the decision taken by the ECI of not holding Assembly and parliament elections simultaneously in Jammu & Kashmir.

In a statement, Mehbooba said, Postponement of Assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir is tantamount to denying basic rights of the people of the State to have a popular Government. It is very dangerous to keep the State in the hands of unelected representatives of the Centre. It will further complicate the problems in the State and the decision taken by Election Commission needs an immediate review, Mehbooba said in a statement.

As per EC schedule, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will see staggered Lok Sabha elections spread over all seven phases starting from April 11 to May 19. The nomination for the first phase of polls will begin March 18.

The phase I of the Lok Sabha election will take place on April 11, 2019. The phase I polls will be held in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies in a total of 20 States including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Lakshadweep.

The polling in the phase II of Lok Sabha elections will be held on April 18, 2019 in 97 Lok Sabha constituencies of 13 States including Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Puducherry.

The third phase of polling will be held on April 23 in a total of 115 constituencies spread across 14 States. The States are: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.

The fourth phase of polling will on April 29 in 71 constituencies spread across nine States.

The States are: Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The fifth phase of polling will be held on May 6 in 51 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across seven States including Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The polling in the phase VI will be held on May 12, in 59 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Polls in Delhi-NCR will be held in phase VI. The polls in phase VII will be held on May 19. The election will be held in 59 constituencies of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Chandigarh (UT), Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

The CEC said 22 States and Union Territories will see single-phase election, Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura will see polling in two phases, Assam and Chhattisgarh will have three-phase polling, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will see four-phase polling & Jammu and Kashmir will have five-phase elections.

The places where elections will take place in a single phase are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Delhi and Puducherry.

To conduct the polls in a safe and secure atmosphere, Arora said a large number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will be deployed. He said a sufficient number of video cameras and CCTVs besides web-casting will be used during the electoral battle. There will be extensive web-casting of sensitive voting booths. All critical events will be videographed.

CEC Arora said that a total electorate in this Lok Sabha elections will be 900 million, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group.

In 2014, when the BJP swept to power, the Lok Sabha elections were held across nine phases beginning April 7 and ending May 9. The counting of votes had taken place on May 16. The total contestants in fray were 8,251, with an average of 15 candidates in each constituency. However, deposit was forfeited in case of 7,000 contestants. A total of over 55 crore voters (66.3 per cent) exercised their vote, while there were 9.27 lakh polling stations. There were nearly 60 lakh NOTA votes.
In a bid to address the grievances of common people who had to run from pillar to post to get justice, a Credibility Cell will be set up at Police Headquarters (PHQ) in Atal Nagar, Naya Raipur.

The Credibility Cell would directly work under command of Director General of Police and will work for immediate disposal of grievances of common people.

Official sources at PHQ informed that the cell which would directly be under DGP, D.M. Awasthi would work under supervision of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Crime Research Department.

There would a gazetted official for each of the police division which would table the matters after getting information from the police stations of concerned district.

A prompt response would be given to the application and a legal action under set rules and regulation would be taken urgently.
Upset over rising crime graph in state, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday issued letters to all the Superintendent of Police and had warned stern action against them in case they fail to rein in criminals.

Expressing concern over deteriorating law and order situation in run up to crucial Lok Sabha polls, Baghel asked all the SPs to own up responsibility for containing crime in their respective districts.

Notably, a couple of days ago some culprit in a broad daylight looted Rs 9 lakh from a collection agent at gunpoint in Bhilai on a busy national highway.

Opposition came down heavily over the fast deteriorating law and order situation in state. The incident also tainted the image of the new Congress government.
Welcoming the Election Commission directive against use of pictures relating to defence personnel for election propaganda or campaigning, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday called for an end to politicisation of the armed forces for political gains.

Earning brownie points through politicisation of forces is as wrong as using photographs of defence personnel to take political mileage, said the Chief Minister.

The Election Commission had on Saturday issued an advisory to all national and state political parties of the country, asking them to refrain from display of photographs of defence personnel or photographs of functions involving defence personnel in advertisements, or otherwise as part of their election propaganda or campaigning.

It is good that the EC had taken note of the shameful practice of using such photographs for electoral gains, especially in the wake of the recent IAF air strikes across the LoC, said Capt Amarinder, urging the political parties to desist also from any attempt to politicise the forces.

The Armed Forces are above all petty considerations such as caste, religion or political affiliations and need to be kept so if India is to remain an independent sovereign power, said the Chief Minister.

He said that any political interference in the functioning of the forces would be highly detrimental to the security and the larger interest of the nation and its people.

Political control of the Armed Forces could have devastating effects on a country and its future, as much as interference by the forces could have on its polity, said the Chief Minister, warning the Indian political parties not to make the mistake which some other nations had done to their peril.
Welcoming the decision of the Union Home Ministry to fast-track the development of Kartarpur Corridor, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday reiterated his demand for passport and visa free khule darshan for pilgrims visiting the historic gurdwara across the international border.

Welcome decision of @HMOIndia to build #KartarpurCorridor on fast track basis to enable Sikh pilgrims to visit the historic Gurdwara in #Pakistan in time for 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I extend all support from my govt for the project, the Chief Minister had tweeted on late Saturday night.

However, he made it clear on Sunday that it was not enough to build the Corridor on fast-track but the pilgrims also needed to be facilitated to have khule darshan by waiving off the requirement of passport and visa to travel across the border.

The condition of passport and visa would prevent thousands of devotees without passports, particularly those living in the rural belt of Punjab, from fulfilling their aspiration to pay obeisance at the historic gurdwara associated with the life of the first Sikh Guru, pointed the Chief Minister.

He said that the Central Government could easily provide access to the gurdwara to these non-passport holder devotees by waiving off the condition of passport and visa, and using other documents instead to verify the identity of the pilgrims.

The Corridor would provide an extremely limited window of travel, with restricted access, and would be a high-security route to the gurdwara, which made it easier for the government to waive off the condition of passport and visa, he said.

The first Sikh Guru preached universality, which could be realized if all his devotees are now allowed to pray at the gurdwara which remains integrally linked with his life, said the Chief Minister.

Let us not deprive the genuine devotees of access to the historic gurdwara only because they do not have passports, he said, urging the Central Government to accept his request in this regard.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the country was witnessing a new change because of the pro-people policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that had a marked positive impact not only on youths and workers but also on farmers.

Laying the foundation stone of the Centre of Excellence in State Agriculture Management Institute at Rehmankheda here on Sunday, the Chief Minister said that for the first time, farmers were at the centre of development.

The state government is implementing the Central governments policies in letter and spirit, and its impact can be seen, he said in his address.

Yogi said the Prime Minister introduced the Soil Health Card Scheme and the UP government distributed over four crore soil health cards.

Irrigation is an important factor in agriculture and the UP government has increased 2 lakh hectare irrigation capacity by introducing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana. The Baan Sagar Project, which was started in 1978, was dedicated to the people on July 15, 2018 by the Prime Minister. It was completed with financial support from the Centre, Yogi said, adding that by December 2019, the government would provide additional 20 lakh hectare irrigation facility.

Elaborating on the achievements of the government, the Chief Minister said that in 2014, the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat was Rs 1,460 per quintal and it was increased to Rs 1,840 per quintal by the Modi government. He said the Central government also gave an additional Rs 20 per quintal making the MSP Rs 1,860 per quintal.

He pointed out that money was also transferred directly to the account of farmers through RTGS thus saving them from clutches of middlemen.

Farmers are the anna daata (food providers) in the real sense so they should get the respect they deserve. The Prime Minister introduced Pradhan Mantri Krishi Samman Nidhi under which the small and marginal farmers are paid Rs 6,000 per annum on quarterly basis. The first instalment of Rs 2,000 has been credited in the accounts of the farmers, Yogi said.

Similarly, farmers have been given free gas and electricity connections, he added.

The Chief Minister honoured farmers and scientists who excelled in their fields.
Dwarka Sub City, built to compete with the smart city projects across the globe, lacks Development and Road connectivity and it can ignite a political slugfest since the General Elections are round the corner. With a population of over 4-7 lakh people, the residents of Dwarka sub city have been are deprived of basic facilities such as- Cleanness, poor connectivity ( road infra) and semi constructed pavements.

The Pioneer did a reality check of the Dwarka Sub City. According to Government agencies  Dwarka as a residential hub meets all international standards of a modern city, however, many central and state government employees are unhappy with half heartedly work done by South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Public Works Department (PWD).

Dwarka, the hub of cooperative group housing societies and now coming up with Diplomatic Enclave after Chanakyapuri, plus having a Convention Center on the lines of Pragati Maidan, lacks in traffic engineering.

Tom tomed as the city of 21st century, desperately needs a traffic movement plan to shake off daily traffic snarls. Deprived from basic developments, Dwarka residents now posing questions to the Union Government and the Delhi government for neglecting them for the past four years .Central government employees apprehend unmanageable situation in the future, if the issues are not fixed.

Interestingly, Dwarka has three approaches to reach Central Delhi, an exit route to Jankapuri , towards Palam and a third one near Kapashera. The Kapashera one is also used for heavy traffic movement to Gurugram. Pointing out perennial traffic congestion, another officer residing in Sector 6, said that the average delay caused due to the congestion at Dwarka flyover is about 15 minutesand stretching up to 45 minutes just for three to four kilometer distance, and on the certain days it even takes more than an hour, said another resident.

Demanding required infrastructure and urging AAP government to focus on Sub City areas, proportional to save time and energy both, Dwarka residents said that there is a requirement to provide additional suitable exit route from Dwarka as well as improving the existing infrastructure by shifting the bus stand from flyover or to add an additional lane can be utilized for allowing traffic of the congested side during peak hours.

Under constructed pavements are impeding traffic movements, as pedestrians could be seen occupying carriageways on both sides. Cyclists too join the fun and hamper the movement of fast moving vehicles, said another resident but not willing to be named. Civic agencies supposed to carry out completion are least interested as the political class has no time to develop the ongoing projects, he added. Interestingly, besides road/ metro connectivity, residents have complaints on civic issues.
The Election Commission of India, on Sunday, announced a seven-phase schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, 2019. Jharkhands 14 Lok Sabha seats will have elections in four phases.

Polling in the State will commence on April 29 covering Palamu, Lohardaga and Chatra going on poll. On May 6, elections will be held in four Lok Sabha seats which include Koderma, Ranchi, Khunti and Hazaribag. On May 12, the third phase of election will be held in State and the seats which will go on polling include Giridih, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Singhbhum. The three seats of Santhal ParganaRaj Mahal, dumka and Godda will go on poll on May 19 the last phase of election. Out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in State, there are eight general seats, five seats reserved for scheduled tribes while one seat Palamu reserved for scheduled caste (SC).

Chief Electoral Officer L Khiangte addressing a press conference on Sunday said, Jharkhand will go to poll in four phases in which 2,19,81,479 voters in State will exercise their franchise. Out of total voters, the number of male voters is 1,15,07,697 while the female voters number is 1, 04,73,475. The total voters also include 307 third gender voters. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has created 29,464 polling booths out of which 4404 are spread in urban areas while 25060 booths are in rural areas.

Khiangte further said, The ECI has made elaborate arrangements for general elections. Out of 29,464 booths, 85.24 per cent booths have ramp facilities, 72.14 per cent having electricity facilities. Also 95.24 per cent polling booths have drinking water facilities, 94.90 polling booths having toilets and 89.30 per cent booths having sheds so that the voters dont have any inconvenience while casting their votes.

Ashish Batra, IG (Operations) said, The State Government is committed for holding free and fair elections. Around 600 companies of police forces which include cops from State police, security personnel from JAP, CRPF and other paramilitary forces will be deployed.

The 600 companies of police personnel includes around 40, 000 police personnel. The IG also claimed that in sensitive booths paramilitary forces will be deployed. The IG also stated that apart from these the State police along with para military personnel will carry out operations against Left Wing Extremist (LWE) groups active in the State.

This time the ECI is going to introduce various new practices for smooth polls. The ECI is going to introduce Citizen Vigilance (C-Vigil) App, through which any voter can inform ECI, if he or she finds any violation of model code of conduct in the elections in their booth.

The C-Vigil is simple mobile App, through which any aware voter has to click the photographs or prepare the video of the incident and upload it on the App. The photographs, video of the incident should be latest and the voter after preparing the video or clicking the photographs has to upload it within five minutes. The State Chief Electoral Office for the first time in upcoming general elections is to introduce the VVPAT.

Candidates contesting upcoming general elections will have to declare their criminal records through affidavits in newspapers before filling their nomination

papers. Additional chief electoral officer Manish Ranjan said,

As per the Supreme Court directive given last year , a candidate is required to declare criminal antecedents and cases which he or she is facing. The candidates have to get the affidavits publish in newspapers or electronic media thrice before the election.
The Notified Area Council (NAC) of Khariar on Saturday distributed land certificates for less than 323 square feet built-up area for residential purpose to 11 slum dwellers of Niljibandhapada in Ward-8.

The entitlement certificates were distributed in the NAC office by the Tehsildar, Khariar in the presence of Executive Officer, Khariar NAC Kishor Kumar Sahu, journalists Ajit Panda, Hemanta Behera and Tapan Dash, journalists, Sanjukta Panda, Dipika Trivedi, Sanjeev Kumar and other staff members of NAC office and social worker Chittaranjan Behera.

In the first phase of distribution, we are giving entitlement certificates to eleven beneficiaries. We have identified as many as 159 landless beneficiaries and all of them would be covered under the urban scheme of homestead land allotment, said the EO. There are 20 families who have settled in more than 232 built-up area and they would have to pay a premium for the excess land at 25 per cent of the benchmark value of the land, he added.

Considering the previous experience of land alienation from the beneficiaries of land allotment schemes, the Government has made the present land allotment non-transferable."The land can be inherited, but cannot be sold and, in case of married persons, the certificate of property right has been issued jointly in the name of both the spouses, the EO informed.
Till the Government gives full legal rights to the whistle blowers, the present trial court procedures should be used to resolve the cases of human rights violation said Uttarakhand Law Commission chairman Justice (retd) Rajesh Tandon. He was presiding as chief guest at oath taking ceremony of national working committee of Human Rights Protection Society at Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya here on Sunday.

Addressing the newly formed committee members he said, You are like a whistle blower and the whistle blower protection Act 2014 provides a mechanism to investigate alleged corruption and misuse of power by public servants. It protects anyone who exposes alleged fraud or corruption in government bodies, projects and offices.

Tandon appealed to all the members to work for the poor people who suffer while queuing up for getting treatment in Government hospitals for which they are entitled by Government for cashless facility under various schemes.

He said he hoped recently launched Ayushman scheme of Government gets implemented with transparency.

Earlier the vice chancellor Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Professor Vinod Kumar administered the oath to the newly elected committee members.

President of the society, Madhusudan Arya said that each member must work with dedication to help any helpless person in need get his due.
With the schedule for the Lok Sabha election 2019 being announced on Sunday, the Government machinery in Uttarakhand is focusing on expediting preparations for the polling to be held on April 11 in the State. After announcement of the parliamentary election schedule on Sunday evening, the States chief electoral officer, Sowjanya, chaired a video conference with all returning officers and district election officers at the secretariat to review preparations for the Lok Sabha election 2019.

Addressing the officials in the meeting, the chief electoral officer said that the election model code of conduct had come into effect with the announcement of the elections.

All the district election officers must ensure strict enforcement of the election model code of conduct in their respective areas of jurisdiction. The defacement of Government and public properties should be tackled in a time-bound manner. In addition to this, the misuse of Governmental vehicles must also be stopped.

With the election model code of conduct in force, there will not be any advertisement for publicity from government expenditure. The photographs of political personalities are also to be removed from governmental websites, she said. Further, no new tenders or work orders will be made during the period that the election model code of conduct is in force.

However, she clarified that the execution of any work that has been started physically will be continued though there will not be any inauguration or unveiling of foundation stone.

The chief electoral officer further said that the Election Commission of Indias cVIGIL application should be taken seriously and complaints received through it should be addressed within the given time frame.

The control room should be made fully active and regular reports should be presented on the law and order situation.

The officials concerned were also directed to ensure the training of personnel along with security of the electronic voting machines and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT). Sowjanya further directed that the officials should provide representatives of the political parties with information related to new Suvidha application and all necessary regulations related to the elections. The cooperation of the media can also be taken in ensuring the conduct of the election process in a transparent manner.

Special facility is also to be provided to the differently abled voters, she added. The additional chief electoral officer V Shanmugham and other officials concerned were also among those present in the meeting.
The Election Commission of Indias (ECI) decision to hold Lok Sabha elections in Punjab in a single go on May 19 on Sunday triggered fervent political activity with the parties holding meetings formulating poll strategies.

The Congress held meetings with the partys central leadership in Delhi to shortlist names of its candidates and made attempts to persuade former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to contest from Amritsar. SAD-BJP, on the other hand, held joint meetings to chalk out modalities between the two alliance partners for the elections.

The Chief Election Commissioner on Sunday evening announced general elections to be held in seven phases across the country, with Punjabs all 13 constituencies to go for polls in the last phase on May 19. The final counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Punjab is all set to witness a multi-cornered contest between the states ruling party  Congress, SAD-BJP combine, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), besides the several political outfits working on formulating a fourth front.

Besides the area-specific issues, the elections in the state would largely be fought on the issues related to the Sikh community  including opening up of Kartarpur Sahib corridor, sacrilege cases and related firing incidents in SAD-BJP regime, convictions in 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, among others.

In 2014 elections, AAP had taken traditional political players in the state for surprise by bagging four seats in its first elections. As its popularity graph declined in these five years, AAP is now planning to enter into an alliance, possibly with the SAD breakaway faction  SAD (Taksali), or the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)  to make up for the lost ground.

The Congress had won three seats in 2014, but gained another one by winning Gurdaspur in 2017 bye-election following the demise of BJPs sitting MP Vinod Khanna.

SAD and BJP, which contests Lok Sabha elections with a seat share of 10 and three respectively, bagged four and two seats in that order. BJP now has just one MP from the state, Vijay Sampla from Hoshiarpur, who is the Union Minister for State.

Besides, the possible formulation of a fourth front is expected to make the Punjab elections this time exciting. Various splinter groups by rebels, including former AAP MLA Sukhpal Khairas Punjabi Ekta Party, AAPs suspended MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhis Punjab Manch, Bains brothers Lok Insaaf Party, are planning to form a grand alliance.

At the same time, Bargari Morcha  a group comprising of Sikh hardliners that came into being to seek justice in 2015 sacrilege cases and death in related firing incidents  has also thrown its hat in the electoral ring.

Punjab has a total of 2,03,74,375 voters, including 1,07,54,157 male and 96,19,711 female, besides 507 third gender voters. A total of 23213 polling stations have been set up for the elections, out of which about 4500 would be sensitive, 2500 would be vulnerable, and over 1500 were identified as critical.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju informed that the notification for election would be issued on April 22 and the nomination process would start from the same day with April 29 being the last day.

The scrutiny of nomination papers would be done on April 30, followed by withdrawal of nominations by May 3.

To ensure the strict implementation of the Model Code of Conduct in letter and spirit, CEO said that directions had already been issued to all Heads of the Departments and Deputy Commissioners.

For the first time, VVPAT would be used in all the 13 parliamentary constituencies, he said adding that the Commission was committed to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls across the State for which Static Surveillance teams, flying squads, among others have been operational all across the state to check the misuse of money power, liquor and narcotics.

CONGRESS WANTS TO TAKE MMS ON BOARD, HE RELUCTANT

Punjab Congress on Sunday went all out to persuade the former Prime Minister and partys Sikh face at the national level Dr Manmohan Singh to contest elections this time from the holy city of Amritsar. However, it has been learnt that the two-time Prime Minister is not willing.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, state party affairs secretary in-charge Asha Kumari visited Dr Singh to request him to contest the elections, but reportedly failed to convince him.

The state leaders visited the former Prime Minister after the partys screening panel, that held its meeting earlier in the day, agreed that fielding Dr Singh would benefit the party immensely in the state.

The Amritsar seat is currently held by the Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla who won the 2017 bye-election. In 2014 election, BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley contested from Amritsar and lost to Congress's Capt Amarinder Singh who went on to become Punjab Chief Minister in 2017. Notably, the 86-year-old had also been offered to contest from Amritsar in 2009 too, but he declined the request on account of poor health.

A Rajya Sabha member since 1991 from Assam, Dr Singhs term is set to end on June 14. The two-time PM has never won Lok Sabha elections. The only time he contested was in 1999, when he lost to the BJP's VK Malhotra from South Delhi.

WILL WIN ALL 13 SEATS: CAPT AMARINDER

Chandigarh/New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday exuded confidence of the Congress sweeping all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The Congress in Punjab is fully geared to fight the Lok Sabha polls and will sweep the same, said Capt Amarinder, making it clear that the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) did not need an ally to win the election.

The Chief Minister, in an informal chat with the mediapersons after the partys screening committee meeting held at Kapurthala House in New Delhi said that the State Government would take all steps to ensure free and fair polls in a secure environment.

The police and civil administration would work in tandem to enable peaceful election in the state, he added.

In response to a question, the Chief Minister said that the Army was an apolitical institution, which no political party could or should try to politicize. Any attempt to do so has a demoralising effect on the armed forces, he added.

CONG SHORTLISTS NAMES; HIGH COMMAND TO TAKE FINAL CALL

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder on Sunday chaired the screening committee meeting in the national capital wherein the names of 13 candidates have been finalised, and would be sent to the party high command for the final decision.

The panel has given the names of shortlisted candidates, along with the second choice of candidate, leaving it to the high command to decide and announce the names.

Besides Punjab Congress chief Jakhar and party affairs in-charge Asha Kumari, the meeting was attended by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary KC Venugopal.

It has been learnt that the members have proposed Dr Manmohan Singhs name for Amritsar seat. Among other possible candidates include former Union Minister Preneet Kaur from Patiala, sitting MP Jakhar from Gurdaspur, sitting MP Ravneet Bittu from Ludhiana, SAD turncoat and sitting MP Sher Singh Ghubaya from Ferozepur, former IAS officer Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib, among others.

It was a preliminary meeting, at which all the 13 seats were discussed, with names being shortlisted for each of them, Capt Amarinder told the media persons in an informal chat after the meeting.

The names will be sent to the AICC Central Election Committee for finalization, as per the methodology for selection proposed this time by AICC president Rahul Gandhi, marking a new era in ushering transparency into the party functioning, he said.

SAD-BJP MEETS TO WORK OUT MODALITIES

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Sunday held a joint meeting to work out the modalities for 2019 elections, while forming various panels to smooth the process of election campaigning.

The combine formed two-member coordination committee, comprising former Minister Daljit Singh Cheema of SAD and BJPs senior leader Rakesh Rathour, to coordinate between both the parties and resolve any issue arising.

Besides, media committee, social media committee, campaign committee were also formed for the elections.

The senior leadership of both the parties were present during the meeting, during which it was decided to contest elections on the achievements of the Narendra Modi led Central Government, and projecting the failure of the Congress government in Punjab.

Punjab BJP president Shwait Malik asked the party workers and cadre to make the people aware about the achievements of Modi Government while asking them to make more and more people joining the party.

Facing heat over sacrilege issue, SAD is finding it tough to find candidates. It has been learnt that the party is planning to field sitting MP Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda, Lok Sabhas former deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal from Jalandhar, former RTA officer Karan Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib, former Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra from Patiala, Congress turncoat and former MLA Joginder Singh Panjgrain from Faridkot, former Minister Bibi Jagir Kaur from Khadoor Sahib, among others.

On the other hand, BJP may field sitting MP Vijay Sampla from Hoshiarpur, former Union Minister and Bollywood star Vinod Khannas wife Kavita Khanna or his son Akshay Khanna from Gurdaspur.
Yesterday, at a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stressed that Iran is interested in comprehensive development of relations with Baku and highlighted importance of acceleration of implementation of joint projects. According to Zarif, "security and development of Azerbaijan strengthens security and development of Iran." Mammadyarov noted that it's necessary to resolve Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict as soon as possible, while Zarif stressed that Iran continues to support the conflict settlement process through peaceful negotiations and respect for principles of territorial integrity.

As Fars news agency reports, during the meeting, Zarif and Mammadyarov conferred on various aspects of bilateral relations with a focus on expanding economic cooperation between the two neighboring countries, and exchanged views on the latest developments in the region and the world. Mammadyarovs visit to Tehran takes place a few days after an Azeri economic delegation headed by the countrys Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev arrived in Iran for bilateral talks on expansion of economic cooperation.

On Tuesday, Iranian Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand and his Azerbaijani counterpart Shahin Mustafayev, in a meeting in Tehran, pledged to ink extensive economic agreements between the two countries. In their meeting, the economy ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan reached an agreement to seal bilateral monetary, financial and banking accords, developing mutual economic cooperation, specially on the completion of the International NorthSouth Transportation Corridor project.

Dejpasand stressed that Iran always considers development of relations with its neighbors, specially Azerbaijan, as one of its strategic policies. Azerbaijan has a special place in the foreign policy of Iran as it could be witnessed through the numerous meetings between the two countries' presidents over the past five years, the Iranian minister said.

Referring to the insufficient speed of the progress in some joint projects, including the final stages of the Rasht-Astara railway project, Dejpasand proposed to create a special group to monitor the implementation of the agreements signed between the two countries, a suggestion that was welcomed by the Azerbaijani side. The Iranian economy minister also called for signing a bilateral monetary and financial agreement and the development of banking cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan, saying that the cooperation in economic field should be at the same level as the political relations between the two countries.

Mustafayev, for his part, expressed readiness to sign a monetary and banking agreement as well as to cooperate more on completing the remaining parts of the Rasht-Astara railway project. The Azerbaijani minister also referred to a 74% increase in trade between the two countries last year, putting the value of the bilateral trade at $450 million, while saying that of a total $450 million, $420 was the value of the Iranian exports to Azerbaijan. He furthermore called for increasing bilateral trade to new levels. He also underlined the full support of the Azerbaijani government to the Iranian investors in his country, saying that an Iranian car company there has reached the desirable profit-making level.

The Azerbaijani official further added that his country is trying to conclude a new contract with Iranian companies for production of buses there. Azerbaijan's support for Iranian companies and its serious determination to develop cooperation with Iran may be unacceptable to some governments, but as an independent country, we are determined to develop relations with Iran, Mustafayev further noted.

Iran and Azerbaijan share abundant historical, cultural and religious commonalities and Iran is very serious to further expand ties and cooperation with Azerbaijan, said Governor General of Irans West Azerbaijan Province Mohammad Mahdi Shahriyari, in a meeting with a visiting delegation from the Republic of Azerbaijan, back in mid-January.

A week before the January meeting, Azeri Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov said that trade exchanges between the two countries have increased to $400 million over the past nine months to December 21 from $257 million in 2017. Asadov made the remarks in a meeting with Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri in Baku.

The top parliamentarian called Iran and Azerbaijan as two friendly states, saying that there exist good conditions for deepening ties based on historical, cultural and religious commonalities. He underlined the political resolve of the two countries leaders for boosting cooperation, and said that the two countries presidents have met 12 times over the past five years and the talks focused on national interests of the two nations.
Balangir is likely to witness a triangular fight between BJD, BJP and Congress this elections. In 2014 election, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo of BJD won from Bolangir Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJPs Sangeeeta Singh Deo, while Congress candidate Sarat Pattnaik was in the third position. The Balangir Parliamentary constituency comprises seven Assembly seats like Balangir, Patnagarh, Titilagarh, Loisingha and Kantabanji in Balangir district and Birmaharajpur and Sonepur seats in Subranapur district.

As per the prevailing situation in Balangir , the BJD has one and only candidate for MP seat, Kalikesh Singh Deo. His strength is the pro-poor welfare schemes and development works undertaken by the Naveen Patnaik Government in the constituency. However, according to reports, dissidence and anti incumbency factors in the party could foment troubles for the BJD candidates, unless tackled properly.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on as to who will be the BJP MP nominee this time from Balangir. Although Sangeeta is gearing up herself as the lone BJP candidate and seen actively participating in BJP meetings in the district, the movement of Balram Singh Yadav in entire Balangir Parliamentary Constituency has created ripples in political circle here.

Yadav is the chairman of Western Odisha Yadav Developmental Council. I have been working for upliftment of Yadavs and OBCs. In Balangir Parliamentary seat, Yadav and OBC voters are around 6.83lakh. Once united, they could be potential force and a game changer, Yadav told.

Political observers feel that Yadav has blessings of top brass in BJP and hence he is moving every nook and corner of the district for organisation works for last one and a half years and may get a party ticket.

On the other hand, the OPCC has recommended two names, namely Samarendra Mishra and Laxman Meher to AICC for nomination for Balangir LS seat this time.

Mishra is an AICC member and tipped to be a Congress candidate from Balangir LS seat. He has toured different areas of the constituency as a member of Congress Manifesto Committee. He has been very critical of the Naveen Patnaik Government for rising unemployment, betrayal of farmers and distress migration in Balangir, apart from various other issues.

Meher is the president of Bolangir District Central Cooperative Bank and an old Congress worker and activist. He has criticized the BJD Government for the closed agro industrial units, including the sugar mill at Deogaon, affecting farmers. Besides, he also has attacked the State Government over the Lower Suktel irrigation project.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has no mass leader here after Ajaya Das, who was with AAP, has joined BJD and is an aspirant for Kantabanji Assembly seat.
Indias over US$30 billion organised woodworking industry is expected to gain massive traction with the DelhiWood 2019 exhibition to be held in Greater Noida. The sixth edition of the woodworking industrys eagerly anticipated biennial event, DelhiWood 2019, will be held during March 13-16 at the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida.

More than 550 exhibitors from over 35 countries will showcase modern cutting-edge technologies, machinery, tools, fittings, accessories, raw materials and products for furniture production and wood-based manufacturing, housed in a whopping 42,000 square metres of space at the forthcoming DelhiWood 2019, making it the biggest ever woodworking industry show in India. The show is expecting large business enquires from the markets of Dehradun, Haridwar, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand.

It may be noted that the woodworking industry is one of the fastest growing sector of the Indian economy.

According to a study by the World Bank, Indias organised furniture industry is expected to grow 20 per cent per annum over the next few years and is projected to cross US$ 32 billion by 2019, while the luxury furniture market is expected to garner $27.01 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 4.1 per cent during the forecast period 2015-2020.

DelhiWood 2019 is expected to provide a big fillip to this growth by showcasing the latest innovations and world class products at the much awaited event.

The fair is expected to result in huge trade outcomes and business tie-ups.
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The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 1711 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Cobham, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Services China Ltd., Esterline Technologies Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies Management France SAS, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, ILC Holdings Inc., Irvin Aerospace Limited, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Jupiter SAS, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Militair Aviation Ltd., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas Corp., Norwich Aero Products Inc., Pascall Electronics Limited, Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Racal Acoustics Inc., Racal Acoustics Limited, Rancho TransTechnology Corporation, Retainers Inc., SSP Industries, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, ScioTeq LLC, ScioTeq Ltd., ScioTeq Pte. Ltd., ScioTeq SAS, ScioTeq bvba, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Mfg Limited, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., TREALITY SVS LLC, TTERUSA Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Technical Airborne Components Industries SPRL, Telair International, Telair International AB, Telair International GmbH, Telair International LLC, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, Texas Rotronics Inc., TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Industries Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, and Young & Franklin Inc..
Fortis Inc. operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 433,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 98,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,233 megawatts (MW), including 59 MW of solar capacity. The company also sells wholesale electricity to other entities in the western United States; owns gas-fired and hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 65 MW; and distributes natural gas to approximately 1,048,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates the electricity distribution system that serves approximately 572,000 customers in southern and central Alberta; owns 4 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 225 MW; and provides operation, maintenance, and management services to five hydroelectric generating facilities. Further, the company distributes electricity in the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador with an installed generating capacity of 143 MW; and on Prince Edward Island with a generating capacity of 130 MW. Additionally, it provides integrated electric utility service to approximately 67,000 customers in Ontario; approximately 270,000 customers in Newfoundland and Labrador; approximately 31,000 customers on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and approximately 15,000 customers on certain islands in Turks and Caicos. The company also holds long-term contracted generation assets in Belize consisting of 3 hydroelectric generating facilities with a combined capacity of 51 MW; and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility. It also owns and operates approximately 91,000 circuit Kilometers (km) of distribution lines; and approximately 49,500 km of natural gas pipelines. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John's, Canada.

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Supply Chain Issues Getting You Down? Give Stocks for the Holidays Instead. Here's How

Hampered by supply chain issues? Global supply chain issues have started to recede, but executives in shipping, manufacturing and retail say that they dont expect a normal return to operations until next year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Grafton Group plc engages in the distribution, retailing, and manufacturing businesses in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Its Distribution segment distributes building and plumbing materials to professional trades people engaged in residential repair, maintenance, and improvement projects, as well as in residential and other new build construction. This segment operates 487 branches primarily under the Selco, Buildbase, and Leyland SDM brands in the South East, Midlands, and North of England; the Chadwicks brand in the Republic of Ireland; and the MacBlair brand in Northern Ireland; and the Isero, Polvo, and Gunters en Meuser brands in the Netherlands. The company's Retailing segment engages in DIY retailing and home improvement business that supplies a range of products, including paints, lighting products, homestyle products, housewares, bathroom products, and kitchens, as well as gardening and Christmas products. This segment operates 35 stores primarily under the Woodie's brand. Its Manufacturing segment manufactures silo-based dry mortar for use in new build residential and commercial construction projects in England and Scotland; plastic pipe systems in Dublin; and wooden staircase in the United Kingdom. Grafton Group plc was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.
Elementis plc operates as a specialty chemical company in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Personal Care, Coatings, Talc, Chromium, and Energy. The Personal Care segment produces and sells rheological modifiers and compounded products for antiperspirants/deodorants, bath and soap, color cosmetics, and hair and skin care products. The Coatings segment produces and sells rheological modifiers and additives for industrial finishes, architectural coatings, construction, adhesives and sealants, inks, colorant dispersions, and specialty applications. The Talc segment produces and supplies talc for use in plastics, paints and coatings, food and pharmaceuticals, ceramics, polyester putties, paper, and pulp sectors. The Chromium segment produces chromium chemicals, such as chromic oxide, chromic acid, chrome sulfate, sodium dichromate, and sodium sulfate for use in pigments, cosmetics, refractories, chrome metal production, metal and plastic finishing, wood treatment, leather tanning, trivalent metal finishing, coatings, and metal passivation, as well as for making detergents, glasses, papers, and starches. The Energy segment produces and sells rheological modifiers and additives for oil and gas drilling, lubrication, and stimulation activities. It also offers personal care products, waxes, additives and resins, organoclays, colourants, and other specialty additives. Elementis plc was founded in 1844 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Azerbaijani border guards prevented an attempt of armed men from Iran to violate the state border, Trend reported citing the Azerbaijani State Border Service.

The incident occurred at about 06:50 (GMT+4) on March 10. Despite the legitimate demand and warning shot made by Azerbaijani servicemen, the offenders opened fire.

As a result of the shootout, junior sergeant Sakhavat Mammadovs chest was injured, while private soldier Vidadi Jabrayilovs arm was injured. Despite both border guards were immediately taken to the hospital, Sakhavat Mammadov died.

Those who tried to violate the state border fled back.

Head of the State Border Service, Colonel-General Elchin Guliyev and other officials arrived at the scene and inspected the territory.

The necessary instructions were given to continue the search operations.

The head of the military service also met with the father of the deceased serviceman and expressed condolences.

Private soldier Vidadi Jabrayilov and junior sergeant Sakhavat Mammadov (posthumously) were awarded with the medal "For distinction in military service" 3rd degree upon the decree of the head of the State Border Service.

A criminal case was filed. The Azerbaijani State Border Service and the Military Prosecutor's Office are taking the necessary measures.
Valley National Bancorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Lending; Commercial Lending; Investment Management; and Corporate and Other Adjustments. The Consumer Lending segment consists of residential mortgage loans, automobile loans and home equity loans, as well as wealth management and insurance services. The Commercial Lending segment includes the floating rate and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans. The Investment Management segment refers to investments in various types of securities and interest-bearing deposits with other banks. The Corporate and Other Adjustments segment represents the income and expense items not directly attributable to a specific segment. The company was founded on November 12, 1982 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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India has shot down a third Pakistani drone since border tensions escalated following a terror attack on Indian soldiers and its retaliatory strike against militants inside the Islamic republic, which led to a mid-air dogfight.

After the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) intruded in Indian airspace in the northern border state of Rajasthan, around 7.30pm on Saturday, the drone was engaged and brought down, the army said, RT reports.

Previously the army had shot down two Pakistani drones following the February 26 airstrikes, when the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir to attack terrorist targets inside Pakistan. That attack followed a suicide bombing in Indias section of the disputed territory on February 14 that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary forces.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  The country's weather bureau warned that water interruptions for some parts will continue until the end of summer with the declining water level of La Mesa Dam.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration hydrologist Aileen Abelardo said the water level in the dam was already low in January compared to previous years.

"Dahil mababa na 'yung elevation ni La Mesa na nagsu-supply dito po mismo sa Metro Manila, asahan po natin na magkakaroon ng mga water interruption o talagang mahina po na pressure sa tubig," Abelardo told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: Since the elevation of La Mesa which supplies water to Metro Manila is already low, expect more water interruptions or low water pressure.]

The normal reservoir water level of the dam is at 80.15 meters, but in January 2019 the dam only recorded a water level of 74 meters. It currently hovers around 69 meters, the lowest recorded in 12 years.

Abelardo, however, said it is normal for the water level in La Mesa to dip during summertime, adding that it is expected to dip further in the next two months.

The water shortage also comes amid a weak El Nino, or the weather pattern during which rainfall is scarce, Abelardo added.

Since Thursday, millions of residents and establishments in Metro Manila and Rizal have been affected by water interruptions. Netizens were taking to social media their ire against the Manila Water, the distributor of those areas.

Bayan Muna: Probe water shortage issue

Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Carlos Zarate urged the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System should investigate into the water shortage, as it has been a recurring problem during summer.

He said water distribution companies should be held liable since the El Nino is expected.

"This is a phenomena na hindi naman nangyari bigla. Predictable ito at dapat napaghandaan ito ng ating mga water concessionaires," he told CNN Philippines Sunday.

[Translation:This is a phenomenon that did not happen overnight. It's predictable and it should have been prepared for by our concessionaires.]

Zarate pointed out that regulators should also look into Manila Water's infrastructure because it has not improved since it took over the east zone.

"We cannot just accept that they will apologize for the waterless days that we had and still continuing. ... Dapat may ginagawa ang ating mga concessionaires para man lang gumaan ang problema ng ating consumers when this period comes in this time of the year," he added.

[Translation: They should have done something to ease the condition of their consumers when this period comes in this time of the year.]

He also said the water shortage should not be used to push for big-ticket infrastructure projects to solve the water shortage.

When asked if government must declare a water crisis, Zarate said there should still be clear data.
Israeli aircraft struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early Sunday after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave hit the Jewish state, the army said.

Fighter jets and aircraft struck several military targets in a Hamas compound in the northern Gaza Strip in addition to two Hamas vessels, a statement from the army said.

The attacks were in response to a rocket fired from Gaza late Saturday that in addition to the continued violence emanating from the Gaza Strip, the army said.

The rocket hit an open field in Israels Eshkol region, causing no casualties or damages, Arab News reports.
Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile Sudan: Just Fall, That is All! AfricaFocus Bulletin

March 11, 2019 (190311)

(Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note These protests are unprecedented in terms of their length and sustainability, their geographical spread throughout the entire country, and the remarkable coalition of youth groups, civil society organizations, and opposition political parties that have joined in these protests now still ongoing in their third month. - Khalid Medani The slogan Tasqut Bas (Just Fall, That is All) has become one of the signature refrains of demonstrators who have been returning again and again to the streets of Sudan, even after more than 60 killed by security forces, hundreds arrested, and a state of emergency declared in February. While no one can predict when and if long-surviving dictator Omar al-Bashir will follow the demonstrators advice, many observers note that the regime is much weaker and the opposition stronger than in earlier similar protests. Sudans precarious economic situation, among the catalysts for the protests, also weakens the regimes capacity to survive. And international pressure is also increasing, including uncertainty about support from the Gulf states which have in the past bailed out the regime. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, who have been among the patrons of Khartoum, are hesitant in part because of Sudans reluctance to take sides in the bitter dispute of Saudi Arabia and UAE with Qatar. The remarkable persistence and breadth of support for the demonstrations is leading even longtime supporters to question Bashirs capacity to survive this time. This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains two articles on the recent protests, one by Khalid Medani providing an overview analysis in historical context, and the other focusing on the prominent role played by Sudanese doctors, by Abdulrazig S. Hummaida and Khalid M. Dousa. For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Sudan, visit http://www.africafocus.org/country/sudan.php Other recent articles with relevant background information: The Historical Precedents of the Current Uprising in Sudan, by Anakwa Dwamena, The New Yorker, Feb 8, 2019

http://tinyurl.com/y4tmlge7 Sudanese Women at the Heart of the Revolution, by Reem Gaafar and Omnia Shawkat, African Feminism, Feb 12, 2019

http://tinyurl.com/y527xgc7 Bashir Moves Sudan to Dangerous New Ground, International Crisis Group, Feb. 26, 2019

http://tinyurl.com/y2c8tox6 Reliable Sudanese sources to follow for current updates https://www.dabangasudan.org/en http://sudantribune.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ The New Mobilization Dynamics of Sudans Popular Uprising: The Virtue of Learning from the Past By Khalid M. Medani Jadaliyya, Feb. 23, 2019 http://jadaliyya.com/Details/38376 Tasqut Bas (Fall, That is All) For over two months, wide-scale protests in Sudan have continued unabated calling for President Omar al-Bashir to step down and pave the way for a transition period ushering in multi-party democracy. Not surprisingly, as with similar protests in the past, the Bashir regime has sought a military solution to quell the protests, deploying the police and paramilitary security forces against peaceful protestors in Khartoum and throughout the country. At the time of writing, over sixty people have been killed, many as a result of torture in the governments "ghost houses." More than two thousand anti-government activists are still held in detention despite the regimes repeated insistence that they are intent on releasing political detainees. The government has frequently pronounced that the protests are relatively small and are having little impact on the regime, or that the demonstrations are essentially sponsored by saboteurs, thugs, or foreign elements. Despite such claims, the popular intifada has not only produced significant policy changes on the part of the regime, it has clearly undermined the rule of Omar Bashir in ways that have threatened to topple his thirty-year authoritarian rule. Over the last week, in the wake of continued and sustained demonstrations, strikes, and sit-ins across Sudanese civil society, Bashir has been forced to postpone a constitutional amendment that would have allow him to run for a third term in office. He also declared a state of emergency in Khartoum, disbanding the federal government, and replacing local governors with senior army officers in a desperate attempt to maintain his power. However, these policies of both appeasement and repression appear to have emboldened anti-government protestors further. The state of emergency is clearly designed to give carte blanche to the security forces to use greater violence against the protestors, to further restrict political and civil liberties, and to crack-down even more on activists and opposition political parties. Immediately following Bashirs announcement of a state of emergency, protestors went back on the streets in over fifty neighborhoods throughout the country, and particularly in Khartoum and Omdurman. They called once again for Bashirs removal. They chanted, among other slogans, one of the most uncompromising and popular refrains of the current uprising: Tasqut Bas (fall, that is all). The Periphery as Catalyst of the Intifada The recent protests erupted on 19 December 2018 in the workingclass city of Atbara in River Nile state, approximately twohundred miles north of Khartoum. They were sparked by a three-fold increase in the price of bread. They began with protests led by secondary school students. They were very quickly joined by thousands of residents in the city of Atbara. Within days, antigovernment demonstrations expanded across a wide range of cities and towns throughout the northern region and in the capital city of Khartoum. Chanting slogans such as "the people want the fall of the regime" (inspired by the Arab uprisings of late 2010 and 2011 in Tunisia and Egypt, respectively), the demonstrators quickly expanded their demands in ways that reflect deep-seated and wideranging political as well as economic grievances with the thirtyyear authoritarian rule of Omer al-Bashir and his ruling party, the National Congress Party (NCP). However, despite the fact that political grievances and demands are now at the forefront of the uprising, there is little question that these particularly protests were first sparked by economic grievances that date back to the consequences of the secession of South Sudan in 2011. As is by now widely noted, this led to the loss of seventy-five percent of oil revenue for Khartoum since two-thirds of the oil resources are in the south, and consequently approximately sixty percent of its foreign currency earnings. As a result, the Bashir regime implemented austerity measures beginning in 2012 which resulted in similar anti-austerity protests at the time, although these were mostly centered in Khartoum and hence more centralized than the current protests. Similarly, one of the main factors for the current demonstrations is the implementation of IMF-backed austerity measures which led to lifting of bread and fuel subsidies and quickly sparked the first of the demonstrations on 19 December 2018. What is important to emphasize, however, is that these protests are not only rooted in opposition to economic austerity measures. They are crucially a result of a widely understood opposition to decades of rampant corruption, including privatization policies that transferred assets and wealth to the regimes supporters, and the theft of gold as well as billions of dollars of profits from the period of the oil boom in the country. A New Pattern of Mobilization and Protest Following the lead of cities in the periphery, in Khartoum, the protests also began in opposition to a deep economic crisis associated with the rise in bread fuel prices as well as a severe liquidity crisis. But these demands quickly evolved into calls for the ouster of Bashir from power. Importantly, the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA), which has taken the lead in organizing and scheduling the protests, initially marched to the parliament in Khartoum in late December demanding wages increases for public sector workers and the legalization of professional and trade unions. However, after security forces used violence against the peaceful protests, these demands quickly escalated into the call for the removal of the ruling National Congress Party, the structural transformation of governance in Sudan, and a transition to democracy. These demands are similar to those associated with previous popular protests against the regime, including those of 2011, 2012, and 2013. However, what is most important to note with respect to these protests is that they are unprecedented in terms of their duration and sustainability (now ongoing in their third month), their geographical spread throughout the entire country, and the remarkable coalition of youth groups, civil society organizations, and opposition political parties that have joined. Equally important, is that the coordination of these demonstrations has followed a remarkably new, innovative, and sustained process. This is important to highlight because it clearly shows that, just as the dictatorial regime of Omer Bashir has prided itself in weakening the opposition in order to prevent any threat to their regime by dismantling labor and trade unions, establishing a wide range of paramilitary militias linked to the state, and putting down armed opposition as well as antigovernment activists in civil society, these demonstrators have also learned from the unsuccessful anti-regime protests of the past. Led by the newly established Sudanese Professional Association, the ongoing demonstrations have been coordinated, scheduled, and strategically designed to emphasize: sustainability over time rather than sheer numbers; spread throughout middle, working class, and poor neighborhoods; and coordination with protestors in regions far afield from Khartoum, including the Eastern State on the Red Sea, and Darfur to the far west of the country. In addition, the slogans promoted and utilized by the protestors also have been purposefully framed to incorporate the grievances of the wider spectrum of Sudanese and not just those of the middle class and ethnic and political elites centered in Khartoum and the northern regions of the country. These slogans are essentially framed in ways designed to mobilize support across ethnic and racial categories, emphasizing that the only way forward is to oust Omar Bashir and the ruling regime from power. In doing so, they highlight the endemic and unprecedented level of corruption of the regime and its allies, the decades of human rights violations against civilians in the country by a wide range of security forces, and the brutal wars waged by the regime in Darfur, the Blue Nile state on the border of South Sudan, and the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan. Anti-regime demonstrators in Omdurman, Sudan, January 2019. Indeed, perhaps one of the most notable aspect of these protests, which distinguish them greatly from previous uprisings, is not only the sheer regional scale of the demonstrations but the hitherto unprecedented high level of solidarity across class lines in the country. Youth activists and members of the professional associations have not only challenged the political discourse of the state; they have played a significant role in engineering cross-class alliances in the context of these demonstrations. Over the last week strikes, work stoppages, and sit-ins have been held not only on university campuses and secondary schools, but also among private sector and public sector employees and workers. Among the most important examples are the ongoing strikes by workers of Port Sudan on the Red Sea demanding the nullification of the sale of the southern Port to a foreign company, and several work stoppages and protests led by employees of some of the most important telecom providers and other private firms in the country. Scenarios: The Prospects for a Peaceful Transition to Multi-Party Democracy Equally important with respect to evaluating the prospects of the uprising leading to a transition to democracy has to do with the evolving and increasingly sophisticated nature of the demands of the demonstrators as the protests have continued unabated. The initial aims of the protestors were to simply oust Omar Bashir and his regime from power. The level of grievance and anger among the population made this the most important priority at the very beginning of the protest. However, as the coordination of these protests became exceedingly more sophisticated, particular under the leadership of the Sudanese Professional Associations, the objectives of the majority of the protestor is now not only to end Omar Bashirs dictatorial regime, which remains a priority, but to also prepare and pave the way for a transitional period consisting of four years that would usher in a multi-party democracy in the country. At the moment Sudanese activists, the political party opposition, and a broad swath of civil society organizations are engaged in discussing a variety of possible scenarios including the prospects of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) taking the side of the protests and overseeing democratic transition as in the past, an internal coup within the armed forces that would essentially consolidate authoritarian rule under a new leadership, or the falling apart of the center and state disintegration as in, for example Libya and Somalia. Ultimately, the outcome of these protests will, not surprisingly, depend on the continued unity and sustainability of the protestors and demonstrators, the power and force of the National Intelligence and Security Services and the para-military militias, and the extent to which external regional powers, especially in the region, support the regime in Khartoum out of fear that their regional interests may be undermined following the removal of Bashir from power. This balance between domestic anti-government activists and civil society organizations, the states security apparatus, and external patronage is, of course, critical in devising any scenarios in the future and is well known. What is interesting is the actions of Bashir more recently that have signalled that these demonstrations have altered internal regime dynamics and calculations. As a result of the rise of protests in the regions, Bashir traveled to regions he never visited before, as a consequence of protests against the continued torture and violence against demonstrators, he has made some tepid overtures such as releasing some political prisoners, and as the demonstrations continue unabated, loyalists within his own parliament have very recently proposed that he formally declare he will not alter the constitution and run for president for a third term. There is little question that this reflects the view of some in his inner circle of devising a way out for Bashir in ways that would quite the protests, work stoppages, labor strikes, and sit-ins that have now transformed the initial protests from so-called streets protests to essentially a social movement that has altered Sudans political and cultural landscape for decades to come. Central to this shift has been the pointed critique and even abhorrence of the activists to the Islamist project of Bashirs ruling National Congress Party (NCP), and his Islamist supporters that has made the regime of Bashir in the eyes of most Sudanese nothing short of a ruling military junta composed of tujjar al-din (traders of religion). Reportedly, the wide scale opposition to the regime has expanded to such a degree that Bashirs own ministry has acknowledged that the opposition is now in every home, not to mention in many mosques in Khartoum and throughout the country. At the time of writing, deep divisions appear to be further emerging within the regime itself. Early on the morning of 22 February, the powerful head of the Sudan National Security and Intelligence Services (NISS), Salah Gosh, announced that Bashir will step down as head of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and that the constitution will not be amended to allow for his 2020 re-election. But in a televized address later the same evening, Bashir contradicted his intelligence chief's statements and affirmed that, while he will postpone the parliamentary vote to amend the constitution, he would remain as head of state and declared a state of emergency for one year. There is now little question that these demonstrations have already registered remarkable success in ways that few would have predicated before 19 December. Specifically, there is a remarkable reinvigoration of civil society in Sudan despite decades of authoritarian rule and a policy of division across ethnic, racial and class lines. However in this regard, we must be specific. It is not the emergence of a strong civil society in a vague sense but rather the reinvigoration of independent trade, labor, and professional unions at time when most would have predicted and affirmed their demise. We also see the remarkable empowerment of youth activism and their utilization of social media to assist in the coordination of demonstrations across class, regional and racial lines rather than to simply express a particularly middle class and elite and narrow political sensibility which is a critique that has been leveled at youth activism throughout the region. The bravery and courage of youth activists in Sudan and in the region is of course never in doubt. What we see in Sudan, however, is that in addition to this display of remarkable courage is the close coordination among activists across middle- and working-class neighborhoods, repeated campaigns to support the reef, or rural areas, and remarkable cooperation across the gender divide which has underpinned the political and cultural shift that these demonstrations have accomplished. When Bashir, in recognition of the prominent role of women in the demonstrations, recently called for changes in the Public Order Law that has brutalized and demeaned Sudanese women for decades, female activists quickly responded that their struggle is not just about the Public Order Law; it is pointedly centered on the removal of an authoritarian regime and working towards the expansion of political and civil liberties for all Sudanese. The wide scope and sustainability of Sudans uprising is unprecedented in the countrys history. More specifically, the coordination and linkages between formal professional associations, trade and labor unions, civil society organizations, and youth activists with the popular and working-class segments of the population (who are essentially workers in the informal economy) is one of the most important reasons for the durability of the protests. Ultimately, it is the success in organizing across the formal-informal social spectrum that has sustained the protests. The idea that professional and trade unions should engage more closely with street activists and workers in the informal economy was not one that had been vigorously envisioned or promoted by many political actors involved in previous popular protests. This development has played a key role in sustaining the protests and in undermining the Bashir regime in ways that could not easily have been predicted when the uprising first erupted in Atbara, the city of al-hadid wa-al-nar (steel and fire) in the River Nile State. Sudans doctors treating the political ailments of the nation Africa is a Country March 2, 2019 by Abdulrazig S. Hummaida and Khalid M. Dousa https://africasacountry.com  Direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/y3gx6enj As Sudanese continue to chant Just fall, that is all against the regime, doctors pay a hefty price for standing with them. Since the December 2018 demonstrations against the 30-year rule of President Omar al Bashir, began, Sudanese doctors have been on the frontlines of the public movement that has shaken the regime. Its unmistakable to anyone following the demonstrations, which started in Atbara, Central Sudan, on December 19th that this time is different; it is a continuation of an ongoing protest movement fighting for freedom, which has escalated in recent years, most prominently in 2013 when over 200 peaceful protestors were shot down in three days. It has been more than 60 days since the Sudanese people took to the streets and the death toll has exceeded 50 as a result of the government using excessive force and live ammunition at protestors. Hundreds remain in political detention and dozens are injured and disabled. Professionals have been one of the largest constituencies of this movement as the entity calling and guiding the protests is the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), a group reportedly formed after the September 2013 protests, but formally introduced in August 2018 with a goal to campaign for raising the minimum wages. Doctors who are trying to save lives with the scarce medical supplies they are afforded, continue to be targeted. Dr. Mohamed Al-Asam who is one of two Sudan-based speakers for the SPA was arrested by the security agencies just 24 hours after his first appearance on a live video on SPAs social media accounts on the 2nd of January 2018. The 28-year-old remains detained and his whereabouts are unknown. At least 27 other doctors remain in detention. On January 15th, 2019, Dr. Babiker Abdelhamid was shot dead by security forces while treating wounded demonstrators in Burri, a neighborhood in Eastern Khartoum. A number of doctors were also shot or wounded on the job as security agents raided and tear-gassed a number of hospitals in Khartoum and North Kordofan states. On January 9th, security forces stormed into Omdurman Teaching hospital where some injured (and routine patients) were receiving care and fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition rounds. They then went on to beat and arrest doctors, protesters and their families and bystanders indiscriminately. Commenting on this incident, the World Health Organization stated that they are extremely concerned about attack on a hospital in #Sudan. While patients might be not injured, they are traumatized. This is in direct violation of medical neutrality and human rights principles. Health facilities, staff and patients are #NotATarget. Other accounts have circulated through social and mainstream media, where doctors in the demonstrations have reported that they feel targeted and were in fear of severe punishment or even execution in detention. Such fears were materialized, since Dr. Alfatih Omer Elsid (Manager of Tuga private hospital) was arrested after his announcement that the hospital will provide free medical care to injured protesters. Medical students have also been on the receiving end of some of the most vicious government crackdowns on protests. This occurred on several occasions in different university campuses in the capital Khartoum. Among the universities attacked were Sudan International University (SIU) and the University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST). Security forces entered the UMST campus on Sunday February 24, fired tear gas into classrooms, beat up the peacefully protesting medical students and arrested dozens of them. This attack came only two days after President Omar al Bashir declared a national state of emergency. All these intimidating actions by the government led the Sudan Doctors Committee (a parallel popular union to the governmentcontrolled doctors union) to immediately issue a statement, which stated that if the government does not stop its unlawful and unethical acts and abide to a list of five demands within a 48hour -period, it would announce a nationwide strike from nonemergency cases in all hospitals. These demands included; the formation of an investigation committee for the abuses; incrementation of the acts carried out by the security forces against doctors and other hospital staff in the line of duty; the immediate release of all detained doctors; that doctors on strike should not negotiate with hospital administration without the presence of head of police or locality; and the protection of hospitals and staff by military police and the armed forces. This continuous aggression against doctors has not deterred their resolve to stand up for their rights and to support the uprising, while continuing to fulfill their Hippocratic oath and provide medical care. This balance, despite being difficult, has been carefully executed as doctors are still providing emergency care services in government hospitals and private institutions not linked to the regime or financed by its supporters. They have however taken a specific stance against hospitals running under the leadership and management of the security and defense forces. Since January 18, they called on all the doctors to stop working in these hospitals, and instead volunteer to work in other government and private facilities. Some doctors have since faced countless threats of discontinuation of training and even legal action due to failure to provide care. Sudanese doctors in the diaspora have also played a major role in the protests, since the beginning of the uprising, they quickly began (and contributed to) fundraising initiatives through several social platforms including Facebook and PayPal. These initiatives were made possible by the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) in the US and the Sudan Doctors Union in the UK and Ireland (SDU-UK&I), amongst other diaspora associations. These funds have helped in the delivery of care on the ground, where the money was used to finance health care service needs to the injured protesters (and sometimes the immediate families of those who were martyred in the revolution). These included two cases to date, both of which lost one of their eyes due to contact with shrapnel or a tear gas canister. Both were sent abroad for surgery and further rehabilitation. Another initiative was called for by SAPA to fund the payment of salaries for the doctors on strike, since their salaries and benefits had ceased. Sudanese diaspora demontrators in Washington, DC call for support for opposition to regime in Sudan. February 16, 2019. One of the pivotal roles the Sudanese Doctors Central Committee (SDCC) and Sudan Doctors Syndicate has been playing in this uprising is the documentation of injuries and deaths that occur during the demonstrations. The reports given by the official media outlet, the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) have been misleading and the committee has countered this by providing ground-verified reports. While the last report given by government agencies puts the casualties at 29 deaths, the Sudan Doctors Syndicate have reported 57 deaths as of February 8th 2019. The SDCC continues to report casualties and fatalities related to the protests regularly on their social media accounts. The aforementioned patriotic acts of doctors towards the injured in the protests, and their defiance against the government and its atrocious acts have led the demonstrators to refer to them as the White Army (in reference to their white coats). To date, the Sudanese Armed Forces have sworn to protect the regime and its leader, something the protesters see as a betrayal to the peaceful demonstrations and rightful call for freedom. They feel however that the strong role doctors are playing is akin to what a military would do, which is to side with the people against a dictatorship. With the absence of the Sudanese Armed Forces, the poor coverage of the December 2018 uprising by the media, and the weak denouncement of the oppression of the government by world leaders and heads of states, protesters see doctors as their only protectors. Doctors have taken it upon themselves toboth physically and metaphoricallytreat the wounds of the nation. Doctors in Sudan have historically played a significant role in the countrys uprisings; in October 1964 and April 1985, they did their part and doing so now, even in the face of bullets, financial hardships and detentions. As the people continue to chant Just fall, that is all, doctors continue to pay a hefty price for standing with the people and they need the international community to protect them. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org
















by J. Paul Nadeau



We are limitless. The only limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves. Were stronger than we think, but finding that strength is left up to each of us, and some would rather hostage themselves to negative thoughts and outlooks, than to move out of their comfort zones and take control of their lives. Choosing often takes courage, and courage leads to victory.

We can all learn a great deal from the words of a wise man in a wheelchair who was once asked by a curious youngster, How does it feel to be confined to a wheelchair?, to which the man answered, Son, this wheelchair does not confine me, it liberates me.

Yes, its our choice to respond to whatever adversities or setbacks that come our way, in whichever way we choose. Its not so much what happens to us that matters  its how we respond to what happens to us that does. Once we are faced with sad and the ugly things that often happen to us in our lives, its up to us to make the best of it. When I cast my mind back to my upbringing and my life overall, I recognize the times when I was hostage to factors that set me desperately searching for rescue. Rescue implied to me that an outside force, a person or persons, would appear to help me out of my unhappy circumstances. But no one appeared. No rescue was at hand. I could have sat on the rock of my solitude until I was a very old man, awaiting some nameless, faceless rescue party like someone lost in the wilderness. But when I realized that the wilderness was a landscape of my own makingand of my own mindI began to feel a strong impetus to take action to get out of the uncomfortable place in which I had somehow landed. That rescue, I eventually concluded, could only come from within myself.

I can personally attest to that, even later in life, having lost much, so quickly, so unexpectedly.

You see, in 2010, I retired from the police service after serving 31 years. I'd had an amazing career and worked as a detective, a hostage negotiator and even a peacekeeper during the Iraqi war in 2005, where my life was saved by a terrorist. Yes, you read that correctly, but thats a story for another time.

I reached the decision to retire from police work to pursue an acting career in film and television that I had quite unexpectedly stumbled into. My wife at the time supported my decision, and as much as it was tough to turn in my badge after such a rewarding career, I looked forward to this new opportunity. But life happens, and sometimes it smacks us right upside the head when we least expect it. An unexpected divorce forced me to readjust my path. It knocked the wind out of me in more ways than one. My once secure retirement income was no longer so secure. In fact, it pretty much vanished. I found myself having to take a government contract job for 1 1/2 years to make ends meet, but once the contract ended, I then found myself without work for the first time in decades, and acting wasnt a full-time job and it sure wasnt going to pay the bills. In many ways, I had to re-invent myself, but I do believe that sometimes things dont happen to us as much as they happen for us.

In 2013, a self-made millionaire/businessman invited me to lunch after reading my profile on LinkedIn. He suggested that I write a book based on my unique career experiences in policing but I tucked the idea aside at first, having heard it before. But then two other people that week said the same. I'd never planned on writing a book but, finding myself without work with time on my hands, I decided I'd give it a shot. Why not? I figured the universe was sending me a message the universe had knocked on my door three times that week. So, I picked up a book on how to write a book Silly me, I only read the first forty pages and thought I knew how to write it. Two years later, I had some good words on paper, but what I had didnt resemble a book whatsoever. I should've read the rest of the book on how to write a book, especially the directions on creating chapters and sub-chapters. Six months of hard editing for an inexperienced book writer finally made it look like an actual book. Hostage to Myself, now Take Control of Your Life - my book on how to deal with self-sabotage, anxiety, depression and adversity was born. I self-published, and as fate would have it, an editorial director for HarperCollins Canada ordered a copy and invited me for coffee in 2017 on my birthday where he announced that HarperCollins Canada wanted to publish my book worldwide. Sometimes the unexpected happens.

For instance, in 2015, right before I completed writing my book, a wonderful woman, and now dear friend, who also came across my profile on LinkedIn, invited me to speak at a business event on the topic of negotiating. I was happy to do so. Following that event, we chatted about some of my peacekeeping experiences in the Middle East. The story of how my life was saved by a terrorist peaked her interest and she suggested I apply to give a Ted talk based on that story and the message I'd learned on that fateful day. Again, not being one to overlook opportunities, I happily applied and was selected. In October 2015, I gave my Ted talk at the Toronto TEDx event and was the closing speaker. I received a standing ovation for that talk and immediately following that talk, a new life direction had presented itself to me and I am now a keynote and motivational speaker.

There's more, but the purpose for writing this article is not to talk solely about myself. No. The purpose of this article is to remind each and every one who reads it that you are all limitless. Despite whatever setbacks or adversity comes your way, never give up or lose hope. Listen to the universe because it speaks softly sometimes and in ways you might not understand at first. If no opportunities exist, create them. Take risks, try new things; fail you may, but get back up. Victory goes to the ones who fall but get back up. If it doesnt work out, try again. Try often. There is no failure when you try. The ones who never give up are the ones who win.

Don't self-sabotage yourself by telling yourself you can't do or achieve what you're after. Because you can. Change your state of mind and change your world. Take action and try new things. I, for one, don't want to be visited on my death bed by the ghosts of missed opportunities reminding me I should have tried. Do you? For me, I'm moving forward and there's so much more to be done. How about you?





About J. Paul Nadeau:



Author of Take Control of Your Life, J. Paul Nadeau has spent more than thirty one years working with victims and perpetrators, as well as learning from top experts in abuse situations, murder investigations, hostage-takings, terrorist attacks and studying human behaviour in general. He has received the highest recommendations from the International Peace Keeping Brand, United Nations, The Office of the Independent Police Review Director, among many others. In 2005, Paul successfully negotiated a suspected terrorist off a 747 in Paris, France, without incident or injury to passengers & crew. He is now a regular consultant for CNN, CBC World News, The National, Global News, CP24, The Star and other news media services for his Hostage Negotiations, International Peace Keeping and Terrorists expertise.


















More than 1,000 scientists have joined a growing movement to challenge the prevailing evolutionary theory. The movement consists of a list of names of scientists who have signed a 32-word statement agreeing to question Darwins evolution theory, the statement reads:

We are sceptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.

The list, aptly named A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism, was created in 2001 and is maintained by the Discovery institute. It surpassed 1,000 names in early 2019, and presently has 1, 043 dissenters.

Up until date, theories like Darwinism have gone undisputed; scientists who dare to challenge such widely held and revered theories have often faced similar opposition as those faced by early scientist who dared to dispute the shape of the earth. Challenging the prevailing theory of evolution has been likened to committing career suicide.

However, the scientists on the Scientific Dissent from Darwinism list insist that they would not be brainwashed into blindly accepting Darwins theory especially as there is evidence to the contrary. They say that even the most established of theories should still be subject to scrutiny.They also insist that the true spirit of science, is to question and not to follow.

The list is made up of respected professionals from all over the country who have earned doctorate degrees from top-rateduniversities.

A senior fellow from the Discovery Institute, David Klinghoffer, reveals in a recent article that the dissenters have all risked their careers or reputations in signing. He believes there are still many scientists who want to join the list, but are afraid to do so because of the possible consequences.

Klinghoffer states; Such is the power of groupthink. The scientific mainstream will punish you if they can, and the media is wedded to its narrative that the scientists are all in agreement and only poets, lawyers, and other daft rubes doubt Darwinian Theory. In fact, Im currently seeking to place an awesome manuscript by a scientist at an Ivy League university with the guts to give his reasons for rejecting Darwinism. The problem is that, as yet, nobody has the guts to publish it.

He insists that scientists who are sceptical of Darwins theory, but refuse to sign the list, are propagating scientific dictatorship. And that the scientists who say that questioning Darwinism is anti-science, or even dishonourable,should know that questioning what youre told is where science truly begins.

Vicki Batts, writing for Natural News, on the topic, says, Failing to be open-minded enough to even re-examine a decades-old scientific theory because thats what they tell us to believe is really the antithesis of scientific spirit. Thought suppression is now commonplace in modern science.

People should be allowed to question whatever theories they find questionable, however, this is often not so, as the mainstream science community is constantly trying to question anyone who tries to contradict popular scientific theories.
Permission for common non-executive director of an insurance company and insurance intermediary is required where the insurance company and insurance intermediary are part of the same group.

Chennai: If a conflict of interest arises when insurance companies have common directors, they should not be allowed to participate in the day-today activities of the company, proposes IRDAI.

IRDAI has proposed a few guidelines to address conflicts of interest arising out of the appointment of common directors between insurance companies, insurance company and insurance intermediaries and common promoters of health and general Insurers, A director or officer shall eliminate the conflict of interest or resign from office within thirty days after he / she becomes aware that a material conflict of interest exists.

When the insurer becomes aware of the conflict of interest situation, immediate steps shall be taken to ensure that the powers / authority delegated to such a director or officer is ceased and he / she is not allowed to participate in the day-to-day activities of the company. Also, an enquiry, headed by an independent director, shall be conducted on such a director or officer. The person found guilty shall no more be "fit and proper".

As per the guidelines, it is the responsibility of board of directors of the insurance companies to formulate policy to address conflict of interest situations that may arise when insurers have common directors or officers.

Where a promoter of a general insurance company wants to be a promoter of a health insurance company or vice versa, the promoter should file an application for issuance of requisition of registration of certificate. This should be accompanied with a note duly approved by board of directors on the manner in which the segregation of business between the two companies shall take place.

However, no permission is required where the person proposed to act as the common director is an independent director in both the companies under the same group and the remuneration payable to such a director does not exceed Rs 10 lakh per annum. Permission for common non-executive director of an insurance company and insurance intermediary is required where the insurance company and insurance intermediary are part of the same group.

If an insurance company and insurance intermediary are not part of the same group, they cannot have a common director.
'Dharmendra Pradhan raised concerns about increasing trend in global crude oil prices. He also pointed to the need for uninterrupted supplies of crude oil and LPG to India in view of the OPEC-plus (decision to) cut (output),' an official statement said. (File Photo)

New Delhi: With oil prices on the boil just as general elections are announced, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has asked world's largest oil exporter Saudi Arabia to play an active role in keeping rates at a reasonable level.

Petrol and diesel prices have risen by over Rs 2 per litre in last one month as international rates have risen on hopes of the United States and China ending a trade war that has slowed down the global economic growth and OPEC ally Russia saying it would ramp up its crude supply cuts.

Pradhan raised the issue of rising oil prices with the visiting Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih late last night and sought a role of the Kingdom in cooling rates.

"Shared my concern on the rising oil prices and sought active role to be played by Saudi Arabia for keeping oil prices at reasonable level," he tweeted after the meeting.

An official statement issued Sunday said: "During the meeting, Pradhan referred to Saudi Arabia's pre-eminent role as a leading producer of crude oil in the world, and in maintaining global oil market balance."

"He raised concerns about increasing trend in global crude oil prices. He also pointed to the need for uninterrupted supplies of crude oil and LPG to India in view of the OPEC-plus (decision to) cut (output)," it said.

Both ministers, it said, also discussed about the possible adverse impact of recent geopolitical developments on global oil market.

It, however, did not say about the Saudi Oil Minister's response to India's demand.

Petrol and diesel prices, which are revised daily, have been on the rise for the last one month or so. Petrol price in Delhi has increased by Rs 2.12 a litre to Rs 72.40 on Sunday, while diesel rates have risen by Rs 2.03 to Rs 67.54 per litre.

The statement said the visit of the Saudi Oil Minister was a follow up of first State visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud last month.

"Both the ministers agreed to take concrete steps for early implementation of the decisions taken in the oil and gas sector during the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India last month," it said.

The visit, it said, reflects the intensifying engagement between the two countries in the hydrocarbon sector.

Saudi Arabia is the second largest supplier of crude and LPG to India. In 2017-18, India's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia were 36.8 million tonne, accounting for 16.7 per cent of its total imports.

"Met HE @Khalid_AlFalih, Ministry Of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Saudi Arabia and discussed about further strengthening the strategic partnership that exists between India and Saudi Arabia," Pradhan tweeted.
New Delhi: India has invited Saudi Arabia to invest in its strategic oil storage even as it looks to resurrect a USD 44 billion (Rs 3.08 lakh crore) refinery project with the world's largest oil producer after the BJP-ruled Maharashtra government denied land at the initial site.

Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al Falih, on his second visit to India in three weeks, discussed with his Indian counterpart Dharmendra Pradhan the 60 million tonne (MT) a year mega oil refinery cum petrochemical complex, whose initial allocated land in coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra was denotified by the state government earlier this month, as part of electoral understanding between the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena.

"The (two) ministers reviewed various Saudi investment proposals in the Indian oil and gas sector, including the urgent steps to be taken to expedite the implementation of the first joint venture West Coast Refinery and Petrochemical Project in Maharashtra, estimated to cost USD 44 billion, which will be the largest greenfield refinery in the world," an oil ministry statement said Sunday.

The two minister held talks late last night.

Shiv Sena had opposed the project at Ratnagiri district and the BJP agreed to its demand of shifting out the project as part of electoral understanding for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

No alternate site of the project has yet been identified and the statement did not elaborate on steps to be taken for implementation of the project.

Saudi Aramco and its partner ADNOC of UAE have signed agreements to take 50 per cent stake in the project. The remaining is held by public sector oil firms - IOC, BPCL and HPCL.

Pradhan invited Saudi Arabia to invest in India's strategic oil reserves. "Invited HE @Khalid_AlFalih to partner in India's Strategic Reserves Program and further enhance Saudi investments in India's refining & petrochemical sectors. Strategic engagements in energy will mutually benefit both our countries and further bolster our bilateral ties," he tweeted after the meeting.

The official statement said: "Saudi Arabia's participation in Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program was also discussed."

India has built 5.33 MT of emergency storage enough to meet its oil needs for 9.5 days, in underground rock caverns in Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It has allowed foreign oil companies to store oil in the storages on the condition that the stockpile can be used by New Delhi in case of an emergency.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has hired half of the 1.5 million tonne strategic oil storage at Mangalore and 2.5 million tonne Padur facility.

In Phase-II, India plans to build an additional 6.5 million tonne facilities at Chandikhol in Odisha and Padur, which is expected to augment the emergency cover against any supply disruption by another 11.5 days.

India, which meets 83 per cent of its oil needs through imports, built the storages as insurance for any disruption in supplies. It has the right of first refusal to buy the crude oil stored in the facilities in case of an emergency.

The statement said that the visit of the Saudi Oil Minister was a follow up the first State visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud last month.

"Both the ministers agreed to take concrete steps for early implementation of the decisions taken in the oil and gas sector during the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India last month," it said.

The visit, it said, reflects the intensifying engagement between the two countries in the hydrocarbon sector.

Saudi Arabia is the second largest supplier of crude and LPG to India. In 2017-18, India's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia were 36.8 MT, accounting for 16.7 per cent of its total imports.
The Reserve Bank of India also said it did not have information on the number of SBNs used to buy KYC-compliant instruments like insurance policies. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The RBI in reply to an RTI query said it has no data on the old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes used to pay for utility bills such as fuel at petrol pumps, which are believed to have formed a good part of the demonetised currency that returned to the banking system.

After the November 8, 2016 shock decision to ban the use of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, the government had allowed the exchange of the junked notes as well as they being used for payment of utility bills for 23 services.

Both 500 and 1,000 rupee notes could be used at government hospitals, railway ticketing, public transport, airline ticketing at airports, milk booths, crematoria/burial grounds, petrol pumps, metro rail tickets, purchase of medicines on doctor prescription from the government and private pharmacies, LPG gas cylinders, railway catering, electricity and water bills, ASI monument entry tickets and highway toll.The RBI in reply to an RTI query said it has no data on the old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes used to pay for utility bills such as fuel at petrol pumps, which are believed to have formed a good part of the demonetised currency that returned to the banking system.

After the November 8, 2016 shock decision to ban the use of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, the government had allowed the exchange of the junked notes as well as they being used for payment of utility bills for 23 services.

Both 500 and 1,000 rupee notes could be used at government hospitals, railway ticketing, public transport, airline ticketing at airports, milk booths, crematoria/burial grounds, petrol pumps, metro rail tickets, purchase of medicines on doctor prescription from the government and private pharmacies, LPG gas cylinders, railway catering, electricity and water bills, ASI monument entry tickets and highway toll.

On November 25, 2016, the exchange of old notes was stopped and the government allowed the use of only old 500 rupee notes at these utilities till December 15, 2016. The government, however, stopped the use of even this currency at petrol pumps and for the purchase of air tickets at airports abruptly with effect from December 2, 2016, after reports that they are becoming fronts for laundering of old currency notes.

In reply to the Right to Information (RTI) query, the RBI said: "information on (invalidated) notes used for paying utility bills is not available with us".

As much as 99.3 per cent of the junked Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes have returned to the banking system, the RBI had stated in August last year, indicating that just a miniscule percentage of currency was left out of the system after the government's unprecedented note ban aimed at curbing black money and corruption.

Of the Rs 15.41 lakh crore worth Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in circulation on November 8, 2016, when the note ban was announced, currency worth Rs 15.31 lakh crore have been returned.

On the issue of number and value of invalidated or demonetised currency notes being exchanged, the RBI in the RTI reply referred to a November 28, 2016 press statement where it had stated that "Banks have since reported that such exchange/deposits effected from November 10, 2016, upto November 27, 2016 amounted to Rs 8,44,982 crore (exchange amounted to Rs 33,948 crore and deposits amounted to Rs 8,11,033 crore).

"The facility of exchange of Specified Bank Notes at banks' counter was available up to November 24, 2016," it said.

Specified Bank Notes or SBN is the term used to denote the demonetised currency which was allowed to be deposited in bank accounts till December 30, 2016.

The Reserve Bank of India also said it did not have information on the number of SBNs used to buy KYC-compliant instruments like insurance policies.

The central bank referred a part of the RTI to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) which also stated that it does not have information on old notes used to pay for insurance policies as "it is not maintained by the Authority".
We've come a long way from the days of "how can a loving husband deprive his wife of a pressure cooker?" ads. Today, countless women have broken the glass ceiling to become effective nation-builders from being just efficient homemakers.

They've achieved professional success after breaking the shackles of gender disparity. But a woman's life continues to remain contradiction-ridden in a patriarchal society like ours. The anchoring pressures to get married and have kids continue to jeopardise their career prospects. Worse, their contributions to the family's financial wellbeing are still considered secondary to that of a man's.

Take these two data points, for example. One - the Moneymood 2019 findings revealed women are borrowing 20% bigger home loans than their male counterparts. Two - another recent survey of 4,500 respondents concluded only 59% women purchased life insurance policies compared to 68% men.

There's a major contradiction here. Women are no longer immune to the aspirational wave that defines our times and hence are taking the lead in investing for their family's welfare. At the same time, it seems they're not paying enough attention to secure their financial future. What can be the possible reasons behind this contradictory trend?

NON-WORKING WOMEN DON'T BUY LIFE INSURANCE

Term insurance coverage is linked to one's income. In the absence of a regular income, non-working women who don't have financial dependents are not inclined to purchase term insurance-or any kind of life insurance. However, working women can close this gap by ensuring their lives are adequately covered so that their families do not bear the brunt of the financial losses brought about by their early demise.

THEY'RE JUST TOO OVERWHELMED

Multitaskers extraordinaire, most women cannot afford to shun their family commitments while chasing their professional dreams like their male counterparts. But this constant struggle to juggle between a demanding home and a challenging workplace keeps her so occupied she really doesn't have the time, intent or energy to focus on insurance requirements. She feels it's enough if at least some of the fundamental boxes are ticked, like the misconception that her husband's or father's life insurance coverage will be sufficient to bail her out.

THEY'RE FOCUSSED ON INVESTING FOR FAMILY

Women are more likely to invest in property and saving for their children than buying insurance plans for themselves, in addition to taking a lead in building their family's emergency fund. The traditional mindset that ultimately the buck stops with them when it comes to taking responsibility for the household doesn't help either. Selflessness, at times, can be counter-productive too. A family's financial wellbeing will surely get hit if a major amount goes towards tackling a woman's health complication, especially when that could've been easily avoided if the woman had a health insurance plan with adequate coverage.

THEY'RE OVER-RELIANT ON WORK INSURANCE

Many working women do not see the pitfall of over-relying on an employer-provided medical insurance plan. What happens if the company policy has inadequate coverage? What happens when she loses her job? Or when her new employer refuses health insurance? Women must realise that their company-linked health insurance policy is unlikely to meet their medical requirements in full. The situation might be more complicated for non-working women as they depend entirely on the breadwinner's health insurance coverage. To bridge this gap, women must ensure they have personal health coverage procured through retail channels.

THEY FIND HEALTH INSURANCE EXPENSIVE

A 2018 survey conducted by a major job portal found that women in India earn 20% less than men. It's quite revealing if you pitch this trend against the rising cases of lifestyle-centric diseases in the country. So, it won't be wrong to say that many women might not find merit in paying for a health insurance plan (which may be an expensive affair depending on their age and health condition) especially when they feel they have other, pressing concerns like saving up for their family's daily expenses.

WHAT CAN BE DONE

Women can buy individual health insurance plans with comprehensive cover (critical illness, accidental coverage). They should not don't depend on others to secure their financial future. Their financial future lies at the heart of their family's wellbeing. Financial literacy is low in the country, possibly lower for women. They must cover the information gap and make wiser financial decisions. Even if women are non-working, they must insist on being covered, especially when it comes to health insurance.
















Marilyn Steele, a 73-year-old woman from New Brunswick, who recently underwent a life-saving cancer surgery has been told she may have to lose her home as the province of New Brunswick has refused to pay a $144,000 bill for the surgery.

According to the report on Yahoo, this refusal stems from the fact that the surgery was performed in the U.S. rather than in Canada. The surgery was done in Tampa, U.S, after Dr. James Belyea, an ear nose and throat specialist, and head and neck surgeonin New Brunswick told Steele that the surgery could not be done in the province.

Steeles troubles started on Dec. 7, 2018, when Dr. Belyea gave her the terrible news that she had anaplastic thyroid cancer which he said could kill her in a matter of months.

"The tests were showing that the tumours were invading my carotid artery," Steele said

"And he said the very last thing would be that that artery would rupture. And it would be very gruesome for my family to watch."

Steele's tumour was wrapped around the base of her carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain, neck and face.

He basically said to Steele, "You'll bleed to death. And encouraged her to seek help elsewhere as he claimed he had shown Steeles CT scan to other specialists in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and no one could help her. He offered her radiation and chemotherapy, which he said could give her an additional three to twelve months of life.

A thyroid cancer surgeon from the U.S, Dr. Gary Clayman, reached out to Steeles family but said the surgery had to be soon, as the cells with her type of cancer divide rapidly.

"We had from 8:30 in the morning Saturday morning until Monday morning at 8 a.m.  so 48 hours we had to get to Tampa," she said.

Two days later, Steele went through a successful seven-hour surgery, followed by 40 rounds of targeted radiation in Toronto, then daily chemotherapy pills for life.

However, Steeles relief was cut short after they received news, midway through radiation treatments in Toronto thatNew Brunswick Medicare would not pay for any of her care in the U.S. According to NB Medicare, out-of-country services are only covered if there is proof no Canadian centres could perform them.

Dr. Belyea had told the NB Medicare that Steele, "was not considered a surgical candidate in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia," mainly because the surgery was too complicated. Dr. Zeljko Bolesnikov, the medical consultant to New Brunswick Medicare, replied that there wasn't any proof Belyea had tried to find out if other hospitals in Canada could do the procedure, and according to him, there were three hospitals in Canada which could have done the surgery.

Belyea claims he is ignorant of any legislation that required him to call every centre in Canada to see if a surgeon could do the job.

"In the time it would've taken for Marilyn Steele to be assessed at every academic centre in Canada, she would have almost certainly died of airway obstruction or had distant metastasis," he wrote.

For now, the Steele family is caught in what appears to be a battle the doctor and New Brunswick Medicare.

"I'm very frustrated at what appears to be a technicality between someone claiming to not know the process and someone claiming that the process has to be followed in order for something to happen," said Lesley, Steeles daughter.

"Those two sides don't involve my mother at all."

"We're not rich people," she said. "We're both retired on a small pension. And the only asset that we have in our home. And it's a very modest three-bedroom bungalow in the country."

Marilyn is receiving a monthly payment from New Brunswick Medicare for her medical stay in Toronto, and a GoFundMe campaign has been started for the family.
The makers, who earlier wanted to shelve the Theri remake project, seem to have decided to start its shoot soon. Ravi Teja and Catherine Tresa have been confirmed to play the lead pair in the film, and Kandireega director Santosh Srinivas will be directing it. The remake was actually announced quite some time ago, but its shoot never started. Soon after, there were reports that the project had been shelved. However, it looks like Ravi Teja has finalised dates with the producers and has apparently asked them to commence the shoot. He is hoping to do this film simultaneously with his other upcoming movie, Disco Raja.

The shoot is going to commence from April 15 onwards and the makers want to release the movie on Dasara, says a source in the know. Mytri Movie Makers are producing this film.
He said that the accused used to arrange testing and certification of the article. (Representational Photo)

Jaipur: With the arrest of 18 people from different parts of the country, Jaipur police on Saturday claimed to have busted an international gang involved in duping people of crores of rupees on the pretext of providing them rare and valuable radioactive articles that could be sold to NASA.

The gang duped Pune-based three men of Rs. 7 crore in the name of giving them a ''rare radioactive dancing doll'' certified by DRDO, Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Shrivastava said.

"The gang convinced the victims that the radioactive doll is used in research by NASA and the agency will pay exuberantly for the product," Mr Shrivastava said, adding the doll was not radioactive.

He said that the accused used to arrange testing and certification of the article by a man posing as Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist and also charged Rs. 70 lakh for the testing.

The officer said the gang was run by Ganesh Ingole who runs a fake energy company- Rencel India in Mumbai.

"Ingole claims to be associated with several international nuclear associations and regularly attends scientific conferences abroad. He and his aide Satya Naryan, a resident of Jaipur, convinced many people into investing into radioactive products that could be sold to NASA at exuberant prices," the Commissioner said.

He said an FIR was lodged with Jaipur's Jawahar Nagar Police Station and taking action on that 18 people were arrested from Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Indore and Uttar Pradesh.

The accused are being interrogated, he added.
he taxi driver, who is yet to be identified, has been arrested on charges of sexual harassment. (Representational Image)

Thiruvananthapuram: A Delhi-based pilot was allegedly harassed at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport by a taxi driver on Friday.

The incident took place when the pilot, who flies for Air India, arrived at Thiruvananthapuram and waited for her cab at a pre-paid taxi kiosk with CCTV cameras installed.

"I'm waiting for the transport, after work and this illiterate hooligan stops his car a few feet away from me and decides to catcall and harrass me, 'Hey baby, come with me' and speeds away in his car," the pilot said in a social media post.

She reached out to authorities, including the local lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, but says that she failed to get a response. The pilot lodged a complaint with the airport manager and said that the car was a Kerala-registered grey Esteem.

Police accessed the CCTV footage and found the car's registration number. The taxi driver, who is yet to be identified, has been arrested on charges of sexual harassment.

"As per the cab number, the vehicle is registered in the name of a woman," police said, according to news agency PTI.
On Monday, a drone was shot down in the Bikaner sector of Rajasthan. ( Image: Representational)

Sri Ganganagar: The Indian Army on Saturday shot down a drone which intruded in Sri Ganganagar sector of Rajasthan.

The Army said that one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) intruded in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar sector around 7.30 pm on Saturday.

"The drone was engaged and brought down," the Army added.

This comes after the Army on Friday shot at a Pakistani drone along the international border in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar sector.

"The Indian Army shot down the drone while it was making an attempt to enter the Indian airspace, "army sources said.

This is the fourth Pakistani drone that has been shot at by the Indian security forces since the Indian Air Force carried out air strike at the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.

On Monday, the second drone was shot down in the Bikaner sector of Rajasthan, while the first drone was shot down on the morning of February 26 after it intruded Indian air space in Kutch district of Gujarat.
In the last two months, several TMC leaders had switched over to the BJP. (Photo: File)

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim to check out disciplinary action against the TMC leader for meeting BJP.

Ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha polls, tall TMC leader and mayor of Bidhannagar Sabyasachi Dutta met BJP leader Mukul Roy at his residence on Friday.

The meet that went for two hours led to the speculation that Dutta might join the saffron party.

However, Mukul Roy and Sabyasachi Dutta had said that it was a courtesy visit.

This is a significant meet because Mukul Roy had once been Dutta's mentor and apparently, this was their first meet since Roy joined BJP.

Dutta's presence plays an important role in TMC's politics as he has a considerable hold over Dum Dum and Barasat Lok Sabha constituencies adjacent to Kolkata.

In the last two months, several TMC leaders had switched over to the BJP.
Modi extended wishes to the Election Commission and hailed body's efforts in organising smooth elections in India. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Few minutes after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 17th Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged citizens of India, especially young voters to turn up for the biggest "festival of democracy."

The festival of democracy, Elections are here.



I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout.



I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

Extending wishes to the Election Commission, Modi hailed efforts of the body and its officials.

"Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years," Modi Tweeted.

Modi also wished all the rival political parties for the crucial Lok Sabha elections and kept the message of 'nation first' ahead.

"Wishing all political parties and candidates the very best for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We may belong to different parties but our aim must be the same- the development of India and empowerment of every Indian!
Hyderabad: The Union Cabinet sanctioned around 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas to various states last week, Telangana state did not get any. In the south, Tamil Nadu got four schools, AP got two schools, Kerala and Karnataka got one each.

Each Kendriya Vidyalaya benefits hundreds of students whose parents work in Central government organisations. The Telangana state has around 30 KVs.

The Navodaya school policy says that every district should have one such institute of excellence. However, after the districts were reorganised in Telangana state, many of them do not have Navodaya schools.

Asked about the Cabinet decision, Mr Naganti Narayana from the Telangana Parents Association (TPA) said, It is discrimination to not sanction a single Kendriya Vidyalaya to Telangana state. The state is already at just above the bottom in the education development index and has poor literacy rates.

Mr Narayana said the Centre should have taken up the responsibility of improving the educational standards but, instead, had chosen to ignore the state.

Kendriya Vidyalayas are sanctioned in defence areas, civil areas and Naxal affected areas. Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Warangal and Khammam districts fall in the category of left wing extremism-affected areas, Mr Narayana said. These regions should get their due share of Kendriya Vidyalayas.

When it comes to Navodaya schools, the state was reorganised to 31 districts a couple of years ago. Two more districts were formed this year, the outcome of poll promises made during the Assembly election campaign last year. This took the number of districts to 33.

As per the Central government policy, there should be a Navodaya school in each district.

The state needs 21 more Navodaya schools, which the Centre has to approve.
There is no better feeling than coming back from the brink. In three tense weeks since the V-Day attack on Pulwama, a conflagration was touch and go. Nothing should please us more than saner counsel prevailing on both sides of the border although Pakistans overweening ambition of destabilising India is never to be underestimated, such being the nature of its perfidy. However, at least this time, it may have been held back by the diplomatic pressures exerted, including by all-weather friend China.

A full-scale war is not affordable for anyone at the end of the second decade of the new millennium. Prepared we may be to go the distance to take on the enemy and save the country but the wiser course would be to know the extreme extent of brinkmanship and leave it there. Neither an impoverished Pakistan nor a far more economically strong India can go to war in which there are no real winners. What India has achieved post-Pulwama is to show to the world what a rogue state like Pakistan can do in its provocative use of terror as State policy.

India drew new red lines in taking on Pakistan and came away with diplomatic victories in our neighbor being forced into all kinds of somersaults in having to actually act against terrorist organisations, however contrived all that may seem in the longer run. Right now, Pakistans need to fill its coffers with aid from obliging nations and the IMF to bolster its sagging economy is the highest priority and there was little else its Prime Minister could provide by way of optics than be seen taking action against terror organisations.

We have long known that the price we pay for our freedom is eternal vigilance. Society may often be seen to be helpless against lone wolf attacks like the one carried out in the Jammu bus stand by a youth. Our intelligence agencies work behind the scenes for millions of man hours to ferret out intelligence and crack conspiracies and thwart terror, but they cannot publicise it. What differentiates the inspired attacks controlled by so-called non-State actors as in Pulwama is the visible hand of Pakistan. And those must stop if peace is to be given a real chance in the subcontinent.

Not for a moment can we believe that things have quietened down since the Abhinandan capture and release preceded by the downing of a Pakistani F-16 when it flew aggressively near or over Indian airspace. This is just a lull after the storm that blew so intensely as to threaten to suck everyone into another Indo-Pak war. If we were to think for a moment now, much as Imran Khan himself is saying, about how better off both nations would be economically if we were not drawn into war. Let businesses flourish and trade bloom would be idealistic calls to remedy the situation even if they seem ready to be consigned to the wistful thinking bin.

The strategic game is to keep India on tenterhooks to suit China and Pakistan. Not even USA can pitch in too heavily into the imbroglio as they need Pakistan to keep speaking to the Taliban across the Pak border with Afghanistan. This geopolitical-military game is too complicated for there to be the kind of peace Imran Khan is talking about even as his government is sending signals to the international commuity by taking over seminaries of the banned terror groups like JeM. But dont even ask about Masood Azhar or Hafiz Saeed as these are honoured State guests who may be asked to lie low now while the heat is on. Not even the highest international pressure can force Pakistan to act against these two worthies.

The way forward for India is to protect our border from infiltration and refine the gathering of electronic intelligence to make the nipping of terrorism in the bud possible 99 per cent of the time. If the youth of Kashmir are driven into picking up arms, it must be treated as an internal matter and action taken against them without oppressing all the populace. It has been known for long what we had in J&K was not just a security issue but a larger political and social one. Having prided ourselves on Kashmir being with India for 72 years after partition, it is obvious that we should treat them as Indian rather than Kashmiris.

There are no tall figures like Sheikh Abdullah to show Kashmiris the way. We have only his successors and others who are out and out politicians thirsting for power and who have done little to further a larger Indian identity for their people. The day the nation wholeheartedly accepts the Kashmiris as our own and need to be protected would be the dawn of true nationalism. Also implicit in such acceptance would be putting a stop to talking of the special laws that came with Kashmir into the Indian Union. Will such a day dawn soon?
New Delhi: Lok Sabha elections for 2019 will be held from April 11 to May 19 and after the over month-long nation-wide exercise to be held in seven phases across 543 parliamentary constituencies, the results will be declared on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, kick-starting the countdown for a mega electoral battle wherein the BJP will pitch for a re-election of the Narendra Modi government amid the Oppositions efforts for a united fight to unseat it.

Voting for electing the 17th Lok Sabha will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 in which nearly 90 crore voters, including 1.8 crore first-time electorate aged between 18 and 19 years, are expected to take part, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a packed press conference here.

With the announcement of the poll schedule, the model code of conduct came into immediate effect.

The CEC said that along with the parliamentary polls, Assembly elections will also be held in four states  Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha.

Contrary to expectations, no elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been without an elected government since June last year when the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP.

Flanked by two election commissioners, Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, Mr Arora said, While finalising the election dates, exam schedules of state exam boards, CBSE, various festivals and harvest season are also adequately factored in.

The CEC said that the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will be used in all 10 lakh polling stations this time.

Soon after the announcement of election dates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years.

Polls will be held in a single phase in 20 states and Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Telangana, Sikkim, Tamilnadu and Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday said the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) would field 33 per cent women among its candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, terming the move a benchmark for women empowerment in India.

Making the announcement at a rally in Kendrapara, the Biju Janata Dal president said the historic step would lead the way in empowering women. If India is to lead the world, if India has to compete with countries like America and China and become an advanced nation, women empowerment is the only answer, he said.

Mr Patnaiks decision would mean that the ruling BJD will field women candidates for at least seven out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

At present, there are three women Lok Sabha MPs from Odisha. The BJD had won 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. Mr Patnaik, however, did not make any such announcement for the assembly polls which is slated to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Odishas 147-member assembly has 12 women MLAs at present. In No-vember last year, a resolution was passed unanimously in the state ass-embly seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative assemblies and Parliament.
Hyderabad: Could Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant Adil Ahmad Dar, the vehicle-borne suicide bomber, who attacked the CRPF convoy leading to the deaths of 49 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama on February 14, have been neutralised before he could drive his vehicle right into the convoy, had a sniper and his spotter been deployed?

Strategy and tactics (like having rooftop snipers) are dictated by a host of factors, including terrain and most of the movement (in the Kashmir valley) is through built-up areas along with civilian traffic, says Director General of the elite counter terrorism force, the National Security Guard (NSG).

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper in his first interview as chief of the NSG after taking over in February 2018, Sudeep Lakhtakia said that positive identification of a potent threat is always a challenge, as is isolation of the target from the civilian population.

Telangana state cadre IPS officer of 1984 batch, Mr Lakhtakia, who previously worked in the Special Protection Group (SPG) and also in the CRPF where he supervised operations in J&K, said that multiple discreet security measures are taken to ensure the safety of the troops during movement.

Though there have been fidayeen attacks in the past in J&K, the suicide bombing attack using Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VB-IEDs) is a different phenomenon in the area, which comes under the category of bold attacks.

With the Pulwama attack and the retaliatory action by India of bombing terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan has changed the security scenario in the country, the NSG chief said. But the USP of the NSG is to constantly prepare for newer challenges, he added.

With our current deployment across the country, we are prepared to tackle any serious challenge, along with the states. Our response matrix has undergone a complete revamp and various eventualities are well rehearsed for prompt action, he says.

Amid increasing threats by terror groups, the Chief of the Black Cats commando force says that any threat posed by JeM, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba or any other terrorist group will be met with our complete potential for earliest neutralisation of the threat.

His long stint in the Special Protection Group (SPG), where he dealt directly with the security detail of none other than the Prime Minister of India, gave him an eye for minute detail.

Thereafter, his tenure as Special Director General with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), where he supervised anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir, gave this 1984 batch IPS officer of Telangana cadre a firm grip on the ground situation in the Valley, especially during the heightened wave of violence after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Now, as Director General of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) or the Black Cats  a special force tasked with combating terrorism  senior IPS officer Sudeep Lakhtakia says that while there have been fidayeen attacks in the past in Jammu and Kashmir, the suicide bombing attack using vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VB-IEDs) is a different phenomenon in the area.

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper in his first-ever interview as chief of the NSG after taking over in February 2018, Mr Lakhtakia gives his take on the Pulwama attack, the role of the NSG, and the security scenario in the country.

The usp of NSG is to constantly prepare for newer challenges

As chief of the NSG and someone who has worked in the CPRF earlier, what is your analysis of the Pulwama terror attack and do you think there were any lapses?

The Pulwama attack has added a new paradigm to the challenges being faced by the security forces in J&K. Intruding into a convoy was not difficult, as the road is open for general traffic. Every terrorist action, however, makes life more difficult for the common man. While there have been fidayeen attacks in the past, a suicide bombing attack using Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VB-IEDs) is a different phenomenon in the area. VB IEDs fall under the category of Bold Attacks using a vehicle as an instrument to launch a terrorist attack. Terrorism is constantly morphing and appearing in newer forms. Combined with the recent phenomenon of cowardly abduction and execution of security forces personnel, attacks on family member etc., this incident reflects the growing frustration of terrorists groups and their handlers. The CRPF is an extremely resilient force. Its record in combating terrorists in J&K or Maoists in left-wing extremists speaks for itself.

Though there was a general feeling that such a large contingent of CRPF jawans should not have travelled in one single convoy, the other argument is that travelling in one large convoy is actually advantageous instead of travelling in smaller numbers. Your take on this?

This choice between long single convoy versus multiple smaller convoys is among a range of options each with its own pros and cons. It is essentially a trade-off and was discussed during my tenure in the CRPF. Movement and size of convoys is a professional tactical decision. Running convoys are unavoidable. However, appropriate security measures are always taken to ensure their safety, irrespective of size or distance. Existing SOPs (standard operating procedures) to maintain secrecy and security are updated from time to time.

Last year the NSG had stationed about 80 commandos in Srinagar so that they could neutralise terrorists holed up in buildings/houses. But six months later, the NSG was pulled out without taking part in any operation. Now, in the changed security scenario, do you feel the NSG should be stationed in the Valley? Were other agencies opposed to the presence of the NSG in the Valley?

The role of NSG commandos stationed in J&K has been clearly defined. Deployment and involvement of different forces is a very tactical and calibrated decision as part of the overall security strategy for operations in an area. Any insinuation about a disconnect between forces is baseless. There is a security grid in place in J&K. NSG is an element of this security grid. There is no one-upmanship in this collective fight. A team of experts from NSGs National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) was requisitioned to assist in the investigations of the Pulwama attack. NSGs niche capabilities will be deployed when the situation so warrants.

Will posting snipers on rooftops help neutralise threats in the Kashmir valley, especially during the movement of troops?

Strategy and tactics are dictated by a host of factors. including terrain. Most of the movement is through built-up areas along with civilian traffic. Positive identification of a potent threat is always a challenge. As is isolation of the target as it easily merges with the civilian population. Multiple discreet security measures are taken to ensure safety of troops during movement. The community and local population also play a very vital role.

Can a Pulwama-type attack be prevented? What measures can be taken?

The Pulwama attack is the first such attack in the long history of proxy war and terrorism in J&K. The world has witnessed a large number of VB-IED incidents. Obviously, we have done many things right to have been able to prevent such dastardly acts. Government and security forces are taking very proactive measures to ensure safety of troops while providing security to the citizens.

After the air strikes in Balakot there have been alerts that JeM could carry out a major terror strike anywhere in the country. How prepared is the NSG and do you see newer challenges emerging for the NSG in future?

The USP of the NSG is to constantly prepare for newer challenges. We collaborate with different stakeholders to stay abreast of the emerging threats. The NSG undertakes critical analysis of emerging scenarios to prepare for different contingencies.

Keeping the Pulwama terror attack in mind, is the NSG designing newer training modules/methods for the Black Cats?

We refine our drills and training methodologies to keep pace with changing tactics of terrorists to stay ahead. With our current deployment across the country, we are prepared to tackle any serious challenge, along with the states.

The NSG already has state-of-the-art weaponry. What other plans are in the pipeline to further modernise the force?

NSG has a state-of-art inventory for conducting our operations. We proactively upgrade our capabilities to enhance our operational effectiveness in all likely scenarios. Acquisition of gadgets, weapons etc., and modernising our equipment profile, based on changing threat perceptions, is an ongoing exercise.

After the Pulwama attack and the air strikes on Pakistan, has the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued any fresh instructions for the NSG?

The MHA regularly reviews alertness and response mechanisms. NSG units are always on a high state of alert, ready and prepared to be launched for operations in the shortest possible time. Our response matrix has undergone a complete revamp and various eventualities are well rehearsed for prompt action.

NSG has trained members of paramilitary forces. Will this training activity go up in the days to come in view of the new challenges emerging for the forces?

Capacity building of other paramilitary and state police forces is a major focus area of NSG. We strive for seamless synergy with the first/second responders by sharing our best practices. We regularly train with various national and international counter terrorism forces to better understand the operational ethos of each other for improved inter-operability. We are happy to share our CT expertise with all stake holders with the common objective of enhancing our countrys security preparedness. We are coordinating closely with MHA and state/central CT forces to strengthen cooperation in this field where we all are equal partners. The security needs of the states have increased and we will work together to upgrade the skills of the first responders.

Is the role of the NSG getting more challenging now?

We are seized of the changed security milieu post the recent incidents. Any threat posed by JeM, LeT or any other terrorist group will be met with our complete potential for earliest neutralisation of the threat.
Not being able to speak Hindi (or Rajasthani) didn't deter Pavithra Muddaya, of Vimor Sarees, one bit when she travelled to rural Rajasthan in 2015. That endeavour would result in a stunning collection, part of the Handmade in Rajasthan' project in 2015, when the first edition of Rajasthan Heritage Week was organised in the city.

Neither the glamour of the ramp nor her prestigious clientele come to mind first as Pavithra looks back, but then, resting on laurels has never been her style. Instead, she recalls, with much mirth, her escapades in Rajasthan, of using sign language and doodles to make herself understood among the weaver community. "If you know how the loom works and you have empathy, you will be understood," she says, mild mannered and self-effacing always, despite her great success. Pavithra has travelled extensively across the country, working with weavers in a learning process she insists is mutual. Broken sentences and gestures are the medium of communication, "hands, legs, whatever works," she laughs. She also whips out her trustee sketchpad, long after sketchpads had given way to computers. "My kids would make fun of me and so would the weavers.

Then again, the weavers she has nurtured are well past the point of formalities. "They grumble at me, asking me why I'm still stuck!" By this, they mean Pavithra's refusal to go beyond a single store in Bengaluru, although she has an extensive list of clientele, including politicians, celebrities and prestigious families. "What can I say, that's just who I am. I have a skill and I want to do something larger with it," she says. The thousands of weavers who have passed through her hands over the years have gone on to script their own success stories, taking with them the designs and aesthetics they learned at the hands of their beloved teacher. "Yes, I am that, a teacher," she agrees.

Pavithra Muddaya with Bannerghatta weavers.

This is the idea behind Vimor, to mentor weavers and revive textile heritage. Our weaving traditions are largely undocumented, she explains, "upto 80%, really. A lot is said about royal textile but very little about the many, many indigenous practices that exist in the country." That, combined with the fact several of her clients walk in with their 'grandmother's sarees', only strengthened her belief in the revival and propagation of heritage weaves and motifs.

Pavithra is working towards a handloom museum, a place of inspiration for weavers, she says, where they can come to learn different techniques and aesthetic practices. She has, over the years, worked with a number of different yarns and motifs, all of them with a personal touch. The Vimor Foundation, offset of the Vimor Sarees, will work with waste silk, Pavithra explains and oral history. This involves collecting stories from senior citizens and translating those into wearable motifs. The designs they choose are usually reworked - "I don't make replicas, that's a different kind of elitism, I think, to replicate antiques and old traditions. I want my designs to have the weaver's personal touch and a more modern approach."

She refers to this as a 'mobile museum'; older weavers are shown old scraps and samples and asked to recall their own stories. "That's how we develop our design, for as I said, there is very little documentation. There will be very little left for tomorrow's generations at this rate." Research and documentation are an important part of the Foundation's work, too.

Weavers under her tutelage who have gone on to open their own stores and run successful businesses continue to thank her, "but there is no need for gratitude," she insists. "They are where I started, how I learned the craft." Her own journey began in 1974, when her father passed away. Her mother, Chimmi Nanjappa, was the first manager of Cauvery Arts and Crafts Emporium in Bengaluru. When, suddenly, they were left with nobody to rely on, it was time to put her extensive skills to use. "I was in Madras at the time," says Pavithra. "My mother would send me Channa patna silks, which I would print and send back to Bengaluru." Much of her learning was on the job, a trial-and-error process, with smaller workshops to which she was invited by the weaver community.

Her mother's association with cultural activist Pupul Jayakar would catapult them into prominence, even landing Vimor Sarees an order to design sarees for Mrs. Indira Gandhi. In 2017, she designed a collection of 108 sarees, doing pancholi work for the first time, in honour of Mrs Gandhi's centenary year. "I was shown 14 sarees for about an hour and a half and I had to recreate my designs based on my memories of those," she says.

The association with the Gandhi family continues, she says but tactfully holds back on the details. "They have treated me with a great deal of kindness, Sonia Gandhi has visited us many, many times."

There is little room for airs in Pavithra's presence, cars are parked a respectful distance away and "everyone carries their own bags," she laughs. Pavithra's own self-effacement is as much a part of her persona as her creations. "That takes a lot of work too," she says. "It's easy to be swayed, to have one's head turned by the praise and the recognition. And maybe that discernment comes with age and wisdom but I know that I need to stay true to myself." The words 'trust' and 'integrity' feature often during the conversation - "It amazes me that there are so many people who will trust me implicitly. It's a great gift and a responsibility, how many people are fortunate enough to inspire that kind of trust in another human being?" For herself, she says, "I don't have many needs and wants. I have found my purpose in life."
Thiruvananthapuram: Mullappally Ramachandran, Ramesh Chennithala and Oommen Chandy sat at Indira Bhavan on Saturday morning to finalise candidates for three hours. But they could not reach a consensus. After the meeting, Mr Chandy left for Kottayam and remained tight-lipped.

Apart from the sitting MPs, the AICC screening committee meeting in the national capital on Monday at 10 am will decide on other seats.

It is reliably learnt that the sitting seats of Pathanamthitta (Anto Antony) and Ernakulam (K. V. Thomas) are also likely to see a change of candidate. Congress camp is abuzz with news that Mr Chandy will contest either from Idukki or Pathanamthitta.

With the Damocles sword hanging over Mr Antonys head, there is Prof. P. J. Kurien, 77, a six-time Lok Sabha and three-time Rajya Sabha MP as a contender.

With CPM fielding Aranmula MLA Veena George, Prof. Kurien has staked a claim. He's also heading to attend the screening committee," a senior leader told DC.

"The former Rajya Sabha deputy chairman feels since he's a Marthomite, he's a better chance to trounce the opponent from Malankara Orthodox church. Mr Chandy and Mr Kurien are not Catholics. But the majority of voters are Catholic.

KPCCs campaign committee chairman K. Muraleedharan MLA also has an invite to attend the screening committee meeting with K. C. Venugopal at the helm.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is said to have spoken to V. M. Sudheeran, a former state unit chief, to contest from Thrissur. Hes also attending the Delhi meeting. Mr Chandy and Mr Sudheeran have been reiterating that they do not wish to contest. In all likelihood, Mr Sudheeran, 70, will be asked to contest from Thrissur.
Hubballi: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been going hammer and tongs on his government's fight against terror, Congress president, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held the BJP responsible for the recent Pulwama attack in Kashmir that cost the lives of 44 CRPF jawans.

Mr Gandhi, who was launching his party's campaign in the state for the coming Lok Sabha poll at a "Parivarthana rally" in Haveri, recalled that it was the Vajpayee government at the Centre that had freed the mastermind of the Pulwama suicide bombing, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Masood Azhar, two decades ago.

"Who sent Masood Azhar to Pakistan from an Indian jail? Did not the then external affairs minister, Jaswant Singh and then intelligence bureau chief, Ajit Doval, escort him to Kandahar? It was the BJP government that sent Azhar to Pakistan, he noted, referring to the freeing of Azhar and two other terrorists in 1999 in exchange for the release of 155 passengers on board a hijacked Indian Airlines plane to Taliban -controlled Kandahar.

"Why doesn't the Prime Minister tell the people this during his speeches? He must reveal why the BJP released the kingpin of the terror attack when his party was in power," the Congress president demanded, asserting, "The Congress will not bow down before terrorists."

Also accusing the Prime Minister of fooling youth of the country in the name of Make in India, Sit in India and Stand up in India, he claimed in reality the Centre had caused losses to traders and the poor through demonetisation and the Gabbar Singh tax (GST).

The Congress will bring in reforms in the GST to make it one tax and less tax' after the party comes to power, he promised. Mr Gandhi described the coming Lok Sabha poll as a battle between the different ideologies of the Congress and BJP, saying on the one hand there was the RSS and Hindutva of the BJP and on the other, the Congress's aim to work for the welfare of farmers, small traders and the poor.

Today only 15 to 20 per cent of the poor and small traders enjoy the benefits of the banking system while the Union government helps business tycoons like Anil Ambani and Adani, he charged, promising minimum income guarantee" for all the poor and depositing of funds directly into their bank accounts if elected to power.

The BJP used to make fun of the MGNREGS scheme launched by the UPA government and now, it has snatched the funds meant for Karnataka under the scheme, he alleged.

Mr Gandhi went on to add that he was confident the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) would making a winning combination in the state this Lok Sabha poll.
Vijayawada: Hours after the Election Commission announced the date for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu invoked Andhra pride and said a vote for YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would be a vote for Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Reiterating that the YSRC, TRS and the BJP had hatched a mega-conspiracy to damage Andhra Pradesh, Mr Naidu said, Andhra voters should decide whether they need KCR or Naidu.

The TD would go to the polls with the slogan Your future my responsibility and Andhra self respect and pride.

Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Mr Naidu said these polls were for Andhra pride. Who are you (KCR)? You said you will give me a return gift. If you give me one return gift I can give you 100 return gifts. Does Andhra need the rule of Telangana doralu, he asked.

Mr Naidu asked Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy to get in writing from Mr Chandrasekhar Rao that the Telangana state government would support the grant of special category status for AP. He alleged that Mr Rao would be sending `1,000 crore to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy to spend on the polls in AP. He asked TD cadres to be alert as the YSRC would distribute money indiscrimately that was sent by Mr Rao.

He said that Mr Rao had abused him, and Mr Reddy was working like a slave to the TRS. He said that both the Telangana government and the Centre had turned into terrorists and had started attacking him. He had only questioned the Centre and the Telangana state government on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh people. For this, my associates and I are being attacked, he said.

Mr Naidu said that Mr Reddy who had refused to shift to Andhra Pradesh in the last five years and was doing politics from his Lotus Pond residence at Hyderabad did not have any right to seek votes in Andhra Pradesh. He claimed that Mr Reddys disproportionate assets cases were presented as a paper in Harvard University in the United States.

Mr Naidu said the Telangana government had had not come forward for dividing the assets as specified in the bifurcation act.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is fighting his record 12th election, is perhaps facing the toughest battle of his life with the BJP and his political opponents joining hands and drawing up grand plans to beat him. The veteran, who has so far won 11 elections without a break, is a bit perturbed over the formidable opposition to him but still looked relaxed, cracking jokes and making witty remarks during an interview on Sunday morning. Here are excerpts.

You are about to face your 12th election and this will be a crucial one. How different is it this time?

This election is important for two reasons. We have to protect our partys principles and ideological credentials. By spreading its tentacles to the administrative machinery, the RSS is trying to take control of this government and destroy the basic principles enshrined in the Constitution. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and even some BJP minister are talking of changing the Constitution. If they come to power again, they will get more strength to carry out their mission. We have to prevent it. Secondly the poorer sections, who are in a majority in this country, dont subscribe to the RSS ideology. The concept of social justice is the hallmark of the Constitution and its our paramount duty to uphold the Constitution. Many of our leaders (Congress) have sacrificed their lives for getting freedom and also for saving democracy in this country. We are determined to save democracy and ready to make any sacrifice. Like others (read RSS or BJP), we are not bragging about doing great things for this country without taking part in the freedom struggle. These RSS leaders talk so much about religion, did they at any point of time talk about social justice before Independence when more than 90 per cent of people belonged to the downtrodden and neglected categories?

During previous Lok Sabha election, you were on a strong wicket due to factors such as enactment of Article 371(J), sanctioning of many railway projects for Kalaburagi division, construction of the ESIC Hospital etc. There is no such strong wave in your favour in this election.

See when I was a minister, I played the role expected of me. When Im in the Opposition, I have strived my best to discharge the role expected of the Leader of the Opposition, ie to protect the Constitution, democracy and also save secular values in the country. After enactment of Article 371(J) by the Lok Sabha, rules needed to be framed and now people are enjoying its benefits. And as I played my role very well, there was nothing for the BJP to speak against me in Parliament. But some people are creating a hype against me through the media. My question is: what have BJP leaders done for the state? Why should the situation in my constituency be against me? Some people are also jealous that I have grown to this stage and become Opposition leader. As a parliamentarian and leader of the Congress group, I have brought a good name to this region. Moreover unlike other leaders, I never got upset when I missed the opportunity to become CM thrice...the high command and others know this very well. The people are with me, they appreciate my performance and they are working for my victory.

Although the dynamics may change from poll to poll, both the Congress and BJP are almost evenly placed in the Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat this time. Of the eight Assembly segments, four are with the Congress (Chittapur, Kalaburagi North, Afzalpur and Jewargi), three (Kalaburagi South, Kalaburagi Rural and Sedam) with BJP and one with JD(S). With big leaders like Malikayya Guttedar, Baburao Chinchansur and Vishwanath Patil Hebbal, who were earlier in your party, arraigned against you, dont you feel you will have a tough fight?

As per your assessment we are in a stronger position (Congress four, JD-S one). You tell me what has been the contribution of Modi to this area? During the last five years what gift has he given? When my government was there I did several things. When my state government is there, we have done several things. You tried to close down the ESIC Hospital, the paramedical courses have not been started yet. You sanctioned the railway division to Vishakapatnam, but not to Kalaburagi. What moral right do you have to seek votes here?

Its the considered opinion of political analysts that you should have got one or two more berths for the district in the recent cabinet reshuffle and this would have helped you in this election.

See I tried my best but I cannot disclose all those details. Even earlier (during the tenure of Mr Siddaramaiah) I tried to prevent the dropping of some ministers from the Cabinet...

But many leaders wonder how a leader like Kharge could not manage to get a second berth for his home district..

You see some things are possible and some not possible. Just because Im the Opposition leader, anything that I ask for will not be fulfilled. There were times when Kalaburagi had seven ministers. Is it possible now? There were times when we had won eight of the total nine seats. Last time we won seven and this time we have won four. The high command has taken a decision in consultation with state level leaders. I dont want to speak more on the subject...if I speak more, it will be misconstrued that Im doing this for the sake of defending my son.

In most of your speeches you are targeting Mr Modi. You repeatedly say that Mr Modi should not take credit for the airstrikes carried out on terrorist hideouts as they were carried out by the armed forces and not by Modi....

Being an MP, what should I do instead of attacking Modi? Should I attack local people? Its my duty. We are all behind the forces in whatever decision they take in the interests of the country. But Mr Modi alone taking credit is objectionable. Moreover if his chela says we will win four seats more... who should be blamed?

What I was trying to say was when it comes to development works such as enacting 371(J) and sanctioning of railways projects, you claim credit. Extending your analogy whats wrong in Modi taking credit for the airstrikes?

While the airstrike is a national issue, these are development issues. During UPA rule, airstrikes were carried out six times. Did Nehru and Shastri go around the country and take credit when Pakistan was defeated by India in war?

But Indira Gandhi did take credit for the liberation of Bangladesh ....

Indira helped liberate Bangladesh following a request from them; it was not a voluntary action.... and at that time Vajpayee hailed her as the Durga of the country.

Sharing of seats between Congress and JD(S) is yet to be finalised. But reports say the JDS may get nine or ten seats. The hard reality is that JD(S) does not have competent candidates to contest in these many seats. Is Congress not losing ground in its bid to keep the BJP away from power?

Lets wait and see what the negotiating team finalises. On March 11, the list (of candidates and seats) will be finalised. Sometimes, to safeguard our principles and ideology, we will have to adopt a give and take policy.
Hyderabad: BJP leader N.V.S.S. Prabhakar on Sunday compared Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Pakistan leaders, saying that he was questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi the way leaders from Pakistan were questioning him.

Mr Prabhakar said the response to Mr Gandhis meeting at Shamshabad was poor. The Congress says there is a josh in the party after the meeting of Rahul Gandhi. Though the leaders asked the crowd to cheer for Rahul, the people did not. That shows the josh in the Telangana Congress... Rahuls speech shows that he has lost his mind and he is in a helpless situation. Rahul is speaking the same words on the Pulwama attack as the leaders in Lahore are speaking. Rahul is questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the same way that the Pakistan leaders questioned.

Mr Prabhakar said the Congress had lost many seats, but the party was still claiming that Mr Gandhi is the future Prime Minister. The people want Modi once again, he said.

The former MLA said people like Nirav Modi and Vijaya Mallya had taken massive loans during the UPA-2 regime which was exposed by the Modi government and taking action on them.

Two Congress MLAs have shifted to the TRS and one more MLA has announced he will defect and many more are ready to go. Their own MLAs do not trust the Congress, how can these leaders rule the country, Mr Prabhakar Rao said.

He said the statements of Chief Ministers K. Chandrasekhar Rao and N. Chandrababu Naidu that they would rule from Delhi were silly.
CHENNAI: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan on Sunday thanked the Election Commission of India for allotting his party the symbol of a battery-operated torch. He said it was appropriate and that his party would endeavour to be the torch-bearer for a new era in Tamil Nadu and Indian politics.

MNM thanks the Election Commission for granting us the Battery Torch symbol for the forthcoming elections. So appropriate. MNM will endeavour to be the Torch-Bearer for a new era in TN and Indian politics, Kamal Haasan tweeted.

Poking fun at him, State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said "AIADMK is a beacon light for the world. Torch-light can only light up a very small area."

The actor launched his political party MNM last year and had already announced they would be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to reporters last month, he had said that the party would release the names of Lok Sabha candidates in phases and that youth will get preference in the selection.

The MNM had reportedly approached the EC in mid-February to get a party symbol for contesting from all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in neighbouring Puducherry. Kamal has been receiving applications for contesting the polls from his party workers and outsiders. His attempt to forge an electoral alliance with the Congress did not fructify and his party is contesting alone.

Speaking to reporters here on Sunday. Kamal said his desire is that the 'torch-light' should shine in all the 40 constituencies and aiming for this he would begin the process of selecting the candidates from March 11 to 15. Over 1,130 applications have been received from aspirants so far.

Asked if he would seek support from his friend and actor Rajinikanth for the polls, he replied, "More than asking, what is significant is support should be forthcoming." "Yes, I am confident," he replied, when asked if Rajini would support him.

On banning liquor, the MNM leader said it was not possible to immediately implement prohibition and only a phased dry law was possible. "Our alliance is very strong, it is with the people," he said when asked about scope for forging ties with other outfits.

The bypolls are considered crucial as it would have a bearing on the stability of the AIADMK government which needs to win a sizeable number of seats to retain its majority in the 234-member House. AIADMK presently may have upto 114 members while the DMK (88) and its allies together have 97 members in the Assembly with a vacancy of 21 seats, 18 of which fell vacant following disqualification of rebel ruling party MLAs.
With Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Aroras announcement of the poll schedule for the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha on Sunday, the poll exercise catering to 900 million voters  as against 814.5 million at the time of the last Parliament poll in 2014  has got underway. On the face of it, the planning seems well-conceived on the whole. The test, of course, would lie in the execution.

For example, as a step toward citizen empowerment, the CEC announced ways in which ordinary voters can approach the Election Commission if they observe irregularities. Their identity is to be protected. If the measure is executed well, it will go a long way in giving voters a greater stake in the poll process. Mr Arora failed to give the assurance that the VVPATs (the paper trails) for the ballots vote cast through EVMs will be counted. He said the issue was before the Supreme Court. Even so, it would not have been deemed improper if the CEC had spoken of the poll body's readiness to count every VVPAT if need be in order to underline transparency. The EC would do well to prepare itself to count all VVPATs if circumstances require it. For democracy, there can be no greater step in the direction of voter assurance.

There is also the important issue of voter enrolment. While announcing poll dates, Mr Arora rightly noted that an election is as credible as the voters list. In a country like ours, many genuine voters find their names excluded from this compendium for reasons ranging from clerical errors to mischief. So in the interest of fair play, anyone who can produce an authentic ID should be permitted to vote.

The CEC announced poll dates for the four state Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha as well as dates for Assembly by-elections in several states. It is egregious that the EC should have failed the people of Jammu and Kashmir by not announcing dates for Assembly election in that state. As senior political leader Farooq Abdullah, a former Chief Minister of the state, has observed in anguish, this will give the signal that India has bowed to terrorist elements. In the context of the difficult security situation in Kashmir, the CEC spoke of recent events  presumably a reference to the Pulwama attack. When the Lok Sabha polls are being held in the valley, the state election could also have been dovetailed with it, as security will be on high alert in any case. It is to be hoped that Assembly polls can be held there before mid-June when President's rule is due to end.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, lost no time in hitting the campaign trail after the Pulwama attack and Indias airstrikes on terror camps in Pakistan. Waving the nationalism card, the BJP leadership jubilantly declared that only a strong leader like Mr Modi could be trusted to safeguard Indias security. But of late, there has been a blip in the BJPs heady narrative. Three recent developments have provided some breathing space to the Opposition, which was silenced effectively post-Pulwama. The BJP was first discomfited when its leaders, including its party president, claimed that the Indian airstrikes had killed 300 terrorists in Pakistan. Given the governments official statement and that the Air Force chief had not mentioned any figures, the BJP leaders had a lot of explaining to do about their tall claims. The Prime Ministers public statement that the result of the airstrike would have been different if India had Rafale fighter planes also did not go down well as it implied that the Indian Air Force mission had been a failure. Then came media reports on the enhanced price paid by India for the purchase of Rafale aircraft to which the Centre responded saying the documents quoted had been stolen and was a violation of the Official Secrets Act. It is now for the Opposition to seize the initiative and set the agenda, provided it is up to it.

Embarrassed by the recent ugly public brawl at Uttar Pradeshs Sant Kabir Nagar between its MP Sharad Tripathi and MLA Rakesh Baghel, the Bharatiya Janata Party initiated an inquiry into this incident. However, it was soon revealed that the altercation has its genesis in the ongoing confrontation between traditional caste rivals  Brahmins and Thakurs. Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh have been feeling neglected ever since Yogi Adityanath took over as chief minister because of the systematic manner in which he has been promoting Thakurs. Mr Tripathi, who is a Brahmin, has been locked in a longstanding battle with his party colleague, Mr Baghel (a Thakur), over the appointment and transfer of local police officers. Mr Baghel, who is also a member of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a group founded by Mr Adityanath, has been refusing to accommodate Mr Tripathi. The latest incident, when the two used abusive language and hit each other with slippers, was essentially an extension of this ongoing caste rivalry. Battle lines have now been drawn as Mr Baghels Thakur supporters have vowed vengeance while Mr Tripathi also demonstrated his strength last week when he travelled to Lucknow in the company of a host of powerful Brahmin leaders.



When a delegation from the Election Commission of India visited Jammu and Kashmir last week, all political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, said that Assembly elections in the state should be held along with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. But governor Satya Pal Malik is learned to have expressed his doubts about holding simultaneous polls in view of the prevailing security situation. Though they held opposing views, both Mr Malik and the BJPs state unit are said to have acted on cue from the Centre. Apparently, the Central BJP leadership is not keen on an early election in Jammu and Kashmir but instructed its state unit to go along with the other political parties on this issue for tactical reasons. Though the BJP is on a high post-Pulwama, the party is playing for more time as its MLAs in Jammu are facing flak from the electorate for not delivering on their promises. Consequently, the BJP wants to rejig the reserved and general seats in the Jammu region, which is the saffron partys stronghold, to be able to move around its MLAs to minimise the anti-incumbency against them. However, this is a long drawn-out process and the party needs time to get its house in order before it goes into an election in the border state.

The Congress has been facing a huge cash crunch ever since it was relegated to the Opposition benches in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. After being constantly nagged about cutting costs, the partys state units were pleasantly surprised when they received a note from the Congress headquarters in Delhi that they will send their budget estimates for the coming Lok Sabha election. Needless to say, the Congress state chiefs lost no time in responding with lengthy lists of expenses they would be incurring during the poll campaign. Expectedly, their proposals were shot down by the partys central leadership, which sent back their documents with a stern reminder that the Congress is no longer in power. The state units were instructed to revise their proposals accordingly. While the Congress is still struggling to finalise its budget, the BJP has moved ahead and booked all the prime advertisement space in newspapers and the hoarding sites in major towns and cities.
















From the calmness of the salt white beaches peppered with picturesque thatched roof villas to the crystal-clear turquoise waters and the myriad of activities thereby, traveling to Maldives is like stepping in to a dream

Rampant with natural beauty as it is, this tropical archipelago is a treat any time of the year. However, the dry period from November to April will give you more options to be outdoorsy. And since there are so many islands; all so widely dispersed, the touristy crowd that comes with a busy season most places, will not bother you here.

Getting Around

Of the countrys three international airports, you will most likely land at Velana International near the capital city of Male. For onwards travel to your resort, you will have to catch a ferry or, if the island is further out, a sea-plane. Public transport is provided by MTCC, though private charters are readily available (not 24/7, so dont fail to plan!). If it isnt already part of the resort booked, first time travelers are often caught off-guard by the exorbitant price of some of these transfers which may go north of $200.



A special feature of Maldivian transport are the traditional dhonis or the local sailboats that service the water routes between the islands. The most economical way to get around, you mustnt miss any opportunity to be closer to the coral abundant, pristine waters!

The Resort Life

Coming back to the gorgeous villas, the country is host to plenty of famed resorts like the Coco Prive (which hosts royalty and celebrities) and Four Seasons at Landaa Giraavaru. If youre like me, youll need to explore your options to score a good deal on the handsomely priced accommodation and activities offered. Or you could splurge and book an all-inclusive, over-water bungalow, complete with a butler to serve your every whim and not another soul in sight!



Maldives is about the luxury experience and disconnect from technology, so the order of the day is to soak up sun rays as you dip your toes in a private pool, with occasional sips from your Pina Colada. But should you choose to be more active, there are spas, clubs and restaurants offering international cuisinewith settings that are as charming as they are unparalleled in design. An ideal setting for romantic getaways!

Unique Experiences

This slice of the Indian Ocean has spectacular coral reefs and a peerless marine eco-system; every divers fantasy! Spotting the Big Five (manta rays, eagle rays, sharks, sea turtles and dolphins) is a top to-do list item but even if aquatic depths are not your terrain, the glass-like water exhibits fantastic flora and fauna that you can get close to with a bit of shallow snorkeling. The memories (& pictures) you take back will be well worth the trip!

While not wholly exclusive to Maldives, underwater dining is taken to the next level when done at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the first one to be built 16 feet under, entirely of glass! You get to experience tantalizing European cuisine while sharks idle by. However, because of sunlight and heat during lunchtime, dinner is a much more rewarding affair at this ritzy restaurant!

Resorts are created upon their own islands, so you may spend the entire vacation without seeing the true Maldives. With a bit of island hopping, you can witness the marvel of a star-spangled sea at Vadhoo Island or renascence of life and culture at Maafushi Island after it was devastated by the tsunami in 2004.



Whatever your preferences, Maldives will give you an experience of a lifetime!
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has sought a clarification from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary as to how T.K. Rajendran, a 1984-batch IPS officer, remains the director-general of police since he should have retired from service two years ago.

Though the government simplified the process of filing immovable property returns for babus in 2016, there has not been much change in their attitudes. Despite the expiry of the deadline for filing immovable property returns (IPRs) for 2018, 340 IAS officers are yet to file their details. The last date for submitting IPRs for 2018 was January 31.

Sources say that the department of personnel and training (DoPT) has sent several reminders, the latest one coming on February 7, 2019. The letter, issued to all states, warns that the failure to submit property details may have serious consequences. Apparently, failure to file the mandatory IPRs may lead to denial of vigilance clearance to IAS officers for their inclusion in the offer list, empanelment, any deputation for which Central government clearance is necessary, including deputation under AIS cadre rules, appointment to sensitive posts, assignment to training programmes (except mandatory training), premature repatriation to the cadre, etc.

The recalcitrant babus will of course fall in line in due course, but clearly it is one task that they undertake most reluctantly. And with elections around the corner, the next government will have to bell this cat.

MHA query stumps TN babus

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has sought a clarification from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary as to how T.K. Rajendran, a 1984-batch IPS officer, remains the director-general of police since he should have retired from service two years ago.

Replying to a proposal of the state government to promote four batches of IPS officers in the ranks of superintendent of police, deputy inspector-general of police, inspector-general of police and additional director-general of police, the home ministry raised certain queries and called for an explanation.

According to sources, officials in the state are surprised by the MHA queries. It is pointed out that Mr Rajendran was appointed director-general of police on the day he was to retire from service. He got the benefit of a fixed two-year tenure as per the Supreme Court ruling in the Prakash Singh case. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) was also part of the process. The home ministry has also asked how IPS officers have been kept in ex-cadre posts for more than two years without the approval of the Centre. The proposal of the state government recommending promotion to IPS officers had referred to two officers  B. Balanagadevi and D. Abhinav Kumar  as officers on Central deputation. It was pointed out that these officers were on inter-cadre deputation to Telangana and Bihar respectively and could not be brought under the head of Central deputation.

Apparently, many officers are serving in ex-cadre posts for more than two years without the approval of the Centre. But this is not unique to Tamil Nadu, say sources.

Secretaries wanted

Want a government job? Or after retirement from Central services, do you still miss your working days? The department of personnel and training (DoPT) has temporarily opened a window wherein retired personal assistants (PAs) and private secretaries (PSs) who worked in Central services, can now have an opportunity to work as stenographers in the department. According to sources, DoPT has issued a circular seeking those interested to apply. The appointments reportedly would initially be for a period of six months with the monthly remuneration paid on the basis of the last pay drawn minus pension. However, no other allowances will be paid. According to the circular, the rehiring of such retired personnel will be purely on a temporary basis which can be extended every month depending on the basis of vacancies in the respective grades. While applying, the retired personnel will need to furnish the last pay certificate and bank details, among others.
Valentines Day 2019 inflicted blood, sweat, tears and toil on India by Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Pakistan-based and sponsored terror group, resulting in the death of over 40 paramilitary soldiers deep inside Indian territory, on a national highway. The cold, calculating manslaughter of 2019 understandably led India to launch an unprecedented aerial operation leading to the destruction of critical Jaish assets, which went beyond Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, to deep inside Pakistan. And as was expected, the Pakistani military countered with a knee-jerk reaction. An attempted counter-air assault on J&K which, not surprisingly, failed in its avowed mission, if any.

With this Indian enterprise, however, we have entered into a potentially new triple-edged war front. So far, it was a one-way thousand cuts terror war initiated 30 years ago in 1989 by then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to prove her loyalty to her boss  the Pakistani Army headed by a fanatic anti-India Sunni Muslim, Mirza Aslam Beg who himself was born an Indian, in Azamgarh. Second, its a virtually declared war on terror by India. The third, by now, an undeclared shadow war between India and Pakistan. The second war began after taking a 30-year beating, with the Indian Air Force bombing on Tuesday, February 26, of Balakot, an important training centre and launch pad of Pakistans state-supported Jaish-e-Mohammed. The third phase began the next day, with a futile counter-revenge attempt by the Pakistani Air Force, resulting in the loss of an American state-of-the-art F-16 fighter jet, inflicted by IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, notwithstanding his craft being downed by ground fire.

So where do we stand now? What awaits the future? Will the conflict escalate? If so, when and how? If not, then why? Which actors and what factors would help or harm the present scenario?

Allegations and counter-allegations of electoral politics on terror war notwithstanding, let us try see the picture beyond the visual range. Its clear that for the first time, in almost eight decades, the IAF has come to play an anti-terror role in the northwest frontier of India, and beyond. After the 1930s, the Royal Indian Air Force was extensively used to suppress the tribal hostility in the India-Afghanistan border, referred to as the Durand Line. Second, the IAF action is a tremendously important symbolic gesture. The IAF bombed an area which constitutes a great strategic interest for Chinas CPEC/BRI project. Balakot is 60 km north of Abbottabad (adjacent to the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul); and between the two falls Mansehra, around which passes a road connecting Kashgarh with that of port Gwadar, Chinas key to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Thus, the north-south N-15 (road connects) Balakot with Mansehra (39 km), and from there further south, Abbottabad (23 km), it becomes N-35. This north-south 62 km axis has another east-west axis; Mansehra to Thakot (Battal tunnel) which turns into another junction for the north-south main Kashgarh-Gwadar CPEC road.

In fact, the Indian air attack of 26/02 on Balakot (somehow the date 26 has one common number with Mumbai 26/11), in one stroke has given notice to the safety and security to at least two of Chinas high-profile deep penetration projects in Pakistan. The first undoubtedly is the 1,300-km NH-35 Karakorum Highway, linking Hasan Abdal (Pakistani Punjab) to Kunjerab pass (Pakistan-occupied J&K) in Gilgit-Baltistan, a territory which legitimately belongs to India via the accession of Jammu and Kashmir on October 26, 1947.

The second sector under the IAFs radar now is the 2,395-km Kashgarh-Gwadar road which overlaps part of the Karakorum Highways en route the dwellings of Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chilas, Gilgit, Nagar, Karimabad and Kunjerab pass.

A question, therefore, comes to mind. Has India signalled to China that enough is enough? Weve tolerated enough of your muck in the troubled waters of South Asia? We begged of you for long, to kindly steer clear of our territory which has been illegally and maliciously transgressed, and then occupied, by both Pakistan and China since the 1950s, and then followed by an equally mala fide and illegal transfer of territory by Pakistan to China!

And last, but not the least, even after taking into account the cacophonic criticism of politicians across South Asia that the IAF must show the actual results, what stands out undeniable is the successful conduct of a highly complex operation by the IAF deep into Pakistani territory and coming out unscathed therefrom. This by itself speaks volumes of the IAFs professionalism where China has forcibly entered in the third person.

Thus, the future no longer holds India back under its self-imposed restrictions. The vast swathe of terror-infested lands of Pakistan now is anybodys guess and game, as it stands prised open by the IAF.

An important point to note on terror, therefore, is a revelation. Terror for Pakistan is the most effective and useful instrument of the state to cut India. Terror for China too is equally profitable to keep India under check as has been done in the past, from Kohima to Kolkata in the east and from Kashmir to Khalistan in the west. The utility of terror has not diminished one bit. On the contrary, its more fruitful and futuristic than ever before. Each and every loss of Indian soldiers is a gain for the Sino-Paki axis and cause for celebration.

However, an important intangible development is that the unprecedented IAF operations, deep inside Pakistani soil, have definitely set alarm bells ringing in the policy planning division of both Islamabads military and Beijings money-making department. None of them possibly thought of the IAFs ability to intervene and interdict in the vicinity of the hub of multi-billion dollar CPEC routes, in a terrain where even the best of the best fear to tread or tread with fear: whether from the sky or on ground.

In reality, India has surprisingly played the Chinese card  of turning the bilateral into the multilateral. China attacked in a tri-lateral junction (where Bhutan, India and Tibet meet) in 1962. CPEC, BRI and Aksai Chin all are Chinese creations to confuse, create chaos and confront. The Indo-Nepal area today is virtually trilateral. The Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh  all stand as trilateral or multilateral Chinese enterprises. Balakot surely appears to be the first reverse trilateral Indian offensive. And there lies the future strategic great game to tell China. Please do not push us beyond a position. Things may not go in accordance with your plan every day. Every day is not a Chinese Sunday. Are we not witnessing a somewhat sombre and subdued Chinese reaction  calling for restraint? Will China play better than what thus far it has been playing? For trade, commerce, communications or cash through Pakistani terror... and also Indian territory?
In 1664, Maryland passed the first British colonial law banning marriage between whites and slaves. An 1883 US Supreme Court ruling that state prohibitions on interracial marriage dont violate the Fourteenth Amendment held for more than 80 years.

While such impediments to marriage were dismantled over time, there are still hurdles, however small, to overcome. Here, in 2019, interracial couples have a small victory to celebrate: The approval of 71 new variations of emoji for couples of colour.

Capping a yearlong project by, of all people, the folks at the swipe-right dating app Tinder and tech activist group Emojination, the emoji gods (known as the Unicode Consortium) recently approved the additions in characters technically referred to as people holding hands. A new gender-inclusive couple emoji was also approved among 230 new characters.

Until now, emoji of two or more people on various platforms and devices have been available only in the default yellow. While the Unicode Consortium, where Google, Microsoft and Apple have voting seats and Lee is vice-chair of the emoji subcommittee, signed off on the skin-tone additions, user companies will decide for themselves starting later this year whether to add them and how they will look.

Jenny Campbell, the chief marketing officer for Tinder, isnt worried about distribution after the company mounted a campaign and petition drive in support of the technical proposal it submitted to Unicode.

Ultimately, we wanted to get the interracial emoji couple on peoples keyboards not only for equality but also to spread acceptance for all couples no matter what their race, she told The Associated Press on Thursday. Our users are craving a way to express themselves visually and see themselves reflected in our everyday tech language.

So are lots of other emoji enthusiasts of colour left in the wings for years. More than 50,000 people signed Tinders online petition at Change.org.

Unicode is taking user demand for more skin tones across emoji very seriously, said Lee, the co-founder of the grassroots Emojination. The additional of skin tones, gender variations, hijab and hairstyles are part of users around the world demanding to see themselves represented on the emoji keyboard. Diverse couples and families are part of that.

While facial features and hair textures are yet to be determined by some vendors, Tinder said the use of six existing skin tones already available for one-person emoji and various others is a step in the right direction at a time when the text- and chat-friendly characters remain a readily accessible way for the world to express itself. The lack of colour options in couples, the company said, felt like a slight.

Even as our social behaviours have evolved and interracial dating and marriage has become more prevalent, a visual representation of these relationships in technology has lagged far behind, Campbell said.

Emoji of single people of colour and same-sex couples were added in the last several years, but not in mixed-tone combinations. In real life, the rate of interracial marriage has increased over the years, especially since the 1967 US Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia that struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in 16 states. But such marriages remain a small portion of marriages overall.

Tinder is taking credit for its industry in pushing interracial dating along, citing data that indicates couples who meet online are more likely to be interracial than those who dont.

We know that equal forms of representation are important to our users, Campbell said, and important to us.

Skin tones for limited use were added to the Unicode Standard for emoji in 2015. More representation of women in 2016, some gender-inclusive people in 2017 and hair colour options last year.

Also approved this year: A waffle, a much-requested white heart, a guide dog and people in wheelchairs. Oh, and a sloth.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
The attack on Friday was the second in less than a month and targeted a remote military position on Lake Chad. (Representational Image)

Niamey: Seven soldiers and 38 militants died in an assault by the jihadist group Boko Haram in southeastern Niger, the defence ministry said on Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks that have shattered months of relative calm near the Lake Chad basin.

"Armed forces... strongly repelled an attack by the terrorist group Boko Haram on the outskirts of Gueskerou," the ministry said in a statement read on state television. Gueskerou is located in the Niger region of Diffa close to the birthplace of Boko Haram in neighbouring northeastern Nigeria.

According to a provisional toll, seven soldiers and "38 terrorists" were killed. One was taken prisoner. Five vehicles belonging to the attackers and "a large quantity of weapons (four AK47 rifles, eight machine guns, two RPG rocket launchers, ammunition) were recovered", the statement added.

The attack on Friday was the second in less than a month and targeted a remote military position on Lake Chad, which straddles Niger, Nigeria and Chad, the scene of many raids by the jihadist group since 2015. On February 16, seven Niger soldiers were killed during an attack on Chetima Wangou, also in southeastern Niger.

In early January, the Niger army claimed to have killed more than 280 Boko Haram militants in days of land and air raids. In November, around a dozen girls were taken in raids on several border villages in the southeast.

In the same month, seven local employees of a French drilling firm and a government official were killed after suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed their compound. The government on Friday night named a new governor in Diffa.

Mohamed Mouddour will replace Mahamadou Bakabe who had been in post since April 2018. No reason was given. Boko Haram's bloody insurgency began in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 but has since spread into neighbouring countries, prompting a regional military response.

Some 27,000 people have been killed and two million others displaced, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region. Militants have targeted both soldiers and civilians and have been blamed for abductions of children and employees of foreign companies.
Bishoftu: A Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 crashed six minutes after an early-morning takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing all 149 passengers, including four Indians, and eight crew on board, Ethiopian Airlines said.

People holding passports from 32 countries and the UN were on board the plane which ploughed into a field just 60 km southeast of Addis Ababa, the carriers CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the capital, lamenting this very sad and tragic day.

The crash came on the eve of a major, annual assembly in Nairobi of the UN Environment Programme, which learnt of the crash with deep regret but did not say whether any delegates were on the plane. We can only hope that she is not on that flight, Peter Kimani, who had come to fetch his sister at Nairobis Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), said shortly after news of the crash reached those waiting in the arrivals hall.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, Africas largest carrier, said the ill-fated Boeing 737-800MAX had taken off at 8:38 am (local time) from Bole International Airport and lost contact six minutes later. Scheduled to land in Nairobi at 10.25 am (0725 GMT), it came down instead near the village of Tulu Fara outside Bishoftu. There was a massive crater at the crash site, with belongings and airplane parts scattered widely. Rescue crews were retrieving human remains from the wreckage. Ethiopian Airlines confirmed there are no survivors.

Police and troops were on the scene, as well as a crash investigation team from Ethiopias civil aviation agency. In the Kenyan capital, family members, friends, and colleagues of passengers were frantically waiting for news at the airport.

I am waiting for my colleague, I just hope for the best, added Hannah, a Chinese national. Ethiopian Airlines said Kenya had the largest number of casualties with 32, followed by Canada with 18, Ethiopia with nine, then Italy, China, and the US with eight each. Britain and France each had seven people on board, Egypt six, the Netherlands five and India four. Four were UN passport-holders. Eleven countries in Africa, and 13 in Europe had citizens among the victims.

African Union commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said he had learnt of the crash with utter shock and immense sadness, while Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds office tweeted it would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones.
The injured were taken from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport to local hospitals. (Photo:AFP)

New York: A Turkish Airlines passenger jet traveling from Istanbul to New York hit severe turbulence Saturday as it approached its destination, with 30 people suffering injuries before it landed safely, officials said.

The injured were taken from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport to local hospitals, mainly for treatment of bumps, cuts and bruises. One flight attendant suffered a broken leg, according to Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the area's airports, bus terminals, bridges and tunnels.

The Boeing 777 -- which had 326 passengers and 21 crew on board -- was over the Atlantic Ocean, about 45 minutes from landing, when it struck the turbulence, Coleman told AFP.

Airport operations were not disrupted as a result of the incident, he added. Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier in the day, a plane operated by Canada's Air Transat made an emergency landing at another New York area airport -- in Newark, New Jersey -- after smoke was detected in the cargo hold, the company said.

The Boeing 737-800, which had 189 passengers on board, was traveling from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. No one was injured, a spokeswoman for Air Transat told AFP.
London: A large group of Pakistan-backed pro-Khalistan activists attacked innocent British-Indian civilians outside the Indian High Commission here on Saturday, possibly as revenge to Indian air strike at a terror camp in Pakistan last month and anti-Pakistan protests that have been taking place across the world.

Wearing turbans, the attackers raised slogans like 'Naraa-e-Taqbeer' and 'Allah-u-Akbar' along with anti-India slogans while targeting the people who were waiting for visa related appointments with officials of the High Commission, witnesses said here on Sunday.

The attackers also carried Khalistani flags.

This attack is largely being seen as Pakistan's counter to the widespread protests which have been taking place globally against its role in the Pulwama terror attack which claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel.

After Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack, the international community has intensified its pressure on Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil.

In fact, the United States has bluntly told Pakistan to stop providing support and safe haven to terrorists and terror outfits.

India, on February 26, carried out anti-terror air strike at a major terror camp of JeM in Pakistan's Balakot.

A "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders, were eliminated in the strike, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had told the media hours after the air raid.

India has shared dossiers about Pakistani links to the Pulwama terror attack with Pakistan government as well as several key countries.

India on Saturday sought credible, verifiable and sustained action from Pakistan against terror groups, saying that mere words will not be enough to impress the international community.

"Pakistan will be judged by not the words it speaks but action it takes...The proof of action is not issuing a notification but dismantling infrastructure which should be verified. Pakistan is well aware of its own commitment and concrete action that has to be taken against terrorism... If Pakistan claims to be a `naya (new) Pakistan with nayi soch (new thought), it should show `naya (new) action against terrorist groups and terror infrastructure on its soil and end cross border terrorism in support of its claims," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Saturday at a media briefing.
DUBAI: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for "decisive" action by Pakistan against a terrorist group behind a deadly suicide attack in a border area, and said inaction by Islamabad could jeopardise relations between the neighbours.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said Rouhani's remarks came in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said he would soon have "good news" for Iran, according to the agency.

A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in mid-February in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country's Sunni Muslim minority.

The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack.

"We are awaiting your decisive operations against these terrorists," IRNA quoted Rouhani as telling Khan.

"We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to both of us," Rouhani said.

Iran has blamed its regional rival Saudi Arabia and arch-enemies Israel and the United States for the attack and other cross-border raids, an accusation rejected by the countries.

"It is in Pakistan's own interest not to allow our territory to be used by terrorist groups, and the Pakistani army is prepared to confront the terrorists more decisively with the information provided by Iran," IRNA quoted Khan as saying.

Khan said Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists' hideout and there would soon be "good news" for Iran, IRNA reported.
Speaking to reporters in Sukkur, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan will be responsible if the health of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) supremo deteriorated in the jail.

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday said if anything happened to ailing former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the jail, the PPP will consider it a murder.

Senior PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah said Nawaz Sharifs health was not well and he should be immediately provided treatment.

Speaking to reporters in Sukkur, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan will be responsible if the health of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) supremo deteriorated in the jail.

We will offer Nawaz Sharif to get treatment at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (in Sindh) if he gets permission, Mr Shah said.

Bashing Imran Khan, he said the premiers politics revolved around verbal onslaughts and termed him a master to taking U-Turns. Imran Khan has not left container despite coming into power, he added.

The PPP leader pronounced that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) government was doing nothing but taking loans.

Mr Shah said PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto was a politician and there was nothing wrong in his meeting with Sharif. He maintained that PPP had always kept Pakistan united in the time of need.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto will meet Sharif in the Kot Lakhpat jail on Monday. His request to meet former prime minister was approved by the Punjab home department.

Bilawal Bhutto had sent a request to the Punjab home department seeking permission to visit Sharif. The visit is to enquire about his health.

PPP Central Punjab president Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Mustafa Khokhar and Bilawals political secretary Jameel Soomro will accompany him during the meeting.

Bilawal Bhutto and his father Asif Ali Zardari have already expressed their reservations regarding Nawaz Sharifs health and the treatment he is getting in jail.
MEDIA  Rabbi Jeremy Gerber started his talk on conflict management Friday at the League of Women Voters luncheon with a caveat.

Regarding his topic, Managing Constructive Conflict in Todays World, Gerber began, I dont intend to offer answers, but provide perspective.

Gerber, who has been the spiritual leader at Congregation Ohev Shalom in Wallingford for about a decade, said that disagreement is a normal part of life. The strategy of avoidance does not move the discussion forward; nor does only dealing with conflict in fighting mode.

From his rabbinic perspective, and bringing in the wisdom of our ancestors, Gerber suggested a teaching that intrigued the gathering of some four dozen in attendance. One school of teaching says Every bride is described as beautiful and graceful. Another asks, in effect, what if she is not. Saying she was would be a falsehood, which is against religious commandments.

When the interaction and dialogue repeatedly came back to the beautiful bride, Gerber wondered why. The group suggested it was a question of conduct and values, but also a matter relatable to almost everyone.

Calling such differences disagreement or conflict may be tied to the topic itself. Discussion about a mundane subject can be a mild-mannered issue. But, Gerber observed, the stakes are higher when there are serious consequences involved such as a political position, morality, the environment or those matters most people would consider critical.

Perhaps the most fundamental part of his theme, managing constructive conflict, is listening. Nothing interesting will take place unless we are willing to listen to the perspective of each other, said Gerber. If you want the other side to listen to you, you have to extend the same courtesy. We all can be better listeners, but you know when someone is just waiting for you to finish to have their turn.

Gerber began to touch on the current climate in the nation, saying it is important to distinguish between opinion and fact, as well as the inherent danger in claiming what is right and wrong.

One of the hardest things is to accept a systemic problem, he said, and used an example that the group also found intriguingly relatable.

Its like dental work. If you need a root canal, it wont go away if you only brush and floss. Racism is not solved by getting rid of incidents of blackface, Gerber said, illustrating deeper and underlying causes.

Some of those in attendance raised the issue of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, charged with making anti-Semitic comments. (Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning hateful expressions of intolerance by a vote of 407-23). Gerber indicated he was very willing to engage in that conversation, although time did not permit that to any large degree.

Gerber did, however, take a few moments to mention the work of FUSE (Fellowship of Urban Suburban Engagement), an organization he helped found about three years ago. This tied together his message of disagreements and differences with the importance of discussion.

We (at FUSE) looked at racism all around us. We have interactions, he said, referring to individuals of different races, but do we ever get together and talk about issues. We must have those courageous conversations. The world does not end if we say what we really think.

That racism has been more prevalent of late, Gerber insisted the solution is not refusing to acknowledge or talk about it. He closed with the encouragement of people who were willing to face a bit of discomfort for the sake of dialogue, and added a final sound bite.

We must first see the humanity in the other person. There is difficulty in certain conversations, but we must stay at the table.
NETHER PROVIDENCE  Change appears to be on the way for a currently undeveloped tract on Wallingford Avenue in the South Media section of the township, but the exact shape of the development is still to be decided.

Malvern-based Progressive New Homes secured the unanimous backing of the township Planning Commission on March 4 for a proposal to build 10 single-family homes on the five-acre property, located adjacent to Sapovits Park in the South Media section.

The houses would carry a price tag of about $500,000 each.

Because it was a by-right application, which means it would be permitted under existing zoning requirements for that neighborhood and not need variances, there was a clear path to approval, though the planners did recommend several conditions.

Under the plan, two-thirds of the property will be developed while one-third will remain wooded.

A final decision on the plan is expected to be rendered later this month by the township board of commissioners.

However, Sarah Peck, the owner of the development firm, indicated she is still in discussions with neighbors of the property about an alternative vision for the site. That option would involve 32 units in 16 buildings, with a pair of homes on two different levels in the same structure.

The upstairs units would have two garages while the downstairs units would have a single garage. Costs for those units would range from $250,000 to $375,000, which Peck said could be affordable for those in the community.

The neighbors have offered thoughtful, intelligent feedback, she said after the recent planning commission meeting.

Peck said additional discussions will take place after the commissioners vote on the single-family homes plan, but she currently anticipates putting a decision on how to proceed on hold for several months.

Only a few residents offered comments at the meeting. James Arbuckle, who lives near the property, said he hopes the developer can address stormwater coming off of the site.

Peck said underground cisterns, or basins, will be used to capture stormwater and then slowly release it, thereby reducing the velocity of flows.

One of the issues examined by the planning commission was whether there are any wetlands on the tract. Matt Potter, a wetlands expert hired by the developer, said he had visually assessed the grounds and observed no areas that met the needed characteristics, including evidence of water, wet soil and vegetation that grows in such areas.

Township Engineer Charles Catania inquired whether Potter had sampled the soil. When Potter responded that he had done so, Catania asked him to include details in his written report.

Well be happy to beef up the response, Peck said.

In November, Peck took part in a meeting in South Media to hear from neighbors about their concerns regarding development of the property. Some residents of the predominantly African-American community said they were worried about gentrification, the possibility of increased taxes and traffic, stormwater runoff and other potential impacts on the community.

Peck said the undeveloped woods would serve as a buffer between the park and the development, and it would be deed-restricted to guard against other future uses.

Nanette Whitsett, a South Media resident who organized that meeting and was on hand for the planning commission meeting, has praised Peck for her willingness to seek out the views of the community.

We should explore other options that are a better fit for the property than the construction of single homes, Whitsett said on March 4.

Peck founded Progressive New Homes in the early 2000s, after serving for 15 years as president and CEO of Rouse/Chamberlin Homes in Exton. During her tenure with Rouse/Chamberlin, she was named National Builder of the Year by Professional Builder magazine.

She said she has attempted to carve out a niche in the development market, which includes working with communities while building homes on properties near train stations. The South Media site is situated less than a mile from the Wallngford Train Station.
















Birth place of Buddha and keeper of Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, Nepal is home to some real brag-worthy experiences.

Tucked away neatly between giants like India and China, the country boosts some of the best adventure tourism opportunities. Paradoxically, the serenity and peacefulness of the land, lent to it in big part by the Buddhism culture, is a sure shot way to revitalize your soul.

Exploring the land, we came up with the best motivators that will tip your travel scale in favor of Nepal as the next place to go for sure!

The Himalayas

The magnificent mount Everest, along with 7 of the 9 tallest mountains in the world are situated in Nepal. At this swaggering height, you can spot some of the rarest species, exclusive to the region, including the graceful snow leopard, Himalayan tahr and the red panda among others.

You can start at Everest Base Camp and walk to the top of the world or you can take the shorter route by starting on a plane and diving to the bottom. Either way, taking in the glorious Everest is a transformative experience!

Culture& Religion

As you enter Nepal, you will be reminded at every turn by proud citizens that their country is the birth place of Buddha!Said to be inLumbini, which is next to a monastery only zone, this is frequented by religious devotees from around the globe. Since there are so many belief systems co-existing here, you will come across a kaleidoscope of folk-lore, customs and places of worship from each one that will bewilder your senses.

But what will capture your heart is the genuineness of the locals and their exuberance to share with the visitors to their homeland.

Exploring Nature

A chance to trek where the land rises to embrace the sky, is no short order. But there is so much more you can do to satisfy your cravings for wilderness.Indulge withwhitewater rafting in the crystalline waters of Sun Kosi River and catch glimpses of the hills and plains, sociable rural dwellers, their rice paddies, temples and beaches. Or take a birds eye view with Paragliding at Pokhara, a quaint village close to the capital, Kathmandu.

The wildlife here is bountiful and beautiful and at Chitwan National Park you can get familiar with a lot of them if youre lucky!

UNESCO sights

Spending a few days in Kathmandu Valley will allow you to take in 7 ancient cultural heritage wondersrecognized as one by UNESCO. All the sites hold a chunk of fascinating history, but the Patan Durbar Square has the finest example of Newari art and aesthetic, with craftsmen still practicing ancient art techniques in the streets around the Square. If youre looking to score one-of-a-kind Nepali handicrafts to show the folks back home, this is the place to be!

Apart from Lumbini and Chitwan, Sagarmatha National Park is also a natural world heritage sight based at the foothills of Himalayas where you can find some amazing bio-diversity.

Affordable

Nepal is a developing country which means that you can avail these amazing opportunities at very affordable prices. You can pre-book almost everything well before the trip, but we found that getting there and talking to locals will get you much better deals. Your food and accommodation budget will not be exorbitant ($30/day), provided you opt for mid-range, respectable joints, and this will leave your pocket open to more eclectic and adventurous experiences that the country has to offer.

A cup of coffee at one of the highest placed hotels in the world, maybe?
For farmers in Utah, one of the most important things Congress can do is bring stability and certainty to the North American market. In the midst of so many trade disputes, nothing is more important that passing the new NAFTA now known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, and regaining our key export markets to our countrys top trading partners.

This comes at a critical time as farmers across our state are making plans for spring planting as well as larger ones about the future of their farm or ranch. It also comes at a time of great uncertainty. For my family that has run a dairy farm in Ogden for six generations, these are the toughest times we have ever seen. On our farm, low prices for our milk have dropped our monthly revenues significantly. It has led us to look for ways to diversify income sources to stay afloat. We now operate a pumpkin patch and corn maze for kids in the fall, and we are growing things like onions and other produce for your dinner table.

Our states agriculture economy represents approximately 79,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in compensation, but I worry if market forces continue as they have, how many of my longtime fellow farmers on the verge of shutting down will have to make that last, hard decision. In the dairy industry alone, we are down to approximately 150 dairy farms in the state, but Im not sure well have that same number at the end of 2019. A farm or ranch shutting down is traumatic for that family business, but the ripple effects will also be felt in our communities. Situations like these are a reminder that an international trade crisis has very local ramifications.

The answer to this problem isnt just drinking more milk, buying more vegetables or eating more hamburgers here in America  though that is always a good idea  the answer is expanded market opportunities through trade.

Trade is a major economic driver in Utah. Our states agriculture economy is responsible for $21 billion in total economic output  15 percent of the state total. Utahs dairy industry alone turns out roughly 2 billion pounds a year of milk (about 245 million gallons), but we dont consume that much milk in our state. We also export a lot of hay, beef, fruit and more. We rely on being able to export these agricultural products to Mexico and Canada  as do many other small businesses and manufacturers with what they produce in our state.

The time to act is now. Passing the USMCA would give farmers like me a sense of stability that would allow us to create smart business plans for the future. Trade is about trust, and we have built this trust through the strong relationships we have built over the years with specific people and companies in Mexico and Canada. I was able to witness firsthand how trade agreements impact companies and communities when I participated on a trade mission to Mexico last year with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert. The USMCA would send a message to everyone that our trading relationships matter and are secure going forward.

It also should bring an end to the uncertainty that has driven up our costs of production and the retaliatory tariffs that have punished American agriculture exports. Simply put, its high time to put aside costly disputes and get back to business with our allies in Canada and Mexico. I urge our Congressional delegation to pass the USMCA and bring an end to the threat of tariffs. Please contact your congressman today and ask them to support Utahs farmers and ranchers by passing the North American trade agreement.
After pushing hard for the most significant reform to Utah taxes since the Great Depression, and being confident of passage, Gov. Gary Herbert and lawmakers scuttled the bill, opting for further study and a possible spring or summer special session. We explore some of the questions.

Why did the Legislature undertake, and then abruptly scuttle, this massive effort to expand the sales tax to a wide variety of services? Was the opposition that deep?

Pignanelli: "The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that still carries any reward."  John Maynard Keynes

The Utah culture is well-known for passive-aggressive behavior. But aversion to confrontation disappears when dire challenges to our society and government appear (A proud pioneer legacy). Unlike federal officials whose shoes are scuffed from kicking cans down the road, Utah leaders are fearless. Modern history examples include building pumps to divert an expanding Great Salt Lake, preempting pension catastrophe, diversifying the economy to minimize recessions, etc.

Experts disagree as to timing, but all officials and economic observers concur the General Fund is facing a future disaster. The proposal expanding sales tax to professional services  while reducing the overall rate and income tax  generated tremendous controversy and emotional opposition. Hundreds of businesses (including my clients) conveyed to lawmakers their legitimate concerns with the content and process of the legislation. More importantly, legislators listened to the anxieties of thousands of Utahns (engineers, hairstylists, financial planners, caterers, lawyers, accountants, etc.).

Despite the turmoil, the political courage and vision of state leaders must be respected, especially The Mighty Quinn (House sponsor Rep. Tim Quinn) who genially fielded questions from many Utahns across the economic spectrum. In my first session as a rookie lawmaker, legislators raised the sales and income taxes to prevent a collapse of state government. This fostered protest rallies and extreme reactions. So, I feel the pain lawmakers experienced.

I will accept any wager state leaders find a solution in the near future. My bet on Washington, D.C. is much different.

Webb: Im disappointed the job didnt get done. Remember, this was a tax cut. And it was structured to be phased in so changes could be made. It would have worked just fine. In dealing with tough, complex public policy issues, its often better to just rip the Band-Aid off, and get the pain over with, rather than dribble out the discomfort over weeks and months.

Im also disappointed in various industries and lobbyists that aired inaccurate, confusing and unfair information about the legislation, creating a big enough uproar that lawmakers backed off.

Yes, the legislation was complicated. But broadening the tax base, while lowering the rates, is absolutely the right thing to do. And it was a tax cut. And service providers have no right to think they should be excluded from the tax system. Why should we tax some services, but not others? Why tax food (albeit at a low rate), but not Uber rides? Why should we tax the purchase of an electric drill a carpenter needs to make a living, but not a haircut?

The sky is falling  well all go out of business whining we heard from a lot of businesses and industries was just silly. Thousands of businesses charge sales tax. All of them pass it on to consumers. Consumers still purchase their goods and services. Compliance is not that difficult. Everyone seems to want tax reform. But they dont want it to apply to them.

And did I mention that this was a tax cut?

The governor and the Legislature promised further study and a special session to enact tax reform. Can they deliver on this?

Pignanelli: Pushing the issue out for another six months extends pain for decision-makers. But the advantage is the opportunity to educate and recruit supporters for a resolution.

Webb: Heres whats worse than the pain of fair and proper tax reform: Lacking enough tax revenue in the near future to pay for the basic services of state government like education, prisons, Medicaid and law enforcement. Theyd better deliver.

Will sales tax expansion be an issue in the 2020 elections?

Pignanelli: Any meritorious tax reform has consequences of implementation. Therefore, the political ramifications are directly correlated with perception and messaging.

Candidates for governor and other state offices may view this controversy as an opportunity and become voices of opposition. Gov. Norman Bangerter only survived re-election in 1988 by strong messaging explaining his tax increases. But in 1968 there was a major shift in the Legislature because such communications were absent. The delay allows current officials valuable time to strategize.

Webb: If done right and communicated effectively, reforming and cutting taxes can be a net positive for lawmakers facing re-election. Certainly, the whiners will whine. But, did I mention this is going to be a tax cut  not a tax increase? The tax burden might be distributed differently, but it will be reduced. A nice tax cut  and modernizing Utahs tax system to make it fairer and to protect education and essential state services for the long term  isnt a bad re-election platform.
An article in the Jan. 18 edition of The Wall Street Journal highlighted how Utahs labor force growth is fueling economic expansion. The article mentioned, Utah has had the fastest growing labor force of any U.S. state since January 2010. According to the piece, Utahs labor force has grown an average of 1.9 percent a year from 2010 through January 2018, more than triple the nations 0.6 percent pace. More workers means more output, income and consumer spending. These trends, in turn, attract more employers and workers, fueling a virtuous cycle of growth.

As an employee of Northrop Grumman, I know that the company, a longtime investor in higher education, has been working with other industry partners and state leaders to ensure that Utahs workforce expansion continues to include highly qualified engineering graduates. Thanks to the legislative-sponsored Engineering Initiative which funds growth in engineering and computer science degrees, the number of technology graduates that the Utah System of Higher Education outputs has increased from 1,375  when the Initiative began  to 3,283 last year. A request for funding this session will ask the state to continue that investment.

While most of the recent attention on workforce development has been focused on Silicon Slopes and the needs of companies in the emerging IT sector, the critical need for additional engineers among Utahs defense, aerospace and manufacturing companies is often lost in the discussion. These vital industries have long been the backbone of Utahs economy. Northrop Grumman, which acquired Orbital ATK last year, has multiple facilities across Utah. Last September, the company announced that in its composites manufacturing facility in Salt Lake County alone, it plans to add 100 jobs over the next several years. Our demand for engineers of all types remains high. This includes opportunities in the electrical, mechanical, systems and software trades.

A 2017 study from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute indicated that the defense industry was responsible indirectly or directly for supporting more than 109,000 jobs resulting in $9.2 billion in economic activity during 2015  the most recent data available. The study showed federal defense spending accounted for 5.8 percent of Utahs employment, 7.1 percent of total earnings and 6.2 percent of the states gross domestic product. This industry contributes greatly to the Utah economy with impact in every county of the state.

To continue to thrive, our industry along with manufacturing and construction, needs an increasing supply of highly qualified engineering graduates from Utah universities. A recent report by the University of Utah's College of Engineering showed that 85 percent of its graduates over the past five years were still living and working in Utah. Local graduates are much more likely to stay and build long-term careers than engineers who are recruited from out-of-state if their state continues to invest in new opportunities for skilled workers.

Indeed, more qualified workers generate greater industry investment and fuel economic expansion. Companies like Northrop Grumman will continue to invest as long as we can count on a strong supply of highly qualified engineering graduates. The defense and aerospace industry strongly supports the efforts of higher education and state leaders, through the Engineering Initiative, to increase the output of graduates in the disciplines on which we rely.
SALT LAKE CITY  Since he was 3 years old, Jorge Fierro says he dreamed of coming to America.

"I was so fascinated by Americans' philanthropic mind," he remembered. "For a long time, I had the idea that I wanted to learn from Americans why they have such a philanthropic mind."

Eventually, Fierro landed in Salt Lake City. When he arrived, he stayed at a rescue mission and men's shelter.

He didn't yet speak English, but a Puerto Rican friend at the shelter informed him that a high percentage of homeless men are veterans.

"And that broke my heart. That did it to me, for me. That's when I thought, You know what? Someday, I can probably show the respect and the love and the admiration that we Americans have for them, but oftentimes we get pulled away from concentrating on what's important."

That vision came to fruition.

Thursday evening, Fierro told the Deseret News his story as about 20 volunteers bustled around the kitchen at his business  Rico Brand, a Mexican food supplier  rolling burritos to distribute to homeless people on the streets of downtown Salt Lake City.

The Burrito Project started eight years ago when a bicycle club approached Fierro interested in starting it up.

"I had employees making tortillas, I had employees making rice and beans, so I thought that it was great," Fierro recalled.

At first, they made and donated the burritos once a week.

Now, volunteers gather around dinnertime to prepare 200 to 300 burritos given by Rico Brand four nights every week.

Volunteers of all ages, from families, school classes and all types of groups often sign up to help out.

When the weather is warm, some ride bicycles contributed by the University of Utah. That enables volunteers to seek out homeless people where they stay in alleys and places that can't be reached with a car, said Jason Holman, one of the group's original organizers.

"When I first came, I just thought I'd do it once or twice and call it good. 'Cause it's a good cause, feeding people. But the very first day that I did it, I went to Pioneer Park," Holman said.

There, he met a little girl named Samantha, age 3 or 4, who he said lived at the park with her two siblings. She seemed happy.

"Who wouldn't be happy to live in the park? But then, when night comes, she also lives in a park. So I didn't miss a day after that," Holman said.

He said the work has taught him that "you never know what happens, why people become homeless. It can be a number of things, but that's not my job to judge them, it's my job to help them."

"We probably have served over 1 million burritos in eight years," he said, adding that the group used to serve more before Operation Rio Grande. Now it's more difficult to find homeless people because they scatter when night falls, according to Holman.

Tiffany Youngblood, who volunteered on Thursday with two young daughters and other family members, said the family signed up "I guess just to be humbled, do something to give back."

They gathered around tables and spooned beans and rice into homemade flour tortillas. They watched as organizers showed them how to roll the burritos into tin foil wrappers.

Elizabeth Sorensen and Tiana Perez, nursing students at Salt Lake Community College, were volunteering with the project for the first time.

They arrived to help deliver some of the burritos in the City Creek area downtown to people who said they were grateful for them.

Afterward, "I'll definitely be back," Sorensen said. "Initially, yes, I'm doing it for (volunteer) hours for nursing, but I'll definitely, definitely be back."

"I'm coming back with my son. He wanted to be here," Perez said.

Fierro says he's continued to donate the burritos and volunteer because the community has supported him since he started selling beans at a downtown farmer's market 21 years ago.

"The community has been supporting me so well that that's what keeps it going. So I have committed to doing this as long as I can afford it," Fierro said.

"When you go out there to start to give burritos, people are so grateful, and it's just such a great experience. And it makes you realize how blessed we are."

For more information about the Burrito Project or how to volunteer, visit its website, burritoprojectslc.webs.com. You can also check out the project on Facebook at Burrito Project SLC.
SALT LAKE CITY  Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends is doing something it's never done before.

The international support group focused on helping members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have same-gender attraction  though it's not affiliated with the church  recently announced a new chapter-development initiative designed to strengthen the organization for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints living in the United States and Canada, said John Gustav-Wrathall, Affirmation executive director.

"We're finally in a position to proactively organize chapters," Gustav-Wrathall said. "As I speak to volunteer after volunteer, as I describe the initiative and how it will work, the response is invariably, We desperately need this. And as I explain to people what we need them to do, and how we will support them in doing it, the response is, 'I can do that.'"

For its first four decades, local chapters of Affirmation either thrived or struggled depending on the efforts of local leadership.

In recent years, Affirmation has expanded into 15 countries worldwide, cultivated more resources, developed strategic plans and recruited more help to combat growing suicide rates and other challenges facing the LGBTQ Latter-day Saint community. This level of organization has never been possible until now, Gustav-Wrathall said.

"This is historic, and we anticipate it will make a lasting and positive impact for LGBTQ Mormons and their families," said Nathan Kitchen, Affirmation's president. "It will enrich and save lives.

As part of its new structure, Affirmation has divided the United States and Canada into five regions with 33 chapters. The leadership teams of these chapters will plan activities designed to bring individuals together. Members will also be asked to serve as mentors or friends to offer additional support to others, Gustav-Wrathall said.

Chapter leaders will receive formal training on emotional intelligence; team building; trauma-informed leadership; race, gender and gender-identity awareness; and suicide-prevention training.

Utah's four chapters will be located in Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo/central Utah and St. George. These chapters are part of the Intermountain West Region, which covers Idaho, western Wyoming, western Montana, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona.

Affirmations goal is "to build communities that are warm, inclusive and connective, where no one leaves a meeting without having made new friends." The key going forward will be recruiting and sharing the vision of what they want to accomplish, Gustav-Wrathall said.

"We want to be able to help end the isolation that individuals often experience when they're coming out as LGBTQ and are not sure how to navigate all of that. That can be very isolating and lonely," he said.

"We are very aware that there's an increased need for community support. We know from the research and experience that community is an important preventive factor against suicide. We recognize that if we want to make any sort of a difference, the online community is not enough. The best way to provide support in the community is face-to-face."

For more information, visit affirmation.org.
SALT LAKE CITY  Derek Miller is the most powerful member on the Utah Inland Port Authority board. As chairman, he runs the meetings. He steers the discussion. He sets the agendas.

Meanwhile, Miller wears another hat: Hes also president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber, a private organization funded by dues paid by member businesses. Its Utahs largest and longest-standing business association, acting as the voice of Utahs business community.

Miller says he juggles both hats without risk of conflicts. But new information about a committee the chamber has marketed as an exclusive group focusing on the inland port has raised questions about whether Millers role on the inland port board is conflict-of-interest free.

A chamber marketing email obtained by the Deseret News indicates that Miller was personally offering a national rail business a spot on the chamber's influential and "exclusive International/Inland Port Committee" in exchange for $10,000, the chamber's membership fee.

The email, taken within context of Millers leadership role as the port authority board chairman, raises questions about whether the chambers committee invite encouraged pay to play  requiring $10,000 for businesses to sit privately at a table with other business players and the port boards own chairman  and whether Millers influence on the port authority board could be helping financially pad his other organizations pockets.

I am concerned that this looks like pay to play, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski told the Deseret News. That, you know, people with money get to have a voice. Thats deeply concerning.

After the Deseret News raised questions about the email, Miller said he doesn't believe any "line was crossed," but he directed chamber staff to draw a clearer line against potentially using his influence on the inland port board to recruit new chamber members.

Miller said the chamber will take more measures in the future to guard against any risks of real or perceived impropriety.

$10,000 invite

In the Oct. 11 email, Mark Harvey, the chambers business development senior representative, tells Ean Johnson, a regional manager for BNSF Railway, that Miller himself would like to put you on the exclusive International/Inland Port Committee.

He believes your leadership would add value to the committee, Harvey wrote in the email. This committee includes a group of Utahs leaders that are collaborating at the highest level possible to make the important decisions for this great state, and he would like to invite you to be part it.

In a follow-up email to Johnson requesting more information about the committee, Harvey writes the committee meets once a quarter for a financial commitment of $10,000.

According to the Salt Lake Chambers website, the organization has five levels of yearly memberships  ranging from $500 for a Basic membership, $1,000 for Executive, $3,000 for Bronze, $7,500 for Silver and $10,000 for Gold.

The Gold Level increases your influence among elected officials and access to your customers and peers, the chambers website says in a description of the top-level membership. Help develop policies and positions on key issues affecting Utahs community at the federal, state and local level.

The $10,000 payment requirement to be a member of the Salt Lake Chamber and participate in the committee of Utah leaders collaborating at the highest level possible regarding international trade and the inland port raises questions about why the Salt Lake Chamber was marketing the committee in such a way  when, in fact, the Utah Inland Port Authority is the body with the power to make such decisions over the inland port.

The Utah Inland Port Authority is the public body overseeing planning in Utahs inland port  a global trade hub expected to be the largest economic development project in Utahs history. Its envisioned to be a well-oiled imports-and-exports machine, made up of a far-reaching network of shipping yards, rail lines, truck stops and connections to the Salt Lake City International Airport to maximize Utahs place in the global economy.

In a recent interview with the Deseret News, Miller and Jonathan Hafen, an attorney at the firm Parr Brown, Gee and Loveless and the chambers international committees chairman, told the Deseret News the $10,000 email invite does not translate to pay to play or any conflict of interest because the Utah Inland Port Authority and the Salt Lake Chamber are separate entities, and neither has undue influence over the other.

Hafen also said the chamber's International Committee does not have "decision-making authority"  something he said he tells committee members at the beginning of every meeting.

"It's absolutely not talking about decision-making, but they do give very valuable insights," Miller said. "These are people who do this stuff every day, and if they didn't have a voice, we wouldn't end up with the kind of project that we need."

"We're just there to learn from each other, and I guess to some extent try to collaborate, think about what the business community should think about the inland port and how we can make it the best possible inland port that we can," Hafen said.

Additionally, Miller and Hafen said the chambers International Committee has existed for many years, focusing on a variety of issues, including hosting trade delegations, increasing exports and hosting the Utah Global Forum. Recently, the committee decided to discuss the inland port because of its connection to international business, Miller said.

All chamber members are invited and encouraged to attend any committee that piques their interest, Miller said.

Under typical circumstances, the chamber business development team recruits new members by communicating chamber efforts that may be interesting to the business, Miller said. For example, a health care company would naturally be interested in the health care committee. This is why BNSF was invited by the business development team to participate in the International Committee.

However, in a follow-up email to the Deseret News after a reporter raised conflict-of-interest questions, Miller acknowledged that his role on the inland port board makes the international committee unique.

I did not communicate this uniqueness clearly to the business development team, Miller emailed. That has been corrected. The team understands that my position on the Inland Port Board should not be used to recruit new chamber members.

While I do not believe the line was crossed with BNSF, I want to make sure we do a better job of not getting close to that line, Miller said.

In response to a request for a list of non-chamber members who were invited to join the International Committee, Miller said, a review with the business development team indicated only BNSF.

Later, however, Flores said a secondary review found "it appears there was one other non-member company" that was invited to join the chamber to participate on the International Committee.

"This invitation came from one of our sales staff members who had sat in on one of our International Committee meetings and took it upon himself to use it as a tool to drive membership sales," Flores wrote. "This person did not have permission to use Derek's position as chairman of the inland port board to sell chamber memberships, nor did his efforts in these two cases result in new chamber memberships."

In response to a request for a list of companies that were invited and are currently participating in the committee, Miller respectfully declined.

As a private organization of private businesses, we do not give out membership lists, he said.

'Pay to play'

Biskupski  who has been a critic of what she calls the states takeover of the inland port, and who has openly accused Miller and another port board member of dirty politics after a recording of a board meeting caught the two board members whispering about her and her political challenger  thinks the situation could have a conflict of interest.

Biskupski said she hadnt seen the email thread, but shes been aware of the International Committee. She noted Salt Lake City pays the membership dues to be a member of the chamber, but for the chamber to turn around and use our taxpayer dollars to solicit businesses to specifically serve on a committee that will have say on how the port is developed looks like pay to play.

He can call it membership or whatever, but Im sorry, he is specifically asking  he is using our taxpayer dollars to do this, she said. I am very concerned about that.

But Miller said he doesn't believe the situation amounts to pay to play or a conflict of interest, noting the committee is just one forum for him to hear from his constituents but doesn't have undue influence on his actions on the inland port board.

"The money does not influence," Miller said. "The information is a great influence."

"It would be different if there was an email that said, 'Hey, Derek Miller is the president of the chamber  he's also the chair of the inland port board  and if you paid $10,000 then you can come be part of this group that's making secret decisions,'" Miller said. "But that's not what it says."

Miller is specifically appointed on the Utah Inland Port Authority to represent the state's business community.

"While I disagree with the notion that there's some sort of undue influence, I don't agree with that, but certainly 100 percent agree with the fact that the business community is an important voice in this project, and I'm proud to represent the business community in this effort," Miller said.

Chase Thomas, executive director of Alliance for a Better Utah, the left-leaning group that aims to ensure "balance, transparency and accountability" in Utah's politics, said he wasn't sure if the situation actually rises to the level of violating conflict-of-interest rules, "but it definitely smells bad."

"If we don't know who's attending those meetings, then we can't see if there's a clear connection to who's paying $10,000 and who is Derek Miller pushing an interest for on the port authority," Thomas said. "Because it's a behind-the-scenes committee, the public isn't able to see those connections."

Hafen pointed out he has personally invited Biskupski to the committee  since Salt Lake City is a paying member  but she has sent Ben Kolendar, deputy director of the city's economic development department, to attend in her place.

Asked why the mayor doesn't attend, the mayor's spokesman, Matthew Rojas said, "There are a number of commissions and boards that the mayor is invited to  and it's common practice for the mayor to send a proxy, especially when that proxy may be someone with expertise."

"But the larger question is why, when confronted with the a potential play-to-play concern, is the head of the (Salt Lake Chamber) trying to shift the focus of the mayor attending?" Rojas said.

In response to a follow-up comment from Miller, the chamber's spokeswoman, Kim Flores, said the chamber is "grateful" for Biskupski's involvement and participation in the International Committee meetings in the past, and we just hope that that continues."

BNSF Railway

The Deseret News obtained the chamber email thread with BNSF after a wide-reaching open records request of inland port board member communications through Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and the Governors Office of Economic Development.

While the chamber is a private organization and thus its emails are private, the emails became public after the BNSF official forwarded the email thread to Lara Fritts, Biskupskis economic development director, asking for her thoughts.

Im not sure exactly whats being asked of me for $10,000, Johnson wrote to Fritts.

Asked whether Fritts ever followed up with Johnson about the email, Rojas said Fritts never advised him one way or the other because she didnt know anything about the International Committee.

Attempts to reach Johnson were returned by BNSF spokesman Joe Sloan, who said Johnson no longer covers the companys Utah territory. He said BNSF decided against joining the Salt Lake Chamber as a budgeting decision, since the rail company gets requests from hundreds of communities in its 28-state network to be members of chambers or economic development corporations.

While we are members of many, we have to evaluate where it is best to place resources/funds. BNSF is always interested in discussions with potential customers anywhere in our network, Sloan wrote in an email. We will continue to stay connected to the organization in Utah, like the Salt Lake Chamber, as we seek connections to businesses interested in freight rail service.

Editor's note: The Deseret News is a member of the Salt Lake Chamber.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  Senatorial candidates who are lawyers reject the government's plan to release the so-called narco-list, saying that this violates people's right to due process.

"Paano kung inosente 'yung nasa listahan? Siya pa 'yung magkakaroon ng mga hirap, siya pa 'yung magkakaroon ng maraming problema kung paano niya patunayan ang kanyang pagkainosente sa narco-list," United Nationalist Alliance secretary general Dan Roleda said in CNN Philippines' fourth Senatorial Forum on Sunday.

[Translation: What if those in the list are innocent? Then they would have to face difficulty, they would have to face many problems on how they would prove that they are innocent and should not be included in the narco-list.]

Roleda said authorities should first write to people on the narco-list to allow them to explain instead of publishing it.

Lawyer Larry Gadon, who initiated impeachment proceedings against Maria Lourdes Sereno to unseat her as chief justice, also does not want the narco list released, saying he believes in due process.

Gadon added that the list is already a "public judgment."

Meanwhile, labor leader Leody de Guzman said the government should just pursue charges against those in the list.

"Kung talagang matibay ang ebidensiya ng ating pamahalaan, eh 'di kasuhan ang mga pinaghihinalaan na nagbebenta ng droga at iharap sa husgado," De Guzman said.

[Translation: If our governments evidence is really strong, then it should just sue those suspected of selling illegal drugs and bring them to court.]

The Interior department intends to release this week the narco-list, said to contain over 80 names of politicians supposedly involved in illegal drugs, despite opposition from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which would rather file charges against those linked to the drug trade.

Media organizations have warned against the publication of the name, saying that such naming and shaming redounds to mere trial by publicity of political rivals, and a publicity stunt for the public and the news medias transient amusement.

The Commission on Human Rights also bucked at the release of the list, warning that it may lead to more election-related violence.

However, the Palace has shrugged off this concern. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said candidates on the drug list could simply file libel charges in the event that their inclusion in the list is incorrect.

Previously, the PDEA released the names of 211 barangay officials who are allegedly linked to the drug trade. The government agency, however, later admitted that while it has been validated, there is not enough evidence for those included to be charged in court.

At least five local chief executives tagged in illegal drugs have been slain. Mayors Mariano Blanco III and Antonio Halili were shot dead, while Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom died in a shootout with anti-drug operatives, Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. was killed in a raid and Mayor Rolando Espinosa was killed in his jail cell.
















There I was, I had decided to fly to Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador was the chosen destination. Why? Well, it doesnt matter why I picked this province in first instance, what it does matter is why I recommend it now. You wont believe what Im going to tell you! Ready? Lets go!

#1  A fishing village before my eyes

I used to see them in films and TV series and wonder what it would be like to live in one of them. Well, I didnt learn to live in it since I stayed there a couple of days, but I saw it with my own eyes a fishing village! I thought they had become extinct in our robotized era, but I was wrong! This Canadian island has one and its indescribably gorgeous.

#2  The fauna

I must confess I love animals, so seeing a moose in the wild was the closest to a spiritual experience Ive ever had. Walking in this provinces woods you may expect to come across a red fox, a caribou, some squirrels, a couple of beavers and even a black bear.

#3 Cape Spear Lighthouse

No one had to explain me anything; I took a self-guided tour upwards the highest spot in the east of Canada and that was enough to learn several things. One of them was Cantwells lifestyle. This family has been looking after the lighthouse for one hundred and fifty years generation after generation. They live in a simple and very happy way. Thats how I learned that so much technology may not be as essential as we tend to consider. Do you want a surprise? You can see the whales swimming in the sea from its terrace!

#4 The gastronomic tour

I made some friends during the trip, so we decided to hire a gastronomic tour in St Johns. The experience was unforgettable. For only cents more than sixty dollars, we were taken to the best restaurants to taste some bites of the typical food of the area.

#5 Trekking

Before having experienced the paths in Newfoundland National Park, I wouldnt have said that I really fancied trekking. Now Ive changed my mind. First of all, this leisure activity is not what I had thought: impossible if you were not trained enough. No at all! There are sixty paths in this park and one of them is exactly for your training level.

#6 Whale watching

Yes, after having seen them from the heights, I remained craving for more of them, so I took a whale watching tour. It was an awesome experience Ill never forget. What I can tell you is that you feel one of them as you plow the sea by their side on the kayak.

#7  The Twillingate Islands

This magical bunch of islands has everything from your eyes: picturesque villages, amazing cliffs, icebergs and, again, the whales.

#8 GrosMorne National Park

What I can tell you is that my best pictures of Newfoundland and Labrador were taken in GrosMorne National Park. The landscape dotted with all kinds of pines, the thick sand shores, the hills and the tents of the people who camp there are part of this incredible combination of nature, beauty and peace.

#9  East Coast Trail

Its time for exercise! And I mean true exercise; after a long stroll among the lighthouses of the area, I climbed a rocky hill and then I had my deserved rest beholding the archeological excavations from a suspension bridge (quite high, by the way).

#10 Bonavista

The replic (in real size) of explorer Giovanni Cabotons vessel can be visited in Bonavista. Here it was where I went to the theatre for the first time in Canada, and in any of the trips I took to other countries before. Honestly, I could resist the temptation of being part of the cultural life of the area. Garrik Theatre is well worth the two hours you spend there.
SANDY  Jim Fields left his home in Annabella, Sevier County, for a doctor appointment in Provo on Monday.

He never showed up to his appointment and he hasn't been seen since.

"It's frustrating to the sheriff. It's frustrating to us. It's frustrating to everyone we talk to," his wife, Linda Fields, said Saturday. "It's like he disappeared off the face of the earth."

It turns out, Jim Fields is one of more than 107 people in Utah who have gone missing and haven't turned up. The number is always changing, said Dustin Driscoll, regional program specialist for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, a free nationwide database for missing person files.

"Once somebody goes missing, where they end up could be a totally different area," he said. "It could be across the United States or another country."

NamUs has contacts around the country who can help gather medical or dental records or obtain samples of DNA, but also work with forensics, which helps connect the dots sometimes.

Other times, police have very little to go on, as is the case with the missing Annabella man.

"Each day makes it more worrisome," said Linda Fields. "I would've thought he'd been found by now."

Her 77-year-old husband had been suffering with what she believed was a kidney infection, which might have caused him some delirium, as it often does in elderly people. He left the house at about noon on Monday, March 4, in his dark gray Dodge truck, likely wearing "suspenders and a flannel plaid, jeans and work boots," his wife said.

She thinks he took a wrong turn somewhere or pulled off the main roads and just hasn't been seen. "I'm extremely worried," Linda Fields said.

She traveled from central Utah on Saturday to attend the state's first Missing in Utah event held at the Miller Conference Center in Sandy, where public safety officials were on hand to help families with reports of missing loved ones. The event aims to connect various channels of information to more successfully locate missing persons.

"It's the most underreported situation we face," said Salt Lake police detective Jessica Kilgore. She said people from outside of the U.S. may not be familiar with or are intimidated by law enforcement in this country and don't come usually forward to report a missing loved one.

"They should know we are here to help," Kilgore said.

The one-day Utah event was modeled after similar events in other states across the country, where gathering community input has helped make necessary connections in cases that might have gone unsolved for years. The past three events in Arizona have helped officials there solve at least 27 missing persons cases, 15 where the person was still alive, the Arizona Republic reported.

"All we can promise is that we will do our best to find some sort of resolution in the case, but we can't make a promise one way or another which way it is going to go," Kilgore said. "The more information we have from them  DNA, dental records, medical records  any information about the time they went missing. Everything about their missing loved one helps."

Kilgore said people go missing for many different reasons, and sometimes they don't want to be found. Other times, they die while passing through places where nobody knows them.

"There are a lot of unidentified bodies recovered nationwide," she said, adding that getting more details into the database can help to find someone more easily.

"We want to help give some closure one way or another," said Salt Lake police spokeswoman Christina Judd. She said local police can help with any case that has ties to Utah  "regardless of status, gender or persuasion."

"We're just looking to help you find your missing loved one, man, woman or child," Judd said.

Linda Fields said she hopes her husband  who she described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 180 pounds, with curly gray hair and blue eyes  turns up sooner than later. She said she's "holding it together for now," but doesn't know how long that can last.

Utahns unable to attend Saturday's event can call the Salt Lake City Police Department at 801-799-3000, or visit the NamUs website, at NamUs.gov, to start the process.

Contributing: Jasen Lee
SALT LAKE CITY  Every week seems to be filled with tumultuous and unnerving happenings of both the natural kind and the manmade (or perhaps self-inflicted) kind. But there are often voices of reason that rise up, and this week was no exception. The challenge is identifying those reasonable voices.

First the bad news. Twenty-three people were killed when a tornado-birthing storm ripped through Alabama last week. President Donald Trump and the first lady visited the storm area and met with the relatives of the victims, offering words of comfort that resonated in this state often refered to as Trump country.

The president signed at least one Bible at Providence Baptist Church at the request of a 12-year-old boy. That brought a smile to the boy and a ray of hope to others, and many heaped thanks and praise on the president for coming. But it also brought the president a round of condemnation by others, including a religious man by the name of Wayne Flint, according to an account published in the New York Times.

Its a desecration of the Bible for he obviously pays no attention to any of it, Flint, a historian and ordained Baptist minister, told the Times. I was deeply offended.

Thus we see that the same act and at times the same words can bring opposite reactions. That has become part of the nation's daily reality, and we see it over and over again as political positions on all topics are staked out and motivations for the words or actions of others are assigned, often by those with no real knowledge of one's intended desire or motivation. When done intentionally it weaponizes words and actions and eliminates any real search for compromise or solutions to problems.

It's why it sometimes feels like the country is in a constant state of bickering.

So it was with a sense of anticipation inside the newsroom last week when Deseret News Opinion Editor Boyd Matheson invited longtime public servant and former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman to participate in Matheson's Deseret News Podcast, aptly titled "Therefore what?"

Lieberman has been a Democrat, an independent, a vice presidential candidate, and a man that now has the wisdom of years that makes him a friend and confidant of people from all political stripes. Friend and foe may not agree with him, but they respect him. And respect is the foundation upon which compromise and solutions can be pursued.

Consider this comment from Lieberman:

"The ability to get something done depends on your trust in the people you're working with."

That's simple, but vitally important. The Deseret News, led by Matheson, is exploring the damaging ramifications of "instant certainty."

Says Matheson: "We've been talking a lot lately that one of the inhibitors to that kind of trust is this instant certainty. That with the internet, and national media in particular, that we have to have this snap judgment."

Lieberman: "Yeah, well, first you just pointed to a really important problem that doesn't get much attention, which is that we're in an age of such rapid communication and rapid attack and counter attack in politics that people often feel compelled to do something that we didn't always feel compelled to do during my years in the Senate, which is to give an instantaneous response or to counterattack immediately for fear that the attack will gain certainty, stability in the minds of people following it, particularly on social media. I mean, sometimes it was reasonable to say, you know, I haven't thought about that enough to respond to that yet. Just give me a couple of days, right?"

Earlier in the podcast Lieberman noted that he was in the Senate for 24 years, and the final two years  2011 and 2012  were, in his words, "the least productive of the 24 for me personally, and also for the Congress. And it was because probably in every one of those years, with exceptions, partisanship seemed to become more deeply ingrained."

He used the word "rigidity" to describe this partisanship, which erodes any willingness to move toward the center from left or right. Put another way compromise is seen as a weakness or loss.

Lieberman, then, became this week's voice of reason when he identified all this in a concept: "The integrity of compromise."

He credited the phrase to Abraham Ribicoff, a senator from Connecticut, who had an impact on how Lieberman would conduct himself as a legislator.

"(Ribicoff) once gave a speech, which he called 'The Integrity of Compromise.' In other words, to compromise in a democracy is not dishonest. It's a way to get something done. It's not to really compromise your principles, but to just not expect to get 100 percent every time you have a piece of legislation. Because if you demand 100 percent you'll probably end up with zero percent and everybody suffers."

Find and subscribe to this and other podcasts from the Deseret News at DeseretNews.com/Podcasts. Or find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts.
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a historic visit to the Vatican on Saturday, March 9. His meeting with Pope Francis marked the first time a Latter-day Saint leader has had a formal audience with the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

A new Church News video from Rome, titled "The Prophet and the Pope," captures the church president's reaction to the historic meeting.

"We had a most cordial, unforgettable experience with His Holiness," President Nelson said after the meeting.

President Nelson dedicated the Rome Italy Temple the following day. All 15 members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were in Rome this weekend.
SALT LAKE CITY  About 100 Tibetans marched to the Utah State Capitol on Sunday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising.

On March 10, 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in exile into northern India during a failed uprising by Tibetans fighting against Chinese occupation. More than 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a result of China's occupation of Tibet since the 1950's, according to the Utah Tibetan Association. The Chinese government has also been aggressive in taking away Tibetans' freedoms of speech, religion, assembly and press.

The marchers in Salt Lake City on Sunday joined Tibetans across the world in holding a rally to mark the 60th Tibetan National Uprising Day, and renewed their call for an end to Chinese occupation and the return of the Dalai Lama to his home. Waving Tibetan and American flags and holding signs with statements such as "Human Rights in Tibet," "Long live his Holiness the Dalai Lama," and "China out of Tibet," local Tibetans marched from the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 South State Street, to the state Capitol.

Before the march, the group rallied with prayers, chants and the reading of several proclamations, both in English and their native language.

A proclamation by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski declaring Sunday as "Tibet Day in Salt Lake City" was read. In it, the mayor stated that, "Salt Lake City is committed to promoting and preserving the Tibetan culture, heritage and religion."

A statement by the Central Tibetan Administration was also read to the group. The administration called for "freedom-loving people of the world to commit to end oppression in Tibet and to commit to fight against impunity."

There are approximately 280 Tibetans in Salt Lake City, according to the Utah Tibetan Association, including many that came to America directly from Tibet.

"I think most of us Tibetans, we were born in exile, but our parents generation thought that they would get to return back to Tibet after a couple of years in exile, and now were at 60 years. The Dalai Lama is 83, so were kind of pressed against time for him to return to his homeland. We want China to have a dialogue with his holiness, the Dalai Lama. We want to be able to go visit our country. We want to be able to have the basic rights that Tibetans are given, or birth right, to be able to practice their religion, their language, to be able to speak and be able to worship whoever they want, said Tenzin, treasurer for the Utah Tibetan Association, who asked to only be identified by her first name.

Tenzin said her parents fled to India in their teens before moving to Utah 40 years ago. She said they still have a desire to return one day to Tibet.

"One of our biggest desires is to go back to our homeland and settle there. Unfortunately its really difficult with the amount of surveillance and the amount of systematic pressures from China. They have surveillance where my father is trying to go there and he cannot. We had to get a lot of documentation from family members in Tibet, but it makes it really difficult because with those verifications now those family members are under surveillance. So its kind of a double-edged sword, she said.

Tenzin did not want to give her last name because she fears surveillance. She said the Chinese government monitors Western media and then uses facial recognition methods against her people. That's why while Tibetans want to rally at events like the one on Sunday, in support of their homeland, Tenzin said they also want to do it anonymously.
PROVO  In the 21st century, navigating a school's website is an essential part of education. But a new study from BYU and Utah State University says certain web issues are alienating the U.S. disabled community.

The study found that more than 95 percent of U.S. K-12 school websites had errors that made the page difficult for a person with a disability to use.

Examples of these issues listed in the study anecdotally include no video transcript or caption options for a hard of hearing student, or text size formatting options for a visually impaired student or parent.

The research comes from WebAIM, a web accessibility consultancy based at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University.

"Everyone should be able to access content provided by schools and other public entities," said Royce Kimmons, BYU technology assistant professor and lead author of the paper. "This goes for the students who are attending the school, the parents, the communities that pay taxes to keep the school running."

The study is the first of its kind to examine how widespread and prevalent these problems are. It used a randomized sample of schools nationwide, analyzing about 6,000 homepages in total.

To automatically evaluate the accessibility of the websites, the researchers used a WebAIM-developed tool called WAVE that provides an overall automated accessibility score for webpages based on error density and total error and alert counts.

"From this we can get a good sense for how school websites in the U.S. generally are performing according to these standards," Kimmons said.

The standard for error was based on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Some of the most common errors across websites were poor contrast between text and backgrounds, no alternative text to images and other visual elements, and unlabeled form controls.

"Most of them are readily preventable or could be readily addressed with a little awareness and a little bit of effort," said Jared Smith, associate director of WebAIM and co-author of the study.

Website accessibility is a known issue and the researchers said the results were expected.

"Lots of people recognize that this is an issue, lots of people want to address it, but I think we struggle to figure out how to do it in ways that are sustainable and scalable," Kimmons said. "Technology tends to move faster than policy does."

He said that's why the study lists specific resources and tools schools can use to address accessibility, such as training content authors basic techniques to help disabled web users.

However, not all issues are fixed with some training.

"Many of these accessibility issues aren't necessarily due to lack of concern for accessibility but because the tools that are being used  the content management systems  do not support optimal accessibility," Smith explained.

A lot of the problems are extremely technical, Kimmons said, and would require trained and dedicated web personnel  something not many schools can afford. But in the long run, fixing the sites is worth the cost, Smith said.

"For now, the school that hasn't considered this, yeah there's going to be some effort involved to remediate for accessibility," Smith said. "Over time, as schools start doing a better job of this, the costs are going to significantly decrease."

Retroactively fixing a website is more difficult than initially building it with accessibility in mind, he said.

"If you have a website that has not been designed for accessibility, to go back and to try and retrofit and try to fix that can be difficult," he said. "It's really a function of the education and the processes that are put in place through those schools to ensure accessibility and build it in from the get-go as opposed to being just reactionary and fix issues when they're present."

Some problems are simple to fix, according to the research.

"Sitewide changes in colors, for example, might only require changing one line of CSS code but might address contrast issues across hundreds of pages on a site," the paper states. "Similarly, implementation of standards-compliant form templates would allow highly accessible forms in all instances."

Fixing accessibility issues benefits all web users, Smith said.

"If they implement good accessibility for people with disabilities, they're going to end up with a better web product overall," he said.

For example, search engine optimization can improve when a website is accessible, Kimmons pointed out.

Addressing this issue takes more than looking at the technical side. A cultural shift needs to happen, he said.

"It's not something that I think we can address all at once," Kimmons said. "It's more an issue of developing a culture where these things are valued and we are consistently thinking about them and  doing at least these little things we can do to help make our content more accessible."

Smith said schools should view web accessibility the same way they consider physical accessibility to school buildings.

Failure to provide adequate resources could be considered a violation of Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disabilities. There are no outlined guidelines for web content, but the Department of Justice clarified that websites are covered under the ADA and inaccessible sites could be considered discriminatory.

In Utah, there are currently eight pending cases under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights for issues of disability accessibility.

"Most of the issues we identified in our study are pretty significant issues, they probably would align with discrimination because they're so impactful," Smith said. "I don't think it's intentional, I think it's a lack of awareness, lack of tools and maybe lack of resources to put into the area of web accessibility."

Notably, the report shows the problem is universal and persists across a wide array of demographics and poverty levels. Kimmons said while these differences did account for a small level of variation, every school has room for improvement  even the ones who had better resources.

"This is not so much an issue of poor vs. rich or small vs. large schools as it is a problem that each individual school must account for on its own through awareness and remedy," the report states.

The study was published in an open-access research journal, which was an intentional choice, Kimmons said.

"It's really available for anyone in the world to access. We wanted first to make people aware of it  not just other researchers," he said. "And also to provide some concrete guidance and how to begin to address it."

Creating a website with zero accessibility errors is a possible and reasonable standard, Kimmons said.

Another point of the study is to track progress over time, Smith said. These numbers will provide a baseline to gauge where accessibility is at now and provide a comparison in the future.

"We can track changes over time to see if we're getting better or worse over time and hopefully it's better," he said.

There aren't any definitive plans for future K-12 web studies now, Smith said, but initial results for another study out of WebAIM was published last week.

That research analyzed the top 1 million homepages' accessibility and found 97.8 percent had Web Content Accessibility Guidelines errors.
Did you see this coming? You should have.

The latest wealth report from Knight Franks Luxury Investment Index has revealed that rare whisky is now the most lucrative investment in the luxury asset space.

The latest data reveals that over a ten year period, rare whisky reached a return on investment of almost 600 percent. That staggering figure was enough to put it ahead of more familiar investments like cars, watches and jewellery. In 2018 alone, rare whisky saw a 40 percent jump in value.

Bradley Woolfe who runs WhiskyDirect, an online retailer specialising in premium Japanese and ultra rare whisky says that this statistic can be attributed to the strong growth in demand from Asian countries, particularly China, which has seen sustained economic growth.

A large number of Chinese individuals now have extremely high levels of disposable income and a preference for purchasing luxury items, including high end whisky, he says.

This exponential growth in market demand coupled with the limited supply of whisky, particularly ultra-aged and limited releases has seen prices skyrocket in recent years.

Woolfe explains that another aspect to consider is the proliferation of sales on the secondary market, namely auctions. Buyers here often dictate what they are willing to pay for a bottle irrespective of the original price set by the distillery. The result? A high-rollers game of whos got the bigger bank vault.

Regardless of all the hype that is engulfing the rare whisky market, Woolfe believes theres still plenty of opportunities for newcomers to make calculated risks with emerging distilleries.

It only takes a whisky to win one of several awards around the world to quickly see the price increase three-fold or more, he explains.

The clearest examples of this are numerous Japanese whiskies including the now famous Yamazaki Sherry Cask releases and our very own Sullivans Cove single casks.

If youre thinking of joining the rare whisky game youll need to be aware that there are risks involved like any other investment. Currently the market trend points to healthy appreciation into the unforeseeable future, but should that change quickly overnight, youll at least have a decent bottle of whisky to knock back.

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As with all good writers, Bri Carrs inspiration has often grown out of tragedy and remembrance.

I wrote my first song Smile Again after my beloved Uncle John Greene, from Arranmore, was killed in the tunnels in London in 1988...I was only 17.

Although Bri was raised in Letterkenny, her mother and grandmother were Arranmore women, and she says she feels a strong affinity with the island.

Her aunts, Madge and Annie moved to the now 99-year-old Scoil Aphoirt when the family moved to the other side of Arranmore during the 1950s while they were only 9 or 10, and another song, Where We Went To School, is an exercise in imagining what it would have been like to change schools at that age.

As Bri points out, the lyrics remind us of the children we once knew, every family passing through, their echoes in the halls, their footsteps big and small, their voices, their faces we recall and are a testament to the fact that happy memories of school and childhood stay with you forever, instilling a sense of gratitude to the teachers and friends who made school time so much more than just lessons and tests.

At age 17, she also wrote Yesterday, the winner of the inaugural South of the Border Song Contest in 2018.

I wrote Smile Again when I was seventeen after the death of my Uncle John, the song is more about hope instead of despair as he was so full of life.

Yesterday was written for a friend who was going through a tough time.I would go to the blue book and write down whatever I was feeling and I always felt better; whether they were sad feelings or happy feelings.

Music was an integral part of her early life. Many people will have fond memories of Barney and the Circle, and as she recalls, I also played in Dads group, The Circle, when I was young and carefree, so the whole journey for me is reflected in the choice of songs  from the first song I wrote at 17 Smile Again, to this one Where We Went to School, which I wrote for the Centenary in 2016, the first summer I was brave enough to whip out the guitar in Arran!

I had begun piano, fiddle, whistle - all kinds of classical lessons in childhood, but was impatient as when I'd hear the tunes, Id have to play them my way, not the way they were supposed to be played on paper.

Bri Carr and Claire Ward both winners of the prestigious South of the Border song contest in the Nesbitt Arms Hotel PICTURE: MATT BRITTON



So my dad, Barney McDaid, finally brought me to Paddy Cleary for piano lessons at age 11, I never looked back. I wrote my first melody for Paddy at that age, and began writing skits in rhyme for occasions, sessions, classes etc.

I released my first proper album in Glenveagh Castle in February 2017, Full Circle/Rotha an tSaoil, to invited family and friends.

I recorded 'ArainnMhoir' and 'My Father's Legacy' - both songs reaching No. 3 and No. 2 respectively in the Irish iTunes charts in Nov of that year.

I love writing scripts and plays, musicals in particular, and was choreographer for the first three Letterkenny pantomimes after its revival in the 90s, choreographer of Loreto Milford and Loreto Letterkenny /St Eunans College, from Grease in the early 90s to Mamma Mia in 2017, Mulroy Colleges Hairspray and annual concerts.

I was writer and director of numerous Blue Ribbon pantomimes and musicals from A Whole New World, Shrek, High School Musical up to this years Theres no Place Like Home (Wizard of Oz).

I was in the Letterkenny Musical Society, Letterkenny Music and Drama Group and Letterkenny Gaels productions - usually comedy roles funnily enough!

I was lucky enough to win the PanCeltic twice, with songs about my native county, and my mums home place, Arranmore.



Best childhood

I had the best childhood, growing up amid music, Irish, community spirit and lately, although all these are still extremely vital to me, I have a very supportive husband, and two incredibly funny, warm children, who keep me always looking at the bright side of life.

I am currently representing North West Donegal in this years National PanCeltic Song Contest in George Bernard Shaw Theatre on March 23 in Carlow, with a new release, Dun na nGall, which I have just recorded in both Irish and English as an idea to promote our beautiful countys hotspots.

She is a job-sharing resource teacher at Lurgybrack National School in Letterkenny, and teaches guitar, keyboards, fiddle and tin whistle after school.

Blue Ribbon was established by her almost 20 years ago, and has brought ceol and craic to the lives of hundreds of children throughout the years.

I started Blue Ribbon to encourage kids to not be nervous and to encourage them to express themselves.

The name Blue Ribbon is a tribute to one of Bris students, Nicki Taylor, who sadly passed away after an accident in 1997.

Keeping it in the family, at just eight years old, Caela Carr is already following in her mothers musical footsteps by playing the harp and I heard her sing an amazing version of Shallow with young Ethan Barron at this years South of the Border Festival in Ardara.

Its been a momentous journey, and appropriately, her album title is Full Circle/Rotha an tSaoil.

From Barney to Barr an Domhain...this circle remains unbroken!
A young Cnoc Fola man will swim from Tory Island to Magheraroarty in an effort to raise both awareness and funds for an illness that his grandmother had.

The son of Pete and Maeve McFadden, Padraig A McFadden is to undertake the sponsored swim from Tory Island to Magheraroarty to raise funds in aid of the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA).

The swim which will take place this summer is nine miles long.

Padraig's grandmother, Sadie Rua, was a very well known and respected woman in the Cnoc Fola and Gaoth Dobhair area and she passed away in November from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Padraig believes that very little is known about this disease.

Padraig said he was shocked to learn the number of people who have this condition and yet that very little is known about it.

He added that he would like to raise more awareness and to give something back to help with research the condition more extensively.

He said he was inspired by the work of the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association and wanted to support them.

His swim is due to take place in June or July and he has garnered huge support from friends and family on social media who are lending their heartfelt support.

Good-hearted Padraig hopes to raise 2,000 and anyone wishing to donate can log onto Padraigs Facebook page to learn more or go to give.everydayhero.com.
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By Robert M. Thorson

When Americans quote writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau, they often reach for his assertion that "In Wildness is the preservation of the world." This phrase elicited little response when Thoreau first read it during a lecture in 1851. A century later, however, it had become a guiding mantra for the American environmental movement, adopted by the Sierra Club as its motto and launched into the cultural stratosphere via bumper stickers, T-shirts and posters.

Unfortunately, the line was cherry-picked from its original context, conflates wildness with wilderness and predates Thoreau's later, more nuanced insights about wildness. His mature views, which I stumbled onto when researching my book The Boatman: Henry David Thoreau's River Years, can more effectively help us cope with a world so changed by people that geologists have proposed a new epoch, the Anthropocene.

To the mature Thoreau, wildness was an entanglement of different realities and more of an attitude than an attribute. A pervasive condition lurking beneath the surface  especially in the midst of civilization. A creative force, willed not by intent but by impulse, accident and contingency. As a card-carrying geologist who has written two books on Thoreau as a natural scientist and lifelong "river rat,"and the first "Guide to Walden Pond," I believe the mature Thoreau lurking beneath distorted cultural motifs has much to tell us.

Romanticizing the Wild

Shortly after sunset on April 23, 1851, members of the Concord Lyceum gathered at First Parish Unitarian Church. One of their most loyal members, "H. D. Thoreau," stepped up to the podium to read his newest lecture "The Wild." His late-spring timing was perfect, this being the wildest time of year for the romantics and naturalists of his 19th-century agroecosystem.

People often assume Thoreau lived in solitude at Walden for decades, but he actually spent most of his life on Concord's Main Street. Ticknor & Fields / Wikimedia

"I wish to speak a word for Nature," he opened boldly, "for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil." Humans, he claimed, were "part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society." These prophetic, inclusive statements constitute America's declaration of interdependence.



This lecture was published in The Atlantic as an essay titled "Walking" after Thoreau's death in 1862. In it Thoreau recast the "howling wilderness" of the Puritan divines who settled Concord, Massachusetts in the mid-1630s as an ideal spiritual landscape for neo-pagans of the early 1850s.

But we know from Thoreau's voluminous writings that the insight for his "In Wildness" mantra came not from some high mountain temple, deep forest or dismal bog, but a from pair of panoramic art exhibits that Thoreau saw in late 1850  likely in urban Boston, likely via the rattling railroad.

In September 1853, having recently returned from a moose hunt in interior Maine, Thoreau came up with the idea of setting aside wild landscapes for posterity:

"Why should not we  have our national preserves  in which the bear and panther, and some even of the hunter race, may still exist, and not be 'civilized off the face of the earth'  our forests  not for idle sport or food, but for inspiration and our own true recreation."

By then Thoreau was a middle-class, stay-at-home resident of the bustling market town of Concord, and the surrounding area was being rapidly clear-cut for farms and fuel and industrialized with mines, turnpikes, railroads, bridges, dams and canals. "I cannot but feel," he wrote despondently on March 23, 1856, "as if I lived in a tamed, and, as it were, emasculated country  Is it not a maimed and imperfect nature that I am conversant with? I am reminded that this my life in nature  is lamentably incomplete."

Concord Center, Massachusetts, in 1865, shortly after Thoreau's death. HistoryofMassachusetts.org

No Wildness Distant From Humans

Finally Thoreau resolved the tension between his yearning for primitive nature and his role in helping to civilize it as a surveyor for land development. While searching for native cranberries in late August 1856, he found himself in the far corner of a small bog so worthless that it had been apparently untouched by human hands. There, he realized,

"It is in vain to dream of a wildness distant from ourselves. There is none such. It is the bog in our brain and bowels, the primitive vigor of Nature in us, that inspires that dream. I shall never find in the wilds of Labrador any greater wildness than in some recess in Concord."

His explanation is clear. Wildness is an attitude, a perception. "A howling wilderness does not howl," he wrote, "it is the imagination of the traveler that does the howling." Using his imagination, he could even find wildness in a patch of weedy ferns: "Yet how essentially wild they are! As wild, really, as those strange fossil plants whose impressions I see on my coal." By this stage, Thoreau was finding wildness in lumps of fossil fuel.

One of Thoreau's final conceptions of wildness is most relevant to the Anthropocene world. The scene was a sparkling morning on Aug. 11, 1859. He was boating the lower Assabet River, making measurements for a scientific consulting project. Drifting toward him on the smooth current came a parade of iridescent freshwater mussel shells, "floating down in mid-stream  nicely poised on the water," each left "with its concave side uppermost," each a "pearly skiff set afloat by the industrious millers."

In that moment, Thoreau realized that each of his delicately balanced "skiffs" was a consequence of at least a dozen commingled cultural actions, from muskrats eating the mussels to farmers inadvertently improving mussel habitat with sediment pollution and industrialists storing and releasing hydropower to create factory goods.

After this insight, Thoreau began to see his entire watershed world as a meta-consequence of three centuries' worth of human perturbations, literally rippling through his local system along every conceivable energy gradient. For example, when monitoring stream stage to the precision of 1/64th of an inch, he realized that seemingly wild rivers mirrored the work schedules of upstream factories, and that "even the fishes" kept the Christian Sabbath. His whole local universe was ubiquitously, unpredictably, impetuously and wildly reacting to what today we call global change.

Recognizing Wildness

As with a coin, our modern Anthropocene condition flips Thoreau's declaration of interdependence. On its 1851 side, humans are "part and parcel" of nature as organic beings embedded within it. On its 1859 side side, nature is "part and parcel" of us, hopelessly entangled and embedded in our works and residues.

Fast forward to 2019. Earth's planetary system, provoked by our overreach, is now doing its own thing in places, at scales and on schedules beyond our control. Wildness is bubbling up everywhere: Wilder fires, wilder stock markets, wilder weather, higher floods, drowning seas, collapsing ice sheets, accelerating extinctions and demographic unrest.

Thoreau's realistic, late-in-life insights can help us comprehend these ongoing Anthropocene impacts, accept responsibility for the changes coming our way, reframe them in more positive terms and reaffirm that Nature is ultimately in charge.

He teaches us that wildness is much, much more than raw nature. It's a perception emanating from our minds. A base instinct, uncluttered by rational thought. The creative genius of artistic, scientific and technological creativity. The spontaneous emergence of order from disorder, as with drifts on dry snow or the origin of life. Finally, wildness is the meta-wildness of complex, nonlinear systems, the sum total of forward-propagating, somewhat unpredictable cascades of matter and energy.

The mantra "In Wildness is the preservation of the world" can remain true, provided we ask ourselves what we mean by wildness and what we're trying to preserve.

Reposted with permission from our media associate The Conversation.
Syria: Regime attacks kill one civilian in Idlib

Bashar al-Assad regime, Iranian-backed terror groups continue heavy bombardment in residential areas

The Bashar al-Assad regime and its Iranian-backed terror groups on Saturday continued heavy bombardment in residential areas of Syrias northwestern Idlib province.

According to civil defense sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, a civilian was killed and five other civilians were injured in the attacks in southeastern Saraqib city.

The residential areas are under heavy bombardment since early Saturday.

Regime attacks in Idlibs de-escalation zone are estimated to have killed at least 112 civilians -- and injured more than 340 others -- since the beginning of 2019.

The fresh wave of attacks in Idlib has reportedly led to a new refugee exodus from Khan Sheikhun and Maaret al-Numaan.

Since February, nearly 6,900 families have migrated to safe areas near Turkey's border.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a demilitarized zone after a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia's coastal city of Sochi.

Ankara and Moscow signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the stabilization of the situation in Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are prohibited.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.
The integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia (iTHRIV) has been awarded a five-year grant of nearly $23 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance innovative ideas from the point of discovery to implementation in clinical practice and population health.

ITHRIV includes the University of Virginia, Inova Health System, Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic as partners, with the Center for Open Science and UVA's Licensing & Ventures Group as affiliates. The focus of iTHRIV is "using data to improve health" and leverages the data science expertise across the state.

About the Partnership

As individual institutions, the partners each have established strengths in biomedical and health-related research. Though individual programs have invested in maximizing research success, iTHRIV is the first cross-state effort in Virginia to integrate broad clinical and translational research resources and processes to transform how this is done.

Translational research is the process of applying knowledge from basic biology and clinical trials to improve health outcomes for patients. Each partner brings resources and expertise in doing research with patients in areas of greatest need. The overarching goal of iTHRIV is to support research that benefits our rural and urban populations by optimizing the use of data science.

The NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, supported by the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), provides resources for researchers across the statewide consortium, trains the next generation of biomedical and health scientists and collaborates with community partners to improve health. The national CTSA network includes approximately 60 institutions around the country that are recognized as elite clinical and translational research institutions.

Powerful Collaboration

ITHRIV brings together distinctly different areas of expertise, including translational research, clinical research and data science, and its multi-principal investigator leadership reflects this design, including UVA's Karen C. Johnston, MD, MSc, an expert in clinical trials and a neurologist who specializes in caring for patients with acute stroke; and Donald E. Brown, PhD, a data scientist and systems engineer who was the founding director of the UVA Data Sciences Institute.

Leadership from Virginia Tech and Carilion includes Warren Bickel, PhD, co-director of VTC's Center for Transformative Research in Health Behaviors; Paul Skolnik, MD, chairman of VTC School of Medicine and Carilion's Department of Internal Medicine; Michael J. Friedlander, PhD, Virginia Tech's vice president for health sciences and technology and executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC; Audra Van Wart, PhD, assistant vice president for health sciences education at Virginia Tech; and Kathy Hosig, PhD, director for the Virginia Tech Center for Public Health Practice and Research in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

At Inova, John Niederhuber, MD, CEO, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Institute, leads the program.

A 'Pipeline of Innovation'

"We are very grateful for the NIH funding to support this pipeline of innovation," said Richard P. Shannon, MD, UVA's executive vice president for health affairs. "We are extremely excited about the potential of this statewide collaboration to accelerate the development of new treatments and improve the health of people across the commonwealth and beyond."

"We're delighted to be part of this transformative initiative in translational and clinical research," said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. "This partnership advances our biomedical health and sciences enterprise, expands our ongoing collaboration with Carilion Clinic, and strengthens our connections with colleagues across the commonwealth at the University of Virginia and Inova in a way that will benefit the health of all Virginians."

"This grant is an indication of the innovative research happening right here in Virginia," said Carilion President and CEO Nancy Howell Agee. "It is an investment that will improve lives across the commonwealth, and we are excited to join our partners and peers in discovery."

"Translational research is essential to the development of new medical treatments that address currently unmet patient needs. By nurturing the translational research enterprise in Virginia, this grant to iTHRIV will help our researchers work together more effectively to make tomorrow's breakthroughs," said Mickey Y. Kim, MD, MBA, senior vice president of research and commercialization and the head of Inova Translational Medicine Institute.

###

About the CTSA Program

The national CTSA program, which now includes iTHRIV, enables research teams including scientists, patient advocacy organizations and community members to tackle significant scientific and operational problems in clinical and translational research that no one team can overcome. The program goals:

Train and nurture the clinical and translational science workforce;

Engage patients and communities in every phase of the translational process;

Promote the integration of special and underserved populations in translational research across the human lifespan;

Innovate processes to improve the quality and efficiency of translational research; and

Advance the use of cutting-edge informatics and data science to improve the health of communities.

The NIH award consists of grants 1 UL1 TR003015-0 and 1 KL2 TR003016-01.

For more information about the NIH CTSA program, see: https://ncats.nih.gov/ctsa

For more information about iTHRIV, see: http://ithriv.org/

To keep up with the latest medical discoveries at the UVA Health System, visit http://makingofmedicine.virginia.edu.
Pound Sterling Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY) Exchange Rate Sheds Half of Februarys Gains

After a strong surge on Brexit hopes at the end of February, the British Pound to Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY) exchange rate shed a good chunk of those gains last week as a combination of Brexit jitters and safe haven demand left the Japanese Yen surging. Pound investors are now highly anticipating next weeks UK Parliamentary vote on Brexit.

Brexit fear and Japanese Yen strength left GBP/JPY plunging for most of the last week. GBP/JPY opened the week at the level of 147.87 and ultimately lost around three Yen, trending closer to the level of 144.90 on Friday.

The biggest cause of the fall was the Pounds weakness on revived Brexit uncertainties, but the Japanese Yen was able to capitalise thanks to weakness in rivals as well as some stronger Japanese data.

GBP/JPY Exchange Rates Plummet Almost Three Yen as Brexit Jitters Return

Last week started out with investors fairly optimistic that the UK government would be able to reach some kind of breakthrough in negotiations with the EU, but by the end of the week those hopes had largely faded.

No breakthrough in talks was reported throughout the week and analysts doubted that that would change over the weekend.

Hopes that the UK governments Brexit deal could be made appealing enough among MPs to pass through Parliament faded, and markets began to bet on another Parliament failure for the governments plan.

This left investors betting that even if the Brexit process is formally delayed, it would remain shrouded in uncertainty without a clear path forward.

This also made it easier for a resurgent Japanese Yen to sustain a strong recovery against the Pound throughout the week.

The Japanese Yen is a safe haven currency, and so is appealing in times of market uncertainty. Weaker growth expectations in China and the Eurozone made investors more eager to hold onto safe havens, supporting the Yen.

In fact, a disappointing US Non-Farm Payroll report at the end of the week left the US Dollar (USD) unappealing, and as a result the Japanese Yen was among the most appealing major currencies at the end of the week.

Lastly, the Yen has also benefitted from slightly stronger than expected Japanese growth data. Japans final Q4 growth stats came in better than projected, and the previous figures were revised slightly higher too.

Brexit Outlook to Change Next Week

Some typically influential UK data will be published today, including growth and factory data on Tuesday.

However, while normally these could cause big Pound movement they are likely to be brushed over in favour of UK Parliaments meaningful Brexit vote  which will also be held on Tuesday.

UK Parliament is not expected to vote in favour of the governments Brexit plan, as the government was unable to make any major changes to the plan amid deadlocks in negotiations with the EU.

As a result, MPs may be given an option to vote against a no-deal Brexit. If this vote succeeds then Parliament will be given an opportunity to vote for an extension to the Brexit process in the following days.

A delay to the Brexit process would be relieving to investors, but would not offer much clarity over how Brexit will unfold. This would leave the Pound under pressure even if Brexit is delayed.

Bank of Japan (BoJ) Policy Decision Ahead

Demand for the Japanese Yen is likely to be driven by shifts in risk-sentiment for most of the next week, as most upcoming Japanese ecostats are unlikely to be particularly influential.

Monday will see the publication of Japans February machine tool orders, followed by machinery orders figures and PPI stats on Wednesday.

However, the biggest news for Japanese Yen investors will come at the end of the week as the Bank of Japan (BoJ) is due to hold its March policy decision on Friday.

Analysts expect the Bank of Japan will leave monetary policy frozen, and will maintain its previous cautious stance without any notable change in language.

If the bank does take a more dovish tone though, perhaps due to the slowing global economic outlook, then the Japanese Yen could be in for losses next week.
Hi there, Im wondering if anyone can help me. I am an Australian citizen who has been living in Scotland for 12 years. I had a baby in Scotland last September and came back to Australia to visit family in December. My baby is travelling on a British passport and has a tourist visa. I am wanting to apply for citizenship for him but his tourist visa expires at the end of this month and I am wondering if I need to wait until Im back in Scotland to do this or if I can do it from here while he is on a tourist visa? I read online that yout visa has to match your intentions so you cant apy for citizenship from a tourist visa- I would appreciate any advice!


HiI am looking to move to Sydney by mid year 2019 with my husband who will be relocating on work visa , from India and would like to get my below queries addressed by any SME in the group please?1. My kid is 9 yrs and will complete his 4th grade by Apr 2019 in Mumbai.Once his exams are over by apr 5 , his vacation here in India starts. Looking fo inputs for the optimal time to admit him in the school & any feedbacks or references for public school in Coogee is much appreciated.Under dependant visa for self and my son, what is the approximate cost of education in public schools such as Coogee boys school. (From another thread Read it as 4500$) wish to confirm from many of you2. I am waiting to give my PTE exam in the next 15 days, and am affirmative of good results ( my skill assessment is through last week) so I would need to apply EOI and wait for my visa.3. Any other pointers for newbie like me will be of great help.Thanks in advance!Keerthipattabi
WHITTON  David Dunagan and his wife, Lori, moved to this East Texas ranching community two years ago to escape the bright lights of Dallas, finding peace on a back patio overlooking the emptiness of rolling grasslands dotted by grazing cattle and deer.

What they didnt count on was one of the fastest growing industries in the state choosing a location that would blot the pastoral landscape and upset their vision of a bucolic lifestyle.

That industry is solar energy and the Dunagans are at the forefront of a campaign to stop the development of a 1,100-acre solar farm with as many as 450,000 solar panels  a campaign that has bitterly divided this unincorporated community in Van Zandt County between landowners who will benefit from leasing their property and those who see a threat to a fragile ranching ecosystem that depends on water, grass and space. The debate here has also raised questions about the environmental impact of what is widely considered an environmentally friendly technology and the appropriateness of industrial installations in rural and natural locations.

The debate is likely to spread to other communities across the state. Solar is the fastest growing source of electricity in Texas, with its share of power generation expected to double to 2 percent this year and more than double again to 5 percent in 2021, according to the Texas Solar Power Association, a trade group. Solar projects are under development in about 80, or nearly one-third, of the states 254 counties.

The Dunagans, whose 2.5 acre property would be surrounded by sun-catching panels, have discovered that the solar development would be like any other power generation installation. Fencing with razor wire would keep out intruders. Rollers would click throughout the day as panels on tracking devices rotate to face the sun. Hazardous chemicals contained in the panels pose threats of contamination.

It will look like a solid sea of panels, said David Dunagan.

Other property owners, however, welcome the project, which David Dunagan said is offering as much as $450 per acre per year to lease the land for as many as 40 years, compared to $15 an acre landowners would get for cattle grazing. The solar farm is also expected to generate $22 million in new tax revenue for the Canton Independent School District, adding an extra 2.75 percent a year to the districts $20 million budget. It will also be a welcome addition to Van Zandt County whose average adjusted gross income in 2016 was $49,000, compared to $67,000 statewide. The solar farm is expected to contribute $9 million to county coffers over its life of 35 to 40 years.

Van Zandt County Judge Don Kirkpatrick is walking a thin line, aware of hard feelings from both sides.

I wouldnt want it beside me, he said in his office at the county courthouse in Canton. But I wouldnt want government telling me what to do with my property.

Eyes of the beholder

Solar and wind power are classified as clean energy, but clean, as Van Zandt County shows, can be a matter of opinion. Wind and solar projects have spurred fierce debate in communities around the country.

In Massachusetts, homeowners with ocean views  including the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy  helped scuttle an offshore wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod. In Culpeper, Va., residents sued the Florida power company NextEra Energy last year to block a solar farm they say would destroy beautiful views and make it difficult to rent properties for events such as weddings. In California, environmental groups concerned about endangered wildlife sued to stop construction on what would have been one of the worlds biggest solar projects and agreed to settle when the developers reduced the project to one-third its original size.

Texas, however, has a long history of welcoming energy projects. Private landowners have for more than a century leased mineral rights and allowed oil and gas drilling on their properties, typically without much fuss.

On HoustonChronicle.com: CenterPoint transmission towers came out of nowhere

The opposition to the solar farm has come as a big surprise to Anne Lantrip, who, along with her husband, bought 143 acres in Van Zandt County about 12 years ago. They were thinking of building an RV park or developing a storage facility, so when they got the chance to lease 127 acres for the solar farm, they jumped at the opportunity.

Never, said Lantrip, did they think theyd face a backlash that has included hurtful comments on Facebook. We thought we would be doing something good, said Lantrip

The solar farm will have a generating capacity of 127-megawatts, enough to power about 25,000 Texas homes on a hot summer day. The project was first launched by German-owned Alpin Group and bought by Pattern Development of Houston in December. Opposition began building after word got out in the community that Alpin was leasing land, beginning during the summer of 2017.

Public meetings soon drew 200 or more residents with many opposed to the project. Signs and banners blaring, Say No!!! Solar Power Plant popped up all over Canton, the Van Zandt County seat, and in surrounding communities. Opponents have raised concerns about safety, over the possibility brush fires common in East Texas could start under the panels or tornadoes could rip the panels from their posts.

Cattle rancher Kim Yates sells grass fed beef raised on about 1,000 acres with no drugs, hormones or pesticides. She shows off a certificate from the Texas Department of Agriculture that attests that her operation is drug, hormone and pesticide free. She likes the idea of solar power.

But Yates is worried herbicides to control weeds under solar panels could seep into the sandy loam soil and ground water and migrate to her ranch just a mile downstream. She also worries about toxic chemicals commonly used in solar panels, such as lead and cadmium, could be released in panels are damaged.

Yates said she sees little upside for the community in an industrial-scale project that seems at odds with its ranching character. Pattern, she said, stands to gain an investment tax credit worth about $42 million on the $150 million solar project, which she expects would sell the power to some corporation aiming to burnish its image as environmentally friendly.

We are falling victim to a green marketing scheme, said Yates.

Pattern officials said they have been stunned by the opposition theyve encountered in Van Zandt County. Pattern is building two more solar projects nearby, including a 100-megawatt farm in Fannin County and an 80-megawatt farm in Hopkins County. Both East Texas communities have welcomed the projects, said Deann Lanz, director of land and business development.

Now, Pattern is doing what it can to allay concerns, offering to put up hedges to block unsightly views, promising to judiciously use herbicides only when absolutely necessary and vowing to have a disaster readiness plan to tackle fires and other emergencies. The solar panes in aluminum frames will not leach into the water or soil because the solar cells are protected by multiple layers laminated and attached to frames made of aluminum alloy, according to Pattern.

Lanz said she believes that most people in the county believe they should be able to do what they want with their own property. Opponents, she said, represent  a small but very, very vocal minority.

Financial stability

Cattle rancher Archie Neal grew up two miles from where he lives, atop a hill that looks out over grazing land. He has worked the land all his life, selling the calves born each year at market. He wont say how much property he owns, but he leased 148 acres to Pattern Energy for a confidential fee.

The steady income over the next 40 years will smooth out the financial ups and downs of raising cattle and provide security for his family, Neal said. For him, he added, theres no cost to raising solar panels, a crop that Neal calls low-impact.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Are pipeline land takings in public interest in oil, gas heading overseas?

We dont have to feed them and we dont have to water them, he said. And you dont have to worry about too much rain.

Neal has watched the Dallas metropolitan area stretch eastward toward Van Zandt County, with newcomers buying a few acres and assuming their views would stay the same even though they dont own the adjacent land. If you want that kind of control, Neal said, you dont buy two acres. You buy 100 acres and then you build your home in the middle of it.

Neal said he didnt take Patterns offer to upset his neighbors. Nor did he have any idea the solar farm would divide the community. Yet, he and his neighbors who agreed to lease their land to Pattern have been unfairly depicted as the bad guys.

The opposition group, Save Van Zandt County, is calculating its next move. Maybe theyll file a lawsuit. Theyre talking to state lawmakers about legislation to streamline recovery of damages. Theyre working with communities fighting other Pattern projects, such as a wind farm in California.

Were hoping they back off, said Sandra Plaster, whose ranch land will abut the solar installation, and say its not worth it.

lynn.sixel@chron.com

twitter.com/lmsixel
Captain Marvel took off late this week like the F-15E Strike Eagle that Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt used to fly, with Variety saying it netted $20.7 million on Thursday.

Its a comic book tale with a real-life backstory - the world of women pilots flying very fast and lethal airplanes. The heroine played by Oscar-winning actress Bree Larson is probably modeled to some degree on Leavitt, who became the Air Forces first female fighter pilot in 1993.

Larson spent time with Leavitt and other women pilots during a visit to Nellis AFB, Nevada, so she heard a lot of what its like to be a female in the male-dominated world of fighter jocks.

She also flew in the back seat of an F-16. The point of that joyride, as Leavitt will tell you, was to give Larson a better idea of what life is like for real fighter pilots. When I asked if she thought Leavitt learned from Larson, and vice versa, this is what the general said:

Brie was great to work with - she took her role portraying a female fighter pilot in the Air Force very seriously. I learned how important it was to her to get that depiction righteverything from how we wear our uniforms to our Air Force experiences and culture, she explained.

There was one day where Brie spent literally an hour with one of our aggressor pilots just learning how to step to an aircraft and pre-flight the jet. You may never see that on the screen, but you will see how she embraced the role and personified the warrior ethos.

Related: Air Force leader in San Antonio advised Brie Larson for 'Marvel' role

Larsons character Carol Danvers is a space-traveling soldier with superpowers who falls to earth, literally crashing into a Blockbuster video rental store. Thats when she starts to realize that somehow, somewhere, she lived another life on Earth as an Air Force pilot.

Im not sure if Larsons few days at Nellis could teach her much about the leadership, grit and sheer willpower required for a woman to succeed 26 years ago as a fighter pilot, but Leavitt will tell you the actress grokked.

I believe Brie learned what it takes to be a great fighter pilot  determination, confidence, quick decision-making skills  and often a sense of humor, Leavitt wrote me after watching a screening of Captain Marvel at the Smithsonian a few days ago.

Larson, who was given the call sign Sparrow, was laughing at herself last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live. She pulled 8 to 9Gs as the pilot  a woman  put their F-16 through a series of combat maneuvers.

I puked the entire time, she said, 100 percent of the time.

Sig Christenson covers the military and its impact on San Antonio, Bexar County and across the nation. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sigc@express-news.net | Twitter: @saddamscribe
The Sheriffs Office on Saturday continued searching the militarys nearly 28,000-acre Camp Bullis training site in far North Bexar County for Andreen McDonald, who has been missing since Feb. 28.

Law enforcement authorities have reported that they believe that McDonald, 29, a mother of a 7-year-old daughter, is dead.

Friends reported her missing when she did not show up at work or at the gym, as was her schedule. They said they became concerned and drove to her home in the Timberwood Park neighborhood. After no one answered, they entered through a back door and found hair and blood on a light switch in the master bedroom.

Sheriffs deputies arrested her husband, Andre McDonald, 40, last Sunday on charges of tampering with evidence. Andre McDonald, a major in the Air Force Reserve, is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. He is being held in Bexar County Jail in lieu of $2 million bail.

The Sheriffs Office said it had received information that Andre McDonald had been on or near Camp Bullis, where he has no official business, before an investigation began. The training site is largely wilderness.

More than 350 civilian volunteers took part in a search for Andreen McDonald on Friday.

Also helping in various searches since Thursday were Air Force personnel from the 502nd Security Forces, Texas Search and Rescue, the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriffs Office.

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
If elected president, 2020 Democratic contender Julian Castro said he would create a commission to explore the possibility of reparations for slavery.

During a stop Sunday at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Castro did not commit to paying reparations but said it should be part of a topic of conversation for a commission or task force that could explore that and other issues surrounding the nations history with slavery.

Ive long believed the country should consider reparations because of the atrocity of slavery, said Castro, a former San Antonio mayor who was President Barack Obamas Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I also believe that were never going to fully heal as a country from the racial divide until weve addressed the tremendous wrong that was done with slavery.

Castro, 44, said hes not about to proclaim what reparations would look like, saying the country needs more than just a politician making a pronouncement.

The process is going to be just as important as the result, Castro told hundreds of people at the Moody Theater in Austin, where 10 current and potential presidential candidates took turns addressing the annual festival in a question-and-answer format with various moderators.

Castros comments came hours after he was on CNN earlier in the day, questioning why U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a rival for the Democratic Partys nomination, was not more supportive of the possibility of reparations. On ABCs The View last week, Sanders said there were better ways to address the issue than just writing out a check.

To my mind, that may or may not be the best way to address it, Castro said on CNNs State of the Union with Jake Tapper in response to Sanders comments. However, its interesting to me that when it comes to Medicare for all, health care, you know, the response there has been we need to write a big check, that when it comes to tuition-free or debt-free college, the answer has been we need to write a big check.

Castros jabs at Sanders come at a time when early polling in Iowa shows Sanders as the clear front-runner among candidates who have already declared to run for the White House.

According to a new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll of likely Democratic caucus-goers, 27 percent said Joe Biden, who is not in the race, is their first choice for president. The polls showed 25 percent picked Sanders as their first choice. No other candidate in the race topped 10 percent.

Castro was in 8th place and the first choice of just 1 percent. Fellow Texas Democrat Beto ORourke, who has not announced yet if he is running, was the first choice of 5 percent of Iowa caucus-goers in the poll of 401 likely Democratic caucus-goers that was conducted March 3 through March 6.

The Iowa caucuses are the first step in the presidential nomination process. Those caucuses are set for Feb. 3, 2020.

Castro said hes not sweating being relatively far behind in early polling, and thinks hes making progress in Iowa and the other early states.

No question I have plenty of work to do in these early states, Castro said in an interview after speaking at SXSW. But Im going to do the work. One of the ways you can measure candidates is through the amount of traction that they get when they get in front of people. And I can tell Im going to gain good traction as I get in front of people.
Justin spent 6 weeks in the hospital. His parents and doctors rallied behind him after an intensive operation and rigorous therapy that they hoped would, in time, give him the ability to walk. Justin and his parents left the hospital eager to explore this new path to independence, but their optimism was cut short. Justins school at the time was unable to adapt to the new medical equipment that he needed to walk, found it to be a potential liability, and initially refused to let it be used on campus, despite doctors recommendations and his parents pleas.

When the school reluctantly allowed Justin to use the medical equipment at school, he was met with more resistance. Members of the schools staff told him that he couldnt do it, that it was just too hard, and Justin began to internalize their comments to the point where he would tell his therapists that he just couldnt walk.

Justins parents called me in a moment of a desperation. I have been a public school educator since 2006, and 11 out of those 13 years, I have been a special education teacher. Having worked with Justin previously, his parents knew I would understand their struggles, and perhaps help them navigate the complex laws for special needs students. They felt they had no option but to either pull Justin out of the school or acquiesce and not allow Justin to use the equipment that would help him walk again.

I faced a similar situation to Justins parents with my own daughter. At the time, I felt I didnt have any good educational options that could help her succeed. I did extensive research and, luckily, I found Great Hearts, a nonprofit network of public charter schools dedicated to student success. When I first visited Great Hearts Texas, I cried. I could tell right away it was the environment that would allow my daughter to thrive. I enrolled her at Great Hearts Texas and decided to teach there as well.

I found the right option for my daughter, so when I asked Justins parents if they had considered Great Hearts, they responded with confusion. They do that? A charter school?

There is a widespread misunderstanding that charter schools do not serve children with special needs. Justins parents  as I did before them  believed that charter schools could cherry-pick their students or that they couldnt (or wouldnt) provide adequate services to children different from their target group.

That could not be further from the truth. Public and open to all, charter schools are built to give every child an opportunity for a great education in an environment where they can learn best, no matter where theyre from. As a result, we see thousands of children of all ability levels better served in the more inclusive setting that charters provide. In fact, charter schools in our state educate a comparable percentage of students with special needs as traditional ISD schools.

Like all public schools, charter schools are bound by the same federal and state laws regarding the education of students with special needs. At Great Hearts, for example, we provide physical therapy, vision therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy  anything that a child may need as part of an individualized education plan.

There are hundreds of charters in our state that have set up their own customized services to be able to serve special needs students. And as a result, we see hundreds of families  especially parents of special needs kids  enrolling each year in public charter schools, to the point where there are waitlists in San Antonio for families waiting to enroll.

Justin is now one of my students at Great Hearts. He is taking three to four steps independently in the equipment that was deemed a liability by his former ISD school. He is independently accessing different areas of the school through the use of a one-armed wheelchair. He constantly cheers on students around him and when faced with a math problem he gets wrong, he states Ill get it next time! Gone are the comments that he cannot do it.

We all know a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesnt work. Thats why public charter schools offer students of all kinds the personal attention, creativity and passionate teaching that they need to really learn.

And thats why students like Justin  and like my daughter  are finding public charter schools are the best choice for them.

Brooke Lucero is a parent, special education teacher at Great Hearts Texas, and 2017 Texas Charter School Teacher of the Year. She is a resident of San Antonio.
In his State of the State address for the current legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott declared school finance, teacher pay and school safety emergency items, and for good reason: Texas ranks 43rd in the nation in per-student spending.

As a pregnant teacher, I couldnt agree more that its time to quit saying we care about education and time to start acting. Several legislators have come forth with proposals. Im particularly excited about the Texas Kids First Plan, proposed by House Democrats, which calls for increasing public school spending by $14.5 billion, funding full-day prekindergarten for all, raising pay for school employees, and more.

To put things in perspective, Texas would need to invest $22 billion more annually just to be on par with the national average for per-student spending. While this plan wouldnt fix everything, its a great start.

The call for universal pre-K is especially important.

As a first-time expecting parent, Ive been dismayed at the cost of child care  if I can even find it. My unborn son already is on waitlists for full-time care, where Ive been quoted monthly fees around $1,200 to $1,500, well over half my take-home pay.

In Texas, the average cost of child care at a licensed facility is more than $9,000 annually  more than a year of tuition at many universities. Yes, pre-K is just one year, but having that one year covered would be a huge financial help.

Funding full-day pre-K would also help keep children safe. Last year, the Austin-American Statesman completed a yearlong investigation of child safety in day care. Its findings were horrific. Due largely in part to rolled-back state regulations  Texas day care staffing level requirements are some of the most relaxed in the nation  nearly 90 children have died in care since 2007. In the past 10 years, there have been more than 450 known cases of sexual abuse inside child care centers. Obviously, accidents can happen anywhere and most day care centers arent out to hurt our young, but theres no question that universal pre-K would improve safety.

Investing in pre-K would also be investing in the future minds of Texas. Studies show that access to quality early education improves school readiness, increases graduation rates and decreases incarceration.

Considering Texas spends three times more per inmate than per student, backing pre-K makes financial sense.

In his State of the State, Abbott said, Working together, we will create a Texas where every student is reading at grade level by the time they finish the third grade. Where every child, regardless of their ZIP code, receives a quality education. And where every student graduates with more than just a diploma. They will graduate with the tools they need to excel in college or a career.

You know what would help us achieve this laudable goal? Pre-K.

The estimated cost for universal pre-K is $1.6 billion a year  a price some argue is too steep to overcome. I disagree. The state usually approves an annual budget of $215 billion to $220 billion. The state can find the funds. Besides, taking the cost of child care off the backs of families would pump more money into local economies. Stay-at-home parents could re-enter the job force.

Investing in pre-K is a no-brainer.

Funding safe, affordable and quality early education should not be seen as an afterthought, but as a centerpiece to overhauling the Texas education system. Though Im glad to hear Abbott highlight education as a major concern, Im worried by some of his solutions.

In response to our school finance crisis, Republican legislators suggest focusing on merit pay for teachers and schools based on test scores, an awful idea that will only exacerbate disparity.

Do we want to be like Arkansas, which has legislation proposing tying lunch funding to student reading skills? These merit-based proposals make no sense. Struggling kids are the ones who need more support, not less.

Education is a worthy cause that should unite us all. As the legislative session continues, the support for universal pre-K and increased education funding must expand. As a teacher and soon-to-be working mom, my request is reasonable: Help me care for my child so I can care for the future of Texas.

Shannon Perri is an English instructor at Texas State University.
Augusta Gold Corp., a junior exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in the United States. It primarily explores for gold, silver, and other metals. The company holds interests in the Bullfrog gold project located in the north-west of Las Vegas, Nevada. It also owns, controls, or has acquired mineral rights on Federal patented and unpatented mining claims in the state of Nevada for the purpose of exploration and potential development of metals on a total of approximately 7,800 acres of land. The company was formerly known as Bullfrog Gold Corp. and changed its name to Augusta Gold Corp. in January 2021. Augusta Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells BMW vehicles and automotive components in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers minibuses under the JinBei, Renault, Haise, Grand Haise, and Granse brands, as well as multi-purpose vehicles under the Huasong brand. Its automotive components include moldings, seats, axles, safety and airbag systems, and interior decoration products, as well as engines for minibuses, sedans, sport utility vehicles, light duty trucks, etc. The company also provides BMW sport activity vehicles. In addition, it offers auto-financing services to customers and dealers. Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited has strategic partnerships and alliances with BMW, Toyota, Magna, Bosch, Continental, Delphi, TI Automotive, and Johnson Controls. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.

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Varian Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures, sells, and services medical devices and software products for treating cancer and other medical conditions worldwide. It operates through Oncology Systems and Proton Solutions segments. The Oncology Systems segment offers hardware and software products for treating cancer with radiotherapy, fixed field intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, artificial intelligence based adaptive radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, as well as quality assurance equipment. Its products include linear accelerators, brachytherapy afterloaders, treatment accessories, and quality assurance software; and information management, treatment planning, image processing, clinical knowledge exchange, patient care management, decision-making support, and practice management software. This segment serves university research and community hospitals, private and governmental institutions, healthcare agencies, physicians' offices, medical oncology practices, radiotherapy centers, and cancer care clinics. The Proton Solutions segment designs, develops, manufactures, sells, and services products and systems for delivering proton therapy for the treatment of cancer. The company has a strategic agreement with McKesson Corp. to supply treatment delivery systems and planning, services, and radiotherapy information system solutions to its U.S. Oncology Network and Vantage Oncology affiliated sites of care; and a strategic partnership with Siemens AG to represent Siemens diagnostic imaging products to radiation oncology clinics in the United States and other select markets. Varian Medical Systems, Inc. was formerly known as Varian Associates, Inc. and changed its name to Varian Medical Systems, Inc. in April 1999. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Lithia Motors: 797 Valley Street LLC, Albany CJD Fiat, Baierl Auto Group, Baierl Auto Parts LLC, Baierl Automotive Corporation, Baierl Chevrolet Inc., Baierl Holding LLC, Broadway Ford, Buhler Ford Inc, Cadillac of Portland Lloyd Center LLC, Camp Automotive Inc., Carbone Auto Body LLC, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Morgantown, Cranberry Automotive Inc., Crater Lake Ford Lincoln, Crater Lake Mazda, DCH (Oxnard) Inc., DCH Auto Group, DCH Bloomfield LLC, DCH CA LLC, DCH Calabasas-A LLC, DCH California Investments LLC, DCH California Motors Inc., DCH DMS NJ LLC, DCH Del Norte Inc., DCH Essex Inc., DCH Financial NJ LLC, DCH Freehold - V LLC, DCH Freehold LLC, DCH Holdings LLC, DCH Investments Inc. (New Jersey), DCH Investments Inc. (New York), DCH Korean Imports LLC, DCH Mamaroneck LLC, DCH Mission Valley LLC, DCH Monmouth LLC, DCH Montclair LLC, DCH Motors LLC, DCH NY Motors LLC, DCH Nanuet LLC, DCH North America Inc., DCH Oxnard 1521 Imports Inc., DCH Riverside-S Inc., DCH Simi Valley Inc., DCH Support Services LLC, DCH TL Holdings LLC, DCH TL NY Holdings LLC, DCH Temecula Imports LLC, DCH Temecula Motors LLC, DCH Thousand Oaks-F Inc., DCH Torrance Imports Inc., Dah Chong Hong CA Trading LLC, Dah Chong Hong Trading Corporation, Daron Motors LLC, Day Auto Group, Downtown LA, Driveway Motors LLC, Elizabeth Collision LLC, Florida SS LLC, Ford Lincoln of Morgantown, Freehold Nissan LLC, Fuse Auto Sales LLC, Hamilton Honda, Hazleton Honda, Hutchins Eugene Nissan Inc., Hutchins Imported Motors Inc., Jaguar Landrover Mission Viejo, LA Motors Holding LLC, LAD Advertising Inc., LAD Carson-N LLC, LAD Mission Viejo-JLR Inc., LAD Mobu Inc., LAD-AU LLC, LAD-MB LLC, LAD-N LLC, LAD-P LLC, LAD-T LLC, LAD-V LLC, LBMP LLC, LFKF LLC, LGPAC Inc., LLL Sales Co LLC, LMBB LLC, LMBP LLC, LMOP LLC, LSTAR LLC, Lithia AcDM Inc., Lithia Aircraft Inc., Lithia Anchorage-C LLC, Lithia Anchorage-H LLC, Lithia Armory Garage LLC, Lithia Auction & Recon LLC, Lithia Auto Services Inc., Lithia Automotive Inc., Lithia BA Holding Inc., Lithia BNM Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Baierl-S LLC, Lithia Bryan Texas Inc., Lithia Buffalo-A LLC, Lithia CCTF Inc., Lithia CDH Inc., Lithia CIMR Inc., Lithia CJDO Inc., Lithia CJDSA Inc., Lithia CJDSF Inc., Lithia CM Inc., Lithia CO Inc., Lithia CSA Inc., Lithia Community Development Company Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-F Inc., Lithia Crater Lake-M Inc., Lithia DE Inc., Lithia DM Inc., Lithia DMID Inc., Lithia Des Moines-VW LLC, Lithia Dodge of Tri-Cities Inc., Lithia Eatontown-F LLC, Lithia FLCC LLC, Lithia FMF Inc., Lithia Financial Corporation (previously Lithia Leasing Inc. and Lithia Credit Inc.), Lithia Florida Holding Inc., Lithia Ford of Boise Inc., Lithia Fresno Inc., Lithia HDM Inc., Lithia HGF Inc., Lithia HMID Inc., Lithia HPI Inc. (nonoperating), Lithia Hamilton-H LLC, Lithia Hazleton-H LLC, Lithia Idaho Falls-F Inc., Lithia Imports of Anchorage Inc., Lithia JEF Inc., Lithia Klamath Inc., Lithia Klamath-T Inc., Lithia LBGGF Inc., Lithia LHGF Inc., Lithia LSGF Inc., Lithia MBDM Inc., Lithia MMF Inc., Lithia MTLM Inc., Lithia McMurray-C LLC, Lithia Medford HON Inc., Lithia Middletown-L LLC, Lithia Monroeville-A LLC, Lithia Monroeville-C LLC, Lithia Monroeville-F LLC, Lithia Monroeville-V LLC, Lithia Moon-S LLC, Lithia Moon-V LLC, Lithia Morgantown-CJD LLC, Lithia Morgantown-F LLC, Lithia Morgantown-S LLC, Lithia Motors Support Services Inc., Lithia NA Inc., Lithia NC Inc., Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #1, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #3, Lithia ND Acquisition Corp. #4, Lithia NDM Inc., Lithia NF Inc., Lithia NSA Inc., Lithia Northeast Real Estate LLC, Lithia Orchard Park-H LLC, Lithia Paramus-M LLC, Lithia Pittsburgh-S LLC, Lithia Ramsey-B LLC, Lithia Ramsey-L LLC, Lithia Ramsey-M LLC, Lithia Ramsey-T LLC, Lithia Real Estate Inc., Lithia Reno Sub-HYUN Inc., Lithia Reno-CJ LLC, Lithia Reno-VW LLC, Lithia Rose-FT Inc., Lithia SOC Inc., Lithia SSP LLC, Lithia Salmir Inc., Lithia Sea P Inc., Lithia Seaside Inc., Lithia Spokane-B LLC, Lithia Spokane-S LLC, Lithia TA Inc., Lithia TO Inc., Lithia TR Inc., Lithia Uniontown-C LLC, Lithia VAuDM Inc., Lithia VF Inc., Lithia Wexford-H LLC, Lithia of Abilene Inc., Lithia of Anchorage Inc., Lithia of Bend #1 LLC, Lithia of Bend #2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 1 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 2 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 3 LLC, Lithia of Bennington - 4 LLC, Lithia of Billings II LLC, Lithia of Billings Inc., Lithia of Casper LLC, Lithia of Clear Lake LLC, Lithia of Concord I Inc., Lithia of Concord II Inc., Lithia of Corpus Christi Inc., Lithia of Des Moines Inc., Lithia of Eureka Inc., Lithia of Fairbanks Inc., Lithia of Great Falls Inc., Lithia of Helena Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-A Inc., Lithia of Honolulu-BGMCC LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-F LLC, Lithia of Honolulu-V LLC, Lithia of Killeen LLC, Lithia of Lodi Inc., Lithia of Maui-H LLC, Lithia of Missoula II LLC, Lithia of Missoula III Inc., Lithia of Missoula Inc., Lithia of Pocatello Inc., Lithia of Portland I LLC, Lithia of Portland LLC, Lithia of Robstown LLC, Lithia of Roseburg Inc., Lithia of Santa Rosa Inc., Lithia of Seattle Inc., Lithia of South Central AK Inc., Lithia of Spokane II Inc., Lithia of Spokane Inc., Lithia of Stockton Inc., Lithia of Stockton-V Inc., Lithia of TF Inc., Lithia of Troy LLC, Lithia of Utica - 1 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 2 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 3 LLC, Lithia of Utica - 4 LLC, Lithia of Walnut Creek Inc., Lithia of Wasilla LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 1 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 2 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 3 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 4 LLC, Lithia of Yorkville - 5 LLC, Medford Insurance LLC, Milford DCH Inc., Northland Ford Inc., PA Real Estate LLC, PA Support Services LLC, Paramus Collision LLC, Paramus World Motors LLC, Personalized Marketing LLC, Prestige Auto Group, RFA Holdings LLC, Ray Laks Acura, Ray Laks Honda, Sacramento-L Inc., Salem-B LLC, Salem-H LLC, Salem-V LLC, Sharlene Realty LLC, Shift Portland LLC, Southern Cascades Finance Corporation, Subaru of Morgantown, Tampa-H LLC, Tustin Motors Inc., Wesley Chapel-H LLC, Wesley Chapel-T LLC, Zelienople Real Estate I L.P., and Zelienople Real Estate L.L.C..
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Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The firm engages in the operation of pipelines and terminals that transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, carbon dioxide (CO2) and other products and stores petroleum products chemicals and handles bulk materials like ethanol, coal, petroleum coke and steel. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, CO2, Terminals, Product Pipelines and Kinder Morgan Canada. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment engages in the ownership and operation of major interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline and storage systems, natural gas and crude oil gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities. The CO2 segment focuses on the production, transportation and marketing of CO2 to oil fields that use CO2 as a flooding medium for recovering crude oil from mature oil fields to increase production. The Terminals segment consists of the ownership and operation of liquids and bulk terminal facilities located throughout the U.S. and portions of Canada that trans load and store refined petroleum products, crude oil, chemicals, ethanol and bulk products, including coal, petroleum coke, fertilizer,

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President Donald J. Trump signs an executive order entitled, National Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End Suicide" and launched the "PREVENTS" Initiative Tuesday, March 5, 2019, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
Harrisburg, Pa.  Individuals pursuing an education in a dairy-related field can apply for one of ten $3,000 scholarships made available through the Pennsylvania Dairymens Association and Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation for the 2019-20 academic year. The scholarships are offered annually to recognize outstanding students in dairy. Undergraduate students and high school seniors entering college in the fall are eligible.

We truly believe investing in the education of tomorrows dairy leaders will sustain a bright future for Pennsylvanias dairy industry, said Brittany Haag, dairy education program manager for the Dairy Excellence Foundation. We are pleased that our organizations are once again partnering to offer these Student Leader Scholarships.

To qualify, students must demonstrate a commitment to working in the dairy industry. Selection of recipients is based on academic performance, interest in a dairy-related career, evidence of leadership, character and integrity, and application compliance. Applications are now available online at centerfordairyexcellence.org/student-leader-scholarships/ and are due to the Dairy Excellence Foundation office by June 1, 2019.

Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to Pennsylvania residents who are full-time undergraduate students planning to enroll or currently enrolled in a qualifying field of study. This includes dairy and animal science, agricultural marketing and business, nutrition, food science, agriculture and extension education, agricultural communications, agricultural engineering or related fields.

Students can receive the $3,000 scholarship twice during their undergraduate academic career. Students employed by the Center for Dairy Excellence as an intern or in another capacity are not eligible to apply for the scholarship during the period in which they are working for the Center.

To learn more, visit centerfordairyexcellence.org/student-leader-scholarships/ or contact Brittany Haag at 717-346-0849 or by email at bhaag@centerfordairyexcellence.org.
The gender pay gap in Scotlands mainly rural local authorities has declined substantially since 2012 to the point at which, in 2018, the gap is -1.9 per cent.

Researchers from Scotland' Rural College (SRUC) have completed a scoping study on the gender pay gap in rural Scotland.

The work, funded by the Scottish government, has found the gender pay gap in Islands and remote rural local authorities had the largest gender pay gap in 2016 at almost 20 per cent, but since then the gender pay gap in these areas has declined to 4.5 per cent.

These areas have shown a high level of variability in the gender pay gap between 2012 and 2018, however, which perhaps reflects underling fragility of local labour markets in remote rural areas.

The gender pay gap in larger cities and urban with substantial rural local authorities remained at approximately 10 per cent over the 2012-2018 period.

Project lead Dr Jane Atterton said: Although the reports findings are generally positive for rural Scotland, we need a better understanding of why these patterns exist.

Is there, for example, a positive trend in terms of more women in mainly rural local authorities entering the full-time labour market in well-paid jobs leading to a reducing gender pay gap?

Or is this actually a reflection of more challenging trends, such as women removing themselves from the full-time labour market completely.

She added: It may be that some women cant find appropriate full-time work, or cant access appropriate full-time work, due to additional caring responsibilities or poor public transport availability.

Scottish government's Rural Affairs Minister, Mairi Gougeon said: This reduction in mainly rural local authorities also seems to be driving Scotlands overall reduction in the pay gap, especially as some rural authority areas are presenting a more positive picture than that found in large cities or urban areas.

However, this research also clearly highlights the scale of the challenge before us and the need to make sure our rural economy better supports women retain and gain well paid jobs.

Equality for women is an integral part of our inclusive growth vision and we are determined to improve the position of women in the workplace, she said.

Women made up only 14.9 per cent of registered farm holders in the UK in 2016 according statistics from Defra.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  Three senatorial candidates said that the government must launch an intensified information drive promoting vaccination amid a spike in measles cases in the country.

Lawyers Larry Gadon and Dan Roleda, and labor leader Leody de Guzman all agreed that the government should step up its public information campaign on vaccination to encourage parents to get their children completely immunized.

The trouble is, yung mga mothers kasi, ang iba sa kanila o marami sa kanila, akala nila pag natapos na yung DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus), okay na. O yung iba naman, after the second batch ng vaccines, pagkatapos ng second batch, okay na, tapos na lahat, Gadon said during CNN Philippines fourth Senatorial Forum on Sunday.

[Translation: The trouble is mothers, some of them or many of them, they think that once their children get the DPT vaccine, its already okay. Meanwhile, others, after the second batch of vaccines, they think thats its okay, that its done.]

Roleda also wants the Education and Interior departments to be involved in the information drive so it can be expanded to barangays, households and schools.

But for De Guzman, aside from telling people of the benefits of vaccination, he also wants the government to finally settle whether the controversial anti-dengue Dengvaxia vaccine was indeed the culprit behind the deaths of hundreds of children who received it.

Sana ay magkaroon ng klarong judgment na sa doon Dengvaxia kung yan ba ay totoong nakasama ng todo at naging resulta ng pagkamatay ng mga bata or nagamit lang, napulitika yung bagay na yun, he said.

[Translation: Hopefully there would be a clear judgment on whether Dengvaxia is the reason for the death of these children or was just used for politics.]

The panic that ensued after Sanofi-Pasteur, the French pharmaceutical firm behind Dengvaxia, has been blamed by health experts for the drop in immunization rates in the Philippines.

The Justice department has filed reckless imprudence resulting in homicide raps against former government officials and Sanofi Pasteur executives in connection with the vaccine, but Senate Blue Ribbon committee chair Richard Dick Gordon said there is not enough evidence to back this charge.

Experts have yet to find a definitive link between Dengvaxia and the deaths of children who have received it.

The Health department said that measles cases have been reported in nearly every province in the country as of February.
Its not a real iguanodon tooth, I dont think. Though in a story about how to interpret the material world and humanitys place within it, identification is an unusually fraught subject. Dinomania by Kandinsky at New Diorama is a brilliantly theatrical tour of the fossil frenzy and dino debates of the mid-19th century. A project of deep research and wanton invention, of feeling and flair, its much like the fossil hunters it portrays.

Pioneering Georgian geologists paddled through a bone-cold mess of curiosity, class and theology. Gentlemen with leisure to prod and pontificate looked down on amateurs who fitted excavations around work and family. (There were female fossilers, too, absent from this tale of strictly masculine hubris  wait for Kate Winslet as Mary Anning in the forthcoming film Ammonite.)

The more compelling the discoveries, the greater the challenge to Anglican certainties. Can scientists square theology with evidence prised from the rocks? Everyone guards their pet theories, their foothold on scientific respectability  Kandinsky stages these debates with pugilist vigour, marking each discredited theory with implacable force  a duellists bullet consigns the loser to dust.

Non-posh Sussex surgeon Gideon Mantell is desperate to dodge the bullet. He (or possibly his wife) found the first fossil tooth and argued that it belonged to an early reptile, but it was dismissed it as belonging to a fish or rhino. His reputation was contested, then buried, by his rival Richard Owen. History ran him over.

In the brilliant custard-draped design by Joshua Gadsby and Naomi Kuyck-Cohen, organic matter is represented by clothing  a lovely, homely reminder that these debates are all, really, about us, our sense of comfort and feeling at home in the vast sweep of history. Gideons patients (mostly in the throes of childbirth or cholera) are jumpers and trousers stuffed like cushions. The fossils he finds in his spare hours look like the same garments but oddly flattened and freeze-dried  life with the life sucked out of it.

And then theres the tooth  the object that ignited his quest to find what initially seemed a giant lizard (hence the name iguanodon) and that he treasures even after everything else slips away. Unlike everything else in the show, its weightily, stubbornly realistic. Grey as extinction, heavy as lost hope. Poignantly, amidst all the witty invention, it stands for something that cant be argued away, that can be held feelingly in the hand.

Three of the four terrific actors are women, throwing into relief that masculine pride is on the line. Janet Etuks spry Gideon (light on her feet, with a delighted, nervous smile that dims with her characters fortunes) combats Harriet Webbs brutally assured Owen. (After her contemptuous rapist in Its True, Its True, Its True last year, Webb has found a rare niche in viciously privileged blokes. Confident stride, basso bark, swathe of blonde hair to shake in derision: its intimidating and superbly satirical.) Sophie Steer is Gideons pained wife, Hamish MacDougall a succession of flare-nostrilled sceptics  and everyone also plays everyone, everything else.

The cast devised the show with writers Lauren Mooney, Al Smith and James Yeatman. From the audience, you couldnt tease apart their input. Its a unique mix  everythings Kandinsky. And similarly, all the fossils and the theories about them dont belong to anyone, because theyre the history of our planet  theyre our story. Even as Owen reads from his work, assuming he gets the last word, Darwins On the Origin of Species looms. An electric fan blows Owens pages away, their worth forgotten as he insists on it. History moves on.

Theres a real profundity to Dinomania, which begins light and ends in gravity. Thinking of your ages-to-come legacy isnt worth it. Betting present pleasure against future fame isnt clever. Time makes fools of us all. Look at the dinosaurs. Consider the tooth.

Photo of Sophie Steer and Janet Etuk, by The Other Richard

Follow David on Twitter: @mrdavidjays
It doesnt matter how attached you get to a brand or a logo, eventually there comes a time when its right to make some changes.

With the first six months under the belts of the FIG Management Team, that time is now.

Goodbye to the book

Fethiye International Group started in 2004 and one of the first activities was a weekly book swap, which was reflected in the logo.

With much discussion and a tinge of sadness, the decision was made to say goodbye to the book.

Todays FIG is an active part of the community with a variety of activities to raise money for local children and this needs to the reflected in the marketing materials.

We would like to say a huge thank you to Leyla Temiz from Ottostop Design and The Aware.Co for designing our wonderful new brand.

Hello to a fresh, new look

We now have a style guide which is used to create a consistent look across all media used to promote FIG. It includes fonts, colors, images and illustrations.

The style guide will be used for all design work relating to FIG.

Have a look and see what you think.

New logo

Our strap line

A strap line summarises what a business or charity stands for in just a few words. Ours is:

Posters

Posters will be designed using the style guide incorporating key differences to illustrate different seasons or events. You may have already seen the first poster for the Spring Fayre.

Leaflet

The leaflets have been completely redesigned and are now available. Thank you to Asl Toprak for the Turkish translation.

Social media

You will see two styles of Facebook cover photo. One is a generic cover photo which will be used when there are no events coming up.

The second will be an event specific cover photo that will be used to advertise the next event coming up.

There is also a new profile photo for social media.

There are still a few bits around with the old brand but they are being replaced over the next few weeks.

FIG Website

The FIG website is currently being updated in line with the re-brand.

We hope you like our fresh, new look. Please tell us what you think

For more information about FIG, please visit then on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/figfethiye
Mukesh Ambani & Nita Ambani Dance Away

Akash Ambani's parents, Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani cannot hold their joy as they dance with the baaraat before the wedding celebrations begin. The two of them twinned in colorful floral attires and the mood of the wedding was definitely festive.

The Guests Have A Great Time

The guests at the Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta wedding are all having a good time dancing with the baaraat. The wedding ceremony was preceded by many days of pre-wedding celebrations such as the Sangeet ceremony, Mehendi ceremony, pre-wedding bash in Switzerland and so on.

The Bride Looks Divine

The bride, Shloka Mehta looks absolutely divine as she makes her appearance as the wedding ceremonies are about to begin. With the bridal entourage behind her, and the beautiful decor of lavender flowers, the wedding was picture perfect.

The Bride & Groom Finally Lay Eyes On Each Other

Akash Ambani leans in to kiss his bride Shloka Mehta on her cheek as both sides of the family watch on in joy. The smile on Akash's face as he sees Shloka says it all. We also see in the frame, Nita Ambani and Akash's sister Isha Ambani.

The Wedding Ceremonies Begin

The Ambanis and Mehtas watch as the wedding ceremonies between Akash and Shloka begin. Doesn't the picture look absolutely dreamy?

Nita Ambani Removes 'Buri Nazar' As The Couple Exchange Rings

In a beautiful moment captured, we see Nita Ambani removing buri nazar' (evil eye) as Akash and Shloka exchange rings.

A Playful Moment Between Siblings Isha And Akash

Isha Ambani lovingly teases her brother Akash during the ring exchanging ceremony between him and Shloka. Isha herself got married recently in a lavish ceremony at the Ambani's residence, Antilla. Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's wedding too was a star studded affair.

They Make A Gorgeous Couple, Don't They?

Akash Ambani and his bride Shloka Mehta make for a gorgeous couple. The photographers captured a moment of bliss between them among many such moments they must have had throughout the evening.
Bharti Singh & Rohit Shetty On Stage

# The episode starts with Bharti Singh mocking Rohit Shetty. She is also seen taking dig at her husband Haarsh. Aditya is seen promoting his upcoming show Rising Star. Aditya will be hosting the singing reality show.

Akshay Kumar To Grace The Show

# Rohit Shetty announces that the winner of the show will be taking home Maruti Suzuki Swift and Rs 20 Lakhs cash prize along with the trophy. He also announces that Akshay Kumar will be gracing the show.

Aly Gets Eliminated

# The five finalists will be seen fighting for the trophy. Aditya, Aly and Ridhima perform the first stunt. The one, who loses, will get eliminated! Aditya manages to complete the task successfully. Aly backs out as he gets cramp, while Ridhima comes half way and gives up. Hence, Aly is the first to get eliminated among the five finalists!

Adiya, Punit & Ridhima Are Top 3 Finalists

# Shamita and Punit perform the second stunt. Shamita quite impressively finishes the task, but Punit beats her in the task! Shamita gets eliminated. Rohit Announces Aditya, Punit and Ridhima are the top 3 finalists.

Rising Star Judges On KKK 9 Finale Stage

# Rising Star participants and the judges of the show - Shankar Mahadevan, Neeti Mohan and Diljit Dosanjh perform. Akshay Kumar performs daredevil stunt and enters the stage. Rising Star judges welcome Akshay.

Akshay Gives Kesari Challenge To Contestants

# Akshay gives the challenges to the contestants. He gives Kesari (high kick) challenge to KKK 9 contestants - Sree and Shamita and to Rising Star judge Shankar Mahadevan.

Final Task

# After some fun time on stage with Rising Star judges, KKK 9 contestants and Akshay Kumar, Rohit Shetty announces the final stunt that decides the winner of the show. Punit goes first, then Ridhima and then Aditya.

Aditya & Punit Are Top 2 Finalists

# All the three perform the stunt successfully, but Ridhima gets eliminated. So, the winner is between Aditya and Punit.

# Before announcing the winner, Akshay Kumar shows the viewers his upcoming film Kesari promo! Akshay also asks Rohit to give the winner the sword that he used in the film. Rohit announces that he will be seen together with Akshay in Sooryavanshi.

Punit Pathak Is The Winner!

# Also, through LIVE voting, the viewers decide the first singer - Abhishek - of the upcoming show Rising Star that will replace KKK 9.

# Rohit Shetty declares Punit Pathak as the winner of the show!
The BJP will use leaflets to ask people whether they would vote for parties that questioned the valour of the country's armed forces in connection with the February 26 air strike and the aerial engagement with Pakistan fighter jets the next day.

Mumbai: The BJP will use leaflets to ask people whether they would vote for parties that questioned the valour of the country's armed forces in connection with the February 26 air strike and the aerial engagement with Pakistan fighter jets the next day.

Speaking at a gathering of the BJP's women workers here on Sunday, senior leader and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj signalled that the military action against Pakistan after the February 14 Pulwama attack would be a poll issue for the ruling party.

"We should ask questions about whether our jawans should count the dead bodies (after dropping bombs on terror camps) or return safely after carrying out the air strike. BJP workers should ask counter-questions to those who raise doubts about the impact of our air strike," Swaraj said.

The February 26 air strike is at the centre of a political slugfest with some opposition parties demanding that the Narendra Modi government furnish proof of its efficacy in terms of terrorist casualties at the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp that was bombed.

"We (BJP) should ask questions like whether you (voter) will support parties that side with separatists. We should ask people whether they want to vote for those who question the valour of our jawans," she said.

"We will have two leaflets of which one will be about these logical counter statements. BJP workers should use it during the poll campaign. The other leaflet will be about government welfare schemes for women. The two leaflets will be made available soon," Swaraj said.

Speaking at the function, Swaraj said, "This is my last public appearance before the model code of conduct comes into force. At the same time, it is my first rally to ensure a second term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

The country was full of nationalistic fervour now, she said, adding that she wanted its people to be safe under the leadership of Modi.

"I was also asked about this third surgical strike by a local BJP leader. I told him that the third surgical strike is going to be done by this country's voters on expectations and plans of the opposition," she said.

"It will prove predictions of political pundits wrong and there would be a mammoth mandate again in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be the third surgical strike, which voters will do," she said.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on Saturday at a public rally in Karnataka that there had been three surgical strikes in the last five years.

Singh, however, had added that he would not reveal details of the the third cross-border action.

Swaraj also praised the Ujjwala Yojana, under which LPG cylinders are being given to rural families.

"Earlier, rural women had to waste time collecting wood, and then carry it on their heads. It used to cause hair loss among women. The smoke from the wood fire would affect their eyes. With this LPG scheme, we have prevented hair loss and eyes getting exposed to smoke," she claimed.
Over 100 people died in hooch tragedies in February in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur and Kushinagar and in Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

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

***

Kushinagar: Country-made illegal hooch killed at least 12 people in the villages of the twin districts of Kanpur and Kanpur Dehat in Uttar Pradesh in May 2018. Police action was swift. Over 100 people were arrested and thousands of litres of hooch and chemicals were seized and destroyed. But that didn't deter the hooch manufacturers, who always seem to reemerge once the dust has settled.

The news of over 100 hooch-related deaths in early February this year in Saharanpur, Kushinagar and Haridwar brought the police to villages in Kanpur and Kanpur Dehat once again. They found moonshine being brewed in at least half a dozen villages. Seven women were among the 15 persons arrested in the initial days of the investigation, and around 5,000 litres of liquor and chemicals were seized. The police found several sealed vats of hooch buried so deep that they had to use excavators to dig them out and destroy them. Eventually, over 3,000 people were arrested and 80,000 litres of spurious liquor seized.

"The deaths in Saharanpur alerted us. But we would have stepped up our vigil anyway as elections are approaching," said Anant Deo, Kanpur's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).

It is a known fact that alcohol in India is used to influence voters during elections, and the manufacture and sale of hooch rises ahead of polls. For this very reason, the Election Commission of India clearly mentions in its Model Code of Conduct that 'no alcohol should be distributed during elections'. On the orders of the Election Commission, liquor shops close 48 hours before voting begins.

"It may be possible that bootleggers had become active as elections are approaching," Deo said.

There are three types of alcoholic drinks available in India. One is Indian-made foreign liquor; the second is the cheap liquor manufactured legally; and the last one is what is brewed locally. It is this locally brewed, or country-made, liquor that is proving to be fatal time and again in Uttar Pradesh and its neighbouring states. Despite being illegal, country-made liquor is widely brewed and sold in Uttar Pradesh, and the cycle of deaths, crackdowns and return to status quo continues.

Hooch tragedies in recent years

Police and excise officials say it is easy to keep a tab on the sale of liquor in cities but not in far-flung rural villages and hamlets. "We take quick action, but then, there are issues like connectivity and remoteness," the SSP said.

Indians have a long history of consuming locally-brewed alcoholic drinks like mahua, toddy and salfi. But excise laws came into force after Independence and it was declared illegal to brew alcohol locally.

Robby Sharma, a social activist and lawyer based in Kanpur, said it was hard to keep a check on hooch being brewed illegally.

"The government has hiked the prices of alcohol so much that the poor have started looking for alternatives, which causes these hooch tragedies," he explained, adding that this was mostly in rural areas, where legal liquor is either unavailable or too expensive and unaffordable for villagers. "A person living in a village can't afford to buy a bottle of alcohol that costs Rs 500, but he can buy a quarter bottle of hooch for Rs 50."

Sharma's solution to this problem is legalising making of hooch and giving it the status of a cottage industry.

"A tribe named Kalal has been making toxic drinks for centuries," he said. "So why not allow people in villages to make small quantities of alcohol? The excise department can check the alcohol before it is sold. This way, hooch tragedies can be checked."

The people who make hooch don't follow any rules while manufacturing the alcohol, said Abhimanyu Singh, district excise officer of Kanpur who has conducted several raids in villages around the city.

"They use anything and everything available at hand to make the base. Generally, it is a rotten fruit and water," he added. "To this base, they add yeast to make it fizzy and then leave it in a vat to ferment. They distill the fermented liquid and then add methyl alcohol, which is cheaper than the safer ethyl alcohol, to make it toxic. Everything is done in an ad hoc manner, and you never know when a bottle will prove fatal."

Singh pointed out that methyl alcohol is easily available as it is used in several industries.

"Methyl alcohol is cheaper than ethyl alcohol. Their prices vary depending on their concentration, but a litre of ethyl alcohol usually costs around Rs 40. The cost of methyl alcohol is nearly half that amount," he explained.

The difference in the prices may be just Rs 20, but methyl alcohol kills in scores.

Sunita Omaahi Kala from a village in Saharanpur knew that her husband Pintoo Kumar was into making and selling hooch. But she never imagined that a day would come when this very hooch would kill all the male breadwinners of her joint family.

"My husband drank the alcohol and vomited a couple of times and fainted," she said, adding that Pintoo was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.

The people at the ceremony to mourn Pintoo's death were served locally-brewed hooch. The same day, his father, brother and five other villagers died of alcohol poisoning.

Vipin, one of mourners, considers himself a lucky survivor even though he lost his eyesight after drinking the liquor. "I can't see anything," he said in slurry voice, adding that he fears he may lose his voice, as well.

Activist Sharma echoed the excise officer's words.

"Hooch makers can't leave the liquor in vats to ferment for long because of the risk of police raids. So to make the alcohol quickly, they add chemicals to the mix that are unfit for human consumption and could be fatal," he explained.

But if the government allows the same person to manufacture alcohol in small quantities, "he won't use poisonous substances like methyl alcohol or urea to brew it quickly", he added. "Why not set up cooperatives at the village level and make alcohol available to people at a cheap price, if total prohibition is not an option?"

Hari Shankar Shukla, a senior excise officer, said officials of his department were always on their toes to keep a check on illegal manufacturing of alcohol.

"Since the tragedy in February, we have booked around 3,000 people and confiscated 80,000 litres of illegally-brewed alcohol," Shukla said. "We have taken the tragedy in Saharanpur very seriously and are keeping a vigil in the villages."

The district Senior Superintendent of Police, Dinesh Kumar, added that those arrested "had been booked under various sections of the Excise Act and produced in court". "It is up to the courts to decide now," he said.

However, a former director general of Uttar Pradesh police said checking the brewing of moonshine was very difficult, given how vast the state is.

"Its district are sprawling," he said. "Take Unnao district, for example. Its boundary is some 150 kilometres long. And what is the strength of the excise department of Unnao? Twenty-five at most. And what resources do they have? How can 25 people keep a vigil on each and every village in Unnao?"

He also believes that total prohibition is not the solution, citing the experience of dry state Bihar as an example.

"People there are now getting addicted to drugs, which is an even more dangerous situation. In any case, alcohol is freely available in the state. Recently, a truck filled with bottles of alcohol was seized at the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border... People can't be forcibly stopped from drinking, but governments should try to make them aware about the ills of alcohol."

With inputs from Ashok Kumar Shukla in Kushinagar and Vinod Kashyap in Saharanpur

The author is a Kanpur-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters
The Election Commission of India is likely to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha election at 5 pm on Sunday. The polls are expected to be spread over seven to eight phases during the months of April and May.

The Election Commission of India is likely to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha election at 5 pm on Sunday. The polls are expected to be spread over seven to eight phases during the months of April and May

Sources in the Election Commission had said on Friday that the poll panel was in the final stages of completing logistical preparations. On Thursday, the Congress released its first list of 15 candidates who will contest the parliamentary elections. The list featured the names of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who will contest the polls, once again, from Rae Bareli and Amethi, respectively.

According to reports, the Election Commission, on Sunday, may also announce the dates for the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls.

Elections are also due by May in Jammu and Kashmir, where Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly in November 2018. The poll panel is bound to hold fresh elections in a state within six months of the dissolution of its Assembly.

Voting for the Lok Sabha election will be held at nearly 10 lakh polling stations across 543 constituencies. The dates of the 2014 general election were announced on 5 March, 2014. They were held over nine phases, with the first one beginning on 7 April and the last one on 12 May.

The term of the current Lok Sabha ends on 3 June.

Follow LIVE updates on the announcement
Businessman Robert Vadra, who is believed to have been indicating an intention to join politics for a few weeks, on Sunday wrote another post on Facebook, saying he was 'overwhelmed' by the people who want him to 'fight elections from their areas'. He also expressed a desire to 'serve people on a bigger platform'.

Businessman Robert Vadra, who is believed to have been indicating an intention to join politics for a few weeks, on Sunday wrote another post on Facebook, saying he was "overwhelmed" by the people who want him to "fight elections from their areas". He also expressed a desire to "serve people on a bigger platform".

"I am overwhelmed at the love of people from different cities of our great nation, who are reaching out to me and want me to fight the elections from their areas and represent them for a better change," Vadra wrote in the Facebook post, sharing photographs of posters endorsing him as a political figure.

Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law and husband of newly-appointed party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, said he "remembers the hard work and effort" he put into campaigning for UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in Uttar Pradesh.

"I was fortunate to see the simplicity of the life lived in those villages and the respect and love I earned in the weeks I spent traveling for kilometres apart and tried to get their messages of help to resolve their issues. Seeing the developments in the years and their happiness was rewarding," Vadra wrote.

However, despite speculation in the media about Vadra's entry into politics as part of the Congress, neither Rahul nor any senior party leader has clarified or reacted to the reports.

Poster seen near Kaushambi metro station in Ghaziabad pic.twitter.com/TYewCJKEPA  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 9, 2019

Vadra concluded his post by saying that once the "false accusations" against him were "cleared", he would "be part of change for the better".

"I surely have been serving and helping people in need for years and would like to serve people on a bigger platform, but only once all false accusations and allegations levied on me are cleared... My belief is that truth will prevail and hence, I will be part and help for the better change and development required for our country."
An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts as well as electronic evidence for it, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

New Delhi: An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts as well as electronic evidence for it, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

It also said evidence on the use of F-16 fighter jets by Pakistan is there in the form of parts of AMRAAM missile recovered from the site, which is carried only by F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, at a media briefing, said an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence for it.

In the aerial combat, India had lost the MiG-21 Bison aircraft and the IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan. Pakistan claimed it downed two Indian jets, and rejected IAF's assertion that a F-16 aircraft was shot down by it during the dogfight.

"Only one aircraft was lost by us. If, as Pakistan claims, they have a video recording of the downing of a second Indian aircraft, why have they not shown it to the international media even after more than one week?

"Questions should be asked to them as to where the fuselage of the aircraft is and what has happened to the pilots? As we have already said, there are eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence that Pakistan deployed F-16 aircraft and that one F-16 was shot down by Wing Commander Abhinandan," Kumar said.

He said Pakistan should explain why it continues to deny that its F-16 aircraft has been shot down.

Official sources had earlier said Varthaman downed a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an R-73 air-to-air missile before his MiG-21 Bison was hit during a fierce dogfight.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday opined that efforts of the security forces in protecting the country become all the more important when the neighbour is 'hostile' and conspires to 'hit the nation internally.'

Ghaziabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday opined that efforts of the security forces in protecting the country become all the more important when the neighbour is "hostile" and conspires to "hit the nation internally."

Addressing the gathering on the occasion of the 50th Raising Day of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Prime Minister Modi said "Your efforts are important because when the neighbour is hostile, incapable to fight war, conspiracies to hit the nation internally find a safe haven there and terrorism shows its face in different forms. Protecting the nation then becomes challenging," in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

The prime minister further noted that "VIP culture" sometimes becomes the biggest challenge for security personnel.

"It's not difficult to protect one person. Rather it's difficult to protect an institution, where lakhs of people come, where every face is different, everyone's behaviour is different. This is a bigger task than protecting a VIP," he said. "The biggest challenge for you while serving is people like me and my community, those who consider themselves as VIPs. They get frustrated when you stop them at airports...The VIP culture sometimes becomes the biggest challenge for security."

On the occasion, Modi paid tributes to police officials who lost their lives while on duty. "Emotionally I feel that those in khaki uniforms  their hard work has not been felicitated and recognised well in the country. Whether it is CISF, CRPF or any other security force, because of your dedication and sacrifices, we are today being able to dream about New India."

He also suggested building digital museums at airports and metro stations demonstrating the history of CISF.

"We should build a digital museum at airports and metro stations. There should be a screen there, which should demonstrate how CISF was formed, what they expect from people, how they are concerned about national security and working 24x7. That's how people will understand that they should pay respect to CISF officials for their dedication. I will give full support for doing this," he assured.
This comes after the Jammu and Kashmir administration stopped advertisements to the Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader after the Pulwama attack on 14 February.

Several local newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday published blank front pages in protest against the "unexplained denial of government advertisements to Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader".

Among the papers that published blank covers are the Kashmir Observer, Kashmir Reader, Kashmir Vision and The Kashmir Monitor.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration stopped advertisements to the two major dailies a day after the terror attack in Pulwama on 14 February, in which over 42 CRPF jawans lost their lives.

The Kashmir Editors' Guild had earlier urged the Press Council of India and the Editors Guild to exercise their legal, ethical and professional mandate to intervene, News18 reported. The guild had said that the media in Kashmir is one of the most professional and has retained its neutrality even at the cost of lives.

"It will continue to do so. The professional capacities of the Kashmir media have been acknowledged the world over. The Press Council of India had also issued a detailed report in 2018, detailing the issues and challenges that the Kashmir media is facing. It also addressed certain misconceptions about the media in the report. The guild also wants to reiterate that the attempts at strangulating the media is in continuation of what has happened in last more than three decades," it said.

Former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have previously spoken against the government's decision:

For reasons best known to him, the Guvs admin in J&K has gone beyond its brief & is in no mood to step back. The decision to stop giving ads to local newspapers GK & Kashmir Reader is a punitive measure to force them into submission. Are they trying to stifle free press?  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 22, 2019

In a classic case of shooting the messenger the state government is reported to have blocked Greater Kashmir newspaper group from any government advertisements. If true Im not sure what this move is meant to achieve other than to create a pliant, subservient media.  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 22, 2019

The media in Kashmiri is no stranger to making brazen statements on paper. Following the murder of Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari on 14 June, 2018, Kashmir woke up to blank editorials in various local newspapers. Also, for the first time in decades, both Urdu and English dailies refrained from publishing editorials, leaving blank spaces otherwise occupied by such pieces.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday reinforced that terrorism has no religion while interacting with the Indian community in San Jose during his official three-day visit.

San Jose: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday reinforced that terrorism has no religion while interacting with the Indian community in San Jose during his official three-day visit.

"Terrorism isn't an issue for India alone. It's an international issue. Even America, that never used to understand our pain, are now understanding. Terrorism is the enemy of humanity, terror has no religion. No religion whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian preaches terror," the vice president said.

He also made an apparent reference to Pakistan during his speech. "We're a peace-loving country. All Tom, Dick and Harry came and attacked us, ruled us, ruined us, cheated us...But we never attacked anyone because we believe in the philosophy that the entire world is one family...But we have a neighbour who is aiding, training, funding terrorists," he said.

Talking about the recent anti-terror strikes, he said: "Our neighbour is aiding terrorists, open secret. Recently after Pulwama attack where 40 security personnel lost their lives, four of our Indian Air Force aircraft went to Pakistan, targeted that training camp, destroyed it and came back without any problem within 21 minutes."

Following the interaction, Naidu embarked for his journey back to New Delhi, wrapping up his first two-nation, five-day visit to Costa Rica and Paraguay.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted on Sunday:

Hasta la proxima! After a productive visit to Costa Rica, the last leg of the two-nation tour of Latin America, VP @MVenkaiahNaidu emplanes for a long ride home. This historic visit has fortified relations with two important countries of the region. @VPSecretariat pic.twitter.com/kOSjUXUuOq  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 10, 2019



Naidu pushed for closer trade ties between India and Costa Rica during India's first VVIP visit to the Central American country.

On Thursday, Naidu was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University for Peace founded by the United Nations Organisations (UNO) for his contribution "to the Rule of Law, democracy and sustainable development in India".

India and Costa Rica signed and exchanged two documents following talks between Naidu and Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada on Friday.
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations targeting forward posts and villages at four places along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district

Jammu: Pakistani troops Sunday resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations targeting forward posts and villages at four places along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said.

The firing was intense in the Krishna Ghati sector, where the Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and firing by small arms from around 4.30 am, which was retaliated to befittingly by the Indian Army, a defence spokesman said. He said the cross-border shelling between the two sides continued till 7.30 am. There was no report of any casualty on the Indian side, he said.

Officials said firing and shelling by Pakistan were also reported from the Balnoi and Mankote (both in Mendhar sector), besides from Shahpur sector, all in Poonch district, for a brief period in the early hours of Sunday. The firing was mild in nature and lasted for a brief period without causing any harm, they said.

On late Saturday as well, the Pakistan army had targeted Indian positions in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district for several hours.

There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan after India's preemptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot on 26 February following the 14 February Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Four civilians, including three members of a family, were killed and several others injured as Pakistan targeted over 80 villages in more than 100 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in the state since then.

The frequent ceasefire violations have caused panic among the border residents, forcing authorities to close down educational institutions within five km radius from the zero line in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri as a precautionary measure. However, most schools reopened a few days back after the intensity of the cross-border firing decreased.
Scotland Yard said one man was arrested in London for 'breach of peace' during a face-off between UK-based Kashmiri and pro-Khalistan outfits chanting anti-India slogans and counter-protesters chanting pro-Modi slogans.

London: A clash broke out between groups of rival demonstrators assembled outside the Indian High Commission in London on Saturday.

Scotland Yard said one man was arrested for "breach of peace" during a face-off between UK-based Kashmiri and pro-Khalistan outfits chanting anti-India slogans and counter-protesters chanting pro-Modi slogans. The Metropolitan Police said the man was later "de-arrested, with no further action".

Members of groups such as the Overseas Pakistanis Welfare Council (OPWC) and Sikhs for Justice clashed with counter-protesters from groups including the Friends of India Society, UK, during a demonstration called to protest against "atrocities on ethnic minorities in India".

There were no reports of injuries during the clash, which involved several police officers intervening to control the few dozen protesters.

Images and videos of the clash have since been posted on social media, with either side blaming the other for turning a peaceful protest violent.
After a hoarding of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthanman appeared with BJP leaders, the EC asked political parties to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was walking down a dangerous path by "using the military" to conceal its own "failures", senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said Sunday, asserting that the Election Commission's (EC) circular preventing the use of armed forces in election campaign was much needed.

The EC on Saturday asked political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" against the backdrop of a picture showing a hoarding with images of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as well as leaders of the BJP.

"The EC's circular on preventing the use of of armed forces in election campaign was much needed. This needs to be implemented in letter and spirit. Let's keep security forces out of politics," Patel tweeted.

"By using the military to conceal its own failures the BJP is walking down a dangerous path," he said.

In a fresh instruction issued to all political parties, the EC referred to its December, 2013 letter in which it had "called upon all political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel or photographs of functions involving defence personnel in advertisements".
VVPATs act as the second round of verification in the electoral process, wherein the electoral officers ensure the vote polled by a voter goes to the correct candidate.

The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced seven-phase polls to elect the 17th Lok Sabha. While the first phase will be held on 11 April, the last phase will be held on 19 May. The counting of votes will be held on 23 May 2019. In a major decision taken by the apex election body, all polling stations across India will be equipped with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) along with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

This decision comes at a juncture when Opposition parties have been raising concerns over alleged tampering of EVMs. Last month, senior leaders of the Opposition approached the Election Commissioner of India seeking that at least 50 percent of EVM results should be matched and cross-checked with VVPATs before the final results are declared.

While the Chief Election Commissioner has not given any assurance on the Opposition's demand for verification of the results with VVPATs, this will be the first time that VVPATs will be used alongside EVMs in all the phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

What are VVPATs?

VVPATs act as the second round of verification in the electoral process, wherein the electoral officers ensure the vote polled by a voter goes to the correct candidate. Last year, the Election Commission reiterated its commitment to bringing in VVPATs in all future Assembly, by-elections and Lok Sabha elections.

Who manufactures these VVPATs?

In 2018, the apex election body placed an order for 17.45 lakh VVPATs. These VVPATs will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad  both being Public Sector Undertakings.

How do VVPATs work?

When voters will press the button on the EVM to vote for their choice of candidate, the VVPAT will print a slip confirming who they have voted for. The voter slip will contain the name of the candidate, serial number and the symbol of the political party. The voter will be able to verify and confirm his or her vote through the slip.

Once the voter has cast the vote, he or she will be able to see the confirmation slip through a glass case in the VVPATs. This slip will only be visible to the voter for seven seconds before dropping into the sealed box in the VVPAT. After this, a beep will be heard signalling the end of the voting process.

It is to be noted that only polling officers are allowed to check the VVPAT machines.

A voter is allowed to inform the authorities in the room if he or she finds any discrepancy in the vote cast on the EVM and the information printed on the slip. However, if the claim is found to be false, then the voter may be imprisoned for six months or fined Rs 1,000 or both under Section 177 of the Indian Penal Code.

Supreme Court backed VVPATs in 2013 directive

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, VVPATs were only used on an experimental basis. In that election, VVPATs were used in eight of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. This action was taken after the Supreme Court of India urged the Election Commission to bring VVPATs into the electoral exercise in a phased manner.

"With an intent to have fullest transparency in the system and to restore the confidence of the voters, it is necessary to set up EVMs with VVPAT system because vote is nothing but an act of expression which has immense importance in democratic system," the Supreme Court's judgment said.

The first-ever use of VVPAT was recorded in a 2013 by-election for the Noksen Assembly seat in Nagaland.
The Model of Code of Conduct covers a wide range of possible violations that a political candidate may commit. Under the code of conduct, candidates are barred from making communally provocative speeches, appealing to a particular community for electoral gains, and targeting rivals over their personal lives.

With the Election Commission having announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Harayana, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will now come into effect. The MCC is a set of guidelines that political parties and candidates have to adhere to until the votes are counted. These guidelines deal with the general conduct of candidates, meetings and processions organised by political parties, polling day, polling booths, election observers, manifestos, and announcements made by the party in power.

The earliest form of Model Code of Conduct was imposed during the Kerala Assembly election in 1960. Interestingly, the Election Commission credits political parties for reaching a consensus on the poll code, which has also helped in the evolution of the Model Code of Conduct over the years. It was under TN Seshan, the Chief Election Commissioner between 1990 and 1996, that the current form of the poll code came into existence.

Guidelines for free and fair election

The Model of Code of Conduct covers a wide range of possible violations that a political candidate may commit. Under the code of conduct, candidates are barred from making communally provocative speeches, appealing to a particular community for electoral gains, and targeting rivals over their personal lives. Any form of bribery, through cash or liquor, to influence voters is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Candidates holding meetings in a particular area also need to check in advance if there are prohibitory orders in place. If there are prohibitory orders in the area, candidates need to strictly adhere to them or seek an exemption beforehand. Candidates are also expected to inform the local police about any meetings. This helps the police to make the necessary arrangements for maintaining law and order. Political parties or candidates have to seek permission to use loudspeakers or any other facility for the smooth functioning of the meeting.

Political parties also have to inform the police authorities in advance before undertaking any procession. They are also expected to not deviate from the route approved by the police. Such a measure helps police to plan smooth traffic of vehicles as well as avoid a tricky situation wherein processions of two or more political parties pass through the same place and at the same time. During the procession, political parties have to refrain from carrying effigies representing rival party leaders or burning them in public.

On the day of the polling, candidates are expected to cooperate with the poll authorities to ensure a smooth and fair election process. Anyone entering a polling booth without a valid pass from the Election Commission is violating the Model Code of Conduct. Candidates are prohibited from serving or distributing liquor during polling and 24 hours preceding it. Candidates not only have to avoid coming near polling stations but also keep their camps free of unnecessary crowd in order to avoid any political confrontation. In addition, political party camps are expected not to display any posters, flags, symbols or any other propaganda material.

The Model Code of Conduct requires ministers in the state as well as at the Centre to avoid combining campaigning with their official visits. Ministers have to also refrain from using the government machinery for the purpose of elections. According to the Election Commission guidelines, the ruling party cannot monopolise public places for the purposes of campaigning. Every political party has the right to utilise these spaces for the sake of campaigning. Moreover, neither the ruling party nor any other party can use government accommodation for the sake of electoral campaigning.

Incumbent political parties which use funds from the public exchequer to advertise their achievements with a view to further their electoral prospects are in violation of the code of conduct. On the other hand, ministers are prohibited from sanctioning any funds once the elections are announced. Members of the state or central government cannot lay foundation stones of projects or inaugurate new schemes until the end of the election process. State governments or the Centre cannot make any ad-hoc appointments in the government or Public Sector Undertakings while the poll code is in effect.

Since 2013, the Election Commission has also prohibited political parties from making such promises in their manifesto that may exert undue influence on voters.

MCC not legally enforceable; violations continue to take place

It is to be noted that the Model Code of Conduct is not legally enforceable. However, certain parts of the code can be legally enforced by invoking relevant provisions of the IPC, CrPC and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Despite guidelines from the Election Commission, poll code violations take place at regular intervals during state and general elections. The gravity of the issue can be gauged by a March 2014 report which stated that Tamil Nadu recorded at least 55,000 complaints a month before the state went to polls. In the recently concluded Assembly elections in five states, authorities recorded over 28,000 complaints through the cVIGIL app and the National Grievance Service Portal.

Even prominent politicians have found themselves violating the code. During the 2018 Lok Sabha elections, then Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah violated the Model Code of Conduct after calling then BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi a mass murderer. The Election Commission admonished him for the statement and asked him to be careful with his words.

In fact, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal was given a one-month jail term for violating the code of conduct. According to a PTI report, Pal was accused of using more than the permissible number of vehicles during a rally in 2014. He was, however, released on bail soon afterwards.
The ruling BJP has intensified its election campaign in the backdrop of the IAF strikes in Pakistan, with the face and hope of the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, travelling across the country to address public rallies and inaugurate slews of developmental projects.

The initial stand of solidarity among major Opposition parties and the Centre after the Pulwama attack, in which 42 CRPF personnel died, has evolved into a shouting match to be the first  and loudest  to accuse each other of going soft on terror, questioning the capability of the armed forces and using the suicide attack and incidents that followed as tools to further political agenda.

The latest accusation is especially important with the crucial Lok Sabha election to be held in April-May. The ruling BJP has intensified its election campaign, with the face and hope of the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, travelling across the country to address public rallies and inaugurate a slew of developmental projects.

As he shares the dais with chief ministers, including Yogi Adityanath and Nitish Kumar, a key talking point at Modi's rallies is the "preemptive" air strike the Indian Air Force conducted in Pakistan's Balakot in response to the Pulwama terror attack, for which Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad had claimed responsibility.

Opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, had sparked controversy when they raised doubts about the "timing" of the Pulwama attack. This gave the BJP more ammo to use against the Opposition for apparently questioning the Indian armed forces.

In a veiled attack on the Modi government, the Trinamool Congress supremo had asked "why the deadly attack happened right before the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections".

"It is an attempt to create communal tensions across the country?" she had asked, also accusing the Centre of not doing anything to stop "Pakistanis" from carrying out "terror attacks" in India for all these years. Mamata also claimed the government thought of a "shadow war" only when the elections are near.

However, criticism of the government grew after BJP leaders began to use photographs related to the Indian Army on hoardings of their public rallies. This was soon after the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes on terrorist training camps in Balakot.

Once such instance was in Ahmedabad on 3 March, ahead of Modi's two-day visit to the city. Various hoardings with photos of Modi and army jawans, also featuring messages such as "Modi hai toh mumkin hai" (if Modi is there, it is possible) were put up in the city.

However, the Election Commission, on Saturday, ordered political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" in their posters. The instructions came after the photograph of a hoarding displaying photos of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and senior BJP leaders was circulated on social media and came to the Election Commission's notice. It is not known where the hoarding was put up.

Starting a thread here with some evidence of blatant misuse of army images for elections. Please reply and post more images (any party).             (    )      pic.twitter.com/zH05bhqwu4  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 9, 2019

Varthaman was part of a dogfight with a Pakistan Air Force aircraft a day after the IAF air strikes, when his MiG-21 Bison was shot down by a PAF F-16. He was later captured by the Pakistan Army, but in a "good-will gesture", Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan released him. Varthaman was welcomed back home on 1 March amid celebrations.

Soon after the IAF air strikes in Balakot, congratulatory messages to Modi for "winning" the Lok Sabha elections took over public discourse. BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa had also said that the air strikes would help the party win "at least 22 seats" in Karnataka.

"Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai" is also the BJP's new pre-poll catchphrase, which aims to convey the prime minister's "strength and decisiveness". The party's focus appears to be aimed at bringing to the notice of the electorate the way Modi gave a free hand to the armed forces to cross the Line of Control and the International Border and hit the intended targets in Pakistan.

Based on the tenor of the speeches given by BJP leaders, including the prime minister, after the IAF strikes, it was made clear that the BJP will be going to the polls with the focus on two broad topics  first, Modi's strong leadership and how it can "make everything possible"; and second, the post-Pulwama response of the Indian armed forces. The party is pitching both topics in a bid to emotively polarise voters in favour of the BJP.

A number of instances indicate the ruling party's attempts to project the tension with Pakistan and the IAF action on the border through a political lens BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, while addressing the party's Sankalp Rally in Patna, had said, "The way we won the battle of bullets, we will also win the battle of ballots in the Lok Sabha polls"; Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had claimed the Pakistan Army or terrorists will attack the Indian Parliament and Assam Assembly if the Modi government was not voted back to power.

BJP president Amit Shah claiming that the air strikes had killed 250 militants  though the government has not revealed a toll  only added to the perception that the party was using the IAF air strikes to appeal to voters' nationalistic sentiments and convince them to vote for the party that took the anti-Pakistan, anti-terror step.

Furthermore, the clamour for "proof" of the air strikes by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and the barrage of questions raised by Opposition leaders  including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Kapil Sibal, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Mehbooba Mufti, Salman Khurshid and others  seem to have only helped the BJP shape its response and give a nationalist and pro-forces twist to the tension between the neighbours.

Analysts believe that the hostilities with Pakistan, India's efforts against terrorism and "able leadership" to fight terrorism are bound to be the major talking points in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. However, they clarified that it would be too simplistic to assume that the India-Pakistan tension has guaranteed Modi a second term in office.

With inputs from agencies
Mehbooba Mufti said, 'Decision to hold only parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir confirms sinister designs of Government of India.'

Srinagar: Parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday criticised the decision to defer the Assembly election in the state and blamed the Centre for "mishandling" the security situation and "surrendering" to militants and separatists.

The Congress, National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flayed the Centre for not holding the Assembly polls along with the parliamentary election, which will be held in five phases in the state.

The NC said it was for the first time since 1996 that Assembly election in the state were not held on time.

Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, "Decision to hold only parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir confirms sinister designs of Government of India."

"Not letting people elect a government is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. Also a tactic of buying time to disempower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives," she tweeted.

The Election Commission, which announced the schedule for the parliamentary election on Sunday, cited security reasons for deferring assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir. The state has been under President's Rule after the ruling alliance between the BJP and the PDP fell apart last year.

After the poll panel announced its decision, NC leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "surrendered" before Pakistan, militants and separatists.

"Modi has surrendered to Pakistan, to the militants and to the Hurriyat. Well done Modi Sahib. 56 inch chest failed, Omar said, taking a dig at the prime minister.

Modi's "abject surrender" to anti-India forces is "a crying shame", he said.

"Balakote & Uri are not symbols of PM Modi's handling of national security, J&K is and look at the mess he has made there. The abject surrender to anti-India forces is a crying shame, he said, referring to the Uri terror attack and the air strike by India in terrorist camps in Pakistan's Balakot after the Pulwama terror strike.

"Remember this the next time you are praising Modi for his strong leadership," he said.

Omar said that in 2014, Jammu and Kashmir had Lok Sabha elections on time and assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods, but delaying them now "shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.

"What happened to (Union Home Minister) @rajnathsingh's assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all-party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls?" he asked in another tweet.

Omar said he never thought Modi would be "willing to confess his failure on a global stage by not conducting the Assembly polls on time in Jammu and Kashmir.

"With the amount of international attention elections in Jammu and Kashmir attract, I never thought PM Modi would be willing to confess his failure on a global stage but we all make mistakes & that was mine," he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress alleged that the Assembly election was deferred due to the Centre's "mishandling" of the situation.

"The Centre's tall claims regarding the situation in the state stand exposed. The Centre has itself certified that the situation is out of control and not conducive for holding simultaneous polls, Pradesh Congress Committee president G A Mir said in a statement.

Mir said it was a golden chance for the Centre to hold assembly elections to give an elected government to the people, as all political parties favoured simultaneously elections in the state.

But, the Centre has once again failed to hold assembly elections citing volatile situation as the reason which is indicative of utter failure of the Centre to respect the urges and aspirations of the people, he said.

The Congress leader recalled that during the UPA government's tenure, elections were conducted in 2014 despite unfavourable conditions, but the state recorded the "highest poll percentage".

"This time, elections have been deferred due to the mishandling of the situation on the part of the Centre," Mir alleged.

Senior CPM leader MY Tarigami said deferment of assembly polls will send out wrong signals to people within and outside the state.

He said the Chief Election Commissioner during his presser in New Delhi repeatedly cited recent incidents of violence in Kashmir as the reason for not holding assembly polls.

"If that is true, then how could Lok Sabha polls be held? Even the J-K Governor recently said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimented him for 'successful' conduct of civic elections in Jammu and Kashmir. When these polls could be held, what is the logic for deferring assembly polls? Tarigami questioned.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (NPP) expressed surprise over the decision to not hold the assembly election simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls in the state.

NPP supremo Bhim Singh said in Jammu, "This has exposed the double standards of the BJP government at the Centre."

Singh claimed that the BJP government has deliberately deprived the people of the state of their constitutional rights.

Lok Sabha elections will begin on 11 April and continue for over a month till 19 May across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced in Delhi on Sunday.
The imprint of Indian culture and religions is visible in the temples, performance arts and folk tales of Southeast Asia.

Amid duty-free shops at Bangkoks newer airport, you will come across a stunning installation that might seem resoundingly familiar. Fantastical figures tug at a serpent coiled around a mountain, on top of which stands a four-armed deity. It depicts a legend most Indians have grown up with  samudra manthan, the churning of the oceans to obtain the nectar of immortality. Speakers of many Indian languages might have heard the name of the airport as well  Suvarnabhoomi, land of gold. So how did an episode from ancient Hindu epics make its way to Bangkok?

Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Photographed by James Wheeler (Photo credit: Flickr)

About 3,000 km to the southeast, the Besakih temple complex sprawls across Gunung Agung, Balis highest peak. It features shrines dedicated to the Hindu trinity  Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva  and tiered towers depicting Mount Meru, the centre of the universe.

But Besakih and the statue at Suvarnabhhoomi are not anomalies; rather, they are the norm. Across Southeast Asia, there are hundreds of temples that bear witness to Indias impact on the region. In fact, the largest Hindu temple in the world was built not in India, but in Cambodia  Angkor Wat. While the South Asian origin of Buddhism is common knowledge, the diverse influences of India on Southeast Asian societies is not as well known.

This remarkable cultural infusion is usually traced back to the 1st Century CE, when maritime trade flourished. Goods moved both east and west in a vast inter-continental trading network that spanned from the Roman Empire in Europe to the Han Dynasty in China. The long sea routes required multiple stopovers, many of which were located in Southeast Asia. Along with spices, jewels, textiles and sandalwood, Indian traders brought along their religious and cultural concepts, which took roots across the region.

This phenomenon, termed as the Indianisation of Southeast Asia, is unprecedented as ideas spread across civilisations largely through peaceful means. There is no evidence of colonialism or extensive conquests by Indian kingdoms in the region. However, in 1025 CE, the Chola king, Rajendra I, sent naval fleets to attack Srivijaya (in present-day Indonesia). While the reasons and outcomes of the war are debated by historians, the strong links between the two regions continued as before. Interestingly, the Cholas were the only Indian empire who ventured overseas to invade foreign territories.

Besakih in Bali. Photographed by Anna and Michal (Photo credit: Flickr)

Today, the impact of Indian culture is visible all the way from Myanmar to the Philippines. Many southeast Asian scripts, like Khmer and Kawi (Old Javanese), are directly or vicariously based on the Tamil script common during the reign of the Pallava Dynasty.

Indonesias national carrier is named after Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Along with Hinduism, the four-fold caste system persists in Bali and inter-caste marriage can still raise hackles. Tagalog, one of the many languages of the Philippines, has loan words from Sanskrit  such as mukha (face) and sakshi (witness)  as well as Tamil.

Imagine Ravana asking for a boon from Allah! That is one of the plot points of Hikayat Seri Rama, a Malaysian adaption of Valmikis text. In the Indian version, writes Azly Rahman in an essay in Malaysia Today, Lord Brahma, the creator, is presented as the one approaching King Ravana. In the Malay version, there was a middle man who dealt with what Ravanas wishing for, the prophet Adam, first man on Earth His (Ravanas) wish could not possibly be channelled directly to Allah, rather, the prophet Adam was asked to present his wish.

Wayang Kulit. Photographed by Rebecca Marshall (Photo credit: Flickr)

As in Malaysia, there are multiple adaptations of the Ramayana in Thailand (Ramakien), Cambodia (Ramakerti), Laos (Pha Lak Pha Lam) and Indonesia (Kakawin Ramayana). Till today, children in Thailand are taught the story of Rama in schools. A popular tourist destination in the country is Ayutthaya, about 80 km north of Bangkok. The name might seem familiar because it derives from Ayodhya, the kingdom of Rama. In fact, all emperors of the Chakri dynasty, which has been in power since the 18th century, adopted the name Rama.

Knowledge of the Ramayana in Southeast Asia can be traced back to the 5th Century in stone inscriptions from Funan, the first Hindu kingdom in mainland Southeast Asia, writes Jana Igunma in a blog on the British Library website. New versions of the epic were written in poetry and prose and as dramas Most of these versions change parts of the story significantly to reflect the different natural environments, customs and cultures.

It is for this reason that Agni, the god of fire, is portrayed riding a rhinoceros to Sitas swayamvara in Ramakerti. The Cambodian-origin linguist Saveros Pou points out that in Indian traditions, Agnis mount is usually the ram, an animal which did not belong to the Khmer environment and culture.

The characters of Ramakien are remarkably different from the ones in Valmikis version. Thai audiences are more fond of Hanuman than of Rama, explains A.K. Ramanujan in his paper Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation. Neither celibate nor devout, as in the Hindu Ramayanas, here Hanuman is quite a ladies man, who doesnt at all mind looking into the bedrooms of Lanka and doesnt consider seeing another mans sleeping wife anything immoral, as Valmikis or Kampans Hanuman does. Ramanujan specifies that the characters in the Thai retelling are a fallible, human mixture of good and evil. As Southeast Asian polities came under the influence of Buddhism, Rama came to be seen as a bodhisattva.

Ruins of Sukhothai in north central Thailand. Photographed by Doug Knuth (Photo credit: Flickr)

The beginning of the Kakawin Ramayana is akin to Valmikis text, but the second half diverges significantly. Semar, a wise jester and an indigenous Javan deity, makes an appearance along with his three sons  Gareng, Patruk and Bagong. His name is thought to have been derived from the Javanese word samar (obscure) and he is regarded as the brother of Shiva. Semar figures during comic interludes or as a companion to characters in the Javan retellings of both the Ramayana and Mahabharata. He is quite similar to the vidushaka (court jester) of Sanskrit dramas.

Today, visitors to Indonesia can see Semar in Wayang, a form of puppet theatre. There are puppets of the Pandawas (Pandavas), Kresna (Krishna) and Sinta (Sita) too. However, most of these differ strikingly from the Indian depictions of the characters. Most notably, many of them sport a headdress that curves in an upward spiral and features the face of a bird on the back. The art form bears a striking resemblance to Tholu Bommalata, the traditional shadow puppet theatre of Andhra Pradesh. While there are numerous hypotheses regarding the origin of Wayang, some surmise that it is of Indian provenance.

Even after the establishment of the first Islamic kingdom in Southeast Asia in the 13th Century and the subsequent colonisation of many dominions by the Europeans, elements of Indian culture remained pervasive. Besides, the religious influence of India is not limited to just Hinduism and Buddhism. Islamic scholars from Gujarat, such as Nuruddin ar-Raniri and Shaikh Muhammad Jailani, were instrumental in propagating Sufism in the Malay Archipelago in the 17th Century. Like Hinduism and Buddhism many centuries before, Islam also syncretised with the local customs, beliefs and practices in various parts of the region.

Vat Phou in Laos. Photographed by Ronan Crowley (Photo credit: Flickr)

In the 19th Century, the British transported indentured labourers from India to work on plantations in their Southeast Asian colonies as well as convicts and clerical staff. Many wealthy merchants also moved to centres of commerce, such as Singapore. Today, there are vibrant Indian communities, mostly of Tamil descent, in Malaysia and Singapore as well as Little India enclaves in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Melaka City and Singapore. Most of the Hindu temples in Malaysia, such as Sri Mahamariamman Temple and the Murugan shrine in Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, were built in the past 200 years.

Today, as some nations become more inward-looking, borders turn exclusionary and migration is seen as an issue to be resolved, India and Southeast Asias unique connection is instructive. When two cultures interact, the relationship does not necessarily have to be adversarial  there can be remarkable cultural exchange, synthesis and efflorescence as well.
Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale is keen to put up one to two candidates in the coming Lok Sabha polls in Kerala in alliance with the BJP

Kochi: The Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale is keen to put up one to two candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Kerala and an equal number of candidates in Assam and Maharashtra in alliance with the BJP.

Athawale, who was here to attend the conference of his party workers, said, If the BJP fails to concede to our demand of one to two seats in Kerala, then the RPI will contest at least three to four seats in the state on its own.

I will also talk to BJP national president Amit Shah and would ask for one or two Lok Sabha seats in Assam and Maharashtra my party candidates, he told media persons here.

I have talked to Keralas BJP unit president Sreedharan Pillai. There are 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. If the BJP doesnt leave a few seats for us, then we will contest on 3-4 seats on our own, he said.

But on the remaining 14-15 seats, we will support the BJP in Kerala, he said.

RPI is an ally of the BJP-led NDA from Maharashtra. A Rajya Sabha MP Athawale is Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
The EC on Sunday announced that the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls will be held between 11 April to 19 May and the votes will be counted on 23, May.

As the Election Commission of India (EC) on Sunday announced the seven-phase election schedule for the upcoming general election, leaders across the political spectrum reacted as they prepare themselves to campaign for the Lok Sabha election 2019.

After the announcement of national election dates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that in 2014 Lok Sabha election, people rejected the United progressive Alliance (UPA) as there was an "unprecedented" anger over its "corruption, nepotism and policy paralysis."

Wishing all political parties and candidates the very best for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We may belong to different parties but our aim must be the same- the development of India and empowerment of every Indian!  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

Praising the prime minister for taking "bold and futuristic" decisions for the welfare of 130 crore Indians, BJP chief Amit Shah said: "In the last five years, Indias prestige on the world stage stands enhanced significantly. Value of the Indian passport has increased. Our country has emerged as a leading voice in the global fight against terrorism, climate change and black money."

PM @narendramodis government has dared to take bold and futuristic decisions for the welfare of 130 crore Indians. It has struck at the root of corruption and celebrated honesty.#PhirEkBaarModiSarkar will ensure Indias giant leap, where everyone will be happy and prosperous.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 10, 2019

Taking a jibe at the ruling dispensation, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, saying, "Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India."

Ultimately back to We the people -the real power of our democracy. Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. Time to seek answers on demonetisation, jobs, destruction of traders n destroying brotherhood amongst different communities  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 10, 2019

Samajwadi Party (SP) Akhilesh Yadav promised to work for the poor and empower the youth and women.

The First Law of Democracy: what goes up, must come down Those who forget this do so at their peril. As we celebrate our democracy let us vote for hope and unity. We promise to work for the poor and our farmers and empower our youth and women.#LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/DigZh3V9f3  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 10, 2019

Hitting out at the "anti-poor" and "pro-capitalist" Modi government, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati said that India deserved a better government.

Anti-poor & pro-capitalist Modi govt functioning disturbed peace & tranquillity, causing unrest & anger among masses. India's 130 crore peace loving people certainly deserve a better govt. Hence new govt must honour constitution, respect democratic values & care sarvasamaj.  Mayawati (@Mayawati) March 10, 2019

After Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced that no state elections and only parliamentary elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, former chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted strongly. Criticising the prime minister, Abdullah said, "First time since 1996, Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising Modi for his strong leadership."

In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

The EC on Sunday announced that the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls will be held from 11 April to 19 May and the votes will be counted on 23 May.
At least three Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including the one which NCP chief Sharad Pawar will contest despite his earlier decision of withdrawing from electoral politics, will be keenly watched in the upcoming general polls.

Mumbai: At least three Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including the one which NCP chief Sharad Pawar will contest despite his earlier decision of withdrawing from electoral politics, will be keenly watched in the upcoming general polls.

Besides Madha Lok Sabha seat, from where 78-year-old Pawar is likely to contest, the other constituencies such as Nagpur and Solapur will also be in the limelight.

Pawar, currently a Rajya Sabha member, had earlier announced he will not contest the Lok Sabha polls, but recently changed his decision. He said some of his party colleagues were insisting he

contest the Lok Sabha poll from Solapur's Madha seat, currently represented by party leader Vijaysinh Mohite Patil.

According to a political observer, prime ministerial ambitions have always been associated with Pawar, but the veteran politician earlier said he was not eyeing the top post. "Pawar may still win from Madha, but it may not be a cake-walk," the observer said.

The former Union minister, whose party is in talks with the Congress for seat-sharing, earlier said there will be state-specific alliances and not a national tie-up against the BJP and he will try to bring all like-minded parties on one platform to take on the saffron outfit. Besides, former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who faced defeat for the first time in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, was also being persuaded by the Congress leadership to contest from Solapur again, a party source said.

Another source said that Nagpur, from where Union Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari is likely to contest, will also be keenly watched by political observers. Former BJP MP Nana Patole is likely to contest on Congress' ticket against Gadkari.

Patole, who quit the BJP last year, had defeated NCP stalwart Praful Patel from Bhandara-Gondia seat in 2014. State Congress chief Ashok Chavan, the sitting MP from Nanded, may also contest the Lok Sabha poll, though his supporters want him to contest the Assembly election due in the second-half of 2019, a source said.

Maharashtra, which has around eight crore voters, sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh which has 80 seats.

The BJP, riding on the 'Modi wave', surged ahead in the state in 2014 by winning 23 seats while its ally Shiv Sena bagged 18. The Congress, which ruled the state in alliance with the NCP for 15 years, managed to win just two seats while Pawar's party bagged four.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena, despite infighting have already finalised their alliance to contest 25 and 23 Lok Sabha seats, respectively. The Congress and NCP have so far not announced their

seat-sharing details and are trying to woo Dalit Leader Prakash Ambedkar to be a part of their alliance.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said there has been a 5 percent increase in his party's vote share since 2014 due to its electoral success in the urban and rural local bodies elections.

Admitting that farm issues were critical, he claimed cultivators have faith and trust that the BJP was "genuinely working for them". "Since 2014, the Congress and NCP have done nothing that people should trust them again. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal popularity and the performance of the BJP-led government's performance in the state and at the Centre will ensure overall support to us," he said.
BJP workers staged protests in different parts of the state against Kamal Nath-led government for betraying people over farm loan waiver and other issues

Indore: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Saturday staged protests in different parts of the state against the Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led government for "betraying" people over farm loan waiver, corruption, unemployment and, other issues.

Addressing protestors in Indore, former chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "It is a matter of shame for the government. They have destroyed my state in two and a half months. Corruption is on the rise everywhere, thousands of officers were transferred and agents are active."

"They have made my state of corrupt agents. Farmers are restless, their onions are not being sold. When BJP government was there, we used to give additional aid for onion cultivators. This government is not waiving loans of the farmers. They are not giving appropriate prices to farmers for their crops," he added.

BJP state president Rakesh Singh took to the streets of Bhopal to protest against the Congress government in the state for not implementing central schemes in the schemes and hampering the policies started by Chouhan. "There is anarchy across the state. Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led government is trying to hamper the decisions taken by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in central government and Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the interest of farmers, senior citizens."

"Modi government had announced that farmers with five acres land will get Rs 6,000 every year. This scheme has started in almost every state but Kamal Nath has stopped it in Madhya Pradesh," he added.

Singh alleged that Kamal Nath has betrayed people over his promises of farm loans. "They promised farm loan waiver and now farmers are searching for them. Which farmer gets a loan waiver of Rs two lakhs. They have only given some farmers amount of Rs 1,500, Rs 2000, Rs 10,000, Rs 12,000 for name sake only. They are deceiving people. They promised unemployment allowance now they are saying that they will give it for only 100 days," he said.
The bodies of two mountaineers from the UK and Italy were found in northern Pakistan, nearly two weeks after the duo went missing while trying to climb Nanga Parbat

Islamabad: The bodies of two mountaineers from the UK and Italy were found Saturday in northern Pakistan, nearly two weeks after the duo went missing while trying to climb Nanga Parbat in Gilgit-Baltisitan region, the Italian ambassador said Saturday.

Italian national Daniele Nardi, 42, and Tom Ballard, a 30-year-old Briton, went missing on 24 February as they climbed the mountain, which at 8,125 metres (26,660 feet) is the world's ninth-highest peak. Nanga Parbat is also known as the "killer mountain".

Italian ambassador to Pakistan Stefano Pontecorvo tweeted that the bodies of the two men had been identified from aerial photos. "It hurts to announce that the search is officially over," he wrote. "The search team have confirmed that the silhouettes spotted... at about 5,900 meters are those of Daniele and Tom," he tweeted.

Ballard and Nardi were attempting a new route on the Mummery Rib, a steep and dangerous avalanche-prone area on the Himalayan peak. The pair had lost contact with the base camp, prompting a search by other fellow mountaineers in collaboration with the Pakistan Army, said Karar Haidri of Alpine Club of Pakistan, which organises mountaineering and other mountain-related adventure activities.

The search was interrupted by bad weather. It also got delayed because rescue teams were forced to wait for permission to send up a helicopter after Pakistan closed its airspace on Wednesday amid escalating tensions with India following the Pulwama attack.

Haidri also shared a message sent by Nardi's family on the tragic occasion. "We are devastated by pain; we inform you that Daniele and Tom's researches are completed. Part of them will remain forever at Nanga Parbat," the family said.

Nardi had attempted to scale Nanga Parbat in winter several times.

Ballard was the son of British climber Alison Hargreaves, the first woman to scale Mount Everest alone and without bottled oxygen. She died in 1995 at the age of 33 while descending K2, the second highest peak in the world.
GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - Mai Mai militiamen attacked an Ebola treatment centre at the heart of an outbreak of the disease in eastern Congo on Saturday, killing a policeman and wounding health workers before being repelled by security forces. The centre in Butembo was the same one torched by unknown assailants last week, an attack that prompted medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres to suspend activities in the area. Aid workers have faced deep mistrust in some areas as they work to contain the outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever, the worst in Democratic Republic of Congo's history, killing close to 600 people so far

GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - Mai Mai militiamen attacked an Ebola treatment centre at the heart of an outbreak of the disease in eastern Congo on Saturday, killing a policeman and wounding health workers before being repelled by security forces.

The centre in Butembo was the same one torched by unknown assailants last week, an attack that prompted medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres to suspend activities in the area.

Aid workers have faced deep mistrust in some areas as they work to contain the outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever, the worst in Democratic Republic of Congo's history, killing close to 600 people so far.

Efforts to contain the virus have been hampered by a plethora of armed groups operating in Congo's lawless east.

World Health Organisation (WHO) President Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the Butembo centre later on Saturday, a statement from the organisation said.

"It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and the police officer who died in today's attack, as we continue to mourn those who died in previous attacks, while defending the right to health," Tedros was quoted as saying.

"But we have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world."

Butembo major Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa said the Mai Mai militants had been successfully beaten back.

"Because of previous attacks, a security system was already in place and attackers were quickly confronted by the police officers guarding the ...centre," he told Reuters.

The facility had resumed operations only a week ago and had been managed by the ministry of health in collaboration with the WHO and United Nations children's agency.

The Mai Mai take their name from the word for "water" in a local Swahili dialect, because some of their fighters believe magic can turn flying bullets into water.

They comprise several armed bands that originally formed to resist two invasions by Rwandan forces in the late 1990s. They have since morphed into a variety of ethnic-based militia, smuggling networks and protection rackets.

One of the militiamen was wounded in Saturday's attack and is in custody, Kanyamanda Mbusa said.

On Thursday, MSF accused the Congolese government of failing to contain the epidemic because of an overly militarised response that was alienating patients and their families.

(Reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Writing by Giulia Paravicini; editing by Tim Cocks and Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The Ethiopian PMO said that an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 flight was on a regularly scheduled flight between Nairobi and Addis Ababa when it crashed.

An Ethiopian Airlines plane with 157 people on board crashed on its way to Kenyan capital Nairobi from Addis Ababa on Sunday, the office of the Ethiopian prime minister said. There were no survivors in the crash, Reuters quoted state broadcaster Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation as saying.

Four Indians were among those killed.

The flight had at least eight crew members on board.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office issued a statement on Sunday morning, saying that the Boeing 737 was on a regularly scheduled flight when it crashed. However, the statement gave no further details and the cause of the mishap is unknown at the moment.

In a message on Twitter, the Prime Minister's Office expressed "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

A spokesperson for Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that the plane crashed while heading from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to Nairobi. It is not clear yet where exactly the crash occurred. "It is too early to speculate the cause of the accident and further investigation will be carried out to find out the cause of the accident in collaboration with all stakeholders including the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and other international entities to maintain the international standard and information will be provided once the cause is identified. Ethiopian Airlines will provide all the necessary support to the families of the victims," the CEO added. A senior captain, Yared Getachew with a cumulative flight hour of more than 8,000 and with a commendable performance, was commanding the flight along with first officer Ahmed Nur Mohammod Nur, who had a flight hour of 200, the statement read. A statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official Twitter handle read:

Anguished by the loss of lives due to the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane. My thoughts are with the bereaved families: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 10, 2019

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

With inputs from agencies
India said on Saturday that Pakistan had plenty to hide by preventing journalists from accessing the site of an air strike by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan.

New Delhi: India said on Saturday that Pakistan had plenty to hide by preventing journalists from accessing the site of an air strike by Indian fighter jets inside Pakistan.

Citing security concerns, Pakistani security officials on Thursday barred a Reuters team from climbing a hill in northeastern Pakistan to the site of a madrasa, or religious school, and a group of surrounding buildings that was targeted by Indian warplanes last week.

The fact that Pakistan has now refused access to journalists from visiting the site means that they have plenty to hide, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters.

He reiterated the governments stand that Indias air strikes were successful and achieved the desired objectives, after being asked about a Reuters report that said high-resolution satellite images reviewed by Reuters showed that the madrasa appeared to be still standing.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for 'decisive' action by Pakistan against a militant group behind a deadly suicide attack in a border area, and said inaction by Islamabad could jeopardise relations between the neighbours. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Rouhani's remarks came in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said he would soon have 'good news' for Iran, according to the agency. A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in mid-February in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country's Sunni Muslim minority

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for "decisive" action by Pakistan against a militant group behind a deadly suicide attack in a border area, and said inaction by Islamabad could jeopardise relations between the neighbours.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said Rouhani's remarks came in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said he would soon have "good news" for Iran, according to the agency.

A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in mid-February in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the country's Sunni Muslim minority. [nL5N2086JH]

The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack.

"We are awaiting your decisive operations against these terrorists," IRNA quoted Rouhani as telling Khan.

"We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to both of us," Rouhani said.

Iran has blamed its regional rival Saudi Arabia and arch-enemies Israel and the United States for the attack and other cross-border raids, an accusation rejected by the countries.

"It is in Pakistan's own interest not to allow our territory to be used by terrorist groups, and the Pakistani army is prepared to confront the terrorists more decisively with the information provided by Iran," IRNA quoted Khan as saying.

Khan said Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists' hideout and there would soon be "good news" for Iran, IRNA reported.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Though photographer Deb Mukharji has worked extensively with Kodachrome in the past, his preferred medium is black and white.

Quest Beyond the Himalayas, through the wandering lens of an amateur photographer over six decades, is on display at Delhis india international centre.

An Exhibition of 75 carefully selected images of mountains and forests, lakes and rivers from the heart of the Himalayas seen by the wandering lens of Deb Mukharji over six decades was held at the India International Centre from February 7-19 at the Art Gallery in the Kamaladevi Complex

Though an amateur photographer by definition, Deb Mukharjis work has received recognition and appreciation by critics and viewers. Talking about Debs work, eminent film director late Mrinal Sen had commented, It is a pleasure to feel poetry through lens

Mukharji is the author of books such as Magic of Nepal (Rupa 2005), Visions of the Infinite (Nepalaya 2009) and A Quest Beyond the Himalaya (Niyogi 2013), of which the latter two are on his three visits to Kailash and Manasarovar. His photographs, including that on architecture and dance, have been carried by prominent journals.

Deb has held solo exhibitions in Delhi, at the India International Centre, in 1994 and 2002, at the Drik Gallery in Dhaka in 2000 and at The Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata in 2003.

Though Mukharji has worked extensively with Kodachrome in the past, his preferred medium is black and white. The current exhibition will largely feature his black and white photographs. Mukharjis blog goes under the name of The Wandering Lens. In his professional career he was a member of the Indian Foreign Service.
MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's prime minister halted on Saturday the launch of tenders for a high-speed rail link to France, defusing a dispute within the ruling coalition over the project that had threatened to bring down the government.

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's prime minister halted on Saturday the launch of tenders for a high-speed rail link to France, defusing a dispute within the ruling coalition over the project that had threatened to bring down the government.

The multibillion-euro TAV project (Treno Alta Velocita) is backed by Matteo Salvini's League party but strongly opposed by its coalition partner, 5-Star Movement, which argues that Italy's share of the funding would be better spent upgrading existing roads and bridges.

Tensions between the two sides had escalated ahead of a Monday deadline for the company overseeing the project, TELT, to launch tenders to carry out works on it.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a post on Facebook he had asked TELT to halt the tenders because his government had committed to "totally re-discussing" the project.

Conte published a response from TELT, which said it would only launch the tenders for the French portion of the rail link on Monday in order to avoid losing European Union funding.

Conte said that Italy would hold discussions with France and the EU in light of a recent cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the Italian government, which found the TAV was a waste of public money.

Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, who is leader of the 5-Star Movement, said earlier in a Facebook post that the dispute was "being resolved positively."

"Let's talk about something else and carry on," he wrote.

The TAV is a joint venture between the Italian and French states to link the cities of Turin and Lyon with a 58-km (36-mile) tunnel through the Alps on which work has already begun.

The EU has pledged to fund up to 40 percent of the costs of the TAV, Italy up to 35 percent and France up to 25 percent.

Italy's transport minister, a 5-Star official, puts the total price tag at more than 20 billion euros ($22.6 billion).

His French counterpart, Elisabeth Borne, said on Friday the European Commission had let it be known it was willing to increase its share to 50 percent, leaving France and Italy to finance 25 percent each.

A European Union official had told Reuters the project could lose up to 300 million euros of EU funds if the tenders were not launched by the end of March.

The long-running dispute suddenly escalated late on Thursday and raised the risk of a government collapse, with Di Maio accusing Salvini of acting irresponsibly by insisting the train link should go ahead.

Salvini reiterated on Friday that the League would "never" vote in parliament to block the project, as 5-Star wants.

But on Saturday he sought to quell fears that the government could fall over the rail link.

"Italy needs a government ... There won't be a crisis," he said in an interview with news channel Sky TG24.

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Elvira Pollina; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Helen Popper)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The airport in the Libyan capital Tripoli was closed on Saturday due to an unidentified drone flying in the area, the airport's director said. Residents have repeatedly spotted drones flying over Tripoli in the past few days but the reason is not clear. Flights from Tripoli's Matiga airport have been halted until further notice, said its director Lutfi al-Tayeb

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The airport in the Libyan capital Tripoli was closed on Saturday due to an unidentified drone flying in the area, the airport's director said.

Residents have repeatedly spotted drones flying over Tripoli in the past few days but the reason is not clear.

Flights from Tripoli's Matiga airport have been halted until further notice, said its director Lutfi al-Tayeb.

People in the capital have been on edge due to rumours that the eastern-based Libya National Army (LNA) loyal to Khalifa Haftar might seek to take it after gaining control of much of the south.

Haftar has not said he wants to march on Tripoli but a LNA website carried an unsourced report this week saying it could happen, adding that the LNA was working with people inside the city.

The United Nations, alarmed about the possibility of a military escalation, is mediating between Haftar, who is allied to a parallel government in the east, and Tripoli premier Fayez al-Serraj who heads the U.N.-backed administration.

The U.N. has been trying for years to pull the oil producer out of conflict but made little progress.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami and Hesham Hajali; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Kirsten Donovan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Rodi Said BAGHOUZ, Syria (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) paused military operations against Islamic State (IS) militants holed up in the group's final enclave in eastern Syria, expecting more civilians to be evacuated from the area on Saturday, an SDF official said. Thousands of people - many of them the wives of IS fighters and their children - have been streaming out of besieged enclave at Baghouz for weeks, forcing the SDF to delay the assault to wipe out the last vestige of the jihadists' territorial rule. The SDF has said it wants to make sure all civilians are out of the enclave before launching its final assault

By Rodi Said

BAGHOUZ, Syria (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) paused military operations against Islamic State (IS) militants holed up in the group's final enclave in eastern Syria, expecting more civilians to be evacuated from the area on Saturday, an SDF official said.

Thousands of people - many of them the wives of IS fighters and their children - have been streaming out of besieged enclave at Baghouz for weeks, forcing the SDF to delay the assault to wipe out the last vestige of the jihadists' territorial rule.

The SDF has said it wants to make sure all civilians are out of the enclave before launching its final assault. Hundreds of IS fighters have also surrendered, but the SDF believes the most hardened foreign jihadists are still inside.

"There are a number of families ... military operations are paused now for their evacuation," Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, told Reuters.

Trucks used for the evacuations went into Baghouz on Saturday and four have so far emerged carrying people, a Reuters witness said.

On Friday, Bali said the SDF would resume the assault if no more civilians had emerged by Saturday afternoon.

Those emerging from Baghouz are screened by the SDF and most are sent north to the al-Hol camp, already overcrowded with uprooted Syrians and Iraqis from years of war.

More than 62,000 people displaced by fighting around the IS enclave have flooded al-Hol camp, with 5,200 arriving between March 5-7 and thousands more expected, the United Nations said on Friday.

The weather is cold and rainy and there is a shortage of tents and supplies. Dozens of children have died on the way to the camp. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Friday said al-Hol was at "breaking point".

"No one could have guessed that such a large number of women and children were still living in Baghouz," IRC spokeswoman Misty Buswell said.

Those arriving in al-Hol are in "extremely poor health" with malnutrition, diarrhoea and skin diseases. Many of the women arriving at the camp are either heavily pregnant or have recently given birth, IRC said.

After suddenly seizing swathes of land straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border in 2014 and declaring it their caliphate, Islamic State was beaten back by numerous local and foreign forces in both countries, suffering major defeats in 2017.

However, the jihadists remain a threat. In Iraq they have gone to ground, staging waves of killings and kidnappings. In Syria, their comrades hold out in remote desert areas and have carried out bombings in areas controlled by the SDF.

Islamic State on Saturday said it had carried out a suicide car bomb attack near the Syrian town of Manbij to signal to foreign troops that they are not safe in the country. Manbij is controlled by a militia allied to the SDF.

"The crusaders on Syrian soil shall know they are being watched and will not be secure while our blood beats," a statement published by the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said.

In an email to Reuters, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition backing the SDF, Colonel Sean Ryan, denied Islamic State's claim that the blast had killed three U.S. armed forces members and injured others.

(Reporting by Rodi Said in Syria; additional reporting by Hesham Hajali in Cairo; Writing by Lisa Barrington in Beirut; Editing by Tom Perry and Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Nine female protesters in Sudan were sentenced to 20 lashes and one month in prison for rioting, the Democratic Alliance of Lawyers said

Cairo: Nine female protesters in Sudan were sentenced on Saturday to 20 lashes and one month in prison for rioting, the Democratic Alliance of Lawyers said, a day after President Omar al-Bashir ordered the release of all women detained in anti-government demonstrations.

Bashir declared a state of emergency last month that produced a raft of measures including the establishment of emergency courts across the country such as the one in Khartoum that convicted the nine women.

The Democratic Alliance of Lawyers, part of the Sudanese Professionals Association, the main organiser of the protests, has said more than 800 people have been tried in the emergency courts.

Protests against Bashir and his National Congress Party have taken place almost daily since 19 December in towns and cities all over Sudan, in what has become the most sustained popular challenge to him since he took power in a coup 30 years ago.

On Friday, International Womens Day, Bashir ordered the release of all women arrested in connection with the demonstrations.

Hundreds turned out for protests in Khartoum and Omdurman that day, undeterred by the emergency measures.

Bashir has also dissolved the central government, replaced state governors with security officials, expanded the powers of security forces and banned unlicensed public gatherings.

The Sudanese Professionals Association called for fresh demonstrations in Omdurman on Sunday.
Pakistan has asked the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international terror financing watchdog, to remove India as co-chair of its Asia-Pacific Joint Group, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.

Islamabad: Pakistan has asked the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international terror financing watchdog, to remove India as co-chair of its Asia-Pacific Joint Group, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.

Currently placed on the FATF's 'grey list', Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the Paris-based FATF, a measure that officials here fear could further hurt its economy.

In a letter addressed to FATF President Marshall Billingslea, Pakistan finance minister Asad Umar asked him to appoint any other member country besides India as co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Joint Group "to ensure that (the) FATF review process is fair, unbiased and objective", the finance ministry said in a statement.

The Joint Group is a sub-body of the FATF's International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the Asia Pacific Group. Pakistan is a member of the APG and its case is being presented before the FATF by the APG. India's Financial Intelligence Unit's (FIU) director general is the co-chair of the Joint Group.

"India's animosity towards Pakistan was well known and the recent violation of Pakistan's airspace and dropping of bombs inside Pakistani territory was another manifestation of India's hostile attitude," Umar wrote in the letter.

Referring to India's efforts of isolating Pakistan globally and call for the country's blacklisting during the ICRG meeting on 18 February, Umar said, "Indian presence among the evaluators and as Co-chair of the Joint Group would undermine the impartiality and spirit of the 'peer review' process."

"We firmly believe that India's involvement in the ICRG process will not be fair towards Pakistan," he wrote. During the 18-22 February plenary and review meetings, the FATF had noted "limited progress" by Pakistan on targets set for January 2019, and urged the country "to swiftly complete its action plan, particularly those with timelines of May 2019."

It had expressed dissatisfaction over Pakistan's action and said the country did "not demonstrate a proper understanding of the terror financing risks posed by Daesh (ISIS), Al Qaeda, Jamaat-ud-Dawa(Jud), Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Haqqani network (HQN), and persons affiliated with the Taliban".

Assuring the FATF president of implementing the Action Plan, the Pakistani finance minister said, "The ICRG and FATF meetings must not be allowed to be used as a platform by India to make political speeches against Pakistan."

The FATF continuing Pakistan with the 'grey' listing means downgrading of the country by multilateral lenders like IMF, World Bank, ADB, EU and also a reduction in risk rating by Moody's, S&P and Fitch.

Pakistan was nominated for a detailed review of its "serious deficiencies" in countering terror financing in February 2018. This nomination was supported by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and India.
The Pakistan security officials guarding the way to the site cited security concerns for denying access. They stuck to the Pakistani governments position ever since the Indian attack on 26 February that no damage was caused to any buildings and there was no loss of life.

Jaba: Pakistani security officials on Thursday prevented a Reuters team from climbing a hill in northeastern Pakistan to the site of a madrasa and a group of surrounding buildings that was targeted by Indian warplanes last week.

It is the third time in the past nine days that Reuters reporters have visited the area  and each time the path up to what villagers say was a religious school run at one time by militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and what the Indian government says was a terrorist training camp  was blocked.

Indias Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said on the day of the strike that it had killed a very large number of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, trainers, senior commanders, and groups of jihadis at the alleged training camp.

The Pakistani security officials guarding the way to the site cited security concerns for denying access. They stuck to the Pakistani governments position ever since the Indian attack on 26 February that no damage was caused to any buildings and there was no loss of life.

In Islamabad, the militarys press wing has twice called off visits to the site for weather and organisational reasons and an official said no visit would be possible for a few days more due to security issues.

The Reuters team could view the madrasa from 100 metres away and only from below. The building that reporters could see was surrounded by undamaged pine trees, and did not show any signs of damage or activity but given the view, the assessment is very limited.

High-resolution satellite images reviewed by Reuters on Wednesday showed the madrasa appears to be standing, virtually unchanged from an April 2018 satellite photo of the facility.

That used to be the madrasa but it is no longer active, said one villager, pointing at the white building on top of one of the many hills surrounding Jaba.The site matched the coordinates of the satellite images.

Villagers told Reuters the school was no longer operational. It was shut down in June last year, said one, who asked not to be identified.

On previous visits, a number of residents have said the madrasa was run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. A sign with the groups name had previously stood near the site but was later removed.

Another man, Mohammad Naseem, said there were madrasas in the area, opened during the rule of General Zia-ul-Haq, whose Islamisation policies during his 1977-1988 rule are largely seen as bringing radicalisation to Pakistan, but there is no madrasa or anything like that here anymore.

They say they killed 300 people but they didnt even get 300 trees, one soldier posted at the site of the Indian attack said.

Thank God they didnt destroy the four or five homes that are here.
CAIRO (Reuters) - The deputy head of Sudan's opposition Umma Party was sentenced to a week in prison on Sunday for demonstrating against the president, a party official and a lawyer said, as activists protested against emergency laws imposed last month. Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, the daughter of Umma leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, was among a group of 16 detained while demonstrating in front of Umma's headquarters in Omdurman, across the Nile from the centre of the capital, Khartoum, said defence lawyer Khalafallah Hussein

CAIRO (Reuters) - The deputy head of Sudan's opposition Umma Party was sentenced to a week in prison on Sunday for demonstrating against the president, a party official and a lawyer said, as activists protested against emergency laws imposed last month.

Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, the daughter of Umma leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, was among a group of 16 detained while demonstrating in front of Umma's headquarters in Omdurman, across the Nile from the centre of the capital, Khartoum, said defence lawyer Khalafallah Hussein.

The court also fined her 2,000 Sudanese pounds ($42) for participating in the protest, which called on President Omar al-Bashir to step down, said Mohamed al-Mahdi Hassan, head of the party's political bureau.

Another of Sadiq al-Mahdi's daughters, Rabah, was also arrested and fined 500 pounds, according to Hussein.

Bashir declared a state of emergency last month after weeks of demonstrations, the most sustained challenge to his rule since he came to power in the coup that overthrew Sadiq al-Mahdi in 1989.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds took to the streets in different areas of Omdurman to protest against the emergency laws. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.

The measures include an expansion of powers for the security services and a ban on unlicensed public gatherings. More than 800 people have been tried in the emergency courts, according to the Democratic Alliance of Lawyers, an opposition group.

On Saturday, nine female Sudanese protesters were sentenced to 20 lashes and one month in prison for rioting, the alliance said.

Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi was briefly arrested at the end of January in connection with the protests.

($1 = 47.4962 Sudanese pounds)

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
In 2013, our Parliament erupted in near-unanimous indignation over a 1954 cartoon by Shankar portraying Nehru and Ambedkar.

A joke is a joke in private. But in public, it is an insult. Isnt this ironic, to see a joke in two different ways, one ennobling and the other demeaning?

Governance is a serious business, and by no means an easy task. In a large, vibrant, and often raucous democracy like ours, the excitement and satisfaction of serving constituents is often tempered by the frustrations, delays and setbacks one faces while getting things done. This makes it all the more important to retain a sense of humour and take a few moments to laugh.

Unfortunately in our politically charged contemporary India, irony or humour seems to be lost. Instead there is always someone or the other waiting to get offended. This right to be offended is a new national characteristic that makes humour unsafe for many to resort to, for fear of attracting lawsuits and worse. With this increasing trend of highly vocal righteous indignation, Indians are fast acquiring a reputation for lacking a sense of humour. In our private lives, most Indians enjoy a good joke. But in public life the political class no longer seems to have the sense to see that a joke, however weak it may be, is a joke.

Sadly, issues are created out of comments that deserve nothing more than a grin or smile. On other occasions, comments are completely misunderstood. I can say this somewhat ruefully from personal experience of the needless controversy created by my now infamous cattle class comment, which was unduly blown out of proportion. During the 2009 austerity drive by the Government, a BJP-leaning journalist asked me on Twitter, Tell us Mr Minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class? And I responded using the same expression  which in my experience has been commonplace for decades, and is clearly understood throughout the English-speaking world to refer not to the passengers, but to the airlines herding people into economy class like cattle: Yes, I will travel cattle-class in solidarity with all our holy cows! In the days that followed, however, the comment was maliciously taken out of context, made front page news for days and literally translated into so many Indian languages that by the end most people thought I had called Indian economy travellers cattle! The misinterpretation of that unfortunate attempt at humour is still flung at me several times a day.

Consequently, in a country of multiple languages and multiple political agendas, I have learnt the wisdom of Shakespeares sage observation that the success of a jest lies in the ear of the hearer, not the tongue of the teller. For politicians, its less important what you intended to say than what people think they heard.

Our new culture of offence-taking betrays our own great tradition of humour. Mahatma Gandhi, for instance, enjoyed a chuckle, though his puckish sense of humour has not been inherited by his political heirs. Asked once what he thought of western civilisation, the Mahatma replied, It would be a good idea. Upbraided for going to Buckingham Palace in his loincloth for an audience with the King-Emperor, Gandhi retorted, His Majesty had on enough clothes for the two of us.

Among the Mahatmas contemporaries during the national movement, the poet Sarojini Naidu, the nightingale of India, came up with a couple of good cracks: her classic comment about Mahatma Gandhis frugal lifestyle and his army of aides  if only he knew how much it costs us to keep him in poverty  is one of the great one-liners of the independence struggle. Some also ascribe to her a crack about Sardar Patel: The only culture he knows is agriculture. Today that would cause degrees of offence that one shudders to contemplate. Gandhiji and Sarojini Naidu were perhaps exceptions: the Indian nationalist leaders and the politicians who followed them were in general a pretty humourless lot. I yield to no one in my admiration for the extraordinary intellect of Jawaharlal Nehru, but dig deep into his writings and speeches and you would be hard-pressed to come up with a good joke. The best might be the one classic epigram that he uttered. Reacting with undisguised culture-shock to his discovery of America after a trip there in 1949, Nehru said, One should never visit America for the first time.

But Nehruji could take a good joke, even when he was the target of it. When Nehru was caricatured by the inimitable R.K. Laxman after the Sino-Indian war in 1962 he did not react as our present rulers are reacting to criticism of their politicisation of the recent flare-up with Pakistan. Instead of being attacked by trolls or hired goons, R.K. Laxman was pleasantly surprised by a phone call from Jawaharlal Nehru. The Prime Minister said to him, Mr Laxman, I so enjoyed your cartoon this morning. Can I have a signed enlarged copy to frame?

In 2013, our Parliament erupted in near-unanimous indignation over a 1954 cartoon by Shankar portraying Nehru and Ambedkar. Yet neither man was offended when the cartoon originally appeared, and Nehru went on to give Shankar no less an honour than the Padma Vibhushan, the nations second highest award. His famous line to the often critical cartoonist was Dont spare me, Shankar!

In a parliamentary debate on the war with China in 1962, he told Parliament that Aksai Chin, which the Chinese had occupied, was an area where not a blade of grass grows. Thereupon Mahavir Tyagi, a senior Congress MP, pointed to his own bald pate and exclaimed: Not a hair grows on my head. Does it mean that it should be cut off and given to China too?

Nehrus daughter, Indira Gandhi, was not much known for her humour, but there are a few examples that reflect well on her wit. She once remarked about Indian businessmen, our private enterprise is usually more private than enterprising. Sharper still was her answer to an American journalist in 1971 about why she had refused to meet with Pakistans General Yahya Khan: You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. Both these remarks have the merit of provoking thought beyond the immediate reaction to their cleverness.

In his shoddy Reminiscences of the Nehru Age, the former secretary to our first prime minister, M.O. Mathai, cited one anecdote that revealed Mrs Gandhis sharp wit. When Nehru and Indira expressed astonishment that Mathai had slept so soundly after the death of his mother, he apparently replied, That shows I have a clear conscience. To which Indiraji retorted, It can also mean that you have none.

Natwar Singh told me another story about Indira Gandhis sense of humour. When he left the Indian Foreign Service to enter politics, he wore a Western suit to his swearing-in and said apologetically to the PM, Madam, Ill get some bandhgalas stitched. To which she pointedly replied, In politics, Natwar, youd better grow a thicker skin.

Aside from her, the few examples of political humour one can find in post-Independence politics come, alas, from the minor political figures. Piloo Mody is often cited for examples like his reaction to Mrs Gandhis charges of being destabilised by foreign intelligence agencies: he promptly pinned an I am a CIA Agent button on his pet poodle. I am sure Mody did better than that in parliamentary repartee, but no memorable examples come to mind. One story I enjoyed features the now-forgotten P. Upendra, a (then) Telugu Desam MP who, when Rajiv Gandhi appeared in the Lok Sabha on his return from yet another foreign trip, ceremoniously began a speech by saying, I would like to welcome the prime minister on one of his rare visits to New Delhi.

There is also the sharp-tongued Krishna Menons cutting comment when American arms aid to Pakistan was described as not being directed at India: I am yet to come across a vegetarian tiger. During a debate on the Indian automobile industry, an Opposition member declared, The only part of an Indian car which does not make a noise is the horn. Full marks for wit but not, I believe (given the deafening klaxons that are always an integral part of Indian traffic jams) for accuracy.

Indian literature and mythology offer plenty of material for humour, but few have mined them to good effect. When in the early 1970s Karan Singh, as minister for health, proved slow to act during a junior doctors strike in New Delhi, posters went up on the streets asking, Are you Karan or Kumbhakaran [the mythological figure who slept six months a year]? But no MP thought of expressing such an idea in the Lok Sabha. Some of the best-remembered jokes are the most savage ones. When Panampilly Govinda Menon was chief minister of Travancore-Cochin (the forerunner of Kerala state) in the early 1950s, he pointed to the chief ministers chair in the Assembly and told the ambitious leader of the Opposition, T.V. Thomas, For you to sit in this chair you will have to be reborn as a bug.

For us to enjoy a good joke in this life, however, we will have to look beyond politics. Today, in these hyper-sensitive times, our humour cupboard is bare.

(The author is Congress MP, orator, writer and former UN Under Secretary General)
When Marvin Ellison took over as CEO of Lowe's ( LOW -0.07% ) last year, he brought significant experience to the task. In addition to having served as CEO at J.C. Penney, he had spent 12 years in top-tier leadership jobs at Home Depot, including being in charge of all of its stores in the United States.

So Ellison isn't new to leading a major company, nor is he new to the home-improvement space. He could have easily relied on his background, hit the ground running, and instituted some fast changes to show that he was in charge.

That's not what Ellison chose to do, as he revealed at the Shoptalk 2019 conference in Las Vegas last week. In fact, on his first day on the job, while everyone at the chain's headquarters was waiting for him, he decided to do something else entirely.

You have to listen

On July 2, Ellison's first day as CEO of Lowe's, the team at Lowe's headquarters had planned a grand welcome for the new boss. There were banners hanging, and everyone was set to help Ellison get started.

"The problem is that on July 2, I didn't show up," he said. "I went to work at a store at the contractor's desk because I wanted to understand why we were not serving that customer segment better."

On his second day, Ellison skipped the office again. Instead, he worked in receiving at another store to understand how the company was executing in that area, and to see firsthand what the friction points were.

"The next day, I was on the sales floor learning the inside process," he said. "And all the while, I was having lunch with hourly employees, breakfast with contractors, and I was talking to customers."

This wasn't a stunt or for cameras, Ellison explained. "I was listening, trying to understand the culture."

He takes the view that it's foolish to think you have all the answers, even if you have succeeded in a similar role elsewhere. "You have to understand the culture," he said. "You have to listen to the true concerns of the employees. But you also have to understand what the root cause is of some of the things that are not working."

Listen and act

Ellison may not be heading back to the customer service desk or the loading dock for a shift anytime soon, but he will keep listening by holding town hall meetings with employees and regularly interacting with customers. The CEO sees it as vital to take the pulse of his company on a regular basis if he's going to take not just action, but informed action.

Though he has made plenty of changes in his first eight months as Lowe's boss, it's clear that Ellison's definition of being in charge involves more than just making decisions at headquarters and demanding that employees on the front lines implement them. What worked at one company may not be the right move for another, and it may even clash with its culture. More listening, he hopes, will lead him to decisions that take into account the needs of all stakeholders.

That could be the difference between serviceable strategies and great ones. By balancing the needs of workers and customers, Ellison aims to keep both happy -- a condition that can become self-perpetuating. By really listening, Ellison shows that he cares, and that he's setting a course based not just on what he thinks, but on all the available information. That's a boss move that shows true leadership.
You could call HEXO (NASDAQ:HEXO) and Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR) up-and-comers in the marijuana industry. Both companies have market caps well below several major marijuana stocks. And both HEXO and Innovative Industrial Properties are growing rapidly.

One of these up-and-coming marijuana stocks has risen a lot more than the other over the past 12 months. Shares of Innovative Industrial Properties have soared over 150% -- twice as much as HEXO's gain during the period. But which marijuana stock is the better choice for investors now?

The case for HEXO

It's often a smart business move to be a big fish in a small pond. HEXO sort of fits the bill -- except its pond isn't so small.

The company claims a dominant market share for the recreational marijuana market in Quebec thanks to a major supply agreement signed in 2018. Quebec ranks as Canada's No. 2 most-populated province. But HEXO isn't limited to selling its recreational marijuana products only in Quebec. The company has supply agreements in place with several other provinces, including Ontario, which has the largest population of all.

HEXO's sales are sure to skyrocket throughout 2019 as the Canadian recreational marijuana market matures. The company should see an even bigger boost later this year with the anticipated launch of the market for cannabis edibles, beverages, and concentrates. Last summer, Molson Coors Brewing picked HEXO as its cannabis partner in Canada. The two companies formed a joint venture to develop cannabis-infused beverages.

International markets could present an even greater opportunity for HEXO over the long run. The company announced a partnership in September 2018 with Greek medical cannabis producer Qannabos. HEXO plans to use its Greek operations as a launching pad to distribute its products throughout Europe.

HEXO's market cap of around $1.1 billion might seem steep based on its historical sales. However, its tremendous growth prospects, particularly with the company's Molson Coors partnership, make the stock's valuation seem attractive compared with many of its peers.

Check out the latest earnings call transcript for Innovative Industrial Properties and other companies we cover.

The case for Innovative Industrial Properties

Innovative Industrial Properties might be seen as a small fish in a huge pond. The company operates in the U.S., which boasts the biggest marijuana market in the world by far. In another way, though, Innovative Industrial Properties is kind of a big fish. It's the leading cannabis-focused real estate investment trust (REIT).

The company currently owns 12 properties in 10 states that it leases to medical cannabis businesses. These states include five that should have marijuana markets of at least $1 billion by 2022 -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Michigan.

Of course, Innovative Industrial Properties has lots of opportunities to expand. Thirty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, with potentially more on the way over the next few years.

Innovative Industrial Properties' financial position looks great. The company is profitable. It has no debt. Its revenue and earnings continue to soar. All of its properties are leased with a weighted average lease length of 14.8 years.

As a REIT, Innovative Industrial Properties must distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders in the form of dividends. The company's dividend yield currently stands at just under 2%, a level that's lower than it would otherwise be because its stock has jumped so much.

Better marijuana stock

HEXO has plenty of things going for it, but I think it's hard to argue that Innovative Industrial Properties isn't the better marijuana stock. The cannabis-focused REIT is in better financial shape than HEXO. Its growth prospects are at least as good as HEXO's if not better.

One knock against Innovative Industrial Properties is that it conducts business in the U.S., where marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. There is a risk that the company could be hurt if the U.S. government attempted to enforce federal laws in states that have legalized marijuana.

However, that risk seems very low, in my opinion. I suspect that it's more likely that federal laws will change than it is for there to be a crackdown on marijuana businesses. I think that Innovative Industrial Properties looks like a pretty good pick for investors looking for a relatively safe way to profit from the marijuana boom.
Some investors might have been disappointed that CannTrust Holdings (OTC:CNTTQ) stock didn't pop after the Canadian marijuana producer listed on the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 25. But any disappointment should be overshadowed by the fact that CannTrust ranked among the best-performing marijuana stocks last month, and its share price isn't too far away from doubling this year.

But if you're looking to buy CannTrust now, past stock performance isn't important. Instead, here are five things you should know about this high-flying marijuana stock before investing your money.

1. Solid production capacity

I know it's becoming a cliche, but capacity is king in the cannabis industry right now. Without products to sell, no company will increase its sales. The good news for CannTrust is that its production capacity should ramp up significantly in the not-too-distant future.

The company received a long-awaited green light in January to begin phase III construction of an expansion to its Pelham facility. Although CannTrust will only add 390,000 square feet instead of the 600,000 square feet initially planned, the company still expects to have an annual production capacity topping 100,000 kilograms by the second half of 2020.

Check out the latest earnings call transcript for CannTrust Holdings.

2. Low production costs

Capacity helps drive revenue, but ultimately it's the bottom line that's important. To achieve consistent profitability, a marijuana producer must have low production costs. CannTrust checks off that box quite well.

CannTrust currently has a production cost of $0.83 Canadian per gram, which makes it very competitive with peers. Its target production cost is a super-low CA$0.25 per gram. CannTrust thinks it can achieve this goal in part using its cannabis flower genetics innovations.

3. Key partnerships

English poet John Donne wrote that "no man is an island." No marijuana producer is an island, either. It takes partnerships to achieve success. CannTrust has several of them.

The company teamed up with Breakthru Beverage Group, Canada's leading alcoholic beverage distributor, to reach customers in Canada's recreational marijuana market. CannTrust is also working with National Access Cannabis to launch over 200 cannabis retail stores throughout the country. In addition, the company is collaborating with GreyWolf Animal Health to develop cannabis products for animals.

4. International strategy

While Canada is certainly important, even bigger opportunities exist in international medical marijuana markets. Although it's still early for these markets, CannTrust already has a strategy in place.

CannTrust partnered with CannaTrek to sell medical cannabis products in Australia. It also established a joint venture with Stenocare, the first company to receive approvals to distribute medical cannabis products in Denmark. However, CannTrust hasn't moved into other key international markets yet, including Germany and Latin America.

5. Financial position

Most marijuana producers aren't profitable yet. But CannTrust reported positive net income in its third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, 2018, a streak of profitability that extends back to mid-2017.

There is a catch, though. CannTrust's net income continues to be boosted by fair value changes to its biological assets (its crops and inventory). However, the company should be headed for operational profitability as its sales continue to climb and it reduces production costs.

The big picture

CannTrust appears to be in a great position to prosper as the Canadian recreational market expands. The company could receive a nice boost later this year with the anticipated opening of the market for cannabis beverages, edibles, and concentrates.

For the company to keep up with its larger rivals, though, CannTrust will need to expand its international operations significantly. CannTrust is somewhat behind several of its peers but is ahead of others in pursuing global opportunities.

Based on projected 2020 production capacity, CannTrust offers an attractive bang for the buck compared to most other Canadian marijuana stocks. The company might not rank at the top of the industry, but I think that its valuation and overall strategy makes CannTrust a marijuana stock for investors to definitely consider.
The 2018 midterm elections brought a wave of new discussion about the tax system, and policymakers are increasingly looking at measured aimed at making the tax system more progressive. Even at the federal level, several prominent lawmakers have proposed raising taxes on high-income taxpayers, with the call from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to impose a 70% marginal tax rate on those with incomes above $10 million getting the most attention.

As long as Congress remains divided in terms of party control, changes to taxes at the federal level are highly unlikely. However, many states have imposed so-called millionaire taxes on their highest-income residents, and some others are now taking a fresh look at adding their own versions of these higher tax rates for their wealthiest taxpayers.

Where millionaire taxes are already in place

Several states already have tax brackets that take effect for millionaires that are higher than what lower-income taxpayers have to pay. They include the following:

California residents pay an extra percentage point on income above $1 million. That boosts the already high 12.3% top bracket to 13.3% for single taxpayers earning $1 million or more or joint filers with incomes above roughly $1.145 million.

Connecticut's top tax bracket of 6.99% takes effect for joint filers with incomes of $1 million. Singles pay the higher tax with an income threshold of just half a million dollars.

In New York, a threshold of $1,077,500 for singles and $2,155,350 for joint filers applies to the top rate tax, which in 2019 is 8.82%.

Finally, an 8.95% tax rate applies to taxpayers in Washington, D.C. if they have incomes above $1 million -- regardless of filing status.

Not all of these taxes are particularly punitive. Connecticut and D.C. add only small fractions of a percent to their tax rates on millionaires. However, New York's millionaire tax amounts to a two percentage point hike compared to the next-lower tax bracket, double California's single percentage point boost.

Where could new millionaire taxes pop up?

Millionaire taxes are getting a lot of attention, and many policymakers in other states want to add them. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) has once again called for the addition of a new 10.75% tax bracket on those making more than $1 million, above the current maximum rate of 8.97%, but past attempts have met with resistance. Similarly, after a failed attempt to get a constitutional amendment proposal on the ballot in Massachusetts asking for voters to approve a millionaire tax, the measure is once again under consideration from state lawmakers.

Even some places where a tax increase seems out of sync with local politics have seen consideration of boosting rates on high-income taxpayers. In Arizona, voters were poised to decide whether to create two new brackets, the highest of which would've more than doubled the top income tax rate on joint filers with more than $1 million in income. Yet the state's supreme court ruled that the measure's signature-gathering process hadn't complied completely with requirements, taking it off the battle.

New York faces a potential move in the other direction. Under current law, the New York millionaire tax would go away in 2020, and many are pleased that the temporary tax might be allowed to disappear. Yet some have called for a reinstatement or even expansion of the millionaire tax, possibly creating additional brackets for multimillionaires at various income levels.

Expect more political wrangling

One obstacle to higher state income taxes is the fact that federal law no longer allows for an unlimited deduction of state and local taxes. Millionaires have been among those hardest hit by the new $10,000 annual limitation on those taxes, and hiking them could spur further flight from rich residents to tax-friendlier states.

With more calls to try to fix income and wealth inequality, though, millionaire taxes at the state level are likely to get more attention. Washington's gridlock might make federal tax changes unlikely, but states could easily see shifts in how they tax their wealthier residents going forward.
Soren is also the daughter-in-law of former union minister Shibu Soren who was involved in the JMM bribery case.

New Delhi: A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court will decide whether Parliamentarians or MLAs can claim immunity from criminal prosecution for taking bribe to give a speech or vote in an assembly or the Parliament. The apex court has decided to revisit its 21-year-old verdict in the sensational Jharkhand Mukti Morch (JMM) bribery case.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has referred to a larger bench the appeal of Sita Soren, incidently also a JMM MLA, against the Jharkhand high court order for quashing criminal case lodged against her for allegedly taking bribe to vote for a particular candidate in Rajya Sabha elections held in 2012.

Ms Soren is also the daughter-in-law of former union minister Shibu Soren who was involved in the JMM bribery case. Mr Shibu Soren, along with his four party MPs, had allegedly taken bribe to vote against the no-confidence motion against the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao government in Centre in July 1993.

In the present appeal filed by Ms Soren, the Jharkhand high court had rejected the contention taken that, as she has been charged to have received bribe for casting vote in favour of one MLA R.K.Agarwal, she cannot be prosecuted criminally as the provision contained in Section 194 (2) of the Constitution granted immunity to her. The high court had refused to accept the ruling in the Narasimha Rao verdict, hence it needed to be revisited, the apex court said and referred the issue for adjudication by a larger bench.
Scindia asserted that the Congress wants to have a UPA government at the Centre and it is determined to come back to power in Uttar Pradesh by 2022.

New Delhi: It is official now. The Congress has decided to go it alone in Uttar Pradesh. The development is being considered as an advantage for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress will fight the general election in Uttar Pradesh on its own strength, partys West UP incharge Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Saturday. He asserted that the path of his party may be different from that of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but their objective is the same.

However, the development could lead to a split in anti-BJP votes and lead to a three-cornered contest in most of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state which could effectively help the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Scindia said that as far as talks for alliances are concerned, like-minded parties should also think in a like-minded way. The remarks of AICC general secretary assume significance as they come amid reports that there may be a rethink on the grand alliance between the SP, the BSP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh to include the Congress.

Reacting to SP chief Akhilesh Yadavs remarks that the Congress is very much in the grand alliance as two seats were being left for it, Mr Scindia said, If this is his thinking, then we may also leave two-three seats for them.

The current situation is that the SP and the BSP have taken a decision that they want to walk on a different path with the same objective that the Congress has. Our paths can be different, but the objective is the same, he said.

Mr Scindia asserted that the Congress wants to have a UPA government at the Centre and it is determined to come back to power in Uttar Pradesh by 2022.

We have said time and again that our objective is the same that UPA government must be formed at the Centre. In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is going to fight this election on its own strength, Mr Scindia told reporters here.

We believe that be it BSP or SP, they have taken a decision and we respect that decision. They have the right to choose their path. They have chosen their path and the Congress is going to fight this election on its own strength, he said.

Asked whether talks should be held to bring like-minded parties together, he said dialogue should take place but it should be from both sides. We are going to establish the Congress strongly on the ground in UP. And we are moving in that direction, he said.

On leaders in UP like Savitribai Phule, a former BJP leader, joining the Congress, Mr Scindia said the partys doors are open for those who have strength on the ground, want to serve the people and are committed to form a new Uttar Pradesh.

Interestingly, both the Congress and the SP have announced their first list of candidates for some seats in UP. The Congress on Thursday announced 11 candidates for the electorally crucial state of the UP, fielding UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli and party president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi.

The SP on Friday released its first list of nine candidates, fielding party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav from its stronghold Mainpuri. Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats out of which the Congress had won just two (Amethi and Raebareli) in 2014.
Modi said the country can never forget the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits next to a statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at the inauguration of an institute named after him at Greater Noida. (Photo: PTI)

Greater Noida: Asserting that India now follows nayi reeti, nayi neeti (new methods, new policies) in dealing with terror, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at those seeking proof of IAFs airstrike at Balakot in Pakistan and slammed the previous Congress government for its handling of terror attacks like the one in Mumbai in 2008.

Addressing a public meeting in Greater Noida, Mr Modi said India works on nayi reeti, nayi neeti (new methods, new policies), asserting that after the terror attack in Uri in 2016 the country for the first time taught terrorists a lesson in a language they understand with surgical strikes.

After Uri (surgical strikes), proofs were sought. Our soldiers did something that had never happened before. Our soldiers struck terrorists inside their home. Terrorists and their guardians had not expected such action. They thought if India once did a surgical strike, they would again do something similar. So they had deployed forces along the border, but we went by air this time, he said.

Is it okay for you (the people) to have a government that does nothing? A chowkidar (referring to Prime Minister) who sleeps? he asked.

Indirectly hitting out at the Congress for seeking proof of IAF airstrike at Balakot in Pakistan, Mr Modi hit out at the Opposition partys government for its handling of terror attacks like the one in Mumbai in 2008.

Mr Modi said the country can never forget the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

India should have responded then and the whole world would have supported the country But that required courage. All evidence was against terrorist handlers in Pakistan. But how did India respond? There are reports that our forces were ready to avenge the terror attack even then, but Delhi remained cold. The forces were not allowed to take any action, he said.

Pointing towards terror attacks in India after 2008 whose links were found across the border, the Prime Minister questioned the previous government response.

They did not change their policy, they only changed their home ministers... Had the previous government shown some courage and taught terrorists a lesson in their own language, terrorism would not have emerged as the menace it is now, he said.

The PM said that after the pre-dawn Balakot airstrike on February 24, India was quietly monitoring the situation and it was Pakistan which started crying around 5 am that Modi has hit us.

They were thinking they can keep wounding India, wage attacks, proxy wars and India would not respond. The reason the enemies of India could think so was because of the attitude of the remote-controlled government prior to 2014. That is why the enemies could nurture this attitude, he said.

Referring to Oppositions blistering attacks on him, the Prime Minister said that some politicians are making controversial statements which elicit applause in Pakistan and urged the people to decide if they want to trust them or not.

Aaj har bhrasht ko Modi se kasht hai (Today every corrupt person has a problem with Modi). There is a competition among them to abuse this chowkidar (watchman), they think abusing me will get them votes, he said.

They have turned so hopeless that in their stubbornness to oppose Modi, they have started opposing the nation also, he said.

Addressing a public meeting in Ghaziabad on Friday, the Prime Minister had slammed rivals questioning the airstrike and said the trust of 130 crore people was his proof to them.
RJD leaders said that Mr Yadav has also been given the responsibility to discuss seat sharing issues with grand alliance partners.

Patna: The RJD parliamentary board has authorized party president Lalu Prasad Yadav to take final decisions on selection of candidates and seats for the Lok Sabha elections.

After the meeting on Saturday RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said, Mr Lalu Yadav will be taking final decisions regarding candidate selection and seat allocation for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The issue will be resolved at the earliest.

RJD leaders said that Mr Yadav has also been given the responsibility to discuss seat sharing issues with grand alliance partners.

After stitching a rainbow coalition in Bihar RJD has been facing trouble in dealing with partners who have been demanding sizeable seat share for 2019 general elections.

Sources claim that RJD wants to contest on 20-22 seats out of total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and has offered 11 seats to the Congress party. The rest of the other grand alliance partners are being offered the remaining seats.

Mr Yadav is currently undergoing treatment for multiple serious ailments at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIIMS) Ranchi after he was convicted in the fodder scam cases in December 2017.

In the past few months RIIMS has become a hub of Bihar politics as grand alliance partners have been meeting him to discuss seat sharing arrangements for the Lok Sabha elections.

As per the jail manual, he is allowed to meet only three persons every Saturday. This week it was LJD leader Sharad Yadav who visited the hospital to meet him.

Lalu Yadav. RJD insiders said that Sharad Yadav has been demanding a ticket from Madhepura constituency.

Sources claim that the two left parties which were being offered one seat each has also issued an ultimatum to quit the grand alliance if sizeable seats are not offered.

The name of former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was dropped from the CPI candidate list on Friday after RJD refused to field him from Begusarai constituency.

However, there is a feeling in the political circle here that Lalu Yadav may consider giving CPI-ML couple of seats in order to gain in several pockets like Bhojpur, Arwal and Jehanabad where it has a significant support base.
The BSP has some influence in constituencies which share a border with neighbouring UP, such as Gopalganj, Kaimur, Rohtas and a few others.

BSP chief Mayawati has surprised many with her decision to go it alone in Bihar.

Patna: Taking a separate path from the grand alliance, Mayawati-led BSP has decided to contest the 2019 general elections on its own in Bihar.

According to BSP leaders in Patna, the party chief took a decision last month after analysing its strength and meeting potential candidates from Bihar.

We have been asked by party chief Mayawati to begin preparations on all 40 Lok Sabha seats. A list of candidates is also being prepared and we are waiting for further instructions from her, BSP state president Bharat Bind told this newspaper.

The development comes at a time when the grand alliance comprising the RJD, the Congress and several other smaller regional parties was trying to expand its base in Bihar to stop the BJP-led NDA from returning to power.

After clinching alliance in a politically important state of Uttar Pradesh in order to take on the ruling BJP, the BSP and the SP announced their poll pacts last month in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. According to political analysts, Ms Mayawatis decision to take a separate path in these states, including Bihar, is aimed at keeping the Congress out of the alliance.

The state NDA leaders, however, see this as a jolt to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav who had openly supported the Uttar Pradesh model after SP-BSP formed a strong anti- BJP alliance in January.

His pictures touching Ms Mayawatis feet and greeting her was later circulated on the social media platform. In a statement, Tejashwi Yadav had said that he visited Lucknow to seek her blessings.

With her blessings, we will move ahead and I feel that the BJP will be completely washed out of UP and Bihar after the BSP-SP alliance, Mr Yadav had said.

Sources claim that Tejashwi Yadav who has been banking heavily on Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) combination floated by his father Lalu Yadav in 1990s and a section of OBCs is trying to improve its prospects among dalits in the state by trying to get closer to Ms Mayawati.

One such attempt was seen in July 2017 when RJD chief Lalu Yadav came out in support of BSP supremo Mayawati who had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and offered to send her to the upper house from Bihar.

The Congress has a tendency to suppress and finish their coalition partners. There is a fear psychosis among the Mahagathbandhan allies. This is why SP and BSP have drifted apart from the Congress in UP, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand and now Ms Mayawati has decided to contest on all 40 seats in Bihar. As for the RJD, it lacks moral grounds or else it would also have broken the alliance with the Congress in Bihar, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand told this newspaper.

The BSP has some influence in constituencies which share a border with neighbouring UP, such as Gopalganj, Kaimur, Rohtas and a few others.

In the 2015 Assembly elections, the BSP polled a meagre of 2.07 per cent of the total votes. Of the total 228 seats it contested, only three candidates managed to save their deposits.

In two previous Lok Sabha elections  2009 and 2014, the BSP had contested on 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state without getting into an alliance with any other political party.

According to BSP Bihar in charge Lalji Medhankar, We have been trying to expand our political base in Bihar and other places and our fight in the coming Lok Sabha elections would be against both the BJP and the Congress.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
ABC News(ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia) -- An Ethiopian Airlines with 157 people on board, including eight Americans, crashed Sunday just minutes after taking off from Ethiopia's capital, according to the airline and reports.



Everyone on board was presumed dead, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement. The country's state broadcaster said all of the passengers perished in the crash, according to the Associated Press.



"At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," the airline said.



Flight ET302 took off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. local time, the company said. Its destination was Nairobi, Kenya, according to the airline.



It lost contact six minutes later, according to the airline's statement.



There were believed to be 149 passengers and 8 crew members on board, the airline said. However, it said it was "confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight."



In addition to the eight victims from the United States, the AP reported that there were 32 Kenyans and nine Ethiopians on board; eight people from China and Italy; seven passengers each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; five from the Netherlands; and four each from India and Slovenia.



The U.S. Embassy said it was aware of the crash, and released a statement before it was announced that there victims from the United States. The embassy is working with the Ethiopian government to identify Americans who were on the flight, it said in a statement.



"We extend our sincerest sympathies to all who are impacted by this tragic event," it said in a statement. "We are in contact with the Government of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Airlines to offer all possible assistance, and to determine the status of any Americans who may have been on board."



The bodies will be delivered to the families of the victims once they are identified, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement, adding that it has already been in contact with the families of victims.



The plane was a new Boeing 737 Max 8, the same type of plane that crashed in Indonesia in November, killing the 189 people on board. It started service in May 2017.



Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" about the crash.



"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team," the company said in a statement.



The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team of four to assist in the investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it plans to join the NTSB in its assistance with Ethiopian civil aviation authorities to investigate the crash.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  A senatorial bet belonging to the labor sector is pushing to shut down coal mines.

"Dapat siguro ipasara 'yung mga coal mine. Kasi 'yung coal mine, 'yan ang pinakamaruming enerhiyang ginagamit sa bansa. 'Yung mga planong buksan pa, dapat huwag nang buksan," says Leody de Guzman of the Partido Lakas ng Masa.

[Translation: We must shut down coal mines. Coal mines are the dirtiest source of energy in the Philippines. Those set to be open should no longer be opened.]

Coal makes up almost half of the country's power generation mix. However, coal use has been linked largely to the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which in turn speeds up global warming -- one of the major factors in worsening natural calamities as typhoons and species extinction.

"'Yung mga bagay na nakakadulot ng paglikha ng pag-init ng mundo ay dapat nang pigilan," he added.

[Translation: Those things which cause global warming should be stopped.]

The Department of Energy said it is adopting a "technology-neutral" approach to meet the Philippines' energy goals -- which means it will source its energy from the conventional resources such as coal and natural gas, as well as so-called non-conventional resources such as renewable energy.

De Guzman's call comes as a 2018 report from a Swedish non-profit organization showed that two cities in the Philippines got the cleanest air.

The 2018 Air Quality Report from Switzerland-based IQ AirVisual ranked Calamba, Laguna and Valenzuela City, Philippines as the top cities in Southeast Asia with the cleanest air.

Air cleanliness is measured in the amount of fine particulate matter or PM2.5 (g/m).

Larry Gadon, who is also vying for a Senate seat, said a law based off the local government policies on anti-polution efforts of the two cities must be enacted.

"Itong mga lugar na ito ay industrialized zones," Gadon said. "Ine-expect mo nga magiging marumi ang hangin diyan because of the factories. Pero maganda ang kanilang pamamalakad pagdating sa anti-pollution."

[Translation: These places are industrialized zones. You expect the air there to be dirty due to the factories, but they have good programs against pollution.]
The Mirwaiz has been asked to appear before the probe agency at its headquarters in New Delhis Lodhi Road on Monday morning.

Srinagar: Nearly two weeks after NIA sleuths raided Mirwaiz Umar Farooqs home in Srinagar to conduct searches in connection with an alleged terror funding case, the Central anti-terror agency has summoned Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric and separatist leader to New Delhi for questioning.

Separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelanis younger son Naseem Geelani has also been served a similar summon, asking him to appear before the NIA in New Delhi on Monday.

The Mirwaiz has been asked to appear before the probe agency at its headquarters in New Delhis Lodhi Road on Monday morning.

Sources close to the Mirwaiz said that he is consulting lawyers on whether he should present himself before the NIA or ignore the call.

The notice issued to him is inappropriate. Nevertheless, he is in consultation with his lawyers on the issue, said an aide of the cleric and politician. The sources indicated that the Mirwaiz may not obey the call.

The NIA had on February 26 raided the homes of the Mirwaiz, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sahrai, Nayeem Geelani (elder son of Syed Ali Shah Geelani) and Zaffar Akbar Bhat.

While Mr Malik was in police custody when his home in Srinagars Maisuma locality was searched and has since been shifted to Jammus Kot Balwal jail after being formally detained under the States stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), Mr. Shah is lodged is Delhis Tihar jail for past more than 22 months.

Meanwhile, the ministry of defence on Saturday termed as incorrect the reports of abduction of an Army soldier in Jammu and Kashmirs Budgam district and said that the individual is safe.

These reports had said that an off-duty Army jawan Muhammad Yaseen was kidnapped at gunpoint by suspected militants in Budgams Qazipora village on Friday night. The police had said that Mr Yaseen, a soldier of the Armys Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI), unit was on leave at home when kidnapped by a ground of masked gunmen.

Deputy inspector general of police (Central Kashmir) V K Birdi had said that three persons believed to be militants barged into Mr Yaseens home at Qazipora and took him along.

The ministry said, Media reports of the abduction of a serving Army soldier (Muhammad Yaseen) on leave from Qazipora, Chadoora, Budgam(J&K) are incorrect. Individual is safe. Speculations may please be avoided.

In June last year, an Army soldier Aurangzeb of 44 Rashtriya Rifles posted in south Kashmirs Shopian district was abducted by militants as he left to unit to celebrate Id at his home in frontier district of Poonch. The same evening his bullet-riddled body was found ten kilometres away from the place of kidnapping, evoking a nation-wide outrage.
How to fix Sync Passphrase error on Chrome Tips Tricks lekhaka-Nilakshi pathak Fix Sync Passphrase error using a simple trick

The Chrome Sync feature is one of the most loved features of Google Chrome. The Chrome Synch is the feature as a result of which, you can see all your browsing activity synched across all the devices and platforms in a jiffy. However, when dealing with personal information, one has to take extra precautions to ensure that their privacy is intact. And thats why Chrome has eventually allowed its users to set up a sync passphrase.



Applying a sync passphrase does give you an additional layer of security. However, it has its own cons. The passphrase synch is irrecoverable. You cannot reset the passphrase like any other password. If you forgot the password, then you are in hot water. Thankfully, we do have a solution for the same. In this post, we will discuss how to fix sync passphrase error on Chrome. If you are receiving sync passphrase error on Chrome, the only way of getting rid of it is by removing it. Yes, you need to reset the Chrome Sync. Before telling you about the procedure of resetting the Chrome Sync, let me tell you about its consequences. When you reset Chrome Synch, all the data which are saved on Google servers are auto-deleted, and you will be signed out from all the Chrome browser which uses the same Google account. Let us now look at the solution.

Fix Sync Passphrase Error On Chrome (Desktop)

Step 1: Open Chrome menu > Settings.

Step 2: Click on the People section > Sync

Step 3: Now click on Advanced Sync Settings and then tap on Reset Sync.

Step 4: Scroll down the window and then click on Reset Sync.

Step 5: A Reset Sync pop up will appear with the message This will stop sync..............be deleted. Click on OK.

Step 6: After the resetting is done, go back to the Settings and then click on Turn on Sync.

Now the Chrome Sync will work in an active manner.

Fix Sync Passphrase Error On Chrome (Mobile Phones)

If you want to fix the sync passphrase error on Chrome on your smartphone, follow the steps given below.

Step 1: Open Chrome menu > Settings



Step 2: Click on Profile > Sync

Step 3: Scroll below and then open Manage Synced Data and tap on Reset Sync.

Step 4: You will receive a pop-up window of Reset Sync, tap on OK.

Step 5: Go to the Settings and then sign-in to your Google account again. Your local browsing data will be re-uploaded.

Sign Back Again

After removing the sync passphrase, you need to sign back on all the devices where you want to use Chrome. The browsing data will be uploaded again, and everything will be merged automatically across all your devices. If you feel the need of having the sync passphrase again, you will have to manually set it up. The next time, make sure that you write down the password in a safe place.

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Tens of Thousands Demonstrate Against Fifth Term for Algerian President Bouteflika

By Edward Yeranian March 08, 2019

Arab media are reporting that Algerian security forces cut transportation links between parts of the country and the capital, Algiers, on Friday, as opposition groups held large protests against ailing incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika seeking a fifth term in office.

Arab news channels broadcast live video of the demonstrations, which showed Algerian security forces blocking the road to the presidential palace as protesters attempted to approach the landmark. Witnesses say rounds of tear gas were fired to hold back protesters.

Despite conflicting reports by Arab media Thursday about the whereabouts of the ailing president, it is believed Bouteflika remains in a Geneva hospital, where his health is the subject of speculation. Al-Arabiya TV reported that Algerians have been calling the hospital switchboard to inquire if the president is still there.

Algerian media showed video of lawyers protesting in front of the main courthouse in the large eastern coastal city of Constantine. Lawyers in several major cities have threatened not to participate in supervising presidential elections if Bouteflika runs again.

Algerian TV ran a statement  attributed to the president  hailing the role of women in the country on International Women's Day. The statement also alluded to the importance of security in the country, given the "bloody civil conflicts prevailing in neighboring Arab states."

Some media reports claimed that several members of Bouteflika's political party have resigned from parliament, but his supporters said the reports were not true.

Algerian commentators speculated about possible scenarios for a "peaceful transition," given Bouteflika's wavering health.

Analyst Noureddin Khattal told al-Arabiya TV that "two possible scenarios are being floated by political leaders." One scenario, he says, "is that the president steps down, handing power to the head of parliament." He said another possibility is that the president is asked to step down for health reasons, as per Article 102 of the constitution.

Algerian Army Chief of Staff General Ahmed Qaid Salah has said several times during the past week that the army "will not allow the country to fall into to a state of chaos."

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Yemen shoots down Saudi spy drone

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 9, IRNA -- The Yemeni forces have shot down a Saudi-coalition spy drone in Jizan, southern Yemen.

According to Yemeni media 'Saba', a Yemeni military source said that the drone was shot by the Yemeni army and popular forces' air defense.

He added that the exact point was located in east of Jahfan base.

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.

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, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree has accused the Saudi-led coalition of repeatedly breaching ceasefire agreement in Al Hudaydah, Yemen, saying that it has breached the truce 966 times in 4 days.

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.

9376**1424

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Trump wants allies hosting US troops to cover full cost, plus some extra: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 07:16PM

The administration of US President Donald Trump is drawing plans to require allies with American troops stationed in their countries to pay for the deployment in an effort to bring down military costs.

Under White House direction, the Trump administration plans to ask Germany, Japan and eventually any other country hosting US troops pay the full price of American soldiers deployed on their soil, plus 50 percent or more for the privilege of hosting them.

Details of the drive was first reported by Bloomberg News, which cited a dozen administration officials and people briefed on the matter.

In some cases, nations hosting US forces could be asked to pay five to six times as much as they do now under the "Cost Plus 50" formula, the news outlet reported.

Current and former administration officials briefed on the idea, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, describe it as far more advanced than is publicly known.

The officials said that as well as seeking more money, the administration wants to use it as a way to exert leverage on countries to do what the US demands overseas.

US officials said the idea is one of many under consideration as Washington presses allies to pay more, and it may be toned down.

Trump has promoted the idea that countries should pay the full cost, plus a premium, since taking office. "Wealthy, wealthy countries that we're protecting are all under notice," Trump said in a speech at the Pentagon on Jan. 17. "We cannot be the fools for others."

The idea has sent shock waves through the Defense Department and State Department, where officials fear it will be an especially humiliating to US allies in Asia and Europe already questioning the depth of Trump's commitment to them.

The United States and South Korea signed a formal agreement on Friday under which Seoul will pay 8.2 percent more for the deployment of US troops in the Asian country.

After rounds of failed negotiations, chief delegates from the two countries last month agreed on Seoul paying $924 million in 2019 for the US military presence, up from about $830 million last year.

Trump had earlier pressured Seoul to increase its financial contribution. The increase still falls short of "Cost Plus 50" plan.

Critics argue that the demand also misreads the benefits that overseas troop deployments bring to the US.

"Even raising this question feeds a misinformed narrative that these facilities are there for the benefits of those countries," said Douglas Lute, a former US ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "The truth is they're there and we maintain them because they're in our interest."

In Germany, for instance, the US military relies on several crucial installations: the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the Ramstein Air Base. Landstuhl is a world-class medical facility that has provided emergency care to US soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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India says on 'strict vigil' for new attacks from Pakistan

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 11:29AM

Indian armed forces maintain "strict vigil" to defend their homeland against new attacks from Pakistan, an Indian government official has said, reiterating New Delhi's previous warnings to Islamabad to take concrete action against militant groups operating on Pakistani soil.

"Our armed forces continue to maintain strict vigil and will remain determined in the defense of the nation and its citizens," India's Foreign Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said on Saturday.

"We have and we will continue to act with responsibility and maturity," he added.

Kumar said Islamabad was in "a state of denial" over its support for groups accused of staging attacks in India, and that Pakistan had failed to take any "credible action" against those terrorist outfits.

He made the remarks after Pakistani security forces said this week that they had arrested dozens of militants in what was described as a crackdown against "proscribed organizations" following last month's bombing attack in the Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Islamabad said the younger brother of the leader of a militant group  which claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on an Indian security forces convoy in Kashmir on February 14  was among the detainees.

Pakistani officials said the crackdown was part of a long-planned drive and not a response to Indian anger over what New Delhi calls Islamabad's failure to rein in militant groups operating on Pakistani soil.

The terrorist attack in Kashmir left at least 40 troops dead, sparking tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and spurring tit-for-tat cross-border raids. The tensions reached a peak last Tuesday, when India said it had conducted "preemptive" airstrikes against what it described as a militant training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

Islamabad confirmed and condemned the violation of its airspace but denied that the purported target had been hit.

A day later, the Pakistani military captured an Indian pilot after shooting down his MiG-21 fighter jet in Pakistan's airspace.

The flare-up between the two arch-foes appeared to be easing after Pakistan handed back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, whose return was meant to be a goodwill gesture toward India.

But the tensions continued.

Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since partition in 1947. Both countries claim all of Kashmir and have fought three wars over the territory.

Indian troops are in constant clashes with armed groups seeking Kashmir's independence or its merger with Pakistan. India regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and allowing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks. Pakistan strongly denies the allegation.

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The Indian external affairs ministry on Saturday said that the government is taking all steps to extradite the fugitive diamantaire.

In a video posted by the British daily, Nirav Modi can be seen sporting a handle-bar moustache and wearing an ostrich hide jacket, estimated to cost 10,000 pounds.

New Delhi: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, wanted in India in the Rs 13,500 crore PNB fraud case, has been discovered living openly in a swanky 8-million pound apartment in London West End and is running a new diamond business just yards away, a UK media report said on Saturday. The Indian government said that it is aware of Nirav Modis whereabouts and has come a step closer to getting the fugitive extradited from the UK.

Nirav Modi, 48, was tracked down to a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block of luxury apartments, where rent is estimated to be around 17,000 pounds a month, The Daily Telegraph reported.

In a video posted by the British daily, Nirav Modi can be seen sporting a handle-bar moustache and wearing an ostrich hide jacket, estimated to cost 10,000 pounds. On being accosted by reporters and questioned on various issues, including whether he had applied for political asylum in Britain and what he had to say about the charges against him, Nirav Modi responded with a curt, No comment. Amid the raging political debate in India over Nirav Modis controversial escape from the country, the enforcement directorate said the UKs home secretary has recently referred Indias request for extraditing Nirav Modi to a court for initiating legal proceedings.

Also, officials involved with the proceedings in the UK confirmed that British home secretary Sajid Javid has certified Indias extradition request for Nirav Modi.

The Indian external affairs ministry on Saturday said that the government is taking all steps to extradite the fugitive diamantaire.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, We requested the UK government for extradition of Nirav Modi, means that we were aware that he is in UK otherwise we would not have made the request,

Just because he has been spotted doesnt mean he can be immediately brought back to India as there is a process in place. We have made a request for extradition, it is for the UK government now to consider our request and respond to the demand of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for extradition, he said.

The government is taking all necessary steps for his extradition, Mr Kumar said.

The CBI also maintained that the Central probe agency is awaiting a response on its extradition request which was sent to the UK.

We are willing to extend all help to the UK through MEA in ensuring extradition of Nirav Modi, said CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar.
Israel launches fresh Gaza airstrikes, targets Palestinian boat

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 09:49AM

Israeli warplanes have conducted fresh air raids on the Gaza Strip in yet another act of aggression against the besieged Palestinian territory.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Israeli army said that its jets had struck several targets allegedly belonging to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in the southern and northern Gaza the night before.

Tel Aviv claimed that the aerial assault came "in response to the projectile that was launched from the Gaza Strip" as well as "balloons carrying explosive devices" and attempts to damage "security infrastructure" in the occupied territories.

Gaza security officials said the Israeli strikes had not caused any casualties.

The attacks, however, damaged Palestinian houses and farming land, according to Wafa news agency.

Also on Saturday, the Israeli navy opened fire at a fishing boat near off the northern Gaza. Palestinian media reported that the incident had no casualties.

The Tel Aviv regime carries out regular attacks on the blockaded coastal sliver under the pretext of hitting positions belonging to Hamas, the movement which runs the Palestinian territory.

The coastal sliver has been under a crippling land, air and sea Israeli blockade since 2007 and witnessed three wars since 2008.

Gaza has also witnessed a fresh wave of tensions since March 30, which marked the start of "The Great March of Return" protests.

So far, at least 253 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during the weekly anti-occupation rallies in Gaza.

Friday's clashes near the Gaza fence left a Palestinian dead and at least 45 others injured.

A recent report, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, said that Israeli forces may have perpetrated "war crimes" or "crimes against humanity" during the 2018 Gaza unrest.

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Washington May Demand Countries Hosting U.S. Troops Pay Full Costs, Plus Premium

March 09, 2019

The U.S. administration is considering a plan to demand that countries hosting American troops pay the full cost of their deployment -- plus a premium for the privilege of having them there, U.S. media outlets report.

Bloomberg News and the Associated Press, quoting several administration officials and people briefed on the matter, said on March 8 that the administration has asked the Defense Department to assemble data on the costs of keeping troops in other countries and the amount host nations pay.

The news agencies said the officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis did not comment directly on the reports, but he said that getting allies to "increase their investment in our collective defense and ensure fairer burden-sharing" has long been a goal of the U.S. government.

President Donald Trump has complained that U.S. allies, including those in NATO, are not contributing enough to their own defense and burdening U.S. taxpayers with the costs.

As part of the proposed policy, some nations hosting U.S. troops could be asked to pay five to six times as much as they do now under the "Cost Plus 50" formula, suggesting a premium of 50 percent of the actual cost for having the troops on their soil.

U.S. troops have a presence in most NATO countries, but they have had large bases in countries such as Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan, and Italy since the end of World War II and later in countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.

Based on reporting by AP and Bloomberg

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-troops-countries- pay-costs-premium-nato/29812037.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.

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Indian MoD Confirms Downing of Pakistani Drone Over Airspace Violation - Reports

Sputnik News

21:54 09.03.2019(updated 22:25 09.03.2019)

Historically tense relations between the two nuclear-armed neigbours have further escalated after 40 Indian troops were killed in a car bomb attack claimed by a Pakistan-based terror group and culminated in late February with a dogfight between Pakistan's F-16 and India's MiG-21 jets over Kashmir.

According to India Express citing the Indian Defence Ministry, the country's Air Force has downed a drone launched from the Pakistani territory over an alleged airspace violation.

As reported by the media outlet, the UAV violated Indian airspace at around 19-30 local time.

This comes shortly after ANI news agency reported that a drone was shot down over the city of Bikaner.

Pakistani authorities haven't yet commented on the information yet, while the news follows an unprecedented escalation between New Delhi and Islamabad, which culminated in a dogfight over Kashmir, resulting in the downing of an Indian MiG-21, with its pilot being captured, and a Pakistani F-16 in late February. The aerial battle followed an airstrike by the Indian Air Force on a terrorist camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed group from Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group affiliated with al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on an Indian security forces' convoy in Kashmir in the beginning of February, which killed at least 40 troops. India blamed Pakistan for inability to take action to fight the militants, while Islamabad denied the claims and accused New Delhi of violating Pakistan's territorial integrity and sovereignty over conducting aerial operations in Pakistan's side of the Kashmir border.

However, the crisis has eased after Pakistan released the captured Indian pilot in what was described by Prime Minister Imran Khan as a "peace gesture," with Islamabad announcing the return of its ambassador to India earlier this week amid the de-escalation of tensions.

 Sputnik

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Indian Army Shoots Down Pakistani Drone Along Int'l Border - Report

Sputnik News

15:24 09.03.2019(updated 15:59 09.03.2019)

The drone was the third Pakistani UAF to be shot down inside India since the 26 February airstrike, according to the military.

Indian Army troops have shot down a Pakistani armed forces drone after it attempted to violate Indian airspace in the Sri Ganganagar sector of the state of Rajasthan, army sources said Saturday.

"The Indian Army shot down the drone while it was making an attempt to enter the Indian airspace," army sources cited by India's Asian News International news agency indicated.

The make of the drone has yet to be identified. The Pakistani military has not commented on the report.

In a separate incident, another Pakistani drone was said to have attempted to enter India at the Hindumalkot border near the city of Sriganganagar at about 5 am local time Saturday before turning back after being sighted and fired upon by Indian forces.

The drone became the third unmanned aerial vehicle to have been shot down by the Indian military after the Indian Air Force strike against a terrorist training camp in Pakistan late last month brought relations between the two countries to state of crisis.

The Indian military reported shooting down a drone in the Bikaner sector of Rajasthan on March 4, with a UAF earlier reported shot down on the morning of February 26 after entering Indian airspace in the Kutch district of the state of Gujarat.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated in mid-February after a Pakistan-based terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda carried out a deadly car bombing attack against Indian security forces in Kashmir, killing at least 40. The Indian armed forces responded with airstrikes against a suspected terrorist training camp on the Pakistani side of the border on February 26. The strikes have led to a series of clashes between the two nuclear armed neighbours, with at least one Indian MiG-21 and one Pakistani F-16 downed in a dogfight, and multiple military and civilian casualties reported across the Line of Control border in Kashmir.

Indian authorities have accused Pakistan of not doing enough to combat jihadist extremists operating in the country. Islamabad has denied the claims, and accused New Delhi of violating its sovereignty.

 Sputnik

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Guinea-Bissau ready for 'peaceful, free and fair' legislative election on Sunday, says UN

9 March 2019 - After months of preparation, on the day before casting their ballots, Guinean voters are all set for a "peaceful, free and fair" national election, the United Nations said on Saturday.

With UN support, 21 parties are battling to hold, for four years, 102 seats in the National Assembly. Preliminary results are expected on Monday.

As required by electoral law, the 21 parties paused their activities on Saturday for a day of reflection. And while t-shirts continued to be distributed and worn by their supporters, not a sound of campaign promises or candidate speeches was heard.

Speaking to UN News, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), General Francis Behanzin, said that "everything is ready", the security situation "is OK" and the "campaign happened very well".

He said that the parties are talking to each other, calling it "a very good thing for democracy in West Africa".

"After the election," he concluded, "we will address the challenge of development".

Citing, among other things, donor fatigue in raising funds for the national election, Julia Alhinho, head of public communications at the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), told UN News "Everything is ready in spite of all difficulties".

"We expect that it is peaceful, free and fair", she attested.

Gearing up

From the hotels in the capital, dozens of international observers from the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and others were sent to locations deemed important to the elections' success throughout the country.

The UN's technical support of the process included training 80 police officers, 400 members of civil society, 450 electoral officers and 120 journalists.

"Support of international community [is] vital and much appreciated for monitoring of free, fair and secure elections", David McLachlan-Karr, the UN Resident Coordinator there tweeted on Friday, saying that UNIOGBIS had briefed election observers from the AU, ECOWAS, CPLP, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Pre-election Security Council visit

Prior to the elections, the Security Council visited Guinea-Bissau last month to monitor and evaluate the crisis resolution process in this country.

While there, the delegation met with the Speaker of the National Assembly, the leaders of political parties, the President of the National Electoral Commission, the President of the Supreme Court and representatives of civil society, as well as with President Jose Mario Vaz.

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India Again Urges Pakistan to Rein in Militant Groups

By Anjana Pasricha March 09, 2019

Days after India and Pakistan stepped back from a recent dangerous confrontation, New Delhi renewed calls on Islamabad to take concrete steps against militant groups - even as New Delhi expressed skepticism about a crackdown in Pakistan against such groups.

Pakistan said this week it had detained dozens of members of banned organizations, including two close relatives of the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammad group, which India blamed for a deadly bombing in Indian Kashmir last month. Authorities said a number of religious seminaries and educational institutions run by outlawed Islamist groups also have been taken under government control as part of a nationwide counterterrorism effort.

The action apparently did not satisfy India, which accuses Pakistan of sheltering and harboring Islamic militant groups that stage attacks in India. Islamabad denies it.

At a press conference on Saturday, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said Pakistan has not shown any "serious intent" to address the legitimate concerns of India and the global community.

According to Raveesh Kumar, "we are seeing the same script that has been played out earlier" following previous terror attacks in India. "Pakistan claims to proscribe groups and individuals, but this is only on paper. Actually, terrorist groups and individuals continue their activities without hindrance."

India has been pressing Pakistan to take action against Masood Azhar, who heads the Jaish-e-Mohammad group that claimed responsibility for the Feb. 14 suicide attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 paramilitaries and sparked military hostilities between the two countries.

Days after that attack, India conducted airstrikes inside Pakistan to target what it said was a militant camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. Pakistan retaliated with airstrikes, saying it was responding to a violation of its air space. Both countries then pulled away from a confrontation many feared could spark a war after the United States and its allies helped defuse increasing tensions.

Officials with the Indian foreign ministry said, "We will continue to act with responsibility and maturity," but they added that "our armed forces continue to maintain strict vigil and will remain determined in the defense of the nation and its citizens."

Analysts say India wants to maintain the increased global pressure on Pakistan to act against Islamic militant groups. Referring to the Indian airstrikes inside Pakistan  the deepest inside Pakistan in nearly 50 years - a former senior intelligence official and security expert, Jayadeva Ranade, said, "It's a step that has been taken after deep deliberation and they will want results."

In a signal that hostilities between the two countries have cooled somewhat, the High Commissioners of both countries, who had been recalled amid last month's Kashmir attack, were set to return to their posts.

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Maduro Says One of Venezuelan Energy Facilities Suffered Cyberattack on Saturday

Sputnik News

02:22 10.03.2019

CARACAS (Sputnik)  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that a cyber attack was carried out against one of the country's energy facilities on Saturday, which did not allow the authorities to restore the electricity supply interrupted earlier in the week.

"Today we have restored power supply in 70 percent of the country's territory, but at noon, another cyber attack was committed against one of the facilities, which until then worked perfectly. For this reason, all the progress we had achieved by mid-afternoon was interrupted," Maduro said in Caracas on Saturday.

The blackout swept Venezuela on Thursday as national electricity supplier Corpoelec reported about "sabotage" at the major Guri hydroelectric power plant. Media subsequently reported about power outages in 21 out or 23 Venezuela's states.

Maduro blamed the United States for waging an electric energy war against Venezuela. However, Washington denied having a role in the crisis.

 Sputnik

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Afghan Forces Kill Over 60 Taliban Militants Over Past 24 Hours - Reports

Sputnik News

02:10 10.03.2019(updated 02:19 10.03.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Over 60 militants of the Taliban radical movement in Afghanistan were killed as a result of special operations and airstrikes performed by US-supported Afghan forces across the country over the past 24 hours, local media reported, citing military sources.

According to the Khaama Press News Agency, operations were conducted in the provinces of Lagar, Wardak, Helmand, Uruzgan and Paktika.

During the operations, Afghan forces also destroyed one Taliban radio tower and two improvised explosive devices, the agency said.

Afghanistan has suffered from deeply unstable security following an invasion by the US in 2001 and the subsequent 17 years of continuous warfare. The US-supported government in Kabul has been fighting an increasingly entrenched Taliban, even as the Daesh* terrorist group has been operating in Afghanistan since 2015.

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State/IS), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a wide number of other countries.

 Sputnik

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Attackers in Congo Hit Newly Reopened Ebola Treatment Center

By VOA News March 09, 2019

Armed assailants on Saturday attacked an Ebola treatment center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo less than a week after it reopened following a previous attack.

The attack in Butembo came in the early-morning hours and left one police officer dead and several workers injured.

Butembo Mayor Sylvain Kanyamanda told reporters that security forces had defended the center and wounded one of the attackers.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the center several hours later and encouraged health care workers to continue fighting the deadly Ebola virus.

"It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and police officer who died in today's attack, as we continue to mourn those who died in previous attacks while defending the right to health," Ghebreyesus told reporters. "We have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world."

After the previous attack on the Butembo center, Doctors Without Borders suspended its operations in the city.

Precautions stir doubts

Anti-Ebola efforts already have faced adversity from residents suspicious of the extensive precautions taken by the health care workers to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease. Because Ebola virus can be transmitted through a victim's bodily fluids even after death, even burial of the victims requires stringent safety protocols.

Thursday, Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Liu said the containment efforts used to control the latest outbreak of Ebola, which started in August last year, faced a "climate of deepening community mistrust" that was worsened by the use of security guards at treatment centers.

Congo's health ministry has warned the attacks in Butembo and on another treatment center in Katwa last month can lead to a "significant upsurge" in new Ebola cases.

More than 86 percent of the confirmed cases over the past three weeks came from Butembo and Katwa, according to the health ministry.

The current outbreak is considered the worst since the two-year outbreak in West Africa that started in 2014 and killed more than 11,000 people.

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Xi emphasizes priority of farmland

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 09:12, March 09, 2019

Local authorities told to push rural vitalization, guard food security

President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of implementing a rural vitalization strategy and ensuring food security while joining a discussion with deputies to the National People's Congress from Henan province on Friday.

For a country with nearly 1.4 billion people, China must remain highly vigilant on food security issues, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Calling Henan a major agricultural producer, Xi instructed the local government to build the province into a core food production zone and steadily increase its production capacity.

Xi said some arable farmland is illegally occupied and destroyed in some parts of the country in the process of industrialization and urbanization, and those responsible for such illegal activities must be held accountable.

Local authorities must shoulder their responsibility and keep an eye out for illegal destruction of farmland, Xi said. It's intolerable for some farmland to be destroyed in the name of building parks and squares for the people.

Xi highlighted the significance of advancing supply-side structural reform in agricultural areas, calling it important for farmers to increase their incomes.

A healthy environment is the biggest advantage of rural areas, and it is also the decisive factor in agricultural competition, Xi said, adding that more effort should be made to address pollution problems in rural areas.

The president pledged to fight criminal activities related to food safety and ensure that the people have access to safe agricultural products.

Xi attached great importance to infrastructure construction in rural areas, and he instructed local authorities to focus on building roads, water projects, logistics and internet facilities for farmers.

Xi also instructed local authorities to enhance Party building in grassroots Party organizations in rural areas, boost transparency in rural affairs and enhance supervision of the exercise of power of village officials.

Local authorities should deepen reform and boost opening-up, promote the flow of talent and capital between urban and rural areas and inject more impetus into rural vitalization, Xi said.

He instructed local authorities to deepen reform of the rural farm system and promote high-quality growth in rural areas.

The government must uphold a people-centered philosophy of development and help the people benefit more from the outcomes of reform, Xi said.

During the discussion, eight NPC deputies spoke on such issues as building the Belt and Road, eliminating poverty and enhancing Party building in villages.

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A state government release issued on Saturday informed that Param Bir Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer, will replace Sanjay Barve.

Senior Indian Police Service officer Param Bir Singh was on Saturday appointed Director General of the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau. (File Photo)

Mumbai: Senior Indian Police Service officer Param Bir Singh was on Saturday appointed Director General of the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau.

A state government release issued on Saturday informed that Mr Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer, will replace Sanjay Barve who was, on February 28, appointed to the coveted post of Mumbai Police Commissioner.

Incidentally, Mr Singh was also in the running to become the metropolis' top cop.

Mr Singh, before this posting, was Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) in the state police.

As ADG (Law and Order), he was in the eye of a storm when he, along with Pune police officials, held a press conference on August 31 last year on the arrest of activists with alleged Maoists links.

Mr Singh had read out letters allegedly written by these activists, held in June and August last year, at the media briefing, a move that was questioned by the Bombay High Court.

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Mridula Bhatkar on September 3 last year had asked how the police could read out these letters which may be used as evidence. "How can the police do this? The matter is sub judice," the HC had asked.

Mr Singh has held important posts like that of Thane Police Commissioner, DCP in several important zones in Mumbai, and also Superintendent of Police in districts like Chandrapur and Bhandara.
North Korea likely plans missile or space launch: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 10:00AM

The people of North Korea blame the US for the collapse of the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, state media say.

US news outlet NPR has reported that North Korea may be preparing for a missile or space launch, based on satellite image analysis of a key facility near Pyongyang.

The images of Sanumdong were taken days before Trump and Kim met in Hanoi for their high-stakes summit, which ended in failure, NPR reported.

Sanumdong is one of the facilities Pyongyang has used to produce inter-continental ballistic missiles and space rockets.

The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, admitted for the first time on Friday that the Hanoi summit had failed to yield intended results.

"The public at home and abroad that had hoped for success and good results from the second DPRK-US summit in Hanoi are feeling regretful, blaming the U.S. for the summit that ended without an agreement," the paper said in a commentary, referring to North Korea's official name  the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Trump and Kim met for the first time in June 2018 in Singapore, where they agreed to work toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Subsequent diplomacy between the two sides, however, made little progress, mainly because the US refused to lift its crippling sanctions.

Pyongyang has so far taken several steps toward the goal by suspending missile and nuclear testing, demolishing at least one nuclear test site, and agreeing to allow international inspectors into a missile engine test facility.

The US, however, has insisted that sanctions on the North must remain in place until it completely and irreversibly dismantles its nuclear program.

The second summit between the two sides was held in Hanoi on February 28 and 29 but Trump abruptly walked away from the talks and told a press conference shortly afterward that Kim was not ready to make the necessary concessions.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho offered a completely different breakdown of the summit, saying that Pyongyang never asked for the removal of all sanctions, but only the partial removal of them.

The US administration officials later said they were hopeful about sending a delegation to North Korea in the coming weeks to resume negotiations on the North's nuclear weapons program.

'I would be very disappointed if I saw testing'

The prospect of an agreement between Washington and Pyongyang seems to have lost steam after South Korea alleged this week that the North was restoring a ballistic missile launch facility it had torn down.

The site, located in North Pyongan Province, was claimed to be serving as the engine test site and missile launch facility for liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

Last year, Pyongyang announced that the site, which is known by at least two other names, Tongchang-ri and Sohae, had been fully destructed.

In response to Seoul's report, Trump on Friday said he would be "disappointed" if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing.

"I would be surprised in a negative way if he did anything that was not per our understanding. But we'll see what happens," he told reporters. "I would be very disappointed if I saw testing."

Bolton downplays missile test reports

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, who had previously called for a tough approach to North Korea, played down the development of the testing site and said it was too soon to make a determination on the reports.

"We're going to study the situation carefully. As the president said, it would be very, very disappointing if they were taking this direction," Bolton told Fox News.

"The president's obviously open to talking again. We'll see when that might be scheduled or how it might work out," he added.

Additionally, a senior State Department official said Washington was keen to resume talks as soon as possible but North Korea's negotiators needed to be given more latitude.

"There will necessarily need to be a period of reflection here. Both sides are going to have to digest the outcome to the summit," the official said.

The collapse of the summit has also disappointed US-ally South Korea, which has been improving relations with the North since Kim and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in met in January 2018.

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U.S. Broadcaster Reports Evidence North Korea Preparing Rocket Launch

March 09, 2019

North Korea may be preparing to launch a missile or space rocket, U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) reported.

The March 9 report was based on exclusive access to satellite photographs of North Korea's Sanumdong site, a facility that has been used by Pyongyang for the production of intercontinental missiles and space rockets in the past.

The photographs were taken by the firm DigitalGlobe a few days before U.S. President Donald Trump met in Vietnam with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The images purportedly show rail cars, cranes, and trucks at the facility on February 22.

NPR quoted Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, as saying "it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket."

The report comes shortly after the website 38 North and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) concluded the North may have resumed operations at a long-range rocket launch site at Sohae.

The February 27-28 summit between Trump and Kim ended without a joint statement or any agreement on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Trump said on March 8 that he would be "surprised in a negative way" if North Korea resumed testing missiles.

"I would be very disappointed if I saw testing," he said.

Based on reporting by NPR, AP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/north-korea-rocket- launch--npr/29812053.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.

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Satellite Images Suggest Activity at N Korean Rocket Facility  Reports

Sputnik News

16:00 09.03.2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Commercial satellite images of North Korea's rocket facility in Sanumdong suggest that Pyongyang may be preparing to launch a missile or space rocket in a short time, the US-based NPR radio station reported, publishing one of the pictures.

The new image, which surfaced on Friday, came just days after several US think tanks and South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that satellite pictures showed works were underway to restore the Sohae Satellite Launching Station at Tongchang-ri, which Pyongyang pledged to dismantle after last year's summit with the United States in Singapore.

The new images taken by DigitalGlobe on February 22 and shared with NPR show cars and trucks parked near the Sanumdong facility. Two cranes are, meanwhile, erected in a rail yard, the radio station said.

According to Jeffrey Lewis, the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, quoted by the media outlet, "that's really what it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket."

The expert, however, stressed that it was impossible to conclude whether Pyongyang was preparing to launch a military missile or a rocket that could carry a civilian satellite.

Meanwhile, the radio station noted, referring to Friday's images of the site taken by another company, that no vehicle activities were currently seen at the scene, while one of the cranes disappeared.

Following the first reports about the alleged renewed activities at the Sohae facility, the US State Department said that it viewed any launch of a space vehicle by North Korea as inconsistent with the country's commitments.

 Sputnik

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Report: N. Korea May Be Preparing Missile or Space Launch

By VOA News March 09, 2019

There are indications North Korea may be preparing for a missile or space launch, National Public Radio is reporting. The U.S. news outlet said an analysis of satellite images of the Sanumdong facility near Pyongyang reveal the presence of trucks, cars, rail cars and cranes.

"When you put all that together, that's really what it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket," said Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

Lewis has studied the images, which were provided by DigitalGlobe, a U.S. commercial provider of space and earth imagery.

This development comes on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump saying he would be "very disappointed" if North Korea is resuming nuclear testing after his recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump made the comments to reporters Friday as he prepared to travel to Alabama to view tornado damage. He said he has greatly improved U.S. relations with North Korea during his time in office.

"Look, when I came in," he said, "under the Obama administration, North Korea was a disaster. You were going to war, folks, whether you know it or not. ... I inherited a mess."

He continued, "Right now you have no testing, you have no nothing. Let's see what happens, but I would be very disappointed if I saw testing."

Trump and Kim met last week in Vietnam in a summit meant to reach an agreement on North Korean denuclearization. But the meeting broke down over an impasse over how many sites North Korea would shut down.

Following the summit, South Korean newspapers reported there was evidence of new activity at the Sohae long-range rocket site, a site Kim agreed last year to shut down as part of confidence-building measures with the United States.

North Korean state media acknowledged the failed meeting for the first time Friday, saying the people of North Korea blame the United States for the collapse of the talks.

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India Conducted Three Attacks Beyond Its Borders in Five Years - Home Minister

Sputnik News

21:03 09.03.2019(updated 21:35 09.03.2019)

On 26 February, the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched an airstrike targeting a suspected terrorist training camp on the Pakistani side of the border in response to a mid-February terrorist attack conducted by a Pakistan-based terrorist group.

Indian Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh has announced that his country carried out three strikes on foreign states' territory within the last five years, however, he refused to provide details of the latest attack, the NDTV broadcaster reported.

"During the last five years, we had crossed the border three times and successfully conducted attacks. I will tell about two of them, but I will be silent with regards to the third one. When terrorists from Pakistan killed our soldiers in the city of Uri, our military servicemen responded to the attack. The next case was after the terror incident in Pulwama district. The third one, I will not disclose," the minister stated during a rally in Mangalur.

Rajnath Singh's comment comes just weeks after the Indian military launched an air strike against suspected terrorist training camps on the Pakistani side of the border in Kashmir, with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of violating the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The following day, Pakistan downed an Indian MiG-21 jet and captured its pilot in a dogfight with India, which also resulted in the downing of one Pakistani F-16. The Indian pilot was later released by Islamabad as a "peace gesture."

Tensions between India and Pakistan dramatically escalated after a Pakistan-based terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda* carried out a deadly car bomb attack against Indian military forces in Kashmir, killing at least 40 troops, with India blaming Islamabad for inability to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammad that claimed responsibility for the bombing.

*A terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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Iran president urges Europe to compensate for US JCPOA pullout

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 9, IRNA -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Europe to compensate for US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Rouhani made the remarks Saturday addressing a meeting with Paul Mifsud, Malta Accredited ambassador to Iran.

Referring to the new round of ties between Iran and the European countries after signing Iran nuclear deal also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said Iran and Congo have also maintained good relations over the last few years.

He went on to say that after the US violation and walking away from Iran nuclear deal, Iran expects the European Union to compensate for it.

Meanwhile, Mifsud referred to long-standing relations between Iran and Malta, saying Maltese government will spare no effort to develop relations.

He also emphasized Malta's support of the JCPOA, saying Iran deal is a roadmap for developing bilateral and multilateral relations with the European Union.

9376**2050

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Iran president voices readiness to cooperate with new Judiciary chief

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 10:56AM

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has congratulated Hojjatoleslam Ebrahim Raeisi on his appointment as the new Judiciary chief, expressing his readiness for mutual cooperation.

In a message released on Saturday, Rouhani highlighted the importance of the Judiciary in the Islamic establishment as well as its responsibility to strengthen social capital and people's trust in the system.

"The judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the most important symbol of our Islamic system's resolve to defend people's rights, implement justice and ensure social security," he said.

"Without a doubt, carrying out this important mission will be possible with the judiciary's independence, away from factional and partisan considerations, and disregarding the pressure of some media and propaganda powers."

Rouhani also voiced the government's preparedness to cooperate with the Judiciary.

"I hereby express the government's readiness to cooperate and interact with the Judiciary to realize the noble causes of the Islamic system and fully implement the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

On Thursday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed Raeisi as the head of Iran's Judiciary replacing Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani were among the officials who also congratulated Raeisi on his new position.

Raeisi was the Islamic Republic's former attorney general and the chief custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, the organization managing the affairs of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), the eighth Shia Imam.

Raeisi was President Hassan Rouhani's main challenger in 2017 presidential election.

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Iran's Rohani Calls For 'Decisive' Action From Pakistan In Wake Of Border Attack

March 09, 2019

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has called for what he called "decisive" action by Pakistan in the wake of a deadly suicide attack in a border area.

During a telephone call on March 9, Rohani told Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that inaction by Islamabad could jeopardize relations between the countries, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.

Twenty-seven members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed in in a suicide car bombing near the border with Pakistan on February 13.

The Sunni Muslim extremist group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack in southeastern Iran. The group claims it is seeking better conditions for Iran's ethnic Baluchi minority.

In his telephone call with Rohani on March 9, Khan said Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists' hideout and there would soon be "good news" for Iran, IRNA reported.

Based on reporting by AP and IRNA

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-rohani-calls-for -decisive-action-from-pakistan-in-wake -of-border-attack/29812396.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.

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Iran Urges Pakistan to Crush Terrorists 'Whose Source of Financing & Arms Known'

Sputnik News

21:27 09.03.2019(updated 21:33 09.03.2019)

Tensions between Iran and Pakistan escalated last month after a deadly car bombing attack on a bus carrying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps servicemen killed at least 27 and left 13 others wounded, with two Pakistani nationals suspected of involvement in the crime.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has urged Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to take "decisive" action against the al-Qaeda* linked Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group which claimed responsibility for the deadly 13 February terror attack against IRGC forces on a highway in eastern Iran near the Pakistani border.

'We are awaiting your decisive action against these terrorists," Rouhani told Khan in a phone call on Saturday, as quoted by Press TV.

The Iranian leader added that Iran was "fully ready to cooperate with the Pakistani Army and government to eradicate these terrorists, whose presence is not in favour of us, you or the region."

"We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to us both," Rouhani stressed.

Tehran earlier accused Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States of facilitating terrorist violence against Iran.

Khan reportedly responded that Pakistani forces had closed in on the terrorists' hideouts, and that there would soon be "good news" for Iran.

"It is in Pakistan's own interest not to allow our territory to be used by terrorist groups, and the Pakistani army is prepared to confront the terrorists more decisively with the information provided by Iran," the Pakistani prime minister said, according to Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iran has repeatedly called on Pakistan to tighten its policy against sheltering al-Qaeda-linked terrorists operating on its territory. Last month, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Ali Jafari urged Pakistan to "punish" the militants responsible for the 13 February attack in a timely fashion, warning that if Islamabad failed to do so Iran would "retaliate against the terrorists" in full accordance with international law.

The calls echoed demands by Indian officials asking Pakistani authorities to crack down on terrorism in the Pakistani-controlled portion of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Tensions between the nuclear-armed nations skyrocketed last month after Indian Air Force jets violated Pakistani airspace to strike a training camp belonging to an al-Qaeda-linked group which claimed responsibility for a terror attack which killed over 40 Indian military personnel in Kashmir on 14 February.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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The Congress leader also accused the Prime Minister of fooling youth of the country in the name of Make in India.

Hubbali: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been going hammer and tongs on his governments fight against terror, Congress president, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held the BJP responsible for the recent Pulwama attack in Kashmir that cost the lives of 44 CRPF jawans.

Mr Gandhi, who was launching his partys campaign in the state for the coming Lok Sabha poll at a Parivarthana rally in Haveri, recalled that it was the Vajpayee government at the Centre that had freed the mastermind of the Pulwama suicide bombing, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Masood Azhar, two decades ago.

Who sent Masood Azhar to Pakistan from an Indian jail? Did not the then external affairs minister, Jaswant Singh and then intelligence bureau chief, Ajit Doval, escort him to Kandahar? It was the BJP government that sent Azhar to Pakistan, he noted, referring to the freeing of Azhar and two other terrorists in 1999 in exchange for the release of 155 passengers on board a hijacked Indian Airlines plane to Taliban controlled Kandahar. Why doesnt the Prime Minister tell the people this during his speeches? He must reveal why the BJP released the kingpin of the terror attack when his party was in power, the Congress president demanded.

The Congress leader also accused the Prime Minister of fooling youth of the country in the name of Make in India.

Sit in India and Stand up in India, he claimed in reality the Centre had caused losses to traders and the poor through demonitisation and the Gabbar Singh tax (GST).

The Congress will bring in reforms in the GST to make it one tax and less tax after the party comes to power, he promised. Mr Gandhi described the coming Lok Sabha poll as a battle between the different ideologies of the Congress and BJP, saying on the one hand there was the RSS and Hindutva of the BJP and on the other, the Congresss aim to work for the welfare of farmers, small traders and the poor.

Today only 15 to 20 per cent of the poor and small traders enjoy the benefits of the banking system while the Union government helps business tycoons like Anil Ambani and Adani, he charged, promising minimum income guarantee for all the poor and depositing of funds directly into their bank accounts if elected to power.

The BJP used to make fun of the MGNREGS scheme launched by the UPA government and now, it has snatched the funds meant for Karnataka under the scheme, he alleged.

Mr Gandhi went on to add that he was confident the Congress and Janata Dal (S) would making a winning combination in the state this LS poll.
US Letter Urges UN to Take Action Against Iran's Ballistic Missiles - Reports

Sputnik News

08:20 09.03.2019

The acting US representative to the UN Jonathan Cohen accused Iran of intensifying its efforts to develop ballistic missile technology, while other members of the Security Council note that there has been no breach of the UN resolution.

Iran "has conducted several activities that defy" a UN resolution urging it to refrain from actions related to "ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons," Cohen wrote in a letter obtained from a Security Council diplomat, Bloomberg reported.

The letter, dated Thursday, underscores the Trump administration's increasing emphasis on Iran's ballistic missile development, capable of delivering nuclear warheads. Iran has been a focal point of the Trump's administration Middle East policy, which includes its decision to withdraw from the multinational accord to curb Iran's nuclear program  a stance that other members of the Security Council, including US allies France and the UK, have criticized as ineffective.

Cohen cited Iran's test-firing of a medium-range ballistic missile in December and two failed attempts to place satellites into orbit.

"Iran has carried out these three launches in defiance of the expressed will of the UN Security Council, and such provocations continue to destabilize the entire Middle East region. Iran's further development of missile technology risks a regional arms race and heightens the possibility that a miscalculation could spark a confrontation that is in no one's interest," Cohen wrote.

Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the Security Council, note that the 2015 resolution endorsing the nuclear deal contains no prohibition against ballistic missile testing but rather calls upon Iran not to do so. A stricter UN resolution on missile testing was eased as part of the negotiations which took place during the Obama administration, concluding with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement.

Cohen argued that UN member states that support Iran's ballistic missile program are violating the resolution. All countries "have an obligation under that resolution not to supply, sell, or transfer to Iran ballistic missile-related items, materials, equipment, goods, and technology absent advance, case-by-case approval from the Security Council," he said.

Iranian Ambassador Eshagh Al Habib has told the Security Council that Tehran's ballistic missile program is designed only to deter foreign threats, not carry offensive nuclear warheads.

 Sputnik

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Iraq rejects foreign forces deployment, military bases on its territory: Shia cleric

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 05:57PM

Iraqi Shia cleric and the leader of the National Wisdom Movement says his fellow countrymen and women reject both a permanent foreign military base on Iraq's territory and the deployment of foreign combat forces to the Arab country.

"Iraq is a sovereign state, not a subordinate or subjugated one. In this sense, we say no to foreign military bases, to foreign combat forces, to foreign missions, to unilateral provocations, or to attacks on neighboring countries from the Iraqi territory and airspace," Ammar al-Hakim said during a Saturday ceremony marking the 16th death anniversary of senior Iraqi Shia Muslim cleric and political leader Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, who was assassinated in 2003 in the city of Najaf.

He added, "There is an attitude that wants Iraq to be entrenched and a prisoner of interests and narrow ideas."

"And there is another that wants the country to perform its natural role in the (Middle East) region and decide its own fate. This will not come true unless we build a strong and independent state plus efficient institutions in accordance with a unified national strategy," he added.

"Let us work together to build a strong and capable state, an independent, stable and prosperous Iraq. Let us work together to develop the existing political system. Systems that do not respond to reforms are doomed to failure," Hakim pointed out.

During a meeting with Jeanine Hennis- Plasschaert, the special UN chief's representative for Iraq and the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), in Najaf on February 6, Iraq's top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani fiercely criticized a statement by US President Donald Trump that American forces must remain in Iraq so Washington can keep a close eye on neighboring Iran.

Ayatollah Sistani said Iraq rejected serving as a launching pad to harm any other country.

He noted that Iraq aspired to have good and balanced relations with all neighboring countries, without interference in their internal affairs.

The remarks came a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi strongly condemned Trump's comments, stressing that his country would not accept being used for any acts of aggression against other states.

Earlier, Iraqi President Barham Salih had hit back at the US president, saying, "The Iraqi constitution rejects the use of Iraq as a base for hitting or attacking a neighboring country."

He said Trump had not asked Iraq's permission for US troops stationed there to "watch Iran."

In an interview with CBS television network broadcast on February 3, Trump highlighted the importance of a military base in Iraq, saying it was crucial to the surveillance of Iran's activities.

"We spent a fortune on building this incredible base, we might as well keep it. And one of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran" he said in an apparent reference to Ayn al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, which he visited during an unannounced trip to the country last December.

When asked whether he planned to use US forces in Iraq to "strike" Iran, Trump responded, "No all I want to do is be able to watch."

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Saudi court allows detained tycoon to settle debts under bankruptcy law

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 9, 2019 05:13PM

A court in Saudi Arabia has accepted an application by a detained and indebted Saudi billionaire and his company to have their case resolved through the kingdom's new bankruptcy law.

Last month, Maan al-Sanea, the owner of Saad Group, filed for settlement under the new law, which makes it easier for creditors to recover payments.

Saad, based in the city of Khobar in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, has interests from banking to healthcare. It defaulted together with another conglomerate, Ahmad Hamad al-Gosaibi and Brothers (AHAB), in 2009, leaving banks with unpaid debts of about $22 billion.

Some observers familiar with the case last year estimated Saad owed a debt of between $11 billion and $16 billion.

Saad's financial adviser and two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Saturday that a commercial court in Dammam had approved the company's application, the first filing, for financial reorganization under the terms of the Saudi bankruptcy law, which came into effect in August 2018.

The trustee, Saleh A. al-Naim, sent a notice, seen by Reuters, to creditors, announcing the beginning of the financial reorganization proceedings, and asked them to submit their claims within 90 days.

"This is a landmark step for all stakeholders since 2009," said Ahmed Ismail, the chief executive of Reemas Consultants, who was appointed as Saad's financial adviser in late 2017 to find a settlement with creditors.

"The regional and international creditors represent more than 85 percent of total debt, some of whom advised filing under the new bankruptcy law," he said.

The ruling could provide a settlement to one of the kingdom's longest-running and largest debt disputes. Such court rulings are not made public in Saudi Arabia.

"Given that it is more or less aligned with regional and international commercial law practices, the probability of its success is much higher," he said.

Until last year, the main options for standardization were liquidation or cash injection. The law prescribes more options and regulates procedures such as settlements and liquidation.

Sanea was detained in 2017 for what is said to be unpaid debts dating back to 2009 when his company, Saad Group, collapsed. He was a member of the 2007 Forbes Billionaires List.

Sanea's case is reportedly separate from the businessmen and royals rounded up in November 2017 in an alleged "anti-corruption campaign" spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but it touches on similar investor concerns about corporate governance.

Observers said the so-called anti-corruption campaign was actually meant to consolidate bin Salman's power and silence his critics. Back then, reports revealed that some of those detained in the Saudi crackdown were beaten and tortured badly during their arrest or subsequent interrogations.

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Victory Over Islamic State Remnants Proves Elusive

By Jeff Seldin March 08, 2019

A week after U.S.-backed forces announced the start of their final assault on Islamic State territory in Syria, there is little the troops or the countries backing them can be sure of.

Victory over the last remnant of the terror group's self-declared caliphate, still seen as inevitable, has been delayed as a wave of humanity fled the ever-shrinking patch of land IS calls its own.

'We have been consistently wrong'

In fact, just about the only thing anyone is almost sure of is what will not be found when the fighting is finally done.

"We're pretty confident the leadership is not still down in this tiny little, basically, hellhole that remains," a senior U.S. defense official said Friday, referring to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the terror group's self-declared caliph.

As for everything else, "We have been consistently wrong, as have our SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces] partners, on how big this is," the official added, referring to the exodus of IS fighters, women and children from their tiny enclave in the northeastern Syrian town of Baghuz.

Since SDF officials estimated in late February that no more than 1,000 people remained in the bombed-out farming community on the banks of the Euphrates River, the Pentagon estimates about 20,000 people have fled.

Initial estimates from the United Nations and SDF officials suggest the total may be even higher, perhaps closer to 25,000.

Pushed to 'breaking point'

"The number of civilians coming out of Baghuz has exceeded any prediction of humanitarian actors," Hedinn Halldorsson, with the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Damascus, told VOA.

Separately, the International Rescue Committee warned Friday the al-Hol displaced-persons camp was being pushed to a "breaking point" by the exodus from Baghuz, with 12,000 people arriving in just a 48-hour period, pushing the camp's population to more than 65,000.

And more may still be lurking in the kilometers of tunnels and caves extending far beneath the shattered buildings and ragged tents.

A YPG media official tweeted that a message recovered from the phone of an IS fighter claimed 45,000 people had taken refuge in the final corner of the IS caliphate.

Yet as surprising as the numbers have been, U.S. defense officials do not believe it is an accident or a happenstance of the campaign to liberate this part of Syria from IS rule.

"What we are seeing now is not the surrender of ISIS as an organization but a calculated decision," the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Gen. Joseph Votel, told U.S. lawmakers Thursday, using one of many acronyms for the terror group.

He and other officials warn IS's goal is to preserve as much of the group's capabilities as possible as it completes a transition from an almost traditional army to a clandestine insurgency, counting on every man, woman and child to do his or her part.

"The vast majority of these are assessed not to be innocent civilians," the senior defense official said of the thousands of stragglers who evacuated Baghuz in recent days.

"Some of these folks have been with ISIS for years and have sort of followed the retreating ISIS army, battle after battle," the official said. "They want to continue this fight even if there isn't a physical area to protect."

As if to echo that defiance, an Iraqi woman, who fled Baghuz and identified herself as Oum Mohammed, told cameras with the French news agency AFP this past week, "It's not a defeat, no, it's nothing."

"The brave ones are still left," she added. "Those who remain will win by the grace of God."

While few U.S. or SDF officials believe IS will be able to prevail in some sort of last stand at Baghuz, many worry that over the long term, the terror group could find a way to re-emerge and perhaps even attempt, at some point, to reclaim territory.

Sleeper cells a concern

U.S. defense and intelligence officials estimate IS has tens of thousands of fighters positioned across Syria and Iraq, some as part of sleeper cells that have already begun to activate.

Kurdish officials in Iraq warn that in some parts of Iraq, the terror group has free rein, essentially ruling the night even as government troops and police seem to be in charge by day.

The group's financial networks, while significantly degraded, remain functional.

And whether at the SDF screening centers outside Baghuz or in displaced-persons camps, their fervor has not abated.

In one incident at al-Hol this past Tuesday, security guards were forced to fire gunshots to disperse a crowd of about 200 angry women who were demanding to know what had become of their male relatives.

Cooks and janitors?

For now, most of the men are being held in SDF detention facilities, which are being pushed to the limit as the number of those in custody has about doubled in recent weeks.

Many of the men claim to be cooks or janitors, but U.S. officials say almost all 5,000 or so are in fact IS fighters.

More than 1,000 are foreign fighters, hailing from 50 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. The remainder come from Syria or Iraq.

U.S. officials suspect many of them are content to bide their time in prisons, waiting for a chance to escape and eventually rejoin the struggle.

The U.S. believes the SDF can handle them, for now, but that without more aid from the international community, another crisis may erupt.

"This is a serious generational problem that if not handled properly will sow the seeds of future violent extremism," Votel said.

Waiting game

For now, though, the focus remains on Baghuz, where at least on Friday, the exodus has stopped.

"We are waiting for [Saturday] morning or perhaps until the afternoon," SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali told Reuters Friday. "If no civilian or terrorist comes out, we will launch our military operation anew."

U.S. officials, though, remain cautious, warning IS may simply be trying to buy more time.

"They'll negotiate and fight, and negotiate and fight," the senior defense official said late Friday.

"Maybe we're done in the next couple of days," the official said. "I hesitate to put a number on it."

VOA's Margaret Besheer contributed this report.

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Syrian army inflicts heavy damages to terrorists in Hama

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 9, IRNA -- Syrian Arab Army units thwarted an attempt by terrorist groups to infiltrate and attack military positions and safe areas in Hama's northern countryside, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

Army units carried targeted attacks on Friday evening against concentrated fire terrorist groups belonging to the "Turkistani Party" terror organization that had attempted to sneak from the direction of al-Sermaniye and Duwair al-Akrad in al-Ghab plain area in Hama countryside.

The attack resulted in destroying terrorists' hideouts and equipment, leaving many of them dead or injured.

In response to terrorists' attacks, army units targeted with artillery and rocket fire gatherings of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, killing and injuring a number of them.

Other army units destroyed hideouts for Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, eliminating a number of them in al-Deir al-Sharqi, Khan al-Subul, and Maar Shamarin in Idleb's southern countryside.

9376**1424

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Turkish Forces Begin Syria Patrols As Part Of Deal With Russia

By RFE/RL March 09, 2019

Turkish forces have begun patrolling in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib as part of a deal struck with Russia and Iran in the war-torn country.

State-run Anadolu news agency on March 8 said the patrols range from Idlib's north along the Turkish border to the southern countryside of Aleppo Province.

Turkey's defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said Turkey would patrol inside a 15-20 kilometer-wide demilitarized zone, while Russia would patrol the border area outside Idlib.

Akar said the Russian patrols were also to begin on March 8, but it was not immediately known if they started as scheduled.

He said the patrols represent "an important step for the continuation of [the] cease-fire and maintaining stability [in Idlib]."

Demilitarized Zone

A correspondent for the AFP news agency early on March 8 reported seeing a convoy of about 10 Turkish armored vehicles on a road in the demilitarized zone in the western countryside of Aleppo Province.

The move follows a meeting on February 14 between the leaders of Turkey, Russia, and Iran in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to finalize a deal reached last year on the creation of a demilitarized zone in the region.

The accord was aimed at preventing a large-scale offensive in Idlib by the Syrian military, which had been carrying out shelling there directed at the Al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that took administrative control of the region in January

Akar accused the Syrian government of the "brutal bombardment" of civilians in the province, and he called on Moscow to "stop the regime" from conducting the bombings.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor that utilizes sources inside Syria, said Turkish troops "spread out in the areas of Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, and the slopes of the Latakia mountains are preparing to conduct patrols in the areas of implementation of the agreement [by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan]."

Despite supporting opposing sides in the eight-year Syrian civil war, cooperation between Russian and Turkish forces has increased since U.S. President Donald Trump said he was pulling out the 2,000 U.S. troops in the country that had been supporting a Syrian Arab and Kurdish alliance fighting against Al-Qaeda and other militants.

The White House has since said that some 400 "peacekeeping troops" would remain in the country for an indefinite period.

Russia and Iran have backed the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, while the United States and Turkey have supported different antigovernment fighters.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-forces -patrol-syria-accord-russia-iran- putin-erdogan/29811788.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.

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Militants Fired at 7 Towns in Aleppo, Hama Regions Over Past Day  Russian MoD

Sputnik News

03:41 09.03.2019(updated 03:45 09.03.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Seven Syrian towns in the western Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces came under militant fire over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a bulletin out Friday.

"Over the past day, Sanjeka, Roiset Roshu, Qastal El Bord and Hamrad in the Latakia province; Abu Omar in the Hama province; and Abtin and El Salhine in the Aleppo province came under militant fire," the ministry said.

Separately, the Russian Defence Ministry's centre for Syrian reconciliation estimated that 225,669 Syrian refugees had returned home as of this Thursday.

Refugees eligible to be drafted as well as former members of illegal armed groups are being given amnesty at the order of Syrian President Bashar Assad. A total of 56,503 people have been pardoned, according to the centre's latest figures.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations. During the most intense periods of the conflict, the Russian armed forces provided military assistance to Damascus. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria.

Despite the fact that the years-long armed conflict in Syria seems to be nearing its end, the country still bears the traces of violent clashes and the presence of rebel and militant groups. The Syrian military's engineering units carry out regular operations to clear affected regions of mines and other types of explosive devices.

 Sputnik

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Navy to seek compensation from foreign tanker after port mishap

ROC Central News Agency

2019/03/09 17:54:38

Taipei, March 9 (CNA) Taiwan's Navy Command said Saturday it will seek compensation from a foreign-registered tanker that collided with one of its ships docked in the port of Keelung early Saturday morning.

The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m., when a Saudi oil/chemical tanker NCC SAMA accidentally hit the Knox-class frigate Ning Yang (FF-938) when entering a port terminal in Keelung.

No one was injured, but the Navy vessel sustained a dent on the port side bow upon impact, the Navy Command said in a statement.

The SAMA was scheduled to unload 3,100 tons of ethylene glycol in Keelung when it arrived in the port. Neither ship reported any leaks following the collision, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.

According to MarineTraffic, a maritime database that monitors vessels and their movements, the 29,168-ton tanker was arriving from the port of Taichung when the accident occurred.

The frigate will be repaired, the Navy Command said, noting that it would seek compensation for damage to its ship in accordance with the law.

The Saudi tanker has been ordered not to leave port pending an investigation of the incident by the relevant authorities, the maritime bureau said.

The Ning Yang served as the Knox-class frigate Aylwin in the United States Navy from 1971 to 1992 before it was decommissioned and sold to Taiwan. The ship, now known as the Chi Yang-class frigate, patrols Taiwan's eastern coast with potential submarine incursions its main focus.

(By Elaine Hou, Wang Chao-yu and Ko Lin)

Enditem/AW

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S-400 Delivery Not Connected to Security of NATO, US, F-35 in Any Way  Erdogan

Sputnik News

21:59 09.03.2019(updated 22:14 09.03.2019)

Earlier, a Pentagon spokesperson warned Ankara that if it went ahead with the delivery of Russia's S-400 air defence system, there would be "grave consequences" for the defence relationship between the Washington and Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected the Pentagon's ultimatum on Ankara's purchase of the S-400.

"The S-400s we're buying are not connected to the security of NATO, the United States or the F-35 in any way," Erdogan said, speaking at a rally in Diyarbakir on Saturday, according to Turkish television channel TRT.

"The reasons for our purchase of these systems are obvious," the president added, stressing that Ankara had nothing to hide regarding the intended use of the S-400s.

Erdogan expressed hope that the problems in relations between Turkey and the US over Ankara's purchase of the Russian air defence system could "be resolved in the same way as it has on other issues."

Erdogan's remarks follow on comments Friday by US Department of Defence spokesperson Charlie Summers that "there would be grave consequences in terms of" the US-Turkish "military relationship, and the Patriots and the F-35s" if Ankara went ahead with the delivery of the S-400s. "They will not get the F-35s if they take the S-400," Summers said.

This week, a senior Pentagon general urged lawmakers from the Senate Armed Services Committee to block US deliveries of the F-35 jet to Ankara if it doesn't abort its purchase of the S-400s, warning that the Russian system "presents a problem to all our aircraft, but specifically the F-35."

Last week, US media reported that Turkey had rejected the US's $3.5 billion offer to buy its Patriot PAC-3 air defence systems in place of the S-400s.

Russia and Turkey penned a $2.5 billion contract on four battalions of S-400s in late 2017, with Ankara set to become just the fourth country to possess the system after Russia itself, Belarus and China when deliveries begin in October. Designed to stop enemy air aircraft, drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, the S-400 is the most advanced mobile air defence system in Russia's arsenal.

 Sputnik

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaneh Bosm BioTechnolgy Inc. (CSE:KBB)(FWB:8K51)(OTC:KNHBF)(Kaneh Bosm or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has engaged Volare, a leading Lesotho based infrastructure and development consultancy firm. Volare will assist the Company with local development support, as well as the acquisition of land earmarked for Cannabis cultivation, storage and manufacturing facilities. Volare has identified a portfolio of key land parcels that are well suited for agriculture and manufacturing development. The identified parcels are equipped with the necessary onsite utility resources and are located in close proximity to transportation hubs.



Kaneh Bosms portfolio company CanAfrica, holds licenses for medical Cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, transport, research and import/export in the Kingdom of Lesotho (see Kaneh Bosms news release dated June 20, 2018). In 2017, Lesotho became the first African Nation to issue licenses for medical Cannabis operations. Lesotho is a favourable jurisdiction for Cannabis cultivation due to its rich soils, ideal climate, skilled agricultural workforce, low cost labour, and access to key infrastructure. Lesotho has also signed numerous international trade agreements. These trade agreements permit the unencumbered export of Lesothos Cannabis products to various jurisdictions worldwide. It is anticipated that Lesotho will act as a staging ground for access to larger African markets that may yield greater demand potential.

Kaneh Bosms Chief Executive Officer, Eugene Beukman, states, "Kaneh Bosms African developments mirror industry peers such as Canopy Growth Corporation, Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. and Aphria Inc. Earlier this year Canopy acquired Daddy Cann Lesotho PTY Ltd. for $28.8 million. Daddy Cann and Kaneh Bosms CanAfrica have been awarded identical medical cannabis licences by the Kingdom of Lesotho. In March of 2018, Supreme Cannabis invested $10 million for a 10 percent stake in Lesothos MediGrow Holdings PTY Ltd. Kaneh Bosm would like to also mention Aphria Inc.s recently announced Joint Venture with Lesotho based Verve Dynamics. The Company believes that it is well positioned to capitalize on its flagship African asset while maximizing shareholder value.

Kaneh Bosm also pleased to announce that Company representatives have visited the Kingdom of Lesotho to initiate development efforts and advance regional relationships. The Company continues to complement its existing African cultivation and distribution footprint. Most recently the Company acquired South African based Aricannabis BioTech Corp (see Kaneh Bosm news release dated August 26, 2018). Aricannabis works on an exclusive basis with NuCare Health to provide Cannabis products to over 2,800 independent and corporate pharmacies across South Africa. South Africa has a population of 55 million people and have announced plans through the Medicines Control Counsel for medical Cannabis distribution to South African patients.

The Company looks forward to providing additional updates on its Lesotho initiatives in the coming months.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Kaneh Bosm Biotechnology Inc.

Michael Martinz

Michael Martinz

President, Director

mmartinz@kanehbosmbiotech.com

THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words anticipate, continue, estimate, expect, may, will, would, 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 Companys disclosure documents which can be found under the Companys profile on www.sedar.com
The two Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao and Atram Sakku had announced on March 2 that they decided to join the ruling TRS.

The MLA made the announcement in a press release. (Photo:Facebook)

Hyderabad: A week after two of its MLAs left the party and joined the ruling TRS, Congress in Telangana was dealt a further blow when its legislator from Nakrekal, Chirumarthi Lingaiah on Saturday announced that he

would join the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

The MLA made the announcement in a press release.

The two Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and Atram Sakku (Asifabad) -- had announced on March 2 that they decided to join the ruling TRS in the interest of the ''welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes, especially Adivasis.''

TDP MLA from Sattupalle Sandra Venkata Veeraiah on Sunday had also joined the TRS that day.

With the three Congress MLAs quitting the party, the party's strength in the 119 member Assembly will now be down to 16.

In the December 7 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had won 19 seats.

The TRS had returned to power in the elections, winning 88 seats.

Giving his reasons for joining TRS, Mr Lingaiah said that despite being defeated at the hustings, the congress leaders had not changed their attitude.

Instead of supporting the government's developmental activities, they were creating obstacles, he alleged.

"I believe it is not fair. I decided to join TRS for the development of my constituency and Nalgonda district," he said.
Leading Ohio Investors Share Insights to Support Thriving Startup Economy and Shape the Next Generation of Innovation



COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Executives from Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF), a leading venture capital firm that leverages Silicon Valley experience to help create the next generation of companies and industries in Ohio and throughout the Midwest, will speak at three events at The Ohio State University in November. OIF managing director Bill Baumel and partner Jill Raderstorf will share knowledge with students, entrepreneurs and other members of the Columbus community, furthering their mission to help foster a thriving startup culture and shape the next generation of innovation and investment in the state.

These speaking engagements support OIFs commitment to raise visibility for Ohio and the Midwest as a leading hub for venture capital activity, with world-class research, leading innovators and partners in sectors such as healthcare, financial services, industrial products and consumer packaged goods, and a talented, and highly productive employee base.

Bill Baumel and Jill Raderstorf will host a session titled Is VC Investment Right For You? at The Starting Line powered by The Innovation Studio at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Greg Moran, Chief Operating Officer at OIF cybersecurity portfolio company Wiretap, will also speak to their decision to take on venture capital, and the strategic and operational implications of doing so.

When: Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m.

Where: Idea Foundry, 421 W. State St., Columbus, Ohio

Jill Raderstorf will speak at an ideation event for undergraduate students hosted by OHI/O , a program dedicated to fostering technology culture at Ohio State. Raderstorf will discuss the lean business canvas, an entrepreneur-focused business plan that places an emphasis on problems, solutions, key metrics and competitive advantages.

When: Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6:00 p.m.

Where: OSUs Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME), 1314 Kinnear Road, Columbus, Ohio

Bill Baumel and Jill Raderstorf will speak to an entrepreneurial business-focused class at the Michael E. Moritz College of Law at Ohio State. They will discuss the state of the VC ecosystem in Ohio and how OIF has guided its portfolio companies to scale, and increase revenues.

When: Thursday, Nov. 15 at 3:15 p.m.

Where: Moritz College of Law, 55 W 12th Ave, Room 351, Columbus, Ohio

To learn more about these upcoming speaking engagements, or to read highlights from earlier speaking engagements, visit the Ohio Innovation Fund Growth and Prosperity blog , or read up on Ohio Innovation Fund and its diverse roster of portfolio companies . There youll find summaries of last months speaking engagements, including the Kent State College of Business Administrations Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation's 2018 CEBIdea Pitch Competition , and the annual Deal Flow event hosted by Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund (NEOSVF).

About The Ohio Innovation Fund

The Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF) provides venture capital and strategic, operational, and financial expertise to high-growth companies in the SaaS, Data Science, Cyber Security, and Med Tech markets. With more than twenty years of Silicon Valley venture capital experience, and close ties with a significant network of key Silicon Valley leaders, the partners of OIF have successful exits via several multi-billion-dollar valuation Initial Public Offerings as well as acquisitions by companies such as Medtronic, Dell, SAP, Intuit, and Stryker. OIF's companies have been featured by CNN, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal among others. For more information please visit www.ohioinnovationfund.com .
TORONTO, Feb. 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAP Air Portugal is putting the world on sale for three days, from today through Sunday at 6:59pm ET. Every seat on every flight departing this month will be half price, to all of TAPs 89 destinations around the world.



The sale fare is only available for website bookings, at www.flytap.com , and good for one-way or roundtrip travel commencing by February 28, 2019. Return dates are unrestricted. For more information, see https://www.flytap.com/campaigns/megapromo.

Roundtrip economy fares to Lisbon start at $506 CAD with no checked bags, or $551 with a checked bag. Sale fares also include up to five nights Stopover in Lisbon, en route to or from the final destination, for no additional airfare. Beyond fares, to destinations such as Gran Canaria, start from $536 roundtrip. Roundtrip fares to Lisbon in Business Class start from $1876.

Why wait for March Madness when you can fly around the world for half price in February, said David Neeleman, a major investor in TAP Air Portugal. Call your Valentine and grab some seats before they sell out!

TAP is one of the worlds top 10 fastest growing airlines this year, with 71 brand new Airbus aircraft being delivered by 2025. The airline is the launch carrier for the new Airbus A330neo aircraft.

Portugal was voted the World's Best Tourist Destination for the second consecutive year at the 25th Annual World Travel Awards in December. Also in 2018, Virtuoso named Portugal the Hottest Destination of the Year.

About TAP Air Portugal

TAP is Portugals leading airline and a member of the global airline Star Alliance since 2005. Flying since 1945, TAP celebrated its 70th anniversary on March 14, 2015, before completing its privatization process later that year, now with the Atlantic Gateway Group as private shareholders.

TAPs network comprises 89 destinations in 34 countries worldwide. The airline currently operates around 2,500 weekly flights, with a modern fleet of 63 Airbus aircraft. TAP Express, the airlines regional arm, operates an additional 17 aircraft.

With TAPs privatization process, it has restructured its network, launched new fare products and is renewing its medium and long-haul fleet. TAP has 71 new Airbus aircraft on order for delivery by 2025 and is launch carrier for the new Airbus A330neo. TAP Express now operates a new fleet of 8 ATR 72 and 9 Embraer 190.

TAP is one of Europes most awarded airlines. Global Traveler (USA) named TAP as Best Airline in Europe from 2011 to 2018, and the World Travel Awards named TAP as both Europes Leading Airline to Africa and Europes Leading Airline to South America from 2014  2018. Previously TAP was awarded Worlds Leading Airline to Africa, in 2011 and 2012, and Worlds Leading Airline to South America from 2009 through 2012. TAPs Inflight Magazine, UP, received the World Travel Award as Europes Leading In-flight Magazine for 2015-2018.

Media contact:

Gareth Edmondson-Jones

GEJ, Ink

917 399-9355

GEJink@gmail.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2cf4222f-bc78-4ff5-943f-953918ae4334
WOODBURY, N.Y., Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Impact Investment Firm, Vanderbilt Financial Group (VFG), is pleased to announce they have joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative  a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices. With this announcement, VFG is proud to join thousands of other companies globally committed to taking responsible business action to create the world we all want.



The UN Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 Local Networks.

"In joining the UN Global Compact, Vanderbilt is making a formal commitment to upholding and actively working towards the UNs Sustainable Development Goals. This commitment along with the transparency into our business principals through the annual reporting process is just one step that we are taking to truly be the industrys only sustainably focused broker dealer and RIA. Our continued work with the UN in the entrepreneurial community allows us to inspire, educate and celebrate entrepreneurs who are solving the worlds greatest challenges with their businesses.  Stephen Distante, Chief Entrepreneurial Officer of Vanderbilt Financial Group and UN Global Ambassador for the Entrepreneurs Organization

Vanderbilts CEO Stephen Distante continues to open doors and foster relationships across departments at the United Nations. His work in impact and sustainability aligns directly with the mission of the SDGs and he is committed to upholding their 2030 agenda. Stephen was recently appointed as the UN Global Ambassador for the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO). EO is a global organization of influential founding entrepreneurs with over 13,000 members across 175 chapters in 54 countries. As a filmmaker and Executive Producer, Stephen also recently premiered a documentary short film Impact on September 11, 2018 at the UNs first Responsible Investing Conference. Impact (www.ImpactU.film) showcases purposeful entrepreneurship, impact investing and how the framework of the SDGs provides the tools for solving the worlds greatest challenges. Stephen believes in living a congruent life and tirelessly champions the SDGs throughout all facets of his work with Vanderbilt, EO, and his filmmaking endeavors.

About Vanderbilt Financial Group:

Vanderbilt Financial Group is an investment firm disrupting traditional finance by focusing on socially and environmentally responsible, ethical, and impactful investments. Vanderbilt is known as The Sustainable Broker-Dealer and RIA for their commitment to providing financial advisors and their clients with access to values-aligned investments. Headquartered in a LEED-certified Platinum building, Vanderbilts commitment to changing the world begins at home in our office and within our culture. Under the leadership of Chief Entrepreneurial Officer, Stephen Distante, Vanderbilts culture has garnered multiple awards and was most recently named Best Places to Work on Long Island for 2018.

As a thought leader in the impact space, Vanderbilt Financial Group is dedicated to increasing the reach and impact of the financial services industry using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework. Their education platform, Impact U, provides students, advisors and investors with unique opportunities to increase their impact investing knowledge through videos, podcasts and fun interactive exercises. Vanderbilt and CEO Steve Distante recently released a documentary short film Impact, produced in partnership with InvestmentNews, which sheds light on how purposeful entrepreneurship and impactful investments can help improve the worlds greatest challenges. Interact with Impact U at www.ImpactU.me.

For more information on Vanderbilt Financial Group, please visit www.joinvanderbilt.com.

About the United Nations Global Compact initiative:

The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Global Compact is a leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible corporate practices. Launched in 2000, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 Local Networks. www.unglobalcompact.org

High-Res Photos and Interviews Available Upon Request to Jeso ONeill or Kim Wynne at marketing@vanderbitsecurities.com , 631-845-5100.

Vanderbilt Financial Group is the marketing name for Vanderbilt Securities, LLC and its affiliates.

Securities offered through Vanderbilt Securities, LLC  Member: FINRA, SIPC  Registered with MSRB

Advisory Services offered through Vanderbilt Advisory Services, LLC
Dublin, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "5th Annual Translational Microbiome Conference - Industry" conference has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



As the official conference of The Microbiome Coalition (TMBC), the Translational Microbiome Conference was the first microbiome conference in the field to focus exclusively on the hurdles and challenges to commercial success in the space.



Once again, the conference will bring together the leading microbiome companies working to successfully commercialize microbiome-based diagnostics, therapeutics, adjunct therapies and direct-to-consumer services and products across a range of therapeutic areas, from gut to skin and beyond. Expanding on this core focus year on year, we continue to offer informative, hands-on workshops, panels sponsored and directed by industry to focus on your concerns and tightly curated content that goes beyond the usual infomercials to provide tangible and useful insights to how your peers are addressing their commercial approach to the space.



Entering its 5th year in 2019, the meeting will continue to focus and build on the challenges and hurdles that companies working in the microbiome space will have to recognize and navigate in order to successfully commercialize their products.However, we are responding to requests by attendees to include more basic research, ensure more work beyond the gut is incorporated into the agenda and expanding our prior parallel tracks on nutrition and consumer products.

Topics

With a broad focus spanning multiple disease states (oncology, dermatology, inflammatory disorders, among others) attendees will have the opportunity to hear the leading companies discuss the work they have underway and how they are meeting these challenges head-on to apply recent discoveries to a variety of disease processes, restoration of health and improved outcomes.

Subject matter will include:

Animal Models

Bioinformatics Challenges

Intellectual Property Management

Investment Deals and Approaches

Pharma Deals in the Microbiome Space

The Need for Standards

Why Attend?



Partnering Software & Meetings

Easily schedule meetings with our partnering system in order to maximize your time at the event. Schedule one-to-one meetings in advance and stay connected after the event.



Industry-Leading Speaking Faculty

Our tightly curated content provides tangible and useful insights to how your peers are addressing their scientific, clinical and commercial approach to the space.



Network With Industry Colleagues

One-to-One meeting space, breakfasts, extended breaks, luncheons and receptions provide attendees with multiple opportunities to connect with colleagues in the space.



20+ Exhibitors/Service Providers

Meet with and/or re-connect with exhibitors and service providers and learn about the latest tools and resources driving the field of microbiome science.

Who Should Attend:



Organizations:

Academic Institutions, Bioscience Companies, Pharma Companies, Diagnostics Companies and Investors

Job Titles:

VPs, Directors, Heads, Scientists, Professors in following areas:

Microbiome/Microbiota basic research

NGS (Next Generation Sequencing)

Molecular Diagnostics

Autoimmune Disease Therapeutics

Infectious Diseases

Metabolic disease, Obesity, Diabetes

Genotyping

Genomics

Genomic Profiling

Biomarkers

Immunology Innate or Adaptive Immunity

Bioinformatics

Data Management

Data Analysis

Molecular Biology

Diagnostic & Clinical Applications

Prenantal Diagnostics

Vaccines

Microbiology

Food/Nutrition Science

Gut-Brain Axis Researchers

Venture Capitalists

Biotech Entrepreneurs

Academic Licensing or Tech Transfer Officers

Business Development/In-Licensing

FDA regulation

Clinical trials

Epigenetics

Metagenomics

High-Throughput Technologies

Data Analysis

Data Storage

Cloud Computing

Statistical Genomics

Agenda:



PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

APRIL 16, 2019



2:30 pm Workshop I

Microbiome NGS and Hands-on Bioinformatic Data Analysis with Strain Level Resolution



Workshop Leaders: Nur Hasan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Cosmos ID; Arne Materna, Ph.D., VP Product, Cosmos ID



3:15 pm Workshop II

Patenting in the Microbiome Arena



Workshop Leader: Mark Fitzgerald, Ph.D., Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP



5:30 pm Workshop III

What Investors Want, What Investors Notice and Value in a Pitch - The Secrets to Successful Venture Pitching



Workshop Leader: Lakshmi Balanchandra, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship, Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, Babson College, Founder, Women's Venture Capital Network



MAIN SESSION



APRIL 17, 2019



7:15 am Registration/Continental Breakfast



7:45 am Chairperson's Opening Remarks

Mollie Roth, JD, Executive Director, The Microbiome Coalition



8:00 am Keynote Address: Microbial life at Scale: Applications, Analytics and Lessons Learned From the Food Supply Chain



Kristen L. Beck, Ph.D., Research Staff Member, Sequencing the Food Supply Chain, Almaden Research Center, IBM



MAIN TRACK

8:30 am Biological, Chemical and Spatial Drivers of Microbiota Structure and Function: Therapeutic Implications



Elliot Friedman, Ph.D., Senior Research Investigator, Division of Gastroenterology, Technical Director, Microbial Culture & Metabolomics Core, PennCHOP Microbiome Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

9:00 am Rapid Product Development: From Concept to Consumer Product

This talk will discuss BioCollective's Approach to Rapid Probiotic/Prebiotic Prototyping using BioFlux Metabolic Modeling, existing extensive library of GRAS organisms/supply chain relationships, and small batch GMP production partners. Some of the most difficult challenges in formula development are:

US Regulatory - GRAS status vs. new organisms (many organisms have similar functions - modeling can identify alternatives to deliver identical function with an already approved organism)

Production - small batch photo-type product development, many vendors are already at maximum capacity and won't do small production runs for prototyping-types

Production - moving from small batch to scaled production

Optimization - Organisms work as guilds, understanding the most synergistic combination can be simplified through metabolic modeling that closely mimics wet lab experiments

Martha Carlin, Chief Executive Officer, The BioCollective

9:30 am The Skin is NOT the Gut: Optimizing DNA Extractions and Amplicon Sequencing for the Skin Microbiome



Kelly N. Haas, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Scholar, Dermatology Department, University of California Davis

10:00 am Networking/Refreshment Break

10:30 am A Targeted, Point of Care Solution for Microbiome Analysis



Alicia Scheffer-Wong, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Floragraph

11:00 am Lessons Learned: Translating Metagenomics into Clinical Routine



Nur Hasan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Cosmos ID

11:30 am Panel Session: Enhancing the Power of the Microbiome Through Partnership



Moderator: Edward Burd, Ph.D., Head of Regulatory Affairs, Rebiotix

Panelists:

Lars Enstrand, MD, Ph.D., Director, Center for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet

Malcolm Kendall, CEO and Co-Founder, Microbiome Insights

Lindy Bancke, Pharm.D., Head of Clinical Development, Rebiotix

Greg Fluet, Chief Business Officer, Rebiotix

NUTRITION TRACK

8:30 am Bringing Probiotic Products from Bench to Market in the U.S.



Duffy MacKay, ND, Senior VP, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition

9:00 am Supporting Infant Development by Supporting the Developing Microbiota



Arthur Ouwehand, Ph.D., Technical Fellow and Research Manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health

9:30 am Perspectives on Future Success for Probiotics



Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., Principal, Dairy and Food Culture Technologies



10:00 am Networking/Refreshment Break

10:30 am Panel Session: Probiotics: Aligning Science and Government Regulatory Requirements on a Path to Market

In this panel session, the following topics will be covered:

What traits to look for when selecting strains for probiotic applications - how to select beneficial strains

FDA regulatory path (GRAS) for probiotics

How to progress product candidates from in vitro and in vivo testing into clinical investigation

Interpretation of the clinical microbiome/probiotic data

Moderator: Maciej Chichlowski, Ph.D., PMP, Principal Scientist, Reckitt Benckiser

Panelists:

Duffy MacKay, ND, SVP, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition

Arthur Ouwehand, Ph.D., Technical Fellow & Research Manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health

Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D., Principal, Dairy and Food Culture Technologies

11:15 am Use of the Probiotic Lactobacillus GG in Managing Food Allergies in Infants



Jon A. Vanderhoof, Attending Physician, GI/Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Senior Lecturer in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska College of Medicine



11:45 am The First 1000 Days: Babies, Nutrition & Gut Health



Elisabeth Bik, Ph.D., Director of Science, Astarte Medical



12:15 pm Luncheon



1:15 pm Of Microbes and Monoamines: Stepping Stones from Dysbiosis to Psychiatric Disease



Stephen Skolnick, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institutes on Aging, National Institutes of Health



1:45 pm Type 1 Diabetes: Primary Prevention Therapeutic Programs and First Pre-Autoantibody Biomarker Based on Association Between Autoimmunity and Dynamics of Amyloid-Producing E. Coli



George Tetz, MD, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Human Microbiology Institute



2:15 pm The Human Microbiome: Towards Future Diagnostic and Clinical Solutions



Madhu Jasti, Scientist III R&D, Thermo Fisher Scientific



2:45 pm Strategies for Approaching FDA for Your First Clinical Trial



Nicole Rempel, MS, MBA, Director of Regulatory & Strategic Development, Clinipace

3:15 pm Networking/Poster-Viewing/Refreshment Break



3:45 pm Developing Products to Unlock the Promise of the Microbiome in Health and Disease: A Novel Approach, Challenges and Common Opportunities



Alison Lawton, Chief Executive Officer, Kaleido Biosciences



4:15 pm Panel Session: Confronting False Truths: On the Way to an IND, Is It Best to Avoid the FDA or Engage Early and Often?



Moderator: Nikole Kimes, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Siolta Therapeutics

Panelists:

Lee Jones, Founder, President and CEO, Rebiotix

Susan Stewart, JD, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Quality, Kaleido Biosciences

Nicole Rempel, MS, MBA, Director, Regulatory and Strategic Development, Clinipace



5:00 pm The Asian Gut Microbiome: A New Therapeutics Discovery Opportunity



They have strategic partnerships with Hong Kong University and the Genome Institute of Singapore. In this presentation Jonathan will discuss the following:

How is the Asian gut microbiome different than the Western gut microbiome

How does fecal microbiota transplant yield new drug discovery opportunities

How the Asian gut microbes work in global population

Jonathan Krive, Co-Founder, CEO, AsiaBiome



5:30 pm Cocktail Reception



APRIL 18, 2019



7:30 am Continental Breakfast



8:00 am Keynote Address: Understanding the Role of the Microbiome in Cancer Immunotherapy



Jennifer Wargo, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center



8:30 am Immuno-Oncology and the Microbiome



9:00 am Immuno-Oncology and the Microbiome



9:30 am Networking/Refreshment Break



10:00 am Panel Session: Immuno-Oncology and the Microbiome



10:45 am New Modeling Tools to Predict Dynamics of Microbial Ecologies

Vanni Bucci, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Bernat Olle, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Biosciences



11:15 am Statistical and Computational Tools for Functional Microbiome



Hongzhe Li, Ph.D., Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics, Chair, Graduate Program in Biostatistics, Director, Center for Statistics in Big Data, University of Pennsylvania



11:45 am From Conceptualization to Launch: A Case Study of a GI Microbiome Modulator



12:15 pm Luncheon



1:15 pm A Survivor's Perspective: The Bigger Picture of the Patient Journey



1:45 pm Beyond Bacteria: Harnessing the Virome to Improve Our Understanding of Human Health and Inform Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications



2:15 pm Microbial Signatures of Gut Wellness Through Multi-Study Integratlon of Human Stool Metagenomes



2:45 pm Networking/Poster-Viewing/Refreshment Break



3:15 pm Panel Session to be Announced



4:00 pm The First 1000 Days: Babies, Nutrition and Gut Health



4:30 pm End of Conference



Please check back in the coming days for additions to this agenda.



For more information about this conference visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qm7xwq/5th_annual?w=12

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English Latvian

Riga, 2019-02-14 10:10 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since the opening of the natural gas market in 2017, traders have been competing in the segment of business customers, whereas the service for households has been provided at a regulated price by only one existing supplier. The entry of Elektrum means that a competitive environment is starting to develop in the natural gas market in Latvia that has been passive so far.

Latvenergo AS has already been a significant player in the natural gas market up to now, being among the largest consumers of natural gas in Latvia. The opening of the market has diversified the options for the supply of resources, allowing for purchasing natural gas not only from Latvijas Gaze AS, but also from other sources using the liquefied gas terminal in Klaipeda.

It is essential that the offers of Elektrum to households are tailored to the needs of customers and are developed in response to their opinion of what is expected from a natural gas trader. The representatives of the most numerous segment who use natural gas for cooking and whose consumption is low are primarily interested in convenience of the service and ease of payments. In turn, customers with high consumption, who choose natural gas for home and water heating, emphasise the possibility of a friendlier price in addition to the quality of the service.

Elektrum provides natural gas customers with a combined electricity and gas bill and a competitive price and offers extra options for the safe use of natural gas. All customers have the opportunity to choose not only the main product  gas, but also additional features aimed at the safety of the service: the annual maintenance of the customers gas boiler.

Furthermore, Elektrum natural gas customers have access to the most convenient payment and customer service options in the industry  a mobile app, a self-service portal and free customer care.

We are entering the natural gas market with the largest and longest customer service experience among energy traders not only in Latvia, but also in the Baltics. We are ready to offer it in the best way also to natural gas users, most of whom are already our customers in the electricity market. Therefore, our offer is a logical step towards the movement of Latvenergo Group as the leading provider of energy services to new expanded markets and services.

For customers, this means new options to choose from and ease of use that provide a stable service in a dynamic everyday life, says Uldis Mucinieks, Sales Director at Latvenergo AS, commenting the decision to start selling natural gas to households.

The transition from the previous trader to Elektrum is simple and easy, as all formalities are settled by Elektrum.

Additional information:

Janis Irbe

Group Treasurer

Phone: +371 67 728 239

E-mail: investor.relations@latvenergo.lv

www.latvenergo.lv

About Latvenergo

Latvenergo Group is one of the leading energy suppliers in the Baltics operating in electricity and thermal energy generation and trade, natural gas trade, electricity distribution services and lease of transmission system assets. Latvenergo AS has been acknowledged as the most valuable company in Latvia for several times. International credit rating agency Moodys has assigned Latvenergo AS an investment-grade credit rating of Baa2/stable.

Latvenergo Group is comprised of the parent company Latvenergo AS (generation and trade of electricity and thermal energy, trade of natural gas) and seven subsidiaries - Latvijas elektriskie tikli AS (lease of transmission system assets), Sadales tikls AS (electricity distribution), Elektrum Eesti OU (trade of electricity and natural gas in Estonia), Elektrum Lietuva UAB (trade of electricity and natural gas in Lithuania), Energijas publiskais tirgotajs AS (administration of mandatory electricity procurement process) and Liepajas energija SIA (generation and trade of thermal energy in Liepaja, electricity generation). All shares of Latvenergo AS are owned by the state and held by the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia.
London, United Kingdom, Feb. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Kazakhstan Ministry of Health and SNOMED International jointly announce the addition of Kazakhstan as the organizations thirty-eighth Member.

With a developing e-health program across the countrys hospital, Kazakhstan joins SNOMED International to bring structure and consistency in the sharing of health information for patient care, clinical decision support and research purposes. Enabling the consistency of health information through structured data will allow doctors to correctly interpret information, increasing the quality of health care delivery.

SNOMED CT is the worlds most comprehensive and precise health terminology. Founded in 2007 by nine charter nations, SNOMED International is a not-for-profit, member-owned and driven international organization. CEO of the organization, Don Sweete, comments, as the newest Asia Pacific Member to SNOMED International, I applaud Kazakhstans desire to take on adoption and use of SNOMED CT as a core element to build a platform for accurate clinical information exchange and data analysis.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has been dynamically entering the eHealth era. Codification is an essential part of this journey as health information should be captured, monitored, analyzed and disseminated among health professionals, health policy makers, and the public. As of January 2019, SNOMED CT becomes part of Kazakhstans infrastructure to ensure the exchange of accurate, relevant and timely information across all the information systems to support direct care, self-care and secondary uses of health information. The introduction of SNOMED CT will first of all become an important part of maintaining electronic health passports, a tool for reliable provision and automatic processing of clinically important information. The use of standardized clinical content will allow physicians to clearly formulate and interpret the data reflected in electronic health passports.

Olzhas Abishev, Vice-Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan states that SNOMED membership is an important step for the Republic of Kazakhstan to support interoperability solutions in the frame of moving towards achieving SDGs and supporting the newly adopted Astana Declaration. We cannot move forward without standardized data exchange.

In general, the use of SNOMED clinical terminology will ensure early detection of emerging health problems in a patient, monitor the health status of the population, respond to changes in medical practice, reduce data duplication and avoid errors, ensure control over the provision of medical care with the ability to analyze medical records treatment together with other participants, using information about a specific patient, which is stored in a clearly structured format.

Kazakhstan becomes the 8th Member within the Asia Pacific region to join SNOMED International, setting the expectation for increased interoperability as well as the promise of leveraging learnings amongst its regional and international counterparts. Kazakhstans entry into this organization is a breakthrough step for the national health care system.

To learn more about SNOMED International and SNOMED CT, visit www.snomed.org.





About SNOMED International:

SNOMED International is a not-for-profit organization that owns and develops SNOMED CT, the world's most comprehensive healthcare terminology product. We play an essential role in improving the health of humankind by determining standards for a codified language that represents groups of clinical terms. This enables healthcare information to be exchanged globally for the benefit of patients and other stakeholders. We are committed to the rigorous evolution of our products and services, to deliver continuous innovation for the global healthcare community. SNOMED International is the trading name of the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation.

Visit the SNOMED International website to learn more.

About the Kazakhstan Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the central executive body of the Republic of Kazakhstan, providing leadership in the field of healthcare.

Visit the official website http://dsm.gov.kz/ to learn more

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Brussels, February 25th 20199 --- Solvay is investing in a new biomass boiler at its soda ash plant in Rheinberg, Germany, a decision that will cut the site's CO2 emissions by more than 30% while at the same time improving its competitiveness.





The new biomass boiler technology - which burns recycled wood chips - will lower CO2 emissions by 190 kt/year as the Group is committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tons over 2017-2025, regardless of its growth.





"Solvay with this key project marks a critical step in achieving its new greenhouse gas target as part of our strategy to produce and serve our customers in a more sustainable and competitive way. This biomass project follows earlier energy transition initiatives we launched at our soda ash sites in Bernburg and Rosignano and shows how we shape our future and reinforce our global leadership in soda ash," said Christophe Clemente, President of Solvay Soda Ash & Derivatives Global Business Unit.





The boiler, to come on stream in May 2021, will reduce fossil fuel consumption at Rheinberg by about a fourth. Supplies of waste wood to fuel the new boiler have been secured with a local company.

Follow us on twitter @SolvayGroup
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.
OISTE.ORG to address the 40th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Right to Privacy

Geneva, 01 March 2019

Foundation OISTE, whose acronym is given by its original name in French: Organisation Internationale pour la Securite des Transactions Electroniques, organises a panel during the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council, right after the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy delivers his report to the Council on Friday the 1st March 2019. OISTE holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) and is an accredited member of the Non-commercial Users Stakeholders Group (NCSG) of ICANN as part of the Not-for-Profit Operational Concerns (NPOC) constituency.

The panel will dwell on critical issues underlined by the Special Rapporteur: "more than a third of United Nations Member States have no privacy laws at all while most of the other 125 states have laws which cover some of the contexts where privacy may be threatened but not all. Some important threats to privacy especially those arising on the context of national security, intelligence and surveillance are inadequately regulated in most countries of the world" (A/HRC/37/62)

This comes at a moment when the general public starts to realise the reach of "Surveillance Capitalism" in our daily lives. As pointed out by the Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff. "We are trapped in an involuntary merger of personal necessity and economic extraction, as the same channels that we rely upon for daily logistics, social interaction, work, education, healthcare, access to products and services, and much more, now double as supply chain operations for surveillance capitalism's surplus flows. The result is that the choice mechanisms we have traditionally associated with the private realm are eroded or vitiated." (The Guardian, 20.01.2019)

It is our free-will that is increasingly challenged by the information and communication technologies that we carry on our pockets. Our moral condition as human beings will be confronted to more and more dilemmas arising from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and we need to be prepared for it.

The raw material is our personal data, our digital identity that is not yet completely protected by the law, although the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) marks a milestone on balancing the fundamental right to privacy with economic priorities concerning the free flow of personal data considered as a "resource". Do we need more of that?

In its "Declaration of the independence of Cyberspace", John Perry Barlow claimed in 1996 that Cyberspace had to remain independent of State regulation. However, the panel will raise the question. are governments still unwelcome in cyberspace? To what extent is State regulation welcome, where is it dangerous, and how do we draw the line?

The OISTE Foundation signed The International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance right after they were launched at the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2013.

About OISTE FOUNDATION



Founded in Switzerland in 1998, OISTE was created with the objectives of promoting the use and adoption of international standards to secure electronic transactions, expand the use of digital certification and ensure the interoperability of certification authorities' e-transaction systems.

The OISTE Foundation is a not for profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, regulated by article 80 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code. OISTE is an organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and belongs to the Not-for-Profit constituency (NPOC) of the ICANN. http://www.oiste.org/ .

Mission: transfer the control and management of technologies dealing with digital identities to neutral authorities working for the public interest.





Vision: an Internet where users engage in online transactions and communications under systems of digital identity management that offer robust protection against fraud and theft, while protecting the fundamental right to privacy.

Company Contact :

Dourgam Kummer

Foundation Council Member

dourgam.kummer@oiste.org
TORONTO, March 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dynaCERT Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DYA) (OTCQB: DYFSF) (FRA: DMJ) ("dynaCERT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Mr. Brian Semkiw P.Eng. to its Advisory Board.



Brian was a founder of Rand Worldwide, a CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM software/service provider to the engineering and manufacturing marketplace serving flagship customers such as John Deere, Nortel and Chrysler. As CEO, Brian led the company to a successful IPO on the TSX in 1993.The company was consistently one of the fastest growing companies in the country for more than a decade.



In 2007, Brian co-founded one of the most innovative Fintech companies in the world, Carta Worldwide. Carta had numerous break-through achievements in the payments processing marketplace with such customers as MasterCard, Vodafone, TransferWise and ApplePay.



Most recently, Brian and Rui Mendes co-founded 3rdGP, the worlds first third generation processing payments company with emphasis on Blockchain and IOT payments processing solutions.



Brian has an Engineering Degree from University of Toronto, has served on the Deans Advisory Board at University of Toronto and on the board of Leitch Technologies.



Mr. Semkiw said, What has drawn me to dynaCERT is the opportunity to merge two distinct disciplines, Engineering/Manufacturing and Payments Processing. dynaCERT has engineered an excellent product that has numerous benefits for its customers, but most significantly, is the impressive reduction of toxic greenhouse gases (GHG). I see my job as helping the company to monetize those reductions with Fintech innovation not present in the world today. Digitizing the complete process, from the tokenization of carbon credits to their trading on the existing openly regulated currency exchanges is not only an immense potential for dynaCERT but is a massive opportunity with multi-government tailwinds already predisposed to the success of the project. This is a very exciting time for dynaCERT and I am very pleased to be part of the team.

Mr. Jim Payne, CEO of dynaCERT commented, I am very pleased that Brian is joining our Advisory Board. Brian brings to dynaCERT a depth of expertise in engineering, software and international payments that will assist us in developing our carbon credit programme.

Options:

The Company granted today a total of 6,000,000 options to its directors, officers, advisors and consultants, each option exercisable into one common share at an exercise price of $0.38 exercisable for a period of five (5) years.

About dynaCERT Inc.

dynaCERT Inc. manufactures, distributes, and installs Carbon Emission Reduction Technology for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patent-pending technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through electrolysis and supplies these through the air intake to enhance combustion, resulting in lower carbon emissions and greater fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with all types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment, marine vessels and railroad locomotives. Website: www. dynaCERT .com

READER ADVISORY

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" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to the potential expansion into new markets, industries and segments, such as diesel- powered use of any the dynaCERT products and sales. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward- looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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 the release.

On Behalf of the Board

Murray James Payne, CEO

For more information, please contact:

Jim Payne, CEO & President

dynaCERT Inc.

#101  501 Alliance Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1

(416) 766-9691 x 2

jpayne@ dynaCERT .com
Armed forces are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy, said Election Commission.

The notice by Election Commission (EC) came after a complaint by the Ministry of Defence. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday, in a letter, directed to all the political parties and its leaders to not use the photographs of Defence personnel in advertisements and campaigns as part of their electoral propaganda ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year.

This notice by Election Commission (EC) came after a complaint by the Ministry of Defence. The press statement wrote, The Ministry of Defence has brought to the notice of the Commission that the photographs of the Defence personnel are being used by the political parties, their leaders and candidates in advertisements as a part of their election propaganda and requested the Commission to issue suitable instruction in this regard.

According to reports, the notice comes after the billboards featuring the ruling government leaders  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah along with the Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman came up in certain parts of the national capital.

The poster reads the slogan of the BJP for the 2019 campaigns Modi hai toh mumkin (Everything is possible under PM Modi).

Dear Election Commission of India:

Is this permissible?

Using photograph of a serving soldier in political posters?

If not, will you act against it? pic.twitter.com/IiGUkphZWM  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 9, 2019

In the notice, EC brought all the parties attention to ECIs letter dated December 4, 2013, that mentioned the reasons for not using the armed forces in poll campaigns.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Armed Forces of a nation are the guardian of its frontiers, security and the political system. They are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy. It is therefore necessary that political parties and leaders exercise great caution while making any reference to the armed forces in their political campaigns, the statement said.

The Commission is of the view that photographs of the chief of army staff or any other defence personnel and photographs of functions of defence forces should not be associated with or used in any manner in advertisement/propagand/campaigning or in any other manner in connection with elections by political parties and candidates.

The Commission calls upon all political parties to advise their candidates/leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel or photographs of functions involving defence personnel in advertisements or otherwise as part of their election propaganda/campaigning, it stated demanding a strict compliance in the matter from the parties concerned.

After the release of the Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistani authorities after an aerial dogfight with India on February 27, many BJP leaders, including Union Minister Smriti Irani, attributed his immediate release within two days to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts.
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS, March 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --





Two weeks ago, Dinant attended a special forum organized by the British Ambassador for Honduras, Tom Carter, on the important relationship between business and human rights.

As the first company in Honduras to adopt the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights  an internationally accepted benchmark that strictly governs how companies recruit and train their security guards, and how they engage with members of the community  Dinant was invited to talk about the significant progress the company is making in challenging parts of Honduras where it has operated for many years.

Company spokesman, Roger Pineda, said, I am proud of Dinants progress, but I know that there is always more we can do to improve our relationships with local communities. I am grateful to Ambassador Carter for giving Dinant the opportunity to share our experiences and to learn more about Civil Societies general concerns for human rights in Honduras.

Chris Goodwin-Hudson of Watchman, a specialist on the relationship between security and human rights, and with experience of Honduras, also spoke at the forum. He commented afterwards, The situation in the Aguan is complex and multilayered. In the past, allegations of human rights abuses have been heightened by the involvement of highly politicized peasant groups, well-meaning NGOs who have presented conjecture as fact, and some mainstream media that have favored sensationalized headlines over balanced reporting. Underpinning all of these concerns has been the violent role played by organized crime. The event hosted by COHEP served to reassure and build confidence that participants from across the spectrum, including Government, Civil Society, the private sector and the UKs diplomatic representation, are committed to bringing meaningful peace to those parts of Honduran society that most need it.

The forum Risk management associated to Human Rights and Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights was a joint initiative by Advocacy for Business and Human Rights (ABHR), Watchman, and the British Embassy. More information is provided on the UK Government website here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-expert-highlights-the-important-relationship-between-businesses-and-human-rights-in-honduras





About Corporacion Dinant

Dinant is a family-owned consumer products manufacturer founded in Honduras in 1960. Its products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic. For more information, visit www.dinant.com.

This material is distributed by Tricuro LLC on behalf of Corporacion Dinant. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.
English French

Barcelona, March 4, 2019 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, and Ooredoo, the regions leading enabler of digital business innovation, announced at Mobile World Congress a partnership for enterprises to accelerate their digital business competitiveness.

Thanks to this new partnership, Ooredoos customers can now benefit from Atos industry leading experiences and solutions in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Cloud Transformation and also cybersecurity services.

Atos solutions cover Big Data, security, infrastructure and data management, business and platform solutions, unified communication and collaboration, and digital payments.

Were thrilled to become Ooredoos trusted digital partner. This new partnership means that Ooredoo will now be able to leverage our unique digital services portfolio and our extensive expertise and experience in ICT, Cloud and cybersecurity in order to offer its customers new enhanced services. Supported by our wide partner network, we are confident that Ooredoo now has the additional skills and experience to meet its customers demands and create further new business opportunities said Eric Grall, Senior Executive Vice-President and Head of Global Operations at Atos.

As Qatars organisations digitally transform, boardrooms need to modernise their technology infrastructure and information security. Mobile World Congress is an ideal event to announce Ooredoos partnership with Atos to provide our Qatar business customers with industry-leading solutions which can enhance businesses, and the daily lives of customers and citizens said Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo.

Business customers adopting Ooredoos infrastructure as a service can move from a capex to opex model to optimise costs, redeploy IT staff to focus on business innovation, and access future-proof technologies. Ooredoos Security Services portfolio of cloud-based solutions provides comprehensive security monitoring, including Security Operations Centre, managed firewall, malware protection, email security, and DDoS mitigation.

In the near future, Ooredoo and Atos will examine potential collaboration in solutions across cybersecurity, virtual desktop services, application management, and operations, and Big Data and Analytics.

Business customers can leverage the Ooredoo Advantage, making Ooredoo Best for Business, thanks to its breadth and depth of talent, best fixed and mobile networks, broadest portfolio of ICT services and solutions, and trusted partner for 60 years.

***

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 120,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of  13 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions through its Digital Transformation Factory, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across all business sectors. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Syntel, Unify and Worldline. Atos is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

Press contact:

Lucie Duchateau | lucie.duchateau@atos.net | +33 7 62 85 35 10

About Ooredoo

Ooredoo is Qatars leading communications company, delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its vision of enriching peoples lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential.

For full details of all corporate plans, pricing and offers, ring the Ooredoo business team on 800 8000 or see ooredoo.qa/business.

Press contact:

Rita Yared | rita.yared@wallispr.com | +974 6656 9190

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TORONTO, March 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fura Gems Inc. (Fura or the Company) (TSXV: FURA, OTC: FUGMF and FRA: BJ43) announces the extension of the drop dead date for the closing of the Merger of Ruby Assets Agreement dated July 14, 2018, as amended (the MRAA). In accordance with the MRAA, on February 28, 2019, the Company gave New Energy Minerals Ltd. (formerly known as Mustang Resources Ltd.) written notice to extend the drop dead date of the MRAA from February 28, 2019 to March 31, 2019.



The MRAA contemplates the purchase and sale by Fura of interests in three ruby licenses/concessions in Mozambique as follows: (i) 75% of the issued shares of Montepuez Minerals Pty Ltd., which owns a 70% interest in mining licence 5030L and an 80% interest in mining concession 8921C; and (ii) a right to earn a 65% interest in mining concession 8955C under a joint venture agreement (collectively, the New Energy Assets). Please see the Companys press release dated November 29, 2018 for further details regarding the terms of this proposed acquisition. The transaction remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

For more information about Fura Gems Inc., please contact:

Fura Gems Inc. Dev Shetty  President & Chief Executive Officer Tel: +971 (0) 4 240 8760

dev.shetty@furagems.com Brad Scharfe  Director Investor Relations Tel: +1+(778)386-1313

brad.scharfe@furagems.com Public Relations

Tavistock (UK)

Jos Simson / Barney Hayward Tel: +44-207-920-3150

fura@tavistock.co.uk

About Fura Gems Inc.

Fura Gems Inc. is a gemstone mining and marketing company which is engaged in the mining, exploration and acquisition of gemstone licences. Furas headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada and its administrative headquarters are located in the Almas Tower, Dubai. Fura is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol FURA.

Fura is engaged in the exploration of resource properties in Colombia and owns a 76% interest in the Coscuez Emerald Mine in Boyaca, Colombia. Fura is also involved in the exploration and mining of rubies in Mozambique through its 80% effective interest in four ruby licences (4392, 3868, 3869 and 6811).

Regulatory Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys ability to complete the acquisition of the New Energy Assets, the mineralization and prospectivity of the New Energy Assets, the Companys exploration activities and mining activities and the Companys performance. 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. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of exploration activities; regulatory risks; risks inherent in foreign operations, legacy environmental risks, title risks and other risks of the mining industry. Although the Company 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. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.
POINT ROBERTS, Wash. and DELTA, British Columbia, March 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Investorideas.com , an investor news source covering lithium stocks, issues a snapshot looking at key trends including growing demand due to EV growth, new extraction technology and strong financials from industry leaders, creating renewed investor optimism.

Lithium has been in high discussion following the strong financials recently reported by lithium giant Albemarle Corporation , setting the stage for a bullish mindset for the lithium sector.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. ( NYSE: SQM ) also recently reported their Q4 Earnings call in which Ricardo Ramos, Chief Executive Officer of SQM commented on the companys 2018 year and the state of lithium moving into 2019.

Our high-grade sales volume in ESPN, high-grade iodine and high grade average price of lithium contributed to our 2018 results. The Lithium market is surrounded, as you know, by positive news. Full electric vehicle penetration level reached approximately 2%, and these rates are expected to grow probably in the future. Demand growth in 2018 surprised us again, surpassing 27%, and it's expected to grow rates above 20% in 2019, said Ramos.

As the lithium leaders pave the way for bullish sentiment in the sector, incumbent new sources of lithium are being developed by a select few players in the space advancing lithium brine projects.

E3 METALS CORP. ( TSXV: ETMC ) ( OTC: EEMMF ), a lithium development company with a property containing 6.7 Mt LCE inferred mineral resource in Alberta, announced a major milestone in the development of its proprietary extraction process, a key to their future positioning in the market.

Since its inception in 2017, E3 Metals has quadrupled its permit size, put out a maiden resource and subsequently tripled it, developed proprietary Ion Exchange Lithium Extraction Technology and advanced its lithium process closer to commercialization.

The Company is close to piloting its technology which converts oilfield brine into pure high-grade feedstock to be transformed into valuable lithium products, with optionality for hydroxide or carbonate.

Summarized from the news: E3 has enhanced performance of its proprietary Ion Exchange Lithium Extraction Technology, achieving higher lithium concentrations of up to 5367 mg/L lithium, compared to the previous level of 1498 mg/L. Average recovery was over 90%, confirming very high efficiency and greater than 99% impurity removal.

E3 Metals CEO Chris Doornbos stated, This increase in concentration using our proprietary Extraction Technology is the key to unlocking the value of our vast, yet lower grade, resource. These results move us a significant step toward supporting E3s goal of becoming an industry leading, low-cost producer of battery grade lithium products. We have demonstrated the ability to significantly increase our lithium concentration without using additional energy. The higher concentration means less volume to handle downstream from our lithium Extraction Technology and should reduce the energy, inputs and potentially the capital and operating costs required to generate lithium hydroxide. These results continually demonstrate an innovative and robust process developed by the University of Alberta supported by Green Centre Canada, with funding from Alberta Innovates.

Neo Lithium Corp. ( TSXV: NLC ) ( OTCQX: NTTHF ) says it aims to be known as a prominent new name in lithium brine exploration by virtue of its high quality 3Q Project and experienced team.

The Company recently announced that the lithium carbonate pilot plant built by the Instituto de Investigaciones Tecnologicas from Universidad de Concepcion, Chile has successfully arrived in Fiambala, Catamarca, Argentina. The Companys engineers have started reassembling the Plant and expect to have it fully operational in late February for its Tres Quebradas lithium brine project in Catamarca Province, Argentina.

The Plant was previously successfully tested with synthetic brine in Chile and is going to start using brine from the 3Q Project, concentrated approximately to 4% lithium from 3Q Project pilot evaporation ponds to start pilot scale production of lithium carbonate at the Plant. Currently the designed annual capacity of the pilot ponds is over 500 tonnes of approximate 4% lithium brine per year, and the Plant has a designed capacity of 50 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year.

Lithium Americas Corp. ( TSX: LAC ) ( NYSE: LAC ), advancing its Cauchari-Olaroz lithium brine project in Jujuy, Argentina and Thacker Pass lithium claystone project in Nevada, USA to production just reported temporary disruptions in Argentina due to heavy rainfall.

Also included in the update; Following the release of the Preliminary Feasibility Study in August 2018, through development of a pilot plant in Reno, Nevada, the Company is considering the production of lithium hydroxide directly from lithium sulphate to provide added flexibility. Commissioning of the pilot plant is underway, with testing and optimization expected to commence in the near term.

From pilot plants to full production, the lithium sector is ramping up for long term global demand. Incumbent lithium brine companies will be able to compete if they can keep their costs down and advance their extraction technologies, readying themselves for the EV highways of the future.

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SAN FRANCISCO, March 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Technical analyst Clive Maund explains why he believes both the fundamental and technical outlooks for this company look strong.



Company mentioned: Lion One Metals Ltd. (LIO:TSX.V; LOMLF:OTCQX)

Lion One Metals Ltd. is certainly showing signs that it is turning up here, and so it should given the company's steadily improving fundamentals and the brightening outlook for the sector, notwithstanding any modest near-term correction. Notable developments include the company undertaking its own drilling operations, this saving money, performing assay work locally on Fiji and setting up a solar power facility to power its operations.

BREAKING NEWS: QUINTON HENNIGH TO BECOME LION ONE TECHNICAL ADVISOR . Hennigh was the driving force behind Novo Resources, which as we know turned out to be a spectacular investment for early buyers.

On the latest 6-month chart we can see that "something is going on" because Lion One broke sharply higher on good volume in January and has since been consolidating in what looks like a Bull Flag that has allowed the earlier overbought condition to partially unwind and the 50-day moving average to close up the gap with the price somewhat and with the falling 200-day moving averagethis is thus a setup that will lead to a bullish cross of the moving averages on the next upleg, the so-called "Golden Cross," which normally marks the start of a new bull market.

We therefore have a situation now that is explosively bullishand the good news for buyers here is that even after the sharp rally in January, the stock still hasn't broken out of this downtrend, so the news that Quinton Hennigh is getting involved should really light a fire under it.

Continue reading this article: Situation for Gold Miner in Fiji 'Explosively Bullish'

About Streetwise Reports

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Barcelona, SPAIN, March 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Whale Cloud is pleased to announce that POST Luxembourg, the largest provider of postal and telecommunications services in Luxembourg, has gone live with Whale Clouds ZSmart BSS suite for its consumer and business customers as the 1st phase of the transformation program. The business enablement platform aims to help POST Luxembourg streamline its pre-paid and post-paid mobile rating, charging and billing processes through a unified and end-to-end solution.



As the country's leading market provider of the telecommunications, POST Luxembourg is accelerating its journey of transforming into a Digital Service Provider. POST Luxembourg started its IT modernization as a significant milestone of the companys comprehensive technical and cultural transformation to realize operational efficiency, reduce cost and provide the best customer experience.

The convergent and multi-tenancy ZSmart platform has enabled POST Luxembourg to improve overall business agility by operating in a single platform, provide 360 degree unified customer view, and shorten the time it takes for the launch of new offerings. The comprehensive platform also creates new opportunities for POST Luxembourg in the Business-to-Business (B2B) market, offering Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) services to different business entities.

Thanks to the expertise of our teams and that of Whale Cloud, we have put in place an IT platform serving as a pillar for our digital strategy. ZSmart puts us in the position to design innovative products quicker and the advantage of having a single system to serve our mobile customers is a good motivator for our customer facing teams," said Pierre ZIMMER, deputy CEO, POST Luxembourg.

Whale Cloud has been engaging in our own transformation and adapting our vision and portfolio to help our customers take the lead in the digital transformation journey. We feel so excited to provide guidance for POST Luxembourg on the path to a Digital Service Provider. Having built a nimble and secure IT infrastructure is just a beginning, we look forward to expanding our partnership with POST Luxembourg and creating innovative digital services to gain new competitive advantages,said Jacky Chen Jiang, Senior Vice President, Europe and America Region, Whale Cloud.

About POST Luxembourg

The POST Luxembourg Group aims to consolidate its position as leader in the telecommunication industry and aims to be the key player in the field of information technologies and the markets, M2M / Internet of Things. Telecommunication services range from fixed and mobile telephony to Internet access and television, as well as many tailor-made services designed for businesses. Owner of its fixed and mobile infrastructures, POST, together with its subsidiary POST Telecom S.A., offers high-speed secure connectivity solutions as well as voice and data management services for individuals and professional customers. POST Telecom S.A. is established as support for PSF and is certified ISO27001:2013 since September 2016. The quality and security of the network are a priority for the company. The POST Luxembourg data centers, managed by EBRC, host all or part of the activities of companies in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. They are interconnected by POST Luxembourg's TERALINK ultra-fast network, which interconnects major urban centers in Europe.

Founded in 1842, POST Luxembourg is the largest provider of postal and telecom services in Luxembourg and also offers financial services to its private and business customers. The Group POST Luxembourg, with its subsidiaries and more than 4.300-member workforce, is the main employer in Luxembourg. Its vision is to facilitate communication and ease the transfer of data and content between individuals and companies.

Further information at www.postgroup.lu and www.post.lu

About Whale Cloud

Whale Cloud Technology is a global leading data intelligence technology company. We are dedicated to helping our customers to succeed in the era of digital economy. Founded in 2003, Whale Cloud is now serving telecom operators, governments, enterprises in more than 80 countries and regions with high-quality solutions and professional services. Positioned to become a global leader in digital transformation, Whale Cloud is committed to bringing our technologies and industry knowledges to our customers, and bringing the benefits and convenience of digital life to every place in the world. More information at www.iwhalecloud.com




English Lithuanian

Maxima Grupe has established Maxima International Sourcing Poland  a unit of the subsidiary Maxima International Sourcing, which provides agency services to the groups retail chains in the Baltics, Poland and Bulgaria. The goal of the new company is to work closely with suppliers that operate in the neighboring country, both Polish companies and local representations of international companies.



The newly established company will be headed by Maxima International Sourcing board member Gintaras Jasinskas, who is responsible for commercial projects in Poland and Bulgaria. The office of Maxima International Sourcing Poland will be in the capital city Warsaw, with five employees initially.

With this decision we are strengthening the purchasing function in Poland. Having a permanent unit here will make it possible to maintain closer ties with existing suppliers and producers, also make new contacts with potential partners. The companys goal is to ensure that goods are acquired on the most attractive terms not just from local partners but also international ones present in Poland. That in turn will let us offer good prices to customers in all our markets, says Tomas Palevicius, the CEO of Maxima International Sourcing.

Maxima International Sourcing was established this year in February. The company was created by separating off activities of Franmax, which used to provide franchise and agency services for the groups companies. FRANMAX, UAB and MAXIMA International Sourcing, UAB have continued operating after the reorganization.





Contact person: Ugne Bartasiute, Account Executive, Corporate Communication at MAXIMA GRUPE, UAB, +370 614 74046, ugne.bartasiute@maximagrupe.eu
Acumen Research and Consulting, a global provider of market research studies, in a recently published report titled Semi-Trailer Market (By Product Type: Dry Van, Flatbed Trailer, Refrigerated Trailer, Dump Trailer, Curtain Trailer, Others; By Tonnage: Below 25 Tons, Between 25-50 Tons, Between 50-100 Tons, Above 100 Tons; By Axles: Less than 3 Axles, 3 to 4 Axles, More than 4 Axles; By End-use Industry: Food & Beverages, Construction, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Heavy Industry, Textiles, Others) - Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast, 2018 - 2026.



LOS ANGELES, March 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global semi-trailer market size is anticipated to around USD 24.7 billion by 2026, this market is anticipated to grow with 3.4% CAGR during the forecast time period. Rise in demand for fuel efficiency in trailers is expected to drive the growth of the global semi-trailer market.

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Heavy Industries sector are utilizing semi-trailers on large scale. The heavy industries include chemical, steel, manufacturing and mining that utilize semi-trailers for goods transportation on a large scale. Moreover, cost-effectiveness of transportation by semi-trailers is one of the major factors propelling the growth of semi-trailer market, owing to the vehicle that has high cargo-carrying capacity. Regulations and policies by governments to improve road connectivity and infrastructure is expected to drive the semi-trailer market during the forecast period. Huge investment for road connectivity in the U.S. results in development of a large road transportation and semi-trailer market. Owing to which the demand for semi-trailer market is projected to grow in the upcoming years.

Increasing global population has considerably boosted the demand for consumer goods, hence the major expansion of agriculture and manufacturing sectors fuelled the demand for semi-trailers across the globe. Furthermore, the development of better road connectivity is driving the market for semi-trailer. Also, the cost-effectiveness of freight transportation by semi-trailers is an important factor driving the semi-trailer market.

Rise in industrial expansion in developing countries such as China and India would surge the demand for fuel efficient solutions, which in turn is anticipated to provide substantial growth opportunity for the global semi-trailer market during the forecast period. Furthermore, augmented consumer awareness regarding the benefits associated with telematics has urged the users of semi-trailer especially in the developed and developing countries to incorporate telematics in semi-trailer in order to gather additional information such as fuel management, temperature etc. This is further boosting the growth of global semi-trailer market.

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The global semi-trailer market is segmented into type, tonnage, axle, end-use industry and region. On the basis of type, the global semi-trailer market is segmented into dry van, refrigerated trailer, flatbed trailer, dump trailer, curtain trailer, and others. On the basis of tonnage, the global semi-trailer market is segmented into below 25 tons, between 25-50 tons, between 50-100 tons, and above 100 tons. On the basis of axle, the global semi-trailer market is segmented into less than 3 axles, 3 to 4 axles, and more than 4 axles. On the basis of the end-use industry, the global semi-trailer market is segmented into food & beverages, construction, healthcare, heavy industry, textile, oil & gas, and others. On the basis of region the global semi-trailer market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at a decent CAGR of over the forecast period. Rapid digitalization and increase in government regulations may be attributed to high growth in the region. Favourable government norms in terms of integration of advanced technologies in semi-trailer which is coupled with aerodynamics, particularly in India and China is anticipated to drive growth in the regional market over the coming years.

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North America is expected to dominate the global market and accounted for around 30% of the total revenue in 2017. The regional market is anticipated to lose share to high growth economies of Asia Pacific. Extensive adoption of semi-trailers in various verticals including food & beverages, heavy industries, and construction may be attributed to high penetration in the region. The food & beverage industry has been expanding remarkably due to the increasing demand for packaged foods across the globe whichis expected to drive the market growth in this region over next few years.

The key players catering to the global semi-trailer market are Schmitz Cargobull, China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd, Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, Kogel Trailer GmbH, Wabash National, Lamberet SAS, Shandong Arima group, Fontaine Commercial Trailer, Inc., Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone, Polar Tank, and Great Dane. Important strategic initiatives undertaken by global companies include partnerships, new product launch, acquisitions, and mergers. The R&D investments coupled with advanced technologies to offer highly efficient products are anticipated to offer lucrative opportunities for industry participants.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imperial Metals Corporation (the "Company") (TSX:III) announces that it has entered into an agreement to sell a 70% interest in its Red Chris copper and gold asset in British Columbia, Canada to Newcrest Mining Limited (Newcrest) (ASX: NCM) for US$806.5 million in cash, while retaining a 30% interest in the mine. The Company and Newcrest will form a joint venture for the operation of the Red Chris asset going forward, with Newcrest acting as operator. The consideration payable will be subject to customary adjustments for certain assumed equipment loans, working capital and non-financial debt at closing.

The Companys President, Brian Kynoch, said: This transaction presents a compelling opportunity for all stakeholders as it allows Imperial to significantly strengthen its balance sheet while forging a strategic partnership with a leading global mining company. We believe that this joint venture partnership will enable Imperial to unlock significant value at Red Chris by leveraging Newcrests unique technical expertise in block caving operations. With a stronger financial position and highly actionable path to exploiting the underground mining potential of Red Chris, Imperial will be in a much stronger position to create value and opportunities for its shareholders, stakeholders and the Tahltan Nation. Imperials portfolio of assets will include a 100% interest in the Mount Polley mine, a 100% interest in the Huckleberry mine and a 30% interest in the Red Chris mine together with a high potential suite of both advanced and early stage exploration projects including an approximately 50% interest in the Ruddock Creek lead/zinc property and a 100% interest in the Giant Copper property.

Newcrests Managing Director and CEO, Sandeep Biswas, said: We are delighted to add this joint venture into the Newcrest portfolio. We believe we can bring our unique technical capabilities to unlock the full value potential of this orebody in one of the premier gold districts in the world. We have identified a clear path to potentially turn Red Chris into a Tier 1 operation. The geology of Red Chris is similar to our Cadia orebodies in Australia and we will be applying our considerable experience in exploration, open pit mining, caving and processing to maximize the value of Red Chris and the opportunities in the surrounding region. We look at this opportunity in the same way as we do with Cadia, where we have proven we can create significant value from deep underground porphyry orebodies. We are pleased to be establishing a joint venture with Imperial and look forward to building a collaborative relationship with Tahltan Nation and the Government of British Columbia.

Transaction Overview and Timing

The sale is subject to customary conditions precedent including all required regulatory approvals and the assignment or transfer of material permits and contracts. Closing is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2019 with an outside date for closing of August 15, 2019.

On closing of the asset purchase, an unincorporated joint venture between wholly-owned subsidiaries of Newcrest and the Company will be established. Newcrest will be the operator of the joint venture. Each party to the joint venture will contribute to exploration and development expenditures according to its participant interest (Newcrest 70%, Imperial 30%). Dilution provisions apply if a party does not contribute to a program and budget.

Use of Proceeds

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale to repay certain existing debt obligations in accordance with their maturity dates, with remaining funds to be utilized for working capital purposes.

Advisors

BMO Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to the Company in connection with the transaction. The Companys legal counsel on the transaction is Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

About Imperial

Imperial is a Vancouver exploration, mine development and operating company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns the Red Chris, Mount Polley and Huckleberry copper mines in British Columbia. Imperial also holds a 50% interest in the Ruddock Creek lead/zinc property.

About Newcrest

Newcrest is the largest gold producer listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and one of the world's largest gold mining companies. Newcrest owns and operates a portfolio of predominantly low cost, long life mines and a strong pipeline of brownfield and greenfield exploration projects. Newcrest's asset portfolio includes operating mines that use a variety of efficient mining methods for large ore bodies, together with selective underground mining methods to optimise high-grade epithermal deposits.

Company Contacts

Brian Kynoch I President I 604.669.8959

Andre Deepwell I Chief Financial Officer I 604.488.2666

Sabine Goetz I Shareholder Communications I 604.488.2657 I investor@imperialmetals.com
Marol dry fish market is one of the largest fish market in Mumbai, where women are the prominent fish sellers.

Mumbai: Amid the various initiatives to boost blue revolution in Maharashtra, female fish vendors at the Marol dry fish market have been struggling for basic amenities in their daily occupation.

More than 7000 fisherwomen operate in the Brihanmumbai Munic-ipal Corporation (BMC) market at Marol. However their demand to get sufficient security and facilities has fallen on deaf ears, while they continue to sell fish without proper lights and in unsanitary conditions.

Marol dry fish market is one of the largest fish market in Mumbai, whe-re women are the prominent fish sellers. The women group has written to the authorities citing their demands ranging from proper lighting in the market to keeping the market free from any encroachment. There is no proper lighting in the market and many times we have to come back late in the night and it becomes very unsafe, said Pratibha Bhate, a fish vendor, at the Marol dry fish market.

In the last ten years, we have been taking care of the cleanliness in the market. We have not been provided with cleaners for the market from where majority of the fish is sold to Mumbai. Many-a-times we come back the next day to see broken liquor bottles, left over food. When we are unlucky, we have encountered drunkards too, said Rajshri Bhanji, chairperson of Marol Bazar Koli Mahila Mase Vikreta Sanstha (MBKMMVS)

A major bone of contention between the women fish vendors and the BMC is the encroachment of structures near the market. The BMC has allowed a structure inside our premises, for shifting of project-affected people. Thousands of women are associated with this market and we are already struggling with space crunch here. We are afraid that more structures will come inside our market, as nearby shops and hotels are also not prohibited to dump their waste here, added Ms. Bhanji.

Sagarshakti, a non-government organisation working towards conservation of coastline, has been creating awareness on the plight of the women fish-vendors. When we talked to them, they were aware of their rights and impact of policies like CRZ on their occupation, said Sarita Fernandes, project director of Sagarshakti.
The MNS chief accused national security advisor Ajit Doval saying that he turned a blind eye towards the security threats issued to soldiers.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Nanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday levelled serious allegations against the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government saying that a Pulwama-type attack would be engineered during the middle of the election to win the Lok Sabha (LS) polls.

A Pulwama-type attack will be created right in the middle of elections and then, efforts will be made to arouse the patriotic feelings of people. We should understand the conspiracy. The BJP wants to win the election by making use of the countrys soldiers, said Mr Thackeray while addr-essing the partys 13th anniversary function. On February 14, 40 CRPF jawans were killed in a terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

Using videos and audio clips to illustrate his statements, the MNS chief made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government in his speech. In 2015, I had predicted during the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal elections that the BJP-led government would create a war-like situation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. It has come true. The government has failed on every front. Their efforts to use issues like bringing back underworld don Dawood Ibra-him, Ram Mandir etc. have also failed. Hence, an attack like Pulwama will again be created for winning the elections, he said.

Mr Thackeray raised questions over claims of hundreds of terrorists being killed in an air strike carried out in Paki-stan following the Pulw-ama terror attack. Even if 10 people had died, they would not have sent back our wing commander Abhinandan Var-thaman. The government is making false claims about the air strikes, MNS chief said.

The MNS chief accused national security advisor Ajit Doval saying that he turned a blind eye towards the security threats issued to soldiers. The intelligence department had warned about a possible threat to soldiers, but it was still ignored. If action was not taken despite receiving a threat, then should not Mr Doval be held responsible for the deaths of the soldiers? he asked.
The military has a few rehabilitation centres for militant detainees but civilian law-enforcement agencies lack such capacities.

Pakistan hopes its rejuvenated anti-militant campaign will strengthen its diplomatic and moral position in the ongoing standoff with India. This will help the country fulfil its commitments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). And, sustained over a longer period of time, it will certainly improve internal and border security, as well as relations with its neighbours.

In fact, it appears that the Imran Khan government and the military establishment have both acted in sync to make the renewed campaign look both serious and different this time. In January 2002, when Gen. Pervez Musharraf banned several militant groups, I was collecting data for my research on jihadist organisations in Pakistan. The offices of jihadi groups based in Azad Kashmir and other parts of the country had been shut down. In an extreme situation, the militants felt uncertain about their future. They had lost connection with their leadership that was either under house arrest or had gone underground. Many militants had then decided to go back to their lives.

My publisher was pursuing me to submit the manuscript at the earliest, possibly fearing that the ban and eventual dissolution of militant groups could diminish peoples interest in the subject. In November 2003, however, when Gen. Musharraf banned these groups again, my publisher had already sold several editions of the book.

The predictions after the first ban in 2002 that militant groups would cease to exist had proved wrong. Most of the jihadists found alternative ways of survival. Among those proscribed organisations, the ones that had initially focused on Kashmir and claimed to have a nationalistic character passed through some major transformation phases. After the ban, many of them turned against the state. The state remained confused about the few militant groups that were still loyal to their primary cause in Kashmir. Gen. Musharraf, who initiated the ban on militant groups, later declared himself as the greatest supporter of both the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

Seventeen years after the first ban, Pakistan is once again at a crossroads. During these years, the militants have proved a constant irritation in civil-military relations, besides putting diplomatic and strategic stress on the country on many occasions. They have damaged Pakistans image and slowed down economic growth. Time and again, they have tested the states will to act against them.

Apparently, state institutions have decided to shut down the chapter of these groups. The civilian government proudly claims that all institutions of the state are on the same page, which will be greatly helpful in implementing the states renewed resolve against militants of all shades. Although the measures taken so far against these groups reflect on that resolve, a long-term action plan is awaited that will determine the future of banned groups and of tens of thousands of their members.

To deal with militant groups in the long term, many rehabilitation proposals are circulating in the federal capital; most of these have remained under consideration of state institutions in the past as well. For instance, the option of inducting members of these groups into the paramilitary forces was considered after the first crackdown on the militants in 2002. It was not implemented because of several reasons, but mainly out of fear that those inducted might radicalise the forces.

Rehabilitation and deradicalisation of the members of the banned groups will be a huge task. The government is already considering setting up rehabilitation centres at the provincial levels. The military has a few rehabilitation centres for militant detainees but civilian law-enforcement agencies lack such capacities.

Another issue would be linked to managing the assets of these groups as they run thousands of private schools, seminaries, health centres, and other welfare operations. The government may consider converting their madrasas into model religious schools with the help of some credible educational institutions. Similarly, the charity operations of these groups can be put under the supervision of some legitimate charities and local governments.

The state is also considering the mainstreaming of certain banned groups. This would not be a good idea as these groups can use this as an opportunity to survive because they cannot disassociate themselves from their ideologies, which they have propagated over the last four decades. Instead of allowing them to establish their own parties, members of these groups who dont have a criminal record could be encouraged to join existing mainstream political parties, including religious-political ones.

Dealing with banned groups needs a comprehensive policy framework and the government has to develop this with the help and consent of parliament and all concerned segments of society.

During the India-Pakistan standoff, radical and militant groups remained aloof from street protests, which was a positive development. Instead, it was all segments of Pakistani society that stood together to express solidarity with the armed forces. This will also help nurture a narrative that while peoples support gains legitimacy for a countrys actions, the support of non-state actors for the same proves counterproductive. This will also give confidence to state institutions that Pakistan and its people are capable of thwarting the challenge of hybrid warfare.

Another interesting view that is circulating in Islamabadsstrategic circles is about the probable outcome of the US-Afghan Taliban talks and that optimism is growing that the peace process in Afghanistan will ultimately bring an end to the militant proxy wars in the region.

This may be considered wishful thinking, at least for the moment, but the optimism Islamabad has cultivated in taking on militant groups could make it possible.

By arrangement with Dawn
The Pulwama suicide attack is part of a running battle with jihadi groups like the JeM and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT).

Propaganda is a legitimate political tool, but it does not help in winning wars, nor elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP seem quite geared up to fight this summers Lok Sabha election on a war with Pakistan that has not been fought. As the proverbial single swallow does not make a summer, so a single aerial attack on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp at Balakot in Pakistan does not mark it as a war either on terrorism or on Pakistan. It is at best an overture, and a weak one at that. So Mr Modi harping on the Indian Air Forces sortie over the JeM camp is propaganda, and one cannot object to it. In a democratic polity, propaganda is part of the right to freedom of expression. But boasting about the Balakot attack is ineffective even in terms of propaganda. It is not necessary to ask for proof about the damage wrought by the Mirage-2000s.

What is laughable in the Prime Ministers campaign rhetoric is that he is staking his five-year term in office on a short single event of the bombing. He does not seem to be confident of the other things he believes he has achieved  making 98 per cent of the country open defecation free (ODF) as part of his Swachchh Bharat Mission (SBM) or extending electricity connection to the 18,000 villages that remained to be electrified and of more than doubling the number of bank accounts as part of the financial inclusivity through the Dhan Jan Yojana scheme. It appears that the Prime Minister feels that there cannot be anything more exciting than a warlike exploit to win an election.

Political pundits have declared that after the Balakot airstrikes, Mr Modi and his party have turned the tables on the aggressive Opposition which was clawing its way back, and that the Prime Minister has ensured the electoral victory of his party for a second consecutive term through his decision to bomb the JeM camp in Balakot. But the experts could be wrong. Even in Uttar Pradesh, the state where the BJP has the unenviable task of repeating its 2014 performance of winning 73 of 80 Lok Sabha seats, the talk of war does not fetch brownie points. People of a backward state like UP are shrewder than the pundits and propagandists. It is not the September surgical strike that won the BJP the massive mandate in the March 2017 Assembly election in the state. Nor was it the subversive demonetisation, which financially choked the Opposition parties and left the BJP with enough funds in its hands. There were other earthy reasons as to why the people of the most populous states voted for the party. The number of the seats won by the BJP in the UP Assembly is disproportionate to the preference of the people.

Of course, there is a thinly-veiled separation this time around about how the decision was taken. In September 2016, the surgical strike was attributed to the direction given by the Prime Minister. The February 26 aerial attack was preceded by Mr Modis declaration that the armed forces were given a free hand to take appropriate action. There was, of course, never any doubt that the political credit will be claimed by the redoubtable Prime Minister. Mr Modi never made any bones about his image of a political leader with a swagger, and he is now flaunting the Balakot attack as his governments glittering trophy. It is one of the major drawbacks of a right-wing party like the BJP that it believes in martial glory because it is more an act of psychological overcompensation for a weak ego rather than an act of bravery. A brave person never boasts. Mr Modi and the BJP cant resist the temptation of being boastful. It only exposes the chink in the psyche of right-wing leaders and their cadres.

The Pulwama suicide attack is part of a running battle with jihadi groups like the JeM and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT). The terrorists have been waging war against India in Punjab in 1980s and in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1990s. They have not succeeded in denting the unity and integrity of India despite their delusional words and deeds. Successive governments at the Centre have dealt with it, and the security forces have held the terrorists at bay through nearly four decades.

It was quite immature of Mr Modi to insert the claim in this narrative of dealing with terrorism that he has done much better than the Congress-led UPA government after the November 26, 2008, terrorist attack in Mumbai. A large country like India should not be indulging in a tit-for-tat spat with terrorists. The aim should be to destroy the terrorist bases, and it is not a one-off operation. It is a long-drawn one and it is to be carried out quietly in order to be effective. There will be setbacks and victories in this war against terrorism. Pulwama was a setback. Balakot was a victory. But they are not an end in themselves.

It could be the case that Mr Modi is aware more than his critics that the Balakot aerial attack has limited strategic value, but he is using it as a calibrated electoral card. But he may be overlooking the fact that the people too will be making their choice with as much deliberation. Mr Modi has opened his cards for all to see. The people have not. They show their cards only on the polling day. The pundits should have held their counsel instead of pronouncing that the Balakot aerial attack was Mr Modis winning card.
GREENWICH  The Greenwich Lions dished up a tasty, fun pancake breakfast while delivering an important message about eye care to adults and children alike.

The fundraising event was held Saturday at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center in Old Greenwich. Breakfast will include sausage, pancakes, juice and coffee. The Greenwich Lions have been hosting the breakfast for decades. Weve served up enough pancakes over 58 years to circumnavigate the globe, they said.
Its a thought-provoking message: PEOPLE, Not Prisons.

Displayed on blue T-shirts worn by Smart Justice activists, it reinforced testimony at a Feb. 26 public hearing held by the state legislatures Labor and Public Employees Committee. The Smart Justice contingent was in Hartford to support H.B. 6921, An Act Concerning Discrimination Based on a Persons Criminal History.

Smart Justice Connecticut, an initiative of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, was officially launched last July. Its part of the ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice, a nationwide effort to achieve a 50-percent reduction in the countrys jail and prison population and combat racial disparities in the criminal justice system. This effort to ultimately end mass incarceration is taking place in legislatures, courts, and through a variety of educational programs and re-entry initiatives.

This year, for the first time Smart Justice Connecticut is testifying before committees of the Connecticut General Assembly. Chief spokespersons include ACLU Criminal Justice Organizer Sandy LoMonico and Smart Justice Field Organizer Anderson Curtis.

In his written testimony, Curtis described the barriers formerly incarcerated people continually face.

Despite the success I have experienced in the 12 years since I was released from prison, I dread having to explain my criminal record. As soon as I reveal my criminal history, I have experienced doors closing in housing and employment, and that experience does not dissipate with time.

The Smart Justice model calls for the involvement of persons whove been personally impacted by the criminal justice system, with formerly incarcerated people such as Curtis holding leadership positions.

LoMonico left prison many years ago, the 20-year-old mother of a young daughter. She was homeless and had difficulty finding housing because of her criminal record.

My status as a person living with a criminal record broke my spirit as I entered property management offices over, and over again, and was rejected from renting housing after being completely honest about my recent felony conviction as a young adult, she said in testimony on a housing bill before the legislatures Housing Committee.

She eventually found housing, and suspects her search may have been easier than for people of color.

As a white woman, it is also important to me to note that issues of housing discrimination based on someones record of arrest or conviction disproportionately harm communities of color, LoMonico testified. I cannot know for sure, but I believe that some doors were more open to me, because of my whiteness, than they may have been for a woman of color in my situation.

H.B. 6921 is designed to prevent discrimination in housing, employment, insurance, education, credit, and state government programs and accommodations based on a persons criminal record.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. On any given day, there are about 2.2 million people in prison, and more than 70 million living with a criminal record. Ninety-five percent of those imprisoned eventually return to society, and when they do, they face innumerable barriers to successful re-entry.

Public and private landlords, educational institutions, insurance companies, most state licensure boards, and other gatekeepers to society generally have the right to discriminate against prospective tenants, students, and policyholders because of our criminal record, Curtis testified.

These barriers contribute to high rates of re-incarceration. Theres increasing evidence, however, that shifting the focus away from punishment and toward programs that help formerly incarcerated people with re-entry reduces re-incarceration rates, as well as reducing crime. Smart Justice shifts attention to issues of poverty, addiction, mental health, housing, employment, and education as significant contributing factors in criminal behavior.

Former Gov. Dannel Malloys well-known criminal justice initiatives began to move Connecticut in this progressive direction with positive results. Connecticut is now known as the Second Chance State.

In an interview last fall, LoMonico repeatedly pointed out that the criminal justice system impacts everyone, noting the astronomical costs of mass incarceration. A 2017 report found mass incarceration costs federal and state governments and American families $182 billion a year.

Connecticut now has the opportunity, with this proposed legislation, to continue to lead the nation in criminal justice reform, taking us in a more humane, equitable, and much less costly direction.

Ask your legislators to support H.B. 6921. Its about people, not prisons.

Alma Rutgers served in Greenwich town government for 25 years. Her blog is at blog.ctnews.com/rutgers/
An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopias capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board, authorities said, as grieving families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the destination, Nairobi. More than 30 nationalities are among the dead.



It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November. The pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return, the airlines CEO told reporters.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent. It is known as an early buyer of new aircraft as it assertively expands.

The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane. Kenyans, Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Ethiopians, Italians, French, British, Egyptians, Indians, Slovakians and others were among the dead, said the airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam.

The plane crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenyas capital, plowing into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 31 miles south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The airline later published a photo showing its CEO standing in the wreckage. Little of the plane could be seen in the freshly churned earth, under a blue sky.



Tewolde Gebremariam, who is at the accident scene now, regrets to confirm that there are no survivors, the post on social media said. He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident.



The plane had showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility was clear.

State broadcaster EBC reported that 33 nationalities were among the victims. The airlines CEO said those included 32 Kenyans and nine Ethiopians. Authorities said other victims include 18 Canadians; eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; five from the Netherlands and four each from India and Slovakia.

The airline has said 157 people were thought to be on board.

The Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families. My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africas two largest economic powers and is popular with tourists making their way to safari and other destinations. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airports waiting areas, along with businessmen from China and elsewhere.

At the airport in Nairobi, worried families gathered.

I came to the airport to receive my brother but I have been told there is a problem, Agnes Muilu said. I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it.

Why are they taking us round and round, it is all over the news that the plane crashed, said Edwin Ongundi, who had been waiting for his sister. All we are asking for is information to know about their fate.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was new, delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November, the airlines CEO said. Its last maintenance was on Feb. 4 and it had flown just 1,200 hours. The pilot was a senior one, joining the airline in 2010, he said.

In a statement, Boeing said it was deeply saddened to hear of the crash and that a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

In October, another Boeing 737-8 MAX plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesias capital, killing all 189 people on board the plane Lion Air flight. The cockpit data recorder showed that the jets airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though Lion Air initially claimed that problems with the aircraft had been fixed.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Beirut killing all 90 people on board.

Sundays crash comes as the countrys reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

Ethiopian Airlines expansion has included the recent opening of a route to Moscow and the inauguration in January of a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new Airport City terminal in Bishoftu  where Sundays crash occurred.
At the end of a week when much of Capitol Hill's attention was focused on divisions in the Democratic Party, it was the Republican lawmakers who split over a key vote. After Democratic leaders expanded a resolution that initially focused on condemning anti-Semitism - which many saw as targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. - to a broader one condemning "anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry," 23 Republicans voted against the measure. On Sunday's "Meet the Press," the most senior Republican to vote no, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, tried to defend the vote - and failed.

Cheney told the NBC host, Chuck Todd, "I decided to vote against it because I think it was really clearly an effort to actually protect Ilhan Omar, to cover up her bigotry and anti-Semitism by refusing to name her." Cheney went on to add that "the kind of anti-Semitism that you're seeing now from Ilhan Omar and that has been supported by her colleagues is the kind of anti-Semitism that really has the ability to creep in and become normalized in our discourse. And we have an absolute obligation not to let that happen."
Lenovo's obsession with the Z5 leading up to the phone's release was definitely a sight to behold back in June. Clearly strong enough to fan the flames, sell-out initial stocks in the blink of an eye and top JD's top selling list. And then, just as quickly as it started, the hype train ground to a halt and Lenovo moved on to other projects, like the Z5s and more-recently the Z5 Pro GT. Each one seemingly giving way in the spotlight to the next and then slipping into obscurity.



Change log

While Lenovo clearly failed to deliver on the promise of a quick update to Android Pie and ZUI 4.0, Z5 owners can timidly rejoice at the news of an internal ROM that is apparently already in the testing stages and hopefully inbound to end-user devices soon enough. As per the release notes, this new OS indeed includes an Android core update over to Pie, with ZUI 10 on top.

The latter features a major focus on UI improvements with things like 4D U-touch gesture, magic input box and the PiP (Picture-in-Picture) mode. Other little additions include a built-in calorie tracker, support for quick and secure mobile payments and a "desktop editing" mode, whatever that is. A renewed face recognition unlocking mechanism is inbound as well. Underneath the hood, Lenovo claims to have implemented kernel-level improvements to both performance and battery efficiency.

Source (in Chinese)
It's a been a good week for tech fans. A few phones got unveiled, a few others got leaked and a few hot topics were discussed around the water cooler.

First, let's look at the new hardware. Oppo and Realme unveiled three phones - the Oppo F11 and F11 Pro have a 48MP main camera and a 16MP selfie one that pops up on the Pro - while the Realme 3 goes for a more conservative 13MP + 2MP main camera and a 13MP selfie camera, but packs a large new battery.

Huawei and Meizu unveiled two phones. The Huawei P smart+ (2019) has a mouthful of a name, a 24MP regular camera, 2MP depth camera and a 16MP ultra-wide angle second shooter on the back. The Meizu Note 9 has just two cameras on the back - a 48MP main snapper aided by a 5MP depth sensor.

USB4 is official and is based on Thunderbolt 3, meaning it will be able to handle 40Gbps of data going through. That much bandwidth means a single USB4 cable will be able to power two 4K displays at 60Hz. Naturally it will take a few years before we get to experience USB4 in our daily life.

Onto the leaks. The OnePlus 7 was reportedly captured and photographed in the wild and later popped up in a retailer listing. It will reportedly go the elevating front-camera route and bring a Snapdragon 855 with up to 12GB of RAM.

The other notable new intel about an upcoming phone is the confirmation that the Huawei P30 Pro will have a periscope zoom camera. We expect it to zoom as much as 5x optically and up to 10x digitally.

In other news, DisplayMate gave the Galaxy S10 display an A+ and once again dubbed it the best OLED around. Huawei has decided to sue the US Government over its "unconstitutional" ban of its equipment. The Xiaomi Mi 9 became the new performance leader on AnTuTu, although with so many Snapdragon 855 phones on the way it's unclear if it will be able to retain the lead for long.

See you in a week!



Samsung Galaxy A60 specs leak The phone will allegedly have a 6.7-inch touchscreen and an in-display fingerprint sensor.





USB4 announced with 40Gbps bandwidth, it's based on Thunderbolt 3 Intel contributed the Thunderbolt specification to the USB group and made it royalty-free. The new standard will still be backwards compatible.





The Huawei P30 Pro confirmed to have a periscope zoom camera Huawei execs are teasing the phone's super zoom capabilities. It will have improved night mode as well.





Realme 3 announced with Helio P70, large battery and Nightscape camera mode The phone has a triple camera and a variant with 12 GB RAM and 256GB storage.





Xiaomi details features coming to MIUI 10 and MIUI11 The Mi 9-introduced Dark Mode will make its way to all MIUI phones.





Honor 20 specs and renders appear online The phone will have a 48 MP camera and a 6.1" OLED panel.





Huawei sues U.S. Government over unconstitutional ban of Huawei equipment Huawei is moving to sue the U.S. Government for unconstitutional treatment of the company without due process.





DisplayMate gives the Galaxy S10s display its highest praises (A+) Samsung is always at the leading edge of display technology and the Galaxy S10 is no exception.


Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 10)  Vice President Leni Rodredo on Sunday said it is "too early" to worry about the country's multi-billion peso loan agreements with China as the terms of the deals have yet to be released.

"As far as the Philippines is concerned, I think it would be jumping several steps ahead if we say that the terms are onerous or are not favorable to us," Robredo told reporters in Hong Kong, where she attended an event for her "Istorya ng Pag-asa" project.

"It's too early to say because we are not fully aware yet what the terms of the loan agreements are. If the basis would be the experiences of some other countries like Sri Lanka, then we should be wary," she said.

Sri Lanka in December 2017 handed over its Hambantota port to China for failing to pay decades-long lease.

Some have raised fear of such scenario, or the so-called China debt trap, amid the administration's stronger ties with China. Both Philippine and China government officials had dismissed the concern.

On top of China's support to the Philippines, the government in April last year signed six loan agreements with the East Asian giant to fund some projects under the massive infrastructure program.

According to Robredo, the government should be transparent on the terms of the deals to avoid fear among Filipinos.

"You know, the Philippines incurs debts not just from China, but from other foreign countries as well. I think what is important is government is transparent as far as the terms of the debt are," she said.

"Our demand is just for transparency, so that we can comment accordingly. You know, it is very difficult to comment on some things if we do not know exactly what the terms of the agreements are."

Chinese workers

The Vice President, however, has a different opinion on the influx of Chinese workers in the country.

While "everyone has a chance to work in the Philippines," the Vice President said the increasing number of Chinese workers "is a cause of worry."

"Our own laws state that if there are jobs that no Filipino can qualify to, then we can take in foreign workers. But the cause for concern is if having foreign workers take away jobs from Filipinos.," she said.

"We have a high unemployment rate, and it doesn't seem right that jobs meant for Filipinos will be, you know, will be given to non-Filipinos," she added.

Robredo also questioned the legality of the Chinese workers' stay in the Philippines.

"I think from last year, we saw an influx of foreign workers, and we are not really sure if all of them are, you know, are legally allowed to work in the Philippines," she said.
The bill, effective from July 1, represents the first time a major city is introducing a law mandating businesses to accept cash.

Most of the people who dont have credit tend to be lower income, minority or immigrants, and it is a form of discrimination by businesses against them when not accepting cash. (Photo: ANI)

In the age of cashless shopping and digital payments, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney thinks otherwise. The mayor has signed a new bill requiring stores to accept cash.

The bill, effective from July 1, represents the first time a major US city is introducing a law mandating businesses to accept cash, Mashable reported. The bill seeks to address the concerns around discrimination and privacy.

Philadelphia city councilman William Greenlee, who introduced the bill, said that most of the people who dont have credit tend to be lower income, minority or immigrants, and it is a form of discrimination by businesses against them when not accepting cash.

On one hand, digital payment is a convenient method to pay for goods and services. On the other hand, there is an ever growing threat to security with the mounting data breaches and targeted ads leading to mindless purchases.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2019/03/09

So apparently, back during the Japanese Occupation of Korea, bicycle racing was a pretty big event. Right away we see a huge Olympic-style Stadium where the greatest athletes of the day compete for glory on the track via these newfangled inventions called bicycles. Then we get to the post-race, where a dozen odd members of the Korean Resistance are discussing whether their goals are best achieved with terrorism or improving the quality of their bicycle athletes.

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That's, uh, not an exaggeration. Huge stretches of "Race to Freedom: Um Bok Dong" really are about these members of the Korean Resistance coming up with assassination schemes and following through on them. This has absolutely nothing to do with the titular Um Bok Dong (played by Rain), except that one of the Korean Resistance members runs a bicycle training compound. Um Bok Dong does eventually manage to show up to one of these assassination events, although I'm still not sure what he was even doing there.

Logically "Race to Freedom: Um Bok Dong" would make a lot more sense as a biopic. And when Um Bok Dong is introduced, it seems like that's what we're going to get. I actually rather liked how Rain plays Um Bok Dong as a big dumb meathead who's just tired of carrying buckets of water everywhere, even if doing this has made him insanely strong. Um Bok Dong's childlike wonder at how bicycles make this process so much easier is hilarious, even if Rain is obviously way too old for the role.

Unfortunately moments of humor are few and far between, as writer/director Kim Yoo-seong is always on the lookout for the next setpiece wherein freedom fighters wage war against the Japanese. Sometimes these are bombastic and ridiculous, like the attempted bank robbery where an anachronistic tommy gun makes an appearance. Usually, though, the tone is just grotesque and morose. Like the prison scenes featuring nude torture, or a particularly bizarre sequence where a sniper takes aim at stragglers in an informal bicycle race.

The Japanese characters, too, are an unfortunate mix of cartoonish absurdity and monstrous evil. They're just about impossible to take seriously. Look at the scene where they're literally moving around giant novelty size chess pieces. Observe the ridiculous accents. One of the conspirators is a sinister Japanese woman who wears a kimono with heavy makeup. Who this person is, and why she's always hanging out with these other government leaders, is never explained even though her strange character design makes her the most distinctive of the lot.

The story's inherently ridiculous conceit of using bicycle races to win freedom against Japanese oppression doesn't do the movie any favors either. It's a shame, really. Um Bok Dong was a real person, as the historical photos in the credits show, and I bet he did indeed have a very interesting life story. So why did writer/director Kim Yoo-seong feel the need to tack on this obviously made up and completely irrelevant freedom fighter subplot? Misplaced patriotism is my best guess.

Review by William Schwartz

"Race to Freedom: Um Bok Dong" is dDirected by Kim Yoo-seong, and features Rain, Kang So-ra, Lee Beom-soo, Ko Chang-seok.
Korean Drama | 2007

 Drama  Historical  Romance

Directed by  Kim Geun-hong ()  Lee Byeong-hoon ()

Written by Kim I-yeong ()

TV Channel/Plateform: MBC (MBC)

Airing dates: 2007/09/17~2008/06/16

77 episodes - Mon, Tue 21:55

Alternative title : "Lee San, Wind of the Palace"

Synopsis



Lee Byeong-hoon, the director of the hit TV series "The Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum"), will direct this new period drama.



In the late 18th century, Lee San became the 22nd kind of the Joseon Dynasty!

It was the most tumultuous times ever seen in the 500-year-old Joseon monarchy!

He was an open-minded, wise king who championed democratic values.

The stories of his glorious triumphs, ordeals, regrets, and historical achievements are shown in this TV drama.



A story about Lee Sans life



The politics of Lee San (King Jung-jo)

He was a natural leader who ended vicious partisan politics and revived the economy with his extensive knowledge of the market. He created a strong paradigm in the 18th century and ruled with the kingdom wisely!

This biopic drama covers his dramatic life and shows the achievements of the Silhak scholars and outstanding officials who rebuilt the kingdoms power.



The high point of the arts in the late Joseon Dynasty.

Hwaseong Fortress was a remarkable architectural achievement during this period and western knowledge began to seep into the kingdom. Brilliant individuals such as Park Ji-won, Lee Ick, Jung Yak-yong, Kim Hong-do, Shin Yoon-bok, and others are introduced in this TV drama as well.

For the first time, the art workshop of the palace will be shown along with the Aekjung office and Seja Ikwiesa. There were 10 failed assassination attempts made during this period alone in the 500-year history of the Joseon Kingdom and they will be depicted as well.



Economic turning point in the 18th century

As family industries began to be replaced with a trading economy, the 18th century was a turning point for the economy-!

The commercial trade of the times will be depicted realistically and the trading organization that Song-yeon leads is where the latter Joseon Dynastys economy originated from. The special Joseon Dynasty products that were made under the guidance of Song-yeon were exported to the Chinas Ching Dynasty.

In addition, the 30-year romance between the leading female character Song-yeon (Eubin Sung) and King Jung-jo will also be a main theme in the drama.



The reinforcement of the army and military research

In the late 18th century, western technology began to seep into the kingdom and many political factions that opposed the king tried to fan the flames by starting anti-government movements. This led King Jung-jo to take a strong interest in national security and a military buildup. This is when the king reformed the army and began to beef up military research. One accomplishment in this era was the publication of the Muyedobotongji, Joseon dynastys first martial arts textbook to ever exist.



Starring

Lee San | actor Lee Seo-jin

A wise king who created a new age of rising prosperity and power in the Joseon Dynasty. A wise ruler

The 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty

When he was at the tender age of 11, he witnessed the slow execution of his father, Prince Sado. But he grew up as a gentle boy with a strong will!

He is smart like his grandfather, King Young-jo but he has a benevolent personality that makes him different.

He likes reading to expand his knowledge but he is also well trained in weaponry and combat.

His grandfather King Young-jo constantly tests his abilities and so he receives help from Song-yeon, eunuch Nam Sa-cho, bodyguard Dae-soo, and painter Kim Hong-do to pass them. During his short reign that spanned 24 years, he rejuvenated culture and arts and based his rule on a humanistic philosophy. He left many great achievements in politics, economics, and the arts.



Sung Song-yeon - The royal concubine who King Jung-jo loved with all his heart | Actress Han Ji-min

King Jung-jos royal concubine. Eubin Sung (royal family)

When she was a young concubine at the age of 11, she met Lee San for the first time at Hwiryeong Pavilion in Changdeok Palace a few days before Prince Sado was executed. She likes painting and has quite a talent in the arts since her father is also a painter. She works as an assistant at the art workshop in the palace and through the help of a relative she was able to become a young palace concubine. On her first day in the palace, she meets Lee San and they feel a connection. After meeting Lee San, she thinks about him every day and after working at the art workshop for another 10 years as a damo, she finally gets to meet Lee San again. Although she is aware that Dae-soo is in love with her, she ignores him and stays blissfully in love with Lee San (King Jung-jo). She finally becomes the royal concubine of King Jung-jo and given the title of a royal family member (Eubin Sung) when she gives birth to his son, Prince Moon-hyo.



King Young-jo - Strong leadership | actor Lee Soon-jae

He is the father of Prince Sado and Lee San (King Jung-jo) is his grandson.

As a perfectionist, he has a keen intelligence and is well informed on a range of topics.

He has a quick temper and always walks at a quick pace even when there is no need to hurry. He regrets ordering the execution of his own son who was killed a slow death while locked inside a small wooden rice chest with little air to breathe. He loves his grandson but he uses a tough love approach in grooming him to become the next king.



Jung Hoo-gyeom - King Jung-jos archenemy | actor Jo Yeon-woo

With a sharp mind and natural political skills, he endears himself to Princess Hwa-wan and becomes her adopted son. He looks gentle on the surface but has a cold, calculating personality. With high ambitions, he passed the state examination at the age of 18 with the highest score and at the age of 19, he was given the high-ranking government position of Saheonbu Jipyeong, which is a Jung 5-pum rank. At the age of 20, he was promoted again to the position of Dangsangwang Seungji. He was the youngest person to ever hold such a rank. As a trusted royal subject of King Young-jo, he becomes an assistant to Nobleman Choi. He strongly objects in making Lee San the proxy of King Young-jo and forges the old kings will to weaken Lee San, who is set to become the next king. He becomes the archenemy of Lee San (King Jung-jo) until Lee San dies under mysterious circumstances.



Park Dae-soo - King Jung-jos personal guard | actor Lee Jong-soo

He was a young boy when he first met King Jung-jo, who was a young prince at the time, and made a vow to protect him for the rest of his life. He served the king for over 30 years. He is a man of few words and when he makes up his mind, he will become obsessed with the task until he completes it. As a charismatic man, he later becomes the naegeum commander of the Geumgun and closely guards King Jung-jo. Together with Army Commander Baek Dong-soo, he pens the book Muyedobotongji, the first martial arts textbook ever published in the Joseon Dynasty. He has a crush on Song-yeon but cannot help but watch her from a distance since she is the royal concubine of King Jung-jo.



Princess Hwa-wan - The daughter of King Young-jo. King Jung-jos aunt | actress Sung Hyun-ah

A beautiful seductress

She is a crafty person who breaks the rules at will. She looks down upon others and has a difficult personality but King Young-jo is very fond of her. This emboldens her to expand her powers in the kingdom.

She is one of the key people who orchestrated the execution of Prince Sado.

After her husbands death, she adopted Jung Hoo-gyeom and grooms him as her heir. To prevent Lee San from being crowned as the next king, she joins forces with Queen Moon Sook-eui, who is the wife of Prince Jung-soon, and leads the effort to banish him from the palace.



Queen Hyo-eui - King Jung-jos wife | actress Park Eun-hye

At the age of 10, she was betrothed to Lee San and became his queen when Lee San is later crowned as the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty.

She has a calm and gentle personality.

She is jealous of the relationship that Song-yeon has with Lee San but she treats the nice Song-yeon without any malice. She thwarts the plot to kill Hong Kuk-young and promotes Song-yeon as a royal concubine after she saves her life. She is unable to bear any children and lives a lonely life because of that. She has a fallout with Hong Kuk-young and plays a key role in ousting him from power.



Episode guide



Episode 1





The royal palace is embroiled in political infighting. King Young-jo slowly

executes



his own son, Crown Prince Sado (actor Lee Chang-hoon) by locking him up in a





small rice chest for unknown reasons. San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor Lee Seo-jin),





Crown Prince Sados son, sneaks into Shimin Palace in the middle of the night

to



visit his father who is slowly dying from starvation.

Meanwhile, the young Song-yeon (actress Lee Han-na, ? actress Han Ji-min)



whose father was a former royal painter is brought to the palace through family







connections where she becomes a young court lady. In the still of the night,

Song-



yeon is forced to go to the palace kitchen and bring back a snack for the older

court



girls but gets lost on her way there.

Dae-soo (actor Kwon Oh-min, ? actor Lee Jong-soo) is one of the trainees who





will become a palace official and eunuch but he tries to run away in the middle

of



the night because he doesnt want to be castrated. San, Song-yeon, and Dae-soo







wander the palace with different purposes and meet together by fate.





Episode 2

San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor Lee Seo-jin) discovers the painting that his

father,



Crown Prince Sado (actor Lee Chang-hoon), told him to locate inside the Hwagak





chest and then show to King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae). San seeks out Song-



yeon (actress Lee Han-na, ? actress Han Ji-min) and tells her that he found

the





painting that will save his father and Dae-soo. He then asks her for directions

to find



Woonjongga where his grandfather is staying. Song-yeon tells San that he can

just



ask one of his servants to guide him to Woonjongga but he tells her that he

doesnt



have anyone to turn to. She feels sorry for San.

Risking her life, Song-yeon offers to go to Woonjongga with San. As San and





Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri) head to Woonjongga, Song-yeon hides in







one of the carriages. When Sans carriage leaves the palace, San asks his servants





to bring him a bedpan to relieve himself. San makes noises to pretend that hes





using the bedpan and tells his servants that hes not comfortable with everyone





around him and orders them to stay several feet away with their backs turned

around.





Episode 3

San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor Lee Seo-jin) rings the cymbal of justice to

announce





his grievance to the king and succeeds in stopping the kings procession. San





pleads with the king to take a look at a painting that Crown Prince Sado (actor

Lee



Chang-hoon) asked him to show to the king. With a stern expression, King Young-jo





asks him how it could be possible for Crown Prince Sado to give him such an

order.



So San confesses that it was he who entered Shimin Palace against the kings





orders and then he begs the king to spare his fathers life. But King Young-jo

is





already enraged at Sans disobedience and has him arrested and taken away to





prison. At that very moment, a messenger riding a horse tells the king that

Crown



Prince Sado is dead.





Episode 4

A weapons cache is found in the East Palace and San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor





Lee Seo-jin) is in big trouble when King Young-jo is told about this potential

threat





to his authority. King Young-jo declares that nobody can dare go unpunished

in an



attempt to overthrow the king and flaunt the rules of the palace. King Young-jo





begins a criminal investigation of the people who served at Prince Sans palace

and



demands that the officials get to the bottom of the matter to swiftly carry

out justice.



The East Palace swarms with investigators and Prince San is shocked that



something of this magnitude could befall him. Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon

Mi-





ri) Hong Bong-ha (actor Shin Chung-shik) strongly advise San to tell King Young-jo





that the weapons cache, which was found in his quarters, was amassed by Crown





Prince Sado and that he knows nothing of it if he wants to live. However, when

San



is brought before King Young-jo, he stands up for himself and tells the king

he did



nothing wrong and therefore he will not explain something he did not even do.

He



also informs the king that his father Crown Prince Sado had no intentions to

usurp





the king through a violent uprising. King Young-jo tells San that he wants to

believe



he is innocent as well as his claim that Crown Prince Sado was never involved

in



any kind of coup detat but San would have to show him counter evidence that





supports his claims. When San is at a loss of words, King Young-jo slams his

fist



on the table and shouts at him.





Episode 5

In the middle of the night, San (actor Lee Seo-jin) is almost assassinated

by an



assassin but when the assassin is caught, he commits suicide by swallowing a

pill



before they can find out who sent him. San tries to get to the bottom of the





assassination attempt but the body of the assassin vanishes and the crime scene

is



cleaned up when King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae) appears to see if his grandson





is alive. The king is confounded that he cannot see any signs of an intruder

ever





entering Sans chambers.



On the next day, Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) goes to see her



father, King Young-jo, who is full of worries. She tries to soothe his feelings

and



brings up last nights incident. Princess Hwa-wan meets Choi Seok-ju (actor

Cho



Gyeong-hwan) at the market and gives him instructions to carry out.

Tired of fending of numerous assassination attempts on his life, San passes

by the





royal kitchen and remembers the time when he first met Song-yeon as a young

boy.



He meets Nam Sa-cho (actor Maeng Sang-hoon) and asks him to find out the



source of the pill that the assassin swallowed to commit suicide.





Episode 6

While inspecting the goods included in the tribute that will be sent to China,

San



(actor Lee Seo-jin) confirms the identity of a dead body that is floating in

the river





and gets enraged. He tries to decipher the words in the writings of the dead

man



and realizes that members of the Ching Dynasty delegation are involved in a





conspiracy to assassinate him.

Meanwhile, Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) is framed for stealing supplies at

the



workshop but Park Young-moon helps her prove her innocence. Song-yeon is



chosen as the Sujongdamo and is thrilled that she will be able to meet San again.







Chobi (actress Lee Lib-sae) gets jealous of Song-yeon and decides to teach her

a



lesson. Due to Chobis scheming, Song-yeon loses the chance to appear at the





Jinyeon Gallery but she stills gets to see San when she follows Park Young-moon





on an important errand.





Episode 7

When San (actor Lee Seo-jin) learns that Wang Yu wants to bed Song-yeon





(actress Han Ji-min) by having her come to his chambers, San tells Song-yeon

to



go to the government office to fulfill her official duties as a palace painter.

Wang Yu



is unhappy about this and tells Song-yeon to prove that she really is a painter

as



San says she is. So Song-yeon is tested on the spot by being asked to draw a





painting according to a theme selected by Wang Yu.

San has a hard time dealing with the Ching Dynasty delegation because of their







demands and is troubled about the disappearance of the baekwupo. When they face





a problem with their negotiations with the delegation because they do not possess





the baekwupo, Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo) intervenes.

Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) was part of the bandits who stole the baekwupo

from



the ship laden with tribute gifts for the Ching Dynasty. When Song-yeon tells

Dae-



soo that San is in grave trouble because the baekwupo were stolen, Dae-soo is







quickly tries to rectify the situation by seeking out the Gakjung bandits. Meanwhile,





the merchants simmer with anger when they are told they must donate more of

their



goods to make up for the stolen baekwupos. When the merchants begin to blame





San for being careless in letting bandits steal the baekwupo, Song-yeon gets





worried and comes up with a plan...





Episode 8

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) is astonished when he sees the painting that Park Young-



moon (actress Shin Guk) brings to him. After seeing the painting, he realizes

that



the damo he met at the banquet was Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) and searches





for her whereabouts.

On her way back from helping Lee Chun (actor Ji Sang-ryeol), Song-yeon meets





Queen Hyo-eui (actress Park Eun-hye). Queen Hyo-eui asks Song-yeon to help her





make maejak treats. On her way back home after making maejak treats, Song-yeon







is kidnapped by the Gakjung bandits.

San visits Dal-hos (actor Lee Hee-do) home together with Nam Sa-cho (actor





Maeng Sang-hoon) and he not only does he meet Dal-ho but also meets Dae-soo





(actor Lee Jong-soo). Dae-soo confesses his role in the disappearance of the





baekwupo from the ship carrying tribute items. San sends troops to rescue Song-



yeon from the Gakjung bandits. Concerned about Song-yeon, Dae-soo goes alone







to rescue Song-yeon. Dae-soo finds himself in a dangerous situation but a



thunderous sound suddenly erupts behind him. San orders his men to catch the





Gakjung bandits while he himself looks for Song-yeon.





Episode 9

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) is flabbergasted when he is shown an official permit

that



was signed in his name with handwriting that is nearly identical to his. The

ministers





bicker amongst each other in King Young-jos presence to debate Sans fault

in



signing such a permit. The painters and calligraphist are given the task of

verifying



whether the handwriting on the permit is actually Sans. Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor

Jo



yeon-woo) finds it odd that San would deploy royal troops to capture the Gakjung





bandits and orders Oh Jung-ho to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, Nam Sa-cho (actor Maeng Sang-hoon), Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-





soo), and Dal-ho (actor Lee Hee-do) inspect the hideout of the Gakjung bandits

and



get worried about Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) who hasnt been found for days.





While discussing ways to find Song-yeon, they post wanted posters around the





village and when the bandits converge around the posters, Dal-ho gets perplexed.





When Nam Sa-cho reports to San that they havent found Song-yeon yet, San gets





grim and orders Nam Sa-cho to continue the search.

Locked in a warehouse, Song-yeon gets afraid when she sees other kidnapped





girls sent to brothels and tries to find a way to run away. When Lee Chun (actor

Ji



Sang-ryeol) comes by to meet Chun Hwa-nam, Song-yeon yells out to him to save





her but Lee Chun doesnt hear her cries and leaves. Song-yeon runs away but

gets



caught...

Episode 10

Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) looks at a painting she drew based on a theme





selected by San (actor Lee Seo-jin) and she finally meets San when he comes

to



the workshop to see her. Song-yeon cries after being overwhelmed with emotion





and. When Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) sees Song-yeon with San, he gets teary-



eyed, too. But they cannot stay together for long because the workshop artisans

will



return soon. While seeing how lonely San is, Dae-soo becomes determined to pass







the military service exam to become Sans personal guard.

King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae) asks San again whether he issued the official





permit. He then orders a servant to bring the equipment prepared by the ministers.





King Young-jo shows how royal seals can be forged in front of the ministers

and



San and then proceeds to check the authenticity of the official permit.

When Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) hears that the king can prove

the



authenticity of a permit from Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo), her face turns







pale. She calls an emergency secret meeting with her conspirators under a tense





mood and Jung Hoo-gyeom comes up with a scheme.





Dae-soo sees the signs announcing the test for the military service exam and

he



starts to study with other potential applicants. Dae-soo learns from Hong Guk-young





(actor Han Sang-jin) how to efficiently memorize facts and is amazed at what

Hong



Guk-young tells him next. After hearing from Hong Guk-young that there is a

way to





see the test answers before the actual exam, Dae-soo seeks out Lee Chun (actor

Ji



Sang-ryeol).





Episode 11

While reading a poem, King Young-jos (actor Lee Sun-jae) face turns ashen.

King



Young-jo gets furious and orders his servants to capture the poet who mocked

him



in the poem. San gets disturbed when he reads the passages in the poem.

While Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) is taking the military service exam, the

exams



are suddenly canceled. Afterwards, Dae-soo seeks out Hong Guk-young to confer





with him about a wrong verse in one of the poems. Hong Guk-young tells him that





Prince Sans life is in danger.

Worried about Sans safety, Nam Sa-cho (actor Maeng Sang-hoon) guards the East





Palace at night. But under Oh Jung-hos orders, warriors explode gunpowder.

The



guards are shocked by the sound and San is also roused by the sounds. Park Cho





s warriors enter the East Palace and start killing the palace guards. When San





hears that the enemies are heading towards the Main Hall, he goes there, too.

Worried about San, Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) goes to Chugukjang in Shibis





place. But the palace guards stop San from going anywhere because he is under





suspicion of attempting to overthrow the king. While held back by the guards,

San



sees Song-yeon. After allaying Song-yeons fears, he heads to Pyeon Pavilion







where King Young-jo tells him to personally go to the torture chamber and find

out



whos behind the attack by interrogating the captured warriors.





Episode 12

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) enters the torture chamber with a grim expression and

he



orders the men to stop torturing the prisoners. Queen Hyo-eui (actress Park

Eun-



hye) is told that San disobeyed the kings orders to force answers out of the







prisoners. She goes to see San and overhears him talking to Princess Hye-bin





(actress Gyeon Mi-ri). Princess Hye-bin advises San to meet King Young-jo and





ask for forgiveness.

San meets King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae) and asks him for a few more days

to



prove that the accused are innocent. As San defends the late Crown Prince Sados





honor, King Young-jo gets enraged at this and tells San that he will be banished

if





he is unable to prove their innocence.

Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo) calls Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin)





and offers him a high-ranking government position. Hong Guk-young asks Jung

Hoo-



gyeom to give him some time to think it over because it is such a big promotion.





Hong Guk-young goes to Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) and ask him if he



remembered the wrong verse he found in the test. When he analyzes it, Hong Guk-





young realizes that it is a hidden code. Hong Guk-young and Dae-soo realize

that



someone is scheming to frame San for an attempted coup detat and they try to

figure



out who the ringleader is.

Episode 13

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) learns from Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) that Han Joon-



ho, a high-ranking minister of the Byeongpan rank, is the ringleader of the

plot to



frame him for attempting to overthrow the king, he is shocked. Nam Sa-cho (actor







Maeng Sang-hoon) tells San that they should arrest the minister at once if what

Dae-



soo is saying is true. However, San says they need to find proof before taking

such



a course of action.

When San, Dae-soo, and Nam Sa-cho head to the south of the city, Jung Hoo-



gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo) offers to accompany him with three military officers.





Dae-soo guides them to the training grounds where the royal police were trained







and deployed as a private army to kill San. San becomes deeply disturbed when

he



sees the actual training grounds. He is filled with rage and tries to enter

the training



grounds but the place is empty and no soldiers are seen.





Episode 14

Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo) receives a letter from the Byeongpan-rank





minister and is astonished to see the minister visit Princess Hwa-wan (actress







Sung Hyun-ah) at her private residence. Worried about being seen together with

the



minister, Jung Hoo-gyeom asks him what he has done and the anxious minister





says he sent a person to Mt. Myojeok.

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) grieves over the fact that Princess Hwa-wan has been





trying to get him killed. Chae Jae-gong (actor Han In-soo) feels pity for San

but



advises him that he must not let emotions interfere with his judgment to mete

out





punishment to criminals of the kingdom.

After making up his mind, San goes to meet King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae)

with



his guard and reports his findings at Mt. Myojeok the night before. King Young-jo





believes that more people are involved in the plot besides Byeongpan-rank minister





and asks San if he found other collaborators. San hesitates before telling the

king



that Princess Hwa-wan is one of the ministers collaborators. King Young-jo







becomes enraged. At that moment, the sound of the drumbeats that Princess Hwa-



wan said she heard begins to ring throughout the palace.





Episode 15

Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri) visits Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung





Hyun-ah)s private residence and offers her a special herbal concoction, telling

her



it was the same kind that she drank when she grieved over her husbands wrongful







execution. With contempt in her voice, Princess Hye-bin tells Princess Hwa-wan





that she will not lose her son like she lost her husband.

Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo) learns that San has a special connection





with Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min), one of the palace painters, and finds the





piece of information very interesting.

Meanwhile, Court Lady Kim (actress Kim So-I), who keeps a close eye on Song-



yeon, reports to Queen Hyo-eui (actress Park Eun-hye) that Song-yeon met with







Jung Hoo-gyeom. Court Lady Kim tells the queen that she has suspicions about





Song-yeon but the queen tells her that she is wrong. However, the doubts about





Song-yeon linger in the queens mind.





Episode 16

Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri) orders the palace painters to make a

folding



screen drawn with a painting of Seokrudo, which is a good luck charm for having

a





baby, to give as a present to Queen Hyo-eui. As the new damo assistant for Park





Byeol-jae, Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) is assigned to the project and gets

to



meet Queen Hyo-eui (actress Park Eun-hye). Queen Hyo-eui personally calls Song-



yeon and asks her how she first met San (actor Lee Seo-jin). The queen also

asks



her how she happens to know Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo).

Court Lady Park interrupts their conversation and announces that the crown

prince





will be arriving at Queen Hyo-euis chambers. Arriving at the queens chamber





unannounced, San greets his queen lovingly but is surprised to see Song-yeon





there.





Episode 17

Stricken by a mysterious malady during a trip to the royal tombs, King Young-jo





(actor Lee Sun-jae) tells San (actor Lee Seo-jin) that they should return to

the





palace whereupon San should oversee the royal affairs. After hearing about the





situation, Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) dispatches a messenger to

Lee



Pan to make sure to assassinate San if King Young-jo doesnt recover from his





disease.

Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) tells San that the only way to safely make

it



back to the palace would be to divide the procession into two parties. But San







refuses to use that option because it would make the second procession vulnerable





if it came under heavy attack.





Episode 18

The conspirators who wish to eliminate San agree that they must stop the crown





prince from taking over the throne so they try to bring King Young-jo (actor

Lee Sun-



jae) back to the palace as soon as possible. Seeing that the king can hardly

stand





up, San (actor Lee Seo-jin) asks the doctors about the kings condition.

Catching San off guard, Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) approaches

him



and asks why he isnt happy that the king has safely returned to the place.





Episode 19

Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) pleads with San (actor Lee Seo-jin)

to



repeal his order of forcing her to drink the deadly herbal concoction. Princess

Hwa-





wan asks him to give her one more day to live and if the kings condition doesnt





improve, then she will forfeit her life. San does not know what to do and dwells

on



the matter.

Meanwhile, Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) orders Jung Hoo-gyeom



(actor Jo yeon-woo) to have his private army ready in case the king dies.





Episode 20

After King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae) designates San (actor Lee Seo-jin)

with



the responsibilities of overseeing the kingdom, the ministers from the three

fields (?



?) (??) (??), give their monthly reports to San.. After questioning the ministers





with piercing questions, he gains an advantage over his enemies.

Meanwhile, Choi Seok-joo (actor Jo Gyeong-hwan) tells Hong In-han (actor Na





Sung-gun), to become friends with Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin)...







Episode 21

When Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) hears that Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min)





came in fifth place in the art contest he goes to congratulate Song-yeon. Park





Young-moon (actress Shin Guk) orders Song-yeon to paint another folding screen.

Meanwhile, San (actor Lee Seo-jin) meets with the merchants of Nanjeon and





promises to relax business restrictions if they could help him. Hong Guk-young





(actor Han Sang-jin) tells San the if they want to find proof that merchants

of Shijeon





conspired with government officials then they need to find the secret accounting





books kept by the Noron faction.





Episode 22

Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) seeks out Park Young-moon (actress Shin Guk)





and tells her she would like to teach damos who want to learn how to paint.

Park



Young-moon worries that if she allows Song-yeon to teach such a class, the other







artisans might complain about it but she relents when she sees how determined





Song-yeon is.

Meanwhile, Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) finds out that Jung Hoo-gyeom





(actor Jo yeon-woo) will deploy people to Honghwa gate to create a disturbance.





So he sends a message to Han Seong-boo to prevent the riot from happening.



However, Jung Hoo-gyeom, the person who is leading the riot behind the scenes,







tears up the message that Hong Guk-young sent and tries to persuade Han Seong-



boo to come over to his side with promises of bigger promotions.





Episode 23

Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) meets with San (actor Lee Seo-jin) and

asks



him to let him resign because he made a grave mistake. With a sad heart, San





accepts Hong Guk-youngs resignation.

Meanwhile, Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) feels confident about her





recent success and tells Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo yeon-woo) that the only thing





that remains to consolidate their power is to make their collective voices heard

in the



royal court. However, Jung Hoo-gyeom tells her that it is not an easy matter

because



Kim Gwi-joo (actor Jung Myung-hwan) has returned to the royal court. Princess





Hwa-wan gets furious that she wasnt told about his appointment sooner...





Episode 24

Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) goes to the bar where he met a strange old man

who



told him that his life was in danger and questions the man. The old man grimly

tells



him that he saw a vision where screams came forth from a bonfire that was



surrounded by numerous people. So he warns Dae-soo to avoid danger. When



Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) hears about the old mans vision from Dae-





soo, he inquires about the duties of minister Lee Geon-tae. Dae-soo tells Hong

Guk-



young that minister Lee is in charge of organizing the Naryehee Festival and

there



will be a fireworks display and bonfires at the event. Hong Guk-youngs face





freezes up when he hears this...





Episode 25

Choi Seok-joo (actor Jo Gyeong-hwan) tells Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-





jin) that it is dangerous to use fireworks at the Naryehee Festival and argues

that the



fireworks display should be cancelled. But Empress Jung-soon disagrees with

him



and says that she wants to see the act executed before her eyes this time and





moves ahead with the plan.

Flanked by Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) and Kang Seok-ki (actor Jang Hee-



wum), Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) inspect the plans for the Naryehee







Festival and senses something amiss. He tells them to find the plans for the





previous year to get to the bottom of his suspicions...





Episode 26

At Naryehee Festival, the soldiers give a demonstration of their sharpshooting

skills



but San (actor Lee Seo-jin), Chae Je-gong (actor Han In-soo), Nam Sa-cho (actor





Maeng Sang-hoon), and others become very nervous. When nothing happens after







the firearms are fired, San and his servants let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) is certain that there is a



conspiracy to assassinate San during the fireworks display and so he sends a





captain to convey a warning to San, which ends up in the hands of Kim Gwi-joo





(actor Jung Myung-hwan).





Episode 27

Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) goes to Eugeumboo to find Dae-soo but when she





hears that he isnt there, she goes to meet San (actor Lee Seo-jin). Song-yeon

tells



San that she cannot find Dae-soo anywhere in a worried tone.

Meanwhile, Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) is kidnapped and he asks his captors





who are led by a government official where they have taken him. But the government





official orders Dae-soo to be quiet in an icy voice. Someone appears out of

the



corner of his eye...





Episode 28

When a deputy official turns up dead, Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin)



becomes gravely worried about the upcoming day when King Young-jo (actor Lee





Sun-jae) will keep his promise. San (actor Lee Seo-jin) observes Hong Guk-young





grappled with the issue and advises him that they need to cut off their enemies





oxygen supply. After hearing Sans words, Hong Guk-young orders the palace





guards to surround the homes of Jung Hoo-gyeom, Choi Seok-joo and other officials





aligned with the Noron faction...





Episode 29

Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) lays a trap by forging a message to trick

Jung



Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo Yeon-woo) into believing that it came from a low-level official





of a provincial governor. Jung Hoo-gyeom relays the contents of the message

to Oh





Jung-ho and the Park Cho gang who are hiding in a hut in Mt. Cheonjang. But

the



princes bodyguards ambush them and flush them out.

Meanwhile, Jung Hoo-gyeom meets with Hong Guk-young to save his own skin and





tells him that hes just a tool in the bigger scheme of things...





Episode 30

Kim Gwi-joo (actor Jung Myung-hwan) is imprisoned in the Eugeumboo and





Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) goes to see him to hear his story. After





hearing the truth, she is overcome with rage towards Princess Hwa-wan (actress





Sung Hyun-ah).When Empress Jung-soon sees Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo Yeon-



woo) escorted into the Eugeumboo, she slaps his face. Jung Hoo-gyeom



apologizes for what he did but defends his actions by saying that his side had

no



other choice but to do such things and this enrages her even more. Stricken

with





fear and terror, Empress Jung-soon goes to Daejeon to see the king and when

she



announces her arrival at the door of the kings chambers, the king does not





answer...





Episode 31

Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) considers Empress Jung-soon to be



neutralized and tells Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo Yeon-woo) that she wants to





proceed with her grand plans. When Jung Hoo-gyeom asks Princess Hwa-wan



what her plans are, she tells him that he could ascend the throne with her influence.

Meanwhile, San (actor Lee Seo-jin) falls into despair and has a drink with

his



childhood friends Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) and Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-



min). He returns to the palace in a drunken state. When Princess Hye-bin (actress





Gyeon Mi-ri) learns that her son is drunk, she calls Song-yeon...





Episode 32

Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri) orders Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min)

to



join the envoy that will make a diplomatic visit to China and become an art

student at



Yebu Temple, which is also in China. When Song-yeon is told that it will take

five or



10 years to complete the program, she gets teary-eyed. But Princess Hye-bin





explains to her that her son is in a precarious situation in the palace and

one little





mistake could derail his chances of becoming the next king. So she pleads with





Song-yeon to leave if she doesnt want to become a burden to the prince.

Meanwhile, San is glad to see Song-yeon again at the palace and tries to talk

to



her but Song-yeon ignores him while fighting back her tears.





Episode 33

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) finds out that Minister Hong Bong-ha (actor Shin Chung-





shik) recommended that Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) be sent to Yebu Temple

in



China and he inquires about this to his mother, Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon





Mi-ri), who tells him that when she learned that he had a close relationship

with



Song-yeon, she decided to help Song-yeon achieve her dreams of becoming a



better painter. When San hears from his mother that Song-yeon jumped at the





opportunity to go to China, he becomes disappointed in Song-yeon.

Meanwhile, a Chinese official refuses to let Song-yeon come to China on the





grounds that Yebu Temple does not accept female students. However Hong Bong-



ha sternly tells the official that Song-yeon cannot return to Joseon either

way.





Episode 34

At Onyang Palace, San (actor Lee Seo-jin) has a private talk with Minister

Choi



Seok-joo (actor Jo Gyeong-hwan). Choi Seok-joo tells San that if he stopes





investigating the Na Rye-hee incident then the partisan fights could be ended.

He



also requests that all investigations against the Noron Faction be halted as

part of



the deal. San asks the minister what he can offer for him in return if he satisfies

his



demands.

Meanwhile, Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) secretly brings a doctor

with



her after becoming suspicious of the cause of King Young-jos (actor Lee Sun-jae)







illness. After examining the king, the doctors initial diagnosis points to

Alzheimer's



disease but he needs to submit the king to a test using arrowroot to be certain.





Empress Jung-soon gives orders to have a trustworthy court lady from the royal





kitchen brought to her...





Episode 35

After learning that Minister Choi Seok-joo (actor Jo Gyeong-hwan) joined Sans







side, Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) tells Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo





Yeon-woo) to send Park Cho to assassinate him. But when Park Cho and his



assassins try to eliminate Choi Seok-joo, they are met by Dae-soo (actor Lee

Jong-



soo) and the princes bodyguards who defeat them.

Meanwhile, San (actor Lee Seo-jin) learns that Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min)





didnt volunteer to go to China in the first place and that she is actually

being





banished from the palace. This deeply shocks San and puts him at his wits end.





Episode 36

San (actor Lee Seo-jin) decides not to attend an important meeting with the

king in



order to be with Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min), who barely survived a threat

to



her life. Dae-soo (actor Lee Jong-soo) sees how much San cares for her and



gloomily returns to the palace after telling Nam Sa-cho (actor Maeng Sang-hoon)







that Song-yeon will certainly live because the prince is caring for her so attentively.



Meanwhile, King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae) pardons Kim Gwi-joo (actor Jung





Myung-hwan) and when Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) hears this,



she becomes worried about herself since it is obvious that Empress Jung-soon





(actress Kim Yeo-jin) used her influence over the king to have Kim Gwi-joo released.







Episode 37





Princess Hwa-wan (actress Sung Hyun-ah) holds a Noron Faction meeting and when

she enters Park Chos room, she sees Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) sitting

at the head of the meeting room. Princess Hwa-wan freezes in her place. Empress

Jung-soon gives Park Cho a signal and they escort Princess Hwa-wan out of the

room. Meanwhile, Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) hears that King Young-jo

(actor Lee Sun-jae) is memorizing a map and suspects that King Young-jo is suffering

Alzheimers disease...



Episode 38



San (actor Lee Seo-jin) grieves over the sudden change in King Young-jo

(actor Lee Sun-jae) and suddenly remembers the painting that his father Prince

Sado asked him to show to the king. Nam Sa-cho (actor Maeng Sang-hoon) and Song-yeon

(actress Han Ji-min) examine the painting to see if it has any hidden meaning.

Meanwhile, Hong Guk-young (actor Han Sang-jin) checks the herbal medicine that

King Young-jo is taking to see if it is a prescription for Alzheimers disease.

Dal-ho (actor Lee Hee-do) takes on the dangerous mission to disguise himself

as a palace servant and inspect the prescription...

Episode 39



King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae) gets ready to hand over the crown

to San (actor Lee Seo-jin). King Young-jo summons Minister Choi Seok-ju (actor

Cho Gyeong-hwan) and tells him to identify the number of Noron faction members

who hold high military posts. He then orders that all military soldiers be sent

away from the palace except for the palace guards to ensure that no one attempts

to stage a coup. Meanwhile, Empress Jung-soon (actress Kim Yeo-jin) realizes

what King Young-jo is trying to do and tells her faction that either the king

or Prince San has to die in order to ensure their partys survival.

Episode 40



San (actor Lee Seo-jin) unravels the mystery of the painting and calls

his palace guards to find a critical piece of evidence. After figuring that

Prince Sado hid something behind the turtle rock, which appears in the painting,

Prince San and his troops comb Mt. Inwang all night to find evidence that will

solve an important incident. Meanwhile, Jung Hoo-gyeom (actor Jo Yeon-woo) gets

nervous about the actions of Prince San and plants a spy among his palace guards...

Episode 41



Empress Jung-soon calls a meeting to show the solidarity of the Noron

faction and she announces to everyone that she will not let Prince San be crowned

the next king by using military force. Under Empress Jung-soons plan, the palace

guards surround the East Palace and battle the bodyguards. The royal bodyguards

defend the palace from the palace guards but they are outnumbered.



Prince San persuades the captain of the palace guards to change sides and they

attack the guards who are fighting at the East Palace and make them surrender.

When Empress Jung hears the news, she turns pale and tries to escape...

Episode 42



King Young-jo orders that Princes Hwa-wan, the devious ministers and

every Noron faction member who tried to get rid of Prince San be given harsh

sentences for trying to overthrow the government. Prince San asks King Young-jo

to allow him to mete out the punishment.



Meanwhile, Minister Choi Seok-ju tells Prince San that unless he punishes Kim

Gwi-joo, Gyeomsabokjang, and Woorimwijang over this incident, then his majestys

ailment will be known forever in history...

Episode 43



Song-yeon is summoned to Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri)s chambers

where the Princess thanks her for the important role she played. Queen Hyo-eui

(actress Park Eun-hye) tells everyone that Prince San is at the arrow shooting

range and that she will go there to see him.



Meanwhile, Empress Jung tells Prince San to announce her evil crimes to everyone

but the prince says he will not do so. This surprises the empress. Prince San

tells her to see how powerless she has become and there will be punishment waiting

for her. Empress Jung swirls with anger, fear, and shock...

Episode 44



King Young-jo gives a jade ring to Song-yeon to show his appreciation

when she paints a portrait of Prince Sado. King Young-jo tells her to stay pure

while being at Prince Sans side.



While holding the portrait in his hands, King Young-jos hand trembles and they

fall to the ground.





Meanwhile, Prince San receives a letter from King Young-jo, telling him not

to cry over his death and asking forgiveness for being so cruel. Prince San

is overcome with grief and sorrow...





Episode 45Hong Guk-young learns that the Noron faction are planning something devious andso he orders Kang Seok-ki, Seo Jang-bo and Dae-soo to follow Jung Hoo-gyeomspersonal assistant. They succeed in intercepting a message that was addressedto Jung Hoo-gyeom.San is visibly disturbed when he reads the message that explains a plan to hirean assassin to assassinate him. Hong Guk-young calls for arresting Jung Hoo-gyeombut San tells him to leave him alone and continue to follow the plan...





Episode 46



When the rebellion ends in a failure, Jung Hoo-gyeom and Princess Hwa-wan try

to flee to the Ming Kingdom. But they are captured in Yanghwajin where Hong

Guk-youngs palace guards were waiting for them to try to cross the border.

Hong Guk-young takes Empress Jung-soo to the courtyard of the Naebyeongjo office

and tells her that he will interrogate her for masterminding the revolt and

being the leader of the rebels.





Meanwhile, when Hong Guk-yong asks San to leave the interrogation of the rebels

to him, San surprised everyone by announcing that he will personally interrogate

the criminals.





Episode 47



Princess Hye-bin is shocked to hear from Princess Hwa-wan that Minister Hong

Bong-han is trying to lobby for her release. Princess Hye-bin goes to meet Hong

Bong-han and asks him why he would do such a thing and he tells her that he

is trying to save his brothers life.



Meanwhile, news that Empress Jung-soon committed suicide spreads and Confucian

scholars from across the country raise objections on the way San harshly dealt

with the rebels...





Episode 48





Queen Hyo-eui (actress Park Eun-hye) carefully broaches the subject of whether

Song-yeon (actress Han Ji-min) would like to return to the royal palace. Meanwhile,

Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri) and Hong Bong-ha (actor Shin Chung-shik)

are very pleased when they are introduced to Hong Guk-youngs (actor Han Sang-jin)

sister.





Episode 49



Song-yeon dwells on Queen Hyo-euis suggestion that she return to the palace.



Song-yeon is unable to hide her astonishment when Dae-soo reveals his feelings

to her...





Episode 50





When a plague starts spreading across the kingdom, San calls a meeting of his

ministers and Jang Tae-woo tells him to not return to the palace until he turns

everything back to the way things were. Jang Tae-woo then boasts that San will

step down from his throne.



Meanwhile, Hong Guk-young meets with Princess Hye-bin and tells her he accepts

her proposal to bring his sister to the palace as a palace courtesan. But when

Queen Hyo-eui meets with San, she mentions that she will bring Song-yeon back

to the palace...





Episode 51



San sees the Noron faction officials kneeling on their knees before the kings

palace but he tells them that he thinks they came too late. He also mentions

that minister Jang Tae-woo, the current Noron factions leader, should be kneeling

with them, too.



Meanwhile, San is eager to see Song-yeon again and as he greets her, he is told

by Chae Jae-gong that minister Jang Tae-woo would like to enter the kings palace.

So San sends Song-yeon to his office, telling her to wait for him there. While

waiting for San to return, Song-yeon nods off for a while and when she wakes

up she is stricken with fear to see Princess Hye-bin standing right in front

of her.







Episode 52



Hong Guk-young orders a strict medical examination of all mid-level officials

who belong to the Noron faction and draws their ire. When San hears about this,

he orders Hong Guk-young to not attend the royal meetings for the time being

but Hong Guk-young disobeys this order. San tells Hong Guk-young to leave in

the presence of the Noron faction officials.



Meanwhile, Princess Hye-bin calls Song-yeon and asks her if San went to see

her a couple of nights ago. Song-yeon is unable to answer the question for she

knows it will anger her and at that very moment, Queen Hyo-eui abruptly enters

the room...





Source
By William Schwartz | Published on 2019/03/09

Yu Gwan-sun (played by Go Ah-sung) was a real-life organizer in the March 1st Movement. Interestingly, writer/director Jo Min-ho does not depict Yu Gwan-sun's participation in that event so much. We do get a few full color scenes of Yu Gwan-sun with her family. But for the most part, "A Resistance" is the story of Yu Gwan-sun's life in prison following her arrest, set in bleak black-and-white as Yu Gwan-sun's patriotism is contrasted with her inevitably suffering for expressing it.

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"A Resistance" makes no effort to sugarcoat Yu Gwan-sun's experience. She is fully depicted as a headstrong teenage girl who clearly and fully understands that her best chance of surviving for the next three years are to keep her mouth shut. Yet every so often, Yu Gwan-sun has an impulsive moment. And even when the consequences of her defiance become clear, Yu Gwan-sun sticks to her convictions and proudly declares herself to be a Korean patriot.

There's one great exchange, with ethnically Korean prison guard Nishida (played by Ryu Kyung-soo) that explains why Yu Gwan-sun does this. It's a matter of freedom. Sure, Yu Gwan-sun is in jail- but she is still a person, as long as she expresses herself. Whereas Nishida is just doing his job. Nishida does what the warden (Lee Yeong-seok) tells him to do, not because Nishida believes it is the right thing to do, but because military discipline compels it.

"A Resistance" is especially stark in demonstrating just why it is that people commit horrible crimes like what happens in the prison. The warden is less an evil man as he is one that believes that the rule of law and brute force are what prove innate superiority. The man has no sense of ethics, and only reluctantly engages in peaceful negotiation with a race of people who he believes to be inferior thanks largely to their antiquated ideology.

The torture scenes are brutal but subdued as writer/director Jo Min-ho focuses on the psychological impact of Yu Gwan-sun's experiences. We see Yu Gwan-sun physically broken down by the end, cheered if somewhat delirious by the mere presence of loved ones. Yu Gwan-sun's sense of solidarity with her fellow prisoners is what keeps her going. While Yu Gwan-sun causes many problems for other inmates by encouraging largely symbolic patriotic action, she feels just as strong a sense of obligation to them.

That sense of solidarity is what made Yu Gwan-sun a martyr. Yet while "A Resistance" makes Yu Gwan-sun seem heroic, the film does not make her actions feel tolerable. I look at what Yu Gwan-sun and while I could understand why she did, I'm not sure I would ever be able to do the same. It's a shameful feeling, especially coupled with that last lingering shot, as we see Yu Gwan-sun's body finally fail to survive like her spirit did. That moment is truly haunting, and signals "A Resistance" as a fantastic work of film.

Review by William Schwartz

"A Resistance" is directed by Jo Min-ho, and features Go Ah-sung, Kim Sae-byuk, Kim Ye-eun, Jeong Ha-dam and Ryu Kyung-soo.
Published on 2019/03/10 | Source

Construction of Greenland International Hospital in Jeju is complete in this file photo from October 2018.

The Jeju provincial government is bent on revoking a controversial license to build Korea's first for-profit hospital after Greenland International Hospital failed to open on time. Provincial officials plan to question hospital staff before canceling the license.

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Greenland International Hospital was granted its license on Dec. 5 with a proviso to open within 90 days, but since it did not, the license can be revoked.

The hospital sent a letter to the provincial government on Feb. 26 seeking an extension of the deadline citing a change of plan. But Jeju officials say the hospital refused to allow inspectors on the property as they tried to discover the reason for the delay.

Chinese real estate developer Greenland Group got the go-ahead from the central government in December 2015 and the hospital was set to open in Seogwipo in the southern part of the island.

The aim was to attract well-heeled medical tourists with plastic surgery and other non-essential services.

The license was given to the hospital provided it admits only foreigners, but the hospital opposed the idea, saying that it will be unable to reject domestic patients without good reason and filed a lawsuit last month.

The hospital recruited about 130 staff, but due to the year-long delay only half of them remain available.
Published on 2019/03/10 | Source

A billboard ad celebrating President Moon Jae-in's birthday is displayed in a subway station in Seoul in this file photo from Jan. 12, 2018.

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Seoul Metro has decided to ban political posters such as those congratulating President Moon Jae-in on his birthday that were plastered all over some subway stations last year.

Seoul Metro said Thursday it set up new advertising guidelines to prohibit posters voicing private opinions about a particular social issue or congratulating individual politicians.

According to the guidelines, subway ads must not display the names, faces, images or policies of an individual politician. Screening will be also toughened to see if adverts meet neutrality principles on gender, political views, religion or ideology.

The subway operator will also discuss whether the rules should be applied to other celebrities with pronounced political views or ambitions.
Who will be your rep in Congress? Md. Senate advances map

The Maryland Senate advanced legislation Wednesday that would redraw Congressional districts based on the 2020 Census. But GOP critics say it's unfair
Ten former BSP leaders who had been expelled by the party joined Congress on Sunday hours before the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha polls.

Among the ten are two former state presidents of the BSP and a former MP. Some of them accused BSP chief Mayawati of running the party in an undemocratic and whimsical manner.

The BSP brushed aside the development saying these leaders were already expelled due to their anti-party activities.

The leaders who joined the Congress include former state BSP presidents Pradeep Ahirwar and Satyaprakash Jatav, Devdutt Soni, Babulal Pahalwan, Ravindra Patel, Pohap Chaudhary, Manju Sarraf, Komal Prasad, Vinod Rai and Ramsevak Damle, the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress claimed. Chief minister Kamal Nath who is also the state Congress president was present on the occasion at Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office where the leaders joined the grand old party.

Earlier, BSP leader and former MP Devraj Singh Patel had joined Congress.

Party president Mayawati doesnt give any importance to any party office-bearers of Madhya Pradesh. She operates through and believes only state in-charge leader sent from Uttar Pradesh. Even if the state-in-charge leaders tell a lie she would believe them. There is no democracy in the party, said Pradeep Ahirwar.

Devraj Patel said, Situation in MP has come to a sorry pass. The partys base is dwindling due to bad decisions of the party president Mayawati based on wrong feedback of the state in-charge leaders from time to time. I was only party MP from Madhya Pradesh from 2009 to 2014 but even I couldnt talk to her. Such is the state of dictatorship in the party.

State BSP president Dwarka Prasad Chaudhary dismissed the development as something of no consequence.

These leaders were already expelled from the party in January this year due to their anti-party activities, he said.

On their joining the Congress which is being supported by the BSP in government state BSP in-charge Ramji Gautam said, We are hardly concerned which party they join. Since, they are not in BSP they are free to join any party. It will not affect the partys poll prospects in Lok Sabha elections.

Mayawati had refused to join hands with Congress for a pre-poll alliance with it ahead of state assembly elections held in November last year. Later, BSP entered into a pre-poll alliance with Samajvadi Party. Ahead of Lok Sabha election too SP and BSP have entered into a pre-poll alliance in Madhya Pradesh. SP will contest on three seats while BSP will field its candidates on remaining 26 seats.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BSP couldnt win any seat from MP. Earlier, in 2009 Lok Sabha polls BSP had one MP from Madhya Pradesh. It wields influence mainly in Gwalior-Chambal, Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions of Madhya Pradesh.

State Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said, Congress door is open for those who believe in its ideology. It will not affect the BSPs support to the Congress government as Congress doesnt believe in poaching any leader from any party.

State BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, BSP leaders must realise now that whichever party supports Congress, the latter damages it first. Their joining the Congress will not affect the BJPs poll prospects but it will definitely affect the prospects of both Congress and BSP in Lok Sabha polls.
Shilpa Shetty has not been seen on the big screens in years now, but that doesnt mean she has disappeared from public memory. The actor remains one of the most sought-after stars, thanks to her regular social media posts. Pictures and videos from her personal life are big hit. Now, a new video of her son, Viaan Raj Kundra, shared by husband Raj Kundra, is gaining traction online.

On Saturday, Raj shared a video clip where Shilpas son is seen imitating Prabhass famous act of lifting a Shiv ling (a religious symbol in Hinduism representing Shiva) from the song Kaun Hain Voh from SS Rajamoulis Baahubali.

Sharing the video, Raj worte: Move over #bahubali here comes #Chairbali @viaanrajkundra I wonder where he gets his acting keedha from @theshilpashetty hmmmm cant stop laughing at this! #family #laughter #love #joys #life #bond #fatherson #son #action #hero

Meanwhile, Shilpa also has a YouTube channel which is quite popular. At an event in January this year she also revealed that in a couple of months, she would be launching her health app.

Also read | Akash Ambani-Shloka Mehta wedding highlights: Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif make a stunning appearance. See pics

She told IANS, Its so important for everyone to know that nutrition plays such an important part in maintaining good health. I feel that is something most people dont understand. People think that its just about working out.

I keep emphasizing that it is 70 percent nutrition and 30 percent workout regime. I am going to come with my health app in a couple months.

She is also busy judging Sony Televisions reality show titled Super Dancer Chapter 3.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The Union home ministry has approved the development of a passenger terminal building spread over 2,160 square metres and costing about 190 crore for the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, said a senior official who did not want to named. The terminal building will accommodate as many as 5,000 passengers daily.

The design of the passenger terminal building has been inspired by the Khanda sign  a symbol of the Sikh faith that represents the values of oneness and humanity.

The tricolour will be hoisted on a 300-ft flagpole at the international border.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistans Kartarpur  the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism  with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

The terminal building, spread over 50 acres will be developed in two phases. In the first Phase, about 15 acres will be developed. Land has been acquired for the first phase, the official said. In the second phase, a hospital, accommodation and other amenities for pilgrims will be developed.

The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), mandated to build and operate integrated check posts along the land borders of the country, will develop the terminal building. LPAI has been asked by the government to complete the construction before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019.

On November 28, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor, which will connect Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistans Narowal to Dera Baba Nanak in Indias Gurdaspur. Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu laid the digital foundation stone of the project on the Indian side on November 26 last year.

Two days later, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor on November 28 last year.
A 26-year-old man, Gurwinder Singh, hailing from Kalajhar village of Bhawanigarh subdivision has been missing in Masterton region of New Zealand since March 5. The New Zealand police are searching for him around a sea, the family of the man, said on Sunday. The family said that he had gone to New Zealand in 2015 on student visa and was working as assistant manager in a pizza firm.

The talks of his marriage were going on. We had sent him the pictures of a girl, but he had not replied. When we contacted his friends, we were told that he was missing for 24 hours. They also informed the local police and we found his belongings, said Gurwinders father, Rajwinder Singh.

The family said that his belongings that included a vehicle, wallet and cell phone were found from near the sea. We appeal to the union and state governments to coordinate with New Zealand authorities to find my son, added Rajwinder.
Two men have been arrested for allegedly molesting a 22-year-old aspiring model in south Delhis New Friends Colony after she refused to accompany them to their residence in Ghaziabad, police said Saturday.

Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), identified the arrested men as Sunny Kumar Verma, 28, and Pratham Singla, 20. Both their fathers are serving in the Indian army, the DCP said. The men were arrested following a complaint filed by the woman, who lives in Gurugram, at the New Friends Colony police station.

The woman works with a multinational firm. Earlier this month, she had come across as advertisement of a modelling competition on a social media site. She had approached organisers and transferred around Rs 16,000 as participation fee.

On March 2 evening, Sunny Verma and his three volunteers asked the woman to visit them at a Gurgaon pub to discuss work. From there, they persuaded her to accompany them to another pub in a prominent hotel in Delhis New Friends Colony, said the DCP.

But when it was time to leave for their homes around 5.30 am, the next morning, Verma and Singla hired a cab and allegedly asked the woman to accompany them to their Ghaziabad flat.

The woman refused and agreed to get into the cab only when the men promised to first drop her at her home in Gurugram, said the DCP.

But when the trio got into the cab, the men allegedly locked the doors when she tried to get out. When she began screaming for help, the driver stopped the vehicle and let her out. She then booked another cab, DCP Biswal said.

Just as the woman entered her cab, Verma and Singla allegedly entered her car.

Verma grabbed the womans hand, molested her, abused her and warned her of consequences if she didnt accompany them. The woman managed to push the duo out, lock the car from inside and speed away, said the DCP.

Once a police case was filed, investigators used the social media accounts of the suspects to track them down. They were arrested from a night club in Connaught Place on Wednesday, said the DCP.

The suspects posed as modelling contacts to lure young women. They would then be duped of money with promises of making them judges or brand ambassadors of the modelling firm they claimed to run, said the DCP.
A 6-year-old boy died while a 29-year-old man was injured after gunshots were fired in a gym at Delhis Inderpuri, police said Saturday.

On receiving information at 8:45 pm about gunshots being fired, police reached the spot and found that the boy, Prince Raj, who was looking through the window of his residence above the gym has died while another person, Mahender, was injured while entering the building, an official said.

The injured was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where he was stated to be out of danger, police said.

Initial enquiry revealed that four people of JJ Colony in Inderpuri were involved in the incident, they said, adding a case has been registered in the matter and a hunt is on to nab the accused.
The total number of voters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections has gone up by 84.3 million since the 2014 polls, chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said on Sunday.

The new voters have taken the total number of voters to 900 million since 2014, he said, adding that around 15 million are in the age group of 18-19 years.

These voters are expected to play a significant role in the elections to the Lok Sabha and assemblies of some states that is to be held.

Both the ruling BJP and Congress, and other parties are hoping that their votes will bring them to power, and have been raising issues, such as employment and reservation.

More than 150 million first-time voters played an important role in bringing the BJP to power in the 2014 elections.

President Ram Nath Kovind had on the eve of Republic Day gave a clarion call to the people to perform the sacred act of voting, emphasising this years polls should be seen as a once-in-a-century moment that will shape the India of the remainder of the 21st century.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has urged new voters to register and cast their ballots in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

An opportunity has come for them to take the responsibility of the nation on their shoulders. They are now going to become a partner in the decision-making process of the country. I urge the youth to register themselves as voters.

The election commission has been conducting campaigns in several states to ensure maximum turnout in the polls.

The poll panel has asked people not to believe in fake news about deletion of names from voters list.

In the new electoral list, women outnumber men in a number of states like Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
A 60-year-old Pakistani national, who mistakenly ventured into Indian territory, was repatriated as a goodwill gesture, a BSF spokesman said Saturday.

Mohammad Ashraf was apprehended soon after he intruded into this side from across the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.

He was handed over to Pakistani Rangers at 3.40 pm, the spokesman said.

As a goodwill gesture and maintaining peace and tranquility at the IB, the BSF handed over the Pakistani national to Rangers. He was apprehended yesterday (Friday) when he crossed the International Border in Ramgarh sector of Samba, the spokesman said.

The BSF released the Pakistani national healthy and sound, he said.

The Pakistani Rangers appreciated the humane approach of the BSF, the spokesman said.

Ashraf, a resident of Boitah-Narowal area of Punjab, was carrying 12,000 in Pakistani currency and was questioned by the BSF officers, sources said.
Live rescue operations carried out by newly inducted sub-inspectors marked the golden jubilee celebration of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Sunday.

The 65 new sub-inspectors were trained at the forces Special Tactics and Training Wing (STTW) based at Hyderabad.

The team demonstrated VIP rescue and protection during a terrorist attack, the rescue of hostages from a moving bus and neutralising attackers in their moving cars and vehicles.

Officials of the STTW said that the demonstrations showcased during the event required high levels of skill, energy and precision.

In the first operation of VIP rescue, our officers fully secured and protected the VIP during an attack and took him safely to his car. When the movement of VIP fleet got disrupted by IED explosions, they were driven reverse in high speed and the three drivers took a 180-degree turn at the same speed to reverse the cars and drove them to a safer location, said an officer, who did not wish to be named.

During the rescue of the VIP, the protection group officers also jumped into the moving cars through the windows. After securing the VIP, a quick reaction team (QRT) arrived and cornered the terrorists car. Several officers from the QRT jumped inside the cars in leg-first position surprising the attackers inside.

The other exercise which we displayed was rescuing hostages in a moving bus which was captured by terrorists. The men from QRT chased the buses and entered through doors and windows and neutralised the attackers, the officer said. The high-speed chase included driving in reverse, and quick 180-degree turns by CISF cars.

The officer said that the team was specifically trained to handle critical situations and also on crisis response based on pattern followed in the United States.

After IC-814 hijacking case in 1999, we got the responsibility of securing airports. Likewise, after the terror attack on Indian Parliament, we received responsibility to secure all important building in the National Capital. Such responsibilities have changed our work character and our security cover has remained unbreached after taking up such challenging tasks, said Rajesh Ranjan, director general (CISF).

With a strength of more than 1.56 lakh personnel and provides security cover to 345 vital installations, including 61 airports, seaports, nuclear and space installations besides the Delhi metro. The forces Special Security Group also provides security to over 83 categories of protectees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at the event held at the fifth reserve battalion campus in Ghaziabad. Lauding the efforts of the force, PM Modi said the role of the force had become more significant in wake of terrorist forces targeting the country.

PM Modi also presented Sudhir Kumar, inspector general (NCR); JS Negi, deputy inspector general; Inspector S Muthusamy and Constable R Surya with Presidents Medal for Distinguished Service and Jeewan Raksha Padak. The medals were declared on the occasion of Independence Day, last year

CISF personnel also demonstrated various forms of martial arts like Kalaripayttu, a traditional form with origins in Kerala.

The demonstrations ended with a tricolour formation using water jet sprays by CISFs fire service personnel.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday asked Indian High Commissioner in Ethiopia to provide all help and assistance to the bereaved families of four Indians who were among those killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

I am sorry to know about the unfortunate crash of Ethiopian Airlines plane ET 302. We have lost four Indian nationals in the air crash. I have asked Indian High Commissioner in Ethiopia to provide all help and assistance to the bereaved families, she tweeted.

One of the Indians killed in the crash was Shikha Garg, a consultant with ministry of environment and forests.

My colleague Dr.Harshvardhan has confirmed that Ms.Shikha Garg is a Consultant with Ministry of Environment and Forests. She was travelling to attend UNEP meeting in Nairobi. I am trying to reach the families of other Indian nationals. PL RT and help, Swaraj said in another tweet.

My colleague Dr.Harshvardhan has confirmed that Ms.Shikha Garg is a Consultant with Ministry of Environment and Forests. She was travelling to attend UNEP meeting in Nairobi. I am trying to reach the families of other Indian nationals. PL RT and help. @IndiaInEthiopia /3  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 10, 2019

Shikha Garg was on her way to attend a UNEP meeting in Nairobi.

Vaidya Pannagesh Bhaskar, Vaidya Hansin Annagesh and Nukavarapu Manisha were the other three deceased Indians, she said in another tweet.

The Boeing 737 crashed minutes after an early-morning take off from Addis Ababa Sunday, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers.

Swaraj said she is trying to reach the families of other Indian nationals. She urged people to help her reach the families of those killed.
Most leading dailies in Kashmir Valley printed a blank front page on Sunday as a mark of protest against the unexplained denial of advertisements to two newspapers by the Jammu and Kashmir government.

The Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) had claimed last month that the state government had stopped giving advertisements to two major local dailies -- Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader.

With utmost regret, the Kashmir Editors Guild wishes to inform that the Jammu and Kashmir government has stopped state government advertisements to two major daily newspapers -- Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader, it had said in a statement, adding that the decision was neither conveyed formally nor was any reason detailed to the respective publications.

As a mark of protest, the leading dailies here -- both English and Urdu -- printed a blank front page on Sunday.

The front pages of these newspapers only carried a message from the KEG -- In protest against the unexplained denial of government advertisements to Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader. A spokesperson of the KEG said the guild and the Kashmir Editors Forum had on Saturday taken the decision to print a blank front page against the governments move to scuttle the media in Kashmir.

He added that the guild would also hold a protest at the Press Club here on Sunday afternoon against the government decision.
An expert committee report has recommended that the Union environment ministry rework the methodology to determine forest cover by mapping areas under various monocultures plantations.

These include teak, sal, chir, bamboo, tea, coffee, cashew, mango orchards and others.

The report on developing a strategy to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 and 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from forest and tree cover was released by environment minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday.

The report, authored by retired senior foresters and forest officials, stated that there are always questions among stakeholders as to how much of the area is under plantations included in the forest cover reported by FSI.

As per the government, an area of one hectare (ha) or more with at least 10% canopy cover, irrespective of land use and ownership, including all land that meets the forest thresholds-- tree crops, fruit orchards, bamboo and agro-forestry plantations  is considered forest cover.

However, this definition has been criticised by scientists because it does not provide an accurate picture of what is the extent of biodiversity-rich natural forests. An assessment of Indias submission on forest covers by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change last year had also recommended that areas under plantations be delineated for an accurate assessment of carbon stocks.

A study by the Indian Institute of Science, published in the journal Current Science in 2014, had said Indias forest definition masks deforestation. As per the study, an increase in area under plantations reflects as increase in forest cover. At least 87,910 sq km or about 12.7% of the total forest cover could be plantations or orchards, the study had said.

Since all such areas also contribute for the carbon sinkand are going to play a very important role in meeting carbon sequestration targets envisaged under Indias nationally determined contributions (under Paris Agreement), a separate and detailed assessment of these landscapes is important for transparent reporting of the forest and tree resources of the country, the report released Friday stated.

The committee has also recommended that geo-referenced maps of forest areas be prepared for all states, in order to resolve discrepancy between notified forest area and digitised forest area, as seen in satellite maps.

If the discrepancy in the area is due to technical reasons the committee will be empowered to approve the digitised area to be the new reference forest area for the future, the report stated.

In its report, the committee has referred to a 2001-Supreme Court judgment in the Lafarge case, which ordered for creation of digitised maps of forest areas and wildlife corridors.

The report has also asked for compliance with the apex courts December 1996 order in TN Godavarman case, which had directed identification of forests irrespective of whether they are so notified, recognized or classified under any law.
Three militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in south Kashmirs Pulwama district, army officials said late on Sunday evening.

The gunfight between militants and security forces started in the afternoon after a cordon and search operation in Pinglish area of Tral in Pulwama.

Three terrorists eliminated. Operation in progress, said army spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

The identities of the militants have not been ascertained yet.

Also read: Militants, security forces exchange fire in north Kashmirs Handwara

On Thursday, police said that security forces killed a foreign militant in Handwara area of north Kashmirs Kupwara while on Tuesday, two local Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwamas Tral.

Pulwama district has been on high alert since a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) killed 40 CRPF troopers on February 14 when he rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus part of a CRPF convoy.

Within 100 hours of the attack on CRPF, three top JeM militants, including two Pakistanis, were killed on February 18 in the district which also led to the killing of four army personnel, one of them a major, and a policeman.

Since the February 14 attack, 19 militants (12 from JeM, 2 from LeT and 2 from HM) have been killed in various encounters across the valley while security forces have lost four policemen including a DSP, six army jawans including a major and three CRPF men including an inspector in these gunfights.

Twenty three militants have been killed in various encounters across Kashmir in February as against 17 in January. Eight militants have been killed in March so far.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday demanded removal of Uttar Pradeshs director general of police OP Singh before the Lok Sabha election, alleging that the police chiefs conduct was biased and so was the forces.

The police is committing atrocities on the common man and arresting opposition parties workers on flimsy grounds, he said and claimed that he been demanding the DGPs removal for a long time.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati too had demanded the DGPs removal and the Election Commission should take cognizance of the matter, he said at a press conference here.

Also read: Stopped at Lucknow airport by cops, Akhilesh Yadav pans UPs roko, thoko neeti

When asked, chief electoral officer (CEO), U.P., L Venkateshwar Lu said, the Election Commission was yet to receive a complaint from political parties about the removal of the DGP or other state government officers.

The SP chief also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the army for political gains in the Lok Sabha election and pointed out that the Election Commission had directed political parties not to use photographs of defence personnel in their election campaign material.

Yadav said, There are several members of my family, as well as that of my wife Dimple Yadav in the army. Some of them were killed on the border. SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was defence minister, but the party never used the army for political gains, he said.

On Saturday, the Election Commission directed political parties to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel in advertisements or otherwise as part of their election propaganda or campaigning following a complaint by the ministry of defence.

Yadav said people will vote for change in the Lok Sabha election. The SP will raise the issues of unemployment, price rise, agrarian distress, unfulfilled promises, exodus of industries and failure of the police to arrest economic offenders.

The SP chief claimed the BJP was misguiding the people about mobile phone manufacturing units in Uttar Pradesh. Mobile phone parts were being imported from China and assembled in the Noida-Ghaziabad area, he said.

The SP and BSP formed an alliance in January to take on the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Both sides had said they would contest 38 seats each out of UPs 80 Lok Sabha seats. Last month, the two parties said they would also fight the Lok Sabha polls jointly in Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh will vote in all seven phases in the general elections that were announced by the Election Commission on Sunday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not stop its politicians aged above 75 years or sitting Rajya Sabha members from contesting the upcoming national elections, but their chances of winning will determine if they are fielded as BJP candidates, two ruling party leaders said on Saturday.

The BJP has an undeclared rule of not offering ministerial position to those aged above 75, and a section of the party has insisted they should not be fielded in the direct election this time.

LK Advani (91), Murli Manohar Joshi (85), Bhagat Singh Koshyari (76), BC Khanduri (84), Kalraj Mishra (77) and Shanta Kumar (84) are prominent among the over one dozen Lok Sabha members of the BJP who have crossed the age bar for ministerial aspirants.Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will turn 76 in April.

The decision on whether Advani and Joshi  the two veterans who were given an advisory role in the party after the 2014 elections  should contest the Lok Sabha polls this time will be left to them, the leaders cited above said.

If a candidate has good chances of winning, he will get a (party) ticket, one of the two leaders said on condition of anonymity after a meeting of the partys parliamentary board late on Friday night.

Also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meeting of the BJPs highest decision-making body lasted more than three hours and decided to explore tie-ups with more smaller parties. It announced a pre-poll pact with the All Jharkhand Students Union of Other Backward Class (OBC) leader Sudesh Mahto in Jharkhand.

Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Smriti Irani and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are among the BJP Rajya Sabha members who could contest the Lok Sabha polls on the party ticket.

If there is a sitting MLA with strong possibility of winning election, he might be fielded too, the first leader said. The list of BJP candidates will also include a significant number of achievers from different fields.

Modi will seek re-election from Varanasi, but a decision on the prime minister contesting a second seat has not been taken yet, the leader said.

The BJP will come out with its first list of candidates shortly after the Election Commission announces the poll schedule.

Our discussion to identify candidates is near complete, the second BJP leader said, also on condition of anonymity. A review of performance of sitting MPs has been done and its report will be crucial to determine their fate.

The BJP currently has 269 MPs, including speaker Sumitra Mahajan, in the Lok Sabha.

We sent a two-page questionnaire to every MP, asking them to share details such as caste profile of the seat and the possible contender from the rival parties, the second leader said.

MPs were asked to share details of five major achievements they notched up during the last five years, and also five ways in which the central and state BJP governments contributed to their areas .They were asked to submit the names of five achievers  from different fields in their constituency
The election commission is likely to announce polls for the assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha also, along with the Lok Sabha elections.

Lakhs of voters will exercise their franchise to bring in new governments in the states that had gone to polls along with the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

Andhra Pradesh, out of which Telangana was created, had voted TDPs Chandrababu Naidu to power. Naidu is looking to return to power to continue his grand development of the state and its new capital Amaravati. He has been at the forefront of efforts to stitch a grand alliance with Congress and other parties and hopes to get a majority in the 175-member house and keep the BJP and YSRCP out of power.

Sikkim is ruled by Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) led by Pawan Chamling which came to power in 2014. He is seeking another term in the 32-member assembly.

Arunachal Pradesh had in 2014 voted Congress to power in the 60-member house, but with majority of the ruling party leaders defecting to the BJP, the saffron party came to power, with Pema Khandu as the chief minister. The party will look to retain power in the northeastern state.

Odisha, ruled by Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, has 147 assembly seats. The state faces a tight contest between the BJD and a resurgent BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders like minister Dharmendra Pradhan and MP Jual Oram.

Recently, BJDs Baijayant Panda, who owns an Odisha-based media group, joined the BJP, giving it yet another boost in the fight against Patnaik, whose BJD is facing strong anti-incumbency.
The Election Commission is all set to announce schedule for the Lok Sabha polls at 5pm today setting in motion the biggest democratic exercise in the world involving nearly 90 crore voters.

The elections will be held for 543 seats of the Lok Sabha on approximately 10 lakh polling booths across the country. The tenure of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

The Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in seven to nine phases.

There is a strong possibility that the EC may go by precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, along with Lok Sabha polls.Since the Jammu and Kashmir assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.

The poll panel will be holding a press conference at 5 pm at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

In 2014, the Lok Sabha polling was held on nine days between April 7 and May 12. The votes were counted on May 16, completing the entire process in 72 days as compared to 75 in 2009.

The BJP secured a clear majority on its own riding on the back of a strong Modi wave. This was the first time since 1984 general elections that a single political party could win majority. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 336 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP won 282.

The Congress ended up with a bloody nose, down to its lowest tally ever of 44. It was a figure that disqualified Mallikarjun Kharge, the partys leader in the Lok Sabha from getting the title of a Leader of Opposition.

Many analysts wrote the Congresss obituaries, and PM Modi did appear to have come close to delivering on his slogan of a Congress-mukt India.

Also read: Age no bar as BJP eyes winning factor while distributing tickets

Five years down the line, PM Modi clarified that his slogan never meant the call for the end of the Congress, but the culture of casteism, dynastic politics, and nepotism that he contended, the party had come to stand for.

PM Modi is the only the second non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in office in the countrys history  Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first  and has already started a high-pitched campaign to be the first to return to power.

That is something Congress president Rahul Gandhi is trying hard to stop, posing the biggest challenge to the ruling BJPs efforts to get re-elected in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP had swept the entire Hindi heartland in 2014 dominating the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP-led coalition won 73 of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, all 25 seats in Rajasthan, 27 of 29 in Madhya Pradesh and 10 of 11 in Chhattisgarh.

Heading into the Lok Sabha polls this summer, the Congress has reversed some of its losses and already snatched Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh from the BJP in the state elections.

Rahul Gandhi is also working closely with opposition parties who have been trying to put up a united fight against the BJP-led ruling alliance by making efforts to come up with state-specific electoral arrangements. The BJP, on the other hand, is also busy sealing fresh alliances with parties like AIADMK and conceding extra space to keep old allies like Nitish Kumars JD (U) and Shiv Sena in good stead.

The BJP has launched a nationwide programme, Mera Booth, Sabse Majboot (My Booth, Most Powerful) to galvanise the party cadre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have begun already electioneering with their public rallies in various states.
With the election season now officially open after the Chief Election Commissioners press conference today, political leaders from across the board took to micro-blogging site Twitter.

Among the first to tweet was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Wishing the Election Commission and all the officials who would be on the field ensuring a smooth election, PM Modi tweeted, The festival of democracy, Elections are here. I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout. I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers.

Among the first to react to the declaration of the election dates, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.

Read: When 3 top EC officials carpooled to Vigyan Bhavan to blow the poll bugle

Omar Abdullah went on to question union home minister Rajnath Singhs assurance to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well as to the the all party meeting vis a vis his assurance that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls?

First time since 1996 Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership, Omar Abdullah tweeted.

HD Kumaraswamy wrote, India is set for another election. In this battle of democracy, I hope elections are conducted in a level playing field. All parties and candidates must follow the guidelines issued by the ECI and uphold the values of democracy, and respect the decision of the voters.

BJP chief Amit Shah, welcoming the declaration of elections for the 17th Lok Sabha, tweeted, I call upon the people of India to turnout in record numbers and enhance the vibrancy of Indias electoral process.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, Ultimately back to We the people -the real power of our democracy. Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. Time to seek answers on demonetisation, jobs, destruction of traders n destroying brotherhood amongst different communities.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik pledged his wholehearted support to the four-phase Lok Sabha as well as Assembly election that will be held in his states. I welcome Election Commission of Indias announcement for elections to #Odisha Assembly & Lok Sabha to be held on 11, 18, 23 & 29 April. Pleased to pledge wholehearted support for the electoral process that is the foundation of our democracy, he tweeted.

Also read: Election Commission blows bugle, India takes poll position

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was critical of the Election Commission not announcing assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. In a tweet, she wrote, Decision to hold only Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms sinister designs of GoI. Not letting people elect a government is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. Also a tactic of buying time to disempower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives.

Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh put out an optimistic tweet saying his party was ready for the elections.

We are all geared up for the May 19 polls in Punjab and I am confident that @INCIndia will win all the 13 seats. #LokSabhaElections2019, Amarinder Singh tweeted.

Also read: Criticised for late announcement of election dates, poll panel explains

Union home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted, The poll bugle has been sounded for the 17th General Elections. The nation is ready to celebrate the festival of democracy. I urge the people of India to participate in this festival by electing a government which will transform India into a New India.
(CNN)  All 157 people on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa have been killed, the airline said on Sunday morning.

The plane, en route to Nairobi, Kenya, lost contact at 08.44 am local time, six minutes after taking off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital.

The aircraft, flight number ET 302, went down near Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. An airline spokesperson told CNN the victims were of 32 different nationalities. Eight Chinese passengers were on board, said Li Liang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy to Ethiopia.

"The group CEO who is at the accident scene right now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors," Ethiopian Airlines wrote on Twitter. "He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident."

The airline said in an earlier statement that staff would "be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services."

It added that a passenger information center and hotline "will be available shortly for family or friends of those who may have been on flight."

The Ethiopian government expressed its "deepest condolences to the families," the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who first broke the news of the crash, said on Twitter.

Ethiopian Airlines has gained the reputation of being one of the best airlines in Africa. It has a good safety record and the newest fleet of planes on the African continent, according to its website.

"Ethiopian Airlines is a very, very well-run airline," said CNN anchor Richard Quest, who specializes in aviation. "There is no safety issue on Ethiopian. They've made it their business to be the African airline that operates like a western airline."

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed soon after takeoff from Jakarta in 2018 -- killing 189 people.

But Geoffrey Thomas, the editor in chief of Airline Ratings, told CNN the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday had "significant differences" to the Lion Air crash last year. On the Lion Air flight, there were "wild fluctuations in air speed and... we continued to get data from the plane all the way down to impact."

Sunday's crash, however, had "no fluctuations and all of the sudden transmission" ceased, he said. "That transmission ceasing indicates catastrophic failure in air."

"I think [Ethiopian Airlines] are going to be looking at whether there was an engine failure," CNN's Quest said. "The plane is climbing out at a normal fashion, but there are mountains in the area, and longstanding pilots are well aware that if you have an issue departing Addis on that particular route, you've got a mountain in front of you."

The aerospace giant said in a press statement that it was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew." It added that a "Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board."

The last major accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down, killing 83 passengers and seven crew.

Thi story was first published on CNN.com, "No survivors in Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crash near Addis Ababa."
The model code of conduct for Lok Sabha elelctions 2019 will kick in after the Election Commission announces the dates for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections today. It is a set of instructions and guidelines to be followed by political parties and candidates contesting elections for the conduct free and fair polls.

It is enforced by the Election Commission of India and comes into effect as soon as polls to either state assemblies or the Lok Sabha are announced by the watchdog.

Here is all you need to know about the model code of conduct:

What is the model code of conduct?

The model code is a set of norms laid down by the Election Commission of India, with the consensus of political parties. It spells out the dos and donts to be followed by political parties, candidates and polling agents during the election procedure. They are expected to observe these guidelines on the content of election manifestos, their speeches and processions and overall general conduct.

Watch: Lok Sabha Election 2019 in seven phases from April 11, results on May 23

Read more| Lok Sabha elections in 7 phases, voting starts April 11, results on May 23

When was it introduced? How did it evolve?

It was introduced during the assembly elections in Kerala in 1960 as a small set of dos and donts. The EC circulated the code to all recognised parties during the simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and assemblies in several states in 1962 and the state governments were requested to secure the acceptance of the code by the parties.

In 1967, the code was followed in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

In 1968, the Election Commission held meetings with political parties at the state level and circulated the code of conduct to observe a minimum standard of behaviour to ensure free and fair elections.

In 1971-72, during the general election to the House of the people/state legislative assemblies, the commission circulated the code again.

At the time of elections to some assemblies in 1974, the commission issued the code of conduct to the political parties in those states.

The commission also suggested constituting committees at district level headed by the district collector and comprising representatives of political parties as members for considering cases of violation of the code and ensuring its compliance by all parties and candidates.

For the Lok Sabha election in 1977, the code was again circulated to the political parties.

In 1979, the Election Commission, in consultation with the political parties changed the code again and added a new section placing restrictions on the party in power to prevent cases of abuse of a position of power to get an undue advantage over other parties and candidates.

In 1991, the code was consolidated and re-issued in its present form.

In 2013, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to include guidelines regarding election manifestos, which it has included in the code for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Read more| No assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir for now

When is the code enforced?

The code comes into force as soon as the EC announces the poll schedule and remains operational until the process is concluded, as provided in the notification. It is also applicable to a caretaker government on the premature dissolution of a state assembly.

How is it enforced?

The poll body ensures that ruling parties at the Centre and in states follow the code, as part of its mandate to conduct free and fair elections under Article 324 of the Constitution.

In case of electoral offences, malpractices and corrupt practices like inducements to voters, bribery, intimidation or any undue influence, the EC takes action against violators.

Anyone can report the violations to the commission or approach a court. The EC has devised several mechanisms to take note of the offences, which include joint task forces of enforcement agencies and flying squads. The introduction of the cVIGIL mobile app through which audio-visual evidence of malpractices can be reported is the latest step.

What are the key provisions of the model code of conduct?

It has eight provisions dealing with general conduct, meetings, processions, polling day, polling booths, observers, the party in power, and election manifestos, says PRS Legislative Research.

General conduct: Criticism of political parties must be limited to their policies and programmes, past record and work. Activities such as (a) using caste and communal feelings to secure votes, (b) criticising candidates on the basis of unverified reports, (c) bribing or intimidation of voters, and (d) organising demonstrations or picketing outside houses of persons to protest against their opinions, are prohibited.

Meetings: Parties must inform the local police authorities about the venue and time of any meeting in time to enable police to make adequate security arrangements.

Processions: If two or more candidates plan processions along the same route, organisers must establish contact in advance to ensure that the processions do not clash. Carrying and burning effigies representing members of other political parties are not allowed.

Polling day: All authorised party workers at polling booths should be given identity badges. These should not contain the party name, symbol or name of the candidate.

Polling booths: Only voters, and those with a valid pass from the Election Commission, will be allowed to enter polling booths.

Observers: The Election Commission will appoint observers to whom any candidates may report problems regarding the conduct of the election.

Party in power: The code incorporated certain restrictions in 1979, regulating the conduct of the party in power. Ministers must not combine official visits with election work or use official machinery for the same. The party must avoid advertising at the cost of the public exchequer or using official mass media for publicity on achievements to improve chances of victory in the elections. Ministers and other authorities must not announce any financial grants, or promise any construction of roads, provision of drinking water, etc. Other parties must be allowed to use public spaces and rest houses and these must not be monopolised by the party in power.

Election manifestos: Guidelines added in 2013 prohibit parties from making promises that exert an undue influence on voters, and suggest that manifestos also indicate the means to achieve promises.

What restrictions does the code impose?

According to the EC, the code states that the party in power at the Centre and in the states should ensure that it does not use its official position for campaigning. Ministers and other government authorities cannot announce financial grants in any form. No project or scheme which may have the effect of influencing the voter in favour of the party in power can be announced, and ministers cannot use official machinery for campaign purposes.

What are the key malpractices?

Any activity aggravating existing differences or creating mutual hatred or causing tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic, is a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act. Making an appeal to caste or communal feelings to secure votes and using places of worship for campaigning are offences under the Act. Bribery to voters is both a corrupt practice and an electoral offence under the Act and Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code. Intimidation of voters is also an electoral offence, while impersonating them is punishable under the IPC. Serving or distributing liquor on election day and during the 48 hours preceding it is an electoral offence. Holding public meetings during the 48-hour period ending with the hour fixed for the closing of the poll is also an offence.

Is the model code of conduct legally binding?

It is not. Certain provisions, however, may be enforced through invoking corresponding provisions in other statutes such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The Election Commission has argued against making the MCC legally binding, saying that elections must be completed within a relatively short time or close to 45 days, and judicial proceedings typically take longer, therefore it is not feasible to make it enforceable by law.

In 2013, the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, recommended making the model code of conduct legally binding. The committee observed in a report on electoral reforms that most provisions of the code are already enforceable through corresponding provisions in other statutes, mentioned above. It recommended that the MCC be made a part of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

From Narendra Modi to Rahul Gandhi: Who violated the model code of conduct?

Narendra Modi, the then prime ministerial, violated the model code of conduct by displaying the BJPs election symbol lotus and then addressing the gathered media near a polling booth after casting his vote in Ahmedabad on April 30, 2014. The Election Commission (EC) issued an order to lodge an FIR against Modi for violating the model code of conduct.

Ahmedabad Police had registered a case against Modi and others on the instruction of the commission under Sections 126 (1)(a) and 126 (1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act and Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violating section 144 of the CrPC.

The Election Commission had issued a notice Amit Shah, the then BJP general secretary, in April 201 for his hate speech in riot-hit areas in western Uttar Pradesh during the Lok Sabha poll campaign, urging Jats to avenge their insults.

Congress Rahul Gandhi was also pulled up by the poll body in December 2017 for his television interviews a day before the final phase of voting in Gujarat. The EC had directed Gujarats chief election officer BB Swain to file an FIR against channels in the state that telecast Rahul Gandhis interview. Gandhi, on the other hand, has been asked to explain his conduct.

The Election Commission had censured Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for his bribe remarks he made at a poll rally in Goa in January 2017 and said if he continues to violate the model code, stern action would be taken against him and his party, including suspension or withdrawal of recognition to his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

(Sources: PIB, PRS India)
Number of seats and date of polls

Urge people to participate in the festival of democracy: Biplab Kumar Deb

General #Elections 2019 have been declared! Best wishes to Election Commission for smooth conducting of elections. Elections to be conducted in #Tripura in 2 phases- 11 & 18 April. Urge my fellow citizens of Tripura to wholeheartedly participate in the festival of democracy: Biplab Kumar Deb, Tripura CM

Candidates asked to desist from using environmentally hazardous publicity material: CEC

Commission has also directed political parties/candidates to desist from using environmentally hazardous publicity material and promote usage of eco friendly substances for preparation of election campaign material, this is a kind of appeal to everybody: CEC

EVMs used in this country for over two decades: CEC

EVMs used in this country for over two decades: CEC when questioned on doubts raised by Opposition leaders about the functioning of EVMs.

Tried to cover left-wing extremism affected areas at one go: CEC

We have tried to cover left-wing extremism affected areas of various states at one go. Once the left-wing affected states get covered which require much more force, then those forces can move to other areas: CEC

Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India: Kejriwal

Ultimately back to We the people -the real power of our democracy. Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. Time to seek answers on demonetisation, jobs, destruction of traders n destroying brotherhood amongst different communities: Arvind Kejriwal

Indias 130 crore people deserve a better govt: Mayawati

Anti-poor & pro-capitalist Modi govt functioning disturbed peace & tranquillity, causing unrest & anger among masses. Indias 130 crore peace loving people certainly deserve a better govt. Hence new govt must honour constitution, respect democratic values & care sarvasamaj: Mayawati

Call upon the people of India to turn out in record numbers: Amit Shah

We welcome the declaration of elections for the 17th Lok Sabha. I call upon the people of India to turnout in record numbers and enhance the vibrancy of Indias electoral process: Amit Shah

Hope elections are conducted in a level playing field: Kumaraswamy

India is set for another election. In this battle of democracy, I hope elections are conducted in a level playing field. All parties and candidates must follow the guidelines issued by the ECI and uphold the values of democracy, and respect the decision of the voters: Kumaraswamy

First time since 1996, assembly polls in J&K are not being held on time: Omar Abdullah

First time since 1996 Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership. What happened to @rajnathsinghs assurance to Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha as well as to the all party meeting recently in Delhi that all forces would be made available for simultaneous polls? tweets Omar Abdullah.

Festival of democracy here: PM Modi

The festival of democracy, Elections are here. I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout. I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers: Narendra Modi tweets

The festival of democracy, Elections are here.



I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout.



I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

High-powered committee looking into complaints regarding EVMs: CEC

High-powered committee looking into complaints regarding EVMs. We are waiting for the report. All bypolls to be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls: CEC

Simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls in 4 states

Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to have simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

No assembly elections in J-K

EC recently visited J-K, met political parties and govt officials. Due to constraints in number of security forces and recent violent incidents in J-K, there will be no elections in the state. Three special observers for J-K: CEC

Seven-phase polls in three states

Bihar,

Uttar Pradesh,

West Bengal

Five-phase poll in J&K

Five-phase poll in J-K, no state to have six-phase polls

Four-phase polls in four states

Jharkhand

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Odisha

Three-phase polls in two states

Assam

Chhattisgarh

Two-phase polls in four states

Karnataka

Manipur

Rajasthan

Tripura

Single phase elections in 22 states and UTs

Andhra

Arunachal

Goa

Gujarat

Haryana

Himachal

Kerala

MEghalaya

Mizoram

Nagaland

Punjab

Sikkim

Telangana

Tamil Nadu

Uttarakhand

Andaman and Nicobar

Dadra and Nagar

Daman and Diu

Lakshadweep

Delhi

Pondicherry

Chandigarh

Dates of polling and number of seats

April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 are the other dates of polling. 91 seats in Phase I in 20 states, 97 seats Phase II in 13 states, 115 seats in Phase III in 14 states, 71 seats in Phase IV in 9 states, 51 seats in Phase V in 7 states, 59 seats in Phase VI in 7 seats, 59 seats in Phase VII in 8 states.

Elections to be held in seven phases

Elections to be held in seven phases. April 11 voting, May 23 counting: EC

IT giants have promised action against hate speech: CEC

IT giants such as Google and Facebook have promised action against hate speech: CEC

All political ads on social media will require pre-certification: CEC

Measures being taken to reach out to voters in the remotest of corners in the country using community radio, folk arts. Candidates asked to declare social media accounts. All political ads on social media will require pre-certification: CEC

Citizen app will help public reach out to us: CEC

Special observers will be sent to sensitive states. Stringent monitoring of all events on poll days using information technology. cVIGIL, a citizen app, will help public reach out to Election Commission on any malpractices: CEC

Committed to protecting whistleblowers identities: CEC

If we seize unaccounted cash, we put it out in local newspapers for information. This protects the identity of whistleblowers: CEC

Faces of candidates on EVMs: CEC

Faces of candidates on EVMs. Central police forces to be deployed in large numbers. CEC refuses to disclose exact number.

VVPAT, paper trail in all polling stations: CEC

VVPAT, paper trail in all polling stations. Model Code of Conduct comes into effect from today itself in the entire country. Any violation will be dealt with in the strictest manner: CEC

10 lakh polling stations, increase of 10%: CEC

Photo of candidate to make sure the voter has clarity. 10 lakh polling stations, increase of 10%: CEC

84.3 million first-time voters: CEC

We held discussions with the home ministry. Officials have been slogging for months to ensure credible elections. Total electorate 900 million, 84.3 million voter increase. 15 million between age of 18 and 19: CEC Sunil Arora

We try for participatory elections: CEC Sunil Arora

Exams, festivals, harvest, weather factored in for deciding poll dates. We are trying for participatory elections. We also looked into examination schedules and festivals before deciding on the poll schedule: CEC Sunil Arora

Indian elections a beacon light for all emerging democracies: CEC Sunil Arora

CEC Sunil Arora says Indian elections a beacon light for all emerging democracies. The poll panel held deliberations will several departments including railways to ensure a smooth process. A team of the Election Commission visited different states and union territories, he says.

Held deliberations with stakeholders: CEC

We started with organising a meeting with all chief electoral officers of states, video conferencing with officials, and deliberations with police and railways. We also held deliberations with education officials to know the situation in schools: Sunil Arora, chief election comissioner

EC begins press conference

Sunil Arora, chief election comissioner, begins press conference to announce Lok Sabha poll schedule.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: All you need to know about Madhya Pradesh ahead of polls 2019

The Congress party got a major boost ahead of the Lok Sabha 2019 election in the Hindi heartland state of Madhya Pradesh as it wrested power from the BJP after 15 years by winning the assembly polls held last year.

The BJP had swept the national polls in Madhya Pradesh in 2014 and won 27 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the central state. The grand old party had won only two seats that year  chief minister Kamal Nath from Chhindwara and Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna. In 2015, Kantilal Bhuria won the Jhabua-Ratlam by-election following the death of Dileep Singh Bhuria.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Numbers, names and issues in Odisha

The Lok Sabha election 2019 and assembly polls are likely to be held simultaneously in the coastal eastern state of Odisha, where the ruling BJD has held the fort for nearly two decades now.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been working towards getting a foothold in Odisha, identified as one of the priority states ahead of the polls, and prepared a blueprint with the twin objective of strengthening the organisation and gaining mass support in the state.

Model code of conduct will immediately come into effect once election schedule is announced

When the election schedule is announced on Sunday evening, the model code of conduct will immediately come into effect.

Also Read| Lok Sabha election 2019: Model code of conduct: What it means, how it is enforced

Dont use photographs of defence personnel for election campaigns, EC tells political parties

The Election Commission on Saturday directed political parties to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel in advertisements or otherwise as part of their election propaganda or campaigning.

The direction came after a complaint by the ministry of defence.

Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in seven to nine phases

Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in seven to nine phases.

Tenure of current Lok Sabha ends on June 3

Tenure of current Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

EC has allotted common symbols to 39 registered un-recognised political parties for general elections

Election Commission of India has allotted common symbols to 39 registered un-recognised political parties for coming general elections, reports news agency ANI.

Elections will be held for 543 seats of Lok Sabha

The elections will be held for 543 seats of the Lok Sabha on approximately 10 lakh polling booths across the country.

Dates for Lok Sabha elections to be announced by poll panel at 5 pm today

Dates for Lok Sabha elections to be announced by poll panel at 5 pm today.
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) will be used in all polling stations along with EVMs, chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said on Sunday.

As many as 17.4 lakh VVPAT machines will be deployed for the Lok Sabha and simultaneous assembly elections.

In new SOPs issued, vehicles installed with GPS trackers and mobile-based tracking system for transportation of reserve EVMs and VVPATs will be used, Arora said.

There will be very stringent security norms for storage, handling of VVPATs. After incidents, fresh SOPS have been issued for last mile transportation, including monitoring by GPS, including reserve too, he said.

With this, the movement of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and (VVPATs could be tracked.

The poll panel has instructed that end-to-end movement of all reserve EVMs and VVPATs shall be carefully monitored at all times, for which vehicles of sector officers, with reserve EVMs and VVPATs, shall be fitted with GPS tracking system.

There would be mock polls and checking of EVMs and VVPATs in 5% of randomly selected EVMs, whose result would be shown to representatives of parties.

There would be mandatory checking of EVMs and VVPATs in one randomly selected polling station in an assembly constituency of a Lok Sabha constituency.

The measures come after a row over VVPAT machines being found in unauthorised places during the recent assembly elections, with opposition parties accusing poll officials of mishandling the machines.

Last month, leaders from 21 opposition parties met the Election Commission of India on the alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The opposition told the poll panel that there are concerns among the public over EVMs.

They had demanded that 50% of counting should be through EVMs and 50% through VVPATs which should then be cross-checked before declaration of results
Congress MLA from Gujarat, Alpesh Thakor Saturday dismissed reports that he would switch over to the BJP.

The OBC leader also indicated against contesting upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

After meeting top brass of Congress in Delhi, the Radhanpur MLA told reporters in Ahmedabad that the speculation that he might join the BJP was not true.

I am now very clear that I have to fight for my people. So I will stay with Congress and will continue to support this party. I want respect and rights for my people, Thakor said, adding that he would continue fight for the poor, jobless youths, farmers, and people from OBC, SC and ST communities.

Referring to remarks attributed to his detractors on his possible entry to the BJP for a ministerial position, Thakor said he was neither sold nor greedy.

Had I been greedy, I would have joined the Congress six months ago, he said.

In the same breath, Thakor also admitted that though he was not happy with Gujarat Congress leadership the matter has been resolved now.

His statement comes a day after two Congress MLAs, Jawahar Chavda and Parsotam Sabariya resigned from the party.

Chavda was inducted as a Cabinet minister in the Vijay Rupani government Saturday, after he joined the BJP.

Political circles were abuzz with rumours that Thakor might also cross over to the ruling party.

Thakor, who has been appointed as the Congress Secretary and party co-incharge in Bihar, also denied reports that he wanted Lok Sabha ticket for his wife.

My wife will never enter politics, he said.

When asked whether he wanted to contest Parliamentary polls, Thakor said he was not interested in such proposition.

I am not harbouring any such thought. I am not interested. I must tell you that I want to work in Gujarat. I have even requested my party that I dont want to remain a national executive but wanted to work for my people in Gujarat, he said.

Thakor, who had rallied OBC communities against the quota demand of Patels, had joined the Congress before the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
Haryana is bracing for a multi-cornered acrimonious electoral bout with the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday announcing to hold polling across 10 Lok Sabha seats of the state on May 12 in a single phase.

In the 2014 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had scored an impressive win by bagging seven seats, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won 2 seats. The Congress had won one seat.

The ruling BJP under the leadership of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will make a determined bid to score an impressive victory. But the Congress, the INLD and the new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the newly formed political outfit, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) of Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala will turn thecontest multi-cornered in the state.

The latest model M3 electronic voting machines (EVM) with voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will be used in all 19,425 polling stations of Haryana during May 12 polling, Rajiv Ranjan, chief electoral officer (CEO) of Haryana said in a news conference here.

The CEO said the model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect and that at least three companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) will be deputed in the state in the beginning for area dominance.

The electoral officer said in 2014 at least 74 companies of the central reserve paramilitary forces were deployed in the run up to the polls.

Two-stage randomisation of EVMs will be done as per EC directions first in the presence of representatives of recognised political parties and second in the presence of observers, candidates or their election agents.

As per finally published roll, there are 1,74,48,293 crore electors in the state out of which males are 93,97,153 and females are 80,51,140. Electoral Photo ID Cards (EPICs) have been issued to 100% electors and the coverage of photo electors is 100%.

Of the total 19,425 polling stations, 5,494 falls in urban and 13,931 in rural areas. At present no auxiliary polling station is there, the CEO said, pointing out that auxiliary polling station will be set up in case number of electors cross the allowed limit at a polling station.

It is for the first time in Haryana that VVPAT system will be used in all 10 Parliamentary Constituencies. During last 2014 assembly elections VVPAT were used in Thanesar (Kurukshetra), Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Rohtak and Gurgaon assembly seats.

Since EPICs have been issued to 100% electors, it would be a compulsory document for identification of elector during election, the CEO said.

However, the EC has allowed other alternative identity documents such as passport, driving license, PAN card, adhaar card etc.
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: All you need to know about Madhya Pradesh ahead of polls 2019

The Congress party got a major boost ahead of the Lok Sabha 2019 election in the Hindi heartland state of Madhya Pradesh as it wrested power from the BJP after 15 years by winning the assembly polls held last year.

The BJP had swept the national polls in Madhya Pradesh in 2014 and won 27 out of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the central state. The grand old party had won only two seats that year  chief minister Kamal Nath from Chhindwara and Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna. In 2015, Kantilal Bhuria won the Jhabua-Ratlam by-election following the death of Dileep Singh Bhuria.

Sushma Swaraj says BJP will turn up poll heat on air strike sceptics

The BJP will use leaflets to ask people whether they would vote for parties that questioned the valour of the countrys armed forces in connection with the February 26 air strike and the aerial engagement with Pakistan fighter jets the next day.

Speaking at a gathering of the BJPs women workers here on Sunday, senior leader and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj signalled that the military action against Pakistan after the February 14 Pulwama attack would be a poll issue for the ruling party, reports PTI.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Numbers, names and issues in Odisha

The Lok Sabha election 2019 and assembly polls are likely to be held simultaneously in the coastal eastern state of Odisha, where the ruling BJD has held the fort for nearly two decades now.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been working towards getting a foothold in Odisha, identified as one of the priority states ahead of the polls, and prepared a blueprint with the twin objective of strengthening the organisation and gaining mass support in the state.

UPA Plus Plus will form government at Centre: Sachin Pilot

Asserting that the Congress is gaining momentum, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president Sachin Pilot has exuded confidence that UPA Plus Plus will secure the mandate to govern in the coming Lok Sabha election.

He claimed the NDA is becoming weaker and the BJP, having lost three states in assembly polls last year, had to compromise to form coalitions for Lok Sabha polls, reports PTI.

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Here is all you need to know about Kerala

The Lok Sabha elections 2019 will see the BJP trying to widen its political footprint in Kerala, the state which largely witnesses a two-cornered contest between the Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front.

The Sangh Parivar, which has gained a foothold in the state over the years, has been raising a number of issues, including a demand for a ban on beef consumption and cow slaughter, so-called Love Jihad, and more recently the Sabarimala controversy to shore up its chances in the coastal state.

We are prepared for polls: BJP

BJP spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri told IANS: We are prepared for the polls. We are already in election mode. Our cadres are contacting the voters at the booth level. We have the achievements of the central government as well as the state governments. People of the country have full faith on Modiji. We are confident that the country will again elect Modi as Prime Minister.

Elections should be held anytime as term for 16th Lok Sabha is set to expire on June 3: SS Ahluwalia

Union Minister SS Ahluwalia said that elections should be held anytime as the term for the 16th Lok Sabha is set to expire on June 3, 2019.

Elections should happen today or tomorrow. The term of the 16th Lok Sabha expires on June 3, 2019. Last time (in 2014), a notification came on March 5 and elections were done by May 16. The members were sworn-in on June 4. So, before June 3, elections should take place so that a new government is formed, he told ANI.

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh reach out to young voters

With young voters likely to play a key role in the Lok Sabha polls, political parties in Uttar Pradesh have set their sights on them and are trying to reach out with various programmes and campaigns.

A spokesperson for the ruling BJP said the party believes young voters not only actively participate in the electoral process, but also act as a catalyst for others to cast their votes. With Mera Pehla Vote Modi Ko (my first vote for Modi) campaign, the BJP hopes the young electors will help it replicate its 2014 performance. As per Election Commission date, there are 14.40 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The count of first time voters stands at approximately 45 lakh, of which 16.75 lakhs are in the age of 18-19 years, reports PTI.

Opposition parties have been questioning the delay in announcing the poll dates

Opposition parties have been questioning the delay in announcing the poll dates, with senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel asking the EC whether it was waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modis official programme to conclude, reports news agency ANI.

Election Commission considers various factors before announcing poll dates: Ex-CEC

Former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla on Sunday said the Election Commission (EC) determines various factors such as the number of poll phases, the strength of central forces needed and other arrangements, before announcing the poll dates.

In 2009, I had announced it on March 2. In 2014, the dates were announced on March 5. (So) There is no particular date (to announce the poll dates) as the EC determines a lot of things including the number of central forces, timings and how many phases they are planning, he told ANI.

Will be torchbearer: Kamal Haasan tweets after party gets battery torch symbol

The Election Commission has allocated the battery torch symbol to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party of actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan.

The MNM had reportedly approached the EC in mid-February to get a party symbol for contesting in 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry.

Be alert during EVM demo on polling day: Pawar to NCP workers

Amidst the row over allegations of EVMs not being tamper-proof, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has asked his partys booth-level workers to stay alert at the time of demonstration of voting machines on the polling day.

Various opposition parties have alleged that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be tampered with, and they want the Election Commission (EC) to revert to the ballot paper system of voting.

However, the EC has repeatedly asserted that the EVMs are tamper-proof and that they cannot be hacked or rigged, reports PTI.

Model code of conduct will immediately come into effect once election schedule is announced

When the election schedule is announced on Sunday evening, the model code of conduct will immediately come into effect.

Election Commission yesterday conducted review meeting as part of its preparations

The Election Commission on Saturday conducted a review meeting as part of its preparations for the staggered elections to elect 543 members to the Lok Sabha.

Congress, CPI(M) clear hurdles in Bengal for a possible tie-up

The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), have cleared some of the obstacles in the way of a possible agreement on seat-sharing in West Bengal in the upcoming general election.

Both sides stopped short of a formal announcement, but senior Congress leaders said on condition of anonymity that the partys central leadership had told them on Saturday not to contest the two parliamentary seats held by the CPI (M), paving the way for further talks on the remaining seats.

Dont use photographs of defence personnel for election campaigns, EC tells political parties

The Election Commission on Saturday directed political parties to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel in advertisements or otherwise as part of their election propaganda or campaigning.

The direction came after a complaint by the ministry of defence.

Have announced 33% reservation for women in upcoming Lok Sabha elections: Naveen Patnaik

I am delighted to be in Kendrapara today. Here, I have announced 33 per cent reservation for women in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, says BJD president Naveen Patnaik.

Also Read| BJD to field 33% women in Lok Sabha elections, says Naveen Patnaik

Odisha CM and BJD President Naveen Patnaik: I am delighted to be in Kendrapara today. Here, I have announced 33 per cent reservation for women in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. pic.twitter.com/rmBnnEmm6L  ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

Naveen Pattnaik announces 33% quota for women in allocation of Lok Sabha seats for BJD party

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in an election rally in Kendrapara announces 33% quota for women in allocation of Lok Sabha seats for the BJD party.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in an election rally in Kendrapara announces 33% quota for women in allocation of Lok Sabha seats for the BJD party. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/7YCOsxLrkZ  ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

BJP secured a clear majority in 2014 on its own

The BJP secured a clear majority in 2014 on its own riding on the back of a strong Modi wave. This was the first time since 1984 general elections that a single political party could win majority. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 336 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP won 282.

In 2014, the Lok Sabha polling was held on nine days between April 7 and May 12

In 2014, the Lok Sabha polling was held on nine days between April 7 and May 12. The votes were counted on May 16, completing the entire process in 72 days as compared to 75 in 2009.

Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in seven to nine phases

Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in seven to nine phases.

Tenure of current Lok Sabha ends on June 3

The tenure of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

EC has allotted common symbols to 39 registered un-recognised political parties for general elections

Election Commission of India has allotted common symbols to 39 registered un-recognised political parties for coming general elections, reports news agency ANI.

Elections will be held for 543 seats of Lok Sabha

The elections will be held for 543 seats of the Lok Sabha on approximately 10 lakh polling booths across the country.

Dates for Lok Sabha elections to be announced by poll panel at 5 pm today

Dates for Lok Sabha elections to be announced by poll panel at 5 pm today.
The Election Commission has allocated the battery torch symbol to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party of actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan.

The MNM had reportedly approached the EC in mid-February to get a party symbol for contesting in 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry.

Thanking the EC for allocating the battery torch symbol, the 64-year-old actor said MNM would strive to be a torchbearer in politics.

MNM thanks the Election commission for granting us the Battery Torch symbol for the forthcoming elections. So appropriate. MNM will endeavour to be the Torch-Bearer for a new era in TN and Indian politics, Haasan said in a tweet.

MNM thanks the Election commision for granting us the "Battery Torch" symbol for the forthcoming elections. So appropriate. @maiamofficial will endeavour to be the "Torch-Bearer" for a new era in TN and Indian politics.  Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) March 10, 2019

Kamal Haasan had launched his political outfit in Madurai in February 2018 and met various leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

A proposed alliance with Congress did not work out as Haasan wanted the grand old party to leave its old ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

He then announced that MNM would contest all the 39 TN seats and the one in Puducherry alone, but is yet to announce candidates. The actor has been receiving applications for contesting the polls from his party workers and outsiders.

Fellow actor Rajinikanth who had announced about his political entry in December 2017, is yet to float his political outfit. However, the actor has converted his fans club as Rajini Makkal Mandram(RMM), which is expected to be made into a party.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis hectic schedule to inaugurate or announce multiple projects ahead of the Lok Sabha elections might have gotten over on Saturday amid intense speculation about the announcement of the poll schedule.

Officials aware of developments indicated that the PM would travel to Ghaziabad on Sunday to celebrate the Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). On Monday, he will attend the Padma awards ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The officials claimed that Modis schedule is unlikely to have any more programmes to inaugurate a scheme or lay foundation stones in the next few days. This could be an indication that the Prime Minister might be done with flagging off projects before the Election Commissions model code of conduct kicks in with the announcement of poll dates.

The government cannot make any policy decisions or start new projects from the moment polls are announced till the end of the electoral process. New policies or programmes may be used as a tool to influence voters.

Modi and many of his ministers have travelled across the country in the past few weeks to roll out schemes and projects. On February 24, Modi  the face of the BJPs campaign for the 2019 elections  had launched the ambitious scheme to provide assured income to farmers at Gorakhpur.

On March 5, he inaugurated the pension scheme for the unorganised sector, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan Yojana, at Vastral in Gujarat. The scheme, announced in the budget, provides major benefits for the 420 million-strong unorganized sector.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Saturday authorised imprisoned party chief Lalu Prasad to finalise seat-sharing with the Congress and other like-minded parties for the Lok Sabha elections and take a call on selection of party nominees.

RJD president Lalu Prasad has been authorised to take the final call on having various allies of the grand alliance on board and finalise the selection of party candidates in seats falling in our share, said Manoj Jha, RJD national spokesperson, after a two-hour meeting of the partys state and central parliamentary boards.

With this, the party has doused speculation on the emergence of new power centres in the Lalu clan and sent out the message that the veteran politician still calls the shot in the RJD.

This is probably the first time that Lalu will be finalising the seat-sharing deal ahead of a crucial general election from jail. He is serving concurrent jail terms after being convicted in three fodder scam cases in December 2017 and January 2018.

Rashtriya Janata Dal officials familiar with matters said after sorting out everything, Lalu is likely to authorise his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi to clear the allotment of symbols.

Saturdays meeting, held at Rabri Devis 10 Circular Road residence, also authorised Lalu to select the party candidate for the Dehri assembly by-poll.

Rashtriya Janata Dal national vice president Shivanand Tiwary said the seat-share deal would be struck soon.

Talks are on. Even the NDA has not identified specific seats or finalised candidates yet. Just wait for some time, it will happen soon and we will share the details, he said.
By-elections to 18 Tamil Nadu assembly seats that will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha polls in the state is likely to be crucial for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government, which enjoys a wafer-thin majority in the assembly.

Twenty one seats in the southern state are vacant after 18 MLAs were disqualified in 2017, two died and another was disqualified in a riot case. As cases are pending before the Madras High Court (MHC), the EC will not conduct by-elections for Ottappidaram, Aravakkurichi and Thirupparankundram seats. However, the by-polls will be conducted for the remaining 18 seats, said state chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahu.

The 18 seats are part of the 74 assembly seats across India that will go for bypolls along with the Lok Sabha elections, declared the Election Commission on Sunday. The seats -- Pappireddypatti, Andipatti, Perambur, Vilathikkulam, Sattur, Sholingur, Nilakkottai, Manamadurai,Ambur, Poonamallae, Paramakkudi, Harur, Periyakulam, Thirupporur, Thanjavur, Gudiyattam, Tiruvarur, and Hosur  will go to the polls on April 18.

Tamil Nadus assembly has 234 members but the current strength of the house is 213. The AIADMK has 114 MLAs, excluding the speaker, but two lawmakers -- A Prabhu ( Kallakurichi) and Rathina Sababathi (Aranthangi)  have recently extended support to rebel leader TTV Dhinakaran, who has launched his own outfit Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) last year. This means the AIADMK has 112 MLAs.

The main opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has 88 MLAs. Its partners Congress and Indian Union Muslim League have eight and one members, respectively, in the house. Therefore the opposition has 97 MLAs in support.

If the DMK-Congress combine makes a clean sweep in these 18 assembly seats, then its strength in the House will go up to 115  still not a majority in a house of 231 members ( three assembly seats will continue to remain vacant). If Dhinakaran supports this front, then it will reach 118, slightly above the majority mark of 116.

In September 2017, 18 assembly seats fell vacant after speaker P Dhanapal disqualified MLAs who owed allegiance to Dhinakaran. When the disqualified MLAs challenged the Speakers decision, the Madras high court upheld the speakers decision.

While actor Rajinikanth has ruled out fighting in the bypolls, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has not cleared his stance about the bypolls.

DMDK in alliance with AIADMK

Hours after the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha poll dates, the AIADMK finalised a poll pact with actor Vijayakanths Desiya Murpokku Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMDK) ending weeks of negotiations.

According to O Panneerselvam, the deputy chief minister and AIADMK co-ordinator, the DMDK will contest in four seats.

The DMDK will also support our party in the upcoming 21 vacant assembly seats by-elections. As the EC announced by-polls for 18 vacant assembly seats now, the DMDK will support us, he said.

The other major members in the AIADMK alliance are the BJP, which will fight five seats and the Pattali Makkal Katchi, which is fighting seven seats.

The AIADMK-led alliance already has the BJP, PMK, Puthiya Tamizhagam and AINRC as its members. It has alloted seven seats to PMK, five to the BJP and one to Dalit-based Puthiya Tamizhagam in the state and the lone Puducherry seat to AINRC.

The DMDK treasurer Premalatha Vijayakanth said the alliance with the AIADMK and BJP will continue in the upcoming assembly bypolls and local body elections. For LS polls, the DMDK will contest from four LS seats under the AIADMK - BJP alliance. We will also support the AIADMK in the upcoming by-polls for the 21 vacant assembly seats as well as in the Local Body elections, Premalatha said.

(With agency inputs)
More than 900 million people will vote at one million polling booths spread across 29 states and seven union territories to elect 543 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, kicking off the worlds largest democratic exercise that will be staggered in seven phases stretching from April 11 to May 19.

Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora announced the nearly six-week-long exercise will be manned by at least 11 million election personnel. He said that the counting of votes will take place on May 23  11 days before the term of the 16th Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

The festival of democracy, elections are here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout. I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers.

The number of eligible voters is almost four times the number of voters in the next largest democracy, the United States, and is also more than the entire population of Europe. About 84.3 million people  more than the entire population of Germany  have joined the electoral rolls since the 2014 general election, and 15 million are between the ages of 18 and 19, the election commission announced.

The Election Commission has attempted a very comprehensive preparation for the conduct of the election, Arora said. The panel believes that purity of electoral roll is the foundation of fair elections.

Also watch| HT Poll Conversations: Balakot, Rafale or Jobs  what will be 2019 decider?

He also announced that the model code of conduct  which bars governments from announcing major policy decisions or projects  came into effect from Sunday.

The polls will take place in seven phases  on April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12 and 19  a testament to the daunting logistical and security challenges in overseeing an electorate stretching from the Himalayas in the north to deserts in the west, insurgent-infested tropical jungles in the centre and the coastal plains in the south. Along with the elections to the Lok Sabha, assembly elections will be held in four states  Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Elections in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently under Presidents Rule and on the boil following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, will be announced at a later date, Arora said. By-elections to 74 assembly constituencies across India will also be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

Twenty-two states and UTs will go to the polls in a single phase and three of the biggest states  Bihar (40 seats), West Bengal (42 seats) and Uttar Pradesh (80 seats)  will be voting across seven phases. Delhi will vote in the penultimate phase on May 12.

The EC announced a raft of new measures, such as Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails in all voting machines to end any doubts about the veracity of vote cast and photographs of the candidates in the electronic voting machines (EVM) in an apparent attempt to end confusion between nominees with similar names. Contestants with criminal antecedents would be required to publish information in newspapers and through television channels and the EC announced a new app for voters to report violations of the model code. Any violation will be dealt in the strictest manner, he said.

Read more| When 3 top EC officials carpooled to Vigyan Bhavan to blow the poll bugle

The model code of conduct was extended to social media this time, with the poll panel saying all political advertisements would have to be vetted by a media commission set up by the EC, and all social media expenditure accounted for.

Elections in independent India were first held in 1951 but the months-long effort spilled over into 1952 as the Election Commission struggled to reach remote areas in a country where the vast majority of the electorate was illiterate at the time.

To facilitate universal adult franchise as mandated in the Constitution, the EC devised the idea of prominently using election symbols for parties and used elephants to transport ballot boxes in rugged terrain. Since then, the independent poll panel has become a model for major democracies, extending its expertise to help conduct polls in countries such as Cameroon, Afghanistan and the Philippines. EVMs were first used in India in the general elections held in 2004.

Lok Sabha elections in India are a mind-boggling affair where leaders wrestle to weave narratives that bridge deep and complex divisions of caste, class, religion and region. In the last general election in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rode on a wave of prime ministerial candidate Modis pan-Indian popularity to a once-in-a-generation majority. The party won 282 seats, and along with its allies comprising the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) captured 334 seats in the 545-member Lower House. The Congress, saddled by the weight of corruption scandals, was reduced to its lowest tally of 44 seats since Independence.

Read more| 10 ex-BSP leaders join Congress in MP hours before LS polls announcement

But a lot has changed in the past five years.

A resurgent Congress, buoyed by victories in three key heartland states in December, is attempting to corner the BJP on issues of corruption, agrarian distress and jobs. A number of other key regional players  such as Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, who have stitched an alliance in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh  are also trying to challenge the dominance of the BJP.

The saffron party, under its chief Amit Shah, continues to take pole position in almost every opinion poll, and is banking on nationalism, PM Modis personal charisma, and its governance record to carry it to a second term in power.

Modi welcomed the efforts of the EC, and said the country was proud of the poll panel, and hit out at his opponents. Guided by Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, NDA seeks your blessings again. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous & secure India, he tweeted.

The Congress, however, hit out at the government, saying it will be best remembered for wasting its historic mandate and that all its promises remained unfulfilled. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati termed the government as anti-poor and pro-capitalist.

Read more| Model code of conduct now in force: What it means
Bracing to tackle voters questions on the Indian Air Forces strikes in Pakistan on February 26 in response to the Pulwama attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has published a leaflet of logical counter argument for workers who go out campaigning.

Senior BJP leader and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who addressed a gathering of BJPs women office-bearers and booth-level workers, said when faced with questions, workers should be armed with logic and facts. If people ask for proof about airstrikes, we should ask whether our jawans who went there to kill [the terrorists] should count the dead bodies or return safely. BJP workers should ask counter-questions to those who raise doubts on the impact of the air strike, Swaraj told party workers in Mumbai on Sunday.

The Opposition parties have been demanding that the Modi government furnish proofs and give out the number of terrorists neutralised in the air strike. We will have two leaflets, of which one will have these logical counter statements. BJP workers should use it during the poll campaign. The other leaflet will be about government welfare schemes for women. The two leaflets will be made available soon, Swaraj said, adding, Workers should ask voters if they would back parties that raise questions on the valour of our jawans or side with the separatists.

Swaraj outlined various social schemes launched by the Modi government in the last five years. The minister said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has planned and executed schemes for every section of society. There have been policies for an unborn girl child to an old person. Workers should spread awareness about it while campaigning.

Swaraj said the voters will carry out the third surgical strike on the Opposition in the Lok Sabha elections.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, meanwhile, expressed confidence in sweeping the Lok Sabha polls in the state. We will definitely win 45 seats out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, he said.

The chief minister also took on Raj Thackeray and said that script comes from Baramati, which is the stronghold of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. People from gully have started talking now. He [Raj Thackeray] is basically an artist and artists work on a script, his comes from Baramati now... Those who do not have a corporator or MLA should not be given importance. His speeches too will not have any impact on the people, he said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief on Saturday accused the Modi government of spreading lies about the air strike carried out by IAF.
A senior Congress leader on Saturday resigned from the party saying demanding evidences of air strike made him feel ashamed.

In his resignation letter to party President Rahul Gandhi, spokesman Vinod Sharma said after the Congress demanded evidences of air strike, he was feeling ashamed to be known as Congressman.

Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out an air stike in Pakistans Balakot region on February 22 following a suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy on February 14, which claimed lives of 40 troopers in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district.

Thereafter, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh had said the government should release the evidences of air strikes as the US did after killing Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in 2011.

I was ashamed to be a Congress member. Thus, I resigned from the party, Sharma said.

The Congress has demoralised defence forces by demanding evidence of the air strike, he said.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed.)
A clash broke out between groups of rival demonstrators assembled outside the Indian High Commission in London on Saturday.

Scotland Yard said one man was arrested for breach of peace during a face-off between UK-based Kashmiri and pro-Khalistan outfits chanting anti-India slogans and counter protesters chanting pro-Modi slogans.

The Metropolitan Police said the man was later de-arrested, with no further action.

Members of groups such as the Overseas Pakistanis Welfare Council (OPWC) and Sikhs for Justice clashed with counter-protesters from groups including the Friends of India Society, UK, during a demonstration called to protest against atrocities on ethnic minorities in India.

There were no reports of injuries during the clash, which involved several police officers intervening to control the few dozen protesters.

Images and videos of the clash have since been posted on social media, with either side blaming the other for turning a peaceful protest violent.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed.)
An Ethiopian Airlines flight with 157 people thought to be on board crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning from Ethiopias capital headed to Nairobi, the airline said.

The airlines statement said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on board the Boeing 737 that crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, on its way to Kenyas capital.

The crash occurred around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the capital, shortly after taking off at 8:38 a.m. local time, said the airlines statement.

While the airline said that search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties, a separate statement by the Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families.

There were no immediate details on what caused the crash.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent. The crash comes as the countrys reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

The Ethiopian prime ministers official Twitter account, expressed condolences to families of those lost in an Ethiopian airlines flight to Nairobi, without giving details.

The office of the PM, on behalf of government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning, the PMs office said on Twitter.
Owners of the Chrysler Building have reached a deal to sell the iconic New York City building for a little more than $150 million, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The sale price of the tower in midtown Manhattan, considered an Art Deco masterpiece, marks a significant loss for Emirati investment firm Mubadala, which paid $800 million for a 90 percent stake in 2008.

Real estate group Tishman Speyer, which had bought the building for a reported $210-250 million in 1997, retained a 10% stake. The Journal reported that building owners do not own the ground beneath it and pay annual rent that went up from $7.75 million to $32 million in 2018 and was set to increase again to $41 million in 2028.

Citing brokers, the newspaper said those fees have eaten away at much if not all of the buildings revenue.

The building also has some 4,00,000 square feet (37,160 square metres) of space that is either vacant or will become so in the coming years, the Journal said.

The Chrysler Building, which opened in 1930, stands 1,046 feet (319 meters) tall. It was the worlds tallest building, but only for 11 months, after which it was dethroned by the Empire State Building, also in Manhattan.

The building was a personal project for Walter Chrysler, the founder of the car manufacturer that bears his name, but remained separate from the auto business.
Half Moon Bay, CA (94019)

Today

Rain ending this morning. Sunshine breaking out this afternoon. High near 55F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low near 40F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Drake was spotted in the UK this past week looking the part of a willing and able "Prince" but Naomi Campbell wanted nothing of it on a permanent basis. Drake and Naomi were spotted together a week prior to their London sighting at Beyonce and Jay-Z's Oscar party in Los Angeles, but the Canadian rapper insists that the brief tour he's enjoyed of the UK isn't centered around seducing the 48-year old model.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1093924944789061633



Drake demonstrated his "true intentions" by showing up unannounced at a Manchester hip-hop concert, that of Fredo at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, England. For his part, Fredo has been hard at work promoting his Third Avenue project which debuted at no. 5 on the UK Charts. The moment in truth was documented by the venue itself, on their official @O2RitzManc Twitter page. Watch as the crowd goes mental just as Drake's "Nonstop" instrumental (produced by Tak Keith) begins playing on the loudspeaker.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1104501109790593026



As this envious Tweeter so eloquently put it, "My brother really paid like 20ish to see Fredo, Dave and Drake at the same show crazyyyy." So yes, Manchester concertgoers were lucky to have Dave land as a co-feature, before the Drake surprise was ever uncovered.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1104512071763443712



To those whom it may concern, Drake will be playing back-to-back shows in Manchester (Tonight and Monday) at the larger "Manchester Arena" with a capacity of 21,000. Unfortunately, those tickets far exceed the "20ish" paid by the Tweeter's luck-stricken brother.
Kash Doll used social media to thank her fans in Chicago for a great concert showing. She even alluded to flashing the crowd her breasts as a way of rewarding their generosity, a gestured that was received with a small pocket of criticism on the Net. In the following series postings, Kash Doll thanks the Chicago, makes an allusion to a fake gun she pointed at the crowd, then proceeds to shout out the next tour stop in Detroit, Michigan.

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images

That's when a user whose Instagram handle was obscured by the ShadeRoom (for legal reasons) jumped in the comments to question her indecency. Little did he know, but Kash Doll is ever-so active on social media, you might even say very "hands on." So once she picked up on the criticism after filing through her notifications, it didn't take her long to register a response.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Buy9n83By52



As it turns out the user who commented, "Why would u point that a crowd" in reference to "gun" was wrong to pick a fight with the rapper. It just so happens the commenter was holding some pretty incriminating stuff on his own page: a thirst trap selfie leaving nothing to the imagination, bottoms and all. So, without further ado, Kash Doll chimed in asking, "why u naked in that second pic on your page like yo body look good?' And that was all she wrote if you catch my drift.
James S. Waters Jr. and Paul Gueneau grew up separated by an ocean.

Both had dreams of being engineers. Both also saw their lives upended -- one dramatically -- in the battlefields of France during World War I.

The two men are the subject of the exhibit "100: The Great War Seen through the Eyes of Two Soldiers" that closes this month at the Fondren Library at Rice University.

A Galveston native, Waters graduated from Rice Institute in 1917 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. That May, a month after the U.S. declared war on Germany, he enlisted and went through First Officer's Training Camp in central Texas.

The French-born Gueneau's engineering plans ended when he dropped out of school at 14 to work as a bank clerk to support his family after his father's death. By December 1914, with France already at war with Germany and the Ottoman Empire and his homeland under siege, Gueneau joined the French 56th Infantry Regiment.

RODEO: Vintage souvenir programs tell story of RodeoHouston

Much of the exhibit focuses on Waters' story overseas, which originates from a scrapbook his wife kept that is now in the collection of the Woodson Research Center at Rice. Gueneau's experience on the frontlines is told through a private archive of photos he captured with his Vest Pocket Kodak camera, a line of cameras popular with WW I soldiers. Through that, visitors get a look at life in the trenches for soldiers.

Gueneau's granddaughter, Pulcherie Gueneau de Novoa, organized the exhibit. She said her grandfather never talked much about the war, but that her father was interested in sharing Gueneau's story and photos as France marked the war's centennial. During that time last year, Waters' experience in France was also the subject of an exhibit in the French municipality of Pont-Saint-Espirit.

Gueneau's time in the trenches came to an end in September 1918 when he was burned in a mustard gas attack. Days later, Waters would end up on the front line in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel campaign.

Researching Waters' life, Gueneau's granddaughter said, helped to provide insight into the Houston experience during the Great War.

"It has helped me feel like I'm growing roots here," said Gueneau, who has lived in Houston for a decade. "It has really tied me to the history of Houston."

After the war, Waters would join Rice's faculty, eventually serving as chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department. He would remain at the university -- except during another stint in the military during World War II -- until his retirement in 1964.

The exhibit is curated by the French non-profit "Cercle de Valmont" in partnership with the Woodson Research Center to honor American soldiers who fought in France.
Many Texans have been nervously waiting for some sort of red-meat issue to derail this years legislative session.

Some have been worried, specifically, that Republicans would try to revive the notorious bathroom bill that elicited a protracted backlash during the last regular session of the Texas Legislature, in 2017.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in January said that he wasnt planning to do so, but his explanation wasnt convincing.

When you win the battle, you dont have to fight the battle again, Patrick said.

The bathroom bill didnt pass, ultimately. Its proponents are aware of that setback, obviously, but they may not have accepted defeat.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texans should hope for the best for the 2019 legislative session

Now advocates for LGBTQ Texans are sounding the alarm about Senate Bill 15, authored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican who represents parts of Montgomery, Harris, Chambers, Jefferson and Galveston counties.

The measure seeks to rein in local governments by restricting their power to impose certain conditions on private-sector employers.

It would bar cities from adopting ordinances requiring employers to provide paid sick leave, for example  and it would undo the paid sick leave ordinance adopted last year by the city of San Antonio.

Thats controversial enough; a recent poll from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune finds that 71 percent of state voters believe employers should be required to offer paid sick leave.

And  according to advocates  SB15 poses a particular risk to gay, lesbian and transgender Texans, because its passage could effectively gut the nondiscrimination ordinances that have been adopted in many Texas cities.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Advocates for LGBTQ Texans warn sick-leave bill would undermine anti-discrimination laws

Those ordinances protect employees against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. And the first version of SB15 stated, explicitly, that ordinances that prohibit employment discrimination would not be affected by passage of the legislation.

The current version of SB15, however, does not exempt nondiscrimination ordinances. And its been reported that Patrick pressured Creighton to remove the language that would have had that effect.

I can believe that  and Creighton didnt dispute it, exactly, when I asked him about the change.

The bill doesnt have anything to do with discrimination, so having it in or out was the same to us, he said.

The measure is focused on ordinances that seek to regulate a private employers ability to set terms regarding employment leave, employment benefits, and scheduling practices.

From Creightons perspective, such questions are properly addressed at the state or federal level. He added that his intent seemed clear enough to the stakeholders who weighed in when the bill was taken up by the State Affairs committee last month  and that the witnesses who testified against SB15 hadnt seemed particularly concerned about potential discriminatory effects.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Local ordinances wont fix statewide issues

Its easy to understand why the revision of the bill has raised concerns among civil rights groups, though. The language exempting nondiscrimination ordinances may have been unnecessary, but its inclusion gave the opposite impression.

That being the case, the removal of the language was bound to raise concerns about whether the bill would affect nondiscrimination ordinances. And Republicans will struggle to allay such concerns, given the context.

It does seem like the ghost of the bathroom bill is floating around, Creighton said.

Texans who are haunted by its spectral presence might be reassured by the fact that business leaders who opposed the bathroom bill are among the chief proponents of this one.

A paid sick leave ordinance directly affects employers in a city or county that adopts one, and the adoption of such ordinances may have implications for Texass overall business climate. SB15 is designed to address such concerns, and stakeholders who support the measure wont be dismissive of the concerns raised in light of its revision. The business community is generally supportive of LGBT rights, and of the signal sent by nondiscrimination ordinances.

And although some of the states social conservatives might be hoping to undermine protections against discrimination for LGBTQ Texans, many of them are focused on other issues this session.

The growing support for infanticide demonstrates a monstrous disregard for basic human dignity, and it is vital that we take a stand on behalf of unborn children and abortion survivors in the state of Texas, tweeted Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday.

He was expressing support for the Texas Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, a measure filed this week by Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach of Plano and Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham  the latter of whom authored the bathroom bill in the 2017 session.

Theres no shortage of red meat in the Texas Legislature.

erica.grieder@chron.com
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on excessive fees threatens a practice that has netted Texas law enforcement agencies nearly half a billion dollars in property seizures over a decade.

The justices unanimously agreed Feb. 20 that a constitutional ban on excessive fines, which could include some forfeitures of property believed to be used in criminal activity, applies to all levels of government. Experts said the ruling opens the door for other courts to determine whether fees or seizures are excessive in comparison to the crime.

Several Houston-area law enforcement agencies stayed mum on the ruling, citing the need to review how it would affect their policies. Agencies across Texas are known to annually collect millions of dollars in asset forfeitures - whether or not theres a criminal charge involved.

Were looking at the ruling, Houston Police Department officials said in a statement. However, its something that we want to ensure were thoughtful when we use it, as it is a valuable tool.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the majority opinion in the case, Timbs v. Indiana, writing that protections against excessive fines guards against abuses of governments punitive or criminal-law-enforcement authority.

The seizures known as civil asset forfeitures - which dont require a criminal charge - have been criticized by Texas lawmakers both liberal and conservative, who have long argued the practice pads police agencies pockets and can be easily abused.

Some seizures are used for legitimate purposes: Former Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson took $1.9 million from her asset forfeiture fund to buy body cameras for Houston police and county sheriffs deputies.

Its too early to say whether police agencies will stick to the previous way of operating, said Gabriella McDonald, new projects director of advocacy group Texas Appleseed. In asset forfeiture, after the property is seized, prosecutors sue the property itself and have to prove whether it was involved in a crime. If prosecutors win, much of the seized material can be kept.

Theres nothing thats stopping law enforcement from using civil asset forfeiture as they have before the ruling, McDonald said. I think its going to rely on what courts rule as excessive.

Members of the state legislature have made previous pushes to outlaw civil asset forfeitures without criminal convictions. Former State Sen. Konni Burton, a Republican from North Texas, filed such a bill in the 2017 session. It died in committee.

Senators and representatives are always more likely to take up issues that the court has spoken on, she said, referencing the ruling. It's unfortunate that past legislatures haven't clearly seen the private property abuses that the court unanimously recognized. I'm hopeful that this session a bipartisan coalition will address the issue. The votes are there to pass it, we just need leadership willing to push it."

That session, Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, filed an identical bill that similarly died in committee. She has filed another bill this year.

Agencies document their forfeiture revenues, but many reports dont distinguish between civil and criminal asset forfeiture.

Between 2003 and 2012, law enforcement agencies in Texas confiscated about $486 million in asset forfeiture cases, according to a 2014 state report on the issue.

During the past five years, the Harris County Sheriffs Office spent about $12.5 million from seized funds, spokesman Jason Spencer said. He noted, however, that the amount made up about half a percent of expenditures over that time period.

In 2017, asset forfeitures totaled more than $1.7 million. For the first 11 months of 2018, the number declined to $1.17 million, according to sheriffs office records.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said forfeiture revenues arent necessary for sheriffs office operations.

The governments ability to seize assets from residents charged with crimes should be exercised in a fair, proportionate manner, the sheriff said. The Harris County Sheriffs Office doesnt rely on forfeiture revenues, and we are committed to complying with the Supreme Courts ruling that allows law enforcement to responsibly seize assets that criminals use to threaten our public safety.

The Texas Department of Public Safety similarly said it would be analyzing the impact the ruling has on the agency.

The Supreme Court case centered around Tyson Timbs, whose Land Rover was seized after he was found with a small amount of heroin. Timbs had bought the Land Rover for $42,000 with money he received from an insurance policy after his father died, according to the court opinion.

He pleaded guilty to dealing in a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit theft. The state sought forfeiture on the Land Rover, alleging that Timbs used it to transport heroin.

The trial court denied the states request, noting that Timbs purchased the car for more than four times the maximum $10,000 fine for his drug conviction.

Forfeiture of the Land Rover, the court determined, would be grossly disproportionate to the gravity of Timbss offense, hence unconstitutional under the Eight Amendments Excessive Fines Clause, the opinion reads.

The court of Appeals of Indiana affirmed the decision, but that states supreme court reversed it, saying that the clause only constrains federal action.

The Supreme Court disagreed with the state of Indiana, arguing that the Eighth Amendments Excessive Fines Clause is applicable to states under the Fourteenth Amendments Due Process Clause.

Ginsburg argued in the document that excessive fines can pose a threat to liberties granted through the Constitution.

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. Excessive fines can be used, for example, to retaliate against or chill the speech of political enemies  Even absent a political motive, 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 a State money.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com

Twitter.com/sam_kett

TEXAS TAKE: Catch the political news you need every weekday at HoustonChronicle.com.
Who keeps Houston safe from crime, from violence and greed? When our cars are stolen or when drugs show up at our neighborhood schools - whom do we call, whom do we turn to for safety and justice?

A lot of people. But for those of us in the city, it starts with the more than 5,000 sworn officers at the Houston Police Department, the nations fifth largest, and expands from there: The Harris County prosecutors, the judges, jailers and sheriffs deputies, too.

Heres a more difficult question and, given the scandal that has rocked the HPD since January, a more urgent one: Who, or what, keeps law enforcement safe?

When it comes to the police, especially, the biggest factor keeping them safe in a dangerous job is not their training, not their gear, not even the laws that make it a serious crime to harm them - as critical as those are. Its the belief held by the people they serve that they are the good guys and theyre on our side.

Most of us believe that law enforcement officers are there for us when we need them. We believe most are honest, brave and trustworthy. That trust is the reason we comply and cooperate with them, report crime to them, run to them instead of running away.

Without that trust, none of us is safe - not the citizens, not the police.

Thats why the fallout from the disastrous Pecan Park drug raid is such a crisis for our city.

We gasped at the news of the botched raid that left two Houstonians and their dog dead and five officers wounded. But soon the gasps turned to groans and then growls.

People are angry. Angry that the sworn affidavits submitted to win the legal right to bust into a couples private home appear to have been false. Angry that two of the officers involved handled thousands of other cases, which now must be reviewed by the Harris County District Attorneys office. Angry that FBI civil rights division must now investigate our officers. Angry the city is likely facing enormous liability.

This is costly in so many ways.

As state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told the editorial board Friday, there are likely innocent men and women in prison as a result of tainted officers actions. And there are probably more people who belong in jail whom well have to let out. Thats what the constitution, our own conscience, will require us to do.

He added: Theres no question in my mind dope has been planted probably on innocent people. I think there is a huge amount of information that will come out that will make these cops look worse than they already do.

If hes right, Houstons faith in its police officers will be damaged much further.

Houston police union president Joe Gamaldi likes to say activists endanger officers lives with their protests. But the loudest Black Lives Matter rally can never do as much harm to law enforcement as a single confirmed case of police misconduct, corruption or dishonesty.

Evidence of widespread wrongdoing - and any attempted coverup - can be catastrophic.

If faith in a police force is shattered, a city becomes less safe and officers dangerous jobs become riskier still.

The only way to avoid that outcome is a radical kind of transparency from HPD Chief Art Acevedo and District Attorney Kim Ogg. So far, both leaders seem to be closely scrutinizing the raid and all the associated failures that appear to have made it possible.

Theyve each insisted their investigations will go as deep as necessary to get the truth about whether and how far the corruption has spread within the department.

They then must share that knowledge with the public and commit to the hard task of holding dirty cops accountable for violating their oaths, and our trust.

Houstons safety, and that of its police officers, depend on it.
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Lupita Nyongo took style inspiration from Snoop Dogg for the global premiere of Jordan Peeles highly anticipated new horror film Us, with a hairstyle inspired by one worn by the rapper in the 1990s.

The Oscar-winning actor is known for making a statement on the red carpet, having recently worn an extravagant feathered Oscar de la Renta gown to the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty.

Nyongo continued to demonstrate her sartorial prowess at the Us premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival, wearing a white power suit designed by luxury fashion label Honayda.

To finish off her look, celebrity hairstylist Vernon Francois placed several metal clips in her hair, paying homage to a photograph taken of Snoop by French fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino in 1994.

Paying my respects to tha Doggfather! Nyongo wrote in an Instagram caption, which accompanied several pictures from the premiere.

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Many Instagram users expressed their admiration over the look, with several praising Francois for his ingenuity.

This look belongs in the @metmuseum, one person commented on the hairstylists Instagram page.

It is RIDICULOUS that those clips look like art in her hair! another added.

Nyongos makeup look for the premiere, which was devised by celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose, has also been highly commended by fans.

Barose placed a combination of red, orange and gold eyeshadow across the actors eyelids and in between her eyebrows for a bold, overall finish.

Wowwww she looks so different!!! What an image youve conjured up! one person remarked on the makeup artists Instagram profile.

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Nyongo stars in psychological thriller Us alongside Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker.

The film was written and directed by Peele, who was also wrote and directed the hugely successful 2017 horror Get Out.

Us has received critical acclaim since its premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival, with one person describing it as a horror masterpiece.
The UK government has stripped two sisters of their British citizenship after they married Isis fighters, it has been reported.

Reema and Zara Iqbal are believed to have five sons between them, all under the age of eight and are living in a Syrian refugee camp.

The decision to remove their citizenship came after they married into a terror cell which is linked to the murder of western hostages, according to The Sunday Times.

The women's parents are originally from Pakistan and it is possible the sisters would be eligible for Pakistani citizenship instead.

It is thought they travelled to Syria in 2013.

Timeline of the Isis caliphate Show all 19 1 /19 Timeline of the Isis caliphate Timeline of the Isis caliphate ISIS began as a group by the merging of extremist organisations ISI and al-Nusra in 2013. Following clashes, Syrian rebels captured the ISIS headquarters in Aleppo in January 2014 (pictured) AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi declared the creation of a caliphate in Mosul on 27 June 2014 Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis conquered the Kurdish towns of Sinjar and Zumar in August 2014, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Pictured are a group of Yazidi Kurds who have fled Rex Timeline of the Isis caliphate On September 2 2014 Isis released a video depicting the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff. On September 13 they released another video showing the execution of British aid worker David Haines Timeline of the Isis caliphate The US launched its first airstrikes against Isis in Syria on 23 September 2014. Here Lt Gen William C Mayville Jnr speaks about the bombing campaign in the wake of the first strikes Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis militants sit atop a hill planted with their flag in the Syrian town of Kobani on 6 October 2014. They had been advancing on Kobani since mid-September and by now was in control of the citys entrance and exit points AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Residents of the border village of Alizar keep guard day and night as they wait in fear of mortar fire from Isis who have occupied the nearby city of Kobani Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Smoke rises following a US airstrike on Kobani, 28 October 2014 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate YPG fighters raise a flag as they reclaim Kobani on 26 January 2015 VOA Timeline of the Isis caliphate Isis seized the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on 20 May 2015. This image show the city from above days after its capture by Isis Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Kurdish forces are stationed on a hill above the town of Sinjar as smoke rises following US airstrikes on 12 November 2015 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Kurdish forces enter Sinjar after seizing it from Isis control on 13 November 2015 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Iraqi government forces make the victory sign as they retake the city of Fallujah from ISIS on 26 June 2016 Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Iraqi forces battle with Isis for the city of Mosul on 30 June 2017 AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Members of the Iraqi federal police raise flags in Mosul on 8 July 2017. On the following day, Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi declares victory over Isis in Mosul Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Members of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate in Al-Naim square after taking back the city of Raqqa from Isis. US-backed Syrian forces declare victory over Isis in Raqqa on 20 October 2017 after a four-month long campaign Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Female fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces celebrate in Al-Naim Square after taking back the city of Raqqa from Isis. US-backed Syrian forces declare victory over Isis in Raqqa on 20 October 2017 after a four-month long campaign AFP/Getty Timeline of the Isis caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria in January 2019 They were among the last civilians to be living in the ISIS caliphate, by this time reduced to just two small villages in Syrias Deir ez-Zor Richard Hall/The Independent Timeline of the Isis caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate, on Saturday 26 January 2019 Richard Hall/The Independent

"Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly," a Home Office spokesperson said.

The Home Office added that it did not comment on individual cases.

Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, has faced criticism after stripping 19-year-old Shamima Begum of her citizenship.

Ms Begum, who married an Isis fighter after travelling to Syria at the age of 15, had publicly asked to return to the UK.

Debate raged over Ms Begum's desire to return after she resurfaced in a refugee camp last month as the self-styled caliphate collapsed.

She said she did not regret joining Isis, in an interview with The Times, but wanted to return to the UK so her third child could live.

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On Friday it was announced that Ms Begum's newborn son, Jarrah, had died.

Ms Begum and the Iqbal sisters are reportedly living in the Roj refugee camp.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said it would have been too dangerous to send British officials to rescue Shamima Begums newborn baby son from Syria.

The child died in a refugee camp after his mother, who joined Isis in 2015, was stripped of UK citizenship despite saying she wanted to return home so her child could live.

Ms Begum, 19, is currently living in a refugee camp in northern Syria, having fled Isis territory.

Her son was a UK citizen but Mr Hunt  who gave the first reaction by a senior government figure since it emerged Ms Begums son had died  said any rescuers lives would have been at risk in the camp.

Mr Hunt told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that Ms Begum chose to leave a free country to join a terrorist organisation and we have to think about the safety of British officials that I would send into that war zone as a representative of the government.

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. 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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. 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Questioned over why officials could not have gone to rescue the child from a camp where the press had gone to interview Ms Begum and others, the Conservative politician said journalists had some protection.

He added: Sending a British government official into a war zone in a situation where you are getting advice that those officials lives may be put at risk is a very different matter.

Ms Begum had pleaded to return to Britain with her boy after already losing two children, but was stripped of her citizenship on the orders of the home secretary, Sajid Javid.

He has faced growing criticism over the move after her three-week-old son died, with his Labour counterpart Diane Abbott calling the death a stain on the conscience of this government.

Shamima knew, when she made the decision to join Daesh, she was going into a country where there was no embassy, Mr Hunt said earlier in the interview. There was no consular assistance. And Im afraid those decisions, awful though it is, do have consequences.

Mr Hunt has insisted officials are working on how to rescue British children born to Islamic State runaways after the death of Ms Begums baby.

The foreign secretarys defence came on Sunday after it was reported that two further women married into the terror group have been stripped of their UK citizenship while being held in detention camps with their children.

Mr Hunt said he is working with international development secretary Penny Mordaunt on how children can be safely returned.

We have been looking at how we can get in touch with these children, how we can find a way to get them out. Sadly in this case, as we know, it wasnt possible, he added.

Recommended The home secretary made the wrong decision about Shamima Begum

How to treat innocent British children who are stuck in the squalor of Syrian detention camps will be an increasing issue.

The Sunday Times reported that two women, with five boys under the age of eight between them, had their UK nationality stripped after marrying into a terror cell linked to the murder of western hostages.

Quoting legal sources, the paper named the women as Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, whose parents are originally from Pakistan.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases.

Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly, a spokesperson added.
A long delay to Brexit would be unacceptable to a majority of the British public, according to an exclusive poll days before critical votes in the House of Commons.

Some 52 per cent of people do not want a delay to last more than six months, the survey by BMG Research for The Independent indicated.

The data flies in the face of extensions advocated in Brussels, by Remainers and even some Brexiteers. They have talked about pushing back the date of the UKs departure for a year or more  something supported by fewer than one in five, according to the survey.

The poll also showed that just 17 per cent actually want any extension if Theresa Mays Brexit plan is again rejected as expected this week, with the two most popular alternatives a quick new in or out referendum, or simply leaving with no deal.

British and European officials have been desperately trying to find a compromise acceptable to both sides in negotiations in Brussels, but a breakthrough looks unlikely with little ground being given.

The impasse has made an extension look all the more likely  but the latest poll data, recorded between 4 and 8 March, points to a public deeply fed up with Brexit.

When asked: If the UK were to seek an extension of Article 50, delaying Brexit, how long do you think that extension should be?, respondents veered away from a long delay.

Some 17 per cent said less than a month, a further 16 per cent said between one and two months, the next 19 per cent said between three and six months  meaning a majority want no delay to last more than half a year.

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

Only 9 per cent wanted a delay between seven and nine months and 18 per cent said more than a year would be tolerable. A fifth said they did not know.

Whatever happens in negotiations this weekend, Ms May must on Tuesday put her deal to MPs again, with all signs pointing towards a second defeat  the last one in January saw the agreement beaten by a historic 230 votes.

If MPs reject her deal for a second time and also rule out a no-deal departure as expected, they will then vote on whether to extend the Article 50 negotiating period.

Ms May wants a short extension that would not see the UK taking part in European elections this summer, but a cross-party group of rebels in the Commons had proposed delays of between nine months to a year.

Some Brexiteers have even talked about a long delay of up to a year to give more time to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, and EU leaders have mentioned extending negotiations for two years.

But as well as showing that the public do not want a long delay, the BMG poll shows that any extension to the Brexit saga is unpopular  with just 17 per cent wanting the process to drag on if Ms Mays deal is defeated.

 Theresa May on Brexit: without a deal 'we might never leave the EU at all'

Some 29 per cent of people said they would rather have a second referendum, with the options to remain or leave without a deal, than extend the Article 50 period.

Almost as many, 27 per cent, said they would rather simply leave the EU without any deal in place.

There was at least one bright spot for the prime minister in the broad voting intention figures. Despite the uncertainty and apparent chaos around her administration, the Conservatives pulled into the lead over Labour.

Some 31 per cent backed Ms Mays party, compared to 27 per cent supporting Labour and 8 per cent for the Liberal Democrats, with 22 per cent saying they did not know or would prefer not to say.

When people were pushed for an answer and dont knows excluded, the Tories extended their lead to five points.
Seven British citizens were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash that left all 157 people on board dead, James Macharia, Kenya's transport secretary, has said.

The flight crashed six minutes after it took off from Bole International Airport at 8.44am on Sunday.

The plane was travelling to Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya.

It is believed to have been carrying 149 passengers and eight crew members.

People from over 30 different nationalities were on board the plane.

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 crash victims include 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese citizens, eight US citizens, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians, four people from Slovakia, three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Poles and two Israelis.

Belgium, Indonesia, Somalia, Norway, Serbia, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen each had one citizen on board.

Four passengers were listed as using United Nations passports.

Their nationalities remain unclear.

The airline's CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, said the pilot manning the flight had an "excellent flying record" but had reported difficulties and requested permission to turn the plane back immediately before the accident.

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Mr Gebremariam said the plane had no known technical difficulties.

It is not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Additional reporting by agencies
An Ethiopian Airlines flight believed to be carrying 149 passengers and eight crew members has crashed shortly after taking off from the capital Addis Ababa, the airline has said.

The Boeing 737 flight ET 302 was travelling from Bole International Airport to Nairobi, in neighbouring Kenya, when it crashed on Sunday morning.

In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines said the flight lost contact with the control tower at 8.44am local time, just six minutes after take-off, and suffered an "accident" near the town of Bishoftu, which is around 30 miles from Bole airport.

"At this time search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," the statement said.

"Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services."

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

In its own statement, the Ethiopian prime minister's office offered its "deepest condolences" to families affected by the incident.

The airline said it was confirming the number of passengers on board, but it "believed" there were 149.

Ethiopian Airlines has flown between London Heathrow and Addis Ababa for decades.

The airline is regarded as Africas leading carrier, with a well-run and profitable network and an excellent safety record.

Ethiopian Airlines maintenance standards are outstanding. It operates the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world, the Airbus A350, on the link between Heathrow and Addis Ababa.

It has recently expanded in the UK with a link from Manchester to the Ethiopian capital.

 Navy divers recover cockpit voice recorder of Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea in October

The two-hour flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, covering 721 miles, is a regular link with four departures a day in each direction.

The aircraft involved is the Boeing 737, which has an excellent safety record overall. This particular aircraft, registration number ET-AVJ, was only four months old.

It was the most up-to-date MAX variant, the same as was involved in a Lion Air crash in October shortly after take-off from Jakarta airport in Indonesia with the loss of 189 lives.
All 157 people on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed on the way from Addis Ababa to Nairobi have died, a spokesperson for the airline has announced.

Seven British citizens were among the dead, Kenyan transport secretary James Macharia confirmed.

The aircraft was carrying passengers from over 30 countries, according to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, including China, India, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Italy, the US.

There were no immediate details on what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November.

Air traffic monitor Flightradar said the plane showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff.

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 airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, said the pilot manning the flight had an excellent flying record but had reported difficulties and requested permission to turn the plane back immediately before the accident.

Mr Gebremariam said the plane had no known technical difficulties.

The plane departed from Bole International Airport at 8.38am but lost contact with the control tower just six minutes later, Ethiopian Airlines said.

The aircraft then suffered an accident near the town of Bishoftu, which is around 30 miles from Bole airport.

The plane is believed to be the same model of plane that crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189.

It is the latest version of the 737 family, the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and one of the industrys most reliable.

A spokesperson for Boeing said the company was deeply saddened by the crash.

A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board, the spokesperson added.

Grieving family members gathered at the airport after the disaster.

Family members waiting for passengers in Kenya have also gathered at Nairobi airport.

They said they had been given no information from airport authorities.

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Were just waiting for my mum, said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping. Were just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. Shes not picking up her phone.

The Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families affected by the incident in a statement.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. It said previously that it expected to carry 10.6 million passengers last year.

Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services, a spokesperson for the airline said.

The crash comes as the countrys reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, said Kenyas president, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Additional reporting by agencies
A Fox News host close to Donald Trump has sparked bemusement and anger after suggesting Ilhan Omars decision to wear a hijab could mean she is opposed to the US constitution.

Judge Jeanine Pirro, a legal pundit for the US news channel, also accused the Somali-American congresswoman of being anti-Israel and a believer in sharia law.

Her bizarre claims came amid the continuing fallout over comments made by Ms Omar last week in which she said she was being pressured to pledge allegiance to Israel.

Think about this, shes not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat party, so if its not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from? Ms Pirro said on her Justice with Judge Jeanine show on Saturday evening.

Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59 tells women to cover so they wont get molested. Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to sharia law? Which in itself is antithetical to the United States constitution?

Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Show all 23 1 /23 Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Joe Biden The former vice president - poised to be a frontrunner - has announced his run. He recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Bernie Sanders The 2016 runner-up has announced that he will be running again in 2020 Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Hillary Clinton The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State says she is still considering whether she will run again. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Pete Buttigieg The Indiana mayor and war veteran will be running for president. If elected, he would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kamala Harris The former California attorney general will be running for president in 2020. Introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony, she has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Senator has formally launched her bid for president in 2020. A progressive Democrat, she is a major supporter of regulating Wall Street. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Beto ORourke The former Texas congressman told Oprah Winfrey that he has been thinking about running for presidency, but stopped short of formally announcing his bid to run in 2020. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam has announced his bid. He intends to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Vice News Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has announced that he will be running for the presidency in 2020. If he secures the nomination he said finding a female vice president would be a priority. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US. 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Michael Bloomberg The entrepreneur and former New York mayor with a net worth of around $50bn  has said he will decide by the end of February whether to seek the presidency. AFP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Howard Schultz Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has not yet ruled out running for president in 2020, despite criticism that his bid could help re-elect Mr Trump by dividing the Democrat vote. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Holder The former attorney general has said he will decide in the next month or so whether to run as a 2020 presidential candidate. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Swalwell The California congressman said he is ready to do this and will decide before April whether to run. MSNBC Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Terry McAuliffe The former Virginia governor, who worked to elect Democratic governors during 2018 midterms, said there was a 50 per cent chance he would run. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Sherrod Brown The Ohio senator is still undecided about whether to run for president in 2020. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Mitch Landrieu The former New Orleans mayor said he doesnt think he will run for president, but never say never. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Despite Ms Pirros claims, there is no evidence Ms Omar has ever proposed sharia law or expressed opposition to the US constitution.

Brian Klaas, an American political scientist at University College London, called Ms Pirros comments blatant and absurd Islamophobia from a close ally of President Trump.

Will *any* Republicans condemn it? he added, after a number of GOP lawmakers urged the Democratic leadership to punish Ms Omar over her Israel comments.

Qasim Rashid, a lawyer and human rights activist, tweeted: Will anyone on the Right condemn this blatant xenophobia? Per Pirro logic, are Catholic Nuns against US Constitution too [because] of their habits?

In a statement, Fox News told The Independent: We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirros comments about Rep Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.

Ms Pirro said: Ive seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday nights show and I did not call Rep Omar un-American.

"My intention was to ask a question and start a debate, but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you dont support the Constitution.

"I invite Rep Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today.

In November, Ms Omar defended her wearing of the hijab in Congress, which lifted a 181-year ban on headwear in its chambers to allow her to do so.

 Ilhan Omar: Democratic congresswoman interrogates Donald Trump's Venezuela envoy Elliot Abrams

No one puts a scarf on my head but me, she tweeted at the time. Its my choice  one protected by the first amendment. And this is not the last ban Im going to work to lift.

According to the Noble Quran website, which provides an English translation of the religious text, verse 33:59 reads: O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.

On Friday, the House passed a resolution by 407-23 condemning antisemitism and other forms of hate in response to Mr Omars comments.

Fridays measure condemned antisemitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States. It also condemned anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry.

I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country, Ms Omar told an audience in Washington last week.

She later doubled down on her comments, tweeting she should not have to have allegiance/pledge support to a foreign country in order to serve in Congress.

Ms Omars comments were also criticised by a number of Democrats, with some claiming the suggestion of allegiance to Israel invokes antisemitic tropes.

But Ms Omar received support from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said the criticism of Ms Omar was "hurtful" and that discussion and debate on this issue is fair and merited.

Ms Pirro supported Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential election and has become known for delivering passionate defences on Fox News of the president.

She has supported Mr Trump's claims federal investigations into his administrations are a "witch hunt", and last year posed in the White House with Mr Trump and her book Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy.
The National Rifle Association has launched a scathing attack on Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, branding the congresswoman a self-absorbed socialist darling.

Grant Stinchfield, who is a host on the TV channel of the largest gun lobbying group in America, said Ms Ocasio-Cortez made him sick.

Mr Stinchfield, a self-described firearms enthusiast, hit out at the Democrat for criticising the war in Afghanistan.

AOC thinks the war was disastrous and wrong, he said on NRA TV. The woman whose Green New Deal promises to figure out a way to handle cows that pass gas, is now crapping on patriotism and of course national security.

He accused Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New Yorks 14th congressional district and is the youngest ever US congresswoman, of not caring about the September 11 attacks.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez greets fellow lawmakers ahead of the State of the Union address Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez participates in an event with Democratic members of Congress EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures The Democrat senator speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol January 30, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Democrat Rashida Tlaib AP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Senate chamber to watch two votes on January 24, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrives with Chellie Pingree at a House Democratic Caucus meeting Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez during Donald Trump's State of the Union address Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures New York State Assembly member Catalina Cruz with Ocasio-Cortez AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Nydia Velazquez talks with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez casts her vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez poses with a campaign worker during a whistle stop in the Queens borough of New York Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez outside the US Capitol AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez after casting her ballot in the 2018 midterm general election at a polling site in New York EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looks on during a march organised by the Women's March Alliance in Manhattan Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio Cortez looks on at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2019 AFP/Getty

What is troubling is AOC is from New York too but she clearly doesnt care, because she is so self-absorbed, she cant feel the impact of a horrific terrorist attack, he said.

His comments came after Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a self-avowed socialist from the South Bronx, said that both the Republican Party and Democrats led her generation into a disastrous and wrong war.

She also called for an end to the Authorisation for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) law, which was passed three days after the September 11 attacks.

It gives the president authority to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organisations, or persons he determines planned, authorised, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept 11, 2001, or harboured such organisations or persons.

Mr Stinchfield, who cites his love of guns on his website, then veered off-piste, mentioning Ms Ocasio-Cortez having to wait for her congressional salary to kick in before she could rent a flat in Washington DC.

She focuses on a fake tragedy, like having to wait a few weeks for her paycheck when she got elected to office and moved to Washington DC, he said.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez worked as a bartender before thrashing Democrat stalwart Joe Crowley  the 10-term representative and then-fourth-ranking Democrat in the House  last year.

Last August, she said the transition period would be very unusual because I cant really take a salary. She said: I have three months without a salary before Im a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has worked as a waitress, childrens book publisher, community activist, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and volunteered for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr Stinchfield also attacked Ms Ocasio-Cortez earlier in March  likening her to the Venezuelan president and referencing her Instagram account where she has 2.7 million followers.

Nicolas Maduro with a ponytail and an Instagram account, he said.

Social media users have argued comparisons between Ms Ocasio and Mr Maduro, the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, are racist. The Republican National Committee branded her the mini-Maduro of the Democratic party last summer.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez supports abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the creation of a universal healthcare system. This year, she has asserted that Donald Trump is no question a racist, and beaten back a manufactured controversy over a video of her dancing while in university.

The NRA donated more than $30m (21.4m) to Mr Trumps presidential campaign, meaning he received the most gun lobby funding of any presidential candidate.
In the 100 miles or so of border land separating the US and Mexico in Hudspeth County, Texas, sheriff Arvin West says maybe half of it could do with the border wall that Donald Trump has threatened the American constitution to build.

The desert county occupies an area in the western portion of the Lone Star State the size of Qatar, and is defined on the south by the winding Rio Grande that cuts in part through desert mountains and jagged cliffs surrounded by miles of desolation.

West knows that immigrants sometimes try to illegally cross through those treacherous areas  his deputies found eight or nine bodies just last year. Even so, he says that a border wall would have little impact. Theres a natural barrier thats all but impassable.

But its not as though he and other border sheriffs dont think physical barriers could help elsewhere. The problem is that Washington politicians have been proposing solutions for years that ignore the perspective from the ground, and how concerns on one part of the border might differ from those in a portion thousands of miles away.

Theyre not listening to us. They havent asked us to begin with, says West, a Democrat who has been in law enforcement since 1983 and a sheriff in Hudspeth since 2000. He says one thing he would like to see more of is manpower and resources in his county. Ive been to Washington 20-something times. I started going when Bush was in office and theyre just not listening.

He believes both Democrats and Republicans share the blame. It doesnt make a shit of difference who is in office, he says. Theyre not going to listen to us. They dont care to listen to us.

Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Show all 20 1 /20 Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The prototypes for President Trumps border wall are being demolished. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The US Customs and Border protection had built the eight 30-foot tall steel and concrete models near San Diego on the US-Mexico border. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office found that the construction challenges presented by the four concrete models would be extensive and those presented by two of the other models would be substantial. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California It was intended that Mr Trump would choose his favourite of the designs after testing had been completed. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The President is yet to comment. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Each prototype cost $300,000 to $500,000 to build and they are being knocked down in order to make way for the San Diego Secondary Wall project which will see up to 14 miles of barrier being built to support the existing steel border fence. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new barrier will not employ the design of any of the prototypes, instead being built of the favoured steel bollards which make up the current section of the wall at San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new secondary barrier being built near San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The rubble of one of the demolished prototypes. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A digger approaches the prototype wall AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Aerial view of the wall prototypes at the US-Mexico border after they were torn down AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California An aerial view showing Tijuana, Mexico on the left and the demolished wall prototypes on the right AFP/Getty

Since 1994, barriers and fencing have been built along nearly 700 of the 1,933-mile border the United States shares with Mexico.

The effort has spanned Democratic and Republican administrations, with the modern portions having been built following the 2006 passage of the Secure Fence Act during the administration of George W Bush that extended into the administration of Barack Obama.

Much of the fencing and walls that have been built run along the Arizona, California and New Mexico borders. The largest remaining part of the US-Mexico border that remains without walls lies in Texas.

But, as Washington has considered building the presidents promised border wall  first in congress, and now through a presidential emergency declaration that has been met with considerable opposition  several border sheriffs tasked with keeping their counties safe in Texas told The Independent that they feel they have been given little say in the matter.

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Val Verde county sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, who oversees a county that shares roughly 110 miles of border, says that he sees a manpower and technological deficit. Much of his county is rural, he says, which makes it cost prohibitive and difficult to build a wall or patrol regularly. Theres a wall along 1.8 miles of border that cuts through a residential area, and it helps, he says. But, in other portions, a natural canyon is all you need to keep someone from simply prancing across the border.

I think that before people start, before money gets thrown at the border issue or the border crisis, I think that there has to be an evaluation done as to what is needed and where. And then take steps to implement the need, Martinez says.

He continues: The border sheriffs would like a seat at the table.

In justifying the wall and fencing he wants to build, Trump has pointed to what he has described as a crisis along the US-Mexico border. And there is something brewing south of the border: The most recent statistics available from US Customs and Border Protection show that illegal crossing at the border spiked dramatically last month compared with the same period in 2018.

All told, more than 76,000 migrants crossed into the US last month, with 87 per cent of those coming in between points of entry. At that same time, the number of large groups  100 or more people  arriving at border patrol outposts in the middle of the desert also jumped, with 70 such groups coming across last month compared with just two during the same period two years ago.

But the presidents approach to fixing the problem has been met with considerable criticism, and concern that he is subverting the constitutional authority of congress to spend money after the group explicitly left out border wall funding in recent budget appropriations.

That concern has led four or more Republican senators to say they might vote in favour of a resolution to terminate the emergency declaration  a vote that would likely force Trumps first veto of his presidency. It appears unlikely the veto would be overruled.

Recommended Trump is trying to seize private land for his border wall

But even former border patrol officials have expressed concerns with the specific plan as well. Gil Kerlikowske, a former commissioner for US Customs and Border Protection, said that building a wall along the entire US border, as the president has championed in his rhetoric previously, would be unnecessary.

The Rio Grande is a river, and depending on the time of year it can be ankle deep or it can be raging. It changes direction. Theres agricultural property on both sides of the river. And so some type of fencing or wall there would be incredibly difficult to build and how far away form the border do you build it if you can? Kelikowske says of the challenges and natural barriers. Then you have to take a lot of property.

Maverick County sheriff Tom Schmerber says that his vision for ramped up border security does not include a wall.

His county has a natural barrier  the river  and he says it is pretty effective. Instead, he would like to see a 21st-century response to the concerns the president has outlined, including technology to monitor the border and increased cooperation with partners on the Mexican side.

A wall is a piece of technology that Mr Schmerber says is outdated, if not an archaic tool.

The drugs are coming in by the air, theyre actually coming in through the ports. Its not the river like theyre saying, he says. Walls to me are not effective. Walls dont talk. Another thing too is that the land owners would lose their properties in some areas because the wall would need to be on high ground.

Anybody can cross a wall. They can dig a tunnel. Or they can go over, he continues. If people want to cross it, theyre going to cross it.
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Severe turbulence left 30 people injured and many passengers fearing for their lives on a flight from Istanbul to New York.

Dozens of ambulances were called to New Yorks John F Kennedy international airport after those on board the Turkish Airlines flight were tossed around the plane cabin during the unanticipated episode around 45 minutes before landing.

Injuries included a broken leg, and cuts and bruises, with one passenger reporting blood smeared on the overhead luggage compartment.

Passengers said the turbulence was not announced and some people were not wearing their seatbelts at the time.

We were fearing for our lives, said Derya van Helden, who travelled on the flight on Saturday.

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Even when we had the seatbelts fastened, everyone was screaming for their lives, she added.

Steve Coleman, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said a flight attendant had broken her leg during the turbulence.

Passenger Sead Nikaj told ABC News: Nobody announced it or anything like that so we figured out something was wrong.

Then I see people start flying on the plane. Then seeing blood all over. I had one of the ladies next to me, she really fell down from her seat on the floor and all her back was completely bloody, while someone that was working in the aeroplane, she cracked her leg I think completely.

Another passenger, Amir Mehrbakhsh, said some people hit their heads on the ceiling after they were lifted from their seats by a sudden drop caused by the turbulence.

He said he saw one man frantically screaming: I think he was like doing a religious chant. I kept hearing him say Jesus, like he was visibly distraught.

Turkish Airlines confirmed the turbulence in a statement released early on Sunday, saying it was deeply saddened by this unfortunate experience, and [will] closely monitor the health status of injured passengers, and is making resources available to them.

The airline said there were 326 passengers and 18 crew members on the flight.

Agencies contributed to this report
Donald Trump plans on asking congress for $8.6bn (6.6bn) to build a wall on the US southern border in 2020, a figure that far surpasses previous allocations for the project, according to reports.

The presidents new demand is six times what was allocated earlier this year for the wall, and six per cent more than what he has sought to reallocate with his emergency declaration.

The request is unlikely to gain much traction with Democrats in control of the House of Representatives, however, who successfully thwarted his request for $5.6bn in border funding earlier this year.

But the proposal could potentially set the stage for the presidents re-election bid, even after a damaging start of the year that saw few concessions on the issue and Mr Trump taking blame for the longest government shutdown in American history.

It gives the president the ability to say he has fulfilled his commitment to gain operational control of the southwest border, one administration official told Reuters.

Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Show all 20 1 /20 Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The prototypes for President Trumps border wall are being demolished. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The US Customs and Border protection had built the eight 30-foot tall steel and concrete models near San Diego on the US-Mexico border. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office found that the construction challenges presented by the four concrete models would be extensive and those presented by two of the other models would be substantial. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California It was intended that Mr Trump would choose his favourite of the designs after testing had been completed. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The President is yet to comment. AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Each prototype cost $300,000 to $500,000 to build and they are being knocked down in order to make way for the San Diego Secondary Wall project which will see up to 14 miles of barrier being built to support the existing steel border fence. AP Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new barrier will not employ the design of any of the prototypes, instead being built of the favoured steel bollards which make up the current section of the wall at San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The new secondary barrier being built near San Diego. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California The rubble of one of the demolished prototypes. Reuters Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A wall prototype made from a mix of steel and concrete AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A steel wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A concrete wall prototype AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California A digger approaches the prototype wall AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California Aerial view of the wall prototypes at the US-Mexico border after they were torn down AFP/Getty Trump prototypes for Mexico border wall demolished in California An aerial view showing Tijuana, Mexico on the left and the demolished wall prototypes on the right AFP/Getty

Another administration official told the news agency: We have provided the course of action, the strategy and the request to finish the job. Its a question of, will congress allow us to finish the job.

The presidents current attempt to secure funding for the wall through an emergency declaration is being challenged in congress and US courts, with a resolution terminating the declaration currently being considered in the Senate.

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The measure appears to have received enough support from Republicans in the Senate to pass, a scenario that would force Mr Trump to sign the first veto of his presidency.

It is unlikely that a veto on the measure would be overruled in congress.

Mr Trump has made building a border wall a central promise of his presidency, having launched his 2016 election campaign with a pledge to secure Americas southern border.

Since becoming president, Mr Trump has pursued so-called America First policies, including the building of the wall.

The US has 1,933 miles of border with Mexico, and some 700 miles of wall or fencing have already been constructed through previous allocations from congress, starting during the administration of Bill Clinton. The largest of those allocations occurred during the administration of George W Bush in 2006, with construction extending from then into Barack Obamas presidency.
Joe Biden has won the 2020 US election, but Donald Trump is determined to stay in power.

Mr Trump falsely declared victory on the night of the election and vowed to go to the Supreme Court to stop vote counting - confirming some Americans worst fears that he would undermine the democratic process.

Now that Mr Biden has won the US election, what happens if the president refuses to leave the White House?

This isnt the first time the question has become one of national importance: Each time the president has suggested he will only accept the results of an election if they were in his favour, media outlets have explored the constitutional limits he would face in disputing his dismissal from the Oval Office.

Mr Biden has prepared his own army of attorneys and constitutional law experts to counter the president's legal challenges on everything from expanded mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic to alleged instances of voter fraud, which Mr Trump has claimed without evidence.

Mr Biden has insisted federal officials will escort [Mr Trump] from the White House with great dispatch if he loses the election.

Follow live: Latest Trump news and updates

The Democrat took the lead over Mr Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Nevada on 7 Nov., winning the White House.

According to the Associated Presss latest count, Mr Biden won 290 electoral votes, defeating Mr Trump, who won 214.

Whats perhaps most concerning about the president refusing to concede is how the country lacks precedent for dealing with such a scenario.

The peaceful transition of power is a bedrock of American society, and in past examples of contentious elections, resolutions had been made long before any refusal to concede.

In the past, when the presidency was in any way contested, cooler heads have prevailed in the interest of the peaceful transfer of power.

Two people embrace in Atlanta, Georgia (REUTERS)

Richard Nixon conceded to John F Kennedy in 1960 amid several accusations of vote rigging for the Democrat, for instance. Vice president Al Gore accepted the Supreme Courts ruling that George Bush had won the 2000 presidential election even though there were significant questions about the integrity of the results in Florida.

Paul Quirk, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, previously told The Independent it would put law enforcement in an awkward position.

At some point, the question would become: whose orders do law enforcement obey? Because it would ultimately become a matter of the use of force in one direction or another.

The US constitution makes no mention of how a president should be removed if they lose an election and refuse to hand over power to their opponent. So, it is hard to say if anyone would have the appetite to send the FBI, or navy seals, or whatever law enforcement agency, storming into the West Wing to arrest a recently defeated Donald Trump.

Read more: How many US presidents have lost out on a second term?

Joshua Sandman, a professor of political science at the University of New Haven, said he did not think Mr Trump would ever refuse to leave office after an election because it would destroy the presidents legacy.

Still, he suggested intense congressional and political pressure would force Mr Trump out of office quickly.

The first line of defence would be the congress, and his party pressuring him out, telling him he must resign or leave, Mr Sandman says. If he wants to stay in the White House, he would stay in the White House. But, again, hypothetically you dont need that. The White House is symbolic. Its not a seat of power, necessarily.

He adds: All of these are, its sort of a work of science fiction. Its all hypothetical.

In an interview with The Independent in 2019, Ross Baker, an American political expert at Rutgers University in New Jersey, made a chilling prediction of what would happen if Mr Trump lost re-election by a very narrow margin.

He imagined a scenario where the popular vote was won by less than 1 per cent nationwide, and where there was a near tie in the electoral college. On 4 November 2020, America could wake up to tweets from the president calling the previous days results a fraud, and saying there is no way he did not win by huge margins. Meanwhile, Fox News would be welcoming pundit after pundit toeing that presidential line.

Should that happen, Mr Baker said he imagined a scenario in which the House of Representatives got to decide the electoral college based upon each states delegation

It would certainly be a constitutional crisis to the first magnitude, Mr Baker he said.

The margins by which Mr Biden defeated Mr Trump appear wide enough to prevent Mr Bakers nightmare scenario.
In private discussions with his aides, President Donald Trump has devised an eye-popping formula to address one of his long-standing complaints: that allies hosting US forces dont pay Washington enough money.

Under the formula, countries would pay the full cost of stationing American troops on their territory, plus 50 percent more, said US and foreign officials familiar with the idea, which could have allies contributing five times what they provide.

Trump calls the formula cost plus 50, and it has struck fear in the hearts of US allies who view it as extortionate.

Rumours that the formula could become a global standard have especially rattled Germany, Japan and South Korea, which host thousands of forces, and US officials have mentioned the demand to at least one country in a formal negotiation setting, said people familiar with the matter.

National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said the Trump administration is committed to getting the best deal for the American people but would not comment on any ongoing deliberations regarding specific ideas.

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

Trump has long complained that US and NATO allies freeload on US military protection, but the cost plus 50 formula has only gained traction in recent months, said current and former US officials, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

It is not a formal proposal or policy but serves as a kind of maximum billing option designed in part to draw attention to an issue that speaks to Trumps demand that allies shoulder more of the burden of their own defence, a senior administration official said.

One of the first US allies to confront the Trump administrations hardball tactics was South Korea, which last month agreed to pay $925 million for hosting 28,500 American troops. That was an 8.2 percent increase from the previous years payment and about half the total costs.

South Korean officials preferred a five-year agreement, but the deal covers only one, meaning they could face pressure to meet Trumps cost plus 50 demand next year.

A US military official said US Forces Korea had been sweating the signing of a new agreement for months.

There are numerous burden-sharing ideas floating around, and Trump has not settled on any one, officials said.

-  -

Although it may be a red herring, the phrase cost plus 50 has appeared on informal lists of options, one official said. But it is not clear what Trump advisers mean by cost, whether its the entire budget to run a base and pay US armed forces or some part of that.

US allies hosting permanent American military installations pay for a portion of costs in various ways.

Japan and South Korea make cash contributions, while Germany supports the US troop presence through in-kind contributions such as land, infrastructure and construction, in addition to foregone customs duties and taxes.

Trump has called that in-kind contribution insufficient, a senior US diplomat said.

For decades, leading foreign policy figures in both parties have urged US allies to take on greater responsibility for their security, but even staunch advocates of burden-sharing have questioned Trumps approach.

Trump is correct in wanting US allies to bear more responsibility for collective defence, but demanding protection money from them is the wrong way to do it, said Stephen Walt, a scholar of international relations at Harvard University. Our armed forces are not mercenaries, and we shouldnt send US troops into harms way just because another country is paying us.

The cost plus 50 idea would probably not be presented as a blanket demand to all allies, even if Trump ended up signing off on it, several people familiar with elements of the discussion said.

Many of his top aides oppose the formula and have succeeded in the past in bringing him down from the maximalist approach, the people said.

The existence of Trumps formula was first reported by Bloomberg News.

Critics of US bases around the world say the bases are costly, stoke tensions with adversaries and have unintended consequences. The Pentagon counters that its 54,000 troops in Japan and presence in South Korea allow it to project power and deter North Korea and China.

In Germany, where the Pentagon has more than 33,000 troops, the US Army announced last year that it could add 1,500 more by 2020 in a display of our continued commitment to NATO and our collective resolve to support European security.

-  -

Trumps idea has been rumoured in European capitals for months, though senior European diplomats said they knew of no formal presentations or threat from the White House.

Such a proposal appears aimed principally at Germany, the subject of frequent Trump complaints about NATO defence spending and what he says is an unfair German reliance on American forces for its defence.

 Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort sentenced to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort sentenced to nearly four years in prison for tax and bank fraud

Trump does not accept the argument that US forces in Germany are a strategic asset for the United States and maybe an overall cost savings because they help facilitate US military actions in the Middle East and Africa as well as across the European continent, former US officials said.

That disconnect predates the discussion of billing Germany for the cost of basing forces there, and some former advisers had hoped they could steer Trump towards a wider view of what the United States gains from the arrangement.

American lives that might have otherwise been lost on the battlefields of Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, for example, are often saved at Landstuhl military hospital in Germany.

When he says, thirty thousand American forces are there protecting Germany, that is a completely inaccurate explanation of what American forces in Germany are there for, retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges III, said in an interview in the fall as Trumps rhetoric on the issue heated up.

Criminals who worked for Trump Show all 5 1 /5 Criminals who worked for Trump Criminals who worked for Trump Michael Cohen Former lawyer for Donald Trump was sentenced to three years in prison on counts involving evading income tax, false disclosure of the hush money paid to Stormy Daniels and another hush money charge Getty Criminals who worked for Trump Paul Manafort Former campaign manager for Trump Manafort was found guilty in February 2018 of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. The crimes occurred prior to his appointment in Trump's campaign Getty Criminals who worked for Trump George Papadopoulos Former Trump campaign adviser Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in October 2017. He had lied about making contact with a professor who claimed that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail Getty Criminals who worked for Trump Michael Flynn Former White House National Security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December 2017. He had lied about conversations that he had with the Russian ambassador to the US during Trump's Presidential campaign. He was not given prison time due to his "significant assistance" to the Mueller investigation Getty Criminals who worked for Trump Rick Gates Deputy chairman of Trump's presidential campaign Gates pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in February 2018 AFP/Getty

Hodges was addressing the presidents complaints about the number of US forces in Germany  more than 30,000  and threats to downsize or relocate forces, not the specific idea of billing Germany.

The benefit to the United States cant be measured in the transactional ways Trump frames it, said Hodges, who served as commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe. Like with our base in Ramstein, this is a platform for power projections in the Middle East, Africa, Russia.

Emma Ashford, a scholar at the libertarian Cato Institute, agrees with Trump that the US military is overextended but said his latest gambit is the wrong tactic.

The solution to Americas unbalanced commitment to rich allies is to gradually shift the burden to them and remove the troops, she said. Not to keep American troops there and charge for them like theyre mercenaries.

The discussion comes as allies prepare for the annual summer summit, where Trump has twice berated German chancellor Angela Merkel over her countrys defence contributions.

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Trump routinely misstates the NATO funding arrangement and defence spending targets, but Germany acknowledges that it has not met the threshold goal of spending two percent of gross domestic product on defence.

Trump could undermine the effort to increase European NATO defence spending if he starts demanding bilateral payments, said Jeffrey Rathke, president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

The United States, including under the Trump administration, has had a lot of success in persuading Germany and other NATO allies that they need to contribute more to their own defence, Rathke said.

That is possible because the spending is directed at a common NATO objective, and that is collective defence, which is more politically palatable in Western Europe.

The Washington Post
For months, Zhao Faqi was a folk hero for entrepreneurs in China  an investor who fought the government in court and online, and against the odds, seemed poised to win.

He accused officials of stealing his rights to coal-rich land, and ignited a furore by accusing Chinas most powerful judge of corruption.

Now, Zhao has dropped out of sight  and authorities want to erase his story.

For much of the winter, Zhaos case was the subject of avid discussion on Chinese social media, and his supporters saw it as a test of whether the president and Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, would support the troubled private sector against grasping officials.

Now, as the Communist Party-controlled legislature gathers for its annual meeting in Beijing, it seems authorities have decided that investors like Zhao spell trouble.

Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Fireworks explode over ice sculptures on the opening day of the annual Harbin Festival EPA Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival Reuters Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors look at ice sculptures lit by night during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China's northeast Heilongjiang province AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures A "cityscape" view of Harbin Reuters Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures The palace at Harbin EPA Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Workers carve snow sculptures during the Harbin Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures lit by night during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures A "cityscape" view of Harbin AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Fireworks explode over ice sculptures on the opening day of the annual Harbin Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures lit by night during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures The main gate to Harbin AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures A wall in Harbin EPA Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Swimmers prepare to dive into a swimming pool carved from ice AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures lit by night during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Workers build up Harbin Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Workers build up Harbin Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures An ice sculpture at Harbin AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors ride on the ice in front of a snow sculpture in Harbin AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures A wide view of Harbin AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures A pig sculpture to celebrate the Year of the Pig at Harbin AFP/Getty Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures Visitors walk among ice sculptures lit by night during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival EPA Incredible town made of ice in China for Winter festival: in pictures A wide view of Harbin at night AFP/Getty

The state news media has painted him as a cunning schemer. A judge who supported his case was paraded on television. A crusading former talk show host who helped bring the case to light has fallen silent.

Zhaos arc from self-declared victim to officially designated villain has been dramatic even for China, where the party controls the courts and businesspeople can abruptly fall from grace.

Zhaos descent  and possible disappearance  is a demonstration of the hazards that entrepreneurs face in taking on powerful Chinese officials.

Ive faced a lot of risks and pressure because of this lawsuit, Zhao said in an interview in Beijing a few weeks before he disappeared.

Chinese entrepreneurs, he said, yearned for the rule of law to replace arbitrary power. You cant say someone is protected one day, and take away protection the next day.

Zhao drew support from liberal economists and lawyers who have been unsettled by Xis reverence for communist tradition and support for state-owned companies, which he has urged to grow stronger, better and bigger.

The gloom prompted Xi to publicly reassure the private sector at least three times in a month that the leadership remained committed to its success. In early November, he also took the rare step of admitting that the government had gone too far.

It should be acknowledged that the private sector is experiencing difficulties that are real, and even quite severe, Xi said at a meeting with more than 50 selected businesspeople. Private businesses and businesspeople are one of us.

Such reassurances may now mean little to Zhao.

A former soldier, Zhao went into business after quitting his job for a supplies company in 1991. He made his fortune as a construction contractor and later ploughed his earnings into the mining investment.

Zhao, 52, was among the entrepreneurs who plunged into business after Deng Xiaoping, then Chinas paramount leader, unleashed market overhauls.

 China cuts BBC TV feed during discussion of Muslim detention camps

At the time, Zhao said, entrepreneurs were like famished goats set free from a pen and allowed to flourish. But were seeing this vitality steadily shrink, he said.

Since 2005, he has been fighting for the right to explore more than 100 square miles of sandy, scrub-covered land on the fringe of Yulin, a coal-rich city in Shaanxi province.

After initial surveys indicated the land was abundant in coal, the mining institute that had sold an 80 percent share of exploration rights to Zhaos company cancelled the contract, citing government orders.

Zhao waged a legal fight that took him all the way to Chinas top court, the Supreme Peoples Court.

His chances of victory seemed slim. In China, judges answer to the party. While courts have greater autonomy than before in business disputes, they often rule in favour of officials and their allies.

Still, in late 2017, the Supreme Peoples Court ruled that Zhaos contract was valid.

But officials made no effort to enforce the ruling.

Then, late last year, something unusual happened.

Cui Yongyuan, a former Chinese television talk show host with a massive internet following, took up Zhaos cause, fuelling an uproar in the Chinese news media, which was largely sympathetic.

Cui said that files from the case had vanished from the Supreme Peoples Court. He also revealed that a disgruntled judge on the court, Wang Linqing, claimed that Chinas top judge, Zhou Qiang, tried to ensure that judges did not rule in Zhaos favour.

Cui shared excerpts from interviews with Wang on Sina Weibo, a social media service where he has nearly 20 million followers. The judge anxiously described how files from Zhaos case had vanished from his office.

This is something that I never imagined would happen, Wang said in one of the excerpts.

When the Supreme Peoples Court acknowledged a problem and party investigators opened a high-level inquiry, Zhao was cautiously hopeful.

Its progress towards the rule of law, Zhao said in an interview at the time. But the outcome is unclear.

Zhao was right to be cautious. Earlier this month, the government released the findings from the investigation, and they were damning for him and his supporters.

 China on the arrest of Huawei employee in Poland

The investigators said Wang himself had spirited away the missing case files. A report aired on official Chinese television showed him confessing that he had nursed grudges against more senior judges and tried to take revenge by stealing the files to create an embarrassing scandal.

I offer my heartfelt apologies to the many internet users who followed the case, Wang said. My behaviour amounted to swindling their well-meaning hearts.

Supporters said they were worried that Zhao and Wangs real offence was rocking the political boat.

They were especially shocked that Wang was shown on television avowing himself guilty of breaking the law even before a formal investigation by police, joining the ranks of dissidents and rights lawyers who have been forced to record scripted confessions while in detention.

The official reports are full of problems, and the biggest one is how Judge Wang Linqing was made to confess on television, said Sheng Hong, executive director of the Unirule Institute of Economics, a think tank in Beijing that backs market liberalisation and previously held a forum about Zhaos case.

Since the findings were released, Zhaos phone has been turned off, and he appears to have gone into hiding or official custody. Wang faces a criminal investigation and a likely prison sentence.

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The supreme court, Ministry of Public Security and other government offices did not answer questions about whether Zhao was detained, and his family could not be reached.

Zhou Qiang, the top judge Zhao accused of corruption, has attended the legislative meeting in Beijing, apparently unshaken by the accusations.

Still, Chinese lawyers have said online that the findings in the official report defied logic. Was it believable, they asked, that Wang turned on his superiors because he did not want to do overtime one night, as the report had claimed?

It also failed to address in detail Wangs claims of being repeatedly intimidated by senior judges, critics said online.

From the viewpoint of common sense, many things about this are just hard to swallow, said Liu Xiaoyuan, a human rights lawyer. But its also shocking to think that a high-level investigation like this would just make all this up.

New York Times
A week after tensions over Kashmir led nuclear-armed India and Pakistan close to the brink of war, the regions former chief minister has urged the world not to look away even if the immediate threat of conflict dies down.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Independent, Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti said Kashmir would continue to suffer cycles of violence until India and Pakistan could be persuaded to improve ties and overcome their differences.

The situation here in Kashmir has improved since a nadir last week when an Indian fighter pilot was shot down over the Pakistan-administered region, but tensions remain high with Pakistans airspace closed to most commercial flights.

The dramatic escalation since the Pulwama bombing on 14 February, Ms Mufti said, was bound to happen when all sides take it for granted when there is a little surface calm that everything is fine.

For the last 10 to 15 years we have seen brief periods of peace, and then something happening each time, she said. Unfortunately, it is the people of Kashmir who get caught in the middle.

The international community talks about Kashmir only when there is tension between India and Pakistan. The rest of the time they forget about it.

Ms Mufti was the last elected leader of the state government of Jammu and Kashmir, which includes Indian-administered Kashmir, until her coalition with Narendra Modis BJP fell apart in June last year.

Since then, the state has been led through unelected governors rule, and Mr Modis iron-fisted approach to the regions separatist insurgency has seen scores of militants killed but also scenes of violent protest from civilians.

Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Glass shattered in the explosion litters the floor around the bus in Jammu, India AFP/Getty Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Policemen inspect the bus that was subject of a grenade attack in Jammu, India AFP/Getty Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures A sniffer dog and policemen inspect the site of a grenade attack in Jammu, India AP Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Policemen and onlookers stand at the site of a grenade blast in Jammu, India Reuters Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures People injured in a grenade attack are treated at the government medical hospital in Jammu, India AP Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Policemen inspect the site of a grenade attack in Jammu, India AP Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures A person injured in a grenade attack is carried for treatment to a government medical hospital in Jammu, India AP Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures People injured in a grenade blast are taken to the hospital for treatment in Jammu, India Reuters Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures Policemen inspect the bus that was subject of a grenade attack in Jammu, India AFP/Getty Grenade attack injures at least 18 in Kashmir: in pictures AFP/Getty

Ms Mufti will be seeking election again when the state goes to the polls soon, possibly as early as April and May when a general election is also due to be held.

Her PDP is one of the major mainstream pro-India parties in the state. It advocates for a future in which a united Kashmir has its own free trade area and elected officials, but where its two halves remain under the respective sovereignties of India and Pakistan.

It is a proposal that needs good relations between India and Pakistan to work and  as Ms Mufti points out  a move in the opposite direction could have devastating consequences for both Kashmir and the world.

I dont think a confrontation between the two countries is going to be beneficial for anyone, and it is certainly going to be worse for the people of our state, she said. Because we are the ones who get sandwiched between the two sides.

Since the Pulwama bombing, the Indian government has launched a new crackdown on even moderate separatist leaders, reacting in part to calls for action and revenge from the broader Indian public.

In the past week, the Indian government has repeatedly stated that Kashmir is an inalienable part of the nation and that anyone attempting to undermine that  whether it be Pakistan or Kashmiri-based groups  is a threat.

The crackdown has included the banning of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), which runs a number of schools across Kashmir, and the detention of high-ranking officials from the Hurriyat Conference, a separatist political alliance which advocates non-violence.

Speaking to The Independent in his home less than 24 hours after his house arrest was lifted, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he feared Kashmir was at a crossroads as increasingly authoritarian police measures drove people to ever more desperate measures.

It is only when two countries are at war that people pay any notice, he said. But we have been in a warlike situation for 30 years.

Mr Farooq said his and other political groups that believe in striving peacefully for the creation of an independent Kashmir were being squeezed hard by the security forces.

We are not being allowed to hold rallies, or even meet. The fate of Kashmir is up for dispute  thats just a reality. But youre not even allowed to talk about this.

Incidents like the Pulwama bombing, and the subsequent crisis with Pakistan, are what happen as a result, Mr Farooq said. Hurriyat used to go to rural areas to tell people we have to keep to peaceful acts. If we are not able to do that, then what do you get?

No one could have imagined a Kashmiri boy becoming a suicide bomber. It shows that the meaning of resistance is starting to change.

Tanvir Sadiq, a senior politician with the National Conference, Kashmirs largest and oldest opposition party, agreed that Pulwama seems to be a turning point in the regions complicated history  and hopefully a wake-up call to the world.

 Military convoy in the streets of Srinagar, Kashmir

Things went beyond control so quickly, it was evident things might get out of hand. Rumours went into overdrive, about the movement of top generals, special hospital orders, food supply shortages  people were really scared on the streets.

Everyone was talking about the prospect of imminent war. And in any hostile situation, it is the Kashmiris who suffer.

Mr Sadiq, who also serves as political adviser to the former chief minister Omar Abdullah, said international pressures could only help get India and Pakistan to talk.

But he said the process of reconciliation must include disaffected young Kashmiri men as well as the local political parties that have been shut out by governors rule.

Pakistan has always fished in troubled waters, he said. Right now what we need is a semblance of normality, and we need elections as soon as possible.
In the mid-1980s, after 10 years of medical practice, the Russian satirist Andrei Bilzho switched the white coats of psychiatry for what would turn out to be a highly successful career in political caricature.

Over the proceeding years, as Russia frayed amid massive geopolitical upheaval, Bilzhos acerbic cartoons would draw heavily on insights from his first profession. But it is in recent years, he says, that his psychiatric toolkit has proven to be the most prescient.

Like the emperor with no clothes, Putin believes what people in his close entourage tell him Andrei Bilzho

Put simply, Franz Kafka would have trouble waking up in Russia today, he says.

Within the next week, Russian authorities seem set to pass a controversial new law introducing large fines and jail terms for insulting the state and its officials online. The latest in a series of legislative initiatives severely limiting online freedoms, the bill is likely to receive Vladimir Putins signature shortly after the Federation Council sits on 13 March. At that point, it will become a very risky thing to write naughty posts about the president.

For Bilzho, the new law represents not only an affront to free speech, but the psychological regression of a government shut off from reality. Like the emperor with no clothes, he says, President Putin has come to believe what people in his close entourage tell him. But the intriguing thing was what happens next: Today youre talking about a law which says there can be no criticism of those in power. Tomorrow youll make praising them obligatory.

While the bill appears to have the implicit approval from the Kremlin and security services  this is clear from the uber-loyal deputies who presented it  some government agencies have expressed misgivings at the vague wording. The usually loyalist State Communications Watchdog, for example, warned against unreasonable restrictions of constitutional rights to free speech. Mikhail Fedotov, head of the presidents own human rights council, said the bills subjectivity was a marker of its arbitrariness. Some, of course, believe this vagueness is intentional and will be used to put pressure on opponents of the regime.

But as with many of Russias more draconian laws, the restrictions will likely only ever be applied selectively.

The big cities like Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg may continue to provide spaces for relatively free expression, agrees Bilzho. In small towns, the situation will likely be much worse.

Just imagine youre a kid in town N, where you know the mayor or governor is lying and stealing, but the school and authorities are on the contrary telling you to praise him, he says. Thats the point when the absurdity is no longer kind of funny. It warps the psychology of a whole generation. Thats what makes it so terrible.

The law would also have an immediate, chilling effect on anyone working in satire, says Bilzho. He did not consider himself immune. The trial of theatre director Kirill Serebrennikov, under house arrest since August 2017, showed that being famous is no protection, he says. Perhaps two-thirds of the work he published in the 1990s would no longer be publishable today, he adds.

But satire, says Bilzho, is rarely dead. If Soviet experience was anything to go by, the clampdown could end up a gift for the genre.

Perhaps now is the time to take the absurdity of the law and run with it, he says. Maybe from now on you need to be saying the authorities are oh so very honest, oh so worrying about the people, oh so not syphoning off profits from natural resources, and building huge palaces on the Black Sea for the people to enjoy. The nation will see the untruth for what it is.

Already, the controversial law has given rise to a new line in memes and jokes. One suggested the initiative to ban offending the government made perfect sense.

You should never speak ill of those who are already gone, it quipped.
The head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with a pope for the first time on Saturday, an event that reportedly followed decades of behind-the-scenes relationship building between denominations whose leaders share a concern over secularism.

Pope Francis and President Russell. M Nelson  both men who hold offices of profound spiritual significance for their faiths  met for 33 minutes at the Vatican to discuss the shared priorities of protecting religious rights, traditional family values and young people and opposing secularism, according to the Mormon Church-affiliated Deseret News.

The visit comes a day before Nelson was to dedicate the first Mormon temple in Rome.

There are about 16 million Mormons in the world, compared with more than 1.1 billion Catholics.

However, in a chaotic era when many people are leaving organised religion, leaders of the two denominations share goals, including responding together to disasters and poverty and promoting traditional families and involvement with Christian institutions.

Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images

We talked about our mutual concern for the people who suffer throughout the world and want to relieve human suffering, Mr Nelson told his churchs news website.

We talked about the importance of religious liberty, the importance of the family, our mutual concern for the youth of the Church, for the secularisation of the world and the need for people to come to God and worship Him, pray to Him and have the stability that faith in Jesus Christ will bring in their lives.

The two groups work together on relief efforts in 43 countries.

What a sweet, wonderful man he is, Mr Nelson said of Francis, the Mormon Church news site reported. And how fortunate the Catholic people are to have such a gracious, concerned, loving and capable leader.

The Vatican put out no detailed statement about the meeting Saturday, except to include it on the list of people and groups who had audiences with the Pope that day.

The meeting and the existence of the new temple are especially significant for Mormons, said Kathleen Flake, a historian of American religion and an expert on the Latter-day Saints.

The church teaches that it isnt just generically Christian but is the authentic restoration of Jesuss church.

Establishing the temple in Rome, a centre of global Christianity, and the meeting with the pope give credibility to the Mormon Church as fully Christian, Ms Flake said. Thats important for a group still fighting for acceptance.

In the United States, for example, 97 percent of Mormons consider themselves Christian, compared with just more than half of US adults who recognise Mormonism as a Christian faith, according to a 2016 analysis by the Pew Research Centre.

Asked to volunteer one word that best describes the group, Pew found, the most commonly offered response by non-Mormons was cult.

Ms Flake said it was significant that the visitors centre of the new temple in Rome features a dramatic Christus sculpture along with sculptures of the 12 apostles.

Theres a resonance there. Its a claim...to replicate those statutes, in that place, theres nothing else it can be. Its symbolically an assertion of their claim to be the restored Church of Jesus Christ with its apostolic authority, she said.

Mr Nelson and Pope Francis, she said, are unique. Are there any other men but those two who believe they stand in the shoes of St. Peter?

According to the Deseret News, Francis gave Nelson two gifts: some of his writings on the family and on the Islamic faith.

Nelson gave the pope a Christus statue  an image common in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  and a copy of a core 1995 church document on the family.

Other high-ranking Mormon Church leaders have met with top Catholic leaders in the past, including Henry B Eyring, whose title was the first counselor in the First Presidency. That happened in 2014 when he and Francis spoke at a Vatican conference about marriage, the Deseret News wrote Saturday.

The news site noted that a meeting between men in these positions would have been unimaginable to leaders and members in both churches until at least the 1960s, when followers officially were told to limit interactions with other faiths, including weddings and funerals.

But behind-the-scenes connections were happening, the Deseret News reported, and have intensified in the past decade.

The Mormon president, the news site reported, would go in the 1950s to Salt Lake Citys Holy Cross Hospital  which is Catholic-run  under the guise of visiting a Latter-day Saint patient, then slip into the office of Bishop Duane G Hunt.

They used their private sessions to talk about community issues and the tensions between their members in Utah, said Monsignor J Terrence Fitzgerald, a Salt Lake City priest interviewed by the site.

 Pope Pius XII addresses American troops at the Vatican in 1944 during World War II

The Catholics were trying to get the Latter-day Saints not to bad-mouth the Catholics at every conference, Mr Fitzgerald said. And the Latter-day Saints were trying to get the Catholics to put in a good word for them on the national level.

Interfaith relations opened significantly with the Second Vatican Council, a major meeting of the Catholic Church in the 1960s.

Both sides have become more open and, in the United States especially, have shared the cause of protecting traditional religious values in public life, such as government-affiliated faith groups choice not to offer health benefits to same-sex couples or to place foster or adopted children in their homes.

Leaders of both faith groups have warned about liberalising changes in sexuality, reproductive technology and gender norms and about a decrease in peoples firm belief in God.

Secularism is prevalent in many Western countries, and many people have lost their faith in Jesus Christ, Latter-day Saint presiding bishop Gerald Causse told the Deseret News. And to have all Christian faiths join together and defend our values is important.

In Utah, the two communities have developed strong relations in recent decades, the churchs news release said on Saturday.

Washington Post
US-backed Syrian forces have launched an assault on the final Isis enclave in eastern Syria, aiming to wipe out the last vestige of its caliphate that once spanned a third of Iraq and Syria.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been poised to advance into the enclave for weeks, but have held back to allow civilians, many of them wives and children of Islamic State fighters, to escape.

The Baghouz enclave is the last shred of populated land held by the jihadists, but the group is still widely seen as a big security threat elsewhere and able to launch guerrilla attacks.

Mustafa Bali, of the SDF, said no civilians had emerged from the enclave at the Iraqi border since Saturday and none had been seen in the area, prompting the decision to attack.

The military operations have started. Our forces are now clashing with the terrorists and the attack started, he said.

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

Mr Bali said more than 4,000 IS militants had surrendered in the past month, among the tens of thousands of people who have streamed out of Baghouz  a collection of hamlets surrounded by farmland on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

But its believed the most hardened foreign jihadists are still holed up inside, ready to fight to the end.

Recommended Dozens of children die fleeing Isis caliphate

Mr Bali tweeted that air strikes had targeted Islamic State weapons stores, and he said that direct and fierce clashes were under way.

Islamic State has been driven from the territory it once held in Syria and Iraq by an array of enemies, including forces backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey in addition to the United States.

It suffered major military defeats in 2017 with the loss of the Syrian city of Raqqa and Iraqs Mosul.

A former IS fighter who surrendered to the SDF two months ago said the group sent hundreds of men out of its diminishing territory to establish sleeper cells.

The SDF has steadily driven IS down the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, forcing its fighters and followers to fall back to Baghouz.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Q My parents have left a cruise in Malaysia after my father became ill with pneumonia. They have contacted the travel insurance company who have acknowledged they will pay for treatment and arrange repatriation. But they seem to be dragging their feet alarmingly, with multiple problems involving bureaucratic errors and issues about translating medical documents.

I have spent many hours on the phone hanging on to their so-called emergency service. Furthermore, they say that my fathers condition does not merit business-class travel back to the UK. My parents have said they will pay the difference from economy but it seems to be another complicating factor. What can I/they do to speed things up?

Name and address supplied
Elephants, one of the the most iconic of Africa's wildlife species, attract tourists by their thousands at the Queen Elizabeth National Park located in western region of the East African nation of Uganda. Residents in Kafuru, a small village near the eastern fringes of the park know this too.

MacLean Nagasha, a 17-year old student, says elephants are important because the government earns foreign exchange from the tourists. For her community, she says, the park provides firewood, thatching grass and timber.

However for other residents, like sixty year-old David Kwatampora, elephants represent anguish, pain and sorrow.

Kwatampora has been living here since 1972 and has witnessed the conflict between elephants and people for as long as he can remember.

He, like almost everybody here, practice small-scale farming, growing mostly cotton, maize, cassava and tomato

For years farmers in this region have suffered economic losses as their crops fail to make it to market after night raids by elephants and other wildlife such as buffalo.

(Marcus Westberg)

The animals attack us every day, says Jacob Baabo. Other residents such as Medias Kamarembo say that they can no longer rely on the the planned income from the sale of crops and have been forced to find other means of work.

Along the road between the park and the small farms are grass thatched huts used to keep watch over crops at night. It is said that in just one night of crop raiding, elephants can destroy whole farms, leaving the subsistence farmers desperate for food and money.

Fortunately, it appears, help has finally arrived for these residents.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has been constructing an electric fence between Kafuru village and the 1, 978 square kilometre Queen Elizabeth National Park since October 2018.

A seamless line of holes has been dug and round posts, each 3ft high, have been fixed with three lines of 2.55mm high tensile wires strung across the posts.

It is difficult to believe that this short and weak-looking fence can stop a buffalo, let alone an elephant.

Ibrahim Njenga, a Kenyan fence technician overseeing the work and also successfully worked on similar fences in Botswana, Gabon, and Kenya, says that the fence definitely works. He says fences are only needed in short stretches where human-elephant conflict is worst.

Our research shows that building electrified fences is the most effective way to succeed. We have worked out that a short-post fence with long electrified outriggers works best, says Njenga who has worked for the last eight years and his team of Ugandan fencers, mostly residents of Kafuru village.

Njenga further explains that the fences effectiveness in blocking elephants is built around outriggers that are wires that slant from the vertical posts at an angle of 45 degrees towards the direction the animal will most likely approach from.

He says when the system is switched on, electricity pulses of up to 9, 000 volts drawn from solar-powered energizers feed into the wires. Then, when the wires touch an elephant on the soft flesh of its chest or its trunk, the animal is shocked and forced to turn away before it can reach the posts to destroy the fence and the crops that lie beyond.

UWA officials say that while the fence is not constructed to prevent people from crossing, it will help to demarcate the parks boundary more clearly and assist park rangers in enforcing security to curb poaching and stop further stop the illegal harvesting of natural resources from the park.

Space for Giants, is building close to 10km's of this fence with each kilometre costing an astounding $6, 000. Edward Asalu, the Chief Warden of Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area says that UWAs plan is to erect an electric fence stretching over 100km and so far things are looking good.

A Ugandan supervisor of the fencing team also added that the electric fence has brought almost instant results saying the elephants had a particular course along which they would move and cross and destroy peoples farms but that has now stopped. A relief for residents here, who have experienced human-wildlife conflict for over 40 years.

The population of both elephants and human beings around the park has been increasing and that means that the human-wildlife conflict can only grow says Chief Warden Asalu. He says a recent airborne survey found close to 4, 000 elephants in the park.

All around the park, we have a hard time controlling elephants, he says, adding that UWA has in the past had even its own staff get killed during missions to scare away the elephants from the communities.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has also voiced his concern about the growing human-wildlife conflict around the country's conservation areas. Museveni is a founding member of the Giants Club, a conservation programme under Space for Giants that brings together political leaders, financiers, and scientists to endorse, fund, and implement elephant landscape protection projects. At a summit organised in Kenya in 2016, he called for a solution to the growing human-elephant conflict in Uganda.

Space for Giants' 10km electric fence is pegged to be completed by by the end of April. That is when its full effectiveness will be tested.

UWA has in the past come up with several interventions such as bee farming (bees irritate elephants) as well as digging trenches in the parks hotspots to try to stop elephants from going into the communities. All these have come with little success perhaps owing to the high intelligence of elephants.

We realised that these interventions were not adequate enough to handle this problem, Asalu says.

The fence must also be maintained where it is damaged, to keep it effective.

This article is reproduced here as part of the Giants Club African Conservation Journalism Fellowships, a programme of the charity Space for Giants and supported by the owner of ESI Media, which includes independent.co.uk. It aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Read the original story here
Despite an eight-year spectacle of violence, extensively documented by journalists, aid workers and even governments, the worlds most wide-reaching criminal court has failed to bring a single case against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

Until now. This week, in a neat legal trick, a group of Syrian refugees and their London lawyers found a way of circumnavigating the major pitfalls that blight the International Criminal Court (ICC) to finally pursue justice.

Taking notes from a similar case raised over the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, they appear to actually have a solid chance of convincing the ICC prosecutor to push ahead with an investigation into deportation, as a crime against humanity.

And the UK has a unique opportunity to help them. Britain could in fact be the key to President Assad, his henchmen and other perpetrators of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria finally being prosecuted.

Arguably, the biggest problem with the ICC and its ability to pursue cases is that it is heavily reliant on its membership, which is limited, and the UN Security Council, which has never been so polarised.

Syria is not a member of the ICC and so the prosecutor has no inherent jurisdiction to investigate and pursue a case against crimes which took place in the country.

The only other way for Syria to be referred to the tribunal at the Hague is if the UN Security Council orders it. And that decision can be  and with the case of Syria has been  vetoed by a single vote.

In 2014 Russia and China voted against a French-drafted resolution that was supported by more than 60 countries and called for investigation into alleged war crimes being committed by all sides of the conflict.

No further attempt has been made since then.

But this weeks development could change everything, as it focuses on the crimes against humanity the Assad regime has allegedly committed, which have spilled over the borders into Jordan  a member of the ICC. This follows a precedent set in the Rohingya crisis, which spilled over from Myanmar, which is not an ICC country, to Bangladesh, which is.

Rodney Dixon QC, a London-based international human rights lawyer and lead counsel in the new Syria case, told The Independent the alleged crime they want to investigate is one of deportation  the relentless forced displacement of civilians during the conflict. Jordan is the only hope in this instance as Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon  also a recipient of Syrian refugees  are not members of the court.

The UKs role in this process could be significant because, as a powerful member of the court, Britain can actually force the case against President Assad into existence.

As it stands, Mr Dixon and his team submitted a communication. It still needs the ICC prosecutor to take it in front of the courts pre-trial chamber for them to decide whether to authorise a formal investigation. This can take time, and there is considerable space for it to be rejected.

To shortcircuit this, the UK (or any other party to the court, such as Jordan) can simply refer it to the ICC directly, triggering an investigation immediately.

The UK could definitely be more proactive, to take a stance and send a signal. We need to try every single jurisdiction gateway that we have to bring this case forward, Mr Dixon said.

This case does highlight how the veto mechanism on the Security Council can be used politically to stop a case coming to the court  and how the politics of the council can directly influence whether there will justice for victims.

The British public has shown that it deeply cares about the Syrian crisis and the myriad crimes committed by all sides there, and yet the UK government has taken surprisingly little legal action against President Assad or others.

Because of the restrictions on the ICC, several countries including France, Germany and Sweden have launched domestic cases using universal jurisdiction to investigate and, where possible, prosecute serious international crimes committed in Syria.

The UK, though, has yet to do this. The government may, however, find itself conflicted. Since 2014, and up until January this year, the UK has been bombing Syria as part of efforts to wipe out Isis.

Just this week the RAF said it has killed or injured more than 4,300 enemy fighters in Iraq and Syria but killed only one civilian in all the airstrikes.

Monitoring groups believe the actual civilian death toll is much higher. And so the launch of an ICC investigation into the situation across Syria might open the UK up to scrutiny.

Britains role in Iraq is already under ICC examination. That does not mean the UK should not support groups like these Syrian refugees in finding an alternative means of trying to pursue justice.

Balkees Jarrah, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, said that this weeks attempt is just one of many innovative solutions available. For example, three years ago a group of states successfully petitioned the UNs General Assembly to create the International Impartial Independent Mechanism, which has been gathering evidence of war crimes and human rights violations in Syria.

Despite the challenges ahead, there is the possibility that this could function as an archive of evidence that can be tapped by anyone looking to pursue prosecutions in the future, and will make it much harder to ignore the scale of the atrocities taking place in Syria.
Helen, are u f***ing mentally retarded? Did u not even hear of the video?

Knowingly leading western women to even the chance of possible slaughter...Wow! Here is the REAL #WarOnWomen. Straight from the #left.

Whats the weather like in Morocco this time of year Helen? Warm enough for a bit of the old rape and behead two young women who are travelling alone?

These are just some of more choice comments I received on social media after publishing what seemed like an innocuous round-up of women-only trips in celebration of International Womens Day.

The crux of the issue was that I had recommended a Morocco group trip in the piece, despite the deaths of two Scandinavian tourists who were murdered by suspected terrorists while there on a camping trip before Christmas last year.

A less than reputable online publication had taken the word solo from the articles headline  referring to women being able to book onto each of the inclusions without friends or partners, joining instead with a band of like-minded female travellers  and added it to the Morocco entry, to come up with the following fictitious but compelling bit of nonsense: The Independent recommends single women go hiking alone in Morocco three months after two young Scandinavian women were savagely beheaded by Isis terrorists while hiking.

Cue outraged right-wing men from across the internet telling me I was encouraging women to meet their untimely deaths in north Africa.

As a travel writer, Im lucky in that I rarely get trolled online. I might get the odd fact about an aircraft queried by a self-proclaimed #AvGeek (and theyre usually right). But Im mostly immune from the daily barrage of crap that female journalists writing about womens issues seem to receive. Being on the other side of it was a little disturbing, but for the most part it was just plain eye-opening.

The vitriol surprised me. There was an anger that did not seem linked to the topic at hand in any real sense  more an anger that I, a woman, would encourage other women to travel without the protection (and permission) of men. An outrage masquerading as concern for womens safety that, beneath the surface, seemed to harbour a desire to control us. Men could go to Morocco, of course, and perhaps women could go there too  but only in the company of said men, some of whom would preferably be armed.

In pictures: Solo travel Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: Solo travel In pictures: Solo travel Solo travel Head for the sun in Kerala, with Soul and Surf In pictures: Solo travel Solo travel Hands-on arts and cultural holidays are a great way to meet likeminded travellers (Getty) Getty In pictures: Solo travel Solo travel Take the kids: All-inclusive resorts can work well, with kids' clubs and other families giving parents and children some independence In pictures: Solo travel Solo travel Kalimantan Jungle Trek in Borneo: Discover Adventure does what the name suggests, offering everything from mountain expeditions in India to desert treks in Morocco, with three out of five participants travelling alone. In pictures: Solo travel Solo travel Boutique-style hostel group Generator relaunched its London hostel last year and opens a new Paris outpost next month (Nikolas Koenig) Nikolas Koenig In pictures: Solo travel Solo travel Different strokes: Kamalaya resort on Koh Samui In pictures: Solo travel solo_career_oyster.jpg The chance to gain life experience or learn a new skill often motivates solo travellers Oyster

Perhaps I should have mentioned the attacks in the piece, but it would be like referencing Grace Millane, the British backpacker whose body was found in Auckland in December, every time I wrote about holidays to New Zealand; or Aya Maasarwe, the 21-year-old Israeli student who was assaulted and killed while walking home in Melbourne in January, whenever promoting travel to Australia: incongruous and unnecessary.

At any rate, it didnt matter that I pointed out the trip was a group one, complete with fully organised itinerary and led by experienced guides; it didnt matter that the Foreign Office doesnt advise against travel to any part of Morocco; it didnt matter that, were we to avoid every country where women experience sexual and physical violence, wed be hard-pressed to find anywhere in the world to visit. What mattered was their righteous indignation. Two women had been killed by religious lunatics, and therefore a whole country was now off limits for travel unless fully sanctioned by men.

There was a political aspect, too: it was not lost on me that a lot of those commenting had MAGA as part of their Twitter handles. The irony was that these men, so filled with rage at terrorists who use fear and violence to subjugate women, were equally keen to coerce, albeit in a different way. They too were using fear as a tool to keep us in check, the threat of potential violence to ensure we dont exercise our autonomy.

It brought home to me that, as much progress as weve made, travelling as a woman can still be an inherently subversive act; especially flying solo, whether as part of a group of singles, or genuinely going it alone.

It signals a show of strident independence  one that, as it turns out, not all men are going to like. Theyll have to get used to it though: multiple studies show that solo female travel is on the rise. A Culture Trip survey found that of 10,500 respondents, one in three women (34 per cent) said theyd be interested in taking a solo trip in future, compared to just one in seven (14 per cent) whod taken a trip on their own in the previous five years.

And last year, a British Airways study of almost 9,000 18- to 64-year-olds across the UK, US, France, India, Germany, Italy, Brazil and China found that more than 50 per cent of women have taken a holiday by themselves, with 75 per cent of women planning some solo travel in the next few years.

Alongside the offers to send me to Morocco (the implication being that Id get beheaded and then Id see) were many women who shared their experiences of travelling alone  women who would do it again in a heartbeat.

Morocco, as most countries, is totally safe as long as you employ common sense, wrote Caroline OGrady. Ive been alone and would do again. Its one of the only places I keep revisiting as I love it so much.

I spent three months there and had no problem when I travelled alone, added food and travel writer Yolanda Evans. You just have to be cautious just like you would be in any other country and use common sense. Im going back in the summer.

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Even those with negative experiences seemed keen to hang onto their independence. I didnt love being a woman alone in Morocco because I felt very other, but I wouldnt have missed it and we cant let fear stop us from travelling or really living, said tour guide Lisa Friend.

Of course, we cannot be blind to the world we live in. There is danger wherever you go, risks whichever country you head to, and often these are higher for women. The UK has seen its own fair share of terror attacks in the last decade, as has much of Europe. The number of gun-related deaths in the US reached just under 40,000 in 2017, the highest its been in 50 years. But its all about assessing these risks  the official Foreign Office advice being a good place to start.

What happened to those two women in Morocco was a terrible tragedy. But the minute we let fear control us to the point where it prevents us from living our lives to the full, theyve all won: terrorists, keyboard warriors and MAGA-hat wearing misogynists.

Dont let them.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has issued a stark warning to Tory MPs they risk losing Brexit altogether if they fail to back Theresa May's deal in the crunch Commons vote on Tuesday.

Mr Hunt said there was now "wind in the sails" of the opponents of Brexit and that it would be "devastating" for the Conservatives if they failed to deliver on their commitment to take Britain out of the EU.

His warning came after Brexiteer Tories and their DUP allies warned the Government was heading for an "inevitable" defeat on Tuesday unless it can secure last minute concessions from the EU on the Northern Ireland backstop.

But with little sign of a breakthrough in talks in Brussels, Mr Hunt said MPs could not "wish away the parliamentary arithmetic" and that any alternative to Mrs May's deal agreed by the Commons was likely to be "less appealing" to Brexiteers.

"People worry about us being trapped in the customs union by the backdoor but we could end up in the customs union by the front door if we get this wrong," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.

"We have an opportunity now to leave on March 29 or shortly thereafter and it is very important we grasp that opportunity because there is wind in the sails of people trying to stop Brexit.

"If you want to stop Brexit you only need to do three things - kill this deal, get an extension and then have a second referendum.

"Within three weeks people could have two of those three things and quite possibly the third one could be on the way through the Labour Party. We're in very perilous waters."

Expand Close Brexit banners tied onto railings near the Houses of Parliament in London. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth / Facebook

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Mr Hunt said that if Brexit was derailed, voters would hold the Conservatives responsible for failing to deliver on the outcome of the 2016 referendum.

"They are going to say there was a party that promised to deliver Brexit, we put them into Number 10 and they failed. The consequences for us as a party would be devastating," he said.

"This is a very important moment for us. There is a risk and a possibility that we end up losing Brexit if we get the votes wrong in the next couple of weeks."

There was little sign however that Brexiteers were willing to fall into line without changes to the deal which suffered a crushing 230-vote defeat when Mrs May put it to the first "meaningful vote".

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In a joint article for The Sunday Telegraph, Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said she could be heading for another three-figure defeat.

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, who quit over the Brexit deal, acknowledged the Prime Minister's position was "precarious" but said it would be even worse if Brexit was delayed.

Mrs May has said if the Government loses on Tuesday, there would be further votes on Wednesday on whether the UK should leave with no-deal and on Thursday on whether they should seek an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process.

Mr Raab said that if that happened, it was essential she ordered Tory MPs to vote to leave open the option of a no-deal break.

"We've absolutely got to whip the vote to keep our manifesto pledges. How can a government function that doesn't keep its promises?" he told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.

Mr Raab, who has been touted as a possible successor to Mrs May if she is forced to step down, refused to be drawn on his own leadership ambitions.

But asked if he thought Mrs May would still be Prime Minister by Christmas, he said: "I don't know. She has said she is going to step down. I would like to be able to see her do that in a way which is in terms of her own choosing.

"I think the Government has found itself in a precarious situation. If the Government extends Article 50 or tries to reverse the Brexit promises that we have made, I think that situation would get even trickier."

For Labour, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said he did not expect Labour to try to amend the "meaningful vote" motion on Tuesday.

"I don't know whether something dramatic will happen in the next 24 hours but unless it does, exactly the same deal is going to be put before Parliament," he told the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme.

"That is eight weeks of failure to come back and present exactly what was rejected, so on Tuesday that has got to be exposed."

Sir Keir said he expected there would still be an opportunity for MPs to vote for a second referendum in the days ahead, either on a Labour amendment or one tabled by backbenchers.

"It doesn't mean that a public vote is gone. It doesn't mean we won't come to it. We will have to work with others," he said. "There is going to be plenty of opportunities for amendments."
Dubliner Andrew Lynch is doubling the footprint of Huckletree, the co-working business he founded with fellow entrepreneur Gabriela Hersham.

The expansion will see the firm, which has four spaces at present, open a new one later this year in a Manchester building owned by the Weston family, owners of Brown Thomas and Penneys.

Huckletree, which has over 2,000 members and currently occupies Twitter's former Dublin HQ, as well as three properties in London, will also open a sixth space in London's Soho in the coming weeks. Two more new spaces are planned, one in the UK and one in Europe, it is understood.

The Soho space, the firm's first in central London, will cater for more than 300 people across four floors in a post-war brutalist concrete building, Ingestre Court.

Close to five tube stations, including Oxford Circus and Bond Street, the property will include the firm's first cafe and a learning studio for members.

It sees Huckletree partnering with Westminster City Council to revive the space and reactivate a part of the district, the firm said.

Founding members there will include Silicon Valley Bank and venture capital firm Concentric Ventures.

"We are excited to be opening our doors to the vibrant creative community of Soho, a place we hold in high regard as London's original creative district," Lynch said. "It allows us to partner with Westminster City Council to revive a part of Soho that had been left behind.

"With our founding members already on board, we hope Huckletree Soho will unite the UK's most exciting investment funds with other exciting serial entrepreneurs and leading members of the global innovation ecosystem."

In Manchester, Huckletree will take three floors in the grade two-listed Express Building, which was built in 1939 for the Daily Express newspaper.

The property is being refurbished by owners Wittington Investments, a holding company for the Weston family's multi-billion euro business empire, which includes a majority stake in Associated British Foods and assorted other property, hotel and retail businesses in Canada, Holland and Britain including Primark/Penneys.

Here in Dublin, Huckletree's in-house Alpha accelerator programme is seeking pre-seed startups with under-represented female, LGBTQ-plus and black, Asian and minority ethnic founders.

It will offer them three months of free expert workshops, mentoring and membership of its community of investors and entrepreneurs, beginning next month.

Aislinn Mahon, manager of the Dublin space, said: "We don't take equity or charge membership fees. We're simply on a mission to help Ireland's most talented under-represented founders have an equal shot at getting their business ideas off the ground."
Derek Casey: Tell me about the history of your contracting business

Louise Carroll: My father Niall established the business with the help of his parents in 1978. He started off fairly modestly with just two Ford tractors, a 4600 and a 7600, as well as a Claas baler and Taarup mower.

It has grown steadily since then. He ran a fleet of Fords until 1996 when he changed to Valmets. The first Valmet he purchased was an 8050 and it went on from there.

It is a family business, but who specifically is involved and who does what?

Expand Close Louise Carroll of Carroll Agri Contractors, in Tullow. Photo: Roger Jones / Facebook

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Whatsapp Louise Carroll of Carroll Agri Contractors, in Tullow. Photo: Roger Jones

We are all heavily involved in the business, my father and brother Nicky work full-time with the contracting business and I help out during the summer months and at the weekends when I'm home from studying Agricultural Science in Waterford IT. My other brother Eoin works full-time with an accountancy firm, but he also helps out when he has time during the odd weekend.

What contracting services do you offer?

Silage harvesting, baling, corn cutting and sowing, reseeding, beet harvesting and sowing, dung spreading, slurry spreading, spraying, and fertiliser spreading and plant hire.

Tell us about how you manage Ag Science studies and working in an agri contracting business.

Throughout school I was always into farming and the contracting business, so it was a no-brainer to continue on and study it in college.

First, I completed two years in Kildalton Agricultural College, where I received my Green Cert. Then I decided I wanted to continue my studies, so I transferred into WIT to complete a BSc in Agriculture, and I'm now in my final year of that course.

Expand Close Louise Carroll discing with a five-metre HEVA disc in a T213 Valtra. Photo: Roger Jones / Facebook

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Whatsapp Louise Carroll discing with a five-metre HEVA disc in a T213 Valtra. Photo: Roger Jones

You must be busy; how do you split your time?

It's hard to manage both because when you're at home, you're always on call, there's no getting away from the work!

I suppose my approach is to try to do as much work during the week when I'm down in college as there isn't as many distractions, but sometimes you just have to put the college work and assignments first, especially around exam season - even if it clashes with being busy at home.

Have Carroll Agri Contracts started offering any new services in the last few years?

My brother Nicky recently purchased a JCB JS145 track machine. He has been carrying out different jobs for local farmers, mainly drainage work.

It has been a great addition to the business because it generates work during the quieter times in the winter months when we wouldn't be as busy with the other services that we offer, like silage.

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Whatsapp Louise Carroll with her grandfather Nick, her father Niall and her brother Nicky

This is an issue all contractors face and we obviously find it helpful to have work on a year-round basis rather than just the traditionally busy times.

Tell us about the key machinery and tractors in the Carroll fleet

We run a fleet of seven tractors, all of which are either Valtra or Valmet by make. Models include a Valtra T234, T213, T173, T151, T170, N143 and, last but certainly not least, our favourite, the Valmet 8050!

On the grain harvesting side of the operation, we run a Claas Lexion 650 combine that has been performing well. In terms of tillage work, we run a 6m Horsch Pronto drill, while ploughing work is done with two five-furrow Kverneland ploughs.

We also have a Berthoud Sprayer, a Hardi sprayer, an Amazone fertiliser spreader, an Einbock seeder and a Heva disc harrow.

Turning to the silage harvesting side of the business, we run a Claas Jaguar 870 self-propelled forage harvester that we are very happy with. On the pit, we use a JCB 414 loader, while baling is done with a McHale Fusion 3 baler wrapper. The rest of the silage machinery we run comprises three Kverneland mowers, a Claas liner 2800 rake and five Broughan trailers.

When it comes to beet harvesting, we have an Armor Salmon harvester and sower. One of the more recent additions is the JCB JS145 track machine and low-loader.

AT A GLANCE

Niall Carroll, Sons and Daughter Agri Contractors

Based in: Tullow, Co Carlow

Main services: Silage, tillage, baling, slurry, beet harvesting

Tractor fleet: 6 x Valtra; 1 x Valmet

Silage harvester and combine: Claas

What is the tractor or machine in the fleet that has impressed you most and why?

I would have to say the Valmet 8050, which was bought back in 2002. This is an incredible tractor; it has clocked up 14,000 hours now and hasn't ever had a spanner near it.

It's great to have a reliable and durable tractor like this in the fleet.

Outside of the tractor fleet, the 6m Horsch drill has also been a machine that has impressed us. It's great to cover ground and, since being added to the fleet, is one of those machines that has allowed us to cut down on the workload because we used to have two 3m drills before that.

We also purchased a Valtra T234 tractor last summer, which is equipped with some advanced technology, including RTK guidance and auto steer. We have been very impressed with this tractor so far and it is probably the flagship model in our fleet.

Who are the local machinery dealers that you would mainly buy from and why?

We deal with Kelly's of Kilkenny for the Valtra tractors - they are only a half an hour down the road, so it is very convenient during the busy times if we are stuck for parts. We also deal with Kelly's of Borris. We find Kelly's to be very good and the fact they are local gives a sense of security if you ever need back-up.

Our local dealers that are located in Tullow would be Gordan Hegarty's and Joe O'Toole's. As a business, we value having good relationships with machinery dealers that are located so close to our home yard in case of any breakdowns.

What's your tractor replacement policy?

We like to keep the machinery fresh as it leads to less breakdowns, which results in less downtime. We try to change the tractors every four to five years, depending on how things are going.

What, in your opinion, is the biggest challenge facing agri contractors in 2019?

We feel the biggest challenge would be the labour shortages. I know from talking to others this is a huge worry throughout the agricultural sector.

Work can be so seasonal and it's hard to get workers to commit, which is understandable.

Luckily, we are fortunate enough to have the three of us to depend on during the summer months when we are at our busiest. This is a huge relief and is one of the benefits of running a family operation.

Another worry this coming year will be diesel prices. The margins are so tight in contracting already, so diesel prices on the up makes such a difference.

What are your specific interests in the contracting business?

The silage season and the harvest - they are the busiest times at home and it's great to be a part of it all.

I also have a keen interest in photography and love getting pictures of the fleet in action for our Facebook page. It is a great way of promoting the business and letting customers see our fleet of machines in action.

How do you think more women could get involved in agri contracting in Ireland?

There isn't as much stereotyping as there used to be. When I first started driving, about six years ago, there weren't many women or girls driving tractors. There seems to be loads of women taking to the wheel now and it's great to see it.

Last year, I attended a conference for 'Women in Agricultural Contracting' run by the FCI (Farm Contractors Ireland). It was great to meet women with the same interests and background and to build up a network of women with contracting backgrounds.

To hear their different stories and experiences within the sector was a real boost. Machinery is more automated now compared to even 20 years ago and so there isn't as much manual handling and physical strength required. I think in years gone by, that element might have precluded more women from working in the sector, but not anymore.

Of course, sometimes you can still struggle with hooking up a machine or a piece of equipment, but my experience is there's always a helping hand available. There's nothing to stop more women getting into the contracting sector.

What's your plan after finishing your degree?

My main interest is in tillage and crops. I completed the Advanced Crops and Machinery course in Kildalton Agricultural College two years ago and enjoyed it a lot. It was a course that thought me a huge amount about technical aspects of crops and was very hands on, which I like.

When I finish my course, I was thinking of maybe travelling to New Zealand or Australia and doing a few months' work out there with a contracting business to gain international experience and travel a bit.

In the long term, I'll always see myself helping out at home when I can, but I'd also like to have a job somewhere in the agronomy sector.
A hedge fund managed by VR Capital Group has taken a large stake in Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), an energy company that won a claim against Nigeria which is now worth $9bn.

P&ID, a small energy company founded by two Irishmen, is trying to make Nigeria settle or allow the company to start seizing assets, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Nigeria did not honour a deal allowing the small natural gas company to harvest hydrocarbons.

Two years ago, P&ID won a decision against the government of Nigeria, with a London arbitration tribunal awarding it $6.6bn while interest of $1m is accruing daily.

P&ID, owned by the hedge fund and a firm called Lismore Capital, has hired lobbyists, lawyers, and a public-relations firm to press for collection of the award.

The legal team is also trying to confirm the award in Washington and London courts, which would allow P&ID to start seizing Nigerian assets in the US and the UK.

The company was founded by Irishmen Brendan Cahill and Michael Quinn, a music manager and oil man who died in 2015.

Cahill told Bloomberg: "It is disappointing that Nigeria chose to repudiate the terms of a deal that would have benefited the country by bringing electricity to millions of its citizens."
Bank of Ireland is planning to sell up to 800m worth of non-performing loans this year as it moves to bring its balance sheet in line with European norms.

The bank had consistently ruled out any loan book sales - until CEO Francesca McDonagh switched her stance last July. At the time she said that the bank's view on loan sales had to change "because the regulatory environment has changed" and stated that it was open to all options in relation to a reduction of bad debts.

Now, Bank of Ireland has earmarked between 600m and 800m worth of buy-to-let mortgages that will be either sold or put up for securitisation. The news was in the bank's presentation to investors last month on its 2018 performance.

Bank of Ireland reduced its non-performing exposure (NPE) ratio to 6.3pc of its overall loan book last year, the lowest level of any of Irish bailed-out banks.

The bank's level of NPEs dropped by 24pc last year to 5bn. It intends to reduce that ratio further to 5pc by the end of the year through a mix of sales, securitisation, and other methods.

A spokesman for the bank told the Sunday Independent that it expects to reduce its NPEs this year by between 1bn and 1.2bn. AIB is also in the process of an NPE sale.

Credit analyst at Davy Stephen Lyons said the impending loan sale was off the back of continued regulatory pressure from the European Central Bank (ECB).

We saw this pressure last year where, as part of the ECBs review of Bank of Irelands capital models, the bank was told to set aside more capital for its mortgage portfolio, Lyons said.

We are now seeing further regulatory pressure, whereby Bank of Ireland is being told to start increasing on an annual basis the money that it sets aside for bad loans, to a level beyond what the bank believes is required, which thereby encourages the bank to resolve these loans as soon as is possible.
Kegaids Carmel Goodfellow says trials with Dalata have paid off as the hotel group is delighted with the finished product. Photo: Andrew Downes, Xposure

Appearing on RTE's Dragons' Den can be a nerve-racking affair, but the one thing those who are successful in winning investment all have in common is an unshakeable belief in their product.

That was certainly the case in 2016 when Joseph and Carmel Goodfellow, a father and daughter team, pitched a product invented by Joe and developed over seven years by their firm, Celtic Product Development.

EcoGrate is an electrical device which fits easily into an open fireplace and retains around 80pc of its available heat output to warm the room, most of which would otherwise escape up the chimney. As well as reducing the amount of solid fuel needed by at least half, it cuts the amounts of CO2 and particulates being emitted into the atmosphere.

As a product, it clearly ticks a lot of boxes for those with open fireplaces; it makes them greener, cleaner and cheaper to run - all without taking too much away from the feel of open fireplaces we all know and love.

So it was perhaps no surprise they snared a Dragon in Eleanor McEvoy, founder and chief executive of Budget Energy, a Northern Ireland-based provider of low-cost electricity, but they managed to get two when Barry O'Sullivan made a joint offer with Eleanor of 80,000 in return for a 25pc share in their firm, and one they simply couldn't refuse.

All the same, they must have been glad when the Den experience was over? "To be honest, they really do try to get you off guard and you also kind of think that it's going to be fairly quick but you're actually in there for about an hour. But when we got over the initial pitch, we kind of relaxed and then got into it," says Carmel.

The idea for EcoGrate came about by accident, after Joe was asked by one of his sons to fit a French stove into his open fireplace to replace an electric fire, but was inspired to build a smaller, more efficient device.

At that time, Carmel had just returned to Galway from South Africa, where she had worked for years as an estate agent. "Because I wasn't employed at the time, I did all the market research for it and once we knew it was definitely viable, we went ahead with this and set up the business."

Joe has an extensive background in electrical and mechanical engineering, with more than 45 years' experience working for multinational companies such as Digital, APC and C&F Green Energy, for whom he designed wind turbines. But he has also built and designed all kinds of things in his spare time, such as a fully working mini-replica of a steam train engine that secured him an appearance on The Late Late Show many years ago.

"He had an awful lot of experience with patent applications and design work and I suppose it just kind of came together and I've stuck with it ever since," says Carmel.

EcoGrate did take a lot of market research, and good old-fashioned cold-calling and door-to-door before they were confident they had a market to aim for, she says.

The design and development of EcoGrate has taken seven years to date, including obtaining the safety certificates and testing to relevant EU standards, but it took a lot of work to market it in the beginning, including resolving the issue of how best to demonstrate it.

"If we got it into a fireplace retailer they can't actually put it on live display," says Carmel. Stoves are relatively easy to demonstrate in a showroom "but to put in the EcoGrate, they'd have to build a false wall, put in a proper flue liner and put in the EcoGrate and then get somebody to light it and monitor it and look after it basically during the day".

So they built a small showroom to create a dedicated live display at their premises in ClareGalway corporate park.

The product is available directly through their website, but the firm is now beginning to secure distribution channels, such as through Eleanor's Budget Energy firm.

A lot of sales came through word of mouth, and with that they have built up good testimonials which can make all the difference in marketing a device like this.

"We've had a lot of enquiries, and the contact is a lot easier. We've got a lot of marketing materials on our Facebook page and with a site and things like that they can actually get a good feel for how it works, adds Carmel."

It undoubtedly also helps that EcoGrate has won its fair share of awards, including finalist in the 2016 Green Awards and the 2013 Hearth & Home Exhibition awards.

Joe also does freelance design work as well, and patent applications for other businesses and individuals, so it is no surprise to hear he is also the brains behind Celtic Product Development's newest device, the KegAid.

It is an electro-hydraulic lifter for heavy beer kegs, crates, gas cylinders and a variety of other cumbersome loads. The lifter is designed to be compact enough to use in tight spaces, such as a cold room or behind a bar where space is at a premium. It can stack kegs three high, and move them horizontally as well.

The primary purpose is to create a safer working environment and prevent injuries, but it can also reduce staff workload and thereby save businesses time and money. Additionally, the product is easily manoeuvred, is multi-purpose and requires minimal maintenance and staff training.

But where the EcoGrate is sold directly to consumers, KegAid is aimed primarily - though not exclusively - at the hospitality industry. So in terms of marketing, it was back to the drawing board for Carmel.

"The KegAid is newer and a bit more difficult because it is business to business, but our first main customer was the Dalata Hotel Group and they tried it out and helped us as well when we were designing and developing it... they're delighted with it."

As EcoGrate sales continue to grow year-on-year, CPD is developing a number of new products and building a business relationship with a UK partner. It has also turned into a serious family affair with not just Joe and Carmel involved but three brothers too. Galen and Ciaran work on putting products together, while Damien is a graphic designer who does all the branding and logos.

Developing a mechanical or electrical product entirely in-house is a long road, from design, prototyping, developing, testing, manufacturing, marketing and sales, but things are clearly speeding up for CPD.

"I suppose the main thing is you have to be really determined and there's many bad days. It takes a long time to get something off the ground... and I suppose you have to just be really determined and stay at it. You have to really believe in the products," says Carmel.

And, of course, there's the feelgood factor of having Dragons behind you. "They've been a great support. Eleanor is a lovely, lovely lady, very down to earth. She's really worth her weight in gold."
Sustainability is viewed by the majority of Irish business leaders as a growing priority for an expanding enterprise - yet less than half are actively adopting environmentally-friendly approaches.

According to new research, commissioned by Ricoh Europe, of 2,550 business leaders across 24 countries, Irish respondents actually rank lower than their European peers.

Just 45pc - based on responses from 100 business leaders here - see EU and global environmental regulations as an enabler of success, compared to the European average of 56pc.

Furthermore, despite 59pc of Irish respondents believing that sustainability will become an increasingly important factor for the firm's success going forward, almost the same amount (60pc) stated it was nice-to-have rather than critical.

The survey revealed that businesses in Turkey, Spain, Italy and Switzerland scored highest in terms of achieving success from being more focused on the environment.

Ricoh Ireland MD Gary Hopwood said that it very disappointing that Irish business leaders are not focusing on more sustainable business strategies and processes.

"Not only is it detrimental to the planet but it is also naive considering that care for the environment is now increasingly important for prospective customers and employees. It can be the deciding factor for people when choosing a provider to partner with or a company to work for," he said.

"As well as potentially jeopardising company growth, regulations have also been introduced to ensure that organisations are prioritising sustainability and lowering their carbon footprint.

"By not doing so, Irish business leaders are impacting on Irelands ability to adhere to requirements, such as those set out by the Paris Agreement, and companies will increasingly be penalised for not complying with environmental law."

The benefits of company culture on the organisation is also a bit of a blind spot for Irish business leaders as just 57pc of respondents, lower than the European average, saw this as an enabler of success.

However, in terms of recognising the power of technology in improving productivity, 53pc of those surveyed view it as a key factor, similar to other European business leaders.

Still, half (51pc) admitted the technology being used is acting as a barrier to achieving full potential within the firm and 60pc believed more advanced equipment or systems would help improve operations.

"Irish business leaders are neglecting a number of key factors that drive business growth and success," said Mr Hopwood.

"Company culture and environmentally-friendly processes have become as important as the skills of employees and technologies in the workplace.

"The mentality towards change is also an issue and, when coupled with concerns around technology, has the potential to cause serious problems in years to come  that is if organisations survive."
(CNN)  White House deputy chief of staff and de facto communications director Bill Shine has stepped down to join the Trump campaign, press secretary Sarah Sanders announced in a statement Friday.

Shine, a former Fox News executive, joined the White House in July 2018, the sixth person to fill or be tapped for the top communications role. Jason Miller, Sean Spicer, Mike Dubke, Anthony Scaramucci and Hope Hicks all came before him.

He offered his resignation to President Donald Trump on Thursday but was spotted on the White House South Lawn on Friday ahead of the President's trip to Alabama. He will be joining the 2020 re-election campaign as a senior adviser.

"Serving President Trump and this country has been the most rewarding experience of my entire life. To be a small part of all this President has done for the American people has truly been an honor. I'm looking forward to working on President Trump's re-election campaign and spending more time with my family," Shine said in a statement.

Shine's effectiveness inside the West Wing came with mixed results and it was unclear how much he was able to change the White House's communications strategy. One source close to the White House told CNN that Trump had questioned Shine's judgment on a number of issues in recent months, from the midterm election to the government shutdown.

A sudden decision?

Shine had been slated to travel with Trump to Vietnam for the second North Korea summit but unexpectedly dropped off the trip two days before, according to an administration official.

While administration officials were in Hanoi, Shine was wandering the halls of the Conservative Political Action Conference. Asked why he was there, he declined to answer.

Meanwhile, the campaign and Republican National Committee communications team found out about this on Thursday, one official told CNN, and this was not part of the campaign roll out or plan.

In fact, the campaign wasn't lacking in communications experts. Shine's departure from the White House and inclusion in the campaign operation follows the recent announcement of several high-profile hires, including communications director Tim Murtaugh, national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, director of strategic communications Marc Lotter, and deputy communications directors Matt Wolking, Erin Perrine, and Zach Parkinson.

Increasingly disappointed

Trump had been down on Shine for at least a few months, believing him ineffective and not what he'd hoped for when he hired him, according to people familiar. Shine's role basically became the person who adjusted the lighting and focused the cameras, and he showed no ability to shape a narrative or communications strategy.

Shine was a key force behind shutting down much of the press access to the White House, including the daily press briefing, per the source. There has not been a White House press briefing since January 28.

Some officials who once said they couldn't think of a better communications director for Trump than a former television executive had been disappointed by his approach. Months into his tenure, Shine's contribution had largely consisted of phoning Fox News hosts and booking officials on the shows so they can defend the President on a network whose audience largely already favors him -- something that had caused some unease inside and outside the West Wing.

"I think Bill Shine is having fun being the President's buddy at work every day," said a Shine ally when asked about his responsibility earlier this year.

Shine was well liked inside the West Wing because he is seen as someone who is decisive in a sea of indecision, three officials said. But Trump, who often has unrealistic expectations of what his staff can accomplish, had complained about Shine privately at times, noting he hadn't received better coverage since he hired him.

"Trump was very disappointed in him. There's been no improvement in press coverage," the source close to the White House said Friday after the resignation was announced. "Donald would have taken all of those hiccups if he had been getting good press," the source added.

Trump praised Shine in a statement Friday for an "outstanding job," saying he looked forward to working with him on the campaign, where he expects him to be "totally involved."

Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale touted his "wealth of experience from cable news and the White House" in a statement.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Ex-Fox News executive Bill Shine out at the White House."
After six years heading up the Irish arm of one of the world's biggest pharma companies, not much ruffles GSK's Aidan Lynch. But he visibly bristles at any suggestion that high drug prices are the cause of a standoff between global drug companies and those who control Ireland's budget for new medicines.

"One of the fundamental problems is that there is a lack of trust between the Government and pharma companies," says Lynch, speaking in his role as president of Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), which represents the major drugs companies in Ireland.

"There is a perception that it is all about price and that we try and charge the highest price."

It is a charge he dismisses as a simplistic response to a growing crisis around the speed of access of new medicines to Ireland. New and innovative life-saving drugs are increasingly slow to reach Irish patients. There is also a growing belief in the industry that the issue is damaging Ireland's hard-earned reputation as one of the world's pre-eminent pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs.

In 2016 Lynch helped hammer out a new four- year pricing agreement between the Big Pharma companies and the Government, which, he says, delivered 785m in savings to the HSE.

Those savings would - Lynch and other pharma executives believed at the time - create the space in the huge healthcare budget for greatly increased reimbursement of innovative breakthrough drugs. Instead Irish pharma executives have found themselves explaining to their bosses at corporate HQ just why the Government's much smaller actual budget for new medicines - believed to be about 10m per annum - has already run out for this year.

Lynch cites new figures which show that the 10 products approved for reimbursement last month were awaiting a decision from the HSE for an average of 890 days. This, the industry believes, has led to a scenario whereby whatever patient group shouts the loudest tends to get its relevant drug approved, while others can only wait and hope.

"The tragic thing is that Irish patients won't get access to the leading edge, up to date medicines that are made in Ireland," says Lynch.

"We are getting access but our challenge is the speed of access. It's about two-and-a-half years slower than access in other countries even though the products are made in Ireland."

Frustration in the industry increased even further in recent weeks when the clinical director of the National Centre for Pharmoeconomics - the State body that advises the HSE on the cost-effectiveness of medicines - accused pharma companies of "predatory pricing".

"The price is the price," says Lynch. "It's a negotiated price between the company with the Government that is initially based on the average price in 14 countries. The bit in the conversation we never talk about is value and how investment in medicines frees up hospital beds and resources and improves economic productivity."

The average price of medicines in Ireland has actually fallen, he argues, but volume has risen because of a growing and aging population.

"The system has not kept pace," says Lynch. "Everyone agrees that the system is broken. We need to sit down and talk about how can we change it to make it better. Throwing stones is not going to get us anywhere. We need to collaborate."

But getting the Government side and the pharma sector around a table has proven problematic.

"My real problem is that we can't get to talk to anyone on the other side of the table. It is incredibly difficult now for us as an industry to engage, and that is a fact."

The industry is supposed to meet the Government's representatives - made up of officials from the HSE and the departments of both Health and Public Expenditure - twice a year to discuss how the four-year pricing agreement is working. But trying to arrange a meeting has proven difficult.

"I suppose there are many other priorities, but as an industry we are frustrated by the fact that we can't get to meet them per our agreement.

"We want to start talking to them about subsequent agreements. We want to start talking to them about how things need to change for the betterment of healthcare in Ireland and for patient access.

"We need to start having conversations around doing things differently because what we have right now is clearly not working. Medicines are not getting to patients quickly enough. Many of those medicines are manufactured here and yet they get to patients in other countries two years ahead of getting to Irish patients," he says.

This slow access to the Irish market - as well as what Lynch says is a lack of transparency around what is wrong with the system - is causing increasing frustration in the global headquarters of pharma companies, he says.

"All countries have the same issues as Ireland in terms of limited budget, but lots of countries around Europe have found a way to solve the problem and to get these specialised medicines to patients in a more timely manner," he says.

"We have many manufacturers across Ireland who make products in Ireland that get to patients in other countries not just quicker but quicker by years," he says. "Companies like ours look at Ireland negatively when Ireland is dropping from where it used to be the first or second in Europe for bringing new products to market to where we are now: 15 out of 15."

And that fall has accelerated in the past four years, he says. What has actually caused that change is, he says, "the $64m question".

Lynch came to the business via a circuitous route. His first job was as a builder's labourer in Sydney, Australia, in 1984 after completing a business studies course in Athlone.

"There were no jobs in Ireland in the '80s so many of my peers went to far-flung places."

He settled for a time in Sydney, working in finance roles at the Goodyear tyre company and drinks company Segrum. In 1998 he returned to a very different Ireland to become financial controller at Sony Music's Irish operation.

"There were loads of jobs. When I left Ireland we didn't know what a cappuccino was. When I came back we were falling over them. Instead of Blue Nun and Black Tower we were all drinking fancy wine."

After two years as finance director at Bewley's, in 2001 Lynch finally joined GSK on a six-month contract to project manage a system to convert the drug company's systems from the punt to the euro. Six months became a decade and in 2012 he became GSK's Irish country manager, overseeing 1,600 employees and a number of major pharmaceutical manufacturing sites around the country.

"Ireland is a very small market but the top 10 pharma companies in the world are manufacturing here so from that perspective Ireland is very important. Ireland has always been seen as a good place to do business because of access to appropriately qualified people, because of government policies, our proximity to Europe, the fact that English is our language, etc."

But the ongoing medicines access row threatens to damage that, says Lynch. In fact it has already hurt the country's standing at the highest levels in the industry, he says. "That is not a very positive picture for us to paint back in our head offices," he says. "The whole thing feeds into a general level of frustration around the system in Ireland. It is absolutely fair to say that this has a negative impact on how companies view our country over time.

"We are a significant employer with 30,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs, many millions of taxes paid into the economy and clearly one of the factors in the success and growth of the economy and driver of exports.

"I have had conversations with people in my organisation about why the system is the way it is when we have such a huge investment in the country. There's a fine line between what we can do as organisations vis a vis our investments in countries and market access.

"Ultimately, pharma is a very long-term game. We've been here for 40 years and the industry has been very strong in Ireland for all of those years. But I guess that we would be concerned that unless the environment changes significantly and keeps pace with the new technologies and innovations that are coming, we may not have a pharma industry like we have today in another 40 years."

This impacts investment decisions being made today due to the sometimes decades-long lead-in time from drug discovery to manufacture, he says.

Lynch says that the issue of medicine access is certainly not the only one on which pharma companies make major investment decisions but "pharma companies want to have significant investments in countries where their products get to market reasonably quickly at a fair price. Not a high price... a fair price".

Market access is not the key factor when it comes to investment in manufacturing facilities.

"But it is a factor. You don't turn on or off pharmaceutical investment overnight but, over time, if Ireland continues to be known as a country where market access is difficult I think there is an inevitability around investment decisions that might be made in Ireland."

After six years leading GSK in Ireland Lynch has just moved into a new role - managing director of GSK Trading Partners - helping to prepare the huge company for Brexit. Last year alone, GSK spent 70m on preparations for this.

"Physically getting packs to Ireland has been severely disrupted because of not knowing whether there is going to be a hard Border and customs checks. Most companies that I am aware of have planned for the worst. We may have to sail them around Britain rather than driving them through. We have been working on this since the day after the referendum."

In this role, he says, he has seen how the pharma industry and the HSE have worked "really well, really collaboratively" to get ready for Brexit.

"We have seen that it is possible to work together and have a really fruitful and beneficial outcome. We would like to take the positiveness that came out of that and translate it into how we can work with them in terms of market access and bringing innovative medicines to patients more quickly," he says.

"Companies - all companies - have to change and keep pace with what is going on around you or you get left behind and then you become a Kodak. Governments never keep up but some are better at it than others. In the past the Irish has been way ahead of its peers. That is probably why we got the pharma industry we got."

Government policy here over many years has achieved "fantastic long-term results" in pharma, tech and the IFSC. But, says Lynch, another step now needs to be taken: "The starting point is we need to talk to one another."

The Price Debate

Consumers sometimes complain that medicine is cheaper in other EU countries. Why?

It is not as simple as just the price, is it? You can also buy cars more cheaply, hire people more cheaply and buy properties more cheaply. So it has to be seen in the context of the environment. Theres also a volume issue. Larger countries tend to have cheaper prices because there is more volume.

Critics of the industry argue that drug prices are inflated because of high profits, high wages and big margins. Is that unfair?

Yes. We run businesses. We are accountable to shareholders. If the shareholders dont get a decent return out of pharma company A they will go to pharma company B.

There are high-paid people and companies that make profits in all walks of life. We take massive risks, as do our shareholders, to develop medicines and we spend much more on the failures than we do on the successes.

The cost of failure is very high but it is worth it for the successes. For example, years ago you died if you got HIV. Now you live. But all of these things come at a cost.

Profile

Name: Aidan Lynch

Age: 55

Position: Managing director, GSK Trading Partners; president of Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA)

Lives: Blessington, Co Wicklow

Education: Athlone RTC

Previous experience: Worked in Australia for 14 years in the motor and drinks industries. In Ireland worked in music, in coffee and now in pharmaceuticals with GSK since 2001

Family: Partner, Nadine. Has three adult children - Ben, Rory and Finn

Pastimes: Sailing, rugby, spending time in West Cork

Current book: A monthly sailing magazine, Seamus Heaney 100 Poems and On The Edge by Diarmuid Ferriter

Favourite movie: Action or sci-fi but hard to beat classics like It's a Wonderful Life
Enterprise Ireland will also officially launch an offshore wind cluster, with more than 80 companies earmarked for involvement. Stock photo: Phil Noble/PA

With the UK home to almost 40pc of globally installed wind capacity, opportunities are rising for Irish cleantech exporters.

Enterprise Ireland will hold its first Offshore Wind Forum in Dublin on March 21 to showcase how developers and contractors in the UK offshore wind industry can work with the Irish supply chain to help achieve its ambitious 2030 offshore wind targets.

Enterprise Ireland will also officially launch an offshore wind cluster, with more than 80 companies earmarked for involvement.

With the UK keen to maintain leadership in the sector, being part of its supply chain can deliver strong industry references and global recognition for Irish exporters.

Under the offshore wind sector deal announced last week, the UK plans to generate 30GW (gigawatts) of offshore wind power by 2030, up from a current capacity of 7GW.

The 2030 vision will require a 48bn investment in UK infrastructure spending and significant interaction with international supply chain partners. Importantly, strong commitments by the UK government should help safeguard sector spending beyond March 2019, regardless of Brexit outcomes.

The forum will provide an opportunity for UK offshore wind developers and their top-tier contracting partners to meet companies supported by Enterprise Ireland to outline their UK project plans and supply chain needs. Discussions will also focus on the Irish offshore wind market and opportunities and challenges involved in its development.

Irish companies have a well-established record of driving growth in the offshore wind sector, dating back to Arklow Bank in 2004,one of the first offshore wind farms in either Ireland or the UK.

Irish influence in the UK can be seen in the Hornsea One project off the Yorkshire coast, developed by Irish company Mainstream Renewable Power and currently the world's largest offshore wind project.

Irish companies have substantial capability across the offshore wind supply chain. Irish Sea Contractors works with developer Orsted to provide sub-sea inspections for its UK offshore assets. The same company is also leading on sub-sea cable repair innovation with its patented habitat solution. Others, such as Xocean, use unmanned surface vehicles to provide seabed mapping and turnkey data collection services for industry.

Irish companies also offer excellent geotechnical and environmental engineering expertise. Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions identify uncertainties, risks and challenges in the design, installation and operations of offshore wind farms such as Neart na Gaoithe.

For Irish firms who have mainly worked in the onshore wind, marine engineering or Internet of Things (IoT) spheres, or those who are relatively new to the offshore wind sector, Enterprise Ireland will launch its inaugural Offshore Wind Insights programme at the forum.

The initiative, coordinated by Enterprise Ireland's London office, will see several shortlisted Irish companies paired with experienced UK industry mentors. The Insights programme will enable Irish companies to receive valuable commercial and technical feedback to help them position effectively for the UK market. For mentors, it provides an opportunity to discover services and innovations ahead of the curve.

Further developing the already skilled Irish supply chain should also help unlock the potential of what may be Ireland's greatest untapped natural resource, the wind blowing off our extensive coastline.

For the UK to achieve 30GW of offshore wind, the industry will have to work closely with domestic and global supply chain partners. Given Ireland's close business and cultural ties to the UK, expertise in the marine and energy sectors, and the fact we are separated by only 12 miles of sea at the closest point, the Irish supply chain is a natural partner for its offshore wind projects.

Darragh Cotter is a market advisor specialising in cleantech, based in Enterprise Ireland's London office.
What kind of Online Safety Commissioner will the Government actually appoint? A powerful watchdog? A lame duck? Something in between?

Communications Minister Richard Bruton talks about an office with the power to fine Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, or even spark a criminal prosecution.

But to be effective a new commissioner has to do a few things.

The first is understand the technology. Too many senior figures in Ireland have digital literacy problems. The recent Momo hoax was a prime example of this. A good deal of energy (and, in some cases, credibility) was wasted chasing after a ghost. A safety commissioner needs to know a non-threat just as much as a genuine one - and to be able to step in to reassure an anxious public.

They also need to be pragmatic, even while talking tough. One of the biggest image problems the Irish Data Protection Commissioner's office had in its early years was an impression it was too close to the big tech firms. One reason for this was that the office made itself available for 'consultations' with the Facebooks of this world. But while German privacy advocates sneered at us, this may have led to bad products being canned or changed before they were released, saving millions of people from a bad outcome.

As recently as last week, the current Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon, reiterated this. Potentially harmful or unlawful services are ditched, she told me in an interview, because of consultative meetings with her office. (She mentioned one in particular that had been sent back to the drawing board following a meeting last month.)

A safety commissioner has to prioritise a better end result for kids, even if it means getting under the hood with big online firms. It is ultimately more effective than public relations optics or applause from Sunday radio show panels.

That said, one thing the new safety commissioner should not worry about is offending the tech firms. There is a trope that officials have to be nice to Facebook or Google for fear of offending their investment plans here. In my experience reporting on the sector over two decades, this is largely illusory. No big tech firm will make a decision to pull 5,000 or 10,000 people out of a country's headquarters because a safety commissioner talks tough. They will especially not do this if they believe that modifying a product, service or online process will prevent further problems in other European countries. That's not the way these big companies think. Especially on non-tax issues.

That said, there are going to be quite a few frustrating limitations.

Domain is one. The new office will have a direct line into Google (YouTube), Facebook and Twitter. They're all headquartered in Dublin. But many popular platforms aren't. Snapchat is the prime example - it remains the most-used social network by teens and kids with around a million accounts here.

The safety commissioner also surely needs to have a strategy to deal with smaller - but growing - platforms such as TikTok. (If you haven't heard of this but have kids, look it up.)

Then there are some platforms with controversial histories, such as Ask.fm, which was at the centre of a storm over bullying and suicides a few years back.

Will a commissioner simply shrug his or her shoulders and say it's not in their geographical domain?

Australia's eSafety Commissioner, repeatedly referenced by Bruton last week as a potential comparison to Ireland's proposed body, says clearly that it is often geographically limited. For example, in the instance of intimate or compromising images posted as revenge or an act of harassment, the Australian body says it can only help in cases where both victim and aggressor are resident in the country and the image is hosted there, too. Ireland's online safety commissioner needs to have a strategy to deal with that.

So who fits the bill?

Someone like Johnny Ryan of the privacy web browser company Brave might do a good job. One of Ireland's undisputed internet experts, he recently showed a lot of effectiveness in challenging Google and the Interactive Advertising Bureau on the topic of targeting vulnerable individuals with ads.

Some working in the field of internet safety, such as Simon Grehan, might also be a natural candidate. As would those who currently lead childrens' safety organisations, such as Childrens' Rights Alliance boss Tanya Ward or Cybersafe Ireland's Alex Cooney.

A really innovative choice might be Dylan Collins, one of Ireland's most experienced and knowledgeable tech founders who is currently growing his successful 'kidtech' firm SuperAwesome. Unfortunately, because that company appears to be doing well building products which protect children from being targeted by online ads, he would be very unlikely to consider the post.

(None of these people are friends of mine, by the way - I mention them solely based on professional interaction and reputation.)

To be fair to the Government, the time is right to do this.

Facebook knows which way the wind is blowing, if last week's 'privacy first' memo from Mark Zuckerberg is anything to go by. YouTube does too. Two weeks ago, it announced it will soon ban all comments on all videos which show young children. The subsidiary of Google said it was doing this because of "predatory" comments being left on the videos, which sometimes acted as a resource for paedophiles.

This is an unprecedented move - the biggest I can remember in covering social networks and online video platforms.

It shows that there's an open door for a decent Online Safety Commissioner to effectively protect kids in a way which hasn't been done before.
Interesting to note that high-flying Silicon-Valley-focused Irish semiconductor company Decawave has raised yet more cash.

Documents lodged with the Companies Office show that the firm - led by tech entrepreneur Ciaran Connell - has raised 16m from a number of investors including Atlantic Bridge, the China Ireland Growth Technology Fund and venture capital fund ACT.

This time last year it closed a $30m funding round and announced 100 new jobs. Few who know the industry will be surprised that Decawave's growth continues. Developing semiconductor chips is not a cheap undertaking - just ask Intel.

But more than that, Decawave has threatened for some time now to deliver on its game-changing promise.

Ireland has many interesting startups, but few have developed a high-tech product quite as advanced or quite as likely to change the way all sorts of other products can operate.

In the most basic terms, the computer chip that Decawave has developed wants to do for the indoors what GPS did for the outdoors. It can very precisely measure distance indoors where GPS doesn't work. When the tiny inexpensive chip is installed into any device - phones, cars, key fobs, you name it - it helps to bring the so-called Internet of Things alive.

Its latest 4Z chips, launched last month, allow for ultra-secure mobile transactions, a market that can only grow in an increasingly cashless world. The latest investment would appear to be another step towards delivering on that promise.

Futurist predicts health care changes at Davy event

Moves by the Trump administration to lower prices for medicines and devices, together with the impact of disruptive technologies, could have a dramatic impact on the profitability and sustainability of Irelands globally renowned pharma and medical device companies, according to futurist, inventor and healthcare pioneer Nicholas J Webb.

He was speaking at the Davy Annual Conference in the National Convention Centre last week, on a theme of The Future of Healthcare and its Impact on Ireland. The event was attended by over 1600 Davy clients. He predicts that within a six-to-eight year time frame in-ear and other wearable technology will be able to generate continuous healthcare data via a personalised app-driven dashboard to inform and anticipate future healthcare needs.

* * * * *

Fresh off its reinvention as a new trendy eatery, the rest of the building which housed Dublins famous Kylemore Cafe looks set to host a new boutique hotel. Investment group Heights Hospitality Operations, the folks behind the three-star Temple Bar Inn, have applied to bring 41 bedrooms to the OConnell Street unit. No changes will be made to the cafe, SoMa.

The ground floor will have a concierge while the bedrooms will be spread out across the other four floors. A dining and reception area will sit on the first floor.
Hardly a week goes by without some controversy cascading into the public domain involving social media platforms and tales of tasteless videos, inappropriate ad placements or data breaches.

While some of this triggers mild outrage for all of 10 seconds in the minds of those who are the most fervent users of social media, it is interesting to note there appears to be a growing backlash from within the tech industry itself.

One prominent figure who has joined the so-called 'techlash' chorus is Roger McNamee, a 60-something veteran of the venture capital industry, who has turned his guns on Facebook, a company in which he invested and gave some of his time to mentor a young Mark Zuckerberg.

McNamee's recently published book, Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe (Harper Collins, 23.80), traces the often thorny path one of the world's most successful ever brands has taken since it first started shaking the Silicon Valley money trees 13 years ago in its quest for investors, advisers and ways of monetising its new platform, right through to the many controversial and scandalous cock-ups in recent years.

As an early stage investor and adviser, McNamee is also credited with introducing Sheryl Sandberg to the company.

Well-known and liked in Silicon Valley, he also set up Elevation with U2 front man Bono. Elevation was a $1.9bn private equity firm which took a punt on companies straddling the fertile ground where technology intersected with media. Apart from Facebook, Elevation made a number of other investments in companies such as video-game developer BioWare/Pandemic Studios (later acquired by Electronic Arts), Yelp, Forbes Media and Palm.

But it was Facebook which provided Elevation with its most successful punt and McNamee was an early member of the Facebook cheerleaders club, which also included Bono and his guitar-playing fellow band member The Edge.

This was also at a time when Silicon Valley was thriving in a laissez-faire legislative environment and when it was acceptable to disrupt and break things like there was no tomorrow or, for that matter, consequences.

Saccharine-sweet platitudes about engagement and connecting the world were never questioned, yet they soon morphed into euphemisms for taking your personal data and flogging it to any advertiser who wanted to bid for it.

As McNamee witnessed the growth of Facebook, how personal data was being used and abused by tech companies and the impact social media platforms were having on the mental health of society, he started to question himself, his judgment and of course Facebook. His Damascene conversion was complete by the time the US presidential election came about in 2016 and when it emerged Russia may have influenced the outcome by using Facebook to get to voters.

For McNamee, this threat to democracy was the last straw. As he noted in the book: "Facebook has managed to connect 2.2 billion people and drive them apart at the same time."

The solution? For a start, McNamee believes it is imperative people are given complete control and ownership of their data and it should not be sold to advertisers without their permission. Cue heavy sighs from the investment community.

He also believes it's high time legislators around the world updated competition regulations to deal with the digital age and, in particular, the so-called digital duopoly that is Facebook and Google.

"Normally, I would approach regulation with extreme reluctance, but the ongoing damage to democracy, public health, privacy and competition justifies extraordinary measures," he says.

The book is not without its shortcomings. While it is clear McNamee was an insider in the early days, as the years moved on and as Facebook scaled its operations globally, he no longer enjoyed the same levels of access, and a lot of the insights about the direction of the business were gleaned from the sidelines. In fact, when he wrote that much-publicised letter to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg in 2017 to express his shock and dismay about how things had panned out for the company, society and the platform's users, they barely acknowledged him.

Readers could be forgiven for thinking that without Bono's and McNamee's dosh, Facebook might never have taken off. The reality is that investors such as Peter Thiel, Accel Partners, Greylock Ventures and Meritech Capital were in there long before they were.

But these are minor distractions and should not dilute the messages McNamee wants us to listen to. As he notes in his concluding chapter, "a dystopian technology future overran our lives before we were ready. As a result, we now face issues for which there are no easy answers and without much time to act".
A new Channel 4 drama which delves into the Irish care system is set to hit our screens.

The Virtues will reunite This is England filmmaker Shane Meadows with Bafta-nominated actor Stephen Graham.

It is the latest in a string of Irish-themed dramas from the British station that include the phenomenally successful Derry Girls and Catastrophe.

In the new Ireland-based drama, Graham plays a barely on-the-wagon alcoholic called Joseph whose world is turned upside down when his ex-partner moves from Liverpool to Australia with their young son for a better life.

After going back on the alcohol, Joseph boards a boat for Ireland to confront "hazy, fear-inducing memories from a childhood spent in the care system that he's had to forget".

"The Virtues is a visceral and hauntingly unforgettable paean to the human spirit, shot through with bittersweet tenderness, compassion and unexpected moments of laugh-out-loud humour throughout," a Channel 4 spokesperson said.

Catastrophe, Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney's sitcom about a dysfunctional couple, was originally turned down by the BBC, while Derry Girls has proved to be an unlikely global hit for Channel 4.

The second series of the Northern Irish drama is already earning critical acclaim as it showcases the hilarious lives of teenagers living through the Troubles.

The station also famously brought Father Ted to the world after it was turned down by RTE.

In The Virtues, Joseph reunites back in Ireland with Anna, the sister he hasn't met since they were children, who is played by Helen Behan.

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Angela's Ashes actor Frank Laverty plays Anna's husband, Michael, who is persuaded to allow her long-lost brother to stay and work in the family-owned building company.

Back in Ireland, Joseph is forced to directly confront the demons of his past when he comes face to face with a shadowy figure called Craigy, played by Mark O'Halloran.

The series of four hour-long episodes also features actress Niamh Cusack.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has described the ex-member of the Defence Forces detained in Syria as an "engaging and kind person" who he recalls speaking to when he travelled on the government jet.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent yesterday afternoon, Mr Ahern said he would "always talk to" Lisa Smith, an Air Corps flight attendant.

"I remember she was in the Defence Forces and then got into the Air Corps - and I remember thinking it was strange that she left suddenly, because usually people would stay on for a long time once they got into the Air Corps."

"I'm not sure what she was up to, but I do think the Consular Service should get her home.

"I don't know what she might be guilty of or not guilty of - but if she is an Irish citizen she should be brought home. She has a kid. Get her home and then decide what to do with her," he said.

Speaking about the people who have been radicalised by Isil ideology, he said: "Obviously there was some attraction, or some brainwashing that went on. Young people will always be looking for an element of excitement, but that was a strange one to get involved in."

Asked how to stop Irish citizens being radicalised in future, Mr Ahern said: "That's a bigger question. Why do people get involved with criminal gangs? Why do they get involved with drug-related gangs? It's complicated."

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern described her as a "lovely girl" who was "great fun" to travel with on the government jet.

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Mr Ahern regularly flew on the state-owned jet during his time in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ms Smith was often on those trips.

Before converting to Islam in 2011, Ms Smith served in the Air Corps wing of the Defence Forces.

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Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Mr Ahern said: "She was on the government jet morning, noon and night.

"She was great, she was great fun and a lovely girl and she was very bubbly."

He said he was "always delighted" when Ms Smith was working on the flights that he was taking as she was from his home town of Dundalk.

"I remember her well. I was always delighted when she was on the jet because I could have a bit of craic with her about Dundalk," he said. "There was always a bit of slagging because she was from Dundalk."

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Mr Ahern said he was not aware that Ms Smith had converted to Islam. He added that he knew her family but not very well.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said it was "highly unlikely" that he would send officials to the "world's most dangerous country" to meet Ms Smith.

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"As Minister for Justice, my primary obligation and responsibility is the security of this State and its people," Mr Flanagan told the Sunday Independent.

"We've nobody from the State or any agencies there, and it is extremely dangerous terrain. Officials cannot be put at risk - and their safety is paramount."

Mr Flanagan said the Government would rely on "international partners for a true and accurate assessment and information".

It is understood that Irish security services first started an intelligence file on Ms Smith after she was interviewed by the Irish Independent about converting to Islam.

In the 2011 interview, she described previously hating Muslims, saying: "I'd see them and think: bombers."

However, she got to know some Muslim girls in Dundalk and then through Facebook.

"They seemed so peaceful and content and they never worried about stuff," she said. "So I asked one of them for the loan of their Koran. I read it - and knew straight away it was for me."

In 2015, Ms Smith travelled to Syria where it is believed she was sympathetic to Isil.

It is also understood that the Irish security services established that Ms Smith had set up social media accounts using aliases.
'Feck them," said Breda O'Dwyer. The witness was talking about farmers placing late orders for bull semen. She clamped her hand across her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said to the judge and took a sip of water.

Light moments in a murder trial are rare. Not for the first time, Breda O'Dwyer had raised a smile in the otherwise tense and serious atmosphere of Court 13.

She had grinned at the prosecuting counsel, Michael Bowman, when he asked her to explain: "What is a heifer?"

She had stood, hand on hip, in front of a big screen, explaining a diagram she had drawn of a milking parlour before segueing into a description of what time she used to drop her children to school.

She had interrupted the defence counsel, Bernard Condon, during cross-examination - "Can I speak?" - earning a stern reminder that she was there to answer questions.

Ms O'Dwyer was giving evidence in the trial of dairy farmer Patrick Quirke (50) at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Bobby Ryan (52). Mr Quirke pleads not guilty.

The court has already heard the background of a case that has generated huge interest in the Tipperary heartland where the events unfolded.

There has been evidence of how Mr Quirke, from Breanshamore, three miles outside Tipperary town, had an affair with Mary Lowry, a widow whose farm he leased at nearby Fawnagowan. Her late husband was not only Mr Quirke's friend, but his wife Imelda's brother.

When the affair ended in December 2010, Ms Lowry began a relationship with Bobby Ryan, a DJ who went by the name Mr Moonlight and who was a "breath of fresh air", she told the court.

Six months later, on June 3, 2011, Bobby Ryan left Mary Lowry's home at 6.30am and disappeared. Almost two years elapsed before Patrick Quirke found his body on a run-off tank on Mary Lowry's farm.

The prosecution claims Patrick Quirke murdered Bobby Ryan to rekindle his affair with Mary Lowry and that he staged the discovery of the body on April 30, 2013, because his lease on the farm was coming to an end and he would have to leave.

Mr Quirke denies this.

Breda O'Dwyer was one of several local people, farm workers and professionals, who came to Dublin last week to testify - in the process opening a window on the world of farming life in rural Ireland. The thrust of Ms O'Dwyer's evidence related largely to her interactions with Pat Quirke on the morning that Bobby Ryan disappeared; she said he was milking his cows later than he usually would.

An artificial insemination technician from Annacrotty, Co Tipperary, Breda O'Dwyer described her job as: "Me driving along with a tank full of frozen bull semen."

Farmers would usually order the semen online and she would go from farm to farm with "straws" of semen stored in nitrogen, and would administer it herself. She often got into the cattle crush to do so.

She organised her route in advance as she didn't want to be "zig-zagging" around the countryside "wasting diesel". "This is all about making money," she said.

Pat Quirke was always among the first or second farmers on her route. She had known him for years, he had been at school with her sister and she herself milked his cows at one time although "it's a long time since I did that", she said.

On the morning of June 3, 2011, she arrived at Pat Quirke's farm about 9.30am.

Was Pat Quirke normally there when she would arrive, the prosecution counsel asked.

"No," she replied. Normally the farmers would be "cleaned up and gone", the machinery would be switched off and "the whole place would be spotless".

On that morning, she said, Pat Quirke was in the "pit" in the milking parlour, milking cows. She said she would have spoken to him, and then she inseminated two cows and left. She would have been in and out in 15 minutes, provided she didn't get kicked, she said, and he was still there "in the same place" when she left.

Ms O'Dwyer was asked about a text message she received from Pat Quirke at 7.24am. But she couldn't say what it was about because she had deleted it. The defence counsel brought it up when they cross-examined her. She had told gardai that it was normal for farmers to text her in the morning. She told the court it was "standard practice" for farmers to only text her if they didn't have cows for bulling. Ms O'Dwyer said she was mistaken in what she had told gardai.

She was also questioned at length about losing her work diary from that time. She had consulted it in 2014 when she spoke to gardai but since then, she couldn't find it, even though she had "rooted" for it everywhere.

She spoke to Pat Quirke about the discovery of Bobby Ryan's body. "It was coming up in the newspaper and I was going in and out of Pat's. I wasn't going to talk about the weather like."

Their conversations were "general" - "what had happened, who would have done it that kind of thing", she said.

He told her gardai had taken his electronic equipment and would be contacting her because her phone number was on them.

He also spoke about the day Bobby Ryan disappeared, when she had come to the farm. "He said Sean Dillon was there; did I not remember Sean Dillon was there?'" she said.

"I didn't see him," she told the court. "Now that's not to say Sean wasn't there."

For his part, Sean Dillon did not remember seeing Breda O'Dwyer that morning either. It was "possible she was", he told the court last week, but he couldn't "fully remember talking to her or anything".

He didn't have a good memory in general, he said.

Sean Dillon lived in Breansha too, on a farm with his mother, father and sister, a couple of miles up the road. His father was Imelda Quirke's cousin. He had worked on Pat Quirke's farm since he was seven, he said, and spent a lot of time there. His jobs included moving cattle, feeding cattle and driving tractors from around the age of 13. At the end of the year, Pat Quirke would give him a bullock as payment, which Sean Dillon would sell on a year later. He was interested in farming, he said, and he had told gardai that Pat Quirke was "very good at explaining stuff" to him and that he learned a lot from him. He would never give out to you if you did something wrong.

When he was 17, and got his first car, Pat Quirke paid the 3,000 cost of his motor insurance.

On June 3, 2011, the day that Bobby Ryan disappeared, Sean Dillon was 14. Testifying last week, he couldn't be sure of the date but knew it was the day after his school holidays that he called to Pat Quirke's farm. He had phoned him the night before about borrowing a tractor. He called over around 8.15am the next morning and Pat Quirke asked him to "do a few jobs".

His memory was not clear, but he said it would not be unusual for Pat to ask him to help him finish off the milking. The milking usually finished at 9.30am, but he agreed with the defence counsel that times could vary.

Later on the day that Pat Quirke discovered Bobby Ryan's body on Mary Lowry's farm, he and his mam called to the Quirkes, he said. The talk was about the discovery of the body. "They said it was found in a septic tank," said Mr Dillon. He also remembered Pat Quirke saying a calf's leg had got stuck in it.

In previous weeks, the court has heard that Mr Quirke told gardai that the last time he had looked in the run-off tank was in 2008 when a calf got its leg stuck in the concrete cover and he fenced around it.

The court heard from two of Mr Quirke's farmhands, Gary Cunningham, a student, and Emmet Kenny, a farmer. Gary Cunningham said he was unaware of the run-off tank where Bobby Ryan's body was found. Emmet Kenny said he was aware of the tank but did not put up fencing around it.

Both men had brief conversations with Mr Quirke about what he'd found.

Gary Cunningham said Pat Quirke told him he'd heard rumours that a "Polish" group was involved in Bobby Ryan's murder.

Emmet Kenny told the court he was in Pat Quirke's milking parlour the day after the body was found. "Did you hear?" asked Pat Quirke. He replied: "I did, yes."

No more was said.

Before Bobby Ryan disappeared, Pat Quirke had disclosed to his GP his affair with Mary Lowry. Dr Ivor Hanrahan told the court that on September 7, 2010, Mr Quirke came to his surgery for a routine visit. He was having difficulty sleeping, had work-related stress and financial stress.

As he wasn't keen on medication, Dr Hanrahan recommended a counsellor. He later prescribed Mr Quirke an anti-depressant but mainly to help him sleep.

At the end of 2010, Mr Quirke rang his GP. "He remained very distressed and upset and did disclose to me over the phone that he had a number of issues bothering him that he didn't want to go into over the phone," Dr Hanrahan said. The doctor asked Mr Quirke to come and see him face to face.

On February 3, 2011, he did. During that consultation, he said, Mr Quirke disclosed his extra-marital affair, expressing upset, distress and guilt.

Even though the affair had ended by then, and Mary Lowry was in a relationship with another man, he believed Mr Quirke still had feelings for her. "I believe he was quite hurt and upset at the fact she had become involved with someone else," he said.

Questioned by the defence, he said Mr Quirke had an "adjustment disorder", which occurs as a direct consequence of a stressful life event. He may not have met the criteria for depression.

The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women.
Irish Isil bride Lisa Smith made several attempts to secure cash through money transfers to fund her journey home with her two-year-old child.

With Kurdish-led forces closing in on the last enclave held by Isil in northern Syria, Ms Smith tried frantically to plan her escape with the help of family members over the past month.

She was hoping to travel back into Europe through Turkey but was then intercepted and detained in US custody.

It is now expected that Department of Foreign Affairs officials will make further contact with the US government through diplomatic channels to confirm their position on Ms Smith's fate.

The US is likely to favour handing back Ms Smith, who is from Dundalk and has been travelling on an Irish passport, to the Irish authorities.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has already outlined his view that Ireland should not expect our citizens to be somebody's else problem and said he was "very loath" to revoke anyone's citizenship, provided they were a citizen by right or had acquired their citizenship appropriately.

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Gardai have been in contact with Ms Smith's family in Dundalk but said they could not yet confirm officially to them that the Irish citizen in custody was the former member of the Defence Forces.

Officers from military intelligence and the Garda security and intelligence section have been tracking her movements for the last 18 months but were not certain until recently of her exact whereabouts.

However, briefings supplied last week from the US made it clear that she was desperate to leave the Isil enclave and return home.

As an Isil bride, officers consider Ms Smith to be a sympathiser rather than a fighter with Isil and this is expected to be taken into account when she is questioned after her return to Ireland.

A decision will be made after fuller inquiries have been carried out on whether her activities in Syria since she arrived there in 2015 would leave her open to criminal prosecution here.

Ms Smith left the Defence Forces in 2011 after converting to Islam. She had served as a private with a transport battalion and was also a flight attendant on the Government jet in the Air Corps.

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After the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces arrested Alexandr Ruzmatovich Bekmirzaev in December, it was estimated by senior intelligence officers here that half a dozen Irish passport-holders were still in Isil-controlled areas of Syria.

Bekmirzaev has denied claims that he was active with Isil but while he lived in Dublin, the Belarus native was regarded by Garda anti-terrorism officers as "a senior player" among Isil supporters operating in this country.

Around 30 people left Ireland and travelled to Syria and Iraq, not all of them to join Isil. But it is believed that many of them are now dead or have travelled to other 'theatres of war' such as in the Philippines, the Horn of Africa and North Africa.

Neither Ms Smith nor her family have yet contacted any government department but the Department of Foreign Affairs has made it clear that it will offer her full consular assistance, if she seeks it.

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Ms Smith's family have also denied she was involved with Isil.

Ms Smith is now likely to be the subject of negotiations with the US government about what will happen to her from here.
Gardai suspect a lone wolf who revels in stirring up publicity - rather than dissident republicans - could be behind a letter bomb campaign directed at key British transport hubs last week.

Gardai had originally put dissident republicans at the top of the suspect list. However, now they have broadened out their inquiries to consider whether an individual with a grudge is a more likely suspect, with Brexit a possible motive, according to an informed source this weekend.

Counter-terrorism police in Dublin and London are working closely to identify those responsible for three letter bombs, at least two of which were sent from Ireland.

Dublin postmarks and An Post stamps were found on at least two of the letters sent to Heathrow and London City airports and to Waterloo train station in London.

One device exploded, causing little damage except to the package that it was in, but the other two failed to detonate and were kept intact.

A fourth parcel bomb was sent to the University of Glasgow, causing students to be evacuated while police conducted a controlled explosion.

Police in Scotland linked the parcel bomb to the devices sent to London, saying there were similarities in the package, its marking and the type of device it contained.

A security source said that as yet no suspects had been identified and no one had claimed responsibility.

British police hoped the packages would yield forensic evidence, such as DNA on the stamps, fingerprints or handwriting leads.

Gardai at the Special Detective Unit are awaiting a forensic analysis of the letter bombs from their UK counterparts.

The so-called New IRA claimed to be behind a similar campaign in Northern Ireland in 2013 and 2014, when crude parcel bombs were sent to British military recruitment centres.

The packages were also sent to the offices of the PSNI's chief constable, and the then Northern Ireland secretary. Coded messages to newspapers claimed that the IRA was behind the attacks.

The purpose of the new letter bomb campaign is more likely to be a publicity stunt, rather than an attempt to cause serious damage or injury, according to security sources who say the devices were crude and would at worst cause minor burns to those handling them.

Dissident republicans, meanwhile, have stepped up their violent campaign, most recently with a car bomb that detonated outside a courthouse in Derry in January. The bomb was claimed by the New IRA.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, the UK's senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing, told reporters in Scotland last week that there was still no clear motivation behind the incidents.

"We are talking to our Irish counterparts but at the moment there's nothing to indicate the motivation of the sender or ideology, so I cannot confirm at the moment if it's connected to any Ireland-related terrorist groups," he said.

Police warned that there could be more parcels and urged those handling mail to be vigilant.

Commander Clarke Jarrett, head of the Met's Police Counter Terrorism Command, said staff at transport hubs and mail sorting companies were being urged to report any suspicious packages to police.
Visits to refugee camps are routine for journalists stationed in Syria or near its borders. Rarely do they meet women who are willing and able to speak in English about life under Isil's control.

When these women speak, the interviews are pored over in the West for new insights into how and why they sacrificed Western freedoms to live under Isil's restrictive regime.

Last week, a Syrian freelance journalist carried out a series of interviews in a makeshift camp with refugees fleeing Isil's final stronghold, Baghuz.

Among them was a woman with her few belongings in small bags. She was carrying her young son who innocently babbled in the background throughout the interview.

Dressed in a black headscarf, her face covered, the woman told the journalist her name was Umrah Kia. However, her family say she is Lisa Smith (37), a former member of the Defence Forces. "We knew by the voice it was her," a relative said.

She spoke Arabic and English but had a Western accent and identified herself as British. Because of this claim, footage of the six-minute interview made its way to ITV's London studios where producers recognised her accent as Irish.

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They released the footage last Sunday with a warning. Viewers were told it was difficult to verify if the woman was who she claimed to be, and ITV News security editor Rohit Kachroo made viewers aware her accent was Irish.

ITV ran snippets of the footage recounting her tale of fleeing Isil's final bastion. She painted a bleak picture of Baghuz. "The people don't have food. They're struggling for food and money and everything is expensive, so I don't know how they're going to keep living," she said.

"They're tired. Morale is low, I suppose. Some are strong but it's like any roller coaster for people. Some want to be [there], some don't want to be [there]. Some are hungry, some are not hungry."

She said she had converted to Islam seven years ago before being tempted to Syria by Isil's propaganda.

She hinted at not getting the life she wanted. "You come and see the propaganda, the videos. You want Islam. You want to come, you want to live in a Muslim country, a Muslim environment. No music, no smoking, no drinking, no prostitution - anything like this. You want clean - a clean life like this. This is what you want but sometimes it is not like this."

She travelled to Syria alone but met a man and eventually married him. She claimed that he was British and died two months ago.

Isil has been under relentless pressure in recent weeks, but the woman seemed determined it would remain undefeated. Speaking in Arabic at the end of the interview, she says: "It's not over. It's not over yet."
The Muslim Imam of Dundalk declared he would have tried "one thousand times" to discourage convert Lisa Smith from travelling to Syria.

Imam Nooh Buye said he did not know the Dundalk woman who converted to Islam and went to live in the Isil caliphate in Syria.

"I did not know her. I would have tried to discourage her one thousand times from travelling there if I had known her," he said.

"I condemn the violence of Isil. And I condemn Isil. They do not represent the Islam that I know. What they teach is anti-Islamic. I cannot and could not support anyone travelling to join them. I would discourage it one thousand times," added the Imam.

He said that Lisa Smith, like all Muslims, would need to be "brought to book" if she broke any laws of the countries where she lived.

He said Islam was clear that the laws of the land must be upheld in order to protect the people in the community.

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"If she broke laws then, like all others, she must face the consequences," he said.

If a Muslim does wrong, that person must be supported in taking responsibility for the wrong done, he said.

Another Muslim man, Femi Bodunrin, who has lived in Dundalk for 20 years, said he did not know Lisa and he supported the Imam.

At the Dundalk estate where Lisa Smith grew up, people were divided about whether the Government should intervene to seek her release and return to Ireland.
Lisa Smith first approached the Muslim community in Dundalk in 2010 hoping to convert. She was a woman in her late 20s from a traditional Catholic family with a decade's service in the Defence Forces. She served for five years in the army and five more with the Air Corps working on the government jet, serving Taoisigh and government ministers.

A Muslim friend recalled that she was "a nice girl, she is a generous, nice, sweet girl and she is genuinely funny", a girl in search of meaning. Nine years later she is stranded in a squalid camp in northern Syria with a two-year-old son and a few belongings, under guard from Kurdish opposition forces, warning the world via ITV news that Isil is "not over."

What happened? According to her friends and to gardai, she was radicalised within a short time of her conversion, both online and through individuals in Louth whom gardai suspected were Isil sympathisers.

"I believe she was brainwashed, something has happened to Lisa because that's not her," she said. "That is not the family she came from. She has a decent family, and a good upbringing. I don't know that person at all, I don't know her."

Lisa explained her own reasons for becoming a Muslim in an interview with the journalist Margaret Carragher that was published in the Irish Independent in May 2011.

She was still working in the Defence Forces at the time.

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She said she had lived it up, drinking, smoking, trying drugs, but she wanted more and went in search of answers. "why we were here, what was our purpose in life. I just knew we couldn't be on this Earth for no reason," she said.

"I went through the whole spirituality phase, Buddhism and stuff, and nothing was registering. Fairies, angels, reiki, the works - and then I was thinking that there was no god, just a god consciousness."

She said she met women in the Muslim community through friends in Dundalk and Facebook. "They seemed so peaceful and content and they never worried about stuff. So I asked one of them for the loan of their Koran. I read it and knew straight away it was for me."

She converted in April 2011, a month before that interview, and was preparing to give up her job in the Defence Forces because "working with men is not a good thing for a Muslim woman".

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This weekend, Lisa's Muslim friend recalled how she spent a year-and-a-half helping her to convert to Islam.

She said that when they first met, Lisa was talking and thinking about the "normal things" that any young woman would think about, getting married, her work, her future. Lisa left the Defence Forces later in 2011 when her contract ended, and she talked about re-training.

"But after a while there was an undercut of things that she was questioning, that you knew were coming from a rhetoric," said her Muslim friend.

"Lisa was a very determined girl, she's clever. When she's into something, she throws her whole heart and soul into it. She was doing this for herself, for her life and I think she was taken advantage of. I think someone locked into her vulnerability and took advantage of her good-natured soul."

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As to who was taking advantage of her, she did not know. "I knew Lisa for a while after she became a Muslim. Lisa worked. There was no opportunity for Lisa to be going and meeting people. When she did stop working, she did make new friends and she would go and meet her new friends. That's when things started to change more. You wouldn't see her as much. It was a very, very slow process. She was around all the time and then she wasn't."

Her friend said: "I am only guessing here because I don't know, but I would say a lot of it was online. I know a lot of people who would have got a little on the extreme side, and it's all through Facebook, people sending you things, getting you to read things, and then it leads to instant messaging and that kind of thing. If I was to hazard a guess, I would say that's how it worked."

Lisa's Muslim friend said they fell out and after a couple of years, she lost contact with her. By then, Lisa Smith was already on the Garda radar. A security source told the Sunday Independent that they had suspicions about her since her newspaper interview in 2011 in which this serving Irish solider declared her conversion to Islam.

A security source said detectives monitored her in the company of people on their Isil sympathiser watch list in the busy border town. "There are people who would have similar views in the area," said one source. But they believed she had been radicalised online.

In the years after Lisa became a Muslim, Isil was on a bloody path of proclaiming a worldwide caliphate, and claiming authority over all Muslims worldwide.

As she would later tell the ITV reporter from the detention camp in Syria, she was sucked in by the propaganda.

She was not the only one. At that time, several networks of Isil sympathisers were operating in Ireland. A Jordanian "facilitator", who has since been deported, was suspected of recruiting the Irish convert, Terence Khalid Kelly, who died in a suicide attack in Iraq. A reported Isil defector claimed in an interview that 40 Irish or "Irlandi" were fighting in Syria and Iraq.

In 2015, Lisa Smith went off the Garda radar. "When she disappeared, we believed that she had travelled," said one security source. Garda conducted a search at a house linked to her, according to sources. They strongly suspected she had travelled to Syria but had no hard information.

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Lisa's Muslim friend said she heard on the grapevine that she had travelled.

"I never believed it," she said. "People were talking but people talk all the time. How did she get there? How did people not know? How did she travel there on her Irish passport? That's why I 100 per cent believe she was coerced into something."

It now seems that Lisa Smith did "get there".

In late February, an ITV film crew visited a camp in northern Syria. They were hoping to interview some of the foreign fighters from countries across the world who had travelled to fight for Isil.

Among the wives and families of the so-called fighters at the camp was a woman whom gardai now suspect is Lisa Smith.

She told the reporter she was British. But it was later noted that she spoke with an Irish accent.

She spoke both Arabic and English. She said she had converted to Islam seven years ago. She claimed she travelled to Syria alone, where she met and married her husband, a British man.

"You come, you see the propaganda, you want Islam, you want to come and live in Muslim country and environment. No music, no smoking, no fighting, no drinking, no prostitution... you want a clean life like this, that is what you want, but sometimes it is not like this."

She said her husband died two months ago. She told the reporter she had just left Baghouz, the final patch of land held by Isil, with just a few bags and her son.

"How are the people in Baghouz now, that's left behind, they're tired. Morale is low I suppose. Some are strong, it's like any rollercoaster of people. Some want to leave, some don't. Some are hungry, some are not hungry. Some are tired, not tired."

Is Isil over now, she replied: "Not over yet. Not over yet."

The interview, broadcast on March 3, sparked off a litany of calls and contacts that culminated last Friday with the security services, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Forces liaising on what steps they should take next.

As opposition forces closed in on Isil, the thousands of foreign fighters and sympathisers who answered the call and travelled to Syria are now languishing in detention camps under the control of US backed opposition forces. Their governments are in a quandary as to what to do wtih them.

The British Jihadi bride, Shamina Begum, is to lose her citizenship , making her stateless.

Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, indicated earlier this month that he didn't agree with that approach.

Another Irish citizen, Alexandr Ruzmatovich Bekmirzaev, who was captured on December 30 in Syria, by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, has indicated in an interview that he wants to come home.

Lisa Smith's family are desperately trying to get her home. Her Muslim friend said this weekend that while she recognised the woman she saw on television reports, she didn't "know" her.

"There is definitely some sort of brain washing on a level that we don't know here," she said.

"One thing I can 100pc be sure of is that there is no way in hell that Lisa Smith has been doing anything with regards to using guns, or fighting, I don't think that's the case at all."

She said that whatever Lisa learned, she did not pick it up from her Muslim brethren in Louth.

"Nothing that she has learned did she learn from any of us in the Mosque. She was not affiliated with any mosque, not in Dublin and not here," she said.

Either way a camp in Syria is "no place for her," she said. "It is no place for her child. I can only imagine what is going on in the mind of her parents at the moment."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Ministers Heather Humphreys TD and Paschal ODonohoe TD. Rosa Langhammer, General Manager of Coder Dojo (far left) and Emily Gilsenan (11)

Protesters have gathered today at the home of Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, as he attended the launch of the Future Jobs Ireland strategy in Dublin.

Mr Donohoe was escorted from the launch early in his Dublin Central constituency after officials informed him of the demonstration at his Phibsborough home.

The protest follows similar demonstrations outside the homes of the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, Minister for Communications, Richard Bruton and Minister for Health, Simon Harris.

Mr Donohoes home was the target of two demonstrations in 2015 when former aviation workers disputed changes to the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme (IASS) pension fund at the properties of the then Minister of Transport.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed to the Independent.ie that the protesters left the scene peacefully after they arrived.

"I can confirm that Gardai attended the scene of a protest outside a house in Drumcondra," she said.

"Protesters have left the scene peacefully and enquiries will be carried out."

Minister Donohoe had been attending the launch of the publication of Future Jobs Ireland 2019: Preparing Now for Tomorrows Economy.

He was joined by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister Heather Humphreys at the event at Dogpatch Labs in The CHQ Building at Custom House Quay.
Ray Quinn pictured with a photograph of his wedding with wife Joyce at his Kildare home

The husband of murdered Joyce Quinn has appealed for her killer to be banned from Kildare for the safety of his family.

Killer Kenneth OReilly was hitchhiking in Milltown on the evening of January 23, 1996 and when Ms Quinn (44), who ran a local shop, picked him up. The murderer, who was 22 when the incident took place, stabbed the victim in the heart and drove to a secluded location before raping her and stabbing her in the neck.

Having served a life sentence, OReilly is due to be released in the coming months and Ray Quinn, the husband of the murdered woman, said that he would be "appalled" if his wifes killer was allowed to return to Kildare following his imminent release.

"I would be appalled if that happened," he told Newstalk.

"My three children are all married now, they all have children, and they all live in the locality.

"Joyces poor mother comes down; shes very, very old now. We are the victims here. Why should we have to take the chance of bumping into this man who has caused us such misery?

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"He got a life sentence. We dont have the death penalty here, thank god, but when people get a life sentence there should be conditions attached to the parole and one of the conditions should be that hes done this, should he be allowed to come back to Milltown and play happy families? Our family has been destroyed.

"Milltown is a tiny community. If he fades into anonymity in a big city like Cork, Limerick or Dublin, hes anonymous. Here hes not," he continued.

"Everyone knows what he did. If that guy looks sideways at any female in the area, her brothers, her friends, her father, her uncle, are they going to give him the befit of the doubt? I think not."

OReilly pleaded guilty to murder, but because an inability to scientifically categorise the sexual assault that Ms Quinn suffered, he was not given any sexual charges and therefore will not be placed on a sex offenders register upon his release.

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Mr Quinn said that it is a failing of our judicial system that the likes of OReilly will be able to return to normal society, without being flagged as a sexual offender. He worries for the safety of his daughters and grandchildren.

"Its a worry for Irish society in general. Its quite dreadful," he said.

"A rape was the purpose of this crime and because they didnt know whether Joyce was dead or alive or dying, they were pretty sure she was dead but they couldnt prove it scientifically so they didnt proceed with the rape charge or sexual assault charge or necrophilia charge or whatever it would have been. It was utterly ignored.

"This guy will be labelled as just a murderer, but murder was purely incidental. He went out with the intention of killing Joyce. He had done a reconnaissance, he brought a knife with him and his idea in murdering her was to prevent her from identifying him.

"Rape was the purpose of the crime but that is not really registered at all.

"There have been no indications of regret or remorse from him or from his family indeed. I would prefer not to meet him. I think that would be safer for both of us. The two girls in particular, their feeling is fear."

In the past, another murderer, Sean Brennan was banned from entering Westmeath or Offaly on his release from jail following his sentence for killing Bernadette Sherry in 1997.

Mr Quinn said that he hopes this legal precedent helps to get OReilly banned from Kildare.

Mr Quinn has appealed to the department of justice for an injunction banning OReillys return to Kildare but has only received confirmation of their receipt of the appeal and is yet to receive their decision.

While he admitted that life must go on, and that his family are currently in a supportive environment in Milltown, he stressed that the safety they currently enjoy will diminish if OReilly is allowed back into their community.

"There is legal precedent for this. In previous murder cases, one in particular, where a guy has been banned from entering two counties so there is legal precedent and I hope that happens with us," he said.

"Life does have to go on, thats just the way things are. One of the good sides of the unfortunate thing that happened to us is that is brought us very, very close as a family and were very supportive of each other and for that reason well stick around.

"In one way, Im fortunate that my three children didnt have to emigrate and they all live close to me. My youngest girl has more or less taken over my house with her family and my son is about 100m away and the other girl is just a mile up the road.

"Now the other side to that is that if Kenneth OReilly comes back to the locality we are all there right in the middle of it."
Despite chronic Brexit fatigue all round, there can be no avoiding Britain's withdrawal from Europe today. On Tuesday, the British parliament looks set to reject - again - the EU withdrawal agreement. The central issue is the backstop.

As this column has argued since the backstop was put on the table close to 500 days ago, it always risked blowing up the Brexit talks. In just 19 days, Britain will crash out of the EU unless a great deal happens on both the British and EU sides. The chances of a no-deal exit have been dismissed and downplayed again and again. It is by no means certain that the worst possible outcome for all parties will take place in a few short weeks, but it is a very real possibility.

Unlike many issues that diplomats negotiate over, the backstop is essentially binary. It exists, to use the mot du jour, 'meaningfully', or it does not exist at all. Binary outcomes mean clear and obvious winners and losers. One of the reasons the backstop was so risky a tactic was because it introduced a winner-takes-all dynamic into already fragile and politically sensitive negotiations.

Another more profound aspect of the backstop is that, if it kicked in, it would change the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. Voters there would be disenfranchised. The parliament making the swathes of laws governing their commerce would have its seat in Strasbourg and voters in the North would have no representatives in it. The highest court in the land would be in Luxembourg. Again, citizens of Northern Ireland would have no role in the running of that court. EU law would be supreme over UK law in Larne. It would not be across the water in Stranraer.

It is quite clear that Dublin and Brussels did not think through the constitutional dimension of the backstop when they dramatically put it on the table 16 months ago. Their position since has been to deny that there are constitutional implications. In normal times, a government claiming that black was white would have the opposition and media come down on it like a ton of bricks. But such is the extent of green-jersey wearing now, few people in this jurisdiction are prepared to state the facts.

Another failure of analysis underpinning the backstop was a misreading of British politics. Brexit has unleashed a revolution. Revolutionary politics is inevitably polarising. It has revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries. Reason is one victim of revolution, and the remainers - the counter-revolutionaries in this case - are often as unreasoned as the Brexiteers. But from an Irish perspective, it is the latter who are more important because they are the ones who could drive Britain over the cliff edge.

The assumption in Dublin and Brussels has been that the British political system would never take a course of action as disruptive and risky as exiting the EU without a deal. Being so confident in that assumption was part of the reason the Irish and EU side pushed Britain so hard on the backstop.

The editor of the Sunday Telegraph, Allister Heath, last week backed a no-deal Brexit. This was not only a significant development in that his newspaper influences the Conservative Party and its MPs, but also because it reflects well a big strand of opinion in Britain. According to a recent YouGov opinion poll, 40pc of voters would prefer a no-deal exit over 60pc who favour exiting on the terms currently available. Among Conservative supporters, support for a no-deal exit was as high as 57pc.

An important plank of the view held by Heath and those who advocate going for broke is that they simply don't believe a no-deal exit would be very bad. "It wouldn't be pretty, especially for one or two industries, but would probably cost just 1-2 per cent of GDP," Heath wrote.

Underpinning this view is another view: that being in the EU never made much of a difference to the economy, something, incidentally, that is a lot truer for Britain than it is for Ireland. Heath was selective in his choice of data to support his assertion, but it is true that EU membership was not transformative for the British economy.

Heath went on to describe the UK government's handling of Brexit as the "greatest failure of British statecraft since Suez", referring to the failed attempt in 1956 by Britain and France to appropriate the Egyptian canal so vital to international trade.

The Anglo-French invasion of Egypt 63 years ago was a major mistake by both of the declining European powers, but it was a minor error compared with Brexit. And this is where Heath and those who think like him really get it wrong.

The EU is the latest incarnation of the European state system. That system ensures that relations among its states work in a way that is almost incomparably smoother than other regions of the world, where inter-state interaction is more focused on bilateral relations and is far less intense anyway. Influence in Europe today involves being at the table in Brussels. As it happens, and despite what newspapers like Heath's have reported for decades, Britain used the European system very effectively to shape the continent in its interests, as anyone from across the continent who has been at or near those tables in Brussels will attest.

Influence in Europe is a major determinant of global influence. You will go a long way in the world to find a practitioner of statecraft who believes Britain will have more clout outside the EU than in it. I have spoken to people about Brexit in places as diverse as Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Riyadh and Washington. Not one thought Britain's influence in the world would be anything other than diminished by giving up its seat at the table that really matters in Europe.

But the curiously parochial nature of Heath and others who might be termed 'thinking Brexiteers' is to show no interest in listening to how others see the world and Britain's role in it. The purpose of saying this is not to join the Brit-bashing mob, but to illustrate how a significant body of opinion in Britain has come to a conclusion on Brexit that no amount of evidence will change, at least on this side of actually leaving the EU.

The "much-hated" backstop, as it so commonly referred to even in non pro-Brexit British media, will almost certainly be rejected by the House of Commons this week. As the British prime minister said last week, nobody really knows what will happen then. But one thing is quite certain: those who want a no-deal will not only oppose seeking an extension of British membership of the EU, they will denounce any attempt to seek one as a national humiliation and as an exercise in prostration before Europe.

And then there is the issue of all sides agreeing to an extension of the deadline for leaving beyond March 29 and how long that extension should be. This creates its own nightmare.

A short extension might not be enough to do anything other than protract the current uncertainty. Any extension longer than three months would raise the issue of Britain having to hold elections to the European Parliament at the end of May. To ask millions of pro-Brexit voters to vote in an EU election after the UK was scheduled to leave the EU would be to intensify the revolutionary zeal.

Things have gone from bad to worse with Brexit. They will get even worse over the next seven days.
Naturally, the first suspicion after packages containing incendiary devices were sent to Heathrow and London City airports last week was that it must be the work of climate change activists.

Then someone looked at the postmarks and realised that they'd actually been sent from Dublin, meaning it was most likely our old republican dissident friends who, tired of being up to their necks in crime, had decided to send the old enemy a message as the date for Brexit approaches.

Headlines warning of a "new IRA threat" soon began to appear in the press, desperate for a fresh angle on Brexit to break the existential tedium of talks in Brussels.

In due course, the situation got more complicated, including rumours that the crude letter bombs might be the work of some less-easy-to-categorise mischief maker. There were even suggestions of shadowy State involvement to concentrate minds ahead of next week's latest "meaningful vote" at Westminster.

What's really interesting is how nobody was the slightest bit surprised at the possibility that republican dissidents might have decided to letter-bomb Britain. A return to violence in reaction to the UK's decision to leave the EU has been salaciously prepped for months, and there was certainly no end of people keen to use the letter bombs to prove they'd been right all along.

In so doing, they committed the most basic error of all when it comes to politics in Northern Ireland, that of trying to have one's cake and eat it too.

Politicians condemning violence, while simultaneously seeking to profit politically from it, are a common sight north of the border. What's new in the past couple of years is that it's also become a staple of the Irish Government's approach. In using the threat of dissident violence as an argument against Brexit, it might even be said to have encouraged such violence in the first place. After all, if it makes the Brits think twice about Brexit, it can't be all bad, right?

Alarmist stories now pop up daily, warning about what might happen if a border, hard or soft, returns. In the North, such rhetoric can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy; and, while the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs says that people who send bombs through the post should be "isolated and criticised", it's not at all hard to imagine a scenario in which the same people might be inspired into renewed action by the increasingly febrile tone of the conversation in Ireland about Brexit, which has tended to s tart from the certainty that it will cause the end of the world and then get progressively more alarming from there.

At the end of his life, WB Yeats published a poem, Man And The Echo, in which he admitted: "I lie awake night after night/And never get the answers right./Did that play of mine send out/Certain men the English shot?" Ministers should pin it to their walls.

Extremists thrive on melodramatic forecasts of doom. The staggering stupidity of UK Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley's comment that killings committed by the security services during the Troubles were "not crimes" only added to the rising air of crisis.

The office which Bradley holds has been the dumping ground in recent years for a succession of political pygmies. That she manages to be the worst of the lot is no small achievement. It shows how little the North counts at Westminster these days that she should have got within an ass's roar of the job.

That wouldn't matter if everything was working out as it was meant to, with a functioning assembly and a devolved executive. In that scenario, the Northern Ireland Office could happily be left to the political equivalent of the manager of a regional supermarket.

With Stormont still standing idle, it needs someone with greater diplomatic skill. Karen Bradley has been there more than a year now, long enough to have boned up on her background reading, and certainly long enough to appreciate how offensive and hurtful her remarks would have been to relatives of those killed in shadowy circumstances by British armed forces, who have long felt - understandably so - relegated to a lesser position in the hierarchy of victims. Bradley's biggest blunder was saying what she did at all. The lesser error, but one which may turn out to be just as important in the long run, was handing an easy propaganda victory to those with a vested interest in stirring tension in the North as the March 29 Brexit date with destiny nears.

They've been eagerly anticipating this moment since the 2016 result brought a referendum on Irish unity within grasp, and they haven't let up for a day since. The collapse of devolved government at Stormont six months later was not unrelated to that giddiness, and the failure to get it back up and running definitely isn't.

The mistake of the Irish Government was to stoke those fires. In many ways, it echoed the mistake which those opposed to Brexit believe was made by British Prime Minister David Cameron when he decided to call a referendum on leaving the EU. That came after the 2014 European elections, in which Nigel Farage's UKIP topped the poll. Spooked by the rise of the Eurosceptics, Cameron squeaked a win at the general election the following year by promising a referendum on EU membership, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Either way, it's not really possible to argue that Cameron did the wrong thing by pandering to Eurosceptics, while insisting that Leo Varadkar and his Tanaiste did the right thing by offering solace to the mood after 2016 which suddenly decided that a united Ireland, rather than being a long-term objective whose details could be safely left to the small print of the Good Friday Agreement, was something that needed to be urgently addressed.

The result was an alarming rise in poisonous Anglophobia, both in Government and the Irish media, and that surely could have been predicted, making it all the more reprehensible that it was encouraged anyway. However foolishly, Cameron thought that having a referendum would take the sting out of a long-running constitutional issue. The Taoiseach could not really have believed that pandering to united Ireland chatter would make it go away, rather than grow?

He no doubt feels some justification in a new poll which finds that a clear majority of people in the North want to stay within the customs union and single market, as provided by the backstop; but knowing that there is a potential hornet's nest of discontent in the North is not a good reason for picking up a stick and poking it.

Even if last week's letter bombs turn out not to be the work of one of the more organised dissident republican groups, it's never a wise idea to do anything which might in any way endorse or encourage their twisted world view. If Karen Bradley in Belfast and the more die-hard opponents of Brexit in Dublin take anything away from last week, dear God, let it be that.
To know the true mind of Middle Ireland, take a budget week's break in Morocco.

Like me, most people in my hotel were what George Orwell might call upper-lower-middle class, people who made their way by merit and hard work.

Around the pool, I pressed the freckled flesh (not literally, but close enough to smell the suntan lotion) of provincial Middle Ireland - and found out what they felt about Leo Varadkar.

First, they liked Leo waving the green flag for a while, but now wish he would stop waving it as crudely as the characters who drape the Tricolour around their shoulders with beer bottles in their hands.

Second, they wish he would stop banging on about the backstop and compromise so that Theresa May could get a deal and we could be civil to our Irish neighbours again.

Last week's Irish Times poll, where 43pc said the Government should compromise on the backstop, confirmed the accuracy of my soundings round the Argana Hotel.

Finally, like the 62pc of southern voters in the same poll, my poolsiders would vote for a united Ireland in a referendum - but not for real. Not if it came with a bill for 9bn to keep the Nordies in the comfort they currently enjoy.

And if a united Ireland also involved paying for security to keep sullen loyalists from carrying on low-level terrorism and feuds with IRA factions? Are you mad?

This confirms the truth of a satirical poll question I came up with years ago, viz.

Q. Would you like a Mars bar. A. Yes, please.

Q. Would you like a Mars bar costing 9bn, laced with loyalist/IRA arsenic? A. Are you completely mad?

But it was the NI poll which proved that those polled in the Republic were doing a Leo, waving a rhetorical green flag

In NI, only 32pc would vote in favour of unity, with 45pc against. Some 18pc of Catholic nationalists want to remain in the UK.

In sum there is a lack of real bite behind the bluster about a united Ireland.

In spite of this, Leo Varadkar continues to believe the best policy is to plant a green flag over the backstop.

So why do his ratings keep dropping? Yes, I know there is a perceived cold persona. But then he was always like that. In fact, it was his corporate coolness that appealed to the suited and booted in Fine Gael.

What none of his advisers in Fine Gael have figured out is that far from his green flag being the solution to his ratings problem, it is the cause of it.

Long ago, I laid down two iron laws for aspiring Irish political leaders which the distinguished political academic Tom Garvin felt had some merit.

The first law says that most Irish people were "dumb revisionists", not meaning they were stupid revisionists but silent ones; secretly not as anti-English as they pretended to be.

The second law said that, while sounding off about the Brits in public, Irish people issued a secret fatwa on political leaders who were too crudely anti-unionist or anti-British.

In proof of these two laws, I would cite the popularity of Sean Lemass, Jack Lynch, Garret FitzGerald, Bertie Ahern, and notably, Micheal Martin.

All these leaders robustly rejected Sinn Fein's narrow definition of republicanism.

Conversely, Charles Haughey's mayfly burst of popularity was proof that the Irish people are also prone to brief - repeat brief - bouts of nationalist hysteria.

Leo Varadkar, as soon as he became leader of Fine Gael, started to wave the green flag. A gormless new generation in Fine Gael did not seem bothered that his slippery rhetoric echoed that of Sinn Fein.

But you don't have to take my word for that. A few weeks ago, Dan O'Brien, writing in these pages, noted the following shifts in Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael:

"One intriguing development is the decline in opposition to the idea of coalition with Sinn Fein in Fine Gael... By contrast, the chances of a Fianna Fail-Sinn Fein coalition may have dimmed."

Where Micheal Martin has continually called for dialogue rather than denunciation, Leo Varadkar still believes that tapping the tribal drum will make him Taoiseach. Reporting the launch of Mark Durkan's campaign, Fiach Kelly of The Irish Times dubbed him "Leo the Green".

Kelly said the most interesting aspect was not Durkan's candidacy, "but the fact that Varadkar cast it as a furthering of his December 2017 promise to Northern nationalists that no Irish government would ever leave them behind".

According to Kelly, one Fine Gael source, speaking of Varadkar's pledge to Northern nationalists, said: "Plenty of votes in that."

Not so. There are no long-term ratings or votes in waving the green flag. In fact the opposite is true.

Because he has a longer memory, Micheal Martin knows that Decent Ireland gets nervous when Varadkar bangs the tribal drum as loudly as Haughey ever did.

Martin has cleverly used the backstop to conduct a coded struggle with Varadkar and to present himself, not as a narrow nationalist, but as pluralist republican in the Lemass and Lynch tradition.

That is why at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis, Martin renewed his attacks on Varadkar's decision, in December 2017, to present the backstop as a victory, making it a constitutional issue for all unionists, not just the DUP, and thus solutions more difficult.

Lisa Chambers, his able lieutenant, at a meeting in Galway after the Ard Fheis, was equally blunt in her criticism of Varadkar's "victory" speech: "It turned the issue of the backstop into a toxic issue we really haven't recovered from."

Last Tuesday, Mary Lou McDonald - also in plenty of trouble at the polls - tried hammily to flush out Martin on the backstop:

"I am assuming he was not suggesting or encouraging that the Government might resile from the content of the backstop. If he was, I want to pour cold water on it."

If Martin was suggesting such a thing he was in tune with the majority of the Irish people. Two days later The Irish Times poll showed a majority favoured a backstop compromise.

Last Tuesday, too, misreading the mood of the Irish people, McDonald lectured Leo Varadkar on staying loyal to their shared hard line on the backstop.

"It is essential at this juncture that the Government does not blink and that it is not distracted or unnerved on any level."

Fat chance. Sooner or later he'll have to get the backstop off his desk.

Meantime, Micheal Martin recently explained real republicanism in his reply to Aine Lawlor on The Week in Politics.

Aine Lawlor: "And where's the republican leader in you when you focus all your criticism on them [SF] predominantly and not on the DUP?"

Micheal Martin [in disbelief]: "Are you suggesting that Sinn Fein is somehow the embodiment of republicanism? To me Sinn Fein is the embodiment, the personification of sectarianism for far too long. My republicanism is the Wolfe Tone republicanism of uniting Catholic, Protestant and dissenter. I'd add others now because we have a much more diverse society in the North and elsewhere. The Good Friday Agreement represented a triumph of democratic constitutional republicanism."
As he wiles away his time in the wilds of Co Mayo, Enda Kenny must be scratching his head in befuddlement this weekend.

The former Taoiseach, often criticised in these parts and, no doubt, much misunderstood, was eventually ousted from office a year after his Pyrrhic victory in the last election.

And in was ushered a shiny new Taoiseach in the form of Leo Varadkar, a postmodern leader, exotic, gay, liberal and all of the rest of it.

A New Taoiseach for a New Ireland. Hey, look at us

Except, well, it is not quite turning out like that. Not that you would know from the soft focus prism through which Varadkar is still viewed by much of the media and body politic in general.

They say that an opinion poll is a snapshot in time. The aficionados of such science - the experts - urge you to ignore the snapshot and look at the trend. Wise advice.

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The problem is that most of the experts tend to ignore their own advice.

Here is the real takeaway from last week's opinion poll in The Irish Times: Leo Varadkar is now a more unpopular Taoiseach than was Enda Kenny entering the election in 2016, and equal to Kenny's unpopularity when eventually his hands were prised from the Taoiseach's desk in June 2017.

And here is another takeaway: Fine Gael has the same level of support now that it had in the first two weeks of that election three years ago, which plummeted further during the campaign itself, and is currently at the same level when, it being so bad, Kenny was eventually ousted from office.

But after the publication of the opinion poll last week, Leo Varadkar is still being assessed through that soft focus prism.

Go figure, as Enda Kenny might say.

And if you want the real analysis of last week's poll, this is it: Fine Gael is one step short of a political crisis but does not realise it yet.

Last week's poll confirmed what Paul Moran of Kantar Millward Brown and I have been telling you for almost a year. First, we told you last June that Varadkar had peaked; then we told you that he was in decline and then we warned that he was in steep decline.

Almost a year later, The Irish Times poll has confirmed that, with knobs on.

Let us look closer at the Big Picture, the opinion poll trend since this time three years ago.

In last week's poll, Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael was on 30pc, down three points since October.

In the first two weeks of the last election campaign, in February 2016, four different opinion polls showed Enda Kenny's Fine Gael to be in the same range, averaging 29pc.

Indeed, at that time Ipsos/MRBI had Fine Gael at 30pc and falling; our own Kantar Millward Brown had them at 27pc, closer to where they eventually ended up with 25.52pc of the vote.

At the time, the first two weeks of the campaign, Fine Gael was in near panic mode. And why wouldn't it be? After all, only a short time before that the party was on 36pc in the polls.

No need to be alarmed now, it would seem. Maybe. But it is time for Fine Gael to be concerned, if not downright worried. After all, it is not that long ago since Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael was on, eh, 36pc in the polls.

Now let us look at another Big Picture. In the first two weeks of the 2016 election campaign, Enda Kenny's satisfaction rating was recorded at 47pc, dropping to 43pc.

Indeed such was Kenny's relative unpopularity back then that he was blamed by Fine Gael's Young Turks for losing the election single handedly.

After he had put together the confidence and supply deal, they could not wait to be rid of him and take over the running of government themselves.

You know, big-spending departments like the Department of Housing and the Department of Health; and important ones in relation to Brexit, like the Department of Foreign Affairs indeed, and the Taoiseach's office itself. All now run by the so-called 'posh boys' of a new generation, a New Ireland. What could possibly go wrong?

After the last election, it got worse for Enda Kenny. Referred to during the government formation process as a political "corpse", his satisfaction rating was recorded by Ipsos/MRBI at 43pc a few weeks before he was finally ousted from office.

Last week, the same polling firm using the same methodology, recorded Varadkar's popularity at, eh, 43pc.

All of these things are relative, they say. Look at Fianna Fail. Well, OK, let's look at Fianna Fail.

In the same two weeks at the start of the 2016 election campaign, Fianna Fail was recorded by those four polling firms at between 17pc and 22pc (by Kantar Millward Brown), or at an average of 20pc. It ended up winning 24.35pc of the vote.

These days Fianna Fail is routinely polling in the mid to upper-20pc range. Last week's poll had Fianna Fail at 24pc.

And in those two weeks in February 2016, Micheal Martin's satisfaction rating was 33pc; last week it was a similar 35pc, although in recent months it has been higher.

What does all of this tell us? Well, in general, that the public has had enough of this Government and of Fianna Fail propping it up for that matter. It is almost time for an election.

But it also tells us that Fine Gael and Leo Varadkar need to do something, and fast, or political crisis will come their way real soon.

And that Fianna Fail still has some work to do to re-capture a block of its former voters now floating away from Fine Gael in droves and having a look again at Independents.

More than that, though, it tells us that the outcome of the next election will come down to the campaign itself.

Micheal Martin has been tried and tested and found to be not wanting in this regard. What of Leo Varadkar? Will his somewhat diffident or aloof persona tell against him, and will he ultimately wilt in the white heat of battle?

As we have said before, the result of the next election is still wide open; indeed, if you were a betting person you could do worse than back Fianna Fail to form the next (minority) government with turned around Labour, the Greens and Independents, and, if required, the Social Democrats, with, say, Paschal Donohoe eventually leading the Opposition in a new confidence and supply deal. You read it here first.
'Since the foundation of the State, successive governments' objectives have been to revive our native tongue but their methodology screams policy failure writ large across the century.' Stock Image: Getty Images

Sir - Well done to Colm O'Rourke for his incisive analysis of the current state of the Irish language (Sunday Independent, March 3).

I'm proud of the language and see it as an intrinsic part of our national identity. I would love to be a fluent Irish speaker but I'm not. I can haltingly put a few sentences together but if asked to engage in or interpret a conversation my score would be zero.

I spent 13 years "learning" Irish in our flawed education system. That was during an era of corporal punishment when my tender young hands were often left burning as I faltered on questions about our native tongue's grammar, prose or poems. It was education through compulsion and the rod - the University of Fear.

Since the foundation of the State, successive governments' objectives have been to revive our native tongue but their methodology screams policy failure writ large across the century. They made it compulsory, taught us to read and write but never to converse. In reality, it was the policy of decline.

They also failed to learn from their mistakes. I can recall, as a young boy, listening to politicians during election campaigns telling us that they were going to "revive Irish and drain the Shannon". Sadly, Irish remains in decline and the River Shannon undrained.

Perhaps we as citizens should demand a radically different approach. Replace compulsion with choice, encourage us to love our language, to recognise it as a core part of our identity and above all to converse as Gaeilge at every opportunity.

Or do we care enough?

Indeed, more importantly, do our young?

Tommie Kenoy,

Carrick on Shannon,

Co Roscommon

Honest but disheartening view

Sir  I found Colm ORourkes article (Im a school principal  but even I cant converse in Irish, Sunday Independent, March 3) on the future of the Irish language disheartening and bleak as a young and optimistic primary educator.

I agree that the focus in secondary school should be on oral expression and less on obscure poems and stories.

However, the whole tone of the article is extremely negative.

I was about to give up reading it, until I found some note of positivity towards the end, only for it to be dampened by a final nail on the coffin  for Irish to be likened to a leaking ship.

I absolutely love the Irish language.

In both primary and secondary schools (English medium), some of my educators ignited my passion for the language and for teaching.

I understand that the Irish secondary school curriculum may not be the most exciting, but it is the teachers job to provide pathways for students to access the curriculum in a fun and engaging way.

Some of my secondary school teachers certainly did.

Leaders are meant to be agents of change.

Leaders are meant to foster a particular ethos, or atmosphere in a school.

I appreciate Colms honesty, but he is in a position of privilege to spread gra for Gaeilge throughout his school and throughout Ireland, due to his position in the Cumann Luthchleas Gael.

Sile Ni Riogain,

Co Chorcai

Celebrate our old

Sir  I agree with Eilis OHanlon (Sunday Independent, March 3) that casting older people as the problem and getting them to move out of their homes sends the wrong signal.

The fact that people are living longer in Ireland should be seen as a cause for celebration, not a problem. Having worked all their lives to own their homes, people will naturally resent any attempt to force them to downsize.

However, many might see the benefits of suitable age-friendly accommodation with necessary supportive facilities such as health and social care. The voluntary non-profit housing associations are well-placed and capable to implement what is required.

Sean Quinn,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin

Daly will not shake my unionist beliefs

Sir  The interview with Senator Mark Daly (Sunday Independent, March 3) demonstrates the confusions and misapprehensions to which so many advocates of Irish reunification are prone.

I support the union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain; I am secure in my political convictions and in my allegiance to the crown. Perhaps unusually for someone with my politics, I am also a convert to Catholicism.

I am unable to conceive of any argument that would shake my convictions; certainly I have not encountered such a case to date. But it may be that there are unionists whose beliefs are less secure than mine who may be open to persuasion. It is unlikely that Senator Daly would persuade them to change their minds.

A politician who admires the pro-republican film The Wind that Shakes the Barley and whose office is awash with nationalist emblems is not going to persuade even soft unionists that a United Irish Republic is going to be a warm house for them.

Mr Daly talks of compromise but does not say what that means. He can think again if he supposes that a United Ireland awash with republican symbolism would be attractive to many unionists (if any). To them the Tricolour is as much the banner of the Provisional IRA as it is the flag of a sovereign state and the heroes of 1916 to 1922  men and women venerated by Mr Daly  are to them the killers of policemen and soldiers (just as much as later republicans were and are).

No unionist will venerate Pearse or Connolly, Collins or De Valera. And the policy of regarding Irish as the first official language alienates unionists; they do not speak Irish and have little or no wish to learn the language. What compromises is Mr Daly prepared to make here  any?

Mr Daly is no better on more practical matters. He does not explain how the fiscal transfer from Great Britain to Northern Ireland (around 10bn at present) will be replaced. He does not say how the NHS will survive in a United Ireland  nationalists as well as unionists would object to paying to see a GP. He is silent on what will happen to public sector jobs in Northern Ireland (and bear in mind that here no longer is any discrimination in appointments to such positions). Public sector jobs would have to go in a United Ireland to prevent duplication. Will the redundancy notices go to Belfast or Dublin workers? What will happen to the High and Appeal Court structures in Belfast in Mr Dalys United Ireland? Will they go as well? Will there be a devolved legislature at Stormont or not? He does not say.

Brexit has demonstrated one thing beyond question: it is hard for the UK to extricate itself from the EU. The difficulties in extricating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK after a century or so of partition would be infinitely greater.

Mr Daly wants the Irish Government to outline its policy on reunification; he is strangely silent on the details of his own.

CDC Armstrong,

Belfast

Brendan nails it in defence of scouting

Sir  Brendan OConnor has done it again. And handsomely so (Lets not forget the good that scouting has to offer, Sunday Independent, March 3).

Where rushing to cast full-spectrum damning aspersion can be an easy/lazy option, he probes the authentic experiential realities. Offering a compelling panorama of his own scouting adventures from a personal past as well as a balanced, professional perspective of current times, he sketches a fair narrative of inclusive candour.

Reminiscing on his own boyhood days of scouting freedom, with all the varied practical challenges, camaraderie, fun and skills-learning activities, he collates an overall warm assessment, albeit still alert to some likely breaches of trust and care which may have occasionally emerged as they had across all societal/communal scenarios.

He frames his appraisal firmly in the era of yester-year, where carefree innocence abounded, but is still able to realise the restrictive changes in social mores, risks and cautions which have come to prevail these days. Brendan deserves a decent dose of gratitude from all who champion balance, candour and freedom, and all who cherish the scouting ideals and its worthy practical philosophies.

One suspects that any glitches in child-welfare within scouting were mostly born from a presumptive naivete, rather than any pervasive deviance. The current call to establish appropriately transparent protective protocols should be welcomed, of course, but not necessarily interpreted as a damning indictment of all that went before. Balance is all  something Brendan OConnor seems to understand in spades.

PJ Cosgrove,

Lismore,

Co Waterford

Invention drawer

Sir  On reading Eleanor Goggin (Living, Sunday Independent, March 3) I was reminded of the bottom drawer era. My bottom drawer was a modest one but my younger sister was more fortunate. She had a large trousseau and consequently a number of the said drawers. Sadly, she died some years ago and I had the poignant task of the disposal of her clothes. I decided to transfer the chest to my own abode.

Now many years later the drawers are raided every Friday afternoon by my five grandchildren. In their role-play of Egyptian pharaohs, mummies, kings and queens etc, the lacy lingerie, mohair wraps, large silk scarves and Louis Vuitton towels adorn their small bodies as they swagger and strut through the house acting out the various fantasies. Im absolutely certain that my sister who was a seriously good amateur actress would thoroughly approve and take pride in the legacy she left.

Helen,

Sligo

No balance at all

Sir  That was an interesting letter from Declan Foley, Australia (Sunday Independent, March 3) challenging my claim that there was no debate on the Eighth Amendment but an orchestrated campaign for repeal. Perhaps the fact that he is in Australia accounts for his ignorance of what transpired in the lead-up to the referendum. While I had letters of protest published, that could hardly constitute a debate when the vast majority of journalists in the media campaigned for repeal.

It was ironic for Mr Foley to refer to God-given free will when God unequivocally forbids the killing of any human being and abortion, of course, entails the killing of the baby in the womb. There is no way that holding to fact and truth it can be argued that the repeal debate had balanced coverage. So again I appeal for investigative journalists to ensure that matters of vital importance are no longer made subservient to bias and untruths.

Mary Stewart (Mrs),

Donegal Town

Legendary Micheal

Sir  It is wonderful and uplifting to hear the distinctive voice of legendary GAA commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh on our television on Sunday nights during coverage of the Allianz Leagues. Now in his 89th year, the great man is still going strong and showing keen enthusiasm for his beloved Gaelic games.

Micheal began his broadcasting career as far back as 1949 as a teenager from Co Kerry and many of his commentaries decorated by flowery phrases are fondly remembered. It is remarkable that he is still delighting his countless admirers 70 years later.

It would surely be appropriate to honour the ancient ambassador at one of the big matches at Croke Park this year.

Perhaps he could be brought on to the pitch with President Michael D Higgins to meet the players and maybe perform a ceremonial throwing-in of the ball. Such a gesture would be well deserved and widely appreciated.



Billy Wilson,

Waterford city

Western help led to Iranian rights abuse

Sir  Iranian Ambassador Masoud Eslami, responding to an article by Eoghan Harris, says (Sunday Independent, March 3) Iran has been subjected to an intensive campaign of disinformation by Western media. That is true.

However, I would also respectfully say that grave human rights abuses are almost certainly going on in the country.

There was a moderate, democratic government in Iran in the 1950s which nationalised the oil industry.

It was overthrown in 1953 in a coup organised by the US/UK. Hundreds of people were killed and the Shah brought a reign of terror to the country.

His SAVAK secret police, with help from the CIA, tortured Iranian citizens.

America has apologised for the coup, the UK government refuses to even officially acknowledge it happened.

Until it does so, protestations about human rights abuses in Iran are utterly hypocritical.

Brendan OBrien,

London

Drop of inspiration

Sir  In a recent television programme, Seamus Darby spoke about enjoying a nice drop of brandy the night before he scored his famous goal in Croke Park.

Perhaps it might be no harm if the County Board were to invest in a case of brandy before Offalys next game.

John Farrell,

Edenderry,

Co Offaly

Not just Labour to blame for crisis

Sir  Given his dismissive attitude to the oldest party in the State  the Labour Party  Gene Kerrigans article (Soapbox, Sunday Independent, March 3) ignores important aspects of recent history.

Breaking promises after the 2011 election was the only mention of the Labour Party in the article. No other party ever broke an election promise, of course.

So the question has to be asked, should the Labour Party be reduced to irrelevance for its part in the post-2011 government?

One of the most significant developments in the history of this country since independence was that it was bankrupted by the decisions of a small number of its most powerful citizens in charge of government and its financial institutions in the pre-2009 period.

Government expenditure and bank lending had tripled in the pre-2009 period. In the budget at the time of the bailout, the Government spent 103bn and received 53bn.

That was something like a world-record government deficit relative to the size of the Irish economy. As a consequence, we had to be bailed out by the EU and the IMF.

The following is a quote from the outgoing Irish government at the time of the bailout: Without this external support, the State would not be able to raise the funds required to pay for key public services for our citizens and to provide a functioning banking system to support economic activity.

Given the situation the post-2011 government inherited, therefore, we have to acknowledge that the achievements of that Government were noteworthy.

What happened in Greece, which was bailed out at much the same time, is an interesting comparison.

Yet looking at Gene Kerrigans article the only party to suffer severely long-term as a result of the bankrupting of the country is the Labour Party.

A Leavy,

Sutton,

Dublin 13

Moped solution

Sir  Should those who have difficulty getting to work by car, because by law they have to accompanied by a qualified driver, not consider the purchase of a little moped?

This would tide them over that difficult period until such time as they were issued with a full driving licence.

P.J. Maguire,

Athlone,

Co Westmeath
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at a social entrepreneurs event and market at the Andalusian Gardens in Rabat on the third day of their tour of Morocco

The Duchess of Sussex arrives for a cooking school demonstration at Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat on the third day of her tour of Morocco

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex arrive at the residence of Moroccan King Mohammed VI in Rabat, Morocco February 25, 2019. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to a social entrepreneurs event and market at the Andalusian Gardens in Rabat, Morocco (Facundo Arrizabalaga/PA)

CHICHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 03: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex makes an official visit to Sussex with her assistant Amy Pickerill on October 3, 2018 in Chichester, United Kingdom. The Duke and Duchess married on May 19th 2018 in Windsor and were conferred The Duke & Duchess of Sussex by The Queen. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Meghan Markle is losing another member of staff.

The Duchess of Sussex's assistant private secretary Amy Pickerill is leaving her role after the birth of Meghan and Harry's baby.

Ms Pickerill, who had joined the team following the royal wedding, had been expected to replace the Duchess's private secretary Samantha Cohen who also recently revealed that she will depart once the baby is born.

Meghan and Amy are reportedly quite close and will keep in touch. Ms Pickerill worked closely with the Duchess, organizing charity events to raise funds for the Grenfell Tower victims.

Expand Close Queen Elizabeth II sits with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex accompanied by Samantha Cohen (Back, C) during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Queen Elizabeth II sits with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex accompanied by Samantha Cohen (Back, C) during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018

Kensington Palace released a statement to Harpers Bazaar confirming Ms Pickerill's departure.

"Amy is leaving after the arrival of the baby. The Duchess will be very sad to see her go, but is excited for her as Amy has exciting plans ahead including spending some time abroad," it reads.

Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend a reception at Buckingham Palace in London to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend a reception at Buckingham Palace in London to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the investiture of the Prince of Wales

"Amy had originally planned on staying until at least the end of the year, but with the baby coming it makes sense to help recruit someone now who can pick up when The Duchess returns to her official work.

"They will definitely stay in touch and Amy will be on hand for any advice and help that is needed in the future."

Amy will stay with Meghan to help her with the move to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor from Kensington Palace in London as Meghan and Harry and Kate and William split their royal household.

The Sussex baby is expected to arrive in April or May.

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Meghan also bid farewell to her PA Melissa Touabti who quit after just six months in the job and Meghan's bodyguard also quit in January.
From the catwalk to the sidewalk the bare-faced trend is becoming the latest step in female empowerment - and Aer Lingus has become the latest airline to drop mandatory make-up rules for cabin crew.

But one man who doesn't think we will be greeted by too many bare-faced air-hostesses is fashion designer Paul Costelloe.

"I think most people, if they have any self-esteem, will be wearing make-up. It's a normal female factor," he said.

Although he said some women "maybe have a skin infection and they find it difficult and that's very understandable", he says ultimately "it is the moment of women power and it is their choice but I think the female world is very sharp and very aware so I wouldn't be too concerned".

He said: "I think if you take pride in yourself and you want to look your very best, if you have got any imperfections, make-up is a wonderful way of covering that."

Asked why he believes most women will choose to wear make-up rather than not he said: "I just think it's part of life and it's part of socialising with the public."

However, Mr Costelloe is slightly more concerned by the news that air hostesses now have the option to wear trousers instead of the traditional skirt. He says the "casual Irish style" is "risky but it may work".

"They do have a very good designer on board, Louise Kennedy, a very, very good designer, but I think the real risky thing is that the uniform is going to be allowed to be interpreted by staff in any way they wish and the risky part is that it can get lost in interpretation," he said.

"I think it can work if the quality is very good, no matter what way they interpret it, that crisis can be avoided and I am sure it will be very good."

Following the golden age of commercial aviation in the 1950s and 1960s, when stewardesses were seen as the glamour girls of travel and served full meals on real china to passengers enjoying ample leg room, Mr Costelloe says the reality is the days of air travel glamour are gone.

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"The glamour days are over," he says.

"I travel nearly every week, so I am well aware of that fact. The girls have to work very hard and they work long, long hours, and travel on airlines has changed so I can understand.

"I wouldn't worry too much. So long as they look well when they are travelling to New York for St Patrick's Day and giving the shamrock to the mayor of New York."

He added, "Flying hasn't been glamorous for the last 10 years at least maybe more, maybe 12. Particularly on short haul.

"The turn around is so short that it's just a shuttle service.

"We don't expect glamour. We just want to sit down read a paper and land on time. I am such a regular traveller and I just want to get from A to B."

Aer Lingus, will introduce its new uniforms, including their trouser option, in November.
A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

A general view shows the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, the airline said, and there were no survivors, according to the state broadcaster.

It is understood passengers from 33 countries were onboard the jet.

The flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38 am local time, before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44 am.

"There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries," said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, quoting an unidentified source at the airline.

Expand Close An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri / Facebook

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Whatsapp An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Flight ET 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said, adding that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 MAX, registration number ET-AVJ.

That model number does not exist however and multiple aviation websites later identified the plane as a new 737 MAX 8, the same plane that crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189.

Expand Close An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri / Facebook

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Whatsapp An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

"Search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," the airline said in a statement.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after take off, said flight tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

At Nairobi airport, many relatives of passengers were waiting at the gate, with no information from airport authorities.

"We're just waiting for my mum. We're just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. She's not picking up her phone," said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping.

Press release from Ethiopian Airlines regarding flight #ET302 pic.twitter.com/TOK5EZ1a7l  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 10, 2019

Ethiopian press conf.: Pilot requested return due technical issue. Nationalities include 32 from Kenya, 18 Canada, 9 Ethiopia, 8 China, 8 Italy, 8 US, 7 France, 7 UK, 6 Egypt, 5 Netherlands, 4 UN, 4 India, 3 Russia, 2 Morocco, 2 Israel, 1 Belgium, 1 Uganda, 1 Yemen #ET302 pic.twitter.com/162pbkzNNz  Flight Radar TWN (@FlightRadar_TWN) March 10, 2019

Robert Mutanda, 46, was waiting for his brother-in-law coming from Canada.

"No, we haven't seen anyone from the airline or the airport," he told Reuters at 1pm, more than three hours after the flight was lost. "Nobody has told us anything, we are just standing here hoping for the best."

Expand Close A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Seven Britons were among the 157 people killed, Kenyas transport secretary James Macharia has said.

The Ethiopian prime minister's office sent condolences via Twitter to the families of those lost in the crash.

Expand Close People use their mobile phones near the flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp People use their mobile phones near the flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

State-owned Ethiopian is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. It said previously that it expected to carry 10.6 million passengers last year.

Its last major crash was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down shortly after take-off.

Expand Close People make calls near the flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp People make calls near the flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

In October, 189 people lost their lives after a Boeing 737-800 MAX crashed into the sea off Jakarta, Indonesia.

The brand new jet, flying for LionAir, plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from the Indonesian capital.

While Boeing refused to comment on whether there will be an investigation into the model or if any planes will be recalled, a spokesperson for the aerospace company told the Independent.ie that they are prepared to dispatch a technical team to assist with the Ethiopian airline crash.

Expand Close A flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 is seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp A flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 is seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

"Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane," he said.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team.

"A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board."

Expand Close Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Additional reporting: PA and Reuters
Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

A passenger safety instruction card is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

A general view shows the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam holds a press briefing at the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, March 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

The Irish passenger who died on an Ethiopian Airlines plane which crashed just minutes after takeoff has been named locally as Irish developmental aid worker Michael 'Mick' Ryan.

Mr Ryan, a native of Lahinch, Co Clare, had been working with the United Nations world food programme.

Tragically, the accident occurred just weeks before he was to relocate with his wife, Naoise, and their two young children from Ireland to Italy.

Mr Ryan was described in both Lahinch and Ennistymon, where he boasted many friends, as "a wonderful, compassionate man who lived for his job of helping others."

Expand Close Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam holds a press briefing at the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, March 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam holds a press briefing at the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday, March 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

He is the son of Christina and the late Jack Ryan. His mother is a retired teacher who was based at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon.

His late father, Jack, who died in 2013, was a respected accountant in Clare.

Expand Close An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri / Facebook

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Whatsapp An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Mr Ryan is survived by his siblings, Cristin, Siobhan and Tiernan.

In a special message, the Lahinch Parish extended the sympathies of the entire community to the Ryan family.

Expand Close An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri / Facebook

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Whatsapp An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

"We pray for all who have died so unexpectedly in this tragedy, their families, colleagues and friends.

"We pray for all working at the accident site at this present moment.

Press release from Ethiopian Airlines regarding flight #ET302 pic.twitter.com/TOK5EZ1a7l  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 10, 2019

Ethiopian press conf.: Pilot requested return due technical issue. Nationalities include 32 from Kenya, 18 Canada, 9 Ethiopia, 8 China, 8 Italy, 8 US, 7 France, 7 UK, 6 Egypt, 5 Netherlands, 4 UN, 4 India, 3 Russia, 2 Morocco, 2 Israel, 1 Belgium, 1 Uganda, 1 Yemen #ET302 pic.twitter.com/162pbkzNNz  Flight Radar TWN (@FlightRadar_TWN) March 10, 2019

"We hope that God will bless everyone in this tragedy for so many people."

Mr Ryan was one of Ireland's most respected developmental aid workers. He had worked on various UN programmes across the world including high profile projects in both Africa and Asia. He was especially proud of a project he had worked on for the UN in Bangladesh.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

It is understood he was flying to a development project in Africa when the tragedy occurred.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he had the deepest sympathies for Mr Ryan's family, colleagues and friends.

Expand Close People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri / Facebook

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Whatsapp People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

"Our thoughts tonight are with families of all those lost in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, including Irish engineer Michael Ryan. Michael was doing life-changing work in Africa with the World Food Programme," he said.

Minister Charlie Flanagan sent his condolences to Mr Ryan's family and friends, at "all at Rome HQ".

"Thoughts and prayers with families of Ethiopian air crash victims but thinking especially of Ryan family from Clare," he said.

"Michael was a young man committed to the highest ideals of fighting world poverty and providing food for all."

Clare Senator, Martin Conway, who hails from Ennistymon, said he was "deeply saddened at the news of the death of Michael Ryan".

Expand Close A flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 is seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp A flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 is seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

"Michael worked with the UN on the World Food Programme helping the most vulnerable people on our planet. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," he said.

The World Food Programme confirmed Mr Ryans passing and said that in total seven of their colleagues had died in the plane crash.

"Yes, I can very, very sadly confirm that Michael Ryan worked for WFP and was based at our headquarters in Rome and was among those killed on ET 302. All of WFPs thoughts and condolences are with the families of those killed," a spokesperson said.

Expand Close Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner / Facebook

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Whatsapp Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers hang an information notice of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

"Today is a profoundly sad one for the World Food Programme, as we are in mourning for the seven WFP staff members who lost their lives this morning in the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy."

WFP Executive Director, David Beasley said that UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres called to express his solidarity amongst many others.

"As we mourn, let us reflect that each of these WFP colleagues were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place to live. That was their calling, as it is for the rest of the WFP family," Mr Beasley said.

Expand Close A passenger safety instruction card is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri / Facebook

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Whatsapp A passenger safety instruction card is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

"We also mourn the loss of our colleagues at other United Nations agencies who died today, and we ask that everyone keep those who lost loved ones in their thoughts and prayers.

"As we mourn, let us reflect that each of these WFP colleagues were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place to live. That was their calling, as it is for the rest of the WFP family," he added.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed just six minutes after it took off from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

The flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38 am local time, before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44 am.

"There are no survivors onboard the flight," said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, quoting an unidentified source at the airline.

All 157 people on board perished in the tragedy.

It has now emerged the pilot reported difficulties with the aircraft, which is just four months old, and had been granted permission to return to Addis Ababa.

The death toll included citizens from 35 nations.

The airline's CEO told journalists at a press conference today that the victims included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese citizens, eight Americans, seven British citizens, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians, four people from Slovakia, three Austrians, three Swedes, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Spaniards, two Poles and two Israelis.

Belgium, Indonesia, Somalia, Norway, Serbia, Togo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen each had one citizen onboard.

Four of those onboard were listed as using United Nations passports and their nationalities were not immediately clear.

The airline CEO told journalists there was "one Irish passport holder" on board. Mr Ryan was the only Irish national on board.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was doing everything possible to assist the family involved.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the incident, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested."

The chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines Tewolde Gebremariam visited the crash site some 60km from the capital and extended his sympathies to all the families involved.

Mr Gerbremariam confirmed that the pilot had reported difficulties and asked to turn back due to "no known technical problems".

The airline boss said the pilot involved had an excellent safety record.

One report from Ethiopia has indicated the brand new plane had an unstable vertical speed in the minutes before the tragedy.

It is the second fatal accident involving the brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet in the past six months.

A Lion Air plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Indonesia on October 29 2018 resulting in the death of all 189 passengers and crew.

While Boeing refused to comment on whether there will be an investigation into the model or if any planes will be recalled, a spokesperson for the aerospace company told the Independent.ie that they are prepared to dispatch a technical team to assist with the Ethiopian airline crash.

"Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane," he said.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team.

"A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board."

Meanwhile, another United Nations worker has been named as one of the seven British passengers who were among 157 people killed.

Joanna Toole, a 36-year-old from Devon, was said to have been among those killed on the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane destined for Nairobi when it hit the ground six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on Sunday morning.

Colleagues at the United Nations fisheries and aquaculture department described her as a "wonderful human being", while her father said she was a "very soft and loving" woman.
Kim Jong Nam had been living abroad but could have been seen as a threat to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, pictured with President Donald Trump at a recent meeting in Vietnam

North Korea appears poised to conduct new missile or rockets tests after satellite imagery showed renewed activity at a missile factory and a known launch site.

The threat of renewed tests emerged amid reports of minor acts of defiance against the North Korean regime ahead of sham elections today for deputies for all 687 seats in the Supreme People's Assembly.

The vote is for the 14th Supreme People's Assembly and delegates will serve five-year terms.

Each constituency has a single candidate who has been approved by the Workers' Party of Korea. There are no opposition candidates.

The acts of defiance, including sporadic outbreaks of graffiti critical of the government in the city of Chongjin and other locations in North Hamgyong Province, emerged as rumours of the failed Hanoi summit with Donald Trump filtered into the country.

North Korean state media has made no mention of the outcome of the talks, claiming instead that the two men left Vietnam on good terms and determined to meet again in the near future.

But despite a nationwide crackdown against anyone attempting to communicate beyond the North's borders, dissident groups said the authorities had been powerless to block news that the talks collapsed without Kim winning concessions on the punitive economic sanctions that are strangling his regime.

The satellite images, which were released to the US's National Public Radio yesterday, also showed activity at North Korea's Sohae site which has been the scene of satellite launches in recent years.

Trump said last Friday that he would be disappointed if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing and reiterated his belief in his good relationship with Kim despite the collapse last week of their second summit.

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,

who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,

will say to the LORD, My refuge and my fortress;

my God, in whom I trust.





During this Lenten Season, I will be drawing my sermons from the Psalms, and it is with these words from Psalm 91 that we begin our Lenten journey. The prayers and songs that make up the Book of Psalms speak to our deepest concerns. They allow us to sing from the heart to God, offering words of praise, thanksgiving, lament, and even anger with God. They allow us to speak and to hear Gods response.





Singing stands at the heart of the Christian faith, but why do we sing? Walter Brueggemann responds to this question by writing: We sing because life is God-given, God-sustained, and God-claimed. Our singing is our glad assent to that God-givenness and refusal to have our lives be less than, more than, or other than that [A Glad Obedience, p. 2]. Singing stands at the heart of the Christian faith, but why do we sing? Walter Brueggemann responds to this question by writing: We sing because life is God-given, God-sustained, and God-claimed. Our singing is our glad assent to that God-givenness and refusal to have our lives be less than, more than, or other than that [p. 2].





So, we sang this morning with Martin Luther:

A Mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing,

our present help amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe,

with craft and power great and armed with cruel hate,

on earth without an equal.

Luther drew this hymn from his reflections on Psalm 46, but the hymn also reflects the message we find here in Psalm 91. God is our refuge and fortress, a bulwark never failing, in whom we can put our trust.





Lent is a time for reflecting on life lived in the presence of God. We live in challenging times, with many people unsettled by things going on around them. Its in this context that we hear this invitation to put our full trust in the Most High and live in the shadow of the Almighty. Although the psalmist promises that no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent, this psalm isnt a magic amulet. Its not a magic spell, to be chanted like the patronus of Harry Potter. You cant recite it and expect a ring of protection to emerge around you. But, you can take comfort in knowing that God is present with creation, covering Gods people with wings like an eagle.





As we reflect on this Psalm and its promise of protection, its good to remember that the devil used the words of this Psalm to test Jesus in the wilderness. The devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and challenged Jesus to jump. After all, wont God command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways? Jesus didnt take the bait. Instead, he reminded the devil that its not appropriate to test God, even if the spectacle of angels coming to his rescue might draw a crowd. [ As we reflect on this Psalm and its promise of protection, its good to remember that the devil used the words of this Psalm to test Jesus in the wilderness. The devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and challenged Jesus to jump. After all, wont God command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways? Jesus didnt take the bait. Instead, he reminded the devil that its not appropriate to test God, even if the spectacle of angels coming to his rescue might draw a crowd. [ Luke 4:9-12 ].





We have heard a word of assurance this morning. Weve heard the call to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. While this is true, we also know that God doesnt rescue us from every disaster, whether of our own making or not. So, why put our trust in God? In what ways is God our fortress and refuge? Paul answers this question in his letter to the Roman church:





For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38-39).





Although the economy appears to be going relatively well, if we judge it by the stock market, there are signs of trouble all around us. People are on the move across the globe. It might be because of war, bad government, famine, climate change, violence, or economic upheaval. The reports from the southern border suggest that growing numbers of women and children are fleeing the violence of Central America and seeking asylum in the United States. The people of Syria have been on the move for several years, fleeing violence in that land. Some have sought refuge here in the United States; others have looked to Europe. Even as people are on the move, doors are closing.





Lent gives us an opportunity to reflect on many things, including the way we experience and respond to the realities of our day. We can live in fear and anxiety, or we can take hold of the invitation to take refuge in the presence of the LORD, knowing that nothing can separate us from Gods love.





When Tom Oord was with us, he reminded us that God is love and that God acts in partnership with us. Its this promise of Gods eternal presence, providing us refuge, that enables us to live boldly in the world. In verses 14 to 16 we hear God respond to the statement of trust made by the people of God: Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.





This Psalm begins by affirming the names of GodMost High, Almighty, LORDand it ends with Gods reminder that if we call on the name of God, God will answer. In other words, God is saying to us, Im ready and willing to partner with you, I will be with you in times of trouble. I will show you the way of salvation, the pathway to wholeness. So call out to me!





In In Deuteronomy 26 , which is one of the appointed lectionary readings for today, Moses gives instructions on how the people should give thanks to God after they settle in the land of Promise. He tells them to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the altar. By doing this, they affirm the covenant God made with them in the wilderness. Moses also instructs the people to recite a confession of faith that begins with the words A wandering Aramean was my ancestor. This is the confession of a migrant people, who live in the hope that one day they can settle down in one place. In this confession the people speak of the sojourn in Egypt, where a small band became a great nation, which the Egyptians came to fear and oppress. When the people cried out to God, God heard their voices, saw their affliction and oppression, and then delivered them from this oppressive situation. It took some time wandering in the wilderness, but the promise remained with them. God would lead them to a land filled with milk and honey. That is, God would lead them to a land of abundance and freedom.









There is a monument on the Detroit River waterfront pointing across the river to a land of freedom. This monument marks the end of the Underground Railroad. Like the people of Israel, and many migrants today, the women, men, and children who reached this point in their journey sought a home where freedom and refuge could be found. Moses told the people that when they crossed the river into the Promised Land, they should bring an offering of first fruits to the altar to share with the priests and with the aliens who reside among you, so that together they might celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house. ( There is a monument on the Detroit River waterfront pointing across the river to a land of freedom. This monument marks the end of the Underground Railroad. Like the people of Israel, and many migrants today, the women, men, and children who reached this point in their journey sought a home where freedom and refuge could be found. Moses told the people that when they crossed the river into the Promised Land, they should bring an offering of first fruits to the altar to share with the priests and with the aliens who reside among you, so that together they might celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house. ( Deut. 26:1-11 ).





As we begin this Lenten journey, let us reflect together on Gods promise to be with us in times of trouble; Gods promise to be our refuge and fortress. Let us confess that

Gods word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth.

The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Christ, who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.

The body they may kill, Gods truth abideth still,

Gods reign endures forever.

Why do we sing? We sing because the hymns and songs of our faith, are the scripts of the life of faith. As another beloved hymn reminds us, I sing because Im happy, I sing because Im free, for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. Of this simple hymn, Walter Brueggemann comments: In the end it comes to a simple conclusion: God cares for every modest creature. How much more does God care for me, us, the suffering, and the left behind!? [A Glad Obedience, p. 155]. So, as we gather during Lent and focus our attention on Gods unfailing presence in our midst, no matter what the circumstances of our lives might be, we can take comfort and encouragement so we can be fully embraced by the salvation of God, with songs of praise, thanksgiving, and even lament upon our lips. Then, we who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in Gods shadow for life, say to the Lord: My refuge, my rock in whom I trust! [Michael Joncas, On Eagles Wings, CH 77]. Why do we sing? We sing because the hymns and songs of our faith, are the scripts of the life of faith. As another beloved hymn reminds us, I sing because Im happy, I sing because Im free, for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. Of this simple hymn, Walter Brueggemann comments: In the end it comes to a simple conclusion: God cares for every modest creature. How much more does God care for me, us, the suffering, and the left behind!? [, p. 155]. So, as we gather during Lent and focus our attention on Gods unfailing presence in our midst, no matter what the circumstances of our lives might be, we can take comfort and encouragement so we can be fully embraced by the salvation of God, with songs of praise, thanksgiving, and even lament upon our lips. Then, we who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in Gods shadow for life, say to the Lord: My refuge, my rock in whom I trust! [Michael Joncas, On Eagles Wings, CH 77].

Preached by:

Dr. Robert Cornwall, Pastor

Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

Lent 1C

March 10, 2019
An Ethiopian Airlines flight with 157 people thought to be on board has crashed shortly after take-off from Ethiopias capital while headed to Nairobi in Kenya, the airline said.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions to become the gateway to the continent.

The airlines statement said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the Boeing 737 that crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenyas capital.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

The crash occurred around 31 miles south of the capital, shortly after taking off, the airline said.

While the airline said search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties, a separate statement by the Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

Sundays crash comes as the countrys reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new Airport City terminal in Bishoftu  where Sundays crash occurred.

Records show that the Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane that crashed was a new one.

The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the plane was delivered to the airline in mid-November.

My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, said Kenyas president, Uhuru Kenyatta.
A decision by Britain to strip a teenage girl of her citizenship after she joined Islamic State in Syria was described as a "stain on the conscience" of the government yesterday after her three-week old baby died.

Shamima Begum was stripped of her citizenship on security grounds last month, leaving her in a detention camp in Syria where her baby died, the third of the 19-year-old's infant children to die since she travelled to Syria in 2015.

The opposition Labour party said the move to leave an innocent child in a refugee camp, where infant mortality rates are high, was morally reprehensible. A lawmaker in the ruling Conservative party said it smacked of populism over principle.

"The tragic death of Shamima Begum's baby, Jarrah, is a stain on the conscience of this government," Diane Abbott, the opposition home affairs spokeswoman said. "The Home Secretary failed this British child and he has a lot to answer for."

Found living in a refugee camp in February, an unrepentant Begum sparked a debate as to whether a teenager with a jihadist fighter's child should be left in a war zone to fend for herself.

More broadly it has shown the predicament that governments face when weighing the ethical, legal and security ramifications of allowing militants and their families to return - something that we in Ireland are seeing for the first time with the case of former Defence Forces member Lisa Smith who this weekend was revealed to be in detention in Syria on suspicion of supporting Isil.

Begum left London aged 15 with two other schoolgirls to join Islamic State. She married Yago Riedijk, a Dutch Isil fighter who is being held in a Kurdish detention centre in northeastern Syria.

After giving interviews in which she said she did not regret travelling to Syria and had not been fazed by the sight of severed heads, she asked to be able to return to London to bring up her baby.

However, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid withdrew Begum's citizenship, saying his priority was the safety and security of Britain and the people who lived there.

Polls suggested the move was popular with a majority of Britons but it drew criticism from opposition parties and human rights lawyers, and disquiet among some lawmakers within Prime Minister Theresa May's party who felt that Britain was exporting its own problems.

Phillip Lee, a former justice minister and member of May's party, said he had been deeply concerned by the decision.

"Clearly Shamima Begum holds abhorrent views," he told BBC Radio. "But she was a child. She is a product of our society... and I think we had a moral responsibility to her and to her baby, Jarrah.

"I was troubled by the decision. It seemed driven by a populism, not by any principle that I recognised."

Two senior members of the government said yesterday that the death was a tragedy but that the home secretary took the decision on grounds of national security.

"Any baby dying is an absolute tragedy, and that was a British baby," the leader of parliament Andrea Leadsom told Reuters. "But nevertheless the home secretary's core job is to protect the people of the United Kingdom.

"I support his decision."

Reuters
Stephen Hawking's former nurse has been suspended and is facing a misconduct allegation over her care of the renowned physicist.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) handed 61-year-old Patricia Dowdy, who worked for the scientist for 15 years, an interim suspension in March 2016.

A hearing into her professional conduct, which is expected to last until March 21 after beginning in February, has since been held behind closed doors.

Director of fitness to practise at the nursing watchdog, Matthew McClelland, said the legislation and guidance of the NMC is "very clear that hearings will usually take place in public".

But he said that "in some cases, including this particular case, there are reasons why this may not always happen".

He said this could be "due to the health of those involved in the case, or that the allegations are related to a health condition of the nurse or midwife".

"Public interest is always considered but the panel must always put the individual needs of all those involved, including families, patients, nurses, midwives and nursing associates, first," he added.

The Mail on Sunday, which broke the story, said Mrs Dowdy declined to comment, but revealed that it has all been "very upsetting" for her.

According to the newspaper, the family of Professor Hawking lodged a complaint which prompted the investigation into Mrs Dowdy.

Prof Hawking died in March last year at the age of 76 having become one of the most renowned scientists in his field, despite his decades-long battle with motor neurone disease.

One of the world's finest scientific minds, he was diagnosed with a rare form of the disease in 1964 at the age of 22 and was given just a few years to live.

The father-of-three eventually became confined to a wheelchair and dependent on a computerised voice system for communication.

He continued to travel the world giving lectures and writing scientific papers about the basic laws that govern the universe.

Prof Hawking explained the Big Bang and black holes in his best-selling book A Brief History Of Time - which has sold more than 10 million copies.
TRAGIC: All Andreas Laake had to help him find his son Marko was a single photo of him as a newborn baby

For 29 years, all Andreas Laake had of his son Marko was a single photograph of him as a newborn baby.

Moments after the photograph was taken, Marko was taken away from Mr Laake's wife by the communist authorities in East Germany and given to another couple to raise as their own. Mr Laake wasn't even allowed to see him.

Armed with that solitary photograph, he spent 29 years hunting for his son. In 2009, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, he found him.

Most people would consider that the struggle of a lifetime, but Mr Laake's work was only just beginning. From a tiny office, he and a few other volunteers are now forcing Germany to confront the crimes of its post-Nazi past, when the Stasi secret police decided that parents deemed not to be "good communists" would have their children stolen from them by the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

"The total number of people affected by this could run into tens of thousands," says Mr Laake. "In every case, it's not just the child who's affected. There are parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters."

Last year his organisation presented a petition to parliament demanding a commission to investigate the practice. They have won the support of MPs and preliminary reports are due to be presented to the Government this year.

Expand Close Annette Hiermeier wore this jacket with pictures of her family to track down the sister she saw being taken away from her mother within minutes of being born / Facebook

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Whatsapp Annette Hiermeier wore this jacket with pictures of her family to track down the sister she saw being taken away from her mother within minutes of being born

The extent of the practice of forcing political dissidents into giving up their children was only uncovered after Mr Laake and his wife realised they weren't the only ones. Their research found thousands of cases, and Mr Laake has decided to take them all up.

"We have 2,500 cases in our files, and we haven't even begun to discover the real extent of this," Mr Laake says in the small office he runs from a lock-up in the village of Naunhof, just outside Leipzig. In 1980, Mr Laake and his wife decided to try to escape East Germany to the West. His wife was three months' pregnant at the time. "We wanted the child to be born in freedom," he says.

They tried to cross the Baltic Sea to West Germany in a small boat but were caught and arrested. "They separated us and took me to a tiny cell where they pressured me to agree to give up Marko," says Mr Laake. "Later, I discovered they did the same with my wife."

Mr Laake refused to give up the child, but his wife gave in to the pressure and agreed. "I can't blame her," he says. "They held her in a tiny cell for weeks. She was pregnant. They told her it was the only way she'd get out of there. They made us choose between our freedom and our son's freedom."

Mr Laake was sentenced to four years in prison. When he got out, he discovered that the communist authorities had forged papers claiming he agreed to the adoption - which he has since proved in court are false.

Estranged from his wife, he didn't even know the date of his son's birth. All he had was the photograph she gave him. "For years I went from kindergarten to kindergarten and school to school with that photograph," he says.

Eventually his relentless work paid off. His story was covered by the German media in 2009, and within weeks his son Marko got in touch. Today the two men have a close relationship.

"Things are good between us, but we can never get back what they took - 29 years, that's a lifetime. Today Marko has two fathers: me and his adoptive father."

Not every story has as happy an ending. When Annette Hiermeier was eight years old she saw her sister Sandra taken from her mother moments after she was born. "My mother went into labour at home," she says. "The neighbour was a doctor and he called the hospital. They sent doctors and nurses who delivered Sandra and took her away. They didn't say a word, they just cut the umbilical cord and took her. My mother never got to see her."

Ms Hiermeier's mother had incurred the wrath of the communist authorities by refusing to abort an earlier child that scans had showed would be born disabled. In East Germany, abortions were actively encouraged for disabled children. The couple, who adopted Sandra, were told her mother was a single parent who had given her up willingly.

In 2011, Ms Hiermeier managed to track down her long-lost sister and reunite the family - but it was too late for her mother, who had died without ever seeing Sandra.

"What is perhaps the last chapter of GDR injustice must finally be addressed," says Marian Wendt, a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat party who has taken up the issue.

"To separate children from parents for political reasons is one of the greatest tragedies. We have to provide support for biological parents and adopted children and recognise those affected as political victims."

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
An Ethiopian Airlines flight has crashed shortly after take-off from Ethiopias capital, killing all 157 on board.

Grieving families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the planes destination, Nairobi in Kenya.

More than 30 nationalities were among the dead, including seven British passengers and one Irish citizen.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November.

The pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return, the airlines chief executive told reporters.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

It is known as an early buyer of new aircraft as it assertively expands.

The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane.

Kenyans, Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Ethiopians, Italians, French, British, Egyptians, Indians, Slovakians and others were among the dead, said the airlines chief executive, Tewolde Gebremariam.

The plane crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenyas capital, some 31 miles south of Addis Ababa.

The airline later published a photo showing its chief executive standing in the wreckage. Little of the plane could be seen in the freshly churned earth.

He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident, the post on social media said.

The plane had showed unstable vertical speed after take-off, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility was clear.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

The Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families.

The countrys House of Peoples Representatives declared Monday a national day of mourning.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds office said the cause of the crash would be communicated promptly to the public as updates come in. The prime minister visited the crash site on Sunday.

My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africas two largest economic powers and is popular with tourists making their way to safari and other destinations.

Sunburned travellers and tour groups crowd Addis Ababa airports waiting areas, along with businessmen from China and elsewhere.

At the airport in Nairobi, worried families gathered.

I came to the airport to receive my brother but I have been told there is a problem, said Agnes Muilu. I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was new, delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November, the airlines chief executive said. Its last maintenance was on February 4 and it had flown just 1,200 hours.

Boeing Statement on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302: https://t.co/0jyiFuGHIE pic.twitter.com/NfE5S4LSlz  Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) March 10, 2019

The pilot was a senior one, joining the airline in 2010, he said.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was one of 30 being delivered to the airline, Boeing said in a statement in July when the first was delivered.

In a statement, Boeing said it was deeply saddened to hear of the crash and that a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the US National Transportation Safety Board.
A grand jury in the US has indicted Empire actor Jussie Smollett on 16 charges related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs.

Smollett was charged on February 20 with one count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

The actor told police in late January that he was physically attacked by two men in downtown Chicago while out getting food at 2am.

Smollett said the men shouted at him, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured an "unknown substance" on him.

Police said Smollett, who is black and gay, told detectives the attackers also yelled he was in "MAGA country," an apparent reference to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan that some Trump critics have decried as racist and discriminatory.

After an investigation, Chicago police said Smollett recruited two men to stage the attack because he was upset with his pay on the Fox show.

Smollett has denied playing a role in the attack.

Reuters
REMOTE ULTIMATUM: The late Ernest Quintana and a medical robot of the kind his hospital used to deliver final news

Ernest Quintana's family knew he was dying of chronic lung disease when he was taken by ambulance to a hospital, unable to breathe.

But they were devastated when a robot machine rolled into his room in the intensive care unit that night and a doctor told the 78-year-old patient by video call he would likely die within days.

"If you're coming to tell us normal news, that's fine, but if you're coming to tell us there's no lung left and we want to put you on a morphine drip until you die, it should be done by a human being and not a machine," his daughter Catherine Quintana said last Friday.

Ernest Quintana died last Tuesday, two days after being taken to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre emergency department in Fremont.

Michelle Gaskill-Hames, senior vice president of Kaiser Permanente Greater Southern Alameda County, called the situation highly unusual and said officials "regret falling short" of the patient's expectations.

But the hospital also defended its use of telemedicine and said its policy is to have a nurse or doctor in the room at the time of remote consultations.

"The evening video tele-visit was a follow-up to earlier physician visits," Gaskill-Hames said in a written response. "It did not replace previous conversations with patient and family members and was not used in the delivery of the initial diagnosis."

Hospital officials say the technology doesn't replace in-person conversations with the patient and loved ones.

Granddaughter Annalisia Wilharm (33) was alone with Quintana when a nurse popped in to say a doctor would be making his rounds. A robot rolled in and a doctor appeared on the video screen.

Wilharm figured the visit was routine. She was astonished by what the doctor started saying.

"This guy cannot breathe, and he's got this robot trying to talk to him," she said.

"Meanwhile, this guy is telling him, 'So we've got your results back, and there's no lung left. There's no lung to work with.'"

Wilharm said she had to repeat what the doctor said to her grandfather, because he was hard of hearing in his right ear and the machine couldn't get to the other side of the bed.

"So he's saying that maybe your next step is going to hospice at home," Wilharm is heard saying in a video she recorded of the visit. "Right?"

"You know, I don't know if he's going to get home," the doctor says.

Steve Pantilat, chief of the palliative medicine division at University of California, San Francisco, said he doesn't know the details in the case but that the robot technology has done wonders for patients and their families, some of whom are too far away for in-person visits.

The video meetings are warm and intimate, he said, adding that not all in-person discussions have empathy and compassion.

"No matter how well we deliver very difficult news, it's sad and it's hard to hear," he said.

Wilharm said her grandfather deserved better. She said that after the visit, he gave her instructions on who should get what and made her promise to look after her grandmother.

"He was such a sweet guy," she said.

Associated Press
Thirty people on board a flight from Turkey to New York were injured during severe turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean, with one person suffering a broken leg, officials said.

Dozens of ambulances lined up in front of the terminal at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport to quickly treat the injured coming off the flight that left Istanbul for the 10-hour trip.

Spokesman Steve Coleman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said 28 people were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre after the plane touched down at 5.35pm local time (10.35pm GMT) on Saturday. Two went to Queens Hospital Medical Centre.

A flight attendant suffered a broken leg, Mr Coleman said.

Others were said to have suffered bumps, bruises and cuts.

Turkish Airlines Flight 1 flew into the turbulence about 45 minutes before landing at JFK, said Mr Coleman.

The crew declared an emergency while the Boeing 777 was still in the air, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane was carrying more than 300 passengers and crew members.

Turkish Airlines officials were not immediately available for comment.

The US National Weather Service had issued advisories on Saturday warning pilots of expected turbulence.
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Amid the tensions between India and Pakistan, the troops have been on high alert on the countrys western border. But in a new development, the vigilance on the eastern border has also been beefed up.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has increased the vigilance on the eastern border. Inspector General of the border guards on Meghalaya frontier Kuldeep Saini said, "BSF is monitoring every input that it is getting from the other side. BSF in the eastern frontier is also equipped with support weapons which give it an upper hand in case of any eventualities." IG told News18.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an advanced electronic surveillance system on March 5 on 61 km border along with India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,156 km long international border which is the fifth longest land border between two countries.

(With News18 inputs)
Pakistan says Indian aircraft crossed into its territory and dropped bombs Feb. 25 without causing casualties. (Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images)
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The future needs of our businesses and workers will be the focus of an event in Dublin today.

The Government is to launch its new strategy entitled Future Jobs Ireland 2019.
A man in his 50s is due in court today in connection with the hijacking of a car in Co Meath earlier this week.

A woman was pulled from her car by two men in Enfield on Wednesday at 5.40am.
A peaceful protest is underway outside the Chinese Embassy in Dublin to mark the 60th anniversary of Tibet's uprising day.

The Tibetan Community of Ireland wants to highlight the suffering of the Tibetan people due to the Chinese occupation of their country.

A similar protest will be held outside the GPO on O'Connell Street at 12pm, where Senator David Norris will make a speech.

China has defended its often-criticised rule in Tibet 60 years after the Dalai Lama fled into exile, saying those who question its policies are merely showing their anti-Chinese bias.

In Indias capital, New Delhi, at least 3,000 Tibetans marched about two miles through the centre of the city carrying Tibetan and Indian flags.

Hundreds of Tibetans and Taiwanese rallied in Taipei, the capital of the self-governing island democracy that China also claims as its territory.

Chinas official Xinhua News Agency said in an editorial that economic growth, increases in lifespan and better education in the region refute the claims of critics that Tibetans suffer oppression from Beijing.

Another editorial, in the Communist Party-run Tibet Daily, attacked the Dalai Lama, Tibets traditional Buddhist leader, for what it said are his efforts to sow chaos in Tibet.

His separatist plots are doomed to total failure, the paper said.

The Dalai Lama has been living in a northern Indian town since he fled from Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing accuses him of seeking to separate Tibet from China, which he denies.

PA & Digital Desk
Talks are taking place between nursing unions and the Government this evening at the Workplace Relations Commission.

It is aimed at reaching an agreement over new contracts for nurses and midwives, following last month's Labour Court recommendation.
Engaging and kind, vulnerable and gullible, extreme and dangerous - the varied descriptions are given by people who knew, or thought they knew, Lisa Smith.

It turns that they may not even know her name for she gave an Islamic one to an ITV film crew in recent weeks. The fact that she gave a TV interview, largely hidden by a hijab and niqab, but with her western eyes and Irish accent unconcealed, is not even the most bizarre aspect of her story.

Lisa Smith is 37 years old and from Saltown, Dundalk, Co Louth where she was part of an ordinary family and lived an ordinary life up to around eight years ago.

She joined the Defence Forces at 19, which might be a little out of the ordinary except that Dundalk is a garrison town and joining the army is more natural career option when there are hundreds of uniforms stationed in your midst.

She served in the 27th Infantry Battalion for five years before transferring to the Air Corps, where she worked on the government jet. Bertie Ahern, taoiseach at the time, when asked for his memories of her said she was a "lovely girl", "great fun", "engaging and kind".

But she left the post after a couple of years and moved to the army transport corps and she was employed there when she gave a newspaper interview in 2011.

it was for an article on women who convert to Islam and Lisa, who had only recently begun adopting Islamic dress spoke quite matter of factly about the transformation in her life and belief system.

She described herself as having been a party girl - not to extreme but she drank and smoked, did a little hash, and enjoyed clubbing like many of her peers.

A local newspaper social column had caught up with her and her friends two years earlier as they celebrated one of their birthdays. Lisa thanked the birthday girl for doing all the groups' hair for the night out.

Lisa Smith (pictured second to the right of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern). Taoiseach Bertie Ahern thanks members of the Aer Corps before boarding the Government Jet this afternoon at Casement Aerodrome on his way to address the US Congress and Senate later this week...Picture Collins, Dublin, Colin Keegan.

In the 2011 interview, with her hair covered by a scarf, Lisa explained how that life felt empty to her and how she explored spirituality in different guises before feeling drawn to Islam as she saw it lived by some friends of friends in the locality.

She read the Koran and felt connected to its teachings. Over a matter of months, she made the decision to convert, and to begin preparing to leave the army for life as a housewife ultimately but in childcare or some other female-dominated field in the interim.

Not long after that, she seems to have disappeared from Dundalk, moving to Britain and loosening her ties with her family, before making her way to Syria where she apparently married, set up home in the last ISIS stronghold of Baghuz, had a child, now aged two, and became a widow, all in quick succession.

With Baghuz on the verge of collapse, she, like thousands of other women and children, fled. Now in a refugee camp, she faces a new set of descriptions - victim, terrorist, Irish citizen, persona non grata. Which one sticks will determine the rest of her life from here on.
Burma Fresh Arakan Army Attack Kills Nine Police in Rakhine

An officer at a border police station in Maungdaw Township, northern Rakhine State. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

YANGONCol. Kyi Lin, head of Rakhine State Police Force confirmed that nine policemen were killed by gunshot in an Arakan Army (AA) raid on a police station in northern Rakhine States Ponnagyun at midnight on Saturday.

He declined to give more details, saying he was busy with the case at 8:20 a.m. The AA acknowledged that its troops attacked Yoe Ta Yoke Police Station but spokesperson U Khine Thu Kha declined further requests for comment.

One Yoe Ta Yoke villager who requested anonymity also said that he witnessed nine dead bodies lying on the ground covered with tarpaulin. This morning, dozens of villagers arrived at the crime scene a five-minute walk from the village center. He said that one of the nine police officers was from his village.

He said the head of Yoe Ta Yoke Police Station, Saw Thein Tun, and a police constable were present at the station and that there were no signs of military presence in the area as of 9 a.m. Sunday morning. He said that the villagers heard the gunshots at about 11:30 p.m. which ceased at around 12:00 a.m.

According to him, two police officers managed to escape the AA attacks by pretending to be dead bodies alongside other corpses. Ponnagyun Township Police Maj. Nyein Chan declined to comment when contacted by phone on Sunday morning.

The Irrawaddy has seen an initial police report which says that about 100 AA rebels ordered the station to surrender and as the police refused to do so, fighting instantly broke out. The AA rebels seized all firearms and ammunition from the station.

Battle updates released by the AA show armed clashes between the AA and military troops in northern Rakhine State and Chin States upper Paletwa region have intensified since early March.

The AA announced that they have fought with southern Rakhine States Gwa Township-based Light Infantry No. 563troops under supervision of Light Infantry Division No.5in Paletwa Townships northern village of Pyan So and seized one dead military troops body as well as confiscating 16 backhoe excavators, one Toyota car, a dump truck, 60 mm and 80 mm mortars on Saturday.

During the recent fighting, the military fired hellfire missiles at AA rebels using two helicopters. In the same remote Paletwa area, the AA also clashed with Light Infantry No.542 of Kyaukphyu on Friday and claimed to have killed at least three government troops. The AA seized one MA-1 assault rifle from Infantry N0.542 and a captains notebook.

The AA update said they are hunting the troops who managed to escape from the battle.

The AA previously announced that they killed at least a dozen soldiers, including one captain in fighting in upper Paletwa on Thursday. The Irrawaddy attempted to contact the spokesperson for the Office of the Commander-in-Chief for comment multiple times on Sunday morning but calls went unanswered.

Saturday nights police station attack is the second of its kind after the AAs coordinated attacks on four border outposts in Buthidaung Township, which killed 13 security personnel on Myanmar Independence Day on January 4.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the ranking of the head of the Rakhine State Police Force, Kyi Lin, as lieutenant-colonel when, in fact, his ranking is colonel.
The US, which touts itself as the land of the free, should hang its head in shame over the refusal to renew a tourist visa for celebrated Israeli cryptographer Adi Shamir so he could attend the RSA Conference in San Francisco last week, an event he co-founded 27 years ago.

Shamir, a Turing Award winner and a globally renowned cryptographer, sent a brief video to the conference to explain his absence. It was played during the Cryptographers' Panel, a feature at every RSAC, in which he could not participate this year.

Israel is not on the list of countries which are part of the US visa waiver program, so Shamir would have had to go through the regular process for a tourist visa renewal, which looks to be quite onerous. Having gone through the process to obtain a journalist's visa for the US once, this writer can testify that the US system is not the most efficient in the world.

India, which is generally described as chaotic and disorderly, provides a tourist visa within 24 hours after an online application. Germany (when I applied in the UAE as the holder of an Indian passport) is very efficient. In the case of many other countries, a visitor who intends to stay for a short period is given a visa on arrival. All this is based on this writer's personal experiences.

Shamir said in his video message that he had applied for the renewal of his tourist visa two months in advance  plenty of time to obtain the clearance to enter the US. And he is not exactly unknown  the man has a string of achievements to his name that would stand up well in any international gathering of tech celebrities.

The reason for his travel was to share information at a technical conference  and the US claims to be a country that is proud of its technology and research industries.

The Cryptographers' Panel at RSAC 2019. Shamir's message starts at about the eight-minute mark.

But in recent times, a number of scientists and researchers have been blocked from entering the US. Another member of the Cryptographers' Panel, Shafi Goldwasser, director of the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, told the conference that Shamir was not the only one who had been unable to obtain a visa in order to attend RSAC.

She said his case stood out because of his prominence in the field of cryptography, but there were others, some even from the same institute where Shamir works, who had been unable to secure US visas to attend the conference.

Encryption has become something of a dirty word in the West these days. Cryptography experts appear to be regarded with suspicion and spies from various countries, the Five Eyes nations prominent among them, want to know what everybody else is communicating - and raise the eternal bogeys of child abuse and terrorism to justify their demands. This has manifested itself in the shape of draconian laws in both the UK and Australia.

Shamir mentioned during his message that he had intended to share some unpublished findings about the security of AES  the Advanced Encryption Standard, also known by its original name Rijndael, which is a specification for the encryption of electronic data established by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2001  at the conference.

"... but since the US Government is not allowing me to be there with you, I'll have to break the news at some other time and place," he said.

No country that prevents intellectuals like him from sharing information that could benefit an entire industry can call itself brave and free. Shame on the US of A.
Un homme marche devant des magasins detruits d'un quartier de Buea, theatre d'un conflit avec la minorite anglophone AFP/Archives/MARCO LONGARI

The North West Regional Delegate of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development , Muma Awah Henry was on Saturday night, released by his kidnappers.

He was kidnapped along with his wife, one week ago in Bamenda. According to family sources, no ransom was paid to his captors.

Another kidnapping case that sparked an outrage on social media is that of the Secretary General at the South West governors office, Ngwa Franklin. He was kidnapped a fortnight ago in Buea and later released on Saturday, March 9. He however returned with bruises, indicating he was tortured by his abductors.

Recently, there have been an incredible rise of kidnappings in Anglophone regions. At least one person is kidnapped in a week since October 2017, with many others likely going unreported. Government officials, teachers, journalists, foreigners are targets. Several high profile kidnappings had been recorded.

Separatist forces had claimed the responsibility of several kidnappings in both North West and South West, since the crisis got sour.They upload videos or pictures of their victims on social media. Sometimes, the victims are asked to pay ransoms.

In other cases, the victims are held for more than a year. In the first quarter of 2018, the North West Regional Delegate of Social Affairs, Animbom Aaron was abducted in Batibo and his service car set ablaze. Till date, nothing has been heard about the civil servant. Some victims end up assassinated. Last year in June, government revealed that the kidnapped Division Officer of Batibo, Marcel Namata Diteng, had been killed by separatists.

Apart from kidnappings, the ongoing Anglophone crisis has led to the death of several civilians, military and well as separatist forces. In an update on the crisis, a certain Ngalla Jean, Discipline master at Government Bilingual High School Mbuwarr, Donga Mantung Division of the North West, was allegedly shot dead by military at his home, over the weekend.
As the crisis in Venezuela rages on, it remains uncertain whether President Nicolas Maduro will cling on or opposition leader Juan Guaido will secure a transition of power.

But whatever the outcome, experts say it will be the military that tips the balance.

Here are the paths analysts say the crisis could take.

 Pressure until collapse 

Guaido, who enjoys strong popular support, returned to Venezuela this week after a trip across the Colombian border to help coordinate the entry of humanitarian aid  a failed effort Maduro had blasted as a precursor to US military intervention.

The self-declared interim president  recognized by over 50 countries, including the United States  avoided arrest upon his return, despite the fact he had violated a travel ban.

Back on home soil, he vowed to ramp up protests and continue to make life difficult for Maduro  namely by calling public sector strikes and asking the European Union to tighten sanctions on the socialist government.

This kind of pressure could push military leaders to embrace Guaido and collapse the regime, paving the way for a transition with elections, Michael Shifter, of Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue, told AFP.

So far there are few signs that this is happening, but its possible.

But first, sanctions implemented by US President Donald Trump  including a fuel embargo  would make life even harder for Venezuelans. That creates the potential to taint Guaidos image, said analyst Luis Vicente Leon, of Venezuelas Datanalisis.

In fact, some  including political scientist Luis Salamanca  believe Maduro is betting on a strategy of attrition from Guaido.

 Political-military negotiation 

Maduros approval rating has dwindled to just 14 percent, according to Datanalisis  but the loyalty of the military stands strong.

In a bid to rob Maduro of one remaining saving grace, Guaido has offered military members amnesty if they defect  unless they are accused of crimes against humanity.

Guaido says around 700 military members and police officials have broken from Maduro in recent weeks, although no high-ranking personnel.

Getting commanding officials on side would require specific guarantees for those implicated in corruption and human rights violations  not to mention with economic interests.

A transition like this would take longer, but it would increase the likelihood of it not being violent, according to Shifter.

Leon believes soldiers fear being decimated by a new government or failing in a rebellion against Maduro, so any amnesty must be negotiated face to face.

That could lead to a solution such as a set-up in which the military retains control of its forces as a guarantee of self-protection, he suggested.

An International Contact Group on Venezuela  made up of EU and Latin American countries  has pushed for government-opposition talks. So far, however, that has not moved forward.

 Coup or invasion 

A third scenario could see the military break from Maduro and organize elections  or overthrow him in a traditional coup, according to Shifter.

The scenario of military intervention, led by the United States, seems less and less likely  but it cant be ruled out, depending on how the situation develops, he said.

Guaido asked the Lima Group  the primarily Latin American bloc that recognizes his leadership  to consider all options, but it declined to intervene via force.

However, for analyst Diego Moya-Ocampos of IHS Markits, intervention is still on the table for two reasons.

The first is the magnitude and scale of humanitarian crisis  and second is the possibility that Maduro could attack Guaido or (opposition-controlled) parliament.

But Leon warned intervention could unleash the same type of chaotic violence from Maduro-loyal squads seen during the failed bid to bring in aid.

And regional conflict  featuring Colombian guerrillas operating in borderlands  is not beyond the realm of possibility either, Shifter said.
(CNN)  Social media has a new influencer: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen published her first post on Instagram on Thursday during a visit to London's Science Museum -- 43 years after she sent her first email.

Rather than opting for the always-popular selfie as her inaugural update, she shared a letter sent by 19th-century mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage to Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.

"Today, as I visit the Science Museum I was interested to discover a letter from the Royal Archives, written in 1843 to my great-great-grandfather Prince Albert," she wrote in the post on the official @TheRoyalFamily account, using a touch screen iPad at the museum to send the message.

"Today, I had the pleasure of learning about children's computer coding initiatives and it seems fitting to me that I publish this Instagram post, at the Science Museum which has long championed technology, innovation and inspired the next generation of inventors," she added to the account's 4.6 million followers.

She signed the post "Elizabeth R."

"We are honoured that while opening The Smith Centre at the Science Museum Your Majesty shared a post on Instagram for the first time," the Science Museum wrote in a comment on the image.

"We're thrilled that the image is of correspondence from the Royal Archive between Charles Babbage and Your Majesty's great-great-grandfather Prince Albert about the Difference Engine No.1 on display in our Making the Modern World gallery."

The Queen was visiting the museum to announce its summer exhibition and unveil a new space for supporters, to be known as The Smith Centre.

Britain's royal family has millions of followers across various official accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Earlier this week it issued guidelines to social media users after repeated abusive comments directed at the Duchesses of Sussex and Cambridge appeared on posts.

The family urged users to show "courtesy, kindness and respect" when interacting with its online posts, threatening to block users or refer people to police if they failed to do so.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Queen Elizabeth posts on Instagram for the first time"
| BY Ricki Green |

Sweetshop has promoted Llew Griffiths to executive producer for Australia following the departure of Loren Bradley.

Llew joined Sweetshop in August 2018 to the newly created position of head of production based out of its Sydney office, overseeing all productions across Sweetshops Sydney and Melbourne operations. His impact was felt immediately. He has recently been integral to complex productions, including Mercedes Benz and The Royals with director Noah Marshall and McDonalds and DDB with director Reynald Gresset.

Says Edward Pontifex, managing director, Sweetshop Australia: Llew has a razor-sharp focus on securing the best scripts for our roster of Directors, as well as providing agencies with the most compatible and top-level talent. Our Director roster is the strongest its ever been and there are few people with Llews level of experience and eye for creativity that could take the EP role and make it their own. Were looking forward to working with him to take Sweetshop to the next level.

Llew has had an illustrious career over the last 17 years, split between both production company and agency sides. He began his career in Saatchi & Saatchi TV production department in Sydney, during which time the agency was awarded Agency of the Year three years consecutively by Campaign Brief. After seven years he moved to the UK where he continued to work as a freelance producer. Upon returning from the UK, he returned to Saatchis where he soon became executive producer. In 2014, he moved production side, producing numerous commercials for some of the countys top Directors on local and international campaigns.

He has worked with brands including ALDI, Toyota, Cadbury, Steinlager and Foxtel, and has been credited as agency or production producer on winning campaigns at every major advertising awards show, including Cannes Lions, D&AD and LIA.

Says Wilf Sweetland, CEO and partner, Sweetshop: Were super lucky to have Llew  an incredible asset to any production. He couples his distinguished Agency background and production experience with an impeccable record of working brilliantly with some of the top creative talent of our day. Theres no one better for the job. Loren leaves us as a great friend, we wish her all the best.

Says Griffiths: Im honoured and extremely excited to be able to work with such a talented group of Directors and the whole team at Sweetshop. Theyre a company that truly puts creativity first. Along with Edward, I look forward to bringing our offering to the market and using my experience to broaden our connections and capabilities in Australia.

To reach Llew Griffiths at Sweetshop email: llew@thesweetshop.tv.
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The evolving politics of single-payer health care conflate the concepts of universal coverage, health care on demand and free health care. To the indiscriminate progressive mind, all three are part of the holy grail. The fly in the ointment is that highly attractive and altruistic politics runs into the brick wall of reality. As Thomas Sowell  a noted Stanford economist  wrote: The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it.

This is true with health care on demand.

He went on to state: The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics. Politics deals with the same problem by making promises that cannot be kept, or which can be kept only by creating other problems that cannot be acknowledged when the promises are made.

The current promises by idealistic if not ideological presidential candidates disregard this first lesson of economics. The scarcity of assets precluding health care on demand to all those that want it is undeniable.

Starting with the workers who are crucial to health care, doctors are scarce relative to population needs. It takes 10 to 15 or more years of post-high school education to produce a board-certified physician, depending on the specialty. The cost of that education leaves many under burdensome debt, averaging in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The highly competitive path, the relatively limited U.S. medical school positions and the discouraging runway contribute to a growing documented shortage of physicians, despite the importing of foreign medical graduates now representing over 25 percent of the workforce. The AAMC estimates a shortage of approximately 100,000 physicians in the U.S. by 2025.

Given the expense, intensity of long training and subsequent stresses of work where lives are literally on the line, physicians understandably expect compensation reflecting those sacrifices and the acquired expertise that is in high demand. Seeking that compensation in advantageous locations produces unequal distribution. Geographical mobility, the mantle of cultural authority derived from the societal needs and hierarchy bestowed upon physicians and relatively high compensation levels previously partly made up for the long road.

Recent market forces including the incursion of health insurers utilization management, inexorably increasing governmental regulatory oversight and legal tort climate have all combined to greatly erode the relative value of professional authority as well as the financial compensation benefit of being a physician. Employment, rather than independent practice has become the norm. Commoditization of the profession is here, and physician burnout is a hot topic. Scarcity of expertise will grow.

Nurses, physician assistants, and other paraprofessional caregivers are willing to fill the gap, but similar limitations impact their deployment (at nearly the salary levels of a primary care doctor), and their capabilities only go so far. Quality health care is being re-defined, and expertise may be sacrificed at the altar of access, and cost reduction.

Facilities and advanced technology dedicated to health care were abundant in the halcyon days of robust reimbursement built on the back of generous employer and the government insurance plans. Its where the bulk of health care expenses resides, not on payment to physicians. Such prior investments have created the most advanced health care capabilities in the world for treating complex conditions like cancer and heart disease, attracting patients from around the world (despite data that American health care lags some developing countries  an apples and oranges discussion beyond the scope of this essay).

However, inflating capital and operational costs, a growing senior Medicare population which devours resources threefold per capita, and expanding underinsured and uninsured populations  fueled in some states by significant numbers of undocumented aliens  has made cost shifting by providers from employer plans and government for care of those under- or uninsured untenable going forward. Enter the Affordable Care Act with its illusory promises of universal coverage, ignoring scarcity of access.

As an example, one of three Californians (over 13 million people) are now insured by Medi-Cal which reimburses approximately 30-40 percent of the Medicare dollar. Many private physicians refuse to contract with Medi-Cal, most that do limit the available slots in their practice for such patients, as do their management services organizations. Not surprisingly, our first responders tell us that 911 calls have dramatically increased for non-critical conditions such as headaches and abdominal pain, bringing patients to the emergency department where access is mandated despite inappropriate acuity. Hospitals are now tasked to address the socio-economic determinants of health.

The spike in the utilization of emergency departments since the expansion of Medicaid is well-documented, and new legislation in California mandates free services be provided by hospitals to the homeless  the legislative definition of which includes those living in commercially operated sober living homes. Overcrowding emergency departments leads to periodic shutdown or bypass status. The mental health tsunami exacerbates its limited capacity. Whereas access for emergency conditions such as heart attack and stroke must be a right, scarcity gets in the way.

Expanding insurance coverage to all does not increase access, when scarcity is inevitably built into the system, and accentuated by unbridled, inappropriate demand. Health care may be a human right but could be coupled to some individual accountability for a healthy lifestyle and appropriate utilization, or acceptance of  heaven forbid  rationing.

This is where an individuals perception of their right meets societal boundaries. The utilitarian notion of the greatest good for the greatest number should not be conflated with the promise of health care on demand for everyone. Health care is not free. Someone must pay, and billionaires and even multi-millionaires cannot subsidize tens of trillions in costs. Eventually, as Margaret Thatcher once observed, we run out of other peoples money. Tax revenue needs prioritization at someones expense. Value-added taxes support many European health systems, but are labeled as regressive, thus made unappealing here.

Our politicians must resist the ideological or blind ambitions siren call for voter appeal through promises that ignore Sowells first law of economics.

Michael Brant-Zawadzki is senior physician executive, and endowed chair, Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, CA.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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I met Mr. B during my week on the endocrine service of my internal medicine rotation. My attending told me we were being consulted for this patients high sugars and a foot ulcer, and asked me to take the history.

I walked into Mr. Bs room and was immediately struck by its stench. Mr. B had undergone a resection of his bladder tumor the day before and as a result was severely incontinent. He had not showered in weeks and had an infected diabetic foot ulcer that was overwhelmingly purulent. Reminding myself of the two weeks of bad smells I had already survived on vascular surgery a few weeks earlier, I donned gloves, threw on a smile, and greeted Mr. B.

When I asked how he was doing, he looked at me quizzically and responded, Im fine  why wouldnt I be? As I continued my interview, Mr. B was hardly able to answer any of my questions. He knew that he had diabetes but was unsure when it was diagnosed, what type of diabetes it was, and what medications he took regularly. He did not know what other medical conditions he was being treated for. He did not know when he had developed a foot ulcer and, in fact, had forgotten he even had one.

I was a bit taken aback as there was no mention of altered mental status or baseline dementia in Mr. Bs chart. With each question, I grew more confused and more frustrated. Eventually, I resolved to gathering as much information from his chart as possible and thanked him for talking to me. I was about to leave the room when he added, You know  three out of my five children died this year.

I paused. I knew I now carried the responsibility of this mans suffering. I knew I needed to take a more detailed social history and to screen for depression. More importantly, I knew I needed to listen and to respond with compassion.

Yet somehow, in this moment where this man had showcased his vulnerability and shared his suffering with me, a complete stranger to him, all I could think about was how alone I felt. How I simply could not handle one more tragic story from one more patient I felt I could not help. As I continued to listen, I mustered up as much empathy as I could  but emotionally, I went numb. And when I later reflected upon it, I felt ashamed.

Going through the third year of medical school is jarring and almost stunning. In retrospect, the first and second years of medical school are almost protective. With the primary responsibility to study all day while soaking up as many facts as possible and the luxury of a highly flexible schedule, you are protected from the harsh working hours, responsibilities, and insecurities of working in a clinical environment. You are also protected from the fear, grief, anger, and tragedy that patients carry with them to the hospital and the clinic.

When beginning the third year, almost overnight you are charged with the harsh responsibility and privilege of facing these realities head-on daily. You lose any sense of control of your time and are at the beck and call of your residents and attending physicians, with the constant awareness that you are at the bottom of the totem pole. You are aware that you are constantly being evaluated, and also painfully aware that your lack of clinical experience makes you more of a burden than a help to the health professionals who are actually taking care of patients.

Most of all, you learn that the hidden curriculum of medical school can be overwhelming and unforgiving. Many patients are not grateful for your care, many patients have conditions that you cannot treat, and many patients are the victims of injustices you cannot solve. You learn that you have to care the right amount  enough to make your patients feel acknowledged and understood, but not so much that you are unable to reset when you inevitably have to walk into the next patients room with a smile a few minutes later. In a way that is distinct from your preclinical training, you learn what it truly means to be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted  and you learn how to move past it.

On this particular day when I met Mr. B, I was exhausted. The night before, my patient, a single mother in her 40s that I absolutely adored, was told that she had metastatic lung cancer. That morning, my young patient had told me to get the f out when I walked into her room before beginning to violently thrash because she did not want to talk to anyone about the episode of diabetic ketoacidosis that had just almost killed her.

As a doctor, it will be my job to absorb and effectively respond to any circumstance my patients throw at me, but as a third-year medical student, I am only beginning to understand and grapple with the full spectrum of humanity I will be expected to serve every day. I am only beginning to understand the delicate balance between caring too little and caring too much.

It is in moments such as my conversation with Mr. B where I feel the most alone, as I am forced to reconcile the image of the doctor I have always wanted to be with the doctor I believe I am becoming. It is in these moments where my love of people and stories and my gratitude for the opportunity to serve others become paramount. It is in these painful moments where I believe I truly grow.

When I returned to the hospital the next morning, my attending physician asked me to follow up on my patients from the day before. I popped into Mr. Bs room, but this time I pulled up a chair, and in addition to asking my standard medical questions, I asked him if he felt sad about his family. He told me he did, launching a ten-minute conversation about his struggles. Though he was still confused and much of the conversation was twisted and undirected, I believe that he felt relief in being afforded the opportunity to speak freely.

When I left the room, he chirped, Thank you, sweetie! and in spite of the pain and the exhaustion and the grief, I smiled, leaving the room with my head held a little bit higher.

Prerana Chatty is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
GREEN, Ore. -- The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is asking people to avoid the area of Grant Smith Road, near Ingram Drive, until further notice. That's located in Green, less than a mile from I-5.

The News Review is reporting that police were searching for a suspect, who reportedly exchanged gunfire with police earlier Saturday night. They report that search has now been suspended.

Oregon State Police tell KEZI that Roseburg Police will be the lead investigators in this case.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information is gathered.
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OSAGE, Iowa - Spring is almost around the corner, and a sure sign of it? The 6th annual Deer & Turkey Expo at the Milton R. Owen Nature Center in Osage.

The event featured a contest measuring the score of a rack, shed, beard or spurs, as well as an archery shoot, and even a turkey calling contest. In addition, area lockers, taxidermists, hunting experts and conservation professionals were on hand to help with any hunting-related needs.

Despite the questionable weather, naturalist Chelsea Rowcliffe with the Mitchell County Conservation Board says there was a steady turnout.

"We want to get people out and it's almost spring. We can get excited about turkey season or even maple syrup, that kind of stuff, just to get us through that last push of winter."

Proceeds from the raffles and the contest go towards their Environmental Education Foundation, which provides funding for youth to go to summer camp and displays at the nature center, among other purposes.
ALTURA, Minn. - February undoubtedly was a challenging month for everyone -- but one group hit hard by the storms were dairy farmers.

The storms caused dozens of buildings to collapse, killed cattle and made roads impossible to drive leaving some farmers with no choice but to dump thousands of pounds of milk.

A dairy farm in Altura was hit hard. They lost about 10 animals that were about to have babies and their calving pens were destroyed.

David Buck produces milk and says the brutal Minnesota winters are only adding to the mountains of stress farmers already endure.

'It's a very stressful situation especially after the last 3-4 years," Buck said. "Dairy farming has been a struggle anyway and then to have this happen, it really hurt."

Senator Tina Smith made one thing clear: she will protect farmers' livelihoods.

"If we lose these dairy farms, the entire community is going to miss all the residual economic activity that happens because of these farms."

Governor Tim Walz acknowledges he cannot control the weather but he does know a way to help them.

"When markets are so low and prices are so low and tariffs are in place, an event like this can be catastrophic, if those prices are up and they are making the living they should be making, they can weather these better so I think that's the real fix," Walz said.

Working hand-in-hand, legislators and farmers are coming together to find solutions since losing just one farm could create a domino effect.

"Losing any farm that can be a two or three million-dollar impact on the local economy and that can just be devastating if two or three happened in one area that has happened with these barn collapses," Lucas Sjostrom, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association said.

The Farm Bill was passed at the end of last year which has improvements to the dairy margin program, giving insurance to low prices and low revenues for dairy farmers, but it will not kick in until this summer.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa - A Presidential hopeful who recently announced his candidacy paid a visit to Charles City this morning.

It was a packed house as former Governor of Colorado and Mayor of Denver John Hickenlooper spoke with voters on his background, and his plan for the country if elected.

"On my drive back, I started back yesterday, and I've been following Governor Hickenlooper and he was going to be Charles City. It wasn't far out of the way, I'm coming."

Chris Smith lives in the Denver suburb of Arvada, and was on his way back from Wisconsin when he caught word of Hickenlooper's visit. He remembers the former Governor as someone who could bring people together.

"The oil and gas regulations...stunning. The environmentalists and...it was Hatfield and Mccoys. It was almost a civil war. And he brought them together. I'm surprised."

Recently, the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission announced they were looking into complaints the Hickenlooper accepted free jet rides in violation of state ethics rules. Last month, the scope of the investigation was narrowed down to handful of flights during his last year in office. But the Presidential hopeful doesn't believe the accusations would hurt his campaign.

"That was a bunch of dark money, independent expenditures, coming out trying to attack me, saying I didn't fill out paperwork right. It's nonsense, a bunch have already been dismissed, and I'm confident that they'll all be dismissed."

Despite the amount of primarily Democratic candidates who have officially announced their run for the White House, Hickenlooper believes he can stand out.

"Most Iowans, I think, are pretty straight forward and want to see results. I look at the records of the other candidates, and I think we demonstrated more results than any other candidate in terms of getting stuff done."

In addition to Charles City, Hickenlooper also made stops in Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Clinton and Cedar Rapids on Saturday.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  The Sioux Falls School District is apologizing for allowing a high school play performance that included student actors dressed in Ku Klux Klan clothing.

District administrators say the production of "The Foreigner" at Roosevelt High School last weekend was not properly vetted. A local social advocacy group Establishing Sustainable Connections raised concerns about the racist attire. In a Facebook post, the organization said in today's political climate, the imagery of KKK robes and hoods furthers the racial tension in the community.

District spokeswoman DeeAnn Konrad says the district violated its drama approval process on whether the costumes, themes, language and choreography are considered appropriate by community and state standards.

It's not the first time the play has generated such a backlash. The production was canceled at New Prague High School in Minnesota two years ago.
Newshub reports:

Mark Taylor, known as the Kiwi Jihadi, feels genuinely surprised he wasnt able to voice his freedom of speech while living under the Islamic State (IS).

He really does seem to be a moron. A dangerous moron, but still a moron.

If he makes his way to our embassy in Turkey, then were obliged to allow him home. The PM has hinted hell face charges if he does get home.

I have a good idea which may encourage him to stay away. Rather than just hint at what may happen if he returns home, be explicit about it.

The Solicitor-General should announce that charges under S13(1) of the Terrorism Suppression Act have been laid against Mark Taylor for participating in a group that is a designated terrorist entity.

This carries a maximum sentence of 14 years jail.

The thought of up to 14 years in jail could be a strong deterrent to Taylor to not try and come home.

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By Hwang Jae-ho





Fan Shiming




By Jun Ji-hye







KAIST IP has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm in the United States, claiming the companies violated the university's patent tied to key semiconductor technologies, industry sources said Sunday.







KAIST IP is a subsidiary of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in charge of managing intellectual property (IP) belonging to the nation's top science and research university.







The latest lawsuit came after the licensing arm of the university filed a similar suit against Samsung, Qualcomm and GlobalFoundries in 2016. In June last year, a U.S. federal jury in Texas found Samsung guilty of infringing U.S. Patent No. 6,885,055 that relates to FinFet, ordering the Korean firm to pay a $400 million fine to the university. Qualcomm and GlobalFoundries were also found to have infringed the patent, but were not ordered to pay damages.







KAIST IP filed the new patent infringement suit Feb. 14, claiming Samsung Electronics has additionally violated its patent in new products production including smartphones.







FinFETs are the three-dimensional transistor structures that help send current more stably and efficiently. The technology is the key to producing modern processors.







The technology was developed in early 2000 in partnership with KAIST and Prof. Lee Jong-ho who was one of the key researchers at Wonkwang University. Lee is now a professor at Seoul National University.







In its written accusation, KAIST IP reportedly claimed the defendants have not stopped infringing on the university's patent despite last year's court ruling, saying they have continued to develop and commercialize new products by utilizing the FinFet technology.







KAIST IP claimed those products included smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9 as well as the next generation modem chip Exynos Modem 5100 and infotainment system supporting drivers.







Regarding the issue, Samsung Electronics said the technology used in its products was different from the university's patent technology.







"There is difference between KAIST's patent technology and Samsung's production method," a Samsung Electronics official said. "We will fully explain this during the trial."







Industry officials said Samsung may have to pay a larger fine, compared to the previous $4 million, if it loses the suit.






On Mar. 3, KNK headed to the Warsaw in Brooklyn for the New York stop of their Lonely Night Tour. Even despite the winter storm, both the crowd and stage were on fire that night - Tinkerbells showed up in full force to give KNK their love.

Not only was the New York show the last stop on their tour, it was also the third anniversary of KNK's debut. Prior, Tinkerbells organized to shout "Happy Anniversary!" loudly at the stage, showing off a coordination that later came through again for all of KNK fanchants.

KNK opened with their recent comeback "Lonely Night," followed by "Feel So Good." With their sultry black and white outfits, they looked like they came off of the runway and straight onto stage, having us feeling so good.

KNK followed up with self-introductions, with Tinkerbells sending lots of love to Heejun, Jihun, Inseong, Seoham, and Dongwon. After their self-introductions, they acknowledged their third anniversary and cutely sang 'Happy Birthday' along with Tinkerbells. They even showed off their vocals (of course!), ending the song with some sweet harmonizations. Happy 3rd Birthday, KNK!

They followed up with "Rain," "Day by Day," and "What Do You Think?" During these sweet vocal songs, KNK took the time to absorb the loving atmosphere and send love back to their fans via lots of hearts and smiles.

Another talk came next: Heejun revealed that he's been doing a 'Decibel Test' throughout the tour, ranking how loud each stop could get. Clearly, they saved the best for last: when New York made noise, all of KNK had shocked looks on their faces from the sheer power.

Before KNK ended their talk, a fan shouted, "Let's get it!". KNK echoed back the greeting, shouting "LET'S GET IT!" (Heejun excitedly followed up with the Shoot Dance, and the Nae Nae). KNK were pumped up, now ready to hit the stage for "Sun.Moon.Star.," "Propose," "Gone," and "Back Again." They really did 'get it', especially where Tinkerbells were able to show off their mastery of the "Back Again" fanchants.

For their next talk, KNK discussed what they did during their personal time on tour:

Dongwon and Seoham got drinks together, while Inseong, Heejun, and Jihun rested and slept at their hotel. They also commented on how "Day By Day" was composed by the members, Jihun and Heejun in particular. Jihun showed off the dance he had choreographed himself - he was bashful, even though his moves proved he was a dance king (the audience, with their cheers, agreed). KNK ended the talk by announcing the special stages to follow and Heejun shouting, "Let's get it!" yet again.

When KNK said they thought Tinkerbells would enjoy their special stages, they were absolutely right! KNK performed EXO's "The Eve," showing off their sexiness, charisma, and incredible stage presence - and did I mention, sexiness? Special shout out to Heejun, who couldn't keep his tongue in his mouth during his center parts, much to everyone's distress.

For the next special stage, Heejun, Dongwon, and Inseong sat down for a soulful cover of Justin Bieber's "As Long As You Love Me", showing off their vocal power. Jihun held a dance solo stage after to Justin Bieber's "I'll Show You" - he really did show us, filling the stage with his charisma and sharp moves.

After the special stages, KNK held a giveaway, picking out ticket numbers for fans to win their signed photo cards. When one fan found out she won, she started crying -KNK cutely and sweetly told her not to cry, showing how much their fans care for them, and how much they care for Tinkerbells in return. Of course, a ment wouldn't be complete without Heejun shouting "Let's get it" - this time, he counted off "1, 2, 3..." so the entire venue could shout and get pumped up together.

Here's what made the New York stop the most special of them all: while KNK were performing "Beauty," the lights suddenly turned off. Tinkerbells held up their banners, staff came out with a cake, and the venue played a celebratory "Congratulations" song - the concert was suddenly KNK's surprise 3rd birthday party! KNK and Tinkerbells blew out the candles all together. Inseong commented on their surprise: "We've been through a lot of hidden cameras, but this is the first time it's been during a performance".

Upon returning to the performance, Heejun, true to his character, said: "So really, let's get it?" After shouting "Let's get it" together again, KNK performed "Beauty", "Stay," and "U." The happiness from their surprise birthday party was clear in each performance, but especially during "U" - KNK danced while bathed in flashing red lights, and Tinkerbells' fanchants were deafeningly on point.

Their next ment was before a set of high-energy songs: Heejun asked Tinkerbells if they were ready to jump around, and asked them to jump around to check. However, the venue was really hot, so Seoham hesitated, telling everyone not to jump around and even fanning the crowd of Tinkerbells (i.e. Seoham fanning the fans). Even still, KNK was super pumped, which Heejun prefacing the section with: "This is it. Our 'Let's Get It' song". As expected, from Heejun.

The energy was through the roof - despite the heat, Tinkerbells were jumping along with KNK. During "Love You," KNK played around and accepted fan gifts, with Seoham biting a rose between his lips and Heejun putting a flower behind his ear. Jihun accepted a Woody doll, and spent a solid unit of time trying to stick the Woody doll into his shirt. Even through their playing around, KNK still showed off their powerful vocals and charisma - a charisma featuring light-up heart-shaped headbands.

Day N Night was full of similar, fun-yet-chaotic energy - Seoham accepted a pair of Deal With It glasses and showed off his handsome gaze to fans. Meanwhile, Heejun wrapped himself with a bisexual pride flag, dancing with it and waving it around. KNK kept up the energy for Tonight and their choreography, with Heejun even dancing with the flag in his hands.

As the concert was coming to an end, KNK shared their last thoughts with Tinkerbells.

Seoham: It seemed like we came to LA just yesterday, but already it's their last stop. It's been a while since we came for KCON; did you miss us?

Heejun: I can't wait to put all the love you gave us into our next album, and if you guys want to see us again, please make us on MMT!

Jihun: When we go back to Korea, we'll have a lot of fond memories to look upon. We're going to put all your thoughts into our next album so we can see you soon!

Seoham: I'm glad we're able to finish our tour safely. Thank you, Tinkerbells! (His family was also present at the New York stop, so he also took the time to send love and hearts to his family!)

Inseong: Even though we're going to back to Korea tomorrow (side note: Heejun did an impression of an airplane on the side), I hope that we can meet again soon.

Dongwon: I'm sad that this is our last stop, but I had a lot of fun and am taking lots of fond memories with me. I'm glad I could meet you beautiful people in this beautiful city. (In English:) We'll be back!

For their "last song", KNK performed "Angel Heart" while lit up by the flashlights of Tinkerbells' phones, making for a beautiful and magical stage to say goodbye.

After the song, Tinkerbells chanted "KNK!" and "Encore!" with the stage lights flashing along. KNK re-entered the stage dressed in their tour merch - Heejun had altered his to be a muscle tee, showing off his arms. During the encore song, they played around even more: highlights include Dongwon and Jihun embracing and and Seoham accepting a gift basket from a fan that had flappy ears, and flapping the ears along with the words of "I Remember."

KNK ended the night with "Think About You", a song well fitted to the loving atmosphere between KNK and Tinkerbells. KNK kneeled down to be closer to the audience, and pointed their microphones at them when Tinkerbells sang along. Throughout the song, KNK spent so much time interacting with fans, sending them hearts and accepting their gifts (Jihun acquired an even bigger Woody doll). They're truly thinking about their Tinkerbells.

The song came to an end, and KNK thanked their TInkerbells many times, each time sincere and full of love. After a quick and cute photo time, KNK said goodbye to their New York audience, and took a bow. As they waved goodbye, Dongwon help up a pinky-promise, sending Tinkerbells a promise that they'll see KNK again.

The New York stop of KNK's Lonely Night Tour was full of love, from KNK's surprise birthday party to their charismatic and cute performances to every person in the venue singing along, shouting out the fanchants, and sending KNK their love. Even as KNK's tour comes to an end, the love shared by Tinkerbells and KNK definitely has no end in sight.
Preparing for the death of a loved one is difficult no matter the circumstances.

But Annalisia Wilharm said she never expected a doctor would deliver the bad news about her grandfather via a video screen on a robot.

Wilharm was sitting by her grandfather's bedside in the ICU of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont, California, last Monday night when the machine rolled into their room and a doctor, appearing via live video link, offered his grim prognosis. Her grandfather Ernest Quintana, 78, died the next day.

"I think they should have had more dignity and treated him better than they did," Wilharm told CNN. "No granddaughter, no family member should have to go through what I just did with him."

Wilharm told CNN her family knew that her grandfather would die soon. But they're angered by the way the situation was handled and how the news was delivered. She said she and her family hope no one else receives the same treatment.

"I was so scared for him and disappointed with the delivery," Wilharm said, choking up. "And I could tell by the look on his face what that did to him."

A spokeswoman for the hospital offered "sincere condolences to the family" in a statement sent to CNN.

"We take this very seriously and have reached out to the family to discuss their concerns," said Michelle Gaskill-Hames, a senior vice president and area manager of Kaiser Permanente Greater Southern Alameda County.

"Our physicians and nurses were in regular, in-person communication with the patient and family about his condition from the moment he entered our hospital," she added. "The evening video tele-visit was a follow-up to earlier physician visits -- it did not replace previous conversations with patient and family members and was not used in the delivery of the initial diagnosis."

Doctor: 'I don't know if he's going to get home'

For years, Quintana had lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a progressive lung disease that make makes it hard to breathe. It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Last Monday, doctors at the hospital conducted tests to assess the state of Quintana's lungs. That evening, Wilharm told her mother and grandmother -- Quintana's wife of 58 years -- that the pair should go home and get some rest.

Soon after a robot with a video screen came into the room, accompanied by a nurse who remained silent. A doctor on the screen began speaking to them.

Wilharm said she had no idea who the doctor was or where he was located.

She filmed the interaction on her phone as the doctor relayed the results of her grandfather's tests.

In the footage viewed by CNN, the doctor on the screen tells Quintana, "Unfortunately there's nothing we can treat very effectively."

The doctor explains they can give Quintana morphine to make him more comfortable, but that would make breathing more difficult.

Wilharm then tells her grandfather the doctor is recommending hospice care at home.

"You know, I don't know if he's going to get home," the doctor says, adding that the best treatment plan at that point was to begin focusing on Quintana's comfort.

Wilharm told CNN that at that point she had to call her mother and grandmother so they could get back to the hospital.

"It didn't matter (to the hospital) that his wife of 58 years wasn't there for that," she said.

Hospital: 'We fell short' of expectations

Wilharm told CNN that her family was under no illusions about her grandfather's condition.

"We knew that we were going to lose him," Wilharm told CNN in a phone interview Saturday. "Our point is the delivery (of the news). There was no compassion."

When her grandmother returned to the hospital, she asked the nurses about the robot. According to Wilharm, they explained the hospital was small and the robot was used to make rounds at night.

Gaskill-Hames, the hospital spokeswoman, said the health care provider is "continuously learning how best to integrate technology into patient interactions."

"In every aspect of our care, and especially when communicating difficult information, we do so with compassion in a personal manner," she said, adding that the term "robot" is "inaccurate and inappropriate."

"This secure video technology is a live conversation with a physician using tele-video technology, and always with a nurse or other physician in the room to explain the purpose and function of the technology," Gaskill-Hames added. It "allows a small hospital to have additional specialists such as a board-certified critical care physician available 24/7, enhancing the care provided and bringing additional consultative expertise to the bedside."

Wilharm told CNN that a doctor had visited Quintana in person earlier in the day.

Wilharm said the in-person doctor was "very sweet" and held her grandfather's hand as she spoke with him about hospice care and his options.

Gaskill-Hames said the hospital does not encourage the use of technology to replace personal interactions between patients and health care workers.

"We understand how important this is for all concerned, and regret that we fell short of the family's expectations," she said.

Wilharm agrees.

"That was one of the worst days of my life," she said.
San Jose, March 10: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, on Saturday, reinforced that terrorism has no religion while interacting with the Indian community here during his official two-day visit."Terrorism isn't an issue for India alone. It's an international issue. Even America that never used to understand our pain are now understanding. Terrorism is the enemy of humanity, terror has no religion. No religion whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian preaches terror," the Vice President said.

He also made an apparent reference to Pakistan during his speech. "We're a peace-loving country. All time Dick and Harry came and attacked us, ruled us, ruined us, cheated us...But we never attacked anyone because we believe in the philosophy that the entire world is one family...But we have a neighbour who is aiding, training, funding terrorists," he said. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Targets Pakistan While Addressing Indian Community in Costa Rica, Says Our Neighbour Is Aiding Terrorists, Open Secret'.

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu in an interaction with Indian Community in Costa Rica: While we are making phenomenal progress on all fronts, there is one festering challenge that continues to detract our attention from development. pic.twitter.com/pJy5AJefPB  ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

Talking about the recent anti-terror strikes, he said: "Our neighbour is aiding terrorists, open secret. Recently after Pulwama attack where 40 security personnel lost their lives, four of our Indian Air Force aircraft went to Pakistan, targeted that training camp, destroyed it and came back without any problem within 21 minutes." Following the interaction, Naidu embarked for his journey back to New Delhi, wrapping up his first two-nation, five-day visit to Costa Rica and Paraguay.

Hasta la proxima! After a productive visit to Costa Rica, the last leg of the two-nation tour of Latin America, VP @MVenkaiahNaidu emplanes for a long ride home. This historic visit has fortified relations with two important countries of the region. @VPSecretariat pic.twitter.com/kOSjUXUuOq  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 10, 2019

"Hasta la proxima! After a productive visit to Costa Rica, the last leg of the two-nation tour of Latin America, VP @MVenkaiahNaidu emplanes for a long ride home. This historic visit has fortified relations with two important countries of the region," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted on Sunday. Hasta la proxima! After a productive visit to Costa Rica, the last leg of the two-nation tour of Latin America, VP @MVenkaiahNaidu emplanes for a long ride home. This historic visit has fortified relations with two important countries of the region. @VPSecretariat pic.twitter.com/kOSjUXUuOq Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 10, 2019 Naidu pushed for closer trade ties between India and Costa Rica during India's first VVIP visit to the Central American country.

On Thursday, Naidu was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University for Peace founded by the United Nations Organisations (UNO) for his contribution "to the Rule of Law, democracy and sustainable development in India". India and Costa Rica signed and exchanged two documents following talks between Naidu and Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado Quesada on Friday.
- Aviation minister Hadi Sirika says he is unhappy with low voter turnout in Saturday's governorship and state assembly elections in Katsina state.

- Sirika urged voters to always come out to vote because that is the only way to sustain democracy and good governance in Nigeria

- The minister also urged greater punishment for perpetrators of electoral violence in the country

The minister of state for aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has expressed dissatisfaction at the low turn-out of voters during the Saturday, March 9 governorship and state assembly elections in Katsina state.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that Sirika spoke in an interview with newsmen at Shargalle town in Dutsi Local Government Area of Katsina state, on Saturday.

The minister is however impressed with the way the election was conducted throughout the 34 local government areas of the state.

READ ALSO: Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

He voters to always come out en mass and vote for candidates of their choice because good governance is achieved only through democratic process.

The essence of governance is security of life and property and then improvement of living conditions of our people and you can see that is only achievable by way of democracy and through elections. These elections are done in a peaceful and conducive environment.

So, I think the people understood this  that was why they came out two weeks ago en mass, to vote our president, Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the APC.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

And today also they have come out to vote the candidates of their choice. So I do believe that they understand this and I also call upon them to participate in the process because participation in the process is the guarantee to good governance.

If you dont participate you have no reason to complain; if you dont participate you dont understand the rigours in it and you dont appreciate the success and you dont appreciate the failure, he said.

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On the reported cases of electoral violence across the country, Sirika advocated for stiffer punishment for electoral offenders, to serve as deterrence to others.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday delivered his polling unit 003, Kofar Baru III (A and B) Daura, Katsina state, to the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate for the state, Aminu Masari, with 370 votes.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Lado Danmarke, scored 33 votes to come second at the polling unit.

The result of the state House Assembly at the unit indicated that the APC candidate for the Daura constituency, Nasir Yahaya, got 336 as against 40 votes scored by Lawal Husseini, the PDP candidate.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better

Suspected political thugs hijacks ballot materials in Rivers state - on Legit TV

Source: Legit
- INEC REC in Ebonyi Professor Obioma says no elections held three registration areas in Ezza North local government area

- Obioma says election the areas were disrupted by armed thugs that destroyed electoral materials in the early hours of Saturday

- The matter has also been reported to INEC headquarters in Abuja, Obioma says

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ebonyi has cancelled any form of elections that held in some areas of the state which were hit by violence during the Saturday, March 9 governorship and state assembly elections.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi Prof Godswill Obioma confirmed that there were no elections in three Registration Areas (wards) hit by violence in the state on Saturday.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that Prof Obioma told newsmen in Abakaliki that the decision followed the invasion of three registration area camps (RACs) in some parts of Ezza North local government by some armed thugs who also set ablaze the commissions sensitive materials in the early hours of Saturday.

READ ALSO: Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

Obioma listed the affected wards and polling units to include Ekka with code number 02, having 16 voting points with 137 polling units and Oriuzor with code number 09 with 32 voting points.

According to him, 15,452 registered voters in the ward did not participate in the elections.

The registration area is in Ezza North East state Constituency.

He said that Okposi Umuoghara in Ezza North West constituency was also listed as one of the RACs where sensitive election materials were set ablaze by the suspected hoodlums.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

The total voting points are 75 and the total number of registered voters affected is 36,392.

There were no elections in the three Wards because all materials were burnt by armed thugs.

 No life was lost. All INEC ad-hoc staff in the areas were rescued to safety by security agents and have since returned to their residences.

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The commissioner added that he had given the necessary details to the commissions Headquarters in Abuja and was awaiting further instructions.

He, however, said the setting ablaze of INEC materials would only affect results in areas where results were not contained in the card readers.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better

Suspected political thugs hijacks ballot materials in Rivers state - on Legit TV

Source: Legit
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara has mourned the death of Olatoye Temitope, the lawmaker representing Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency of Oyo state.

Temitope Olatoye popularly known as Sugar was reportedly killed by gunmen during the governorship and state House of Assembly election on Saturday, March 9.

READ ALSO: PDP defeats APC in Kaduna state deputy governor's ward

In a series of tweets, Dogara described the killing as barbaric saying the country was still stuck in the dark uncivilised age.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a commission to investigate the killing.

Legit.ng had reported that a senatorial candidate, Temitope Olatoye, popularly known as Sugar in the ongoing general election has reportedly died.

Nigerian Tribune reports that Olatoye died at the intensive care unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Saturday, March 9, evening, following a gunshot wound he sustained after he was shot in the eye by unknown gunmen in Ibadan.

Olatoye, who contested for the seat of Oyo central senatorial seat under the Action Democratic Party was said to have been shot in the head by some unknown gunmen during the election.

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The Cable reports on its Twitter handle said that an aide to Olatoye said the politician has been rushed to the accident and emergency unit of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service!

2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV

Source: Legit
(CNN)  U.S. citizens visiting parts of Europe will need authorization from the European Union come 2021.

The EU announced last year it was creating a European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS, that will require "pre-travel screening for security and migration risks of travellers benefiting from visa-free access to the Schengen area."

The Schengen Area is a zone of 26 European countries that do not have internal borders and allow people to move between them freely, including countries such as Spain, France, Greece, Germany, Italy and Poland.

Currently, U.S. citizens can travel to Europe for up to 90 days without any sort of travel authorization. ETIAS will change that.

Visa-free travelers, including U.S. citizens, will need to request ETIAS authorization before visiting the Schengen Area. They can complete an application and pay a service fee of 7 euros (about $8) online. The authorization is valid for three years.

"Completing the online application should not take more than 10 minutes with automatic approval being given in over 95% of cases," the European Commission said in a statement.

The United States has a similar system called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA.

"We are aware of the European Union's plan to implement its own travel information and authorization system, similar to the U.S. ESTA, to contribute to a more efficient management of the EU's external borders and improve internal security," a US State Department official said in a statement. "Each country has the right to determine its standards for entry."

The official added that the "ETIAS authorization is not a visa."

The United States won't be the only country affected by the changes. From 2021, citizens from 60 countries will be required to apply for the ETIAS before entering the Schengen Area. Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Israel and Mauritius are among those countries.

The European Parliament agreed to establish ETIAS in July. At the time, Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship, indicated that the requirement was put in place for security reasons.

"The new ETIAS will ensure that we no longer have an information gap on visa-free travelers," he said in a statement. "Anyone who poses a migratory or security risk will be identified before they even travel to EU borders."

Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) as a visa. It is an authorization system. The story also incorrectly stated that this announcement was made on Friday. The headline and story have been updated.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "U.S. citizens will need to register to visit parts of Europe starting in 2021."
- Senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, says some Nigerians are trying to tarnish the image of some national institutions

- According to Shehu, those trying to tarnish the image of the national institutions are unhappy with the outcome of the February 23 presidential election

- Shehu says the national institutions include the Independent National Electoral Commission, courts and the Nigeria Police Force

Some Nigerians unhappy with the outcome of the February, 23 presidential election have been accused by the presidency of trying to tarnish the image of some national institutions including the Independent National Electoral Commission, courts and the Nigeria Police Force.

The disclosure was made on Saturday, March 9, by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, Vanguard reports.

READ ALSO: Live updates: Situation reports, collation of governorship election results from polling units across Nigeria

Legit.ng notes that Shehu said: I think that in this country, we have people who are determined to take power at all cost and as you can see from the commencement of electioneering they have targeted national institutions  the court, the police, INEC and whoever has a role in the process  they have targeted those institutions for destruction.

According to the presidential aide, the presidency is not disturbed by the legal action taken by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in the presidential election.

He said: We are not at all surprised that we have people who are out there to undermine this process.

We are happy with the fact that all the domestic observers, nearly 90 per cent have said `this (the election) is okay, and not to talk of the foreign observers.

The foreign observers have said its okay.

So, I think that it is very clear and Nigerians should understand there are people who dont believe in democracy, who dont believe in the democratic process and they are bent on sabotaging it, to capture power at all costs.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, defeated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebayo Adelabu, at the polling unit of the governor of the state, Abiola Ajimobi.

Makinde polled 145 votes while Adelabu, the anointed candidate of Governor Ajimobi, had 112 votes at Oluyole Community Grammar School, Ibadan, where the governor cast his vote.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better

Election not a do or die affair - Sanwoolu| - on Legit TV

Source: Legit
- The Nollywood star, Desmond Elliot, has emerged winner of the Surulere 1 Assembly poll in Lagos state

- Elliot of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, March 10

- He polled 15,357 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s candidate, Benjamin Olasunkanmi, who scored 3,628 votes

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Nollywood star, Desmond Elliot, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the Surulere 1 state constituency election in Lagos.

The state constituency returning officer, Bolajoko Dixon-Ogbechi, from the University of Lagos, made the declaration on Sunday, March 10, at the Surulere local government collation centre in Lagos, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

She said that Elliot emerged winner with 15,357 votes, while Benjamin Olasunkanmi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 3,628 votes.

She declared: That Desmond Olusola Elliot of APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared winner and is returned elected.

According to her, Shitta-Bey Oluwarotimi of Alliance for Democracy (AD) came third with 116 votes, Dawodu Oluwaseyi of Accord Party came fourth with 65 votes while Makanjuola Olaseni of YP came fifth with 59 votes.

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Dixon-Ogbechi stated that the total number of registered voters in the constituency was 134939, accredited voters was 20340, valid votes  19357 while the total number of rejected votes was 973.

The total number of votes cast is 20330 while the results of six units at Igbaja/ Stadium with RA number 06 were cancelled. They were cancelled due to the issues of over voting. So, the total number of votes cancelled in the affected areas were 4091, she said.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Nigerians across the states trooped out to elect new governors and state legislators that will pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years.

Only 29 states will be electing governors today, though the state House of Assembly elections will be conducted in all the 36 states of the federation. Seven of the states wont be voting for governors because their own elections took place off season. The states are Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Anambra, Kogi, Ondo, Bayelsa and FCT Abuja.

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2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
The Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has won the governorship election held on Saturday, March 9.

He polled 331,546 votes to emerge as the winner of the highly anticipated election.

It was previously reported that the APC candidate won in all the 16 local government areas in the state announced earlier, leading his PDP's opponent, Hon Abdulrazaq Atunwa, with a margin of 216,792 votes.

Below are the votes recorded by both parties as announced by INEC in Kwara state in the 16 LGAs:

Oyun: APC 11,399, PDP 3728

Offa: APC 22,874, PDP 5,172

READ ALSO: Governorship election result released on social media by Gandujes aide dismissed by INEC

Irepodun: APC 16,155, PDP 7,339

Isin: APC 6,624. PDP. 2588

Moro: APC 18,958 PDP. 5,490

Asa: APC 16, 247. PDP. 8,963

Edu: APC 26,805. PDP 6,174

Oke-ero: APC. 7,423. PDP 4,891

Ifelodun: APC. 23,734. PDP. 7,445

Ilorin South: APC 26, 752. PDP. 9,489

Ilorin East: APC. 31,521. PDP. 10,888

Ekiti: APC 7,938. PDP. 3,950

Kaiama: APC 14, 829. PDP. 3, 386

Ilorin West: APC. 55,287. PDP 25, 583

Patigi: APC 18, 109. PDP 2,578

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Otunba Nicholas Tofowomo, the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of Ondo South senatorial election.

Tofowomo was declared winner of the election after scoring 81, 892 votes to defeat his closest rival, the incumbent senator, Yele Omogunwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 55, 610 votes.

The result was announced by INEC returning officer, professor Kayode Onifade in charge of Ondo South senatorial election in Ondo state after the senatorial supplementary election held on Saturday was concluded.

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Recall that two weeks ago, INEC declared the Ondo South senatorial election inconclusive on the excuse that the margin of win by the candidate of the PDP was less than 28,300 of the total number of registered voters in the affected units where elections did not hold or were cancelled.

Follow live updates of situation reports and collation of results across Nigeria

Protect your vote to make it count - PDP Guber Candidate | Legit TV

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The Senate president Bukola Saraki has been defeated in his Ilorin West local government area of Kwara state by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The candidate of the APC, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq defeated the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the local government in the March 9 governorship election in Kwara

All Progressives Congress (APC) has floored the Senate President Bukola Saraki in his Ilorin West local government area, The Nation reports.

READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: Official INEC collation of governorship results

Legit.ng gathers that the APC candidate polled 55, 287 while his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Razak Atunwa, got 25,583.

APC also won in Pategi local government area with 18, 109 and PDP 2,578. Others are Kaiama APC- 14,829, PDP- 3,386 and Ekiti local government area APC polled 7,938 while scored 3,950.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, allegedly asked voters to show their hands and get money after she was besieged by a crowd after casting her vote on Saturday, March 9.

The senator-elect cast her vote at Polling Unit 034, Falomo Police Barracks IV, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Mrs Tinubu, while addressing the crowd which made monetary requests, said: Show me your hand, get the money.

Speaking in a mix of pidgin English, Yoruba and Itsekiri languages, the lawmaker, however, said she was not into vote-buying. She implored the people to go to the polling booth and cast their votes.

Mrs Tinubu, while speaking specifically to a certain Charles Nnamani, an Igbo man, reportedly complained that during the February 23 presidential election, Igbos in Lagos did not vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better

Protect your vote to make it count - PDP Guber Candidate | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dapo Abiodun, has defeated the anointed candidate of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Hon Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied People's Movement (APM) in Abeokuta South local government.

Abiodun polled a total number of 19,414 votes in Abeokuta South local government where Amosun voted, while Akinlade scored 18,767 votes, Nigerian Tribune reports.

Legit.ng gathers that the local government result was announced by the local government collation officer, Dr Sikiru Oluwole.

READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: Official INEC collation of governorship results

Governor Amosun is the senator-elect for Ogun Central senatorial district on the platform of AP. But he is supporting the candidature of Akinlade.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the governorship election result released on social media by a senior special assistant to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Uba Danzainab, was dismissed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The electoral umpire dismissed the result in a statement signed by the resident electoral commissioner in Kano state, Riskuwa Arabu-Shehu.

Arabu-Shehu said the governorship and state assembly election was still going on at wards and local government area levels.

According to him, INEC or a representative of the commission is empowered by law to collate, transmit, declare or announce the outcome of any election as contained in section 27 of Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

Danzainab was said to have published on his Facebook page on Saturday, March 9, that APC won 13 local government areas in the gubernatorial election.

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The general public was urged to wait for the official announcement of the final result by the commission just as the commission warned them to desist from making provocative statements and actions that could lead to crisis in the state.

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Suspected political thugs hijack ballot materials in Rivers state | Legit TV

Source: Legit
- Nigerian Army has reacted to the allegation that was involved in the various killings that occur during election

- In a statement, the force said impersonators and political thugs were using its uniform to perpetrate evil

- The force, however, warned members of the public to desist from being used for violence by desperate politicians

The Nigerian Army has refuted the allegation that it was its men perpetrating series of killings during the ongoing governorship and House of Assembly election across the country.

In a statement released by the force in a counter reaction to the reports of its alleged politicization, the Nigerian Army acting director of pubic relation Colonel Sagir Musa, said the growing insinuation that the force was responsible for killing during polls was not true.

The military force added that it was being impersonated by political thugs dressed in its uniform and armed with weapons used by its men.

READ ALSO: Follow Live Updates: Official INEC collation of governorship results

The force said the inability of the members of the public to differentiate between genuine army officer and impersonating political hoodlums led to the allegation that it was involved in the killing, adding it has embarked on measure to curb the nuisance.

Part statement read: ''Credible intelligence available to the Nigerian Army (NA) has confirmed the kitting of political thugs with military uniforms and arming of same, to impersonate soldiers and perpetrate various crimes in the furtherance of the activities of their political bosses.

''Sadly, these thugs have severally been wrongly viewed and addressed as real military personnel on various social and mainstream media channels including blogs, chat rooms and messaging platforms thereby bringing the reputation of the NA on several occasions to disrepute.

The NA understands that most civilians caught in the callous onslaught of these murderous thugs might not be able to distinguish between a genuine soldier from an impersonator, especially when they are armed with military-type weapons.

However, several of such arrested impostors have given useful information that has led to unravelling the level of criminal involvement of some politicians in arming thugs for their depraved selfish gains. Consequently, the NA would continue with the line of investigations being pursued to bring to successful prosecution, both the arrested impostors and their sponsors.''

The force, however, warned members of the public against being used by desperate politicians to wreck havoc on people, adding that nobodys selfish ambition is worth the life of an innocent Nigerian citizen

It said: ''In the interim, the NA would continue to advice well-meaning citizens to avoid been used as tools in the hands of such wicked politicians who would go to any immoral length, including meeting out violence, to steal the mandate of the people.

Additionally, the NA would continue to use every opportunity available to remined Nigerians of its apolitical, neutral and non-partisan stance. The NA would continue to execute its constitutional responsibilities of providing aid to civil authorities in order to create a safe and secure environment where real democratic processes would thrive.

To this end, the NA would gladly welcome any information from the public about known or suspected impostors/armed thugs being used to perpetrate violence in the society, for the furtherance of the wicked ambitions of any criminal individual. Please be assured that every such information would be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.''

See statement as posted on the Facebook page of the force:

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Rivers had been thrown into pandemonium as men suspected to be soldiers in vehicles numbering 20 stormed the palace of Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, Ateke Tom.

The presence of men in Nigerian Army uniform was felt in Okirika local government area of Rivers state as at least one person was reportedly killed by the unknown men in military uniform, who also arrested the five guests of the monarch.

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2019 Election: Atiku heads to court to contest election result, can he win? - on Legit TV

Source: Legit
Pius Adesanmi, popular Nigerian professor and columnist based in Canada, was reportedly on the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed in the early hours of Sunday, March 10.

An Ethiopian Airlines flight between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, had crashed on Sunday morning, killing 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard.

READ ALSO: Ethiopian Airline flight headed to Kenya crashes with 149 passengers on board

While there has not been any official confirmation, Sahara Reporters stated it can confirm that Adesanmi, a native of Isanlu, in Yagba East local government area of Kogi tate, was among the passengers.

The newspaper said three different family members, plus a close friend of Adesanmis and a Canadian official, confirmed the sad development.

Meanwhile, the list of victims released by Ethiopian Airlines also shows that a Nigerian was aboard the crashed plane.

A spokesperson of the airline, Asrat Begashaw, said the gory accident killed one Nigerian, 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, six Egyptians, nine Ethiopians, seven French, eight Americans and seven Britons among other nationalities.

Until his death, Adesanmi was a Professor of English at Carleton University.

The ugly development has attracted reactions from Nigerians on Twitter, particularly close friends of the deceased scholar.

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Adesanmi's last post on Facebook:

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My life after the plane crash  Nigerian plane crash survivor Kechi Okwuchi speaks to Legit TV

Source: Legit
The immediate past governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose, has mocked the outgoing governor of Ogun state, Ibikunle Amosun, over the reported defeat of his candidate in the Ogun state governorship election.

Ibikunle Amosun is of the APC but is supporting for his political protege, Adekunle Akinlade, of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the election. But despite his support, the APM governorship candidate appears to be struggling in the poll.

Reacting to the political intrigues in Ogun state, Fayose in a tweet on Sunday, March 10, congratulated Amosun for losing the election of his political son.

READ ALSO: Plateau lawmaker Ezekiel Afon dies hours after winning election

Though INEC has not made any official announcement about the Ogun governorship election, the former governor stated that Amosun was welcome to join the club of those heading to the tribunals to challenge election results.

"I congratulate Gov ibikunle Amosun for LOSING the guber election of his political son, Adekunle Akinlade of APM. He can now join our club, having forcefully supervised & funded the rigging of Ekiti 2018 election by the same Prof Abdulganiyu Raji who served as REC in both states," Fayose tweeted.

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"YE Ibikunle Amosun, pls join us as we battle our orchestrated 'loss' at the tribunal. What goes round has come round. You "Ja Ekiti Gba!", they have "Ja Ogun Gba." YE, please remember to congratulate HE. Dapo Abiodun o."

Meanwhile, the governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode, has congratulated the APC governorship candidate in the state, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, for emerging victorious in the Lagos governorship election.

Ambode in a congratulatory message sent via Facebook on Sunday, March 10, also congratulated Sanwo-Olus running mate, Obafemi Hamzat, over the result of the election.

The governor described the win of both candidates as a victory for continuity of governance in Lagos state and for the people of Lagos.

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2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV

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A cross-country cyclist is continuing his journey from his hometown in Portland, Oregon to Staten Island, after hitting a patch of ice and falling off the bike this past January.

Brent Bundy is raising awareness for breast cancer following the death of his friend, Gina, according to his Twitter account @BrentLeeBundy1. This is his sixth bike trip cross-country. He has stopped at various regional places along the way, including Habitat Lehigh Valley ReStore, the Lehigh Valley Health Network, and while at a McDonalds in Harrisburg, vowed to meet with Governor Tom Wolf.

His pink bike carries a sign, stating, Fight Breast Cancer 6X. Oregon to NY. For Gina (with a pink ribbon emblem). #SoIStayed. Bundy in an interview on WFMZ-69 News said the names of other lost loved ones also are on the bike, including, Amy, Kim and Steh."

Bundy began the journey June 1 in hundred degree weather in the summer and road his worst day from Pottsville, Schuylkill County to Hazelton, Luzerne County in minus 4 degrees and 40 mile an hour wind gusts in the winter, he recalled in the WFMZ broadcast. His accident occurred while traveling through the Lehigh Valley, when he struck a piece of ice that had fallen off a car, knocking him unconscious.

Next thing I know, Im laying down, Bundy told WFMZ. "If it wouldve been any bigger, it probably would have killed me. Im just lucky it didnt.

The accident led to several months of physical therapy.

But this week, Bundy was able to get back onto his bike and currently is continuing the trek from the Lehigh Valley area to Staten Island.

With an estimated 140 miles left to go, he told WFMZ hes already gone through 30 chains and 50 tires.

I just want people to find out catch it early, especially breast cancer, any kind of cancer, just get tested," Bundy told WFMZ.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
William W. Timmann is going places, according to his father.

The 17-year-old got perfect scores in math on the SAT and ACT tests. He gets straight As in math and mostly As in the rest of his subjects.

The Easton Area High School senior is taking five AP tests this year and is splitting time between high school and Northampton Community College because hes so far ahead of his peers.

But he might not graduate in May. Thats because his father, William E. Timmann, refuses to allow him to take the Keystone Exams.

High schoolers across Pennsylvania take the standardized tests after they complete algebra, literature, and biology classes. The Keystones allow the state to assess whether students are proficient in these subjects before they graduate. Timmann opposes the Keystones and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests. The PSSAs are mandatory for third through eighth graders.

The PSSAs and the Keystones do nothing for the children. They grade the schools, said Timmann, who lives on Eastons South Side.

State funding is tied to students test scores. The tests are designed to measure which school districts succeed and which ones fail to produce academically proficient students.

But they dont help individual students improve, Timmann says. He doesnt want his son to waste time with them.

What is this doing for him and what is this doing for his education? No one can explain that to me, Timmann said.

A statewide requirement for graduating seniors to pass the Keystone Exams was pushed back to 2022, but many school districts, including the Easton Area School District, require them anyway.

If you dont take the Keystones you can take PBAs, or Project-Based Assessments. But Timmann doesnt want his son to take them either.

Easton Area School District solicitor John Freund said he cant comment on disputes involving individual students. However, he said parents can ask for exemptions from the Keystone Exams if they show good cause. Parents can opt their children out for religious reasons, for example.

If you cant show an exceptional reason, then you have to take the Keystones or do the PBAs, he said.

Timmann said its silly for the school district to stand in the way of his son, who has demonstrated hes academically qualified to graduate. He has been accepted at five colleges, interviewed at Princeton and plans to interview at MIT, Timmann said.

This is a kid thats going places. The district has done nothing but try to slow him down, Timmann said.

Timmann believes the school district is more apt to exempt low-achieving students than high-achievers like his son.

Freund could not comment on Timmanns exemption request.

Thats an educational decision that has to be made by educators, not by lawyers, he said, adding, Theres no basis for exemption other than good cause.

Easton Area School Board President George Chando said Wednesday he hadnt had a chance to look through a packet of information Timmann handed out to board members at the Tuesday, March 5, meeting. He said he awaits a recommendation from the administration on how to proceed with the matter.

District officials cannot discuss anything associated with Mr. Timmann or his son, added Superintendent John Reinhart. We have had to seek counsel from our attorney on this matter and we will not discuss it publicly.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
In a rare 9-0 decision last month, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed what many Americans have known for years: Police and prosecutors around the country have used civil asset forfeiture laws to punish people not convicted of or connected to a crime  seizing vehicles, money and real estate in violation of the U.S. Constitution. In some of the more egregious cases, police used confiscated money and property to benefit themselves in ways that have little to do with crime fighting.

Used with discretion, asset forfeiture is a valid anti-crime tactic. The intent is to seize the tools and wealth that enable criminal activity. But there can be gross distortions  such as seizing the home of a woman because her grandson was selling drugs, unknown to her, from her front porch.

In many states property may be seized and kept by authorities, absent a criminal conviction. When people have a case to reclaim their property, they can face lawyers fees that exceed the value of the property.

In its Feb. 20 ruling, the high court said the Eighth Amendment protection against excessive fines applies to the states use of asset forfeiture.

The court ruled in favor of Tyson Timbs, an Indiana man who admitted he sold $225 worth of heroin to undercover officers. He served a year of house arrest, paid $1,200 in fines and entered court-ordered addiction treatment. Authorities kept his $42,000 Land Rover, saying he used it in criminal activity. Timbs said he bought the SUV with a payout from his fathers life insurance policy. The Institute for Justice, which handled Timbs appeal, argued that the forfeiture was excessive.

All nine justices agreed. In an opinion written by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court noted the value of the Land Rover was more than four times the maximum $10,000 fine that could have been levied against the defendant.

They key word in the decision  and the Constitution  is excessive. Those who commit crimes risk the profits of their illegal behavior. But the government should not be allowed to generate its own exorbitant profits, or claim the property of those not involved in a crime. And as a guard against corruption, money from the sale of seized property should not go directly to the law enforcement agency that confiscated it.

Forfeiture money has been put to good use in local communities. A recent example was Northampton County District Attorney John Morganellis approval of a $10,000 grant to help West Easton establish a police department.

Pennsylvania has taken modest steps to check misuse of asset forfeiture. A 2017 reform bill raised the states burden of proof, made reporting more transparent, extended protection to uninvolved third parties, and outlawed the pre-forfeiture taking of real estate without a hearing.

New Jerseys asset forfeiture law has criticized for running roughshod over individual rights. The Legislature is just getting around to changing it.

As reported by nj.com, the Institute for Justice has ranked New Jersey among the worst states for its low threshold for forfeiture (no conviction needed) and lack of safeguards for uninvolved property owners. It found that prosecutors in 21 counties seized $72.6 million in assets between 2009 and 2013, 79 percent of it cash. That figure doesnt include assets taken on a municipal or state level.

Its time to balance the equation. The Supreme Court ruling is a pivotal step in that direction. States, counties and municipalities must be held accountable for what they confiscate, and how much, in the name of crime fighting.
A European arrest warrant was issued last week at Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court for a man believed to be living in the UK accused of an assault causing serious harm in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Mark Scott having an address at Ballybride, Roscommon, Co, Roscommon is a co-accused in a section 4 assault case which occurred on July 17, 2016 on Main Street, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Mr Scott did not appear in court last week to face his charge.

A bench warrant for not appearing previously was cancelled and a European arrest warrant was issued by Judge John Aylmer.

Garda Inspector Ray Mulderrig said it is understood Mr Scott is outside the jurisdiction - probably residing in the UK.

The co-accused in the same case has had his trial adjourned to the next sitting of Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court in May this year.

A jury will be required for the trial and it is expected to last at least one week.
We are literally counting down the days until Brexit and, with no agreement yet reached, there is a growing fear that a no-deal exit for the UK is all but inevitable.

Last Monday, March 4, Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) launched a declaration and confirmed dates for a series of protests along the border for March 30, a day after the UK is set to exit the European Union.

Leitrim BCAB spokesperson, JJ O'Hara, said every pressure has to be brought on the EU and the UK to ensure that the rights of those living on the island of Ireland were respected.

We are facing a situation where a no-deal Brexit is becoming more and more likely. We are going to London and we are also going to Europe to try and ensure that a hard border does not return to Ireland.

A statement issued by BCAB noted that the organisation has decided to create a declaration that all pro-remain and campaign groups can sign up to, so we all can send a very clear message to Westminster, Dublin and Brussels regarding the affects of Brexit upon our lives.

It is vitally important at this very crucial time our collective voice's are heard.

The declaration calls for:

1. No hardening of the border by implementing the backstop.

2. The preservation of the Good Friday Agreement.

3. To continue EU representation (for those in Northern Ireland) to ensure protection and standards for citizens rights, employment, environmental and social rights.

4. Continued access (for Northern Ireland) to EU funding programmes including PEACE, CAP, Erasmus+ and Interreg.

On March 12 the UK parliament is set to vote on an exit deal. If this deal fails to get support then a vote will be held on whether the UK will exit with no-deal on March 29.

If the majority of members vote against exiting with no deal, a third vote will be held on March 14 to consider delaying Brexit by extending the timeline for Article 50.

At this point it will be either a case of leaving on March 29 without a deal or approaching the EU to seek an extension of time in which to secure a Brexit deal.

There is no guarantee that, even if the UK parliament votes in favour of an extension to Article 50, the EU will actually grant an extension.

Everything is very much still up in the air, said Mr O'Hara.
Both Cllrs Caroline Mulvey and Paddy ORourke requested a safety assessment and some traffic calming measures for Cloone Village last week.

Cllr Mulvey said the speed through the village close to the school is beyond a joke. She noted that big lorries especially often drive at speed through Cloone. Cllr Mulvey noted the three speed ramps in Drumkeerin has greatly slowed down traffic.

Cllr ORourke said there is a blind spot on both approaches into the village and you cannot see the road ahead.

The council replied: The introduction of speed ramps to Cloone can only occur through the construction of a pedestrian crossing on the Main Street. The council said they do not have direct funding for these works but suggested CLAR and other streams of funding.

Cllr ORourke was not happy with the councils reply, but Shay OConnor said engineers will meet with community representatives and the school committee to look at ideas for the village.

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THE Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has given the green light to the Pat and Una McDonagh-owned SO Hotels Groups purchase of the Castle Oaks House Hotel.

Mr McDonagh officially got the keys ten days ago. He travelled to Castleconnell, spoke with current employees and outlined his plans to restore the Castle Oaks to its former glory.

I met all the staff and management and they will all be retained. As we progress we will be taking on new people, said Mr McDonagh.

After purchasing what was formerly known as Woodlands House on the banks of the Shannon for 3.5m, a further investment of 1.5m is planned.

There will be a significant investment over the next 12 months or so. It hasnt had any investment for a while so thats our plan. It was a great, well renowned hotel. Probably like a lot of hotels in the recession it kind of lost its way a small bit. Our objective is to bring it back to its former glory. It still has a very good reputation for weddings, said Mr McDonagh.

He isnt known as a man who lets the grass grow under his feet and works are imminent.

It will mostly be refurbishment and redecorating the suites  bring it up to the current standards that are needed. Decorating and painting is the easy part so that will happen inside the next three or four weeks. We will see as we go then to see what extras are needed, said Mr McDonagh, who isnt ruling out extending the late Georgian period building.

Well look at that down the road. It obviously depends on how the business is going and what else can be done there. There are 10 acres of ground with it so there is plenty of opportunity.

The Castle Oaks House Hotel is one of the few grand houses to survive and continue to prosper in Castleconnell.

The first recorded owner was Lieutenant John S Rich who took up residence in 1815. In the 1930s, it was the home of the Shaws, owners of the famous bacon factory in Limerick city. The next owner was a Captain Dixon, from England, who then sold it to the Presentation Sisters who established a convent in 1945. They purchased the adjacent Belmont House and turned it into a secondary school. They sold the convent in 1985 and the Castle Oaks House Hotel was born.

Its latest owner wants to celebrate its over 200 years of history.

It has a uniqueness to it. It is different to other hotels in that you might describe it as a house hotel. That old Irish house atmosphere is what we have to try and create - comfortable but modern. It has such a history and thats one of the things we plan to do, show off the history.

Mr McDonagh describes Castleconnell as a hidden gem.

Its a fantastic location, great setting and great river walks. Since the road was bypassed and the motorway came in people dont go past Castleconnell as much, said Mr McDonagh, who wants to make the hotel a destination for locals and tourists.

Its a lovely area. It is up to us to help out and make it a local for locals. We want to make it a place we feel proud of, they feel proud of and the staff feel proud of.
ALL the stars aligned to save the life of Murroe man Johnny Davis after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Aoife McGivney, a nurse in Dublin, saved a bus driver's life on O'Connell Bridge this week after he collapsed at the wheel. But Johnny, who works in the farm at Glenstal Abbey, fell to the ground in the much more rural location of Abington, Murroe.

It was 10.30am. I was sweeping leaves and then I was talking to a neighbour, Mike Holmes  thats all I remember. Weeks later, he told me I just started to fall back. I was gone.

Mike ran out on to the road, near Powers pub, and the first car he stopped was a nurse (Lynda O Duinn). She never travels that road. He waved the car down. Lynda told me afterwards she saw the fear in his eyes. She started giving me CPR. Only for her knowing what to do... said Johnny, who is married to Margaret and they have two sons, Adrian and Gavin.

The 55-year-old said another kind-hearted lady, Carmel Lynch from Cappamore, stopped to give her assistance. Then PJ Holmes, who owns the Spar in Murroe, pulled in.

PJ doesnt usually travel that road either. He saw what was going on and went straight to Murroe and got the defibrillator. Normally it is locked but it was open so there was no delay in bringing it straight back, said Johnny. While all this was going on Lynda kept doing chest compressions. He said her hands were so sore the next day that she couldnt change the gears in her car. Lynda used the defibrillator brought by PJ.

I was gone. She brought me back. She saved my life. When the ambulance came within 20 minutes there was signs of life. I wouldnt be alive today only for Lynda, PJ, Mike and Carmel. Everything slotted into place. Everybody was in the right place at the right time, said Johnny. But he mighnt have been in the right place.

I was going to drive down a corner post up the fields in Glenstal before going to Abington. I dont know why I changed my mind. If I had done that I was gone because I wouldnt have been found. According to the staff in UHL, there is a 5% per cent chance of a person surviving a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, said Johnny, who thanked everyone who came to his aid, the community for rallying around and the monks who were very good to him while he was out sick . He got three stents inserted, is back to full health and has had the opportunity to meet Lynda since it happened in October.

The stay at home mum-of-three downplays her training as a nurse in the Mater and post grad in emergency nursing because it is 19 years since she worked in a clinical setting of any kind. She says CPR and using a defibrillator are skills that anyone can learn.

Originally from Drogheda, Lynda moved to Limerick about 14 years ago. She says it was only the second time she has driven on that road. Both occasions were to see her children play a GAA match.

After heeding Mike Holmes call for help, Lynda said Johnny had no pulse and his breathing had stopped.

It was the loneliest experience, lying in the middle of the road and someone pumping on your chest. Some lovely bystanders stopped, they were a phenomenal support to me. Then out of the blue a defibrillator popped up beside me.

He was shocked three times in my company and he started making efforts to try and breathe while his heart was trying to start to re-beat. And then two lovely female paramedics came after 20 minutes. You could see that he had a heartbeat and a pulse. It was the best feeling in the world, said Lynda.

She and Johnny have kept in touch since and there are two vital things that they would like to get across from sharing their story.

Learn CPR. It's a simple and effective life saving skill. It is the first thing, after calling for help, to do in a cardiac arrest. The defibrillator is the second piece of the puzzle.

It's also perfect timing to share this message as the Irish Heart Foundation is launching a new major initiative where they are aiming to train 100,000 people in communities across Ireland in CPR for free over the next two years. It's called Hands for Life and more information can be found at irishheart.ie said Lynda. Secondly, she says people should find out where their community defibrillators are located and how to access them.

You need CPR to pump blood to the brain and all the major organs. The defibrillator is definitely a game changer in terms of getting the heart started again to a normal rhythm, said Lynda.

Johnny Davis is living proof.
THE Glin Triathlon Club is keen to recruit new members. But, wisely, it is opting for a relatively easy introduction with a 5km run or walk next week.

The free, fun event, according to club PRO Anne ORiordan will take place on one of the countys most scenic trails, the Knights Walk but will also take in the grounds of Glin Castle.

And they are hoping that the event, on Saturday, March 16, will whet the appetite of newcomers and leave them wanting more.

There will be an instructed warm up session at 10am to prepare for the main event, Ms ORiordan explained. There will also be a shorter run for juniors paralleling whats happening in Park Runs around the world.

Like the Park Runs, this is all about inclusiveness and wellbeing. We want as many people as possible to feel part of a real local community brought together by these events, she added.

The Glin Triathlon Club is now in its third year, Ms ORiordan continued, and members have built up a wealth of experience from competing in the accessible sprint distance triathlons right up to the more extreme Iron Man events.

Glin is an amazing location with open water swimming from the pier, lots of long quiet secondary roads for walking and running and plenty of hills to build up stamina on the bike, she added. One of the villages gems, is the Knights Walk which is named after the late Desmond John Villiers FitzGerald, the 29th Knight of Glin. The trail is just under 4km but the view from the platform at the top of Tullyglass Hill offers panoramic views of the estuary and of surrounding counties.

There will be hot drinks and home-baked treats for sale at the end of the event.

Anyone wanting to take part should meet at the gates of Glin Castle at 10am. But, Ms ORiordan added, the club is also offering winter warm up sessions including Turbo Bike Sessions, running workshops and nutrition talk. Open water swimming instruction and support will begin later in the year. . For more information go to www.GlinTriClub.ie.
A MAN who was aggressive and abusive towards staff at a County Limerick Hotel was fined 450 for public order offences.

Oskaras Pavydis, 45, who has an address at Arra View, Newcastle West pleaded guilty at the local court to a number of charges relating to an incident at the Longcourt House Hotel on October 16, last.

Superintendent John Deasy said gardai attended the hotel at around 9.30pm and that when they arrived they encountered the defendant in the reception area.

He was very abusive, he was shouting and roaring. He was agitated and aggressive, he said adding there were other members of the public in the hotel at the time.

Solicitor John Lynch said his client had eaten at the hotel earlier in the evening and had become angry when he was refused a drink having paid for his meal.

He told the court his client had a number of drinks with his meal but insisted he was not highly intoxicated and wanted to know why he was refused more alcohol.

He said Mr Pavydis had demanded to speak with a manager and that the gardai were contacted when he refused to leave the hotel.

He was very annoyed over the way he was treated in the hotel. He became very animated.

Judge Mary Larkin said the defendants reaction was inexcusable and she commented that his reactions was not a normal response.

Noting his guilty plea and his previous good record, she imposed fines totalling 450.
TRIBUTES have been paid to a County Clare man who was killed in a plane crash in Ethiopia.

Michael Ryan  an engineer with the UNs World Food programme  was one of the 157 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 737 aircraft which was en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.

According to various reports, it lost contact with air traffic control just six minutes after taking off shortly after 6.30am this Sunday (Irish time). There were no survivors and an investigation is underway to establish the cause of the crash.

While Mr Ryan had been living in Cork in recent times, he is originally from Lahinch in west Clare.

Six other workers from the World Food Programme were also killed in the crash.

As we mourn, let us reflect that each of these WFP colleagues were willing to travel and work far from their homes and loved ones to help make the world a better place to live. That was their calling, as it is for the rest of the WFP family, said WFP executive director David Beasley.

The WFP family mourns today -- @WFP staff were among those aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight. We will do all that is humanly possible to help the families at this painful time. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  David Beasley (@WFPChief) March 10, 2019

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is aware of the incident, and is providing consular assistance to the family of the married father-of-two.

"Michael was a young man committed to the highest ideals of fighting world poverty and providing food for all. Condolences to his family and friends," said Minister Charlie Flanagan who said his thought and prayers were with the families of all the victims.
Photo: Contributed Jude Clarke

The community is rallying around a retired Vernon couple who are facing extensive medical bills.

A GoFundMe page has been created for long-time Vernon residents, Jude Clarke and her husband, John Lent, to help save Clarke's foot, or feet, from amputation.

Since she was 21, Clarke has coped with the chronic pain of lupus, a complex disease causing inflammation affecting tissue and organs. A secondary problem with this disease can be organ failure and the onset of other health issues, such as osteoarthritis.

Clarke had both.

In 2013, her kidney quit working, meaning she would need an organ transplant. A match was found with her brother Joe and in 2015, the surgery took place.

Since the successful surgery, Clarkes osteoarthritis (bone-on-bone cartilage loss) in both ankles put her in a wheelchair. Normally, an ankle replacement would be done. However, Clarke was advised against this due to the slew of drugs she takes to manage all the other health issues.

She scoured the internet, looking for an option that wouldnt put her in a wheelchair. And she found it in Gig Harbor, Wash. A company there makes a device called the ExoSym, a prosthetic-type brace created to save limbs from amputation.

With the support of her husband, they journeyed to Washington in December and again in January. She was fitted and trained with the device, saving her from life in a wheelchair.

In total, the cost to the couple is in the neighbourhood of $30,000. None of the cost is covered by insurance. Friends and family set up the GoFundMe page, hoping to alleviate the financial strain.

"Everything Jude and I have done, all our plans and hopes for retirement has been achieved on a single salary and pension. And we couldnt be happier," wrote Lent on the GoFundMe page.

"Our lives have always been modest in a beautiful way from that point of view. We feel very lucky, in fact. Its just that the ExoSym on top of the kidney transplant placed an unexpected strain on those plans and hopes. Jude is, truly a warrior, and I simply stare at her sometimes, in wonder.

 by Cindy Rhyason




In honor of the 2019 International Womens Day, Nigerias Ngozi OKONJO-IWEALA was named by Council on Foreign Relations as one of Six women who helped shape Contemporary World order.

The piece by Stewart M. Patrick reads: While some international institutions, like the Brundtland Commission, have had women at their helm, others have proved more recalcitrant to female leaders. One such institution, the World Bank, saw cracks in its glass ceiling in 2012, when Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala ran to become its president. After serving terms as Nigerias foreign affairs minister and finance minister, and then as a managing director at the bank, she (and Colombias Jose Antonio Ocampo) squared off against American physician Jim Yong Kim in the banks first-ever contested presidential selection.




Two suicide bombers who attempted to invade the St. Pius Catholic Church In Shuwa, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa, while the church mass was ongoing this morning, were intercepted and they detonated the bomb on themselves in the process. Over 1500 parishoners were inside the church during the mass.

Confirming the incident, the Bishop of Yola Diocese, Dami Mamza, who is also the state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, said the suspected Boko Haram members aimed at gaining access into the Church while the morning mass was in progress but Gods intervention saved the day.

According to Mamza, the vigilant cadet boys on patrol around the vicinity prevented the bombers from gaining entry thereby forcing the explosives to detonate before getting to their target.

Only a grandmother and her grandson were slightly affected by the explosion but did not sustain any injury.

The military were immediately alerted and they have since cordoned off the area to recover some undetonated explosives devices in the area.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, said efforts are being made to restore normalcy to the area.

Graphic photo of one of the suicide bombers below
As many pet owners will attest, when their cat prepares to pounce, it does a little butt wiggle first.

This butt-wiggling pounce lasts just a few moments as the feline crouches down low and wiggles its rear end before launching itself at its target  which is sometimes your feet under the blankets.

There hasn't been any formal research yet on this quirky behavior, but one scientist who studies animal locomotion said he had a few ideas about why kitty does a twerk-like shimmy before its ambush. [Why Do Cats and Dogs Love a Good Head Scratch?]

"The short answer is science does not know; the butt-wiggling has not been studied, to my knowledge, in an experimental context," said John Hutchinson, a professor of evolutionary biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College in London.

According to Hutchinson, butt-wiggling may help press the hindlimbs into the ground to give cats added friction (traction) for pushing them forward in the pounce. "It may also have a sensory role to prepare the vision, proprioception [an awareness of one's position and movement] and muscle  and whole cat  for the rapid neural commands needed for the pounce," Hutchinson noted.

Butt wiggling may also give the cat an aerobic warm-up, of sorts.

"It probably does stretch the muscles a bit and that might help with pouncing," Hutchinson told Live Science. "And we can't exclude that it's just fun for cats; they do it because they are excited by the thrill of the hunt [and] prey."

Domesticated cats aren't alone in this behavior; wild cats  yes, even fierce creatures such as lions, tigers and jaguars, shake their derrieres before striking (just hopefully not your feet).

But unlike lions and tigers, the house cat has been domesticated for about 10,000 years. So, the time is ripe to get to the bottom of this butt-wiggling mystery.

An ideal experiment would have cats pounce with and without butt-wiggling, so scientists could determine what effect wiggling (or lack thereof) has on their pouncing performance, Hutchinson said.

Granted, Hutchinson has a lot on his plate, but he joked that "it must be done, somehow. I shall marshal some scientists, and some friendly cats, in due course."

Originally published on Live Science.
U.S. Border Patrol agents manning the I-35 checkpoint said late Thursday that they had rescued 76 undocumented immigrants who were being concealed inside a sealed refrigerated trailer.

The incident occurred when a commercial tractor-trailer approached the primary inspection lane on Monday afternoon. The driver of the truck consented to an inspection of the refrigerated trailer.
A man assaulted a woman after she rejected his sexual advances, according to Laredo police.

Juan Reynaldo Serrano, 24, was served with warrants on Wednesday charging him with attempted sexual assault, assault family violence and interfering with an emergency call.

READ MORE: Nevada custodian accused of soliciting sex, nude photos from high school students busted in Laredo

He was released on bond Thursday, according to Webb County Jail records.

The allegations date back to Dec. 13. At about 2 a.m., police officers responded to the 5900 block of San Bernardo Avenue. There, a woman stated to police that Serrano had assaulted her, according to LPD.

She told officers that Serrano wanted to be intimate with her but that she denied his sexual advances. According to police, the woman said Serrano then ripped off her underwear as she tried to leave. When she tried calling for help, Serrano grabbed her phone and smashed it against the floor, LPD said.

READ MORE: Woman accused of offering undercover officer oral sex for $25



During the struggle, Serrano allegedly pushed her to the ground, held her head down with his foot and called her derogatory names.

She told police that she eventually got away and called LPD. Serrano left the area before police arrived.
The Katy City Council may once again take up the issue of appointing a new police chief when it meets in regular session on Monday.

Katy City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 11, at City Hall, 901 Ave. C. Tagged from last month, the issue of appointing a police chief is once again on the agenda.

Katy Ward B Councilman James C. Jimmy Mendez Jr. tagged the appointment of a police chief at last months meeting and urged the vote be postponed until after the May election.

On this weeks agenda, the City Council is scheduled to go into executive session to discuss appointing Jose Noe Diaz Jr. as police chief.

Diaz, a Texas Ranger from Katy, was identified as the top applicant for the police chief job, according to Ward A Councilman Frank O. Carroll III. Diaz has had an office at the Katy Police Department for more than 20 years as a State Trooper and then as a Ranger. Carroll said at the last council meeting that Diaz was the top candidate among five finalists, all from the Katy area.

The screening process included a five-member panel with four members of the Houston Area Police Chiefs Association and Mayor Chuck Brawner, a retired Spring Branch Independent School District police chief. That panel questioned finalists on various topics from leadership to policing philosophy and problem solving inside and outside of the department, Carroll reported.

Diaz has worked more than 23 years with the Department of Public Safety, including the last 11 as a Texas Ranger. His public safety career began in 1986 when he worked as a correctional officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for 8 years. He worked 18 months as a Harris County Precinct 5 deputy constable before joining the DPS.

The top job in the department opened Jan. 15 upon the retirement of Bill Hastings, who had served the department for 32 years and as police chief since 2008. He announced his retirement in mid-December and the position was posted for a nationwide search on Dec. 31. Assistant Police Chief Tim Tyler, whose 27th anniversary with the department is in July, was appointed interim police chief. Tyler applied for the police chief position, but so did 75 other candidates, said Mendez and Carroll.

For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/yy3huc2w.

Bond sale

The police chief is not the only issue before the City Council on Monday. Council members will consider a resolution which would authorize Harris-Waller County Municipal Utility District 2 to issue unlimited tax bonds in the amount up to $2.2 million.

According to information from RBC Capital Markets, the bonds will be used for improvements to Cane Island drainage. There is no expected increase of the 2018 tax rate of 95 cents per $100 assessed value.

If approved by the Council, bids for the Series 2019 bonds will be due by April 2.

Spring forward

Did you remember to spring forward and move your clocks one hour ahead? Daylight saving time began at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10. It runs through Sunday, Nov. 3.

Spring break

Spring break begins Monday, March 11, in the Katy and Fort Bend independent school districts. Classes resume Monday, March 18.

Katy Area Chamber of Commerce

The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce will welcome Franki and Darlings Classic & Custom Cookies to the Katy area on Tuesday, March 12.

Celebrate the grand opening from 10:30 to 11 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:45 a.m. The business is located at 27110 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Suite 1300, Katy. Visit www.frankieanddarlings.com for information.

Cicis Beyond Pizza will be welcomed to the Katy area for their re-grand opening on Thursday, March 14, from 4:30-8 p.m. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 4:45 p.m. at 3154 N. Fry Road, Suite A. Visit www.cicis.com for information.

Fulshear Katy Area Chamber

The Chamber will have a rope cutting for Taco Bell at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 14, at 26628 FM 1093 in Richmond.

From 11 a.m. to noon Friday, March 15, the chamber will welcome Bar Louie to the area with a rope cutting. The event will take place at 2707 Commercial Center Blvd., Building M, in Katy.

Friends of the Library

Are you looking for some great bargains and a way to help the library? Stop by the Katy Branch Library, 5414 Franz Road, on Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. for the Friends of the Library Book Sale. Adult Hardcover books will sell for $1, paperbacks will sell for 50 cents, and all childrens books will be 2 for $1. The book sale will also include DVDs, which will sell for $1. All of the profits from the book sale go to support the librarys programs.

Reporter Karen Zurawski contributed to this report.

rkent@hcnonline.com
A top Republican blasted the Trump administration's potential demand that countries pay the full cost of hosting U.S. troops and then some, saying it's a "wrongheaded" move that would jeopardize both national security and relationships with allies.

"It would be absolutely devastating," Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who heads the House Republican Conference and serves on the Armed Services Committee, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Cheney was responding to a Bloomberg News report on Friday that the administration is developing so-called "cost plus 50" plans to force countries to pay the full price of American soldiers deployed on their soil, plus an additional 50 percent or more for the privilege. Nations hosting American forces could see their tab climb five to six times their current costs.

"We benefit tremendously" by stationing soldiers in South Korea, Japan, Germany and other countries, Cheney said. "The notion that we are now going to somehow charge them 'cost plus 50' is really - it's wrongheaded, and it would be devastating to the security of the nation and our allies."

Trump's planned proposal is in line with his efforts to encourage U.S. allies to boost their defense spending. But it's stoked concerns among diplomats and security experts who fear any "cost plus 50" demand would be an affront to allies in Asia and Europe who already question the depth of Trump's commitment to them.

Cheney vowed to oppose the move in Congress. Asked whether fellow Republicans would join her in rejecting the plan, given their tendency to not buck the president on most matters, she said politicians must be aware of the security dividends the U.S. gets from having troops stationed abroad.

"It's going to be very important for us to make sure that people understand the danger that that will do to our relationships and to our fundamental security," Cheney said.

The U.S. has been able to protect its security "because we've been able to work with countries," Cheney said. "And we should not look at this as though somehow we need to charge them rent or for the privilege of having our forces there, because that does us a huge benefit as well."

---

Bloomberg's Nick Wadhams contributed to this report.
Photo: RCMP

An illegal cannabis retail shop in downtown Kamloops was held up by two masked suspects on Thursday evening, one brandishing a knife and the other a long-barrelled firearm.

Phyven Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary on Victoria Avenue, which Kamloops RCMP say is illegally dispensing cannabis, was robbed at around 6:30 p.m.

No one was physically harmed, nor were any shots fired. Suspects fled the scene carrying cash and cannabis products.

The two were seen in a pickup truck but no license plate was obtained. They are described by police as follows:

Suspect 1:

Armed with long barrel gun;

First Nations male;

Red brimmed ball cap;

Shorter than Suspect #2;

Carhart style beige jacket, toque, covering over face.

Suspect 2:

Armed with a knife;

Taller and larger build than Suspect #1;

Beige pants;

Had a piercing under his eye described as two (2) jewels, similar to bellybutton style piercing.

Around 3 a.m. Saturday morning a brown GMC truck was located near River Street in Kamloops and was determined after investigation to have been the truck involved in the robbery. It had been stolen from Chase, B.C.

"Illegal cannabis retailers remain an attractive target to criminals because of the real or perceived hesitance the operators have in reporting crime to the police. In comparison, legal storefront operations are obligated to adhere to store security requirements, employee training, qualifications and sell product that comes from a safe supply chain that is easy to identify and trace back," said Sgt. Simon Pillay, RCMP Kamloops plainclothes commander.

Anyone with information about the crime or who recognizes the suspects is asked to call Kamloops RCMP.
Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition and government loyalists held rival demonstrations in Caracas on Saturday, as both sides prepared for what some fear could be a protracted struggle.

Power and communications outages continued to hit Venezuela, intensifying economic hardship. The bitterly divided factions accused each other of being responsible for the power grid collapse.

"Hard times are ahead," opposition leader Juan Guaido told crowds via loudspeaker after security forces dismantled his speaker's' stage.

The 35-year-old leader of the National Assembly said he anticipated more government efforts to sideline and intimidate the opposition. However, President Nicolas Maduro's government has not moved directly against Guaido since he returned to Venezuela from a Latin American tour Monday.

Guaido earlier speculated that Maduro was effectively ignoring him in an attempt to sap the energy of the opposition.

But on Saturday, Maduro stepped up verbal attacks on Guaido, calling him "a clown and puppet" in a speech to supporters outside Miraflores, the presidential palace. He scoffed at Guaido's claim in late January to be interim president of Venezuela, a declaration supported by the United States and about 50 countries.

Maduro accused Guaido and his U.S. allies of sabotaging Venezuela's Guri Dam, one of the world's largest hydroelectric stations and cornerstone of Venezuela's electrical grid.

He said authorities had restored 70 percent of power in Venezuela since what he called an "international cyberattack" late Thursday. Progress was lost Saturday when "infiltrators" allegedly struck.

Venezuelan opposition and U.S. officials say Maduro's attempts to blame blackouts on political adversaries is absurd, and that government corruption and mismanagement caused the blackout.

There was a power station explosion in the country's Bolivar state Saturday, according to local media. Video on social media showed fire and smoke billowing from the site. Venezuelan authorities have not commented.

Netblocks, a non-government Europe-based internet censorship monitor, said the second outage knocked out almost all of Venezuela's telecommunications infrastructure.
When the founders of BioNTech started their first company in 2001, their European colleagues who attended a gathering to discuss fighting cancer with the immune system could fit in a small university hospital conference room.

This year, some 2,000 immunologists will crowd into the annual meeting on the banks of the Rhine in Mainz to talk about advances in cancer immunotherapy. One offshoot -- immune oncology drugs like Merck & Co.'s Keytruda -- has already revamped cancer treatment, with sales expected to reach $19 billion this year. Those successes are fueling hope for biotechs like Oezlem Tuereci and Ugur Sahin's BioNTech that are developing therapies once seen as a long shot: personalized vaccines that train the body's T-cells to attack tumors.

The concept has gained traction over the past 18 months, and money is flowing in. After U.S. rival Moderna Inc. pulled off one of the biggest public listings in biotech history, BioNTech is weighing a share sale that could value it at $5 billion.

Still, the risks are great. Cancer vaccines are unproven and similar approaches have failed repeatedly in the past, even in the hands of big drugmakers like GlaxoSmithKline. Moderna will burn through $500 million in cash this year, Oddo analysts led by Pierre Corby said in a note.

"Even though they have a totally different, powerful new technology, they're doing something that's had a trail of failure for decades and decades," said Brad Loncar, chief executive of Loncar Investments, which owns Moderna's stock through an exchange-traded fund. Getting it to work "will be easier said than done."

Moderna and BioNTech both work with mRNA, molecular couriers that tell cells what proteins to make. The idea depends on finding uniquely mutated proteins on an individual's tumor -- not found elsewhere in the body. Then scientists can code mRNA to tell immune cells how to attack those tumor cells, effectively sharpening their tools to find and attack specific features.

Both born to Turkish immigrant families -- Tuereci's father would take her to his job as a surgeon, while Sahin's parents worked at a Ford factory in Cologne -- the science power couple met at the beginning of their medical careers in Germany. They started down the road toward cancer vaccines in the early 1990s at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz.

Observing that no two patients' cancers had exactly the same genetic mutations, they began working with the head of their department on the question of whether any of the body's systems was equally as adaptable, and could be used as a defense. The answer was the immune system.

But at the time, cancer vaccines were "considered as a crazy idea," Tuereci recalled. "Pharma companies would not even deal with immune therapy concepts."

The group turned its focus to what was then another new technology, monoclonal antibodies. In 2001, they founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals, a name inspired by a Turkish word for "prize," with Tuereci as CEO. Three years ago, Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. bought the company for as much as 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

Their most important backers for Ganymed were the German billionaires Andreas and Thomas Struengmann. The twin brothers began investing in biotech after selling generic-drug maker Hexal to Novartis for about $7.4 billion in 2005 and bankrolled the founding of BioNTech in 2008. The company's name rhymes with Genentech, one of the first giant biotech companies and arguably the U.S.'s most successful.

Such success has eluded cancer vaccines for years. Doctors began experimenting with the idea in the 1890s, when a New York physician found that injecting patients with bacteria spurred a cancer-fighting response. How and why the injections were occasionally successful or often didn't work was never explained, and the field moved on.

Doctors returned to the idea decades later and in 2010, Dendreon's Provenge was approved in the U.S. It was such a commercial flop that the company filed for bankruptcy four years after its debut. Cancer vaccines backed by Glaxo, Merck KGaA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. bombed in patient trials.

Today, faster computing and gene sequencing technology allow scientists to find unique mutations and quickly put them in cancer vaccines. Two years ago, the scientific journal Nature published a pair of small studies that renewed interest in the field. One from BioNTech showed that tumors spread less frequently in melanoma patients who got their vaccine. Two of five people whose skin cancer had spread saw their tumors shrink, and in a third person, who got the vaccine with another immune therapy, the disease disappeared completely.

Alongside a similar small study from rival Neon Therapeutics Inc., it was the first evidence that doctors could use mutations unique to a tumor cell to train the immune system to attack specific cancers, said Patrick Ott, clinical director of the melanoma center at Harvard University's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. BioNTech finally had results that hinted its mRNA approach might work.

"Vaccines have been used for decades," said Ott, who helped lead Neon's trial. "But with the technology we have, we can go another route."

A lot more study is needed to expand on those trials, said Cornelis Melief, a Dutch immunologist who helped pioneer the cancer vaccine field. BioNTech is working with Swiss oncology giant Roche Holding to compare cancer vaccines with a solo immune treatment in more than 100 people with melanoma. Results are expected in September 2022.

"The jury is out," said Dan Menichella, CEO of a German rival, CureVac, that is working on another cancer vaccine with U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. "That's why people are trying lots of different approaches, to see which one is going to work."

- - -

Bloomberg's Ruth David contributed.
WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller was making a "mistake" by not demanding that President Donald Trump testify as part of his investigation, which by many accounts may soon be nearing its end.

Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., acknowledged that it might be expedient for Mueller to avoid subpoenaing Trump's testimony because the president could fight it and Mueller's new boss, Attorney General William Barr, might oppose such a move.

"But I do think ultimately it's a mistake because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath," Schiff said. "As he's made plain in the past, he feels it's perfectly fine to lie to the public. After all, he has said, 'It's not like I'm talking before a magistrate.' Well, maybe he should talk before a magistrate."

Schiff also said he is deferring to Mueller on whether Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL who created the controversial Blackwater security company, lied to Congress about his involvement in the Trump campaign.

The House Intelligence Committee spoke with Prince in 2017 about his meeting in January that year with Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund; the meeting in question was organized by the United Arab Emirates the Seychelles. Prince presented the meeting to congressional investigators as a series of coincidences and insisted to the committee that he played no formal or informal role in Trump's campaign or transition team.

But it is an August 2016 meeting in Trump Tower, which Prince admitted to participating in during an interview with Al Jazeera last week but never disclosed to the Intelligence Committee, that has revived suspicions that Prince lied to Congress under penalty of perjury.

In the Al Jazeera interview, Prince at first said he did not disclose the August meeting to investigators because "I don't believe I was asked that question." He later said he "certainly" had told investigators about it, despite no mention of it in the public transcript. Prince tried to explain that discrepancy by saying, "I don't know if they got the transcript wrong."

Members of the panel were not convinced by his contradicting explanations.

"He's certainly not telling the truth in that interview," Schiff said. "There's nothing wrong with our transcript. . . . He did not disclose that meeting to our committee. So his, you know, interview certainly looks inconsistent with his testimony."

But Schiff stopped short of accusing Prince of perjury, leaving those questions to Mueller.

"Bob Mueller will have to make the decision about whether that rises to a level of deliberate falsehood," Schiff said. "But we had questions at the time of his testimony about his candor and how forthcoming he was. And those questions have only been heightened now."

A lawyer for Prince did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Schiff is not the only member of the Intelligence Committee who says Prince was not truthful with investigators.

"He beyond strained credibility in the interview," panel member Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said when reached for comment Saturday. "He's full of it; he's always been full of it. . . . You can't trust him."

"Opinion only, but I think he is a liar," panel member Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said.

Lying to Congress is a crime that has resulted in legal charges against Trump's longtime friend Roger Stone and his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to the charge and will soon begin a three-year prison term for that and various financial crimes. Stone's case is pending.

Cohen appeared on Capitol Hill four times in the past two weeks, attempting to correct the record after misleading lawmakers during 2017 interviews before the House and Senate Intelligence panels and to accuse Trump of what he said were financial and other crimes.

Yet after several rounds of open and closed testimony, lawmakers say they still aren't sure whether Cohen is telling the whole truth.

He said during his public testimony that he had "never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump." But after his closed-door testimony with the House Intelligence Committee, Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis said Cohen had directed a previous attorney, Stephen Ryan, to ask about a pardon after Trump's representatives publicly "dangled" the idea.

Trump weighed in on the subject last week in a tweet, saying Cohen "directly asked me for a pardon."

"I said NO," Trump's tweet continued. "He lied again! He also badly wanted to work at the White House. He lied!"

Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La., said, "I don't blame Cohen for asking" for the pardon, even if doing so was "inappropriate." But he said Cohen's swirling statements were clear proof that he was still lying to lawmakers: "If he's breathing, he's lying."

Democrats have acknowledged that Cohen's testimony is too shaky to build a case around without corroboration.

"I don't think in terms of making the case to the public, and here we're not making the case to a jury, about what took place, that we can rely solely on the testimony of Michael Cohen," Schiff said, noting that the sometimes conflicting statements from Cohen and his lawyers during and after open and closed-door testimony reminded him of the shifting narratives of the president.

"Those transcripts will be made public," Schiff said of Cohen's two days of closed-door testimony with the House Intelligence Committee. "The public can evaluate his credibility themselves."

Earlier this year, the committee sent to Mueller all the transcripts from its GOP-led investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. In an interview Sunday, Cohen's lawyer Davis said the legal team has "a great deal of respect and appreciation for Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Cohen testified truthfully."

In recent days, Republican lawmakers have accused Cohen of planning his testimony with Schiff, pointing to meetings that Intelligence Committee staffers held with him before his interviews on Capitol Hill. A spokesman for Schiff last week described those meetings as routine "proffer sessions." Cohen's lawyer said he went through similar preliminary sessions with the Senate Intelligence Committee and had offered to meet with House Republicans, including Jim Jordan of Ohio, but those gestures were ignored.

"I asked to meet with Mr. Jordan with Mr. Cohen before the House Oversight hearing twice, and Mr. Jordan never responded," Davis said. "Then I asked to and met with his staff before, to brief them."

A spokeswoman for Jordan said Sunday that while GOP staffers of the Oversight Committee did meet with Davis in January to go over what Cohen could and could not discuss - and later requested that Cohen first agree to a closed-door briefing before his public testimony - the only thing Davis offered Jordan in February was a meet-and-greet with Cohen, on the condition that he would answer no questions.
London

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid faced criticism Saturday after the death of a U.K. teenager's baby in a Syrian camp.

Shamima Begum, who left London as a 15-year-old in 2015 to join the Islamic State, had pleaded with British authorities before her baby was born to let her return to Britain to raise the child.

But Javid revoked her passport, saying Begum hadn't shown any remorse.

The teen told reporters she didn't have a problem with IS actions, including the beheading of captives.

Begum's infant son died Friday. Begum's family said the boy appeared to be in good health when he was born on Feb. 17.

No clear cause of death has yet been given, but reports suggested he was having respiratory problems.

Fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Phillip Lee said Saturday he was "deeply concerned" by Javid's handling of the case, suggesting he had taken a hard line in order to please populists.

He said Begum, 19, "holds abhorrent views," but called her a child who was a product of British society so Britain had a moral duty to her.

When Begum first spoke to reporters more than three weeks ago, she said the first two children she had given birth to since joining the extremist group had died of malnutrition and other ailments. She said she wanted to come home so she didn't lose another child.

Her predicament sparked a national debate on how the U.K. should handle Britons who joined extremists and now want to return because IS lost territory in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter last month, saying European countries have a responsibility to take back and put on trial about 800 IS fighters who have been captured by U.S.-backed forces in Syria.

Begum is married to a Dutch national who joined IS extremists and has since been taken into custody.

He said last week that he wanted to be able to live in the Netherlands with his wife and newborn son, who is now dead.
Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participates in an armchair discussion at the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association Annual General Meeting in Ottawa on Saturday.

A spokesman for the prime minister's office says Justin Trudeau had "emotional" conversations with Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes, but denies her claims the encounters were "hostile" or that Trudeau yelled at her.

Caesar-Chavannes told the Globe and Mail in an interview Trudeau was angry when she told him on Feb. 12 of her plans to announce she was not reoffering in the October federal election.

She alleges he yelled at her in that conversation and that she responded by shouting back at him, and says the prime minister later apologized.

Caesar-Chavannes also detailed another encounter with Trudeau in the House of Commons a week later in which she describes him as acting hostile toward her.

Caesar-Chavannes first raised questions about her interactions with the prime minister in a tweet she published earlier this week following Trudeau's press conference on the ongoing SNC-Lavalin controversy.

Trudeau told reporters he felt there had been an erosion of trust between himself and former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, which was something he regretted because a central tenet of his leadership is fostering an environment in which MPs and staff feel comfortable coming to him when they have concerns.

"I did come to you recently. Twice. Remember your reactions?" Caesar-Chavannes wrote in her tweet.

Caesar-Chavannes told the Globe and Mail he yelled at her in the Feb. 12 telephone conversation, telling her she didn't appreciate him for all he had given her. The Whitby MP served as Trudeau's parliamentary secretary from December 2015 to January 2017, when she stepped down from the post voluntarily.

The second encounter happened a week later after a caucus meeting. She approached Trudeau and says she tried to broach the topic of their previous testy conversation, but was met with a hostile "stare down." He came to apologize to her quietly on the floor of the House of Commons later, and she left visibly upset  an episode witnessed by several MPs in the chamber that day.

An official with the PMO speaking on background told The Canadian Press Saturday that Trudeau makes a regular effort to meet with his MPs as often as possible, and that often these discussions are candid. The official conceded that Caesar-Chavannes' perception of the encounters may have been different, but added they have never heard Trudeau yell or raise his voice to anyone.

In a statement sent to multiple media outlets, Matt Pascuzzo, a spokesman for the prime minister's office, denied Trudeau was hostile toward Caesar-Chavannes, adding that he has "deep respect" for her.

"There's no question the conversations in February were emotional, but there was absolutely no hostility," Pascuzzo said.

"As the prime minister said (Thursday), he is committed to fostering an environment where ministers, caucus and staff feel comfortable approaching him when they have concerns or disagreements. That happened here."

Speaking at a teachers' conference in Ottawa on Saturday, Trudeau was asked to respond to concerns about whether "recent events" involving several women in his caucus call into question his dedication to promoting women's rights.

Trudeau said he has faced a tough number of weeks involving members of his team who have experienced "some real differences of perspective and opinion."

"I regret that it has happened this way and it's certainly something that we're learning a lot about," he said.

"I'm rethinking some of the processes of how we support cabinet and caucus members, how we function as an office. I'm getting outside advice that because internal disagreements like this need to be dealt with in a better way."

He also said he hopes these events will not distract or detract from the work his government has been doing.

When asked whether he is concerned the SNC-Lavalin controversy could hurt his re-election chances, Trudeau pointed to concerns about the rise of divisive politics in other countries: the "toxic populism" in the United States, the yellow-vest protesters in France and the "total mess" of Brexit in the U.K., which he said was caused by an "impulse of populism and a knee-jerk reaction against institutions and in favour of cynicism and negativity."

He warned against Canadians embracing the politics of wedge issues, characterizing his government as a "thoughtful, progressive, positive government that believes in the rule of law."

The Trudeau government has spent weeks defending against allegations his office leaned on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to help SNC-Lavalin avoid prosecution on charges of offering bribes to do business with Libya.

Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet last month, saying she experienced inappropriate political pressure and veiled threats. Jane Philpott also resigned as Treasury Board president, citing a loss in confidence in the government's handling of the SNC-Lavalin file.
Texas faces a fast-approaching health care crisis that no one is talking about: the expiration of an agreement with the federal government that would strip the state of $6 billion a year.

Texas relies on this funding to care for Texans. It supports hospitals, especially in rural areas, and makes vital medical and behavioral health care more available throughout the state.

The Legislature needs to take action  now, this year  while there is still time to stop this threat to our economy and to the health of our fellow Texans.

Losing these funds would leave hundreds of thousands of Texans without access to community-focused health care. That ultimately increases costs for everyone  employers, taxpayers and the uninsured alike.

This impending crisis stems from the expiration of what is known as the 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver. Texas leaders first negotiated the waiver with the federal government in 2011, finding a way to address our states unique health care challenges.

The 1115 waiver represents a lifeline to more than 1 million Texans every year. It provides essential resources to physicians, hospitals and providers, and it supports innovative programs that give people without insurance access to cost-effective preventive and primary care services.

Hospitals rely on waiver-based payments  especially in rural areas, where the waivers expiration could be catastrophic. In just the past four years, 11 Texas rural hospitals have closed, and more than 20 others are at risk. That risk would grow without this funding, costing rural hospitals, on average, more than $3 million each year.

The waiver also supplies one-third of the funding that community mental health centers need to serve people with serious mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. It helped 173,000 people receive mental health services in 2017 alone. While state leaders have prioritized improving mental health care, any gains would be wiped out by the devastation that would occur without this funding.

Innovations that have improved care delivery and access are also in danger. Right now, Texas should be building on these programs successes  if the waiver expires, we might be forced to step backward.

Embedded in these threats is a significant opportunity  Texas can use this negotiation to build an even more effective health care system, leveraging previous investments and ongoing successes to meet our 21st century needs. The state should work to both preserve these vital resources and create access for Texans who need medical care. Without expanding Medicaid, the state could invest these funds even more effectively  creating a system of private market coverage that gives comprehensive and potentially lifesaving access to care to, among others, new mothers, people with pre-existing conditions and hardworking Texans who cannot afford insurance.

Texas legislative leadership remains steadfastly conservative. They have been clear that expanding Medicaid through Obamacare is not the answer in our state.

But if the Legislature sets the right course this session, Texas can establish a conservative, fiscally prudent policy, as Vice President Mike Pence did as governor of Indiana  averting a catastrophe before this funding disappears or the 2020 presidential election creates even more uncertainty.

States such as Utah and Georgia are working with the Trump administration on similar conservative solutions. Texas can, and should, lead the way. We look forward to working with the Legislature, state leaders and the spectrum of stakeholders to show the nation a new way to deliver health care to people who need it.

Dr. Doug Curran is president of the Texas Medical Association. Dr. Rebecca Hart is president of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians. John Henderson is president and CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural Community Hospitals. Maureen Milligan is president and CEO of the Teaching Hospitals of Texas. Ted Shaw is CEO of the Texas Hospital Association.
Family & Parenting, Music, Movies & Entertainment, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Seasonal & Current Events

By Meg Parisi Published: March 10 2019

St. Patricks Day is nearing and there are plenty of parades and festive events on Long Island to get you in the spirit

Upcoming Events

Sunday, March 10

Center Moriches

Enjoy pipe bands and cheer on the Irish Princess as Main Street goes green for the 17th annual St. Patricks Day Parade. The fun kicks off at 2 p.m. The Parade will begin at Main Street and Lake Avenue and continues east on Main Street to Ocean Avenue. For additional information, visit www.moricheschamber.org.

Farmingdale

The 7th Annual Farmingdale St. Patrick's Day Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. on Main Street to the Village Green. Following the parade festivities, explore the many downtown merchants, restaurants and spots for great deals & specials! There will also be shamrock photo ops on the village green! Rain or shine.

Huntington

Huntington will be celebrating their 85th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade featuring dozens of pipe bands, including some of the metro areas finest! The parade kicks off at 2 p.m. and starts just north of the Huntington train station and will follow along New York Avenue before turning west onto Main Street and ending at Saint Patrick's Church.

Saturday, March 16

St. James

Kicking off at 1 p.m., the St. James St. Patricks Day Parade takes place along Lake Avenue from Woodlawn to Railroad Avenues. Featuring piper bands, marching bands, Scout troops, dance groups, floats, fire trucks, antique cars and much more.

Cold Spring Harbor

Irish Pirates St. Patricks Day Workshop at the Whaling Museum and Education Center is hosting this festive event starting at noon. You may have heard about Blackbeard, but did you know women were pirates too? Learn how Grace OMalley rose to the top of the male dominated world of piracy. Come dressed in your favorite pirate outfit. All ages are welcome! For more information, visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org.

Sunday, March 17

Patchogue

Enjoy this year's parade as Grand Marshal Paula Murphy leads this year's Patchogue Saint Patrick's Day Parade down Main Street kicking off at noon! The parade starts at Route 112 and East Main Street, continuing west on Main Street and concluding on West Avenue. Bagpipes, floats, marching bands and much more.

Miller Place-Rocky Point

The Friends of St. Patrick is hosting its 69th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade starting at 1 p.m. The three-mile long parade starts in Miller Place on the corner of Route 25A and Harrison and ends at Broadway and North Country Road in Rocky Point. For more information, visit www.friendsofstpatrick.org.

Wantagh

The Wantagh Chamber of Commerce is hosting their First Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, kicking off at 2 p.m. sharp. The parade will head from Wantagh Avenue to Triangle Park. Stop by Mulcahy's for drink specials, Irish fare and live music!

Glen Cove

The Glen Cove 31st Annual St. Patrick's Day parade is set to kick off at 1 p.m. Marchers will follow the usual route through downtown Glen Cove to St. Patrick's Church. Shuttle buses will run between the parking areas and the formation area. The parade is followed by a family-friendly post-parade party at St. Patrick's Parish Hall, at the end of the parade route.

Saturday, March 23

Hampton Bays

The 15th Annual Hampton Bays parade will kick off at 11 a.m. Running from the Hampton Bays Middle School on Ponquogue Avenue to the Hampton Medical Atrium on Montauk Highway. For more information, visit the Hampton Bays Hibernians at www.hbaohdivision11.com.

Rockville Center

Rockville Centers 19th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade steps off at 12 p.m. at Long Beach Road and Maple Avenue. Known as the Parade that cares and shares, all profits raised by this celebration are divided between three charities to keep with the St.Patricks day spirit.

Brentwood

The 51st Annual Brentwood St. Patricks Day Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. The parade will start on Clark Street and Washington Avenue and end at Ross Memorial Park. For more information, visit the event Facebook page at www.facebook.com/brentwoodnystpatricksdayparade.

Sunday March 24

Montauk

The 57th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade will kick off at noon starting at Edgemere Road. Make sure to arrive early to get a good vantage point at New Yorks second largest St. Patricks Day parade. The Montauk Chamber of Commerce will be serving hot soup in souvenir mugs starting at 10 a.m. on the green. For more information, visit www.montaukfriendsoferin.org.

Jamesport

The East End Emerald Society kicks off their 6th Annual Jamesport St. Patricks Day Parade at 1 p.m. The parade starts at the intersection of Washington and North Railroad Avenue in Jamesport and travels north to Jamesport Fire Departments Manor Road headquarters. The parade will take place rain or shine.

Ronkonkoma

The Ronkonkoma 29th Annual St. Patricks Day parade kicks off at 2 p.m. and starts at the corner of Patchogue-Holbrook Road and Portion Road. Floats, marchers, bag pipers and bands will be present for all the fun!
Before she was kidnapped and killed, Jassy Correia was making a new start in her life. She had a beautiful 2-year-old daughter, Gabriella, a steady job at Del Friscos restaurant in the Boston Seaport and a loving family in Dorchester.

Nearly one month before Correia was allegedly killed by Louis Coleman III, Miguel Angel Castro, the father of Correias child, was sentenced to 4.5 years in state prison for violently beating Correia in a previous incident.

With Castro in prison, Correia was free to start her life anew.

But Correia went missing in the early morning hours on Sunday, Feb. 24, after she went out with friends to celebrate her 23rd birthday at Venu nightclub in Boston. Her remains were found by police in Delaware about four days later, stuffed into a suitcase in the trunk of suspect Louis D. Coleman IIIs car.

Her death marked a tragic end for a young mother described by friends as a kind, effervescent spirit and good caretaker to her daughter. The night she was kidnapped was not the first time she faced violence in her life, according to court documents first reported by The Salem News.

Nearly one year before her gruesome death, Correia survived a violent outburst from another man, her childs father, Miguel Angel Castro.

The two had been dating for some time but faced serious relationship problems, according to court records. The pair struggled with a legal battle over the custody of their daughter as an infant. Castro was jealous at times, accusing Correia of texting another man, court documents show.

It was on a Sunday afternoon in January 2018 that authorities reported Castro, then 22, had violently beat the 21-year-old mother of his child, forcing her to hide under the basement stairs for fear she may be killed.

Lawrence police were called to Castros residence at 210 Phillips St. on that Sunday afternoon, on Jan. 28, 2018, around 2:58 p.m.

At that time they received a 911 call from Rosany Castro, the mother of Miguel Castro, who reported her son to police.

Rosany would later show police the texts she received from Correia, who sent a photo of her beaten face with the words, you need to help me...Miguel wont let me leave...dont call him and hell (sic) kill me. Rosany told police her son had violent tendencies, and that he had hit her in the past.

When Lawrence Police Officers Scott McCabe and Jordany Vargas arrived at the home, Miguel Castro allowed them inside.

The officers first observed plates smashed on the ground and food all over the floor. Castro said his girlfriend, Jassy Correia, had thrown dishes at him, according to an incident report written by Vargas, who knew Castro from high school. Reports indicate Castro appeared nervous and pacing. At one point he said his girlfriend had taken an Uber back to her fathers home in Dorchester, the incident report noted.

The officers, with consent from Castro to search his home, found reddish-brownish stains that appeared to be blood in the bathroom and bedroom. Vargas later noticed similar stains on Castros sweater, he wrote in the police report. The officers handcuffed Castro for safety as they continued their search. Then police dispatchers told them to look in the basement.

It was there, hiding under the basement stairs, that officers found Jassy Correia. She was badly injured, with blood on her face, bruised arms and swollen lips and cheeks. Her injuries were so extensive that someone who knew her, most likely would not recognize her," officers said in their report.

Correia told police all she remembered was Castro hitting her, and then blacking out. She was taken to Lawrence General Hospital for treatment, and despite authorities pleas, Correia never wanted to speak to them about the incident again.

Miguel Castro was arrested, appearing calm and not under the influence of any drug or alcohol, police said at the time. Castro was later indicted on charges of kidnapping, assault and battery causing serious bodily injured, attempting to mislead a police investigation, intimidation of a witness and mayhem.

A year-long battle between authorities, Castro and Correia ensued as Assistant Essex County District Attorney Kelleen Forlizzi prosecuted the case.

Correia twice refused her summonses to appear in court, accusing a police officer of harassing her due to the repeated requests. Authorities uncovered that behind the scenes, Castro was advising her not to show up in court, documents from the case reveal.

Castro, ignoring a no contact order, called Correia often at the beginning of his time in the Middleton House of Corrections. Within a few days in February 2018, he called her over a hundred times, even indicating in his phone calls that he could get in trouble for speaking with her, according to court records.

'Did the DA call you? Tell them, yea, yea, youre going to go [to court] but then dont,' Castro said in one phone conversation with Correia on Feb. 9, 2018, according to a motion filed by the prosecutor.

In a phone conversation one week prior, Castro told Correia, If the police come looking for you saying you have to come or youre going to get arrested, dont believe them. The warrant is only for 24 or 72 hours... Dont let me down, Jassie [sic].'"

It was through his prison phone conversations that prosecutors also learned Castro had a jealous streak: The defendants statements on his jail calls indicate he was jealous over Ms. Correia texting another man, reads a motion filed by prosecutors.

Throughout judicial proceedings, Correia followed Castros orders, refusing to appear for summonses and arriving in court only when warrants were issued for her. On the few occasions she did appear in court, Correia never offered testimony against her childs father.

But with other testimony by police officers, photographic evidence from the Lawrence home and information picked up from jail phone calls, Castro was found guilty anyway. Just two months ago, on Jan. 11, 2019, a jury at Essex Superior Court found Castro guilty on all charges.

On Jan. 14, Judge James Lang sentenced Castro to 4.5 to 5 years in state prison, with 351 days in prison already credited for the year he spent awaiting trial. The sentencing included three years probation after his release, mental health evaluations and treatment as recommended, and a batterer intervention program.

Castro was also ordered to have no contact with Jassy Correia.

Before she went missing, Correia was living at a shelter in Lynn with her daughter, according to multiple reports.

It just breaks my heart for her baby girl right now. Has no idea being a 2-year-old. Shes just looking for her mom," a cousin of Correias who identified herself as Fernanda said at a vigil for the young mother Thursday night. With tears in her eyes, the relative said Correia had been hoping for a fresh start in her life.

She really wanted to start her life over. Being independent, Fernanda said. I just remember her as being...very lovely.
The Massachusetts attorney who represented Kristen Gilbert, the nurse convicted of killing four patients inside a Northampton veterans hospital, has been tapped to defend Louis D. Coleman III.

Federal court records show David Hoose, a Northampton lawyer, will serve as one of two lawyers on Colemans defense team as the 32-year-old Providence man faces a federal kidnapping charge in the death of Jassy Correia.

The second lawyer assigned to the case is Jane Peachy, who is a federal public defender.

Gilbert, who was represented by Hoose during her federal trial in a Springfield court, killed men inside the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northampton by injecting them with epinephrine, which can cause heart failure.

Defense attorney David Hoose (Republican file photo)

The deaths were in 1995 and 1996.

Gilbert was convicted of killing four men in 2001. The government sought the death penalty, but Hoose was able to convince a jury to spare the former nurses life.

She was instead sentenced to four consecutive life sentences and another 40 years for the attempted killing of two other people at the facility, federal records show.

Coleman could face the death penalty in connection with the death of Correia, a 23-year-old woman who was taken from Boston on Feb. 24 and found dead days later in the trunk of Colemans car.

Federal authorities in Massachusetts have not said if they will pursue the death penalty against Coleman.

Coleman will appear in a Massachusetts federal court at a date yet to be determined to face a charge of kidnapping resulting in death in connection with the disappearance and killing of Correia.

He was caught in Delaware and has agreed to return to Massachusetts to face the charge.

Authorities said Correia, who was out celebrating her birthday at Venu nightclub in Boston, was kidnapped by Coleman on Feb. 24. Police in Delaware stopped Colemans car on Feb. 28.

Officers asked Coleman to get out of the car and asked him if anyone else was in the vehicle.

Coleman said, Shes in the trunk," according to federal authorities. Correia was found dead in the cars trunk. She was wrapped in a sofa cushion cover, which was inside a black trash bag, according to investigators.

Authorities said they have surveillance footage from his Providence apartment showing him carrying Correias lifeless body into his apartment. Coleman, investigators said, bought cleaning supplies and other items.

"We cant know yet exactly what he planned to do with the body," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said when he announced the federal charge against Coleman. "But all of the cleaning and cutting supplies in the vehicle and that he got from Walmart imply that he planned to somehow dispose of the body. Though we cant know that for sure yet."

Massachusetts does not have the death penalty, but federal crimes committed in the state can still be subject to the death penalty.
CHICOPEE  Members of UFCW Local 1459, the union representing 1,300 Western Massachusetts Stop & Shop employees, voted unanimously Sunday to authorize a strike.

Five New England locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers International have been working without a contract for more than two weeks and union leaders have expressed frustration following more than a month of stalled negotiations.

We need to send a message to the company that we mean business, said Local 1459 president Tyrone C. Housey in a Facebook video message to members. We are still a union. We still believe in fair wages, fair benefits. Thats what we are looking for.

With Sundays vote, the Western Massachusetts local became the third of the five to authorize a strike. The locals in greater Boston and in Connecticut have already voted.

A strike authorization doesnt necessarily mean there will be a strike, but the vote gives union leadership permission to call a strike if negotiations dont progress. The union wouldnt necessarily pull workers from all the stores, but could strike one store  or a few stores  at a time.

The union has not set a strike date.

The union said Stop & Shop is proposing a bad deal for workers that would cut current benefits, including health and welfare and pension plans, replacing Sunday time-and-a-half pay with a smaller wage premium, cuts in paid holidays, vacations and sick days for new hires. Stop & Shop, the union says, has proposed bonuses in lieu of cost-of-living wage increases.

Stop & Shop management said it wants a deal that will allow it to grow its business in a competitive environment. Stop & Shop is the only large fully-unionized food retailer left in New England, and it has to compete with nonunion employers like Big Y, Market Basket, Walmart, Whole Foods/Amazon, Costco and Aldi.

Stop & Shop, in a media release, said its full-time associates, including union department managers, average an hourly wage rate of $21.30 in Massachusetts. Full-time grocery clerks average $19.57 an hour compared with a regional average of $14.35.

Housey and the union say that Stop & Shop management is also hurting customer service by having fewer staff in stores, more self-checkout registers and pre-packaged meats versus deli and butcher services provided by union members.

The union also doesnt like Marty, the robots Stop & Shops owner Ahold Delhaize USA has introduced to 500 of its Giant, Martins and Stop & Shop stores. Marty rolls around Stop & Shop stores, including some in Western Massachusetts looking for spills, safety hazards.The robot then alerts store workers to clean up the mess.

The vote was taken Sunday morning, following a meeting at the Castle of Knights on Memorial Drive in Chicopee.

In the past, Stop & Shop has advertised for replacement workers in case of strike. Stop & Shop has not run the ads in this negotiation.
Happy 2019 Green Season!

On behalf of the St. Patricks Committee of Holyoke, it is my honor to welcome you to the City of Holyoke, the 68th Annual Holyoke St. Patricks Day Parade, and a weekend of amazing festivities! It has been a privilege to serve this past year as President of our Committee and to be able to celebrate so many different Irish events in our region. Being President of this group is the easy part as I am grateful to the over 200 members of our Committee for their hard work and dedication. They truly make it possible to put on an amazing and successful 44th Annual Road Race and 68th Parade.

I also want to thank the citizens of Holyoke for their support of the Parade and Road Race over the years. It is because of their pride that we can allow our streets to shine during this great time. I need to acknowledge the great support we receive from Mayor Alex Morse and the Holyoke City Council. We are able to be successful because the Mayor and City Council are always ready to support our community. Holyoke is proud to be on display parade weekend and the rest of the year because of the hard work of the Holyoke Department of Public Works, Holyoke Gas and Electric, Holyoke Police Department, the Holyoke Auxiliary Police, the Holyoke Fire Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Collectively, these groups ensure that we are all safe 365 days a year. I am grateful for their unwavering commitment and dedication as they truly are some of the best public servants I know.

We could not be successful as an organization without the support of the business community and all of our generous sponsors from across Western Massachusetts and across the Commonwealth. Our sponsors make it possible for us to be on television, recruit the greatest bands, build the best floats and allow us to display the best the Pioneer Valley has.

I also want to congratulate all of our outstanding award winners this year. I look forward to marching with our Grand Marshal Roger Reidy, a dedicated local business owner and Parade Committee member for many years. It is a pleasure to recognize Holyoke native TJ Jagodowski as the John F. Kennedy National Award Winner. We honor Dr. Christopher Fox, who hails from Notre Dame University, with the Ambassador Award. Joe Weisse who has ensured our runners have stayed hydrated as the owner of Laurel Pure Water is the recipient of the Citizenship Award. Our Committee is also recognizing the work of three long time members for their hard work over the years. Ann Lowe will receive the Rohan Award, Jennifer Cooper the OConnell Award and Joe Morrison with the Gallivan Award. Finally, I want to recognize Lauren Dulude as our 2019 Grand Colleen and the other members of her court.

Growing up in Holyoke, we all have our memories of parade day and green season. I can vividly remember standing out with my family at the end of Hitchcock Street with excitement as bands, floats and Colleens made there way down the street. I always remember seeing the people in the yellow jackets who made sure that the parade continued down the street. I never really thought that I would someday see myself as one of these people with a yellow jacket. In 2008, Kimberly Izquierdo convinced me to come to a meeting with her and that we should join the group. I was hesitant but I said, I can give a little bit of time. Now, 11 years later I find myself as President of an organization that has been like a second family.

Parade Day and Road Race weekend is a time we all get to celebrate the rich diversity of Holyoke and Western Massachusetts. Whether you are Irish or Irish-at-heart (#allarewelcome) we come together to celebrate all that is great within our City. If you are a visitor to Holyoke, I would encourage you to take some time and visit the Holyoke Merry Go Round, the International Volley Ball Hall of Fame, Mt. Tom or any of the other amazing points of interest that we have to offer.

I also would not have been successful as President without the support of my family. I had many events across Western Mass to attend and I often had to alter plans and break commitments so I could represent the Parade Committee. I am grateful to my partner, Michael, for always being willing to attend events and help out where needed to make me successful this year. I hope that everyone has a great and safe St. Patricks Day Weekend! I cant wait to see you along the parade route.

Sincerely,

Devin M. Sheehan

President
A Brockton man was arrested and more than 400 tablets of Oxycodone and other drugs were seized when Massachusetts State Police and ATF agents executed a search warrant at a Brockton home Friday.

Sean Riley, 35, of Brockton was taken into custody and is being held in lieu of $25,000 pending arraignment in Brockton District Court Monday.

According to a State Police release, Riley and his West Elm Street home had been under investigation and when the search warrant was executed at about 4:30 p.m. he was home.

Searchers said they found more than 400, 30 mg tablets of Oxycodone, 50 strips of what is believed to be Suboxone and approximately 210 grams of marijuana. Police also found a loaded 9 mm magazine and $2,045 in cash.

Riley is being charged with possession with the intent to distribute a Class B substance, possession with the intent to distribute a Class D substance and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Showtime has canceled the single mom dramedy SMILF after two seasons, and ABC Studios, which produces the show, has suspended its development deal with Frankie Shaw, the series creator and star.

After weighing a variety of factors, Showtime has decided that SMILF will not move forward for a third season. The remainder of the second season will continue to air as scheduled on Showtime through its series finale on March 31. We remain extremely proud of the two seasons of SMILF, and thank Frankie Shaw for her singular voice and unique creation, as well as the dozens of writers, producers, actors, directors and crew members both in Los Angeles and on location in Boston, who contributed to this exceptional series, Showtime said in a statement.

In recent months, The Hollywood Reporter has detailed allegations of abusive on-set behavior and violations of industry rules by Shaw, who also directs some shows episodes. SMILF crew had made claims about inappropriately handled sex scenes and Shaws completely unprofessional behavior. Also among the allegations were complaints brought to the Writers Guild of America by multiple staffers regarding credit issues and alleged race-based separation, according to the trade paper.

Shaw, a South Boston native, has denied the allegations, saying she worked to create a safe environment and it pained her to learn that any cast and crew were uncomfortable on her set.

State Sens. Nick Collins and Sonia Chang-Diaz had called for the shows tax incentives to be suspended in January pending the outcome of the studios probe into possible harassment, civil rights violations and unfair labor practices. Some lawmakers had asked the states Attorney Generals office to launch a separate and independent investigation into the matter.

Just as Showtime dropped SMILF, ABCs Studios released a brief statement, saying, Frankie Shaws overall deal with ABC Studios has been suspended without pay while we review our options.

SMILF features Shaw as a down-on-her-luck single mom in Boston with a cast that included Rosie ODonnell and Connie Britton.
LONGMEADOW  As the investigation into Reanne Burkes death in a Williams Street crosswalk neared the one-year mark last August, family members said they were waiting for closure.

Over six months later, with the driver who struck her now facing criminal charges, their pain still runs deep.

I realize that mistakes happen and that we are all human," Karen Nystrom, one of Burkes five siblings, said recently. "Its also hard to form an opinion and pass judgment without all the facts. However, our loss as a family is profound and impossible to quantify. To that end, I hope that the ability to accept personal responsibility supersedes any desire to avoid negative consequences. That is the best we can hope for as a family.

Olumuyiwa Olapinsin, 30, of Bloomfield, Conn., was arraigned Jan. 4 on charges of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and crosswalk violation, according to Springfield District Court documents.

His lawyer, Northampton attorney David Hoose, said Olapinsin is terribly remorseful" about the collision that claimed Burkes life.

"He feels horrible about this and it has affected him dramatically, Hoose said of Olapinsin, who denied the charges and is due back in court March 27. I wish there was some way to resolve this short of a criminal trial, some alternative process.

A spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, meanwhile, said the office is reviewing the case  and its nearly 17-month timeline from incident to arraignment  to determine how to complete the investigative process more quickly in the future.

The crash occurred on the sunny morning of Aug. 19, 2017 as Burke, a 60-year-old oncology nurse out walking for exercise, crossed Williams Street near Grassy Gutter Road.

Olapinsin, whose name was not publicly disclosed until his January arraignment, called 911 and stayed at the scene, investigators said.

Burke, beloved by family and friends and known for her bigger-than-life ways, competitive spirit and devotion to her patients, died in an ambulance while on the way to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Olapinsin told police he saw Burke stop at the side of the road, according to a report written by Longmeadow detective Danielle Rex-Bernashe.

Then, the document reads: Olapinsin stated that he began to slow down but thought that because she was stopped she was going to stay there. Olapinsin stated that when he started to go again Burke started to jog into the road and he hit her.

The report, which accompanied the departments application for complaint, was signed on Sept. 23, 2018.

An accident reconstruction report, signed by state Trooper Thomas Fiske, of the departments Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section on Aug. 19, 2017, concluded that Olapinsin failed to yield to a pedestrian in a fully marked crosswalk causing this collision and resultant fatality.

The crosswalk at Williams Street and Grassy Gutter Road where Reanne Burke was fatally struck by a car on Aug. 19, 2017. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

Olapinsin was traveling straight ahead at a minimum of 27 mph at the time, according to Fiske.

A neighbor who witnessed the aftermath of the crash described the driver as a distraught young man who was sitting on the side of the road by the Williams Street sign, sobbing.

There is no indication in either of the police reports that impaired or distracted driving, road conditions or mechanical problems with Olapinsins car were factors in the crash. Witnesses said there were no skid marks at the scene.

During a hearing held on Nov. 20, 2018, a clerk magistrate found sufficient evidence for a finding of probable cause in the matter and a criminal complaint ensued, according to court documents. Because Olapinsin received a court summons and was not arrested, police have not taken a booking photo of him.

Asked about the unusually long time it took for charges to be filed, James Leydon, spokesman for the Hampden district attorneys office, said Burkes case will be reviewed.

These types of investigations rely heavily on accident reports authored by the Massachusetts State Police Reconstruction Section, Leydon said. "In Ms. Burkes case the completion of that report was essential to moving forward with a prosecution. The investigative process involving Ms. Burkes case will be reviewed with an eye toward a more expeditious process.

Burke grew up in East Longmeadow, and returned to the area in August 2016 to live with her mother in a condominium at The Villas at Glenmeadow. She was a star athlete during her years at East Longmeadow High School and Springfield College, and a lifelong fitness enthusiast. She often took walks that followed miles-long loops from the condo.

Family members say Burke found her true calling as an oncology nurse and that she had a talent for making people laugh, often at her own expense. She often used that talent in her work with cancer patients.

Safety improvements for the Williams Street crosswalk, in the works well before Burkes death, were implemented in late October 2018. They initially included a raised crosswalk and pedestrian-activated signal lights.

Similar improvements were also made to a pedestrian crossing at Longmeadow Street, east of the green.

The raised crosswalk at Williams Street, however, has drawn criticism from some drivers who feel its too jarring to encounter in a 30 mph zone, Town Manager Stephen Crane said.

You can go over it at 30, but you are going to know it, Crane said. If you slow down to 15 or 20 its a smoother ride.

Complaints about the raised crosswalk prompted the town to further improve visibility there, with flashing speed radar signs and additional signage, Crane said. Once the weather warms, the town will work on additional improvements for drivers there, while still maintaining safety and drainage, Crane said.

Such improvements, however, can only go so far without thwarting the reason for raising the crosswalk in the first place, he said.

Inattentive drivers going too fast are the reason that the crosswalk exists now, Crane said.
Louis D. Coleman III, the 32-year-old man facing a federal charge in the connection with Jassy Correias death, will be brought to a Massachusetts federal court Monday.

Authorities from the U.S. Attorneys Office confirmed Coleman will be in a Boston federal court to face a charge of kidnapping resulting in death.

Coleman could face the death penalty in connection with Correias death.

Correia, a 23-year-old mother of a young girl, was celebrating her birthday in Boston on Feb. 24 when authorities say she was kidnapped by Coleman.

A few days later, on Feb. 28, Coleman was pulled over by troopers in Delaware.

Shes in the trunk, he allegedly told troopers when they asked if someone else was in the car.

Correia was found in Colemans trunk wrapped inside a sofa cushion cover. Surveillance footage obtained from Colemans Providence apartment building shows him carrying Correias limp body into the building, according to federal records.

As authorities searched for Correia, investigators say Coleman was busy buying bleach, cleaning supplies and other items.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said Correia died from strangulation and blunt force trauma.

On Feb. 26, surveillance showed Coleman entering his apartment building with Walmart shopping bags.

Authorities obtained a receipt from a Providence Walmart, which revealed that Coleman bought three protective suits, duct tape, candles, electrical tape, one mask, surgical gloves, two pairs of safety goggles, an odor respirator and CLN release bleach bath, officials said.

David Hoose, a Massachusetts attorney who has represented others facing the death penalty in federal court, has been tapped to defend him.

Grieving family and community members remembered Correia during services over the weekend.
A 40-year-old Massachusetts State Police trooper pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing overtime money by skipping specialized patrol shifts and writing or falsifying tickets to make it appear he was working.

Heath McAuliffe of Hopkinton, who was suspended in the overtime investigation, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds in a Boston federal court Friday, according to court records.

He will be sentenced on June 4.

According to a plea agreement on file in court, the U.S. Attorney agrees to recommend a sentence of 6 months to one year in prison and one year of supervised release.

The government will seek $7,860 in restitution. A previous news release about the case against McAuliffe said he was paid $9,825 for overtime shifts he did not work.

McAuliffe is one of several troopers from the former Troop E accused of skipping specialized enforcement patrols  known as AIRE patrols  on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

He skipped working some of those specialized patrols between August 2015 and August 2016, federal records show.

McAuliffe was paid for overtime shifts that he did not work at all, for which he arrived late, and from which he left early, authorities said in an earlier news release. McAuliffe concealed his fraud by submitting fraudulent citations designed to create the appearance that he had worked overtime hours that he had not, and, falsely claimed in MSP paperwork and payroll entries that he had worked the entirety of his overtime shifts.

The Accident and Injury Reduction Effort patrols were created to reduce aggressive driving and enforce infractions on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Eight troopers have been charged in federal court on embezzlement charges in connection with the overtime investigation.

Three troopers, including Lt. David Wilson, are also facing state charges in the investigation. Wilson is the only trooper to face state and federal charges.

Federal records detail the fraud committed by McAuliffe. On Sept. 15, 2015, the trooper had a day off but worked a four-hour overtime shift providing security for a liquid natural gas tanker. He also worked a four-hour AIRE overtime shift that day.

McAuliffe claimed he wrote eight motor vehicle citations during the shift. Investigators reviewed the citations and discovered no driver histories were requested during the Sept. 15, 2015 overtime shift by the trooper.

Seven of the citations had never been issued, authorities discovered while reviewing state Registry of Motor Vehicle records.

The eighth citation was issued to a driver, but seven hours before McAuliffes overtime shift began.

I do not believe that McAuliffe could have predicted at 12:12 p.m. that he would stop that motorist nearly ten hours later, FBI Special Agent Karen Lostracco wrote in federal records.

The agent believes McAuliffe falsified information on the citation to make it appear he was working the AIRE shift.

As in many cases against the troopers charged in federal court, investigators also found McAuliffes radio in his cruiser was off during the AIRE shift, showing he was not driving his cruiser.

Agents spoke to one person McAuliffe said he ticketed during the AIRE patrol on Sept. 15, 2015. That person said they were never stopped or pulled over by a trooper that day.

The person said they would not have been on the Mass. Pike at that time of day.

Agents said they discovered more instances, on other days, where McAuliffe claimed to issue citations during an AIRE patrols but instead falsified citations to make it appear he was doing the overtime work.

Investigators spoke to other drivers cited by McAuliffe and discovered he falsified records to make it appear he issued the citations during AIRE patrols but, in fact, had issued the citations at other times.
When a man forced his way into a womans car Friday night, she began to scream and beep the horn hoping someone would come help.

A man who saw the commotion helped the woman and followed the suspect until officers arrived.

It all began around 7:50 p.m. in Methuen. Officers were called to the Market Basket parking lot on Haverhill Street for a report of an attempted carjacking.

A woman told police a man, later identified by police as 53-year-old Rafael Rosario of Lawrence, forced himself into her car and grabbed her by the throat.

Rosario, according to police, pushed the woman further into her vehicle.

Fearing for her life, the victim started screaming for help and beeping the car horn to get someones attention, police said. A witness had just pulled into the parking space across from the victim in a pickup truck and saw the commotion and began to come help.

Rosario ran from the womans car. The man who came to help told the woman to call 911 and briefly chased Rosario until police headed to the scene.

Officers checked the nearby streets and spotted Rosario. He was on the ground in the snow, hiding along a fence, police said. Officers then arrested him.

The woman was treated at the scene.

I would like to commend the brave citizen who witnessed this incident and sprang into action to help, Police Chief Joseph Solomon said. However, chasing after a suspect is something that can be extremely dangerous, and we ask all residents that find themselves in an emergency to call 911 and let our officers take over from there.

Rosario will be arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court. He is facing charges of strangulation, attempted kidnapping, attempted carjacking and assault and battery.
Researchers conducted a study on rats and revealed that the possibility of controlling the source of stress may be key to reducing its impact. Share on Pinterest Controlling stress is important to reducing its negative consequences. Everybody experiences stress at some point in their lives. Sometimes, stress can be a positive force and lead to positive outcomes. However, when it becomes chronic, it might produce a range health complaints. These may include headaches, muscle tension, chest pain, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, and mental health conditions. According to the American Psychological Association, the top causes of stress in the United States include job pressure, money, health, relationships, poor nutrition, media overload, and sleep deprivation. Around 80 percent of U.S. individuals regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. It is essential to learn how to manage stress to reduce the risk of physical and mental issues. Some strategies to reduce stress include identifying its cause and developing a plan to address it, getting regular physical activity, and trying relaxation techniques such as breathing or meditation, as well as building strong relationships with family and friends.

Stress exposure in adolescence Many people start to experience stress during adolescence. During this delicate phase, causes of stress can include family pressure, bullying, or performance anxiety. Stress in adolescence may increase the risk of developing psychopathologies in adulthood, such as anxiety, addiction to alcohol or gambling, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A team at the Institute of Neuroscience at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Spain conducted a study on three groups of male rats. They found that the ability to control stress sources in adolescence may reduce the risk of negative effects in adulthood. They published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. They exposed one group of rats to several sessions of stress during their adolescence, which they had the ability to control with certain behaviors. By changing their behavior, they could either prevent or stop the stressful stimuli. Another group underwent the same number of stress sessions as the first, but its members did not have the ability to affect their stress levels using behavioral changes. The team did not expose the third group to stress.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Markos Bolaris, carried out a three-day visit to Imvros (4  6 March 2019) where he met with the religious, cultural and educational organisations of the Greek minority, as well as the local administrative bodies, the Provincial Governor, the Prefect and the Mayor.

The Provincial Governor of Canakkale and the Deputy Minister discussed the excellent potential for further development of Greek-Turkish relations in soft diplomacy areas, following Prime Minister Tsipras recent visit to Turkey. The Deputy Minister touched upon issues that concern the Greek minority on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos, and proposed the cultural cooperation of archaeological sites excavated by Schliemann, as the area ofTroy falls under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Governor.

The Prefect of Imvros and the Deputy Minister discussed issues the Greek minority of the island faces, such as resolving administrative issues to facilitate Greeks relocating permanently to the island. The Deputy Minister also met with the Mayor of Imvros, who discussed projects for the restoration of the infrastructure serving the communities where the Greek populace resides, and requesting cooperation on tourism matters, which would be greatly aided by a coastal shipping link between Imvros and Greek islands, as noted by the Deputy Minister.

During the meeting with Greek teachers in Panagia, the Deputy Minister congratulated them on their exceptional work and dedication that contributed to the successful re-opening of Greek schools, which have met with international acclaim, such as the recognition by the globally renowned CERN research centre in Switzerland. Their operation to date and the important progress achieved were reviewed, and the needs for further bolstering with human and material resources, due to an increased number of pupils, were recorded. The issues facing the operation of the schools were also discussed at the Deputy Ministers meeting with the Parent-Teacher Association of the Greek schools. In 2012, Turkey approved the re-opening of a Greek school on Imvros, initially the Kindergarten - Elementary School in 2013 followed by the Middle School-High School in 2015.

The Deputy Minister also met with Metropolitan Cyril of Imvros and Tenedos. At the luncheon held by the Metropolitan in honour of the Deputy Minister, they discussed the cooperation as well as the prospects and future of the historical presence of Greeks on the island, a presence that is integrally linked with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, led by His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who hails from Imvros.

The Deputy Minister visited the Elementary School at Aghioi Theodoroi and the Middle School-High School at Agridia, where he met with and spoke to pupils and attended the celebrations organised in his honour. He also toured the sport facilities and laboratories of the schools in Agridia and spoke to the teachers and pupils, whom he congratulated and urged to continue to set their aims high, as he ascertained during his visit, repeating this exhortation at a luncheon held in his honour by the Imvrian Educational and Cultural Association.

Before concluding his visit, the Deputy Minister visited Glyky and Evlambio, as well as Schinoudi, which was once the largest village on Imvros before the Turkish authorities took administrative measures that led to the migration and removal of the overwhelming majority of Greeks from the island.

The Associations thanked the Deputy Minister for Greeces support, and stressed the need to maintain the rate of increase in the number of Imvrian returnees. They also requested support aimed at bolstering business initiatives in order to ensure the viability of the endeavour, a request to which the Deputy Minister stated he was prepared to respond immediately.
I would like to thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Mr Dimitrov, for our cooperation and discussion, and to welcome the first agreement concerning a new border crossing in the Lemos area of the Lake Prespa region.

This is an important agreement that is based on the provisions of the major, historic Prespa Agreement we signed.

Our cooperation will benefit both sides and the greater Balkan peninsula.
The Secretary General for European Affairs, Panagiotis Pavlopoulos, met his counterpart from North Macedonia, Kalinka Gaber.

During the meeting, they discussed the necessary steps towards setting a date to launch negotiations for the accession of North Macedonia to the European Union during the June European Council, as well as cooperation in this direction on all levels.

They also agreed to keep channels of communication open, and Mr Pavlopoulos invited his counterpart to visit Athens.
(CNN)  Even as he goes about his job, the claims levied by U.S. President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen have become a preoccupation for the commander in chief, who has angrily rebutted some of the allegations while casting his onetime fixer as a liar.

The President's aides and allies say he has raised Cohen constantly over the past week, inserting questions and complaints about him into briefings and meetings on otherwise unrelated matters.

Sources say Trump has become so consumed by Cohen and the fallout from his testimony that he brings him up minutes after national security briefings, during calls with lawmakers and while strategizing with aides about administration priorities.

Cohen's damning testimony aired on hotel televisions the evening before a high-stakes summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. On Thursday, it was the subject of morning and evening tweets, bookending the Twitter day. The claims were still nagging as Air Force One jetted toward storm damage in Alabama on Friday.

Trump has done little to veil his lingering fixation with Cohen, who testified before a House panel that Trump had knowledge of Cohen's hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, that he had a conversation with Roger Stone about WikiLeaks, and that he is generally a racist fraudster.

"I had a bad lawyer," Trump lamented on Friday as he departed the White House for a tour of tornado destruction in the South. "That happens."

Cohen served as Trump's attorney for more than a decade, acting as a fierce protector of the real estate mogul's brand and reputation. He remained loyal through the 2016 presidential campaign but broke dramatically with the President last year as the allegations involving Daniels emerged.

But instead of ignoring or rising above the claims, he's treated Cohen as a running punching bag, both in public and private.

Trump has even suggested the timing of the testimony, which fell in between a social dinner with Kim in Hanoi and the start of more formal talks the next morning, could have contributed to the summit's anticlimactic ending.

"For the Democrats to interview in open hearings a convicted liar & fraudster, at the same time as the very important Nuclear Summit with North Korea, is perhaps a new low in American politics and may have contributed to the 'walk,'" he wrote, without explaining how the two might have been linked. "Never done when a president is overseas. Shame!"

During his stay in Vietnam, Trump viewed large portions but not all of Cohen's testimony, which occurred during the overnight hours. The next morning, aides said the President was well aware of Cohen's claims after viewing cable news coverage of the session.

Overshadowing Hanoi

Inside the President's hotel, some of the aides who traveled with him gathered to watch the hearing together in the lobby. Some were planning to take notes in case the President needed an update on what was said. Trump brought up Cohen repeatedly during the multi-day trip to Hanoi for the nuclear summit.

Signs emerged early that Cohen's claims might undermine the President as he was working to strike a nuclear deal with Kim. The allegations emerged just as Trump was standing inside the Hanoi presidential palace overseeing the signing of purchase agreements between Vietnamese air carriers and US plane manufacturers.

Later, Trump gruffly rejected a question from a reporter about Cohen as he sat beside Kim for their initial meet-and-greet at the Metropole Hotel. When it came time for a second photo-op, all but one correspondent was barred from participating.

Even as his aides worked to brief him ahead of the talks, Trump peppered them with questions about Cohen and what he was preparing to tell lawmakers on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, according to people familiar with the matter.

Later, as he was digesting a summit that resulted in no joint agreement and little to show for his week-long jaunt across the globe, Trump vented at the decision to hold the hearing as he was attempting high-stakes nuclear diplomacy.

'He is totally discredited'

On the flight home and in the days afterward, Trump fumed about being asked about his former attorney during a sit-down with the North Korean dictator.

Upon arriving back to the White House, Trump offered a short nod to his trip -- "Great to be back from Vietnam, an amazing place," he wrote on Twitter -- before immediately laying into Cohen for committing "perjury on a scale not seen before."

"Your heads will spin when you see the lies, misrepresentations and contradictions against his Thursday testimony. Like a different person! He is totally discredited!" Trump wrote.

He hasn't let up since then, taking the opportunity nearly every day to reinsert Cohen into his Twitter feed. Even on Friday, as he was heading to Alabama to survey damage caused by tornados over the weekend, he did little to focus the attention on his disaster recovery efforts.

Despite once claiming he had little time for television, Trump allowed that he'd watched coverage of Cohen, who claimed under oath to have never sought a pardon from the President. Trump brought up Cohen after being asked about pardoning his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

"I know that in watching and seeing you folks at night, that Michael Cohen lied about the pardon," he told reporters on the South Lawn. "It's a stone-cold lie. And he's lied about a lot of things. But when he lied about the pardon, that was really a lie."

"He knew all about pardons," Trump went on. "His lawyers said that they went to my lawyers and asked for pardons. And I can go a step above that, but I won't go do it now."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "White House obsession: Trump can't shake Cohen."
MIDDLETOWN  While there are more than 20 coffee shops in the city serving java, the owners of newcomer Qawa on Main Street in Metro Square believe they have just the right brew.

Abulrahman Alhadheri said he and his wife, co-owner, Amirah Ailaqi, have spent close to six figures transforming the former Disco Chick restaurant location into a coffee house. To Alhadheri and his wife, coffee is not merely a beverage. Its an expression of their Yemeni heritage.

Alhadheri, 26, points out that Arabic coffee is part of the Arab culture and tradition. The popular form of coffee brewed in the Middle East originated in Yemen as qahwah, eventually traveling to Mecca, Egypt, the Levant, and then, in the mid-16th century, to Turkey, where it was called kahveh. The drink finally made its way to Europe where the British named it coffee.

On its recent opening day, hundreds of curious caffeine connoisseurs crowded the shops Main Street location for what would have been Qawas grand opening. Because of the poor weather, the official ribbon-cutting with the mayor and Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce officials will be rescheduled. However, when we opened at noon, people were lined up out the door. We were even busier on Sunday, Alhadheri said.

The most popular drink on opening weekend was the Yemeni Latte made with almond milk, cardamon and vanilla.

Our coffee is from Intelligentsia, one of the leading coffee suppliers in America, Alhadheri said. On its website, Intelligentsia notes its commitment to sourcing, developing, roasting, and distributing the worlds finest coffees. The Chicago-based company buys its coffee directly from farmers in 19 countries.

Coffee is fruit, Alhadheri explained, and for us, Intelligentsia picks the best and ripest.

Qawas menu is traditional. A latte is 8 ounces, a cappuccino, 5. Lattes are $4.25, cappuccinos, $2.50. Specialty coffees such as Yemeni Latte go for $5. Qawa pastries come from Mozzicato Bakery in Middletown and Catalina Bakery of New Haven.

By next year, Alhadheri hopes to open a kitchen in the back and serve breakfast and lunch. Much of the coffee business will be takeout, though the shop can seat up to 25 patrons. Eventually, he and Ailaqi hope to sell their own Qawa brand in groceries and supermarkets.

We know our coffee and trust it, Alhadheri said. We have hired the best baristas, a staff of five, including a head barista. Prices are comparable to our competitors. In fact, 90 percent of our menu is less expensive than Starbucks.

For tea devotees, Qawa relies on two sources: Kilogram Tea, a branch of Intelligentsia Coffee, and Maya Tea, a small, family-owned business in Tucson, Arizona.

Maya sells aromatic and delicious chai syrups. We will have an assortment of caffeinated and decaffeinated teas, as well as ice tea offerings. And, of course, all of our tea is organic, Alhadheri said.

Though Ailaqi is a fashion designer  she has a popular online brand Amirah Couture  for now, she says she is fully focused on Qawa.

The couple, who have two daughters, currently live in Middlebury, but are looking for a home closer to Middletown. Alhaderi was raised in Syracuse, N.Y., lived in Arizona, and later earned a masters degree in cellular molecular studies from Columbia University. He had planned on becoming a doctor before realizing that coffee was his real passion.

Based on early feedback, Alhadheri is confident customers will become regulars.

Chelsea Colagrossi of Waterbury is one of them. Colagrossi, who attended the opening, posted on Facebook: Awesome local coffee shop! Great atmosphere and super staff. Definitely will be back.

This is the couples first commercial venture. The couple scouted other coffee shops doing market research for the kind of cafe they wanted to own. For two years, they looked for the right location, following up leads in Stamford and New Haven.

When 170 Main St. became available, they decided its central location was the perfect spot. Qawa will eventually have its own app for customers who can order, then drive up in front of the store as a barista emerges with their coffee.

Alhadheri said the couple is in it for the long haul. Last November, the couple signed a lease and began applying for various licenses, including one for food.

The owners said everyone they have worked with in city departments has been helpful. To get the shop in shape, Alhadheri used Kovacs Construction of Waterbury. Kovacs helped Qawa in the planning, building, designing and construction. Without them, says Alhadheri, none of what we envisioned would have come to life.

Part of this vision entails new, first-class equipment. Alhadheri purchased a $20,000 espresso machine, a La Marzocco, handmade in Italy. He calls it the Rolls-Royce of espresso makers. La Marzocco has been on the forefront of innovation in espresso machines since 1927.

During the first few months, Alhadheri will be working in the shop every day; eventually, he will hire a manager. Future plans include a second coffee shop elsewhere in the state.

For information on Qawa Coffee Co., 170 Main St., Middletown, visit qawacoffee.com, qawacoffeeco on Facebook and Instagram, or call 860-788-6540.
In all, more than 30 recommended changes were put in place based on testing and feedback from airmen and reviews by the 2020...
Leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs are working harder than ever before to make the VA a welcoming place for female veterans. But their efforts are being undermined, some female veterans say, by other constituents at the VA: male veterans who act like women don't deserve to be there, or who take advantage of their presence at medical centers to harass them.

"They just don't think we're real veterans," retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Robbin Alex said of the demeaning attitude behind the harassment female veterans sometimes experience in seeking Department of Veterans Affairs health care.

Former Marine Maj. Kyleanne Hunter said she and other female veterans just want to be treated like everyone else at the VA.

"I want them to realize that we are here to stay," said Hunter, who flew the AH-1 Super Cobra gunship in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Look at us. Treat us like you treat the other veterans. Treat us with respect."

From VA Secretary Robert Wilkie on down, the VA has recognized it has a problem with male veterans who refuse to accept that women have equal status in the military and as veterans. To curb harassment that can lead female veterans to go elsewhere for the health care they've earned, the department has embarked on a campaign to make medical centers nationwide more welcoming places for all veterans -- one that involves explicit warnings not to harass or assault other vets.

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Retired Air Force Col. Ellen Haring said she first noticed the effects of the campaign in the form of a scrolling sign at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center (DC VAMC).

"Catcalls and stares are not compliments. They're harassment," it stated.

The DC center also put out on its Facebook page a list of behavioral "do's" and "don'ts" for veterans using the hospital. For instance, it is OK to talk about the weather, but "commenting on someone's body" is not OK.

Next month, DC VAMC, in collaboration with the Veterans Mental Health Advisory Council, plans to convene a Military Sexual Trauma Summit at the hospital.

At the flagship Michael E. Debakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston last year, the slogan was, "There is no excuse for harassment."

"Cat calls NOT welcome. Staring and whistling -- NOT okay at the VA," the Houston Medical Center said in a release.

The "End Harassment Campaign" at MEDVAMC is aimed at "ensuring women veterans receive their health care in a safe and respectful environment, free of even the hint of sexual harassment." Female veterans are urged to report incidents to hospital security.

"When women feel uncomfortable in our medical center, they are less inclined to come in to receive the medical care they need," Dr. Rola El-Serag, director of MEDVAMC's Women's Health Program, said in the release.

"This can have a hugely negative effect on their health, both mentally and physically," El-Serag said of the harassment. "The thought that a woman veteran who has experienced something like military sexual trauma or is suffering from something like post-traumatic stress disorder would not be comfortable coming to the VA is just unacceptable."

Sexual harassment and assault in the military have been the subject of numerous reports and congressional hearings, but reports of harassment at the VA have largely relied on anecdotal evidence, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Institutes of Health.

In a January report, NCBI wrote, "Harassment of servicewomen during military service has been well-documented, but harassment of women veterans in Veterans Affairs (VA) health care settings has not been studied systematically."

The conclusion of an NCBI survey was that "one-quarter of women veteran VA users experienced harassment in VA health care settings."

"These experiences negatively impacted women's health care experiences and use," the survey's authors added.

The VA reported in 2015 that only the number of women who had used at least one VA benefit or services had grown steadily over the last decade, from 31.2 percent in 2005 to 41.1 percent in 2015. And with the population of female veterans poised to grow rapidly in coming years, that figure is set to increase. Per the 2015 data, however, male users still used VA services at higher rates; usage of at least one VA service increased for male veterans from 36 percent in 2006 to 45 percent in 2015.

In a separate 2018 survey, NCBI compared the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender women and non-LGBT men in the routine use of primary care for post-traumatic stress and health care family services at the Veterans Health Administration.

The report stated, "Compared with non-LGBT women, LGBT women were more likely to report harassment and feeling unwelcome at VHA. Some LGBT women reported delaying or missing needed care, primarily due to concerns about interacting with other veterans."

Retired Coast Guard Capt. Judy Keene said those who oppose the presence of women in the military and at the VA are going to have to come to the realization that society has changed since she first entered service.

Keene, 59, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was in the class of 1977 at the Coast Guard Academy, the second service academy to accept women.

"There was significant pressure on us" as women cadets to show that they were up to the mission, she said. "There was a significant part of the population that felt we didn't belong there [and] there was also another segment of the population that wanted us to succeed."

Keene said she had encountered people who tried to make it more difficult for women in service.

"I felt as though that reflected more on them than on me, when they were saying things like 'women belong barefoot and pregnant and in the kitchen,'" she said. "I felt that was more a reflection on them and their orientation to life versus me and the skill sets I possessed."

Alex, the retired Navy lieutenant commander, suggested that the negative attitude toward women is possibly more prevalent among the older generation of veterans.

"It's a minority, not a majority," but it's there, said Alex, 60, who heads a chapter of the veterans advocacy group Team Red White and Blue. "They think they can say anything. You have to say that it's not appropriate."

At the VA, "they'll ask you, 'Where's your husband,'" she said. "They think you're a caretaker. You have to tell them, 'We're veterans too.'"

Women Veteran 'Trailblazers' Honored at VA Event

Alex, Keene and Hunter spoke on the sidelines of an event Wednesday honoring them and 12 other female veterans as "2019 Women Veteran Trailblazers" for their service and work in the community. The event was sponsored by the VA's Center for Women Veterans at the Women In Military Service for America Memorial.

In her remarks at the event, retired Air Force Col. Pamela Powers, Wilkie's chief of staff, said that "doors are continually opening to women" through the trailblazers' example.

"These women didn't sign up to break glass ceilings but, through their integrity, moral courage and determination, they did," Powers said. "You wanted to have the same opportunities as everybody else in the unit. And you wanted to stand out, not because of your gender, but because of what you did."

In her remarks, Anna Crenshaw, deputy director of the VA's Center for Women Veterans, said the VA is seeking to instill a "culture of transformation" across the agency to make it more accommodating to female veterans.

"Cultural transformation is something the center is really striving for, something that has been needed for a long time. It's no secret that women have served valiantly," she said.

The transformation Crenshaw spoke about has been slow in coming at the VA, said Haring, the retired Air Force colonel and interim chief executive officer at the Service Women's Action Network. But she sees encouraging signs.

"I believe there's an acknowledgment" at the VA of the harassment problem for women veterans, Haring said. "I think Wilkie recognizes that."

Push for More Programs Focusing on Female Vets

Last September, at the inaugural meeting of the Military Women's Coalition in Atlanta, Wilkie said, "My pledge to you is the VA will become a welcoming home for all those who have worn the uniform."

He said the department is "on the cusp of great change" in services for women, and "in order to meet that change, we have to change the way of doing business."

The numbers show that the change will have to come quickly in terms of access for female veterans seeking VA health care, officials said at a Feb. 28 hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, VA and Related Agencies.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in an exponential growth in the number of female veterans now registered for treatment by the Veterans Health Administration, said Patricia Hayes, Women's Health Services chief consultant at the VA.

"The number of women veterans using VHA services has tripled since 2001, growing from 159,810 to 500,000 today," she said in her testimony.

Hayes said the VA is "strategically enhancing services and access for women veterans" through increased reliance on the private sector when treatment services in areas such as gynecology, maternity care, mammography and infertility treatments are not available at the VHA.

However, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, the subcommittee's chairperson, said, "Having women doctors and gender-specific care programs for women at every single VA facility is the absolute least we can do, and we are not currently providing it."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Eradicating anti-women practices states responsibility: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the women have made a mark in every walk of life. He said that the educated societies owe their existence to the role and training of mothers. He said that the first right that a woman has on the state and society is the right to education.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri made these remarks while talking to the office bearers of Minhaj Women League and the PAT women leaders. He said that Islam gave a comprehensive charter of the women rights 1400 years ago, stating that there was no concept of such a charter of rights at that time. He said that Islam gave women honorable status and economic protection, fixed their share in the inheritance, gave them rights as mother, wife, and daughter, and forbade every kind of violence and exploitation of the women.

Dr Qadri said that without the participation of women in national life, no development target can be achieved. He said that it is the states responsibility to eradicate the anti-women exploitative mindset. He said that women have to face certain problems and pressures in developing countries with regard to their political, social and educational activities. He said that there is nothing in Islam that may bar the women from playing their political, social and economic role nor do the national and international laws allow it.

The PAT Chairman said that the MQI has set up institutions to impart education and training to the women in and out of Pakistan during the last 38 years since its inception.
ANN ARBOR - They wore navy T-shirts emblazoned with a 6-cent price tag.

Its the value teens from the Washtenaw Youth Initiative say Michigan politicians assign to each student.

They arrived at the figure by dividing political campaign donations from the National Rifle Associations by the number of students in Michigan schools.

Nearly 60 people, mostly high school students, converged in downtown Ann Arbors Liberty Plaza on Saturday, March 9, a little more than a year after 17 students and staff were killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

This has been a bleak and bloody year, Clara Regueiro told the crowd, which included U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and state Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor. " ... Practically nothing has changed, especially at the federal level."

Regueiro believes many politicians are reluctant to support stricter gun control because of campaign contributions from the gun lobby.

She voiced support for recent legislation proposed in Lansing, House bills 4283-4285 and Senate Bills 156-158, that would allow citizens, police and other authorities to petition a judge to temporarily strip someone whos deemed unstable of their gun rights.

These young people are whats important for me, and making sure they can go to school and not have to worry about guns, said Dingell. "Guns are an important subject to me ... keeping guns out of hands of people who maybe shouldnt have them.

"Last week, for the first time, we passed reasonable legislation that would just require background checks ... "

While dance music played from speakers in the plaza, Laura Robinson, 49, the mother of a 16-year-old Pioneer High School student and a 14-year-old Emerson Middle School student, said the Parkland shooting was a vivid reminder that any of our kids can be in that situation.

It is something that no kid should have to go through, no family should have to go through, no one should even have to be going through active-shooter drills, anything like that," she said. Its just a terrible tragedy.

Nicole Sherrick, a 17-year-old Washtenaw International High School student and Washtenaw Youth Initiative member, helped plan Saturdays rally.

The senior supports bans on guns in schools, stricter background checks for gun owners and said the purpose of Saturdays rally was to restart" the gun control movement.

It got a lot of attention last year, right after Parkland, and a lot of (schools) in Michigan and all across the country did walkouts, she said. "... And this is kind of trying to get people reinvested in the issue, because over the last year, not a lot has changed revolving around gun violence or gun prevention.

This is a way to remind people were still here. Were still trying to make a difference an we still need support.
PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP -- The farmers who pick tomatoes that garnish American hamburgers want fair pay.

Thats why more than 50 bundled-up protesters were chanting boycott Wendys, marching and hoisting flags with the no symbol over the chains pigtail-wearing namesake in front of the restaurant at 4020 Carpenter in Pittsfield Township Saturday evening.

The fast food chain calls the protesters rhetoric misleading.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a Florida-based, nonprofit labor organization with about $5 million in assets, according to IRS records, and the Student Farmworker Alliance planned the rally as part of a four-stop protest tour of some of the nations college campuses. Other stops included the University of North Carolina, Ohio State University and an upcoming demonstration at Florida University.

However, there is no longer a Wendys to protest at the University of Michigans Ann Arbor campus, which is partly why the event was held in nearby Pittsfield Township.

The UM campus Wendys closed in April 2018 when renovations began at the Michigan Union, and the franchise owner says the restaurant wont be returning when it the Michigan Union reopens in 2020.

While the Coalition of Immokalee Workers insist the decision not to renew the lease is the result of mounting criticism, including circulation of an online petition asking UM to ban Wendys from the campus, company representatives previously told MLive it was a business decision" made by the franchise owner.

Saturdays protest had already been planned by the time Coalition of Immokalee Workers proclaimed victory.

The move turns next months planned demonstration on the UM campus into a celebration, and sends an unmistakable message to the administrations at other schools where students are demanding that Wendys put human rights on the menu, or take its business elsewhere, the organization posted on its website in February.

Ann Arbor City Council also passed a resolution asking residents to boycott Wendys last month.

The Wendys backlash is based on the chains refusal to join the Fair Food Program.

The Fair Food Program, created by Coalition of Immokalee Workers, is a partnership among farmers, farmworkers and retail food companies that ensures humane wages and working conditions for workers who pick fruits and vegetables on participating farms. Participating fast food chain buyers from the Fair Food Program include McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Chipotle, as well as grocery distributors like Walmart and Whole Foods.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers calls Wendys the final fast food holdout," and hopes other universitys will follow the University of Michigans lead and cut ties with their Wendys franchises, according The Coalition of Immokalee Workers spokesman Gerardo Reyes

Students have been supporting the boycott all along, but also helping us spread the word, Reyes said. " ... The best way for people to support this is to, number one, stop giving their business to Wendys, a company that refuses to do the right thing."

Wendys spokeswoman Heidi Schauer called the protest an orchestrated publicity event for the purposes of spreading misleading information.

We do not believe that joining their program is the only way to act responsibly, and we pride ourselves on our relationships with industry-leading suppliers who share our commitment to quality, integrity and ethics, she said. Further, our supplier Code of Conduct includes requirements related to human rights and labor practices.

We have not purchased commodity field-grown tomatoes from Florida for several years, which is the predominant area in which this activist organization operates... Instead, Wendys sources higher-quality, vine-ripened tomatoes from suppliers throughout North America, and recently announced a commitment to source all of our tomatoes from indoor greenhouses, including greenhouses in Michigan.
EAGLE TOWNSHIP, MI - A Lowell woman was killed and her husband and 3-year-old child critically injured in a crash Saturday on Interstate 96.

Clinton County Sheriff deputies responded at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, March 9, to the scene of a two-vehicle crash on westbound I-96, at Wright Road, according to a news release.

Ryan Lahaie, 38, was driving with his wife, Dana Lahaie, 36, in the front passenger seat and their 3-year-old son in the rear. An eastbound driver crossed the median and struck the Lahaie familys vehicle head-on, police said.

Dana Lahaie died at the scene of the crash, police said. Ryan Lahaie is listed in critical condition and the child, whose name has not been released, is on life support at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. The family is from Lowell, police said.

Driving the eastbound vehicle that crashed into the Lahaies was Thomas Hahn, 55, from Ottawa, Illinois, police said. Hahn is reported to also be in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.

The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol appears to be a factor in the crash, according to the news release from the Clinton County Sheriffs office.
ANN ARBOR, MI - As one local lumber yard closes down, another has plans to move into Ann Arbor.

Fingerle Lumber announced late last year it would close in 2019, but some of its employees will be able to stay in the lumber business. Mans Lumber and Millwork, in business for nearly 119 years, plans to open up shop in Ann Arbor in April and to hire Fingerle employees.

The Trenton-based company is opening a 4,000-square-foot showroom at 2275 South Industrial, where Ann Arbor T-Shirt Company was previously based. Their nearest lumber yard is in Canton, where 90 percent of deliveries are made, Vice President Chris Mans said.

Were similar to the Fingerle family, Mans said. Its still a relationship business. When people are are spending that kind of money in their homes  they want the professionalism that I think family-owned businesses can have with homeowners."

About 10 employees from Fingerle have been hired thus far, with seven working in sales in Ann Arbor and the rest in Canton as drivers and yard workers.

We obviously had great respect for the Fingerle family. When the news broke, we made some calls. Its a great market and weve always been on the peripheral, Mans said. We bought a company at the beginning of the year called Washtenaw Door and Trim, so that kinda got our foot into Ann Arbor. Theres a hole in the market and we feel we can fill it and were lucky to have a lot of the Fingerle staff come over.

A Fingerle Lumber vice president and three sales people joined Mans, along with another few salespeople and truck drivers, said John Fingerle, president of the family-owned company.

Mans Lumber is a great company, Fingerle said, adding some employees have positions lined up with other companies.

Fingerle Lumber hasnt closed yet, and its unclear when it will.

Its still a process. Its a determination thatll be made based upon our progress in selling our inventory, Fingerle said. We did reduce our pricing on our lumber and materials to 50 percent off on already discounted prices. That resulted in a huge uptick in customer traffic in our store.

Based upon that, I still cant project how long well be open, he added.

Most of the real estate occupied by Fingerle is being purchased by the University of Michigan.

Another Fingerle property could have future as a restaurant and brewery. Arbor Bar, LLC, owned by Vinsetta Garage owner Curt Catallo, is proposing a brewery with a bar, lunch counter, dining area and retail space inside the Fingerle lumber storage sheds at 545 South Main St.

The design also shows the space would be surrounded by an expansive lawn with walkways, a small parking lot and an outdoor stairway to access a rooftop patio.

I think its a reasonable potential use for the property, and were just going to have to see whether or not the plan is one that squares with the citys requirements, Fingerle said about the proposed brewery.

The redevelopment would need multiple approvals from the city before moving forward, with the next step being a Design Review Board hearing March 13.
FLINT, MI -- A wind-swept fire heavily damaged a home Sunday afternoon on Flints east side.

Firefighters were called out around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10 to a home in the 1700 block of Cronk Avenue.

Flint Fire Battalion Chief Ramsey Clapper said when crews arrived the house was fully involved.

The original call came in for a possible entrapment due to a car in the homes driveway, but Clapper noted hed received information from neighbors that a family whod lived there recently moved out. Primary and secondary searches of the home were negative.

Wind gusts of nearly 40 miles per hour were reported by the National Weather Sunday afternoon around the time of the fire.

Clapper noted the wind speeds were a factor in the flames spreading, but he said it didnt hinder the firefighters in putting out the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Flint police and Michigan State Police assisted Flint fire at the scene.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  One man was shot in the arm and another was stabbed in the buttocks early Sunday morning at a Grand Rapids bar, according to Grand Rapids police.

Both victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover, said Grand Rapids Police Lt. Patrick Merrill.

The incident remains under investigation, but neither victim is cooperating with police, Merrill added.

Police responded at around 1:15 a.m. Sunday, March 10, to Le Petit Chateau Sport Bar and Restaurant, 2662 Division Ave S., on a report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, police found two men who had been shot and stabbed on the south side of bars parking lot. One man was shot in the arm while the other had been stabbed in the rear end, Merrill said.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  A 62-year-old Hudsonville woman was rescued by firefighters on Saturday evening after her vehicle slid and crashed into a ditch filled with at least 5 feet of water, according to the Ottawa County Sheriffs office.

The woman sustained injuries to her head and leg and was taken to a local hospital for further treatment, according to a news release issued by the sheriffs office.

The crash remains under investigation.

Deputies responded at around 6:33 p.m. Saturday, March 9, to a report of a single vehicle crash on 40th Avenue south of Port Sheldon Street in Ottawa Countys Georgetown Township.

Upon arrival, deputies found a 2018 Ford Escape with significant damage in a deep drainage ditch along the east side of the roadway.

Investigators wrote that the 62-year-old woman had been traveling northbound on 40th Avenue when she lost control of her vehicle due to slush and snow and left the roadway.

The crash left the 62-year-old female driver pinned inside her vehicle. She was freed by Georgetown Township firefighters shortly after they arrived, the release reads.

The woman was taken by ambulance to Metro Hospital in Wyoming for further treatment.

Life EMS assisted the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office and Georgetown Township fire on scene.
NEWAYGO COUNTY, MI  A 2-year-old girl died and several others were injured in a Saturday afternoon crash involving two vehicles, according to the Newaygo County Sheriffs office.

Among the injured was a 5-year-old boy from Shelby who was air-lifted from the scene, according to a news release from the sheriffs office.

The incident remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash, the release said.

Sheriffs deputies responded around 1:37 p.m. Saturday, March 9, to a report of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of East Baseline Road and South Elm Avenue in Newaygo Countys Big Prairie Township.

Upon arrival, deputies found an 18-year-old driver of a pickup truck had been traveling south on Elm Avenue and did not stop at the intersection at Baseline Road.

The pickup truck then struck an SUV heading east on Baseline, the release reads.

A 2-year-old female passenger in the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. A 5-year-old male passenger was injured and air-lifted to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. His condition is currently unknown.

The remaining occupants of the SUV also were injured, including the 27-year-old female driver, a 29-year-old male passenger and a 7-year-old girl. Each of them were taken to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids by ambulance.

An 18-year-old male driver of the pickup truck and his 14-year-old passenger were unhurt.

The White Cloud Police Department, Michigan State Police, Big Prairie fire and White Cloud fire assisted deputies on scene.
CNN will be slapped with a massive lawsuit for its vicious and direct attacks on Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann, the kids lawyer told Fox News. The Washington Post has already been hit with a similar suit.

CNN was probably more vicious in its direct attacks on Nicholas than the Washington Post. And CNN goes into millions of individuals homes, Sandmanns attorney Lin Wood told Fox News Mark Levin.

Sandmann was waiting for a bus home after an anti-abortion protest in Washington DC with his classmates in January when he was harassed by a group calling themselves the Black Hebrew Israelites. He was then confronted by Native American protester Nathan Phillips. A short, deceptively captioned video circulated by several mainstream media outlets framed Sandmann as the villain, and the teen was bullied and harassed by hysterical Twitter users, celebrities and journalists.

Also on rt.com WaPo issues correction to Covington kids story  6 weeks & 1 lawsuit later

The CNN folks were online on Twitter at 7am retweeting the little one-minute propaganda piece that had been put out, Wood continued. Theyre out there right away going after this young boy. And they maintain it for at least two days. Why didnt they stop and just take an hour and look through the internet and find the truth and then report it? Maybe do that before you report the lies.

Wood filed a similar suit against the Washington Post last month, accusing the paper of defamation, seeking $250 million in damages  the same amount that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid for the paper in 2013. The attorney said that the CNN suit may be worth even more because of the way they went after Nicholas so viciously.

CNN immediately ran the edited video of the encounter in January, refusing to correct the story for almost two days. In addition, the networks journalists and contributors rushed to judge and condemn. The network declared that Sandmann had taunted Phillips, Host S.E. Cupp said that theres no place for this in our society, while contributor Kirsten Powers called the boys disrespecting an indigenous elder a fundamental problem.

Wood told Levin that the lawsuit will be filed early next week.

Ive got some young, smart lawyers that are working hard as we can, he said. Double-checking, and listen, when we file complaints, weve investigated it because we want to get it right. Maybe CNN can learn from that.

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Inflammatory comments made by Democratic all-star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in which she ridiculed the garbage state of affairs in America and trashed Ronald Reagan, have ignited a fearsome battle of words on social media.

The rookie New York congresswoman expressed her frustration about what was happening in the United States during an appearance at the South By Southwest Conference & Festivals (SXSW) in Austin, Texas on Saturday.

Whats really hard for people to sometimes see is that we are on this path of a slow erosion, and a slow slow slow just like  move away from what weve always been, said Ocasio-Cortez. You wont even realize that youve drifted a hundred miles.

Also on rt.com AOCs top aide accused of stashing $900k in campaign contributions

Pushing back against critics who dismiss her Democratic Socialist policies as too radical, the 29-year-old congresswoman argued that the US has strayed from its core values.

I think all of these things sound radical compared to where we are, she concluded, but where we are is not a good thing. And this idea of like, 10 percent better than garbage, it shouldnt be what we settle for.

Her comment was immediately seized upon by conservatives, who accused the left-leaning lawmaker of comparing the whole of America to trash.

But more sympathetic voices on the platform rushed to Ocasio-Cortezs defense, arguing that the garbage comment had been taken out of context.

AOC made a comment about America being garbage. Typical conservative pundits are just highlitng only that without hearing out her explanation why she said that, tweeted columnist David Weissman.

The polarizing congresswoman also took flak for suggesting that former president Ronald Reagan used racial prejudices to pit white working-class Americans against brown and black working-class Americans to screw over all working-class Americans  a comment which may seem uncontroversial to many but nonetheless received considerable pushback from conservatives.

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WWE star Lana, also called the 'Ravishing Russian', has hit out at fellow female star Ronda Rousey after her foul-mouthed rant aimed at other WWE superstars, claiming her behavior was "embarrassing" and not that of a "role model".

Quoting an article by RT Sport on Twitter, Lana said: "This is so embarrassing that she is making the news in Russia saying the F word!

"WWE teaches their WWE Superstars to be role models to children. I pride myself in how WWE Superstars carry themselves. What are we teaching children by allowing this?"

Former UFC women's bantamweight champion, and the highest paid female WWE star, Rousey had recently accused her co-stars of being fake and wrestling of being "scripted" and made up and warned other female competitors they couldnt f***ing touch her.

It wasnt a promo they gave me other things to say I didnt f***ing say it, Rousey told MMA Fighting.Its not a promo. Its not an act. Im not going out there and doing their f***ing act anymore.

"They can say its part of the act to try and save face but its not an act. Im going out there and doing whatever the hell I want and they can explain it however they want, but f**k em. Everybody.

WWE Universe included. I meant that Im going to disrespect the sport that they all love so much. Oh dont break kayfabe, Ronda! Wrestling is scripted. Its made up. Its not real. None of those b**ches can f***ing touch me. The end.

'Rowdy' Rousey's words were expected to ruffle some wrestling feathers and Lana, real name Catherine Joy Perry, seems to be the first to bite.

Lana's 'Ravishing Russian' nickname comes from spending a chunk of her childhood in the Soviet Union and Latvia, and her ring character is billed as being from Moscow, Russia.

It remains to be seen if the two will squash their beef in the ring, with Rousey rumored to take on Charlotte Flair on the WrestleMania card on April 7.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed referee Jonathan Moss should be "disappointed" with his decision to give Arsenal a controversial penalty in their 2-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday.

Solskjaer was furious that Moss ruled Fred's challenge on Alexandre Lacazette was worthy of a spot-kick in the 69th minute.

The United midfielder made only the slightest contact with Lacazette as he lent into the France striker, who immediately tumbled to the turf.

With United already trailing to Granit Xhaka's opener, the decision was a hammer blow as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slotted home the penalty to effectively seal the three points.

"The referee will be disappointed when he sees it as I don't think it is a penalty," United interim manger Solskjaer complained.

However, Solskjaer refused to condemn United keeper David de Gea after he was left flat-footed by Xhaka's swerving long-range effort.

"David (de Gea) is disappointed every time he concedes a goal. The ball moves so strange and it looks like it goes to David's left and it changed direction," he said.

It was United's first Premier League defeat since December 16 at Liverpool in Jose Mourinho's last game in charge.

For Solskjaer, whose side enjoyed a stunning Champions League win at Paris Saint Germain in midweek, this was his first loss in 16 domestic matches since being appointed, ending a club-record run of nine successive away wins.

Solskjaer admitted United's tame opening may have been in part caused by fatigue after their European heroics.

"In the first 15, 20 minutes we were too slow and never put them under pressure," he said.

"Maybe a backlash from Wednesday night, but we created chances and when they get the first goal it becomes a different game.

"We created so many more chances today than when we beat them in the FA Cup. Sometimes it happens, we hit the woodwork twice.

"It has been fantastic so far but today is the lowest we have been because we lost and missed the chance to put pressure on Spurs."

Arsenal move above United into fourth place as the race to qualify for next season's Champions League gathers pace.

The Gunners are two points ahead of United and only one point behind third-placed Tottenham, with sixth-placed Chelsea three points adrift of the top four with a game in hand.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery was delighted with a statement result that showed his team can hold their own against the league's elite.

"They (United) were in a good moment after one result against PSG but we had a big performance and we are in a good moment in the Premier League," he said.

"To take three points and get a good position for our target is very good and I'm happy for the players.

"Being competitive like today for 90 minutes can give us a stronger mentality."
A plane carrying 149 passengers and eight crew members has crashed on its way to Nairobi, Kenya, a spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed. Its unknown whether there are any survivors.

The Boeing 737 MAX was flying from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the Kenyan capital. The airline spokesperson said in statement that a rescue operation is being launched but had no information about survivors.

The Ethiopian prime ministers office was the first to comment on the crash, tweeting that the government would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.

The Boeing aircraft was reportedly brand new and had been delivered to the airline just four months ago.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos claimed a second-round TKO stoppage of Derrick Lewis after a wild fight in Wichita, Kansas, then got the crowd to join him as he wished his son a happy birthday.

Brazilian dos Santos had already badly hurt Lewis with a kick to the body in the first round when he connected with a huge right hand in the second, sending him to the canvas.

And after a succession of unanswered ground strikes, referee Herb Dean waved off the contest to give dos Santos his third win in a row, and his second straight TKO finish.

After his victory, an elated dos Santos thanked the Wichita crowd for their support, then asked them to join him in a rendition of 'Happy Birthday' as he sang to his two-year-old son Bento, who was sat at octagonside.

Dos Santos employed a solid gameplan during the fight, keeping himself at long range and looking to leap in with power strikes before sliding out of range. That tactic wasn't without its risks, however, and the 35-year-old's chin was tested by a succession of head-kick attempts and some huge right hands from "The Black Beast".

The former world champion delivered the fight's decisive moment towards the end of the first round, when a powerful kick to the body of Lewis had the former title challenger folded up in pain.

But despite his clear discomfort, Lewis spied dos Santos moving in for the finish and unleashed a huge right hand that connected with the Brazilian and sent him staggering back out of range.

Dos Santos regrouped between rounds and set about dismantling Lewis in the second stanza while Lewis, under the instruction of his corner, came out looking for the knockout blow.

But it proved to be dos Santos who discovered the crucial strike, as he connected with the huge right hand that brought about the end of the fight.

The crazy back-and-forth battle between the two heavyweights earned Fight of the Night honors, with both men pocketing an extra $50,000 each for their performances.

But all dos Santos wants is more regular fights and, eventually, another shot at the title he once held.

"I want fights, UFC!" he demanded.
India has shot down a third Pakistani drone since border tensions escalated following a terror attack on Indian soldiers and its retaliatory strike against militants inside the Islamic republic, which led to a mid-air dogfight.

After the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) intruded in Indian airspace in the northern border state of Rajasthan, around 7.30pm on Saturday, the drone was engaged and brought down, the army said.

Previously the army had shot down two Pakistani drones following the February 26 airstrikes, when the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir to attack terrorist targets inside Pakistan. That attack followed a suicide bombing in Indias section of the disputed territory on February 14 that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitary forces.

Also on rt.com Indian Air Force shoots down Pakistani drone in India's airspace  reports

While India claimed to have destroyed a hideout used by Pakistani-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and killed multiple terrorists, Pakistan maintains there had been no terrorists in the area. The February 26 incident increased tensions between the nuclear-armed foes, leading to sporadic cross border skirmishes.

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Israel continues to pound Hamas targets in retaliation for cross-border attacks from Gaza, as the IDF carries out a very vigorous response against the militants, ordered by the Prime Minister as he gears up for his re-election.

IDF fighter jets and other aircraft struck several Hamas targets, including a military compound in the north of the strip and two naval vessels belonging to the group, the army said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties from the strikes which occurred at around 1:30am local time on Sunday.

The military said the raids, carried out for a third night in a row, was launched in response to mortar shell attack in southern Israel on Saturday night, as well as continuing terror activities from the Strip, including balloon explosives in the last several days.

Also on rt.com 'Last nail in the coffin for US peacemaking': US merges Israeli embassy with Palestinian mission

Reiterating that Hamas bears responsibility for everything that goes on inside the Gaza Strip, the IDF vowed to act vigorously against any attacks or provocation, a day after thousands of Palestinians marked the 50th week of the Great Return March protests.

Cross-border tensions along the border fence have witnessed an uptick ahead of the Knesset elections on April 9, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take a decisive stand this week. Hamas must understand that [the IDF] will respond to any manifestation of aggression with double the force, the Prime Minister explained on Thursday, vowing a very vigorous response from Israel.

Also on rt.com Netanyahus threshold: how Israeli PM plans to use far-right to stay in power

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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a subject of countless memes, delighted the Russian-speaking twittersphere when he posted a photo that mocks innovation. It came from a meme that Russians have been tagging Musk on for months.

Musks tweet was in response to a story on satirical website The Onion, which said that the word innovate had been uttered an astronomical 650,000 times at this years SXSW festival in Texas. A renowned innovator in his own right, Musk poked fun at the news by posting a lifehack-meme showing a burly Russian man wearing a toilet seat around his neck  with a plastic bottle of beer perched proudly on the seats outstretched lid.

Theres no doubt Musk knew of the pictures origin, as its among the top search options for the trendy Russian meme How do like that, Elon Musk?  which he had seen before and had even commented on in Russian. Russian-speakers have been actively posting these jokes and tagging Musk in them for over a year now.

Also on rt.com Russian man shows off CAR that even impresses Elon Musk (VIDEO)

Its no surprise that many Musk fans have taken the post as a nod to their meme efforts  and clocked up 7,500 retweets and more than 72,000 likes in a matter of hours. Some have celebrated Musk as a memelord while others suggested he goes by a new moniker, Slavon Musk.

Another user posited that if Musk did, in fact, hail from Eastern Europe, his electric car company would be called Teslav.

Meanwhile, in Russia the post made headlines and immediately became the subject of more jokes. Finally, Elon Musk has turned his attention to cutting-edge technologies, Ilya Pospelov tweeted from Novosibirsk.

A popular news portal Lenta.ru ran a story titled Elon Musk got hooked on Russian memes. But one skeptical response on their Twitter thread doubted that Elon himself had posted the picture, suggesting that his social media team may be responsible.

Last month Musk tweeted haha awesome in Russian to a local report on a man who modified an old Soviet-era car to give the impression it drove backwards. The Russian channel NTV had, of course, supplied their post with the notorious meme, How do like that, Elon Musk?

Also on rt.com Hard to argue with Elon: Roscosmos head taunts Musks praise of Russian rockets

While the meme in question has at some point been discovered in the West, its left a few observers confused at what exactly its supposed to mean. The often-lost irony is that Russians both like to praise their compatriots ingenuity but also to indulge in stinging self-satire, over ridiculous lifehacks that often evolve due to lack of resources and to peoples creative spirit. To make matters worse, Elon Musks fan base in Russia has been actively using the meme to celebrate his inventor status, while the more belligerent have exploited it to mock anything running amok in the country, its space industry in particular.

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Masked men tried to storm the Ukrainian presidents office, prompting police to use tear gas against them. The radicals promised to sabotage Petro Poroshenkos re-election and ramp up street violence if their demands arent met.

Extreme nationalists were the driving force in the 2014 coup that brought Poroshenko to power in Ukraine, but now  with three weeks remaining before the vote  they may become actors in his political demise.

Several thousand masked men, dressed in the paramilitary gear affiliated with neo-Nazi vigilantes Batallion Azov, marched from Maidan (meaning Independence) Square in central Kiev to the presidential administration on Saturday. When in situ, they tried breaking through the police cordon to get into the building. The radicals threw stones and flares at the law enforcers, who responded with tear gas and batons to push the attackers back.

Around 700 officers had been keeping order in the center of the Ukrainian capital on the day, according to the police. The organizers of the attempted action announced that some 4,000 people took part in the protest and the Ukrainian media reckons this estimate is about right.

The protesters came from groups loyal to nationalist leader and Ukrainian parliament member Andrey Biletsky, commander of the infamous neo-Nazi Azov battalion, which took part in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine on Kievs side; he is also the head of the far-right National Corps party.

Also on rt.com Hundreds of far-right vigilantes sworn in to 'enforce Ukrainian order' on Kiev's streets (VIDEO)

Before the clashes broke out, the radicals were gluing stickers with their demands on the riot shields and helmets of the police officers. What they want from Poroshenko is punishment for those involved in a massive fraud at UkrOboronProm, a state concern that manages the countrys military-industrial complex.

A recent media report blamed the first deputy head of Ukraines National Security Council, Oleg Gladkovsky, and his son, of using fake firms to sell spare parts to Ukrainian arms makers at up to three times the accepted prices.

You have one week, the radicals chanted, meaning that in seven days the two must be put behind bars. If this doesnt happen, Biletsky has promised to target all of Poroshenkos campaign rallies in the run up to the election on March 31.

Poroshenko, who is running for a second term, faces a challenge given his low approval rating. A survey by pollster Sofia earlier this week revealed that he was supported by just over 13 percent of the population, trailing both of his main rivals  comedian Vladimir Zelensky (20.3 percent) and ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko (13.9 percent).

Poroshenko had already removed Gladkovsky from his position at the Security Council, but hes unlikely to take any further steps, due to the former deputy head reportedly being his closest ally and friend.

Poroshenko was not in Kiev during the assault on his office and had gone to Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, where he was to speak at a rally. There, a group of nationalists clashed with police after chanting anti-Poroshenko slogans during the event.

The president was evacuated from the rally in a car, according to witnesses. 15 officers protecting him were injured in the scuffles, the Interior Ministry said, in a statement.

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A US National Security Council official has warned Italy against participating in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to unite European and Asian markets, claiming it adds legitimacy to Beijings infrastructure project.

Italy is a major global economy and great investment destination, Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the White Houses national security team, stated on Twitter, after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he would welcome Italy's participation in the BRI.

No need for Italian government to lend legitimacy to Chinas infrastructure vanity project.

With all the necessary precautions, Italys accession to a new silk route represents an opportunity for our country, Conte said Friday, noting that participation in Chinas trade master plan would be up for discussion when President Xi Jinping visits Italy on March 22. Conte also announced his plans to attend a BRI summit in China in April.

Also on rt.com Italy joining Chinas new Silk Road raises eyebrows in Washington

While China has not yet made any official comment about the BRI discussions, the countrys foreign ministry did note that Italy views the initiative as a good platform for mutually-beneficial and win-win cooperation.

The US which is currently engaged in a massive trade dispute with China, views the country as a direct threat to its economic dominance and remains skeptical about Xi's initiative, which aims to link China by sea and land with the Middle East, Europe and Africa, via an infrastructure network which will follow the line of the ancient Silk Road.

Also on rt.com China's One Belt, One Road global investment plan mapped out

In what Beijing denounces as yet another example of unfair competition, the US has been accusing Chinas biggest telecoms companies, Huawei Technologies Cos Ltd and ZTE Corp, of spying on behalf of the Chinese government, and has been encouraging its allies to seek alternatives.

Conte, however, brushed aside US concerns over alleged Chinese security threats, stressing that he does not plan to discriminate against the Asian tech giants, who have expertise in developing the next generation 5G mobile networks. Huawei and ZTE have been operating for years in Italy in an advantageous fashion, he stressed.

Also on rt.com Beijing calls on Chinese firms not to be silent lambs, vows protection amid Huawei row

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The subsidiary of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, Citgo, which earlier severed ties with its US sanctions-targeted parent company, is seeking a $1.2 billion loan to secure its daily operations, according to Bloomberg.

The move is aimed at refinancing the companys debt maturing this year, the report said, citing a presentation for investors given by Citgos Vice President of Finance Curtis Rowe. To find lenders, the refiner hired American multinational independent investment bank Houlihan Lokey earlier this week, and a deal will be finalized on March 22.

Representatives of the bank, Citgo and Venezuelas Finance Ministry have not officially commented on the matter.

Also on rt.com US attempts to topple Venezuelan govt by shifting control of Citgo to opposition have so far failed

Houston-based Citgo cut ties with state-run PDVSA as it tried to keep afloat amid US sanctions against Venezuelas energy sector, according to earlier reports. US economic restrictions would impede the subsidiarys ability to handle its debt.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department extended the wind-down period for investors to cut ties with the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA until May 10. The previous extension allowing limited transactions with the firm, established in February, was to expire on March 11.

Also on rt.com Maduro orders European HQ of Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA to be moved to Moscow

Washington introduced economic penalties against PDVSA, freezing $7 billion of the companys assets, in January after it pledged support to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who earlier declared himself interim president. Moreover, the Trump administration authorized Guaido to take control of US-held assets belonging to the countrys government.

Last week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro issued an order for the energy giants European headquarters to relocate to Russia. The move is believed to mitigate risks of potential confiscation of the countrys oil revenues by the West.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
US State Dept says mortar shell brought to Moscow airport posed no threat to passengers  report

US State Dept says mortar shell brought to Moscow airport posed no threat to passengers  report

A mortar shell found in the luggage of a US embassy employee at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport on Saturday posed no danger to any passengers, an anonymous US State Department representative told Russias TASS news agency. The official said the American authorities were aware of the case but that the matter was settled, as the man in question was allowed to leave Russia for New York once the object was removed from his luggage. A bomb squad was called but it turned out that there was no explosive compound inside the object. The State Department official told TASS that it was not hazardous for any of the passengers. The embassy worker explained that he had bought the empty mortar shell for his private collection, according to sources in Moscow. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry has described the incident as a provocation.Source : RT - Daily news
A crowd of Yellow Vest protesters broke into and trashed a Masonic lodge in the French village of Tarbes. The ransacking has been condemned by the French government, who accused the protesters of stupidity and intolerance.

Some 450 protesters had gathered in Tarbes on Saturday for the 17th straight weekend of anti-government demonstrations. Around midnight, La Depeche paper reported, some protesters began shouting were going to the freemasons!

A smaller crowd of protesters marched on the Masonic temple, with one battering down the door of the secretive organizations clubhouse. More protesters pelted rocks at the building and eventually the group forced its way inside. They overturned furniture, trashed the esoteric art hanging on the walls, and stole four ceremonial swords; they gave these back later on.

Police have opened an investigation, and Frances Interior Minister Christophe Castaner condemned the vandalism.

After the Jews, the Freemasons, he tweeted, alluding to alleged anti-Semitism within the ranks of the protesters. When stupidity encounters intolerance, it is the worst. Castaner also accused the Yellow Vests of having no other project than hatred.

Across the country, somewhere between 28,000 and 90,000 protesters took to the streets on Saturday to voice their opposition to the policies of unpopular president Emmanuel Macron, which, they say, benefit the rich but not the majority. Some 2,000 protesters have been injured and dozens maimed in clashes with police since November.

The movements organizers have planned a massive demonstration for next Saturday, timed to coincide with the end of President Macrons three-month Great National Debate, a public forum aimed at quelling the tide of dissent in France and forging a new contract with the nation.

The Yellow Vests have mostly focused their attention on Macrons economic policies, and have not singled out the Freemasons as a target. However, the Masons secretive nature and powerful membership have made the organization a target for popular anger in the past and has fueled countless conspiracy theories.

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Levy began with a free-flowing cadenza, delivering the long, legato phrases and fearlessly bent pitches that are among his hallmarks. When DRivera joined in for Seresta/Samba for Carmen, listeners heard two master musicians intertwining ideas with velocity and care. Had DRivera and Levy been onstage alone, one would have needed nothing more. Still, there was much to savor in the pulsing accompaniment of trumpeter/valve trombonist Diego Urcola, pianist Alex Brown, electric bassist Oscar Stagnaro and drummer Mark Walker.
The woman, who identified herself as the mother of the woman who shot the officer, said she lives in the building but hadn't been home. She said her alarm system went off, and her daughter called her, saying, "Mom, Mom, someone's breaking in the back." The phone hung up, and she never heard back from her daughter, she said.
At the scene on Saturday, a woman who identified herself as the mother of the suspected shooter suggested her daughter may have thought someone was breaking into the home. The woman said she believed her daughter decided to get a gun after someone broke into her home last year.
The Election Commission March 9 has asked political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" against the backdrop of a picture showing a hoarding with images of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as well as leaders of a party.

In a fresh instruction issued to all political parties, the EC referred to its December 2013 letter in which it had "called upon all political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel or photographs functions involving defence personnel in advertisements".

The instructions came after the photograph of a hoarding displaying pictures of the IAF pilot as well as senior BJP leaders was circulated on social media and came to the EC's notice. However, it was not known where the hoarding had been put up.

In 2013, the defence ministry had informed the EC about photographs of defence personnel being used by leaders and candidates and had urged the poll panel to issue suitable instructions in this regard.

An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Varthaman, had shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft on February 27. However, his plane was also shot down and he was arrested in Pakistan.

The pilot returned home after his nearly three-day captivity in Pakistan on March 1.
File image

The Election Commission of India (EC) on March 10 announced schedule for the general elections to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha.

The election will be held in seven phases. Counting of votes will be held on May 23.

The announcement was made by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3. The election, to be conducted in April-May, is being pegged as the largest election exercise in history.

The poll panel also announced Legislative Assembly election schedule for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. The two polls -- Lok Sabha and Assembly -- will happen simultaneous in these states.

With this announcement, the model code of conduct was imposed across the nation with immediate effect. Amongst other things, the code of conduct bars the government from announcing policy decisions.

Lok Sabha polls

The EC announced that the Lok Sabha polls will be conducted across the country in seven phases.

Phase 1 voting: April 11 (91 constituencies in 20 states)Phase 2 voting: April 18 (97 constituencies in 13 states)Phase 3 voting: April 23 (115 constituencies in 14 states)Phase 4 voting: April 29 (71 constituencies in 9 states)Phase 5 voting: May 06 (51 constituencies in 7 states)Phase 6 voting: May 12 (59 constituencies in 7 states)

Phase 7 voting: May 19 (59 constituencies in 8 states)

Single phase Lok Sabha polls will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry and Chandigarh.

Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura will see two-phase voting while Assam and Chhattisgarh will have polling in three-phases.

Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will head for polls in four-phases.

Voting for the Lok Sabha in Jammu and Kashmir will happen in five-phases. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will head for polls in seven phases.

Simultaneous Assembly polls, bypolls

In Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim voting for the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha seats will happen simultaneously. Counting of votes at the state level will also happen on May 23.

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held simultaneous to the general election due to security concerns, Arora announced.

All pending by-elections will also be held simultaneous to the Lok Sabha elections. This includes bypolls in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

The CEC said that the total electorate would be around 900 million, up from 814.5 million in 2014. As many as 15 million voters belong to the 18-19 age bracket.

There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations, up from 9 lakh in 2014. Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) will be used with all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at all polling stations, CEC Arora announced.

The poll panel also announced that photograph of candidates will be added to the EVMs "so that voters can make a conscious choice."

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other central forces will be deployed to provide security during polling across the country, CEC Arora said.

The poll panel said it has taken steps to monitor all polling stations using advanced technology.

The 2014 Lok Sabha polls were held in nine phases stretching from April 9 to May 12. The counting day in 2014 was May 16. Andhra Pradesh (including then Telangana region), Odisha and Sikkim had seen simultaneous Assembly polls. Around 81.4 crore voters, almost 10 crore more than the 2009 general elections, were eligible to cast their votes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners are making a bid to retain power amid efforts by Opposition several parties, including the Congress, to put a united fight.
File image: Indian Army soldiers guarding the border

Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Saturday, a defence spokesperson said. At about 6 pm, Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms in Sunderbani sector, he said.

The spokesperson said the Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively.

There was no report of any casualty on the Indian side, he said.

A special police officer escaped with splinter injuries when a mortar shell exploded at Gondria village in Shahpur sector which, along with nearby Kerni sector in Poonch district, witnessed heavy artillery and small arms firing from across the border Friday evening.

There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan after India's preemptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Four civilians, including three members of a family, were killed and several others injured as Pakistan targeted over 80 villages in over 100 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in the state since then.

The shelling from across the border stopped on Wednesday all along the LoC and the lull was broken by latest incident of firing Friday evening.

Meanwhile, deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Rahul Yadav on Saturday visited injured SPO Sayeed Hussain at a district hospital and gave him Rs 5,000 from Red cross fund as immediate relief.

Yadav inquired about his health and assured more relief after completion of formalities, an official said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on March 10 insinuated that MNS leader Raj Thackeray "parrots" the script given by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

He was speaking at a women's gathering organised by the BJP in Mumbai where Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was present.

Without naming Pawar, who hails from Baramati in Pune district, Fadnavis said, "Baramati is always in search of a new parrot. There are certain things that they cannot say, but they are making the parrot speak it against the BJP for them."

"Being an artist, he (Raj) can read out a script well. Nowadays, his script is coming from Baramati," he added.
Chinese samrtphone maker OPPO's Research and Development centre is working on 5G solutions for its global market and India-specific mobile phone solutions and products, according to a senior official.

Tasleem Arif, Vice president, head of R&D, OPPO Mobile India, also said the current headcount of the facility would be doubled from the existing 150 in the next two to three years, depending on the business. "India is an emerging market. We have more commitment to the Indian market and we want to come out with more innovation which is specific to the Indian consumer and for that we have established the Indian R&D centre last year in December in Hyderabad."

"The main purpose of setting this R and D Centre is to come up with more innovative products which will solve Indian consumer problems," he told PTI without specifically confirming if it is a mobile phone.

Besides, Indian specific products and specification, the Hyderabad facility was also working on 5G solutions and overseas market requirements, he said in Mumbai recently during a companys product launch programme.

According to Arif, the requirement of the price segment need is different in India as more than 85 percent people uses less than $250 devices and about five percent use devices between $500 and $700 dollars.

To solve the Indian problem they need something in the service side, software side which addresses their routine or daily problem such as charging limitations, he said. "We are working on lot of solutions which are specific to India. And also we are aligning with the Digital India initiative. We are closely working with the government and we are closely working with the startup and service providers and Infosystem providers," Arif added.

OPPO recently set up and R&D centre, which is part of the $ 1.4 billion investment the company declared last last year.

"We are expanding the headcount. The current strength is almost here touching 150 testing members. And the plan, by the next two years, based on the way the business grows, our headcount will also go (up). The way the business is going on definitely the count will be doubled and more than that (in the next two to three years)," he added.
Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel on March 10 said he would join the Congress on March 12 in the presence of its chief Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress would be holding its Working Committee meet here on March 12 and then hold a rally in Adalaj in Gandhinagar later in the day.

However, Patel's plans to contest the Lok Sabha polls, the schedule of which was announced by the Election Commission of India on March 10, may be possible only if he clears legal hurdles.

He has been convicted and sentenced to two years in a riot case connected to the 2015 Patidar quota agitation, which bars him from contesting polls.

"To give shape to my intentions to serve society & country, I have decided to join Indian National Congress on 12th March in presence of Shri Rahul Gandhi & other senior leaders," Patel tweeted on March 10.

"I would also like to state that if there is no legal hindrance and party decides to field me in electoral politics, I would abide by the party's decision. I am taking this step to serve 125 crore citizens of India," he said in another tweet.

In July last year, the sessions court of Visnagar in Mehsana district had sentenced him to two years imprisonment for rioting and arson which took place in Visnagar town in 2015.

While his jail term has been stayed by the court, his conviction has not been suspended.

Patel has filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking a stay on his conviction by a lower court.

Earlier, on Friday, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had given the go-ahead to Patel to join the Congress.

Patel has earlier indicated that he wanted to contest Lok Sabha polls from Jamnagar seat.

While Congress state unit chief Amit Chavda said Patel's induction into the party would strengthen it, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the decision proved that the PAAS leader was a "design of the Congress".

"We have been saying this, and now it has been proved that Hardik is a design of Congress party. His agitation was at the behest of the Congress. He has cheated his community, misled youth. He would get a befitting reply from the Patidar community if he stood for polls," Rupani said.

"Till now Hardik was leading a social agitation. Now when he joins the Congress party, it will strengthen us in Gujarat," Chavda said.
An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from the capital Sunday morning killing all 157 thought to be on board, according to statements from the airline and the state broadcaster.

There were no immediate details on what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

The airline's statement said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane that crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenya's capital.

The crash occurred around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 am.

While the airline said "search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," a separate statement by the Ethiopian prime minister's office offered its "deepest condolences" to families.

State broadcaster EBC reported all passengers were dead and that the passengers included 33 nationalities.

An Ethiopian Airlines spokesman said 32 Kenyans and 17 Ethiopians were among the victims.

James Macharia, Kenya's transport minister, told reporters that Kenyan authorities had not yet received the passenger manifest.

He said an emergency response had been set up for family and friends.

"My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board," Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said, as many Kenyans braced for the worst.

Records show that the plane was new.

The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the Boeing 737-8 MAX was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November.

In October, another Boeing 737-8 MAX plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, killing all 189 people on board.

The cockpit data recorder showed that the jet's airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though Lion Air initially claimed that problems with the aircraft had been fixed.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Beirut killing all 90 people on board.

March 10 crash comes as the country's reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new "Airport City" terminal in Bishoftu  where March 10 crash occurred.
The Big Four are too powerful.

Theyre too large. They have too many advantages.

It would be fine if these advantages occurred naturally. But they didnt.

The Big Four have unfair advantages over the rest. And its thanks to the ever-dutiful regulators.

One advantage, for example is the Big Fours ability to self-assess risky loans.

Not all loans are the same, of course.

A mortgage with a 20% deposit down is far safer than a business loan with little to no collateral down.

Yet, the Big Four have the ability to make their own judgement. They have more information than smaller banks, regulators say.

Thats why theyre given this advantage to self-assess over all other banks.

What this does is keep the big banks big and the small ones small. Small banks cant match big bank rates, as they cant self-assess risk.

It keeps the scale in the Big Four, which tend to abuse their power over consumers and leaves the small banks fighting over the riskiest borrowers.

Thank goodness lenders from the East are moving in to punish the Big Four

Free report: Aussie stock picker, Sam Volkering (with gains as high as 1,431% in the last 18 months) reveals what he believes are his next four big potential winners.

These are no conquerors

You might have heard the name Alibaba Group Holding Ltd [NYSE:BABA] before.

Theyre a Chinese business similar to Amazon in that they do almost everything. E-commerce, cloud storage, shipping, lending, healthcare, advertisingyou get the point.

One of Alibabas most successful ventures has been Ant Financial and Alipay. The former is Alibabas financial arm, in which Ant offers services like loans, insurance and money management.

Alipay is their payment system. And it is colossal.

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) explains:

Alipay has 870 million users in China. Ant Financial has recently expanded into India via the acquisition of Paytm, Indias largest mobile payments processor. Our view is to connect the wallets up at some point in time. What that means is, in 12 months time, I could be talking about a Chinese and Indian guest in market as well, Mr Lawson [Alipays country manager for Australia and NZ] told an investor group.

Thank goodness Alipay has recently decided to come down under.

Theyve been extremely successful in China. Now theyre in Oz to tackle the Big Four and topple our highly concentrated banking system.

Thats what I was hoping to hear at least

Again, from the AFR (my emphasis):

Chinese payments juggernaut Alipay says it is targeting three billion customers as it expands into India and will become a major source of referrals to Australian retailers, but it has no plans to tackle the major banks given its app will not be rolled out to Australian customers. It said the proportion of those billions who visited Australia would look to use the app to pay here, so retailers needed to have it enabled (directly or via their bank) to get the sales.

No, Alipay wont save us.

Neither will their largest competitor, Tencents WeChat, which runs the lending arm WeBank. Heres something I wrote earlier this year:

Is WeChat the answer to break up the Big Four? Maybe. But its highly doubtful. First off, WeBank is a microlender. Aussies arent going to go to WeBank to get a home loan or borrow to buy that new Mercedes-Benz. That doesnt mean they wont eventually, though. WeBank does lend out a whole lot more in China. In 2015 for example, the online bank was offering commercial loans to micro and small businesses. But it could take WeBank a whole lot of time to scale up from a microlender to compete with the Big Four. The second roadblock for WeBank might be regulatory. The AFR continues: Companies are prevented from promoting themselves using the work bank under sections 66 and 66A of the Banking Act of 1959 unless they are an authorised deposit taking institution or have permission from APRA. Yet this also doesnt mean WeBank is doomed to fail at the hands of regulation. Online banks like Volt and Xinja have been able to get restricted Aussie banking licenses. Why not WeBank too? But the real stopper will be scale. The Big Four will have no reason to worry about WeBank because they have scale and WeBank doesnt.

The scale of the Big Four is basically secure. Thats as long as they have their unfair self-assessing advantage.

Rather than toppling the Big Four, cashless companies like Alipay and WeBank might only make them more powerful.

Heres how

Its not YOUR money!

The bitcoin bulls had it right.

Not about bitcoin, but about how money might look in the future.

It wont be coins and bank notes.

Itll all be digital. All you need is your credit card really. Some are even off that and now just use their smartphone.

Were all moving towards a cashless society. Alipay and WeBank were the big influencers for China to wean themselves off cash. The AFR explains:

Amid debate at this weeks Australian Financial Review Business Summit about whether the US or China was technologically superior, Mr Lawsons presentation on Thursday suggested China was more sophisticated in payments than most Western economies. Its coming to the point in China that if you walk into a store in China with cash, the merchants are looking at you and saying whats that?, he said. Just over the last two years, China really gathered speed in moving to a cashless society.

Its not hard to imagine Aussies will go the same way, with a helping push from Alipay and WeBank.

So, how does this make banks more powerful?

First lets break some preconceived notions.

Do you really think the money in your bank account is yours? There might be numbers that you can see online. But this is not cash in a vault waiting for you.

This number represents a monetary figure the bank owes you.

You see, any time you give your money to the bank, it stops being your money and becomes the banks.

Why is it when banks go bust (it can happen) depositors dont get their savings?

Its because these are not savings. These are all really just loans.

Anytime you give your money to the bank, it is not a deposit. Its actually a loan to the bank, hence why it is now theirs. And they can do whatever they want with it.

The only reason you loan out your hard-earned money to the bank is because you trust youll get it back (plus some interest of course).

Within a cashless society, we all lend even more money to the banks. And with more money, banks will likely create money to lend out even more.

Total debt in our economy will rise. A lot of this newly created debt will be lent for consumption, not value-added activities.

Boom bust cycles will become more frequent. And well all wonder why everything got so erratic.

Its because our cashless society gave the banks more power to create more money.

And because they have no guidance or incentives of where to push this money into the economy, a lot of it will get funnelled into financial assets and be used to speculate on the property market.

Thats how I see it all playing out anyway.

Your friend,

Harje Ronngard,

Editor, Money Morning

Free Guide: How to Buy and Sell Shares. Download now.
Thousands of colleges across the country are welcoming both new and returning students back to campus for the fall semester. To coincide with the beginning of another school year, Stacker compiled a list of the best colleges in America using Niches 2021 rankings.
March 10, 2019

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2019-13

Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama:

Electricity is again available in Caracas. Some parts of the country are still off the grid. Marco Rubio got egg on his face.

The New York Times walks back a false propaganda claim it made against Venezuela: Footage Contradicts U.S. Claim That Maduro Burned Aid Convoy. Unmentioned in the Times piece is that this was already know and reported on February 24. The NYT may believe that this very late confession makes its other propaganda claims more believable. It doesn't.

March 5 - Democrats Continue Campaign To Reelect Trump

Gideon Levy in Haaretz: Keep It Up, Ilhan Omar

March 7 - North Korea's Game Plan And Its Upcoming Satellite Launch

March 8 - Trump Asks Germany, Japan To Pay For Being Occupied

Other stuff:

Peter Obone debunks a book written to smear Jeremy Corbyn as anti-semite: Jeremy Corbyn and the truth about Tom Bower's book. See also Medialens: The Fake News Nazi - Corbyn, Williamson And The Anti-Semitism Scandal

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Craig Murray: Pure: Ten Points I Just Cant Believe About the Official Skripal Narrative. Kit Klarenberg looks at the connection between the shady Integrity Initiative and the Skripal affair. Was II involved in initiating the incident? Integrity Initiative: The Sinister Chain of Events Leading Up to Salisbury.

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Anyone remember Mullah Omar, the deceased leader of the Taliban? The U.S. military and intelligence services claimed over and over again that he was hiding in Pakistan. Bette Dam finds (pdf) that he wasn't:

After 2001, Mullah Omar never stepped foot in Pakistan, instead opting to hide in his native landand for eight years, lived just a few miles from a major U.S. Forward Operating Base that housed thousands of soldiers.

In late 2001, after the U.S. invasion, Mullah Omar resigned as leader of the Taliban and the movement officially surrendered to Hamid Karzai who promised them reconciliation. The U.S. did not like that and launched a vengeful campaign against all former Taliban member. Eighteen years later the U.S. is suing for peace.

Mullah Omar lived quietly, meditated and studied religious text. Allah remarked on his death:

On April 23, 2013, Mullah Omar passed away. That day, Jabbar Omari told me, the hot, dry lands of southern Afghanistan experienced something hed never seen before: a hail storm. I assumed it was hagiographic bluster, but later I found a U.S. army publication referring to that day: More than 80 Task Force Falcon helicopters were damaged when a sudden unprecedented hailstorm hit Kandahar Airfield April 23, where nearly half of the brigades helicopters were parked.

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Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on March 10, 2019 at 15:52 UTC | Permalink

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"We need to continue to secure the country," said White House Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought. "We need to continue to secure the border. We're not going to be bashful about that. But at the same time, we're also going to say that we have many, many programs that are wasteful and inefficient that we can no longer afford."
Faculty, staff and students at Midland and Odessas institutions of higher education are facing a battle against the regions inflated housing market and community poverty, making it difficult to recruit  and for the students and community to succeed.

Presidents Steve Thomas of Midland College, Gregory Williams of Odessa College and Sandra Woodley of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin all addressed the cost of housing at State of Education luncheon hosted by the Midland Chamber of Commerce Wednesday at the Horseshoe Pavilion.

Woodley was the first to touch on the issue, stating it was affecting her faculty and staff.

I love the Permian Basin, Woodley said. Im so happy here as an outsider coming in. And I just find such pleasure in the weather and in the people. Its just a wonderful place to live. But I have heartbreaking instances in my own university where my faculty and staff have a very difficult time affording the constant increases in their rent and finding a place to live. Im humbled by the fact that I beg to bring in an amazing, talented group of faculty and administrators to help me, but its not easy to do.

I have dedicated faculty who have been in my university for a long time, who find themselves making much less than the market rate that I have to pay for new faculty to come in, so that compression is a serious challenge, and I want to make sure I take care of the faculty who have been loyal to this university, she said.

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of stories from the State of Education luncheon. The third story, on workforce training, is scheduled to appear in Monday's edition. A story on the decline in state funding was published Thursday. See More Collapse

Woodley said one of the things she hopes UTPB will do to alleviate the issue, is to create a faculty and staff village on both the Midland and Odessa campuses. It will not just be an apartment complex, she said, but an entire community for UTPB workers that they and their families will enjoy living at.

Its our aspiration to solve some of those problems on both of our campuses, Woodley said.

The university also wants to contribute by having affordable communities for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers and first responders  and subsidize the housing, making it easier to recruit.

She said the expensive housing market also means UTPB is required to have competitive salaries, so faculty and staff can afford the housing, as well as a good quality of life. Next year, UTPB will be giving salary increases to the faculty, she said.

RELATED: Higher education presidents: Decline in state funding impacts the regionE

In a later interview, Woodley told the Reporter-Telegram they have existing housing on campus that has been used for faculty and staff  though it is really meant for students  and if a person required relocation reimbursements, UTPB would be willing to provide those funds.

She said she wants to do anything to help and ensure long-term comfortability for her faculty and staff.

Thomas said MC faces the same issues, but there is not much turnover on his faculty.

Where we really struggled is in some of our key staff positions and administrative positions for the same reasons  housing is an issue; salaries are not competitive, Thomas said. When we look at our salary structure, internally, and comparing it to other community colleges, we are comparable. To the private sectors, were not  and weve had some really good candidates come in and rejected the offer, because it was not enough when they saw the cost to move and live here.

He said MC has partnered with the Priority Midland committee in an effort to resolve the problem.

Priority Midland is an initiative that was launched in January to foster collaboration among elected officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to drive solutions to problems facing this growing community. One of these problems is affordable housing.

One of the potential solutions is more public-private partnerships that allow them to execute it a lot quicker, as they work together, than if each individual business tried to do it on their own.

The talent pool that were losing is really important to our future, Thomas said.

Williams agreed that it was hard to compete with other institutions of higher education.

He said OC hired individuals who are new in their careers and, also, connect with students who have recently left the university. OC cannot afford to give tremendous raises in one year, but they do try to give a raise every year, so they can remain competitive.

We have to do everything we can while also being very aggressive nationally, as we recruit, to bring people in, Williams said. And we have to try to continue to have available resources.

Williams said there is also a portion of students who could benefit from OCs education if the community could take care of their basic needs more effectively.

There are students who are insecure  from a food standpoint and a living standpoint  so they do not know if they will have tuition for the next semester.

Poverty is a real thing, Williams said. And a real way for us to help (below the top quartile) of students will be to provide services and support, so thats what I want to focus on.

Follow Brandi on Twitter for more education news: @BrandiDAddison
Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to lay off up to 400 firefighters as he prepares to award pay raises required by Proposition B, the voter-approved charter amendment that grants firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank, according to five Houston City Council members who were briefed on the plan.

The move to fully implement the pay parity measure comes after talks between the city and fire union about phasing in the raises over five or more years became strained last week.

Meanwhile, city officials are preparing council members for the difficult task of closing a $197 million deficit in the annual budget that must be adopted for the upcoming July 1 fiscal year. About $80 million of that budget gap comes from the firefighters raises, council members were told.

In addition to the firefighter layoffs, Turner will seek to close the deficit by asking all city departments to cut their budgets by at least 3 percent, a move that is likely to require layoffs of as many as 100 municipal workers, the council members said. Councilwoman Brenda Stardig said she was told no police officers will be laid off.

On May 9, Turners administration plans to issue back pay to firefighters retroactive to Jan. 1, which will total about $30 million, several council members said.

So, basically, on May 9 you want to be hanging out near a firefighter because hes going to be buying, said Councilman Greg Travis. Hes going to have a lot of money on that day.

The city plans to mail layoff notices to firefighters within weeks, Travis said. Among the layoffs are 68 fire cadets who Turner has declined to promote amid a citywide hiring freeze than has spanned more than five months. The mayor nonetheless promoted more than 60 police cadets Monday.

The fire cadets filed grievances against Turner Thursday claiming the mayor was discriminating and retaliating against them.

I feel sorry for those guys because in about two or three more weeks theyre going to get the notice, Travis said. Its last in, first out.

Turners plan would cut about $25 million out of the fire departments $503 million budget, Fire Chief Sam Pena told council members. Officials have said that despite the cuts, the number of firefighters on duty at any time will not change.

Pena also has proposed a reduction in the number of firefighters dispatched to small fires at single-family homes, saying that sending about a third fewer personnel would free up resources without preventing the department from handling minor emergencies.

Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association President Marty Lancton said the layoffs would put the city below national safety standards.

The mayors hatred of firefighters now will have terrible consequences for us and for the public. Hes willing to destroy public safety in Houston to punish firefighter families, Lancton said. A world-class fire department is being destroyed from within by third-rate politicians.

Turner, who campaigned against Prop B and repeatedly warned of potential layoffs if it passed, told reporters Friday that his hands were tied because the charter amendment did not come with a funding mechanism. He also said the fire union rejected a city proposal to phase in pay raises. That offer did not appear to fully implement the charter amendment over the citys proposed five-year window, falling short of increases in incentive pay that the finance department projects would be necessary to reach full parity.

People want to put the administration in a box, Turner said. If you dont implement Prop. B, people criticize you for not implementing Proposition B. When we move to implement Prop. B, people say, We dont want the layoffs. Well, you cant have it both ways.

During negotiations since Prop B passed in November, the firefighters proposed to phase the raises in over three years, retroactive to July 1, 2018. The raises then would be distributed based on firefighters length of service, with all members reaching full parity by July 1, 2020.

Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen said fire union officials should support the idea of phasing in the raises over five years, which she considers a more reasonable time frame.

One of the critical things in this discussion is that, if the union would agree to implement the expenses over a five-year period, then we wouldnt be looking at layoffs, Cohen said. Thats the key issue, as far as Im concerned.

Turners slow implementation of the pay parity measure, which was approved with 59 percent of the vote Nov. 8, has prompted sharp criticism from the fire union. Lancton has said Turner was denying firefighters higher pay unlawfully, while the mayor insisted his administration was figuring out how to define parity across the fire and police departments.

One uncertainty appeared to stem from differences in educational requirements between the departments. For example, police officers must have a masters degree to be promoted to assistant police chief, a stipulation that does not exist for assistant fire chiefs and fire marshals. Under Turners plan, firefighters would receive reduced raises if they lack the degree required by the corresponding police department position, multiple council members said, explaining why the latest cost estimate of $80 million falls more than $30 million below Turners previous estimate.

Councilman Mike Knox said he was not convinced that Turner could use the educational requirements to justify smaller raises for some firefighters.

Im not sure thats going to fly, Knox said.

Turner defended the move, saying the requirements are part of what constitutes parity between the departments.

If within police, if there are educational requirements to get to a certain rank, then the same thing ought to be expected of fire, if you want parity, Turner said.

Lancton disagreed, saying Turner was picking and choosing which parts of equal police-fire pay he will implement.

Playing games with the education and compensation part of Prop B is dishonest and not with the letter or spirit of the proposition, he said. City council members already tell us theyre uncomfortable with what hes doing."

Meanwhile, Councilman Dwight Boykins said he again would propose a monthly garbage fee at the next city council meeting intended to reduce the number of layoffs. He floated a fee of $8 to $10, a total that likely would not cover the entire cost of firefighters raises, but still generate tens of millions of dollars in new revenue. The fee would be tacked on to residents water bills and exempt disabled veterans and seniors, Boykins said.

The District D councilman said Turner was noncommittal and told him to gather support from other council members.

A spokesman said the mayor told council members to bring their revenue suggestions to the council table.

Boykins originally pitched the idea of a garbage fee to help fund firefighter raises last December. At that time, he recommended a monthly fee of $25 to $40. Turner rejected the idea, saying he will not support forcing Houston homeowners to pay a costly new tax on trash collection to pay for firefighters salaries.

Travis speculated that the confusion over what constitutes parity likely would spark a lawsuit. Already, the parity issue has played out in court through a case in which the city has alleged that Prop. B violates the state constitution, and another where the city is seeking a ruling that effectively would render the fire unions collective bargaining rights unconstitutional.

The fire union also has asked a judge to force the city to begin implementing the pay raises.

Turners opponents in the 2019 mayoral election, Bill King and Tony Buzbee, criticized the mayor on Friday. Buzbee said Turner should prioritize cuts among other city departments, such as libraries and parks, while King said Turners "failure to negotiate in good faith" with firefighters led to the Prop. B-induced budget shortfall.

Reporter St. John Barned-Smith contributed to this story.
Kimberly Palmer, seen at her parents home in Bethesda, Maryland, recently had her third child, a decision made possible in part by the occasional free baby sitting she gets from her parents.

Its the financial riddle of the 30-something years. How does anyone, even those with a stable, upwardly mobile job, let alone a family, afford to live in places like New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco or Washington, D.C.?

The answer: Many are bankrolled, to varying degrees, by their parents.

Hold the eye roll and exasperation about millennials and their failure to launch or the gushing of financial resentment for a moment, and consider the unforgiving economics of trying to make it in this country today. Wages have stagnated, while real estate, medical and child care costs have skyrocketed. As one economic analysis concluded recently: For Americans under the age of 40, the 21st century has resembled one long recession.

Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert for NerdWallet, a consumer finance company and app based in San Francisco, said, A lot of 30-somethings are still getting financial help from their parents, if they are lucky enough to take advantage of it. Incomes today are lower than they were for Gen Xers and boomers at the same point in their lives. Plus, many of the millennials graduated into the recession, and when you hit your 30s, there are a lot of lifestyle changes and expenses, like having kids, getting married and buying a house.

More than half (53 percent) of Americans ages 21 to 37 have received some form of financial assistance from a parent, guardian or family member since turning 21, according to a 2018 report by Country Financial, a financial services firm in Bloomington, Illinois. This may include paying bills for a cellphone (41 percent), groceries and gas (32 percent), rent (40 percent) or health insurance (32 percent).

Then there are the free services. Palmer, who is 39 and lives near Washington, D.C., said that the free 20 to 25 hours of child care she receives every month from her parents contributed to her familys decision to have a third child (Dylan Palmer Dave arrived on Feb. 9). If she were to pay a baby sitter, Palmer estimates it would add up to around $6,000 a year.

On average, each millennial parent receives $11,011 per year in combined financial support and unpaid labor, the 2017 TD Ameritrade Millennial Parents Survey found, for an annual total of $253 billion in America.

That assistance is crucial for many, according to the study. A quarter of millennial parents receive hourly support from their parents, in the form of child care or household help, and 18 percent of those receiving financial support say they couldnt afford their current lifestyle without it. Over half of these millennial parents (remember that more than 1 million are becoming mothers every year) say they have a generalized anxiety about not earning enough to support themselves and their families.

In cities like New York, where private preschool can cost more than $30,000 a year, families need special help footing the bill. Education is incredibly expensive and keeps going up, but grandparents feel very strongly about their grandchildren having a good education, said Dana Haddad, who runs New York Admissions, an education consultancy that works with children starting at 10 months.

In her practice, Haddad, a former admissions director at Horace Mann School, estimates that 10 to 15 percent of checks come from grandparents.

Adulting without a net

What it all amounts to is a much different picture, at least in middle-to-upper-class America, from how this age cohort has been viewed in the past. On the television show Thirtysomething, which aired from 1987 to 1991, the all-white cast of characters seemed to be economically emancipated from their parents, who rarely factored into the story lines.

Todays series about 30-somethings portray a decade that seems far less adult, at least by traditional standards. (Think Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or New Girl.)

Behind the jokes about adulting; the new fashion for referring to male children as buddy instead of son (as if still a child oneself); the performative generational cluelessness about basics like how many towels to own, is a more serious and divisive question: Have you or havent you cut the financial cord with your family?

How they answer portends very different economic outcomes, career paths and life choices. Thats if they answer. Despite how common it is for a certain set of affluent millennials to be getting help from their parents at an age when many of them are themselves parents, its still the last taboo of finance that people dont want to admit, according to Palmer.

Its easier to talk about saving more or being frugal, she said. Theres not as much shame around those topics.

While its true that families with means have always helped their children (discreetly or not), whats different today is that as the economy has more extreme gyrations and wages flatten, family wealth plays an outsize role in helping people get ahead, said Chuck Collins, a scion of the Oscar Mayer food corporation and the author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.

Those who do not have parental assistance in their 30s, however, continue to be at a disadvantage. They are grappling with paying off student-loan debt, their savings might not be as strong because of that, and many are taking care of other family members, said Iimay Ho, 32, the executive director at Resource Generation, an organization that works with people age 18 to 35 with wealth or class privilege to engage on issues of inequality.

Ho said there was no way she would have been able to amass the $200,000 she has in net assets if her parents, both of whom immigrated from Taiwan to pursue advanced degrees, hadnt paid for tuition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, given her close to $100,000 toward buying a condo in Washington, D.C., and continue to give her about $10,000 a year.

For those without parental cash at the ready, theres often some kind of debt hangover that holds them back in significant ways. Roger Quesada, 34, calls his $65,000 of student-loan debt to Sallie Mae, which incurs $400 a month in interest payments alone, a jail sentence. A lapse in his payments ruined his credit, he said, and has hampered his financial and career aspirations.

Its been trying to navigate our economy without one of the most important components  good credit  that provides enormous advantages and privileges, said Quesada, who grew up working-class in West New York, New Jersey. Thats something many in my generation take for granted  graduating debt free. They also take for granted, he said, financial advice that native parents with an upper hand economically have. I couldnt rely on my mother for anything after I left home. She is retired, disabled, barely scraping by, and depends on Social Security. If anything, I need to be helping her.

It was important to Quesada that whatever profession he chose would offer a steady income and growth potential for the future. Settling on e-commerce, he is now a merchandising manager at New Avon, earning six figures, he said.

Im the son of an immigrant, Quesada said. My life would have been that much harder in Cuba. I feel happy with the success Ive had. He lives with his partner in Bergen County, New Jersey, where his home cost a fraction of what a comparable property would have in New York City, but came with a commute of over two hours to his office in Manhattan.

The home front

Those who do receive parental assistance often do not fit neatly into the stereotype of lazy, entitled millennial. Susan Alvarez, 32, makes over $75,000 as the associate executive director at the Y.M.C.A. of San Diego County. That is a really decent salary, but its still not enough to cover a condo, she said.

So last year Alvarezs parents surprised her with a $50,000 cash gift to help with a down payment on a $435,000 condo three blocks from the beach in San Diego. I grew up middle-class, and my parents immigrated from Cuba, she said. They saw that Ive worked hard but also that I had the bad luck to graduate into the 2008 recession. I didnt get a job that paid well enough and had benefits until I was 23, which meant I missed out on almost two years of earning.

Evidence suggests that purchasing a home, a life event that many hope to reach in their 30s and one of the primary ways people build wealth, is essentially out of reach in most major cities unless your family has generated a good deal of wealth. (Nationally, homeownership rates are falling for millennials, and only two in 10 have a mortgage or home loan.)

Mary Wallace, a real estate agent with Unlimited Sothebys International Realty in Boston who works primarily with first-home buyers (and is married to Collins), said that in 20 years she has rarely seen anyone in their 30s who did not have family help or an inheritance for their down payment. In our market a buyer is expected to have 20 percent down to compete  that is between $80,000 and $100,000 to become a homeowner, she said.

Jessicah Pierre, 27, a media specialist at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, has felt she is on unequal ground. A friend was telling me how it wasnt that hard to purchase a home. She was like, Do this, do that. said Pierre, who lives in Dorchester, Massachusetts. But she wasnt considering the fact that she graduated without any student-loan debt, came from a two-income household, as opposed to me. I am starting with negative wealth because I have loans to pay off and was raised in a family with only one income.

Pierres father was an accountant in Haiti and became a cabdriver after immigrating to the United States because his degree wasnt recognized. (She fully expects that she and her two siblings will take care of him in old age.)

No one, as Tom Postilio, a real estate agent in New York at Douglas Elliman, put it, wants to post on Instagram: So glad I could move into this apartment that I dont make enough money to buy, but thanks Mom and Dad for the cash. Postilio estimates that a quarter of his 30-something clients who are buying larger apartments (more than two bedrooms) receive money from their parents, whether its in the form of a gift, a low-interest loan or co-purchasing.

But theres a danger in not acknowledging the transfer of wealth (one estimate predicted boomers ultimately will pass along $30 trillion to their millennial children, whether its monthly help with living expenses, free child care or receiving the annual gift exclusion of $15,000 from family members). It creates a distorted idea of what it takes to attain success and what financial milestones actually are achievable if you are starting from zero or less.

Simon Isaacs, 38, a founder of the parenting site Fatherly, thinks its important to give credit to his family, whose generosity, he said, was instrumental in helping him and his wife buy a home in Brooklyn, where they live with their two young children.

I think millennials need to get past this narrative theyve made it on their own and I pulled myself up by my boot straps, Isaacs said. It hides all the kinds of ways they have been privileged by their race or parental help.
HAMMOND, Ind. (AP)  Monica Spisak gave away most of the photos she had of her son.

In the search for Joseph Spisak, his family handed out his photo to different people and agencies. Some of the family photo albums were ruined in a basement flood. Today, Monica Spisak is left with a small photo of her son that she keeps in a safe space.

Thats all I got left, she said.

Joseph Spisak disappeared Jan. 27, 1974, in Hammond when he was 11 years old. His family never saw or heard from him again. Now, after more than 45 years, they still want to know what happened to him.

This family has not quit, has not given up hope and never will, Steven Spisak, Joseph Spisaks younger brother, said.

Without a body, without him walking through that door or, the worst case, that he did run away and he doesnt want to see the family again, at least we know something. Its closure, he said.

He added, Now, Id hate the third one, but I mean, Id accept it. At least wed know.

At least wed know, Elsa Spisak echoed.

Right, Monica Spisak said.

The Spisak family sat around a table at a Hammond home recently, eating pizza and talking about Joseph. They finish each others sentences and teased one another. The baby of the family, Dave Spisak, who wasnt born when Joseph went missing, should have the best memory out of all of them, they joked.

Youre younger than all of us, David, Elsa laughed.

Jokes aside, the family was serious about wanting to know what happened to Joseph. Decades later, it still brings tears to their eyes and makes their voices break. The siblings want answers, especially for their mother.

My father and mother raised us that when you dont have anyone else, you have your family, Steven Spisak said.

Family was always really big. Really big, Elsa Spisak said.

We kid each other, you know, but we love each other dearly, Steven Spisak said.

Monica waited a second and jokingly added, No, they dont. They all laughed again.

Joseph Spisak delivered the newspapers on his route the morning of Jan. 27, 1974. He stopped home on McCook Avenue to drop off his bag and his toboggan, and then he went back out, Monica Spisak said.

We had a rule in the family. If you werent home for breakfast, OK. Lunch, OK. But supper, you were home. That was our family time, she said. When he didnt show up for supper, we knew something was wrong.

The family started calling around. They heard Joseph may have been near the railroad tracks, so they looked up and down them for miles.

One theory was that Joseph ran away, but his family and the police officer currently working the case, Detective Sgt. Adam Clark, dont buy it.

Being 11 years old, where do you run away to? Clark said.

Joseph had the clothes on his back and about $5 in his pocket when he left that day, Steven Spisak said. The three brothers shared a bedroom, so Steven and Thomas Spisak said they wouldve known if their older brother was thinking of leaving. Plus, Joseph was scared of the dark, his family said.

One of the brothers or a buddy had to be with him when it was dark out, Monica Spisak said.

Clark is hopeful that theyre going to figure out what happened to Joseph one day. It may be a long, tedious process, but thats the goal, not just for the familys sake but for Clarks own curiosity.

Clark went to school with Dave Spisak. Josephs story always kind of stuck with him, and when Clark joined Hammond polices detective bureau, he asked if he could look into the case.

Whats made the case so difficult to solve is that its just been so long, Clark said. People have passed away over the years, and there is new technology and strategies now that werent available back then, he said.

The Spisak family went off any tips they could for years, but everything we try to follow are dead ends, Steven Spisak said.

There were reported sightings of Joseph. Someone said he was at a park. Another said he was in a neighboring town. A boy in Kentucky was a spitting image of Joe, even in Monicas eyes, but it turned out not to be him.

When Elsa and Thomas Spisak got older, they tried to do their own investigation, talking to neighbors. Elsa Spisak called all the phone numbers she could for anyone listed as Joseph Spisak.

Elsa and Dave Spisak have received messages from people who said Joseph knocked on their doors, telling them someone in a blue car was following him on his newspaper route.

The family tried psychics. Monica Spisak sent Josephs dental and medical records out when similar boys were found in different states. They questioned if Joseph may have been one of Illinois serial killer John Wayne Gacys victims.

The rumor the family was happiest to dispel, though, was that their father killed Joseph and buried him at the family home. They heard it for years at school and from neighbors and even close friends.

The family knew it wasnt true, but Donald Spisak, their father, died in 2006 with this hanging over his head.

Early on in the investigation, the family said they didnt feel that investigators were keeping them in the loop of what they were working on. But they give a lot of credit to Clark for his efforts now, working with the family as they go forward.

Now we know everything, Steven Spisak said.

Life has gone on, but this is something were never going to forget, Steven Spisak said.

How does it change our life? We all have children. And you keep your children closer when something like this happens, Steven Spisak said as his siblings nodded in agreement. All of us, I believe are very guarded of our children.
I have the blueprint to the ...
By 2021, Americans traveling to certain countries in Europe will have to preregister online as part of a security system intended to screen visa-free travelers.

The European Union announced last year that before entry, travelers from all visa-free countries, including the United States, will need to preregister and pay a small application fee using the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a system designed "to strengthen security checks on those persons who travel visa-free to the EU," according to a fact sheet from the European Commission. It applies to people traveling to Europe's Schengen Zone, an area comprising of more than two dozen countries, including France, Germany and Spain, but not England.

Currently, U.S. citizens with a valid passport can visit Schengen countries and stay for up to 90 days without a visa, according to the State Department.

News outlets, including CNN, Esquire and Travel & Leisure, mistakenly reported this week that starting in 2021, U.S. travelers will need a visa to visit Europe.

It is not a visa.

Officials with the European Commission and the U.S. State Department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely on the process, confirmed that ETIAS is simply a travel authorization for visa-free travelers, similar to the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to screen people in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Inaccurate news reports have recently stated that the EU's ETIAS is a visa program.

The news reports appeared to lead to confusion online.

The EU delegation to the United States tried to clear it up, tweeting Friday, "Neither the #ESTA nor the future #ETIAS (EU equivalent) are visas. They carry out pre-travel screening for travellers benefiting from visa-free access."

A spokesman for the European Commission said that the European Union decided to establish the ETIAS system in summer 2018 and it will be operational in 2021.

In 2016, the European Commission proposed ETIAS, "an automated IT system created to identify any security or irregular migratory risks posed by visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen area, whilst at the same time facilitate crossing borders for the vast majority of travellers who do not pose such risks," according to the fact sheet, which the commission released in July.

It added:

"The ETIAS authorisation is not a visa," the commission said. "Nationals of visa liberalisation countries will continue to travel the EU without a visa but will simply be required to obtain a travel authorisation via ETIAS prior to their travel. ETIAS will be a simple, fast and visitor-friendly system, which will, in more than 95% of cases, result in a positive answer within a few minutes.

"An ETIAS travel authorisation does not reintroduce visa-like obligations," the commission continued. "There is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, no biometric data is collected and significantly less information is gathered than during a visa application procedure. Whereas, as a general rule, a Schengen visa procedure can take up to 15 days, and can in some cases be extended up to 30 or 60 days, the online ETIAS application only takes a few minutes to fill in. The validity will be for a period of three years, significantly longer than the validity of a Schengen visa. An ETIAS authorisation will be valid for an unlimited number of entries.

"The ETIAS travel authorisation will be a necessary and small procedural step for all visa-exempt travellers which will allow them to avoid bureaucracy and delays when presenting themselves at the borders," the commission said. "ETIAS will fully respect this visa-free status; facilitate the crossing of the Schengen external border; and allow visa free visitors to fully enjoy their status."

Travelers will need a documentation, such as a passport, and be asked to pay a $7 application fee.

It is not entirely certain why ETIAS has been mischaracterized as a visa program, but a travel agency called ETIASVisa.com incorrectly stated on its website that "US citizens traveling to Europe will shortly need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa which is the new travel visa to visit Europe that will come into effect from 2021. Similar to other countries and regions in the world Europe has recently decided to improve their security level to avoid any further problems with illegal migration and terrorism. This means that from 2021, all Americans traveling to a European Schengen-zone country will be in need of an ETIAS."

At least one news outlet linked to information from ETIASVisa.com while citing the European Union.

ETIASVisa.com states that it is a travel agency and is "not affiliated with any European Government."

Travelers will not need to use a travel agency to register with ETIAS but can do it themselves online.
The Sheriffs Office on Saturday continued searching the militarys nearly 28,000-acre training site, Camp Bullis, in far north Bexar County for Andreen McDonald, who has been missing since Feb. 28.

Law enforcement has reported that they believe Andreen, 29, a mother of a 7-year-old daughter, is dead.

Friends reported her missing when she did not show up at work or the gym as was her schedule. They said they became concerned and drove to her home in the Timberwood Park neighborhood. After no one answered, they entered through a backdoor and found hair and blood on a light switch in the master bedroom.

READ MORE: Suspect in wife's disappearance visited San Antonio military camp within hours after she went missing, sheriff says

Bexar County deputies arrested her husband, Andre McDonald, 40, on March 3 on charges of tampering with evidence. McDonald, a major in the Air Force Reserve is stationed at Lackland AFB. He is being held at the Bexar County Jail in lieu of a $2 million bail.

The Sheriffs Office said it had received information that Andre McDonald had been on the largely wilderness Camp Bullis or in its vicinity, where he has no official business, before the investigation began.

More than 350 civilian volunteers took part in search for Andreen McDonald on Friday.

Also helping in the various searches since Thursday were Air Force personnel from the 502nd Security Forces, Texas Search and Rescue, the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriffs Office.
San Antonio police are looking for four men they say were involved in a shooting Saturday afternoon on the West Side.

Officers responded to the 100 block of Havana Street around 3 p.m. Saturday where a man was shot after a confrontation, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

The victim, who is in his 20s, was shopping with his significant other at a store at Woodlawn and Bandera, said SAPD spokeswoman Jennifer Rodriguez.

Four Hispanic men entered the store and confronted the man without provocation, Rodriguez said. Words were exchanged and the man and his partner eventually left the store.

It did not appear that the men knew each other, Rodriguez said.

Eventually the couple realized the four men were following them. The man, who was driving, got out of his car and confronted them, Rodriguez said. The four men started shooting, and the man was shot at least once, she said.

The victim was taken to University Hospital in critical but stable condition. His partner, who was in the passenger seat, was not injured.

The suspects are described as Hispanic men in their early 20s who were in a beige SUV.
TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa

Unless you were hiding under your umbrella, you likely know by now that Southwest Airlines announced Hawaii flight schedules and roundtrip fares for as little as $98 yesterday. Bargain hunters snatched up those cheap seats quickly and currently nearly all of Southwest's spring season flights are already sold out.

Within hours of Southwest's announcement, we found other airlines rolling out equally eye-popping fares. For example, Alaska Airlines roundtrip California-Hawaii fares fell to just $198 roundtrip for a few hours on Monday. (See our post here.)

This morning, the fare war battlefield has calmed down a bit, with the lowest nonstop fares for spring trips in the $278-$298 roundtrip range on Alaska, Hawaiian and United Airlines. When Hawaii fares drop below $300 roundtrip, you know you've got a good deal on your hands, so these represent great value.

These current crop of fares are good for springtime flights, and then rise to around $400-$500 on June 15 when peak summer season kicks into gear.

Springtime flights:

To get the best deals, you'll have to fly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in both directions between now and mid-June.

Currently, Hawaiian's fares represent the best value as they are not as restricted as Alaska's "Saver" or United's "basic economy" fares.

Those on Alaska's Saver fares only have access to overhead bin space at the last minute. United is offering $298 roundtrip basic economy fares, which do not allow access to overhead bin space at all and don't allow seat selection-- not a good idea if you want to sit with your friends or family for the 5-6 hour flights. You can avoid those restrictions by paying $358 for a regular economy ticket on United.

Update: Alaska Airlines just rolled out a new Captain Marvel themed sale including many Hawaii routes.

The lowest fares from the Bay Area are mostly on flights from Oakland and San Jose, the two airports from which Southwest will fly starting this spring. United's sale fares depart SFO. Also, you'll find better and more numerous deals to outlying islands vs Honolulu. Here's an example of mid-May fares in the $278-$378 range.

Summertime flights:

Peak summer season in Hawaii runs from about June 15 until August 15. Typically, roundtrip fares during peak season run in the $600-$700 range. But with all the new competition, we are seeing fares drop below $400 for a handful of summer season flights-- that's also a remarkably good deal. For example in mid-July, several of Alaska's lowest Saver fares are just $398 roundtrip

My advice to fence sitters? If you see a fare that fits into your schedule and budget, go ahead and grab it now. Fares are likely at their lowest point right now due to the Southwest announcements. Plus, with more people flying to Hawaii than ever, you'll have an increasingly tough time finding hotels, Airbnbs, rental cars, etc at decent prices or at all as sell-outs are expected due to the influx of visitors.

Will you take a dip down to the islands this spring or summer? Tell us in the comments!

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
Ever since she was a young girl, Rumbidzai Amana had a passion for male-dominated fields.

Not surprisingly, she would be enchanted at the sight of a mechanic covered in grease or at the sound of a welding machine.

However, more than anything else, it was haulage trucks that captured her heart.

Not even marriage vows would separate her from the love of haulage trucks.

Currently, she drives fully loaded multi-trailered trucks to South Africa, Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

And she does not regret the decision.

Clad in a blue work-suit trousers, black safety shoes and black T-shirt, the 37-year-old dread locked woman oozed with confidence and poured out her story to The Sunday Mail.

Her story

My name is Rumbi. I love haulage trucks. They are a part of me and I fluently speak trucking language, she said.

It is who I am and it is what I love. Unfortunately, my marriage could not withstand my love for trucks.

Born in 1982 in the mining town of Shurugwi (Midlands province), Rumbidzai was always fascinated by the testosterone-dominated field of trucking, which almost always attracted more men than women.

Despite enrolling for a number of courses such as secretarial and Islamic studies, a little voice from within would often tell her the courses were not for her.

Her passion for trucks was rekindled in 2016 when she visited a relative in South Africa.

I remember standing at a bus stop in Johannesburg when something caught my attention, she explained.

It was a woman driving a haulage truck, a two-trailer haulage truck for that matter. I could not believe it.

In those few minutes I had watched her turning the steering wheel, I had been inspired, something in me was awakened.

I followed and asked her how she had done it. She told me her story and the moment I came back to Zimbabwe, I started processing the paper work.

Stubborn determination

However, family and friends could not understand why she craved to be a truck driver.

According to them, haulage-truck driving was not for morally upright women.

They encouraged her to join the teaching profession or the police.

But the young Rumbidzai was stubbornly determined to follow her passion.

When she got her drivers licence, she ironically lost her marriage of 16 years.

My husband could not stomach having a haulage-truck driver as a wife, she added softly.

We divorced and I was left with two daughters. At first I was hurt and lost, but with time I knew I had to go on and this brought me closer to my passion.

Rumbidzais eldest daughter is now studying at Africa University, while her youngest is doing Form One.

She says her daughters are very supportive of her career and during the holidays, they accompany her on road trips around and beyond Zimbabwe.

However, she has learnt that just like society, the professional world is also not supportive.

To her, the world and Zimbabwe in particular have not yet accepted truck driving to be a profession for women.

Women are not physically and mentally strong to be in the profession; hence, they cannot be employed, she has been told on several occasions.

One of the challenges we are facing as women truckers is the unequal opportunities in the industry, she further explained.

Companies need experience. However, we do not have anywhere to train. Companies which offer training demand a training fee of $800 for only 10 days and thereafter, you are released. This is not enough for a company to employ you.

Inadequate training and experience causes women to make unnecessary mistakes, creating a lot misconceptions.

On the other hand, in South Africa, there is a female drivers learners course, which runs for six to 12 months and offering an allowance of about R4000 a month, and after that period, you will be guaranteed of permanent employment  something we do not have in Zimbabwe.

On many occasions, companies say they cannot employ female truckers because they do not have the rest rooms and bathrooms for females, which shows inherent prejudice by employers.

Female drivers are given small trucks when they are employed; this is done to test their ability, they say. However, when a male driver is employed, he is given a truck without going through the various stages that women are subjected to.

In addition, this means the salary and benefits are different despite both of them having the same academic and professional qualifications.

It is a clear sign of prejudice towards women.

There is need to also educate the male truck drivers in Zimbabwe. Most of them do not take us seriously, they think we have sinister motives.

There are times when you travel as an assistant driver. You travel with a male counterpart who ends up sexually harassing you. So at times women end up giving up on the profession.

We are immensely contributing to the economy through transportation, it is my hope that Government comes up with a policy that ensures there are equal opportunities for every woman in Zimbabwe, in particular those in the trucking profession.

Rumbidzai joins the rest of women across the globe who celebrated International Womens Day on Friday.

Her message is being echoed by billions of women who want change.

This years theme #balanceforbetter calls for gender equality, a greater awareness of discrimination and a celebration of womens achievements.

Rumbidzai says it is time womens talents and achievements are celebrated.

She, however, said it is important for women to first believe in themselves.

Behind every successful woman are other women, she said.

Women belong in all places. There should not be a place that is said to be reserved for men only, and I am working to recruit more women in the trucking industry.

As she drives off, she sounds her truck horn as she waves to some of her male colleagues who are in the same industry.

In turn, they obligingly wave back, a sign they might be starting to accept female drivers in the profession.

 SundayMail

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An Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane bound for Kenya has crashed killing all 149 passengers and eight crew members.

An Ethiopian Airlines spokesman confirmed that the Boeing 737 plane had crashed on a routine flight from Ethiopias capital Addis Ababa to Nairobi on Sunday.

Ethiopias state broadcaster EBC reported everyone on the plane had died and that passengers included 33 nationalities, including 32 Kenyans and 17 Ethiopians.

The plane took off at 8:38am (0638 GMT) from Bole International Airport and lost contact six minutes later near Bishoftu, a town some 37 miles southeast of Addis Ababa.

The airline staff were being sent to the scene of the crash to do everything possible to assist the emergency services. It also plans to set up a passenger information centre and a dedicated telephone number for family and friends of people who may have been on board the flight.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted his deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones.

https://twitter.com/PMEthiopia/status/1104650609951719427

My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

https://twitter.com/UKenyatta/status/1104678914071453696

In an earlier statement, the airline said: We hereby confirm that our scheduled flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in an accident today. It is believed that there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight but we are currently confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight.

What do we know about the plane?

Records show that the plane was new. The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the Boeing 737-8 MAX was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea last October, 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesias capital killing all 189 people on board.

What do we know about the airline?

The last major accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was a Boeing 737-800 that exploded after taking off from Lebanon in 2010, killing 83 passengers and seven crew.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself the Continents largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to Africa.

It has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Prime Minister Ahmed challenged the airline to build a new Airport City terminal in Bishoftu  where Sundays crash occurred.

 Telegraph

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Hungry 20-tonne whale mistook diver for a sardine and tried to swallow him Metro.co.uk Make time to watch the amazing video.

Martin Shkreli Didnt Call The WSJ From Prison To Remind Everyone That He Is Still Doing Crimes Dealbreaker

Physicists are decoding math-y secrets of knitting to make bespoke materials Ars Technica

Levis now blending hemp with cotton for more sustainable fabric TreeHugger

Chimpanzee Culture Is Disappearing Thanks to Climate Change, Study Finds Motherboard

Eric Hobsbawm, the Joy of History and All That Jazz Consortium News

Jussie Smollett is facing up to 48 YEARS behind bars after being hit with 16 charges over claims that he staged a homophobic and racist attack to help him get a pay rise Daily Mail: re Silc: manafort will do far less time usa usa.

Ethiopian Airlines plane crashes and kills all 157 people on board just six minutes after take-off as witnesses say fire crews arrived at the scene two hours after the Boeing 737 came down Daily Mail. Notice the plane is a brand new Boeing 347 MAX aircraft  the same model as the Lion Air aircraft that crashed in Indonesia October.

Families of Lion Air 737 crash victims file lawsuit against Boeing KOMO News

Waste Watch

Trader Joes is Eliminating a Million Pounds of Plastic From Its Stores Grub Street. A drop in the bucket? Perhaps. Whenever Im in the US and stop into Trader Joes, Im srtuck by the amount of plastics waste. So much so that I avoid shopping there for fruits and vegetables, because theyre all swathed in plastic. So, glad to see them trying to clean up their act.

Climate change is wreaking havoc on Italys olive harvests Inhabitat (re Silc)

Fukushima: current state of the clean-up Phys.org (chuck l)

Syraqistan

(Urgent): YouTube terminates Middle East Observer after almost 10 years online The Saker (chuck l)

Algeria

Gilets Jaunes

Brexit

Karen Bradleys mistake was more than ignorance  it reveals the political classs disregard for Irish life Independent. Patrick Cockburn.

Sam McBride: The last fig leaf of scrutiny of NI civil servants is illusory; it is they who rule News Letter (guurst)

Labour and Antisemitism London Review of Books

China?

Venezuela

Big Brother IS Watching You Watch

Police State Watch

A viral video that appears to show police officers searching a cancer patients hospital room for marijuana sparked outrage on social media Business Insider (The Rev Kev)

India

Ilhan Omar: Obamas a pretty face who got away with murder NY Post

25-Year-Old FOIA Request Confirms FOIA Delays Continue Unabated National Security Archive (chuck l)

2020

Trump Transition

Tax Reform

Class Warfare

Antidote du Jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
(Natural News) In October 2017, in direct defiance of POTUS Donald Trumps efforts to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities through the enforcement of all federal immigration laws, then-California Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark legislation declaring the entire state a sanctuary for illegal aliens.

The Democrat super-majority ruling the Golden State celebrated the legislation as a rebuke of the president, but in reality, what SB 54 really does is hinder the federal governments immigration authority.

No matter, as The Los Angeles Times reported then:

Legal experts have said federal officials may try to block the law in court to keep it from being implemented. Some doubt such challenges would be successful, pointing to the 10th Amendment and previous rulings in which courts have found the federal government cant compel local authorities to enforce federal laws.

Its interesting that a Left-wing paper would provide Leftist Democrats with constitutional cover, considering that the Donkey Party doesnt concern itself about what our founding document says when it comes to the Second Amendment.

For decades Democrats have ignored a key provision of the Second Amendment  the part where it says the right shall not be infringed  when passing what they have always characterized as common-sense gun laws.

But the fact of the matter is, there is no such thing: Any law that restricts or otherwise regulates the manner in which an American citizen, regardless of any other mitigating factor, can obtain, own, carry, and bear a firearm is unconstitutional, period.

And now, finally, pro-Second Amendment lawmen and lawmakers are reasserting and reinforcing this right in the same way the Left has thwarted federal laws governing immigration and recreational use of marijuana: Nullification.

Let Texas be the first state of many to nullify unconstitutional gun laws

As reported by The Free Thought Project, lawmakers in Texas have introduced a gun sanctuary bill that would apply to the entire state. If it passes, it would essentially nullify nearly all federal gun control laws within the state:

Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) filed Senate Bill 378 (SB378) on January 17. The bill would prohibit any state government agency, personnel or public funds from enforcing any federal gun control regulation or law if the federal statute, order, rule, or regulation or international law imposes a prohibition, restriction, or other regulation, such as a capacity, size, or configuration limitation, that does not exist under the laws of this state.

Legal opinions on this are likely to be all over the place, and of course, the Democrat Left will decry this bill as the first step toward anarchy. But by any legitimate measure, weve already reached that point.

Despite the Constitutions Supremacy Clause, which states clearly that federal laws supersede state laws and even state constitutions, Democrat-run states and cities are getting away with not simply ignoring federal immigration laws but actively thwarting federal immigration officials (such as refusing ICE detainer requests to turn over suspected criminal aliens). Many of the same states have also given the middle finger to federal prohibitions against recreational marijuana use.

So while law-and-order conservatives are likely to find the prospect of widespread nullification distasteful, at this point we really dont have much choice: Its either adopt the Lefts tactic or be ruled instead of governed. (Related: As Trump admin loses another sanctuary city case, the Left is setting the stage for a HUGE conservative backlash.)

At least conservatives have the Constitution on their side: Gun control laws are infringements on the Second Amendment, period. Some lawmakers in Texas, along with sheriffs in at least four other states, have come to understand that this key provision matters in the face of a new onslaught of Democrat measures aimed at further restricting citizens right to keep and bear firearms.

Let Texas sound the gun sanctuary rallying cry. Let the Lone Star States effort spread to hundreds of other jurisdictions.

Read more about how the effort to protect gun rights and uphold the Second Amendment is spreading by visiting Guns.news and SecondAmendment.news.

Sources include:

TheFreeThoughtProject.com

LATimes.com

NewsTarget.com
(Natural News) Hospital floors may harbor superbugs that are easily overlooked when trying to control the spread of potentially life-threatening diseases, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

While hospital floors may look clean to the naked eye, a team of researchers  including researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio  found that they are teeming with dangerous pathogens such as Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). In the United States, an estimated 75,000 people die each year as a direct result of a superbug infection acquired while in the hospital.

Lead researcher Dr. Abhishek Deshpande explained that efforts to lower the spread of infections in hospital environments usually focus on surfaces that are touched by the hands of healthcare workers or patients. Even though hospital floors are often heavily contaminated, limited attention goes to the disinfection of hospital floors because they are not frequently touched. Nonetheless, items in a patients room can come into contact with the contaminated floor, leading to the transfer of multidrug-resistant bacteria to these items and, in turn, to the hands of hospital workers and patients alike.

Hospital floors might be an underappreciated source of superbugs

For their study, the researchers cultured 318 samples taken from the floors of 159 patient rooms, including both C. difficile infection (CDI) isolation rooms and non-CDI rooms, in five hospitals in the Cleveland area. Additionally, they took samples of gloved and bare hands of health care providers, call buttons, medical devices, medical supplies, clothing, and linen on hospital beds.

They found that many of the samples were contaminated with MRSA, VRE and C. difficile, with C. difficile the most frequently found pathogen in both CDI isolation rooms and non-CDI rooms. Furthermore, the team noted that 41 percent of the patient-occupied rooms had one or more high-touch objects in contact with the ground, which often led to the transfer of dangerous superbugs to the hands of the hospital workers or patients picking up the items from the floor.

The results of our study suggest that floors in hospital rooms could be an underappreciated source for dissemination of pathogens and are an important area for additional research, Dr. Abhishek Deshpande said in a news release.

The study team said that while further research is needed to confirm the importance of disinfecting hospital floors, they hope their results may ring the alarm and bring more attention to the infection risk posed by hospital floors. Ultimately, being more vigilant about cleaning hospital floors could limit deadly infections in hospitals and save thousands of lives each year.

Floors may not be the only place that is often overlooked in hospital sanitation protocols to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Another study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, reported that potentially sick-making, multidrug-resistant germs can build up in drainpipes. These bacteria can gradually make their way up to the strainer and sink. Once there, they can quickly spread to hands, clothing, and vulnerable patients with a compromised immune system, the University of Virginia researchers explained.

According to Linda Greene, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, understanding gaps in infection prevention is crucial for healthcare institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes seeking to improve the quality of care offered to their patients. She added that even though many facilities believe they are taking proper precautions, the study highlights how important cleanliness of the hospital environment is, and the need for education of both staff and patients.

Sources include:

MedicalNewsToday.com

AJICJournal.org

EurekAlert.org

AEM.ASM.org
Four longtime LGBTQ advocates were recognized Saturday morning in San Francisco for longtime advocacy that led to the development of groundbreaking programs for LGBTQ seniors in the city.

California State Sen. Scott Wiener and former San Francisco supervisors David Campos and Christina Olague, as well as LGBT Aging Policy Task Force Chairman Bill Ambrunn, received commendations at a ceremony attended by about 100 people at the city's LGBT Center.

"While there is more work to be done, city officials have delivered impressively on their promise to implement task force recommendations," Ambrunn said in a news release by the San Francisco Human Services Agency.

Five years ago, a task force created by the three then-supervisors recommended 13 actions to help LGBTQ residents age in place in the community.

Since then, most of the recommendations have been followed, including the formation of a new Care Navigation and Isolation Prevention program that helps clients access social services.

The task force was created by Wiener, Campos and Olague, all of whom were San Francisco supervisors at the time. Weiner has since gone on to become a state senator.

The number of residents who identify as LGBTQ served by the city's Department of Adult and Aging Services has soared 71 percent over the past four years, to 2,039. Representatives link the increase to the services developed in response to the report's recommendations.
California suffered the worst wildfire devastation in the country last year, according to a new federal report.

The annual Wildland Fire Summary report released this week by the National Interagency Coordination Center said 1.8 million acres burned in 2018 in the Golden State - more than in any other state.

"Thats the worst in recorded history" for California, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesman Scott McLean.

The next most geographically destructive year in California was 2008 when nearly 1.6 million acres burned, he said.

Neighboring Nevada, meanwhile, saw 1 million acres burn in 2018, putting it in second place among states for acreage destroyed, according to the federal report.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he is looking for ways to help the children of British citizens who joined the Islamic State group in Syria.

Hunt told the BBC on Sunday that he and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt are studying how the children could be brought to Britain without putting government officials at risk by sending them to Syria.

He spoke after the newborn son of 19-year-old Shamima Begum, who at age 15 ran away with two friends to join ISIS, died Friday in a refugee camp.

Begum's passport was revoked after she asked to be allowed back into Britain. Home Secretary Sajid Javid said she hadn't shown remorse for the extremist group's actions.

The Sunday Times reports similar actions were taken with two other British women with children in Syria.
At least 10 people have been shot within city limits since Friday night began.

A Chicago police officer was wounded by a 19-year-old woman while executing a search warrant Saturday night, police said.

The police officer, 34, was shot in the shoulder at 7:18 p.m. through the rear door of the two-story home, which is in the 2700 block of West Potomac, according to Chicago police. He was taken to Stroger Hospital where his condition had stabilized, police said.

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said police had identified themselves while executing the warrant.

Johnson said at a news conference that the police knew the young woman, having had several encounters with her. The warrant was for a narcotics and illegal weapons search. She was the only one home at the time. A gun and narcotics were recovered at the scene, police said.

Officers did not fire their weapons during the encounter, authorities said.

The mother of the young woman told the Sun-Times in an interview that her daughter called her on her cellphone frantic that someone was trying into break into their home.

She was hysterical, the mother said. She called me while I was at the mall: Theyre breaking in. Theyre breaking in. And then she hung up.

The young woman has a FOID card, her mother said. A neighbor said the family was quiet and didnt create problems.

Earlier that afternoon, a 19-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the South Deering area on the Far South Side. The man was in the 10600 block of South Bensley Avenue at 4:20 p.m. when a dark-colored car approached and someone inside fired shots, police said. He was struck in the chest and leg, and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition.

Two men were attacked by a drive-by shooter Saturday morning in the South Side Englewood neighborhood. At 5:25 a.m., they were driving in the 400 block of West 71st Street and got hit by gunfire that came from another vehicle, according to Chicago police. One man, 21, was grazed in the back and the other, 32 years old, was shot in the back and buttocks. They drove themselves to University of Chicago Medical Center, and the younger man was released later that morning.

A man was critically wounded during a shooting two hours earlier in Wicker Park. At 3:27 a.m., officers heard gunfire and found a group of males surrounding a bleeding man outside in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee, police said.

The man, 26, had been shot in the abdomen and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. The males spotted with the 26-year-old were uncooperative with detectives, police said.

That same hour, a man was wounded by gunfire in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. At 3:05 a.m., the 29-year-old was shot several times by another male in the 1600 block of West 56th Street, police said. The two had been arguing when the other male fired a handgun.

A teenage boy was shot that morning in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side. At 1:40 a.m., the 17-year-old was shot in the back in the 4100 block of South Prairie, police said. Someone he knew fired at him after driving over in a blue sedan.

The weekend began at 5 p.m. Friday and lasts until 5 a.m. Monday.

Last weekend, 17 people were shot in Chicago, six of whom were wounded in a single shooting at a South Side bar.
Three people, including a small child and a Chicago police officer, were injured in a crash Sunday morning in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side.

The officer was responding to a call of shots fired about 9:15 a.m. in the 4500 block of South Honore when the crash happened, according to Chicago police.

Prior to the crash, the cop was driving west on 47th Street in a police cruiser that had its lights and sirens activated, police said. As the cruiser crossed Ashland Avenue, it was struck by a southbound Nissan.

The officers condition was stabilized at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said.

The Nissans occupants, a 37-year-old woman and a 6-month-old girl, were both taken to University of Illinois Hospital, police said. Their conditions were also stabilized.

The woman was cited for not having insurance, police said.

Neither vehicle was drivable after the crash, police said.
Evanston police are investigating after a 33-year-old man was shot to death in the backyard of a home on Friday evening.

According to authorities, they were called to a residence in the 1800 block of Simpson Street just after 9:30 p.m. Friday for a death investigation.

When they arrived on the scene, they found Angel Miranda laying in the yard behind the residence. Miranda was pronounced dead at the scene, and had suffered numerous gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen, according to authorities.

Police say that they had received a call of shots fired in the area around 90 minutes before discovering Mirandas body. They believe that the man, a Chicago-native, had been visiting friends in the area, and that it was his friends who discovered his body and called police.

Evanston police and the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the shooting, and are encouraging anyone who witnessed the incident to call police at 847-866-5040, or to Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) and to start your message with EPDTIP.
Authorities say they found the body of a 19-year-old southern Illinois woman who was last seen in Saline County.

Illinois State Police say Brooke Naylor's body was found late Friday afternoon in rural Gallatin County by a member of the team searching for her. She was last seen last Sunday, and the Carmi woman's abandoned Chevrolet Malibu was found in Harrisburg.

An autopsy performed Saturday found that Naylor died of hypothermia from cold exposure. Full results of the autopsy are pending, as results from toxicology tests have not yet been revealed.

State police officials said they and Naylor's family offer thanks to all of the numerous volunteers who participated in what they described as an "exhaustive search."

An autopsy was expected to be completed Saturday.
Venezuelan opposition protesters on Saturday confronted security forces on a main avenue in Caracas, venting their anger over a nationwide blackout, shortages of basic necessities and the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Demonstrators on Avenida Victoria in the Venezuelan capital pushed against the shields of riot police, who later withdrew from the area.

Security forces have deployed in large numbers in the city ahead of planned rallies by supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido. Police units and members of the National Guard gathered at several intersections, wearing helmets and carrying shields and other anti-riot gear. Several columns of security forces moved on motorcycles.

Meanwhile, Maduro's backers planned to hold a rival demonstration as power returned to many parts of Venezuela after the country's worst blackout, which started late Thursday and only started to ease about 24 hours later.

On Saturday morning, managers of the Caracas subway said they were waiting for the power supply to stabilize before resuming service.

The power and communications outage intensified Venezuela's economic and political crisis, endangering hospital patients and forcing schools and businesses to close.

Guaido attributed the blackout to alleged corruption and mismanagement under the government of Maduro, who said the outage was part of a U.S.-backed plot to force him from power.

The United States and about 50 other countries support Guaido's campaign to oust Maduro and hold elections.

Guaido, 35, is the leader of Venezuela's National Assembly.
British Home Secretary Sajid Javid faced criticism Saturday after the death of a U.K. teenager's baby in a Syrian camp.

Shamima Begum, who had left London as a 15-year-old in 2015 to join the Islamic State group, had pleaded with British authorities before her baby was born to let her return to Britain to raise the child.

But Javid revoked her passport, saying Begum hadn't shown any remorse. The teen had told newspaper reporters she didn't have a problem with ISIS actions, including the beheading of captives.

Begum's infant son died Friday. Begum's family said the boy appeared to be in good health when he was born on Feb. 17. No clear cause of death has yet been given, but reports suggested he was having respiratory problems.

Fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Phillip Lee said Saturday he was "deeply concerned" by Javid's handling of the case, suggesting he had taken a hard line in order to please populists.

He said it was clear 19-year-old Begum "holds abhorrent views," but called her a child who was a product of British society. Britain had a moral duty to her and to her baby, he said.

When Begum first started speaking to reporters more than three weeks ago, she said the first two children she had given birth to since joining the extremist group had died of malnutrition and other ailments. She said she wanted to come home so she didn't lose another child.

Her predicament sparked a national debate on how the U.K. should handle Britons who had joined the extremists and now seek to return because ISIS has lost its territory in Syria and Iraq.

The challenge faces other European countries as the final ISIS stronghold in Syria is on the brink of falling, giving its fighters and their often youthful spouses no place left to hide.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter last month, saying European countries have a responsibility to take back and put on trial about 800 ISIS fighters who have been captured by U.S.-backed forces in Syria.

Begum is married to a Dutch national who joined ISIS extremists and has since been taken into custody. He said last week that he wanted to be able to live in the Netherlands with his wife and newborn son, who is now dead.

Kirsty McNeill, a director at Save the Children UK, said Britain should "take responsibility for their citizens" in Syria to prevent further unnecessary losses.

"It is possible the death of this baby boy and others could have been avoided," she said.

Javid didn't comment directly on the baby's death. A government spokesman said "the death of any child is tragic" and reiterated the British government's advice that citizens avoid travel to Syria.
Recordings of several 911 calls made after a series of deadly package bombings in Austin last year show the chaos and panic that gripped the city.

In one 911 call after the first bomb detonated March 2, 2018, relatives, neighbors and first responders struggled to discern what happened after a packaged exploded in the hands of Anthony Stephan House, 39.

"I don't know what is going on," a 911 caller reported. "My neighbor, something exploded. There is blood everywhere. We need an ambulance immediately."

House, the father of an 8-year-old daughter, died.

The calls were released to the Austin American-Statesman in response to a request under the Texas Public Information Act.

In a 911 call on March 12, 2018, Sandra Jones says, "Oh, my God!" after her grandson, 17-year-old Draylen Mason, a promising musician, and his mother, opened a package that exploded about 7 a.m.

"They opened a package and it exploded!" Jones told the operator. "There is blood everywhere. Please hurry!"

Mason's mother survived, but he died.

In addition to the deaths of House and Mason, five others were injured.

Police say the suspected bomber, 23-year-old Mark Conditt, blew himself up March 21, 2018, as officers closed in to arrest him.

Investigators later discovered a roughly 25-minute recording that Conditt had made on a cellphone confessing to the crimes and calling himself a psychopath. A motive remains unclear.

Federal authorities closed their case in January. The Austin police investigation remains open but is expected to soon close.
A South Texas man is being accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend and another woman after an argument and then firing at police officers before surrendering.

Larry Darnell Moore remained jailed Saturday in the Nueces County Jail on two counts of capital murder.

Police say they were met with gunfire after responding to a call at a Corpus Christi apartment complex Thursday evening.

The 41-year-old Moore allegedly fired upon a patrol vehicle, but no officers were injured.

After Moore was taken into custody, officers discovered the bodies of his girlfriend and another woman in an apartment. The women's names have not been released.

Moore's lawyer, Kenneth Botary, tells the Corpus Christi Caller-Times it appears Moore and his girlfriend had an argument and "it got out of hand."
A drastic increase in the number of families seeking asylum along the Texas-Mexico border has caused immigration agents to transport many of the people to Arizona, a newspaper says.

The Arizona Republic reports that U.S. immigration officials are taking families who were detained in El Paso, Texas, and transporting them 300 miles to Tucson, Arizona.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents transported 398 asylum seekers from El Paso to Tucson between Feb. 16 and Feb. 18. Tucson-area Border Patrol stations accepting the families are located in Willcox, Naco and Douglas.

All the families transported in February were expected to be released into the custody of relatives in the U.S. and were transported to the stations before heading to relatives' locations, the newspaper said.

More than 76,000 migrants crossed the U.S.-Mexico border last month, more than double the number from the same period last year. In the past few months, 70 groups of more than 100 people crossed illegally.

Government figures show the number of immigrants apprehended while traveling as families in the El Paso region has gone up nearly 1,700 percent in the first five months of the current fiscal year over the same period last year.

El Paso is now the second-busiest crossing point along the southwestern U.S. border behind the Rio Grande Valley. The city's shelters have been unable to house all the newly released families and many found themselves on the streets in search of transportation.

Tucson shelters are taking on much of the burden. In the past month, one shelter has taken in more than 1,100 mostly Central American families released from detention. A charity director said she would not be surprised if more families were released into the care of shelters.
What to Know The Texas Permanent School Fund is sending schools an average of $154 million per year less than it did 20 years ago.

In the last 30 years, Texas public schools have seen an increase of approximately 2 million students.

The endowment is managed by two separate entities: the State Board of Education and the School Land Board.

The $44 billion Texas Permanent School Fund is the largest education endowment in the country, but the state's public schools are seeing less money than they did decades ago.

The endowment, which was created in 1854, is sending schools an average of $986 million annually over the last decade, a significant drop from an average of $1.14 billion in the past 20 years, according to an investigation by the Houston Chronicle. It means that the fund has paid an average of $207 per student annually over the past 10 years, compared with $322 per student over the two decades before that.

The fund, which profits off the sale of state-owned oil, gas and land, distributed only 2.8 percent of its value last year, while many endowments aim for payouts of around 5 percent. If Texas' endowment paid out 5 percent of a four-year average market value, the state's public schools would have received about $720 million more in 2018.

The fund's decline also comes as the state has seen a 2 million increase in the number of students over 30 years.

Republican Rep. Travis Clardy said the state's public education funding system is "unrecognizable from where it started."

The newspaper's investigation identified several laws and constitutional amendments since 2001 that have changed how the fund invests and distributes money to schools.

The State Board of Education and the School Land Board are responsible for managing separate parts of the endowment's portfolio. The School Land Board gained the power to collect and invest land income and oil and gas royalties and other revenue; it controls $10 billion of the portfolio. The State Board of Education, which controls $34 billion, is now in charge of deciding how much money to send to schools annually instead of automatically passing along all investment income. The Legislature also lifted constraints on how both boards could invest.

The two bodies don't coordinate investments and they have fought in recent months over their investment strategies. The lack of a singular governing body to oversee the fund has led to infighting over which board gets to invest oil and gas money.

Over the past dozen years, the fund shifted its money from investments in stocks and bonds to private equity and hedge funds, which are riskier fields that yield potentially higher returns. The School Land Board has also been buying real estate. The change has resulted in a riskier set of assets, limited transparency and higher management fees.

The land board's fees rose from $14 million in 2008 to $92 million in 2017, including carried interest. The education board saw its fees spike from $14 million in 2008 to $101 million in 2017.

"That means it's not nearly as profitable as you'd think it would be because you're paying so much more in fees," said Buck Wood, a lawyer specializing in school finance.

The fund has also underperformed compared with other U.S. funds similar in size, structure or mission, according to the newspaper's investigation. The newspaper found that the Permanent School Fund missed out on as much as $12 billion in growth.

Democratic Rep. Diego Bernal said the "strange turf war" between the two boards is distracting from the larger issue.

"No one is really saying what's in the best interest of the kids," he said.
Divided in debate but mostly united in a final vote, the House passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other bigotry. Democrats are trying to push past a dispute that has overwhelmed their agenda and exposed fault lines that could shadow them through next year's elections.

The one-sided 407-23 vote Thursday belied the emotional infighting over how to respond to freshman Rep. lIhan Omar's recent comments suggesting House supporters of Israel have dual allegiances. For days, Democrats wrestled with whether or how to punish the Minnesota Democratic lawmaker, arguing over whether Omar, one of two Muslim women in Congress, should be singled out, what other types of bias should be decried in the text and whether the party would tolerate dissenting views on Israel.

President Donald Trump, before leaving to tour tornado damage in Alabama on Friday, called the House vote "disgraceful."

"The Democrats have become an anti-Israel party," Trump said. "They've become an anti-Jewish party. And I thought that vote was a disgrace. And so does everybody else  if you get an honest answer. If you get an honest answer from politicians, they thought it was a disgrace."

Republicans generally joined in the favorable vote, though nearly two-dozen opposed the measure, one calling it a "sham."

Generational as well as ideological, the argument was fueled in part by young, liberal lawmakers  and voters  who have become a face of the newly empowered Democratic majority in the House. These lawmakers are critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, rejecting the conservative leader's approach to Palestinians and other issues.

They split sharply from Democratic leaders who seemed caught off guard by the support for Omar and unprepared for the debate. But the leaders regrouped.

"It's not about her. It's about these forms of hatred," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote.

The resolution approved Thursday condemns anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities "as hateful expressions of intolerance."

Omar, a Somali-American, and fellow Muslims Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Andrew Carson of Indiana issued a statement saying they were proud to be part of a body that condemned all forms of bigotry including anti-Semitism, racism and white supremacy. They praised the "historic" vote as the first House resolution to condemn "anti-Muslim bigotry" in the nation's history.

Some Democrats complained that Omar's earlier comments on Israel had ignited so much discussion and dispute while years of President Donald Trump's racially charged rhetoric had led to no similar congressional action.

The seven-page document details a history of recent attacks not only against Jews in the United States but also Muslims, as it condemns all such discrimination as contradictory to "the values and aspirations" of the people of the United States. The vote was delayed for a time on Thursday to include mention of Latinos to address concerns of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. It was inserted under a section on white supremacists who "weaponize hate for political gain" over a long list of "traditionally persecuted peoples."

An earlier version focused more narrowly on anti-Semitism. The final resolution did not mention Omar by name.

Getting this debate right will be crucial for Democrats in 2020. U.S.-Israel policy is a prominent issue that is exposing the splits between the party's core voters, its liberal flank and the more centrist Americans in Trump country the party hopes to reach.

"What I fear is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate. That's wrong," said presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent.

"Anti-Semitism is a hateful and dangerous ideology which must be vigorously opposed in the United States and around the world," the senator said. "We must not, however, equate anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel."

Other Democratic presidential contenders tried to walk a similar line.

California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris said "we need to speak out against hate." But she said she also believes "there is a critical difference between criticism of policy or political leaders, and anti-Semitism."

A statement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said, "Branding criticism of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic has a chilling effect on our public discourse and makes it harder to achieve a peaceful solution between Israelis and Palestinians." She said threats of violence, including those made against Omar, "are never acceptable.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said, "Everyone is entitled to their opinion, they are allowed to have free speech in this country," Gillibrand said. "But we don't need to use anti-Semitic tropes or anti-Muslim tropes to be heard."

Another member of the new crop of outspoken young House freshmen, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, said the final product, as well as the way presidential candidates are now talking about the issue, showed "there's been some really great progress we've made."

But Omar's rhetoric is taking Democrats to a place that leaves many uneasy. The new lawmaker sparked a weeklong debate in Congress as fellow Democrats said her comments have no place in the party. She suggested Israel's supporters were pushing lawmakers to take a pledge of "allegiance" to a foreign country, reviving a trope of dual loyalties. It wasn't her first dip into such rhetoric.

The new congresswoman has been critical of the Jewish state in the past and apologized for those previous comments. But Omar has not apologized for this latest comment.

Pelosi said she did not believe that Omar understood the "weight of her words" or that they would be perceived by some as anti-Semitic.

Asked whether the resolution was intended to "police" lawmakers' words, Pelosi replied: "We are not policing the speech of our members. We are condemning anti-Semitism," Islamophobia and white supremacy.

Some of the House's leading Jewish Democrats wanted to bring a resolution on the floor simply condemning anti-Semitism.

But other Democrats wanted to broaden the resolution to include a rejection of all forms of racism and bigotry. Others questioned whether a resolution was necessary at all and viewed it as unfairly singling out Omar at a time when Trump and others have made disparaging racial comments.

There remained frustration that the party that touts its diversity conducted such a messy and public debate about how to declare its opposition to bigotry.

"This shouldn't be so hard," Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., said on the House floor.

Among the Republican dissenters, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a member of the GOP leadership, called the resolution "a sham put forward by Democrats to avoid condemning one of their own and denouncing vile anti-Semitism."

In part, Democratic leaders were trying to fend off a challenge from Republicans on the issue.

They worry they could run into trouble on another bill, their signature ethics and voting reform package, if Republicans try to tack their own anti-Semitism bill on as an amendment. By voting Thursday, the House Democratic vote counters believed they could inoculate their lawmakers against such a move.

___

Associated Press writers Padmananda Rama, Mary Clare Jalonick, Elana Schor, Juana Summers and Doug Glass contributed to this report.
The National Weather Service confirmed late Saturday that an EF-0 tornado was responsible for damaging several Mesquite homes.

That tornado came through on the southwest side of the city some time before 8 a.m. Saturday as North Texas was hit by severe storms.

The tornado seemed to track a straight line down an alley behind Allen Drive before it hit a couple of homes on Cedarcrest Drive, hit a nearby church and crossed I-635.

"The breeze sound woke me up, but the way that the house was shaking, that's what really had me afraid," Genevieve Freenam-Massa said.

Freenam-Massa said it felt like her home was being uprooted. Downed trees kept her family from getting out until help arrived. Once they did, they realized a large portion of the roof was missing and several windows had been shattered.

They, along with others, spent the day patching things up, so they'd be able to sleep there that night.

"The roof was off. You could see straight through there. And see the glass on the door? Everything's scattered," Freenam-Massa said.

But a few doors down, there was little left to patch at a house where the garage appeared to have been ripped away.

The mother and son sleeping inside made it out safely as did everyone else in the neighborhood.

Emmanuel Pentecostal Church announced that Sunday services will be canceled.

The tornado damaged two of its buildings and left behind debris and a power outage. The church said authorities have asked them to keep people away.
We have 99 entries in the parade, which is probably one of the record breakers, and I think people continue to come to this because of St. Charles being on peoples radar and all the economic development thats been going on, she said. People are also tired of the weather and want to get out and celebrate spring and enjoy the first festival of the year.
What to Know In all, state workers had $3.5 billion in unused leave as of 2017, the most recent period for which data was available.

Vacation balances for most employees are supposed to be capped at 640 hours, but there's sporadic enforcement of the rule.

The data do not include legislative employees or institutions such as public universities, meaning the cost is higher.

An analysis has found an increasing number of California state workers are retiring with massive payouts for unused vacation and other leave, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

The Times said its review of payroll data from the state controller's office shows the state paid employees nearly $300 million for banked time off last year.

Among them were more than 450 who took home six-figure checks, including a prison surgeon who received $456,002 and a transportation engineer who received $405,000 for time off that was never used.

Twenty employees with the biggest payouts last year received a combined $5.9 million and 17 received raises in the year before retirement. The newspaper's analysis found those raises increased the payouts by an average of $7,500 each.

In all, state workers had $3.5 billion in unused leave as of 2017, the most recent period for which data was available.

Vacation balances for most employees are supposed to be capped at 640 hours.

But the analysis found that sporadic enforcement of the rule and an increasing number of state workers retiring have led to a 60 percent rise in the number of six-figure payouts since 2012.

The data do not include legislative employees or institutions such as public universities, meaning the cost is higher. And total unfunded liability does not account for stockpiled days off used by employees at the end of their careers to remain employed while not actually working, which boosts the value of their pensions.

Joe Nation, a Stanford public policy professor, told the newspaper government mismanagement is responsible for the situation.

"It's like having a speed limit but not enforcing it," he said. "This is not a good way to run any organization."

Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom, countered that in recent years the state has made "significant strides" in reducing the unused leave balances.

Efforts to deal with the problem include offers by some departments to cash out up to 80 hours of time off each year. The strategy is intended to prevent even greater payouts when workers retire at higher salaries.

An effort by former Gov. Jerry Brown to reduce vacation balances led the state to pay out $111 million during a three-year period that ended in 2017.
NBC 7 Investigates has identified another U.S. Immigration Attorney named as a target in a secret surveillance program tied to the migrant caravan.

Erika Pinheiro, an attorney for the immigration law center Al Otro Lado and U.S. citizen, said the Trump administrations actions have left her essentially stuck in Mexico.

"It did not surprise me," Pinheiro said, upon learning she was listed in the surveillance program's database.

Documents obtained by NBC 7 show agents listed Pinheiro, along with another attorney she works with, as targets for increased scrutiny when crossing the border.

According to the database documents, agents were waiting for Pinheiro in January to cross the border to interview her.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency compiled the list of 59 individuals tied to the migrant caravan because they may have information related to Tijuana border clashes from November 2018 and January 2019.

But Pinheiro said she was in New Jersey with family during the late-November incident and at home with a sick baby during the January clash.

Ironically, Pinheiro said she was interviewed by journalists following the New Years incident, denouncing anyone who encouraged immigration activists to storm the border.

We saw how it was really unsafe for the children who were present, Pinheiro said.

Pinheiro is not alone. Al Otro Lado Refugee Director and attorney Nicole Ramos is also listed as having an alert placed on her passport through the surveillance program.

In addition, agents created a dossier on Ramos, including personal details on the car she drives, her mothers name, and her work and travel history.

To think the government is suspicious of us just for doing our jobs is very troubling, immigration attorney Jonathan Montag said.

At the end of January 2019, the administration implemented a new policy that said those seeking asylum must stay in Mexico as they wait to go through immigration courts.

Montag said between the controversial government surveillance program and the new Trump Administration Remain in Mexico policy, the challenges of the job could turn attorneys away from helping those in need at the border.

Its really scary that it has come to this, Pinheiro said. That theyve started targeting U.S. citizens."

Pinheiro agrees with Montag that there may be a chilling effect for some border attorneys, but she said shes emboldened to continue fighting for asylum seekers.

Anyone who opposes these policies should be afraid that theyre next, Pinheiro said.

On Friday, in a letter to the Department of Homeland Securitys Secretary Kristjen Nielsen, Senator Richard Blumenthal asked for more information on the surveillance program and raised the issue of attorneys being targeted by border agents.

While this administration has a disturbing history of harassing immigration attorneys, these lawyers serve a critical public function, Blumenthal said.

The U.S. government created a secret database of activists, journalists, and social media influencers tied to the migrant caravan. NBC 7's Mari Payton has more.
President Donald Trump was just doing what he could to raise spirits when he signed Bibles at an Alabama church for survivors of a deadly tornado outbreak, many religious leaders say, though some are offended and others say he could have handled it differently.

Hershael York, dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Theology in Louisville, Kentucky, said he didn't have a problem with Trump signing Bibles, like former presidents have, because he was asked and because it was important to the people who were asking.

"Though we don't have a national faith, there is faith in our nation, and so it's not at all surprising that people would have politicians sign their Bibles," he said. "Those Bibles are meaningful to them and apparently these politicians are, too."

But the Rev. Donnie Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, said she was offended by the way Trump scrawled his signature Friday as he autographed Bibles and other things, including hats, and posed for photos. She viewed it, she said, as a "calculated political move" by the Republican president to court his evangelical voting base.

Presidents have a long history of signing Bibles, though earlier presidents typically signed them as gifts to send with a spiritual message. President Ronald Reagan signed a Bible that was sent secretly to Iranian officials in 1986. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the family Bible his attorney general used to take the oath of office in 1939.

It would have been different, Anderson said, if Trump had signed a Bible out of the limelight for someone with whom he had a close connection.

"For me, the Bible is a very important part of my faith, and I don't think it should be used as a political ploy," she said. "I saw it being used just as something out there to symbolize his support for the evangelical community, and it shouldn't be used in that way. People should have more respect for Scripture."

York said that he, personally, would not ask a politician to sign a Bible, but that he has been asked to sign Bibles after he preaches. It feels awkward, he said, but he doesn't refuse.

"If it's meaningful to them to have signatures in their Bible, I'm willing to do that," he said.

Trump visited Alabama on Friday to survey the devastation and pay respects to tornado victims. The tornado carved a path of destruction nearly a mile wide, killing 23 people, including four children and a couple in their 80s, with 10 victims belonging to a single extended family.

At the Providence Baptist Church in Smiths Station, Alabama, the Rev. Rusty Sowell said, the president's visit was uplifting and will help bring attention to a community that will need a long time to recover.

Before leaving the church, Trump posed for a photograph with a fifth-grade volunteer and signed the child's Bible, said Ada Ingram, a local volunteer. The president also signed her sister's Bible, Ingram said. In photos from the visit, Trump is shown signing the cover of a Bible.

Trump should have at least signed inside in a less ostentatious way, said the Rev. Dr. Kevin Cassiday-Maloney.

"It just felt like hubris," said Cassiday-Maloney, pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Fargo, North Dakota. "It almost felt like a desecration of the holy book to put his signature on the front writ large, literally."

He doesn't think politicians should sign Bibles, he said, because it could be seen as a blurring of church and state and an endorsement of Christianity over other religions.

It would have been out of line if Trump had brought Bibles and given them out, but that wasn't the case, said James Coffin, executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.

"Too much is being made out of something that doesn't deserve that kind of attention," he said.

Bill Leonard, the founding dean and professor of divinity emeritus at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, woke up to Facebook posts Saturday morning by former students who were upset about Trump signing the Bibles because they don't view him as an appropriate example of spiritual guidance.

But, Leonard said, it's important to remember that signing Bibles is an old tradition, particularly in southern churches.

Leonard said he would have viewed it as more problematic if the signings were done at a political rally. He doesn't see how Trump could have refused at the church.

"It would've been worse if he had said no because it would've seemed unkind, and this was at least one way he could show his concern along with his visit," he said. "In this setting, where tragedy has occurred and where he comes for this brief visit, we need to have some grace about that for these folks."
What to Know The FBI says Ismail, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan, posted instructions at least four times between July and September last year.

A South Florida man has pleaded guilty to posting detailed bomb-making instructions to online sites frequented by extremists such as supporters of the Islamic State group.

Court records show 33-year-old Tayyab Tahir Ismail of Pembroke Pines pleaded guilty Thursday in Miami federal court to distribution of information relating to explosives. He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing May 23.

The FBI says Ismail, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan, posted instructions at least four times between July and September last year. Investigators say Ismail posted other messages supportive of the Islamic State and did searches on how to build bombs. There's no evidence he had live explosives.

Authorities say Ismail was an associate of James Medina, who's serving a 25-year sentence for plotting to blow up a Florida synagogue and school.
What to Know In the past three months, job gains have averaged a solid 186,000

There were also positive numbers: the unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent last month from 4 percent in January

Average hourly pay rose 3.4 percent from a year earlier, the largest gain in a decade

The pace of hiring in the United States fell last month to its lowest point in nearly a year and a half, a surprise drop likely reflecting harsh weather and other temporary factors that led most economists to see the slowdown as a temporary blip.

Employers added just 20,000 jobs, down from a blockbuster 311,000 in January. Even with February's anemic gain, job growth over the past three months has averaged a solid 186,000, enough to lower the unemployment rate over time.

And average hourly pay surged 3.4 percent from a year earlier  the sharpest year-over-year increase in a decade. The unemployment rate also dropped to 3.8 percent, near the lowest level in five decades, from 4 percent in January.

All told, Friday's monthly employment report from the government pointed to a still-sturdy job market and economy.

"The U.S. labor market is still in good shape," said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial. "Slower job growth was expected after huge average gains of better than 250,000 over the preceding four months. Job growth should bounce back in March and through the rest of this year."

Last month's pullback in hiring does follow signs that U.S. economic growth is probably slowing because of a weaker global economy, a trade war between the United States and China and signs of caution among American consumers. Those factors have led many analysts to forecast anemic growth in the first three months of this year.

But most economists still cautioned against reading too much into February's sluggish pace of hiring. The monthly employment data can be volatile. During the nearly decade-long recovery from the Great Recession, job growth has sometimes plunged in a single month  to 15,000 in May 2016, for example, and to 18,000 in September 2017  only to rebound to healthy levels in the months that followed.

And February's increase in average pay suggests that businesses are stepping up their efforts to attract and keep workers. The year-over-year increase of 3.4 percent in February is up from a corresponding figure of just 2.6 percent a year ago.

Julia Pollak, a labor economist at jobs marketplace ZipRecruiter, said many companies are becoming increasingly hungry for workers. The number of job ads on its site that offer to pay for training, she said, jumped 42 percent last year from 2017. And positions that offer flexible hours soared 110 percent  a trend that could draw more women with family responsibilities off the sidelines and into work.

"Employers are finding all these ways to sweeten the deal and invest in their employees," Pollak said.

Carole Witkowski, vice president of human resources at Batteries and Bulbs, said her 700-store retail chain has raised starting hourly pay for workers at its distribution center from $11 to $12, with additional raises for those working evening and overnight shifts.

The company has taken other steps, she said: Jobs at the distribution center, located outside Milwaukee, don't require high school diplomas and have been plagued by high turnover. Many workers can find jobs elsewhere. Others haven't worked much before and aren't always used to showing up on time regularly. So about 18 months ago, the company started paying $250 each quarter to workers who arrive on time every day.

And in the suburbs outside Chicago, when the company received no applications in response to retail job postings last winter, it offered a $500 signing bonus. That shook loose some applicants.

"We got a little aggressive there," Witkowski said.

Nationally, though, the sluggish hiring and job cuts in February were widespread across industries. Construction cut 31,000 jobs, the most in more than five years, likely because of cold weather. Manufacturing added just 4,000, the fewest in a year and a half, a sign that Trump's trade war has raised costs and lowered exports for many factories.

Retailers cut 6,100 positions, while jobs in a category that mostly includes restaurants and hotels were unchanged .

The unemployment rate fell despite the tepid pace of hiring. The government uses one survey of households to calculate unemployment and a separate survey of businesses to count job growth, and sometimes the results of the two surveys diverge for a single month.

The jobless rate for African-Americans, which hit a record low of 5.9 percent in May and has frequently been celebrated by President Donald Trump, rose for a third straight month in February to 7 percent, its highest point in more than a year. The rate for Hispanic and Latino Americans, though, dropped to a record low of 4.3 percent.

The overall jobless rate fell partly because thousands of federal workers had been temporarily counted as unemployed in January during the partial government shutdown. They returned to work and were counted as unemployed in February.

Also on a positive note, the proportion of part-time workers who'd prefer full-time jobs fell sharply. That measure had risen in January during the shutdown as some furloughed government workers took part-time jobs temporarily. But in February, a gauge of what is called underemployment, which includes part-timers who want full-time work and discouraged people no longer looking for jobs, reached 7.3 percent, the lowest level since 2001.

There are signs that the economy is slowing: Consumer confidence fell sharply in January, held back by the shutdown and by a steep fall in stock prices in December. And Americans spent less over the winter holidays, with consumer spending plunging in December by the most in five years.

"We are seeing a fading of the effects of the Trump tax cut and increased government spending," which helped accelerate growth last year, said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at SS Economics.

Analysts generally foresee growth slowing sharply in the first three months of this year to just a 1 percent annual rate, down from a 2.6 percent rate in the October-December quarter. Still, most expect a rebound in the April-June quarter, and there are already signs of one: Consumer confidence rose in February along with the stock market. And more Americans signed contracts to buy homes in January, propelled by lower mortgage rates.
An employee for the United States Headquarters of Save the Children was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash that killed all 157 people on board Sunday morning, authorities said.

The headquarters stationed in Fairfield, Connecticut announced that Tamirat Mulu Demessie served as Child Protection in Emergencies Technical Adviser of the organization, according to a Save the Children spokesperson.

"[Demessie] worked tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable children are safe during humanitarian crises," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with Tamirats family and the loved ones of the 156 other people who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy."

The Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was expected to travel from Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, to Nairobi, Kenya when it crashed nearly six minutes after take-off, authorities said.

It is not clear what caused the airplane to go down.

Save the Children is a nonprofit organization that aims to give girls and boys in the U.S. and around the world an education, protection from harm and a healthy start, according to their website.
Many days, Brandi Lehrian wakes up to five or six text messages from men wishing her a good morning  and sometimes more.

She spends most of the day and night letting multiple men believe that she can make their fantasies come true: No, she's never been with a man before, and, yes, she wants him to be the first one.

Eventually, one of the guys asks to meet her. She says she can meet Saturday night at the gas station down the street from her house. She will walk there after her parents leave for the evening.

Once the guy shows up, his expectation for a rendezvous with a 15-year-old girl falls apart quickly as Lehrian confronts him and says he is being livestreamed by Southcentral Pa. Child Predator Exposure. The guy had been talking the whole time to a 34-year-old woman, not a child almost 20 years younger, and she is giving all the chat logs to police.

Some guys stand there fidgeting with their eyes trained on the ground, while Lehrian and a companion calmly lecture them.

Others - such as a man who had been talking to three of Lehrian's "decoys" - immediately jump in their vehicle and take off as Lehrian yells after them.

Hundreds, sometimes thousands of people watch and comment as the amateur sting plays out live on Facebook. The man's photo and big, bold text giving his name, age and town are soon plastered on the group's page.

Worldwide phenomenon hits local streets

Southcentral Pa. Child Predator Exposure is one of many groups around the country and world that work to expose adults who seek to have sex with minors. Many are in the United Kingdom where, unlike in the United States, the law allows the groups to hold the suspects until police arrive - and allows police to use evidence the groups provide.

One of the other groups is also right here in central Pennsylvania.

Justin Perry has been running "MR 17 5 40" out of Lancaster County for about a year. The name is inspired by the ZIP code of Leola, where he lives.

"I'm here for one reason  to expose these guys, and that's it," he recently told the York Daily Record.

Inspired by other groups she was following, Lehrian decided to start her own in southcentral Pennsylvania. She started work last June, and since then the team has confronted 31 or 32 people, she estimated.

Weeks of R-rated conversations

The Franklin County group has around 14 people working as decoys, exposers and page administrators. Using a phone just for the group's work, decoys make accounts for various chat apps, then wait for guys to contact them. The decoys never make contact first.

Decoys usually tell guys they are 15, but sometimes 14 or 13. They never go older, as 16 is the age of consent in Pennsylvania.

Men will message at all times of the day and night, but when a decoy has a guy whom she thinks will eventually ask to meet up, she will keep up the ruse that she is in school during the day.

This can go on for months. Lehrian said she has been trying hard to get one guy whom she's been talking to since July.

"He's the one that will call and text me at 3, 4 in the morning ... He's like, I wanna see you, I wanna see you," she said.

Running the group is a full-time job for Lehrian, and she spends much of each day as a decoy. But the time it takes is not the hard part.

"It does take a toll on me. It's not the time. It's the things I see and they say," Lehrian said.

Text messages get sexually explicit, and she said the decoy goes along with it. Guys will send photos of their genitals. When they ask the decoy for photos, Lehrian has friends of her group who are over 18 but can pass as younger who will provide images at a moment's notice.

Lehrain and Perry both keep text messages from their targets. After they expose a guy, those logs are among the materials they provide to local law enforcement in the hopes that police will take up the case.

Police vs. 'vigilante' groups

While Lehrian and Perry go after people they suspect are child predators, police rarely take up the cases or use the evidence they provide.

In the description for illegal contact with a minor, the Pennsylvania crime that could be leveled against someone in these situations, the victim must either be an actual minor or a law enforcement officer assuming the identity of a minor, York County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Chuck Murphy told the York Daily Record.

"They have to be coming to meet the actual child or an officer posing as that said child," said Detective Andrew Wolfe, of Mt. Holly Springs, of would-be child predators.

Beyond not being able to take up the cases the groups present, law enforcement are not supportive of the efforts by Lehrian and Perry.

"We told them we do not approve," Wolfe said. "They risk getting injured or even killed."

He said the groups also come close to breaking Pennsylvania's wiretap law, which dictates that one cannot record another person without their permission.

Chambersburg Police Department released a message last year denouncing the Franklin County group's "vigilante activity." The title was straightforward: "Chambersburg police ask vigilante group to stop."

Chief Ron Comacho told the Public Opinion last week his view has not changed.

"We, CPD, are all for citizen and police collaboration, when done in a safe and proper manner. The group we were dealing with were not safe," he said.

Lehrian said she does think about the bad things that could happen during an operation.

"But at the same time, the children's safety is more important than my safety. I'd rather myself get hurt than a child."
China is defending its often-criticized rule in Tibet 60 years after the Dalai Lama fled into exile amid an abortive uprising against Chinese control, saying those who question its policies are merely showing their anti-Chinese bias.

The statements in official media came as Tibetans and their supporters marked the anniversary Sunday and called for greater international support. Despite decades of such calls, however, the Himalayan region appears no closer to gaining greater autonomy, particularly as China's global influence grows.

China's official Xinhua News Agency said in an editorial dated Saturday that economic growth, increases in lifespan and better education in the region refute the claims of critics that Tibetans suffer oppression from Beijing.

On Sunday, an editorial in the Communist Party-run Tibet Daily attacked the Dalai Lama, Tibet's traditional Buddhist leader, for what it said are his efforts to "sow chaos in Tibet."

His "separatist plots are doomed to total failure," the paper said.

The Dalai Lama has been living in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala since he fled from Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing accuses him of seeking to separate Tibet from China, which he denies.

Tibet is enveloped in smothering layers of Chinese security and many Tibetans abroad say the Himalayan region's resources are being exploited for Beijing's benefit while Tibet's language and unique Buddhist culture is gradually being destroyed.

In India's capital, New Delhi, at least 3,000 Tibetans marched about 3 kilometers (2 miles) through the center of the city on Sunday carrying Tibetan and Indian flags. Invoking India's concerns over China's expansive power in Asia and beyond, the marchers shouted slogans including "Tibet's freedom is India's security" and "India-China friendship is a sham."

They also carried a portrait of the Dalai Lama while occasionally chanting slogans wishing him a long life and calling for freedom for Tibet.

"We have come here to remind the new generation that China snatched our country ... that's why we got together and started this movement," said one marcher, Sonam Yougyal, 52.

Hundreds of Tibetans and Taiwanese rallied in Taipei, the capital of the self-governing island democracy that China also claims as its territory.

Tashi Tsering, chair of the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan, recalled what he called China's history of reneging on agreements to Tibetans and others.

"We should not trust the Communist Party of China whatever it says," he said.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, although many Tibetans say they were essentially independent for most of that time. Communist troops took control of the region in 1950 after a brief military struggle.

Conditions in the region are difficult to independently ascertain because foreign travelers must get special permission to enter the region. Access is rarely given to foreign journalists, and the region is closed to foreigners entirely during sensitive anniversaries.

The Xinhua editorial did not directly mention Sunday's uprising anniversary, referring to the events of 1959 instead as the inauguration of "democratic reform" that saw the dismantlement of the Buddhist hierarchy and feudal structures.

"Sixty years since the epoch-making democratic reform in Tibet, people in the plateau region have enjoyed unprecedented human rights in history," Xinhua said.

"Undeniable facts and figures" related to development "debunk the repeated lies and accusations that aim to smear Tibet's human rights with vile motives," it said. "Anyone without bias will recognize Tibet's tremendous progress in human rights."

Among the figures it cited were a rise in life expectancy of 35.5 years in the 1950s to nearly 70 now; a double-digit growth in regional GDP over the last quarter-century; and reduction of poverty by 80 percent.

China has refused to meet with the Dalai Lama or his representatives until they surrender their conditions for a greater degree of autonomy and submit to Beijing's authority unequivocally.

On Wednesday, China's Communist Party chief in Tibet insisted that the Tibetan people feel more affection toward the government than to the Dalai Lama, who fled following the abortive uprising against Chinese.

The Dalai Lama hasn't done a "single good thing" for Tibet since he left, Tibet Party Secretary Wu Yingjie said during a meeting of China's ceremonial legislature.

Chinese rule in Tibet has grown harsher since anti-government protests in 2008 culminated in attacks on businesses and individuals of Han Chinese ethnicity, the country's ethnic majority.

The government says rioters killed 18 people. An unknown number of Tibetans were killed by security forces in the aftermath.

More recently, traditionally Tibetan regions of western China have been racked by a series of self-immolations by Buddhist clergy and lay people calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, now 83 years old.

Also, on a visit to Prague on Wednesday, the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he was heartened to see support for his people in the Czech Republic.

"Each time I come here, I get encouraged, I get the fuel to go back and say 'There are people around the world who support us, who believe us,'" said Lobsang Sangay.

___

Associated Press journalists Yanan Wang in Beijing, Rishi Lekhi in New Delhi, Wu Taijing in Taipei, Taiwan, and Adam Pemble in Prague contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump declared Friday that he rejected a personal appeal from his former lawyer Michael Cohen for a pardon, the strongest assertion yet that Cohen may have lied under oath.

Trump tweeted his claim after days of swirling questions about Cohen over the issue of pardons. It has emerged as a key line of inquiry for Democrats launching a series of sweeping investigations into Trump's political and personal dealings.

"Bad lawyer and fraudster Michael Cohen said under sworn testimony that he never asked for a Pardon. His lawyers totally contradicted him. He lied!" Trump tweeted aboard Air Force One while en route to inspect damage from deadly tornados in Alabama. "Additionally, he directly asked me for a pardon. I said NO. He lied again! He also badly wanted to work at the White House. He lied!"

Cohen took to Twitter minutes later to deny the accusation.

"Just another set of lies by @POTUS @realdonaldtrump. Mr. President" he wrote, before invoking the women whose hush-money payments he helped facilitate. "Let me remind you that today is #InternationalWomensDay. You may want use today to apologize for your own #lies and #DirtyDeeds to women like Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford."

Lanny Davis, Cohen's lawyer, said in a written statement Thursday that his client was "open to the ongoing 'dangling' of a possible pardon by Trump representatives privately and in the media" in the months after the FBI raided Cohen's home, office and hotel room in April 2018.

Davis, who was not Cohen's lawyer at the time, said Cohen "directed his attorney" to explore a possible pardon with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others on Trump's legal team. The statement appears to contradict Cohen's sworn testimony last week at a House Oversight Committee hearing that he had never asked for, and would not accept, a pardon from Trump.

Davis' comment raises questions about whether Cohen  who is slated to begin a three-year prison sentence in May for crimes including lying to Congress  lied to Congress again last week. Cohen's legal team argued that his statement was correct because Cohen never asked the president himself for a pardon.

Trump did not immediately provide evidence of Cohen's attempt to secure a pardon or reveal when the alleged request was made. Earlier Friday, speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, he said that Cohen had told a "stone cold lie" when he testified that he did not seek presidential intervention.

In response to Trump's tweet, Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and member of the House judiciary and intelligence committees, called on Trump to testify under oath.

"Michael Cohen gave sworn testimony. Will you? Under oath to Mueller or Congress?" he tweeted, referring to special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.

There is nothing inherently improper about a subject in a criminal investigation seeking a pardon from a president given the president's wide latitude in granting them. But investigators want to know if the prospects of presidential pardons were somehow offered or used inappropriately.

It is hard to untangle the conflicting narratives given the unreliability of some of the central characters.

Cohen, for instance, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and saw his credibility attacked last week by Republican lawmakers. Davis has had to walk back at least one bombshell assertion over the last year  that his client could tell investigators that Trump had advance knowledge of a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign  and Giuliani has fumbled facts and repeatedly moved the goalposts about what sort of behavior by the president would constitute collusion or a crime.

Davis said that instead of attacking Cohen, Trump should "be explaining why he, his son and CFO signed checks for hush money to keep a woman quiet," referring to copies of checks that Cohen presented during his testimony last week showing he was reimbursed for the hush-money payment to Daniels. At least one of the checks was signed by Trump and another was signed by Donald Trump Jr. and Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Cohen said.

Congressional investigators, meanwhile, appear to be focusing on presidential powers as a significant line of questioning in their probes.

Giuliani said Thursday he was contacted in May or June about a possible pardon for Cohen.

"My answer was the president is not going to consider or give any pardons now," Giuliani said in an interview. "As I have said in the past, the president has the right to, and that doesn't mean he won't consider it when the investigation is over. But there are no plans to do so; that's the answer that Jay and I and the president settled on. 'The best thing for you to do,' I would tell everyone, 'is assume you don't have the pardon.'"

Jay Sekulow is another Trump lawyer.

Cohen has become a key figure in congressional investigations since turning on his former boss and cooperating with the special counsel. During last week's public testimony, he called Trump a con man, a cheat and a racist. Trump, in turn, has said Cohen "did bad things unrelated to Trump" and "is lying in order to reduce his prison time."

As questions grew this week, Cohen's legal team stressed that he was one of Trump's closest confidants and if he wanted a pardon, he would have just asked Trump himself  which the president, for the first time on Friday, claimed is what happened.

Cohen arranged payments to Clifford, who goes by the stage name Stormy Daniels, and McDougal to prevent them from speaking publicly about alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen on Thursday sued the Trump Organization over its decision to stop paying his legal bills, which Trump declared to be "the most ridiculous suit I've ever seen."
With races suspended indefinitely in response to a spate of horse deaths at Santa Anita, a renewed effort began Thursday to inspect the racing surface, while park operators worked to evaluate safety procedures and protocols.

Santa Anita officials on Tuesday announced that they had retained the park's former track superintendent, Dennis Moore, to inspect the racing surface. The announcement came hours after a 4-year-old filly named Lets Light the Way was injured during training and had to be euthanized, becoming the 21st horse to die at the track since Dec. 26.

On Tuesday night, track officials announced an unprecedented suspension of all racing and training activities at the park in response to the deaths. Following the heavy rain that fell Wednesday, Moore and Mick Peterson of Racing Services Testing Lab began an effort Thursday to do "additional testing of the track to ensure track consistency and uniformity for both training and racing," according to Santa Anita officials.

"At the same time, Santa Anita is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of all existing safety measures and current protocols," according to a track statement.

According to track officials, Moore and Peterson asked track workers to begin "harrowing and aerating the track which has been saturated due to recent rains."

Moore and Peterson told track officials they do not have a timetable for when the testing will be completed.

Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of track owner The Stronach Group, said Wednesday: "As horse lovers first and foremost, we are deeply saddened by the losses experienced over the past several weeks. The loss of one horse is one too many. While we can't prevent every injury, we can't overemphasize that the health and welfare of the horses and jockeys is our top priority.

"The track will be closed for live racing and training until our outside experts confirm the soundness of the track and let us know that it is safe to resume racing," Ritvo said.

Late Thursday, Santa Anita officials announced that the inner training track at the facility will reopen Friday morning, noting that none of the horse deaths have occurred on that track. Moore and Peterson inspected the inner track and will monitor its condition when horses begin using it. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert hailed the decision to open the training track. ``Like all athletes, horses need to stay active, so this is a good decision for their overall health since it allows our horses to get out of their stalls and keeps them moving to aid their digestion,'' Baffert said in a statement released by the track. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that the track's tentative plans don't call for racing to resume until at least March 28.

Track officials have not confirmed that report. Moore was Santa Anita's track superintendent until he retired in December. He is now track superintendent for Del Mar and Los Alamitos race tracks. The suspension of racing means some critical races that had been set for this weekend have been scrubbed and will need to be rescheduled.

Santa Anita was set to have five stakes races Saturday, including the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, in which Game Winner -- who is undefeated in four starts and was named last year's champion 2-year-old colt -- was set to make his first 2019 start as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby.

Game Winner's stablemate, Improbable, is undefeated in three starts and was also set for his 2019 debut in the same race for trainer Bob Baffert. Other stakes races that had been set for Saturday were the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile, Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes and the China Doll Stakes.

One stakes race -- the Santa Ysabel Stakes -- was set for Sunday. Some animal-advocacy groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have called for a halt to racing at the track and for investigations into the trainers and veterinary records of the horses that have died.
The San Diego and Orange County men killed in a paragliding crash Saturday afternoon at the Gilderport in Torrey Pines were identified Sunday.

Glenn Johnny Peter Bengtsson, 43, of Carlsbad and Raul Gonzalez Valerio, 61, of Laguna Hills were killed when their gliders collided in mid-air around 2:40 p.m. Saturday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said.

Their gliders became entwined and both fell around 75 feet onto the bluffs above Black's Beach, Lt. Rich Stropsky said.

Bengtsson was an experienced pilot and Valerio was getting an advanced certification, he said.

"Apparently what happened was the student individual was heading southbound and made a turn, a hard right turn right in this area where the flag is and ended up running into the other flyer that was in the northbound direction," Stropky said.

The two were not flying together, he said.

Rami Abuhamra was planning on hang gliding Saturday when he saw the crash. He said the ropes from both gliders became entwined and both gliders spiraled out of the control.

"They started spinning out and they went into the mountain," he said.

The two were pronounced dead at the scene.

The recovery effort was especially challenging because of the terrain. Rescuers had to lower a first responder down to the victims via helicopter, Stropsky said.

The victims were at the bluff's edge, caught on a knoll right at the edge of a vertical section of the cliff, he said.

Rescuers then pulled the bodies up by hand and carried the bodies off the cliff.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will lead the investigation and determine the cause of death, Stropsky said.

The wind condition at the Gliderport was gusting around 9 mph that time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.

Fatal paragliding accidents are relatively rare, Stropsky said. The last known fatal accident in San Diego was in 2012, according to the NBC 7 news archive.
One man was killed and another wounded Saturday night in a shooting in Lemon Grove, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said.

Deputies responded to calls of shots fired shortly after 8 p.m. in the 2700 block of Olive Street near downtown Lemon Grove, sheriff's Lt. Karla Menzies said.

There they found two men with gunshot wounds, Lt. Rich Williams said.

Both were transported area hospitals for treatment where one died and the other man was expected to survive, he said.

There was some type of altercation that led up to the shooting but investigators do not have any other information at this time, Williams said.
SpaceX's swanky new crew capsule made an old-fashioned splashdown in the Atlantic on Friday, ending a six-day test flight to the International Space Station.

The Dragon capsule pulled away from the orbiting lab early Friday. Six hours later, the capsule carrying a test dummy parachuted into the ocean, a couple hundred miles off the Florida coast.

SpaceX employees cheered and applauded at company headquarters near Los Angeles when the red and white parachutes popped open. NASA televised the descent live, the dramatic views coming from a plane. The crowd went wild when splashdown occurred on time and the capsule was seen floating upright.

"I'm kind of shaky and I'm super excited," said Benji Reed, SpaceX's director of crew mission management. "It was an incredible journey to get to this moment."

It was the first time in 50 years that a capsule designed for astronauts returned from space by plopping into the Atlantic. Apollo 9  which orbited Earth in preparation for the moon landings  splashed down near the Bahamas on March 13, 1969.

Space station astronauts have been stuck riding Russian rockets since NASA's shuttles retired eight years ago. NASA is counting on SpaceX and Boeing to start launching astronauts this year. SpaceX  which has been delivering station cargo for years  is shooting for summer.

Friday morning's splashdown was the final hurdle of SpaceX's test flight. While improvements still need to be made, the company aims to fly NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on the next demo flight.

A pair of recovery ships was stationed in the Atlantic well before splashdown and quickly moved in, ready to lift crew Dragon from the water and return it to Port Canaveral.

All this is "leading to a day where we are launching American astronauts on American rockets from American soil," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

Boeing plans to launch its Starliner capsule without a crew as early as next month and with astronauts possibly in August. The Starliner is designed to land on land  in the U.S. Southwest.

Canadian space station astronaut David Saint-Jacques was the first to enter the Dragon capsule and the last to leave this week. He found it "very slick" and called it business class.

NASA's Bridenstine considers privately built and operated spacecraft the way to go when it comes to rides to the space station. NASA awarded the first contracts in 2014 to SpaceX and Boeing, now totaling about $8 billion. This first SpaceX test flight opens a new era, Bridenstine said, with new technology and new business approaches.

SpaceX acknowledges some capsule systems need more work before Behnken and Hurley climb aboard for liftoff, as early as July. Vibration, acoustic and other measurements were taken throughout the recently completed flight, not only of the capsule but also the mannequin  named Ripley after the lead character in the "Alien" films  which was strapped into one of the four seats.

A small blue and green plush toy shaped like Earth  which SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk termed a zero-gravity indicator  was left behind on the space station. Behnken and Hurley will bring it back on their flight.
A third-year law student at Georgetown University is among the 157 people who died after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed Sunday morning, the school said.

Cedric Asiavugwa, a student at Georgetown Law, was on his way home to Nairobi, Kenya, after the death of his fiance's mother, when the jetliner went down shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor said in an email to the university community.

"With his passing, the Georgetown family has lost a stellar student, a great friend to many, and a dedicated champion for social justice across East Africa and the world," Treanor said.

The airline crash on Sunday killed 157 people from 35 countries when the Boeing 737 Max 8 faltered and crashed shortly after takeoff. There were no survivors.

Asiavugwa was born and raised in Mombasa, Kenya, and graduated from the University of Zimbabwe with highest honors, according to the university.

"His commitment to issues of social justice, especially serving refugees and other marginalized groups, led him to Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania before coming to Georgetown," Treanor said.

Asiavugwa was an active member of the university's campus ministry, and was a Residential Minister in one of the school's residential dorms.

"He was a beloved member of Georgetowns Campus Ministry offices, tending to a group of first-year undergraduates for the last three years as a Residential Minister in the New South residence hall on the Hilltop and also interning in the Law Centers Campus Ministry office," Treanor said.

Asiavugwa will be remembered for his "gentle soul" and "infectious smile," Treanor said.

Fr. Greg Schenden, S.J., the director of campus ministry at Georgetown, told News4 that Asiavugwa was "a person of incredible kindness" who had a passion for social justice.

According to Schenden, Asiavugwa was a Jesuit but left before ordination to the priesthood. He then worked at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, a free high school for orphans with HIV/AIDS in Nairobi.

At Georgetown, he participated in the law school's Center for Applied Legal Studies clinic, where he assisted refugee clients who sought asylum in the United States.

"Cedric's goal was to return to Kenya after his studies to pursue a career promoting the rights of refugees in East Africa and beyond," the letter said.

The 7 p.m. Mass at the Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart on the Georgetown main campus was held in his honor, the school said.
An Ethiopian Airlines jet faltered and crashed Sunday shortly after takeoff from the country's capital, carving a gash in the earth and spreading global grief to 35 countries that had someone among the 157 people who were killed.

There was no immediate indication why the plane went down in clear weather while on a flight to Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya. The crash was strikingly similar to that of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the sea off Indonesia minutes after takeoff last year, killing 189 people. Both accidents involved the Boeing 737 Max 8.

The crash shattered more than two years of relative calm in African skies, where travel had long been chaotic. It also was a serious blow to state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, which has expanded to become the continent's largest and best-managed carrier and turned Addis Ababa into the gateway to Africa.

"Ethiopian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the world. At this stage we cannot rule out anything," CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters. He visited the crash site, standing in the gaping crater flecked with debris.

Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. As the sun set, the airline's chief operating officer said the plane's flight data recorder had not yet been found.

Around the world, families were gripped by grief. At the Addis Ababa airport, a woman called a mobile number in vain. "Where are you, my son?" she said, in tears. Others cried as they approached the terminal.

Henom Esayas, whose sister's Nigerian husband was killed, told The Associated Press they were startled when a stranger picked up their frantic calls to his mobile phone, told them he had found it in the debris and promptly switched it off.

Shocked leaders of the United Nations, the U.N. refugee agency and the World Food Program announced that colleagues had been on the plane. The U.N. migration agency estimated some 19 U.N.-affiliated employees were killed. Both Addis Ababa and Nairobi are major hubs for humanitarian workers, and many people were on their way to a large U.N. environmental conference set to begin Monday in Nairobi.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africa's two largest economic powers. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airport's waiting areas, along with businessmen from China, Gulf nations and elsewhere.

A list of the dead released by Ethiopian Airlines included passengers from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia. Kenya lost 32 citizens. Canada, 18. Several countries including the United States lost four or more people. Global nonprofit organization Save the Children said one of its employees  Tamirat Mulu Demessie, who worked at the group's U.S. headquarters in Connecticut  was killed in the crash. Georgetown University confirmed that a third-year law student from Kenya, Cedric Asiavugwa, was killed in the crash. He was on his way home to Nairobi following the death of his fiancee's mother, according to a statement from the university.

Ethiopian officials declared Monday a day of mourning.

At the Nairobi airport, hopes quickly dimmed for loved ones. "I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it," said Agnes Muilu, who had come to pick up her brother.

The crash is likely to renew questions about the 737 Max , the newest version of Boeing's popular single-aisle airliner, which was first introduced in 1967 and has become the world's most common passenger jet.

Indonesian investigators have not determined a cause for the October crash, but days after the accident Boeing sent a notice to airlines that faulty information from a sensor could cause the plane to automatically point the nose down.

The Lion Air cockpit data recorder showed that the jet's airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though the airline initially said problems had been fixed.

Safety experts cautioned against drawing too many comparisons between the two crashes until more is known about Sunday's disaster.

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO "stated there were no defects prior to the flight, so it is hard to see any parallels with the Lion Air crash yet," said Harro Ranter, founder of the Aviation Safety Network, which compiles information about accidents worldwide.

The Ethiopian plane was new, delivered to the airline in November. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was one of 30 meant for the airline, Boeing said in July. The jet's last maintenance was on Feb. 4, and it had flown just 1,200 hours.

The plane crashed six minutes after departure , plowing into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) outside Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The jet showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said. The senior Ethiopian pilot, who joined the airline in 2010, sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport, the airline's CEO told reporters.

In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration said it would join the National Transportation Safety Board in assisting Ethiopian authorities with the crash investigation. Boeing planned to send a technical team to Ethiopia.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger flight was in 2010, when a plane went down minutes after takeoff from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

African air travel has improved in recent years, with the International Air Transport Association in November noting "two years free of any fatalities on any aircraft type."

Sunday's crash comes as the country's reformist young prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

Speaking at the inauguration in January of a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new "Airport City" terminal in Bishoftu  where Sunday's crash occurred.
Troopers and Enfield Police are looking for a missing inmate last seen at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield on Saturday.

According to a Department of Corrections spokesperson, 45-year-old Christopher Somsky of Westport, was on furlough to attend class. They say he left Saturday afternoon and didnt return to the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution, where he was being held on a second degree robbery conviction.

Somsky was a student in the Second Chance Pell Program, according to a school spokesperson.

According to the colleges website, prisoners enrolled in the program are contained to one section of the school to study advanced manufacturing technology. A school spokesperson said there were nine inmates enrolled in the program studying advanced manufacturing.

Asnuntucks president, James Lombella, said there is no threat to the campus.

State Police said Somskys criminal history dates back to the 1990s. However, the DOC considers him a low-risk offender.

According to the colleges website, the program, started by the Obama administration, aims to equip inmates with job skills necessary to become contributing members of society upon their release. Somsky wasnt set to be released until 2022.

I think certainly those are good programs to have and you have to take that chance, local resident Diana Malek said, who pointed out that another inmate escaped in Enfield last year.

The DOC said Willard-Cybulski was put under lockdown during the investigation.

"They think that they can escape and they think they wont get caught but you know the old adage you can run but you cant hide, Laurie Metta of East Windsor said.

Authorities say if you see Somsky you should not approach him. If you have any information on his whereabouts youre asked to call police at 860-534-1000.
Maine is honoring the "ultimate sacrifice'' of a late firefighter who was fatally injured shielding a colleague while battling a four-alarm fire earlier this month.

Firefighters from across New England lined up for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes' public memorial service Sunday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine.

A private memorial service was held earlier Sunday.

Barnes' uncle, also named Joel, grew teary as he described a nephew who grew up dedicated to serving the community as a firefighter.

Berwick Fire Chief Dennis Plante said Barnes made the "ultimate sacrifice,' and had previously said Barnes protected a fellow firefighter from the flames and "died a hero."

The 32-year-old Barnes was the first firefighter to die while battling a fire in nearly four decades in Maine. He died while fighting a four-alarm fire on March 1.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills lowered flags to half-staff in the firefighter's honor. She says his life and service exemplified "unfaltering courage, selflessness and love for his fellow man."

A funeral procession brought Barnes' coffin from the South Portland Central Fire Station, across the Casco Bay Bridge into Portland Sunday. The coffin was mounted on top of the fire engine that the captain last rode upon prior to losing his life in the call of duty about 10 days ago. The procession will travel up High Street onto Spring Street and end at the Cross Insurance Arena.

Approximately 3,000 firefighters from across New England and the country participated in the service to honor the fallen hero. One firefighter in attendance, Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco, suffered a medical emergency during the service and later died. Maine Governor Janet Mills confirmed the news, saying "The State of Maine has given two of its best to the Heavens."
What to Know Louis D. Coleman III will appear Monday in a federal courtroom in Boston at 2 p.m.

The Rhode Island man is facing a federal charge of kidnapping, resulting in death.

Jassy Correia, a 23-year-old Mass. mom, was last seen Feb. 24 leaving a Boston nightclub. Her body was found in Coleman's trunk.

A suspect in the fatal kidnapping of a Massachusetts woman whose body was found in the trunk of his car when it was stopped by Delaware authorities will appear in federal court in Boston on Monday.

Louis D. Coleman III, 32, of Providence, Rhode Island, will make his first Boston court appearance at 2 p.m., the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts announced Sunday.

Coleman is a suspect in the death of Jassy Correia, a 23-year-old mother from Lynn, who was last seen on Feb. 24 leaving a Boston nightclub where she had gone to celebrate her birthday with friends.

Coleman is facing a federal charge of kidnapping, resulting in death. The charge carries a sentence of mandatory life and also makes Coleman eligible for the death penalty if convicted, according to federal prosecutors.

Coleman appeared Monday before a federal magistrate in Delaware where he waived his right to a hearing and did not contest a prosecution request that he be detained pending removal to Massachusetts.

A spokeswoman for the Delaware Department of Correction later confirmed that Coleman had been extradited.

When announcing the federal charge against Coleman, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling said the federal charges are being brought in Boston because Correia "is from here, was taken from here, and justice should be done here if it all possible."

While Coleman is not facing a murder charge, Lelling said there is probable cause to believe the 32-year-old suspect killed Correia. Authorities have said preliminarily that Correia died from blunt force trauma and strangulation.

A funeral was held Saturday for Correia in Dorchester.
Maine has launched a review of its chief medical examiner and his side consulting business.

The Portland Press Herald reports the attorney general's office confirmed a lawmaker's complaint triggered the review this week.

A mistrial was recently declared when Maine Chief Medical Examiner Mark Flomenbaum changed his opinion about the direction of the shotgun wound in a Windham murder case.

The Bangor Daily News report s a Connecticut prosecutor wrote a 2016 letter to then-Attorney General Janet Mills about testimony Flomenbaum gave in a Connecticut case. Flomenbaum had given testimony as an out-of-state consultant during a child manslaughter trial that a judge deemed not credible.

Mills' spokesman said she doesn't recall seeing the letter and didn't know the extent of Flomenbaum's consulting business.

Efforts to speak with Flomenbaum were unsuccessful Saturday.
Police are searching for a missing 15-year-old girl from Malden, Massachusetts.

Aneriy Tobar-Cruz was last seen March 5 wearing blue jeans and a red coat.

The teen is described as approximately 5'1", 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Malden police at 781-322-1212 or Detective Renee Kelley at 781-397-7181.
Those are the things a strong financial position will put us in, he said. Weve had a great growth phase, but those things dont last. Were going into a downturn in the economy, and its going to be a challenge for us as a council and how we budget at the end of the year.
A man was arrested and charged after police say he attempted to force his way into a womans car and kidnap her in a packed and well-lit grocery store parking lot in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Rafael Rosario, 53, of Lawrence, was charged with strangulation, attempted kidnapping, attempted carjacking, and assault and battery after the Friday night incident.

"That's really scary because we come here all the time," one woman said.

"Pretty scared," a second woman added. "I shop here all the time."

A third woman echoed the sentiment saying, "It's pretty scary."

Methuen police responded to the Market Basket located at 186 Haverhill Street around 7:50 p.m. after a 911 caller reported an attempted carjacking.

Responding officers spoke to a woman who told them she was in her car with the door closed when a man, later identified as Rosario, allegedly forced his way in without her permission, grabbed her by the throat and pushed her further into the vehicle.

"He was pushing her into the car, not trying to drag her out of the car so he was in our opinion attempting to take her and the vehicle," Captain Kristopher McCarthy said.

The victim told police she feared for her life, so she started screaming for help and beeping her car horn to get someones attention.

A witness who had just pulled into the parking space across from the victim in a pickup truck saw the commotion and intervened.

"He was quite the hero for us and that woman," Captain McCarthy said of the Good Samaritan.

Police say Rosario then exited the womans car and ran across the parking lot toward the area of Hobson Street.

The male witness told the victim to call 911 and briefly chased Rosario before stopping and waiting for police to arrive.

I would like to commend the brave citizen who witnessed this incident and sprang into action to help, Police Chief Joseph Solomon said. However, chasing after a suspect is something that can be extremely dangerous and we ask all residents that find themselves in an emergency to call 911 and let our officers take over from there.

Responding officers searched the area of Hobson Street and, a short time later, they found Rosario lying in the snow along a fence in the back corner of a property. He was arrested without further incident.

EMTs from the Methuen Fire Department responded to the grocery store parking lot to treat the victim, who declined further medical treatment.

We are all very glad to hear that the victim in this case was not seriously injured," Mayor James Jajuga said. "Incidents like this should serve as a reminder for everyone to be mindful of your surroundings, even in a busy parking lot.

As a woman I think it just scares you because its at the point where you cant just get groceries for your family and kids without being concerned for your safety and anything can happen at any moment, a female grocery shopper said.

Rosario, who is known to police, is expected to be arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court. Its unclear if he has an attorney.
Judge extends authority to more families separated at border

By ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP)  A federal judge who ordered that more than 2,700 children be reunited with their parents on Friday expanded his authority to potentially thousands more children who were separated at the border earlier during the Trump administration.

Dana Sabraw ruled that his authority applies to parents who were separated at the border on or after July 1, 2017. Previously, his orders applied only to parents whose children were in government custody on June 26, 2018, when he issued his initial decision in the case.

Sabraw was responding to a report in January by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's internal watchdog that said thousands more children may have been separated since the summer of 2017, which he noted has not been disputed. The department's inspector general said the precise number was unknown.

The judge will consider the next steps on March 28. The first move may be to identify the separated families, no easy task because the government didn't have an adequate tracking system at the time.

The administration argued that it would be difficult to identify families, the children were no longer in its custody, and the children would likely be emotionally harmed if they were removed from their current homes.

Justice Department attorney Scott Stewart told the judge last month it would be a "significant burden" to add families and "blow the case into some other galaxy" after the administration had "done all things to correct the wrong."

Sabraw disagreed in his 14-page order.

"The hallmark of a civilized society is measured by how it treats its people and those within its borders," he wrote. "That defendants may have to change course and undertake additional effort to address these issues does not render modification of the class definition unfair; it only serves to underscore the unquestionable importance of the effort and why it is necessary (and worthwhile)."

Justice Department spokesman Steven Stafford declined to comment on the ruling.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued over the practice of splitting families, welcomed the decision.

"The court made clear that potentially thousands of children's lives are at stake and that the Trump administration cannot simply ignore the devastation it has caused," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said.

The ACLU wouldn't want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to go to the children's homes, Gelernt said. It would prefer that the government tell them where to find the children.

Sabraw wrote that identifying separated parents and their children "may be burdensome, (but) it clearly can be done."

Jallyn Sualog, deputy director of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement, said in court filing that it would take up to eight hours to review each of its 47,083 cases between July 1, 2017, and Sabraw's June order, which translates to 100 employees working up to 471 days. Such an assignment would "substantially imperil" operations without a "rapid, dramatic expansion" in staffing.

The vast majority of separated children are released to relatives, but many are not parents. Of children released in the 2017 fiscal year, 49 percent went to parents, 41 percent to close relatives like an aunt, uncle, grandparent or adult sibling and 10 percent to distant relatives, family friends and others.

The Health and Human Services inspector general said in January that a "steep increase" in separations began in the summer of 2017, before the administration announced a "zero tolerance" policy on illegal border crossings to criminally prosecute every adult, even if it meant splitting families. Families separated before the policy was introduced across the border in last spring included 281 people in a pilot project in the Border Patrol's El Paso, Texas, sector that ran from July to November of 2017.

The lack of a tracking system left the government unable to quickly reunite families when parents finished their criminal cases and, in nearly 500 instances, parents were deported without their children. Sabraw ordered in June that the practice be stopped and that more than 2,700 children in government care be reunited with their parents within 30 days, which has largely been accomplished.

Jonathan White, who leads the Health and Human Services Department's efforts to reunite migrant children, testified in Congress last month that Sabraw "created a pathway" for the administration to successfully reunite thousands of children with their parents.

"We could not have affected the reunification of children with their parents in ICE custody absent his providing a way to do that under our steady state authorities." White said.

A federal judge who ordered that more than 2,700 children be reunited with their parents on Friday expanded his authority to potentially thousands more children who were separated at the border earlier during the Trump administration.

Dana Sabraw ruled that his authority applies to parents who were separated at the border on or after July 1, 2017. Previously, his orders applied only to parents whose children were in government custody on June 26, 2018, when he issued his initial decision in the case.

Sabraw was responding to a report in January by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's internal watchdog that said thousands more children may have been separated since the summer of 2017, which he noted has not been disputed. The department's inspector general said the precise number was unknown.

The judge will consider the next steps on March 28. The first move may be to identify the separated families, no easy task because the government didn't have an adequate tracking system at the time.

The administration argued that it would be difficult to identify families, the children were no longer in its custody, and the children would likely be emotionally harmed if they were removed from their current homes.

Justice Department attorney Scott Stewart told the judge last month it would be a "significant burden" to add families and "blow the case into some other galaxy" after the administration had "done all things to correct the wrong."

Sabraw disagreed in his 14-page order.

"The hallmark of a civilized society is measured by how it treats its people and those within its borders," he wrote. "That defendants may have to change course and undertake additional effort to address these issues does not render modification of the class definition unfair; it only serves to underscore the unquestionable importance of the effort and why it is necessary (and worthwhile)."

Justice Department spokesman Steven Stafford declined to comment on the ruling.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued over the practice of splitting families, welcomed the decision.

"The court made clear that potentially thousands of children's lives are at stake and that the Trump administration cannot simply ignore the devastation it has caused," ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said.

The ACLU wouldn't want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to go to the children's homes, Gelernt said. It would prefer that the government tell them where to find the children.

Sabraw wrote that identifying separated parents and their children "may be burdensome, (but) it clearly can be done."

Jallyn Sualog, deputy director of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement, said in court filing that it would take up to eight hours to review each of its 47,083 cases between July 1, 2017, and Sabraw's June order, which translates to 100 employees working up to 471 days. Such an assignment would "substantially imperil" operations without a "rapid, dramatic expansion" in staffing.

The vast majority of separated children are released to relatives, but many are not parents. Of children released in the 2017 fiscal year, 49 percent went to parents, 41 percent to close relatives like an aunt, uncle, grandparent or adult sibling and 10 percent to distant relatives, family friends and others.

The Health and Human Services inspector general said in January that a "steep increase" in separations began in the summer of 2017, before the administration announced a "zero tolerance" policy on illegal border crossings to criminally prosecute every adult, even if it meant splitting families. Families separated before the policy was introduced across the border in last spring included 281 people in a pilot project in the Border Patrol's El Paso, Texas, sector that ran from July to November of 2017.

The lack of a tracking system left the government unable to quickly reunite families when parents finished their criminal cases and, in nearly 500 instances, parents were deported without their children. Sabraw ordered in June that the practice be stopped and that more than 2,700 children in government care be reunited with their parents within 30 days, which has largely been accomplished.

Jonathan White, who leads the Health and Human Services Department's efforts to reunite migrant children, testified in Congress last month that Sabraw "created a pathway" for the administration to successfully reunite thousands of children with their parents.

"We could not have affected the reunification of children with their parents in ICE custody absent his providing a way to do that under our steady state authorities." White said.
Police were called out to incidents including domestic violence and robbery

POLICE were called to 28 incidents in Newburys Victoria Park between January 1, 2018, and January 31 this year.

In total, seven of those incidents resulted in arrests being made.

The figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request by the Newbury Weekly News.

The NWN submitted the request after reports of antisocial behaviour, crime and vandalism.

Altogether, officers were called out to 11 different types of incidents.

Incidents relating to suspicious circumstances were the most common type of crime (six).

This was following jointly by four incidents that involved ongoing altercations and incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Officers also attended two incidents of domestic violence, two of assault, two relating to fear for welfare and another two miscellaneous incidents.

One incident of armed robbery was also recorded, as was another relating to shoplifting.

Another incident concerned a recent robbery of a woman who was left with hand and facial injuries after walking through Victoria Park between midnight and 12.20am on Saturday, January 26.

The 21-year-old was walking through the park, near Park Way, when she was approached by two men who pushed her to the ground and demanded her rucksack, before forcefully removing it.

Thames Valley Police was unable to confirm whether any of these incidents occurred in the two A339 underpasses, as neither is recorded by the force as a specific location.

In September last year, Newbury Town Council voted in favour of spending 9,000 on increasing CCTV in the park.

Members unanimously backed the proposal in a bid to crack down on a spate of mindless acts of vandalism in the park over the summer months.

Barely two months later, vandals threw roof tiles at the CCTV cameras, causing an estimated 2,000 of damage.

Responding to the list of incidents, the deputy leader of Newbury Town Council and Conservative ward member for Victoria, Miles Evans, said: Over the past four years, we have invested heavily in Victoria Park.

This investment has not just resulted in better leisure facilities, but also new and upgraded security measures, including CCTV, to keep us all safe.

One incident is one too many and Id always encourage residents to report crime to Thames Valley Police.

Rest assured that Newbury Town Council will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to stamp out crime across our community.
RIDGEFIELD  A section of Route 7 is shut down Sunday morning due to a car crash.

Several cars were involved in the crash, which has closed the road near Riverside Drive, a dispatcher with Ridgefield police said. He said no one was injured.

One of the cars smashed into a pole, taking down wires, he said.

The road will be reopened once Eversource clears the wires. The dispatcher said around 9:30 a.m. that this should happen shortly. But the road remains closed as of 12:30 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation.

Eversource reported nine customers were without power around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, but by the afternoon there were no outages reported in the town.
Open houses for the Apocatastasis Institute in New Milford will be held March 16 in Danbury and March 21 in New Milford.

Founder John Coleman will discuss academic offerings, including alternative high school and college courses, as well as tutoring in English, history and Latin.
The After School Arts Program in Washington has received two grants.

A $15,000 grant from the Jean and Julien Levy Foundation for the Arts, Inc. will be used to offset the cost of teaching artist fees, program supplies, transportation for students, and other projects.

In addition, ASAP has received a $1,000 grant from the Department of Economic and Community Development, which includes funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The grant will be used to support the Ultimate Collaboration Community Project in Torrington, with the funds to help ensure that all Forbes Elementary School children can attend an in-school performance of Ultimate Collaboration for free.

UCCP is a partnership between ASAP!, Pilobolus Dance Theater, American Mural Project and the Warner Theatre.

The program was conceived in collaboration with ASAPs partners based on the organizations commitment to Torrington and the surrounding communities.

The program promotes collaboration, improves communication skills, celebrates the creative process, unites diverse populations, and empowers participants with new skills and experiences through the exploration of painting, drawing, music, and dance.

It culminates in a full-scale Pilobolus show featuring ASAPs UCCP participants March 30 at the Warner Theatre.

ASAP! is a social profit arts organization that reaches 9,000-plus children a year throughout Connecticut.

This year, the organization is celebrating 20 years of fostering creative, hands-on learning through the arts.

ASAP! never turns a child away; it will provide nearly $40,000 in financial aid to families in need this year.

For information, visit www.asapct.org or call 860-868-0740.
Gunn Memorial Library in Washington will present a program with playwright Sarah Ruhl March 23 at 11 a.m.

Ruhl, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee and co-author, will sign copies of her recently released book Letters from Max: A Book of Friendship, named as a Kirkus Best Book of 2018, at the Wykeham Road library.

In 2012, Sarah Ruhl met Max Ritvo, a student in her playwriting class at Yale University, an exuberant, opinionated, and highly gifted poet. He was also in remission from pediatric cancer.

Over the next four years in which Ritvos illness returned and his health declined, even as his productivity bloomed the two exchanged letters that spark with urgency, humor, and the desire for connection.

The book showcases the friendship between the two, and a shimmering exploration of love, art, mortality, and the afterlife.

Registration is required by calling 860-868-7586.
I support the Second Amendment, Schneider said. But we need to have gun safety  and this is one of the areas where I think we can work together. The idea of people having their guns safely in their home and having the training, thats a good idea that we both support.
The city of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province, will invest 40 billion yuan (about US$6 billion) to provide key support to the development of high-tech infrastructure by 2022, local authorities said.

The province and its capital will forge ahead with high-tech industries by raising a 10-billion-yuan fund per year for major projects, platforms, industrial parks, equipment and talent teams, from 2019 to 2022.

So far, a research facility of precise gravity measurement, a national major science and technology infrastructure, is under construction in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.

In the past few years, the city has completed a pulsed high magnetic field facility and opened China's first national bio-safety level four lab, which requires the highest level of biological safety.

Wuhan will work with universities, institutes and enterprises to achieve great breakthroughs in various fields including integrated electromagnetic energy, optoelectronics, microelectronics, geomatics, and new materials, as well as build national laboratories.

Data released at the city's science and technology conference for 2019 on Friday showed that the value added of the hi-tech industries in Wuhan exceeded 300 billion yuan last year, accounting for 20.56 percent of the city's gross domestic product.

With 3,536 high-tech enterprises in total, the city is making efforts to build itself into a tech hub of the country.
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China has made significant progress in the development of the key technologies of the heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Long March-9, which is expected to make its maiden flight around 2030.



The development of the heavy-lift rocket will greatly improve China's capacity of entering outer space. The Long March-9 rocket will support China's space industry development, utilization of space resources and deep space exploration, said experts from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The rocket will have a core stage with a diameter of 9.5 meters. Its total length will be nearly 100 meters. The rocket will be able to carry payloads of 50 to 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, 15 to 50 tonnes into the lunar transfer orbit, and 12 to 44 tonnes into the Mars transfer orbit.

The carrying capacity of the Long March-9 will be five times that of the Long March-5, currently the largest carrier rocket of China.

The heavy-lift rocket is expected to help China realize manned lunar exploration, taking samples from Mars back to Earth, and other deep space explorations.
China's new foreign investment law has entered the countdown stage with the beginning of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC).



Once the draft law is approved, it will produce significant changes in practice regarding the protection of foreign investors' intellectual property rights (IPR), prohibition of forced technology transfer by administrative means, national treatment of foreign-invested enterprises, and equal treatment in government procurement processes for products produced in China by foreign-invested enterprises.

The draft foreign investment law, released for public review and comment late last December, is an innovation in the legal system on foreign investment replacing three existing laws (Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures Law, Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises Law, and Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures Law).

The new one will serve as the basic law on foreign investment as China continues to open up in the new era. This is a fundamental change in China's foreign investment management system, helping to create a more open, transparent and predictable environment for investors and provide a stronger legal guarantee and further improve the investment environment.

It aims to further expand the scope of opening-up, actively promote foreign investment, protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign investment, make new ground in opening up on all fronts, and promote the healthy development of the socialist market economy.

The draft law consists of six chapters and 41 articles, with clear provisions on the protection of foreign investors' rights regarding issues such as intellectual property rights protection and forced technology transfer that are of common concern to foreign investors.

Principal features of the draft law include:

Definition of "foreign investment": a positive action of China's opening-up

"Foreign investment" is defined as investment activity conducted by foreign natural persons, enterprises, and other organizations ("foreign investors") directly or indirectly in Chinese mainland, including new projects, establishment of foreign-invested enterprises and capital increases by foreign investors alone or jointly with other foreign investors in China; acquisition of shares, equity, shares of property or similar rights and interests through mergers and acquisitions; and foreign investment through other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations or the State Council (Article 2).

This is a positive action in abolishing the statutes governing the existing three laws, as joint ventures have found it difficult to establish anywhere in corporate form. The new law also does not establish a minimum percentage of foreign ownership to qualify as foreign investment.

It is very clear that investments from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions are distinctive in that they are not deemed to be foreign investment, and yet are not entirely equivalent to domestic capital; in practice, they are managed with reference to foreign investment requirements.

Implementation of "pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list with respect to foreign investment": a new market access opportunity

A new negative list, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on June 28, 2018, means China will conduct a high-level investment liberalization and facilitation policy.

The negative list is now a standalone document, under which there is no longer two-fold ("Restricted/Prohibited") categorization. Instead, the industry sectors listed are categorized according to the Industrial Classification for National Economic Activities (GB/T4754-2017).

The negative list enlarges market access opportunities. It loosens or cancels certain restrictions on foreign investment in a number of sectors, including agriculture (removing equity requirements on selection of new crop varieties and production of seeds, except wheat and maize), mining (removing restrictions on the exploitation and exploration of graphite and special or rare coal), shipping vessels (removing restrictions on the design, manufacture and repair of ships), aviation and weapons manufacturing, infrastructure (removing restrictions on electricity grid construction and operations), transportation (removing restrictions on the foreign investment-to-equity ratio of passenger vehicles), and technological services (relaxing restrictions on foreign-invested companies providing internet access to the general public), etc.



Moreover, China's predilection for establishing pilot policies and measures as well as special economic zones are to be elevated to statute level (Article 13).

Equal application of various investment promotion policies to foreign-invested enterprises: a new concept of competitive neutrality

Articles 9-19 are consistent with the concept of "competitive neutrality." Articles 9-11 state that government policies supporting enterprise development will apply equally to foreign-invested enterprises.

They will be consulted for comments and suggestions in the formulation of foreign-investment-related laws, regulations and rules; regulatory documents and judicial judgments related to foreign investment will be published in a timely manner; the government will develop a foreign investment service system to provide consultation and services for foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises with respect to laws and regulations, policy measures and investment project information.

Articles 15-16 allow foreign-invested enterprises equal participation in standardization work, and government procurement gives equal treatment to products manufactured by foreign-invested enterprises in Chinese mainland, guaranteeing fair competition in accordance with law.

Article 17 is a positive development in raising funds through public offerings on Chinese domestic stock exchanges (e.g., A shares). It states that foreign-invested enterprises may raise capital by publicly issuing stocks, corporate bonds, and other securities in accordance with law as well as through other means in China.

Provisions on strengthening protection of foreign investors' lawful rights and interests: firm adherence to rule by law

The new law calls for protection of the IPR of foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises in accordance with law and encourages technological cooperation on a voluntary basis and conforming to commercial norms. The conditions for technology cooperation should be negotiated and agreed upon by the investment parties; and forced technology transfer through administrative measures is prohibited (Article 22).

The State will generally not expropriate foreign investments. In the event of expropriation required in accordance with social and public interests, this will be undertaken in accordance with legal procedure, and fair and reasonable compensation will be paid (Article 20).

An addition is that foreign investors' capital contributions, profits, capital gains, income from asset disposal, intellectual property right royalties in Chinese mainland, as well as the compensation or indemnification they receive therein in accordance with law, may be freely transferred into or out of China's mainland in RMB or foreign currency (Article 21).

The law limits extra-legal restrictions on foreign investment (Article 23) and calls on local governments to abide by the commitments (Article 24).

The new legislation also calls for improving the mechanisms for complaints and protection of the rights and interests of foreign-invested enterprises. The State will establish working mechanisms to achieve this, coordinating and improving the major policy measures for handling complaints and promptly handles the issues. Foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises may establish and voluntarily join chambers of commerce or associations in accordance with law to safeguard their lawful rights and interests (Articles 25 and 26).

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The draft foreign investment law demonstrates China's continued willingness to open up its market to foreign investors and its firm will to strengthen the protection of foreign investors' lawful rights and interests.

The author is Associate Research Fellow with Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
New Delhi:

With petrol and diesel prices rising as much as Rs 2 a litre in the past one month, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has asked worldas largest oil exporter Saudi Arabia to play an active role in keeping rates at a reasonable level. The trade war between United States and China slowed down the global economic growth.A With elections round the corner, the issue of rising oil prices is quite worrisome for the ruling Narendra Modi government.

Pradhan raised the issue of rising oil prices with the visiting Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih late last night and sought a role of the Kingdom in cooling rates, as reported by PTI. aShared my concern on the rising oil prices and sought active role to be played by Saudi Arabia for keeping oil prices at reasonable level,a he tweeted after the meeting.A

aMet HE @Khalid_AlFalih, Ministry Of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Saudi Arabia and discussedA aboutA further strengthening the strategic partnership that exists between India and Saudi Arabia,a Pradhan tweeted.

Shared my concern on the rising oil prices and sought active role to be played by Saudi Arabia for keeping oil prices at reasonable level. a Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) March 9, 2019

An official statement issued Sunday said: aDuring the meeting, Pradhan referred to Saudi Arabiaas pre-eminent role as a leading producer of crude oil in the world, and in maintaining global oil market balance.a

aHe raised concerns about increasing trend in global crude oil prices. He also pointed to the need for uninterrupted supplies of crude oil and LPG to India in view of the OPEC-plus (decision to) cut (output),a it said.

Both ministers, it said, also discussed about the possible adverse impact of recent geopolitical developments on global oil market. It, however, did not say about the Saudi Oil Ministeras response to Indiaas demand.

Petrol and diesel prices, which are revised daily, have been on the rise for the last one month or so. Petrol price in Delhi has increased by Rs 2.12 a litre to Rs 72.40 on Sunday, while diesel rates have risen by Rs 2.03 to Rs 67.54 per litre.

The statement said the visit of the Saudi Oil Minister was a follow up of first State visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month.

Saudi Arabia is the second largest supplier of crude and LPG to India. In 2017-18, Indiaas crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia were 36.8 million tonne, accounting for 16.7 per cent of its total imports.

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Mumbai:

A day after State Bank decided to link its short-term loans and large savings deposits rates to the repo rate, chairman Rajnish Kumar Saturday said loans and deposits below Rs 1 lakh will continue to be linked to the present MCLR to protect retail customers from market vagaries. In a first, the nations largest lender had said from May 1, it would link its savings accounts with deposits over Rs 1 lakh and all cash credit accounts and overdrafts or short-term loans with limits above Rs 1 lakh or short-term loans, to the repo rate, which currently is at 6.25 percent.

At present some banks like Kotak Mahindra, Yes Bank, RBL Bank and Singaporean lender DBS Bank pay higher interest to the tune of 5-6 percent on savings deposits regardless of the balance, while large players like SBI and other state-run lenders, and private players like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and others pay 4 percent per annum.

From May 1, the savings bank deposits with balance above Rs 1 lakh will earn an interest of 3.5 percent, 2.75 percent lower than the repo rate and lower amounts in balance will earn 4 percent.

The bank has also linked all cash credit accounts and overdrafts with limits above Rs 1 lakh to the repo rate plus a spread of 2.25 percent.

The category which we have linked to the external benchmark is the best categoryall cash credits and overdrafts above Rs 1 lakh. Here also, for accounts with Rs 1 lakh and below, weve kept out of the purview as we believe that retail customers should not be forced to suffer from the market vagaries, Kumar told reporters on the sidelines on event organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce.

He also said, across the world, retail loans are not left to the market forces alone when it comes to pricing and that it is mostly corporate accounts that are left to the market conditions.

He also said the move is in accordance with the RBI guidelines on the MCLR (marginal cost of fund-based lending rates) and other loan pricing norms.

Kumar said SBIs retail loans are currently priced as per MCLR and the system is working well and will continue to be remain so.

Retail loans will continue to be linked to MCLR for the time being. If the loan is long-term in nature, you cannot re-price it very frequently...that way MCLR is a good

solution, Kumar said.

He said by linking savings bank deposits rate to the repo rate, MCLR will get adjusted automatically as and when there is a change in the repo rate.

He, however, said MCLR will not move by 25 bps if there is a similar reduction by the RBI in the repo rate.

It will depend on what portion of our savings banks gets repriced and its consequent impact on MCLR. To that extent the MCLR will get repriced, Kumar said.

Currently, the bank is offering a rate of 3.50 percent for savings bank deposit rates up to Rs 1 crore, and 4 percent above Rs 1 crore.

As much as 33 percent of its savings account-holders will get the benefit of the new pricing system, the bank said.

On the thorny issue of swift monetary transmission, Kumar said liabilities are mostly fixed for banks and transmission on the asset side alone cannot happen.

Transmission cannot happen only on one side. If transmission has to happen it has to happen on both sides and that is why SBI came out with this solution that the deposits savings bank account with 1 lakh and above, we will link it to repo rate and all the working capital loans which are theoretically payable on demand.

Talking about NCLT clearing ArcelorMittals Rs 42,000-crore bid for Essar Steel rejecting the Rs 54,389 crore offered by a company run by the Ruias of Essar group, Kumar said they are awaiting the final order.

The written order is yet to come. But our stand as well as that of the committee of creditors is that we abide by the order. The final process of the resolution of Essar Steel began with the NCLT order yesterday, he said.

Kumar said in the case of Jet Airways, whatever is the resolution plan, it will be implemented if all the conditions by all stakeholdersNaresh Goyal, lenders, Etihad and approval from the government, are met.

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New Delhi:

Twenty-two states and union territories (UTs), including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, will have Lok Sabha election in a single phase, while it will be spread across seven phases in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, the Election Commission announced on Sunday. Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura will have election in two phases, while Assam and Chhattisgarh will have three-phase polling.

Four states -- Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha -- will have elections in four phases.

Jammu and Kashmir, where the poll panel decided not to have assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, will have five-phase voting. There is no state where elections will be conducted in six phases.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the poll panel has decided to take up polling in Left Wing Extremism-affected states in one go.

"Every thing depends on movement of security forces. Phases have been accordingly decided," he said when asked as to why Odisha was having four phases instead of one.

During phase one of poll on April 11, elections will be held in 91 constituencies spread across 20 states. In phase two, polling will be held on April 18 in 97 seats spread across 13 states. On April 23 when polls are held in phase three, voters in 115 constituencies in 14 states will exercise their franchise. In phase four, 71 seats in nine states will go for voting on April 29.

In phase five, six and seven to be held on May 6, May 12 and May 19 respectively, 51 seats in seven states, 59 seats also in seven states, and another 59 seats in eight states will go for polling.

Since many on social media questioned why the Election Commission schedule talks of eight seats in J&K even though it has six, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa clarified on Twitter that because Anantnag constituency is included in three phases.

Among other restrictions, the model code bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision. The EC said the 'voter verifiable paper audit trail' (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time. Ten lakhs polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014. EVMs and postal ballots will carry pictures of candidates.

In 2014, the BJP had won 282 seats handing a crushing defeat to the 10-year-rule of the United Progressive Alliance led by Congress.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek to retain power, the opposition is seeking to put up a spirited fight to defeat the ruling BJP.

"Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years," Modi tweeted.

In the press briefing, Arora said all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification and the candidates will have to give details of their social media accounts to the EC.

The CEC said 91 constituencies will go for polls in first phase, 97 in second phase, 115 in third phase, 71 in fourth, 51 in fifth, 59 in sixth and 59 in the seventh phase.

The election will pit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance against mostly different opposition groupings in various states, including of Congress, Left and regional forces who are continuing to work out a grand alliance to minimise a division of votes against the BJP.

The BJP has worked out a seat-sharing formula with some new allies and several old partners, by even making concessions in states such as Bihar, which has 40 seats. However, opposition parties are yet to do so in several states.

While the NDA hopes to make history by coming back to power for a second full term, the Opposition wants to unseat the Modi dispensation by raising questions on its performance on a host of issues, including economic growth, unemployment, corruption and social harmony.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had led the NDA to back-to-back wins in 1998 and 1999 general elections but he was at the helm for only one full term.

After losing three state polls last year, the BJP believes its Lok Sabha campaign is back on track following decisions such as 10 per cent quota for the general category poor, money transfer to farmers and a populist budget.

What has injected further confidence into the NDA fold is the fronting of the nationalist plank in the poll campaign after the Indian Air Force's strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel.

The BJP has been citing 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads and the Balakot air strikes to assert that only a government headed by Modi will be capable of taking on Pakistan over terrorism.

Modi has launched an aggressive campaign accusing the opposition of coming together for the sole purpose of removing him when he is working to "remove poverty, corruption and terrorism".

He had led the NDA to a sweeping victory in 2014 as it won 336 seats, reducing the incumbent Congress to its lowest total of 44 seats.

In 2014, Lok Sabha polls were held in nine phases beginning April 7and ending May 9. Votes were counted on May 16.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be held in seven phases, starting from April 11, while the results of all the phases will be declared on May 23, the Election Commission of India announced on Sunday. The Election Commission on Sunday imposed 'Model Code of Conduct' with immediate effect for the Lok Sabha elections and announced that voter 'verifiable paper audit trail' will be used in all polling stations this time.

Among other things, the model code of conduct bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision. Announcing the seven-phase schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora also said 10 lakh polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.

He said the Model Code of Conduct for polls has come into immediate effect from Sunday and all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification. The EC said 91 constituencies will go for polls in the first phase on April 11, followed by 97 constituencies in the second phase on April 18. The second phase will be held on April 18, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes for all seven phases covering 543 Lok Sabha constituencies would take place on May 23, Arora said.

In the first phase, 91 constituencies will go for polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase, 115 constituencies in the third, 71 in the fourth phase, 51 in the fifth phase, 59 in the sixth phase and 59 in the seventh phase. In the first phase, the polling will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand.

Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously, the Election Commission (EC) said. However, elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which was dissolved after the ruling coalition between the BJP and the PDP fell apart, will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

The announcement of dates for the elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling BJP, would be followed by a meeting of election observers next week for the first and second phase of polling.

The election will pit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance against several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Left and regional forces who are continuing to work out a grand alliance to minimise a division of votes against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led ruling combine.

The BJP has succeeded in working out a seat-sharing formula with some new allies and several old partners, by even making concessions to them in states like Bihar. However, opposition parties are yet to arrive at a deal in several states.

While the NDA hopes to make history by coming back to power for a second full term, the Opposition wants to unseat the Modi government by raising questions on its performance on a host of issues, including economic growth, employment, corruption and social harmony.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had led the NDA to back to back Lok Sabha wins in 1998 and 1999 general elections but he was at the helm of only one full-term government.

With the model code of conduct for elections coming into immediate effect, the government cannot announce any policy move that may impact voters' decision.

Arora said all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification.

After suffering losses in assembly polls in three states recently, the BJP believes that its Lok Sabha poll campaign is back on track due to a host of decisions, including 10 per cent quota for the general category poor, money transfer to farmers and presentation of a populist budget.

What has injected further confidence into the NDA fold is the fronting of the nationalist plank in the poll campaign after the Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel, that was followed by the Indian Air Force' strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan.

The BJP has been citing 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads and these air strikes to assert that only a government headed by Modi will be capable of taking on Pakistan over terrorism, as it has sought to corner the Congress on the issue.

Many political pundits feel the prime minister has already launched a full-fledged campaign accusing opposition parties of coming together for the sole purpose of removing him while he is working to "remove poverty, corruption and terrorism".

He had led the NDA to a sweeping victory in 2014 as it won 336 of 543 Lok Sabha seats, reducing the incumbent Congress to its lowest total of 44 seats. The BJP on its own won a majority, a first for the party, by bagging 282 seats.

The Commission has held several review meetings across the country in last few weeks to gear up its machinery. The required electronic voting machines and paper trail machines are in place to be deployed in nearly 10 lakh polling stations across 543 Lok Sabha constituencies.

In 2004, the Commission had announced four-phase Lok Sabha polls on February 29. While the first date of polling was April 20 and the last date was May 10.

In 2009, the EC had announced Lok Sabha poll scheduled on March 2. The five-phase polls began on April 16 and ended on May 13.

In 2014, the EC had announced the election schedule on March 5 and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May.

While the first phase polling was on April 7, the last phase was on May 12.
New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the counting of votes will be held on May 23.

Also, the poll panel announced that the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh will be held simulatenously along with the Lok Sabha polls. However, the EC did not mention about holding assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.

18:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

India is proud that:



2.5 crore families have electricity for the first time.



7 crore households have smoke-free kitchens.



1.5 crore Indians got their own homes.



These, and many other instances show that with the right approach and futuristic policies, nothing is impossible!

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Today:



50 crore Indians have access to good quality and free healthcare.



42 crore people of unorganised sector have access to old-age pension.



12 crore farmer households get yearly monetary support of Rs. 6000.



Crores of middle class families are exempt from income tax.

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Today, the people of India know that it is possible to: Become the fastest growing economy. Give a befitting reply to terror. Eliminate poverty at a record pace. Make India Swachh. Remove corruption and punish the corrupt. Ensure inclusive and extensive development, tweets PM Modi

18:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The last five years have shown that with the blessings and participation of 130 crore Indians, what was earlier deemed impossible has now become possible. 2019 polls are about a spirit of confidence and positivity with which India is fulfilling the aspirations of its people, tweets PM Modi

18:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

The last five years have shown that with the blessings and participation of 130 crore Indians, what was earlier deemed impossible has now become possible.



2019 polls are about a spirit of confidence and positivity with which India is fulfilling the aspirations of its people.

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Wishing all political parties and candidates the very best for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.



We may belong to different parties but our aim must be the same- the development of India and empowerment of every Indian!

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

In 2014, the people comprehensively rejected the UPA. There was unprecedented anger over the UPAs corruption, nepotism and policy paralysis. Indias self-confidence was at an all-time low and the people of India wanted to rid the nation of such decay and pessimism.

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years.

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

The festival of democracy, Elections are here.



I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout.



I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers.

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019



18:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Something is wrong with this announcement. The ECI has counted 7 or 8 LS seats for my state but J&K only has SIX seats. #confused

 Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019



18:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha

18:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir not to be held along with Lok Sabha polls: EC

17:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 7

Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), MP (8), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Chandigarh (1), UP (13), Himachal (4); Total: 59

17:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 6

Bihar (8), Haryana (10), Jharkhand (4), MP (8), UP (14), West Bengal (8), Delhi-NCR (7); Total: 59

17:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 5

Bihar (5), J&K (2), Jharkhand (4), MP (7), Rajasthan (12), UP (14), West Bengal (7); Total: 51

17:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 4

Bihar (5), J&K (1), Jharkhand (3), MP (6), Maharashtra (17), Odisha (6), Rajasthan (14), UP (13), West Bengal (8); Total: 71

17:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 3

Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Gujarat (26), Goa (2), J&K (1), Karnataka (14), Kerala (20), Maharashtra (14), Odisha (6), UP (10), West Bengal (5), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1), Daman and Diu (1); Total: 115

17:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 2

Assam (5), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), J&K (2), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (10), Manipur (1), Odisha (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), UP (8), West Bengal (3), Puducherry (1); Total: 97

17:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In State-wise poll details: Phase 1

Andhra (25), Arunachal (2), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), J&K (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Odisha (4), Sikkim (1), Telangana (17), Tripura (1), UP (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman (1), Lakshadweep (1); Total (91)

17:50 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 91 constituencies to go for polls in first phase of polls, 97 constituencies in second phase, 115 constituencies to go for polls in third phase, 71 in fourth phase, 51 in fifth phase, 59 in sixth and 59 in seventh phase.

17:48 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 1 of Lok Sabha Election 2019: key dates



Issue of gazette notification: 18th March

Last day of nomination: 25th March

Date for scrutiny of nomination: 26th March

Last date of withdrawal: 28th March

Date of Poll: 11th April

17:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In LS Polls: Phase 1 in 91 constituencies in 20states, Phase 2 in 97constituencies in 13 states, Phase 3 in 115 constituencies in 14 states, Phase 4 in 71 constituencies in 9 states, Phase 5 in 51 constituencies in 7 states, Phase 6 in 59 constituencies in 7states and Phase 7 in 59 constituencies in 8states

17:46 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 2 of Lok Sabha Election 2019 key dates Issue of gazette notification : 19th March Last day of nomination: 26th March Date for scrutiny of nomination: 27th March Last date of withdrawal: 29th March Date of Poll: 18th April

17:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In States going to polls in seven phases -- Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

17:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In States going to polls in five phases -- Jammu & Kashmir

17:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In States going to polls in four phases -- Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha

17:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In States going to polls in three phases -- Assam, Chhattisgarh

17:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In States going to polls in two phases -- Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura

17:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 1: 91 constituencies in 20 states | Phase 2: 97 constituencies in 13 states | Phase 3: 115 constituencies in 14 states | Phase 4: 71 constituencies in 9 states | Phase 5: 51 constituencies in 7 states | Phase 6: 59 constituencies in 7 states | Phase 7 59 in 8 states

17:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In States going in single phase - Andhra, Arunachal, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshwadeep, Delhi, Pondicherry, Chandigarh

17:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 4 to be held on April 29, Phase 5 to be held on May 6, Phase 6 on May 12, Phase 7 on May 19

17:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 3 to be held on April 23

17:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 2 to be held on April 18

17:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Phase 1 to be held on April 11, date of counting May 23

17:30 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The elections will be held in seven phases. Last date of nomination is 25th March.

17:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Candidates are required to furnish details of their social media accounts, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Candidates with criminal history will be required to furnish such information, says Sunil Arora

17:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We consider media as a potent force multiplier. Hence, we have directed all officials to have positive engagement with the media. We request media to play a pro-active and constructive role, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In No filling of form 26 will be rejection of the candidate, says Sunil Arora

17:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 1950 is the election helpline number to check your name and election-related information, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Voter's guide is being handed over to every household. There will be a NOTA option for voters. There is a photograph of the candidate also so that you make a more conscious choice. There are approximately 10 lakh polling stations across the country as opposed to 9 lakh last year, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:22 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In As many as 84 million new voters to cast vote. A total of 90 crore voters to exercise their franchise.

17:20 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations in this Lok Sabha Elections as compared to 9 lakh polling stations in 2014, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect from today itself in the entire country. Any violation will be dealt with in the strictest manner, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Loudspeakers banned from 10 am to 6 pm under Model Code of Conduct, announces CEC Sunil Arora

17:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Total electorate in this Lok Sabha elections will be 900 million, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In VVPATs will be used with EVMs at all polling stations, 17.4 lakh VVPATs to be used in the elections, says Sunil Arora

17:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Election Commission has attempted a comprehensive plan for the Lok Sabha elections in a manner that is free and fair. India, by conducting elections, emerged as a beacon of light for the world, says CEC Sunil Arora.

17:04 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be free and fair, says Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora.

16:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Election Commission is expected to begin the press conference any time soon.

16:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "The farmers, unemployed youth, small traders, they all are waiting for this day. Dont know why Modi ji delayed this, (may be) to cut the ribbons for projects that started in Congress regime, AICC spoekesperson Pawan Khera said.

16:23 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Speaking at a gathering of the BJP's women workers in Mumbai on Sunday, senior leader and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj signalled that the military action against Pakistan after the February 14 Pulwama attack would be a poll issue for the ruling party.

16:22 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The announcement will set in motion a highly-anticipated political contest which is shaping up to a "Modi versus Mahagathbandhan" showdown.

16:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In In 2014, the EC had announced the election schedule on March 5 and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May. While the first phase polling was on April 7, the last phase was on May 12.
New Delhi:

Barely moments after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for ensuing Lok Sabha Elections 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended his best wishes to all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections all over the country.

Taking to Twitter, Modi wrote - "India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years". Modi dubbed the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections as the "festival of democracy".

Coming down heavily on the previous Congress government, the prime minister said, "In 2014, the people comprehensively rejected the UPA. There was unprecedented anger over the UPAas corruption, nepotism and policy paralysis. Indiaas self-confidence was at an all-time low and the people of India wanted to rid the nation of such decay and pessimism".

In 2014, the people comprehensively rejected the UPA. There was unprecedented anger over the UPAas corruption, nepotism and policy paralysis. Indiaas self-confidence was at an all-time low and the people of India wanted to rid the nation of such decay and pessimism. a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

As General Elections 2019 is due to be held between April and May, Modi extended his warm wishes to the all political parties and their candidates, adding that despite having different ideologies and agendas the aim of all the parties must be same that is the development of India and empowerment of every Indian!

Thanking the millions of citizens for their love and support throughout the time, Modi said, "The last five years have shown that with the blessings and participation of 130 crore Indians, what was earlier deemed impossible has now become possible".

The festival of democracy, Elections are here.



I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout.



I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers. a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

"2019 polls are about a spirit of confidence and positivity with which India is fulfilling the aspirations of its people," he added.

The prime minister also appealed to hisA fellow Indians to enrich the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with their active participation and expressed his hope that like 2014 this election will also witness a historic turnout. He furtherA called upon the first time voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers.

Giving a list of achievments of the BJP-led NDA government in the last five years, Modi wrote, "50 crore Indians have access to good quality and free healthcare.A 42 crore people of unorganised sector have access to old-age pension".

"12 crore farmer households get yearly monetary support of Rs. 6000. Crores of middle class families are exempt from income tax," he added.

"Today, the people of India know that it is possible to: Become the fastest growing economy. Give a befitting reply to terror.A Eliminate poverty at a record pace. Make India Swachh. Remove corruption and punish the corrupt.A Ensure inclusive and extensive development," Modi wrote in a series of tweets.

Today, the people of India know that it is possible to:



Become the fastest growing economy.



Give a befitting reply to terror.



Eliminate poverty at a record pace.



Make India Swachh.



Remove corruption and punish the corrupt.



Ensure inclusive and extensive development. a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

In another listicle, the prime minister said, "India is proud that: 2.5 crore families have electricity for the first time. 7 crore households have smoke-free kitchens. 1.5 crore Indians got their own homes. These, and many other instances show that with the right approach and futuristic policies, nothing is impossible!".

"Guided by aSabka Saath, Sabka Vikasa, NDA seeks your blessings again. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous and secure India," Modi added.

Guided by aSabka Saath, Sabka Vikasa, NDA seeks your blessings again.

We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous & secure India. #PhirEkBaarModiSarkar a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2019

Addressing a press conference around 5 pm at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, the Election Commission on Sunday announced the dates for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 along with state Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim.

While General Elections 2019 will take place in 7 phases between April 11 and May 19, the Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously.

However, elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which was dissolved following a clash between the PDP and the BJP, will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.
New Delhi:

Uttar Pradesh  the politically-sensitive state which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha  will go to polls in seven phases starting April 11, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

Voting in Uttar Pradesh will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

The high-voltage elections in the state will see Congress chief Rahul Gandhi contesting from Amethi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Meanwhile, putting rumours of retirement to rest, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be contesting from Rae Bareli.

The date sheet shows Varanasi constituency voting last on May 19 while a number of high-profile seats, including Amethi and Rae Bareli, will vote on May 6.

Voting in Lucknow, which elected Home Minister Rajnath Singh in 2014, would also vote on May 6 and so will be the case for another high-profile union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Hajipur constituency.

Mainpuri, one of the two seats that elected Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014, will also vote on April 23, while voting in Azamgarh, which the senior Samajwadi Party leader retained, will happen on May 12. Kannauj, which elected his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav in 2014, will vote on April 29.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP bagged 71 of the 80 seats, surpassing its highest tally of 58 seats in the state which had catapulted the NDA to power in 1998.

The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have forged an alliance while elbowing the Congress out of it. The SP-BSP bonhomie won the Lok Sabha by-elections in Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Kairana last year.

Making the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday and 10 lakhs polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.

Among other restrictions, the model code bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision.

The EC said the 'voter verifiable paper audit trail' (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time.
 Flash

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde and World Bank Group Interim President Kristalina Georgieva have encouraged female economists to break the glass ceiling, highlighting the importance of discipline, detail-orientation and dare.

The two trail blazers held a one-on-one conversation on Friday at the IMF headquarter in Washington D.C. on the International Women's Day, themed on "Empowering a New Generation."

When asked how the experience of being a synchronized swimmer impacted her, Lagarde said it taught her resilience, teamwork, and how to deal with losing.

"Even if you lag behind at the end of the ranking, you have to just grit your teeth and work hard, know that there is always another step that you can progress," Lagarde said. "You don't win all the time, you have to learn how to lose, and then bring yourself together."

"One of the things resonate very strongly is the sense of discipline," Georgieva said. "Success can't be achieved without discipline."

Georgieva said as a female economist, being quite "numerical" helps. "Because when you go, you make your rational arguments, based on facts, not on fictions."

Noting that there is clearly a minority issue in the economics field, Lagarde said that "not enough attention is being paid to the work that women economists do, to the researches that they produced, to the enormous talent and energy that they display."

The IMF chief encouraged female economists to "gang up together" and found allies and friends, "not necessarily women," to achieve their aspirations.

The two also talked about some of the biggest risks they took in their early life. Georgieva recalled the year 1990, when she got the invitation to be a visiting professor at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, and she decided to leave her home country Bulgaria and went to the other side of the world.

"In my professional life, I have been very fortunate to dare; to dare is a very important thing," Georgieva said. "When people tell you that can't be done, you dare to say, well, why not?"

Lagarde said learning to overcome that fear and gain confidence is critically important. "Take a deep breath, tighten the muscle, think about something really nice, and just charge on, because you can do it."




New Delhi:

Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack and the Balakot airstrike, here is some good news coming in from both sides. A man from Ambala married his Pakistani bride from Sialkot in a Gurdwara in Patiala on Saturday. Kiran Sarjeet Kaur, 27, from a Sialkot village met 33-year-old Parvinder Singh from Ambalas Tepla in 2014, when Kiran came to stay with her relatives at Tepla village along with her family. Interestingly, Kiran had come to India on the Samjhauta Express. The duo bonded instantly and their wedding was arranged by their families in 2016 at her maternal uncles house at Samana in Patiala.

Singh, who works as a telecom contractor, is also a distant relative of Kiran. I first saw her in 2014 when she was visiting India. Two years later, when I expressed interest in her, both she and her family agreed. We got engaged in a simple ceremony. Kiran, who is the eldest of five siblings, has done masters in English and is a teacher there. I hope she will be happy here after marriage, he said as reported by HT.

The wedding preparations were stalled for the past two weeks due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. With the suspension of the Samjhauta Express services and the cancellation of air tickets, the wedding was almost on the verge of getting postponed. However, Kiran and her family boarded the Samjhauta Express on Thursday and reached Delhi from where they went to Patiala and their marriage was solemnised in the gurdwara.

Parvinder says he was twice sponsored by Sarjeets family for the Pakistan visa, but he didnt get one. They have got a visa for 45 days for Patiala and I will try to get it extended it by submitting a request to the authorities after the wedding. I will try to get her visa for Ambala so that she can stay with me or I will have to rent a house in Patiala said since Kiran cannot travel out of Patiala, Parvinder said.

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New Delhi:

Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, a defence spokesman said. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Pinglish in the Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the area. The search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists opened fire at the search party of the forces who retaliated. The gunfight was going on, the spokesman said, adding the identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.

Last week, security forces killed two terrorists in an encounter in Tral. The encounter had begun when security forces launched a search operation in the area in the evening following a tip off about the militants. Tral is 46 km southeast of Srinagar.

Pulwama district has been on high alert since a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammad killed 40 CRPF troopers on February 14 when he rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus in a troop convoy.

Last month, security forces fought a three-day gun battle with two terrorists in Handwara in north Kashmir before eliminating them. Three CRPF men, two Jammu and Kashmir policemen and a civilian were also killed in the gun battles.

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New Delhi:

A day after two Pakistani drones were shot down by India in Rajasthans Sri Ganganagar area, sources said two more drones crossed over the Indian territory around 7 pm on Sunday. One unexploded bomb also dropped at a house in village 3 B of Sri Ganganagar area, said sources. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian or Pakistan government that it was a bombing attempt.

On Saturday, the Indian Army shot down an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as drone, in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar sector around 7.30 pm. This was the second such incident of the day that took place in Sri Ganganagar. Earlier on Saturday, India shot down a Pakistani drone along the international border (IB) in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar after it violated Indian airspace. This is the fifth time Pakistani drone destroyed by India along the IB since February 26 air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot inside Pakistani territory.

On Sunday, Pakistan also resorted to heavy firing. Indian forces, however, retaliated to the shelling.

Earlier, a Pakistani drone was detected by a ground-based radar station in Rajasthan's Bikaner and minutes later one of the Sukhoi-30 jets deployed in the area to keep an eye on Indian air space shot it down. The Pakistani military drone was targeted at around 11:30 am in Bikaner-Nal sector in Rajasthan, the sources said.

It was the second unsuccessful attempt by Pakistan to send a spy drone inside India in the last six days. On February 27, a day after the air strike, a Pakistani drone was shot down by India along the Indo-Pak border in Kutch district of Gujarat. The Indian Air Force has kept all its bases in the Western sector on maximum alert after the Balakot strike.

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New Delhi:

The Central Bureau of Investigation is in touch with Interpol and UK authorities asking them to act on the red notice against the fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi. CBI will ask the Interpol UK to make sure he doesnt flee from the UK. Earlier, K Home Secretary Sajid Javid has certified Indias extradition request of Nirav Modi. In what is considered as Indias biggest bank scam Nirav Modi is involved in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. Under the India-UK Extradition Treaty arrangements, the paperwork is now with the District Judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London to issue an extradition warrant against Modi to be executed by Scotland Yard.



Since his location is known now, the first step should be to arrest him as there is enough evidence of cheating, criminal conspiracy and money laundering against him which has been provided to the UK in the extradition request. His Indian passport has already been revoked which means the UK authorities need to confiscate whatever travel documents he currently uses, Times of India quoted an officer as saying.



Nirav Modi is living openly in a lavish 8-million-pound apartment in London's West End and has started a new diamond business in Soho, according to a report published on a British daily The Telegraph on Saturday. Modi, the 48-year-old diamond tycoon is currently paying around 17,000 pounds a month for a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block near Oxford street, the report added.

Taking to Twitter, the leading daily posted a video and interview with the alleged fugitive in the early hours of Saturday and captioned it as "Exclusive: Telegraph journalists tracked down Nirav Modi, the billionaire diamond tycoon who is a suspect for the biggest banking fraud in India's history".

In the 2 minutes-13-seconds-long video, Modi is fatter than before and can be seen sporting a handlebar moustache and wearing an Ostrich Hide jacket, estimated to cost around 10,000 pounds. However, during his video interview with the UK daily, Modi chose to remain tight-lipped while asked about various issues related to the infamous PNB fraud scam case. He ducked the journalists by saying, "Sorry, no comments".

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New Delhi:

The Indian Air Force carried out non-military, pre-emptive action, destroying Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest terror camp in Pakistans Balakot on February 26. For the current operation, the agencies picked up the files that had been prepared since 1997. With the addition of technology today, the agencies were able to get clear images of these targets, which also included the terror training facility at Bahawalpur, which incidentally is the home of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, according to One India report.



India wanted a quick response to the Pulwama attack so the Bahawalpur strike plan was dropped. Apart from Balakot, we had codified 30 similar camps, all of which were located near army installations in Pakistan. We had managed to piece together all the information regarding these camps and more importantly we were able to show them on maps.

This list was then circulated to agencies across the world and none denied the information. Those were the times, when the problem of terrorism had not hit the European nations as yet. They always felt that it was an internal issue. They would cite their domestic laws and say that they would get involved only if an organisation hurt their domestic security interests, One India quoted Research and Analysis Wing officer Amar Bhushan as saying.

At least 42 CRPF personnel were killed last month in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 30 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district that also left many critically wounded. More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the CISF Day Parade at CISF 5th Reserve Battalion in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will hold a rally at the Rangareddy district of Telangana. India will play Australia in the 4th ODI in Mohali. Terrorism isn't an issue for India alone, says Vice President Venkaiah Naidu during an interaction with the Indian Community in Costa Rica. Stay hooked here for all the latest from India and around the world through the day.

14:00 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to take Metro ride from Munshi Pulia station to Hazratganj station with family today.

12:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Punjab: Visuals from outside Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali where India and Australia will play each other in the fourth ODI of the 5-match series. India is currently leading 2-1.



Punjab: Visuals from outside Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali where India and Australia will play each other in the fourth ODI of the 5-match series. India is currently leading 2-1. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/XzUj9cFORQ

 ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019



12:27 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik in an election rally in Kendrapara announces 33% quota for women in allocation of Lok Sabha seats for BJD.

09:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has approved ordinance to increase reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.

08:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Pro-Khalistani people allegedly supported by ISI attacked a number of British Indians who were standing outside the Indian High Commission in London on March 9.



Pro-Khalistani people allegedly supported by ISI attacked a number of British Indians who were standing outside the Indian High Commission in London on March 9. pic.twitter.com/orNSJipObs

 ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019



08:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In At least 80 people injured after a high-speed boat collided with a "marine creature" off the northwest coast of Japan.

07:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Venkaiah Naidu: Our neighbor is aiding terrorists, open secret. Recently after Pulwama attack where 40 security personnel lost their lives, 4 of our Indian Air Force aircraft went to Pakistan, targeted that training camp, destroyed it & came back without any problem within 21 min.

07:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Vice-President: Terrorism isn't an issue for India alone. It's an international issue. Even America that never used to understand our pain are now understanding. Terrorism is enemy of humanity, terror has no religion. No religion whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian preaches terror.

07:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In V Naidu: We're a peace loving country. All time Dick & Harry came & attacked us, ruled us, ruined us, cheated us...But we never attacked anyone because we believe in the philosophy that entire world is one family....But we've a neighbour who is aiding,training, funding terrorists.



V Naidu: We're a peace loving country. All time Dick & Harry came & attacked us, ruled us, ruined us, cheated us...But we never attacked anyone because we believe in the philosophy that entire world is one family....But we've a neighbour who is aiding,training, funding terrorists https://t.co/IcJVABPjRT

 ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019



07:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu in an interaction with Indian Community in Costa Rica: While we are making phenomenal progress on all fronts, there is one festering challenge that continues to detract our attention from development.

07:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Lucknow: 2 Sub-Inspectors Pawan Mishra&Ashish Tiwari suspended by SSP Kalanidhi Naithani after they took Rs 1.58 cr from a coal trader calling it black money. SSP K Naithani says, "they were tipped off by one Madhukar Mishra. A case of loot registered against these three and few other people."

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New Delhi:

Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Balnoi and Mankote areas of the Poonch sector Jammu Kashmir on Sunday around 4.30 am onwards by resorting to shelling with mortars and firing of small arms. The Indian Army retaliated and firing stopped around 7.30 am. The Indian Army retaliated effectively. On Saturday, Pakistan had violated the ceasefire in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district. Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire along the LoC on Saturday by targetting forward post in Keri Battal area of Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has used heavy artillery guns prompting strong and effective retaliation by the Indian Army.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistan violated ceasefire along Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, breaking a two-day long lull in the border skirmishes.

There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan after India's preemptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Four civilians, including three members of a family, were killed and several others injured as Pakistan targeted over 80 villages in over 100 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in the state since then.





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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 50th Raising Day ceremony of Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF)A at Indirapuram in theA Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. He will review the parade of the CISF at the 5th Battalion Camp and present the Police and Fire Service Medals for distinguished and meritorious services. The prime minister will also lay aA wreath at the Martyr's Memorial and later address CISF personnel.

Here are the highlights:

10.58 am: Your achievement is imp because when aA neighbour is hostile, incapable to fight aA war, conspiracies to hit the nation internally find a safe haven there and terrorism shows its face in different forms then protecting the nation becomes challenging, says PM Modi in Ghaziabad.

10.55 am: I congratulate parade commander, authorities and personnel for the grand parade, says PM.

10.52 am: PM Modi addresses the gathering at the event in Indirapuram.

10.45 am: PMA presents the Police and Fire Service Medals for distinguished and meritorious services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the 50th Raising Day of Central Industrial Security Force in Ghaziabad. pic.twitter.com/tpfXYdnBxx a ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

10.20 am: PM reviews the parade at theA 5th Battalion Camp.A

10.16 am:A Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays aA wreath at the Martyr's Memorial.A A

10.15 am: PM to address CISF personnel shortly.

9.57 am: PM Modi's chopper lands in Ghaziabad.

9.27 am: He will also pay his respects to CISF personnel.

9.25 am: PM Modi will reach the 5th Battalion Camp shortly. He will first pay tribute at Martyr's Memorial.

9.20 am: Heavy security deployment in the area.A

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New Delhi:

Clashes broke out between groups of rival demonstrators assembled outside the Indian High Commission inA LondonA on Saturday.A The two groups clashed during a demonstration called to protest against aatrocities on minorities in Indiaa. Scotland Yard said one man was arrested for "breach of peace" during a face-off between UK-based Kashmiri and pro-Khalistan outfits chanting anti-India slogans and counter-protesters chanting pro-Modi slogans.A

#WATCH Pakistanas ISI backed Khalistanis attacked a number of British Indians who were standing outside the Indian High Commission in London on March 9. The men wearing Sikh turbans raised slogans 'Naraa-e-Taqbeer' & 'Allah-u-Akbar' pic.twitter.com/7L5Fume7nv a ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

The Metropolitan Police said the man was later "de-arrested, with no further action".A



Members of groups such as the Overseas Pakistanis Welfare Council (OPWC) and Sikhs for Justice clashed with counter-protesters from groups including the Friends ofA India Society, UK, during a demonstration called to protest against "atrocities on ethnic minorities in India".



There were no reports of injuries during the clash, which involved several police officers intervening to control the few dozen protesters.A

No injury during the clash has been reported. Images and videos of the clash have since been posted on social media, with either side blaming the other for turning a peaceful protest violent.A

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New Delhi:

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday while attacking Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked if the third time was when PM Narendra Modi "went uninvited" to Nawaz Sharif's house for a wedding. This came after Rajnath Singh made a startling revelation, saying that in the past five years, Indian forces carried out three counter strikes across the border. He, however, added that he will talk about two of the instances, not the third. Taking to micro-blogging website Twitter, Owaisi wrote, "Sir @rajnathsingh is it when @PMOIndia went uninvited to Nawaz Sharif house for a wedding ceremony? Just asking or please ..... (sic)"



The big claim by Singh comes at a time when the government is already being cornered by the opposition, which has been questioning the success rate of the IAF action in Pakistan. Several leaders have apparently asked the government to come up with proof of the governments claim that over 300 terrorists were neutralised in the action.





In the last five years, three times we have crossed the border and conducted successful strikes. I will provide information on two, but not the third. Once in Uri, our soldiers were killed by terrorists coming from Pakistan, then our soldiers had responded. Next was after Pulwama. The third one I will not disclose, Singh said at a rally in Mangaluru.

As Rajnath Singh said he won't mention the third incident of "air strike", the crowd broke into a round of applause, lauding the minister's claims.

"One time you saw in Uri, terrorists who came from Pakistan killed 17 of our soldiers, who were sleeping at night in a cowardly attack.



Just 12 days after the dastardly terror attack in Pulwama which claimed lives of 40 CRPF jawans, the Indian Air Force carried out non-military, pre-emptive action, destroying Jaish-e-Mohammeds biggest terror camp in Pakistans Balakot on February 26.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force violated the Indian airspace and downed a MiG-21 and captured its pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was handed over to India on March 1.

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The photo taken on March 9, 2019 shows the opening ceremony of the second global session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment in Nairobi, Kenya. [Photo/Xinhua]
New Delhi:

Stepping up attack on the Narendra Modi government, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday shared images of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval when he went to Kandahar for handing over Masood Azhar in exchange 160 passengers and crew of the IC 814 Indian Airlines Airbus A300. Taking to micro-blogging website Twitter, Rahul wrote: aPM Modi please tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar? Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan (sic).a Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was released by the then BJP government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as part of a deal to free the Kandahar plane hijack hostages in December 1999.

PM Modi please tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar?



Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/hGPmCFJrJC a Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 10, 2019

Earlier, addressing a public gathering in north Karnataka's Haveri, the Gandhi scion slammed PM Modi for the death of CRPF jawans in the Pulwama terror attack. On February 14, at least 42 CRPF personnel were killed in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 30 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district that also left many critically wounded.

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir.

A few days ago, our soldiers were martyred in Pulwama. I have a small question for PM Modi - Who is responsible for the attack? Who sent Masood Azhar back to Pakistan? What is the name of the JeM chief," the Congress president was quoted as saying in Haveri.

"Ajit Doval, who is the National Security Advisor for the Modi Govt, escorted head of JeM Masood Azhar back to Pakistan. We are not like Narendra Modi, we don't bow down to terrorists," he added.

"Why are you not speaking about it. Why are you not saying that the person who killed CRPF jawans was sent to Pakistan by BJP... Modiji we are not like you. We don't bow in front of terror. Make it clear to people to India who sent Masood Azhar," he said.

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New Delhi:

Google is going to shut down the consumer version of Google+ from April 2. This comes after the revelation of a previously undisclosed security flaw that exposed users profile data. The company also discovered a critical bug in one of the Google+ People APIs. Google will delete all the content including photos, videos and posts from your account. Google has already barred users from creating new profiles, pages, communities or events from February 4.



With the discovery of this new bug, we have decided to expedite the shut-down of all Google+ APIs; this will occur within the next 90 days. In addition, we have also decided to accelerate the sunsetting of consumer Google+ from August 2019 to April 2019. While we recognise there are implications for developers, we want to ensure the protection of our users, said the company in a blog post. Google did not mention the challenges directly in its blog post, the company had previously announced that there was a breach in the platforms security system that led to a leak of over 5,00,000 Google Plus accounts.



A software glitch in the social site gave outside developers potential access to private Google+ profile data between 2015 and March 2018, when internal investigators discovered and fixed the issue, The Wall Street Journal reported.



As for the Gmail changes, the company is updating its User Data Policy for the consumer version of the email service. This will limit apps and the scope of their access to user data. Ben Smith, Google fellow and VP of engineering, writes: Only apps directly enhancing email functionality  such as email clients, email backup services and productivity services (e.g., CRM and mail merge services)  will be authorized to access this data, The Verge reported.
As part of the international travel market fair ITB Berlin, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa was declared winner of the Arab Heritage Personality 2019. The honour is the most prestigious award granted by the Arab Centre for Tourism Media (ACTM) to personalities who contributed substantially to preserving the cultural components in their countries and the Arab world. ACTM President Dr Sultan Al Yahyai announced conferring the title on Shaikha Mai in the presence of renowned international personalities in the media field and Ministers of Tourism participating in the exhibition.

The choice was hailed by all given the outstanding role played by President of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) Shaikh Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa in achieving the sustainable development goals and the great respect she enjoys at the international level. The audience also stressed appreciation and support to ACTM for its professionalism and tireless efforts to develop the tourism media field in the Arab world.
Kuwait has stressed that it would continue expressing the voice and concerns of the Arab population during its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. This came during a speech by Kuwaits Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al Jarallah before the 151st regular session of Arab League Foreign Ministers, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported. Challenges facing the joint Arab action require unifying stances, he said. The meeting comes in light of continued challenges, circumstances, multiple crises and inability in the Arab world that we, UN efforts and international resolutions failed to find a solution to them, therefore suffering continues, challenges increase and risks double, he said.

He called for collective efforts to deal with the current situation so as to restore stability and security to the Arab world. In light of circumstances facing our Arab world, we are invited today to create mutual concepts to our crises, their results and risks if they continue, he said. Terrorist acts which have targeted all of us requires the activation of our alliance with the international community in order to eradicate this phenomenon and protect our societies from its evil, he said.
Serena Williams out-gunned Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-3 in an electrifying clash of former world number ones on Friday to reach the third round at Indian Wells. The two raised the temperature on a cold, windy night in the California desert, trading shots from every corner of the court before Williams wrapped things up after two hours and 17 minutes She finished it off in style, with a pair of unreturnable serves. It was really good for me to kind of fight through that, because literally I had to fight for every point, Williams said. The display worthy of a final came in the second round thanks to Azarenkas current ranking of 48th in the world -- and the bad luck of the draw. The first set alone lasted one hour and 13 minutes. Williams, unable to serve it out at 5-3, was under pressure again at 5-5 but Azarenka was unable to convert five break points. Williams produced three service winners to take a 6-5 lead and broke Azarenka to pocket the set. She deserved to win, Azarenka said.

She played better on those important moments. I felt that every game was ad, deuce, ad, deuce. It was all about who was going to take that chance, and she took them a little better today. While Williams took her record over Azarenka to 18-4, the Belarusian said she would always relish any chance to take on her longtime rival. You know, as much as shes the toughest opponent I have ever played in my life, shes my favorite person to play against, Azarenka said.

Those type of challenges always motivate me. Since their last meeting -- Azarenkas victory in the 2016 Indian Wells final -- both women have become mothers, adding another dimension to their oncourt rivalry and off-court friendship. Were both moms, and we know how hard it is and how hard its been for us to come back, starting literally from scratch and fighting our way back, Williams said. Mutual respect They exchanged a warm hug at the net to cap what Azarenka called an amazing match. I think its not a surprise that we have mutual respect and love off the court, Azarenka said. On the court its a fight. Its a war, its a lot of intensity. I think it was quite an amazing match. And having such a match on International Womens Day, I felt that was really incredible. Things wont get any easier for Williams in her pursuit of her first title since the birth of daughter Alexis Olympia in September of 2017. In the third round she faces another former world number one, Spains Garbine Muguruza, a two-time Grand Slam champion who breezed into the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over American Lauren Davis. Elsewhere on Friday, world number two Simona Halep eased into the third round with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Czech veteran Barbora Strycova. Halep, who lifted the Indian Wells trophy in 2015, fired 18 winners and converted six of 11 break point c h a n c e s to set up a third-round m e e t i n g w i t h Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova, a 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 winner over 31st-seeded Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.

But there was more misery for world number f o u r S l o a n e Stephens, who was unceremoniously b u n d l e d o u t b y S w i s s qualifier Stefanie Vo e g e l e 6-3, 6-0. V o e g e l e , ranked 109th in the world, won the last eight games to sweep into the third round in just 68 minutes. Its the second tournament in a row that 2017 US Open winner Stephens has been toppled by a qualifier, coming on the heels of a straight-sets defeat to 172nd-ranked Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in Acapulco. Voegeles victory is perhaps less of a shocker. She has now won the last four of five career meetings with Stephens. Stephens said the windy weather was a factor, but not the main problem.q
Washington will scrap the preferential trade status of India and Turkey, the US trade chiefs office said, as President Donald Trump ramps up his battle against what his administration views as unfair foreign trade practices. Trump has made an overhaul of global trade and the slashing of American trade deficits a central plank of his presidency. The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme had granted favourable treatment of imports from both countries for a range of manufactured goods, such as automotive parts, tires and appliance parts.

But Trumps administration will end Indias and Turkeys designations as beneficiary developing countries because both countries no longer qualified, the Office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement Monday. India, the biggest beneficiary of the GSP programme, had failed to assure Washington that it would allow required market access and instead erected trade barriers that create serious negative effects on United States commerce, the statement added.

New Delhi played down the effect of the decision, with Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan saying the withdrawal of the program would not have a significant impact on Indian trade. Of Indias $80 billion in annual exports to the US, only $5.6 billion were covered by the scheme, he added in comments reported by the Press Trust of India news agency. New Delhis commerce ministry said that Indias tariffs were in line with its commitments to the World Trade Organization, while imports of US oil and natural gas had narrowed Washingtons trade deficit with India in recent years.

The changes cannot take effect for at least 60 days following the notification of Congress as well as the countries affected -- a process Trump began Monday with letters to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate. The change for India came after intensive engagement between New Delhi and Washington, Trump wrote in one letter, the text of which was released by the White House.

I will continue to assess whether the government of India is providing equitable and reasonable access to its markets, in accordance with the GSP eligibility criteria, the president wrote. Turkey has meanwhile demonstrated a higher level of economic development, meaning that it can be graduated from the programme, according to the US trade chiefs office. In his letter on Turkey, Trump said the countrys economy has grown and diversified, and noted that Istanbul has already graduated from other developed countries GSP programmes.

Trade war

Mondays decision came as Washington and Beijing seek to negotiate an exit to the Trump administrations most high-profile and costly trade battle. The US and China eventually agreed to a 90-day truce to work out their differences, and Beijing and Washington have been edging closer to an agreement in recent weeks. The truce was scheduled to end on Friday, but Trump lifted an ultimatum on further tariff hikes after expressing satisfaction with the progress made in several rounds of talks.

Under an agreement taking shape, Beijing would lower some barriers on US companies operations in China and purchase large amounts American agricultural and energy goods if the United States lowered most of the tariffs in return. However, leading news reports have said significant details remained unresolved.
FAIRFIELD  A colleague of Fairfield-based humanitarian organization Save the Children was one of the 157 people who who died Sunday morning when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi.

In a tweet Sunday afternoon, Save the Children confirmed that Tamirat Mulu Demessie, who served as a child protection in emergencies technical adviser for Save the Children Denmark, died in the crash.

The tweet from the Save the Children account states that Demessie worked tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable children are safe during humanitarian crises. Our thoughts are with Tamirats family and the loved ones of the 156 other people who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy.

Roger Hearn, International Programme Director, Save the Children Denmark, expressed his grief over Demessies death.

While he was based in Addis (in Ethiopia), his work took him to so many contexts where he was known for so many valuable things including his amazing gift as a trainer, Hearn said in a statment. He has undertaken this work across the globe and his skills and enthusiasm have been communicated to me by so many people who were lucky enough to engage with him. It is tragic that such commitment and passion should be taken from us all so abruptly.

According to its web site, Save the Children helped over 3.1 million children through its global protection programs. Save the Children is an international non-governmental organization that has been around more than 100 years and provides relief to, supports the rights of and generally helps children in developing countries.

In addition to Demessie, those who died in the crash came from 35 countries, incuding the United States, Canada, Kenya, Ethiopia, China, Italy, France and Russia.

There was no immediate indication why the plane went down in clear weather while on a flight to Nairobi, the capital of neighboring Kenya. The crash was strikingly similar to that of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the sea off Indonesia minutes after takeoff last year, killing 189 people. Both accidents involved the Boeing 737 Max 8.

The crash was a serious blow to state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, which has expanded to become the continent's largest and best-managed carrier and turned Addis Ababa into the gateway to Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the world. At this stage we cannot rule out anything, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told reporters. He visited the crash site, standing in the gaping crater flecked with debris.

Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. As the sun set, the airlines chief operating officer said the plane's flight data recorder had not yet been found.

Shocked leaders of the United Nations, the U.N. refugee agency and the World Food Program announced that colleagues had been on the plane. The U.N. migration agency estimated some 19 U.N.-affiliated employees were killed. Both Addis Ababa and Nairobi are major hubs for humanitarian workers, and many people were on their way to a large U.N. environmental conference set to begin Monday in Nairobi.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africa's two largest economic powers. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airport's waiting areas, along with businessmen from China, Gulf nations and elsewhere.

Ethiopian officials declared Monday a day of mourning.

The crash is likely to renew questions about the 737 Max , the newest version of Boeings popular single-aisle airliner, which was first introduced in 1967 and has become the worlds most common passenger jet.

Indonesian investigators have not determined a cause for the October crash, but days after the accident Boeing sent a notice to airlines that faulty information from a sensor could cause the plane to automatically point the nose down.

Safety experts cautioned against drawing too many comparisons between the two crashes until more is known about Sundays disaster.

The Ethiopian plane was new, delivered to the airline in November. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was one of 30 meant for the airline, Boeing said in July. The jet's last maintenance was on Feb. 4, and it had flown just 1,200 hours.

The plane crashed six minutes after departure , plowing into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) outside Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The jet showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said. The senior Ethiopian pilot, who joined the airline in 2010, sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport, the airline's CEO told reporters.

In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration said it would join the National Transportation Safety Board in assisting Ethiopian authorities with the crash investigation. Boeing planned to send a technical team to Ethiopia.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger flight was in 2010, when a plane went down minutes after takeoff from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

Staff writer Amanda Cuda and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
 Flash

Kim Jong Un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), called for efforts on economic development in a letter to a national conference in Pyongyang, DPRK's state media reported Saturday.

Kim urged publicity officials of the Workers' Party of Korea to step up efforts to mobilize the people to develop the economy and thus ensure "a great progress will be made in socialist economic construction," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

It was Kim's first public message after his return from a no-deal summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in late February.

After years of focus on its weapons program, the DPRK announced last April that it would prioritize economic development.



Citing the Unification Ministry of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Yonhap News Agency reported that Kim attended 98 public events throughout 2018, of which 41 were economic activities, accounting for 41.8 percent, the highest proportion of all activities. In 2017, Kim took part in 26 economic activities, accounting for just 27.7 percent of the total.

Amid an improvement in ties between Pyongyang and Seoul, the two sides are keen in resuming inter-Korean economic cooperation that had stalled in recent years due to sanctions against the DRPK.

However, the failure to reach a deal at the Trump-Kim summit came as a disappointment for the DPRK and the ROK in their pursuit of economic cooperation, with the comprehensive sanctions over Pyongyang's weapons program still in place.
FAIRFIELD  For a number of police officers in Fairfield, a routine traffic stop can become an unexpected language barrier.

Such was the case for Sgt. Mike Paris of the Fairfield police in February.

Its tough. I use whatever Spanish I know from school or use translating applications, Paris said. Sometimes its hard to communicate. Also when people are not cooperative, we try to do everything we can.

Though it may not be a common occurrence, police in town are bound to come across a situation that involves a non-English speaker, and knowing additional languages can be an immense aid.

Fewer than 15 officers out of the 105-strong Fairfield force speak another language, according to Capt. Robert Kalamaras.

Those who can speak other languages like Spanish, French and Italian have what Kalamaras describes as another tool at their disposal.

It has yet to be a problem, Kalamaras said of the language barrier. At times we have someone who speaks Mandarin and we use translating apps in those cases.

Officer Gregory Carroll, from previous work, picked up Spanish from his coworkers and can get by, though he recognized the speaking part is the most difficult.

Inevitably, there are also situations where there is a more pressing need for an officer that can translate and interpret other languages. That leads Fairfield police to seek help from other departments like Norwalk and Bridgeport.

In times where we have victims of crime and a translator is necessary to elicit information, we use mutual aid from a department that has a higher second-language speaking population, Kalamaras said.

While there is no explicit requirement or law that says police departments must hire a certain amount of multilingual officers, these types of officers are invaluable assets according to Police Chiefs Connecticut Association President James Cetran.

When were hiring somebody, if I have a choice between hiring somebody who knows another language and one who doesnt, Ill choose the first officer because itll be beneficial to us in the future, Cetran said.

Across Fairfield County, police departments vary on how they consider or approach a possible language barrier.

Darien and Norwalk police departments, for example, have contracts that financially incentivize officers to validate their language skills.

A Norwalk police officer can get a $600 stipend a year if they are fluent in another language. There is no double dipping  a hyperpolyglot would still only get $600 a year.

According to Lt. Terry Blake of Norwalk, 36 out of the 179 sworn officers receive the yearly stipend. The most common second language among the Norwalk force is Spanish  spoken by 22 officers  followed by Greek, French, Italian and others.

Officers have to pass a fluency test conducted by a third-party agency, Blake said. The stipend was negotiated and is part of our collective bargaining agreement.

Darien cops also have their language skills tested through a third party in order to qualify for a stipend.

As far as helping, with the always-increasing number of people for whom English is a second or non-language, having officers that can communicate effectively is a necessity, Detective James Palmieri of Darien added.

New Canaan and Greenwich police, like Fairfield, currently dont provide stipends in their contracts for officers who speak additional languages.

When dealing with individuals that dont speak English, we would utilize our own officers first if available to translate, Lt. Jason Ferraro of New Canaan said.

When no officer is immediately available, New Canaan police use Voiance, a translation service where an interpreter can be reached via phone or other types of communication.

Police departments can also rely on other forces officers for help with language issues, something officers call mutual aid.

Cetran, who has been police chief of Wethersfield for 16 years, said one of their officers, Peter McGee, is in high demand due to the fact that he knows sign language.

Its invaluable and we kind of share resources, Cetran said.

humberto.juarez@hearstmediact.com
Free training and employment workshops offered

The state Department of Labor, through the agencys American Job Center, 37 Marne St. in Hamden, is offering a variety of free training and employment workshops. Advance registration is encouraged due to space limitiations; call 203-859-3200.

Fundamentals of Resume Writing: March 21, 1-4 p.m.

Successful Job Search Strategies: March 11, 9 a.m.-noon.

Interviewing Strategies & Techniques: March 18, 9 a.m.-noon; March 28, 1-4 p.m.

Over 40 and Looking for Work: March 14, 1-4 p.m.; March 25, 9 a.m.-noon.

Veterans Workshop: March 27, 1-3 p.m.

Resume Critiques: Resumes reviews by appointment, in half-hour intervals on Mondays and Fridays. Participation in the Fundamentals of Resume Writing workshop is recommended before scheduling a critique.

Needs Assessments: Needs assessments are conducted by appointment, in 45-minute intervals, every Friday. This workshop offers a one-on-one career exploration with a Career Development Specialist reviewing individual career needs and creating an individual employment plan.

Business After Hours event set in Orange

ORANGE  The Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Orange Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours networking event from 5-7 p.m. March 13 at the Orange Ale House & Grille, 517 Boston Post Road.

Cost is $15 pre-registration; $20 member at the door; and $25 for prospective members. Call 203-876-8517 or visit www.milfordct.com.

Women Redefining Retirement to meet

MILFORD  Women Redefining Retirement will meet at 7 p.m. March 11 at Golden Hill Rehabilitation Pavilion, 2028 Bridgeport Ave. Celebrate Mardi Gras with mask-making, music and kings cake.

Items will be collected to fill goodie bags to be distributed at the 58th annual Day for Hospitalized Veterans in April, organized by VFW Post 7788; donations of toiletries, activity books, socks, and anything else that would contribute to the comfort of a hospitalized veteran are welcome. Food donations will benefit the Beth El Center.

Visit wrrofmilford@google.com.

Housatonic River Job Network to meet

ORANGE  The Housatonic River Job Network will meet at 7 p.m. March 14 at Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Road.

Guest speaker will be Jason Hyde, an author, inspirational teacher and corporate trainer, who will speak on 3 Things All Professionals Must Know to Overcome Frustration and Fear.

For information, email alexy56@hotmail.com.

Orange Business and Community Expo set

WEST HAVEN  The Orange Economic Development Corporation will hold the 17th annual Orange Business and Community Expo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 at the University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Road.

The Expo is free and open to the public. All activities are free with the exception of One-on-One Speed Networking, moderated by Rob Thomas of Rob Thomas CT; cost for that event is $15 per person and includes goodie bag, refreshments and raffle entry.

Exhibitor space is available at $300 for an 8-foot booth, which includes pipe and drape, covered table and two chairs. All vendors business information is listed in the event program; business marketing materials included in Event Welcome Bags; company name listed in OrangeLife Magazine; an entry into the Vendor/Sponsor appreciation raffle; and exhibitor lanyards. Booths with electricity are available for an additional $100, with limited availability. Registration for a booth is available online at OrangeEDC.com/events_activities. For businesses unable to attend the expo, company marketing materials can be included in the Event Welcome Bags for $75; ads also can be placed in the event program.

For information, call the Orange Economic Development Corporation at 203-891-1045 or visit OrangeEDC.com/events_acivities.

Valaitis named new CEO of Women and Families Center

MERIDEN  Wayne Valaitis, MPH, has been named the new chief executive officer of the Women and Families Center.

I am very happy to be joining this outstanding organization and group of professionals. WFC has a rich history of providing an array of human service programs in south central Connecticut, Valaitis said in a news release. I hope to spring off that foundation and help the agency grow with positive and empowering programs that meet the needs of the individuals and families of the communities we serve and enable everyone to achieve their highest potential.

WFC is a community-based nonprofit that provides direct social service to individuals and families throughout the Greater Meriden region, Middlesex and New Haven counties. The organization offers enrichment and support programs for both youth and adults, including before and after school programs, short-term housing for young adults, employment and training programs, and sexual assault crisis services, according to the release.

Valaitis experience includes serving as executive director of Boys and Girls Clubs in North Carolina and New York, and as executive director of Literacy Volunteers and later FSW Inc.

Terry Giovannucci, president of the WFC board of directors, said in the release that the board is delighted to welcome Wayne Valaitis to the WFC family. We are confident he will be instrumental in providing strategic direction leading WFC to an even more impactful role in the community, providing expanded services, and addressing the needs of our community members.
Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN  A city resident walked into the hospital early Saturday morning after being shot in the leg, police officials said.

At 3:23 a.m. Saturday, a gunshot wound victim walked into Yale New Haven Hospital at 1450 Chapel St., according to Capt. Anthony Duff. He said the 35-year-old New Haven resident was suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
A long time ago in a country where lawlessness ruled with six-shooters on the hip, a group of lawmen and a group of lawless men who called themselves cowboys kicked up the dust during a gunfight at the OK Corral.

It was the late 19th century and history has immortalized the legendary lawmen and cowboys who engaged in shootouts before law and order tempered the wild frontier.

It was a time when men kept shotguns over the fireplace, bullets in the drawer and habitually slung holsters around their hips or shoved guns down their pants as they walked the town and conducted everyday business and chores.

That was how men protected their families against outlaws  and guns were as common in households as apple pie on the sill and fire roaring in the hearth.

But that critical early American instillation of the right to own a gun to protect oneself and ones family has never been the case in the urban community. While gun ownership is more prevalent in suburban and rural areas, only 19 percent of people in urban areas say they own a gun.

And guns have a different meaning in the black community, where they are viewed not as protection but as weapons of destruction. In the black community, guns mock death with arrogance, attitude and indifference  and mark their territory with the ghosts of their spoils that are used as intimidation.

But despite bullet-ridden bodies, the constant headlines and the news conferences where vows to the public are made, guns in black households are about as uncommon as black mothers calling friends to get a recipe to put schnitzel on the dinner table.

Maj Toure wants that to change.

Toure, a conservative, is the founder of Black Guns Matter  a group that educates people in urban communities on their Second Amendment rights  and he is taking on the National Rifle Association for leaving inner-city people out of the conversation on gun rights.

The conservative room has, honestly, not done enough for urban America, Toure told NRA board member Willes Lee at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, according to Fox News. Its just what it is. That doesnt mean thats where we stay. That means we have to create liaisons.

Toure said he wants to arm individuals in urban communities with guns to protect themselves from the onslaught of gangs and gun violence striking down youths and making low-income neighborhoods a haven for crime. According to his Facebook page, he believes by arming people and educating the gun owners, conflicts can end without someone getting killed.

He has been touting that message for more than a year as he makes the rounds of conservative media.

More so than just giving young urban people, of all races, firearms, giving them education about Second Amendment rights, giving them more education about conflict resolution and de-escalation tactics, cause thats completely missing in urban areas like the city of Chicago, Toure told Fox Business in 2017.

Toure also sees it as a way to keep young, black men out of the prison system, as many walk around with unlicensed guns theyre carrying to protect their lives, not to commit a crime.

I am not sure how that will play out in Peoria, but much of what Toure says I agree with.

I love his message of providing urban America with knowledge of Second Amendments rights and educating young men and women about conflict resolution and de-escalation tactics, which Project Longevity in Connecticut has had success with.

I love his message that conservatives have failed to create and support urban liaisons and that has allowed Democrats to essentially paint any conservative gathering as a rally for klansmen.

And I love his message that too many people in the high-crime communities where he brings his message have slave mentalities.

All of that I agree with.

But arming individuals in urban communities?

I have to swallow real hard on that one.

I happen to be a man who strongly believes in nonviolence and I know putting guns in peoples hands puts ideas in their heads  no matter how well intended the theory may be.

I grew up and continue to live in urban America where there is always a tinge of fear and mistrust of black men in general. Unlike white men, every time a black man pulls the trigger, it casts suspicion on other black men.

I wonder what would happen if all urban men were legitimately armed. I wonder what would happen if two men got into a heated argument that got out of control? No matter the color of skin, many men are hot-headed and would be quick to pull the trigger  and regret the action as soon as they cooled off.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gun deaths per 100,000 people in the United States increased from 563 in 2010 to 691 in 2017, a figure that also includes a rise in suicides.

So, there is reason to worry.

I started this column recounting the most famous showdown in the Old West between lawman Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday and the lawless McLaurys and Clantons.

That happened nearly 138 years ago in Tombstone, Arizona, which was then considered the most dangerous town in the West by many.

There are parts of urban communities under siege with violence and getting worse. Police are overwhelmed and understaffed. Innocent people are being shot dead. Children are dying, mothers are crying, families are angry. People are being robbed on the streets. Homes are burglarized, stores broken into. And plea deals continue to put felons caught with guns back on the streets again and again.

Eventually, something has got to give.

We now call men like the McLaurys and Clantons criminals and felons but we use to call them cowboys.

Urban communities may not be Shangri-La but they have yet to become the OK Corral.

But that could be coming if people in urban communities decide they have had enough and start to arm themselves.

What goes around, comes around.

And that is a worrisome thought in a country where many people believe we are heading back to lawlessness.

Cowboys? Is urban America the new Tombstone?

James Walker is the New Haven Registers senior editor and a statewide columnist for Hearst Connecticut newspapers. He can be reached at 203-680-9389 or james.walker@hearstmediact.com.
The only way we know how to deal with opioid addiction is after the fact  only after a person has become hooked.

But what if one day there were a genetic test that could spot whether a person was susceptible to opioid abuse later in life? It would be like 23andMe, but instead of telling whether someone is predisposed to heart disease, this would tell us whether someone might be at risk for opioid dependency.

A New Jersey-based research institute along with scientists, academics and medical leaders is trying to crack this genetic code underlying opioid addiction.

The Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Cooper University Health Care and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University have partnered to launch the Camden Opioid Research Initiative, which will investigate the genetic and biological factors that contribute to opioid abuse.

One delicate but vital part of the study will be collecting and testing the tissue samples of people who have died from opioid overdoses.

Researchers will also be studying people being treated for opioid addiction as well as people who are receiving opioids for chronic pain but are not addicted to them. The team will then compare the findings of these groups.

The dream would be in 10 or 20 years  some sort of profile or algorithm that would give doctors some useful information  patients with genetic factors that might influence those things. And thats the idea, to make the information available to physicians, said Stefan Zajic, principal research scientist and scientific lead for CORI.

Zajic said many addicts first encounter with opioids are prescription pills they got from a doctor. While regulations have improved prescription opioid abuse in recent years, many people are still getting hooked from prescribed medication.

But a genetic test showing who might have a predisposition to opioid dependency would give doctors a profile of who is or is not at risk, allowing them to adjust what they prescribe.

Many people are still encountering opioids in the form of prescriptions," Zajic said. "So we thought if some patients were predisposed to a use problem  they could be prescribed with nonopioid (medications), something more mild, or they could adjust the dose or they could adjust the number of pills and just monitor a little more closely.

In 2018, more than 3,000 people died in New Jersey from opioid overdoses, a death toll that set a state record for the fourth year, according to preliminary data collected by the state Attorney Generals Office.

The samples from those who have died from opioid overdoses will play an essential role in the study.

With the help of the medical examiners office and permission of families, the team will establish a biobank of those tissue samples, which Zajic believes will be the first of its kind in the country and will be made available to researchers studying opioid abuse for the years to come.

This initiative has the potential to define risk factors for opioid addiction and develop strategies to prevent people from developing opioid use disorder and to thereby save lives," Dr. Annette Reboli, dean of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, said in a statement. "This collaboration is perhaps one of the most important we could undertake for the health of so many at-risk individuals.

The toxicology research on those who have died from opioid overdoses may also save lives on the streets of Camden, where the research is being conducted. If a bad batch of heroin is going around the citys neighborhoods, causing a spike in overdoses, instead of waiting a typical month to learn that information from public health officials, the team would be able to learn that in almost realtime from its research.

That is information we could share to public health officials, Zajic said, particularly if its a heroin supply that has been laced with fentanyl, which has been causing a rise in overdoses in recent years.

By sharing these samples, they may actually be helping prevent other deaths, he added.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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JERSEY CITY  Seventeen people were displaced this morning after a four-alarm fire tore through a residential home.

The fire, which broke out at around 5 a.m. at 124 South St., has left one home destroyed and two adjacent buildings damaged, according to video footage posted on social media.

Firefighters upon arrival found heavy fire in the rear of the building with the first and second floors fully involved, city spokeswoman Kim Wallace-Scalcione said.

Volunteers with the New Jersey Red Cross assisted 17 people  or five families  with emergency assistance, including temporary lodging, food and clothing, the organization said. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but does not appear suspicious, Wallace-Scalcione said.
Traveling to Downtown Jersey City from Greenville got harder this month when a private bus company decided to discontinue a bus route riders say is crucial not only to their livelihood, but to their purse strings as well.

The No. 4 bus service, formerly operated by the private Jersey City-based A&C Bus Corporation, was discontinued on March 2 due to low ridership, the company announced on its website. The route ran for roughly seven miles from Merritt Street near the Bayonne border to Newport Centre Mall, connecting riders from the Greenville and Bergen-Lafayette neighborhoods directly to Downtown Jersey City.

Renee Jackson said she took the bus daily, commuting to and from work, for mall trips and grocery shopping. Now, she has a 15-minute walk each morning to catch bus No. 81 for work.

Im very upset," Jackson said. You cant go to the mall. You cant go to the ShopRite. You cant do anything. Were just stuck.

Jackson, 53, noted that even though the bus service was lousy, she had no problem with it since it was the only bus that took her Downtown from her home in the area of Communipaw and Pacific avenues. She added that the light rail isnt accessible to everyone as a substitute.

On Feb. 13, state Sen. Sandra Cunningham joined state Assembly members Angela McKnight and Nicholas Chiaravalloti in penning a letter to A&C Corporation, urging the company not to discontinue the bus route.

Discontinuing this bus line would have a devastating impact on the community, the elected officials wrote in the letter. The one-month notice has provided little time for ourselves and other officials who represent the community to evaluate other options.

The letter went on to note that residents of the Greenville and Bergen-Lafayette neighborhoods have limited public transportation options. Cutting one more bus line would hurt these communities even more, the letter continues.

A&C Bus Corporation declined a request for comment from The Jersey Journal. The company also operates bus Nos. 30, 31, 32 and 33 in Jersey City.

Fulton and Ocean avenues, where the No. 4 bus stopped in Jersey City before it was discontinued on March 2, 2019.

Although there are five other bus routes connecting the Greenville and Bergen-Lafayette sections to other parts of the city, the No. 4 bus was the only one that took riders from various streets on Ocean and Pacific avenues directly to the Downtown ShopRite and Newport mall.

To alleviate travel burdens, NJ Transit modified bus No. 86s route, which runs from Newport mall to the Bergenline Avenue and 49th street in Union City, to include a stop on Pacific Avenue and Barbara Place to serve the Lafayette Senior Living Center. Another stop near Jersey City Medical Center was also added.

Beginning Saturday, March 2, NJ TRANSIT will make modifications to its No. 86 bus route in Jersey City to provide continued bus service to area residents, including the Lafayette Senior Living Center, following the termination of A&C Bus Route No. 4. Info: https://t.co/mMHoIbe4C7 pic.twitter.com/gUZ9vW7d21  NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) February 26, 2019

But not everyone is reaping the benefits from NJ Transits accommodations.

Shavonn Yorker, 40, said she lives on Pacific Avenue and took the No. 4 five times a week. She noted while she now opts to use ride-hailing apps like Uber or Lyft, shes most concerned about her elderly grandmother and aunt, who live on Ocean and Pacific avenues and relied on the No. 4 bus to take them Downtown.

They dont know about Lyft or Uber. They cant get around, Yorker said. Theres no type of public transportation to get them to the mall, to get them Downtown (or to) doctor appointments.

Jersey City is also expected to lose access to three light rail stations come June when the West Side Avenue, Martin Luther King Drive and Garfield Avenue stations will shut down for nearly a year for sewer work by the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority. The shutdown is expected to last until March 2020.

Diana Pacheco, a Bergen-Lafayette resident, said she rode bus No. 4 to the Grove Street PATH train station every morning as the first part of her commute to New York City for her social work job. For now she is relying on morning rides from her partner and taxis or ride-hailing apps when returning home.

But she has found the rides home carry a hefty price tag compared with the $1.60 bus fare.

The economics of having to rely now on a cab ... Its $8-9 every day. Its not that much, but if you add all that up," Pacheco said.

Pacheco, 32, said the light rail isnt an option in winter temperatures because its at least a 15-minute walk to the closest station.

She added shes also concerned about the elderly and children who used the bus go to school, and she doesnt understand how the bus company could claim low ridership.

The bus (was) crowded ... I dont know what theyre talking about, she said.

Yorker echoed Pachecos sentiments: Its really hurtful theyre just taking a bus from us, and theres nothing we can do, Yorker said.

Aya Elamroussi may be reached at aelamroussi@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @aya_elamroussi. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Ingrid Picon dropped off her three-month-old son, Jeremy, at a New Jersey caretakers home in June. Later that day, Jeremy was dead.

When he died I had doubts, Picon told NJ Advance Media in Spanish. My baby was perfectly healthy.

After leaving him with the caretaker in Plainfield on June 8, Picon went to work for a few hours. But then she received frantic calls saying there was a problem with her young son.

The baby wasnt breathing when I got there, Picon said. (His caretaker) had some wipes in her hand covered in blood. When I got there, she hadnt called the ambulance.

Eight months later, despite an ongoing investigation by the Union County Prosecutors Office, Picon still doesnt know why her young son died.

Picon said she later learned the woman was taking care of 16 other children in the second-floor apartment at the time. The caretakers home was not a licensed childcare facility, according to state documentation.

Picon said she worked four days a week and couldnt find anyone to take care of Jeremy. Through a friend, she heard of a Plainfield woman who babysat for other families. Ingrid took Jeremy to the home for three weeks without any issues, she said.

But during the fourth week, on a Friday, the woman called Picon, telling her to rush to her house. Picon worked about seven minutes away. When she arrived, the woman came out with the baby in her arms, Picon said. Blood and water came from his nose, she said.

The caretaker handed Jeremy to his mother and ran upstairs, Picon said. She called 911. Documents from the Plainfield Police Department show a call originating from the houses address at 12:14 p.m.

The Plainfield Police Department declined requests for further information, saying the incident is under investigation by the Union County Prosecutors Office.

After the investigation, I learned she took care of 17 kids, but she had a daughter who helped, Picon said, adding that she never went into the caretakers second-floor apartment when she dropped Jeremy off.

After arriving at the scene, police officers took 16 children to the Neighborhood House Association, a licensed daycare down the street, according to Carol Presley, its executive director.

Presley said cops called her on that day, asking if they could bring the young children to her facility. She agreed. She was not on site at that time, but she said other Neighborhood House employees gave the children food and diapers and kept them until their parents came.

Police didnt tell her why they brought the children over, she said. She was told that they came from a nearby house with children and toddlers in it.

The prosecutors office confirmed Jeremys death, and that the incident was under investigation.

There have not been criminal charges filed in connection with this investigation to date, according to Mark Spivey, director of communications for the prosecutors office.

There are no exact statistics tracking the number of child deaths at unlicensed facilities in New Jersey, according to Jason Butkowski, director of communications for the state Department of Children and Families.

In 2017, 28 children died nationwide from abuse or neglect from temporary caregivers who are unrelated to the child, such as babysitters or daycare staff members, according the Department of Health and Human Services.

But national statistics on child deaths at unlicensed daycares is sparse, too. An often-sited 2005 study by City University of New York found the fatality rate for children who receive care in private homes is sixteen times higher than the fatality rate for children in childcare centers. The data has not been updated since.

The home Jeremy was in, on Westervelt Avenue in Plainfield, is not listed by the state Department of Children and Families as a licensed childcare provider. If a location takes care of more than six children, it is required by state law to be licensed, said Diane Dellanno, Policy Analyst for Advocates for Children in New Jersey.

Dellanno said parents may choose to drop infants off at an unlicensed home out of desperation."

Few centers accept babies and toddlers, plus childcare is often unaffordable, she said. The median cost of infant care is $250 a week, she said.

Picon said she received her sons autopsy report two weeks ago. It was inconclusive, she said.

She does not plan on pressing charges against the caretaker.

(I) start to think, what do I gain with that? If I could revive my son and my son came back, I would do that.

Several attempts by NJ Advance Media to reach the caretaker were unsuccessful. As she has not been charged in this case, her identity is not being disclosed.

Since Jeremys death, Picon said she has felt depressed, but is leaning on her faith and her desire to be there for her other child, a seven-year-old daughter.

In the beginning, I felt like I was going crazy. I looked for a psychologist because I didnt understand. I thought I was going crazy, she said.

I want (the caretaker) to come to me and explain to me what happened.

Editors Note: Picons quotes were translated from an interview she gave to NJ Advance Media in Spanish.

Staff reporters Karen Yi and Carla Astudillo contributed to this report.

Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom.

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Two students at Piscataway High School who were disciplined for making racist social media posts told school administrators the posts were an inside joke, Superintendent Teresa M. Rafferty said.

Another student brought the posts to the attention of Principal Jason Lester Thursday morning. In doing an investigation we determined who the students were, Rafferty said. Neither the female junior nor the male senior student denied the posts.

They thought that it was a joke among a few friends, Rafferty said during a phone interview Saturday. I dont think they in any way expected this to have the impact it did or be as offensive as it was.

The post made by the female student was uploaded about three years ago, Rafferty said.

It is a picture of the girls face painted black. Only her eyes are clearly visible because bands of profanity-laced text obscure her nose and mouth. One line says, Guys, I look like Sharaab, Ro and Neyko now (smiley face emoji) LMFAOOOOOO.

The post by the male student was made recently, school officials said.

His post is also a close-up of his face, painted black, and it has one band of text near his chin that says, Can a fellow black man tell me how to apply for a n**** pass.

Piscataway High School in Middlesex County has about 2,200 students. Approximately 30 percent are African American, 15 percent are White, 15 percent are Hispanic and 40 percent are South Asian. They speak 60 different languages, school officials said.

We will be redoubling our effort to increase awareness and sensitivity .... so all students understand the history and challenges faced by many different people, Rafferty said.

Parents were sent a communication Thursday afternoon from Principal Lester telling them what happened and that it is being addressed, she said.

Rafferty could not share how the students were disciplined but did say that the districts code of conduct calls for suspension, counseling, community service and/or a reflective essay as consequences for various infractions.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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This time, heres hoping ExxonMobil doesnt get away with it  the same way that the oil and petrochemical giant did with an outrageous settlement four years ago of a statewide, longstanding pollution case that New Jersey had filed.

On Thursday, the state announced a new natural resources damage lawsuit against the company, covering just one small site in Paulsboro and East Greenwich Township. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal contends that ExxonMobil dumped cancer-causing chemicals, dating back to the 1950s, that have shown up in the Mantua Creek.

The new filing is a reminder that 2015s controversial 2 percent solution  ExxonMobil had to pay just $225 million for environmental damages that state attorneys had estimated at $8.9 billion  didnt cover everything that the company may have done in its past to foul New Jerseys water and land.

Christie administration officials defended the 2015 deal, saying that it ended litigation that had gone on since 2004, and that the state would have been unable to win the full $8.9 billion at trial. The pennies-on-the-dollar settlement sparked more outrage when it was reported last year that just $50 million of the $225 million would go to a cleanup.

The newly elected administration of Gov. Phil Murphy said $125 million would go straight into the general budget. Voters had just approved a constitutional amendment to prevent such raids on contamination case proceeds, but state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe said the settlement occurred before approval of the amendment. Using this loophole was a bad-faith move by a governor who likes to compare his environmental record to that of Gov. Chris Christie, who was in charge in 2015.

Later last year, in a final blow, the state Supreme Court upheld the $225 million settlement, ending a challenge to the tiny amount by environmental groups. The restoration work needed covers mainly former Exxon refinery sites in Linden and Bayonne, plus company-owned service stations all over the state. Apparently, the 12 Gloucester County acres known as Lail Property were not included.

At least history cant repeat itself entirely at the Lail site. Whatever judgment or settlement the state might receive wont be skimmed. Mobil, which previously owned the nearby Greenwich Township refinery, had undertaken a cleanup at the Lail site, but the state said it filed the suit because recent testing showed the work to be ineffective. Among red-flag items recently discovered as a result of the dumping are polychlorinated bipheynels (PCBs), such a potent cancer-causing agent that the federal government banned the insulating chemicals use in 1979.

Gloucester County residents are quite familiar with PCBs: The chemicals were found in the infamous lagoon at the Bridgeport Rental and Oil Services Superfund site in Logan Township. PCBs were additionally a focus of protests against a now-defunct toxic-waste incinerator, also in Logan, that wanted to burn them in the 1970s and 1980s.

ExxonMobil officials said Thursday that theyre surprised by the Lail lawsuit, because they have already spent $47 million to try to clean up the site.

Two successive administrations now have dirty hands with respect to making an oil giant fully fund a cleanup of its apparent dirty deeds. If the states new allegations have merit, the Murphy administration should play hardball. Grewal said the state intends to bring the hammer down on polluters and hold them responsible, but chances are good the Gloucester County case will also bring a negotiated settlement. Dont give away the store, and collect at least what it costs to make the creek virtually PCB-free.

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When I covered President Obamas first inaugural in 2009, I noticed one sign of conflict amidst the general euphoria.

It came in the form of a woman from Chicago who was holding a sign calling for Israel to get out of Gaza. Troops had been sent there the prior year in response to rocket attacks by Hamas.

When I interviewed the woman, who gave her name only as Angie, she told me she blamed the fighting on the president who was leaving office that day, George W. Bush.

The Obama supporters who walking past gave Angie and her sign a warm reception. I asked her how she thought the new president would do in handling the Mideast.

"So far, he's not much better," Angie said. "You heard the silence."

The silence was Obamas decision not to get involved in that dispute if he didnt have to. That was shrewd. Obama continued to be shrewd for the eight years during which he kept the opposing factions of his party mollified on Mideast policy.

If the events of the past week are any indication, that wont be the case for the next Democratic nominee for president.

The Democrats spent the week trying to decide whether and/or how to condemn remarks critical of Israel made by newly elected U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Those trying to have the Minnesota Democrat identified by name in the resolution lost the fight. By the time the final draft came out, the text was so bland that it might as well have been changed to Have a nice day.

That certainly didnt settle the issue. That will be up to the 20 or so Democrats who are expected to enter the race for the partys 2020 presidential nomination.

That should be quite a show, especially when the question of Mideast policy comes up. Thats illustrated by the rift that has opened up between our own Sen. Cory Booker and Shmuley Boteach, the Bergen County polemicist who has branded himself Americas Rabbi.

In a recent piece on the Jewish Press website, Boteach first identifies Booker as My closest friend since his years as a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford, where he served as president of my organization the Oxford LChaim Society, before writing that recently Booker removed all doubt as to just how firmly he would pander to anti-Israel extremists whose support he believes he needs to secure his partys nomination.

The senator did so by voting in favor of the Iran nuclear arms deal and against a bill that would have penalized Americans who support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement that pressures Israel on the Palestinian question.

In fact, theres nothing particularly extreme in either of those positions. That arms deal contained the toughest monitoring in history, according to the Princeton arms-control experts Ive interviewed.

As for the effort to ban the so-called BDS movement, that is of dubious constitutionality. In a Texas case that is now before a court, a schoolteacher is protesting being fired for refusing to sign a pledge that she wouldnt boycott Israel.

These are the sort of things on which reasonable people can disagree. Politicians are another story. And I cant wait for the topic of Mideast policy to come up in the first primary debate in June.

Back in 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton largely avoided having to play defense on foreign policy. The focus was on Republican Donald Trump, with his contention that the U.S. had screwed up pretty much everything it touched during the Bush and Obama years.

That shocked the experts, but not the voters. The idea of ending military intervention turned out to be quite popular with the Republican electorate.

It will be even more popular with Democratic voters, I suspect. I wouldnt be surprised to see the audiences leaping out of their seats when the antiwar candidates speak against intervention.

Most prominent of them is U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. Gabbard is an Iraq War vet whose noninterventionist views make her sound like Trump did in 2016:

Our actions to overthrow secular dictators in Iraq and Libya, and attempts now to do the same in Syria, have resulted in tremendous loss of life, failed nations, and even worse humanitarian crises while strengthening the very terrorist organizations that have declared war on America, she has said.

She caught a lot of heat for going to Syria and meeting with President Bashar Assad. Thats the sort of thing that drives the Washington establishment crazy. But its not the sort of thing that drives the typical Democratic primary voter crazy.

I suspect the other candidates will soon be trying to get to the left of Gabbard on foreign policy.

Or is it the right?

These days its hard to tell.

But it will be fun to watch.

ADD - THE MEDIA DONT KNOW THEIR LEFT FROM THEIR RIGHT: One of the biggest misconceptions in American politics is the inability to discern the different between right-wing and left-wing foreign policy. Boteach, for example, is often described as being on the right. But consider the comments he made during an appearance at Rutgers with Chris Christie during the 2016 Republican primary.

The first thing Boteach told the crowd was that his wife had dropped off their son at the airport that morning so he could fly to Israel and join the Israeli Army. When I bounced that off a real right-winger, state Senator and West Point grad Mike Doherty, he asked, Why isnt he joining the United States Army? Doherty did, served in an artillery unit in Germany during the Cold War.

I thought it a bit strange to hear Boteach boasting of that. It may be good politics, but it certainly does not fit with the America-first policy supported by the guy who beat Christie in that primary. To us conservatives, Boteach is a leftist.

The same goes for our other senator. Bob Menendez is as left-wing as any politician I know. Yet he is often described by the media as being a right-winger on Mideast matters. You cant be both a liberal and a conservative at the same time. And Bob Menendez is as far from being a conservative as anyone on the planet.

Dont tell my fellow members of the mainstream media, however. When it comes to foreign policy, they dont know their left from their right.
By Alexander Guerrero

Alexander Guerrero is a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University-New Brunswicks School of Arts and Science and the author of a forthcoming book that argues we should use lotteries, rather than elections, to select our political officials.

MORE: Find all the essays in this series at nj.com/democracy-upgrade

Its a commonly shared belief by people of all stripes that political institutions should be doing more to help us address the many problems we face.

And yet, our elected officials in Washington D.C. spend their time shutting down the government, fighting over immigration, ignoring climate change, and generally doing little to make things better.

Maybe Americas problem stems not from the fact that we arent picking the right people, but from the fact that we arent picking them in the right way.

Maybe  bear with me here  we should get rid of elections. I believe that you  that each of us  has something to offer, and that we can find ways to work together.

I propose we use a new system that uses random selection, rather than elections, to select political representatives.

I call it lottocracy.

For it to work, we must agree that having an elected, generalist legislature has run its course.

We should instead have randomly-chosen citizens selected to serve on single-issue legislatures, each covering specific areas such as immigration, transportation, education, agriculture and so on. There would be no elected president. The executive functions would be covered partly by single-issue legislative bodies, partly by executive agencies made up of officials who were appointed and screened by randomly-chosen citizens. The Supreme Court would continue to protect individual constitutional rights. Much more could be said, and I say more elsewhere, but lets focus on the details of the legislative system.

How would it work? As the name implies, its a civic lottery, where all adult citizens would be eligible to be chosen at random to serve. The size of each single-issue legislature could vary, but lets say 300 randomly-chosen citizens.

Each single-issue legislature would begin with a learning phase, during which the randomly-chosen people would learn about different policy ideas in that area and hear from experts, stakeholders, and activists who work in that area. They would then have the opportunity to engage with the broader community, deliberate with each other, and come up with policy proposals.

Imagine that each randomly-chosen person serves for three years; that they are paid a substantial salary (to prevent graft and to encourage participation); that they can postpone service if needed; that protections are in place so they arent set back at work; and that efforts are made to accommodate personal schedules.

Why might this be better than what we currently have?

First, moving away from a generalist legislative process opens up places for us to identify issues on which we agree, moving us out of the situation where our attention is concentrated on those few issues which most deeply divide us.

Second, by randomly choosing people, it might finally become possible for us to move beyond elite capture and control of political institutions. In the United States, 140 of the 535 people serving in Congress have a net worth over $2 million, 78 percent are male, 83 percent are white, and more than 50 percent were previously lawyers or businesspeople. Clearly, this is not a true representation of what our nation looks like. People from all walks of life have something to offer. We should value the contributions and ideas of all people, not just the wealthiest people.

Third, elections result in an excessive focus on the short-term. Elected officials care about what they can get credit for in the time between elections, leading them to ignore those big problems  like climate change  that have a longer time horizon.

Our apparent division is a story of manufactured conflict, where the most powerful members of society keep us from working together by creating this sense of two teams, Democratic and Republican, and handing each team a set of policy positions and political candidates that are basically agreeable to the most powerful.

Might we actually see this kind of political reform? Probably not soon, at least not at the kind of scale I just presented. But we shouldnt start with that scale, anyway. We should instead take small, experimental steps. And some of these have already been taken around the world. Citizens assemblies, consisting of randomly chosen citizens, were used in the Netherlands and Canada to reform election law.

Randomly chosen citizens were also brought into the process of constitutional reform in Iceland and Ireland in recent years. We should look for similar opportunities here  at the municipal, county, state, and (perhaps) federal levels. We should think more creatively about how we might work together.

Lottocratic selection might be a way of taking real democratic control back.

Could this idea work?

The most readily available realization of an idea like this is the American jury system. By virtually all accounts, it is successful in requiring randomly-selected citizens to drop whatever else they are doing and spend days, weeks or occasionally months deliberating about legal matters that previously, in most cases, were totally unfamiliar to them, and to arrive at decisions objective analysts generally consider wise.  John Weingart, Eagleton Institute of Politics

For the full response, and why this wont work: Could our democracy be upgraded? We asked 3 political scientists

Find all the essays in this series at nj.com/democracy-upgrade
By Sanford Levinson

Sanford Levinson is a professor at the University of Texas Law School, where he holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law.

MORE: Find all the essays in this series at nj.com/democracy-upgrade

For the health of our democracy, the American people should conduct regular checkups for the U.S. Constitution  a national vote, every 25 years, on whether we should hold a constitutional convention to discuss amending, or even completely replacing, our supreme statute.

Unfortunately, the Constitutions own Article V makes constitutional reform nearly impossible. It constructs the highest barriers to amendment of any existing constitution in the world. This should not be surprising, since it was crafted by elites who were extremely wary of the notion of democracy.

But we can find models for constitutional reform in states like New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nebraska and Florida, where the process of amending, or even replacing a state constitution, is substantially easier.

By the 1820s, belief in democracy was on the rise  and many existing states redrafted their constitutions to reflect this. Several mimicked New Hampshires constitution, which required the states electorate, at regular intervals, to vote on whether to hold a constitutional convention. New Hampshire has held multiple conventions and added dozens of amendments. New Jersey has gone further by replacing its constitution in 1844 and 1947.

Many other states have direct democracy systems in which proposed amendments can reach the electorate by popular initiative, and referendums are then held on the proposals. For example, when Nebraska in 1934 concluded that a state senate was not necessary, a popular vote adopted the Unicameral which has served the state well for over 80 years. In November, Florida voters adopted a proposal that restored voting rights to more than a million convicted felons who had served their time.

Direct democracy has its problems. But the absolute exclusion of the American people from any decision-making role at the national level, save voting for representatives who may focus more on special interests than the public good, has enormous problems as well. As the historian Gordon Wood has noted, constitutional amendment  and even replacement, as in New Jersey  is a peaceful alternative to revolution.

If I could change one thing about the U.S. Constitution, I would emulate New Hampshire and, every 25 years, give the national electorate the opportunity to call for a new constitutional convention. I would also advocate for a national direct democracy system of initiatives and referenda for constitutional amendments. We might even wish to require a new convention at least every 50 years, in the absence of a popular vote calling for a convention.

A regularly scheduled constitutional convention is like an annual doctors checkup in that it would allow us to genuinely examine the Constitutions strengths and weaknesses, and provide for early detection of problems, rather than waiting for serious illness.

Such a national discussion would allow us to apply the lessons of experience, as the authors of The Federalist Papers exhorted. Some Americans feel we should make radical changes to the Constitution. Many others disagree. But the point is to have an overdue conversation and hear each other out, and ensure these conversations take place regularly.

Could this idea work?

This proposal astutely points to state-level initiative and referendum models; states are an important part of federalism and can pave the way for nationwide change. And while perhaps we do not need regular revolutions, as Thomas Jefferson suggested, we do need to listen to the people more.  Ashley Koning, Eagleton Institute of Politics

For the full response, and why this wont work: Could our democracy be upgraded? We asked 3 political scientists

Find all the essays in this series at nj.com/democracy-upgrade
By Derrick Darby

Derrick Darby, a professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, is a co-author of The Color of Mind: Why the Origins of the Achievement Gap Matter for Justice. He writes about inequality, education, and democracy.

MORE: Find all the essays in this series at nj.com/democracy-upgrade

The suffering of Americas poor puts democracy at risk. Look at those struggling to make ends meet in the rust belt and rural counties: They are fed up and either dont bother to vote, or risk entrusting their votes to would-be autocrats who promise to end their suffering by getting tough on crime, closing borders, and creating jobs through trickle-down corporate welfare.

We can protect against this with a guaranteed basic income  a government-financed unconditional cash allowance for poor people. Economic insecurity is a national epidemic in need of a government solution.

Or consider the residents of Queensbridge in Long Island City, Queens. The largest public housing development in the Western Hemisphere was, until this week, bracing for a new neighbor  Amazon HQ2. Before Amazon canceled its plans to build a huge campus in Long Island City, the residents here wondered whether the corporate giant would mitigate their suffering with jobs.

The State of New York reportedly offered Amazon $1.5 billion to move into the Big Apple. That included a $235 million cash grant, enough to pay all Queensbridge residents living in poverty about $900 a month for the next decade. The sprawling slums median household income is $15,474 and 47 percent of residents live in poverty.

Politicians who support tax breaks for the wealthy often speak against cash for Americas poor. Arent they already getting enough public welfare with food stamps and housing vouchers? Wont they squander it on drugs, alcohol and Air Jordans?

Lets instead ask: Arent we spending too much on huge tax breaks for wealthy companies? Would the money be better invested in safety net programs like health care, early childhood education, daycare and job training? And when did the rich stop getting high or drunk, and buying luxuries they dont need? Isnt investing directly in peoples welfare, so they can help themselves, a better bet than hoping corporate welfare benefits will trickle down to the poor?

Amazons arrival will benefit those who can afford the luxury housing and amenities flooding the area in advance of its arrival. Long Island City should take a lesson from Newarks creation of a Commission to Prevent Gentrification and Ensure Equitable Growth, to ensure the rising economic tide lifts all boats.

If government can support wealthy corporations with cash, it can support poor people with a basic income. Some say the poor dont deserve it  as if Amazon deserves a billion-dollar tax break. But merit has nothing to do with why we should support the poor. Its really an investment in protecting our democracy.

Plenty of politicians are willing to use fear, hate and deception  the tools of fascism  to divide rural and urban poor people in order to win democratic elections. Voting gives desperate people the power to undo democracy democratically, by giving power to representatives who are hostile to the press, the rule of law, and voting rights. Promoting the welfare of the poor through a guaranteed basic income isnt just about them. It is a pro-democracy reform.

Correction: This article originally said New York City offered $1.5 billion to bring Amazon to the city. New York State reportedly offered that amount.

Could this idea work?

There is growing interest in easing the burdens associated with political participation. This mood might pave the way for support for initiatives like guaranteed basic income that make democratic participation more widely accessible.  Elizabeth C. Matto, Eagleton Institute of Politics

For the full response, and why this wont work: Could our democracy be upgraded? We asked 3 political scientists

Find all the essays in this series at nj.com/democracy-upgrade
As a high school girl, Judith Valente worked for Sylvettes, a now-closed womans clothing store on Broadway in Bayonne. Two supervisors, Angie and Josie, made a lasting impression on her. They provided fresh cookies, teas and hot chocolate for the employees, but it was the way they unpacked the blouses and other clothes with care that stayed with Valente.

They treated all the items of everyday life as vessels of the altar, Valente recalled. After all, she said, this ritual showed respect for the women who would wear the items.

Decades later, as Valente has published her second book on living the Benedictine life, How to Live, she saw these two supervisors as models of what she called The Care of Souls.

By reflecting on the rule of St. Benedict -- work and pray -- Valente shows how it can change everyday lives even for people not living in a monastery.

What struck me are the community, consensus, listening, prayer and silence and how I can apply it to my everyday life, she said.

Valente has become an oblate, or laywoman, who strives to incorporate these ideals into her own life.

An accomplished and award-winning journalist, twice a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, Valente started out at The Jersey Journal and went on to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She worked in many male-dominated newsrooms where she had to stand her ground and succeeded by using her Hudson County toughness.

But she sees a better way and the value of the Benedictine life to choose community over competition, consensus over conflict, simplicity over self-gain and silence over the constant chatter in our lives.

After finishing the very readable book, I traveled to St. Walburga Monastery in Elizabeth, which I have passed a hundred times but had never entered, and met with the prioress, Sister Mary Feehan. It was a snowy day with bright sun and blue sky and the 10 acres of land could have been in the countryside.

Feehan grew up in Elizabeth and graduated from two schools run by her order. She entered in 1962 when there were more than 200 sisters attached to this monastery out teaching or working in hospitals. Today, there are 27 sisters, six of whom are in the infirmary. They run the Benedictine Academy for 130 girls and a daycare program for about 20 children.

Our way of life is prayer and hospitality, Feehan said.

The sisters also run retreats for small numbers and welcome laypeople and their oblates to pray with them. They pray four times a day and celebrate Mass at 6:30 a.m., said by a Benedictine priest from the nearby Newark Abbey. Sunday Mass is at 11 a.m.

Their relatively new chapel is all blond wood with a ton of sunlight bathing the space in daytime.

In 1868, the Elizabeth sisters became an independent community with German Sister Walburga Hock as their first prioress. Feehan remembers an Elizabeth that was very European. Today, it is much more intercultural.

Feehan is not worried about the future of religious life and believes something new is unfolding. And with Valentes dedication to spreading these Benedictine values  she embarks this month on a 25-city speaking tour  she might be that change. She will be in Rome for the worldwide meeting of oblates in autumn.

Next Thursday, March 21, is the Feast of St. Benedict, a 6th-century saint who also lived among violence, wealth hording, xenophobia, and distrust for politics. Too bad, he cant run for the Democratic nomination for president. Or maybe Valente who would lock up New Jersey with her adopted Chicagos penchant for bare-bone politics. Perhaps, though, someone in the spirit of Benedict who, as author Kathleen Norris surmised is, open to the beauty around them and more hospitable to their fellow human beings, whoever they may be.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.

Details ...

How to Live: What the Rule of St. Benedict Teaches Us About Happiness, Meaning and Community, by Judith Valente; Hampton Roads Publishing, $16.95.

Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth, St. Walburga Monastery, 851 N. Broad St., Elizabeth, NJ 07208, (908) 352-4278, BenedictineSisters@bensisnj.org. Sunday schedule: 10:30 a.m. morning prayer; 11 a.m. Eucharist; 5 p.m. vespers; 6:45 p.m. Compline.
NEW YORK  On the cusp of another White House run, Joe Biden faces a daunting challenge that could complicate his path to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination: money.

Those close to the former vice president believe he would start off at a fundraising disadvantage compared to would-be rivals, whose campaigns have benefited from an early flood of small-dollar donations from the most liberal wing of the party. Biden, a 76-year-old lifetime politician with strong connections to the party's establishment, would be forced to rely on an "old-school grind-it-out" plan to generate campaign cash from wealthy individual donors, according to a person with direct knowledge of Biden's thinking.

Questions about money are among the nagging issues Biden is still considering as he weighs launching a campaign. He's decamped this week to St. Croix, a favorite Biden family vacation spot in the Caribbean, to discuss the remaining roadblocks with his wife, Jill.

Biden has long disliked the time-intensive process of political fundraising. But with virtually no campaign operation in key states, he'd need to generate millions of dollars in a matter of weeks should he enter what is expected to be the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history.

"He obviously has a lot of friends among the Democratic donor community," said David Axelrod, one of former President Barack Obama's top political advisers. "But fundraising today is turbo-charged by social media. He's not of the social media generation."

The fundraising question comes as Biden allies across the country feel an increasing sense of urgency for the Democratic heavyweight to declare his intentions. He has repeatedly hinted that he's close to making a decision, but those close to him now believe that an announcement, which some expected in January, might be delayed until April.

Democrats in key primary states are warning that its becoming more difficult to persuade Biden holdouts to be patient as a crowded field of presidential contenders such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders actively fight for their support.

In South Carolina, which holds the first primary contest in the South, Charleston County Democratic Party Chairman Brady Quirk-Garvan said Biden's indecision has created a holding pattern for potential staffers and supporters. As time drags on, he said, he's fielding calls from some who are confused by Biden's indecision.

"Several have said it's concerning that he can't seem to make up his mind," Quirk-Garvan said. "If you're going to run for president, most people want someone who's pretty damn sure they want to be president."

Biden has made clear to his family, friends and advisers that he wants to run, but he has held off giving his team the final go-ahead to launch a campaign. Among the factors giving him pause is concern about the impact a presidential run would have on his family, particularly given his son Hunter's complicated personal history.

Even so, Biden adviser Steve Ricchetti has been signaling to potential Democratic rivals that Biden is expected to run. Other advisers including Greg Schultz and Peter Kavanaugh have been in regular contact with potential staff across the country to ensure Biden could quickly ramp up a national organization.

Those close to Biden expect him to signal his decision  at least internally  in the coming days to be followed by an intense period of hiring ahead of an April announcement should he decide to run.

Biden's likely entry into the race was among the factors that led former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to decide this week that he would not launch a campaign. Biden and Bloomberg spoke after the former mayor announced his decision, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation.

That person, like others in the story, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.

Biden has openly raised questions about the social media and fundraising landscape, which has changed dramatically since he first joined Obama on the Democrats' 2008 presidential ticket.

Several 2020 Democratic contenders have condemned super PACs in recent weeks. Warren, who has been struggling to raise money, took it a step further late last month, vowing not to court wealthy donors at all.

Biden acknowledged during a recent appearance at the University of Delaware that fundraising is a major consideration.

"We also are making a decision on whether or not we can fund this campaign on my conditions because I will not be part of a super PAC  and to see whether or not it's realistic," Biden said. "An awful lot of people have offered to help  the people, who are usually the biggest donors in the Democratic Party, and, I might add, some major Republican folks."

A frequent headliner on the Democratic money circuit, Biden is well-known among donors but does not have a pool of big-dollar fundraisers lined up ready to commit to his campaign.

And his fundraising track record is underwhelming at best.

He faced little more than token opposition in his long run as a Delaware senator, requiring a relatively light fundraising burden. And in his 2008 presidential run, Biden raised barely half of the $20 million fundraising goal he set before dropping out of the race following a weak finish in the Iowa caucuses.

He was outraised by four other Democratic candidates in the final three months of his campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

With no clear front-runner in the crowded 2020 Democratic field, many of Obama's donors are holding off on making commitments to one candidate or plan to give smaller amounts to multiple candidates in the coming months. Biden's entry into the race is unlikely to change that approach, according to a Democrat who has spoken to several Obama donors.

But at least one Obama donor, Don Peebles, a two-time member of the former president's national finance team, expressed confidence in Biden's fundraising ability.

"I think he'd raise more money than several of the top candidates combined," Peebles said, vowing to support Biden if he runs. "He's the best chance that the Democrats have to win in November."

Some Biden loyalists are not as patient.

In Iowa, Roxana Moritz, who was part of Biden's Iowa steering committee during his failed 2008 bid, expressed concern that by waiting so long, Biden was allowing other candidates to peel off some of his supporters.

"The longer it goes, the harder it gets" for the former vice president to consolidate support, said Mortiz, the Scott County auditor.

While she's still certain to support Biden if he runs, Moritz is getting anxious.

I wish that he would be clear on his plans, she said.
The Marrying Judge, Vernon J. Wilty III, was very busy on Valentines Day as he officiated at the weddings of 12 couples and celebrated the vow renewals of two couples that had each been married a very long time.

For the first time ever, the Gretna Historical Society, hosts of the annual event, welcomed a visitor from across the pond. Freda Hutchinson lives in Darlington in Northern England, just over the border from Gretna Green, Scotland.

Familiar with Blacksmith Weddings and visiting a local, she came to check out Gretnas Valentine Day version of the nuptials. Her plan upon returning home to England is to describe all she witnessed here to her friends in Gretna Green, Scotland.

She was especially impressed with bagpiper, John Rode, who escorted each couple as they did their wedding march through the arch and on to meet the judge.

The weddings were all individual ceremonies, as the judge does not perform group weddings.

Wilty renewed the vows of lifetime Gretna residents, Donald and Jo Ann Kerner Olsen, who are celebrating their 60th anniversary year. High school sweethearts and West Jeff Class of 1957 alumni, the Olsens were married on Jan. 17, 1959, at Salem Lutheran Church.

He, a retired diesel mechanic and seaplane pilot and she, a homemaker and substitute teacher, now both happily retired, have always had a passion for world travel. Besides traveling with friends and family, over the years the Olsens volunteered for multiple social and civic organizations. They have both been longtime members and officers of Gretna Historical Society and the Friends of the German-American Cultural Center.

Their four daughters, Karen O. Strawn, Kerri O. Dantin, Donna O. Dantin and Suzanne O. Miller and their husbands and the couples nephew, Thomas F. Kerner, hosted a surprise anniversary party recently at Timberlane Country Club. The couple has eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

At the anniversary party, their longtime friend, Councilman Mark Miller, on behalf of Mayor Belinda Constant and the City Council, presented a Proclamation from the City of Gretna to honor the couple.

At the vow renewal, Mayor Constant presented a certificate of recognition of this important anniversary to the Olsens, thanking them again for their service to the city.

Having their vows renewed at the Blacksmith Shop Valentine Weddings was especially poignant for the couple since many times in the past, they had been volunteers for the annual event.

The other vow renewal of the day was for 50th year anniversary celebrants, Jose and Blanca Estrada Mejia, who shared that they were very pleased to have the option to renew their vows in such a nice way that could include their large contingent of family and friends.

It was agreed among the historical society volunteers and Judge Wilty that in the 18-year history of the Valentine Weddings, no couple had ever had such a large entourage of guests to witness their ceremony. Their children, grandchildren, some nieces and nephews were there, including a daughter who flew in from Chicago just for the ceremony to return home the same day.

According to Blanca Mejia, Jose Mejia is completely retired from Chiquita Banana and just entertains himself as the editor of a magazine, Temas Nicas.

She is retired from Pan-American Life Insurance, but being a Certified Federal Court Interpreter, she still gets calls to work many times a month.

Another first at the Gretna Valentine Day weddings, one of the dozen couples who were married was surprising from China.

Yajun Guo, who lives in Metairie, came to the U.S. to do research and his lovely new bride, Qiusheng Chen, who had been living in Pennsylvania, works in the pharmaceutical field. The couple will continue living here for a few years, but plan to return to China permanently one day.

Chen was totally intrigued with every phase of the ceremony and the history of the Gretna Green, Scotland, wedding connection. The couple had no guests with them, so Sylvia Schwarz and I signed as witnesses on their marriage license. I videoed everything for the couple, including their wedding march with the piper who played as he escorted them to the blacksmith shop and the entire ceremony as performed by Judge Wilty, as well as Blacksmith Tommy Verrett striking the anvil to seal the deal. The group toasted with the bubbly and all was well.

Every couple went home with a wedding photo compliments of Sylvia and Irvin Schwarz, a rose and heart balloon compliments of Judge Wilty, a certificate from the City of Gretna and a gift certificate for a mini cake from Amore Bakery.

Other couples married that day included Steven Arestondo and Nery Elver; James Moore and Angela Singleton; Brett Burkett and Rayonia Scieneaux; Tirrell Lewis and Tremeda Williams; Trevor Hawkins and Dakota Taylor; Michael Seymour and Brenda Edwards; Davis Lozier and Sabrina Mack; Paul Boudreaux and Lorraine Crutti; Daniel Burris and Lynnisha Henry; Recardo Hite and Ebony Williams; and Alister Brazley and Kaylee Chauvin.

Runaway marriages began in 1754, when an Act was passed in England stating that consent had to be given by parents if both parties to a marriage were not at least 21 years old. This did not apply in Scotland where it is still possible to wed at 16 without parental consent.

This led to many elopers fleeing to Scotland, arriving at the first village, Gretna Green. The blacksmith shop, the focal point of the village became the center of the marriage trade.

The blacksmiths anvil became the symbol of runaway weddings, as not only were metals joined together on the heat of the fire, but couples were also joined in marriage in the heat of the moment.

So Valentines Day is now the romantic anniversary date of the dozen happy couples who enjoyed a special day in their lives compliments of Gretna Historical Society.

The next big event that the society will host is the Spring Tour of Homes, so mark your calendar for April 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. The tour will feature six beautiful homes in the historic district, the fabulous new residence on Newton and 8th Streets and for the first time ever, one of the Riverview Condos on 1st Street.

Helen Williams is a Gretna resident who writes about people and events of community interest. She can be reached at 504.450.8481 or email her at gretnaglance@cox.net. Her posts and videos can be seen at: http://connect.nola.com/user/mhwilliams/index.html.
Catina Curley should never have gone to prison. She was trying to protect herself when she killed her abusive husband on March 30, 2005, in their Little Woods home.

Police reports presented at her March 2007 trial showed that she was a repeated victim of domestic abuse during her 12-year relationship with Renaldo Curley. Several of her children testified that they also had been beaten by him and had seen him hit their mother. A former supervisor at Wal-Mart testified that Catina Curley often called in sick while she was working there because of injuries to her face.

Ms. Curley said she picked up a gun that day because she was afraid he was going to beat her again. When he moved toward her, the gun just went off, she said.

Jurors didnt believe she was at risk. They found her guilty of second-degree murder, which would have been a life sentence.

But, after more than a decade in prison, she is free.

The Louisiana Supreme Court overturned her conviction last year, finding that she lacked effective assistance of counsel because her lawyer didnt call witnesses with expertise in the effects of domestic violence.

The court ordered a new trial, and Catina Curley was found not guilty last week.

It was a joyous day for her. But it shouldnt have taken so long for her to get justice.

Her case is a reminder of the difficulty battered spouses have in getting the public and the courts to understand their terror.

In granting Ms. Curley a retrial, the Supreme Court said expert witnesses are needed to help jurors and judges understand the experiences, beliefs and perceptions of women who are beaten by their intimate partners  information the common lay person usually does not possess.

Women in these cases often are more harshly treated than men who kill their spouses.

Tania Tetlow, an expert in domestic violence who is now president of Loyola University, wrote about that pattern after Ms. Curley was convicted.

In a May 2007 opinion piece for The Times-Picayune, she pointed out that women who kill their male partners are sentenced to an average of 15 years. That is three times longer than male defendants, despite the fact that many of these women acted in self-defense, she said.

Women in abusive relationships find themselves trapped. They know that the system will not, or sometimes cannot, protect them from husbands who promise to track them down and kill them, she wrote. If these women try to save their own lives, fight back and end up killing their batterers, they often face life sentences in prison. Their children are effectively orphaned.

That is what the original sentence did to Ms. Curley and her children. Thankfully, the courts have given her back her life.

Judge Arthur Hunter, who oversaw her new trial last week, took the moment to talk about domestic violence.

Questions beg to be answered. How many more children have to be traumatized, how many more people have to go to prison, how many more people have to die before we get more proactive than reactive with domestic violence? he asked.

"When, as a community, do we develop a comprehensive holistic plan and commit the resources to address domestic violence? When, as a community, do we do what is necessary to avoid the next Renaldo Curley and the next Catina Curley?

Our justice system has been slow to recognize the dangers domestic violence victims face.

Until 2017, dating partners werent covered under Louisianas domestic abuse and battery laws.

The Legislature made it illegal in 2014 for some domestic abuse offenders to possess guns, but lawmakers didnt set up a mechanism for those guns to be turned in until last year. The passage of Sen. J.P. Morrells legislation for gun transfers was an important victory.

Having strong laws in place is important. But we also still need to educate people to understand what years of being beaten does to victims.

Catina Curley spent a decade in prison because jurors didnt understand her fear of her husband that day in March 2007. That shouldnt happen to anyone else.
Of all the pejoratives opposing sides throw at each other in political debates, Ive always thought one of the most damming is NIMBYism  Not In My Back Yard.

Thats the charge earned by folks who support potentially damaging government policies  until they come to their world. As in, I dont care if they allow more pollution from that power plant in Arizona, I live 1,000 miles away.

In most cases NIMBYism just shows gross selfishness. But when it comes to environmental policies it also reveals ignorance of a fundamental truth about the Earths ecosystem: Nature makes neighbors of us all.

Those thoughts came to mind with this recent local headline: Jefferson Council signals intent to rescind permit for Waggaman cyanide plant.

It seems a year ago the council unanimously approved that permit against no opposition, but now residents living in Harahan and River Ridge  across the river and often downwind from the existing plant  are demanding that decision be reversed. Homeowners said they were already tired of getting whiffs of noxious chemicals in their suburban air. They want that stopped, not extended or increased.

They charged the council with caring more about the economic fortunes of a company than the health of constituents.

"This is not about jobs and economic development. This is about the Jefferson Parish Council ensuring the health, safety and welfare of the citizens," said a River Ridge resident.

And these voters became incensed when council members pointed out none of them had showed up to state their objections at the meeting when the permit was granted.

As one of them told the council: Thats your job! "We expect you to do your job when we're not looking," he said.

Mind you, this wasnt happening in San Francisco, but next door in Jefferson Parish!

OK, so how does NIMBYism come into play here?

Because Jefferson Parish is GOP country. Almost all of its elected officials are Republicans. And when it comes to environmental regulations, that partys policy consistently has been to put business profits over constituents health. So many of the folks complaining about that permit were complicit in its passage. In fact, their voting records show they have been fine with increasing pollution in other places at least for the past two years.

It started with their support for Donald Trump, the president who constantly brags about how successful hes been in rolling back environmental regulations, which he considers to be too big an economic burden on business. If youve got a few hours, you can read all of those efforts online at The Master List of Trump Rollbacks. Those GOP voters must approve of that policy because the latest polls show they still give Trump an 89 percent approval rating.

And these angry River Ridge residents cant get off the NIMBYism hook by claiming they didnt know Trump would turn into the Polluter-in-Chief when they voted for him two years ago. Thats because Trump cant put more poison in your air and water without help from Congress  and last year Jefferson Parish residents gave 72 percent of their votes to reelect Rep. Steve Scalise, one of Trumps most loyal supporters in the regulation rollbacks.

So, you really cant blame those GOP Parish Council members for being shocked (shocked!) when some of their constituents suddenly wanted to breath less cyanide  even if that means costing a business a few extra bucks. Why, theyre beginning to sound like those wacky environmental extremists Trump is always pointing to as the only folks who oppose his regulatory rollbacks.

Of course, this probably reminds many people of the other recent case of local NIMBYism: The sudden concern by those solid supporters of the GOPs drill-baby-drill policy in St. Tammany Parish when they discovered a fracking well might be put in their green community.

Whats always puzzled me about these sudden conversions to environmental awareness among so-called conservatives is that this is seen as somehow abandoning what it means to be conservative. No self-professed conservative has ever been able to explain why it would be inconsistent to be, say, pro-business, pro-life and pro-environment?

Healthy populations are better for business success because they have higher incomes and remain customers over longer lives.

And how can anyone who believes in protecting a fetus right to life then turn around and support policies likely to make that life shorter and more painful? Currently the odds of a child developing cancer in the United States is about 1 in 300, but if we allow more known carcinogens to be pumped into our air and water, the risk is bound to become greater. Yet thats exactly what the Trump GOP is currently doing.

Pollutants are equal opportunity killers; they dont ask which party you belong to before causing deadly disturbances to your body. Nor are they constrained by political boundaries. They can travel through the air and water from a poor neighborhood to a wealthy one, from a blue state to a red state. When more poisons are allowed into the air in Arizona, they could come land in a Louisiana backyard.

Judging by their votes in previous elections, some of those River Ridge residents didnt care much about those facts until they got a whiff from the cyanide plant across the river and found out their elected council thought it was OK to keep that going.

Hopefully now  even if they still dont care about what happens to other Americans  theyll understand when it comes to pollution, we all share the same backyard.

Bob Marshall, former Outdoors editor for The Times-Picayune and former environmental reporter for The Lens, will be writing a regular column. He can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com.
Catherine Quintanas father had been in and out of a hospital for weeks, and the family understood that his time was running out.

Her 78-year-old father, Ernest Quintana, had lung disease and was struggling to breathe on his own. On March 3, he was admitted to a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Fremont, Calif., for the third time in 15 days, Ms. Quintana said. He had his wife of nearly six decades and other members of his family at his side.

While they awaited the results of a CT scan, Ms. Quintana, 54, and her mother decided they would quickly go home to shower. Ms. Quintanas daughter Annalisia Wilharm stayed at his bedside.

Ms. Wilharm, 33, said a tall machine on wheels eventually rolled into the room. Attached was a screen streaming a live video of a doctor wearing a headset.
Well enjoy the ride for a while. How did my dad say it? Fasten your seatbelt.

JAN DE KLERK, a white South African and a son of F.W. de Klerk, the former president who negotiated the end of apartheid with Nelson Mandela, commenting on the conflict between whites and blacks over land.
A new Starz series follows a group of Los Angeles millennials. And Janelle Monae, SZA and Yolanda Adams are among the performers at an Aretha Franklin tribute show on CBS.

Whats on TV

NOW APOCALYPSE 9 p.m. on Starz. If you have premium cable, you might as well enjoy the freedom it offers filmmakers who want to explore adult matters. Or millennial matters. This proudly hookup-stuffed comedy series, a brainchild of the New Queer Cinema pioneer Gregg Araki and the Vogue sex columnist Karley Sciortino, follows a group of 20-somethings, including Avan Jogia and Kelli Berglund, exploring themselves  and each other  in a color-drenched Los Angeles. It shares some themes with Arakis teenage apocalypse trilogy, about teens dealing with isolation and sexuality. We started during the twilight years of the Obama administration, Araki recently told The New York Times. Thats why the show has that almost utopian quality of free love  these kids having sex and figuring themselves out. Then 2016 happened. Theres always been that darker, Lynchian aspect of the show, but that became more pronounced.

FINDING JUSTICE 8 p.m. on BET. This documentary series looks at inequality in predominantly black communities in six American cities. Sunday nights debut episode looks at activists in Tampa, Fla., protesting the state's Stand Your Ground law. Later episodes center on Baltimore, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Atlanta, Los Angeles and St. Louis.
The National | Mar. 06, 2019

Qatar Airways' boss Akbar Al Baker said the company will report another financial loss this year as the Doha-based carrier mulls abandoning the Oneworld global alliance.

The airline is likely to exit Oneworld in a month or two and if it decides to leave, the departure will create a "big hole" within the alliance's network connectivity as the carrier is a big contributor, Mr Al Baker said in a press conference at the ITB fair in Berlin on Wednesday. The executive complained of bullying behaviour by some individuals within the group but did not identify them.

"We have given them breathing space to get their act together," he said. "When you invite somebody to your house, then you tell me you can't drink from the water, I can drink from the tap instead. Qatar Airways is not a Mickey Mouse airlines."

The executive is known for making fiery statements and lambasting fellow airlines and major plane-makers when negotiating ahead of making decisions on deals.

Mr Al Baker revisited his repeated threats to exit the Oneworld alliance following tensions as fellow member Qantas Airways resisted Qatar Airways' expansion into Australia and a long-standing dispute with rival American Airlines, which along with other US carriers, argues that the Doha-based airline receives illegal state subsidies that creates unfair competition.

Qatar Airways will report its second consecutive annual loss this year, citing rising fuel costs and unfavourable currency swings.

Qatar Airways recorded a 252.47 million Qatari riyals (Dh254m) loss at the end of March 2018 compared with a profit of 2.79 billion riyals the previous year, blaming the Arab boycott of its country that drove up operational costs. The airline's financial year ends in March.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt severed commercial and political ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing the state of supporting extremist groups. The quartet banned Qatar Airways flights in their airspace, forcing the Doha airline to cancel 18 routes and divert others, which increased fuel costs and flight times.

In the fiscal year ending March, which the airline called the "most challenging" in its 20-year history, Qatar Airways carried 29.2 million passengers to the end of March 2018, down from 32 million the previous year.
North Korea: President Trump, months after declaring on Twitter that there is no nuclear threat from North Korea, was forced to acknowledge that Kim Jong-un had indeed continued to build out his nuclear program, even during their budding friendship and long before their second summit meeting in Vietnam.

South Africa: A generation after apartheid, nearly 70 percent of farms held by individuals have white owners, fueling disappointment in the governing African National Congress and spurring some in the black majority to seize land themselves.

Paul Manafort: President Trumps former campaign chairman was sentenced to 47 months in prison for perpetuating a decades-long, multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, a relatively lenient punishment that drew sharp criticism from legal experts.

Tesla: In need of a boost to its revenues and battered stock prices, the automaker is set to unveil the Model Y, an S.U.V. crossover, this week. The chief executive, Elon Musk, said it would have 10 percent more space than the Model 3 sedan and cost slightly more. The companys revenues and stock price has been battered.

Howard Schultz: The Starbucks founders prospective run for president next year seems to be raising concerns among shareholders who worry that his political ambitions could elicit a backlash against the coffee chain.
Kevin Hassett, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said on Sunday that administration economists expected continued boosts to growth this year from the $1.5 trillion in tax cuts that Mr. Trump signed in 2017, including further increases in labor force participation by older workers.

Other economists have criticized the sustained forecast of 3 percent growth over a decade as overly optimistic. Mr. Hassett defended it by pointing to the administrations forecast for last year, which was only slightly above the actual growth rate. We have the same forecast we had last year, Mr. Hassett said, because we got last year precisely correct.

The budget is the first of Mr. Trumps tenure to theoretically adhere to spending caps that Congress adopted under President Barack Obama, only to bust in the years since. But Mr. Trump accomplishes this only through budgetary legerdemain by pushing much of his 4.7 percent military spending increase out of the regular budget and into an account called Overseas Contingency Operations that has been used mainly to finance wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria and has therefore been exempt from congressional caps.

At the same time, domestic discretionary programs would be cut 5 percent, an idea certain to go nowhere with Democrats. Mr. Trump is hoping to avoid a repeat of last years budget deal, in which he was forced to agree to major domestic spending increases to secure his military boost. But he has even less sway now than he did last year, when Republicans controlled both houses of Congress.

The overseas operations fund would receive $165 billion, compared with $69 billion this year, even as Mr. Trump is scaling back military operations in Afghanistan and Syria. The last time the fund had so much money was in the 2010 fiscal year, when the United States had nearly seven times as many troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Among those who have criticized the overseas operations budget category as a slush fund is Mick Mulvaney, a Republican former congressman who served as Mr. Trumps first budget director and is now the acting White House chief of staff.

On the wall, the president seems more intent on proving to conservatives his commitment to building it than to finding a compromise with Democrats. Administration officials said the new $8.6 billion Mr. Trump is seeking would enable him to complete the project, with a total of 700 miles of barriers, most of it new, though with some sections refurbished.
Linda Macklowe, an honorary trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a vice president and trustee of the Guggenheim Museum, was not required to go through with the planned purchase of an apartment in the building that is now adorned by the images of Mr. Macklowe and his new wife.

The first Ms. Macklowe had had a contract to buy the apartment on the 78th floor of 432 Park Avenue, but another court had permitted her to exit the deal, according to the judge in the divorce settlement. The divorce court awarded Linda Macklowe the couples condominium in the Plaza Hotel  created by joining seven apartments they bought in 2007 and valued by the court at $72 million  but gave Mr. Macklowe a $36 million credit on it.

Mr. Macklowe said on Saturday that some of his male friends had told him their wives now wanted the big-picture treatment. He said some of his female friends had said the same thing. I got an email from a neighbor across the street who said, I want my husband to do this for me for Valentines Day, he said.

If the photographs are like an art installation, the reviews from passers-by on Park Avenue were mixed.

If you have the money and you want to do it, go ahead, said Halle Mae Nottage, a college student from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. But its devastating to see people spend such money on such shallow things when there are bigger and more pressing issues on which money can be spent.

Teya Goakey, a graphic design student from Port Angeles, Wash., said she would not want her portrait on the side of a building. Its weird to see, she said, and I feel like if I had that kind of money, I wouldnt need the whole of New York City see my and my other halfs face on the side of a building. Thats a private thing. I wouldnt need the whole city to know of my wedding.

Allen Gross of the Bronx was unimpressed. He could have done something much better, he said, something that would attract peoples attention.
To the Editor:

Re They Joined ISIS. Bring Them Home (Op-Ed, March 5):

Bryant Neal Vin as , in describing his rehabilitation, makes fighting for ISIS against American forces sound like some kind of civil offense. In truth it is closer to treason. He puts his descriptions of fighters like himself in quotes (terrorists) as if they were really something else.

If Mr. Vinas does not have blood on [his] hands, has accepted his guilt and has found a life after terrorism  in the United States, then good for him. I am not, however, glad that he is home.

Richard W. Poeton

Bennington, Vt.

To the Editor:

As a counterterrorism analyst at the New York Police Department, I spent my days investigating individuals who were considering acts of terrorism. Having worked to enforce our laws, I, like Bryant Neal Vinas, support letting the American legal system do its work . Just as our perceptions of terrorists tend to lack nuance, so do our perceptions of terrorist acts. Not all terrorists are Osama bin Laden, and not all actions are beheadings.

Once someone has served time, we should do what we can to help him or her reintegrate into society. We should judge people on their actions, but allow for them to change.
The 2020 Democratic campaign is already shaping up to be a battle of big ideas. From the Green New Deal to Medicare for All to a wealth tax, the candidates and the country are discussing bold responses to some of the greatest challenges of our times.

But when it comes to reforming our criminal legal system, the conversation hasnt been as visionary  in fact, its been almost exclusively backward looking. Senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar are fending off criticism for actions they took as prosecutors. Should former Vice President Joe Biden enter the race, he can count on having to explain his role in championing regressive crime legislation in the 1980s and 90s.

This scrutiny is entirely appropriate. Walk into any criminal courthouse, and you will find it packed with judges and prosecutors lecturing defendants on the importance of accepting responsibility for their choices. Come election time, the officials who built that system must accept responsibility for theirs.

But we should do more than look back. In a country that locks up more of its citizens than any other, we should demand that candidates for president have a plan for how they will confront mass incarceration and repair the harms it has caused. While most of the action in our criminal system takes place at the state and local level  almost 90 percent of prisoners are incarcerated in state, county, or local prisons or jails  the federal government still has an important role to play.
MADURAI, India  The Aravind Eye Hospital will treat anyone who comes through the door, with or without money.

Each day, more than 2,000 people arrive from across India and sometimes other parts of the world, crowding into the hallways and waiting rooms of this 43-year-old hospital at the southern end of the country. On a recent morning, Vt Muthusamy Ramalingamm, a local resident, walked into a room on the second floor, sat down and rested his chin on a small desktop device that pointed a camera into his eyes.

A technician tapped on a screen at the back of an eye scanner, and within seconds a diagnosis appeared on a computer against the wall. Both eyes showed signs of diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can cause blindness if untreated.

In most hospitals and clinics around the world, trained physicians make this diagnosis, examining a patients eyes and identifying the tiny lesions, hemorrhages and discoloration that anticipate diabetic blindness. But Aravind is trying to automate the process. Working with a team of Google artificial intelligence researchers based in California, the hospital is testing a system that can recognize the condition on its own.
Ms. Villarreal reports entirely on Facebook, often by live-streaming video on her page on her iPhone. Some follow her because of her fire-breathing reporting style, blending facts with chisme (gossip), but many in Laredo welcome her exposes on public corruption in a city whose abundant reports of graft are the target of an F.B.I. investigation.

In February, for instance, she scooped the competition with a report about a former Laredo police investigator who was accused of taking gambling proceeds from raids on slot-machine casinos, then was allowed to resign when confronted with the findings.

It took days for competitors to finally catch up and get the story about Anthony Carrillo Jr., 47, a 26-year veteran of the police force, when he was charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of his official capacity.

Laredo police officers arrested Ms. Villarreal in December 2017 and charged her with two counts of misuse of official information, a third-degree felony. They said the charges were in connection with her reporting on the 2017 suicide of a Customs and Border Protection supervisor, whose name Ms. Villarreal published.

For months before her arrest, the police department had also been hunting down the source of other leaks to Ms. Villarreal. They identified a police officer suspected of supplying the information  a woman who had worked on the force for 19 years  after searching the officers phone and finding hundreds of calls exchanged with Ms. Villarreal.

The department placed the officer on suspension for 20 days and said in a statement that the case against Ms. Villarreal involved an obligation to the protection of a persons right to privacy as it relates to sensitive information.
[Sign up for our politics newsletter and join our conversation about the 2020 presidential race.]

Wife. Widow. Daughter.

For decades in American politics, successful female candidates often belonged to political dynasties, following in the footsteps of a husband or father and relying on their famous last names to reassure voters. That has shifted in recent years: Few if any of the women who won new House seats in November came from powerful political families, and none of the six female presidential candidates do, either.

With Hillary Clinton saying last week that she would not run for president, Mrs. Clinton became both a trailblazing figure and a transitional one. She rose to prominence as the wife of Bill Clinton, as he led Arkansas and then the nation. Her work as first lady helped her become a senator from New York. Over time, because of her own accomplishments, she advanced: presidential candidate, secretary of state, the first woman to be nominated by a major party for the White House.

With Mrs. Clinton not planning to be the seventh woman running in 2020, an endlessly debated question of 2016  did some voters resist a woman or this woman?  can be tested with women who do not have her political baggage or what turned out to be her establishment stigma.
Plenty of others have skated up to the edge of racism and anti-Semitism with no consequence. Representative Andy Biggs, Republican of Arizona who branded Ms. Omar an anti-Semite, raised eyebrows in 2016 when he charged that the Jewish philanthropist George Soros was buying a local election for county attorney. Representative Louie Gohmert, Republican of Texas, complained bitterly that last weeks anti-Semitism resolution had been watered down, just a few months after he accused Mr. Soros of collaborating with the Nazis during World War II. Patrick Gaspard, the president of Mr. Soross Open Society Foundations, demanded Mr. Gohmert apologize for the disturbing and false anti-Semitic slur.

[Read also: Why Some Republicans Voted Against the Antibigotry Resolution.]

While Republicans did rebuke Mr. King and occasionally criticize President Trumps language  such as when he said there were very fine people on both sides of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.  rarely have they engaged in the kind of public soul-searching Democrats undertook last week. Now many Democrats worry they have set a new standard, creating a precedent that mandates a major response every time a member transgresses rules of rhetorical decorum that are ill-defined and subject to dispute.

We have to be careful, said Ms. Kelly, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which fought to blunt criticism of Ms. Omar. She was elected just like I was, and she has the right to say what she believes, just as I do.

Then there is the question of what happens if there is a next time. Some Jewish groups are already demanding that Ms. Omar be stripped of her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee  a step Democratic leaders have thus far been loath to take.

Thats the real question: what if this happens again? What are we going to do? asked Representative Josh Gottheimer, Democrat of New Jersey, who was among those pushing strongly for a resolution focused solely on anti-Semitism.
Representative Jeff Duncan of South Carolina

Mr. Duncan argued that a true condemnation would have made reference to Ms. Omar, and the comments that prompted the resolution.

Mr. Duncan stirred protests in 2017 when he posted on Facebook an image of a white man labeled Europe with a noose around his neck watering a small tree labeled Islam, with one end of the noose tied around it. Chew on this picture, he wrote.

Jeff I know youre not racist. Lets put that to the side, Bakari Sellers, a former Democratic legislator in South Carolina, tweeted in response. But this is bigoted, ignorant and embarrassing.

Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas

In a fiery speech on the House floor on Thursday, Mr. Gohmert complained that the resolution was watered down.

Mr. Gohmert dealt with his own accusations of anti-Semitism last year after he falsely accused Mr. Soros of collaborating with the Nazis during World War II, a popular myth on the far right. George Soros is supposed to be Jewish, but you wouldnt know it from the damage hes inflicted on Israel, and the fact that he turned on fellow Jews and helped take the property that they owned, he said on Fox Business Network.

Patrick Gaspard, the president of Mr. Soross Open Society Foundations, sent a letter to Mr. Gohmert in December demanding an apology for the disturbing and false anti-Semitic slur.
WASHINGTON  The American military has escalated a battle against the Shabab, an extremist group affiliated with Al Qaeda, in Somalia even as President Trump seeks to scale back operations against similar Islamist insurgencies elsewhere in the world, from Syria and Afghanistan to West Africa.

A surge in American airstrikes over the last four months of 2018 pushed the annual death toll of suspected Shabab fighters in Somalia to the third record high in three years. Last year, the strikes killed 326 people in 47 disclosed attacks, Defense Department data show.

[For more stories about the experiences and costs of war, sign up for the weekly At War newsletter.]

And so far this year, the intensity is on a pace to eclipse the 2018 record. During January and February, the United States Africa Command reported killing 225 people in 24 strikes in Somalia. Double-digit death tolls are becoming routine, including a bloody five-day stretch in late February in which the military disclosed that it had killed 35, 20 and 26 people in three separate attacks.

Africa Command maintains that its death toll includes only Shabab militants, even though the extremist group claims regularly that civilians are also killed. The Times could not independently verify the number of civilians killed. The rise in airstrikes has also exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in the country, according to United Nations agencies and nongovernmental organizations working in the region, as civilians are displaced by conflict and extreme weather.
The investigation into both cases is continuing, but the latest crash renewed questions about the safety of the 737 Max, which Boeing unveiled in 2017 and sold as a fuel-efficient, technologically advanced upgrade to its popular 737.

The 737 Max became the fastest-selling plane in Boeing history, the company said on its website, and is used by airlines around the world.

Heres what we know so far about the plane involved.

What is the Boeing 737 Max?

It is the latest generation of the Boeing 737, a kind of aircraft thats been flying since the 1960s. There are four kinds of Maxes in the fleet, numbered 7, 8, 9 and 10. The 8 series, which was involved in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, has been flying the longest.

The 737 Max is mostly used for short- and medium-distance flights, but a few airlines fly it between Northern Europe and the East Coast of the United States. It is more fuel efficient and has a longer range than earlier versions of the 737.

The flight on Sunday was traveling from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to Nairobi, Kenya.

What is known after the crash in Indonesia?

It was too soon to tell on Sunday whether the causes of the Ethiopian Airlines crash were the same as or similar to those of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last year.
A Nairobi-based staff member with the United Nations Environment Program and an employee of Aviation Industry Corporation of China were two of the Chinese citizens killed, according to a list of victims provided by the countrys embassy in Kenya, The Global Times reported.

[The crash has highlighted the United Nations work in some of the worlds most troubled regions.]

Pius Adesanmi, a professor with the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, was among the victims from Canada, the university confirmed. Professor Adesanmi, who was also associated with the universitys English department, was a prominent public intellectual in his native Nigeria, where he regularly published political essays.

In 2010 he was awarded the Penguin Prize for African writing in the nonfiction category for a manuscript that was published the following year in the book Youre Not a Country, Africa.

Pius was a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship and his sudden loss is a tragedy, Benoit-Antoine Bacon, president and vice chancellor of the university, said in a statement.

Professor Adesanmi, who held both Canadian and Nigerian citizenship, was injured last year in a serious car crash in Nigeria. Before Sundays flight, he posted on Facebook a photo of himself holding his Canadian passport, along with the text of Psalm 139:9-10.

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, the post read, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Cedric Asiavugwa, a third-year Georgetown Law student who was traveling home to Nairobi, was confirmed dead by Georgetown University officials. Mr. Asiavugwa worked with refugees and started a community-based organization to protect women and children fleeing conflicts in Somalia, according to a message officials sent out Sunday.
JALALABAD, Afghanistan  At least 13 civilians, including several children, were killed in American airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan that were carried out in support of an Afghan-led operation against the Taliban, local officials and tribal elders said on Sunday.

Members of a C.I.A.-sponsored Afghan strike force called in air support after coming under fire on Saturday as they mounted an assault on Taliban fighters in the district of Hesarak in Nangarhar Province, the officials said.

The airstrikes hit two houses in the village of Naser Khil, said a tribal elder, Ruzi Khan Maruf. In one house, the villages lone doctor, his wife and their five teenage daughters were killed, Mr. Maruf said by telephone. In the other, the doctors brother, his wife and their four children  three teenage girls and a boy  reportedly died. The brother was an Afghan soldier, Mr. Maruf said.

Shah Mahmood Miakhel, the governor of Nangarhar Province, said an important Taliban commander had also been killed in the airstrikes. The exact number of civilians killed was unclear, he said.
NEW DELHI  General elections in India will begin on April 11, officials announced on Sunday, with some 900 million voters eligible to cast ballots to fill parliamentary seats and choose the next prime minister in the worlds largest democracy.

The elections, which will be held during a period of heightened nationalism in India, are a crucial test for the governing center-right Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is running for a second five-year term.

Many analysts say that Mr. Modis image  recently dented by slowing economic growth and allegations that the governing party had suppressed a report showing a 45-year high in unemployment  has recovered since a military confrontation between India and Pakistan, and has perhaps even strengthened ahead of the vote.
STOCKHOLM  A bus exploded on Sunday morning in the heart of Stockholm after ramming into a barrier near the entrance of a tunnel in the Swedish capital.

No passengers were on the bus, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported, but the driver was taken to a hospital.

Emergency services received calls about the crash at Klara Tunnel in central Stockholm about 11:25 a.m. local time.

A witness, Bjorn Wallentin, told Aftonbladet: I heard a big explosion and then several smaller ones. It sounded like the scaffolding of a building falling down. I thought it was a terror attack.
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Activist, author, Hollywood whistleblower and star of Scream and Charmed, Rose McGowan, talks exclusively to Ray about Harvey Weinstein, her book Brave, and the #MeToo movement on this Saturday's Ray D'Arcy Show.

Musician David Gray, the man behind Irelands biggest selling album White Ladder, will join Ray in studio for a very special live set - performing some old favourites as well as songs from his new album Gold In A Brass Age. Hell also reflect on being in the music business for more than 25 years and why Ireland will always have a special place in his heart.

Funny woman and Grand Marshal of this year's St Patrick's Day Parade, Deirdre O'Kane, will join Ray on the couch for a laugh.

Rugby legend Tommy Bowe will be on the couch to talk about his Six Nations predictions, family life with his wife Lucy and daughter Emma, and what's been keeping him busy since retirement.

The small Gaeltacht community of Baile an Sceilg in Co Kerry celebrated the opening of a new post office this week. Several people from the community will speak to Ray about their campaign that helped keep the post office open

The Ray D'Arcy Show, Saturday, March 9 at 9.55pm on RTE One
Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's wife to move SC challenging Gujarat HC order

Ahmedabad

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Ahmedabad, Mar 10: Shweta Bhatt, wife of former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, is planning to move the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat High Court order which rejected the bail plea of Sanjiv Bhatt in 22-year-old drug planting case. Sanjiv Bhatt was taken away by the state CID-crime 'under the pretext of questioning' on the 5th of September 2018.

Sanjiv Bhatt's followers on Facebook wanted to know updates on the proceedings of the case. After his bail plea was rejected, Shweta Bhatt wrote a lengthy post on her husband's FB account. She said she was expecting a post from Sanjiv, but the Gujarat High Court rejected the bail 'on grounds still unknown to us'.

BJP doesn't trust its own, says Gujarat Congress chief on defections

Shweta Bhatt, a lawyer by profession, questioned the silence of public when an honest officer face harassments and threats in real life.

"It has now been more than six months, and we are still waiting for justice to be delivered in a case which had already been heard, investigated and stayed by the Supreme Court of India 23 years ago, she said.

She further said, "There was a reason why Sanjiv decided to become an IPS officer and I decided to become a Lawyer. We both believed and took pride in the Police Service and Judiciary of our country. However, it pains me to say that the wearers of Khakee and the conveyors of justice seem to have lost their integrity; perhaps in fear of, or in the pure desire of wanting to appease certain political personalities."

The Case:

As per the case details, the former cop is accused of framing a Rajasthan-based lawyer Sumer Singh Rajpurohit by planting drugs in his hotel room to pressurise his relatives to vacate a property owned by a judge's sister. The state CID-crime had arrested Bhatt from his house in Ahmedabad on September 5, 2018, in connection with this drug planting case.
Advise sons not join terror groups, top Army official advises mothers

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Srinagar, Mar 10: A top Army officer has appealed mothers in Kashmir to help the force bring back their sons who have joined militancy, assuring them of safety and security.

General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen K J S Dhillon also appealed the parents to stop their children from joining militant ranks.

"From the core of my heart, I personally request all the mothers in Kashmir to please stop your children from joining militancy or terrorism and bring back those who have gone astray. I guarantee you their safety, security and 100 per cent absorption in the mainstream," he said.

Indian Army needs free hand to counter Pakistani e-jihad in Kashmir

The Army officer was addressing a passing out parade of the newly-recruited cadets at Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) regiment at Rangreth in the outskirts of the city here.

The Corps Commander said life was God's most beautiful gift and meant to live happily with the family.

"Please get them back into mainstream. This one life is the most beautiful gift from God, live it well with your family and remain happy," he said.

A total of 152 cadets, including 26 from Kashmir valley, were recruited into the JAKLI regiment after completing six months rigorous training.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 12:25 [IST]
Centre should help in finding out truth in SUV-Waze case: Raj Thackeray

Are the migrants responsible for spread of coronavirus in Maharashtra? Here's what Raj Thackeray has to say

Another Pulwama-like attack likely before polls: Raj Thackeray

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 10: Linking Pathankot and Pulwama terror attacks to elections, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said another "Pulwama like strike" could occur in near future in a bid to win polls.

Thackeray also slammed as "insult to jawans" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that presence of Rafale jets could have added to more firepower to the February 26 raids by Air Force on a terrorist camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

Thackeray was addressing party workers on the 13th Foundation Day of the MNS.

'Naya Pakistan' must show 'naya action', 'naya soch' against terror: MEA

In the February 14 Pulwama attack, the worst in the Valley so far, 40 troopers of the CRPF were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a bus in the paramilitary force's convoy.

Thackeray also alleged that the warnings issued by intelligence agencies prior to the Pulwama attack were ignored.

"40 jawans were martyred in the Pulwama attack. Should we still not ask questions? In December, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had met his Pakistani counterpart in Bangkok. Who will tell us what transpired at the meeting?" he questioned.

Taking a dig at the BJP president Amit Shah's statement on the number of casualties in the Balakot strike, the MNS chief said whether Shah was one of the the "co-pilots" who participated in the airstrike.

"Intelligence agencies had sounded off warnings before Pulwama, however they were ignored. Is the NSA not responsible if jawans were killed despite prior intelligence?" he asked.

Thackeray claimed the Indian Air Force "missed" targets it had intended to hit in Balakot because of "wrong information" provided to them by the Modi government.

"If the Prime Minister himself says that results would have been better had the country have Rafale jets, it was an insult to our jawans," he said.

IAF airstrike in Balakot exposed Pakistan's nuclear bluff: Arun Jaitley

Thackeray disputed that any terrorist was killed in the airstrike and said had that been the case, Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman would not have been allowed to return home from captivity by Pakistan.

"There is a limit to speaking lies. Lies are being spoken to win elections. In a bid to win upcoming elections, there will be another Pulwama like attack within the next 1-2 months," he said.

On the Pathankot attack, Thackeray said PM Modi had met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on December 25, 2015 and gave him a cake on his birthday.

"In the next seven days, the Pathankot terror attack took place. At that time, (assembly) elections were due in four states in the next three months," he said.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 10:10 [IST]
Hooch liquor tragedy: death toll reaches 33 in Bihar; Nitish calls for fresh campaign against liquor

At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar

Bihar panchayat election result: A man contests and wins the poll after death, result to be nullified

Congress leader upset over demand for proof of IAF strike, quits party

India

oi-PTI

Patna, Mar 10: In what could be seen as a jolt to Bihar Congress ahead of the parliamentary election, senior leader and spokesman Vinod Sharma resigned on Saturday, contending that the party should not have demanded evidence of Balakot air strike.

In a letter addressed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Sharma said the party high command has hurt the sentiments of ground-level workers and the common people by raising questions over the "pre-emptive" strike on the terror camps in Balakot, days after the Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy.

The senior leader also said that he wrote to Rahul Gandhi several times in the last one month, apprising him of the sensibilities of the party workers in the state, but his requests were not entertained.

Lalu to approve RJD Lok Sabha poll candidates; alliance partners

Terming the repeated demands for proof of air strike as "shameful and childish", he said, "I am resigning from the Congress with a heavy heart after serving it for 30 years. The party high command has hurt sentiments by breaking the Army's morale, while boosting the spirits of terrorists."

Sharma alleged that some Congress leaders have "strayed from the path shown by party's stalwarts Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi".

"Today, we (Congress members) are seen as Pakistani agents. I feel ashamed of being called a Congressman. Since the nation is above party, I am resigning from the Congress," he stated in his letter.

The senior leader also said that many party workers, who are disappointed with the high command''s stance over the air strike, may follow in his footsteps.

Without taking names, Sharma said he would join a party that puts nation ahead of "petty politics".

A former general secretary of Bihar Congress, Sharma had unsuccessfully fought the Paliganj assembly by-poll on a Congress ticket in 1996.

He also served as the president of National Students Union of India''s Bihar unit from 1996 to 2000.

On February 14, a convoy of vehicles carrying CRPF personnel was attacked by a suicide bomber in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the death of 40 jawans.

Twelve days later, Indian Air Force jets crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir and pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 15:21 [IST]
'Does EC function from BJP office': Opposition questions timing of dates announcement

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Mar 10: On the day Election Commission is expected to announce dates of Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition parties have questioned the timing of the dates announcement and asked if the poll panel runs from the BJP office.

Taking to Twitter, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, "Is the Election Commission run by the BJP? In 2014, the poll dates were announced on March 5. In five days, PM Modi had concluded his campaign. Today, after his public address in Ghaziabad, the poll panel has decided to announce the dates for this year's elections." He also mocked the poll panel for barring political parties from using photographs of defence personnel.

Lok Sabha Election 2019 Date LIVE: EC to announce poll schedule today at 5 pm

BSP supremo Mayawati hit out at PM Modi saying,"With the announcement of much-awaited election dates for Lok Sabha elections, the code of conduct would become operational saving the country from Modi's empty promises and huge expenditures on government programs but the people have to be alert of other gimmicks."

Congress spokesman Jaiveer Shergill had also hit out at PM Modi for "not letting the Election Commission announce the poll dates".

A few days ago, Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel had asked if the Election Commission was waiting for the prime minister's "official" travel programs to conclude before announcing poll dates.

The Election Commission of India is set to announce the Lok Sabha election schedule on Sunday at 5 pm. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora will announce the dates at a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct will immediately come into force.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 16:16 [IST]
Arun Jaitley framed bill on Art 370 nullification that can withstand legal challenge, says his wife

Jaitley statue at Kotla: Angry Bedi asks DDCA to remove his name from stands, quits membership

IAF airstrike in Balakot exposed Pakistan's nuclear bluff: Arun Jaitley

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Mar 10: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said India has "exposed" Pakistan's nuclear bluff by carrying out airstrikes to eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot, reported news agency IANS.

"India fought and won conventional wars against Pakistan in 1965, 1971 and during the Kargil conflict. Since then, Pakistan's army has realised that because of our huge economy and superior military strength, conventional wars cannot be won," the Union Minister said this at India TV's Aap Ki Adalat programme.

Jaitley said the Pakistan army has selected two options to deceive India by fighting a proxy war with the help of terrorists and projecting a nuclear bluff.

India has carried out 3 air strikes in last 5 years: Rajnath Singh

"Since both the countries are armed with nuclear weapons, the nuclear bluff was their second option. But it has been exposed this time," Jaitley was quoted saying by IANS.

Calling the Congress-led UPA government between 2004 and 2014 a terrible one, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had slammed the grand old party for presently being an even worse opposition as its comments hurt the national interests.

He slammed the Congress for trying to create a divide in India's political opinion, after an initial show of support to the Indian Air Force.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 8:51 [IST]
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

J&K: 3 terrorists killed in Tral encounter; AK-47s, pistol recovered

India

oi-Deepika S

Srinagar, Mar 10: Three terrorists were killed in an encounter which broke out in Tral of South Kashmir on Sunday after militants opened fire on security personnel. The gunbattle broke out in Tral's Pinglish village.

The security forces have recovered 2 bodies of terrorists, along with 2 AK-47 rifles and 1 pistol, said reports. As per last reports, the gunbattle was still underway.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Pinglish area of Tral in south Kashmir district after receiving specific intelligence input about presence of the militants in the area, a police official said.

Security forces kill three TPC ultras in encounter

He said as the forces were conducting the searches, the militants fired upon them.

The forces retaliated the firing, triggering an encounter, the official said.

The exchange of firing is going on, he said, adding that further details were awaited.

This comes days after another encounter in Tral in which two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.
State vs national issues: Key lessons for the BJP to learn in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Haryana

LS election 2019 date highlights: EC announces poll schedule, no assembly elections in J&K

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Mar 10: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The voting would be held in seven phases between April 11, 2019, and May 19, 2019. The counting of votes would be done on May 23, 2019.

No announcement was made on the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Election dates announced: Congress accuses BJP of 'wasting' mandate, Modi seeks people's 'blessings']

The Model Code of Conduct will come into force from today.

Here are the highlights from EC's announcement:



Newest First Oldest First The Congress also questioned why the dates for Jammu and Kashmir elections were not announced by the Election Commission. Venugopal asked, "Why is the government running away from conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir? It is a part of India and the entire country wants a democratic government in the state. This is the need of the hour." He said it is the duty of the Election Commission to "foresee the things that are happening on social media" and to conduct a free and fair elections. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who also addressed the press conference, said, "When opposition parties go into an alliance, sometimes it is post-poll and sometimes it is pre-poll. You should remain assured." "This nation's people have decided that the way this government has performed...people have been misled and there was misgovernance...so when it comes to alliance, the alliance will happen," he said. Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, "The Congress and opposition are united and we are very confident that we will defeat the Modi government." "We welcome the much-awaited election announcement. We, the Congress, believe in democracy and are confident that this democratic process will dethrone this anti-democratic and dictatorial Modi-BJP government from power," he claimed. He said the party was going to have an alliance in Maharashtra. Claiming that victory will be of the truth, the Congress Sunday welcomed the declaration of the Lok Sabha election schedule, saying the party along with the united opposition will defeat and dethrone the Modi government from power. The Congress also said that it will announce seat-sharing pattern with alliance partners in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar within two-three days. Soon after the announcement by the Election Commission, the party put out a two-minute video entitled 'aarambh hai prachand' (the beginning of something massive), showing party chief Rahul Gandhi meeting the people across the country. "In Bengal, large-scale violence & intimidation in past few elections has been disturbing. EC must pay special attention to ensure that the destruction of Democracy, as happened in local elections, is not repeated. Sanctity of each voter's franchise is what preserves our Republic," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted. "It is perplexing how the security situation in J&K is good enough to conduct Lok Sabha elections but not for assembly elections which are also due. Is there a diabolical motive?" Yechury tweeted. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday questioned how can be the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir "good enough" to hold general elections and not assembly polls. The Election Commission Sunday announced that Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held along with general elections. At a press conference after the announcement of the poll schedule, Congress leader K C Venugopal said people will change the Modi government that believes in all talk and no work. All its promises have remained unfulfilled, he said asserting that it will be defeated when votes are counted on May 23. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel claimed the upcoming elections will herald a new era ending five years of "chaotic, despotic and destructive" dispensation and the country will return to the path of "sobriety, integrity and inclusivity". BJP president Amit Shah urged people to "bless" his party in the Lok Sabha election, saying the Modi government has taken bold decisions for their welfare in its first term and will ensure India's giant leap to make everyone "happy and prosperous" in its second. Welcoming the poll announcement, Shah made a strong pitch for the re-election of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre, saying it has achieved "phenomenal results" in various spheres of governance during this term. As the Election Commission declared a seven-phase Lok Sabha election starting April 11, the Congress accused the BJP-led government of "wasting" its historic mandate, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought people's "blessings" for the NDA. "ECI declaring 7-phase schedule for general election to elect 17th Lok Sabha in the country is a welcome move. Crores of poor, labourers, farmers, women, youth etc participate in great strength in polling. Respecting them, free, fair and peaceful polling is utmost necessary," tweets BSP chief Mayawati. "Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years," PM Modi tweets. Commission has also directed political parties/candidates to desist from using environmentally hazardous publicity material&promote usage of eco friendly substances for preparation of election campaign material, this is a kind of appeal to everybody, says CEC Arora. "Based on input, constraint of availability of central forces&other logistics, requirement of forces for security of candidates in wake of recent violence and keeping other challenges in mind EC has decided at this stage to announce only schedule of Parliament election in J&K," says CEC Sunil Arora.. Voting in all seven phases would be held from April 11, 2019, to May 19, 2019. Counting on May 23, 2019. Here are the phase wise information. Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections dates not announced. Voting in all seven phases would be held from April 11, 2019, to May 19, 2019. Counting on May 23, 2019. After holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir, EC has continuously assessed the situation in state, requirement of forces, security of candidates and preparedness of states. This includes recent developments. State Govt of J&K and Home Ministry has sent detailed statement to EC. EC had recently visited J&K and met officials too. No assembly election is J&K, says EC. Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura will vote in two phases. Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will vote in four phases. Phase 7 - polling date - May-19: 59 constituencies in 8 states would go to poll. Phase 6 - polling date - May-12: 59 constituencies in 7 states would go to polls. Phase 5 - polling date - May-6: 51 constituencies would go to poll. Phase 4- Polling date - April 29 - 71 across 9 states would go to poll. 22 states would be voting single phase: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman Niccobar, Dadra and Nagar haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshdweep, Delhi, Pondicherry, Chandigarh. Jammu and Kashmir would be covered in five phases of polling. 1st phase polling to be held on 11th April, 2nd phase on 18th April, 3rd phase on 23rd April, 4th phase polling to be held on 29th April, 5th phase polling on 6th May, 6th phase polling on 12th May, 7th phase 12th May. Counting of all phases on 23rd May, announces CEC. Phase 3: 115 constituencies will go to polls. Phase 2- 97 constituencies will go to poll. Polling will end on May 19, 2019. Counting on May 23. As soon as the elections are announced, the model code of conduct will come into force. The required electronic voting machines and paper trail machines are in place to be deployed in nearly 10 lakh poling stations across 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah slammed the ruling BJP after the Election Commission's decision to announce Lok Sabha poll dates on Sunday. BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll dates will protect the people of the country from the "hollow promises" of the prime minister. #BJPs ejection dates being announced today at 5 pm. #ElectionCommission  Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) March 10, 2019 Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha on Sunday took a dig at the Election Commission as well as the ruling BJP amid accusations from the major Opposition party that the EC was delaying the announcement of the Lok Sabha dates to give the BJP a "long rope" to campaign. Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May. While there is a view that the J-K assembly elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, a lot depends on the complex security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border. As soon as the election dates are announced, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will come into force. The Election Commissions Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. The MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections, to ensure free and fair elections. This is in keeping with Article 324 of the Constitution, which gives the Election Commission the power to supervise elections to the Parliament and state legislatures. In 2014, the Model Code of Conduct came into force on 5 March 2014 when the Election Commission announced the 2014 Lok Sabha elections dates and remained in force till the end of the electoral process. Elections for the 543 Lok Sabha seats have to be held by May. The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3 before which a new government must be installed. The previous general elections, Lok Sabha elections 2014, was conducted in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May, 2014, it was the longest election in the country's history. The results were declared on 16 May 2014, 15 days before the 15th Lok Sabha completed its constitutional mandate on 31 May 2014. Speculations are rife over the number of phases in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The 2004 general elections were held in 4 phases. The 2009 Lok Sabha elections were held in 5 phases and 2014 Lok Sabha elections were held 9 phases. On the day Election Commission is expected to announce dates of Lok Sabha elections, the Opposition parties questioned the timing of the dates announcement and asked if the poll panel runs from the BJP office. Dates are also likely to be announced for assembly polls in four states  Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora will announce the schedule for the polls. Preparations underway at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan where Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora will announce the 2019 general elections dates. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora to announce Lok Sabha elections dates shortly. CEC Sunil Arora and other EC officials arrive at Vigyan Bhawan. The big announcement on Lok Sabha elections 2019 dates shortly. Election Commission briefing begins. "We have made arrangements to ensure free and fair elections," says CEC Sunil Arora. Visited states, met home ministry officials and a thorough process was followed. Exams, festivals, harvest seasons etc were taken into account, says CEC. 84.3 million new voters since 2014, 15 million voters in the age of 18 and 19, says CEC Sunil Arora. Stringent security arrangements have been planned for sealing, transportation and storage of EVMs, says CEC. The Model Code of Conduct comes into effect from today. Any violation would be dealt with strictly, says CEC Arora. "We had a fairly in-depth interaction with the collectors, SPs, IGs, commissioners of police and all their colleagues," Arora says. VVPATs to be used in all polling stations this time, says CEC Arora. There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations in this Lok Sabha Elections as compared to 9 lakh polling stations in 2014, says CEC. Total electorate in this Lok Sabha elections will be 900 million, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group, says CEC Arora. "Usage of loudspeakers is prohibited at night between 10 pm and 6 am," says CEC Arora. We held discussions with the home ministry. Officials have been slogging for months to ensure credible elections, says CEC. "Photo voter slips cannot be used as standalone proof of identity at the time of casting vote. Instructions of this effect have been issued already by EC. Approximately, 10 lakh polling stations will be set up this time as opposed to the nine lakh polling stations that were set up in 2014," says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.
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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: AIADMK, DMDK to seal pact today

India

oi-Deepika S

Chennai, Mar 10: Ending suspence, the AIADMK and the DMDK are set to seal a deal on Sunday for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Vijayakanth led party has reportedly agreed to accept the AIADMK's offer of four Lok Sabha seats.

North Chennai, Tiruchi, Kallakurichi and Virudhunagar will be given to the Vijayakant-led party, according to reports.

DMDK's position in the alliance equation became a controversy ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Chennai visit on March 6 after the party held simultaneous discussions with the AIADMK and the DMK.

Tamil Nadu: Congress-DMK finalise seat sharing, grand old party to fight from 9 LS seats

Last week, DMK losed its doors for an alliances with DMDK for the the Lok Sabha polls. The party said that it will not admit any more parties in its fold.

DMK president MK Stalin confirmed that the party will contest in 20 seats in the upcoming polls.

"We have completed our seat-sharing agreement with like-minded parties. It's an alliance of parties that wants to defeat the fascist BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] government at the Centre," Stalin said in a statement.

Stalin's statement has virtually closed doors on the possibility of a DMK-DMDK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) alliance for the general elections.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 14:06 [IST]
Lok Sabha elections 2019 dates: 7-phase polling to be held from Apr-11 to May 19, counting on May 23

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Mar 10: The Lok Sabha elections 2019 would be held in seven phases between April 11, 2019, and May 19, 2019, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, adding that the counting of votes would be held on May 23, 2019. The term of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 3, 2019

The 1st phase of polling to be held on 11th April, Second phase of polling would be held on 18th April, Third phase of polling would be held on 23rd April, 4th phase polling of polling would be held on 29th April, 5th phase polling of polling would be held on 6th May, 6th phase of polling would be held on 12th May and 7th phase of polling would be held on 12th May. Counting of all phases would be held on 23rd May, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora announced today.

Phase-wise break up of Lok Sabha election dates:

Phase Dates States Total First phase April 11 Andhra (25), Arunachal (2), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), J&K (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Odisha (4), Sikkim (1), Telangana (17), Tripura (1), UP (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman (1), Lakshadweep (1) 91 Second phase April 18 Assam (5), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), J&K (2), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (10), Manipur (1), Odisha (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), UP (8), West Bengal (3), Puducherry (1) 97 Third phase April 23 Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Gujarat (26), Goa (2), J&K (1), Karnataka (14), Kerala (20), Maharashtra (14), Odisha (6), UP (10), West Bengal (5), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1), Daman and Diu (1) 115 Fourth phase April 29 Bihar (5), J&K (1), Jharkhand (3), MP (6), Maharashtra (17), Odisha (6), Rajasthan (14), UP (13), West Bengal (8) 71 Fifth phase May 6 Bihar (5), J&K (2), Jharkhand (4), MP (7), Rajasthan (12), UP (14), West Bengal (7) 51 Sixth phase May 12 Bihar (8), Haryana (10), Jharkhand (4), MP (8), UP (14), West Bengal (8), Delhi-NCR (7) 59 Seventh phase May 19 Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), MP (8), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Chandigarh (1), UP (13), Himachal (4) 59 Counting on May 23

"Total voters in this Lok Sabha elections will be 900 million, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group," CEC Arora said.

Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman Niccobar, Dadra and Nagar haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshdweep, Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh would vote in a single phase.

Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously, the Election Commission (EC) said. However, elections for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, which was dissolved after the ruling coalition between the BJP and the PDP fell apart, will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Here is the constituency-wise schedule:

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from today and 10 lakhs polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014. Nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.

The election will pit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance against several opposition parties, including the Congress, the Left and regional forces who are continuing to work out a grand alliance to minimise a division of votes against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led ruling combine.

The BJP has succeeded in working out seat-sharing formula with some new allies and several old partners, by even making concessions to them in states like Bihar. However, opposition parties are yet to arrive at a deal in several states. While the NDA hopes to make history by coming back to power for a second full term, the Opposition wants to unseat the Modi government by raising questions on its performance on a host of issues, including economic growth, employment, corruption and social harmony.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had led the NDA to back to back Lok Sabha wins in 1998 and 1999 general elections but he was at the helm of only one full-term government.

Announcing the schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission said the 'voter-verifiable paper audit trail' (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time. The first phase will be held on April 11, second on April 18, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes for all seven phases covering 543 Lok Sabha constituencies would take place on May 23, Arora said.

[No state polls in Jammu and Kashmir for now: EC]

In the first phase, 91 constituencies will to go for polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase, 115 constituencies in the third, 71 in fourth phase, 51 in fifth phase, 59 in sixth and 59 in the seventh phase. With the model code of conduct for elections coming into immediate effect, the government cannot announce any policy move that may impact voters' decision.

Arora said all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification. In 2014, when the BJP swept to power, the Lok Sabha elections were held across nine phases beginning April 7 and ending May 9. The counting of votes had taken place on May 16. The total contestants in fray were 8,251, with an average of 15 candidates in each constituency. However, deposit was forfeited in case of 7,000 contestants.

A total of over 55 crore voters (66.3 per cent) exercised their vote, while there were 9.27 lakh polling stations. There were nearly 60 lakh 'NOTA' votes. Out of total 543 elected candidates, only 62 were women from 668 who had contested. After suffering losses in assembly polls in three states recently, the BJP believes that its Lok Sabha poll campaign is back on track due to a host of decisions, including 10 per cent quota for the general category poor, money transfer to farmers and presentation of a populist budget. What has injected further confidence into the NDA fold is the fronting of the nationalist plank in the poll campaign after the Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel, that was followed by the Indian Air Force' strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan.

['Does EC function from BJP office': Opposition questions timing of dates announcement]

The BJP has been citing 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads and these air strikes to assert that only a government headed by Modi will be capable of taking on Pakistan over terrorism, as it has sought to corner the Congress on the issue. Many political pundits feel the prime minister has already launched a full-fledged campaign accusing opposition parties of coming together for the sole purpose of removing him while he is working to "remove poverty, corruption and terrorism".

He had led the NDA to a sweeping victory in 2014 as it won 336 of 543 Lok Sabha seats, reducing the incumbent Congress to its lowest total of 44 seats. The BJP on its own won a majority, a first for the party, by bagging 282 seats.
Some clowns try to dishonour India, have support of Rahul, Sibal: Narottam Mishra

Madhya Pradesh: Ruckus in school over 'religious conversion' of eight students in Vidisha; rioting case filed

Madhya Pradesh governor passes ordinance to hike OBC quota

India

oi-Deepika S

Bhopal, Mar 10: Madhya Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel has signed on ordinance to increase the quota for other backward classes (OBCs) in government jobs and university admission from 14% to 27%.

Chief Minister Kamal Nath had made an announcement to this effect on March 6 while handing over loan waiver certificates to farmers in Sagar.

The move is being seen as the ruling Congress' efforts to woo OBCs in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Exclusive: MP farmers to Rahul Gandhi: Correct mistakes of Chhindwara SEZ

With this, MP is possibly the only state in the country to have 27 per cent quota for OBCs, they said. OBCs in the state are generally favourable to the BJP since Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was MP's longest-serving CM having been on the post between 2005 and 2018, is from the community.

The BJP is believed to have pocketed more than 50 per cent of OBC votes in the 2018 Assembly polls, though it managed only 109 seats against the Congress' 114 in the 230-member House. Currently, the BJP holds 26 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress having the rest.

Currently, the BJP holds 26 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress having the rest.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 10:28 [IST]
Nirav Modi: CBI, ED team to visit London to seek extradition

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Mar 10: The United Kingdom's home secretary had recently referred India's request for extraditing PNB scam accused Nirav Modi to a court for initiating legal proceedings against the diamantaire, the Enforcement Directorate said.

"Request for extradition of Nirav Modi to India was sent in July 2018 to the UK. The UK Central Authority of Home Office has confirmed that the extradition request has been sent to the Westminster Magistrate Court for the district judge for further proceedings," the agency said in a statement.

A British daily Saturday reported that Nirav Modi, accused in the USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, is living in a swanky 8-million pound apartment in London's West End and is now involved in a new diamond business.

ED says UK home secretary has sent Nirav Modi's extradition request to London court

Sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said they had been officially informed about UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid's move to forward the case to a London court about two days back.

The move takes the process of extraditing and bringing back Nirav Modi to face the law in India to the next stage, the sources said.

Soon, they said, a joint team of the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would travel to the UK to apprise the lawyers about the Indian case and evidence against Nirav Modi, in a similar fashion that was done in the case of another absconding bank-fraud accused, Vijay Mallya.

The ED and the CBI are investigating Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year.

Nirav Modi, 48, is currently living in a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block in London, where rent is estimated to cost 17,000 pounds a month, The Telegraph reported.

The revelation comes a day after Nirav Modi's 30,000 sq ft seaside mansion at Kihim beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district was demolished by authorities using explosives for alleged violation of coastal regulation rules.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also reacted on the issue of Nirav Modi's extradition, saying the UK was still considering India's request.

India is taking all steps necessary for his extradition, an MEA spokesperson said Saturday.

Watch: Nirav Modi spotted in London with 10,0000 Pound Ostrich hide jacket

Nirav Modi has been chargesheeted by both the agencies and the ED has also attached his assets worth Rs 1,873.08 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and has also seized assets linked to him and his family worth Rs 489.75 crore.

Overseas assets of Nirav Modi in Hong Kong, Switzerland, the US, Singapore and the UAE worth Rs 961.49 crore have been attached till now, the agency said.

The ED had chargesheeted Nirav Modi and others under the PMLA in May last year and subsequently, moved a court to get him declared absconder under the newly-enacted Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in July last year.

The agency has sent as many as 18 Letters Rogatories (judicial requests) to countries like Armania, Belgium, China, France, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, the UAE, UK and the US to obtain evidence against Nirav Modi and other accused.

"Money trail of USD 927 million out of the proceeds of crime of USD 1015 million has been ascertained in this case till now," the ED said.

It had got issued Interpol's global arrest notices against Nirav Modi, his brother Neeshal Modi, sister Purvi Modi and company executives Mihir Bhansali, Subhash Parab and Aditya Nanavati.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 8:48 [IST]
Check concentrate feeder accuracy

WITH the cost of dairy cow concentrates rising farmers have been urged to check the accuracy of their feeders to ensure they are not overfeeding, or indeed underfeeding, their livestock.
Nacogdoches, TX (75965)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 77F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 67F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Nirav Modi will be brought back to India, all steps being taken says MEA

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Mar 10: i from the UK, the External Affairs Ministry said Saturday, asserting that the extradition request made to that country shows that India was aware he is there.

It also said the UK was considering India's request to extradite Modi, a diamantaire accused in the USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank scam.

MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, at a media briefing, said the fact that "we requested the UK government for extradition of Nirav Modi, means that we were aware that he is in UK otherwise we would not have made the request".

On Nirav Modi's extradition, CBI says willing to extend all help

"Just because he has been spotted doesn't mean he can be immediately brought back to India as there is a process in place. We have made a request for extradition, it is for the UK government now to consider our request and respond to the demand of the CBI and ED for extradition," he said.

The government is taking all necessary steps for his extradition, Kumar said.

Responding to a question on the extradition request, the MEA spokesperson said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had forwarded the request for his extradition in early August that was given to the UK side.

There was also a separate request from the CBI, which was forwarded to the UK side by end of August, Kumar said.

"What we have been told that both these requests are under the consideration of the British government," he said, asserting that at repeated intervals request for expediting the process have been made.

According to report in a British daily on Saturday, Modi is living in a swanky 8 million pound apartment in London's West End and is now involved in a new diamond business.

Modi, 48, is currently living in a three-bedroom flat occupying half of a floor of the landmark Centre Point tower block, where rent is estimated to cost 17,000 pounds a month, The Telegraph reported.

Nirav Modi: CBI, ED team to visit London to seek extradition

The revelation comes a day after Modi's 30,000 sq ft seaside mansion at Kihim beach in Maharashtra was demolished by authorities using explosives.

Despite his bank accounts being frozen by the Indian authorities and an Interpol red notice being issued for his arrest, Modi, a diamond jeweller whose designs have been worn by Hollywood stars, is now involved in a new diamond business based in London, the report said.

In a video posted by the newspaper, Modi can be seen sporting a handle-bar moustache and wearing an Ostrich Hide jacket, estimated to cost 10,000 pounds.

When journalists from the paper questioned him on various issues, including whether he has urged Britain to grant him asylum, Modi ducked them by saying, "Sorry, no comments".

A source told the the UK daily that Modi had been given a national insurance number by the Department for Work and Pensions, meaning he can legally work in Britain, and has used British bank accounts.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 11:32 [IST]
On Nirav Modis extradition, CBI says willing to extend all help

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Mar 10: The CBI will extend all necessary help to the United Kingdom authorities for extradition of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, wanted in Rs 13,000 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank in collusion with his uncle Mehul Choksi, the agency said.

The CBI is awaiting a response on its extradition request which was sent to the United Kingdom through the External Affairs Ministry in August last year after the confirmation from London that Modi was in their country, agency spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

The United Kingdom has responded to the Red Corner Notice issued by the agency against Modi in June last year, he said.

Nirav Modi: CBI, ED team to visit London to seek extradition

"We are willing to extend all help to the United Kingdom through External Affairs Ministry in ensuring extradition of Nirav Modi," Wakankar said.

Modi fled the country after allegedly siphoning off about Rs 13,000 crore from Punjab National Bank using Letters of Undertaking in collusion with his uncle Mehul Choski.

Forty-eight-year-old Modi was spotted in a tony neighbourhood of London by British newspaper The Telegraph.

He refused to comment to any of posers put forth by The Telegraph correspondent.

The CBI registered an FIR against him on January 31 on the basis of a complaint against him and his uncle Choksi from the bank. It was followed by another FIR by the agency against him.

Modi's brother and wife were also named as accused in the FIR.

His wife Ami, a US citizen, brother Nishal, a Belgian, and uncle Choksi, Gitanjali Group's promoter, had also fled the country in the first week of January.

The case pertains to allegedly cheating the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) through fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs).

The agency has charge-sheeted both Nirav Modi and Choksi separately in the scam.

It has now approached the Interpol for a Red Corner Notice aimed at bringing Nirav Modi back for facing trial in the cases against them, the sources said.

The CBI, in its charge sheets filed on May 14, had alleged that Nirav Modi, through his companies, siphoned off funds to the tune of Rs 6,498.20 crore using fraudulent LoUs issued from PNB's Brady House branch in Mumbai.

Choksi allegedly swindled Rs 7,080.86 crore, making it possibly the biggest banking scam in the country, it alleged.

Watch: Nirav Modi spotted in London with 10,0000 Pound Ostrich hide jacket

It is alleged that Nirav Modi and Choksi through their companies availed credit from overseas branches of Indian banks using fraudulent guarantees of the PNB given through LoUs and letters of credit which were not repaid bringing the liability on the state-run bank, the officials said.

An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.

The instructions for transferring the funds were allegedly issued by a bank employee, Gokulnath Shetty, using an international messaging system for banking, called SWIFT platform, and without making their subsequent entries in the PNB's internal banking software, thus bypassing scrutiny in the bank, they said.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 9:48 [IST]
Pakistan didnt act against terrorists, so we did: Sitharaman on air strikes

India

oi-Vikas SV

Chennai, Mar 10: Reiterating that the pre-emptive strikes in Pakistan's Balakot were not 'military action', Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India had to carryout strikes on terrorist camps as Islamabad did not act.

On February 26, Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted pre-emptive strike at Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Pakistan's Balakot. The government, while confirming the air strike, said that a 'large number of terrorists' were killed.

"It was not a military action, it was a targeted attack on terrorists which actually Pakistan should have done, they didn't...We took decision to hit that nerve centre which was training, funding and giving capacity to what they call Fidayeen. Since we had enough intelligence information to say that that's where it is coming out of, we acted on terror so that no longer goes unattended," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Chennai.

Congress leader upset over demand for proof of IAF strike, quits party

"One thing is very clear Pakistan wasn't acting on terrorists. It continues to be the country where terrorists are trained, funded, supported by military establishment and sent across. Its theory of using non-state actors to keep terrorism going on continues without disturbance," she added.

The February 26 air strike was seen as India's retaliation to the terrorist attack on CRPF convoy in South Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14 which left 40 security personnel martyred. The very next day after strike at Balakot, Pakistan Air Force fighters had tried entering Indian airspace in Kashmir in a bid to target military installations. But, IAF fighters thwarted the attack and shot down one Pakistani F-16 fighter.

Balakot strike: S-2000 smart bombs penetrated targets, caused blast inside

Before that in 2016, India had carried out a surgical strike at terrorist camps across LoC and destroyed several terror launchpads.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 17:08 [IST]
Pilot exudes confidence of Congress win, says 'UPA Plus Plus' will be formidable alliance

India

pti-PTI

Jaipur, Mar 10: Asserting that the Congress is "gaining momentum", Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president Sachin Pilot has exuded confidence that "UPA Plus Plus" will secure the mandate to govern in the coming Lok Sabha election.

He claimed the NDA is becoming weaker and the BJP, having lost three states in assembly polls last year, had to compromise to form coalitions for Lok Sabha polls. The BJP lost power to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Pilot's home state, Rajasthan, in December.

"The Congress party is gaining momentum by aligning with many more parties in various states, therefore, the UPA Plus Plus will be a formidable alliance which will be defeating NDA in the coming Lok Sabha election," Pilot told PTI.

Raising questions on the performance of the Modi government, Pilot, a former Union minister, said it should make itself answerable on its performance to people.

"The current ruling dispensation is not confident enough of its performance. Therefore, Ram Mandir, other religious issues, cow vigilantism and love jihad were brought in from time to time to divert attention from the main issues. Lack of job in economy. Corruption is there. Autonomous institutions were weakened and attacked by Modi government. The government cannot hide behind other (religious) issues," he said.

[Lok Sabha elections 2019 dates: 7-phase polling to be held from Apr-11 to May 19, counting on May 23]

In Rajasthan, the PCC president said the party is fully prepared for the general election.

"Congress is very well prepared for the Lok Sabha election. Right after taking charge of the government in the state, we have started living up to the promises we had made, whether it is unemployment allowance or loan waiver," he said.

"People are aware. We are doing it consciously and with a lot of sincerity. Unlike the BJP, there was no jumla, no false promises and actual work is seen on the ground. Organisation-wise, we have had discussions with booth-level workers and leaders in all LS constituencies in the state," he said.

Pilot said the Congress will give tickets to "winnable candidates" and "we are hoping to get more young people".

Targeting the state BJP leadership, he said there is a "sense of leaderlessness" in Rajasthan unit of the saffron party. Rajasthan has 25 Lok Sabha seats and all of them were won by BJP in 2014 general election but Congress won bypolls on two Lok Sabha constituencies last year.

Currently, BJP has 23 and Congress two Lok Sabha MPs from the state.

PTI
PM-Kisan 10th installment to roll out by next week: How to check your status and name in beneficiary list?

Red caps are like red alert for UP, PM Modi's jibe at Samajwadi Party in Gorakhpur rally

PM Modi lauds UP govt for the work done for the benefit of sugarcane farmers

Enough is enough, we cannot keep suffering till eternity: PM Modi at 50th Raising Day of CISF

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Mar 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attended the 50th Raising Day of Central Industrial Security Force in Ghaziabad.This is the first time that Modi has officiate an event of a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) as the prime minister.

Addressing the 50th raising day of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as the Chief Guest here, Narendra Modi said, "The role of security forces like the CISF becomes very significant when the country faces a hostile neighbour that gets encouragement from some elements within the country in hatching conspiracy."

"When the neighbour is very hostile but does not have the capability to fight a war and various conspiracies hatched within the country is getting encouragement from across the border and when the ghastly pictures of terror come to light, under such difficult situations, (ensuring) security of the country and its institutions becomes very challenging," the PM added.

Lauding the efforts of the CISF personnel, PM Modi said, "CISF plays an important factor in fulfilling the dreams of an independent India." He further said, "Easier to protect individual but difficult to protect institution where there is daily footfall of 30 lakh."

PM also said, "If the citizens do not cooperate with you, then your (CISF's) task become more difficult. Hence, it's important that the citizens are also trained as well."

"The CISF personnel have carried out their responsibilities not only at a time of national crisis but even during the time of humanitarian crisis in other countries," he said.

He has met CAPF troops, from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) and the Border Security Force (BSF) earlier.

He will also address personnel from various formations of the CISF. They have already reported at the base for preparing for the annual event.

The force, that functions under the Union Home Ministry, is celebrating its 50th year of raising this year and it is a very special occasion, and therefore, the prime minister gave his consent to attend it, the officials said.

The CISF was raised in 1969 and has about 1.80 lakh personnel who are tasked with guarding some very sensitive installations in the country.

At present, the CISF secures 61 civil airports and a number of infrastructure in the aerospace and nuclear power domain, the Delhi Metro and historical monuments like the Red Fort in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra.
UP to vote in seven phases, high octane political battle on cards

India

oi-Vikas SV

Lucknow, Mar 10: Uttar Pradesh, considered as the most important state politically because of the number of MPs it sends to the Lok Sabha, will vote in seven phases. A high octane political battle is on the cards in UP which sends 80 MPs to the lower house of Parliament. The state will vote on different dates over the 40 days beginning April 11. UP will vote on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 and May 6, 12 and 19.

The BJP would want to repeat its 2014 performance in the state when it won 73 out of the 80 seats, but this time around, coming even close to that mark seems like an uphill task. During the first half of PM Modi's rule at the Centre, everything in Uttar Pradesh seemed to go BJP's way. After a thumping performance in 2014, the BJP also won UP assembly election in 2017 and came to power in the state with a bang. Firebrand leader from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath was made the UP Chief Minister and the year 2017 ended with the BJP sweeping the civic polls in the state.

[Lok Sabha elections 2019 dates: 7-phase polling to be held from Apr-11 to May 19, counting on May 23]

The UP assembly elections in 2017 saw the BJP juggernaut steamroll the SP-Congress combine and the BSP. The SP and the Congress had joined hands ahead of the assembly elections, but both parties were decimated by the saffron surge. When the BJP government completed six months in office in September 2017, CM Adityanath released a detailed 'white paper' on the working of previous governments in the state and a status report on his own government's policies and achievements since he assumed office.

Realising that the route to power at the Centre is through Uttar Pradesh, political parties frantically began working on a plan to take on the BJP. SP and BSP kept their differences aside and forged an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

[Election dates announced: Congress accuses BJP of 'wasting' mandate, Modi seeks people's 'blessings']

Repeating or even coming close to 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 assembly polls for the BJP would be a massive challenge. This time, the BJP faces a resurgent opposition that has scripted back-to-back victories in last year's Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls. Two of those wins were particularly sweet for the opposition - the BJP lost Gorakhpur, the base of its star campaigner Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Phulpur, held by his deputy Keshav Maurya. Political observers will like to keenly watch how the alliance of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party and Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party performs.

The Congress too is into the fray more seriously this time with the grand old party - for decades an also-ran in UP - announcing the debut of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as its campaign in-charge for the eastern parts of the state, along with Jyotiraditya Scindia in the western belt. Priyanka Gandhi, sister of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has so far confined herself to Amethi and Rae Bareli, the constituencies of her brother and her mother Sonia Gandhi, respectively. The Congress is banking on Priyanka Gandhi's charisma and connect - and her striking resemblance to her grandmother Indira Gandhi - to improve its score in Uttar Pradesh.

[India TV-CNX opinion poll predicts 238 seats for BJP; Congress tally may increase to 82]

Over the past few months, Prime Minister Modi has focused on UP and his constituency Varanasi. Besides, the party has managed to appease upset smaller allies like Apna Dal(S) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party that had felt "neglected".

As per Election Commission data, there are 14.40 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh and the count of first-time voters stands at approximately 45 lakh, of whom 16.75 lakh are in the age bracket of 18-19 years. With 'Mera Pehla Vote Modi Ko (My First Vote For Modi)' campaign, the BJP hopes the young electors will help it replicate its 2014 performance.

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Story first published: Monday, March 11, 2019, 1:14 [IST]
What is it like to be Black in Germany?

Germany: Man gets life for poisoning co-workers for mysterious reason

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Berlin, March 9: Sometimes, human mind is difficult to fathom. A man in Germany was recently convicted on charges of attempted murder for poisoning several of his co-workers over the years by sprinkling their food and drinks with toxic materials. He was handed a life term on Thursday, March 7, US-based NPR reported.

The man, partially identified as Klaus O. as German privacy laws do not allow revelation of full identity, was known to be a reclusive man who often wore headphones during his long tenure at a metal fittings company in Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in central-western Germany, Deutsche Welle reported.

Donald Trump's former poll campaigner Paul Manafort gets 47-month jail for fraud

Fifty-seven-year-old Klaus's manager called him "conspicuously inconspicuous" and one of his victims who worked with the man for three decades, rarely spoke with people and had no friends.

"I had no problem with Klaus, and I accepted that he does not want any contact. There was never an argument," he was quoted as saying by a daily called 'Bild'.

During Klaus's trial, a lawyer told the court that there weren't many quarrels either just as there were no conversations about private issues.

Klaus was arrested in May last year after one of his colleagues found what the officials later discovered as lead acetate - a highly harmful toxic - on his lunch, NPR reported.

It was after the colleague found that his sandwiches were repeatedly laced with some mysterious substance that he bought the issue to the management's notice and after an hidden camera was installed in the break room, it was found that Klaus calmly pulling food out of his colleagues' bags and filling them with a powder and putting the food back into the bags.

Klaus's colleagues still could not believe that he was poisoning them till those who ingested the toxic in their food started falling ill. The police searched Klaus's home to find a makeshift laboratory that featured lead acetate, lead, mercury and other metals.

El Salvador woman's ordeal: Rape victim jailed for 20 years!

Two of Klaus's colleagues had serious kidney damage while a third suffered brain damage and is unlikely to recover from vegetative state.

None though has an idea what had prompted the man to target his colleagues. A psychologist who had a talk to Klaus said that he approached the poisonings as a researcher curious to know the effects of toxins on his co-workers. Klaus himself also did not say anything about what motivated him to do something sinister.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 9:59 [IST]
'Hostile nation's animosity is well known': Pak wants India's removal from FATF review body

International

oi-Deepika S

Islamabad, Mar 10: Pakistan has asked the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international terror financing watchdog, to remove India as co-chair of its Asia-Pacific Joint Group.

In a letter addressed to FATF President Marshall Billingslea, Pakistan Finance Minister Asad Umar asked him to appoint any other member country besides India as co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Joint Group "to ensure that (the) FATF review process is fair, unbiased and objective", the finance ministry said in a statement.

The Joint Group is a sub-body of the FATF's International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the Asia Pacific Group. Pakistan is a member of the APG and its case is being presented before the FATF by the APG. India's Financial Intelligence Unit's (FIU) director general is the co-chair of the Joint Group.

Act or face FATF wrath, Pakistan's finance secretary warns

"India's animosity towards Pakistan was well known and the recent violation of Pakistan's airspace and dropping of bombs inside Pakistani territory was another manifestation of India's hostile attitude," Umar wrote in the letter.

Referring to India's efforts of isolating Pakistan globally and call for the country's blacklisting during the ICRG meeting on February 18, Umar said, "Indian presence among the evaluators and as Co-chair of the Joint Group would undermine the impartiality and spirit of the 'peer review' process."

Currently placed on the FATF's 'grey list', Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the Paris-based FATF, a measure that officials here fear could further hurt its economy.

FATF recently snubbed Pakistan, saying it "did not demonstrate a proper understanding of the terror financing risks posed by Daesh (ISIS), Al Qaeda, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (Jud), Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Haqqani network (HQN), and all terrorists affiliated with the Taliban".

The proscribed terror organisations will be examined under heightened security checks at all layers of legal, administrative, investigative and financial regimes, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported.

At least 40 paramilitary soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked their convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.
UP: Woman, servant found dead in Lakhimpur Kheri

Lucknow

pti-PTI

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Mar 10: A 40-year-old woman and her servant were found dead in a flour mill-cum-residence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said on Sunday. Renu Gupta, the mill owner, and her servant Arif (18) were found on Saturday night in Mahewa Ganj town, they said.

The incident came to light when other workers returned to the mill after delivering flour, police said. The workers found mill's gate closed and called out to open it. Getting no response from inside the mill, they peeped through a window and spotted Arif lying inside with severe head injuries, police said.

[6 year old murder case solved, man arrested]

The workers then informed police and local residents who rushed to the spot and took Arif to the district hospital but he succumbed during treatment, they said. Later, Renu's body was also found under sacks in the mill's godown, they said.

[UP: Undertrial prisoner kills murder convict in jail]

Her husband, Rakesh Gupta, was in Shahjahanpur district at the time of the incident, police said. District's Additional Superintendent of Police, Ghanshyam Chaurasiya said crime branch and other police teams are investigating the case and a few suspects are being interrogated. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. An investigation is on.

PTI
Delhi: Child dead, man injured in gunshot firing, probe underway

New Delhi

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 10: A six-year-old boy died while a 29-year-old man was injured after gunshots were fired in a gym at Inderpuri, Delhi.

On receiving information at 8:45 pm about gunshots being fired, police reached the spot and found that the boy, Prince Raj, who was looking through the window of his residence above the gym has died while another person, Mahender, was injured while entering the building, an official said.

Delhi: Teen commits suicide in Tilak Nagar, exam stress could be the possible reason

The injured was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where he was stated to be out of danger, police said.

Initial enquiry revealed that four people of JJ Colony in Inderpuri were involved in the incident, they said, adding a case has been registered in the matter and a hunt is on to nab the accused.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, March 10, 2019, 9:39 [IST]
Join Indian Army: Apply for 40 Technical Graduate Course, salary up to Rs 2.25 lakh

Delhi: Teen commits suicide in Tilak Nagar, exam stress could be the possible reason

New Delhi

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 9: A 13-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar on Saturday, police said.

The police said they were informed about the suicide at 5.43 pm after which officials went to the spot.

The girl, a Class 7 student, hanged herself from a ceiling fan when her family members were not home, a senior police officer said. No suicide note has been recovered yet, he said.

[Uttar Pradesh: Man attempts suicide by shooting himself in Balda]

After the preliminary investigation, the police said the girl might have taken such step under school exam stress. The body has been sent for post-mortem, the police said.

PTI
Kerala: Man arrested for harassing woman pilot

Thiruvananthapuram

pti-PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 9: A 30-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly harassing a Delhi-based woman pilot at the international airport here, police said.

Thiruvananthapuram resident Unnikrishnan was arrested by police late in the evening for making "sexually coloured comments" against the 26-year-old co-pilot of a public carrier while she was waiting for her vehicle at the airport premises on Friday night.

"He was arrested based on the complaint forwarded to us by the airport manager. On preliminary investigation, we came to know that he was drunk while driving at the airport. Further investigation is on," a police official told PTI.

[Barkha Dutt harassed on Twitter, NCW seeks "speedy investigation" from Delhi cops]

Quoting the woman's complaint, police said he had made the comments sitting inside his car and immediately drove away the vehicle.

The woman had noted down the car's number. The case has been registered against the accused under Section 354A (making sexually coloured remarks) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), police said.

PTI
A federal jury late Friday found Dennis Merkel, former manager of a Portland aluminum manufacturing plant, not guilty of defrauding the U.S. government.

Prosecutors had argued that Dennis Merkel, now 72, altered test results in May 2002 on critical parts that were to be used on government launch systems for U.S. anti-ballistic missiles.

His defense lawyers countered that Merkel had no idea the parts in question were destined for use in critical national defense equipment, and therefore he couldnt be found guilty of intending to defraud the U.S. government.

The jury deliberated for about four hours before returning its verdicts of not guilty on two counts of major fraud against the United States.

The verdict was announced about 5:45 p.m. Friday in U.S. District Court in Portland before U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez.

"Im extremely happy,'' Merkel said. "Thats the way it should have went.''

The federal prosecutors had called co-workers of Merkel who testified that they falsified dozens of aluminum test results for a decade at Technical Dynamics Aluminum, ignoring the design judgments of engineers and doctoring test result forms.

Prosecutors argued that the falsifications of the test results were done to move product out the door and drive up company profits.

After the government rested, the defense decided not to call any witnesses.

"We decided not to present any witnesses because we didnt believe the government had met its burden of proof,'' defense lawyer Per A. Ramfjord said.

Merkel worked as plant manager at the small family-run operation in Southeast Portland, where multiple employees chose to make minor alterations in test results to meet customer demand, Ramfjord told jurors. Merkel and others didnt think the changes were material or mattered to the plants customers.

Other employees who were involved in the same behavior and were called to testify had been granted immunity or entered into agreements with the government so they wouldnt face criminal prosecution.

The two charges stemmed from May 20, 2002, orders placed by two Boeing Co. subcontractors: Orbital Sciences Corp. and Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co., for whats called frangible joints for anti-ballistic missiles. The aluminum joints are designed for missiles and rockets to separate launch vehicles from their payloads. The test results measured the mechanical properties critical for the proper functioning of the joint.

The joint breaks open upon detonation, allowing a portion of a rocket to break away or a payload, such as a satellite, to deploy, according to court papers. The reliability of that joint depends on the mechanical properties of the aluminum part used.

On one invoice, Merkel is accused of altering a number 5, describing the parts elongation, which would have been a failing score, to an 8, a passing score, and then writing OK on the test result form.

"Not one person has testified that its OK to change numbers by a small amount or a large amount, to change numbers on yield, tensile strength, or on elongation,'' prosecutor Emily Scruggs said during her closing argument. " And theres been no evidence that its okay to change test results on extrusions that go into luggage racks or door trim or even on a frangible joint that goes into an anti-ballistic missile for the United States Government.''

Scruggs argued that any tampering with the test results are wrong. She urged the jury to consider the testimony of one of Merkels co-workers, Tammi Gentry, who said the "OK'' written on one of the invoices for the parts being shipped to the government matched the handwriting of Merkel.

"When the United States or any other customer asks for certified test results, they expect to get actual certified test results,'' Scruggs argued "Otherwise, they wouldnt ask.''

Merkels lawyers argued that no one from the company remembered the specific orders or remembered Merkel altering any specific documents relating to the two charges he faced.

"The evidence, at best, shows that workers at TDA made minor changes on tests they reasonably believed didnt matter,'' defense lawyer Wendy Olson argued in her closing.

Olson reiterated during her closing that Merkel and other employees didnt know the May 2002 parts were headed for use in a government missile defense system. She said the company didnt typically provide parts for the federal government.

"It was a family company with hard-working but unsophisticated employees, who tried to please customers by getting their orders to them, and to them pretty much on time,'' she said. "Orbital picked them out of that Thomas Registry of American Manufacturers, the Yellow Pages of manufacturers.''

As for the two specific charges Merkel faced, prosecutors failed to prove that he intended to defraud the United States because he didnt even know the parts were headed for use by any federal agency, his lawyer said.

"There was no knowledge by Mr. Merkel -- or anyone at TDA -- that the extrusion at issue was a flight-critical part for missiles sold to the United States,'' Olson told jurors. ''Theres no evidence that the TDA employees saw the government contracts.''

Merkel left the company in June 2009 through essentially an early buyout and is retired, Olson said.

Mr. Merkel and his family are very gratified with the verdict,'' Ramfjord said. " It was a hard-fought case and the jury clearly paid close attention to the evidence in reaching the right result. We believe that justice was served.''

-- 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.
A shootout with police in Douglas County ended with one man dead and the vehicle engulfed in flames, authorities said Sunday.

The incident took place late Saturday after a police chase that ended when the vehicle became stuck in a field, Roseburg police said Sunday.

The agency said law enforcement from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office and the Oregon State Police responded to a call about a possible stolen vehicle at the Loves Travel Stop, located at 280 Grant Smith Road. The car had been reported stolen in Eugene two days earlier.

Police said it the vehicle contained weapons and ammunition, including a semi-automatic rifle.

Douglas County Sheriff's deputies tried to stop the vehicle as it left the travel stop. A pursuit followed and the vehicle ended up in a field.

Police said the driver opened fire on authorities. Multiple law enforcement officers returned fire, Roseburg police said.

The stolen vehicle began to smoke and soon after became consumed in flames, police said.

The man died at the scene. Police do not know his identity.

Roseburg police Chief Gary Klopfenstein said Sunday that he did not know how many officers fired on the driver. His agency is leading the investigation into the shooting.

None of the law enforcement officers who responded to the incident were injured. They were placed on administrative leave, as is standard practice in police-involved shootings.

-- The Oregonian
As a pediatric nurse, Lyndsee Wunn has learned to compartmentalize.

If not, it would be hard to get through her 12-hour shifts on the fourth floor of Randall Childrens Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.

There she administers care to children battling cancer and struggling with heart defects. Often, parents keep bedside vigil to offer love, encouragement and simple moments of tenderness -- in many ways as important to the child as what the doctors with all their science and medicine provide.

And then there are the foster children.

Its more horrific than anyone can imagine, said Wunn, a nurse for 15 years. Kids are going to foster care every day all over the city. But the ones who come to a hospital for medical treatment have been abused and neglected.

These children, alone in a hospital room with nothing and no one, unsettled the unflappable nurse who long ago had learned guard her heart during long shifts on the floor.

The fear and sadness and desperation in those eyes is something you can never forget, she said. I wondered who would step up to let them know they matter and that they are loved.

Thats how this project of hers began.

Not from the head.

But from the heart.

***

Wunns husband, Geoffrey, a pediatric nurse at OHSU Doernbecher Childrens Hospital, saw similar kids during his shifts. Six years ago, the two agreed they wanted to do something to help.

Although they had a son, Landon, now 8, the couple got state certification to become foster parents. The need for foster families is so great that four days after being approved, they were asked by an Oregon Department of Human Services caseworker if theyd take Cooper, a drug-addicted infant born in a Portland-area hospital. The couple fostered Cooper, now 6, for more than 18 months and then adopted him when the boys parents relinquished their rights.

With their careers and full family, the couple decided they could no longer commit to being foster parents. But it wasnt easy for Wunn to let go.

At the end of her shifts, Wunn would return home and think about those foster kids back on the fourth floor. Wunn remembered the chaotic day their foster baby, now their son, arrived in their home with nothing but a hospital-issued onesie.

Our little boy was the answer to our prayers, Wunn said. I wanted to create something to honor him and what he had been through.

She had an idea but procrastinated.

My husband gave me the push I needed to take the first steps, she said. He told me Id talked about it and now I had to actually do it.

And so she did.

***

It wouldnt be much, but Wunn decided to collect new clothing and supplies that could be sent home with a child taken in by a foster family.

To test her idea, she put a post on her Facebook page to see if anyone would donate. Within a month, she had enough clothing and supplies to fill two large plastic tubs, which she took to Randall Childrens Hospital to leave for the social worker to distribute.

Through word-of-mouth, her project  what she called Boxes of Love  grew organized. More people donated goods as well as money that Wunn used to buy new clothes, toys and books. She stored things in her bedroom until it got too crowded, then took the operation to the garage until she outgrew that space. She reached out to local churches, but none had room for Wunn and the project.

One day, while driving in Gresham she noticed Trinity Lutheran Church at 507 W. Powell Blvd. On a whim, she pulled into the parking lot, walked into the office and made her pitch. Church officials offered her, rent free, a large basement room where all items are now stored, sorted and placed into boxes for children who range from infants to 18 years old.

***

A couple of years ago, Wunn searched the Internet for foster care organizations to see if they would spread the word for her. She stumbled over Embrace Oregon, a nonprofit based in Portland that works with the Department of Human Services to focus on the foster system.

The feeling in the community is that a person becomes a foster parent or does nothing at all, said Brooke Gray, the organizations executive director. We believe theres something all of us can do. When the community helps the most vulnerable of us, we all benefit.

Wunn hoped Gray would list her organization on the Embrace Oregon website.

Gray did more than that, adding Boxes of Love to one of 12 nonprofits operating under the Embrace umbrella. Each offers a way for a person to volunteer time or money to help foster children and families. Embrace handles all tax issues, donations and record-keeping required of a nonprofit.

She had a unique idea, Gray said. Some of these families are asked to take in a newborn with just two hours notice. Weve had nurses tell us that all they have to send a baby out of the hospital with is a blanket. This is like having a baby shower and getting everything a family needs.

***

Wunn said she yearly receives about $25,000 in donations, as well as clothing and other items. Last year, a girl in New Jersey heard about the program and raised money in her community to send Wunn 40 pairs of pajamas.

Wunn has six volunteers who help pack boxes and deliver them to hospitals and foster families throughout the metro area. Her program has partnerships with Randall, Doernbecher and neonatal units at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Providence Portland Medical Center and Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver.

Since she began four years ago, Wunn has given away 470 boxes, each with a value of about $500.

These boxes literally have everything a foster family needs including clothes a child can grow into, said Shannon Boreson, a licensed clinical social worker at Randall Childrens Hospital.

Several of those boxes have come to the home of Erica Speck and her husband, who over the years have cared for 40 children in their Corbett home.

Foster parents are left to go through a stockpile of hand-me-down clothes or bottles, Speck said. These children didnt ask to be in these situations. What Lyndsee is doing is showing a bit of kindness to children who have not had much of that in their lives.

In Oregon, the average daily population of foster children is nearly 8,000, said Christine Stone, communications officer for the Department of Human Services.

Children in care are part of their communities, Stone said. These children need their teachers, neighbors, relatives and friends to help provide support.

Boxes of Love, she said, fills a specific need for children moving from the hospital to a foster family.

These donations take a burden off the foster parents shoulders by providing items they will need and allows the foster parent to spend more time providing care to the children in their home, Stone said. These boxes also tell the foster families they are loved and appreciated and someone in the community cares for them.

***

Earlier this month, Wunn delivered a Box of Love to a Clackamas County home where a couple had agreed to take in a baby boy born to parents struggling with mental health issues and drug abuse, making it impossible for them to provide a safe home.

After leaving, Wunn paused outside the home before getting in her car. Shed work a hospital shift the next day.

What I see as a nurse, what other nurses see, are horrible situations, Wunn said. These are kids who are forgotten.

Wunn believes foster children are the responsibility of the community.

For some, its being a foster family, she said. Others volunteer their time or donated money. Everyone has the ability to help in some way. For me, it is Boxes of Love.

She turned toward the house, where she saw the foster mother, infant in her arms, standing in the doorway to offer a wave and a smile goodbye.

And then the front door closed.

--Tom Hallman Jr.

thallman@oregonian.com; 503 221-8224

@thallmanjr
A plane crash that killed 157 in Ethiopia on Sunday morning is likely to aggravate concerns over the safety of one of Boeings newest commercial jets, aviation analysts say. The tragedy comes as the company faces intense scrutiny over a deadly Indonesia plane crash involving the same plane, the 737 MAX 8.

In a statement addressing the crash, Boeing said it has a technical team prepared to provide assistance at the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

"Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane," Boeing said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team."

With an investigation into the causes of the crash in its earliest phases, it's too early to know whether the Ethiopia crash was caused by the same issues that doomed the Indonesian flight.

An Ethiopian Airlines executives said Sunday that the airplane had "no technical remarks" and was flown by an experienced pilot. He said the pilot mentioned he had difficulty and wanted to return, before losing contact with air traffic control.

Aviation analysts say they are anxiously awaiting the results of the Indonesian airline's investigation, suggesting the company's future business could be affected if any parallels are found.

"If this has any relationship at all with Lion Air incident, it's a pretty good bet that the (Federal Aviation Administration) will move to have all 737 MAX aircraft inspected immediately," said Mike Boyd, an aviation analyst with Boyd Group International. If the results of such an inspection turn up significant design flaws in the 737 MAX, it could lead the planes to be grounded worldwide, he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a brief statement saying it was planning to assist in the investigation of the crash, which killed eight Americans and 18 Canadians.

"The FAA is closely monitoring developments in the Ethiopian Flight 302 crash early this morning," the agency said in a statement. "We are in contact with the State Department and plan to join the NTSB in its assistance with Ethiopian civil aviation authorities to investigate the crash."

So far Boeing's investors and customers seem to have shrugged off the issues related to the Lion Air crash. Boeing had a banner year last year amid accelerating international sales of its commercial jetliners. The 737 is the best-selling plane model in its history.

A Boeing 737-MAX 8 is parked Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, outside Boeing Co.'s 737 assembly facility in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)AP

The 737 MAX8 has been an important driver of business for Boeing since it was introduced in 2017, and it is critical to Boeing's broader international ambitions as it competes with its European rival, Airbus.

Boeing has delivered 354 of the jets globally and has another 2,912 on order, according to market estimates maintained by Boyd Group International. The jet that crashed Sunday morning was one of five 737 MAX 8's operated by Ethiopian Airlines, which has another 25 on order. In the United States, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have 59 of them between their two fleets, with another 304 on order.

The Indonesia plane crash turned a harsh spotlight on the MAX 8, Boeing's latest update to its workhorse 737. A preliminary investigative report release in late November found that a malfunctioning sensor and an automated response from the aircraft's software left pilots to fight furiously to control the aircraft before it careened into the Java Sea outside Indonesia shortly after takeoff, killing 189 people.

The report found that a sensor measuring the plane's "angle of attack" fed erroneous data into the plane's flight control system, at which point an automatic feature kicked in, sending the plane into a nose dive.

The report stopped short of assigning blame for the crash. But the company quickly received criticism from multiple pilots organizations in the United States after Boeing disclosed that it had made certain changes to the MAX's autopilot software - adding a new flight control feature called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS.

The new software was meant to account for design changes to the 737 MAX, seeking to make the plane operate as similarly as possible to older 737 models despite having larger engines placed farther forward on the plane's wings.

While the MCAS system was ostensibly added to make the plane safer, pilot unions in the United States said they had been left "in the dark" about the new software update, and initially criticized Boeing for failing to cover the new system in pilot trainings.

A Boeing spokesman did not respond to questions about whether the company had updated the MCAS system following the Indonesia plane crash. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, a union that represents pilots at American Airlines, said Boeing executives had initially told his members that the company had been looking at potential software design issues, but had not received any word about whether the system had been changed. He also said pilots at American Airlines still do not have flight simulators reflecting updates to the MAX 8.

"We have not been briefed on any changes to the software at this point," Tajer said.

The company has not seen any orders of new 737's cancelled as a result of the crash. But airlines considering future orders will be watching the situation in Ethiopia closely.

"You now have had two 737 MAX 8's that have crashed shortly after takeoff ... the airlines are going to be very interested to know whether this was a problem with the airplane, the training, or both," said Henry Harteveldt, an aviation market analyst with Atmosphere Research. "For airlines that are debating whether to order the (Boeing 737) MAX and how that would compare to other planes on the market, it's very possible that tomorrow Airbus reps will get a few calls from people that have been considering Boeing."

There is also the possibility that the crash could cause a broader backlash on the part of customers, who might prefer to wait for the results of the investigation before choosing to fly in a 737 MAX8.

-- The Washington Post
A police investigation is underway after a man was shot and killed inside of a Northeast Portland home Friday night.

Officers arrived at a residence on the 4000 block of Northeast 136th Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. in response to calls about a shooting at the house, according to a release from the Portland Police Bureau.

There, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police said they discovered the gun used in the shooting and that theres no further danger to the public. The bureau is in the beginning stages of its investigation. The agency asks anyone with information to call the non-emergency line at 503-823-3333.

--Eder Campuzano
By KATHLEEN PARKER

During a hearing by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel about prevention and response to sexual assault in the military, Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., recounts her own experience with sexual assault while serving as a colonel in the Air Force, as Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., listens at right, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 6, 2019. McSally, the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, says she was raped in the Air Force by superior officer. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)AP

WASHINGTON -- Last December, I asked a question related to Martha McSally as she was about to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the late John McCain: What more could you want in a senator?

Having known McSally during her two terms in the House of Representatives, I was impressed with her spunk and courage, as demonstrated during her 26 years in the Air Force, where she was a squadron commander and the nation's first female fighter pilot to fly combat missions. I've also admired her humility, warmth and, of course, love of dogs. Don't laugh. "Must Love Dogs" isn't just a romantic comedy. It's the password to my personal universe.

Now we also know that McSally is a rape victim, though the word "victim" doesn't suit her. Indeed, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last Wednesday, where she told her story, McSally referred to herself as a "military sexual-assault survivor." She wasn't always able to say that. For years, she told no one about the rape and suffered in silence, as so many assault victims do. McSally told the committee that she felt ashamed, confused and embarrassed, and she blamed herself. Again, as so many victims do. She didn't trust the system, she said.

If you caught McSally at the televised hearing, or in subsequent news clips, you may have seen what I did -- a woman of strength, self-control, resolve and determination, despite visible emotion and apparent deep pain. She's a maverick's maverick, I thought, and one tough cookie. Though she remained composed, one could see McSally struggle as she recounted being raped by a superior officer and then, in her words, being raped again, figuratively, when she eventually reported the assault to the Air Force. The system victimized her again, she said, treating her as though she were a perpetrator rather than someone who had been violated. Such was her despair that McSally considered packing her duffel bag and leaving the military.

"But I didn't quit," she said. "I decided to stay and continue to serve and fight and lead. To be a voice from within the ranks for women -- and then in the House and now the Senate."

We've heard stories like McSally's too many times. Until relatively recently, many women had been afraid to speak up lest they not be believed. Others feared the stigma of rape. A close friend of mine who was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in her own home said she refused to prosecute her assailant when he was captured because she didn't want to be known as a rape victim. She imagined that, no matter whatever else she might do or become, the first thing people would say about her was, "Oh, there's so-and-so. She was raped, you know."

Though we've come a long way since the time when McSally was attacked, there's still much to be done, both in civilian and military life. McSally said she decided to tell her story to the world in hopes of further advancing necessary changes.

The military is unique in obvious ways, making sexual assault not just a personal issue but one of national security. Teamwork and morale, which are so critical to military effectiveness, can't possibly be maintained if female (and some male) troops live in fear of rape. Even one assaulted person would undermine troop cohesion -- and word gets around. In McSally's case, circumstances were even worse given the power differential between her and her superior officer. She not only suffered a breach of trust but became his psychological captive.

McSally soldiered on, despite suffering self-doubt and, surely, fear. One can only imagine the horror of essentially being held hostage to a predator who also has power over your future. Meanwhile, lives are at stake. What if you knew your wingman had been raped by your commanding officer?

Grit, it seems, is McSally's wingman. In an interview Friday morning with CBS' Norah O'Donnell, McSally said she decided to become a fighter pilot as soon as she learned that women weren't allowed. "It just pissed me off," she recounted. "And I said, 'That's exactly what I'm gonna do.' And I walked around saying, 'I'm gonna be the first woman fighter pilot.' ... I knew nothing about flying, but I was mostly driven because they told me that I couldn't."

Nothing was going to stop her, apparently, including a superior officer who tried to destroy her through the ultimate means of domination. I suspect McCain would be proud of the woman who took his place.

Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.

(c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group
By Paul Gronke and Phillip Keisling

Gronke is director of the Early Voting Information Center and a political science professor at Reed College. Keisling is director of the Center for Public Service at Portland State University and served as Oregon secretary of state from 1991 to 1999.

In todays polarized political climate, the actions and motives of our elected leaders are too often challenged solely on the basis of their partisan label. Charges of partisan bias can be especially problematic for secretaries of state, who are directly elected in a partisan contest in Oregon (and 34 other states) to serve as the chief elections officer.

With his 2016 election, Dennis Richardson became the first Republican to win a statewide office in Oregon since 2002, and the first Republican to be elected secretary of state since Norma Paulus, who was reelected in 1980 and whom we sadly also lost recently. And as the second highest state official, Richardson, somewhat to his surprise we suspect, was viewed by many as the titular head of Oregons Republican Party.

That said, in our view Richardson put far more emphasis on his role as Oregons chief elections officer, devoting his too-short tenure to serving as an exemplar of nonpartisan, fair-minded election administration. When Richardson was elected, Oregon was one year into implementing Oregon Motor Voter, the nations first automatic voter registration system. Even though the program was then-Secretary of State Kate Browns top legislative priority and had passed the 2015 Legislature without a single Republican vote, Richardson and the elections office staff forged ahead with implementation. In large part due to Richardsons leadership, what was initially a reform viewed skeptically by some local officials and many Republicans has now been embraced by all sides, and Oregon is once again a shining example for voter equity and access.

Richardsons office also launched other voter-friendly initiatives, adding five languages to the online voter registration system, keeping 60,000 more voters on the active list, and tracking down unregistered voters through social media. More recently he partnered with the Green Party to try to advocate for state-supported primaries for independent and third-party affiliated voters. While last month his office issued a non-committal statement about a new piece of legislation that would allow 16-year-olds to vote, we are confident that, if this had become law under his watch, Richardson would have implemented it fairly, regardless of his personal views.

Of course, Richardsons tenure was not without controversy, as would be expected in todays hyper-competitive political environment. But it is our shared view, as an academic who has been engaged in national conversations on election reform for 15 years, and an ex-secretary of state who has been involved in Oregon politics for decades, that Dennis Richardson was a model for nonpartisan election administration.

We honor his memory and send our condolences to his family and friends.
UPDATED Monday, March 11: Portland police have publicly identified the passenger who died as 19 year-old Heaven Leigh Mathews, whos known as Heavenly.

***

Portland police late Saturday responded to a fatal single-car wreck in the area of Southeast Division Street and 122nd Avenue and found the driver had fled, leaving the passenger behind.

The crash happened after Portland police tried to stop the Subaru Legacy, which had been reported stolen. The vehicle sped off; Portland police didn't pursue the Subaru and later found it had crashed into a pole at the intersection of Division and 122nd.

Police arrived to find the passenger had died at the scene. The driver, Adam Alexander Valle, 26, fled and was found a block away, according to police. He was taken to an area hospital with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries.

Valle was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on accusations of second-degree manslaughter, failing to perform the duties of a driver, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving.

Anyone with information about this crash should contact the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division at 503-823-2103 or call non-emergency dispatch at 503-823-3333.

-- The Oregonian
Captain Marvel, the last entry in the Marvel film franchise until this summers Avengers: Endgame, is poised to rake in upward of $160 million in its opening weekend, posting one of the strongest March debuts in cinematic history. And much of the inspiration for Brie Larsons turn as the most powerful hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was penned right here in Portland.

Kelly Sue DeConnick, who took over the series for three years in 2012 had such an impact on the character that she inspired a crew of die-hard fans to brand themselves as the Carol Corps, tagging the author in all manner of social media posts and producing a veritable treasure trove of their own geek gear and apparel.

One such item is a custom jacket DeConnick made for her mother Polly Bauer, a Florida-based financial consultant. Its made of denim, and on the back the item features Carol Danvers signature catchphrase: Higher, faster, further.

And on Saturday, Bauer wore the piece to a screening of the new Marvel movie. Of course, not before bragging about her daughters achievement on Twitter.

Seeing the movie (based on) my daughter @kellysues character @captainmarvel. In the Jacket she hand painted me! Bauer wrote, before adding the hashtag #HigherFurtherFaster.

Its a line Danvers relays to her best friend, Maria Rambeau, as they exit an Air Force hangar in the movie and approach a pair of jets in one of the films many Top Gun-esque moments. Its also a rallying cry for Captain Marvel fans, who have long been inspired by the characters unwavering confidence, resilience and strength.

DeConnick retweeted the photo, adding, Okay, this is cute.

The comics writer has also been sharing posts from fans on both her Twitter and Instagram accounts, a habit thats solidified her place among the fanbase. Even Marvel recognized DeConnicks contributions to the character: The studio brought her on as a consultant for the film.

(The Portland author even has a blink-and-youll-miss-it cameo in the movies early goings.)

DeConnick told The Oregonian/OregonLive last year that the key to her successful run on Captain Marvel was due largely to the fact that she wrote Carol Danvers as though she was one of her own.

Your editors want you to take risks. They want wild, crazy, exciting stories, she said. No one is looking to say, Oh, please make the blandest choices.

The approach has paid off.

DeConnick is currently writing DCs Aquaman series. Shes also working on an imprint exploring the origins of another top-tier DC superhero: Wonder Woman.
Its daylight saving time and you know what that means.

Its either been four months since you meticulously updated the clock in the microwave and the other one on your cars dashboard, or theyll no longer be an hour ahead of every other internet-enabled timepiece in your life.

(Your phone, your smartwatch, your PlayStation, etc.)

As the winter months begin to fade into spring, the federal government mandates we collectively adjust our schedules to start the day an hour earlier. Unless, of course, you live in Hawaii, Arizona, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Thats because, unless a state passes a law specifically addressing the outdated, biannual tradition of arbitrarily changing the time to artificially push back the sunset, were stuck repeating the routine every March and November.

But Oregon legislators have decided maybe its time to reconsider this ritual in the Beaver State.

Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, and Reps. Bill Post, R-Keizer, and John Lively, D-Springfield, have introduced a bill that would permanently set Oregon on daylight saving time if it passes the Legislature and is then approved by the states voters. The move follows similar proposals in California, Washington and Florida, where state legislatures are also considering a permanent state of daylight saving.

There are arguments both for and against abolishing the practice. One of them is correct. The other one is not.
Police in Sherwood have arrested a piano teacher suspected of sexually abusing one of his students at a downtown music academy.

Christopher M. Griffin, 29, was booked into the Washington County Jail and charged with sodomy, sex abuse and unlawful penetration. Police arrested Griffin on a warrant after first hearing the allegations Thursday, the department said in a news release.

Griffin is a staffer at Lets Make Music and Dance, a music academy on the northeast edge of the Washington County citys downtown and just a block away from Sherwood Middle School. Investigators believe Griffin repeatedly abused the student at the music academy during lessons, the police department said.

Police continue to investigate and ask other possible victims or anyone else with information to call 503-629-0111.
According to the results of her autopsy, "smothering" and blunt force trauma to the head and chest were declared to be the cause of death for a Midland woman found dead in June 2018.

The results were presented Friday in court during the 13-day trial of the woman's great-nephew, who is being charged with her murder.

Joel Brandon Wallace, 34, appeared in court Friday, March 8, before Judge Stephen Carras of the 42nd Circuit Court for the fourth day of his trial, which is scheduled to conclude March 21. He stands accused of the murder of Victoria Kilbourne, 74, a Midland hairdresser who was reported missing on June 26, 2018.

Kilbourne's remains were found on June 30 in a shallow grave on Wallace's hunting property near Onaway.

Wallace faces five counts, including homicide-murder first degree premeditated, homicide-felony murder, unlawful imprisonment, forgery and uttering and publishing. If he is convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Testimony resumes Monday at 9 a.m.

Representing the people as prosecutor is Midland County Prosecuting Attorney J. Dee Brooks. Wallace is represented by attorney Dan Duke.

Forensic pathologist Kanu Virani, who performed the autopsy on Kilbourne's remains on July 1, 2018, at the MidMichigan Medical Center, appeared in court on Friday to discuss the results.

Kilbourne's body was discovered to have severe bruising on her forehead and chest, indicating blunt force trauma from an unknown object. Additional bruising was also discovered on her right leg.

Though the impact to her head was not severe enough to fracture her skull, it would have been enough to render her unconscious, as evident by the hematoma found on the surface of her brain.

Bruising around her knuckles and ring finger are consistent with "defensive wounds," meaning that Kilbourne likely tried to fight back against her assailant before her death.

It is unknown what exactly led to Kilbourne's suffocation, and the lack of physical evidence of compression around her neck rules out strangulation as the cause of death, Virani said. Though Kilbourne was bound at the mouth by black tape that was wrapped around her head, the tape would not have prevented her from breathing through her nose.

Virani also determined that Kilbourne was not alive when she was buried, as there was no dirt found in the airways of her mouth and nose.

Virani testified the condition of the body indicated she had been dead for about five or six days.
We have come to call these fields grievance studies in shorthand because of their common goal of problematizing aspects of culture in minute detail in order to attempt diagnoses of power imbalances and oppression rooted in identity. (more) A full 80% [of US] believe that political correctness is a problem in our country.  The woke are in a clear minority across all ages.  Progressive activists are the only group that strongly backs political correctness: Only 30% see it as a problem.  Compared with the rest of the [nation], progressive activists are much more likely to be rich, highly educatedand white.  What people mean by political correctness.  [is] their day-to-day ability to express themselves: They worry that a lack of familiarity with a topic, or an unthinking word choice, could lead to serious social sanctions for them. (more) While the American legal system favors the state over the individual in property takings, for example in contrast with the Japanese system, the political system favors NIMBYs and really anyone who complains. Infrastructure construction takes a long time and the politician who gets credit for it is rarely the one who started it, whereas complaints happen early. This can lead to many of the above-named problems [with transit construction], especially overbuilding, such as tunneling where elevated segments would be fine or letting agency turf battles and irrelevant demands dictate project scope. (more) Chronic Complainers: These folks live in a constant state of complaint. If theyre not voicing about their woe is me attitude, theyre probably thinking about it. Psychologists term this compulsory behavior rumination, defined as repetitively going over a thought or a problem without completion. Rumination is, unfortunately, directly relayed to the depressed and anxious brain. (more) Customers with high status tended to register more service failures and to complain more frequently than customers of lower social status. All three social status distinctions explored in this study (gender, education, and age) correlated negatively with formal complaint, but only age correlated negatively with informal complaint.  Two cultural dimensions [power distance and uncertainty avoidance] had the expected negative effect on intention to complain, and moderated the relationship between social status and intention to complain. (more) Learning someone is prone to complain more often that others can change your opinion of them. And this effect may be different for low vs. high status (S) people. Do you think more or less of complainers who are high vs. low status?  Robin Hanson (@robinhanson) March 9, 2019

My favorite one-factor theory of social attitude (and value) change over the last few centuries is that increasing wealth has induced a drift from farmer back to forager attitude (and values). (A theory I also outline in Age of Em.) Which plausibly helps explains changing attitudes toward fertility, gender, slavery, crime, democracy, war, leisure, art, and travel. In this post I want to suggest a (to me) new hypothesis about forager attitudes, which could help explain some recent attitude trends.

Foragers are fiercely egalitarian. They share many kinds of food and other resources, and enforce a norm of quickly and aggressively squashing any signs of attempts to use or threaten to use force, or any inclinations to do so. In fact, this is probably the uber-norm that drove the evolution of norms in the first place. Bragging about your physical strength is a no-no, as that can be interpreted as an implicit threat to use that strength. Even bragging about your intelligence or other resources is discouraged, as those might also be seen as threats, or as attempts to form coalitions that might threaten. Forager group decisions are to be made by consensus, after everyone has had a chance to weigh in.

Now consider foragers attitudes about complaining. When someone more dominant makes a complaint to someone less dominant, that can often be interpreted as a threat to use power if the complaint isnt fixed. Which is a big forager no-no. But when a less dominant person complains to a more dominant person, it is harder to see that as a threat to use power. So complaints down are discouraged more than complaints up, just as punching down is more of a no-no than punching up. And well tend to interpret complaints as a pro-down positions.

A complaint that is made to third parties fits the standard norm-enforcement pattern, a pattern of which foragers greatly approve. Thus having A complain to B about how a more dominant person C is treating a less dominant person D badly should generally meet with approval. This is A helping out with norm enforcement, and can be seen as speaking truth to power. If A is a high prestige person, and B is a wise and moral audience, this pattern should be especially approved. After all, we naturally believe prestigious people more than others. And if a complaint leads to action of which we later approve, that can increase the prestige of the complainers.

Yes, people who complain a lot tend to seem unhealthy, and we tend to think less of frequent complainers. Even so, foragers likely a big soft spot in their hearts for prestigious people who complain to the whole group that some low dominance people are being treated badly by high dominance people. Those complaints, foragers respected.

In our society today, we tend to frame big firms, governments, rich folks, and larger demographic groups as more dominant actors. So when a local neighborhood group complains about a government plan for a transit construction project, we tend to see that as a low dominance actor complaining about a high dominance actor, and habitually sympathize. And to the extent that we have forager-like attitudes about such situations, this increases the political negotiating power of such complainers, inducing governments to give in to them, and raising the costs of transit construction projects. Similar processes likely increase the power of neighborhood groups who demand rent, zoning, and private construction restrictions, resulting in less new buildings and housing.

Forager-like attitudes similarly prime us to favor ordinary consumers or employees who complain about big firms, and this encourages regulations focused mostly on consumer and employee welfare, relative to the welfare of investors, who are framed as rich and thus dominators. Even rich high status people feel comfortable complaining about how big firms treat them, and in fact they feel more comfortable than low status folks. Their higher prestige can make them feel like respected moral crusaders for all.

As larger race/ethnicities are framed as dominators relative to smaller ones, forager-like attitudes prime us to sympathize with complaints that the former mistreat the latter. Similarly for complaints on how the larger groups who have more standard gender and sexual preferences treat the smaller groups who have more deviant genders and sexual preferences. Mens higher physical strength and participation in war, and higher percentage among top positions at most organizations, has long induced us to frame men as more dominant relative to women.

Thus when we have more forager-like attitudes, we naturally sympathize when high prestige people complain that these more dominant groups are mistreating the less dominant groups. And in fact people with the potential for high prestige can seek to cement and increase their prestige via such complaints. Which is plausibly why it is high prestige folks who participate most in grievance studies type complaining.

Forager-like attitudes should make us sympathize with most any complaint about how rich people treat less rich people. Including how they conspire to mess up markets, political systems, or legal systems. Also, when criminals are committing crimes, they can seem like illicit dominators relative to ordinary citizens. But police, courts, and prisons can seem like dominators relative to criminals, thus inducing us to sympathize with complaints that criminals are being treated too harshly by the legal system. Perhaps explaining why prestigious folks seem to consistently push for weaker criminal punishments.

My wealth-induces-farmer-to-forager-attitudes story says that this complaint-sympathizing effect has been slowly getting stronger as weve been getting richer and more forager-like. It is strongest in the richest nation, which is currently the US, and it will continue to get stronger world-wide as the world gets richer. And these grievances accumulate when we do not use law to try and settle them.

And thats my story. Hyper-egalitarian foragers were especially sympathetic to complaints by prestigious folks that high-dominance folks were mistreating less-dominant others, and with increasing wealth weve been slowly increasing our embrace of this forager attitude. And so weve been listening more to such complainers, and giving them more political and social power, which has encouraged more high prestige folks to present themselves as such crusading complainers. Which results in a growing accumulation of such grievances.

What to do about this will have to wait for another post.

Added 10Mar: The conceptual power here is that this theory is more specific than the general idea that we dislike inequality and dominance, and so work consistently to reduce them. A habit of favoring specific complaints against more dominant parties can actually increase inequality and dominance in many cases.

Added 11Mar: Martin Gurris book Revolt of the Public can be seen as describing a switch to a focus on popular complaints. He describes many new social movements around 2011 that focused on complaining loudly to an enthusiastic public, but which due to egalitarian ideals werent interested in or capable of negotiating concrete demands or working within the usual political systems.

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This time we will try our level best not to speak much today and the pictures do talking. On International Womens Day 2019 Pakistan witnessed Aurat March (a march to speak about women rights) happening in the length and breadth of the country.

Although it was heartening to see women from almost all walks of life raising their voice not just on their rights but also other issues in Pakistan like Baloch missing persons, divorce, right in property, clean water, violence against women etc. Aurat March also created a stir among the masses. Mostly men and also some women were irked by the posters and couldnt help voicing their opinion. They also believed that Aurat March missed some of the important issues that needed to be talked about. And yeah not to miss the fragile Pakistani masculinity that kept rolling in despair!

We are here not to give you an opinion about Aurat March but bring to you some of the posters and placards that caught our attention. It is for you to decide which side you would like to sit with.

Give social and economic protection to your domestic help.

These roads belong to us too.

No one should be afraid to walk or travel alone. No one. No one should be subjected to cat calls and invasive gazes. No one should have to think twice before going out of their houses that theyre venturing out alone. No one. pic.twitter.com/FrH6cpgson  Froza Ahmed (@froza_ahmed) March 9, 2019

Talk of women empowerment, not marriages.

https://twitter.com/teepusahab/status/1104062143127830528

Qandeel is alive.

I raised a feminist and I am proud of it.

These parks belong to us as much as you.

#AuratMarch2019 Happening now  PARK JITNAY TUMHARE UTNAY HAMARAY  pic.twitter.com/QcVvGLBioh  MangoBaaz (@mangobaaz) March 8, 2019

Equality for win!

Equality means I'll share my income with you too! #AuratMarch2019 pic.twitter.com/LLGvYs7m9J  Sidrat (@IcarusDoe) March 8, 2019

Look at me but with my consent.

Lets cook together.

Out time is here!

Daughters not just in heart but in will too.

https://twitter.com/anthonypermal/status/1103988900807299074

Our demands peace, health, education, work and clean water

This #WomenOnWheels trainee and bike owner at #AuratMarch2019 smashed all misconceptions some officials had by calling this initiative a *show* project- This program must continue. pic.twitter.com/CZEKi6PUmm  Salman Sufi (Wear a Mask to Keep All Safe) (@SalmanSufi7) March 10, 2019

I dont know where your socks are.

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy protesting against the murder of Afzal Kohistani

We rest our case.
In 2009 I traveled to China to experience Chinese Buddhist monastic life and learn about the practice, philosophy, and history unique to Chan/Zen Buddhism. Back then, it was focused mostly on graduate students in Buddhism or Chinese culture/religion/history but it has since grown in size and scope to look a bit like the program that was then run separately at Fo Guang Shan monastery in southern Taiwan.

My experience with the 2009 program was so positive that I applied for and participated in the 2010 Taiwan program as well and wrote about my experience here (and posted additional reflections and photos here). Today the Woodenfish Project, run by Ven. Yifa, is no longer affiliated with Fo Guang Shan, but continues its mission of bringing Westerners first-hand experience of Chinese Buddhist monastic life.

In 2016, 17, and 18, I taught on the program, covering topics in early Buddhism, Buddhist ethics, Yogacara philosophy, and meditation. This year I plan to return, but will also be starting a full-time writing position for Buddhistdoor Global in Hong Kong, so I will have to work out travel possibilities in the next month or so. In any case, there is a fantastic Woodenfish faculty and staff with many years of experience teaching and working on this program in China.

Below further information for Woodenfish in China.

Deadline for applications: April 30th!

https://www.woodenfish.org/hbmlp-2019

Woodenfish Project 2019

Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program

Join this life-changing journey through Chinese Buddhism.

Spend your summer exploring yourself and the world around you in a Buddhist monastery in China.

Meditation, Taiji, Dharma talks, academic lectures, discussions, tea ceremony, calligraphy and much more.

Visit the sacred Mt. Wutai, home of Bodhisattva Manjusri, and visit the largest nunnery in China, Pushou Monastery.

Room and board is free of charge. We only charge a uniform-fee of $250 for the whole month!

Get college credits and transfer to your institution.

The Woodenfish Project has since 2002 provided over 1000 Westerners with a unique and authentic first-hand experience of Chinese Buddhist Monasticism. This summer you can take part in the adventure!

Read more on our website: https://www.woodenfish.org/hbmlp-2019

The Woodenfish HBMLP provides international students and other young people interested in the study of Buddhism and Chinese culture first-hand experience with the lifestyle, training, and rituals of contemporary Chinese Buddhist monasticism. The participants cultivate their mind through meditation, monastic discipline and mindfulness in all activities. The program includes academic lectures and discussions on Buddhist history and doctrine giving the students the appropriate framework for the experience. Workshops and performances in traditional arts like tea ceremony, calligraphy, kongfu and taiji will also be featured. The program is concluded with a week-long silent meditation retreat.

All activities will either be conducted in English or English translation will be provided. No prior knowledge of the Chinese language is needed.

We accept application from people regardless of religious background, race and country of origin. Applicants from diverse academic disciplines and religious backgrounds are encouraged to apply. While a majority of participants are working toward an undergraduate or graduate degree, we encourages anyone with an interest in Buddhism to apply. Most of our participants are between 18 and 35 of age.

Deadline for Application: April 30th, 2019

Applications will be reviewed on a ROLLING BASIS, and decisions will be made within two weeks after the submission of ones application. There are still spots open, but applicants are highly encouraged to apply early to have a better chance of admission.

For more information about the program and application procedures, please see https://www.woodenfish.org/hbmlp-2019

Connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ woodenfishfoundation

Follow us on Instagram: @woodenfish_hbmlp
HARRISBURG  Some drivers waved. Some honked. A few pulled over to offer donations.

But many showed no inclination toward what the people on the sidewalk amid candles and balloons wanted most from them: to slow down.

Instead, they barreled up and down the city thoroughfare, seemingly oblivious to the speed limit, and to the remnant of yellow tape dangling from a utility pole, leftover from the pedestrian crash that killed Phyllice Taylor.

The people lining the street in the chilly, fading light on Saturday were loved ones of Taylor, 65, who died a month ago while crossing Seventh Street between Dauphin and Muench streets.

They held a vigil near where she died, for the purpose of remembering Taylor, who was known for volunteer work, and to urge people to drive, as one put it, like your kids live here.

Were kind of sending two messages, said Taylors sister, Karen Tomlinson.

On March 9, 2019, loved ones of Phyllice Taylor held a vigil near the location where she was struck by a car and killed in February in Harrisburg, Pa.

The messages were conveyed by poster boards held up to passing motorists, including one which read Heaven gained another angel, and one which read Slow down.

The need for the second one seemed obvious as traffic whooshed past. Contemplating the stretch of road that took Taylors life, the people who cared most for her had many observations about why its unnecessarily deadly: The long, straight stretch of road, four lanes across, has the feel of a highway rather than one bisected by residential blocks. While the speed limit is 25 mph, there were no speed limit signs in sight. At one point, a group of people riding off-road dirt bike motorcycles and ATVs tore past, with the motorcyclists riding wheelies.

I think if they were going 25, she would still be with us, said Rebecca Green, referring to the driver of the car that struck Taylor.

Green, who lives on Franklin County, said she became close friends with Taylor and Tomlinson as the result of the three of them working at federal defense jobs in Cumberland County.

Taylor, a graduate of William Penn High School in Harrisburg, was retired from a 37-year career at the Navy supply depot near Mechancsburg. She was known for volunteer work with organizations including Meals on Wheels and prolific donations to Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, where her family said she donated a total of 14 gallons and was a VIP member.

She was struck at 7:13 p.m. on Feb. 8. A Harrisburg man, Samuel White, 71, is charged with homicide by vehicle and offenses including careless driving and driving without a license.

On March 9, 2019, loved ones of Phyllice Taylor held a vigil near the location where she was struck by a car and killed in February in Harrisburg, Pa.

Taylor was the second pedestrian within a week struck and killed in the immediate Harrisburg area. On Feb. 5, Elaine Pendelton, 63, died after being hit while crossing Union Deposit Road in Lower Paxton Township. She was hit while crossing the road with a grandchild just after sunset.

The deaths came as both the Harrisburg region and the United States are logging the highest numbers of pedestrian deaths in about 30 years. In the Harrisburg region, 23 pedestrians were killed in 2018 in Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry and York counties, according to an analysis by PennLive. Nationally, a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association said 6,227 pedestrians were killed by vehicles in 2018.

The increases are blamed on assorted factors, including more people walking, a shift toward light trucks which are more likely to kill a pedestrian, and a possible increase in distraction caused by smart phones.

Standing near where her sister died, Tomlinson said the group hopes that some of the people driving past will stop to consider how easily speeding or careless driving can take a life, and that city officials will take note and consider controls or enforcements that can make the road safer for pedestrians.

We need to make this safer. Its a busy street, she said.
A young girl missing since 2017 in Montana was found safe Saturday in southeastern Pennsylvania by authorities who arrested her mother, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Tracy Rearden, 32, was wanted by Great Falls police in Montana on felony charges of custodial interference, under a warrant issued July 25, 2017. Authorities said Rearden had abducted her then-3-year-old daughter, now 5, that July 1.

The Marshals Service Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force learned Rearden may have been visiting a friend Saturday morning in Exton, Chester County, and set up surveillance around the home and a vehicle she was believed to have been driving, the release says.

Shortly after noon, investigators spotted Rearden and the girl exiting the home and blocked in her vehicle, according to the release.

Rearden was arrested without incident and her daughter was recovered safely, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark says in the release from the agency's Philadelphia office.

Rearden was found in possession of two firearms that will lead to additional charges in Chester County, according to the release.

Rearden was sent to the Chester County jail to await extradition to Montana. Her daughter was in the custody of law enforcement, while she awaits reunion with her father from Montana.

The Marshals Service takes great pride in recovering missing and exploited children," Clark says in the release. "I am extremely pleased we were successfully able to assist our law enforcement partners in Montana.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Throughout history a little anti-Semitism has inevitably resulted in catastrophic horrors. The anti-Semitism that culminated in the Shoah didnt start on the scale it grew to.

Anti-Semitism, in all of its ugly forms is repugnant, vile, despicable and disgusting. It has no place in our political discourse or any other.

Recently, there has been an increased level of anti-Semitic rhetoric in the nations capital, much of it spewing from freshman Rep. Ileana Omar. Her most recent comments were the latest in a string of anti-Semitic slurs. Its a pattern.

Omar, a Somalian refugee from Minnesota, has been accused of blatant anti-Semitism by both

Republicans and Democrats. Her most recent broadsides include claiming American support for Israel is all about the Benjamins and statements that supporters of Israel had allegiance to a foreign nation.

Omars anti-Semitic tropes are nothing new. They were all made after she was castigated for previous statements that were even more outrageous.

Before arriving in Congress she had claimed that Israeli Jews had hypnotized the world, adding may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.

She never apologized for those remarks when confronted by members of her own community, including her State Senator. She only partially walked them back in January after she was pressured by her leadership to do so. Then she quickly doubled down with a new set of anti-Jewish tropes.

Many of her colleagues, on both sides of the aisle were appalled and wanted to take action.

When Rep. Steve King made wildly inappropriate remarks about white nationalism recently, Republicans stripped him of his committee assignments, and pushed a resolution condemning white nationalism, specifically naming King and quoting his offensive remarks. Several Republicans called for his resignation.

Yet when the United States House of Representatives finally got around to passing a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, they voted on an eight page document that had added just about every form of hate imaginable (yes, we should oppose all forms of hatred) thus watering down the rebuke of the hate-filled anti-Jewish rhetoric of Ms. Omar.

Minority Whip Steve Scalise said it clearly, A watered-down condemnation of hate does little to alleviate the hurt caused by Rep. Omars continuous anti-Semitic rhetoric and beliefs.

Omar remains on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of all places, despite the Democratic Chairmans condemnation of her remarks as outrageous and deeply hurtful.

So why the unwillingness to clearly and unmistakably rebuke Rep. Omar, by name, and the anti-Jewish bigotry she has expressed? Why has she not been removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee and relieved of her other committee assignments as well? Why do some of her colleagues still prop her up and offer feeble and inexplicable excuses for her behavior and statements?

Some say shes still learning and that her statements are isolated utterances. Jewish leaders in her home state say they are too many to be accidental. Theyve met with her over previous anti-Semitic remarks and theyre not convinced of her claims of ignorance about the impact of her words.

Although many Democrats have publicly rebuked Omar, many in very strong terms, when it was knuckle down time the partys leadership in Congress backed down and watered down. The far-left extremists in her caucus carried the day to the point where they wouldnt even stand up to blatant anti-Semitism.

Her defenders want to excuse her comments as merely criticism of U.S./Israel policy. Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League put that notion away. The problem isnt that she criticized Israeli policies. The problem is that she has repeatedly used age-old anti-Semitic tropes that have marginalized and persecuted Jews for centuries, even before Israel existed.

From the moment Israel existed there have been continuous efforts and threats to destroy the worlds only Jewish state. In many highly industrialized European nations today Jews face levels of physical and verbal violence that are frightening.

Can we in these United States of America allow the door to be opened to that kind of oppression?

The American far-left is lurching towards Jeremy Corbyn. Theres no excuse for that. There can be no tolerance for it.

There is no defense for Ilhan Omars rhetoric.

PennLive Opinion contributor Charlie Gerow is the CEO of Quantum Communications in Harrisburg.
Northern Michigan schools ask, 'What if that were us?'

In the wake of the Oxford High school shootings, Northern Michigan communities find themselves grappling with the question of, What if that were us?
Esteban Toledo walked into the Newport Beach Country Club clubhouse in 1994 after a practice round for the Taco Bell Classic looking for a snack.

Instead of surveying the menu, he couldnt stop looking at his waitress. Her name was Colleen.

Fast forward to today and its his wife of 20-plus years.

Toledo insisted after his 6-under, 65 on Saturday to move into a tie for fourth at the Hoag Classic that he knew Colleen was the one the moment he laid eyes on her.

I was throwing peanuts on her and I told her she was going to be my wife, said the always jovial Toledo. She said that I was loco. About three years later I put a ring on her and we married. She thought I was crazy, but I wasnt.

It was love at first sight, but it wasnt smooth right away.

Their first date was to breakfast the next day and Toledo forget his wallet. He had to borrow money from his caddie to pay her. The off-course bogey didnt cost him.

Toledo and Colleen gave birth to their daughter, Eden, at nearby Hoag Hospital, the title sponsor of the event, in 1999.

Its a fairy tale of sorts for Toledo, who has four PGA TOUR Champions wins, but none since 2016. A win on Sunday would hold extra significance.

I really believe that Ive got to go out there and try to win this thing, said Toledo. It would mean a lot since I met my wife and all members here plus my daughter was born in Hoag Hospital. I mean, it doesnt get better than that.

Actually, it does.

Not only does Toledo want to win because of the familial significance, but he also wants to win for the kids in Mexicali, Mexico that are part of the Esteban Toledo Family Foundation. He started an orphanage that now houses ten kids.

They didnt have a home. Now, they have a beautiful home.

They had no food. Now, they have plenty.

But most importantly, they had nobody that loved them.

Now they have love and thats the most important thing for my foundation.

When Toledo didnt get a spot in the event last week in Tucson, he drove down to Mexico from his home in Houston and spent time with the kids.

I promised them that I was going to win this tournament, explained Toledo. Theyre my family. Theyre wonderful little kids and Im pretty sure tomorrow theyre going to watch me on television.

It doesnt get better than that.
An aerial view of Temple University Hospital, which anchors the Temple University Health System that is looking for long-term solutions to its financial struggles as it plays the role of a public hospital for the most impoverished parts of Philadelphia. (DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer) Read more

Two years ago, officials at Temple University Health System were concerned that there might not be enough cash on hand to fund operations for the number of days required by its bondholders.

Management secured a $15 million line of credit, just in case. The health system turned out not to need it, but the episode jolted its owner into a renewed search for long-term financial sustainability.

Over many years the university has been looking at this, looking essentially at the sustainability of our health-care enterprise, said Richard Englert, president of Temple University, which owns the health system. We have to get ahead of the curve.

The health system, anchored by Temple University Hospital, is in the unenviable position of being the de facto public hospital for a large section of the poorest large city in the country. Opened in 1892, it is a major economic anchor in a deeply impoverished area of the city that is home to more than 400,000. The entire health system employs 9,800.

The other part of the bad luck is they are in the same city as Penn Medicine, hospital finance expert Joshua Nemzoff said. Stiff competition from well-funded, fast-growing health systems such as the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Jefferson Health, and others makes it hard to draw patients to North Philadelphia, he said.

The persistent financial challenges have led Temple to consider selling the systems most profitable arm  Fox Chase Cancer Center -- to raise money for the struggling parts of its operations. That would be a U-turn for the systems CEO, Larry Kaiser, who bought it seven years ago as part of his strategy to expand into more profitable services.

Math just doesnt work

The latest attempt at restructuring is a response to chronically weak financial health  caused by an extremely high percentage of patients covered by Medicaid, a poor payer compared with commercial insurance. Its the tens of millions of dollars in supplemental state funding that has kept the system from going under.

So far, Temple University Health System has not been able to benefit from a consolidation wave sweeping across the industry that has hospital systems joining forces to gain economies of scale and diversify their patient mix. Temple has also not been able to participate fully in the accelerating shift of care away from hospitals to outpatient settings.

University president Englert and other Temple officials, including CEO Kaiser and Stuart McLean, the chief restructuring officer from consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, are still trying to figure out what a financially stable Temple University Health System might look like. Exclusive talks with Thomas Jefferson University over the possible sale of the cancer center represent the biggest move so far.

Some outsiders, however, are taking an expansive view of the opportunity presented by a potential reshaping of Temple University Health System.
A part of Newark's skyline is seen in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Read more

Do you think that New Jersey is a high tax state while Florida is a low tax state? Think again.

An individuals tax burden depends on the level of taxes, the types of taxes, and, critically, the income of the household.

State and local taxes come in all types. There are income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and just about every other kind of tax possible. Some fall more heavily on higher-income wage earners while others hit lower-income families hardest. This differential tax impact across income groups needs to be brought into the light.

First, some definitions. A progressive tax is one whose burden or rate rises as incomes rise. The U.S. income tax is an example. In contrast, a regressive tax impact falls as incomes rise. Sales and property taxes are examples. Finally, a proportional (or flat) tax is the same regardless of income. Pennsylvanias income tax closely matches that definition.

The mixture of these types of taxes determines the extent that all taxpayers bear equal (or fair) burdens.

Creating a fair tax system is difficult because different taxes affect families of different incomes differently. A family earning $20,000 that pays $1,000 in taxes may find that sum burdensome. But a family earning $200,000 and paying twice as much, or $2,000, may see those taxes as modest.

Even if the higher-income household paid the same percentage as the lower-income household, or $10,000, the burden may differ. Thats because the upper-income household would still have significant after-tax income to spend.

Economists argue that progressive taxes even the tax burden across income groups. Higher-income households would not just pay more in terms of dollars but also a higher share of their income. That is, tax rates should rise as incomes increase.

With that concept of fairness as a starting point, how do states compare?

A recent study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy analyzed the burdens of state and local taxes across the nation.

The results were eye opening, though hardly surprising. Nationally, households in the lowest 20 percent income group spent 11.4 percent of their income on state and local taxes. In comparison, the top 1 percent paid 7.4 percent. The rate fell as incomes rose, meaning that nationally, state and local taxes are regressive.

Locally, the results differed dramatically.

Pennsylvania has the seventh most regressive state and local tax structure in the nation. The poorest income group pays 13.8 percent of income in state and local taxes. The poor and middle-income tax rates are well above the national average. The top 1 percent pays 6 percent, well below the nation.

In contrast, Delaware tax structure is one of the least regressive, ranking 48th. The lowest 20 percent pays 5.5 percent while the top 1 percent pays 6.5 percent. Only Vermont and California have less regressive tax systems than Delaware.

High-tax New Jersey came in just below Delaware, at 46th. The poorest pay 8.7 percent in taxes, well below the national average, while the top 1 percents tax bite was 9.8 percent. The effective tax rate exceeds the national average for middle- and upper-income households.

Looking across the nation, high-tax states such as New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, and New York generally had modestly regressive tax structures. Meanwhile, the so-called low tax states, such as Texas and Florida, were in the top 10 in regressivity.

In Texas, the poorest pay 13 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while in Florida, they pay 12.7 percent. Those rates are well above the rates paid in the high tax states listed above.

So, what is a low-tax state? It depends upon your income. If you are poor, its not Florida, Texas, and especially not Pennsylvania, where the poor and middle class pay more.

Claiming that Pennsylvanias state and local tax structure is fair because the income tax is a low, flat rate misses the point. The state depends significantly on property, sales and excise taxes, and those fall most heavily on the poor.

As for changing the structure, good luck. Pennsylvanias lower- and middle-income households would benefit from more services funded at the state level, paid for by a graduated income tax. But upper-income households would scream.

Finally, there is one result that should open the eyes of all middle-income households. In all but four states, the middle 60 percent pay higher effective tax rates than upper-income households.

I suspect if that result were known, there just might be a national movement to change the way services are funded and taxes are collected at state and local levels.

Joel Naroff is president and chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc.
Q: I have a 2010 Nissan Sentra 2.0-liter. My check engine light came on and the code indicated that my variable valve timing solenoid was the issue. It had been about 6,000 miles since my last oil change, and when I was braking, the oil light was coming on, telling me I was due.

I then noticed my typical 25 MPG was down to 20. I went to get an oil change, as I read that very low oil or very dirty oil can cause the VVT code to light up.

The light did indeed go off after a day or so, and that same day I ran to the emissions center to have the car checked. It passed the inspection, but since then, my MPG has been staying at around 18-19.

Any suggestions on what I can do to boost the MPG back up to about where I was?

 G.A., Lake in the Hills, Ill.

A: The first thing we would do is zero out the MPG history in your cars memory. Start with a clean slate and you may find that your current fuel economy numbers are better.

Keep in mind that most cars fuel economy is poorer in areas where winters are cold. The fuel blend is a primary reason, but heavy use of power-robbing accessories such as the heater, wipers, rear defroster and so forth also have an impact.

Q: When a tire is mounted, is it put on a wheel or a rim?

 D.N., Tinley Park, Ill.

A: The terms are pretty much interchangeable.

For instance, we talk about buying alloy wheels or alloy rims, but if you need to be exact about it, the rim is the outer circumference of the wheel to which the tire is mounted. The inner section, with the holes for attaching it to the car is technically the wheel disk. Wheel and rim are essentially synonymous.

Q: Your recent column included a question about heated dipsticks.

This brought back memories of living in Anchorage, Alaska for two winters. When it got down to 35 below (before wind chill), I used a bush pilot trick of draining the oil upon returning home, then heating the oil in the oven before driving again.

The engine always ran well, but the wife wasnt happy when she baked next time. I always enjoy your columns.

 B.M., Wilmette, Ill.

A: I had never heard of that trick, but I am sure it works. I wonder if a microwave also would work, or if it would set the oil on fire! To keep the peace at home, perhaps you should have invested in a crappy used oven to keep out in the garage for oil heating.

By the way, our neighbor who has a home in Anchorage just dropped off a fresh blueberry pie to thank us for plowing her driveway.

ABOUT THE WRITER Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. He maintains this status by seeking certification every five years. Webers work appears in professional trade magazines and other consumer publications. His writing also appears in automotive trade publications, Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest.

Send questions along with name and town to Motormouth, Rides, Chicago Tribune, 160 N. Stetson Ave., Fourth Floor, Chicago, Ill. 60601 or motormouth.tribune@gmail.com.
A 5-year-old girl who was unlawfully taken by her mother from Montana in July 2017 was found safe in Chester County on Saturday, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The childs mother, Tracy Sibra Rearden, 32, who was wanted on charges of felony custodial interference, was carrying two guns when police stopped her as she was leaving a home in Exton with her daughter around 12:15 p.m., the Marshals Service said in a news release. The girl was identified as Sydney by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

According to the release, the Marshals Service was tipped off that Rearden was visiting a friend in Exton and tracked her vehicle to a home in the 500 block of Merioneth Drive.

When Marshals saw Rearden leave the residence with her daughter, they blocked her vehicle in, took her into custody, and transported her to the Chester County prison, where she is awaiting extradition to Montana. She will also face additional charges in Chester County for possessing the firearms at the time of her arrest, according to the Marshals Service.

The Marshals Services takes great pride in recovering missing and exploited children, Robert Clark, supervisory deputy marshal, said in the news release. I am extremely pleased we were successfully able to assist our law enforcement partners in Montana.

Sydney is in the care of law enforcement officials while her father makes his way to the Philadelphia area from Montana. He last saw his daughter when she was 3.
A turkey vulture perched on the roof of the seven-story Burlington County Courthouse. Dozens of vultures circle above the courthouse, which is expected to host a high-profile trial in a $400k GoFundMe scam. Read more

On the fourth floor of the Burlington County Courthouse, a crush of TV crews waited for Johnny Bobbitt Jr., a once homeless vet charged with fabricating a story that went viral on the GoFundMe website during the holidays last year.

Bobbitt and his coconspirators, Kate McClure and Mark DAmico, raised nearly $403,000 with a fake story about how Bobbitt helped McClure when she ran out of gas in Philadelphia and how they, in turn, wanted to raise money to help find him housing, prosecutors say.

But the courthouse in Mount Holly isnt just the epicenter of this high-profile criminal case where the first hearings were held this month. The seven-story brick building has some wild scenes of its own, starting with a curious flock of vultures that circle above.

Turkey and black vultures, with wingspans reaching five feet, soar above the courthouse almost daily.

Then theres the bomb-sniffing chocolate Lab that lives in a space behind a plastic baby gate in the courthouse lobby. Tail wagging, the dog happily accepts pats from court visitors when hes not busy checking out suspicious packages.

.

Theres plenty to notice here, besides the characters summoned to appear before the judges.

From the top floor, visitors can see the Philadelphia skyline, more than 20 miles away. But at ground level, as visitors are poised to enter the courthouse, they may be surprised by what flies into view.

Vultures. The same birds Alfred Hitchcock used as a handy image to evoke a chill.

As many as 30 of the menacing birds sat together along the edge of the orange flat roof last week, their hunched silhouettes resembling gargoyles. One spread its enormous wings and sat frozen in that position, letting the sun dry them out.

Five years ago, Mount Holly residents called federal wildlife officials to report that their neighborhood was being invaded by dozens of vultures roosting in their trees, creating a nuisance and piles of messy droppings.

Nicole Rein, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recommended hanging a carcass of a vulture, upside down with wings spread, from a tree and it quickly warded them off. It makes the other vultures uncomfortable to see that," she said in a recent interview.

But the vultures seem to like the Mount Holly area.

Rein has seen the vultures gathering at the courthouse and said they likely chose it because its the tallest building around. They like to find a place where they can have a 360-degree view," she said.

Vultures' eyesight is poor and they scan the area to look for other birds swooping toward a food source that they might want for themselves, she said.

Typically, the vultures would not roost, or sleep overnight, on the roof, so they pose less of a problem at the courthouse than they did for the residents, Rein said.

Donna Mazzanti, a court spokesperson with an office on the seventh floor, often sees the vultures from her windows and loves watching them soar.

Theyre huge, and majestic. ... Honestly, it makes you jump when they fly right for you. They come within a foot of the windows, but they dont fly into it, she said.

Sometimes the vultures sit atop each of the four spires at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church a block away and create quite a sight, she said.

Most courthouse visitors interviewed recently said they too were not bothered by the birds. Never mind their Hollywood reputation as flesh-eating scavengers and as omens of misfortune.

Oddly, to enter the courthouse, visitors must first pass by two 5-foot-tall painted sculptures of bald eagles that stand up against the door. Eagles are the only predators of vultures in this area, Rein said.

Visitors must first be screened by security in the county administration building and choose an exit  elevator, escalator, or stairway  to get into the adjacent courthouse. Its a labyrinth and people often approach the Information Desk in the courthouse lobby to ask for help.

Detective Christopher Snyder, who works for the county sheriff, sits behind that desk. He fields questions, handles court security, and tends to Scottie, his K-9. The rescue dog, who is presumed to be 8 and has a few gray hairs on his chin and a badge under his neck, is a beloved courthouse fixture.

His crate sits behind the Information Desk and is corralled by a 2-foot-tall baby gate that gives him a 12-by-15-foot area to roam about and to chew on his stuffed hedgehog, George, when hes not taking breaks or working. Sometimes he and Snyder play fetch outside the courthouse, beneath the soaring vultures.

Snyder became Scotties master when the dogs previous owner, a warrant officer, left the department four years ago. Since Snyders post is at the courthouse, he brings Scottie with him for convenience.

Jill Gianetti, another sheriffs officer, brings Niko, her German shepherd, to work with her each day at the nearby historic Old County Courthouse. The explosive-sniffing dog performs sweeps of the buildings before court begins each day.

Sheriff Jean Stanfield said the courthouse K9s are good for public relations and for safety."

So, visitors to Burlington Countys courthouse can catch an interesting trial, go to the seventh floor to enjoy a birds-eye view of the area, or come to check out the vultures. Or just come to say hi to Scottie.
(Left to Right) Derek Vanderslice, Alex Svay, Don Davis, on strike outside SEPTA Headquarters, where SEPTAOs transit police are on strike, in Philadelphia, Thursday, March 7, 2019. Read more

Negotiations between SEPTA and the transit police union ended Saturday without an agreement, but talks are expected to resume Sunday afternoon.

Nearly 200 SEPTA police officers have been on strike since Wednesday over work rules. It has not caused any service interruptions because SEPTAs 49 supervisors have worked 12-hour shifts to cover patrols.

We certainly had a productive day and well be back at the table at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Omari Bervine, president of Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109, said Saturday night.

One issue that led to the walkout and that continues to be a sticking point is SEPTAs policy regarding body cameras. SEPTA does not allow officers to review body camera footage before providing statements for an investigation into officers conduct.

The policy puts officers at a disadvantage if the descriptions they provide differ from what is seen on camera, Bervine has said, explaining that an officers memory can never be as complete and accurate as a recorded video.

SEPTA labor negotiators gave union leaders a new proposal regarding the body cameras Saturday, but Bervine said he wants attorneys to review the language before union leaders can further discuss the issue.

Throughout most of the day, some transit officers picketed outside SEPTAs headquarters at 1234 Market St.
Thursdays news that a federal judge had sentenced President Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort  convicted of massive white-collar fraud, including not paying $6 million in those taxes that the little people like you and me cant avoid  to less than four years behind bars, or a small fraction of federal guidelines, sent shock waves through the criminal justice world.

Nowhere, apparently, did the anger ring out more loudly than the corridors of a federal detention center just outside Fort Worth, Texas. Thats where 27-year-old Reality Winner is serving out her sentence for blowing the whistle on a hushed-up Russian scheme to hack into voting rolls in the 2016 presidential election by leaking a classified document. For that action  which had the positive effect of some states tightening their election security  the Air Force veteran is serving five years and three months behind bars.

Everyone in the prison she is in is angry about Manaforts sentence, Winners mom, Billie J. Winner-Davis, told me by email on Saturday morning, just after getting off the phone with her daughter. Winner-Davis said that Winners bunkmate at the Federal Medical Center Carswell is serving 14 years for a conviction on a single white-collar charge nowhere near what Manafort was convicted of.

Crystal Mason is also there with her, Winner-Davis added  referring to a black Texas mother of three who was sentenced to both 10 months in federal prison and an additional five years in a state lockup for unknowingly but unlawfully casting a 2016 provisional ballot that was never even counted. Reality and her pass each other in the hall and remark about the news.

The news these days is overflowing with irony  almost too much to bear. Winner  a whistleblower who took a radical action trying to wake up America to the threat that Russian meddling posed to the integrity of our elections, the core of our democracy  gets 63 months. Manafort  a multimillion-dollar fraudster and seemingly incorrigible liar and felon, who shared key polling data about that same election to an alleged Russian agent  gets only 47 months (for now).

On the surface, the outrage over the seemingly light slap on Manaforts starched, gold-cuff-linked wrist from U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III reflected the growing answer over a dual system of justice in America that seems to offer leniency and endless second chances for a criminal defendant in tailored suits (or a $15,000 ostrich jacket) but throws the book hard at shoplifters and small-time pot dealers, let along someone like Winner from a tumbleweed town like Kingsville, Texas.

Dig deeper and it gets more complicated. For starters, the issue in 2019 arguably isnt so much that Manaforts sentence is too light (in the 1970s, a much different era, key figures in the Watergate scandal got far less time, with Richard Nixons campaign manager and ex-attorney general, John Mitchell, ultimately serving just 19 months) but that most criminal sentences in the mass-incarceration capital of the world are too harsh. Also, Manafort isnt done yet  and a seemingly tougher federal judge, Amy Berman Jackson, could bring the hammer down this week when the former Trump aide is sentenced this week on a second slate of felonies.

I think the real source of angst over the Manafort sentence is this: A growing fear that an American criminal justice system that is so badly broken, and fundamentally unfair, simply isnt up to the task of handling the massive gold toilet seat of corruption and dishonesty that is Donald J. Trump and the rogues gallery surrounding him. Manaforts unexpectedly light sentence  and the seeming obsequiousness of Ellis (named to the bench by Ronald Reagan, the president Manafort had once advised), who looked at a 40-year rolling snowball of slime and somehow saw "an otherwise blameless life  may have been just the beginning. In a very short time, well learn if Trumps new handpicked attorney general will take the comprehensive report of Manaforts prosecutor, Robert Mueller, and bury it from the American people.

Manaforts case so far seems to have conveyed the evergreen message that if youre going to steal in America, steal large. Within minutes of the news early Thursday evening that Manafort, who faced federal sentencing guidelines that called for 19 to 24 years, had instead received 47 months, TV pundits and criminal-justice tweeters were scrambling to find cases of everyday Americans, many of them poor and black or brown, serving longer sentences for crimes that involved pocket change, sometimes literally.

Scott Hechinger, a Brooklyn public defender with a large Twitter following, got considerable play for saying that same week that prosecutors had dangled a sentence of 36 to 72 months  or potentially more time behind bars than Manafort  for a client whod stolen $100 worth of quarters from a residential laundry room.

Others thought more tragically of Kalief Browder, the New Yorker who was merely accused at age 16 of stealing a backpack, spent three years on Rikers Island  two in solitary confinement  and was never tried or convicted, and who committed suicide after his release. Thats the problem  finding injustice in this country, especially when the variables involves race or wealth, is the proverbial case of shooting fish in a barrel.

I was struck by how someone like Manafort  who, as chronicled so well by the The Atlantics Franklin Foer, spent his life propping up corrupt and usually murderous dictators and warlords like the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, Angolas Jonas Savimbi, and Ukraines Viktor Yanukovych  is thought to have led an otherwise blameless life because he did it in an $8,000 suit. We dont give the otherwise blameless" treatment to a young black man like Sacramentos Stephon Clark  not a perpetrator but a victim, shot by police for holding a cell phone and then dragged through mud by prosecutors as suicidal when those cops arent charged. No wonder people are out in the streets.

And yet while injustice and the rise of a privileged class has been worsening for decades, there is a worrisome political edge to injustice in the Trump era. In that one Texas federal detention center outside of Fort Worth, you have both Winner  who got a ridiculously harsh sentence for a whistleblower, when that whistle involved Russias criminality in helping Trump get elected  and Mason, a black woman being held up as an example of the so-called massive voting fraud alleged by the president, something that doesnt exist in the world of (no pun intended) reality. Meanwhile, the wheels of justice are turning slowly when it comes to corruption in Trumpland  even as the papers are filled daily with new evidence of crimes and power abuses.

Entire books have been written  with many more surely to come  about the web of corruption that spreads from the Emoluments Clause to a bogus charity to illegal hush money to expanding probes into Trumps fishy banking and insurance practices. Just this weekend, a new bombshell went off with reports that the founder of the now-infamous Florida day spa linked to prostitution, and possibly human trafficking, not only palled around at Mar-a-Lago with the president of the United States and other top Republicans, but created a firm to sell that access to wealthy Chinese citizens.

For any other president, that kind of scandal might lead to his downfall. In Trumpland, it was just Saturday. If only we could catch Trump with the quarters from the laundry room. Going after Mafia-style corruption in the Oval Office  with a president who speaks in code like Vito Corleone and calls witnesses rats  is a lot harder. Part of the problem is that Trump surrounded himself with congenital liars like Manafort, who fibbed to Muellers team even after he pledged to cooperate, and Michael Cohen, who may have lied again to Congress even as he prepares to go to prison for lying to Congress.

But the biggest problem is this: We just dont trust the American jurisprudence system to mete out real justice to people as rich and as powerful as Donald Trump and his cronies. The next couple of weeks are likely to be the greatest test of whether our nearly 243-year experience in democracy still works since the final days of Watergate. The public has been waiting two long years to learn the truth from Mueller about what really happened with Russia in the 2016 election and with efforts to cover that up. But theres no guarantee that just-appointed-by-Trump Attorney General William Barr will release the Mueller report, or that Congress will have the ability  let alone the will  to act on its findings.

Of course, those fears may prove unfounded. The counterargument is that the unflappable Mueller and his experienced prosecutors have mapped out an endgame so that American people do get the truth, one way or the other. But even then, that truth will be paddling upstream into a system of rigged rules, tainted precedents and myopic judges like T.S. Ellis that favors people who can afford a Fifth Avenue tailor. The mantra in late 1974, when the dust finally settled from Watergate, was the system worked. Im not nearly as confident well be saying that when the clock ticks down on 2019.
Gloucester Countys current voting machines were purchased in 1999 and are nearing the end of their usable lives. The county is planning to buy new machines, which create a paper record of each vote, in time for this Novembers election. Read more

New Jersey was once poised to become a national leader in election and voting security. Instead, it now lags most states  including Pennsylvania and Delaware  by relying on aging, paperless machines that experts say are vulnerable to attack and cant be properly audited.

There are no statewide plans to buy new machines; nor is the state urging counties to buy new systems, in contrast to Pennsylvania, where Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered all 67 counties to have new machines by next years primary election.

We are doing what we can with the funding that we have and the situation that were in, said Robert Giles, who heads the states Division of Elections. The challenge, he said, is funding. Counties are left to their own initiatives.

But the current machines are nearing death. The money will have to come from somewhere, said Jesse Burns, head of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey.

Time, it has run out. So theres no more kicking it down the road, she said.

New Jersey was once at the vanguard of voting security. In the mid-2000s, it became an issue thanks to a major lawsuit from voters. The state Legislature in 2005 passed a law requiring that machines allow voters to verify paper ballots by 2008, then required audits of those paper trails. It even set aside $20 million in funding to retrofit machines to print records.

Instead, the governor took back the money as the recession struck; lawmakers suspended the requirement to buy new machines; no funding has materialized since.

Now, as the 2020 elections draw ever nearer, a handful of counties are replacing their machines, some of them two decades old. Others will continue to rely on current systems, waiting for federal or state funding before undertaking the costly, time-consuming upgrade to protect citizens votes.

Youre going to see some counties moving forward very quickly, and some counties youre going to see dragging their feet a little bit, Burns said. Ultimately, she said, I think the counties are going to be paying for it.  I dont see money magically appearing. It could be, maybe, a budget priority. I dont know.

Most counties in New Jersey use electronic machines on which the entire ballot is displayed and voters press buttons to make their selections before the votes are stored electronically. With strict protocols in place, elections officials, including Giles, emphasized that those procedures help prevent attack.

Were in pretty good shape, said Phyllis Pearl, the Camden County supervisor of elections. I dont believe the integrity of elections is being compromised.

The problem, security experts say, is that those machines dont leave a paper record of each vote cast in case something does happen: A hack alters vote totals, say, or an electronic failure corrupts the record. Experts generally agree that the solution is a voter-verifiable paper audit trail.

That also improves confidence among voters, allowing them to see their vote and not simply trust that a machine recorded it accurately, said Lawrence Norden, an attorney and voting-rights expert at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University and co-author of a report last week on the state of voting machines nationwide.

Theres a danger that people lose faith that their vote is going to be counted and that they matter, he said. For the system to work, people need to believe in it and they need to participate in it.

Unlike in Pennsylvania, a battleground state in presidential elections, New Jersey is generally a lock for Democrats. Theres less scrutiny  and pressure.

A lot of it just has to do with public demand for something to happen, Norden said. Too often, the attitude of legislators is like, Come back to me when the crisis has actually hit. 

In the years since New Jersey lawmakers suspended the statewide paper-trail requirement pending the availability of funds, little has changed. Most counties are still using the same machines they used then, but theres been movement recently.

Warren County, the only one of the 21 that already had machines with a paper trail, has bought new machines that also produce paper records. Union and Warren Counties have purchased new machines, and Middlesex and Gloucester Counties are in the process.

In November, pilot tests were run in a few towns in Essex, Gloucester, and Union Counties; Mercer and Warren Counties ran pilots in school elections after that.

We really did like them, said Stephanie Salvatore, the Gloucester County superintendent of elections.

The countys current machines were purchased in 1999 and intended to be used for about 20 years, Salvatore said, so the county for a few years now has been planning replacements at a cost of around $4 million.

Gloucester Countys pilot program, like a few others, was funded with a portion of federal election money. Giles said the Division of Elections can do little more than encourage those pilots and continue to certify machines that leave paper trails. It all comes back to funding, and Congress and the state Legislature arent providing it.

The Brennan Center estimates the total cost at between $40.4 million to $63.5 million.

Will that money come?

Gov. Phil Murphys office referred comment to the office of the secretary of state, which set up the interview with Giles  who said he could not speak to policy because his job is to administer it, not create it.

Similarly, State Senate President Steve Sweeney (D., Gloucester), who cosponsored the legislation suspending the paper-trail requirement, directed questions to Sen. Jim Beach (D., Camden), who suggested getting in touch with Bob Giles at the Division of Elections, a spokesperson said.

I just dont see the action on the state level happening, said Renee Steinhagen, head of New Jersey Appleseed, the Newark-based branch of the public-interest law coalition.

Steinhagen said she was focusing instead on the county elections officials who actually buy machines and run elections.

If she can get their attention.

When the Brennan Center was putting together last weeks report on the state of voting machines, Norden said, staffers reached out to officials in all 21 counties.

None responded.
In this Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, file photo, Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, leaves Federal District Court, in Washington. Read more

The next federal judge to sentence former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has already been thrust onto the national stage during the year-long run of special counsel cases.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, set to decide Wednesday whether she will add prison time for Manafort, is the same judge recently in the spotlight for the Roger Stone case.

The judge comes primed to her role by three decades as an attorney and judge dissecting sensitive political corruption and white-collar criminal cases in the nation's capital.

Jackson brings to her position a veteran litigator's patience, restraint and deep appetite for facts - and an unsparing ability to take apart attorneys or parties who test her intellect or betray her trust, said several lawyers who have practiced with, against and before her.

"She is smart, fair, always prepared, and tough," said Reid Weingarten, who represented former Democratic congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., whom she sentenced to 30 months in prison in August 2013 for spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items. Weingarten praised the judge's restraint in his and other cases and for "bending over backwards" to maintain order without being harsh.

The looming question Wednesday is whether any prison time Jackson might impose will overlap or be tacked on to the 47-month term Manafort received last week from U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria.

Ellis fueled controversy with the sentence, which fell far below federal advisory guidelines of up to 24 years that Ellis called "excessive" for Manafort's bank and tax fraud convictions. The order came after Ellis' brusque courtroom demeanor toward prosecutors and frequent interjections during Manafort's summer trial moved the case briskly and also drew some criticism of the judge, who was appointed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan.

Under the terms of Manafort's plea agreement with prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller III, the 69-year-old faces up to a 10-year sentence from Jackson after admitting to conspiring to hiding millions he earned as an unregistered lobbyist for Ukrainian politicians over a decade and attempting to tamper with witnesses after he was charged.

Jackson, a 2011 Obama appointee, also has found that Manafort breached his plea deal by lying to prosecutors, including about contacts with a Russian aide, freeing prosecutors from their promise to consider recommending leniency in exchange for substantial help.

In overseeing the Manafort case and the separate case of GOP operative and Trump adviser Roger Stone, who is accused of lying about his efforts to gather information concerning hacked Democratic Party emails, Jackson has given a master class in how to try high-profile cases, some colleagues on the bench said, by relying on preparation, discretion and a refusal to get drawn into side disputes.

During a tense February hearing in Stone's case, Jackson kept lead defense attorney Bruce Rogow standing as she asked razor-edged questions about a photo of the judge on a Stone Instagram account that seemed to violate a limited gag order she had imposed on Stone to tamp pretrial publicity.

"I'm not done with you," Jackson said more than once to the men as she asked about an image that court security officials said appeared to place a gun sight's crosshairs next to a photo of Jackson's face. Stone, 66, said he wasn't sure who had posted the image to his account but said he viewed it as a Celtic cross and apologized. Rogow proposed terms of a fuller gag order, which Jackson accepted.

"She doesn't have any trouble with clarity," said William Dolan III, of Arlington, Virginia, a former Jackson law partner and president of the Virginia State Bar, adding, "She will give both sides full opportunity to explain their position - but she isn't going to give them the opportunity twice.

Jackson also showed that patience early in Manafort's case before his plea, allowing a bail dispute to drag on for months while he was under house detention on unsecured bond. She also gave him a second chance after prosecutors complained that he violated a gag order by ghostwriting an op-ed in a Ukrainian newspaper.

The judge hammered Manafort only in June, after his indictment for the attempted witness tampering - a bail violation that led to his jailing pending sentencing.

Dolan recalled winning the first felony conviction of a Virginia sitting state judge as a special prosecutor with Jackson. It was the early 1990s, and many jurors in Norfolk had not seen a female trial lawyer, he said. "They went quite quickly from, 'Who is this little woman' to 'Who is this sharp lawyer?' " Dolan said.

The Baltimore-born daughter of a U.S. Army-trained physician, Jackson, 64, earned bachelor's and law degrees from Harvard University. She prosecuted violent and sex crimes at the U.S. attorney's office in the District of Columbia for six years, then in 1986 joined a law firm that became part of Venable.

Switching from aggressive prosecutor to aggressive white-collar defender came easily. In 2000, Jackson became one of bright stars among younger lawyers groomed at the law firm led by Robert Trout and Plato Cacheris, whose national security or scandal-scarred clients included John Mitchell, attorney general under President Richard M. Nixon; Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern involved with President Bill Clinton; and U.S. spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen.

Jackson became a protege of Trout, who keeps a photograph of her 2011 investiture as judge on his wall, and whose current clients include former Trump communications director Hope Hicks and former congressman turned lobbyist Vin Weber, R-Minn.

"Everything she does is very, very efficient," Trout said in an oral history for the Historical Society for the District of Columbia Circuit, calling Jackson a "superb writer" who "pretty much" worked part-time 11 years for him while raising two children "although you wouldn't know it from the amount of work that she would crank out."

Jackson achieved her greatest prominence as a defense lawyer with Trout representing former Louisiana congressman William Jefferson on corruption charges in a complex, heavily litigated case - tried before Ellis - that is best known for the $90,000 in cash bribes found stuffed in the Democrat's freezer, and for a precedent-setting, separation-of-powers battle triggered by the 2006 FBI raid of his congressional office.

President George W. Bush himself stepped in at one point, ordering the Justice Department to seal all materials taken and stop reviewing them for 45 days.

"It's not every day that a lawyer gets his motion granted by the president of the United States," Trout said at the time - later confessing he was fed the line by Jackson.

Jackson's rulings have cut across partisan or ideological lines. She blocked a $48 billion merger between health insurers Anthem and Cigna on antitrust grounds in 2017; and ruled for the mining industry in 2012 in halting an Environmental Protection Agency effort to revoke a permit for a "mountaintop-removal" coal mine in a closely watched regulatory case.

Jon Jacobs, a government attorney who prevailed in the Anthem fight before Jackson, called her meticulous and undaunted by complexity.

Having tried cases before judges "where there almost seemed to be some amount of resentment at the amount of paper pushed at the court," said Jacobs, a Perkins Coie partner, he was impressed that "[Jackson] welcomed it, because she knew she would have to learn it."

Jackson also ruled against the Obama administration in some politically charged cases, finding that it had to turn over to House Republicans documents about the Justice Department's botched, 'Fast and Furious' gun-tracking operation; and make public records of whether the IRS improperly targeted conservative groups.

Before joining the bench, while on leave caring for her family in the late 1990s, Jackson commented on CNN and elsewhere on television on the O.J. Simpson murder trial, the Clinton Whitewater land-deal investigation and other cases.

In 2004, she co-wrote an op-ed in the Legal Times, arguing that Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts was the answer to the headline "Who's Better for Lawyers?" over Bush.

Jackson walked back some of the article in answers during her Senate confirmation process to written questions from future Trump attorney general and then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

Sessions asked what she meant when she said the Bush administration had no commitment to the law, "view[ed] the legal system with contempt," and secured office "through the legal process rather than the political process" after the disputed 2000 election.

Jackson conceded the language of the article was "too harsh," and the product of joint authorship on the eve of a closely contested election, and "stands out among my 30 years' worth of writings and public statements not only because of its tone, but because it was the only political piece that I played any role in writing."

The Senate confirmed her appointment to the federal court on a 97-to-0 vote.

Clinical and shrewd in court, Jackson also shows a sociable side at the courthouse, as she did by donning a cowboy hat and singing a self-written parody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" in a packed federal courthouse ceremony in 2013 honoring a jurist known for his directness: former chief judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

She was formerly married to Darryl Jackson, a Washington lawyer and senior Republican appointee who served in Bush's Commerce Department, after the two met as young prosecutors. One of their two sons credited them for his eclectic upbringing during an appearance on a national trivia television show, saying, "My mom is white, liberal and Jewish, and my dad is black, Christian and conservative."

At her Judiciary Committee hearing, Jackson called herself the daughter of four immigrants and wore a necklace honoring her grandmother, a suffragist who became a citizen, raised three daughters and ran a business. On her Senate questionnaire, Jackson included her summer job between college and law school in 1976 working as a counter server at BIC's Ice Cream in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"Of all the many things that can be said about me," Jackson said, she hoped it would be "that I am a real person and I relate to other people from all walks of life."

She added, "I think people are waiting for your rulings, and to rule clearly, because I think people need to understand them."

The Washington Posts Alice Crites contributed to this report.
The convoy believed to carry Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika drives to Algiers, Sunday March 10, 2019. Bouteflika landed at a military airport south of the capital Sunday after spending two weeks in a Swiss hospital amid massive demonstrations demanding he withdraw his candidacy for a fifth term. (AP Photo/Toufik Doudou) Read more

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP)  President Abdelaziz Bouteflika returned to Algeria on Sunday after two weeks in a Swiss hospital amid massive demonstrations demanding he withdraw his candidacy for a fifth term.

The 82-year-old Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013 and has rarely been seen in public since. The decision to run for a new term in the April 18 election angered large swathes of Algerian society.

The protests have also served as a reality check for a hard-to-read system that is an intrinsic part of the power structure. Protesters want to end that too.

A coterie of people have grown rich under Bouteflika and are thought to exert pressure on the presidency.

Bouteflika arrived at Boufarik military airport, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital, and was shown in video by private television station Ennahar in a fast-moving convoy heading toward the Algiers suburb of Zeralda. He could be seen inside a car slightly bent over and with a cap on his head.

Bouteflika resides in Zeralda, not in the presidential palace in the capital. Earlier, Bouteflika had departed from a Geneva airport.

The official APS news agency confirmed that the president had returned home "after a private visit to Geneva ... during which he underwent periodic medical tests."

The power structure has been shaken by the size of the unprecedented citizens' revolt, which has drawn millions into the streets of cities across the country to say no to a fifth term  and to a system blamed for corruption and keeping Bouteflika in office despite ailments.

A general strike Sunday was taking place as the president arrived, with numerous shops in Algiers and other cities closed.

As if to lay the groundwork for change, the top Algerian party backing the beleaguered chief of state broke its silence Sunday over massive demonstrations demanding the end of the regime, saying it's ready to work with all parties to end the crisis.

The National Liberation Front, or FLN, said in a statement that it wants to find a way out of the crisis "with the least cost to the country."

Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah added his voice, saying Sunday that the army and the people "have the same vision of the future."

Thousands of protesters in the Algerian diaspora protested Sunday in Paris and other French cities. Protests also were held in neighboring Rabat, Morocco.

The protests trickled down to middle-schoolers and high-schoolers, with several hundred marching in the center of Algiers, also calling for Bouteflika to withdraw his bid for a fifth mandate.

"Since I was born, the only (president) I've known is Bouteflika," said a young protesting girl Amina, asking not to give her full name.

"These kids don't have any political calculations," said a mother on the sidelines of the protest, Karim Ziad. "They're just 13-year-old kids."

Peaceful nationwide protests began Feb. 22 to protest Bouteflika's plan to run for a fifth term in April 18 elections. The protest movement also wants a change in the much-decried system that has kept him there and has a stranglehold on the power structure.

Bouteflika, first elected in 1999, is the first civilian president of the North African nation except for a short term by Ahmed Ben Bella after Algeria won its independence from France in 1962. He was deposed in a bloodless military coup in 1965 that set the stage for a series of generals serving as presidents.

In a third week of protests on Friday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Algiers calling for change in the biggest demonstration yet against Bouteflika. Similar marches were held across the country.

The government plane, which had been hidden away from view in a hangar, taxied onto the runway at Geneva airport as a rainbow came into view.

Algerian officials had said days ago that Bouteflika was expected to return shortly.

___

Lotfi Bouchouchi in Algiers, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Elaine Ganley in Paris, contributed to this report.
Zhiping Zeng Leads Final 12 After Day 2 of 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event

March 10, 2019 Christian Zetzsche

Day 2 of the 2019 888poker LIVE Bucharest 888 Main Event ended with 12 players out of 505 entries remaining and they are all guaranteed at least 5,070 for their efforts. However, all eyes in the five-star Intercontinental Bucharest are set on the 888poker LIVE trophy, a top prize of 75,000 and the added $12,600 WSOP Main Event package for the eventual champion, courtesy of WSOP sponsor 888poker.

After 14 levels of 40 minutes each, two commanding chip leaders have emerged in Zhiping Zeng (3,320,000) and Darius Neagoe (3,075,000). Zeng had several entries for the event, having played two bullets without success on Day 1a and firing another two bullets on Day 1b, before dominating the top of the leader board for the second half of Day 2. Niagoe scored a crucial double on the last two tables when his ace-king held up against the pocket jacks of Natalia Drytchak.

All further 10 contenders are bunched together tightly with fewer than 20 big blinds each. Among them are Bogdan Nicolae (1,190,000), Cristian Matei (1,110,000), Aldo Monteleone (1,095,000), Mihai Gheonu (1,020,000), Nicolae Suciu (1,000,000), Derek Reid (825,000), Ran Shahar (710,000), Jose Manuel Planells Castillo (670,000), Raoul Iancovici (625,000), and Helder Ferreira (500,000).

Natalia Drytchak, who defeated 888poker ambassador Sofia Lovgren in the Ladies Event at the last stop in London to earn her package for the trip to the Romanian capital, was eliminated in 14th place and Lovgren had to settle for 22nd place. Fellow 888poker ambassadors Chris Moorman and Martin Jacobson ran out of chips before the money and the top 63 spots were paid.

Sofia Lovgren

Day 3 Seat Assignments

Table Seat Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 1 Derek Reid United Kingdom 825,000 13 1 2 Helder Ferreira Portugal 500,000 8 1 3 Nicolae Suciu Romania 1,000,000 17 1 5 Cristian Matei Romania 1,110,000 18 1 7 Jose Manuel Planells Castillo Spain 670,000 11 1 8 Bogdan Nicolae Romania 1,190,000 20 2 1 Mihai Gheonu Romania 1,020,000 17 2 2 Darius Neagoe Romania 3,075,000 51 2 3 Aldo Monteleone Italy 1,095,000 18 2 4 Zhiping Zeng China 3,320,000 55 2 6 Ran Shahar Israel 710,000 12 2 8 Raoul Iancovici Romania 625,000 10

Action of the Day

The day started with 160 returning players and the prize pool information was released, just 63 spots were paid. In the first two hours, the remaining field was nearly cut in half and among those to fall early on were Stefanita Fechete, 230 Opening Event champion Sorin Radulescu, defending champion Andrei Racolta, Narcis Gabriel Nedelcu, Dany Parlafes, and Maureen Bloechlinger.

Romania's first WSOP bracelet winner Alexandru Papazian, Jason Gray, Dan Murariu and Vlad Tatu also missed out on the money. In the 10th hand on the bubble, three players were at risk but only Ramlal Basdeo was eliminated. He was at risk preflop with pocket kings and flopped top set, but eventual end-of-day chip leader Zeng rivered a flush with ace-seven suited.

Ramlal Basdeo Bubbles the Main Event in Bucharest.

The following dinner break slowed down the upcoming pace of eliminations with Mihai Niste, Danut Chisu and Peter Jaksland all on the rail earlier than they had hoped for. Sache Loute made a move in a four-way pot with pocket fives and Ran Shahar called with pocket tens on a jack-high flop to jump above a million in chips. Zeng then took over the lead when his pocket aces dealt the final blow to Traian Mihai, who couldn't fold queens on a nine-high flop.

Lovgren reached the final three tables but came up short with her bid to win the title when losing a flip with ace-queen against the pocket sevens of Cristian Matei. It wouldn't take long to set up the final two tables after, as the average stack dropped with rising blinds. Day 1a chip leader Vasile Rablou lost most of his chips and the chip-and-a-chair story ended when he ran into aces to bow out in 15th place.

Drytchak had a roller coaster day and it came to an end in 14th place. Up and down all over the leader board, Drytchak was left short when paying off Zeng's rivered trips and her ace-eight suited came second-best to the ace-king of Darius Neagoe. Despite several players being very short, only Toni Judet was ousted after that, resulting in a dozen hopefuls for the final day.

Guilbert Leads High Roller After Day 1

French poker pro Johan "YoH ViraL" Guilbert has topped the counts of the 1,700 High Roller after eight levels of 30 minutes each with a stack of 173,100, Peter Jaksland (135,800) and Narcis Gabriel Nedelcu (134,500) follow in second and third place respectively. Martin Jacobson (113,200), Morten Mortensen (92,300), defending champion Ana Marquez (75,300) and Chris Moorman (46,700) also advanced.

The late registration for the High Roller remains open for the first two levels of Day 2 and all new entries will receive 50 big blinds at returning blinds of 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante. There are 22 players out of the 28 entries still in contention.

High Roller Day 1

The final day of the Main Event will recommence at 1 p.m. local time with level 27 and blinds of 30,000/60,000 and a big blind ante of 60,000. As soon as the final table has been reached, the level duration will increase to 60 minutes and the event will play down to a champion. The live stream action will pick up after the first break of the 1,700 High Roller, which restarts Day 2 at 2 p.m. local time. PokerNews will be your one-stop-shop for all you need to know from the festival here in Bucharest.

Photos courtesy of Gema Cristobal / 888poker
Darius Neagoe Wins 2019 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event (62,300)

March 10, 2019 Christian Zetzsche

The 2019 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event champion has been crowned and it was Darius Neagoe that followed into the footsteps of Andrei Racolta to keep the trophy on home soil in the Romanian capital after defeating Bogdan Nicolae in an all-Romanian heads-up duel.

Hosted in cooperation with Pokerfest Romania at the five-star InterContinental Bucharest, the 888 Main Event surpassed the guarantee and created a prize pool of 387,638 thanks to 505 entries in total, also topping the 469 entries of the previous year. After cutting a deal in heads-up with Nicolae, Neagoe had locked up 62,300 for his efforts and Nicolae was secured a payday of 59,900 before they battled for the title, trophy and 2019 WSOP Main Event package worth $12,600, courtesy of WSOP sponsor 888poker.

Both Neagoe (more than $563,000 in online MTT cashes) and Necolae (more than $1,860,000 in online MTT cashes) are accomplished online players, the latter also finished 13th in this very event one year right here in Bucharest. Six different nationalities were represented on the nine-handed final table and third-place finisher Zhiping Zeng, who hails from China, lives in Romania and speaks the language fluently.

Among the notables to cash on the final day were Ran Shahar (7th place, 12,400), Aldo Monteleone (9th place, 7,020), Raoul Iancovici (11th place, 5,900), and Jose Manuel Planells Castillo (12th place, 5,070). The top 63 spots were paid and 888poker ambassador Sofia Lovgren finished in 22nd place for 3,140.

Other well-known names on the European poker circuit that cashed include Toni Judet (13th place, 5,070), Radu Lungu (20th place, 3,540), Bogdan Berinde (25th place, 2,740), Sergiu Cornea (47th place, 1,840), Ozgur Arda (50th place, 1,840), Peter Jaksland (51st place, 1,840), Mihai Niste (61st place, 1,740) and Danut Chisu (62nd place, 1,740).

Final Table Result 2019 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event

Place Winner Country Prize (in EUR) Deal Prize (in EUR) Prize (in USD) 1 Darius Neagoe Romania 75,000 62,300 $69,972* 2 Bogdan Nicolae Romania 47,200 59,900 $67,277* 3 Zhiping Zeng China 33,960 $38,157 4 Mihai Gheonu Romania 26,900 $30,225 5 Helder Ferreira Portugal 21,070 $23,674 6 Nicolae Suciu Romania 16,550 $18,596 7 Ran Shahar Israel 12,400 $13,933 8 Derek Reid United Kingdom 8,800 $9,888 9 Aldo Monteleone Italy 7,020 $7,888

*Reflects Heads-Up Deal; Winner also receives 2019 WSOP Main Event package worth $12,600 courtesy of 888poker

Action of the final day

Only 12 players returned to ballroom of the InterContinental Bucharest at lunchtime and there were two commanding chip leaders in Zhiping Zeng and eventual champion Darios Neagoe, all other 10 finalists had fewer than 20 big blinds at their disposal. While Zeng pulled further away at the top of the counts, Neagoe had a rough start into the day and doubled up short stacks several times.

Just when no player at risk could seemingly lose an all in, two players were sent to the rail in a matter of a minute. Jose Manuel Planells Castillo came up short with ace-seven against the king-queen of Bogdan Nicolae and Neagoe dispatched Raoul Iancovici with queens versus king-ten suited.

However, Neagoe was suddenly thrown to the bottom of the counts when he doubled Aldo Monteleone (twice) and Mihai Gheonu. Over on the other table, Nicolae's kicker played with ace-eight versus ace-five to eliminate Cristian Matei and set up the nine-handed final table.

Once the final nine moved to the feature table, Neagoe scored a crucial double against Monteleone and the Italian never recovered from that setback to finish in 9th place. Neagoe then won a big pot off Zhiping Zeng, who bluffed with queen-five suited on an ace-high board, and that propelled Neagoe into the top spot. He would not relinquish that position anymore until the final hand of the night.

Derek Reid had nursed an enormous short stack for quite some time and eventually lost a flip with eight-six suited against the pocket deuces of Mihai Gheonu. Neagoe flopped top pair with king-nine suited and looked up Ran Shahar's jam, who had an open-ended straight draw. Shahar's outs increased significantly when he paired up on the turn and received an additional flush draw, but the player from Israel couldn't get there.

Ran Shahar

Down to the last six, it was an endurance challenge for the short stacks and Nicole Suciu jammed at the wrong time with ace-deuce, as Darius Neagoe had ace-ten one seat over. Suciu was drawing dead on the turn and Neagoe pulled further away at the top of the counts with more than half of the chips in play.

Bogdan Nicolae then doubled through Neagoe and knocked out Helder Ferreira eighth after when spiking a two-outer with sixes versus nines. The rush didn't stop there just yet, as Nicolae also claimed the stack of Mihail Gheonu with queens versus ace-three and suddenly there were just three players remaining.

Zeng and Nicolae traded the bottom position and clashed in a crucial all in with Nicolae at risk, holding the ten-nine. Zeng showed ace-deuce and the nine-four-deuce flop improved Nicolae. Zeng hit trip deuces on the turn only for Nicolae to hit a nine on the river for a dramatic roller coaster double. Nicolae doubled once more and Zeng then hit the rail against Neagoe with ace-seven versus queen-ten suited.

Zhiping Zeng

Heads-Up play lasted for just over half an hour and Nicolae doubled once to almost even out the stacks. Both players agreed on a deal to leave the trophy and package for Las Vegas up for grabs, and Nicolae never recovered from a failed bluff against two pair. It was over a few minutes later in classic coinflip fashion and Neagoe had the best of it with king-jack versus pocket tens thanks to a jack on the flop.

That ends the PokerNews live reporting from the 888poker LIVE Bucharest festival and the next stop of the popular mid-stakes circuit will take place at the end of May, right before the 2019 World Series of Poker.

Photos courtesy of Gema Cristobal / 888poker
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The White House is strongly condemning the murder of 28 Ethiopian Christians by terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State.

In a statement, National Security Council Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said:

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the brutal mass murder purportedly of Ethiopian Christians by ISIL-affiliated terrorists in Libya. We express our condolences to the families of the victims and our support to the Ethiopian government and people as they grieve for their fellow citizens. That these terrorists killed these men solely because of their faith lays bare the terrorists vicious, senseless brutality. This atrocity once again underscores the urgent need for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya to empower a unified Libyan rejection of terrorist groups. Even as terrorists attempt through their unconscionable acts to sow discord among religious communities, we recall that people of various faiths have coexisted as neighbors for centuries in the Middle East and Africa. With the force of this shared history behind them, people across all faiths will remain united in the face of the terrorists barbarity. The United States stands with them. While these dehumanizing acts of terror aim to test the worlds resolve  as groups throughout history have  none have the power to vanquish the powerful core of moral decency which binds humanity and which will ultimately prove the terrorists undoing.

The ISIL terrorists shot 16 Ethiopian Christians and beheaded 12 others. Islamic extremists targeted Ethiopia, because of their militarys attacks on Muslim dominated neighboring Somalia.

The White House is correct. The only thing that ISIL is accomplishing is uniting persons of all faiths in all countries on the agreed upon goal of the elimination of the terrorists. Humanity is united against the barbaric terrorist acts of ISIL.
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(Reuters)  In a blow to the Trump administrations U.S.-Mexico border strategy, a federal court judge in California has expanded the number of migrant families separated at the border that the government may be required to reunite.

San Diego-based U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw late on Friday issued a preliminary ruling that would potentially expand by thousands the number of migrants included in a class-action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Sabraw already ordered the Trump administration last year to reunite more than 2,800 migrant children who were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under the administrations zero tolerance policy.

But he will allow more separated families to join the class-action lawsuit after a report released in January by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General, which identified potentially thousands more families that had been separated as early as July 1, 2017. The administrations zero tolerance policy did not take effect until May 2018.

The hallmark of a civilized society is measured by how it treats its people and those within its borders, Sabraw said in his ruling.

Sabraw said that report was a significant development in this case and its contents are undisputed.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump implemented the zero-tolerance policy to criminally prosecute and jail all illegal border crossers  even those traveling with their children  which led to a wave of separations last year.

The policy sparked outrage when it became public, and the backlash led Trump to sign an executive order reversing course on June 20, 2018.

The IG report said prior to the officially announced zero-tolerance policy, the government began ramping up separations in 2017 for other reasons related to a childs safety and well-being, including separating parents with criminal records or lack of proper documents.

A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said in January after the IG report came out that the practice of separating apprehended minors from adults to protect the interests of the children has been standard practice for more than a decade.

The report also said more than 100 minors, including more than two dozen under age 5, were separated after the Presidents executive order.

The court made clear that potentially thousands of childrens lives are at stake and that the Trump administration cannot simply ignore the devastation it has caused, Lee Gelernt, ACLU lead attorney in the class-action family separation lawsuit, said on Friday.

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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Adam Schiff suggested that Special Counsel Robert Mueller should subpoena Trump to testify under oath before a grand jury.

Adam Schiff Calls On Mueller to Subpoena Trump

Transcript of Schiff on Meet The Press:

CHUCK TODD: You know, we dont know this for sure. But it looks like Robert Muellers going to complete his investigation without subpoenaing the president before the grand jury or coming up with a way to have him interviewed before the grand jury. President Clinton went before Ken Starrs grand jury.

If indeed Mr. Mueller decides not to issue that subpoena or figure out how to get the president in front of that grand jury, is that going to have been a mistake considering we have so many questions about whose testimony should you believe: Michael Cohens or Donald Trumps?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF: Yes, I think it is a mistake. And Ive said all along that I dont think Bob Mueller should rely on written answers. When you get written answers from a witness, its really the lawyers answers as much as the clients answer. And here you need to be able to ask follow-up questions in real time. But I think the constraint that Bob Muellers operating under is he had an acting attorney general who was appointed because he would be hostile to a subpoena on the president.

And now he has a permanent attorney general who was chosen for the same hostility to his investigation, who would likely oppose that step. I also think that the special counsel feels some time pressure to conclude his work. And knowing that the White House would drag out a fight over the subpoena, that may be an issue as well.

But I do think ultimately its a mistake because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath. Because as hes made plain in the past, he feels its perfectly fine to lie to the public. After all, he has said, Its not like Im talking before a magistrate. Well, maybe he should talk before a magistrate.

Video:

Trumps Lawyers Wont Allow Him To Testify

Trumps lawyers are so worried that the president will lie to Mueller if he placed under oath that they have refused to allow him to testify. There are strong suspicions that Trump has already lied to Mueller in his written answers, and Trump appears to believe that he can lie to Mueller and get away with it.

Adam Schiff was right. The best way to get to the truth is to subpoena Trump and put him under oath. Anything less is giving Trump a forum to lie with zero consequences.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Rep. Eric Swalwell brought the discussion back to reality by saying that Democrats wont be distracted by Republican efforts to divide the party.

Rep. Swalwell said on CNNs State Of The Union, We are a pro-U.S./Israel relationship party, nothing about that has changed when we see comments like this were going to call them out. But we can also kind of address some of the issues were  the two-state solution needs to happen there. We need to restore the aid that President Trump has taken away from Palestinians. But this week, while all this was going to going on we passed an update to the Voting Rights Act and last week we passed background checks. So were still doing work. Were not going to be distracted by this.

Video:

Democrats are falling for Republican games

While the media dove in on the Rep. Omar comments, Democrats kept working for the American people. Rep. Swalwell was correct. There is a presidential election next year, and Republicans are already working hard to try to divide the Democratic Party. That is what the Rep. Omar outrage is really about. Republicans are trying to find a wedge issue to divide Democrats because a united Democratic Party cant be beaten by Donald Trump.

All earlier signs suggested that Swalwell was going to run for president. As the Democratic field has grown increasingly crowded, he might be weighing his decision a bit more carefully. Rep. Swalwell sits on two powerful committees in House Judiciary and Intelligence. He is in a good position in the House majority, so he might think twice before running for president.

Republicans are pulling from the 2016 playbook and trying to divide Democrats, but Rep. Swalwell was correct. House Democrats are doing important work and not being distracted by Trump and the GOP.
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Days after the decision, Fox News still whining and tantruming over the DNCs decision to ban them from hosting a primary debate.

Foxs Bret Baier said on Sunday that Fox News was tough on Donald Trump during the debates, There is a bit of Fox derangement syndrome with a section of the left.

Baier later went back to that old Fox News standard that the news division is separate from opinion division, I think that there is a disconnect here between how were treated on the news side, and how other operations treated given how their opinion in the primetime deals with the president. Now, the president tweeted out that he may not do general election debates with other networks. I dont that helps us either, but there is a point here when you have to look at fairness.

Video:

Fox News is complaining about MSNBC

Fox News is being held to the standard of journalism. The problem with the separation between news and opinion that Fox claims exist is that as the New Yorker story pointed out, a Fox journalist had the scoop on Stormy Daniels and the network killed the story because they wanted Trump to win the election. That is political activism, not journalism.

A look at the Fox News daily schedule that opinion makes up the vast majority of their coverage doing the day. News shows have dwindled at Fox, as opinion dominates the morning, shows up in the afternoon and is all of primetime.

Fox News has fallen so far that they are now looking up and complaining about MSNBC.

Fox is Trumps television arm. Democrats would have been foolish to allow them to host a debate, and complaints about MSNBC cant hide what Fox News has become.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) killed the Democratic division narrative by pointing out that Republicans have no division because theyre following racist Trump off of the cliff.

Transcript via Meet The Press:



CHUCK TODD:

But let me ask you this. Do you think theres a danger of going too far to the left, that it might scare some voters, say, in Ohio?

SEN. SHERROD BROWN:

Well, I, I, I hear these stories that are  thats the story of the day, about Democrats moving to the left. I think the more-important story is how Republicans continue to move to the right. How President Trump extols  betrays workers and utters racist, anti-Semitic rhetoric. And nobody in their party calls him out. They dont have divisions. Theyve all followed his racist actions and betrayal of workers. Theyve followed it like lemmings off the cliff. Thats the story, not some degrees of differences between and among Democrats. Thats the real story.

Video:

Sen Sherrod Brown unloads on Republicans, "They don't have divisions. They've followed his racist actions and betrayal of workers. They follow it like lemmings off the cliff." https://t.co/R6gfh2cZlm pic.twitter.com/XBFYbuq2fy  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 10, 2019

Sherrod Brown Spoke The Truth About The Trump/GOP Dynamic

Sen. Brown laid it out with no punches pulled. The story isnt about Democrats moving left because, given Trumps approval ratings, the country is clearly center-left. The story is the extreme rightward shift of the Republican Party under Donald Trump. There is not a single popular policy that has been championed by Trump and his party.

The Republican Party is unified in following the cult leader to their own destruction. Praising Republicans for their unity is a lot like praising the flavor of the poison drink that Jim Jones served to his followers. Republicans are unified around the principle of self-destruction.

Sherrod Brown had it nailed. The media loves the Democratic division cliche. The fact is that Trump is failing president who most of the nation despises. The media has to have something to whip the horserace for 2020, so they are going with Democratic division, when the story that will by historians will center around Trump leading the demise of the Republican Party.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Saturday Night Lives Weekend Update hosts had some choice words concerning the slap on the wrist sentence given to President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

They said that Manafort being sent to a white mans prison is about the same thing as being sent away to college for four years.

Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost opened the segment by pointing out how Trump and his supporters were able to claim victory after receiving what should have been bad news:

Well, heres how bad Donald Trumps presidency is going. His campaign manager was just sentenced to four years in prison. And for Trump that is good news.

Then Jost added:

Paul Manafort, who looks like he was born divorced, faced up to 24 years in prison, but got only four years, probably in a minimum security white collar prison with a bunch of his friends.

The guy stole over $50 million and basically got sent to college.

Looking incredulous when talking about the GOP-appointed judge who said Manafort had lived a blameless life, Jost remarked:

How can you say Manafort has led a blameless life when he is being sentenced next week for another crime? And its for a crime he committed while on house arrest for another crime?

Jost also commented on the reports that Donald Trump watched the Super Bowl at Mar-a-Lago with Li Yang, the woman who founded a string of massage parlors in South Florida that have been connected to human trafficking and prostitution.

She also owns the Day Spa where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft allegedly was caught on video having sex with a prostitute.

First of all, what a time to be alive, huh?

Second, you know that Trump spent all of his time with her trying to get her to get North Korea to give up all of their nuclear weapons.

He also commented on the fact that Hillary Clinton announced this week that she is officially NOT running for president.

Am I the only one whos disappointed? First of all, I think shed be a great president. Second of all, I want to see a rematch. Come on, Hillary is like Rocky in Rocky IV. Nobody thinks she can come out of retirement to beat the Russian hero who barely speaks English.

Hillary is ready to win this thing for America. She has nothing to lose. Except the presidency for a third time.

CLICK HERE to watch SNLs Weekend Update
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If you thought Michael Cohens congressional testimony was damaging to Donald Trump, wait until you hear what former felon and Russian mobster Felix Sater has to say.

Sater has been a close friend and business associate of Donald Trumps in New York City for many years. They worked together on the infamous Trump Soho project which was reputed to be a front for Russian money laundering.

They also worked together on the proposed deal to build a Trump Tower Moscow. It was Sater who Michael Cohen dealt with, and together they offered a $50 million penthouse condo to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a bribe to get the deal approved.

Sater is also a government informant, and has been providing information to federal prosecutors for several years. His testimony could be really bad news for the president.

Sater had originally been scheduled to testify publicly before the House Intelligence Committee on March 14. But it was just announced that his testimony has been pushed back two weeks, to March 27.

A spokesperson for the Intelligence Committee said in an emailed statement: Due to scheduling issues, the Committee has moved Mr. Saters open interview to March 27. He continues to cooperate with the committee.

This is the same thing that happened to Michael Cohen, when his planned testimony date kept getting pushed back.

In both cases House Democrats, such as Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff were not unhappy about the delay in hearing damaging testimony from a close Trump associate. In fact, they actually seemed happy about it.

And we should be happy too.

The truth is that Sater is delaying his testimony against Trump for two weeks because there are things that prosecutors dont want him to publicly reveal yet. And these are things that could send Donald Trump to jail.

When Cohens testimony was delayed it was worthwhile because when he eventually showed up for his televised hearing we heard testimony  and saw documents  that were devastating for Donald Trump.

There has been speculation that Saters testimony will be at least as damaging to the president as Cohens, and in fact may be worse. It also is likely to implicate Trumps children Don Jr. and Ivanka.

If rumors are true, then Sater will provide the committee both oral and written evidence that our president was in business with the Russian mob. He will probably be able to prove that Trump and Russian criminals worked together for years on illegal real estate deals that were fronts for money laundering operations involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

Yes, we are disappointed that we wont get to see Felix Sater testify against Donald Trump on TV this week. But were pretty sure the wait will be worth it.
In August 2017, Rashard Xavier Eugene Clement got arrested for armed robbery just five months after he was bailed out of jail on charges of distributing crack.

Clement, who had previously served sentences for both distribution and robbery, was released on bail with the added condition of good behavior.

Three months later, Clement was arrested again for armed robbery. Once more, he was released on bail.

Scarlett Wilson, the 9th Circuit Solicitor, asked that his bond be revoked  a motion the court denied.

In January 2018, Clement was arrested yet again ... on three more counts of armed robbery. Finally, the court denied bail, seeing as how Clement had racked up six outstanding charges.

Mind you, Clement has yet to be convicted of any of these crimes. Still, does anyone have to ask why Wilson wants tougher penalties for violent repeat offenders?

They are getting out and getting arrested so many times its affecting the docket, creating delays, Wilson says.

Yeah, its crazy. In the past three years, nearly 300 defendants in Wilsons jurisdiction have been rearrested for violent crimes after making bail on another offense. Wilsons office routinely asks that bail for these folks be revoked, but the courts refuse around 57 percent of the time.

This is a problem across South Carolina, and Wilson has asked the Legislature to do something about it. She wants additional penalties for anyone convicted of a crime while out on bail for another crime, and more pretrial detention for repeat violent offenders.

Now, some would argue defendants shouldnt be jailed before they are convicted of a crime. Thats a debatable point, but Wilson is not looking to lock up low-grade offenders or non-violent defendants. In fact, shes asked the state to provide more diversion programs to keep folks like that out of jail.

But she wants violent repeat offenders off the streets.

State law allows judges to deny bail for crimes considered violent. Problem is, the state laughably does not classify some pretty rough offenses as violent. For instance: Third-degree criminal sexual conduct, first- or second-degree assault and battery, second-degree domestic violence and  yes  strong-arm robbery arent on the list.

Which is kind of strange, since the statute definition of strong-arm robbery actually includes the word violence.

Because of such omissions, Inahia Moody was in and out of jail four times in a year with no trial. In January 2018, Moody was arrested for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and second-degree domestic violence.

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As a condition of bail, he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim. But in October, he was arrested for domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature against the same victim. Within weeks, he was nabbed for second-degree domestic violence against another victim.

Wilsons office asked that Moodys bail be revoked and, while waiting for an answer, Moody was arrested for unlawfully carrying a gun.

A week later, the court denied Wilsons bail revocation motion.

Again, Moody hasnt been convicted of any of these charges  but the solicitors office certainly looks like Nostradamus.

Wilson is a tough but fair prosecutor, and she isnt proposing anything outlandish  the federal system already operates this way. Consider the case of former Berkeley County schools chief financial officer Brantley Thomas.

In 2017, Thomas was charged with embezzling from the school district in state and federal courts. While awaiting trial, Thomas was arrested for embezzling from a local company that charitably gave him a job after his very public firing and arrest. State and federal prosecutors asked that Thomas have his bail revoked.

A federal judge complied immediately. The state refused.

Makes you think that perhaps South Carolina needs better definitions, not only of violences but also for crime and danger to the community.

There are hundreds of anecdotes here, but this is about statistics. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council has compiled the numbers that show this is a real trend, so the General Assembly should act on Wilsons suggestions fast.

But if you need another anecdote ... Jeffrey Dingle was arrested last fall on charges of trafficking meth, possession of pot with intent to distribute, failure to stop for blue lights and unlawful possession of a handgun.

He got out on bail. And last month, he was re-arrested on first-degree domestic violence and kidnapping charges.

Wilson has asked that Dingles bail be revoked, but that motion  like so many others  is stuck in a revolving door.

Reach Brian Hicks at bhicks@postandcourier.com.
Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press.
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.
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.
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.
ALTURA, Minn.  Last Wednesday, for the first time in 114 years, not a single dairy cow was milked on the Hoffman family farm west of Chatfield.

"Our cows are all gone," said Corey Hoffman, who farms with his brother, John, and father, Gary. "We had no choice."

Thats because this winters heavy snowfall and strong winds took down the Hoffmans dairy barn, forcing them to sell their cows and take a hard look at the future.

The Hoffmans were one of several dairy farm families that met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, and area legislators and ag officials Saturday morning at the Rob and Katie Kreidermacher farm near Altura. Dozens of barn roofs have collapsed in the state due to heavy snow, and southeastern Minnesota dairy farms have been particularly hard hit.

"Ive never seen snow piled up in our yard like it is now," said Gary Hoffman. "You read about it in the paper, but until it happens to you..."

Hoffman said the family has made no decision at this point if theyll get back into dairy farming. "Thats up to my boys and their wives," he said.

The possibility that other families will be forced to pull out of dairy farming threatens the states economy, Walz said.

"These dairy farms are the bedrock of the economy and their communities," he said. "What we need to do is keep these dairy farms up and running."

The damage to barns and herds, Smith said, is coming on the heels of low prices for dairy products.

"Its a double whammy," she said.

State lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill through the Legislature to get help in terms of loans and insurance payments to the affected farmers as quickly as possible.

But, Rob Kreidermacher said, "Im not sure how much money we can afford to borrow."

One of Kreidermachers barns came down the Sunday morning of last months blizzard. Only the help of neighbors prevented an even bigger disaster, he said.

"I was here by myself, and I couldnt have done anything," he said. "The community, theyre the only reason we saved any animals."

He said the visit by Walz, Smith, state lawmakers and government officials sent a message that the states dairy farmers arent in this situation alone.

"It shows that people who have the power to help care," he said.

The previous weekend, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen got a taste of that when he visited Winona County.

With Petersen were Rep. Jeanne Poppe, Rep. Steve Drazkowski, Sen. Michael P. Goggin  the same lawmakers accompanying Walz and Smith  and representatives for the states congressional delegation.

They stopped at only two farms in Rollingstone, but Petersen said several other farmers were there to share the details of the damage they experienced.

The damage is more than structural, Petersen said.

"Keep in mind that its not just the roofs coming down," said Petersen. "But its also the bins, electricity and whatever else that will cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for farmers."

On top of the structural and equipment damage, Petersen said many farmers lost livestock. One of the Rollingstone farms visited on March 2 lost eight cows, and the other lost 13.

The surviving cows were still impacted by the collapses. They were injured or spooked, said Petersen, resulting in a loss of milk production.

The number of roofs that collapsed at dairy farms in southeast Minnesota is about 25, said Petersen; statewide, the total is closer to 50. That includes machine sheds, freestall barns and poultry barns.

"For dairy farmers, it was just another punch in the gut," said Petersen, "because theyre already having a hard time and this winter has been very difficult."

For Petersen, two things stood after meeting with farmers. First, most have no intention to stop or switch up their farming operations. Second, the emotion in the voices of farmers who were truly grateful for the support they got from the community.

"Every farmer (that was affected) told me how thankful they were to their community," said Petersen. "Their neighbors, friends and relatives all stepped in and either helped pick up their roofs, got cattle out of barns, helped do chores or brought them food or whatever they could."

Neither Petersen nor any of the farmers hed met with could remember damage like this happening in other winters. He said barn collapses have happened in the past, but not this many, this fast.

Petersen said the Department of Agriculture encourages farmers who had storm damage to research the loans available through the Rural Finance Authority. Those loans can help pay for building and equipment replacements.

He said the department is helping with legislation to make disaster loans available  loans that would have zero percent interest.

Petersen advises farmers to document all their losses and talk to their local FSA and insurance agents to access whatever funds are available.
Writings on the Wall

As I have said before, I read the Organic Act of Guam twice a year, the Guam code at least once a year and I read every Guam legislative bill. Read more
Family, friends and staff of Sorensen Media Group are mourning the death of Rex Sorensen, the founder and president of SMG.

Sorensen died at his home on Sunday.

Its hard to calculate the impact this man has had on the island. Countless organizations and people have been helped through the platforms Rex created and supported," said SMG General Manager Shin Taira.

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Sorensen began his career in Hawaii as a real estate developer and then created News Talk K57 in 1981, changing it from a music format to talk radio in 1985.

The media company operates radio and television stations in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island.

"His tenacity was legendary. Guam truly has lost a titan of industry, Taira stated.

Sorensen is survived by his wife, Mimi, and three children.

Taira said the couple welcomed all SMG employees into their family.

"We thank everyone for their prayers and loving thoughts extended during this heartbreaking time," he said.

Sorensen was 73 years old.
Now that we know that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her friends are running the Democratic Party, or wielding a veto power over the party leaders, attention must be paid. Attention comes at a cost, for her musings present an extended case study in stupidity. She spouts stupidity in stream of consciousness form. How long before we are treated to a little red book compiling quotations from Chairman AOC?

Her latest musings have been captured by The Daily Wires Ryan Saavedra in Ocasio-Cortez: State Of America Is Garbage, Reagan Pitted Whites Against Minorities. FOX news has more here, the Hill here.

They serve as a useful reminder. It is not just President Trump whom the left routinely decries as racist. Nixon was racist. Reagan was racist. Was George W. Bush racist? If not, he was certainly Hitler, in the other recurring trope of the leftover left. Nixon was Hitler, Reagan was Hitler, Bush was Hitler, and now Trump is Hitler too.

Saavedra quotes AOC speaking at the South by Southwest Conference in Austin. She probably picked this up in one of her BU economics courses: One perfect example, I think a perfect example of how special interests and the powerful have pitted white working-class Americans against brown and black working-class Americans in order to just screw over all working-class Americans, is Reaganism in the 80s when he started talking about welfare queens. So you think about this image of welfare queens and what he was really trying to talk about was  this like really resentful vision of essentially black women who were doing nothing that were sucks on our country.

Wait, theres more.

And its this whole tragedy of the commons type of thinking where its like because these one, this one specific group of people, that you are already kind of subconsciously primed to resent, you give them a different reason thats not explicit racism but still rooted in a racist caricature, Ocasio-Cortez continued. It gives people a logical reason, a logical reason to say, oh yeah, no, toss out the whole social safety net.'

What is she talking about? Its a good thing the moderator didnt ask her.

She also gave a short course in American history featuring this quotable quote: Its just that now weve strayed so far away from what has really made us powerful, and just, and good, and equitable, and productive, and so I think all of these things sound radical compared to where we are but where we are is not a good thing. And this idea of like 10 percent better from garbage, is, shouldnt be what we settle for, its like this like it feels like moderate is not a stance its just an attitude toward life of like hmmm.

Her metaphorical use of the term garbage is jarring. Our present condition is somehow represented as garbage, or slightly better, while the lucky beneficiaries of her preferred policies are literally eating garbage in Venezuela. I am quite sure that what we have here is a textbook case of projection.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Sunday frowned at the continued importation and marketing of substandard Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the country.

The Commission said on Sunday in a statement in Abuja with approved phone list available on its website there was no reason Nigerians will continue to use substandard mobile devices in the country.

NCCs Director of Public Affairs, Nnamadi Nwokike, said the Commission will commence the enforcement of its regulations against the continuous proliferation of substandard mobile phones and devices in the country.

The NCC announced this at a Sensitisation Programme on the Hazardous Effects of Non-type Approved Handsets and Impact on Quality of Service and E-waste at Paiko, Niger State.

The Commission, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other government agencies, recently inaugurated two committees to design modalities towards curbing the proliferation of substandard handsets in the country.

Also, the Commission has developed regulations on electronic waste (e-waste) as another regulatory instrument aimed at providing a regulatory framework for the management and control of e-waste in the telecommunications industry, in line with Section 132 of the NCA, 2003.

Mr Nwokije said the NCC was empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, Section 132, to establish and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in the country to ensure they operated seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment.

He said all equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices, such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must ensure their equipment conformed to the applicable standards as mandated by the Commission before bringing them into Nigeria.

The director advised telecom consumers against patronage and usage of counterfeit handsets and other substandard mobile devices to avoid dangerous consequences.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta, told participants the semsitization programme was part of the commissions deliberate move to educate and create awareness on the hazardous health effects and negative economic implications of the patronage of fake handsets.

Mr Danbatta said the programme was also to educate participants on the negative effect of also using other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the country.

He was represented by the Director, Zonal Operations Department at NCC, Amina Shehu, who stressed the need to use type-approved handsets only.

Mrs Shehu said the benefits of using such equipment include better quality of service (QoS), network integrity and safety of the end-users.

She said the menace of counterfeit and substandard handsets has assumed a global dimension, which require a lot of education of consumers and the collaboration with other government agencies to address it.

The director also enjoined telecoms consumers to check the Commissions official website to find the list of type-approved phones they can make choices of handsets to purchase.

Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more rampant in developing countries, such as Nigeria where importers bring in substandard phones. Without recourse to regulatory type-approval process aimed at certifying such devices as fit for the market, she said.

Mrs Shehu said the NCC was also responsible for ensuring consumers enjoyed their investment in the telecommunications industry.

Speaking on behalf of telecoms consumers and participants at the event, the Hakimi of Paiko, Mansur Mustapha, commended the NCC for bringing the programme to the community.

He, however, complained of poor network services and unsolicited text messages they receive from telecom operators, and urged the Commission to provide necessary responses, especially on the need to activate the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code to stop unsolicited text messages. (NAN)
Normal crude oil export operations were restored, March 7, on the 150,000 barrels per day Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) following the plugging of a leak which resulted in the shutdown of the facility on February 28.

A spokesperson for Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production, the operator of the 97 kilometres crude oil pipeline, Masade Odianosen, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday the facility is up and running.

The restoration of normal operations has allayed fears of a major disruption of oil exports on the pipeline, which evacuates crude oil daily to the Bonny Oil Export Terminal.

The Aiteo spokesperson said the NCTL was restarted while the joint investigation into the March 1 explosion from Oil Well No.7 within Nembe Creek oilfields was still in progress.

The NCTL, the official said, was not in operation when the explosion from an oil well within the OML 29 oil block occurred.

The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) said on Friday it had commenced investigations into the explosion located within OML 29 operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration.

Reports said the blast ignited a fire which Aiteo officials said was put off on March 2, resulting in crude oil and gas already being discharged into the environment. No loss of lives was recorded.

The volume of crude oil and gas discharged into the surrounding environment arising from the explosion was yet to be ascertained.

The Director-General, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Peter Idabor, also confirmed Aiteo had commissioned a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV).

The D-G explained the JIV, a statutory probe of leak incidents in the oil and gas sector, would determine the cause of the explosion, the volume of oil leakage as well as assess damage to the environment.

He said a JIV report signed by representatives of the community, NOSDRA, Bayelsa State Government and the oil firm that participated in the investigation, was expected at the end of the probe.

The Aiteo official said the JIV team was yet to arrive at a conclusion on the cause of the blast.

The JIV is still ongoing. It was not rounded up as we progressed with physical inspections without arriving at the probable cause from physical examinations.

There appears to be the need for a more detailed and technical assessment to understand the primary cause of the incident prior to explosion that is more visible at moment on the riser.

The investigation therefore requires further details and is still open, Mr Odianosen said.

However, a statement from Odianosen on March 2, confirmed there was no human casualty.

Aiteo pledged to investigate the incident, which it said was of utmost priority.

It said the explosion did not affect the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL), which was shut down on February 28 prior to the incident.

The NCTL from our findings at the field is up and running as the incident did not in any way have links with the pipeline, Aiteo spokesperson said.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in 2015 divested its equity in OML 29 and transferred its interest in the oil block, including NCTL, for $1.7 billion to Aiteo. (NAN)
A new border control system created by the European Commission will require United States citizens to get a visa to travel to Europe beginning in 2021.

The new regulation was announced by the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) on Sunday.

ETIAS was created by the European Commission to work on securing borders around the European Union.

The ETIAS said the visa to be issued to prospective US citizen travelers, which will be valid for three years, will allow a holder to enter the country as many times as necessary.

Currently, U.S. citizens may travel to Europe for up to 90 days without requiring a visa.

Like many other countries, the agency said the decision to introduce a visa for US citizens is part of efforts to improve security and avoid any further problems with illegal immigration and terrorism.

The requirement includes the European Schengen-zone, a group of 26 countries, 22 of which are members of the European Union, it said.

When enrolling in ETIAS, a persons passport must be valid for three months after the intended stay.

Passports for over 10 years may not be accepted as valid forms of documentation for travel under the new arrangement.

Some countries affected by the new regulation include Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland, to mention but a few.

Report says a full list of countries that will require a visa from U.S. citizens is available on the ETIAS website. (dpa/NAN)
The British government has revoked the citizenship of two more women who married Islamic State fighters in Syria, a report said on Sunday.

The latest revocation of the citizenship status of the duo followed heavy criticisms of the death of a baby whose mother was stranded in a detention camp.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted The Sunday Times as reporting unidentified legal sources as saying Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister, Zara, 28, were stripped of their citizenship after marrying into a terror cell linked to the murder of Western hostages.

The newspaper said the sisters, who have a combined five boys under eight years old, are among about 12 brides from Britain and over 20 of their children held in Syrian detention camps run by Western-backed Kurdish forces.

The report follows criticisms of Home Secretary, Sajid Javids decision not to allow Shamima Begum, 19, to return to Britain after she married an Islamic State fighter in Syria.

The criticisms grew after reports said on Friday Begums three-week-old son had died at the Al Hol refugee camp in north-eastern Syria.

Begum left London as a 15-year-old schoolgirl in 2015 to join the terrorist group.

She told British media she had a girl and another boy with Dutch husband, Yago Riedijk, an Islamic State fighter, but both children died in recent months.

Javids decision to strip Begum of British citizenship prompted a fierce national debate over whether she should be allowed to return home.

Many politicians argued it is illegal to leave a British citizen stateless. (dpa/NAN)
A deal to end the months-long trade war between the U.S. and China could be reached by the end of April, White House Economic Adviser, Larry Kudlow, said on Sunday.

Kudlow said he thought the U.S. made great headway in negotiations with the Chinese delegation that visited Washington recently.

He said he felt optimistic about the possibility of the two countries signing a deal in March or April.

Washington and Beijings teams have communicated daily since the visit by Chinas trade team, he added.

In December 2018, the two governments agreed on a deadline of March 1 to reach an agreement, with the U.S. threatening to hike up tariffs in a no-deal scenario.

But, Trump announced after the deadline expired he was not planning any new tariffs as long as talks were still ongoing and making progress.

Kudlows positive outlook echoed comments by China Deputy Trade Negotiator, Wang Shouwen, on Saturday, who said the talks have made substantial progress over three rounds since December.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump have instructed their trade teams to move in the direction of lifting all additional tariffs imposed on each others goods, Shouwen said.

The U.S. has so far slapped tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, and China has retaliated with duties on $110 billion worth of U.S. goods.

The tariffs have slowed Chinas economy, which grew 6.6 percent in 2018, its slowest rate in almost three decades.

(dpa/NAN)
The Deputy Head of Sudan Opposition, Umma Party, was sentenced to one week imprisonment on Sunday for demonstrating against President Omar al-Bashir, demanding his stepping down, party officials said.

The protest was against emergency laws imposed in February, according to Mohamed Hassan, Head of the Ummas Political Bureau.

Mariam al-Mahdi, the daughter of Ummas leader, Sadiq al-Mahdi, was among a group of 19 arrested while demonstrating in front of the partys headquarters in Omdurman, across the Nile from the centre of the capital, Khartoum.

The court fined her 2,000 Sudanese pounds (about 42 dollars) for participating in the protest, which was calling on the president to step down, Mr Hassan said.

Mr Al-Bashir declared a state-of-emergency last month after weeks of demonstrations, the most sustained challenge to his rule since he came to power in the coup that overthrew Sadiq al-Mahdi in 1989.

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds took to the streets in different areas of Omdurman to protest against the emergency laws.

Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.

The measures include an expansion of powers for the security services and a ban on unlicensed public gatherings.

More than 800 people have been tried in the emergency courts, according to the Democratic Alliance of Lawyers, an opposition group.

On Saturday, nine female Sudanese protesters were sentenced to 20 lashes and one month in prison for rioting, the alliance said.

Mariam was briefly arrested at the end of January in connection with the protests.

Another al-Mahdis daughter, Rabah, was also arrested on Sunday.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Kwali Area Council Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the Federal Capital Territory inconclusive.

The INEC returning officer for the council, Emmanuel Christopher, told reporters that the election was declared inconclusive due to over-voting at unit 005 Sheda voting centre.

He further said that Tuesday, March 12, had been fixed for the re-rerun election at the affected voting centre.

However, the returning officer had earlier announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won elections at the Pilot Primary School polling unit at Kwali Central electoral ward.

He said APC scored 538, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 444, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 174. (NAN)
A young man said to a supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was shot dead on Saturday.

The victim was reportedly killed by a bullet from the rifle of a police officer in Ile Tutun, Ibadan South East Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that the young man who was in his early 20s was loudly celebrating the victory of his party when a shot fired by the policeman hit him.

The bullet reportedly ruptured his abdominal area and damaged his intestines.

The victim, simply identified as Mudasiru, was said to have been rushed to one Kehinde Eges house in Ita Ege, for the extraction of the bullets.

He, however, died before the bullets were extracted having lost too much blood.

The Police Public Relations Officer, in the state, Lawrence Fadeyi, who confirmed the incident, asked for more time for a comprehensive investigation before further details could be made available.

The victims death comes less than 24 hours after a federal lawmaker, Temitope Olatoye, popularly called Sugar, was shot dead in Ibadan.
The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, is coasting home to victory in the results of the governorship elections announced thus far in the state Sunday afternoon.

Mr Tambuwal, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has won five of the six local governments results announced in the state.

The governor is contesting against his closest rival, Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Mr Aliyu has won one local government thus far.

The APC candidate is the anointed candidate of a two-time governor of the state, Aliyu Wamakko. Mr Wamakko, who represents Sokoto North in the Nigerian Senate, won re-election in penultimate Saturdays National Assembly election held in the state.

In the results of the six local governments declared Sunday afternoon at the Sultan Maccido Institute Collation Centre, Mr Tambuwal won in Bodinga, Binji, Silame, Kware, Tureta. His closest rival, Mr Ahmed won in Rabah Local Government Area.

A breakdown of the results shows that in Rabah LGA, the APC candidate polled 16, 535 while the PDP polled 13,232. Mr Ahmed won the local government.

But in Kware, APC polled 19,001 votes but the PDP polled 20, 111 votes.

Similarly, in Binji, the PDP polled 12, 367 votes to win ahead of the APC which polled 10, 699 votes. In Bodinga, the PDP polled 21,416 votes while the APC polled 20,779.

In Tureta, the PDP polled 13,017 to beat the APC which polled 11,454 votes.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that at the Sultan Maccido Collation Centre, a break has just been declared and the announcement of result is expected to resume in the next hour.

There are 23 LGAs in the state.

Details later.
A Nigerian professor, Pius Adesanmi, was among the 157 passengers and crew members that died in a plane crash on Sunday.

The Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed on Sunday morning shortly after leaving Addis Ababa for Nairobi in Kenya.

Mr Adesanmi who holds Nigerian and Canadian citizenship was a prominent columnist on PREMIUM TIMES and other Nigerian media.

His death was confirmed by Sahara Reporters which said it spoke to three of his family members, a close friend and a Canadian official.

Mr Adesanmi was also a columnist for Sahara Reporters.

Carleton University, where Mr Adesanmi taught, also confirmed his death.

The Carleton community is shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Prof. Pius Adesanmi, who was among the 18 Canadians killed in todays crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet at the Addis Ababa airport, the university said in a statement.

Global Affairs Canada has confirmed that Adesanmi is among the victims.

Pius was a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship and his sudden loss is a tragedy, said Benoit-Antoine Bacon, president and vice-chancellor. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and loved him, and with everyone who suffered loss in the tragic crash in Ethiopia.

The contributions of Pius Adesanmi to Carleton are immeasurable, said Pauline Rankin, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He worked tirelessly to build the Institute of African Studies, to share his boundless passion for African literature and to connect with and support students. He was a scholar and teacher of the highest calibre who leaves a deep imprint on Carleton.

A further tribute about Adesanmis leadership and many contributions to the Carleton community will be shared as soon as possible.

The airline management had earlier released the flight manifest showing the countries of origin of the 149 passengers on board.

One Nigerian was confirmed to be among the passengers. It is, however, believed that Mr Adesanmi travelled with his Canadian passport, an indication Nigeria lost another citizen in the crash.

Other nationals in the plane included 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Chinese, eight Americans, seven Britons, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Dutch citizens, four Indians and four people from Slovakia.

According to Ethiopian Airlines, the ill-fated aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET- AVJ took off at 08:38 am local time from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and lost contact at 08:44 am. It was on a scheduled service from Addis Ababa to Nairobi before getting involved in an accident around Bishoftu (Debre Zeit).

Following the tragic accident on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302/10 March, which claimed the lives of 149 passengers and 8 crew on board, Ethiopian has teamed up with all stakeholders concerned to conduct forensic investigations and identify the identities of the victims.

This evening, the airline released a statement saying it has launched an investigation.

A committee comprising of Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, and Ethiopian Transport Authority has been set up to carry out the investigations, the statement said. Once the identities of the deceased are identified, their bodies will be delivered to their families and loved ones.

Ethiopian Airlines has already contacted the families of the victims to inform them of the tragic accident. Investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the accident, in collaboration with all stakeholders including the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and other international entities.
Some female members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday evening protested at the INEC headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

The women alleged that the governorship election on Saturday had been tampered with and would not agree with the results being collated.

Umar Nasko was the candidate of the PDP in the governorship election while Governor Abubakar Sani Bello flew the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The results of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections are yet to be officially declared.

The spokesperson of the protesters, Talatu Sauka, said,  the reason for this protest is the result being collated, we do not agree to it.

Most of the women and youth, who voted in Chanchaga local Government, we are here and we are not agreeing to it, because it is not possible for there to be an election in 25 local government and PDP does not have one.

Nasko has made all efforts and he has those that love him in Niger State.

The result is rubbish and as far we are concerned, we are protesting; its never possible.

She added, We are saying the election is a scam.

If nothing is done, God will do his own and intervene for us. We are protesting and raising our voice as women, Ms Sauka said.

We are calling on Tanko Beji (PDP chairman of the state) not to sign the collated results but we are not accusing him of collaborating with APC.

We do not agree with the result and should not sign. But if he goes ahead to sign, we are still going to make our case, she added.
Iniobong Ekong is a retired captain in the Nigerian army and a security aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES Cletus Ukpong, he revealed how he was arrested by the Nigerian army on the eve of Nigerias presidential election.

PT: What happened? Everyone suddenly woke up to the news about your disappearance?

EKONG: On Thursday, 22 February, I was in a meeting here at my house in the village in Nsit Ubium. At about 11a.m, I got a call from the brigade commander in Akwa Ibom that he needed to see me to discuss some election strategies. Since they are relatively new in the state, I felt they needed to tap from my experience, probably some nipping points, probably some volatile areas in the state. So, I quickly took my bath and then drove to the brigade in Uyo.

When I got to the brigade, they said no, it was the GOC (General Officer Commanding) in Port Harcourt who wanted to see me. They asked if I could oblige, and I said it was fine by me. So, I now took my car again and drove to Port Harcourt. They provided some military escort who traveled with me to Port Harcourt. This was about 1p.m. We got to Port Harcourt about 3p.m.

At the army barrack in Port Harcourt, I filled the form to see the GOC. I was asked to drop my phones, which is customary. They ushered me into the visitors waiting room. When I enquired of the GOC, they told me he took a short trip to Asaba, Delta State, that he was on his way back. So, I waited. When it was about 5:30 p.m. I realised he had not come in, so I told the military officers I had elections to participate in the next day and therefore I needed to start heading back home. They told me no, I should wait that he (the GOC) was almost around and would soon be here. So, I waited. At about 6:30 p.m., six armed soldiers came into the waiting room. They told me they were asked to come and protect me there. Initially, I was thinking, Oh, do I need to be protected in the barrack? Then I suddenly realised something was funny. From that time on, I knew something was funny, but I had nothing on my mind. It was funny because this was an environment I was very familiar with and I have been working with them (the military). But I just put my mind off it and then slept off.

At about 1 a.m, one Captain Kasama woke me up and said we have to go to Uyo. And I asked him To do what in Uyo? He said he had instruction to take me to Uyo, and I asked him By 1 a.m, on East-West Road? I told him I wasnt going to follow him. I should have been the one to want to go to Uyo because of the elections, but knowing how dangerous the road was, especially in the night, I told him I would not follow him. They tried everything to get me to go with them, but when they realised I was determined not to follow them they told me to go back and sleep. And of course, you know they cannot touch me.

PT: Where did you sleep?

EKONG: In that same waiting room.

PT: You didnt have a bed to sleep on?

EKONG: Nothing. I sat on a chair for 13 days till Thursday when I came back. From Friday to Monday, I had no food or water.

PT: No food, no water?

EKONG: Nothing! I became adamant and insisted I wont talk to any of them until I speak with my wife. Then they offered me a phone from their office because they had shut down my phones.

PT: Did you meet with the GOC?

EKONG: He did not meet with me from the day I entered there until Thursday night when I insisted on seeing him.

PT: So, you spoke with your wife on phone?

EKONG: I spoke with my wife.

PT: What did you tell your wife?

EKONG: Well, I just told her what happened and that I really didnt understand what was going on. But that my suspicion was that they didnt want me to be part of the elections in Akwa Ibom.

PT: That was your suspicion?

EKONG: Yes, that was just my suspicion. But I later confirmed it. You know, in my traveling to Port Harcourt, I had asked my councilor to drive me. So, after about eight days I now insisted they should let him (my councilor) go home, that he was an independent man. If they wanted me, the man had nothing to do with why they wanted me. They saw him as a driver, so they agreed he should go. But unfortunately, that same day there were some online publications that said I was taken along with my councilor. So, at the point of collecting his slippers and phone, they now asked him Are you a driver or a councilor? He said he is a councilor, and they said No, you cant go. Youll have the same influence (in the election) like him if you go. So, they kept him too.

PT: Did your wife become calm having told her where you were?

EKONG: Yes, she was. But unfortunately, she became very ill and needed to be flown out of the country urgently on Wednesday for medical attention. That was when I couldnt bear it any longer; I said a man must be able to stand up for his wife, especially at such a time. So, on that Thursday I noticed that the GOC had come in and they had devised a new route for him to be entering his office. I made so much trouble that I must see him, and luckily the commander of the military police informed him that he needed to talk with me.

PT: Whats the GOCs name?

EKONG: Major-General Jamil Sarham

PT: You have known him before?

EKONG: He is my mate of 35 years. We passed through the same course in the military, and we are friends.

PT: When the two of you met, what did he tell you?

EKONG: When I met him, I asked him Why keep me here, whats the problem? He said to me that the allegation against me was that I was using soldiers to harass people. I asked him, Are you the one that gave me the soldiers? Who gave me the soldiers? And where are the soldiers they said I was using to harass people? He now said, Are you saying it is not true? And I am like Couldnt you have done some findings before inviting me here? Dont you know me, and that cant have anything to do with such? I told him I couldnt stay there again, that I needed to go home and take care of my wife.

PT: Did he remember you have been his friend?

EKONG: Remember? What do you mean by remember? I say that is my friend. Dont forget that I am an S.A on security to the governor and that as part of my duty I must have assisted the GOC to pay courtesy call on the governor, and I that I must ensure a conducive relationship between him (the GOC) and the governor.

PT: Has the military apologised to you?

EKONG: He (the GOC) did not apologise. But he offered tea in his office, which I rejected.

PT: You have been a part of the military. Are you ashamed the military could do this?

EKONG: Yes, I am terribly ashamed. Up till now, I still dont understand why the military should be involved in this kind of thing.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has commiserated with the family of slain Oyo lawmaker, Olatoye Temitope, who was shot at a polling unit during Saturdays elections in the state.

Mr Olatoye, the lawmaker representing Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency of the state, died following gunshot injuries he received.

The deceased was shot in the eye by political thugs at a collation centre in Elesu, Lagelu Local Government Area and later confirmed dead by the University Teaching Hospital in Ibadan.

In a message on his Twitter handle @YakubDogara on Saturday night, Mr Dogora described the killing as shocking, primitive and wicked.

I received with shock, the sad and distressing news of the assassination of my brother and colleague, Hon. Olatoye Temitope Sugar, in Oyo State today. The murder of Hon Sugar in election violence today is primitive, wicked, inhumane, barbaric and highly condemnable, Mr Dogora said.

Mr Temitope, 46, contested a senatorial seat but lost to the APC in the election held on February 23.
With the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in control of more than two-thirds of the members of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly by virtue of the recent elections, agitation for who will emerge the next Senate President appears to have begun.

A political pressure group, the National Interest Progressive Forum (NIPF) on Sunday appealed to the APC leadership to support the candidacy of Ahmed Lawan, the senator representing Yobe North as the President of the 9th Senate.

The forum made the appeal in Abuja in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Ibrahim Taura, and Secretary, Clement Ojima and sent to media houses.

The group said the call became imperative as the APC needs to ensure a stable 9th National Assembly (NASS) to achieve the objectives contained in the partys Next Level agenda.

The leadership of the APC should not to allow another four years of disagreement in the National Assembly now that it has a comfortable majority, the group said.

It said the emergence of Lawan as President of Senate would ensure the legislature worked harmoniously with other arms of government to achieve the goal of the party, particularly as his loyalty was not in doubt on all issues.

.

The forum said that it was necessary for the APC to put its house together by allowing only its loyal members emerge as leaders of the two chambers of National Assembly.

Senator Lawan is a thorough-bred politician and an excellent lawmaker. We call on the leadership of APC to encourage Senators-elect to support Lawan as the next Senate President, the group said.

The leadership of the forum also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari as leader of the party to ensure that competence, experienced and absolute party loyalty are considered in the process of choosing the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The President cannot afford to remain neutral as was the case in 2015, when some members of the APC went against the partys decision.

We advise the Adams Oshiomhole-led leadership of the APC not to relent in its effort at ensuring party discipline at all levels, the forum said. (NAN)
The Ethiopian Airlines on Sunday announced a Nigerian was in its flight that crashed and killed all those on board Sunday morning.

Flight ET-302 went down near Bishoftu, a community roughly 60 kilometres southeast of capital Addis Ababa, the airline said. The airline confirmed the plane was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration number ET-AVJ.

It left Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. local time for Nairobi, Kenya, and crashed at 8:44 a.m. local time after losing contact with the control tower. All the 149 passengers and eight crew were killed.

The airline released a list on Twitter of the nationalities of the passengers who were on board, and said investigations had commenced.

The airline issued a manifest of citizens from several countries who were aboard the ill-fated crash, which showed that Kenyans were the highest at 32.

Canada suffered the second highest casualties after Kenya at 18. Others included: Kenya, 32; Canada, 18; India, four; Germany, five; Egypt, six; United Kingdom, seven; France, seven; United States, eight; Italian, eight; China, eight; Ethiopia, nine; United Nations passport, one; Sudan, one; Serbia, one; Nepal, one; Yemen, one; Uganda, one, Somalia, one; Saudi Arabia, one; Rwanda, one; Nigeria, one; Norway, one; Mozambique, one; Ireland, one; Indonesian, one; Djibouti, one; Belgium, one; Poland, two; Morocco, two; Israel, two; Spain, two; Sweden, three; Russia, three; Austrian, three; Slovakia, four.

The airline said it has contacted all countries involved with details of their respective citizens.

The Kenyan media published names of that countrys 32 citizens involved in the crash Sunday evening.

A Nigerian foreign ministry spokesperson, Tope Elias-Fatile, did not return PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments on the lone Nigerian Sunday evening.
The British High Commission in Nigeria has expressed concerns over the report of military interference in the election in Rivers State.

The commission was reacting to reports from its election observers about the tension at the collation centre in Port Harcourt.

It said the military interference in the polls is putting stress on the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission and has made it difficult for them to carry out their duties.

According to its tweet, it said, Extremely concerned by reports, including from @UKinnigeria observers, of military interference in the election process in Rivers State. Monitoring the situation closely @inec staff must be allowed to do their jobs in safety, without intimidation.

There has been a heavy presence of the military in River State, which has been rocked with election violence since the presidential polls.

Prior to the governorship and state of assembly election, there have been concerns about the security of voters in the state.

Despite the fears, many trooped out to vote in their sixth governorship and state election.

The insecurity led INEC to suspend the electoral process.

The commission made the announcement in a press statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, and published on its official twitter handle.

Based on reports from our officials in the field, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has determined that there has been widespread disruption of elections conducted on the 9th day of March, 2019 in Rivers State.

These initial reports suggest that violence occurred in a substantial number of polling units and collation centers, staff have been taken hostage and materials including result sheets have either been seized or destroyed by unauthorized persons.

In addition, safety of our staff appears to be in jeopardy all over the state and the commission is concerned about the credibility of the process, INEC had said.

The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday condemned the suspension.
An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on a routine flight to Nairobi, Kenya has crashed, with 149 passengers and eight crew members on board.

It was not clear whether there were any survivors in the crash that occurred Sunday morning.

A message of condolence by the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed suggested that there were some deaths.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning, the message on governments Twitter handle read.

An Ethiopian Airlines spokesman said the crash occurred at 8:44 a.m. local time.

This is a developing story: details soon.

NAN
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has condemned the different forms of threats, harassment, intimidation and assault of election officials, observers, journalists and voters during Saturdays governorship and state assembly elections.

The group stated this in its briefing on the elections on Sunday afternoon.

Millions of Nigerians trooped out to vote for governorship candidates across 29 states and state assembly candidates in Nigerias 36 states.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the violence witnessed in some states like Oyo, Rivers, Kogi, etc.

The CDD in its report stated that some of its observers were also victims of such attacks.

Political thugs slapped and abducted our observer in at PU 2 Afaha Nsit ward of Akwa Ibom and later requested a ransom, the civic group said while listing some of the incidents its observers suffered from.

We reckon that these attempts are aimed at undermining the system usually to favour the perpetrators. Our monitors on the ground did not only report cases of intimidation but were victims, too, the group said.

The group also highlighted areas where INEC needs to improve its operations including training and treatment of ad-hoc staff.

Read the full statement by the CDD below.

The Centre for Democracy and Developments Election Analysis Centre (EAC) deployed observers to 17 politically-charged and violence-prone battleground states for the elections. Our fake news tracking and analysis unit has continued the work of monitoring and combating fake news and hate speech throughout the election period. For its part, our EAC, which is composed of leading experts on elections and democracy, reconvened to cover the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections. This update is the latest in the series of updates that the CDD Election Analysis Centre has issued on the 2019 General Elections. It follows on from the interim report that we released at 4 pm yesterday, Saturday 9th March 2019.

1. Logistics and Operations

Two weeks after millions of Nigerians voted in the Presidential and National Assembly elections, voters returned to the polling units again to cast their vote in the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections.

Generally, there appears to be some improvement in the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INEC) handling of logistics, with our observers reporting early arrival of election materials and personnel in most locations. This is in sharp contrast with the Presidential and National Assembly polls in which late opening of polls was widespread.

However, there were significant challenges which affected the smooth conduct of the polls yesterday. The Smart Card Readers (SCRs), which authenticate the Permanent Voters Card, accredit voters and matches voter biometrics to the INEC database, was dogged by glitches, mainly when it came to reading and matching the fingerprints of voters. In some places where they deliberately refused to use the smart card readers, manual voting was reported by our observers in locations like polling Unit Kazawa Primary school polling unit in Kazawa Ward of Kano Central Senatorial District and Unwanar Ganji Open Space Ward in Rimi Gado of Kano north Senatorial District. We are monitoring INEC compliance with her guidelines on cancellation of results where the SCR were not used.

2. Voter Turn Out

The elections of 9th March were characterised by low voter turnout in many parts of the country. Some of those interviewed by our observers expressed interest only in the outcome of the Presidential elections, while some expressed doubt as to whether their votes will count. The threat of violence also kept away some voters from the polls.

3. Electoral Violence

The CDD EAC finds worrying the quantum of violence that characterised the elections this year. A total of thirty people has so far been killed across the country. Armed thugs turned their guns on citizens and opposing political parties. We also noted the actions of armed bandits and Boko Haram insurgents in Katsina and Adamawa states.

We also note with dismay the activities of security personnel around the country, who have been accused of interference in the electoral process and failure to protect electoral staff and materials. We flag the need to review the rules of engagement guiding the involvement of security personnel in election duties. It is saddening that a suspected ballot box snatcher was killed and that an aide to a candidate also lost his life to so-called accidental discharge.

A. Intimidation and abductions

Different forms of threats, harassment, intimidation and assault were reported during the elections. We reckon that these attempts are aimed at undermining the system usually to favour the perpetrators. Our monitors on the ground did not only report cases of intimidation but were victims, too. One of our observers was arrested by soldiers in the Mile 2 area of Lagos by soldiers on his way to cover the protest over non-payment of allowances by ad-hoc staff. Political thugs slapped and abducted our observer in at PU 2 Afaha Nsit ward of Akwa Ibom and later requested a ransom. Our observer was abducted by political thugs for reporting and sharing photos and permanent voters card of underaged voters in Polling Unit 15, Ward 04 of Shendam local government area of in Plateau state. He was later released. In a related incident, a politician slapped a BBC journalist in Lagos in a brazen show of power.

By extension, the weaponisation of abductions of INEC staff and the ad-hoc staff is worrisome and constitutes a drawback to the progress we have made so far. INEC officials were kidnapped and later released in Benue, Katsina, Kogi, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Rivers during voting and collation of results, with Katsina alone recording 20 cases of abductions.

B. Arson

We also noticed that arson was, like abductions, used as a weapon during gubernatorial and state houses of assembly polls, a shift away from the trend before the presidential and national assembly elections where burning of offices occurred in the run-up to the polls. The deliberate burning of the electoral commissions offices and election materials and ballot was reported in Ibesikpo Local Government Area of the state on March 8 and yesterday before the commencement of voting, political thugs burned down three Registration Area Centres (RACs) in Okposi in Ohaozara LGA as well as Oriuzor and Ekka in Ezza North LGA all in Ebonyi state.

Similar incidents were reported in of thugs burning election materials in Ward 10 Unit 6 in Usagbe Primary School, Ogbido in Etsako West LGA of Edo state and razing down a Roman Catholic primary school in Aya containing electoral materials meant for Mbalom ward in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue.

4. Electoral Irregularities

The CDD EAC is seriously concerned at the level of electoral irregularities in some states. In Imo State, for instance, shortly after the commencement of voting, it was reported that there was open ballot stuffing at polling unit 010A and 010B at Mbutu Ward, Aboh Mbaise, Local Government Area of the State. This was the polling unit for Emeka Ihedioha, former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives and the PDPs governorship candidate in the election. Ihedioha had not yet cast his vote at the time of the incident, so it was difficult to know whether his supporters did it or sponsored by his opponents who wanted him to humiliate him by making him lose at his polling unit.

INEC announced on the election day the sacking of its ad hoc staff in the state on the grounds that they had been compromised by politicians and announced new ad hoc staff on the election day (apparently to ensure they would not be compromised). However, it was said that even the new set of ad hoc staff appointed on the election day was also compromised.

In Eziama Obire, Nkwerre Local Government Area of the State, political thugs reportedly murdered a PDP party agent following an argument in one of the polling units in the state.

Voting by unaccredited voters: In Ward 002 Karanolu, in Nwangede Local Government Area of the State, angry youths upturned and destroyed ballot boxes in protest against voting by unaccredited voters. Before upturning the ballot boxes, the angry youths had reportedly demanded the cancellation of some votes by the unaccredited voters but were allegedly rebuffed by the electoral officials.

The police reportedly arrested no fewer than 105 political thugs in the State. The thugs were allegedly arrested for offences that ranged from ballot box snatching to disrupting elections, harassing electoral officials and impersonating police officers.

Vote buying remains a significant concern during the governorship and state houses of assembly elections. Buying and selling of votes prevailed despite the warning by INEC, security agencies and the anti-corruption agencies. On the ground, our observers reported seeing EFCC arresting people involved in vote buying. For example, the EFCC arrested some prominent party stalwart in Benue and Kwara states.

However, reports from our observers indicate significant role played by voters and politicians in the vote trading market. The trend, as we observed, is that voters are bargaining for a higher amount and sell their vote to the party with the ability to meet their demand. The trend is that votes traded from as low as N250 to N7,000.

Another worrying trend observed was that supporters of mainstream party disguising as a member of the smaller party to buy votes for their parties. Also, we gathered that agents of smaller parties were influenced to purchase votes on behalf of the dominant parties.

Cases of underage voting were reported by our observers in Kano, Bauchi and Plateau States. INEC needs to address the issue of underage voting for future elections seriously.

5. Collation Challenges

Throughout the entire election season, we have consistently demanded strict adherence to INECs rules and regulations on collation. We have also consistently requested that observers and journalists be allowed access to collation centres. We note, however, that observers were denied access to collation centres in some parts of the country, particularly Rivers, Zamfara and Akwa Ibom States.

Late commencement of collation was reported in many states, and of particular interest is the case of Plateau and Benue states where collation is just beginning.

We note with dismay the invasion of collation centres by some prominent politicians, the abduction and attempted inducement of collation officers. More worryingly, we have just received unconfirmed that some lives have been lost in a collation centre in Ondo State. This is a troubling development.

6. Welfare and Training of Ad-hoc Staff

We are particularly concerned about the welfare of ad-hoc and other election staff. It took protests in several states for some of them to get their allowances. Yesterday ad-hoc staff in Mile 2 area of Lagos state, for example, protested over non-payment of their allowances. By implication, this might deter corps members from participating in future elections, meaning we might be confronted with staff shortage amid a growing population and an expanding voter register. We also question the nature of training offered to ad-hoc staff in the run-up to the elections, at least not with reports of inefficiency and poor technical knowledge among election staff. To make training more useful and suitable for elections, INEC must stay away from offering training that use samples and simulated scenarios to prepare election staff for the Election Day.

7. Conclusion

The EAC, in conclusion, finds it pertinent to place the observations and analysis in this report in the broader context of the sustainability of elections as mechanisms for the democratic management of diversity in our country. It is in this light that the EAC directs attention to the disturbing degeneration of our countrys competitive and electoral politics since the 2015 general elections, as exemplified in the securitisation, vote-buying and mindless violence witnessed during the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the just concluded 2019 general elections. Beyond electoral outcomes, the country needs to strengthen the process leading to and resulting in them in a manner to create a fair playing ground for all political parties and a political and legal framework that will ensure electoral integrity.

The EAC finds a glimmer of hope in two developments emerging out of the 2019 general elections: the resilience of the Nigerian voters commitment to democracy and the unfolding third force movement, both of which should be mobilized to make democratic elections a force for development, peace, human security and national integration in our country.
The governor of Jigawa State, Muhammad Badaru, has been declared winner of Saturdays governorship election in the state.

Mr Badaru, a businessman, will serve another four years in office after defeating his major challenger Aminu Ringim in a landslide victory.

The returning officer, Azubike Nwankwo, announced that Muhammad Badaru polled 810, 933 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Aminu Ibrahim of the peoples Democratic Party, who got 288, 356 votes.

Mr Badaru having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared returned elected, he said.

Mr Badaru is defeating Mr Ibrahim for the second time. In 2015, Mr Badaru got 648,046 votes against the PDPs Mr Ibrahim who scored 479,447 votes.

Below is the breakdown of results from 27 Local Government Councils in the state.

Gagarawa Local Government

APC 15,565

PDP 8,411

Auyo Local Government

APC 27,771

PDP 7,879

Kazaure Local Government

APC 22,074

PDP 3,216

Taura Local Government

APC 32,735

PDP 11,417

Hadejia Local Government

APC 27,242

PDP 4,399

Miga Local Government

APC 22,746

PDP 9,269

Jahun Local Government

APC 41,937

PDP 16,119

Garki Local Government

APC 33674

PDP 15,147

Malam Madori Local Government

APC 27,616

PDP 7,397

Kaugama Local Government

APC 26,025

PDP 7,382

Sule Tankarkar Local Government

APC 32,154

PDP 12,543

Dutse Local Government

APC 43,165

PDP 15,108

Babura Local Government

APC 43,601

PDP 7,131

Kiyawa Local Government

APC 36255

PDP 12,866

Kiri kasamma Local Government

APC 26,388

PDP 9,333

Yankwashi Local Government

APC 11,880

PDP 5,677

Ringim Local Government

APC 41,481

PDP 28,035

Roni Local Government

APC 19,516

PDP 5,013

Gwaram Local Government

APC 58,210

PDP 12,227

Birniwa Local Government

APC 24,993

PDP 12,227

Kafin Hausa Local Government

APC 38,989

PDP 10,133

Birnin Kudu Local Government

APC 48,401

PDP 22,777

Maigatari Local Government

APC 26,123

PDP 12,494

Buji Local Government

APC 21,406

PDP 9,389

Guri Local Government

APC 20,953

PDP 7,389

Gwiwa Local Government

APC 24,953

PDP 7746

Gumel Local Government

APC 15,800

PDP 5,298
The Nigerian government has confirmed the death of a diplomat in the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday.

Abiodun Bashua was among the 157 passengers and crew members who died in the crash that occurred in Ethiopia.

Although he was the only one listed as a Nigerian on the flight manifest, another Nigerian-Canadian, Pius Adesanmi, was also among those that died in the crash.

Mr Adesanmi, a popular columnist for many Nigerian newspapers including PREMIUM TIMES, was a professor at Carleton University in Canada.

In a statement by the foreign affairs ministry, the Nigerian government confirmed that Mr Bashua was among the passengers on the plane.

According to Channels TV, the spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, George Edokpa, in a press statement described Mr Bashuas death as untimely.

He said the minister of foreign affairs, Goefffery Onyeama, and the ministry were in great shock.

The Minister of Foreign affair Goefffery Onyeama and member of Staff of Ministry received the sad news of his death with great shock and prayed that the Almighty God grant his family and the nation the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, he said in the statement.

Before his demise, Mr Bashua was a UN expert who had extensive experience in several United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa.

He joined the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2009 and was appointed Deputy Joint Special Representative of the agency in 2014 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

A total of 149 passengers and eight crew members were on the Boeing 737 plane flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.

The plane crashed shortly after take-off from the Ethiopian capital.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Ibrahim, as the winner of Yamaltu West constituency in the election into Gombe State House of Assembly.

Mohammed Kirfi, the INEC Returning Officer, announced the result for Kwadon/ Yamaltu/Debate Local Government Area of the state on Sunday. He said Mr Ibrahim scored the highest votes of 12,087 to defeat his closest rival, Salihu Mohammed of the People Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 6,280 votes.

He said that 10 political parties contested for the seat.

Abubakar Sadik Ibrahim of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and having the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was conducted peacefully and the result was announced in the presence of security personnel.

NAN also reports that the party agents present signed the result sheet while the PDP agent whose candidate emerged second disappeared before the announcement of the result (NAN)
Amidst allegations of interference by the federal government in Taraba elections, results for the governorship election was suspended on Sunday.

Taraba is one of the 29 states where governorship elections were held on Saturday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how days before the election, some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were arrested by operatives of the SSS which gave no reason for the arrest. The PDP then alleged it was a ploy by the federal agency to weaken the party and win the state for Nigerias governing All Progressives Congress (APC) at all cost.

While all or large parts of results of the governorship elections have been announced in most of the 29 states, no local governments result was announced at the Taraba collation centre until Sunday evening.

Even then, it was promptly suspended after results from two local governments were announced.

The announcement which only started at about 5 pm on Sunday was abruptly called off by the Returning Officer for Taraba State, Iya Shehu, after results from only two of the states 16 local governments had been announced.

The returning officer said there was an inconclusive election in one of the wards in the next local government to be treated hence his decision to suspend the entire process and reconvene by noon on Monday.

His decision was, however, questioned by observers at the collation centre.

This is quite strange, if there was an issue with the local government then he should have moved to next one one of the party agents at the Jalingo office of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC queried.

Before the suspension of further announcements, the results from Gassol and Zing local governments had been declared.

The Collation Officer for Gassol, S.U Malu, announced that the APC had the highest number of votes from the local government.

The APC in Gassol had 46,385 votes while the PDP had 28,181 votes.

In Zing LG, it was the PDP that claimed victory; recording 31,619 votes compared to the 7,105 recorded by the APC.

There was however a long debate on the authenticity of the result from Zing as the APC agent present at the collation centre alleged that there was a flagrant disregard for the due process in Zing LG.

The APC agent claimed that card readers were not deployed as mandated and that the 55 per cent turnout that is being reflected in the result form ZING calls for questioning as the average turnout for the polls nationally was barely 25 per cent.

The PDP agent also at the Jalingo centre, however, raised an observation that the INEC office in Jalingo was meant to be a result collation centre and not a complaint collation centre.

Earlier, Bala Dan Abu, Senior Special Assistant to the Taraba State Governor on Media and Publicity told PREMIUM TIMES that there was no need to exercise any fear on the slow pace of announcement of results as they are sure the PDP is winning.

We are not worried and have no reason to be worried, we believe we win the election and win it very well, all we are asking for is that people should not be allowed to disrupt the process and lets get to end of it all peacefully

There have been attempts by the APC to disrupt the process, they have been taking gunmen around to frighten people, cajole them to change results, this must not be allowed, he said.

Despite the presence of other candidates, the Taraba governorship election is a two-horse race between the incumbent governor, Darius Ishaku of the PDP, and a former acting governor of the state, Sani Danladi, who is vying on the platform of the All Progressives Congress Primaries (APC).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Danladi was earlier barred by a federal high court in Jalingo from running in the election after he was found culpable of falsifying his age. The appeal court, however, granted a stay of execution of the high court ruling and ordered he be allowed to run in the election.

Mr Danladi is believed to enjoy the support of the presidency in the election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winners of Saturdays chairmanship elections in three area councils of Abuja.

But the commission declared the polls in Kuje and Bwari area councils inconclusive. There are six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory.

In the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship race, Adamu Danze of the APC was declared the winner.

Earlier on Sunday, INEC also declared Abdullahi Adamu of the same party as the winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chairmanship election.

The INEC Returning Officer, Ahmed Shittu, who announced the result for the Gwagwalada Area Council, said Mr Danze, the incumbent chairman, scored the highest votes of 21,960, to defeat his closest rival Abubakar Giri, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who scored 14,105.

The returning officer said that 10 political parties contested for the chairmanship position in the area council.

Adamu Danze of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and having the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected, he said.

In Abaji, INEC declared the APC candidate, Abdulrahman Ajiya, as the winner of the Abaji Area Council chairmanship race.

The INEC Returning Officer, Simon Malaka, who announced the result, said Mr Ajiya, the incumbent chairman, scored the highest votes of 13,442 to defeat his closest rival, Muhammad Ashafa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 10,473 votes.

Abdulraman Ajiya of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and having the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected, Mr Malaka said.

But INEC declared the Kuje Area Council chairmanship and councillorship elections inconclusive.

INECs Returning Officer for the council, Zainab Gbefwi, told journalists that the elections were declared inconclusive due to electoral violence in Rubochi.

Mrs Gbefwi said that because of the violence, the elections in Rubochi ward and some polling units in Kwaku and Kabi where Card Readers were not fully used had to be cancelled.

She added that INEC materials were destroyed and some ad hoc staff injured in the course of the violence that occurred.

At the end of collation, there was no clear winner because the candidate that had the majority votes had one-quarter of two-thirds of the votes cast.

But the difference between the candidate with the majority votes and the next candidate is very small as compared to the number of registered voters and votes cancelled, she said.

The returning officer said that re-run elections would be organised in Kabi, Kasa, and other polling units as a result of over voting.

She said that the date for the re-run would be announced later after consultations with the FCT Resident Electoral Officer.

It was a similar case in Bwari Area Council where the Returning Officer, Wesley Nafarda, declared the elections inconclusive due hitches at some polling units.

Mr Nafarda said this during the collation of results at Bwari on Sunday.

He added that 17 polling units including all the 12 units at Kawu ward were cancelled.

Others cancelled are two units at Dakwa and Public Place, in Kubwa ward, one unit at Gidan Bawa under Dutsen Alhaji ward, one unit which is at Primary School in Igu ward while the last one is still pending.

According to him, the total number of registered voters are 224,737; accredited voters 44250; valid votes 42,291; rejected votes 1,137 and total cast are 42,428.

Mr Nafarda said the difference between the highest scorer was 5,997, which made the election inconclusive.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PDP scored 22,711 while APC scored 16,714.

The Returning officer attributed the case of Kawu ward which had all the 12 polling units cancelled as thuggery.

He said after the results were collated, thugs appeared and destroyed the result sheets and other voting materials.

He assured the public that a new date would be announced for another election at the various affected units.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said it would not participate in the rescheduled House of Assembly elections in Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Olasunmore Fatobi, the PDP chairman in the LGA, disclosed this in a statement where he alleged threats to lives and properties of his party members in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had on Saturday rescheduled the elections due to wrong ballot papers taken to the area.

The Electoral Officer in charge of the LGA, Opanachi Ojolade, announced that INEC would conduct the elections on Sunday.

He explained that ballot papers belonging to Ankpa LGA were mistakenly taken to Mopamoru LGA.

But PDP through Mr Fatobi alleged unprecedented violence in some elections held on Saturday across the state.

He said that the party had officially written to INEC to inform it of the partys decision not to participate in the exercise.

The letter to INEC obtained by NAN reads: We hereby write to inform you of the decision of our party to boycott the rescheduled House of Assembly election in Mopamuro.

This is as a result of the unprecedented level of ballot snatching, thuggery and molestation that characterised the elections held on Saturday.

The free use of guns and other dangerous weapons is a complete departure from the influx of thugs arranged by the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a recipe for mayhem.

Since we believe that our victory at the polls is not worth the blood of any citizen of our local government area, after due consideration with our party hierarchy, we have decided to boycott the elections.

Mr Fatobi further alleged that My life and that of my family and PDP leaders in Mopamuro LGA are being threatened by thugs of the ruling party with guns and men in fake military uniforms.

This development has made me to move my family out of the state in order to ensure their safety.

He, however, said that the matter had been reported to the Police and the Department of State Security Service.

Also, a PDP chieftain in the state and former Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, also confirmed the withdrawal of the PDP from the rescheduled elections. (NAN)
The governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, has been declared winner of Saturdays governorship election in the state.

Mr Bello, running under the All Progressive Congress (APC) will serve another four years in office after defeating his major challenger, Umar Nasko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a landslide victory.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Angela Freeman, announced that Mr Bello polled 526,412 votes to defeat Mr Nasko who had 298,065 votes.

Mr Bello having satisfied and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared returned elected, she said.

Mr Bello is defeating Mr Nasko for the second time. In 2015, Mr Bello garnered 593,702 votes against Mr Nasko who scored 239,772 votes.

See details of the final result below.

Total Registered Voters  2,377,034

Accredited Voters  925,518

Total Valid Votes  900,871

Rejected Votes  19,609

Total Vote Cast  920,480

ACD  14,230

ACPN  137

ADC  1,434

ADP- 36,015

AGA  2,422

APA  902

APC  526,412

APGA  4,680

APP  153

BNPP  188

CAP  57

DA  84

FJP  76

GPN  53

JMPP  56

KP  188

LP  988

LPN  5,457

MPN  181

NCMP  308

NCP  155

NNPP  256

NRM  2,526

PDP  298,065

PPC  553

PPN  2,333

PRP  1000

SDP  1,699

UDP  101

WTPN  39

ZLP  123
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has defeated the All Progressives Party (APC) at Manchok Registration Area (RA), the electoral ward of Barnabas Bantex, Kaduna State Deputy Governor.

The RA Collation Officer, Yusuf Taiwo, who announced the result in Manchok on Saturday, said that Isa Ashiru of the PDP polled 2,978 votes to defeat Gov Nasir El-Rufai of the APC who got 1,474 votes.

Mr Taiwo also said that the PDP got 3,036 votes to defeat the APC which got 1,311 votes in the State Assembly election in the registration area.

Mr Bantex had lost his bid to represent the Kaduna South Senatorial District on February 23.

Mr El Rufais new running mate, Hadiza Balarabe, won her polling unit for the APC.

Ms Balarabe won her polling unit in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

She voted in Polling Unit 001, Gwantu I, Gwantu Ward, Sanga Local Government Area.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the result released by Uba Danzainab, a senior special assistant on social media to the states governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.

A statement signed by INECs Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, Riskuwa Arabu-Shehu, said the collation of results for the gubernatorial and state assembly election is still going on at wards and local government area levels.

He said only INEC or a representative of the commission is empowered by law to collate, transmit, declare or announce the outcome of any election as contained in section 27 of electoral act 2010 as amended.

Mr Arabu-Shehu warned the general public to stop making inciting or provocative statements and actions which could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state.

The commission implored all and sundry to remain calm and be law abiding and wait for the official announcement of the final result by the commission.

In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Abba Yusuf, has called on INEC and the Nigeria Police to, as a matter of urgency, arrest Mr Danzainab, for releasing fake governorship results on Saturday evening, ahead of INEC.

A statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the spokesperson of the PDP governorship candidate, Sanusi Dawakintofa, said the result shared from Kano government house is meant to complicate the outcome of the election conducted on Saturday.

Mr Danzainab, on Saturday, published the result of governorship election depicting APC won 13 local government areas, on his Facebook page.
The Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a police officer and abduction of three INEC ad-hoc staff during the governorship and state assembly election in the state.

The police also announced the killing of a civil defence officer in a separate attack, while on election duty.

The Commands Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isa, in two separate statements made available to journalists on Saturday in Katsina said the police officer, Mannir Usman, a Corporal, was killed while on election patrol at Gobirawa Falale, Danmusa Local Government Area of the state.

The PPRO said the gunmen ambushed the police team and shot Mr Usman, who was driving the patrol vehicle.

He added that the gunmen also abducted three INEC ad-hoc staff on election duty, in the same incident.

The police further said that a civil defence officer was shot on the chest at Santar Amadi village polling unit in Kankara Local Government Area, in another attack on Saturday.

Mr Isa said the gunmen attacked the village, shooting sporadically, hitting the officer on the chest. He died instantly.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Zamfara says elections were not conducted on Saturday in some Registration Areas in Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state.

The INEC spokesperson in Zamfara, Garba Galadima, told PREMIUM TIMES, Sunday morning that elections in those areas have been rescheduled.

Shinkafi Local Government Area is one of the areas in Zamfara State suffering from attacks by armed bandits. About 30 local businessmen returning from a market where killed in the area last week.

Shinkafi and Zurmi local government areas make up one federal constituency.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how armed bandits killed sixteen people at Dumama community in Zurmi Local Government Area late on Friday.

According to the INEC official, there will be elections in two Registration Areas (RAs) of Shinkafi Local Government Area. The two areas are Kwari registration area which has 10 polling units and Kurya registration area which has nine polling units.

Mr Galadima stated that elections were not held due to insecurity.

The Security Agents advised against holding the elections on Saturday 9/3/19 alternatively rescheduled to Sunday 10/3/19 so as to mobilise all the Security Agents to the affected areas, he said in a message to PREMIUM TIMES.

The polls were peacefully conducted in other parts of the state and collation of results in progress, Mr Galadima said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Aminu Ahmed of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the Makarfi constituency seat in the Kaduna House of Assembly.

Declaring the result at the INEC office in Makarfi on Sunday, the Returning Officer, Dangana Malam-Kure of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said Mr Ahmed polled 133,957 votes to beat four other contestants. He said Mr Ahmeds closest opponent, Garba Muhammad of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 22,652 votes.

Mr Malam-Kure said: I, the Returning Officer for Makarfi State Assembly election held on March 9, hereby declare Aminu Ahmad of APC as winner of the election having satisfied all requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes.

Therefore, Aminu Ahmad of APC is hereby returned as elected member, Kaduna State House of Assembly to represent Makarfi constituency.

He said that the election was conducted peacefully and successfully across the area without any hitch.

(NAN)
Armed attackers have again struck in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State where recent attacks left dozens dead.

The latest attack occured on Saturday, a resident said. Details of the attack and the death toll were not immediately available, he said.

The Kaduna government condemned the attack but also did not provide more details.

The incident came weeks after at least 30 people were killed and homes burnt in the village in what appeared to be a reprisal attack following earlier incidents in the area.

The latest incident occured in Unguwar Barde Community of same local government. The resident who fled the community said houses were also burnt as fortunate residents fled for their lives.

The state government, in a statement on Sunday, condemned the violent attack and extends its sympathy to the community and the families of the victims.

The statement by Gov. Nasir El-Rufais spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, said more troops had been deployed to the community, while the Air Force was carrying out aerial surveillance.

The statement says, Heads of security agencies in Kaduna State have informed Governor Nasir El-Rufai of an attack on Ungwan Barde community by unknown bandits, today, 10th March 2019. The government condemns this violent attack and extends its sympathy to the families of the victims and the entire community.

The security agencies have informed the governor that measures are being taken to contain the situation and to secure the general area.

More troops have been deployed to the community, while the Nigerian Air Force personnel are carrying out aerial surveillance and reconnaissance.

The security agencies will provide further updates.

The Governor has also directed the State Emergency Management Agency to proceed to the community for immediate assessment and delivery of relief materials.

The government appeals to all our communities to do their utmost for peace and harmony.

The Kaduna police spokesperson, Yakubu Sabo, did not answer calls made to him as at the time of filing this report.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday threatened to reject the results of the governorship and state house of assembly elections in Kaduna State.

The party said it would not accept rigged elections that do not tally with the wish of the people.

The party said it has not yet decided whether to reject or accept the final results.

The PDP chairman, Felix Hyet, who disclosed this at a news briefing in Kaduna, said there were reports of ballot box snatching at Chikun, Giwa and Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.

I want to make it clear that we had reports from various LGAS where card readers did not work and yet people voted. Also in Zaria, there were cases of votes buying and they happened in the presence of security agencies.

While in Chikun, Giwa and Birnin-Gwari, we also have cases of ballot boxes snatches. The case in Birnin-Gwari was so unfortunate as boxes were snatched only for them to be returned filled up with ballot papers, he said.

According to him, the party leadership has come to the conclusion that if the election results went contrary to the mandate of the people of the state, the party will take necessary actions to reclaim its mandate.

The chairman also alleged that security agencies had been deployed to Kagarko and Sanga Local Government Areas of Southern Kaduna in an effort to manipulate the election results.

Kagarko and Sanga Local Government Areas are under siege by security agencies in an effort to change result in favour of the ruling party. We have reports from our agents and we have our facts.

If anything comes out contrary to the mandate of the people, we will not accept it. We have evidence; that is why we are talking about it. We are law abiding citizens and we will follow due process,  he said.

The chairman called on his partys supporters to remain calm and peaceful as they await the outcome of the results.

The party further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC )and security agencies to be fair and just in discharging their duties.

The Kaduna election is a two-horse race between Governor Nasir EL-Rufai of the APC ad
The All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa are accusing each other of electoral malpractices in Saturdays State Assembly polls.

While Governor Seriake Dickson, leader of PDP in Bayelsa, accused the APC leaders in the state of masterminding electoral violence, the APC promptly denied the allegations and pointed accusing fingers at PDP.

The state chapter of APC alleged the use of thugs and other criminal elements by Mr Dickson and the PDP in the state to undermine the elections.

APC State Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, said in a statement that armed thugs loyal to the PDP were on the loose in a number of communities throughout the polls, rigging for the PDP and intimidating APC members.

Just on Thursday, we alerted the Bayelsa public to an evil plot by Governor Seriake Dickson to unleash mayhem during Saturdays governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The plot is to intimidate the opposition and impose his candidates in various constituencies of the state.

We also warned about acts of smear campaign and fake news against our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dickson, as usual, did not disappoint.

On Saturday, thugs sponsored by Dickson and the PDP in the state went on the rampage in several constituencies of the state.

They acted by carting away electoral materials, thumb-printing for the PDP, and deploying sundry acts of intimidation against APC members and others opposed the governor and his party.

In Odioma, Brass Local Government Area, the PDP led thugs to cart away all the electoral materials.

Our members were chased out of the community and PDP had a field day with the thumb printing of ballot papers.

Odioma is Dicksons surrogate community. In Brass Constituency 2, Dickson imposed the PDP candidate, Andrew, and he is desperate to ensure his candidates wins.

Dickson also used to be a lawyer for this community.

In Ogbolomabiri-Nembe, the hometown of the deputy governor, thugs were used to threaten and chase APC agents out of the community.

In Sagbama, where Dickson comes from, our members were in hiding for the most part of Saturday for fear of being harmed by the governor and his armed thugs.

Quite in his usual style, Dickson went to town on Saturday on a campaign of falsehood, alleging malpractices by our party and pretending to be the victim.

While voting was still going on in several areas, he was out and about with his usual fake news to try to divert attention from his immoral ways.

APC wishes to restate that elections are not fought on the basis of smear campaign or intimidation, but on the strength of support freely given by the people.

This is our strength, it is what APC boasts. Dickson is, certainly, in terrible deficit of such support, and he is doing everything to make up for his lack of quality followership. But he will surely be disappointed. APC stated.

But Mr Dickson accused the military and the Independent National Electoral Commission officials of colluding with a former governor of the state to churn out fake results in the state House of Assembly elections.

Mr Dickson made the accusation while speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote in his home town, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area.

Mr Dickson said that federal agencies deployed to the state were executing a premeditated plan to foist an unpopular political party, the APC, on the state.

According to the governor, reports at his disposal indicated that several PDP members were prevented from voting in various communities including, Peremabiri, Okpoama and Bassambiri.

The governor said the APC, led by a former governor, was resorting to brigandage because it lacked the support base to win an election in Bayelsa.

The governor said what was happening in the state was barbaric, criminal and undemocratic.

He accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state of failure to enforce the electoral guidelines.

He said that it was a sad commentary on the nations security apparatus that it had failed to carry out its constitutional responsibility to provide the conducive environment for the citizens to cast their votes.

We have major challenges in this state arising from militarization and clear failure on the part of the agencies to do their jobs as it should be.

In Peremabiri in Southern Ijaw, several people, almost a thousand people couldnt vote as they are now IDPs hiding in Yenagoa and other places.

Criminals, supported by the Nigerian military services, have held the community hostage.

Some security personnel, who managed to get to Peremabiri, were turned back and you ask me whether we have a nation within a nation.

In Bayelsa, enclaves have been created by federal security agencies in connivance with APC leaders.

In Bassambiri, PDP leaders and followers were pushed out by force and they are now IDPs in Ogbolomabiri, Yenagoa and other communities.

This is because the APC knows that they are not on ground in this state so they want to win by force.

I have just received an alert that in Ayama Constituency, military officials are trying to overpower electoral officers to cart away materials so that they can write any result.

And the REC and his team in our state have not demonstrated courage, professionalism, competence and respect for their own guidelines, all because they want to crown APC in Bayelsa by force, Dickson said.

Reacting to the allegations, Monday Udoh, the Resident Electoral Commissioner who visited Mr Dicksons polling unit, said the commission had overcome most of the challenges faced in the February 23 polls in Bayelsa.

He said INEC was yet to receive any report on the allegations.

Spokesperson of Army Brigade, Jonah Danjuma, distanced the military from the allegations, saying that on the contrary, it arrested 15 armed men suspected to be thugs during elections in Bayelsa. (NAN)
A coalition of political parties cooperating against the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor Nyesom Wike in Rivers State have called for the transfer of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Obo Effanga.

They accused Mr Effanga of partiality.

Mr Effanga could not be reached immediately for comment.

This, according to a statement on Sunday evening, followed the suspension of the electoral process in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the statement, the group commended the security agencies for their professionalism in the elections.

Mr Wike, whom the coalition accused of directing disruption of collation exercise in his area, however, insists the military was biased.

Read the full statement.

COALITION OF GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES AND PARTY CHAIRMEN.

We, the Coalition of Governorship Candidates and Party Chairmen in Rivers State wish to commend the good people of Rivers State for coming out en masse to cast their vote for their preferred candidate.

However, we condemn in strong terms the inordinate and unpatriotic actions of the Governor of Rivers State and gubernatorial candidate of PDP Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, who stooped too low to personally hijack the election result sheets and materials meant for Obio/Akpor LGA during which process, an Army officer was shot by his thugs. This acts goes to confirm our earlier allegations against the Wike-led State government of gun running.

It is on record that the State Governor had earlier in his speech commended INEC for her free, fair and credible conduct of the election in the State. We, therefore, express shock at his call for cancellation of the exercise, as his shameful act of thuggery greets his imminent defeat. On the premise of this ugly and shameful acts, the collation of results has been suspended by INEC.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC Rivers State had earlier appointed a younger brother to the Rivers South East senatorial District Candidate of PDP, who also is a strong member of PDP as the returning officer for Khans local Government area. The REC also in his voodoo dance appointed PDP members as returning officers for Emohua, Eleme, Andoni, OKRIKA, Omuma, Ogu/Bolo, Tai and PHALGA, with an instruction to deliver the PDP.

In spite of the above, the REC paid deaf hears to the unethical and undemocratic activities of the Guber candidate of PDP who hijacked all electoral materials of Obio/Akpor LGA at the collation centre.

We, therefore, in the spirit of fairness call on the National Chairman of INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to, as a matter of urgency, redeploy the State Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Rivers State to enable the new REC to continue the electoral process.

We wholeheartedly commend the Army for the display of professionalism and ensuring adequate security before, during and after the election, we pray them to maintain the tempo as only those with sinister plans will not appreciate the commendable efforts of the Army.

We call on the Nigerian Police and her sister agencies to continue to beef up adequate security in the State to forestall further breakdown of laws and order.

Pastor Warigbani Ezekiel Zebulun

Chairman, CGCPC &

Governorship candidate

APDA, Rivers State.

Hon. Chibuzor Anele

Secretary CGCPC &

Chairman, NDCP

Rivers State

For and on behalf of the entire members of CGCPC Rivers State.
The Independent National Electoral Commissions office in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State has been set on fire by suspected hoodlums.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the collation was being finalised when the angry supporters of a political party set the structure on fire. The electoral officers were promptly guarded by security operatives as they moved the materials to the INEC office in the state capital.

There was also a bomb scare at Mbaitoli Local Government Area INEC office earlier on Sunday but security operatives quickly put the situation under control. The collation continued at the centre amidst tight security.

The INEC spokesperson in the state, Emanuella Opara, said she could not confirm the developments because she had been deployed to a local government to function as an electoral officer.

She said; If I were to be in the headquarters now I would have confirmed the report to you but Im here on the field working.

The police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeonkwu, said he would find out what happened and get back to our reporter. But as at the time of filing this report, he was yet to call back and did not pick a call to his mobile line.

However, a party agent at the local government, who asked not to be named, said no damage was done to the official result already collated.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Saturday how armed thugs invaded many polling units in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area and carted away voting materials including ballot papers, ballot boxes and result sheets.

Many INEC ad-hoc staff were also beaten up with their valuables including mobile phones, wallets and bags lost in the process.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is set to be declared winner of the governorship election Abia State.

The governor garnered 261,127 votes to beat his closest challenger and candidate the All Progressive Congress (APC), Samson Ogah.

Mr Ogah, an oil magnate, got 99,754 to place a distant second while the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Alex Otti got 64,366 votes to place third.

Benjamin Ozurumba, a professor and the state Returning Officer, is getting set to declare Mr Ikpeazu the winner any moment from now.

APC calls for cancellation of election

Meanwhile, the APC on Sunday called for the cancellation of the March 9 governorship election in the state.

The party cited alleged plethora of electoral anomalies including cases of snatching of ballot boxes, non use of Card Readers, thuggery and intimidation witnessed in so many LGAs in the state as its reason for doing so.

It also claimed that the manipulation of voters at polling units by some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also very high, adding it would not be allowed to stand.

Addressing journalists in a press conference in Aba, the spokesperson of APC in the state, Benedict Godson, called for total cancellation of all results and the immediate sack of Joseph Iloh, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC.

The election in Abia yesterday (Saturday) was a fraud. It is not worthy to be recorded as election. Abia APC calls for total cancellation of the governorship election in Abia because there was no proper voting except if INEC is saying now that the criminality we witnessed yesterday is the definition of election in Nigeria.

What took place on the 9th of March 2019 in many LGAs, Wards and Polling Units in our state was an organised crime. It was never an election. The intimidation of our agents, our candidates, supporters and even many innocent Abia people who only came out to effect the change we all are yearning for was what took place.

The REC, Dr. Joseph Iloh is a PDP member. Before the election, we kept saying we dont trust him and the then police commissioner who was only removed noon Friday and the new person cannot effect much changes in security.

In almost all the Wards in Osisioma South and Osisioma North State Constituencies, the PDP thugs snatched ballot boxes, beat up our agents and intimidated everyone who tried to express a different opinion.

Our candidate in Osisioma South State Constituency, Hon. Chima Oriaku was beaten black and blue by the PDP thugs and was hospitalized. Information we are getting now is that his life is still under threat and we are doing our best to ensure nothing goes wrong with him.

Innocent Abia people who came out at Osisioma were chased away in places they discovered were APC strongholds, the party said.

Mr Godson added that in many local governments wards, card readers were abandoned for manual voting as INEC staff were seeing directing voters to vote without due process.

They just thumb-printed recklessly without due process. From Obingwa, Osisioma, Ohafia, Ukwa East and West down to Ugwunagbo and Isiala Ngwa South and North there was nothing like elections. Materials were missing and incomplete in so many places.

Similarly, the Deputy State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Felix Nkoro, has called for the cancellation of the entire election in Osisioma LGA describing it as a huge fraud.

Before the arrival of any other party agents, INEC in collusion with the PDP has started making use of electoral materials. At St. Michaels in Osisioma LGA, agent of APC was beaten badly for questioning the wrong doings he witnessed going on there.

In Abayi Umuocham Girls Secondary School, PDP thugs and security agencies pushed our agents out and manipulated votings. In Ariaria and Okpulo-Umuobu it was same story of intimidation and harassment.

The Card Readers were not used. Everything was done manual. Some persons voted up to seven times for the PDP. We hereby reject the election in Osisioma and we call for its cancellation, Mr Nkoro said.
A State House of Assembly candidate under the platform of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), in Ogun State, Johnson Sotayo, was on Saturday arrested with huge cash at a polling unit in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The politician was accosted at Ijaiye Park in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of the state by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal office.

On interrogation by the officials of the anti-graft agency, the candidate could not give satisfactory answers and was subsequently whisked away by the operatives, as at the time of filing this report

The amount caught with the suspect was found neatly stashed in carrier bags, a discovery known to be against the rule of vote buying.
The Oyo State Police Command has said it is working with other security agencies to arrest the killers of the deceased Oyo lawmaker and senatorial candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Temitope Olatoye.

The commissioner of police, Shina Olukolu, in a statement on Saturday, said the police received reports of the incident and are investigating it.

A deputy commissioner of police is currently leading the investigations, he said.

In compliance with the marching orders of the Inspector General of Police, Adamu NPM, mni. to ensure the most immediate arrest of the fleeing culprits, concerted efforts are ongoing to unravel and arrest the suspected killers of the deceased.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the lawmaker, popularly called Sugar, was shot by suspected political thugs at the collation centre at Elesu, Ward 13, Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo state.

He was rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH) where he later died.

The Commissioner of Police in the statement sought the understanding of the family members who are bereaved and mourning their loss to at the same time seek the support of the entire citizenry to assist the police with credible and useful information that would lead to the arrest of the fleeing culprits.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Nollywood star, Desmond Elliot, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Surulere 1 state Constituency election in Lagos State.

The Returning Officer, Bolajoko Dixon-Ogbechi from the University of Lagos, made the declaration on Sunday, at the Surulere Local Government Collation Centre in Lagos.

She said Mr Elliot emerged winner with 15,357 votes, while Benjamin Olasunkanmi, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 3,628 votes.

That Desmond Olusola Elliot of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected. 

According to her, Shitta-Bey Oluwarotimi of Alliance for Democracy (AD) came third with 116 votes; Mr Dawodu Oluwaseyi of Accord Party came fourth with 65 votes while Mr Makanjuola Olaseni of YP came fifth with 59 votes.

Dixon-Ogbechi said that the total number of registered voters in the constituency was 134939, accredited voters were 20340.

Valid votes  19357 while the total number of rejected votes was 973.

The total number of votes cast is 20330 while the results of six units at Igbaja/Stadium with RA number 06 were cancelled due to over voting.

 So, the total number of votes cancelled in the affected areas were 4091, she said.

PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday reported how Mr Elliot was attacked by thugs who wanted him to give them money during the elections. It took the intervention of his supporters and armed police officers to rescue the actor.

With his victory, the famous actor returns to the assembly seat he has occupied for four years.
Election violence and ballot box snatching reared their ugly heads in Ondo, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Imo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states in Governorship and House of Assembly Elections on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident is a 5.41 per cent increase in two states over those affected by violence during the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23.

The presidential and National Assembly elections recorded violence in at least 16.21 per cent (six states) out of the 36 states and Abuja which increased to 21.62 per cent (eight states) on Saturday.

While Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers appeared on the violence list of both elections, Ondo, Oyo, Ebonyi, Imo and Delta recorded fresh issues on Saturday.

In Ondo, the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, imposed a curfew on Oba Akoko, Akoko South West local government area of the state, following the violent disruption of the house of assembly elections early on Saturday.

The widespread violence reportedly resulted in the death of two persons. The violence saw the use of guns and the destruction of ballot boxes and other electoral materials.

In Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, a member of the House of Representatives was killed yesterday.

Temitope Olatoye (a.k.a. Sugar) was shot by suspected political thugs.

Delta recorded pockets of violence in the riverine areas, said to have erupted between supporters of the two major parties in the state.

A policeman and three others were killed by gunmen while a party chieftain was reportedly kidnapped in Rivers.

There were also recorded cases of ballot box snatching and rampant vote buying during the elections.

Also, at least one person was on Saturday allegedly killed by a soldier at a polling unit in Ossiom village, Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom during the elections. (NAN)
The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested 20 suspected cultists for their involvement in supremacy battle on Saturday and Sunday in Ijora area of the state.

The commands Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chike Oti, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday,

The PPRO said that no death was recorded and that more policemen had been deployed in the area to restore normalcy.

Mr Oti, who did not mention the names of the rival cult groups, said the gangs had been fighting themselves for some time.

Sources told NAN that the cultists had been exchanging gunfire since the evening of the governorship election in Ijora.

The sources said the shooting continued into Sunday morning before more policemen were drafted to restore law and order in the area.

(NAN)
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Seyi Makinde, has been declared winner of the Oyo State governorship election.

The PDP candidate won 28 out of the 33 local governments in the state, leaving the All Progressives Congress with only five.

Mr Makinde received 515, 621 votes to defeat his closest rival from the APC, Bayo Adelabu, who polled 357, 982 votes.

The margin of defeat is 157,639 votes.

The African Democratic Congress candidate, Olufemi Lanlehin, despite quitting the race to endorse the PDP candidate, came third with 12,375.

Former governor Adebayo Akala, who was the candidate of the Action Democratic Party before he defected to the APC, also received votes totaling 8,664 to come a distant fourth position.

Forty two (42) political parties contested the governorship election, even though many of them dropped their ambition at the last minute to align with either the PDP or the APC.

Their names remained on the ballot, notwithstanding and they received votes.

Violence

Although the governorship election was successfully conducted, it suffered a number of skirmishes, recording two deaths at the last count.

One of the casualties of the election was a serving House of Representatives member, Temitope Olatoye, of Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency, who was shot dead by political thugs in his ward.

The governorship election also recorded several occurrences of ballot box snatching and violence, resulting in the cancellation of results from some wards and many polling units.

In Irepo local government area, the materials for the entire Ward 3 were burnt by hoodlums and so no results were declared.

The returning officer, Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, while declaring the final results, said Mr Makinde having polled the highest number of votes in the election was returned elected as governor of Oyo State.

Victory locations

Local governments won by the PDP include Ibadan North West, Ibarapa East, Atiba, Kajola, Ido, Lagelu, Iwajowa, Afijio, Orelope, Ibadan North East, Ibadan South East, Ibarapa North, Atisbo, Ibarapa Central, Ogbomoso South, Ibadan North, Egbeda, Itesiwaju, Saki West, Saki East, Oyo West, Oyo East, Oluyole, Olorunsogo! Ona Ara, Akinyele, Iseyin and Ibadan South West local government areas.

The APC candidate won in Orire, Ogooluwa, Surulere, Ogbomoso North, and Irepo local government areas.

Ibadan North local government area delivered the highest number of votes for the PDP with 40,785 votes against the APC which received 18,868 votes there.

Crisis averted

However, the Ibadan South West votes came last because the INEC had to retrieve duplicate copies of the results from security and polling agents after hoodlums set the result sheets from the Ward 12 collation centre on fire.

The PDP won the local government with 34,445 votes against the APC which scored 18,183 votes.

Although the APC agent at the collation centre protested and called for the cancellation of the results, the Resident Electoral Commssioner, Mutiu Agboke, citing electoral guidelines, said the results could be regenerated since they were already announced at polling units and declared at the ward collation centre.
The Oyo State police command has debunked rumours of killings of some prominent persons in Ibadan, the state capital.

The news had been making rounds on the social media on Sunday sequel to the killing of the deceased Oyo lawmaker and senatorial candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Temitope Olatoye.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the lawmaker, popularly called Sugar, was shot by suspected political thugs at the collation centre at Elesu, Ward 13, Lagelu Local Government Area.

He was rushed to the University College Hospital UCH where he later died.

The police in a press statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES said there is no truth in the stories making the rounds.

The commissioner of police, Oyo command, Shina Olukolu dismissed the reports.

I wish to inform the entire good people of Oyo state that my attention was drawn by critical stakeholders and AIG Zone 11 Osogbo to the spate of unsubstantiated stories of alleged killings published in the social media today march 10 which is alarming.

These stories, I can inform in its entirely are false, planted by mischievous persons to deliberately cause disaffection and tension in the state, he said.

Mr Olukolu appealed to people of the state to be calm

He urged the people of the state to go about their lawful duties without fear and intimidation.

He also made an appeal to the media and critical stakeholders to always endeavour to cross check their stories or reports before publication.

On the death of the lawmaker, the commissioner had earlier said the command is working with other security agencies to arrest his killers.

He said a deputy commissioner of police is heading the investigations.
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.




Patriots in the hunt for third gold ball Coming off a 2020 season in which they went 1-5, the 2021 Mission Veterans Patriots football team may have caught some people by surprise by winning seven of their eight District 16-5A Div. II games and claiming a share of the district title. But while there is
Jaipur, March 10 : A Pakistani drone attempting to enter Indian territory across the Rajasthan border was shot down by the Border Security Force (BSF), a defence official said.

"One Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) intrusion was reported in Ganganagar sector at around 7.30 p.m., on Saturday. The drone was engaged and brought down," Col Sombit Ghosh, PRO Defence Rajasthan, said late Saturday night.

This was the second intrusion on the Rajasthan border on the same day.

On Saturday morning, another drone tried to enter Indian territory at around 5 a.m. at the Hindumalkot border near Ganganagar sector.

According to the BSF, the moment it was sighted, the troopers started firing, forcing it to return.

In last 11 days, Pakistan has sent four drones to the Rajasthan border.

On February 26, a drone on the Barmer border was shot down, while on March 4, another UAV was shot down by a Sukhoi.

Also on Saturday, security agencies arrested a suspected spy, identified as Fataan Khan, a resident of Sonu village in Jaisalmer, said Kiran Kang, Jaisalmer District Superintendent of Police.
Pyongyang, March 10 : North Korea held parliamentary elections on Sunday to elect new deputies for the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, its rubber-stamp legislature.

These elections are held every five years. They will replace those picked in the parliamentary polls held in March 2014, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Voting that started at 6 a.m., is slated to end at 6 p.m.

As of Sunday afternoon, 56.76 per cent of registered voters had cast their ballots, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

KCNA said the candidates include workers, farmers, intellectuals and soldiers. There is only a single candidate registered for each constituency.

The Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, carried an editorial that stressed the election will manifest people's "fixed will to firmly trust and uphold" leader Kim Jong-un.

The official voter turnout was tallied at 99.97 per cent for the last election, with 100 per cent voting for the approved candidates.

The results of the 2014 elections were announced two days after the voting day.
Beijing, March 10 : China's Long March carrier rocket series completed 300 launches on Sunday after a new communication satellite was put into orbit.

"This is a milestone for China's space industry development," said Wu Yansheng, board chairman of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC).

The Long March carrier rocket series, developed by CASC, is responsible for about 96.4 per cent of all launch missions in China, reports Xinhua news agency.

It took 37 years for the Long March rockets to complete the first 100 launches, seven years to complete the second 100 launches and only about four years to accomplish the final 100, with the average number of launches per year increasing from 2.7 to 13.3 and then to 23.5.

China joined the space club on April 24, 1970 when the Long March-1 carrier rocket launched the country's first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into orbit. At that time, the carrying capacity of the Long March rocket was only 300 kg.

On November 3, 2016, China's current largest carrier rocket, the Long March-5, made its maiden flight, with its carrying capacity reaching 25 tonnes for low-Earth orbit and 14 tonnes for geosynchronous orbit.

The success rate of the 300 launches of the Long March rockets stood at 96 per cent, according to CASC.

From October 1996 to August 2011, the Long March rockets set a world record for 15 years of successful consecutive launches.

In 2018, the Long March rockets completed 37 consecutive successful launches, ranking a global first for the highest number of successful launches.

A total of 17 types of Long March carrier rockets have been developed and put into use since 1970, ensuring the implementation of a series of key space projects including manned space programme, lunar exploration, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and the Gaofen Earth observation project.

In addition, the Long March carrier rockets also launched a large number of meteorological, resource and oceanographic satellites as well as several innovative science satellites including DAMPE to search for dark matter.

Since the 1990s, the Long March rockets have been designed to be compatible with satellites manufactured in the US, Europe and other countries and regions.

So far, Chinese rockets have launched 56 international commercial satellites and carried more than 20 small satellites or payloads into space for international customers.
Addis Ababa, March 10 : An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed on Sunday while flying from Addis Ababa to the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The flight is believed to have had 149 passengers and eight crew members on board, the airline said.

The disaster happened at 8.44 a.m. around the town of Bishoftu, shortly after the plane took off from the Ethiopian capital, the BBC reported.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his "deepest condolences" on Twitter.

The airline said that search and rescue operations were under way near the crash site.

In 2010, an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after leaving Beirut, killing 90 people on board.
New Delhi, March 10 : Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has conveyed India's concerns over rising crude oil prices and its effect on the domestic fuel rates in his meeting with Saudi Arabian Minister of Energy, Khalid Al-Falih, an official said.

Speaking to Al-Falih here on Saturday, Pradhan talked of the need for uninterrupted supplies of crude oil and LPG to India in view of the supply cut by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other major oil producers.

Al-Falih's visit follows the first state visit of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in February this year.

"Both ministers also discussed about the possible adverse impact of recent geopolitical developments on global oil market," the statement said.

The ministers also reviewed various Saudi investment proposals in the Indian oil and gas sector, including the the implementation of the first joint venture West Coast Refinery and Petrochemical Project in Maharashtra, estimated to cost $44 billion, which will be the largest greenfield refinery in the world, it said.

They also discussed Saudi Arabia's participation in the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Programme.

Saudi Arabia is the second largest supplier of crude and LPG to India.

In 2017-18, India's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia were 36.8 million tons (MMT), accounting for 16.7 per cent of our total imports.
London, March 10 : "Bodyguard" star Richard Madden is reportedly considering moving to the US to try out his luck in Hollywood after winning a Golden Globe for his role in "Bodyguard".

According to The Sun, the 32-year-old told his friends that he is keen to go the United States and make his mark after his successful turns in "Bodyguard" and "Game Of Thrones", reports dailymail.co.uk.

"Richard's career is going from strength to strength - the world really is his oyster," said a source.

"He never really used to like Los Angeles, but went there a couple of times at the end of last year and fell in love with the place. Obviously Britain will always be home but if Richard does make it big in the States, it certainly won't do his Bond chances any harm," added the source.

Madden is widely tipped to become the seventh incarnation of Bond after Daniel Craig completes work on his fifth and final film as the iconic secret agent in 2020.

The Scottish star is the latest in a long line of actors to be connected with Bond following Craig's decision to give up the role some 15-years after making his debut in "Casino Royale".

Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Aidan Turner and James Norton have also been linked with the role, but Madden has emerged as front-runner following his appearance as protection command bodyguard Sergeant David Budd in "Bodyguard".
New Delhi, March 10 : President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the Padma Awards on March 11 and 15 in two investiture ceremonies at the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the Modi government has claimed to have transformed the national honours into "people's choice" trophies by involving the general public in sending entries.

For the awards announced on the eve of Republic Day, the government received a record 50,000 nominations, 20 times more than the 2,200 entries in 2014.

The awardees include 12 farmers from nine states, 14 doctors from 11 states, nine sportspersons, 16 social workers and others representing various fields.

Of the 112 named for the awards, 56 will receive the honour on March 11.

Among those to be awarded on March 11 include Balasaheb alias Balwant Moreshwar Purandare from Maharashtra who will be honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

There will be eight Padma Bhushan honours to be given to John Chambers, Sardar Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, Vishwanathan Mohanlal, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Karia Munda, Kuldip Nayar (posthumous) and Hukumdev Narayan Yadav.

The Padma award winners will interact with the winners of Padma Quiz organised by the government last week which saw participation by 35,499 people.
Dehradun, March 10 : A woman who disowned a baby girl assuming she actually gave birth to a boy has started breast-feeding her -- after days of separation from the child.

Doctors at the government-run Doon Hospital said the development took place on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Aarti, from Dehradun city, refused to accept the girl child given to her by the hospital after delivery on suspicion that her baby was swapped with the girl child of another woman with the same name who had also delivered on the same day.

Usha Negi, Chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, had called for a DNA test of the babies to ascertain their parents.

Negi persuaded both the woman to accept and breast-feed the children who were given to them till DNA tests were conducted.

A case was been registered in this regard, police sources said.
Addis Ababa, March 10 : All 149 passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya died as the Boeing 737 aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from here on Sunday, the airlines said.

Flight ET302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was believed to have 149 passengers and eight crew members on board, as per the airline, the BBC reported.

The plane crashed around 8.44 a.m., six minutes after taking off. The cause of the accident was not known yet.

The passengers were said to be from 33 different countries.

The first confirmation of the deaths came when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his "deepest condolences" on Twitter.

In an earlier statement, the airline said that search and rescue operations were underway near the crash site around the town of Bishoftu, 60 km from here.

"Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services," the statement added.

Boeing tweeted that it was "closely monitoring the situation".

Its 737 Max-8 aircraft is relatively new to the skies, having been launched in 2016. It became a part of the Ethiopian Airlines fleet in July 2018.
Chandigarh, March 10 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday welcomed the Union Home Ministry decision to fast track the development of the Kartarpur Corridor, but demanded "passport and visa free `khule darshan' for pilgrims visiting the historic gurdwara" across the international border with Pakistan.

"Welcome decision of @HMOIndia to build #KartarpurCorridor on fast track basis to enable Sikh pilgrims to visit the historic Gurdwara in #Pakistan in time for 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I extend all support from my government for the project," the Chief Minister tweeted.

Amarinder, in a statement here on Sunday, made it clear that it was not enough to build the Corridor on fast track but the pilgrims also needed to be facilitated to have `khule darshan' by waiving the requirement of passport and visa to travel across the border.

"The condition of passport and visa would prevent thousands of devotees without passports, particularly those living in the rural belt of Punjab, from fulfilling their aspiration to pay obeisance at the historic gurdwara associated with the life of the first Sikh Guru," pointed out the Chief Minister.

"The Central government could easily provide access to the gurdwara to these non-passport holder devotees by waiving the condition of passport and visa, and using other documents instead to verify the identity of the pilgrims," he added.

"The Corridor would provide an extremely limited window of travel, with restricted access, and would be a high-security route to the gurdwara, which makes it easier for the government to waive the condition of passport and visa," the Chief Minister added.

The first Sikh Guru preached universality, which could be realized if all his devotees are now allowed to pray at the gurdwara which remains integrally linked with his life, Amarinder said.

"Let us not deprive the genuine devotees of access to the historic gurdwara only because they do not have passports," he said, urging the Central government to accept his request in this regard.

Sikhism founder, Guru Nanak Dev, is revered by followers of all religions, especially Sikhs and Hindus.

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, located about 4.5 km from the international border near the border town of Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, is significant for the Sikh community as it is here that Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life and was his final resting place.

The governments of India and Pakistan are trying to facilitate the travel of pilgrims to offer prayers at the gurdwara, located in Narowal district of Pakistan. The demand for this was being made by the Sikh community for the past over 70 years.
Beijing, March 10 : Chinese authorities have asked online service providers to take strict measures to deal with pornographic content on their platforms, to create a "green, safe and civilised" online environment for the country's youth.

The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications issued a statement saying efforts to manage the safety of online content are not only a legal obligation but also a social responsibility for internet businesses, according to a report by the China Press Publication Radio Film and Television Journal.

The statement called on social network platforms, search engines and short video and live broadcasting websites, which have vast numbers of young users, to adopt stricter standards and measures in managing the content on their platforms, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

It also named and shamed services operated by internet giant Baidu as well as microblogging platform Sina Weibo for weak control.

The office pledged enhanced efforts in supervision and in handling reports from the public, saying it will work with other authorities to punish those who produce, upload or spread online pornographic content.
New Delhi, March 10 : Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, the Election Commission announced on Sunday setting a two-and-half month-long process for people to either vote in the Narendra Modi-led dispensation once again or choose an alternative.

Counting of votes in 543 constituencies will be taken up on May 23, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora told a press conference, formally beginning the election process and declaring that the Model Code of Conduct for parties and governments has come into force with immediate effect.

Once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, governments cannot take policy decisions or announce new projects in the run-up to the elections.

Assembly elections will also be simultaneously held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim while the demand of parties for Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir has not been accepted due to security considerations, Arora said at the media conference flanked by ECs Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra.

The Assembly elections in these four states will be held on the day the states choose their Lok Sabha representatives.

By-elections to 34 Assembly seats in 12 states, including 18 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, which could decide the fortunes of the ruling AIADMK, will be held simultaneously.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, held over nine phases, the BJP under Modi got a single-party majority of 282 seats for the first time, which was also the first for any party in 30 years.

The 17th Lok Sabha polls will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19.

In the first phase, 91 seats spread across 20 states and union territories - Andhra Pradesh (25), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2) Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1) Odisha (4), Sikkim (1) Telangana (17), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarkhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman and Nicobar (1) and Lakshadweep (1).

A total of 97 seats in 13 states and a union territory will go to polls in the second phase on April 18 - Assam (5), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (10), Manipur (1), Odisha (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), West Bengal (3) and Puducherry (1).

Phase three on April 23 will see polling in 115 seats across 14 states and union territories - Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Gujarat (26), Goa (2), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Karnataka (14), Kerala (20), Maharashtra (14), Odisha (6), Uttar Pradesh 10, West Bengal (5), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1) and Daman and Diu (1).

Elections in phase four on April 29 will be held in 71 seats across nine states - Bihar (5), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (6), Maharashtra (17), Odisha (6), Rajasthan (13), Uttar Pradesh (13) and West Bengal (8).

Phase five on May 6 will witness polling in 51 seats in seven states - Bihar (5), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (7), Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (14) and West Bengal (7).

On May 12, in the sixth phase of polling covering 59 seats in seven states - Bihar (8), Haryana (10), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (8) and Delhi (7).

In the final phase of polling on May, elections will be held in 59 seats in eight states - Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), Madhya Pradesh (8), Rajasthan (13), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Chandigarh (1), Uttar Pradesh 13 and Himachal Pradesh (4).

Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi and Chandigarh will have a single-day polling.

Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura will have a two-phased, while Assam and Chhattisgarh will have three-phased elections. Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will have four phases while Jammu and Kashmir will have five phases.

No state has six-phased polling. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will have polling in seven phases.

Arora said the phases have been decided due to several factors including the availability of central paramilitary forces, who move by trains from state to state.

On simultaneous Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been demanded by the mainstream parties during the tour of the state by the Commission, the CEC said that they were making an announcement only about the parliamentary polls due to factors such as constraints of requirement of forces for security of candidates.

"Keeping the totality of factors in mind, the schedule of only parliamentary polls in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is being announced," he said.

With January 1 this year as the cut off date, the total number of voters in this elections are likely to be around 900 million, which is over 83 million compared to the last polls in 2014. There are about 15 million voters in the age group of 18 to 19.

Arora said the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be available in all the electronic voting machines.

Social media platforms like Twitter, Google and Facebook have committed to ensuring a special monitoring mechanism to ensure a clean campaign.

Arora said the relevant form for candidates with criminal antecedents to declare their cases has been modified and such candidates will have to place advertisements in local newspapers and television channels for declaring them. Any incomplete information will lead to disqualification of their candidatures, he said.
Bengaluru, March 10 : Betting on the return of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Karnataka's BJP unit here on Sunday hoped that the April-May elections would make India free from the Congress.

"The dates to make India Congress-mukth have been announced. Hope the opposition is ready with fake narratives. Bring it on, we will expose them all," tweeted the party's state unit after the Election Commission declared in New Delhi the poll schedule for the 543 Lok Sabha seats, to be conducted in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, with vote count on May 23.

The party also wanted to ensure the election results were celebrated on the Indian soil and not in Pakistan, in a veiled attack on the Congress leaders doubting the success of air strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) at Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.

Polling for the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 18 and April 23.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 10 : Kerala goes to the polls on April 23 - the third of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections - to elect its 20 MPs.

The third phase involves 115 constituencies spread across 14 states and union territories.

Of the three political fronts in Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front has already named its candidates - 14 from LDF-major Communist Party of India-Marxist, four from the Communist Party of India and two Independents. All have started their campaigns.

CPI-M state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that while they have already hit the campaign trail, neither the Congress-led United Democratic Front nor the Bharatiya Janata Party have been able to even finalize their candidates.

"Our confidence levels are high as our candidates have already started meeting the people and the response has been quite good," he said.

State BJP president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai told the media that it was a nice gesture on the part of Election Commission to have given adequate time for campaigning in Kerala.

"The BJP pledges its full support to ensure that the polls are conducted in the most peaceful and democratic manner. Our party is fully geared for the elections," he said However, there is yet no word on when would the list of the NDA candidates is expected.

Speaking to the media, Congress spokesperson Jyothi Chamakala said that the UDF has an upper hand as their party is not in power either at the Centre or the state.

"We are beginning our campaigning with no anti-incumbency factor and that's a good way to hit the campaign trail. Our candidates are getting finalized and in a day or two, the list will be released," he said.

State Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran on Sunday evening left for Delhi with a list of candidates that has been cleared by the state party unit and now be put before the national screening committee.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the UDF won 12 seats, and the LDF the remaining eight, with the BJP managing to finish second at the Thiruvananthapuram constituency and a poor third in the rest of the seats.
New Delhi, March 10 : Elections for Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha Assemblies will be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced, here on Sunday.

Polling will take place in one phase in all these states, except Odisha, where it will be held over four phases.

While Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will go to vote on April 11, the polling dates for Odisha have been announced as April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

This is the second time since its bifurcation (to carve out Telangana) in 2014 that Andhra Pradesh will see Assembly polls. The last time too, the Assembly elections were held with the Lok Sabha polls.

The state will vote to elect 175 legislators to the 176-member Assembly. One member is nominated.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu is the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, since its bifurcation. Naidu has also served as the Chief Minister of the undivided state between 1994 and 2004, becoming the longest-serving CM in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh will go to polls for 60 seats. It is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Pema Khandu. He became the Chief Minister in 2016 after the resignation of Nabam Tuki of the Congress and imposition of the President's rule.

Polling for Odisha's 147 seats will be held in four phases. Counting of votes will be held on May 23, along with the Lok Sabha votes. The Odisha Assembly's term ends on June 11.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik who has ruled the state since 2000 will be contesting for the fifth term this year.

Sikkim will see polling for 32-seat Assembly, whose term ends on May 27.

The state is ruled by Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF)'s Pawan Chamling who will be contending for sixth term.
Amaravati, March 10 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said that his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was ready for simultaneous elections to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha.

He was speaking after the Election Commission announced that the state would go to polls in a single phase on April 11. Votes will be polled for all 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Hours after the announcement of poll schedule, Naidu told a news conference here that he was confident that the people would give fresh mandate to his TDP.

The TDP chief said his government worked effectively during last five years, despite the Centre not fulfilling its promises and the problems created by neighbouring Telangana.

Naidu listed out all the achievements of his government, saying the per capita income was doubled during last five years. He claimed that in no other state the income of farmers increased by 128 percent.
New Delhi/Srinagar/Jammu, March 10 : Citing constraints over availability of central forces and other logistics, the Election Commission on Sunday said the elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

The decision to hold only parliamentary elections in the state attracted strong criticism from former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

While announcing the schedule for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls on Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the poll panel was constantly monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and will take a decision about the Assembly elections soon.

"Constrains of availability of central forces and other logistics, requirement of central forces for security of candidates in the wake of the recent incidents of violence and keeping all other challenges in mind, the EC has decided to announce only the parliamentary elections at this stage," Arora told the media.

The EC has been continuously assessing the prevailing situation in the state, requirement of central forces and other logistics for holding elections, requirement of security of candidates and preparedness of the state on key factors including the recent developments, he said.

Arora said the decision to not hold the two polls simultaneously was taken based on inputs given by all the stakeholders, including the Home Ministry, political parties, central and state agencies and district administrations.

"Based on the inputs and recommendations of all the stakeholders, we have decided to announce only the parliamentary elections. The EC will regularly and on real time basis monitor the situation and take inputs from all the stakeholders. A decision on Assembly elections will be taken soon," added Arora.

Most mainstream political parties in J&K expressed their disappointment and anger at the EC's decision to not hold Assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress state unit President G.A. Mir said: "Through its inability to hold the Assembly elections, the Modi government has admitted its security failure in the state.

"All political parties were on board to hold the Assembly elections together with the Lok Sabha polls. The common man in the state has been demanding an elected government to address his problems. The failure of the Central government to hold these elections has proved that the common man's problems in the state are on nobody's agenda in the central government."

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah termed the EC's decision "very unfortunate".

"This is not Indian democracy working in the right direction. I am absolutely sure there is a political design in withholding the Assembly polls," the former Chief Minister said.

NC leader Omar Abdullah also reacted with anguish and anger. "In 2014, we had Lok Sabha elections on time and Assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP and earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.

"First time since 1996, Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership.

"With the amount of international attention elections in J&K attract, I never thought PM Modi would be willing to confess his failure on a global stage but we all make mistakes and that was mine," he said in a series of tweets.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said the "decision to hold only Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms the sinister designs" of the Modi government.

"Not letting people elect a government is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. Also a tactic of buying time to disempower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives," she said.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta said his party had also sought simultaneous Assembly polls but noted that the EC had "cited security reasons and non-availability of security forces in such large numbers as would be needed to hold the two elections together".

"To that extent, we welcome the decision," he said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist state General Secretary M.Y. Tarigami said: "It is a huge disappointment. The state government held the panchayat and urban civic bodies elections without any security problems.

"The EC said enough security is not available to hold Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together. My simple question is how is the security situation conducive for holding Lok Sabha elections and not for holding the Assembly elections," he asked.

Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) President and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said it was for the first time that the Kashmiri people wanted the Assembly elections to be held so that they have an elected government, but the EC has "deprived them of that right".

The state is presently under President's rule after the six-month-long Governor rule ended on December 19 last year.

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New Delhi, March 10 : The Election Commission will "closely monitor" social media platforms for any objectionable content and advertisements, which will have to be pre-certified by the poll panel, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said, here on Sunday.

Political advertisements posted on the social media by candidates or parties would be included in the election expenditure, he said.

"Media certification and monitoring committees (MCMCs) are in place at the district and state levels. One social media expert will also be part of this committee at each level now. All political advertisements, proposed to be issued on the social media, shall require pre-certification from the MCMC concerned," Arora said.

The candidates are required to furnish details of their social media accounts at the time of filing nominations.

All provisions of the model code of conduct will also apply to the content being posted on social media by candidates and political parties, the CEC said.

"Various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google, WhatsApp and Share Chat, will remain under the close and stringent vigil of the Commission for any content aimed at vitiating the electoral process or designed to disturb peace, tranquillity, social harmony and public order," he said.

"Social media platforms have created a mechanism to accept only pre-certified political advertisements during the elections and will share the expenditure incurred on this with the elections authorities for the purposes of accounting," the CEC added.

Asked how the poll panel planned to stop posting of election-related material on social media during the prohibited period (48 hours before the polling starts), Arora said the Commission will monitor the platforms and take action if a violation comes to its notice.

"They (social media platforms) have started awareness campaigns for their users regarding unlawful conduct during the election particularly, the prohibited period of 48 hours, under Section 126," he said.

He said the platforms will deploy appropriate fact checkers, which will scan fake news, abuse etc, and added the platforms were taking actions against fake accounts, spam, etc.

All the platforms have agreed to establish priority channels for the EC for quick response, he added.

Arora said the Commission has decided that the bulk text or voice messages on phone and in election campaigning shall also be in the purview of pre-certification of election advertisements as in case of all electronic media, TV channels, cable network, radio including private FM channels, cinema halls, audio-visual displays in public places and political advertisement on social media.
Bhubaneswar, March 10 : Major political parties in Odisha here on Sunday welcomed the announcement of poll dates for the general and assembly elections in the state.

Odisha will witness Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously in four phases -- April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

"I welcome EC's announcement for elections to the Odisha Assembly and the Lok Sabha. Pleased to pledge wholehearted support for the electoral process that is the foundation of our democracy," tweeted Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik.

Patnaik will be vying for the fifth consecutive term in the 2019 Assembly polls.

State BJP vice-president Sameer Mohanty said the party was fully prepared for elections and added the four-phased vote would help candidates and voters as well.

Welcoming announcement of poll dates, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik tweeted, "People of Odisha, mark your calendars. We have to come out in large numbers and vote for change."

Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly constituencies. The term for Odisha Assembly ends on June 11.

Chief Electoral Officer Surendra Kumar said they were fully prepared to hold the simultaneous elections smoothly and peacefully.

As per the final voter list, released in January, there are over 3.18 crore voters comprising 1,63,37,310 males and 1,54,60,545 females.
New Delhi, March 10 : As per the Lok Sabha election schedule, announced by the Election Commission here on Sunday, many states where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been making effort to expand its base or where it faces tough contest will go for a multi-phased contest, giving the party time to carry out a concerted campaign to improve its prospects.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, which together account for 162 Lok Sabha seats, will have seven-phased elections. Odisha, which sends 21 members to the Lok Sabha, will see four-phased elections. This the first time that Odisha will have multi-phased elections.

These four states together account for one-third of the Lok Sabha seats.

In UP, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats and where the BJP did exceedingly well in 2014 elections by winning 71 seats on its own (two were won by its ally Apna Dal), the party faces combined challenge of the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. These three parties have forged an alliance to take on the BJP.

The Congress, which is fighting the polls on its own in the state, has also injected new energy in its efforts by appointing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary incharge of eastern UP.

In Bihar that elects 40 MPs, the ruling alliance of the BJP, the Janata Dal-United and the Lok Janshakti Party faces a tough contest with a combined opposition that includes the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, the Hindustani Awami Morcha and some other parties.

The BJP has been paying a lot of focus to West Bengal to emerge as the main opponent of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The party is hoping to improve its performance beyond the two Lok Sabha seats it won in the state in 2014.

Odisha (21 seats) is another state where the BJP has been making serious efforts to gain ground. The Congress has not been able to put up a strong fight over the past few elections against the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The BJP hopes good performance in West Bengal and Odisha will help it compensate for losses in the Hindi heartland states where it performed remarkably well in the last Lok Sabha elections. Three of these -- Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan -- are now ruled by the Congress.

Two other states where BJP is trying to expand its footprint -- Kerala and Tamil Nadu -- will have a single-phase election.

In Tamil Nadu, the BJP is part of alliance led by the AIADMK. In Telangana, the BJP is trying to grow on its own but the Congress is the main rival of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The BJP can expect support from the TRS if it falls short of numbers to form the government.

In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP is preparing to fight the multi-cornered contest on its own though there have been speculation about the party looking for tieup with a regional party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the main vote catcher of the BJP, has run a concerted campaign in the past elections and can go for a phase-wise campaign in different states to boost party's prospect.
New Delhi, March 10 : One of the four accused for opening fire inside a gym in West Delhi's Inderpuri, that killed a minor boy and left one person injured, has been arrested, police said on Sunday.

Four assailants had opened fire inside the gym and attacked its owner Manish (22), when he denied them information about an employee, whom they had earlier fought with.

One of the bullets hit Prince Raj, a four-year-old boy, who was looking out of the window of a flat above the gym. He died on the spot. Manish's brother Mahender was also injured in the firing," a senior police officer said.

"We have identified the accused as Vishal, Sunil, Raju and his friend. They are all residents of JJ Camp in Inderpuri and one of them has been arrested," the officer said.
Chennai, March 10 : Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK has entered into an electoral pact with actor-politician Vijayakanth's DMDK, which contest four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, Deputy Chief Minister and party Coordinator O. Panneerselvam said on Sunday.

Announcing the tie-up, he said the DMDK will also support his party in the by-elections for 21 Assembly constituencies.

He said though the Election Commission has announced by-elections only for 18 assembly constituencies along with the Lok Sabha polls, the DMDK will support the AIADMK whenever the bypolls are held for the remaining three seats.

Panneerselvam said the constituency allocation will be made to the alliance parties after mutual discussions.

DMDK Treasurer Premalatha said the alliance will continue even for the local body elections in Tamil Nadu.
Kolkata, March 10 : The BJP's West Bengal unit on Sunday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to hold seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in the state, claiming that the schedule was proof that the state lacks a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections under the Mamata Banerjee government.

"We welcome this announcement. People of Bengal wanted to vote freely. Their right to vote has been snatched away by the ruling Trinamool Congress. The announcement shows that the EC has gauged the current situation in West Bengal and hence have decided to hold polling in seven phases in the state," Bharatiya Janata Party National General secretary Rahul Sinha told reporters here.

"There are total 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal. So seven-phase polling means each polling day should have elections in six seats. But in reality, some dates have polling in only two or three seats here. Through this, the EC is trying to say that these seats are very sensitive and free and fair election do not take place in these places," he added Sinha claimed that EC's announcement also shows that the electoral body has no faith in the state police and is willing to conduct polling in Bengal by deputing maximum number of paramilitary forces available.

"We had previously appealed that the CRPF deployment should be done under the supervision of the police observers from outside and not by the state police. We also appealed that the EC should take full responsibility of supervising the police forces here. It seems they have considered our appeals."

Claiming that the state's ruling Trinamool is "shaking in fear" following EC's announcement, the BJP leader challenged them to let people vote freely and accept people's verdict.

"Trinamool is shaking in fear of the seven-phase elections. If they have the guts to accept people's verdict, why are they worrying whether the polling here is held in seven phases or 25 phases?" he asked.

Taking a swipe at state minister Firhad Hakim for questioning the timing of polls during the Muslim month of Ramadan, Sinha accused the Trinamool of trying to communalise the election to consolidate the Muslim votes in the state.

"Communal politics has become Trinamool's only agenda. They are talking about Ramadan during the elections in a bid to fuel misunderstanding among the minority community," he alleged.

Echoing BJP's claims, Congress state Vice President Om Prakash Mishra said the EC opted for such a lengthy poll process as the state is "violence-prone" and "electoral manipulation has be come an unfortunate reality and the norm" in Trinamool's rule.

"There is lot of insecurity among the electorate after the way the panchayat poll was conducted and the way the Trinamool looted the votes.

"The Election Commission may have taken note of that and in order to ensure the deployment of adequate police and polling personnel, they have opted for the staggered polling process," he said.

However, Mishra said the long-drawn schedule would affect normal life and should have been avoided. "The Commission could have attempted to compress the dates and gone for a five-phase poll as was done in the 2014 Lok Sabha election."
Srinagar, March 10 : For the first time in India's electoral history, polling for one Lok Sabha seat - Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag constituency - will be held in three phases, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, who announced the Lok Sabha poll schedule, said the elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

"We will have to carry out three phases of election for just one constituency - of Anantnag - so you can imagine how complicated it is," he said.

The restive state will have five phases of voting for its six Lok Sabha seats.

In the first phase on April 11, voting will be held in Baramulla and Jammu constituencies, while Srinagar and Udhampur constituencies will go to vote in the second phase on April 18.

Voting in Anantnag will be held on April 23 and 29 and May 6, while Ladakh will also go to polls on May 6.

Counting for all the six Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 23, along with the rest of the country, and results would be announced the same day, election officials said.
Panaji, March 10 : With the Model Code of Conduct in place for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and assembly bypolls, the Goa Police on Sunday said that they will be strictly monitoring gambling operations in the coastal state, including in casinos.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajesh Kumar said that there would be strict vigil of cash transactions at Goa's casinos, which have been accused of money laundering by the Opposition and civil society.

"... we have laid more emphasis on cracking down on crimes like matka, gambling, narcotics..." he told reporters here.

He also said that casino operators will have to ensure their patrons have a PAN card, especially while making cash transactions.

"There are laid-down guidelines for casinos... If someone is going with cash, he should have a PAN card and whether the PAN card is being recorded there (at the casino's end). Whatever norms there are will be enforced," he added.

There are six offshore casinos and about nine onshore casinos operating from the state's numerous coastal resorts.

Elections to Goa's two Lok Sabha constituencies and bypolls to three assembly seats will be held on April 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.
New Delhi, March 10 : With the Election Commission announcing the Lok Sabha poll schedule on Sunday, political parties are expected to expedite the process of candidate selection as also that of forming alliances in the next few days.

While the Congress has come with its first list of 15 candidates that includes names of party chief Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to come up with its first list, which is expected this week.

The opposition parties in Bihar have not yet announced their grand alliance in the state. There has also been no formal announcement of a tie-up in Jammu and Kashmir as also in West Bengal.

In Delhi, though the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has declared its candidates on most of the seats and Congress has declared its intentions to fight separately, there is still speculation of the possibility of the two parties coming together.

The notification for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls will be made on March 18 and the last date of filing nominations is March 25. The polling of the first phase for 91 seats across 20 states will be held on April 11, almost a month from now.

The political parties are expected to draw out a detailed schedule of campaigning by their top leaders over the next few days as also give final touches to their manifestos.
Unwavering: A Border Agent's Journey from Hunter to Hunted "It's great to get a view of the border and homeland security from someone who actually worked it and keeps politics out of it. Jason does that, and it comes through in every word of this book." -Brian Kilmeade, Host of Fox & Friends

Releasing this week. Unwavering: A Border Agent's Journey from Hunter to Hunted by Jason Piccolo. Piccolo brings you from the bloodstained Southwest border to the unfathomable red tape of DC politics!

Unwavering Book Trailer

Read first hand accounts of the real life border "wars" from narco-trafficking to human smuggling to undercover operations. Piccolo details his first hand accounts as a former U.S. Border Patrol Agent, U.S. Customs Service/ICE Special Agent, and ICE Supervisor from the southwest border to the bureaucratic nightmare of Washington, DC. Piccolo provides expert commentary across several platforms; from main stream media, to radio, to podcast, and in-person. Piccolo regularly contributes opinion pieces to national news outlets.

From the Author: I wrote this book to detail the border crisis,that the crisis is not new, and we can solve it, one step at a time, one piece of legislation at a time. I also wrote this book to detail the work the brave agents on the border and in the interior of our country are doing to curb violence and get bad actors off the street...from child predators to weapons traffickers to human smugglers, the list goes on.

About Dr. Jason Piccolo: Jason Piccolo is a former special agent and supervisor with the Department of Homeland Security. Piccolo patrolled trafficking corridors as a U.S. Border Patrol agent near the San Diego and Mexico Border. Piccolo went on the disrupt major narco-smuggling organizations and landing an assignment to the prestigious White House Security Council's Human Smuggling Cell. Piccolo's homeland security career ended abruptly when he blew the whistle in 2015 after he uncovered thousands of unaccompanied alien children were being released to criminals, including sex offenders, by members of the very government he served.

Piccolo served in the United States Army from Private to Captain, including a tour in Iraq in 2006 to support the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula as their Anti-Terrorism Officer. Piccolo left military service in 2006 as an Infantry Captain after serving in the active and reserve components since 1993. Piccolo remains active as a mentor to veterans and spouses.

Piccolo earned a B.S. in Law Enforcement, Master of Forensic Science, and a Doctorate in Strategic Service. Piccolo is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. Piccolo can be found on twitter @drjasonpiccolo
www.exploreworldwide.com Trevor Saxty, President, Explore!  North America, commented, Lebanon is rapidly regaining its former status as a must-see destination for seasoned travelers and Explore is excited to be among the first to return to this old favorite.

On this trip travelers will learn about Lebanese life and discover aromatic souks, walk through fragrant cedar forests and savor the many flavorful foods.

The trip starts in the capital city of Beirut before heading south to the coastal city, Tyre. Get a taste of local life and enjoy a traditional breakfast at the old souk. Dating back to around 2750 BC, Tyres archaeological sites have UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Stay overnight at an eco-lodge in the grounds of St Anthonys Monastery in the beautiful Qadisha Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wake to the sound of bells calling the monks to mass and experience rural Lebanese life and homemade food.

Visit the Bekaa Valley and tour the labyrinth of roman cellars at Ksara, Lebanons oldest and biggest winery. Learn about the wine-making process and taste the red wine which makes the region famous. The trip ends in Beirut with a guided tour of the city by a local followed by a traditional mezze meal consisting of tabbouleh and fattoush, baba ghanoush, falafel, skewered meats or grilled fish and pita bread, finished with a desert of baklava.

Trevor Saxty, President, Explore!  North America, commented, Lebanon is rapidly regaining its former status as a must-see destination for seasoned travelers and Explore is excited to be among the first to return to this old favorite.

For further information visit http://www.exploreworldwide.com or call 800 715 1746.
FiveStar Gourmet Foods (http://www.fivestargourmetfoods.com), a leader in the fresh prepared salads, snacks, and meals segment, expands into military and government sales.

We are proud to welcome Chief Longstaff to our ranks, says Tal Shoshan, CEO. Our motto is Appetite for Excellence, and this is a truly outstanding man, who devoted his life to his country and the culinary profession. Chief Longstaff will make a great addition to our team. He will bring much needed focus to the government and military segment, which we see as a great opportunity.

David Longstaff comes to FiveStar after a long and distinguished military career that spanned 30 years. His numerous military assignments and deployments culminated with his final assignment as the Army Food Advisor, providing guidance on a $3.2 Billion food program. His military awards include two Legion of Merit Medals, two Bronze Star Medals, and many others. He earned one of his Bronze Stars, with Valor distinction, for the heroic rescue of five soldiers in a firefight in war-ridden Baghdad.

Chief Longstaffs education includes degrees both in Culinary Skills and Management. He became a Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation in 2001 and was inducted into the prestigious American Academy of Chefs in 2007.

Chief Longstaff started in his role with FiveStar Gourmet Foods on Monday, February 25, 2019.

FiveStar Gourmet Foods is a longstanding industry leader in fresh, premium value added salads, snacks, and ready-made meals throughout the United States. It has made a name for itself as an innovator, introducing green packaging, providing healthy choices, and exceeding industry standards for food safety across its Simply Fresh product lines.
LTC staff will be at the 2019 ACA Tri- State Camp Conference in Atlantic City March 12-14. We are proud that camps that participate in our Lice Insurance Programs are successful in controlling the spread of head lice among campers and staff...."

The Lice Treatment Center booth at the annual American Camp Associations Tri-State Camp Conference in Atlantic City March 12-14 will be available to discuss strategies for preventing outbreaks among camp communities during the upcoming 2019 camping season. Lice infestations at some residential camps can cause major disruptions to carefully planned camp activities. Major outbreaks affect campers and staff alike lice are equal opportunity pests, said Ms Solovay, president of LTC.

The staff at the LTC booth at the ACA Tri-State Camp Conference in Atlantic City are all experienced leaders of LTCs Camp Lice Insurance Program. They lead teams of professional lice technicians to camps throughout the Eastern U.S.(from Maine and the Berkshires to New York and West Virginia) conducting head checks and treating any cases of head lice they uncover. Adrian Picheny, Director of Camp programs, said, Its interesting to note that head lice outbreaks are more common at camps whose campers have come from long distances on public transportation or had close contact with crowds of people from all over the world.

The LTC staff will offer examples of how the many tri-state camps they serve now mitigate serious lice outbreaks by contracting with LTCs professional technicians to conduct head lice checks periodically throughout the camp season. According to Ms Solovay, We have found the best prevention strategy involves continual vigilance. That is, conducting periodic checks of campers and staff on opening day, at mid- summer and just prior to the end of camp sessions. Camps with multiple sessions generally schedule head checks to coincide with the beginning, middle and end of each session. The important thing is to screen campers carefully and often so that one case of head lice doesnt spread, creating a major infestation throughout the whole camp.

The old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is really true when it comes to head lice, said Mr. Picheny. We are proud that camps that participate in our Lice Insurance Programs are successful in controlling the spread of head lice among campers and staff who have either been checked and cleared or checked and treated by our professional technicians.

For more information on LTCs Camp Lice Insurance Program, visit http://www.licetreatmentcenter.com/camp-lice-insurance or call 1-888-LICEAWAY/1 888 542 3292.
#LookUp: A Parenting Guide to Screen Use was released on Mar. 10, 2019 Parents have to make an intentional effort to turn their attention to where their childrens attention is going." - Judy Stoffel

New Research Shows Just How Bad Screens Can Be for Kids Brains. Screen Time for Kids Under 2 More Than Doubles. Ground-breaking Study Examines Effects of Screen Time on Kids. A Dark Consensus About Screens and Kids Begins to Emerge in Silicon Valley.

If these headlines havent gotten your attention recently, Judy Stoffel, author of #LookUp: A Parenting Guide to Screen Use (Wise Ink Creative Publishing, 2019, $14.95), says they should have. A landmark study was just launched by the federal government, through the National Institute of Health (NIH), to determine the effects screen time have on kids brains, as well as their emotional development and mental health.

According to a Dec. 2108 story on CBSs 60 Minutes, the NIH will follow 11,000 kids for a decade and spend $300 million doing it. Stoffel comments, As parents, we cant wait ten years for this study to be completed. Other studies have already revealed that screen use can be addicting for children, much like drug use and gambling is for adults.

"We also know it can disrupt sleep patterns, cause memory problems, IQ declines, anxiety and depression. We have enough evidence pointing toward a need to change our relationships with our screens. There is so much information parents know little about because this adoption of technology happened very fast and kind of snuck up on us, said Stoffel, who has five children ranging in age from 29 to 15.

Stoffel is a certified public accountant with 20 years experience in large corporate America. She states, This is a business problem born in Silicon Valley. The large tech companies are monetizing our kids attention and their largest income stream comes from advertisers. Its time to take this control back and start changing things in your own home. We are raising our children, not Silicon Valley.

#LookUp: A Parenting Guide to Screen Use just hit the market on Mar. 10, 2019. The book includes chapters on the benefits and risks associated with technology and strategies for reducing ones screen time without giving up the benefits technology offers. There is also advice on how to create a family media plan as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Parents have to make an intentional effort to turn their attention to where their childrens attention is going. Be engaged, be nosy, know what theyre doing in their digital world as much as you do in the real world. My goal for the book is to prove your phone can be indispensable, but not addictive. Im not telling people to get rid of their phones or computers. I love mine as well; but use them for things that they are amazing for, then put them away. Quit using them for all the silly things we do with them all day just to occupy ourselves when we are bored, or to entertain us, she said.

#LookUp has been well received by parents, educators and the medical community.

Judy offers a unique perspective on how media use is impacting our families This is so timely and important! Ill be sharing this with all my clients and students, said Stephanie Johnson, M.A., and author of Baby Bare: A Bottom Up Approach to Growing Strong Brains and Bodies.

For more information about #LookUp: A Parenting Guide to Screen Use, or to purchase copies of the book, go to TheLookUpBook.com.

ABOUT JUDY STOFFEL

Judy Stoffel is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), business professional, author, and mother. Stoffel grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin and currently lives in Chanhassen, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, with her husband and 15- year-old son. Her older children, ranging in age from 22 to 29, are now all out on their own.
As a business we are focused on our growth as well as the growth of the ecosystem in which we operate through the sharing of knowledge. Optimum Partners have come a long way bringing Jordanian tech talent to the world providing full-cycle software testing as well as front and back end software devel

It is good to rub, and polish our brain against that of others.

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

In line with this maxim Optimum Partners DWC LLC in association with leading law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, cyber-security consultancy Radical Security and IT infrastructure management firm Cynertek Solutions, announces the launch of a series of panel and networking events under the banner of The Tech Advantage Series NYC.

The series is designed to provide technology and business executives with an opportunity to interact with seasoned experts on a variety of panels exploring the latest developments and hot topics in areas like Cyber Security, IT Infrastructure, Cloud Technology, Quality Assurance and more always with an eye not only on the tech side but also on the legal and human sides.

Each event will also give participants an opportunity to socialize and network while savoring a variety of curated menus designed to raise the bar of catering arrangements at NYC technology meetups as well as keep true to our commitment to social impact. The catering will be provided by exceptional experiential catering and dining operator Komeeda.

Marco Gorin, Co-founder and CEO at Optimum Partners DWC LLC stated It is a privilege to be part of such an eclectic and knowledgeable group of professionals coming together to share knowledge about really important and current topics in the tech space in the city. As a business we are focused on our growth as well as the growth of the ecosystem in which we operate through the sharing of knowledge. Optimum Partners have come a long way bringing Jordanian tech talent to the world providing full-cycle software testing as well as front and back end software development to a variety of leading firms. This series in our way to continue on our trajectory to success through key partnerships and the sharing of knowledge.

Faris Asmar, Founder and CEO of Cynertek Solutions said Its exciting for Cynertek to partake in such an insightful event series like The Tech Advantage NYC. As professionals of industry practicing in multiple verticals of infrastructure technology, weve witnessed our customers encounter challenges that directly affect their tactical and strategic decision making. With an interactive audience and a forum comprised of industry experts deliberating on these nuanced areas, the series truly exemplifies value in knowledge sharing for the betterment of everyone.

The first event to take place in NYC on 4 April, 2019 will be titled:

The Tech Advantage Series - Cybersecuritys Expanded Ecosystem

Full details will be circulated soon by the organizers.
Apart from wanting to delight our clients, we want to achieve great things like increasing opportunities for employment, growth and empowerment for women in the MiddleEast as well as extend the benefits of the global digital economy to capable individuals whom would otherwise be unable to partake in

Now, beyond political beliefs and interests, religious or political alignments, race, or geography, I think we can all agree on two things: Conflicts do affect people, a lot. We can also agree that, along with numerous challenges, the digital age brings about great opportunities.

With its bombed-out buildings and severe power and water shortages, Gaza is one of the places on earth where, among others, young and talented women and men are being deeply affected by circumstances beyond their control. Unable to leave Gaza, their options for professional and personal growth are greatly limited.

This is when and where tech can make a significant difference when coupled with the will to invest in talent, regardless of where it comes from.

The newly established relationship between Optimum Partners and Gaza Sky Geeks provides young, talented engineers from Gaza an opportunity to undertake an internship with Optimum Partners at its offices in Amman, Jordan and, if successful in the internship, land a full-time job with Optimum Partners working remotely from Gaza Sky Geeks' state-of-the-art, brightly decorated workspace in Gaza City with access to high-speed internet and constant electricity supply.

Gaza Sky Geeks was launched with the recognition that consistent access to high-speed fiber internet could allow Gazas highly educated youth to side-step many of the current restrictions on the movement of people and goods that hamper the Gazan economy.

Founded in 2011 by international NGO Mercy Corps in partnership with Google, Gaza Sky Geeks began by holding the first Startup Weekends in Gaza and expanding education about tech entrepreneurship. In 2014, Gaza Sky Geeks began working with individual startup founders to grow their businesses outside of Gaza and to develop their own incubation curriculum. In 2014 and 2015, they facilitated the first venture investments into Gazan startups.

Today, Gaza Sky Geeks is the leading co-working space, startup accelerator, and technology education hub in Gaza bringing together online freelancers, outsourcers, and startup founders together under one roof to share ideas, learn, innovate, and code.

Ryan Sturgill, Gaza Sky Geeks Director, stated "We are thrilled to be partnering with Optimum to provide talented Gazans exposure to best-in-class professional and tech practices. After more than a decade of closed borders, even with high-speed internet access, isolation from top-tier work environments, management, and technology firms is one of the major obstacles facing Gazas nascent tech ecosystem. Forging partnerships like this one, in which Gazan tech talent can grow and get trained up outside working with top tier clients, and then earn an income upon returning home, is one of the most powerful things we can do to expand the capabilities of Palestines growing tech sector."

Optimum Partners was founded in early 2016 and focuses on providing strategic sourcing services to assist their clients maximize their financial efficiency and scale access to capable technical resources. Optimum Partners currently support reputable companies like Forbes, Diane von Furstenberg, True Interaction as well as others ranging from large and medium corporations, digital design agencies and a variety of startups and has presence in the U.A.E., Jordan and the U.S.A.

Marco Gorin, Co-founder and CEO at Optimum Partners stated: "We are extremely excited about this relationship and internship program in association with Gaza Sky Geeks. Apart from wanting to delight our clients, we want to achieve great things like increasing opportunities for employment, growth and empowerment for women in the MiddleEast as well as extend the benefits of the global digital economy to capable individuals whom would otherwise be unable to partake in it. We focus on full-cycle software testing as well as front and back end software development. 55% of our workforce are currently women against the reported average 40% of women working in the IT sector in leading countries in the region like Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. (according to The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington). This program and relationship will help us establish over time a new satellite delivery center while fulfilling our corporate vision by investing in the professional growth and economic freedom of young talented Gazan engineers.

Following the signing of the MOU, some 70 applications for the internship were received. To be accepted on the internship program with Optimum Partners, the engineers will need to undergo a series of tests ranging from technical and communications skills to aptitude tests. A first batch is expected to start the actual internship program in approximately three months from now due to the complexity of their status and restrictions on movement.
Temple BNai Shalom of Braintree, is pleased to announce the installation of Rabbi Maayan Sands on April 6, 2019. Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President of Hebrew College in Newton, Mass., will install Rabbi Sands at the conclusion of Shabbat morning (Saturday) worship services.

Rabbi Maayan Sands was ordained by the Rabbinical School at Hebrew College in June, 2016.

Rabbi Sands career as a Jewish professional has included the role of Jewish family educator for 9 years. For 10 years she was the Director of BJEP, an independent Hebrew School located on the campus of Brandeis University. As I look back at my professional Jewish journey, Rabbi Sands said, I know I have been blessed to touch the souls of so many adults, children and families on their own Jewish journeys.

We are thrilled to welcome Rabbi Sands to Temple BNai Shalom, said Dr. Peter Kurzberg, President of the temple. She has been extremely well received by our congregants in the short time that she has been with us.

Temple BNai Shalom will celebrate its 60th year in June, 2019. We are a Conservative congregation, warm and welcoming to a diverse membership. Everyone is welcome: younger, older, casual attendee or very dedicated, single, married, with or without children, in interfaith marriages or traditional marriages. We have something for everybody. Weekly Shabbat services, a family school in which parents (or grandparents) come and learn Hebrew, prayer, history, about holidays and rituals in a relaxed, informal and fun environment, a Sisterhood, a Mens club and more.

For more information please contact Mary Lou Fishman, maryloufishman@comcast.net; cell phone: 617-921-0368
Online quotes will help drivers save time and find better insurance deals, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains the advantages gained by drivers that shop online car insurance quotes.

For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/the-pros-of-using-auto-insurance-quotes-online/

In the internet age, the way people shop for one product or service has become simpler and more convenient than ever before. This is also available when it comes shopping for car insurance.



Using a comparison website can be done faster and easier, compared to the old practice of calling a car insurance company representative, or by talking with an insurance agent. Comparison sites are useful for those drivers that just begin their search and want to have a better idea on to how their insurance policy might look like.

Car owners that dont want to deal with an insurance agent, or dont want to spend time by calling an insurance company, can profit from the advantages offered by comparison websites. Within minutes, drivers can have multiple quotes at their disposal. Comparison sites also save drivers from doing repetitive and boring tasks in order to generate auto insurance quotes

Auto insurance comparison sites will help guide new drivers to their first quote. These comparison sites can include smaller and less visible insurers that are not as well-known as the big national and international insurance companies. One of these smaller, local insurer can offer a better policy deal in order to attract new customers.

Rate calculators are really accurate. Years and years of experiments have helped insurance companies develop precise algorithms and rate calculators. These calculators rely on statistical models, algorithms designed by a companys IT team and economic data. An accurate quote benefits both the clients and the company. The potential client will plan better the insurance budget and the company has a way to promote its offers.

Get access to several discounts. Online questionnaires promote several discounts. For example, the form will promote bundling auto insurance with home/condo insurance. Other discounts usually promoted on online questionnaires include multi-vehicle coverage, safety gear discounts, paying-in-full, driver education and installing telematics. Bundling auto insurance with home insurance may save as much as 20%. Having better visibility of available discounts will help drivers save a lot of money.

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.
WALLY YAMAGUCHI PASSES AWAY

Wally Yamaguchi, who was a major behind the scenes player in the Japanese pro wrestling scene but may be best known to American audiences at Yamaguchi-San in the late 1990s WWF, leading Kaentai, passed away yesterday after being bed-ridden for a year following a stroke last year. Yamaguchi was 60 years old.

Yamaguchi grew up a massive fan of pro wrestling in Japan and became one of the prime personalities for Gong Magazine, a hugely popular magazine that helped get over endless personalities and matches during an era where the magazines meant as much as TV, and in some cases, got over moments and personalities with great photography that otherwise never would have gotten that level of mainstream press.

Behind the scenes, Yamaguchi was a personality who would help talents get bookings. He was responsble for Sean Waltman and others getting his first Japanese bookings. He would accompany younger Japanese wrestlers here to the United States to oversee their tours and assist them in making the travel and extended visits easier and fun. I can recall him managing a young Osamu Nishimura, billed as evil manager Mr. Danger, his face covered in facepaint, at the 1994 NWA title tournament promoted by ECW.

In the late 1990s, Yamaguchi was the conduit for Dick Togo, Mens Teioh, TAKA Michinoku and Sho Funaki to come to the united States as Kaientai, a take-off of their heel group in Michinoku Pro Wrestling. Perhaps the most noteworthy storyline was Yamaguchi's line that he was going to "choppy choppy pee pee" during a storyline where purported adult film star character Val Venis had slept with Yamaguchi's storyline wife. Venis was tied up and naked but when Yamaguchi went to use a sword to sever the member, the lights went out. It was later revealed that John Bobit, a male who's wife had amputated his own penis in his sleep, had saved the day.

Yamaguchi's younger brother Shun currently handles Japanese language announcing for WWE.

On behalf of everyone at PWInsider.com, we'd like to express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and fans of Wally Yamaguchi.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Even if the Trump-Kim relationship gets back on track after the collapse of the Hanoi summit and leads to productive negotiations, Washingtons Korea policy is deeply flawed. U.S. leaders remain obsessed with the chimera of North Koreas complete denuclearization.

The United States remains on the front lines in a volatile region confronting an unpredictable adversary. Washington needs to pursue a more fundamental policy shift.

One key U.S. objective should be to eliminate the detritus of its seven-decade cold war with Pyongyang. Negotiations for a peace agreement formally ending the Korean War are important, and as a belligerent in that conflict, Washington must be a party to any accord. So too, bilateral negotiations are necessary to establish normal diplomatic relations and lift economic sanctions against North Korea. Those objectives serve Americas national interests.

A quixotic crusade to get North Korea to return to nuclear virginity meets no such interest. Nor does maintaining U.S. military forces in and around the Korean Peninsula to shield the Republic of Korea from its troublesome northern neighbor. That commitment may have made sense during the Cold War, when the United States regarded both the Soviet Union and China as potential threats to the security of East Asia. U.S. officials saw North Korea as a potential pawn of those larger powers in a general communist offensive.

But the situation has changed beyond recognition over the past three decades. Neither Russia nor China show an interest in backing Pyongyangs disruptive behavior. Indeed, Moscow and Beijing have both established extensive economic ties with South Korea that would be jeopardized by another war on the peninsula.

Moreover, South Korea is no longer impoverished. The Republic of Korea is a modern, developed country -- one of East Asias economic tigers and a major player in the global economy. Today, South Korea has twice the population and an economy at least 40 times larger than that of its adversary. Seoul is capable of building whatever military forces it deems necessary to deter or defeat North Korea. There is no longer a credible justification for keeping South Korea as an American security protectorate.

If the need to maintain a patron-client relationship with South Korea is falling, the risks to the United States of doing so are rising steadily. It was one thing to promise to defend South Korea when the North merely had a conventional military force armed with increasingly antiquated weapons. The Norths development of nuclear weapons has dramatically changed the risk-benefit calculation for Washington -- especially when that achievement is coupled with long-range delivery systems and missiles that may be capable of reaching all portions of the United States .

U.S. leaders now are putting American territory and millions of American lives at risk to keep defending South Korea. Such a policy is decidedly imprudent. Despite the demands of U.S. negotiators, it is unlikely that Pyongyang will ever fulfill a commitment for complete denuclearization. Indeed, North Korean leaders would be foolish to do so. They remember what the United States did to Libya once Muammar Qaddafi agreed to terminate his nuclear program and have no desire to leave themselves vulnerable to forcible regime change. A nuclear arsenal (even a small one) with a credible delivery system is their insurance policy, and they are not likely to relinquish it, whatever hints to the contrary they may offer during negotiations.

It would be wise for U.S. leaders to recognize that reality and move to limit Americas risk exposure. Achieving a reasonably normal relationship even with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang would contribute to that objective, but phasing out both the U.S. troop presence in South Korea and the mutual security treaty with Seoul is even more important. The troop deployment is especially worrisome. The 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea are not intended to be a serious combat force. They serve merely as a tripwire to guarantee full U.S. involvement in any conflict.

South Korea and the other East Asian nations that have far greater interests at stake should be in charge of managing relations with North Korea -- and incurring the risks of doing so. It is irrational and needlessly dangerous for the United States, a nation sitting thousands of miles away, to be incurring those risks. Diminishing Americas risk exposure should be the primary objective for U.S. policymakers.

Ted Galen Carpenter, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, is the author of 12 books and more than 750 articles on international affairs. The views expressed are the author's own.
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A gun was found in a backpack at Ramsey Center, a cigarette was determined to be the cause of a fire and evacuation at Stegeman and over $900 worth of equiptment was stolen from UGA Poultry Sciences building. Here's your weekly UGA crime blotter.
IMAGE: : Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepts salute at the CISF's 50th Raising Day, in Ghaziabad, on Sunday. Also seen is CISF Director General Rajesh Ranjan. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sent across a strong message to terrorist forces targeting India, saying the country cannot keep suffering forever and that his government has taken some 'strong decisions' against such elements.

"For many decades, the country and numerous families have suffered the wounds and pain given by terrorism, Naxalism and insurgency. What happened in Pulwama and Uri was heartbreaking.

"We cannot bear this pain till eternity. Enough is enough," the Prime Minister said while addressing Central Industrial Security Force personnel at its base in Ghaziabad.

The paramilitary force on Sunday is celebrating the 50th year of its raising.

This is the first time Modi attended the event of any of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) since he took charge in 2014. Raised in 1969, the Central Industrial Security Force has about 1.56 lakh personnel in its ranks at present.

The PM said that following dastardly acts of terrorist violence, his government has taken some strong decisions, in an apparent reference to the IAF strike on terror camps after the Pulwama attack.

"Someone, sometime, has to take a big decision (against such terror acts)... it is my privilege that with the support of the crores of people of this country, we took some strong decisions," Modi said with the top security officers in attendance.

He said the government has adopted 'a new policy' to act against terrorism and that it was its responsibility to live up to the expectations of the families of the personnel killed in the line of duty.

"Our government is purchasing all modern gadgets required by our security forces to tackle such challenges," Modi said, mentioning the creation of a new facility in UP's Amethi to manufacture modern guns.

The PM lauded the valour and dedication of CISF men and women who protect 'vital assets' of the country in the face of a 'hostile neighbour which does not have the capacity to fight a war'.

"Various conspiracies hatched within the country are getting encouragement from across the border and ghastly picture of terror comes to light, in different forms," Modi said, keeping his apparent reference on Pakistan.

Modi also hit out at the abuse of 'VIP culture', saying it was wrong on part of such people to throw their weight around, get angry and humiliate security personnel, a major brunt of which is faced by the CISF.

"I'd say the biggest problem while carrying out your duty is people like me, VIPs.. the VIP culture at times is the biggest threat to security," he said.

"When you frisk, some people get annoyed and even say 'I will see you' and you have to tell them that it is your duty which has to be done," the PM added.

Therefore, he continued, "I would dare tell such people to be disciplined and cooperate with the security personnel in carrying out their task."

The CISF gets a number of complaints from legislators and others categories of VIPs alleging high-handedness by their staff at various airports.

"I am myself, Modi said, very disciplined and I would urge the CISF to train and inform citizens about their security systems so that the appreciate the hard work put in the job by the people in uniform.

"Position does not come in the way of disciple for me. And it is the duty of every citizen to be disciplined. If citizens don't maintain discipline, your task gets complicated," he said.

He asked the people to consider security frisking a process to ensure their well-being and a method of 'aarti utaarna' (a respectful way to welcome people) by security personnel.

"We should feel proud that the security personnel are doing it (frisking) like aarti," he said.

Aarti is a Hindu ceremony in which lights with wicks soaked in ghee are offered to a person to ensure their wellbeing and thwart the evil eye.

The PM said it was his "emotional feeling" that security personnel donning the 'khaki' have not got the recognition and respect they deserve.

The national police memorial and the war memorial had to wait to come up since independence, he said, adding 'probably my turn was being awaited' for the last 70 years to unveil these important places.

The PM asked the CISF to create a to 'monitor and study in realtime global trends and techniques of terrorism' so that a better preparedness is ensured against.

He also directed the force to install 'digital museums' or electronic walls at airports so that people get to know about CISF's history, role and its expectations from the citizens.

Congratulating the CISF, the PM said it's very difficult to protect any institution where there is a daily footfall of 30 lakh (Delhi Metro) or where eight lakh people commute every day (airports).

The CISF is mandated to provide security to major infrastructure installations -- nuclear installations, airports, seaports, power plants, government buildings, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation -- of the country.

"You are not only standing at the gate, you are contributing to the country's growth," Modi told the CISF personnel.

Modi also said among the 35,000 policemen who sacrificed their lives serving the nation since independence, 4,000 are from paramilitary forces.
Amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, a reciprocal visit by the Indian team to Pakistan for inspection of projects in Indus river basin this month has been postponed, senior officials said on Sunday.

During the 115th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission held in Lahore from August 29-30, 2018, both the commissioners had agreed to undertake the treaty-mandated tours of the Indus basin on both sides, the official said.

The tour of the Pakistani side was originally scheduled in October 2018 but was postponed because of local bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Subsequently, the Pakistani team visited India in the last week of January to inspect projects in the Chenab basin in the state.

Pakistani Indus Commissioner Syed Mohammad Mehar Ali Shah and Indian Commissioner P K Saxena along with respective advisers visited the under-construction Indian hydropower projects in Chenab basin namely Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW).

The delegation also visited the under-operation Baglihar hydro electric project (900 MW).

The Pakistani commissioner extended an invitation to his counterpart to undertake a visit of the Indus basin on Pakistani side.

The Indian team was supposed to visit Pakistan this month, a senior official said.

"But amid the ongoing tension it has now been postponed," the official added.

The official remained non-committal about the date, but said the visit has to take place by March 2020.

Under Article VIII of the treaty, both commissioners are mandated to undertake, once every five years, a general tour of inspection of the rivers for ascertaining the facts connected with various developments and works on both sides.

The current five-year block ends in March, 2020. The PCIW, formed under the Indus Waters Treaty, was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, and it includes Indus commissioners of both countries.

The treaty provides for both the commissioners to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The treaty specifies that the waters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, have been reserved for India while that of western rivers, namely Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, are for Pakistan.
Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, kick-starting the countdown for a mega electoral battle where the Bharatiya Janata Party will pitch for a re-election of the Modi government amid the Opposition's efforts for a united fight to unseat it.

IMAGE: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, along with Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa, left, and Sushil Chandra, right, addresses a press conference to announce the poll schedule for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, on Sunday. Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

The polling will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 for 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country in which nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote, the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a packed press conference in New Delhi.

Assembly elections will also be held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, the CEC said.

However, elections for Jammu and Kashmir assembly will not to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, the EC said citing security reasons. The state has been under Governor's rule after the ruling alliance between the BJP and People's Democratic Party fell apart last year.

National Conference, Congress and other opposition parties slammed the decision to not hold assembly polls in J&K, while opposition leaders elsewhere including in West Bengal also latched onto the EC decision to hold multi-phase elections in their states to slam the government on law and order situation.

Arora said the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday and 10 lakhs polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.

Among other restrictions, the model code bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision.

The EC said the 'voter verifiable paper audit trail' (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time.

Counting of votes for all seven phases would be done on May 23, Arora said.

In 2014, BJP had won 282 seats out of 543 constituencies in Lok Sabha handing a crushing defeat to the 10-year-rule of the United Progressive Alliance led by Congress.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek to retain power, the opposition is seeking to put up a spirited fight to defeat the ruling BJP.

'Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years,' Modi tweeted.

In the press briefing, Arora also reassured the nation of the EC's 'solemn resolve and deep commitment to fulfil its constitutional mandate to conduct free, fair and credible elections'.

He said all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification and that the candidates will have to give details of their social media accounts to the election commission.

The CEC said 91 constituencies will go for polls in first phase, 97 in second phase, 115 in third phase, 71 in fourth, 51 in fifth, 59 in sixth and 59 in the seventh phase.

The election will pit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance against mostly different opposition groupings in various states, including of Congress, Left and regional forces who are continuing to work out a grand alliance to minimise a division of votes against the Modi government.

The BJP has worked out a seat-sharing formula with some new allies and several old partners, by even making concessions in states like Bihar. However, opposition parties are yet to do so in several states.

While the National Democratic Alliance hopes to make history by coming back to power for a second full term, the Opposition wants to unseat the Modi government by raising questions on its performance on a host of issues, including economic growth, employment, corruption and social harmony.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had led the NDA to back-to-back wins in 1998 and 1999 general elections but he was at the helm for only one full term.

After losing three assemblies last year, the BJP believes its Lok Sabha campaign is back on track following decisions like 10 per cent quota for the general category poor, money transfer to farmers and a populist budget.

What has injected further confidence into the NDA fold is the fronting of the nationalist plank in the poll campaign after the Indian Air Force' strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan after Pulwama terror attack, which killed 41 Central Reserve Police Force personnel.

The BJP has been citing 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads and the Balakot air strikes to assert that only a government headed by Modi will be capable of taking on Pakistan over terrorism.

Modi has already launched an aggressive campaign accusing opposition parties of coming together for the sole purpose of removing him when he is working to 'remove poverty, corruption and terrorism'.

He had led the NDA to a sweeping victory in 2014 as it won 336 of 543 Lok Sabha seats, reducing the incumbent Congress to its lowest total of 44 seats.

In 2014, the Lok Sabha elections were held across nine phases beginning April 7 and ending May 9. Votes were counted on May 16.

The total contestants in fray were 8,251, with an average of 15 candidates in each constituency, though deposits got forfeited for 7,000 contestants.

A total of over 55 crore voters (66.3 per cent) exercised their vote, while there were nearly 60 lakh 'NOTA' votes.

A total of 668 women candidates contested, out of which 62 won.
The 20-year partnership between the Bastianich family and celebrity chef Mario Batali was formally dissolved on Wednesday according to a report from The New York Times.

Batali, who was accused by several women of sexual harassment and assault in December 2017, will "no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form," according to Tanya Bastianich Manuali.

The group's remaining 16 restaurants will operate under a new management and financial structure; Bastianich Manuali and her brother, Joe Bastianich, have bought out all of Batali's shares in the restaurants.

Though they would not share the details the of the buyout, Bastianich Manuali will head day-to-day operations a a new (so far unnamed) company that will replace Batali and Bastianich Hospitality Group.

More for you Celebrity chefs with restaurants in Connecticut

In a statement to The New York Times, Batali said "I have reached an agreement with Joe and no longer have any stake in the restaurants we built together. I wish him the best of luck in the future."

At its peak, the company operated dozens of restaurants and food businesses across the world, including locations in Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong. Batali and Bastianich became celebrities of the food world.

Reports of Batali's history of sexual harassment and assault brought police investigations in 2017, as well as professional consequences: the group's Manhattan flagship restaurant, Del Posto, saw an immediate drop in reservations, and six of the group's restaurants were closed afterward when the Sands casino group ended its contract with Batali and Bastianich.

Batali's Tarry Lodge, a fine-dining Italian restaurant, had three locations in the Connecticut area including one in Westport, New Haven, and Port Chester, N.Y.
A Volkswagen Beetle signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has been sold at a charity auction.

In an interview with the newspaper Kommersant on March 10, Austrias top diplomat said the car was sold during the annual Light and Dark auction for 20,000 euros ($22,500).

"It didn't belong to us, we got it just for our wedding, and on the day of the wedding we told our guests that we want to sell it for charity purposes," Kneissl told the paper.

Kneissls invitation to Putin sparked a controversy that the minister said she expected.

Putin signed the white car and shouted "gorko," following a Russian wedding tradition before leaving.



The word "gorko" means bitter. Guests shout it at Russian weddings to prompt the bride and groom to kiss, thus sweetening beverages.

Based on reporting by Kommersant, Kleine Zeitung, and TASS.
Iranian police have arrested a couple for "outraging public decency" after they got engaged in front of a crowd at a shopping mall.



Video of the public proposal in the western city of Arak appeared on social media on March 8, showing the pair standing amid rose petals in a heart shape on the floor.

After the proposal, the woman can be seen hugging the man as the crowd cheers.

The deputy police commander of Markazi Province, of which Arak is the capital, said that the couple had been taken into custody for "outraging public decency, which is an influence of the degenerate Western culture," according to the semiofficial Fars news agency.



The official, Mahmud Khalaji, added that the couple had been released on bail.



Islamic law enforced in Iran severely restricts mixing between the genders and displays of public affection.



It also prohibits public dancing and the mingling of unrelated men and women.



In April 2018, the countrys strict rules on public decency received international attention when a Culture Ministry official in the northeastern city of Mashhad was arrested after people were filmed dancing in a local shopping center.

With reporting by the BBC
ALMATY -- Security services in Kazakhstan have detained the leader of a group that has raised concerns over problems faced by ethnic Kazakhs in China.

A spokesman for the group, Volunteers of the Fatherland, told RFE/RL that Serikzhan Bilash was staying at an Almaty hotel when he was taken into custody at around 2:30 a.m. on March 10.



Bilash was later brought to the Department of Internal Affairs in the capital, Astana, said the spokesman, Kairat Baitullah.



Astana police confirmed the detention and said that Bilash was suspected of inciting "national discord or hatred.



They did not provide details about the case.



Bilash, who was born in Chinas northwestern region of Xinjiang bordering Kazakhstan, is a naturalized Kazakh citizen.



In recent months, he has organized several gatherings of ethnic Kazakhs from Xinjiang who settled in Kazakhstan and complained that their relatives were held in so-called reeducation camps in the Chinese region.

Bilashs wife, Leila Adilzhan, told the AP news agency that she was afraid that the Kazakh government will hand him over to China.



Adilzhan also said that the Volunteers of the Fatherlands offices were being searched.



Aiman Umarova, a lawyer advising the group, called the case "politically motivated."



"Bilash's arrest is connected with his actions against Chinese camps, and his support for Kazakh people and other Muslims in the camps," Umarova said.



"Our government doesn't want to spoil relations between Kazakhstan and China," she added.



In February, an Almaty court found Bilash guilty of illegally leading an unregistered organization, and ordered him to pay a fine of 252,000 tenges ($670).

Bilash, who pleaded not guilty at his trial, said that Volunteers of the Fatherland has been active since spring 2017.



He also said that the group will continue to defend the rights of ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang, and that he will try again to register the group at the Justice Ministry.



The United Nations said in August last year that an estimated 1 million ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims from Xinjiang were being held in "counterextremism centers."



The UN also said millions more had been forced into reeducation camps.



China says that the facilities are not internment camps, but "vocational education centers" aimed at helping people steer clear of terrorism and allow them to be reintegrated into society.

With reporting by AP
In mid-February, Tajik state television showed opposition figure Sharofiddin Gadoev, formerly from the banned Group 24, announcing he had returned to Tajikistan from self-exile voluntarily and denouncing other opposition figures who fled the country.

Shortly after his surprising reappearance in Tajikistan, a video Gadoev had recorded earlier while he was in Europe was posted on the Internet in which Gadoev said if he was somehow back in Tajikistan, he was there against his will.

After pressure from many parties, including the governments in Germany and the Netherlands, Gadoev returned to Amsterdam on March 2 and told a very different story about what happened in Tajikistan than the one told by Tajikistans state media in February.

RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderated a discussion on Gadoevs case -- and on previous situations where the accounts of the Tajik authorities are in question.

Joining the discussion from Amsterdam was Gadoev and his lawyer, Viktoriya Nadezhdina. From Europe, Mahmudjon Faizrahmon from the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan participated in the talk. From Washington, the veteran Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, Steve Swerdlow, took part. I also had a few things to say on the topic.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
North Koreans are going to the polls -- and turnout of near 100 percent is assured, along with a 100 percent result for the ruling Workers' Party, since it is the only choice available.



The election on March 10 for the Supreme People's Assembly, the countrys rubber-stamp legislature, is the second to take place since leader Kim Jong Un took power.



An election is held every five years in the communist country for the legislature. There is only one approved name on each of the ballot papers.



Voters theoretically could cross out the name before casting the ballot, but that is not known to have happened.



North Korea analyst Fyodor Tertitsky, who is based in the South Korean, told the BBC that if someone were to cross out a name, it would almost certainly lead to the secret police coming for the voter, who would likely be declared insane.



The official KCNA news agency said turnout five years ago was 99.97 percent, with only those who were out of the country or "working in oceans" at the time not taking part.



The vote was 100 percent in favor of the named candidates.



Citizens 17 years of age or older are required to vote.

Based on reporting by AFP and BBC


Critics of the Serbian government marched in Belgrade on March 9 for a 14th Saturday in a row. Every weekend, thousands of protesters have called for the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic and other leading officials. A main target of the protests is the building of Serbia's public radio and television broadcaster, RTS, which the demonstrators accuse of pro-government bias. The marches were initially held in condemnation of a November 2018 assault on Serbian Left opposition party leader Borko Stefanovic.
Thousands of activists held protest actions across Russia against a new bill that its critics say is part of an effort by President Vladimir Putin's government to increase state control over the Internet and facilitate censorship.

Around 15,300 people gathered on Moscows Sakharov Avenue on March 10 for a sanctioned rally against the proposed legislation, according to White Counter, an independent activist group that tracks turnout at demonstrations. Police put the figure at 6,500.

The participants chanted slogans such as "hands off the Internet" and "no to isolation," rejecting backers of the bill who say it is designed to ensure the operation of the Internet in the country if access to servers abroad is cut off.

OVD-Info, an independent group that monitors crackdowns on demonstrations, said that 29 people were detained before, during, and after the Moscow rally.

RFE/RL's Russian Service correspondent Andrei Kiselyov was one of those detained by police.

Kiselyov took video from inside a police van after being detained along with 12 others. He was held by police for about five hours before being released late on March 10.

Dozens of protesters also rallied in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, while activists in St. Petersburg held so-called single pickets in order to comply with a Russian law against mass demonstrations that aren't authorized by authorities.

Protest actions were also held in the western city of Voronezh and other Russian cities.

Two supporters of the Libertarian Party were also briefly held in St. Petersburg, OVD-Info reported.

The so-called "sovereign Internet" bill, which passed in the first reading in the lower chamber of Russias parliament on February 12, faces two more votes in the State Duma before heading to the upper house.



Aleksandr Isavnin of the Roskomsvoboda movement, one of the organizers of the rally on Moscows Sakharov Avenue, told RFE/RL: Our state has paid attention to the fact that the Internet is being used to freely exchange information, including by opposition forces, and therefore it wants very much to put it under control.

The name Roskomsvoboda is short for Russian Freedom Committee and plays off Roskomnadzor, the name of the state communications, Internet, and media oversight agency.



Nikolai Lyaskin, an aide to opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, called the bill yet another step by the authorities to "tighten the screws" on Internet freedom, and urged the Russians to rally against this madness.



The bill reflects persistent tension between Russia and the West, where governments have accused Moscow of using cyberattacks and social-media activity to sow discord abroad and increase its global clout.



Proponents say it aims to make what they call the Russian segment of the Internet more independent, and argue that the legislation is needed to guard Russia against potential cyberattacks.



The bill calls for the creation of a system that would protect Russia in the event of cyberwar while also filtering Internet traffic to the country, but there has been debate about how realistic that is and how much it would cost.
Police in Ukraine say that 22 officers were injured in clashes with far-right protesters who tried to attack a presidential motorcade ahead of this months election.

Police said in a statement on March 10 that 19 officers were hospitalized the previous day in the city of Cherkasy, where supporters of the National Corps party tried to block President Petro Poroshenko's motorcade and called for arrests of figures linked to an alleged military corruption scandal.

The clashes in Cherkasy erupted after Poroshenko made a speech for the March 31 presidential polls.



Police said that two law enforcement officers were also injured in clashes with National Corps activists near the presidential offices in Kyiv, with one hospitalized.



Criminal investigations have been opened into the violence in both Kyiv and Cherkasy, about 150 kilometers southeast of the capital, police said.



A media investigation last week detailed alleged embezzlement schemes in Ukraines military industry, including a factory controlled by Poroshenko.



The investigation alleged that the son of close Poroshenko ally Oleh Hladkovskyy had organized a ring to smuggle spare military equipment from Russia in 2015, a year after Moscow seized Ukraine's Crimea region and threw its support behind militant separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.



After the report was broadcast on YouTube on February 25, Poroshenko announced that a probe has been launched into the allegations.



He also dismissed Hladkovskyy from his post.

With reporting by AFP
Liang Weizhang ( ), Guangzhou Diamond Exchange

Guangzhou Diamond Exchange recently analysed the newly released official trade data, it shows that commodities under the HS Codes of Chapter 71 contribute more than 31% of the total imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. to Mainland China in 2018, achieving over US$2.6 billion in value. This is according to the monthly statistical data published by the General Administration of Customs, P.R. China.

According to the Explanatory Notes of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, Chapter 71 includes natural or cultured pearls, precious or semiprecious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal, and articles thereof, imitation jewellery and coin. Generally, we take the data under this Chapter for jewellery trade. However, most of the imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. to Mainland China under this sector attributes to the gold trade, but not diamonds and gems as mentioned by some other observations.





Fig.1 Imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. to Mainland China in 2018

Gold dwarfed diamonds and gems in jewellery imports. (Fig.1) The total imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. to Mainland China experienced a seasonal decrease in February (US$281 million), as it stumbled monthly by around US$568 million to US$758 million from March to October but reached US$973 million in November and made a sprint to even US$1.3 billion in December (see orange columns). In this year-end dash, jewellery products (Chapter 71 of HS Codes, see blue line) led the run and contributed almost two-thirds of the total imports this month. Amongst the commodities under this chapter, gold shares the biggest portion, more than US$2.3 billion (see yellow line) or 86% of the total jewellery imports. Being contrary to the common expectation, diamonds and gems play a very limited role in imports, only US$7 million this year (see green line for gemstones, grey line for diamonds).

In 2013, designated banks and companies were granted licenses to import gold from the overseas market. Since then, Hong Kong S.A.R. became one of the major sources of gold imports into Mainland China, and gold has been playing a very big share in the cake of imports to the mainland under Chapter 71. In 2018, Hong Kong S.A.R. is the seventh-most important import-trading source for Mainland China in the jewellery trade, following Switzerland, South Africa, Australia, Canada, the US, Singapore, Japan and Belgium. Obviously, Switzerland, South Africa, Australia, Canada and the US also export gold to the mainland with a rather big portion in their trade of commodities with China in Chapter 71. (Fig.2)





Fig.2 Top 10 Import Sources for Mainland China in Jewellery Trade

Gem imports are too far to feed the Mainland Chinese market. Two of the major trading modes in Mainland China are Ordinary Trade and Manufacturing Trade. In Ordinary Trade, commodities for import/export shall clear their tariff and VAT before entering or leaving the domestic market. In Manufacturing Trade, on the other hand, commodities for import/export are only for manufacturing in Mainland China, not for sale, and shall be re-exported to overseas suppliers after the manufacturing is completed; no tax will be charged on the commodities. We can observe that through Ordinary Trade, US$90-million worth of gemstones (excluding diamonds) were imported to Mainland China from all over the world. However, more than US$369-million worth of gemstones (excluding diamonds) were imported to Mainland China in Manufacturing Trade mode, which are to be, or have been, re-exported to overseas suppliers after being manufactured.

In Ordinary Trade, there were only US$90-million worth of gems officially imported into and remained in Mainland China. It is also noted that from the data published by Shanghai Diamond Exchange, the total polished diamonds imported into the mainland was worth US$2.7 billion in 2018, whilst the total Ordinary Trade of jewellery products (Chapter 71) was US$40.4 billion, 83% of which attributes to gold. China is the second-largest jewellery market in the world, and US$90-million worth of officially imported gemstones is too far to feed the Chinese market.

Can the import of gems ship US dollars out of Mainland China? (Fig.3) There was a huge increase in jewellery trade imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. to Mainland China from April to October 2015, February to July 2016, and October to December 2018. Meanwhile, the US dollar became stronger in these periods, as jewellery imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. also increased significantly. Inflated Invoice or Over Invoicing in the jewellery trade seems expected. As for gemstones, the shipping out of US dollars (US$90 million) in imports from Mainland China is easy to figure out, compared to the rather big total import of US$40.4 billion. Furthermore, taking gold out from the jewellery imports into Mainland China from around the world, a normal vibration can be observed without any obvious influence from the exchange rate or gold price (see purple line in 2018).

As for gold, in July 2016, when the first rush of imports from Hong Kong S.A.R. arose, a spokesman from the Chinese General Administration of Customs clarified that the rush was due to the increasing demand of gold in the local Chinese market. It is interesting that in the two times when imports increased, the price of gold also increased. Gold price, exchange rate and the state official reserve assets have an interesting balance. Interestingly, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange also increased its official reserve assets of gold in the above-said periods.







Outlook 2019. The import of gemstones, diamonds and jewellery has huge potential. The Chinese government has launched a series of stricter mechanisms in 2018, including reinforcing the anti-smuggling measures at the border, introducing the new VAT system to facilitate the supervision on the full taxation chain, intensifying foreign exchange monitoring, but, markedly reducing the import tariff rates for 706 items including many in Chapter 71. Liang Weizhang, General Manager of the Exchange pointed out that, the response of the jewellery market is to be observed in 2019, including the synthetic diamond sector. Interestingly, China is not only the largest producing country, but also the second-largest jewellery consuming market in the world.




Irrfan Khan

Mumbai, Mar 10 (PTI) Actor Irrfan Khan was on Saturday spotted by eager paparazzis at the Mumbai airport, his first appearance since he returned to India after undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London. The 52-year-old actor had revealed last year in March that he was suffering from neuroendocrine tumour and has been away from the limelight since then.

In photos doing the rounds on social media, Irrfan's face was not completely visible as the actor covered it with a scarf. The actor was donning a pink jacket over a white shirt with a pair of camouflage cargo pants and a hat. Earlier, there were reports that Irrfan is undergoing treatment in the city-based hospital here, but a source close to the actor has denied, saying, "He isn't here for any treatment."

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It is still unclear when the actor will be returning to work and start shooting for "Hindi Medium 2", a sequel to his 2017 comedy drama. Irrfan, who has has delivered outstanding performances in films such as "Paan Singh Tomar", "Haasil, "Maqbool" and "Piku", has also established himself in the West with movies like "The Namesake", "Life of Pi" and "Jurassic World".
Congress

Hyderabad, Mar 9 (PTI): A week after two of its MLAs left the party and joined the ruling TRS, Congress in Telangana was dealt a further blow when its legislator from Nakrekal, Chirumarthi Lingaiah, Saturday announced that he would join the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. The MLA made the announcement in a press release here.

The two Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and Atram Sakku (Asifabad) -- had announced on March 2 that they decided to join the ruling TRS in the interest of the 'welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes, especially Adivasis.' TDP MLA from Sattupalle Sandra Venkata Veeraiah Sunday had also joined the TRS that day. With the three Congress MLAs quitting the party, the party's strength in the 119 member Assembly will now be down to 16.

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In the December 7 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had won 19 seats. The TRS had returned to power in the elections, winning 88 seats. Giving his reasons for joining TRS, Lingaiah said that despite being defeated at the hustings, the congress leaders had not changed their attitude. Instead of supporting the government's developmental activities, they were creating obstacles, he alleged. "I believe it is not fair. I decided to join TRS for the development of my constituency and Nalgonda district," he said.
Congress leader Vijayashanti

Hyderabad, Mar 10 (PTI) Congress leader Vijayashanti Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he was ruling like a dictator, making people fear 'what bomb he will explode when",an allusion to measures like demonetisation. The veteran actress, who was speaking ata party meeting presided by AICC president Rahul Gandhi, said the coming Lok Sabha elections was essentially a battle between Narendra Modi and Gandhi.

Gandhi was fighting for the survival of democracy, while Modi has "ruled like a dictator" during his tenure in a way that killed democracy and troubled the people, the former MP said. "He wants to rule like that in the next five years, but people will not give him that opportunity,"she said in Telugu. "Everybody is scared about the BJP today... they are scared as to what bomb Modi ji will explode when....Appearing like a terrorist," she said.

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"Instead of blessing the people, (he is) making people fear. This should not be aim of a Prime Minister." On all issues, whether it be demonetisation, roll out of Goods and Services Tax, illegal money stashed in banks and the Pulwama terror attack, he was 'scaring' the people, she said. Keeping this in mind, the people should vote carefully in the polls, Vijayshanti said. She said a vote for the TRS would go to BJP as "Modi and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao are one."

Rao is extending support to the BJP as Modi had helped him win last years Assembly elections in Telangana, she claimed.

Vijayashanti, a popular south Indian actress of yesteryears, also hit out at the ruling TRS for 'purchasing' Congress MLAs in Telangana.

Three Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka), Atram Sakku (Asifabad) and Chirumarthi Lingaiah (Narekal) have announced their decision to join the TRS. While Kantha Rao and Atram Sakku made known their decisions on March 2, Lingaiah announced his decision Saturday.
Donald Trump

Washington, Mar 10 (PTI) Amidst reports of negotiations for a deal with china hitting a bump, President Donald Trump has said that he will enter into a trade deal with Beijing only if he is confident that it is good for the US. But he also told reporters at the White House on Friday that he is confident of entering into a trade deal with China.

The world's two largest economies are locked in a trade war since Trump imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium items from China in March last year, a move that sparked fears of a global trade war. Trump imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods. In response, China, the world's second largest economy after the US, imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods.

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Top trade officials from America and China are holding talks to negotiate a comprehensive trade deal. "I am confident. But if we don't make a very good deal for our country, I wouldn't make a deal," Trump told reporters. "If this isn't a great deal, I won't make a deal." In the absence of a trade deal, Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on import of Chinese products into the US.

Last month the US President had said that he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are planning to meet at his Florida resort in Mar-a-Lago to give a final shape to the trade deal, which is being negotiated between the two countries for past several months now.

However, after the collapse of the North Korea summit in Vietnam where Trump walked out of his meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-Un, the US president has not spoken about it. Taken aback by Trump's decision to walk away from the summit with North Korean in Hanoi, China now wants the summit as a mere signature ceremony and finalise everything before that.

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According to The Wall Street Journal report on Friday, a US-China trade accord is facing a new roadblock, as Chinese officials balk at committing to a presidential summit until the two countries have a firm deal in hand.

"What Chinese minister wants to say, 'Yes, Xi Jinping. Go to the US for a visit, which isn't a state visit, and hope that Trump doesn't embarrass you'" Evan Medeiros, a Georgetown University scholar who was a senior China adviser to President Barack Obama was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio on Friday doubted recent reports that China will end the forced transfer of technology and begin allowing "wholly foreign-owned enterprises in more fields" as a way to lure back foreign investors.

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"For decades, China fooled the world into thinking they would be a responsible international partner. We must not let them fool us into thinking this new 'law' is anything other than a shiny object that will do nothing to stop Chinese state-directed actors' continued assault on US companies' intellectual property and trade secrets," Rubio said.

The Trump Administration should continue to hold their leverage and increase pressure on China to secure a strong, enforceable deal, he asserted.

"We cannot afford to waste this opportunity and risk losing this century's most important, strategic, economic, and geopolitical competition. China must not be allowed to pursue policies that run directly counter to America's national interest and their international commitments without facing due consequences," Rubio said.
The Princess has been marked out as a an ambassador for the next generation of leaders.

Princess Tessy sat down with our very own Lisa Burke earlier this week during some media time in her recent visit to Luxembourg for a special event to commemorate International Women's Day!

As an additional bonus to visiting her home country, Tessy also bagged a prize from The Leadership Academy.

Founded in 2018 The Leadership Academy has a "purpose to introduce genuine and true leadership principles" with a mind to instill "behaviors in young professionals and help them develop leadership skills". The overall ambition being to "to prepare the Next Generation of business leaders".

Via a Twitter post, Tessy announced that she was "very humbled and honoured to be named Leader of the Year 2019 awarded by the Leadership Academy in Luxembourg".

When contacted by RTL Today, Princess Tessy went on to outline plans for the future; I am so excited for the future. My boys and my work complete me:) to get recognised for it humbles me and brings me tears of joy."

When considering what motivates her to continue to be in the public lens and to be an ambassador for women's continued and sustained success, Tessy is as succinct as she is driven; "It gives me that push to keep moving forward" she said.

Despite recent accolades and increased press interest, Tessy won't be changing her way of life to suit a populist agenda; "One of my favourite quotes: "I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: Try to please everybody." --Herbert Swope
In part two of this lengthy opinion piece on art and the artist, Nathalie Lodhi explores Spotify's latest measure and weighs in on the Michael Jackson debate.

The practically impossible task that Spotify gave itself with the Hate Content & Hateful Conduct policy, as well as the backlash against it, led to the streaming service to revise its policy. As a result, in January it quietly introduced the option to mute particular artists, albeit this does not apply to artists featuring on other songs.

This new policy both absolves Spotify of its moral dilemma and puts the onus on the user to embargo specific artists. It is certainly useful for somebody who admits that certain songs by artists are catchy, but wishes to avoid supporting them further. However, issues remain. Will people truly endeavour to stop providing their support to problematic artists? Or will they remain wilfully ignorant, as most people (myself included  I wholly admit that I have in the past listened to R.Kelly songs and just quashed my discomfort) have done for some time now.

On the note of wilful ignorance, boycotting music is more difficult for some than for others. I have no personal connection with R.Kellys music beyond thinking this is catchy. My mother, on the other hand, has a song that she associates with the birth of each of her children, often because she heard it on that day and made a note of it. For my brothers birth, that song is R.Kellys I Believe I Can Fly. As with other people who may have fond memories of specific songs, for instance as their wedding songs, this is a conflicting process as on the one hand, the song reminds you of a special day, but on the other hand you cant stop yourself from thinking about the allegations.

Back to Spotifys policy, it seems like a weak way for the streaming service to claim it offers an option to concerned users who wish to not be presented with the music of abusers. A type of half-hearted Me Too venture, one could say. The measure has its benefits, as I for example would like to listen to playlists without being duped into supporting XXXTentacion.

But is the measure enough? That itself begs the question whether or not streaming services should be the moral arbiters of supporting controversial artists. I think streaming services and radios do have a lot of power and after all, streams and listens go straight to the pockets of those artists who may be child abusers, sexual abusers, etc. Promoting the music of a child abuser and ensuring they profit seems deeply problematic. Some might argue that it is not up to streaming services to dictate who to listen to or not, but they make choices concerning our listening habits that we may not necessarily be aware of (the example that comes to mind is Spotifys relentless promotion of Drake when Scorpion was released). I dont think its right for services to continue supporting abhorrent individuals financially. An individual boycott also doesnt have much weight either.

I stand by anyone who has ever been the victim of sexual assault: pic.twitter.com/67sz4WpV3i  Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) January 10, 2019

Artists do also have a say, not unlike Lamar. Lady Gaga, who collaborated with Kelly on Do What U Want, pulled the song from streaming services and apologised to fans in a move that some have seen as rather late. Allegations have surrounded Kelly ever since he dubiously married his 15-year-old protegee, Aaliyah. Yet, it took 25 years for the public consensus to be one that condemns Kelly.

Michael Jackson and a changing tide?

The accusations of Michael Jacksons paedophilia have followed him for a long time, even beyond the grave. Despite this almost being suppose connu, the resistance to such accusations remains fierce. Could that be due to change though? Dan Reeds Leaving Neverland documentary aired at Sundance in January and the allegations are damning. The two-part documentary aired on HBO and Channel 4 this week.

Many still believe that Jackson is innocent, but having watched the documentary, it seems difficult to fathom that these two men would risk so much by lying. The documentary details and highlights the extent of grooming that would lead to men to take decades before they could process what happened to them. For those of my generation, it might be unthinkable that people could be swayed so much by one individual, but Jackson's superstardom in the 80s and 90s is something that doesn't quite exist nowadays.

Jackson, the King of Pop, remains a high profile example of someone who has been accused of some truly deplorable things, yet will we boycott his music? Its easy to boycott a rapper who started on SoundCloud and may not have breached the mainstream as much, but an icon?

Radio stations in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have removed Jackson's music from their playlists. The BBC has not, claiming it has a policy not to ban artists, but thinking on my earlier example: surely the BBC no longer plays Lostprophets's music, which could extend to a banning of the artist? Again, this appears to be a bit of an inconsistent approach.

The Simpsons also removed an episode in which Jackson voiced a character, which is certainly a high-profile reaction to the documentary. Many people are having difficulty accepting that such a prolific role model, idol, or artist whose music they adore could possibly be someone who committed such abhorrent crimes. This, I think, is possibly due to the cult of celebrity and the sense that we as fans 'know' the celebrity in question. We don't. They present an image of themselves to the world and that image can be far from the reality of their personality. This is worth remembering.

Ultimately, everybody has to process how they react to such allegations differently depending on their connection to the music and the artist. In earlier decades, or even centuries, one could possibly claim innocence to knowing about an artist's questionable lives. Nowadays, that seems to be thoroughly in the past.

It is difficult to try and grapple with this issue, but I think we owe it to the victims of these artists to try and be aware of our discomfort and sacrifice our own enjoyment over actively supporting an abuser.

---

Nathalie Lodhi is a translator and editor for RTL Today and has an avid interest in music and history, although her topic of choice is usually Zimbabwean politics.


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The importance of school safety

There has been no school issue more important to me in recent years than safety. Tragedies like Parkland hit all too close to home. As a parent and community member, I was eager to hear Connie Woytowich, Dean Kolligian and Ed Cubanski speak last week at the Meet the Candidates evening hosted by Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools. While listening to their introductions, I realized how many other significant issues we have within our district. While safety is still paramount to me, all three candidates spoke about their plans to effectively improve upon our districts education programs, student wellness, building infrastructure and facilities management. Their qualifications and prior experiences in regards to volunteerism are beyond impressive. More importantly, their dedication to our community and our children is clear. They possess the commitment and experience we need now more than ever. On May 21st I will be voting for Connie, Dean and Ed for the Saratoga Springs Board of Education. Thanks to all three of you for your determination to make our schools a better place for our children.

Erika Borman

Wilton, NY

Ballston Spa candidates

We are very happy to support Christine Fitzpatrick and Liz Kormos in their candidacies to join us on this wonderful villages Board of Trustees. The election is March 19 (polls are open from 11  9!). We know that Christines years of private sector and government experience and Lizs financial, consulting and grant-writing background will be valuable assets to the Village and its residents. Their perspectives, deep love for Ballston Spa and straight-up tenacity will help lead us toward a bright future. We hope youll join us in supporting Liz and Christine  together, we can make our village an even better B Spa!

Yours very truly,

Noah Shaw & Shawn Raymond, Village Trustees.

My family has lived in the Village of Ballston Spa for almost 35 years. After last years state audit faulted the Mayor and his partys two Trustees for over four years of unfiled accounting, the subsequent resignation the Village treasurer and his deputy and the 17.5% property tax increase I can no longer be supportive or complacent. An audit was approved more than five months ago but was just authorized. I cannot support the Mayors personal and his partys candidates. The Mayor and three unelected candidates continue to violate the need for objectivity and transparency in government by taking bank meetings together and entering into loan agreements on behalf of the Village before these candidates are even elected. I will be voting for Liz Kormos and Christine Fitzpatrick on March 19th and I urge other concerned residents to do the same. I am impressed with their qualifications. Liz Kormos has worked for clients securing grants, totaling over a $100 million, that require insight into complex financial assessment. Christine Fitzpatrick has 35 years experience in private, not for profit and government sectors negotiating benefits plans and leading a not for profit. Both women have worked as successful project managers, setting clear objectives with measurable results and delivering on objectives. Im glad we have these two fine candidates available to us and I am confident their experience and commitment will not only correct our past mistakes, but keep us from repeating them, and in the process build A Better Ballston Spa for all of us.

Keith Lewis

Ballston Spa
Australian and US researchers have developed a way to discover elusive cancer-promoting genes, and have already identified one that appears to promote aggressive breast cancers.

The University of Queensland and Albert Einstein College of Medicine team has developed a statistical approach to reveal many previously hard-to-find genes that contribute to cancer.

Associate Professor Jess Mar, of the University of Queensland's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, said the majority of 'oncogenes' identified to date showed up in most patients with a particular cancer type.

"When you average the data across those patients, those common oncogenes tend to stand out, but they don't paint the full picture," Dr Mar said.

"Even if a group of people all have the same type or even subtype of cancer, the molecular makeup of that cancer is different from person to person because the activity of genes vary between people," she said.

"If an oncogene is over-active in one group of patients but inactive in another group, that's statistically harder to see using the tools that we had available.

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"If you only look at the average activity of a gene across the two groups, you'd never see the high activity in the first group."

The Oncomix method enables researchers to 'zoom in' on genetic information from cancer patients and identify genes with two distinct 'bumps' of data -- low activity in one group of patients but high activity in another.

"We're acknowledging that there is diversity among cancer patients, but we're still looking for trends in the data that pertain to groups of people," Dr Mar said.

Dr Mar and her colleagues used Oncomix to examine breast cancer data from The Cancer Genome Atlas patient database.

They identified five genes that were over-active in a subset of breast cancer patients and followed up on the most promising target, known as CBX2.

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"Previous studies have shown that most healthy female tissue has low levels of CBX2 activity, while an aggressive subtype of breast cancer has been shown to have high levels of CBX2 activity," Dr Mar said.

"This suggested a possible link between CBX2 activity and breast cancer, but the nature of that link hadn't been investigated.

"So we switched off the gene in a human breast cancer cell line and this slowed down the growth of those cancer cells, suggesting that CBX2 might promote tumour growth."

Dr Mar said if further tests confirmed that CBX2 was an oncogene, it could be a potential therapeutic drug target for aggressive types of breast cancer.

"This discovery highlights the potential value of the Oncomix approach," Dr Mar said.

"Identifying 'hidden' oncogenes that are unique to smaller groups of cancer patients will open up new therapeutic avenues and move us closer to personalised medicine."

Oncomix is now a publicly-available, open source software tool, and the study is published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Researchers at Linkoping University have developed a theoretical model that enables simulations for showing what happens in hard cutting materials as they degrade. The model will enable manufacturing industry to save both time and money.

The model has been published in the open access scientific journal Materials.

Titanium-aluminium nitride is a ceramic material commonly used as coating for metal cutting tools. With the aid of a titanium-aluminium nitride thin film, the cutting edge of a coated tool becomes harder, and the lifetime of the tool longer. A very particular feature of the coated surface is that it becomes even harder during the cutting process, a phenomenon that is known as age hardening.

Kostas Sarakinos, associate professor in materials science at Linkoping University, describes the material as a workhorse in manufacturing industry.

The alloy is, however, sensitive to high temperature. A few minutes of cutting operation in a truly hard material subjects the cutting edge of the tool to such a high pressure that it is heated to nearly 900 degrees or above. At temperatures up to 700 degrees, the material is unharmed, but it starts to degrade at higher temperatures. The edge softens and loses sharpness.

Until now, no one has been able to determine what happens at the atomic level inside the thin film during the cutting process. It has only been possible to partially simulate the properties of the complex combination of titanium, aluminium and nitrogen, and it has not been possible to draw any conclusions from the results.

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Georgios Almyras, who previously worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Nanoscale Engineering Division and has now moved to Ericsson, Davide Sangiovanni of the Division of Theoretical Physics, and Kostas Sarakinos, head of the Nanoscale Engineering Division, have after four years' work developed a reliable theoretical model that can be used to show exactly what happens in the material, with picosecond time resolution. They have used the newly developed model to simulate events in the material, showing which atoms are displaced and the consequences this has for the properties.

"This also means that we can develop strategies to stop the degradation, such as alloying the materials or creating specially-designed nanostructures," says Davide Sangiovanni.

Their theoretical model calculates the forces between the atoms in the material. The model is based on a previously known method that has been successfully used in simple material systems. Complex combinations of materials, however, require time-demanding calculations that are only possible in a supercomputer. The research group from LiU has optimized these calculations by implementing machine learning algorithms which the predecessors of artificial intelligence.

The supercomputer at the National Supercomputer Centre at LiU has then been used for calculations of around 40 alloys of the three elements titanium, aluminium och nitrogen, while looking at several properties of the material. The scientists have then compared the results from the calculations with the known properties of the materials.

"The agreement is very good," says Kostas Sarakinos. "It's important that we have calculated also properties that we know, because then we can be sure that the calculations and predictions of the model are reliable."

The researchers hope that the method will be useful for companies in the manufacturing industry, such as Sandvik, ABB, Seco Tools, etc., which could save a lot of money by developing tools with greater hardness and resistance to wear. These are companies with which the LiU researchers have long-term collaboration agreements.

"We can now for the first time carry out large-scale classical simulations of atomic structures in one of the material systems most commonly used for metal cutting and forming. The simulations can consider resistance to heat or nanostructures, and they may provide important insight into how the atoms move. The results will help us avoid, or at least delay, degradation of the material," says Kostas Sarakinos.
A thriving marketplace for SSL and TLS certificates -- small data files used to facilitate confidential communication between organizations' servers and their clients' computers -- exists on a hidden part of the Internet, according to new research by Georgia State University's Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group (EBCS) and the University of Surrey.

Networked machines use keys and SSL/TLS certificates to identify and authenticate themselves when connecting to each other, much like humans employ user names and passwords to go online, according to Venafi, a privately held provider of machine identity protection and sponsor of the research.

When these certificates are sold on the darknet, they are packaged with a wide range of crimeware that delivers machine identities to cybercriminals who use them to spoof websites, eavesdrop on encrypted traffic, perform attacks and steal sensitive data, among other activities.

Uncovering the widespread availability of these certificates on the darknet was a surprise, according to lead author David Maimon, an associate professor in Georgia State's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and director of the EBCS. A search of five marketplaces in the darknet for this research uncovered 2,943 mentions for "SSL" and 75 for "TLS." In comparison, there were just 531 mentions for "ransomware."

"One very interesting aspect of this research was seeing TLS certificates packaged with wrap-around services -- such as Web design services -- to give attackers immediate access to high levels of online credibility and trust," he said. "It was surprising to discover how easy and inexpensive it is to acquire extended validation certificates, along with all the documentation needed to create very credible shell companies without any verification information."

"This study found clear evidence of the rampant sale of TLS certificates on the darknet," said Kevin Bocek, vice president of security and threat intelligence for Venafi. "TLS certificates that act as trusted machine identities are clearly a key part of cybercriminal toolkits, just like bots, ransomware and spyware. Every organization should be concerned that the certificates used to establish and maintain trust and privacy on the Internet are being weaponized and sold as commodities to cybercriminals."
Defense attorneys familiar with domestic-violence cases say that while the video of San Francisco Giants President Larry Baer grabbing his cell phone back from his wife, Pam Baer, as she falls over screaming Oh, my God may look bad, it doesnt rise to the level of a criminal charge.

There was no visible injury, and there are no reports of previous incidents, said defense attorney Randall Knox.

Defense attorney Stuart Hanlon agreed, saying such cases usually dont even make it to the district attorneys office.

But given the high-profile of the incident and the parties involved, no one wants to be the one to make the call, Hanlon said.

Police finished their investigation into the incident Thursday and forwarded it to the district attorney.

Both parties were cooperative, San Francisco police spokesman David Stevenson said.

If history is any indication, the D.A. will ask the police for further information, check the consistency of the couples statements and determine how the statements compare to the video.

The Giants front office is also waiting to see what develops on the criminal front, but it also has an eye on the court of public opinion.

So far, its been quiet. While the video of the incident generated national attention, there has been no comment from the citys very active anti-domestic-violence community and no statement from any elected official.

Baer also has the support of the teams owners, although he has stepped aside from the teams day-to-day operations for the time being.

Both Baers have retained top-flight criminal counsel. Pam Baer is being represented by Lyn Agre, and Larry Baer is being represented by Cristina Arguedas, who was part of the team that represented Giants slugger Barry Bonds in his federal obstruction of justice trial after the BALCO steroids scandal.

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We expect no charges to be filed because there was no crime, Agre said in an email. This was simply an argument over a cell phone.

This was an accident, it wouldnt even be investigated by the police, The Chronicle or TMZ if it wasnt Larry Baer, Arguedas said. Five minutes later, Pam was shopping for a bar mitzvah present in Hayes Valley.

As for what was on the cell phone?

No comment, Agruedas said. Im not getting into that. That was private.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phillip Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier
Uber and Lyft made a whopping 10 million pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport last year, clogging the curbside spaces so badly that the airport started offering a $3 discount to ride-hail customers willing to walk across the street and meet their drivers at an adjacent garage.

This offers their customers more value, while helping to keep our roadways moving smoothly and efficiently, Airport Director Ivar C. Satero said in the news release announcing the change.

The discount is the latest attempt by the airport to control the explosive growth of its ride-hail traffic. There are now more than 1,200 pickups and drop-offs an hour.

And that goes on 24/7, with no sign of slowing down.

Its quick, economical, convenient, and I can do it all on the company credit card, business traveler Scott Carroll of San Diego said as he recently waited for his car outside of Terminal 3 the other day.

When the ride-hails first appeared in 2014, the airport imposed a $3.80 fee on each ride. The revenue was used to pay for additional traffic-control officers to manage the increased load.

As drop-off areas grew increasingly crowded, the airport upped the curb charge to $5, with a lesser $3.60 charge for pooled ride services that operated out of the adjacent garage.

But even with the higher fee, the curbside drop-offs just kept rolling in, so SFO dropped $3 off the curb charge if the pickup is in the garage.

The fees charged to the ride-hail companies brought in a whopping $45 million last year and are now greater than the airports revenue from all of its restaurants, bars and retail stores combined.

But the traffic increase has come at a cost for BART, which estimates its down about $4 million in revenue from lost airport ridership since the Lyft and Uber started serving SFO in 2014.

BART Board President Bevan Dufty thinks one reason some riders might have switched from BART to Uber or Lyft is the number of homeless people on the trains. Dufty is looking at putting a cop at the airport station.

I got a tweet from a gentleman who said the first three cars he walked through were filled with homeless, Dufty said. It had been raining pretty hard, so maybe that is why there were so many homeless. But it just wasnt comfortable.

And apparently the ride shares are.

Adachi replacement: Mayor London Breed is expected to name a replacement this week for recently deceased Public Defender Jeff Adachi, and bets are that it will not be Adachis No. 2, Matt Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is known nationally for having won the acquittal of undocumented immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate on charges of murder in the shooting death of Kate Steinle on San Franciscos Embarcadero in 2015.

Sources close to the selection process say the mayor has interviewed several women with experience as public defenders. They come from both inside and outside the San Francisco office.

Breed is looking for someone who can carry on Adachis work, inspire the staff and, most importantly, win the election to fill out Adachis term in November.

Breed was a big fan of the crusading Adachi but is not such a fan of Gonzalez, whom she has known since her days as director of the African American Art and Culture Complex in the Fillmore when Gonzalez was the district supervisor.

Its also unclear whether the freethinking Gonzalez, who loves both poetry and a good courtroom fight, was up for a return to the campaign trail  he narrowly lost to now-Gov. Gavin Newsom in Newsoms first run for mayor.

Gonzalez has declined to comment.

Baer scuffle: Defense attorneys familiar with domestic-violence cases say that while the video of San Francisco Giants President Larry Baer grabbing his cell phone back from his wife, Pam Baer, as she falls over screaming Oh, my God may look bad, it doesnt rise to the level of a criminal charge.

There was no visible injury, and there are no reports of previous incidents, said defense attorney Randall Knox.

Defense attorney Stuart Hanlon agreed, saying such cases usually dont even make it to the district attorneys office.

But given the high-profile of the incident and the parties involved, no one wants to be the one to make the call, Hanlon said.

Police finished their investigation into the incident Thursday and forwarded it to the district attorney.

Both parties were cooperative, San Francisco police spokesman David Stevenson 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.

If history is any indication, the D.A. will ask the police for further information, check the consistency of the couples statements and determine how the statements compare to the video.

The Giants front office is also waiting to see what develops on the criminal front, but it also has an eye on the court of public opinion.

So far, its been quiet. While the video of the incident generated national attention, there has been no comment from the citys very active anti-domestic-violence community and no statement from any elected official.

Baer also has the support of the teams owners, although he has stepped aside from the teams day-to-day operations for the time being.

Both Baers have retained top-flight criminal counsel. Pam Baer is being represented by Lyn Agre, and Larry Baer is being represented by Cristina Arguedas, who was part of the team that represented Giants slugger Barry Bonds in his federal obstruction of justice trial after the BALCO steroids scandal.

We expect no charges to be filed because there was no crime, Agre said in an email. This was simply an argument over a cell phone.

This was an accident, it wouldnt even be investigated by the police, The Chronicle or TMZ if it wasnt Larry Baer, Arguedas said. Five minutes later, Pam was shopping for a bar mitzvah present in Hayes Valley.

As for what was on the cell phone?

No comment, Agruedas said. Im not getting into that. That was private.

Finally: The Fire Commission has sent Mayor London Breed the names of the three finalists to replace retiring Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.

They are SFFD Deputy Chief of Administration Jeanine Nicholson, Fire Battalion Chief Michael Thompson and Stockton Fire Chief Erik Newman, who grew up in San Francisco.

A decision is expected soon.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phillip Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier
When tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect in early 2018, Robert Wren, owner of the Burlingame metals importer Primrose Alloys, hired a worker whose sole job is to apply for exemptions from the charges.

The employee is still hard at work  and Primrose is struggling.

Wren, who employs 35 people and rents 10 warehouses across the country, took in $70 million in revenue last year and estimates he will get a little over $50 million this year. Last year, he sold his imports at high prices amid a supply shortage, but this year supplies have risen and he is taking a hit.

The governments tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum were the first volley in an escalating effort to protect American industries  such as steel and aluminum makers  from foreign competition. But they have hurt other U.S. companies, such as Primrose. While the Trump administration has recently pulled back on some other trade threats, such as a prospective increase in tariffs on $200 billion on goods such as bulk food and toys from China, the steel and aluminum tariffs remain in place. There is no sign that the administration  which believes some foreign goods are unfairly subsidized  will ease them.

Primrose imports tubes and pipes to sell domestically, with clients in the oil and gas, refinery, agricultural, and automotive sectors for steel, and aerospace and medical industries for aluminum.

Hence its applications for exemptions  which, if approved, mean businesses dont have to pay the additional taxes for a year. Primrose, for example, has received exemptions on products like boiler tubes it sells to refineries.

The U.S. is the worlds largest steel importer, and businesses across the country have asked the Commerce Department for more than 50,000 exemptions from the steel and aluminum tariffs. At least 370 companies have been granted more than 14,000 exemptions, a recent Associated Press analysis showed.

So far, Primrose Alloys has applied for more than 2,000 exemptions. It received approval for 229, was denied 246, and is awaiting decisions on an additional 1,910, according to filings submitted to the Commerce Department.

Aluminum at 10 percent would have been a little easier to absorb, but adding the 25 percent on steel has been painfully tough, Wren said.

The application process has garnered plenty of criticism, even as companies use it as a lifeline.

The Commerce Department is taking a long time and making inconsistent decisions, Matt Nakachi, an international trade law attorney at Junker and Nakachi in San Francisco, said via email.

Gillig, a bus maker in Livermore that has also applied for exemptions, declined to comment. Other exemption-seekers include Thin Film Electronics Inc., a Norwegian company with operations in Santa Clara, which did not respond to a request for comment.

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Wren said the products he imports are either not available in the U.S. or are overpriced. The more than 2,000 exemptions Primrose Alloys has sought are mainly for products originating from South Korea. He said he deals with the cost by passing it on to clients, and does not plan to cut staff or reduce warehouse storage because, he said, President Trumps trade policies change frequently. Wren expects that the tariffs will continue to hurt Primrose, but he believes it will survive, and he plans to keep applying for exemptions.

Recent reports suggest that Canada and Mexico have asked the Trump administration to roll back the steel and aluminum tariffs  which apply worldwide  on goods from their countries.

Tom Gould, a customs broker in Los Angeles, said companies are struggling with uncertainty about the future of trade.

Trade tensions are directly affecting the bottom line for many, he said.

Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika
UPPER DARBY  It wasnt your average assembly at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center Friday afternoon.

As the school day was winding down a DJ blasted hip-hop music throughout the auditorium as hundreds of students settled into their first BumpOut United event, a production by the a non-profit group that goes by the same name, started by Upper Darby alumni Matt Chacko and Zac Pierce to show that pursuing passions can be at risk without the right people and mentors to help them.

To BumpOut, according to their brochure, is to break out of the pack; be an individual; boldy do what you love, not just what you are told.

Renowned photographer Johnny Nunez and Pastor Harold Burnett of Connection Church Philadelphia motivated students with their own inspiring stories of overcoming their neighborhoods, upbringing and overall hard times. Their words came in between interactive moments of students who danced, sang and rapped their way through the inspiring presentation.

Even high school guidance counselor Steve Bell was brought on stage to dance and get the students riled up.

But even the most energetic moments of the event could not overshadow the important message the group was delivering about working through your troubles and atmosphere and making all of the right connections to better yourself and others.

Having the right glue makes it all possible.

Glue holds things together, said Burnett during his impassioned speech that is said to have taken the auditorium to church. Glue stops things from falling apart. Heres the interesting characteristic about glue: when it dries, its unseen. Heres the revelation, its the unseen things that hold you together.

He continued: Consistency is a key ingredient in the glue. Do you know what consistency says? It says no matter how many times Ive missed a shot, Im still going to keep shooting  Another key ingredient is not only consistency, but perseverance, it is what fuels your consistency, what energizes your ability to keep going.

Burnett grew up in North Philadelphia, where he was surrounded by gangs, drugs, violence and teenage pregnancy. These impressionable factors that permeated his environment as he grew up did not mean he had to be a byproduct of it.

Im trying to tell you that just because youve been born in it, just because youre surrounded by it, does not mean you have to be a byproduct of it, he said.

Nunez also had a close call with falling into the wrong group.

After being kicked out of a medical college program he was living out of his car delivering pizzas. One of the persons he delivered to offered him a job to sell cocaine. He passed when he received a sign from God to take up photography, a career that 20 years later has made him one of  if not the  most prolific photographer to the hip-hop community, shooting Kanye West, Jay Z, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and even President Barack Obama.

The connections Nunez made over the years has allowed him to create networking opportunities that have yielded millions of dollars of investments.

If I had to give any inspiration for all of you kids listening to BumpOut, it would be the power of networking, he said. A lot of you all have friends that need things, and friends that have things. I would pride my photography to bring and bridge opportunities.

You dont know it, but a lot of you have the relationship thats going to wind up making a lot of your friends rich. Those friends of yours that network with you, theyre going to bring more money to the fold.

Money may be a quantitative variable in determining success.

For co-founder Zac Pierce, who grew up in the Stonehurst and Bywood sections of the Upper Darby, said acquiring a home with tons of grass is what he strived for in life, and he got it.

To get there he tried about 50 other ways to find success before finding his niche in developing an investment brokerage team in the Philadelphia region, and is a co-creator of the tech start-up BumpOut Audio.

This event is built to inspire, to engage, and now its about following up and following through, said Pierce.

Students will be able to meet with Pierce again on March 14 for an informational session at 3 p.m. at the high school. This will be followed up with six hour-long sessions over six weeks to go over the important lessons of sacrifice and all other inspirational messages the students heard about Friday.

Im not going to lie, Zac and I being alumni here, were always told not enough alumni come back to to try to do something, and thats all were trying to do, said co-founder Matt Chacko. Were trying to show these kids that you can leave this community but come back and give back. Were setting the example, and they can set the example in the future.
California lawmakers and activists are resurrecting a legislative effort to help inmate firefighters begin a career in the field after theyre freed, hoping to ease the restrictions that have traditionally locked ex-offenders out of the profession.

The bill, introduced last month by Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes, D-San Bernardino, would open a pathway for individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation and desire to work as firefighters.

While the bills language so far only includes legislative intent, the states largest firefighter union has come out in opposition to the measure, saying lawbreakers dont meet the high standards that the career demands.

If a firefighter who was on the job was to do any of the things these incarcerated individuals have done, they would lose their jobs, said Carroll Wills, communications director of California Professional Firefighters, an association of local firefighter union affiliates, representing over 30,000 members throughout the state. These individuals are coming into peoples homes, providing medical attention... (the public has) an expectation of trust for people coming into their homes.

The bills supporters say the current restrictions go too far  they shut out thousands of people with criminal records and could amount to racial discrimination. Though its details havent been finalized, supporters say the bill would ease barriers that prohibit people with even low-level or older felony criminal convictions from becoming an emergency medical technician and result in a more holistic assessment of each candidate.

Were not saying open the door to anyone getting the job, said Katherine Katcher, executive director of the Oakland advocacy group Root & Rebound. Instead, have an individualized assessment and dont dehumanize, dont further marginalize. Look at (inmates) as human beings.

Since the 1940s, inmate firefighters have served a vital role in battling the states deadly wildfires. Its tough, manual labor  digging fire lines and clearing brush alongside their full-time counterparts.

The compensation averages only about $2 a day (plus an additional $1 per hour when theyre fighting an active fire), but among those in lockup its a coveted position. It pays more than other inmate jobs, knocks time off sentences and provides participants with a sense of purpose important for rehabilitation, supporters say.

In 2018, there were about 3,700 inmates working at fire camps, including about 2,600 who were fire-line qualified, accounting for more than 20 percent of the roughly 17,000 individuals assigned to the fires in peak season, according to prison and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection records.

The program has been estimated to save the state $100 million annually.

But for most inmate firefighters, the time theyll serve as a firefighter is limited to the time theyll serve as an inmate.

Any seeking to leverage their experience into a career must meet requirements before acquiring an EMT certification, which is required for city and county firefighting jobs.

California law states that certifications must be denied or revoked for multiple reasons, including if the person has been convicted of two or more felonies, if the applicant is on probation or parole for any felony, or if theyve been incarcerated for any felony in the past 10 years. Supporters of that law say they engender trust in the communities they serve  EMTs often handle patients when theyre at their most vulnerable.

While inmate hand crews help fight wildland fires, they are not firefighters, said Wills, the firefighter union spokesman.

They are not in emergency mitigation, not treating patients and responding to medical calls, he said.

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Wills said theres no worker supply problem in California  if firefighters are exhausted on the front lines, its because there arent enough open positions.

We have hundreds of men and women who are patiently going through the process of getting the education, taking the tests, doing everything they need to do to become firefighters, he said. Theres no shortage of firefighter candidates.

A similar measure essentially failed during last years legislative session and was turned into a data collection bill. This years supporters say theyre troubled by the unions resistance.

I think its deeply concerning that they havent seen language, and that their starting point is to say, These are not real firefighters, they have not taken an oath, and therefore we dont need to entertain this, Katcher said.

Because the criminal justice system disproportionately impacts people of color, the practice of shutting out people with convictions can be used to shut out people of certain races from jobs, said Katchers colleague Eva DeLair, associate director of policy advocacy at Root & Rebound.

We want people to be judged on their individual merit, she said, not excluded currently because of mistakes they have made in the past.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
The superintendent of a small Central California school district, sued by two members of a campus gay rights group, says their high school yearbook will include quotes from both students  quotes the yearbooks faculty adviser had rejected as politically divisive.

It was all a misunderstanding that should have been resolved without a lawsuit, Darren Sylvia, superintendent of the Chawanakee Unified School District in Madera County, said Friday. But the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued on behalf of the youths, said it wont drop the case until the district adopts policies against censorship of student speech advocating gay rights.

When Minarets High School in ONeals asked seniors to send in quotes to accompany their yearbook photos, 18-year-old Steven Madrid wrote in December, I think that the best day will be when we no longer talk about being gay or straight  its not a gay wedding, its just a wedding. Its not a gay marriage, its just a marriage.

His 17-year-old classmate, Mikayla Garaffa, president of the schools Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network, offered this observation:If Harry Potter has taught us anything, its that no one deserves to live in a closet, a reference to the cupboard the fictional wizard was kept in as a child by his aunt and uncle because they were afraid of his magical skills.

After hearing rumors that school officials objected to their quotes, the suit said, Mikayla sent an email in January to the school principal, Daniel Ching, and the yearbook faculty adviser, Juan Ortiz, saying there was no excuse for discriminating against students based on personal views. She attached a letter from the ACLU citing past cases, including a 2008 ruling by a federal judge in Florida against a school district that had suspended 11 students for wearing gay pride buttons and similar emblems in support of a classmate.

Ortiz, who was also one of their teachers, replied that evening with an email to both students saying the yearbook could not include quotes that were politically divisive, the suit said. Sexuality can be a divisive topic in school as well as the community, he wrote.

The youths reviewed past yearbooks and found quotes celebrating students Christian identities and another identifying a student as a supporter of President Trump, the suit said. Filed Wednesday in Madera County Superior Court, the suit alleged violations of free speech  protected for students by the U.S. Supreme Court since 1969  and of several California laws, including one barring school districts from promoting a discriminatory bias based on sexual orientation.

I believe my existence should not be looked at differently because of who I may love, Madrid said in a statement released by his lawyers. Mikayla, his co-plaintiff, said she wanted to speak up for other students who may not feel comfortable sharing their story.

Sylvia, superintendent of the 1,300-student district, said in an interview that the reported rejection of the quotes was a misunderstanding between the teacher and the students.

We feel that were a very open district tolerant of all students, Sylvia said. He said he makes the final decision in such disputes and told the ACLU, before the suit was filed, that the quotes would be published in the yearbook.

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But ACLU attorney Abre Conner said she contacted Sylvia shortly before filing the suit and did not hear back until afterward, when he told her he had reviewed her court filing and would approve publication of the quotes. She provided an email from Ching, the principal, who described a conversation with Sylvia that was consistent with Conners timeline.

The youths and the ACLU hope to resolve their case without court action, Conner said, but only if they can make sure the district understands that all students have rights.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
It was midday on Wednesday, March 6, at the University of San Francisco, when a crowd strolled through the soaking rain with Vijaya Nagarajan, professor of religious studies and also part of the universitys environmental studies program. I wondered whether what we were to see, traditional Indian art created outside, would be rained out.

But there, on the steps to the McLaren Center, was Nagarajan, with waterproof jacket pulled on over her traditional red and gold sari, gamely leading visitors and students to selected campus sites where women were kneeling under overhangs, reaching into bags of rice flour and using their fingers as brushes to create art.

The kolam (the word means beauty), created daily by Tamil women in Southeast Asia, is the subject of Nagarajans book, Feeding a Thousand Souls: Women, Ritual, and Ecology in India  An Exploration of the Kolam. The demonstration was part of the universitys participation in the Global Womens Rights Forum, in conjunction with International Womens Day on Friday, March 8.

Designs are drawn directly on the earth outside every home, by girls who begin learning the skill at the age of 6. The artist holds a pinch of rice flour between thumb and forefinger, rubbing her fingers together to release it directly on the earth, much as ink is placed on paper in a pen-and-ink drawing. No rulers or tools are used; the artists hands serve as measures, enabling them to draw perfect semicircles and other shapes needed.

The title of Nagarajans book is literal. To Hindus, Nagarajan explained, building a home is a kind of sin, because it makes homeless the thousands of creatures who once lived on the site. At the end of every day, the kolam, art made of a leftover cooking ingredient, serves as food for ants, birds and other creatures, providing a means of alleviating their suffering.

The maker is obligated to create the work immediately upon rising, after brushing her teeth and before breakfast. Its presence outside a home signifies to neighbors that all is well in the house, and lets beggars know they can ask for food. If it is absent, neighbors know that the family needs help. Its not just beauty, said Nagarajan, but also about communication.

Kolam maker Ravie described the work as a way of unwinding. Its very meditative. Prafulla said shed been up most of the night practicing a style with which shed been unfamiliar, creating a kolam with designs that reflected mathematical theory. At a second site, she used a combination of water and flour to create a kind of ink to draw floral designs with which she was much more familiar. The image was created so deftly that it took shape with the speed of a time-lapse video of a flower opening.

Its very special, said Nagarajan, to bring this other world into this world.

Pursuant to recent news of the ddolos, a set of punctuation marks indicating that the passage being punctuated is a lie, Randy Alfred, who knows a thing or two about words, has some other suggestions:

What we need, he says, is a combination colon and question mark. This could be used, for example, for questions like Have you seen this?: He suggests that in keeping with the designation of the combination question mark and exclamation point as an interrobang, this new match-up could be called the intercolon (which to me, sounds like a field of interest for gastroenterologists).

While were at it, says Alfred, now that dialing the area code is required even for local calls, why do people still put the area code in parentheses? Hyphens, people!

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.

 Michael V. sends word of the latest pithy marquee outside the United Methodist Church in Mill Valley: Whoever keeps praying for rain, please stop.

 In tribute to the late Jeff Adachi, public defender and filmmaker, the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch is hosting free screenings of three of his films, Presumed Guilty (5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12); Defender and America Needs a Racial Facial (5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13).

 Keen-eyed reader Rosemarie McMichael noticed that two separate stories about two subjects on one page (C8) in The Chronicle on Friday, March 8, quoted people with the same name. Terrance Hall is fighting not to be evicted from his apartment; Terrence Hall is spokesman for a Transit Workers Union local. The first and sixth degree of separation have finally merged, says McMichael.

PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING

Whens the last time you were in a fistfight with someone who wasnt a friend?

Man to man, overheard at Madhouse Coffee in Brisbane by Tony Press

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, 415-777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik


By CNN , March . 08, 2019





New York (CNN Business) Move over, Saudi Arabia. America is about to steal the kingdom's energy exporting crown.





The United States will surpass Saudi Arabia later this year in exports of oil, natural gas liquids and petroleum products, like gasoline, according to energy research firm Rystad Energy.

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By virtue of their chosen profession, chefs arent usually able to embark on ambitious travel plans to see family for Thanksgiving, since at most their restaurants might be closed for a mere 24 hours over the holiday weekend. As such, a Friendsgiving tradition closer to home is more likely.

This year, Rupert and Carrie Blease, chefs and co-owners of Lord Stanley, a one-Michelin star modern-European restaurant in Russian Hill, invited their local chef friends, Jason Fox of Commonwealth, and Brandon Jew of Mister Jius, to an easygoing holiday celebration for their families.

For one night only, Lord Stanley turned into a no-composed-plate zone: First-of-the-season Dungeness crab, basted in garlic-parsley butter and smoked over wood chips in a Green Egg barbecue, takes all of 25 minutes to prepare. The sourdough loaf is left over from last nights service at Lord Stanley. The centerpiece is fashioned from dried wheat sheaves that are always on hand at the restaurant and a mini-squash vine pilfered from a pumpkin patch by the tiny, grabby hands of 1-year-old Hazel Blease.

John Lee / Special to The Chronicle

With Foxs smoked-oyster creamed nettles (a fast dish that uses canned smoked oysters and comes together as soon as the nettles, foraged with his young daughters, wilt in the hot cream) and Jews roast duck (basted with a mixture of brown-rice syrup and dark soy and blasted in a 450-degree oven for 30 minutes) also on the menu, this holiday dinner is a long way from the Bleases first Thanksgiving together, 11 years ago in London.

Rupert Blease, who is English and was raised in the south of France, had no appreciation for the holiday, although he found himself to be skilled at roasting a turkey, given the English tradition of Christmas goose. Canned cranberry sauce was present, as was homemade pumpkin pie, the beloved trappings of an all-American Thanksgiving. I remember Rupert saying, What are we going to do? Theres no Cool Whip here, says Carrie Blease, who grew up in Southern California. This year, shes made a simple persimmon galette, still nary an iconic blue tub of frozen whipped topping in sight.

The absence of a roast turkey at this Friendsgiving speaks to the off-duty nature of the gathering  who wants to man the oven for six hours or more? Plus, theres Foxs indifference toward turkey. Its bland, he says, further validating a widely held truth. Last year, my family and I had dim sum for Thanksgiving. My daughters go crazy over the shrimp dumplings at Wing Lee on Clement Street. With help from their mother, Shawna, the Fox girls (Emma and Lily) set the Friendsgiving table with the vintage gold-rimmed china and antique coupes that belonged to Carrie Bleases grandmother.

John Lee / Special to The Chronicle

And yet, if the presence of a shellacked bird completes a Thanksgiving table, it might as well be an incredibly flavorful roast Peking duck. Jew, who is constantly working to polish the dish at his acclaimed Chinatown restaurant, views its perfection as something of a holy grail  such a lengthy, earnest pursuit making it a celebration-worthy platter. (But for ease, he also recommends that home cooks pick up a takeaway duck from Hing Leung Co. in Chinatown.)

Jew carves the bird at the table, while his dog, Roux, looking on, hopes for a wayward piece. His wife, Anna Lee, serves up the duck with homemade sourdough pancakes, smoked and seared gizzards, duck liver with plum sauce, and tendrilly greens.

John Lee / Special to The Chronicle

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.

Rupert Blease cracks crab for the guests with whacks of a large knife. Carrie Blease pours the wine, a Mas Candi Tinc Set, a Spanish white. A rustic squash salad with pomegranate and puffed grains makes its way around the table. And just like that, a new tradition dawns  the Chefsgiving. I love potluck holidays because people contribute dishes to the table that are special to them, says Jew. You are reminded of the power of food to bring people together.

Leilani Marie Labong is a freelance writer in San Francisco and The Chronicle's contributing home editor. Email: food@sfchronicle.com. Instagram: @leilanimarielabong




By Reuter , March . 08, 2019





A debate within the Democratic Party over charges that one of its U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers made anti-Semitic remarks has exposed an ideological and generational rift in the party, prompting a vote condemning bigotry against minorities.





Some Democrats, including several U.S. senators who are seeking the partys 2020 presidential nomination, warned party leaders were playing into Republicans hands and had stymied legitimate debate over U.S.-Israel policy.

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President Trump is the last person in America with standing to complain about suppression of free speech. This is the candidate who lustily encouraged the roughing up of protesters at his 2016 rallies. This is the president who has called journalists whose work fact-checked his lies or challenged his party line enemies of the American people and threatened to use the power of government to go after the business interests of CNN and the Washington Post.

So it was with no deficiency of audacity that Trump last weekend suggested he was about to issue an executive order to pull federal aid from colleges and universities that do not sufficiently guarantee free speech for diverse viewpoints.

His pledge in a rambling two-hour speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference drew rousing applause. He brought on stage Hayden Williams, who was punched in the face on Feb. 19 while recruiting for a conservative organization at UC Berkeleys Sproul Plaza. The assault was captured on video and almost instantly went viral and became a cause celebre on Fox News.

If they want our dollars, and we give it to them by the billions, theyve got to allow people like Hayden and many great young people, and old people, to speak, Trump said.

His administration has yet to provide any details of when it would produce and how it would enforce such an executive order, but the very concept of a central government arbitrating what is and what isnt acceptable speech on a college campus is downright chilling. Moreover, the assault on Williams is a decidedly flawed case to argue for federal intervention.

After all, neither Williams nor his assailant were students or staff members at the university. Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ rightly condemned the attack as reprehensible and having no place here. The 28-year-old suspect was arrested March 1 on a felony warrant.

Beyond that is a context that hardly suggests the university administration is hostile to conservative views. It has spent $4 million in the last year to ensure the right of conservative students to safely and successfully hold events, Christ said. It settled a lawsuit last fall with the nonprofit Young Americas Foundation that effectively locked in UCs pledge to accommodate conservative events even if protests are threatened.

This is not to dismiss the concerns that institutions of higher education can have a leftward tilt from faculty to campus atmosphere, and that it sometimes can result in hypersensitivity about conservative views regarded as unduly provocative or even hateful. A college or university should be a defender of vigorous dissent from conventional wisdom, right or left. The limits of acceptable discourse should be a point of tension  and discussion  on every campus.

But defining and enforcing those boundaries should not be the purview of Trumps or any other administration.

Floyd Abrams, one of the nations preeminent lawyers on the First Amendment, has testified before Congress about his concerns about restrictions of free speech on campus. Yet in an email exchange with me, he expressed his serious reservations with Trumps threat.

The notion that this administration will promulgate and enforce rules leading to stripping research and other federal funding of universities deemed to have provided insufficient protection to free speech principles seems to me ... more than alarming, he wrote.

Abrams said I asked myself if he might feel different with another administration  and concluded that he was even more certain that such powers were too dangerous to allow.

The First Amendment, after all, is rooted in distrust of government, he wrote. I think that distrust is warranted even if a government less hostile to the protection of free expression were in office.

Conservatives who may relish the notion of Trumps thought police cracking down on liberal-leaning universities might ask themselves if they would be equally comfortable with giving a future president, say Bernie Sanders or Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, the authority to cut off funding to Liberty University or other institutions with a rightward bent because of real or perceived bias.

Harmeet Dhillon, a state Republican party official and attorney representing Hayden Williams, said she thought Trumps executive order was a great idea, though she is awaiting details. Her disdain about the treatment of conservatives on campuses dates back to her time at Dartmouth College.

I think its at crisis levels at universities, Dhillon said. When I speak to young people, as well as professors, everybody feels like theyre not able to speak freely and be themselves on campus because they have this politically correct dogma that is superimposed. Im not talking about tolerance. Im talking about your not being able to say X, Y or Z  or youre being tasked out of the circle of grace.

She acknowledged the response was fairly swift after the assault on Williams but nevertheless held the university accountable. She said she would reserve judgment on whether to file a lawsuit against UC Berkeley, as Trump suggested in his speech.

They have actually fostered an atmosphere there where people who assault conservatives, people who threaten conservatives, can get away with it, Dhillon said, adding, Berkeley is a safe space for violent leftists.

Erwin Chemerinsky, constitutional scholar and dean of UC Berkeley Law, said Trump was trying to solve a problem that doesnt exist. Despite a few high-profile exceptions, he observed, free speech is alive and well on the nations campuses.

There is hope in the ultimate check on Trumps whims: the U.S. Constitution, which has foiled the best-played bluster of the president on matters from Muslim bans to transgender troops to sanctuary cities to census counts.

I dont think Trump has this authority, Chemerinsky said. Only Congress can put strings on federal money.

John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron
Regarding Poor procedure (Letters, March 6) about the two young girls who survived nearly two days in the wilderness: Rather than condemning the parents for allowing their girls to play outdoors without supervision, those parents should be loudly praised for providing their girls with the 4H training that enabled them to survive. Clearly, the parents recognize the possibilities, however potentially catastrophic, of living in a rural area and high-fives to them for giving their girls the tools for wilderness survival.

How fantastic that when they discovered they were lost, the girls put their training into practice, enabling rescuers to find them. Their parents should be given a medal, not a fine.

Barbara Tetzlaff, San Francisco

Police silent on guns

Regarding the Stephon Clark fatal shooting, I am continually surprised at the silence of our nations law enforcement regarding gun control. It must be stressful and terrifying to have to constantly weigh whether someone you pull over or approach might pull a gun. Its mind-bending that the Sacramento police  seeing a flash  immediately concluded Clark was holding a gun rather than the ubiquitous cell phone he turned out to be carrying.

While there are horrifying racial inequities in fatal police use of force, it seems to me that there would also be far less adrenaline and maybe a little more rational thought if the police didnt have to take into account that there are over 300 million firearms floating around this country. As a nurse, Ive worried about needle sticks. An organization called Police Against Guns seems like a no-brainer to me.

Elisabeth Ochs, San Francisco

Food critic impressive

Regarding The fantasy of Chez Panisse (Food, March 3): Great debut by your new food critic, Soleil Ho. I especially appreciated the introductory essays. I was also fascinated by the article about Chez Panisse, which I have been curious about for decades but have never visited (and now I think I never will). Quite a change from Michael Bauer, but Im very impressed so far. Thanks for wheeling her out in style!

Doug Herring, El Cerrito

Support for Rep. Omar

I am grateful to Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for speaking wisely and clearly about distinguishing her frustration with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from her support for the Jewish people. Netanyahu is a polarizing figure, even in his own country, and most respected international observers agree his actions and legacy have stoked hatred and division in Israel, rather than promoted healing and unity. A person can declare love for a country and its people and still oppose the policies and antics of that countrys current leader. I, too, have also been repulsed by the (recent) political pressure for Congress to fawn over Netanyahu, as if any opposition to him is anti-Semitism. I certainly hope other countries arent using allegiance to our current president as some litmus test of their support for the American people.

Peter Albert, San Francisco

Distinction in criticism

Each time policies of Israel are criticized, the comments are attacked as anti-Semitic. But they are distinct and separate issues; the criticisms are possibly valid, whereas anti-Semitism is deplorable.

Donald Schuler, Santa Cruz

Miscarriage of justice

Im shocked and angered after reading With police cleared in shooting, victims family calls for justice (Bay Area, March 4). How could the Sacramento County District Attorney decline to file any charges against the police officers who shot and killed Stephon Clark? Even if they claimed they were in imminent danger, did the police need to fire off more than 20 shots at him? Clark was only holding a cell phone, not a weapon, at the time of this horrific event and was in his grandmothers backyard when he was gunned down. For the D.A. to not even file excessive use of force in this case is a true miscarriage of justice.
The United States is now headed by someone pathologically incapable of admitting defeat. This doesnt bode well for the 2020 presidential election.

Among the most chilling words uttered last month by Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer, were 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, and this is why I agreed to appear before you today.

Cohen should know better than anyone, but we already had reason to worry. In 2016, when polls showed Hillary Clinton with a wide lead, Trump claimed the election was rigged against him.

He refused to commit to honoring the election results if he lost, warning that hed reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result. He added that hed accept the results of the election if I win.

Throughout the summer of 2016, Trumps claim of election rigging was echoed on Fox News. Newt Gingrich spoke of a long tradition on the part of Democratic machines of trying to steal elections. Rudolph Giuliani declared that Hillary and (Tim) Kaine are right in the middle of the Washington insider rigged system.

Trumps campaign manager at the time, Paul Manafort, said federal officials couldnt be trusted to prevent voter fraud, warning that if youre relying on the Justice Department to ensure the security of the elections, we have to be worried.

By early August 2016, according to a Bloomberg poll, 56 percent of Trump supporters believed the election would be rigged. (Among all voters, only 34 percent predicted a rigged election; 60 percent rejected the idea.)

Even after the election, Trump refused to accept that he had lost the popular vote. Still claiming election fraud, he established a presidential commission to find it. When the commission came back empty-handed, he abruptly dissolved it, saying (wrongly) that it had uncovered substantial evidence of voter fraud. No such evidence emerged.

For Trump, losing is the deepest form of humiliation, and humiliation is intolerable.

Every time he has lost a legislative or legal battle during his presidency, he has blamed the other side and has lashed back: shuttering the government, declaring a national emergency, whipping up his followers against recalcitrant judges, Democrats, the media or whomever he holds responsible.

Imagine its November 2020 and Trump has lost the election. He charges voter fraud, claiming that the deep state organized tens of millions of illegal immigrants to vote against him, and says he has an obligation not to step down.

Only this time hes already president, with all the powers a president commands.

Traditionally, Americans have trusted our system of government enough that we abide by its outcomes even though we may disagree with them. Only once in our history, in 1861, did enough of us distrust the system so much we succumbed to civil war.

Typically, when an election is over, the peaceful transition of power reminds the public that our allegiance is not toward a particular person but to our system of government.

Five weeks after the bitterly contested election of 2000, and just one day after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of George W. Bush, Al Gore graciously declared: I say to President-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country.

But what happens if an incumbent president claims our system is no longer trustworthy?

Trumps emissaries have already seeded the battlefield. Last April, Sean Hannity of Fox News predicted that an attempt to impeach Trump (or presumably remove him from office any other way) would cause fighting and dividing this country at a level weve never seen ... those that stand for truth and those that literally buy into the corrupt deep state attacks against a duly elected president.

Trumps former consiglieri, Roger Stone, has warned of an insurrection like youve never seen and claimed that any politician who voted to oust Trump would be endangering their own life.

Just last month, Steve Bannon, another of Trumps bottom feeders, predicted that 2019 is going to be the most vitriolic year in American politics since the Civil War, and I include Vietnam in that. He didnt make a prediction about 2020, but we can guess.

We should take seriously Michael Cohens admonition that if Trump is defeated in 2020, he will not leave office peacefully.

Republican leaders as well as Supreme Court justices and civic and religious leaders across the land must be prepared to assert the primacy of our system of government over the will of the man who refuses to lose.

 2019 By Robert Reich

Robert Reichs latest book is The Common Good, and his newest documentary is Saving Capitalism. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.
WASHINGTON  Theyre two of the most prominent women in the Senate and the Democratic Party. They both were born and made their careers in California, specifically the Bay Area. Nine times out of 10, they vote the same way.

But they also exemplify a growing divide among Democrats over the direction the party should take.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is a barrier-breaking politician with a storied career and several substantial laws to her name. But shes increasingly finding herself at odds with an activist wing of the party frustrated with her attachment to compromise and bipartisanship.

Sen. Kamala Harris is running for president after just two years in Washington and a lengthy career in California as a prosecutor. She has embraced a progressive posture, positioning herself as a fighter against the Trump administration.

The two have a respectful relationship and are rarely in conflict on issues. But their distinct approaches to the job speak to a growing clash of ideas within the party on the best way forward.

I think the central question when you look at Harris and Feinstein is, do you advance your politics in todays day and age by being the most compelling and forceful, or do you do it by being the best able to find compromise solutions? said Aram Fischer, a San Francisco organizer for the progressive advocacy group Indivisible.

Feintein, 85, is a political legend. She was the first woman to be mayor of San Francisco, the first woman from California to serve in the Senate and the first woman to hold multiple leadership positions in the Senate. Shes been a leader on legislation on issues including gun violence prevention, protecting immigrant children and environmental protections.

But shes also started to run into pushback for her positions on some of those issues today. A video of her chastising children who were urging her to support the Green New Deal went viral, even spawning an online Saturday Night Live sketch. She faced criticism for her handling of Palo Alto University Professor Christine Blasey Fords allegations that then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh tried to rape her while they were in high school, and for her handling of the hearing into those allegations before his confirmation.

Feinstein has also lined up with more California Republicans than Democrats on some key water issues, including teaming with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield on extending a controversial water law that environmental advocates say would threaten key river ecosystems. Its supporters say the extension is necessary for drought preparedness.

The five-term senator faced an unexpectedly strong challenge to her re-election last year from the left in former state Sen. Kevin de Leon, who earned nearly 46 percent of the vote in the November election. The California Democratic Party even endorsed de Leon, who won 65 percent of ballots from the partys progressive-trending executive board.

Harris, 54, spent her first two years in the Senate establishing progressive bona fides ahead of her 2020 presidential campaign. Where Feinstein has shunned the Green New Deal resolution, Harris has endorsed it. She was one of only three Senate Democrats who voted against an immigration compromise that would have funded President Trumps border wall and made cuts to legal immigration in exchange for protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation, a deal Feinstein supported.

Harris walked out of Kavanaughs committee confirmation vote in protest  as the committee ranking Democratic member, Feinstein stayed behind  and has pledged to vote against every Trump appellate court nominee. Feinstein has made no such promise, though she has opposed most of his nominees nonetheless. Through their offices, both senators declined to comment for this story.

The pair often vote the same way  87 percent of the time, according to a vote-tracking project from Pro Publica.

But the difference in style is nevertheless substantive, as the Democratic Party similarly is facing a moment of reckoning on which direction it should take.

When you look at how Feinstein operates, its a throwback, Fischer said. She may be the last person in Congress who believes compromise is actually possible in Congress, and I think Harris is of a newer time where, for most of her political career, compromise has not only rarely happened but it may not even be possible. ... The party looks more like Kamala Harris than Dianne Feinstein and that shift has been somewhat quick and very stark, particularly in the Trump era.

While the differences dont put Harris and Feinstein at odds directly, the question of the best approach is consuming Democrats in Congress. In the Senate, at least six Democrats have declared theyre running or are exploring a campaign for president. Many of them are running as progressives, while others like Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have positioned themselves as centrists.

Across the Capitol, the House has been grappling with an influx of enthusiastic freshmen on opposite ends of the debate. The new Democrats who flipped Republican districts in the midterms, earning the party the House majority, are loudly centrist and promote the idea of bipartisanship. But several progressive members have gained star power by pushing the party further to the left, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House in their primary last year.

She has been one of the leading voices for the Green New Deal. After Feinsteins brush with the young climate activists during which she said, Ive been doing this for 30 years. I know what Im doing, Ocasio-Cortez hosted a live video chat on Instagram in which she criticized people who say that working on an issue for 30 years alone is ... what makes someone qualified to solve an issue.

The New York Democrat told The Chronicle it was not specifically intended to attack Feinstein, but rather the mind-set she represented.

I dont think shes the only one thats made that argument, Ocasio-Cortez said. Theres this idea of just having worked on an issue for a long time as being that alone, like, a rationale. ... Obviously we have to draw on a lot of the work thats already been done and the experiences of people and folks who have been doing this a long time. That alone I dont think is sufficient.

Ocasio-Cortez has found an ally in Rep. Ro Khanna of Fremont, a progressive Democrat who has aligned with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and endorsed his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Khanna campaigned for de Leon and wrote in an opinion piece that on the big questions of this new century, Feinstein has been wrong.

But Khanna said there is room for both approaches in the party and praised Feinsteins record of policymaking even as they differ on policy.

There are two aspects to being successful in Washington, D.C.: One is having a vision and proposing bold ideas, and then the other is having a record of getting things done, Khanna said. Kamala Harris has brought new ideas on criminal justice reform and moved the conversation on that, and I think Sen. Feinstein has had a record of achieving a lot of things, of getting things done.

He also said that after her re-election, he sought Feinsteins help on a legislative issue and found her to be very, very gracious.

She said, Ro ... public service matters more to me. I dont hold grudges. I want you to know Im happy to work with you on any issue for the state, Khanna said. I thought it came from a wisdom of being there many years.

Many of Feinsteins colleagues also share a hesitation with the pressure from the left to embrace ambitious policies in the hopes of making rapid changes.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, long a Democratic leader on combatting climate change, said he opposes the Green New Deal because its not real legislation. The nonbinding resolution would put Congress on record not just as supporting a zero-carbon emission country in a decade, but also affordable higher education, health care, economic security and housing for all Americans.

Whitehouse noted the activist tradition in the party, from protesters during the Kavanaugh hearing to a group that has targeted Feinstein at her home in the past, to young undocumented immigrant activists assembling at the offices of Democrats who support their cause.

I think that activist strain has huge promise and opportunity in terms of getting people engaged and interested, but for those of us who need to move to actual bills, weve got to focus on the task in front of us rather than on those things, Whitehouse said.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, known for reaching across the aisle to Republicans to find common ground on issues, said that focusing on a campaign and focusing on legislation are mutually exclusive.

Its not possible to run for president and be a serious legislator at the same time, Coons said. Careening around the country to dozens of states, meeting tens of thousands of people, doing hundreds of media interviews and oh, by the way, raising hundreds of millions of dollars  you cant do all that and seriously legislate.

He said hes thankful for Democratic Senate colleagues who opted out of a presidential run and hopes one of the field can strike the right balance between vision and results that require bipartisanship.

We need folks who get Democratic values and are able to communicate to middle America ... married up to a policy development team back here thats actually able to carry that through, Coons said.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
In the brutally competitive jetliner business, the announcement in late 2010 that Airbus would introduce a more fuel-efficient version of its best-selling A320 amounted to a frontal assault on its archrival Boeings workhorse 737.

Boeing scrambled to counterpunch. Within months, it came up with a plan for an upgrade of its own, the 737 Max, featuring engines that would yield similar fuel savings. And in the years that followed, Boeing pushed not just to design and build the new plane, but to convince its airline customers and, crucially, the Federal Aviation Administration, that the new model would fly safely and handle enough like the existing model that 737 pilots would not have to undergo costly retraining.

Boeings strategy set off a cascading series of engineering, business and regulatory decisions that years later would leave the company facing difficult questions about the crash in October of a Lion Air 737 Max off Indonesia.

The causes of the crash, which killed 189 people, are still under investigation. Indonesian authorities are studying the cockpit voice recorder for insights into how the pilots handled the emergency and are examining Lion Airs long history of maintenance problems.

But the tragedy has become a focus of intense interest and debate in aviation circles because of another factor: the determination by Boeing and the FAA that pilots did not need to be informed about a change introduced to the 737s flight control system for the Max, some software coding intended to automatically offset the risk that the size and location of the new engines could lead the aircraft to stall under certain conditions.

That judgment by Boeing and its regulator was at least in part a result of the companys drive to minimize the costs of pilot retraining. And it appears to have left the Lion Air crew without a full understanding of how to address a malfunction that seems to have contributed to the crash.

Understanding how the pilots could have been left largely uninformed leads back to choices made by Boeing as it developed the 737 Max, according to statements from Boeing and interviews with engineers, former Boeing employees, pilots, regulators and congressional aides.

Those decisions ultimately prompted the company, regulators and airlines to conclude that training or briefing pilots on the change to the flight control system was unnecessary for carrying out well-established emergency procedures.

The crash has raised questions about whether Boeing played down or overlooked, largely for cost and competitive reasons, the potential dangers of keeping pilots uninformed about changes to a critical element of the planes software. And it has put a new focus on whether the FAA has been aggressive enough in monitoring Boeing.

Boeing has taken the position that the pilots of the Lion Air flight should have known how to handle the emergency despite not knowing about the modification. The company has maintained that properly following established emergency procedures long familiar to pilots from its earlier 737s should have allowed the crew to handle a malfunction of the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system, known as MCAS, whether they knew it was on the plane or not.

The FAA declined to comment about the crash but acknowledged that its own role was being examined. The FAAs review of the 737 Maxs certification is a part of an ongoing investigation with the NTSB and Indonesian civil aviation authorities, the agency said in a statement, referring to the National Transportation Safety Board. We cannot provide details of that review until the investigation is complete.

Boeings position has left many pilots angry and concerned. Any time a new system is introduced into an airplane, we are the people responsible for that airplane, said Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.

Saving Airlines Time and Money

In designing the 737 Max, Boeing was selling airlines on the aircrafts fuel savings, operating cost reductions and other improvements. But at the same time, it was trying to avoid wholesale aerodynamic and handling changes that would spur the FAA to determine that 737 pilots would need substantial new and time-consuming training.

Internally, a primary requirement for the Max was that no design change could cause the FAA to conclude that pilots must be trained on the system differences between the then-current version of the plane, the 737 NG, and the Max using simulators, said Rick Ludtke, a flight crew operations engineering analyst who was involved in devising some of the other new safety features on the 737 Max.

By limiting the differences between the models, Boeing would save airlines time and money by not putting their 737 pilots in simulators for hours to train on the new aircraft, making a switch to the Max more appealing.

Part of what we wanted to accomplish was seamless training and introduction for our customers, Dennis A. Muilenburg, Boeings chief executive, said on CNBC in December. So we purposely designed the airplane to behave in the same way. So even though its a different airplane design, the control laws that fly the airplane are designed to make the airplane behave the same way in the hands of the pilot.

But Boeings engineers had a problem. Because the Maxs engines are larger than those on the older version, they needed to be mounted higher and farther forward on the wings to provide adequate ground clearance. Early analysis revealed that the engines would have a destabilizing effect on the airplane, Ludtke said.

The concern was that an increased risk of the nose being pushed up at low airspeeds could cause the plane to get closer to the angle at which it stalls, or loses lift, Ludtke said. After weighing many possibilities, Ludtke said, Boeing decided to add a program to the aircrafts flight control system to counter the destabilizing pitching forces from the new engines.

That program was MCAS.

MCAS, according to an engineer familiar with the matter, was written into the umbrella operating system that, among other things, keeps the plane in trim, or ensures that the nose is at the proper angle for the planes speed and trajectory. In effect, the system would automatically push the nose down if it sensed that the planes angle was creating the risk of a stall.

The FAA Sides With Boeing

Ultimately, the FAA determined that there were not enough differences between the 737 Max and the prior iteration to require pilots to go through simulator training. While the agency did require pilots to be given less onerous training or information on a variety of other changes between the two versions of the plane, MCAS was not among those items.

The bottom line was that there was no regulatory requirement for Boeing or its airline customers to flag the changes in the flight control system for its pilots  and Boeing contended that there was no need, since, in its view, the established emergency procedures would cover any problem regardless of whether it originated in the original system or the modification.

At least as far as pilots knew, MCAS did not exist, even though it would play a key role in controlling the plane under certain circumstances.

Boeing did not hide the modified system. It was documented in maintenance manuals for the plane, and airlines were informed about it during detailed briefings on differences between the Max and earlier versions of the 737.

The Role of Pilots

Among the many unanswered questions raised by the crash is the degree to which Boeing and the FAA considered what would happen in the event that MCAS  or the sensors that fed the system information about the plane  were to malfunction.

In the Lion Air crash, one of the primary theories is that the system was receiving faulty data about the angle of the plane. At the heart of the debate is whether the pilots would have responded differently if they knew the planes nose was being forced down by MCAS.

Information from the flight data recorder shows that the planes nose was pitched down more than two dozen times during the brief flight, resisting efforts by the pilots to keep it flying level. If MCAS was receiving faulty data indicating that the plane was pitched upward at an angle that risked a stall  and the preliminary results of the investigation suggest that it was  the system would have automatically pushed the nose down to avert the stall.

The standard checklist for dealing with that sort of emergency on the previous version of the 737 focuses on flipping two stabilizer trim cutout switches on the central console of the cockpit, then adjusting the stabilizers manually to keep the plane from pitching up or down.

Boeing has asserted the pilots on the next-to-last flight of the same Lion Air aircraft that crashed encountered a similar, if less severe, nose-down problem. They addressed it by flipping off the stabilizer cutout switches, in keeping with the emergency checklist. That flight, with different pilots from the flight that crashed, landed safely.

Older 737s had another way of addressing certain problems with the stabilizers: Pulling back on the yoke, or control column, would cut off electronic control of the stabilizers, allowing the pilots to control them manually.

That feature was disabled on the Max when MCAS was activated  another change pilots were unlikely to have been aware of. After the crash, Boeing told airlines that when MCAS is activated, as it appeared to have been on the Lion Air flight, pulling back on the control column will not stop stabilizer runaway.

The preliminary results of the investigation, based on information from the flight data recorder, suggested that the pilots of the doomed flight tried a number of ways to pull the nose back up as it lurched down more than two dozen times. That included activating switches on the control yoke that control the angle of the stabilizers on the planes tail  and when that failed to stop the problem, pulling back on the yoke.

There is no indication that they tried to flip the stabilizer cutout switches, as the emergency checklist suggests they should have. Findings from the cockpit voice recorder could establish in more detail what culpability, if any, rests with the Lion Air pilots.

Boeings position that following the established emergency checklist should have been sufficient understates the complexity of responding to a crisis in real time, pilots said.

Referring to Boeings focus on the need for pilots to flip the stabilizer cutout switches, Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the American Airlines pilots union and a 737 pilot, said, They are absolutely correct: Turning those two switches off will stop that aggressive action against you.

Still, Tajer added, a pilot needs to know what systems are aboard so that they become a part of your fiber as you fly the aircraft.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
SACRAMENTO  Californias first-in-the-nation attempt to track racial-profiling complaints against police produced numbers so unrealistically small that the board overseeing the tally wants departments to make changes to encourage more people to come forward.

The panels most recent report found 17 percent of Californias law enforcement agencies reported not a single complaint in 2017.

Of 659 profiling complaints that were filed in a state of nearly 40 million people, just 10 were sustained. Three-quarters of the profiling complaints involve race or ethnicity, but they can also include age, gender, religion, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.

The people who share leadership of the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board are divided over the seriousness of the problem and whether changes are needed based on the results of the second annual report.

Andrea Guerrero, executive director of the advocacy group Alliance San Diego, doesnt believe the numbers and thinks it might be the result of police protecting their own.

We know we have a profiling problem in the state, she said.

Her co-chair, Kings County Sheriff David Robinson, disputed that. He said the numbers reflect the reality that its so rare and far between that someone is racist.

Under current standards, people who lodge formal complaints generally must use their name to report concerns that can range from an officer being rude or disrespectful up to false arrests or racially targeted traffic stops. And often they must go to a police station and fill out a form.

Robinson said most people prefer a more informal process that often doesnt show up in official statistics, like having a police supervisor hear the complaint and talk to the officer.

The panel has recommended that local agencies allow anonymous and third-party complaints to shield victims from retaliation, while making it easier to file complaints, including by providing materials in many languages.

There should be follow-ups so complainants dont feel theyre being ignored, Guerrero said, and civilian oversight panels with teeth in them should oversee complaint investigations.

Plumas County Sheriffs Deputy Ed Obayashi, an expert on use-of-force policies who teaches other law enforcement personnel around the state, said the racial numbers dont reflect reality, but he discounted any nefarious intent.

In Southern California, the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, where Obayashi used to work, reported just one racial profiling complaint in 2017, while the Riverside County Sheriffs Department had seven. About 3.34 million people live in San Diego County, while the population of Riverside County, which includes the cities of Riverside and Palm Springs, is around 2.42 million.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the United States largest sheriffs agency, recorded 31.

Theres no way, Obayashi said. People who see this report are going to say, Theyre covering this up.

He and others blamed conservative reporting policies that leave out informal complaints, coupled with complaint fatigue by people who are too frightened to complain or believe theyll be ignored.

Proving a complaint is even tougher, he said.

To sustain a complaint would require the officer to say, I stopped that motorist because he was black or Hispanic. And what officer is going to admit to that? Obayashi said.

The 7,400-officer California Highway Patrol reported just 24 profiling complaints from nearly 4 million contacts with the public. None was substantiated by the department, which board member Warren Stanley, the CHPs first black commissioner, said shows the professionalism of the agencys personnel.

Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing, who represents police chiefs on the board, said he isnt surprised by the low reported statewide numbers.

There are some that may have, or had, a perception that there are more racial or identity profiles being made, but the data that we have doesnt bear that out, Swing said.

In Sacramento, the department reported 18 civilian complaints in 2017, none of them alleging racial or identity profiling.

We actually get a lot more than that, acknowledged Sacramento police spokesman Sgt. Vance Chandler. But the department counts only formal complaints that under state law could result in an officer being disciplined, omitting what it calls informal inquiries.

The department plans to provide more accurate information on the number of complaints and their outcome as part of reform efforts, Chandler said.

Betty Williams, president of the NAACP branch in Sacramento, said racial profiling is undersold and underreported in such a shameless fashion.

She feels the low numbers are reported so you wont have stronger policies and procedures and laws in place that will give a little more protection from law enforcement.

The next statewide report in January will for the first time include statistics from Californias eight largest police agencies on the perceived race, gender, sexual orientation and other characteristics of motorists during traffic stops.

In December, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department suspended operations of a team of deputies who targeted vehicles on Interstate 5, the main West Coast highway between Mexico and Canada, for drugs and other contraband. The decision came amid accusations of racial profiling after a Los Angeles Times investigation found 69 percent of drivers stopped were Latino and that two-thirds had their vehicles searched, a far higher rate than other racial and ethnic groups.

At the federal level, legislation twice proposed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., most recently with her fellow presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., would require federal border agents to track and report why they conduct stops and searches that critics fear are frequently based on racial profiling.

Eugene ODonnell, a former New York City police officer, prosecutor and now a policing expert at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, fears that well-intended efforts by elite critics, including politicians to discourage racial profiling will ultimately discourage law enforcement efforts and dissuade recruits from becoming police officers.

Its essentially inviting people to make a very serious allegation against officers who are acting in good faith, that theyre profiling people, he said.

The San Francisco Police Department reported 527 complaints in 2017, 41 related to racial or identity profiling.

Dan Thompson is an Associated Press writer.
When an airplane carrying at least 150 people crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday, killing all aboard, it was the second time in less than six months that this particular plane model was involved in a catastrophic accident.

The plane, a Boeing 737 Max 8, was the same model that crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189 people.

In both cases, brand-new planes faltered minutes after takeoff and plunged into a deadly descent, leaving no survivors.

The investigation into both cases is continuing, but the latest crash renewed questions about the safety of the 737 Max, which Boeing unveiled in 2017 and sold as a fuel-efficient, technologically advanced upgrade to its popular 737.

The 737 Max became the fastest-selling plane in Boeing history, the company said on its website, and is used by airlines around the world.

Heres what we know so far about the plane involved.

What is the Boeing 737 Max?

It is the latest generation of the Boeing 737, a kind of aircraft that has been flying since the 1960s. There are four kinds of Maxes in the fleet, numbered 7, 8, 9 and 10. The 8 series, which was involved in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, has been flying the longest.

The 737 Max is mostly used for short- and medium-distance flights, but a few airlines fly it between Northern Europe and the East Coast of the United States. It is more fuel efficient and has a longer range than earlier versions of the 737.

The flight Sunday was traveling from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to Nairobi, Kenya.

What is known after the crash in Indonesia?

It was too soon to tell Sunday whether the causes of the Ethiopian Airlines crash were the same as or similar to those of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last year.

But there are some initial similarities: On Sunday, the flight lost contact about six minutes after takeoff. The pilot had been given clearance to return to the airport in Addis Ababa, according to Ethiopian Airlines, which operated the flight. But the plane went down near Bishoftu, about 35 miles southeast of Addis Ababa.

In the Lion Air case, the crash involved a plane that went down minutes after takeoff and after the crew requested permission to return to the airport.

Investigations by Indonesian and American aviation authorities determined that the Lion Air planes abrupt nose dive might have been caused by updated Boeing software that was meant to prevent a stall but that can send the plane into a fatal descent if the altitude and angle information being fed into the computer system is incorrect.

The change in the flight control system, which can override manual motions in the Max model, was not explained to pilots, according to some pilots unions.

After that crash, Boeing said that it was continuing to evaluate the need for software or other changes as we learn more from the ongoing investigation. It was unclear if the company had made any changes.

In a statement on Sunday, Boeing said it was deeply saddened to learn of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the company said.

Which airlines fly the Max?

In addition to Ethiopian Airlines, which has a reputation in Africa for having a newer fleet than other airlines, and Lion Air, an Indonesian low-cost airline with a long history of maintenance problems, many airlines around the world use this model.

In the United States, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines are all operators, using it on routes like Miami-New York and Dallas-Chicago. Other major carriers around the world include Aerolineas Argentinas, Air China, Icelandair and LOT Polish Airlines.

These planes are still certified as airworthy by aviations governing bodies. But if youre concerned, most airlines let you see the aircraft type when booking your travel online.

On Southwests website, for example, you can find what kind of plane will be used by clicking the flight number on the page where prices and flight times are displayed. You can also find what kind of plane is being used for your flight on seatguru.com.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Hundreds of students from around the Bay Area are planning to walk out of school on Friday to demand urgent action on climate change.



The strike is part of the global Youth Climate Strike calling for politicians to take immediate measures to stave off an impending climate disaster.



"Scientists have repeatedly told us we need to act on it," said Hannah Estrada, a San Francisco high school student "No one seems to want to fight for my future. If no one wants to fight for me, I'm going to have to fight for myself."



Hannah, 15, was one of several youths who gathered Sunday at Art Build in San Francisco to make posters and prepare for the strike.



Local high school and middle school students from Oakland, San Francisco, Marin County and the Peninsula are planning to rally at 10 a.m. Friday in front of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office in downtown San Francisco. From there they will march past the office of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The students are calling on both Feinstein and Pelosi to back the Green New Deal, as introduced by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-NY.



A group of youth activists recently demanded Feinstein's support of the Green New Deal and were initially rejected in an interaction at her San Francisco office that went viral.



The students are then planning to rally at Union Square, where speakers will talk about the urgent need for the Green New Deal.



Hundreds of similar strikes by youth are planned in an estimated 75 countries.



Youth Climate Strike organizers in the U.S. are calling for Congress to adopt the Green New Deal and declare a national emergency of climate change.



"We, the youth of America, are striking because decades of inaction has left us with just 11 years to change the trajectory of the worst effects of climate change, according to the October 2018 UN IPCC Report," according to a statement on the group's website.



"We are striking because our world leaders have yet to acknowledge, prioritize or properly address our climate crisis."
Climbing walls, dance lessons and pet adoptions are just a few of the free activities on tap at the Sunday Streets event in San Francisco's Mission district Sunday.



The event, in which streets are closed temporarily to vehicle traffic, is scheduled to take place on Valencia Street between Duboce Avenue and 26th Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.



The free event includes dance lessons from the Bboy Connection, a climbing wall and a Finding A Best Friend Rescue Adoption Event.



Sunday Streets is a program of the nonprofit Livable City presented in partnership with SFMTA, the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the City and County of San Francisco.



Livable City produces an annual season of Sunday Street car-free events in various neighborhoods with routes one to four miles in length, with free activities provided by local nonprofits, community groups and small businesses.







The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District will consider awarding a $9.8 million contract on Tuesday to build a replacement fire station in San Pablo.



Fire Chief Jeff Carman is recommending that county supervisors, acting as the district's board of directors, award the contract to Alten Construction, Inc. of Richmond at Tuesday's board meeting in Martinez, according to a board agenda report.



The station would be built at 1800 23rd St. and replace the current Fire Station 70 located at 13928 San Pablo Ave. The current station, which was designed for a crew of three, is now housing a crew of five, according to the report. The new station is expected to house two three-person crews.



The total project budget, including architectural services, construction management services, capital project fees, construction and contingency, is $13 million.



According to the proposal, the fire district will contribute $8.5 million in funding for the station and the city of San Pablo will contribute $4.5 million. The district will tap its unrestricted general fund reserves for initial funding.







One person suffered major injuries in a two-vehicle collision on County Highway J4 at Bruns Road in the extreme southeast corner of Contra Costa County Saturday night, the California Highway Patrol said.



The report came in at 8:06 p.m. of the collision, which occurred about four miles southeast of the community of Byron and near Clifton Court Forebay, said CHP Officer Brandon Correia. The collision involved a Hyundai Elantra and a Lexus sedan, said Correia, who couldn't confirm a witness report that one of the vehicles was trying to pass on the two-lane highway and smashed into an oncoming vehicle.



One of the drivers suffered major injuries and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, Correia said.



The roadway was closed in both directions until about 9:50 p.m.



Further information about the accident was not available late Saturday night.







A woman believed to be in her 60s was taken to a hospital Saturday night after she drove her SUV about a half-mile in the westbound lanes of eastbound Interstate Highway 80 on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the California Highway Patrol said.



The incident was first reported just before 7 p.m. Saturday, when the CHP was told of a wrong-way driver in a tan SUV who had gotten onto the upper deck of the Bay Bridge from the Harrison Street off-ramp.



CHP Officer Bert Diaz said the woman drove less than a mile total before pulling over to the shoulder of the westbound lanes. Her slow-moving SUV did not strike any other vehicles, though the two right westbound lanes were closed as the woman and her SUV were taken away, Diaz said.



The woman, Diaz said, "may have had a medical emergency," and was being taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for evaluation.







Twenty-seven people had been cited or arrested in the Bay Area by about 9:45 p.m. Saturday on suspicion of helping minors buy for as part of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control's "Operation Shoulder Tap" 2019.



Statewide, more than 70 law enforcement agencies reported 339 citations and arrests by Saturday night as part of Operation Shoulder Tap.



In this 10-year-old program, law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with the state ABC, use decoys -- minors who try to get people to buy alcohol for them. In 2018, ABC agents cited or arrested more than 3,200 people in "Shoulder Tap" operations, the agency said.



Over the program's 10 years, about one in 10 people approached as part of a "Shoulder Tap" operation agrees to buy alcohol for a decoy, the ABC said.



The timing of the operation centers on the St. Patrick's Day, March 17, which this year is a Sunday.







Lafayette city staff recommends that the city ban all sales of flavored-tobacco products, and that a tobacco retailers' licensing program be adopted to provide a framework to enforce the ban.



Approval of an ordinance recommended by Lafayette city staff has been under City Council discussion since November, and an ordinance will be considered by the council Monday night.



In the proposed ordinance, a retailer could have its business license suspended for 12 months for a third offense of selling flavored tobacco products, according to a city staff report.



Regular non-flavored tobacco and products used to consume non-flavored tobacco are not covered in the proposed ordinance.



Adding menthol and other flavors to tobacco - dozens of such flavors are available - helps blunt the "natural harshness and taste of tobacco," and helps make tobacco more palatable and more likely to be used as "starter" products for young people.



A study of 33 communities with strong tobacco retail licensing ordinances shows that youth tobacco sales rates went down in 32 of them.







Sunday will see showers likely in the morning, then a chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs will be in the mid 50s. Southeast winds will be 10 to 20 mph, before becoming northwest winds in the afternoon.



Sunday night will be mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy with a chance of showers in the evening. Lows will be in the mid 40s. Northwest winds will be 10 to 15 mph, before becoming north winds around 5 mph after midnight.



Monday will be partly cloudy. Highs will be in the upper 50s. Northwest winds will be 10 to 20 mph.





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.
There was thunder, lightning and hail in San Francisco, Oakland and the South Bay on Sunday afternoon, as the weather has been variably sunny and cloudless and then gray and stormy throughout the day. The volatility is being caused by a cold front moving across the Bay Area from Alaska.

"We assume that it's stopped for now, but there are still cells that can produce hail out there," said Steve Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "So expect more of the same through this afternoon."
CARACAS, Venezuela  The Venezuelan opposition and government loyalists held rival demonstrations in Caracas on Saturday, as both sides prepared for what some fear could be a protracted power struggle.

The rallies unfolded as power and communications failures continued to hit Venezuela, intensifying the hardship of a country paralyzed by economic and political crisis. The blackouts heightened tension between the bitterly divided factions, which accused each other of being responsible for the collapse of the power grid.

Hard times are ahead, said opposition leader Juan Guaido, who addressed crowds with a loudspeaker after security forces earlier dismantled a speakers stage that the opposition had erected. He said he planned to tour Venezuela to seek support and lay the groundwork for a massive rally in Caracas.

The 35-year-old leader of the National Assembly said he anticipated more government efforts to sideline and intimidate the opposition. However, President Nicolas Maduros government has not moved directly against Guaido since he returned to Venezuela from a Latin American tour Monday.

Guaido earlier speculated that Maduro was effectively ignoring him in an attempt to sap the energy of the opposition, whose hopes of ousting the government have so far been stymied.

But on Saturday, Maduro stepped up verbal attacks on Guaido, calling him a clown and puppet in a speech to supporters outside Miraflores, the presidential palace. He scoffed at Guaidos claim in late January to be interim president of Venezuela, a declaration supported by the United States and about 50 other countries.

Not a president, not anything, said Maduro, who accused Guaido and his U.S. allies of sabotaging Venezuelas Guri Dam, one of the worlds largest hydroelectric stations and the cornerstone of Venezuelas electrical grid.

He said authorities had restored 70 percent of power in Venezuela since what he called an international cyberattack late Thursday, but progress was lost on Saturday when infiltrators allegedly struck again.

The Venezuelan opposition and U.S. officials say Maduros attempts to pin blame on his political adversaries is absurd, and that government corruption and mismanagement over many years caused the blackout and wider deterioration of the economy.

In another blow to Venezuelas infrastructure, an explosion occurred at a power station in the countrys Bolivar state on Saturday, according to local media. Video posted on social media showed fire and smoke billowing from the site. Venezuelan authorities have not commented.

Christopher Torchia is an Associated Press writer.
Thailand's first transgender candidate for prime minister and her supporters took to the streets this weekend to campaign ahead of the country's elections.



Pauline Ngarmpring, 52, who was born as Pinit Ngarmpring, had gender reassignment surgery in the United States three years ago.



She returned to Bangkok and became involved in politics, joining the Mahachon Party and championing the rights of the country's openly LGBT population of more than seven million people.



Ngarmpring is now hoping to beat the current military dictator, Prayut Chan-o-cha, and become the countrys first transgender prime minister when locals vote on March 24.



Footage shows her campaigning with her supporters yesterday in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok.



Pauline, who has two children, said:

''I'm the best candidate to represent the rights of Thailand's LGBT people. But I can also offer much more than that. I will bring gender equality for the entire country.''



The Mahachon party is contesting some 200 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. About 20 of the candidates are openly LGBT.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Todays archive page is from June 29, 1977.

A controversial school calendar -- that includes a five-day mid-winter break -- is rejected by the United Parents Association and New York School Boards Association.

Community school board representatives and the parents group agree to support a modified calendar, which recognizes Martin Luther King Day and Washingtons Birthday, but does not include the winter break in February.

The proposal for a mid-winter break was initiated as an energy-saving idea.

The parent and school board groups state that the vacation would not generate significant savings, and claim that kids would be out of school without hot lunches and hot breakfasts and without community resources set up to meet the demands.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife, First Lady Chirlane McCray, have been in South Carolina this weekend, another attempt by the mayor to make himself relevant in the 2020 presidential election.

Good luck to him. There are plenty of Staten Islanders who wouldnt mind if de Blasio took up permanent residence in South Carolina. Or anywhere else thats not New York City.

Its an opportune time for de Blasio and McCray to decamp, given the fact that the two of them have cost the city more than $1.8 billion thanks to failed policy initiatives.

At the end of last month, de Blasio shut down his Renewal schools program, which was supposed to help 100 deeply struggling schools in the city. The program didnt do the job, though, and the mayor pulled the plug. The cost to us taxpayers: A cool $773 million.

More recently, city Comptroller Scott Stringer said that he would look into McCrays vaunted ThriveNYC mental health initiative. A report from Politico outlined how the program has spent a reported $850 million but has yet to show any measurable results. On top of that, there are questions over exactly how all that money was spent.

At least de Blasio has shuttered his failed initiative, turning off the financial spigot. McCrays ThriveNYC is set to be funded for hundreds of millions of dollars more in coming fiscal years.

At a time when tolls and fares are going up, and when lawmakers are looking to charge motorists to drive into Manhattan, a misspent $1.8 billion hits pretty hard. Theres a lot we could have done with that money.

Meanwhile, the de Blasio administration continues to struggle with the citys homeless problem, including its controversial plan to build homeless shelters throughout the city, such as the one slated for Tompkinsville here on Staten Island.

And there seems to be no end to the problems in city Housing Authority buildings.

The mass transit system continues to be a mess for which nobody seems to have either a solution or full responsibility.

Perhaps most disturbingly, the murder rate was up sharply in the first two months of 2019. Rates of rape are up as well.

People may disagree with policy initiatives, but as long as they feel safe in their homes, on the street and on mass transit, the complaints are only so loud. But when crime rears its ugly head, things become truly trying for a mayor, particularly one who thinks he can be president. Even though the overall crime rate is down.

So how does de Blasio sell himself to Democratic primary voters? How does McCray sell herself to voters if indeed she intends to run for office after her time as first lady is up in 2021?

And by the way, shouldnt de Blasio stay in the five boroughs rather than chasing some White House pipe dream? Theres plenty of work for him to do right here.

Voters in South Carolina likely know little, if anything, about de Blasio and McCrays fiscal boondoggles. They dont know from NYCHA or the homeless or the murder rate.

So De Blasio can wax poetic about Pre-K for All and Vision Zero, his progressive stands on the issues. South Carolinians wont know any better.

But de Blasio cant stay out of town forever. The same old problems will be waiting for him when he gets back. Fixing those problems would really give de Blasio something to talk about on the presidential campaign trail.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Pastors of the Gateway Church and Calvary Chapel are teaming up with the owner of Picture This, to raise money for the Staten Island Pregnancy Care Center by hosting a movie that raises awareness about the different sides of unplanned pregnancies.

The movie Unplanned tells the story of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic director in the nation who surrounded herself around a womans right to choose.

She became an avid spokesperson for pro-life supporters, the movie explains.

Carl Divito, owner of Picture This, says that the facility helps women who want to have their children.

Its a premiere thats going to help get the word out and bring attention to the Pregnancy Care Center and that theres another choice for women rather than abortion, Divito said.

All proceeds from the showing will go directly to the pregnancy center to help women.

The fundraiser for the event will have an early premiere of the movie on March 28th at 7 p.m., inside the United Artists 16 theater on Forest Avenue in Mariners Harbor.

Contributors and supporters of the event include: Tim Mercaldo, pastor at Gateway Church; Dave Watson, pastor at Calvary Chapel, and Ginger Delgado from the Pregnancy Care Center.

The movie opens nationwide on March 29th.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb just announced his resignation at the end of March, but not before Sen. Charles Schumer has his demands met for banning kid-friendly e-cig flavors in New York.

With the resignation of Scott Gottlieb, critical e-cig regulations, like a crackdown and ban on kid-friendly flavors could go up in smoke unless the Commissioner takes immediate action before leaving, Schumer said.

The U.S. senator highlighted his wants by citing the need for convenience stores to ban the flavored pods and deem e-cigarettes as official tobacco products, something that has been delayed for years, he says.

Schumer insists that the FDA is not using its full authority to combat the marketing of e-cigarettes to kids and make use of the Tobacco Control Act, which enables them to regulate these products for public health examination.

Gottlieb said he intends to limit the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes to age-restricted retail settings and websites with heightened age verification practices and combat the marketing of e-cigarettes to kids.

While the overall proportion of high school students using tobacco products fell in recent years, there has been an increase in reported e-cigarette use, which doubled from 11.7 percent to 20.8 percent between 2017 and 2018, according to the CDC.

Schumer pledged that if progress isnt accomplished here with the current commissioner of the FDA, that he will urge the next respondent to continue to work on the issue.
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Sky-high iron ore prices will continue to boost Australia's big miners over the short term as they benefit from planned tax cuts in China and Brazil's mining dam tragedy.

Maritime data analysed by investment bank UBS showed Australia's big four miners, BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals Group and Roy Hill's shipments to China were up about 5 per cent month-on-month and 4 per cent year-on-year in February.

Ore prices spiked in the weeks following the Brumadinho dam disaster - estimated to have killed more than 200 people in late January - pushing the commodity to more than $US90 a tonne.

UBS said spot iron ore prices were well above its forecasts for the first quarter of 2019.

The January 25 mine disaster was the result of a burst tailings dam containing mining by-products at Brazilian mining giant Vale's Corrego do Feijao iron ore mine in the municipality of Brumadinho in the country's south.
For Jung Jae-hoon, a 37-year-old day trader in South Korea, the botched Trump-Kim summit was a success: The volatility that rattled the market helped him earn a nice profit.

Minutes before the market closed on February 28, so-called peace stocks - a group of companies that stand to benefit from increased economic ties with North Korea - started to plunge on bets that US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un would fail to reach an agreement at their Hanoi summit.

PThe failed talks between the US and North Korea was good news for some investors. Credit:AP

Jung seized the opportunity and bought shares in the group, adding some more the next trading day and selling them as they rebounded. In total, he invested about $US300,000 ($426,000) and made as much as 10 per cent from his bets.

"It's just like the cryptocurrency market," he said in a phone interview from Ulsan, a southern portal city in South Korea.
Britain has waited for nine months, since Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in a frothy, celebrity-packed confection of a wedding, to see what the new Duchess of Sussex wanted to talk about.

The answer, it emerged Friday, was  at least in part  menstruation.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard talked about the importance of education for girls and reducing barriers to accessing leadership positions. Credit:Kensington Palace

At a panel convened by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust in honor of International Women's Day, the duchess said self-consciousness around the topic hurts young women in many developing countries, who can be withdrawn from school or forced to use "old rags, literally," because they cannot get sanitary pads.

"At the end of the day, we're doing our part just to normalize the conversation," she said. "That's the first step. This is 50 percent of the population that's affected by something, that can also end up creating the most beautiful thing in the world. So it's a strange one that it's ended up becoming so stigmatized."
Coming home was fantastic, Karen says. We had two business class flights. One was on the A380, which weve been on before. Thats always fun.

Points tragic

A self-confessed points tragic, Karen says she ispretty well addicted to collecting airline points.

She puts every purchase she can on her credit cards and is always looking out for opportunities to earn bonus points, by shopping online through the Online Mall, for example.

Im very organised, she says. Its my teaching background.

The rewards have been worth it. We have flown business class a few times to Europe, mostly using our points, Karen says.

For me, the flight is part of the fun, part of the journey. I love going into the business class cabin, having a bit of space, a big TV, a beautiful meal and a glass of wine. Then, after the movies and meal and wine, I get to lie down flat with a quilt!

Pay in full

Use credit cards to your advantage by earning points for future travel.

Karen has some important advice for anyone wanting to follow in her footsteps: pay off your card in full every month.

She and Karl used savings to pay for the renovation, keeping the money in the bank for as long as possible, earning interest, then transferring it at the last minute to pay off the credit cards before interest started accruing on those.

Daniel Sciberras, a spokesman for the frequent flyer advice website, Point Hacks, agrees: paying off your card in full each month is imperative if youre going make frequent flyer points worthwhile.

He says there are also a couple of other factors to consider if youre thinking of earning points through a big purchase, such as a renovation.

Sometimes there might be a surcharge for using a credit card, he says. You need to factor that in and make sure the points you are earning are going to outweigh that cost.

You also need to know whether your card has a points cap. Many cards offer a reduced points earn, or even no points at all, after a certain spending cap has been reached. For example, you might earn one point per dollar spent for the first $4000 you spend each month, but only half a point per dollar after that.

One way around that is to hold multiple cards and split the payment, Sciberras says.

Look out for intro offers

Using a credit card to fund renovations can increase points in a big way.

Using credit cards to pay for renovations isnt exactly a common tactic among frequent flyer aficionados, Sciberras says. But theres no doubt it can take a points balance to a whole new level.

As can signing up for a new card when there are introductory bonus points on offer.

Mary Burley, a 53-year-old finance administrator from Melbourne, employs both strategies. She has used credit cards to pay for renovations on her own home as well as investment properties and loves to pounce on generous introductory offers.

A new credit card can come with as many as 120,000 points, enough for a business class return to Singapore.*

As a result, she and her husband Scott have had some memorable experiences.

We went to Europe and back last year, all on Qantas Points, she says. We went first class on the way there and business class on the way back.

This year were going to Canada, business class both ways.

Like Karen, Mary is a keen points collector. She says its not just the big-ticket items that get you in the air, but also everyday expenses, no matter how small.

I try not to spend a cent without earning a point or two.

With a Qantas Points earning credit card you could be turning your every day purchases into incredible experiences. With up to 130,000 bonus Qantas Points on offer, and over 50 cards to choose from, there's no better time to take out a card. Visit Qantas.com/cards.

*Disclaimers

Card products referred to are not Qantas products and not offered or issued by Qantas but by the relevant Card partners. The applicable Card Partner is the credit provider and credit licensee under the National Consumer Credit laws. Points are offered by the relevant Card partner and partner reward program and can only be earned on eligible purchases.

Classic Flight Reward seats are subject to capacity controls, availability is limited, and some flights may not have any Classic Flight Rewards available. Taxes, fees and carrier charges and Qantas Points are accurate as at 5 September 2018 but subject to change. Status Credits and Qantas Points will not be earned on Classic Flight Rewards. View Classic Flight Rewards for more information.
The most important showdown between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten before the May election may not be the official National Press Club debate after all.

Both will be in Melbourne next Wednesday with $5000-a-head fundraising lunches scheduled for the same time, probably only blocks from one another.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is headlining a fundraiser on the same day as Labor leader Bill Shorten. Illustration: Matt Davidson Credit:

But while fundraising efforts for the federal poll are ramping up, Premier Gladys Berejiklians frontbench are well and truly singing for their supper.

Big earners so far: Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who managed to draw $1500 from Greater Western Sydney Giants board member Adrian Fonseca, $3000 from the Nick Politis-chaired Sydney Roosters and $1500 from SCG Trust deputy chair Rod McGeoch at events last month.
January 13, 2014, started as a typical day for me. By the end of it, Id realised my husband was a monster. Then began a horrifying nightmare that engulfed me, my two daughters and my whole family. It was the soul-destroying actions of a vile predator that led to our lives becoming a legal living hell.

Family abuse is horrific enough, but justice delayed is justice denied. Credit:Bombaert

When you've been married for 12 years, you dont imagine that your husband is drugging you at night so he can abuse your daughter without you knowing. But my husband, Timothy James Stewart, was. No doctors could explain why I felt so unbelievably tired all the time.

He was drugging Alice, too, and sexually assaulting her. She was only 12. Over four years he groomed her and sexually abused her.

Then he tried his filthy behaviour on my younger daughter, Sally. She wrote us a letter blowing the whistle on him, but he destroyed it before I saw it.
Lachlan Beckett, 22, was last seen on Carlton Road early Sunday morning. Credit:Queensland Police

A young man whose disappearance sparked an "urgent" search south of Brisbane has been found.

At 6.40pm on Sunday, police confirmed that Lachlan Beckett had been found safe and well.

Earlier, police helicopters were searching for the 22-year-old with a medical condition, who went missing early on Sunday morning south of Brisbane.

Before the search, he was last seen at 7.30am on Carlton Road in Greenbank, about 30 kilometres south of Brisbane, prompting a large-scale search.
Some discoveries are down to luck or coincidence. This would seem to be a case of the right person being in the right place at the right time.

Historian Dr Stephen Gapps had just finished writing The Sydney Wars in April last year about conflict in the early colony between the British settlers and the First Nations. Then, the following month, he believes he made an amazing discovery.

Last year the Australian National Maritime Museum, where Dr Gapps is a curator, received a generous donation of the logbook of First Fleet Lieutenant William Bradley [as in Bradleys Head] who was on board the flagship HMS Sirius. It covers the ship's departure from Portsmouth, UK, in May 1787 to the return of the ships crew to England in April 1792.

The log has been donated to the museum by UK resident Mr Anthony Gannon. It had previously passed down through several generations of his family.
It's been a challenging time for female politicians in Canberra in recent times, particularly those within the federal Liberal party.

The Coalition's most popular woman, at least in the wider electorate, Julie Bishop, was among the guest speakers at a sold-out panel held as part of the All About Women Festival at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday.

Linda Burney, Julie Bishop and Sarah Hanson-Young on a panel at the Leading While Female Talk at Opera House on Sunday. Credit:Christopher Pearce

The former minister for foreign affairs was joined by former Liberal MP turned independent Julia Banks, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Labor MP Linda Burney for a discussion on "leading while female" led by Sydney Morning Herald senior columnist Jacqueline Maley, who said it had been a "brutal year" for women in Australian politics.

And Ms Bishop was in the thick of it, admitting Canberra can be "a very lonely place".
Greg Rudd, the older brother of former prime minister Kevin Rudd, is the lobbyist working for two companies recently awarded multimillion-dollar contracts in controversial circumstances for offshore detention-related work in Papua New Guinea.

Mr Rudds lobbying firm Making The World A Better Place fronts for Pacific International Hospital, a private operator paid more than $21.5 million by the Home Affairs department in the past year to provide health services to asylum seekers on Manus Island.

Greg Rudd in 2007. Credit:Paul Harris

The firm also looks after security firm Controlled Outcomes, which The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reported last week had won a secretive multimillion-dollar contract to provide garrison services at the new Australian-built Bomana Immigration Centre in Port Moresby.

Mr Rudd also represented PNGs APEC Coordination Authority, which has come under recent criticism for buying 40 luxury Maserati cars to ferry delegates around Port Moresby in November, while the countrys hospitals have run out of medicines.
The next year, militants who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State took over the city of Marawi in Mindanao. By the time the army prevailed five months later, the largest Muslim-majority city in the country lay in ruins. At least 900 insurgents were killed, including foreign fighters and Isnilon Hapilon, the Islamic State's East Asia emir. Duterte declared victory over the Islamic State. But his triumphalism apparently has not deterred its loyalists from regrouping. "ISIS has money coming into the Philippines, and they are recruiting fighters," said Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. "ISIS is the most complicated, evolving problem for the Philippines today, and we should not pretend that it doesn't exist because we don't want it to exist." Students in a Muslim school play with their mobile devices in Zamboanga. Credit:New York Times Since the cathedral bombing on the island of Jolo on January 27, the Philippine military has responded with airstrikes and 10,000 soldiers in Jolo, according to Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman for the regional military command in the city of Zamboanga.

US surveillance drones monitor the southern Philippine archipelago, where the nation's Muslim minority is concentrated and local insurgencies have long battled the Christian-majority state. But even as the military offensive intensifies, the government avoids conceding that the Philippines is in the global slipstream of Islamic extremism. Top officials have played down incidents in which the Islamic State has sent foreign fighters and financing to the Philippines for deadly attacks. The violence, they often say, is squabbling between Muslim clans, or common banditry. Within a week of the Jolo cathedral bombing, police declared the case solved, blaming a local militant group, Abu Sayyaf, with scant acknowledgment of how many of its insurgents have partnered with the Islamic State. Inside a Roman Catholic cathedral in Jolo, the capital of Sulu province in the southern Philippines, after two bombs exploded on January 24. Credit:AP Visiting the Jolo cathedral, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Duterte and his entourage trampled over evidence, church officials said. Forensic investigators were kept from the crime scene for days. Dogs gnawed on body parts.

"We are asking for an independent investigation because it was too quick, too soon to say it's a closed case," said Jefferson Nadua, a parish priest. "This is a serious matter that needs to be looked at more deeply because the threat is not just local. It's maybe coming from outside, from ISIS." For decades, local insurgencies such as Abu Sayyaf, which launched a campaign of bombings and beheadings, have thrived in the lawless wilderness and seas stretching toward Malaysia and Indonesia. In the 1990s, after Filipinos returned from the mujahedeen battlefields in Afghanistan and hard-line madrassas in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, local grievances fused with global calls for jihad. In a crescent-shaped swath of Southeast Asia, militants dreamed of a caliphate free of secular governance. Jemaah Islamiyah, the al-Qaida offshoot that killed more than 200 people in a Bali nightclub in 2002, trained recruits in Philippine jungles. Later, as the Islamic State constructed its caliphate in the Middle East, it connected disparate militants in the Philippines under one ideological banner, said Sidney Jones, the director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta, Indonesia.

"The government didn't recognise its strength in attracting everyone from university-educated students to Abu Sayyaf kids in the jungle," Jones said. "Whatever happens to the pro-ISIS coalition in Mindanao, it has left behind the idea of an Islamic state as a desirable alternative to corrupt democracy." Basilan officials say the island is now safe from the Abu Sayyaf separatists who began their fight in 1991. No foreign fighters are hiding in the jungles, the local authorities insist, and they claim that the rebels have been reduced to about 20 trapped stragglers. Basilan residents in their shanty homes in Sumisip, in the southern Philippines, on February 16. Credit:New York Times But Besana puts the overall number of militants on Basilan at perhaps 200, and their leader has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Indama, the former fighter who says he left Abu Sayyaf last year because he rejected the Islamic State's ideology, claimed he saw foreign operatives in the Basilan jungle camps.

Loading The idea that no overseas fighters have stolen onto Basilan was shattered last July when it was the site of the first suicide bombing in the Philippines. The Islamic State claimed that the attack, which killed 11 people, had been the work of a Moroccan recruit. Philippine authorities initially denied the attack had been by a suicide bomber, much less a foreigner. Weeks later, they admitted it had been carried out by a German-Moroccan suicide bomber. Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano has blamed the Jolo attack on an Indonesian couple, although Indonesian investigators say there is little evidence.
London: More then 50 businesses in Northern Ireland have sent an open letter to British MPs warning that a "no deal" Brexit would cause "significant damage" to the region's economy.

Crashing out of the European Union without a deal would affect "export markets, supply chains, consumer spending power and the region's competitiveness", companies including insurance giant Allianz and Bombardier Aerospace wrote.

"The negative economic impact is already starting to bite in terms of the private sector's ability to invest," they said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has appealed to members of Parliament to back her deal or risk seeing Brexit cancelled, as she urged the European Union to help come up with a compromise. Credit:Bloomberg

Britain is due to leave the bloc on March 29, but London has yet to work out a deal with Brussels palatable to British MPs, with the "backstop" arrangement designed to avoid a hard Irish border the main sticking point.
Dubai: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called for "decisive" action by Pakistan against a militant group behind a deadly suicide attack in a border area, saying failure to act could jeopardise relations.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said Rouhani's remarks were made during a telephone conversation on Saturday with neighbouring Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said he would soon have "good news" for Iran, according to the report.

A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in mid-February in a south-eastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the Sunni Muslim minority.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is reported to have spoken to Pakitan's Imran Khan on Saturday. Credit:AP

The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic Baluchi minority, claimed responsibility for the attack.
PHILIPSBURG:---- The Police and Detective Departments are presently investigating a shooting incident which took place on March 9th at approximately 10.00 p.m. on the Tangerine road in Sint Peters. Numerous callers informed the Emergency Dispatch that they heard several shots being fired behind of Desam Supermarket on the Tangerine road. The callers also stated that they could hear someone calling out for help. Immediately several police patrols, Detectives and paramedics were sent to the scene to investigate what had taken place. On the scene, the investigating officers located the male victim who was bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds to his body. He was immediately attended to by the paramedics in order to be able to be transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center. The area was immediately cordoned off in order for the Forensic Department to collect evidence and for detectives to speak to potential witnesses. On the scene, the investigating officers learned that suspect, in this case, was the brother of the victim identified with initials R.B. The suspect was arrested shortly after in the area of the shooting. He was immediately taken to the Police Head Quarters in Philipsburg where he remains in custody for further investigation. The cause of the shooting is still unknown. More details in connection with this investigation are unavailable at this time.

KPSM Press Release
Near the bottom of Earth's mantle lie two continent-sized blobs of hot, compressed rock. They are called large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs) because seismic waves slow down as they pass through them, but geologists usually just call them "the blobs."

About halfway between your feet and the center of Earth, two continent-size mountains of hot, compressed rock pierce the gut of the planet  and scientists know almost nothing about them.

Technically, these mysterious hunks of rock are called "large low-shear-velocity provinces" (LLSVPs), because seismic waves shuddering through Earth always slow down when passing through these structures.

A mesmerizing image, featured in an article on Eos (the official news site of the American Geophysical Union, or AGU), gives us one of the most detailed views yet of these rocky anomalies  which most scientists simply call "the blobs." [Earth's 8 Biggest Mysteries]

Geophysicists have known about the blobs since the 1970s but aren't much closer to understanding them today.

"They're among the largest things inside the Earth," University of Maryland geologist Ved Lekic told Eos reporter Jenessa Duncombe, "and yet we literally don't know what they are, where they came from, how long they've been around, or what they do."

This much is evident: The blobs begin thousands of miles below Earth's surface, where the planet's rocky lower mantle meets the molten outer core. One blob lurks deep below the Pacific Ocean, the other beneath Africa and parts of the Atlantic. Both are massive, stabbing up about halfway through the mantle and measuring as long as continents. According to Duncombe, each blob stretches about 100 times higher than Mount Everest; if they sat on the planet's surface, the International Space Station would have to navigate around them.

To get a better sense of their shape and scale, take a look at the stunning 3D map of the blobs that Lekic and University of Cambridge seismologist Sanne Cottaar created in 2016 (shown above). The blobs' vast, cascading plains have been likened to mountains of sand or interconnected pits of gravel, Duncombe wrote, but whether they're lower- or higher-density than the surrounding mantle remains a point of contention among scientists.

Equally mysterious is how, if at all, the blobs affect geological functions such as plate tectonics and volcanism. A more recent map of the structures, presented by University of Oxford doctoral student Maria Tsekhmistrenko at the 2018 annual meeting of the AGU, suggests that the tips of the blobs might branch into plumes of hot material that brush up against volcanic hotspots just below Earth's surface. What does this mean? Nobody knows. It may take many more decades to better understand the enigma near the heart of our planet. Luckily, the blobs don't seem to be going anywhere.

You can read Duncombe's article here.

Originally published on Live Science.
If you're hunting for some special pieces of art for your home but don't know where to start, Scarlett Colicci is the woman to call.

Colicci - an artist herself, who practises under the name of Scarlett Bowman - is the founder of Projects on Walls, a bespoke service which sources and curates unique pieces of art for your home, all tailored to your tastes and interior scheme.

Projects on Walls is run from a salon-style gallery space at cool London interiors hub Edition 94, where Colicci hosts a constantly revolving array of young emerging artists working across all mediums, from painting and drawing to weaving and photography.

In the first of a new monthly series, we asked Colicci to pick the artists she's got her eye on this month.

Lee Johnson

Lee Johnson

Lee works primarily in oil paint across many genres from his studio, from figurative to still life.

Taking inspiration from his everyday surroundings, Lee rarely does any preparatory sketches, preferring instead to launch straight into the canvas. I recently installed a larger than life abstract female in a client's dining area and I absolutely love the chaotic energy and playfulness it brought to the room.

Lee has this way of capturing people in various scenarios that is full of intrigue and holds your attention. His use of colour is abundant, and as a big fan of colour myself, these never fail to light up any room.

Cyrus Mahboubian

Cyrus Mahbouhian

Cyrus is a British-Iranian photographer who works in the medium of Polaroid. Preferring to shoot in black and white and taking much of his inspiration from landscapes, his miniature sized photographs are highly visceral and contemplative. His intentionally slow process of making the work can be seen as a response to the increasing amount of technology in our everyday lives.

Cyrus Mahbouhian

We currently have a series of his landscapes at the Gallery (94 Fulham Road) and more can be seen in the entrance stairwell to Soho House's Greek Street.

Celia Cook

Celia Cook

Celia graduated from The Royal College of Art in 1989 with an MA in painting. I love how her work is instantly recognisable with its playful use of form, colour and shape.

My favourite works are her woodcut series with Cine Colle on paper, they command your attention, appearing both fragile and defiant at the same time. I installed two of these in a recent project in Hampstead.

Scarlett Bowman

Annie Noble

Scarlett Bowman is a visual artist whose work incorporates painting, sculpture and installations.

Her current series of paintings uses various parts of painted canvas that are cut up and embroidered together to form large patchwork pieces.

Highly tactile, her recent work is inspired by the Japanese aesthetic Wabi-sabi, and its approach to Boro textiles, where nothing is discarded and every piece gets recycled into something else.

Bowman's work will be on show at A Room Of One's Own at The Koppel Project Central from 15th March - 13th April.
A night at Sevilles Feria de Abril is foggily recollected via a series of flashbacks the following morning. Among them: a sea of marquee-tents, the drama of flamenco, and many jugs of manzanilla sherry.

Feria de Abril is the citys annual springtime fair; celebrated in the otherwise-vacant grounds of Real de la Feria in the Los Remedios quarter. For one week, these grounds are transformed into a huge, carnival-like party - swarmed with exuberantly-dressed locals who dance flamenco, enjoy sevillana folk songs, and drink excessively until morning.

"Feria is how we shake off the Holy Week [Santa Semana] and begin Spring," says Aire G, an artist from Seville. The event notoriously evokes the colourful, old-world decadence of Hemingways The Sun Also Rises. Nights are long, traditions are strongly represented, and yes  if you must  there is bullfighting nearby.

Over the week, five million people take part in the fairs exotic, intense theatre. To the average Brit, however, Feria de Abril is apparently low on our Iberian to-do list; a cultural quoi compared with those bulls up in San Fermin.

AFP/Getty Images

This years event takes place between May 4 and 11. To help you make the most of Feria, weve compiled some dos, donts and tips from Sevillian locals themselves.

Casetas, where the magic happens

Squeezing through the crowds, down the aptly-named Calle de Inferno (Hell Street), you will notice a thousand marquee tents, at night doused in sepia-tinted-light. These are called 'casetas'. Inside is a dissonance of loud chatter, sevillanas (local folk songs, with their own steps), and often a bar, where families and friends gorge themselves on delicious tapas, and drain ice-cold jugs of rebujito (the Fairs traditional cocktail).

Besides those privately hired by prominent families, societies and unions, are seven tourist casetas. Even without a coveted invite, private casetas are willing to open themselves to the tourist who is both properly-dressed and polite.

What should I wear?

"If you want the full experience, dress smart," says Daniel Jimenez, a student from Seville. "This means a colourful dress - or skirt and blouse - for women, and a suit for men."

Keeping up appearances is important in Seville, where conservative, religious and family values are still strong. For tourists, sticking to formal clothing (that doesnt mean stuffy  it is a party, after all) can enhance the experience.

Not only will your hosts appreciate the effort, it also helps to blend in; separating you, a participant, from the misinformed visitors who single themselves out as spectators.

Women might be tempted in buying a figure-hugging faralaes dress like those worn by the locals (also known as trajes de gitana). These vibrant, polka-dotted costumes have their roots in Andalusian Gitano culture and flamenco. They do come at a price, though.

Maria Garcia, living in Stockholm (but from Seville) says, "Some women decide each year whether to attend Feria or go on a holiday. They save money to get a different dress for each night they attend." Locals are serious about their fair. "There are stories of people taking out bank loans!"

AFP/Getty Images

If you still fancy blending in, try shopping one at flamenco emporium, Flamenco y Mas, or the popular Lina 1960. Renting is another option  with shops around Calle Feria offering good prices.

And for the Caballeros?

That would be the Traje de Corto - complete with a Cordoba hat - and typically worn by the gentlemen you see parading their horses. Those of us the ground level wear smart tailoring. "It is important to wear a suit and tie," Daniel suggests. If this sounds a little stiff, a button-down shirt, blazer and chinos will do; anything less will encourage disapproving looks - and discourage entry to the casetas.

If you insist on heading in with a Cordoba hat  by all means  take a visit to Fernandez y Roche on Calle Rosario. They also stock versions for women.

How to get into Casetas

You look the part, now its time to join the party. Forgo the public tents (cavernous, dark; booming reggaeton for Latin-American expats) and look for Universidad on the banners. Little known fact: most universities open their casetas to anyone. Its the perfect place to mingle, and begin the night  while invitations to smaller, family-hired casetas could be as simple as asking. Sevillians are happy to vouch for you and share in the hospitality.

You might get the urge to gatecrash. Picture yourself - after a few drinks - gazing longingly into a family caseta, while the band plays A La Puerta de Toledo and dancers whirl like dervishes into a blur of red and yellow. Temptation takes over. This isnt out of the question - especially after midnight. "Locals do it too," confirms Maria, "but I wouldnt." Save yourself the embarrassment of getting thrown out by asking first. "If they say no, move on."

AFP/Getty Images

What to drink and eat

The easiest way to make friends? Booze, obviously. "Everyone drinks rebujito," says Jimenez. "A sweet mix of sherry (Manzanilla, typically) and lemonade  served cold in a jug, and poured in small cups called catavinos'."

Rebujito is the great leveller. As many will tell you, offering out catavinos has sparked friendships; the kind that transcend language and escalate into a caseta-hopping odyssey until six in the morning (consider some comfy shoes).

Rebujito is so refreshing, it is easy to forget youre shooting back wine. "Pace yourself," suggests Aire. "If you want to survive Feria, dont drink too early or too fast." Not unless you want to feel the full wrath of the rebujito hangover the following day.

Tapas are also available in most casetas. Platters of fried seafood (pescaito frito) are famously eaten on the Monday, with Gambas de Sanlucar (shrimp) as a fair-favourite. Jamon Iberico and other Andalucian delicacies are often sold too. If you get a strong case of mid-Feria munchies, however, it is best to find somewhere outside of the fair. Bodegon and Pena Sevillista, both five minutes away, are casual spots serving cheap and delicious tapas. Recommended: the creamy tortilla at Bodegon.

To dance or not to dance

Watching people stomp their heels to the dramatic, rapping beat of flamenco, you may be coerced into joining. "We learn how to dance sevillanas at school," says Jimenez. "Even if you dont know how - it is nice seeing tourists try." Try you might. There are a variety of steps and they are difficult; particularly for a wooden Brit like myself.

AFP/Getty Images

If you happen to get the basic steps, it becomes addictive  hypnotically mirroring the movements of your partner as the night creeps on. Sevillanas songs are mesmerising. They evoke intense romance or tragedy (assumedly), and you neednt speak Spanish to feel goose-bumps at the heart-rung cry of a flamenquito, or the isolated strum of a guitar.
A victim of racial abuse today condemned "ignorant people" after he was targeted by a white passenger on the London Underground, who pretended to be a monkey and jumped at him on the carriage.

Mohammed Dirir, 27, was on the Northern line near Kennington station on Friday when the shocking incident took place.

He told the Standard how a man on his train began climbing on the seats and swinging from pole to pole towards him.

Mr Dirir, CEO of tech startup PalQeis, claims he realised the man's gestures were targeted at him when he turned round and "gave him the thumbs up".

Speaking after the incident, he urged an end to "hatred around the world" as he said "ignorant people like that need to be guided".

British Transport Police has appealed for witnesses to come forward following the incident.

The young man, who is black, had shared footage of the incident to his Instagram page on Friday alongside the caption racism is still alive".

Mr Dirir said: I was on the train minding my own business and I saw a group of men, white males, coming onto the train."

He added that one "started doing these monkey chants and these monkey movements.

Mr Dirir said he tried to ignore the incident but then realised he was the one being targeted.

One of the guys, he gave me a thumbs up and when he gave me the thumbs up basically Ive realised that [he] wanted me, that I was being targeted, he said.

Mohammed Dirir captured the moment he was targeted in a racial attack on a London tube. / Instagram / @sulandicapi

I asked him are you good mate and as you can clearly see in the video hes said to his friend oh hes dumb he didnt get it.

Mr Dirir said he asked the man to repeat the monkey gestures so he could film it. He added: As you can see in the video, [he was] really racist."

He said he could have retaliated but chose not to, adding: "That would be responding hate with hate, (adding) fuel to the fire.

I was raised to show love rather than hate. I had to set an example, I had to show class.

He said: We need to stop the hatred around the world, its nonsense, were all the same, were one colour, one love theres no difference when it comes to colours.

But ignorant people like that need to be guided and I pray to God that he guides them.

In a statement Siwan Hayward, TfLs Director of Policing, said: We do not tolerate any acts of racist behaviour on our network and take all reports like this extremely seriously. We urge anyone who witnessed this shocking and appalling incident to contact the BTP and make an official report.

British Transport Police added they were aware of the video and called for any witnesses to come forward.

British Transport Police are aware of a video on social media showing an incident of racial abuse on the Northern Line," a spokeswoman said.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a teenager was stabbed on board a bus in north London.

The 19-year-old victim is fighting for his life in hospital after being knifed in the chest on the route 134 bus at Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, on Saturday afternoon.

Police were called at about 4.40pm, and the man was taken to an east London hospital by air ambulance.

His condition remains critical.

Detective Sergeant Jon Deans who is investigating the incident said: There is a young man in hospital in a very serious condition and we are working hard to establish how he came to be attacked.

The incident comes amid a wave of stabbings across the country which have prompted warnings of a "national emergency".

At PMQs on Wednesday, Theresa May announced she would host a summit on knife crime and said the Government would be putting more resources into policing.
A man has died following an assault at an Underground station in north-west London early this morning.

British Transport Police have appealed for witnesses following the attack at Queensbury Tube station shortly after midnight on Sunday.

An altercation took place at at around 12.30am and a man was assaulted, the force said in a statement.

The victim suffered a serious head injury.

Medics battled to save his life but he died a short time later in hospital.

His family have been informed and are currently being supported by specially trained officers.

Enquiries are ongoing, and there have been no arrests at this stage.

DI Darren Gough said: We are at the early stages of our investigation and I would urge anyone who witnessed what happened or the events leading up to it to contact us as soon as possible.

They could hold vital information about the tragic events of this morning.

Anyone with information can contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 37 of 10/03/19.
A teenager has been rushed to hospital after a stabbing in south-east London.

Police and paramedics scrambled to Southwark on Sunday afternoon after receiving reports that a man had been stabbed at an address in Pytchley Road.

A 19-year-old man was found at the scene with a stab injury at around 3.20pm, a police spokesman said.

The victim was rushed to a south London hospital in critical condition. His condition was later deemed to be non-life-threatening.

Officers from the South Central Command Unit are investigating.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continues.
A homeless man's beloved pet dog stayed by her owners side for hours after he died and helped police to identify him, the bosses of a homeless charity reveal today.

Nick, a 53-year-old rough sleeper, was discovered by police in Elephant and Castle, south London on February 23.

He had gone for a walk the day before, leaving his belongings on The Strand in central London, and when he died he had no form of identification on him.

But, his dog, Scarper, did not leave his side for 12 hours after his death, helping authorities to identify him.

Nick and Scarper were known to Michelle Clark, who runs the charity Dogs on the Streets (Dots).

Around 400 dogs and owners are registered in the Dots database, each identifiable with a unique number written on the dogs tag.

When police called Ms Clark asking for help, she said: literally within five seconds I was able to bring up who the owner was.

She said it is not yet known exactly how long Scarper sat by Nick after he died but it is believed to be as long as 12 hours.

It could've been anything up to 12 hours plus. She did not leave his side, literally sat by his side

I think what is absolutely so devastating is we had to identify him via the dog tag.

She added: If they didn't have that dog tag, I'm not going to say they never would have found out but I think it would've made the process very much longer.

And it could've even have been impossible.

Ms Clark put Scarper into foster care and later passed her over to Nicks mother.

It was very emotional but I think whats so warming, both his mum and myself said, that theres still a bit of Nick around because of the dog, and the dog is so beautiful.

Ms Clark has been running Dots for two years but said she has never been asked to identify an owner through their dog before.

Normally they have belongings with them and normally they've there will be something that they can help identify them.

If they were found in a location like his bed down area or his sitting area normally then they may contact the borough council to see if they can help identify the rough sleeper by the location.

But Nick literally had nothing on him so he was very hard to distinguish.

Ms Clarke has now started a fundraising campaign to help his family organise a funeral.

She has raised more than 2,000.

Ms Clarke had met Nick six years ago when she was working in street outreach, something that eventually inspired her to start Dots in 2017.

The charity operates mobile weekly street stations across London, Oxford, Kent, Milton Keynes, and Bournemouth and often helps between 10 and 30 dogs a week in each of those locations.

Around 30 volunteers offer food, vet advice, bedding, collars, and works to find permanent accommodation that will allow rough sleepers to keep their dogs with them.

These dogs are their life, their family, their child, it's everything to them, Ms Clarke said.

It's not only that but what's also more important is their emotional and physical therapy support.

A lot of people think that these people acquire dogs on the street, well the clients that we have had dogs prior and had no one to turn to when they've been chucked out on the street after a relationship breakdown, or are evicted from their rental.
J eremy Hunt has issued a stark warning to Tory MPs that there is risk of "losing Brexit" altogether if they fail to back Theresa May's deal in the crunch Commons vote on Tuesday.

Speaking amid last-ditch negotiations in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said there was now "wind in the sails" of the opponents of Brexit and that it would be "devastating" for the Conservatives if they failed to deliver on their commitment to take Britain out of the EU.

His warning came after Brexiteer Tories and their DUP allies warned the Government was heading for an "inevitable" defeat on Tuesday unless it can secure last minute concessions from the EU on the Northern Ireland backstop.

But with little sign of a breakthrough in talks in Brussels, Mr Hunt said MPs could not "wish away the parliamentary arithmetic" and that any alternative to Mrs May's deal agreed by the Commons was likely to be "less appealing" to Brexiteers.

Jeremy Hunt has warned there is a risk of 'losing Brexit' / PA

Mr Hunt made the comments ahead of the second "meaningful vote" on the PM's deal in the Commons following January's overwhelming defeat.

The Prime Minister had been pinning her hopes on securing legally binding changes to the backstop to convince MPs that the UK cannot be tied indefinitely to EU rules against its wishes.

TODO: define component type apester

But with time running out, the chances of that happening appeared to be receding.

Mr Hunt warned the Conservatives are in "perilous waters" as the clock ticks down to Brexit.

Theresa May has been warned of another crushing Commons defeat of her Brexit deal without backstop changes / REUTERS

"People worry about us being trapped in the customs union by the backdoor but we could end up in the customs union by the front door if we get this wrong," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.

"We have an opportunity now to leave on March 29 or shortly thereafter and it is very important we grasp that opportunity because there is wind in the sails of people trying to stop Brexit.

"If you want to stop Brexit you only need to do three things - kill this deal, get an extension and then have a second referendum.

"Within three weeks people could have two of those three things and quite possibly the third one could be on the way through the Labour Party. We're in very perilous waters."

Mr Hunt said that if Brexit was derailed, voters would hold the Conservatives responsible for failing to deliver on the outcome of the 2016 referendum.

"They are going to say there was a party that promised to deliver Brexit, we put them into Number 10 and they failed. The consequences for us as a party would be devastating," he said.

"This is a very important moment for us. There is a risk and a possibility that we end up losing Brexit if we get the votes wrong in the next couple of weeks."

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told the programme shortly before Mr Hunt that his party would support a short extension of Article 50.

Dominic Raab warned the Government is in a 'precarious' position / AFP/Getty Images

Meanwhile, the former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab also warned the Government is in a "precarious" position over Brexit.

Mr Raab, a Brexiteer who quit over Theresa May's deal, warned its difficulties would be exacerbated if it sought to delay Brexit or to go back on previous commitments.

Asked on Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme if Mrs May would still be Prime Minister by Christmas, he said: "I don't know. She has said she is going to step down. I would like to be able to see her do that in a way which is in terms of her own choosing.

"I think the Government has found itself in a precarious situation, particularly I think if the Government extends Article 50 or tries to reverse the Brexit promises that we have made, I think that situation would get even trickier."

However Health Secretary Matt Hancock denied the Government is heading for an "inevitable" defeat in the Commons Brexit vote.

Mr Hancock urged Tory MPs to get behind Mrs May's deal, warning the country would be plunged into uncertainty if it was defeated.

"It is in the gift of MPs to get on and deliver on Brexit," he told Sophy Ridge.

"In the event on Tuesday of this vote not going through nobody knows what would happen. There would be total uncertainty.

"The approach we need to take on Tuesday is to get together and vote to deliver on the result (of the referendum) and then we won't need to have any votes on what happens next.
T he former Brexit secretary has warned Britain "will get its own Trump moment if MPs vote to delay leaving the European Union.

David Davis said any move to extend Article 50 would be a democratic disaster and leave the Conservative Party massively damaged.

He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: It would absolutely undermine belief in democracy in this country and certainly belief in the establishment political parties.

Britain will get its Trump moment.

David Davis, the former Secretary of State for Exiting the EU. / REUTERS

The British people who voted for this  and a large number of Remainers who didnt vote for it but still think it should be carried through because they believe in democracy  will see a government, a parliament, walking away from a question that they themselves put to the people.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister will again ask MPs to back her Brexit deal, but if they reject it they may get a chance to vote to delay Brexit.

Mr Davis added: The House will have to choose between something that might have a risk of some short-term but manageable economic turbulence or something which for certain would be a democratic disaster  namely not delivering on the referendum.

TODO: define component type apester

He said if they did not deliver it could leave big parties such as the Tories and Labour vulnerable in future elections.

The British people would say: We want to teach you a lesson.

The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29.

Mr Davis resigned from government in July because he did not believe in Theresa Mays Brexit plan.

His warning came after Brexiteer Tories and their DUP allies warned the Government was heading for an "inevitable" defeat on Tuesday unless it can secure last minute concessions from the EU on the Northern Ireland backstop.
T wo leading Brexiteers have warned Theresa May that a Commons defeat for her Brexit deal is inevitable unless she can secure an eleventh-hour change to the Northern Ireland Backstop.

The warning comes amid reports that Cabinet ministers have told Mrs May the only way she will get her deal through Parliament is if she agrees to stand down by June.

Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said without concessions from Brussels the Prime Minister will face another crushing Commons defeat.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister will again ask MPs to back her Brexit deal, but if they reject it they may get a chance to vote to delay Brexit.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said without concessions from Brussels, defeat in the Commons on Tuesday is "inevitable". / PA

The UK is due to leave the EU on March 29.

Mr Baker and Mr Dodds warned that if that happened, it would cause "incalculable" damage to public trust in politics.

Countdown to Brexit: 19 days until Britain leaves the EU

"For some, democracy would be effectively dead," they said.

The Prime Minister had been pinning her hopes on securing legally binding changes to the backstop to convince MPs that the UK cannot be tied indefinitely to EU rules against its wishes.

An RAF plane is reported to be on standby to fly her to Brussels to clinch a deal if an agreement is in sight.

Conservative MP Steve Baker / REUTERS

But with time running out, the chances of that happening appeared to be receding.

In a joint article for The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Baker and Mr Dodds described the situation as "grim" and warned that after January's 230-vote defeat in the first "meaningful vote", Mrs May appeared set for another heavy reverse.

"An unchanged Withdrawal Agreement will be defeated firmly by a sizeable proportion of Conservatives and the DUP if it is again presented to the Commons," they wrote.

"If with the DUP just half of previous Conservative opponents vote against the deal, a three-figure majority would be expected."

There had been speculation that if Mrs May could get the majority against the deal down to below 50, she could try to bring it back for a third "meaningful vote" - but another three-figure reverse would make that difficult.

Meanwhile Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has said he will not change his legal opinion on the backstop unless he is convinced there is no longer a risk the UK can be trapped in it indefinitely.

In his original legal advice, drawn up last November, Mr Cox said that under the terms of the backstop, the UK could be trapped in "protracted and repeated rounds of negotiations" for years ahead.

Since then, Mr Cox has taken a leading role in the Government's efforts to secure changes to the backstop, leading some Tory Brexiteers to warn he will be "marking his own homework" when he comes to give his legal opinion on them.

However he told The Mail on Sunday: "I will not change my opinion unless I'm sure there is no legal risk of us being indefinitely detained in the backstop.
S now, ice and strong winds are set to batter the UK from today with gusts expected to reach 65mph in southern parts of Britain.

Parts of the UK woke up to snow on Sunday before gales were expected to sweep the country through the day.

Weather warnings for snow and ice were in place across western Scotland and northern Ireland until 11am, while the wintry weather is also set to cause disruption across parts of the Midlands.

The Met Office has issued a further yellow weather warning for snow and ice across great swathes of the country from 9pm today until 10am on Monday.

A weather warning for snow in northern Scotland will also come into force from 11am today.

Meanwhile, winds of up to 65mph are expected in southern parts of the UK.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "It's very windy out there at the moment.

Snowy conditions in South Yorkshire on Sunday / PA

"We've got bands of sleet and snow pushing eastwards through the morning, and this will clear to heavy showers through the day.

"There's a cold north-westerly wind with gales around the coast."

Further snow is expected today / PA

Temperatures are not likely to get much above 10 or 11C - but with the wind chill, this could feel more like 6 to 8C.

Forecasters have warned of travel disruption and possible injuries from falls on icy surfaces.

Wintry showers are expected to continue through Sunday evening and into Monday morning, in particular over Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Met Office said a few centimetres of snow are possible on higher ground.

Police forces reported closed roads due to snow on Sunday morning, while others said they had been called to a number of fallen trees.

Devon and Cornwall Police tweeted: "Police receiving exceptional number of calls from right across Devon and Cornwall re fallen trees across roads this morning due to the high winds. Please reduce speed and be vigilant when driving."

The Woodhead Pass in the Pennines was closed because of snow and a collision, South Yorkshire Police said, while Leicestershire Police said the fast lane of the M1 between junctions 22 and 23 was "unsafe" due to snowfall.

After a slight reprieve in conditions expected on Monday, the wild weather is expected to make a return towards the middle of the week.

The Met Office has issued two further yellow weather warnings for wind - the first of which covers much of Northern Ireland, and will begin at 3pm on Tuesday and last until midnight.

Another is in place for much of England from around midnight on Wednesday until 3pm.

During the warning periods, across Northern Ireland there could be gusts of 60mph-70mph, with 50mph-55mph seen quite widely across England and 60mph-65mph in coastal areas.

A band of heavy rain will also push south-eastwards, and will be followed by some heavy showers during Tuesday and Wednesday.
S even British passengers and one from Ireland were among 157 people killed after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after take-off on Sunday morning, officials have said.

Some 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on board the Boeing jet that crashed six minutes after departing Ethiopia's capital on Sunday.

Kenya's transport minister James Macharia said today there were passengers from at least 35 countries on board flight ET302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi in Kenya.

He told reporters 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians and eight Americans were also among the passengers.

Ethiopian Airlines plane crash 1 /30 Ethiopian Airlines plane crash People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS A passenger safety instruction card is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS Cabin serviettes are seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS A civilian takes a photograph of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS Rescuers search through wreckage at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 km (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia AP A man inspecting what is believed to be wreckage at the crash site of an Ethiopia Airlines aircraft near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 crashed six minutes after an early-morning takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew on board, Ethiopian Airlines said as world leaders offered condolences to distraught next-of-kin. People holding passports from 32 countries and the UN were on board the plane which ploughed into a field just 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, the carrier's CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the capital, lamenting this "very sad and tragic day." AFP/Getty Images Red cross team work amid debris at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AFP/Getty Images Rescuers search through the wreckage of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at the scene at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. AP A general view shows the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS A relative reacts as he leaves the information centre following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS Family members of the victims involved in a plane crash react at Addis Ababa international airport. AP A family member of a victim involved in a plane crash talks on a mobile phone at Addis Ababa international airport Sunday. AP Relatives of the victims involved in a plane crash board a bus at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. AP A Djiboutian national Hiba (L) is comforted by a relative as she waits for details of her loved one that was on board the flight Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. EPA Passenger Ahmed Khalid (L), who missed his Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 while connecting from Dubai, is received by his father Khalid Bzambur (R) at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS Airport staff install a help desk for the crashed Ethiopia airlines flight at the inernational arrival of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. AFP/Getty Images Relatives of the victims involved in a plane crash board a bus at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. AP Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam holds a press briefing at the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AP Passengers wait outside the Bole International airport Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AP

Ethiopian Airlines told a press conference that an Irish citizen was also on board the flight.

The crash occurred around 31 miles south of the capital at around 8.44am local time (5.44am GMT).

It was not immediately clear what had caused the crash of the Boeing 737 Max-8 plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November, records show.

The pilot had sent out a distress call and was given the all clear to return, according to the airline's chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam.

Senior captain Yared Getachew had a "commendable performance" having completed more than 8,000 hours in the air, the airline said.

The plane had flown from Johannesburg to Addis earlier on Sunday morning, and had undergone a "rigorous" testing on February 4, a statement continued.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam confirmed there were no survivors as he visited the crash site on Sunday

Records show the plane was new and delivered to the airline as recently as November.

Witnesses told of an intense fire as the aircraft hit the ground.

A family member of a victim involved in the crash at Addis Ababa international airport / AP

"The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn't get near it," an eyewitness told the BBC.

"Everything is burnt down. There are four helicopters at the scene now."

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the crash as he offered his "deepest condolences" to families on Twitter on Sunday morning.

The PM's office tweeted: "The office of the PM, on behalf of government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express it's deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning."

Airline chief Tewolde Gebremariam expressed his "profound sympathy and condolences" to loved ones of the passengers and crew as he confirmed there were no survivors.

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO visited the crash site following the accident.

An Ethiopian Airlines plane after a jet crashed around six minutes after takeoff on Sunday / AP

In an earlier statement, the airline said search and rescue operations were under way at the scene.

Boeing Airplanes tweeted that the firm was "aware of reports of an airplane accident and is closely monitoring the situation".

A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines flight / REUTERS

In October, another of its 737 Max-8 aircraft was involved in a crash when a Lion Air flight plunged into the sea near Indonesia killing nearly 190 people on board.

The cockpit data recorder showed that the jet's airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though Lion Air initially claimed that problems with the aircraft had been fixed.

An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia / REUTERS

James Macharia, Kenya's transport minister, told reporters that an emergency response had been set up for family and friends.

"My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board," Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said, as many Kenyans braced for the worst.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said earlier that the flight had "unstable vertical speed" after take-off.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut, killing all 90 people on board.

Bole International airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia / AP

Sunday's crash comes as the country's reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new "Airport City" terminal in Bishoftu - where Sunday's crash occurred.

"My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board," said Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.
Vietnam becomes an ideal market for foreign fruit exporters (Source: VNA) Last year, the total amount of foreign fruit consumption in the country reached USD1.7 trillion, and is expected to continue to increase.

In the last three years, many foreign fruit exporters have been looking for import partners in Vietnam.



Last week, the three biggest grape growers from Sunraysia, Australia, representing the Australian Table Grape Association Inc, and the Australian trade agency (Austrade) promoted their high-quality fresh grapes to consumers in Hanoi and HCM City.



Vietnam is the 7th largest import market for fresh grapes in Australia. Australian grape export companies have organised many activities to promote their products to Vietnamese customers, according to Jeff Scott, director of Australian Table Grape Association Inc.



Besides grapes, cherries are one of Australias major fruit exports. Last year, Australia sold almost 350 tonnes of cherries to Vietnam.



In addition, Vietnam has become an ideal market for New Zealands apples.



New Zealand began exporting fruits to Vietnam after the direct flight from Auckland to HCM City opened in 2016.



Dinh Ngoc Thuy, deputy director of Klever Fruits, which specialises in importing fruits, said that consumer demand for clean and delicious fruits was increasing.



The company has imported seasonal fruits from South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the US and Chile to meet the demands of customers, Thuy said.



Nguyen Huy Hoang, commercial director of market research company Katar Worldpanel, said that Vietnamese customers were focusing on nutrition and food safety.



Each household spends nearly VND4.5 million (USD193) per month for fresh food, he added.



The biggest fruit exporter to Vietnam is Thailand, with more than 40 percent, while China is second with 24 percent.



In addition, fruits from the US, Chile and the Republic of Korea are also popular in the market./.
T heresa May has said she was deeply saddened to learn 157 passengers and crew-members were killed when an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after take-off.

Seven Britons and one Irish citizen were among the dead after the jet crashed on Sunday morning, as were doctors, aid workers and three members of a Slovakian MP's family.

The Foreign Office confirmed that at least seven Britons were on board flight ET302, which crashed at about 8.45am leaving no survivors. Ethiopian Airlines said an Irish citizen was also on board.

In a statement posted to Twitter, the Prime Minister said: "I was deeply saddened to hear of the devastating loss of life following the plane crash in Ethiopia.

"At this very difficult time my thoughts are with the families and friends of the British citizens on board and all those affected by this tragic incident."

The airline said it had contacted the families of all victims, who came from 35 nations.

The Prime Minister's comments come as details begin to emerge about the people who were on board the plane, which crashed near the town of Bishoftu.

A relative reacts as he leaves the information centre in Nairobi / REUTERS

Many of the passengers were from Kenya, but others were said to be from Italy, France, the US, Canada, Ethiopia, China, Egypt, Germany, Slovakia and India.

Anton Hrnko, an MP for the nationalist Slovak National Party, said he was "in deep grief" to announce that his wife Blanka, daughter Michala and son Martin were among the victims.

Hospitality company Tamarind Group announced "with immense shock and grief" that its chief executive Jonathan Seex was among the fatalities and Paolo Dieci, a founder of an aid group that works with Unicef in Africa, was also reported as among the dead.

Other victims included three members of Italian humanitarian organisation Africa Tremila, with the mayor of Bergamo announcing the aid group's president Carlo Spini, his wife, and treasurer Matteo Ravasio were killed in the crash.

Sicilian regional culture ministry assessor Sebastiano Tusa was also reportedly on the plane.

Ethiopian Airlines plane crash 1 /30 Ethiopian Airlines plane crash People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS A passenger safety instruction card is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS Cabin serviettes are seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS A civilian takes a photograph of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS Rescuers search through wreckage at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 km (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia AP A man inspecting what is believed to be wreckage at the crash site of an Ethiopia Airlines aircraft near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 crashed six minutes after an early-morning takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew on board, Ethiopian Airlines said as world leaders offered condolences to distraught next-of-kin. People holding passports from 32 countries and the UN were on board the plane which ploughed into a field just 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, the carrier's CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the capital, lamenting this "very sad and tragic day." AFP/Getty Images Red cross team work amid debris at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AFP/Getty Images Rescuers search through the wreckage of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at the scene at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. AP A general view shows the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS An Ethiopian Airports Enterprise fire engine drives to the scene of the Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS A relative reacts as he leaves the information centre following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS A woman reacts as she waits for the updated flight information of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, where her fiance was onboard at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS Family members of the victims involved in a plane crash react at Addis Ababa international airport. AP A family member of a victim involved in a plane crash talks on a mobile phone at Addis Ababa international airport Sunday. AP Relatives of the victims involved in a plane crash board a bus at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. AP A Djiboutian national Hiba (L) is comforted by a relative as she waits for details of her loved one that was on board the flight Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. EPA Passenger Ahmed Khalid (L), who missed his Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 while connecting from Dubai, is received by his father Khalid Bzambur (R) at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. REUTERS Airport staff install a help desk for the crashed Ethiopia airlines flight at the inernational arrival of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. AFP/Getty Images Relatives of the victims involved in a plane crash board a bus at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya. AP Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam holds a press briefing at the headquarters of Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AP Passengers wait outside the Bole International airport Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AP

The African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe said co-chairman Karim Saafi had been a passenger on the flight and had been due to represent them at a meeting with the African Union in Nairobi.

"Karim's smile, his charming and generous personality, eternal positivity, and his noble contribution to youth employment, diaspora engagement and Africa's socio-economic development will never be forgotten," a statement said.

Austrian media reported that three doctors who were aged between 30 and 40 and worked at hospitals in Linz had died.

The Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed on Sunday morning / REUTERS

While the cause is not yet known, the crash shared similarities with last year's Lion Air jet plunging into the Java sea, killing 189. That also involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 crashing minutes after takeoff.

On Sunday, visibility was clear but air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said "vertical speed was unstable after take off".

The pilot had sent out a distress call and was given the all clear to return, according to the airline's chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam.

People walk at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash / REUTERS

Senior captain Yared Getachew had a "commendable performance" having completed more than 8,000 hours in the air, the airline said.

The plane had flown from Johannesburg to Addis earlier on Sunday morning, and had undergone "rigorous" testing on February 4, a statement continued.

Records show the plane was new and delivered to the airline as recently as November.

A family member of a victim involved in a plane crash / AP

An eyewitness told the BBC there was an intense fire when the plane crashed.

"The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn't get near it," he said. "Everything is burnt down. There are four helicopters at the scene now."

Mr Gebremariam was pictured leafing through what little was left of the wreckage as he visited the freshly ground earth under the blue sky of Ethiopia's capital.

A tractor at the scene of the plane crash / REUTERS

Minister Therese Coffey said no officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) were on board, though she suspected some of the passengers had been travelling to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

UK investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are likely to be communicating with their counterparts in Ethiopia to keep next-of-kin informed.

A statement from Boeing said the manufacturer was "deeply saddened" to learn of the disaster, adding that it was sending a technical team to the crash site

The last fatal Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane crash was in 2010 when all 90 on board were killed when the aircraft crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "Following the Ethiopian Airlines crash, we can confirm at least seven British nationals were on-board flight ET302.

"Our staff at the British Embassy in Addis Ababa are in touch with the relevant authorities in Ethiopia. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have lost loved ones and those affected by this tragic event."
F oreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said it would have been too dangerous for British officials to rescue ISIS bride Shamima Begums baby from Syria.

Ms Begums child died in a refugee camp last week after his mother, who fled east London to join the cult aged 15, was stripped of her British citizenship.

The 19-year-old had pleaded to return to Britain with her boy after already losing two children, but Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her passport.

He has faced growing criticism over the move after her three-week-old son died, with his Labour counterpart Diane Abbott calling the death a "stain on the conscience of this Government".

Mr Hunt has now said the British boys death was an incredibly distressing and sad situation but that it was too dangerous to dispatch officials to the warzone.

Jeremy Hunt on BBC's The Andrew Marr Show / REUTERS

He added that they are at greater risk than the journalists who have interviewed Ms Begum.

Mr Hunt told BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: "We have to think about the safety of the British officials that I would send into that warzone."

Shamima knew when she made the decision to join Daesh she was going to a country where theres no embassy, where theres no consular assistance, he added.

And Im afraid those decisions, awful though it is, they do have consequences.

Shamima Begum fled the UK aged 15 / PA

The Foreign Secretary also insisted officials are working on how to rescue British children born to Islamic State runaways after the death of the three-week-old.

His defence came after it was reported that two further women married into the terror group have been stripped of their UK citizenship while being held in detention camps with their children.

Mr Hunt said he is working with International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt on how children can be safely returned.

"We have been looking at how we can get in touch with these children, how we can find a way to get them out. Sadly in this case, as we know, it wasn't possible," he added.

How to treat innocent British children who are stuck in the squalor of Syrian detention camps will be an increasing issue.

The Sunday Times reported that two women, with five boys under the age of eight between them, had their UK nationality stripped after marrying into a terror cell linked to the murder of western hostages.

Quoting legal sources, the paper named the women as Reema Iqbal, 30, and her sister Zara, 28, whose parents are originally from Pakistan.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases.
N ew footage has shown the aftermath of severe turbulence on a flight from Istanbul to New York that injured 30 people, including one who suffered a broken leg.

The plane touched down at John F Kennedy International airport at 5.35pm local time on Saturday where dozens of ambulances were lined up to treat the injured.

A flight attendant had a broken leg and 29 other passengers and crew suffered bumps, cuts and bruises.

The Turkish Airlines Flight 1 flew into turbulence about 45 minutes before landing at JFK after a 10-hour trip from Istanbul.

Emergency medical personnel at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after 30 passengers were injured during severe turbulence. / AP

Footage taken from inside the plane after the turbulence was over shows shocked passengers who can be heard moaning and crying out in distress.

Oxygen masks that have come down from overhead can also be seen.

Passenger Sead Nikaj told ABC News no one had warned them the turbulence was coming.

"Nobody announced it or anything like that so we figured out something was wrong," he said.

"Then I see people start flying on the plane. Then seeing blood all over. I had one of the ladies next to me, she really fell down from her seat on the floor and all her back was completely bloody, while someone that was working in the airplane, she cracked her leg I think completely."

Passenger Amir Mehrbakhsh told the network he saw one man frantically screaming.

"I think he was like doing a religious chant. I kept hearing him say 'Jesus,' like he was visibly distraught," he said.

"There was like one or two seconds when (the turbulence) was subtle, but then it really started to pick up," Mr Mehrbakhsh said.

Severe turbulence injured at least 30 people aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul that landed safely at New York's Kennedy International Airport on Saturday. / AP

He added: Just because the drop was so sudden, a lot of people got lifted up and hit their head either on the ceiling or on the side of the plane, and so there were a lot of injuries pretty quickly.

The crew declared an emergency while the Boeing 777 was still in the air, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The US National Weather Service had issued advisories on Saturday warning pilots of expected turbulence.
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PSD leader Liviu Dragnea told a news conference in Calarasi (south) on Sunday that there could be a governmental reshuffle after the European Parliament elections, but only if they are members of the Government accepted as candidates.

"If there are members of the Cabinet accepted by the National Executive as candidates, yes. If not, no," Dragnea told the journalists who asked him whether there would be governmental reshuffle after the European Parliament elections.

Liviu Dragnea also said that he knows there are ministers who want to run and nominated Rovana Plumb and Natalia Intotero PSD President Liviu Dragnea attended on Sunday the County Conference of PSD Calarasi and held a press conference.
Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici will attend on Monday the Eurogroup meeting and will chair the meeting of the macroeconomic dialogue and will chair the third ECOFIN meeting on Tuesday.

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, in Brussels, chaired by Romanian Minister of Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, has on its agenda topics such as the directive on schemes of alcohol and alcoholic beverage excise duties, the directive on the general regime of excise duties, taxation of digital services, InvestEU, revision of the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions and European Half Year.

Also in Brussels, Minister Teodorovici will participate in the enlarged Eurogroup meeting on Monday, March 11, and will lead the high-level meeting on "Macroecomic Dialogue''.

Also, the finance minister will have a meeting with Eurogroup President Mario Centeno," reads a press release from the Finance Ministry.
MEP Norica Nicolai on Sunday, in Tulcea, voiced her wish to continue working in the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries and to raise a larger budget for Romania from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), if she obtains a new mandate in the European Parliamentary elections in May.

"We have a certainty: the amount allocated to EMFF for the entire EU remained at 6.4 billion euro. I had a discussion with the minister of agriculture to prepare much better Romania's application for funds. "We had 167 million euro which was mostly used," Norica Nicolai said during a press conference of the ALDE county organization.

The MEP also said that she wants the sum to be allocated to Romania in the next European financial exercise to be at least 500 million euro, and that the inclusion of damage caused by cormorants on the public agenda is not "a whim."

She voiced hope that the initiated amendment be adopted and stated that her working agenda also included issues related to the size of the fishing boats on the Black Sea.

MEP Nicolai attended on Sunday the meeting of the ALDE Permanent Delegation, during which the county organization assumed the support for her candidacy for a new mandate in the European Parliament
The past few weeks have seen a tumultuous breaking down of the traditional structures of British party politics. With the defeat of Prime Minister Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement with the EU27 by the largest margin for a British Government in British parliamentary history and the defection of 8 Labour MPs and 3 Conservative MPs to form the Independent Group, plus a further Labour MP quitting the Party in disgust at the perceived anti-Semitism in Labour, domestic British party politics is in a state of flux like never before. This is due to the political and constitutional crisis of the 2016 EU Referendum and the decision to have the UK leave the EU and the subsequent fallout of implementing that decision over the course of the past three years now which has paralysed and overwhelmed British governance and politics as well as the media coverage of the political and policy agenda at Westminster.

Combined with the fact that the Prime Minister has announced she will not lead the Tory Party into the next General Election, currently scheduled for 2022, a massive power vacuum has opened up at the heart of the British State while its Parliament has been consumed by one subject, and one subject alone over the course of the last three years, namely the UKs membership of the European Union. As has its Civil Service and the Governments public policy agenda which outside of Brexit and the UK-EU divorce negotiations has advanced not one iota on relieving deep challenges and pressing burdens of acute economic and social affliction upon the middle class and also the vital services and infrastructure as well as social cohesion of the country beyond its status inside or out of the European Union.

The creation of the Independent Group of MPs has rocked both the Labour Party and Conservative Party while upending the delicate Parliamentary arithmetic inside the House of Commons. Alongside in alliance with the British Liberal Democrat Party, the Independent Group, forms the fourth largest political force in the British House of Commons behind the Conservatives, Labour and the Scottish National Party thus offering perhaps a rival power centre of votes from the Democratic Unionist Party, currently in a confidence and supply agreement with the minority Tory Party. Many political commentators and political affairs strategists have compared the rebel renegade breakaway faction of the gang of 8 Labour MPs to an SDP moment among the Labour Party.

The group of 11 MPs in total including the three Conservative ladies Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen have now all begun to take formal steps with the Electoral Commission to move from an ethereal and loose informal political grouping and bloc of votes to a formalised official new political party that will raise funds through donations and field candidates at the next General Election. Its leader looks set to be the former Labour MP Chuka Umunna. The effect of this rupture within the Labour Party over the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn from hard core Blairites and concerns over a row regarding the perceived rise in anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is also felt across the aisle as well in the deep anger and despair as well as unease within the rank and file of the Tory Party regarding Theresa Mays leadership and handling of the Brexit negotiations taking the UK out of the EU after the Leave campaign won the 2016 EU referendum which most of the Tory grass roots supported.

Within the Tory Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons roughly 1/3 of the MPs, and the grassroots out in the constituencies and provinces outside of London, are furious with Theresa May regarding her Withdrawal Agreement and furious with her Tory Government and the Tory Party in general regarding the Brexit fiasco. It seems likely another Tory Party leadership campaign is already underway in preparation for Theresa May perhaps resigning by this summer. How all of this in terms of the breakdown in unity to the Labour Partys standing under Jeremy Corbyns leadership and another new Tory Prime Minister will play out could create a period of British domestic politics where minority Governments, coalitions and confidence and supply arrangements become more frequent and perhaps the new norm especially if the new Independent Group take off and are able to garner widespread centrist support from pro-European moderate Tories and Labour and unite perhaps in alliance with the Liberal Democrats, or will they prove like a flash in the pan that the SDP/Liberal Alliance of the 1980s proved?

One thing is certain, with the current stalemate at Westminster, the crumbling of the traditional structures of British party politics, the UK bedeviled by the European issue and a Government out of control the UK is headed for the exit of the European Union under the worst possible circumstances. The country will need to rely on quite a lot of goodwill internationally going forward if it is to salvage anything nearing a success for the long term of this Brexit enterprise.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been under fire from the European Union for years for his opposition to German Chancellor Angela Merkels open immigration policy.

A policy which she herself has had to pull back on. And no matter how far Merkel has changed her stance and acceded to the reality of the damage her policy has created, Orban is still guilty of the sin of non-compliance.

Actually, hes guilty of a whole lot more than that. Because Orban has not only stepped on the third-rail of European politics hes stomped up and down while taking a massive dump on it.

That third-rail, of course, is naming names. Naming the very person who controls so much of EU policy through his co-opting large swaths of the European parliament.

That person, of course, is George Soros.

Now there is a push, ahead of Mays European Parliamentary elections, to kick Orbans dominant Fidesz party out of the European Peoples Party (EPP), a nominal center-right coalition and the largest single party within the EU parliament.

And with each victory over Soros Orban grows even bolder. After a successful re-election campaign predicated on the slogan, Dont Let Soros Win, Orban has banned Soros major NGO, Open Society Foundation, as well as forced out his Central European University.

But his biggest sin was equating outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude When things get tough you have to lie Juncker with Soros attempts to weaken Hungarys border.

His reward for this, and building a border fence which thwarts Soros and Merkels tactic of tying immigrants in the host country in legal limbo for years by being inset from Hungarys actual border, has been an Article 7 procedure opened up against Hungary for not abiding by the EUs position on human rights.

Poland is in similar hot water with Merkel but thanks to one of the few reasonable things within the EUs framework, each country can use the other to veto the actual censuring and concomitant removal of voting rights within the Union that comes with the full application of Article 7.

But this article isnt really about Orbans latest troubles with the faux democrats within the EU parliament. Its about how scared those people are of the rise in Euroskeptics like Orban across the continent ahead of Mays elections.

Orbans potential expulsion from the EPP is just another symptom of this fear. Recently, Frances Marine Le Pen, found out that the trial against her for tweeting out images of ISIS beheadings back in 2015, will go forward with the potential of landing her in jail for three years.

This is not much different than the kidnapping charge Sicilian prosecutors tried to bring against Italys Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of Lega and all-around bad boy Matteo Salvini in Italy. This was a lame attempt to split Italys Euroskeptic coalition and keep it focused on internal trivialities versus mounting a real challenge in Mays elections.

The same is true now for Le Pen. Her National Rally party is polling within the margin of error of President Emmanuel Macrons En Marche with a real chance to send a plurality of French Euroskeptic MEPs to Brussels in a couple of months.

Merkel is struggling with the same thing. And even though support for Alternative for Germany (AfD) has waned in recent polling, down to just 13%, dont underestimate the voters desire to send a strong message to Brussels by voting in stronger numbers for the new or alternative parties rather than how they would vote for them at home.

Weve seen this in the past with UKIP who shocked everyone in the last European elections in 2014 with the size of the vote for them. It never translated into domestic momentum as typical prisoners dilemma concerns are more prevalent in Britains majoritarian voting system.

But for the EU parliament where the two-party system doesnt hold sway and the direct benefits are harder to make a case to voters for, its much more likely voters will loosen up a little and throw their support for a smaller, less established party.

And that, along with some serious miscalculations about Brexit which Ill get to in a minute, has the power elite in European political circles very scared. So scared that they are willing to devote serious resources in Quixotic endeavors of dubious value.

Expelling Orban from the EPP will only give him more strength. It will only give Euroskeptics more ammunition. Orban, like Salvini, revels in being the outsider. Hell use it to rally others across Eastern Europe and pull a few more seats into that orbit.

According to the latest polling, which you can find an up-to-date tally of here, Euroskeptic parties will take between 215 and 225 seats out of the 705 up for grabs, assuming Britain actually leaves and doesnt stand for MEP elections, which at this point doesnt look likely.

If reports are true that Prime Minister Theresa May cut a deal with Merkel in July of last year on the withdrawal agreement. And if that agreement was structured so as to ease the way for the U.K. to rejoin the EU later are true, then there is no way Mrs. May will be able to forestall Brexit on WTO terms at this point, even if it takes another 90 days to do so.

A report from the Bruges Group, since taken down, had the details (see link above). And well know if this is the case if suddenly Theresa May agrees to step aside as Prime Minister just after March 29th whether or not Britain leaves.

Because she will have either failed to scuttle Brexit and be sacrificed to save the Tories. Or she steps aside for a true Brexiteer in the event of Parliament voting for an extension.

Well know this was the case if she does so.

Lots of ifs, I know, but right now everyone is doing the Juncker-Two-Step, lying and cajoling to maintain the status quo and continue forward towards further European integration.

Mario Draghi at the European Central Bank did his part, going full dove for the rest of 2019 to keep markets from imploding.

And if Brexit is settled on WTO terms that opens up their worst nightmare going forward.

Watch Viktor Orban smile the smile of the just at that point.
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.
Bay of Plenty

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Farmers across the country are being warned to make calls on feed planning, milking frequency and drying off due to the dry weather.

DairyNZ Farm Performance general manager Vanessa Winning says all regions are battling against the dry conditions.

A few areas in both the North and South Islands had some rain recently, but most areas need a really good soaking coupled with follow-up rain to get soil moisture levels up to support grass growth.

For most regions in New Zealand 70-130mm of rainfall is needed to fill the current soil moisture deficit.

We know some farmers have reduced their milking frequency as a way of managing through what are still very dry conditions.

Other farmers have sought to reduce feed demand by selling empty cows and other known cull cows, and drying off young light condition cows.

The Bay of Plenty and Central Plateau areas are still very dry due to the high temperatures.

Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty President Darryl Jensen says pressure is building for farmers in the region.

The screws are turning tighter and tighter on farmers, each day is getting more difficult with less rain around.

Were hoping to get some rain today from what the weather forecast has said, but we are in very dry conditions, it certainly hasnt been called a drought as yet but there are parts of the Bay of Plenty region, Id say Galatea would be one of our worst affected areas.

It is very dry up there, some farmers have dried off once a day or dried a little proportion of the heard off and feeding a lot of supplements out in that area.

Darryl says other farmers across the region are feeding their cows supplements for the time being, however that is only a short term option.

You dont want to eat into your winter feed.

The longer the rain stays away, the harder the call is to make to carry on putting some supplementary feed into your system.

Darryl says the dry spell is impacting farmers financially and it affects animal welfare.

Each farmer has to make their decisions individually and seek advice from Dairy NZ or a farm consultant to analyse their own situation.

Farmers can seek advice on feed planning and summer management on the DairyNZ website.
The Democratic Party has the majority in the House of Representatives, but its a fractious one, as progressive freshmen lawmakers tug the party to the left.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, thrust House Democrats into yet another controversy last week by remarking at a public appearance about Israel, I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. The statement was widely criticized as anti-Semitic because it suggested that Jewish Americans have dual loyalty to the U.S. and Israel. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to call out Omar, instead pushing a resolution condemning hate in all its forms. It was an embarrassing own goal for Democrats, overshadowing House passage of H.R. 1, a bill to revamp campaign finance, voting and ethics laws.

President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was sentenced to 47 months in federal prison for cheating on his taxes and bank fraud. He faced 20 years in jail under federal sentencing guidelines. The sentence was widely criticized as being too lenient.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media site, founded on the principle of sharing details of your life with the world, would pivot to become a private network. The shift would relieve Facebook of having to police content on its site. It also would undercut the social networks lucrative advertising business. The announcement was met with skepticism, given Facebooks long history of user privacy breaches.

Editorial cartoonists also commented on the controversy over security clearances for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump; the 2020 presidential campaign; Leaving Neverland, the documentary about two men who say pop star Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were young; and the emoluments case involving Trumps hotel in Washington, D.C.; and the comeuppance of anti-vaxxers, as infectious disease outbreaks dot the country. Dont miss Mike Lesters commentary on Gov. Andrew Cuomos lament that New Yorkers are leaving the state for Florida.

Cartoons were drawn by Bill Bramhall, Chan Lowe, Dan Wasserman, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey and Phil Hands of Tribune Content Agency; Tim Campbell, Mike Lester, Signe Wilkinson and Jeff Danziger of the Washington Post Writers Group; and Tom Toles of Andrews McMeel Syndication.

More editorial cartoon galleries.
The bill is coming due on decades of neglect of underground sewer pipes and above-ground sewage treatment plants in Syracuse and Onondaga County  and its a doozy.

County Executive Ryan McMahon estimates it will cost $500 million over the next 15 years to repair and upgrade the sewer system, parts of which are over 100 years old. To pay for sewer fixes, McMahon plans to seek state and federal funding, borrow money and raise county sewer rates.

We have to give props to McMahon for making this desperately unsexy topic his first big policy initiative. In his State of the County address Feb. 26, McMahon unveiled a plan to fix the sewers countywide. The county wants to take control of the patchwork of municipal sewer systems, including the citys, to create cost and labor efficiencies.

Consolidating wastewater treatment was one of the recommendations of the Consensus Commission in 2017. Municipalities own 90 percent of the sewer pipes in the county, but they lack the money and the incentive to make expensive repairs on their own.

The county has a powerful incentive to stop raw sewage from flowing into creeks, rivers and lakes. Sewer overflows violate state environmental discharge permits and the countys agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up Onondaga Lake. Doing nothing to fix the problem could bring heavy fines and restrictions on new sewer connections, constraining future growth and driving away industry and jobs.

Then theres the yuck factor. Its unhealthy for people and wildlife to be mucking around in raw sewage.

We were astonished to learn, through reporting by staff writer Tim Knauss, that city property owners suffer more than 4,000 sewer backups into their basements every year. Thats an average of 12 backups a day.

If youve ever had the sewer back up into your basement, you know its a crisis. The cleanup can be expensive, and insurance often doesnt cover the cost of fixing water damage and replacing appliances.

The citys response has been less than urgent. A study to figure out how to prevent sewer backups in Eastwood inexplicably languished for two years. It should finally be done this summer. We hope that leads to some preventive measures; as it is now, the city devotes a staff of six to responding to sewer backups after they occur.

Onondaga Countys sewer crisis isnt happening in a vacuum. Across the state, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure is aging and overburdened. To repair and replace it will cost $80 billion over the next 20 years, according to a 2017 estimate.

Gov. Andrew Cuomos proposed budget allocates $500 million to clean water infrastructure. Its not nearly enough to meet the demand from communities struggling to provide clean water for residents and businesses.

In 2015, Cuomo famously told Syracuses mayor to fix your own pipes. McMahons proposal meets the governor more than halfway. Cuomo and the state Legislature need to devote more resources to helping communities repair their clean water infrastructure.

Consider it economic development, which never lacks for state funding. Abundant, clean water is one of our regions best assets. If the toilets dont flush and dirty water comes out of the tap, businesses will have no reason to locate here and residents will have no reason to stay.

About Syracuse.com editorials

Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Jason Murray and Marie Morelli.

To respond to this editorial: Post a comment below, or submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines.

If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion leader, at mmorelli@syracuse.com
The mother of a poker player who went missing in Dublin, Ireland is appealing for the public to help find him.

The mother of 41-year-old Icelandic poker player Jon Jonsson, Hanna Bjork Thrastardottir, told Virgin Media News: "It's the hardest thing I've ever been through in my life.

"I could never imagine anything worse than not knowing where your child is, it's the worst thing.

"We are checking all possibilities, when you have no idea where he is anything can happen.

"So we just take it from there, the only thing is we have to do is find him, and we take it from there."

The father of two went missing in Dublin near his hotel room on February 9.

Jonsson arrived the day before with his fiance to take part in a poker tournament. He was last seen playing poker in a nearby casino but was noticably absent from the tournament he came to Ireland specifically to play in.

He left the Bonnington Hotel at 11:05am and was caught on CCTV at McGettigans bar two minutes later, exiting onto the Swords Road heading northbound past Highfield Hospital. There has been no trace of Jonson since.

Ireland's Civil Defence has since gotten involved.

The family said there were no signs of unusual behaviour prior to his disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 6664400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
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The big picture: In an interview at the SXSW conference, Minnesota Senator and 2020 presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar discussed the idea of taxing companies that make money off user data. This wasn't an official statement of policy, but it's still an interesting talking point that could disrupt much of the tech industry if implemented.

Klobuchar views user data as a public resource like roads and has considered taxing them in a similar way. She summarized the idea as follows:

[Tech companies] use us, and were their commodity, and were not getting anything out of it. When they sell our data to someone else, well, maybe theyre going to have to tell us so we can put some kind of a tax on it [...] If you go on a truck, if you send stuff on rail, you have to pay for the roads and you have to pay for the rail. And maybe theres some way we can do that with large sets of data, when [companies] use it or when they sell it.

While this may seem like a simple way to tax the huge tech companies that often pay little to no taxes, implementing it may prove difficult. Details like what qualifies as user data, under what scenarios it should be taxed, and which companies would be subject to this tax would all have to be worked out. Additionally, some of the companies profiting off user data don't necessarily do things ethically or at least transparently, so it may be difficult to keep tabs on everyone involved.

Klobuchar agreed that this type of tax may hinder data-science based startups, so she believes a tax like this should only apply to "larger platforms, not startups." This type of tax has been proposed previously in Europe, but didn't gain enough traction to be passed.

While Klobuchar is the first candidate to discuss a tax like this, other candidates have also voiced support for regulating tech companies. Senator Warren has talked about breaking up major tech companies that run ubiquitous platforms (Google, Apple, Amazon, others) to promote fair competition between third parties and the platform owners who possess all the data about users and purchases, which gives them a privileged position on decision making.

Regardless of which candidate gets the nomination, it's clear that tech policy and consumer privacy will be a major part of the 2020 election.

Lead Photo Credit: Jack Plunkett
In context: The U.S. has long used genetically modified (GM) plant crops in its food chains, but so far has had no GM animals on sale for human consumption. That could be about to change as the Food and Drug Administration lifts an import ban on AquaBountys GM salmon eggs.

On Friday the FDA announced that a genetically modified type of salmon will soon be allowed to be imported and reared in the U.S. ahead of new labelling requirements coming into force which ultimately will allow the fish to be sold to consumers. The salmon have been modified with DNA from other species of fish to allow them to grow roughly twice as fast as regular salmon.

Following years of health and safety assessments, the salmon became the first GM animal to be approved for human consumption by the FDA in 2015. But almost immediately after approval, an alert was issued by the FDA prohibiting importing and rearing until labelling regulations caught up.

These new regulations will mandate that companies selling bioengineered food will have to label their products as such, and come into force in 2020.

AquaBounty, the company behind the GM salmon breed they have named AquAdvantage, produce the eggs in their research and development facility in Canada. But now that the FDAs alert has been 'deactivated', AquaBounty will soon start importing the eggs to their growing facilities in Albany, Indiana. The company has said they expect final certifications for their Albany facility in the coming weeks.

While the salmons meat has been approved as safe, many people opposed to GM foods worry about the potential for the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to get into the wild and disrupt natural habitats and food chains. AquaBounty says this wont be an issue for their salmon, as they are raised in tanks, are modified to be all female, and are sterile.

However not everyone is satisfied. The Center for Food Safety and other interest groups are suing the FDA in order to prevent the salmon being raised and sold.
The City Council this week directed city staff to begin preparing to receive the money, which comes from a surplus in the California budget that several state legislators helped secure, a city staff report said.
It's the first full week of Lent, and in heavily Catholic South Louisiana, that means big business for the seafood industry. And when it comes to Louisiana seafood, crawfish is king.

Unfortunately, a number of factors have contributed to a slow start to the 2019 crawfish season.

Scott Broussard, owner of Acadia Crawfish Co. in Crowley, said he believes constant rainfall in August and September caused the crawfish to come out of the ground early and start laying eggs before farmers were ready to flood their fields. Coupled with late cold snaps, the mudbugs aren't cooperating right now.

"It's been a lot slower start than last year," Broussard said. "Production is quite a ways behind. We're optimistic that production will pick up, but Mother Nature has not been very friendly to us this year."

Conditions are similar to 2014, which was another slow year for crawfish, according to Michael Fruge with Cajun Crawfish and Fruge Aquafarms in Branch. But, he added, a slow start is not uncommon and, as in other crops, there's a cycle to crawfish farming. Beause crawfish are completely driven by water temperature, he said, there should be another hit this week in response to the Mardi Gras cold snap. Eventually, he expects production to level out again.

"There's a shortage and prices are high," Fruge said. "If it warms up, the crawfish should start reproducing and growing faster. Hopefully, by the middle of the month we'll have that happen and the catch will return to normal and prices will drop back to normal."

Louisiana leads the nation in crawfish production with an annual yield of more than 100 million pounds, according to the LSU AgCenter. The total economic contribution to the Louisiana economy can exceed $300 million annually, with more than 7,000 people depending directly or indirectly on the crawfish industry, according to the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board.

Most crawfish are harvested between December and June, but March, April and May are the peak months when Louisiana supplies are greatest and quality is best.

Back in January, Greg Lutz, a professor at the LSU AgCenter's Aquaculture Research Station in Baton Rouge, predicted the cold would knock back the harvest, but not kill off this year's crop of crawfish. Now that March has rolled around, that slowdown is being felt in all sectors of the crawfish industry and in consumers' pocket books, leading to prices as high as $9 a pound in some restaurants in Acadiana.

Another factor in a profitable season is getting enough workers to process the crawfish during peak harvesting months.

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Like other seafood industries, crawfish processors rely on foreign guest workers to staff plants. However, federal limits on H-2B visas for temporary immigrant laborers and a tightening U.S. job market have left many employers uncertain if theyll have enough workers.

The next round of H-2B visas won't go into effect until April 1, and crawfish processors are competing with other businesses in the forestry, landscaping and seafood industries nationwide to get their lot of the 33,000 visas available for the first half of the year.

Before applying for foreign guest-worker visas, businesses must prove theyve made efforts to hire local workers. Louisiana employers who rely on the visas say local workers arent eager for the positions, which usually pay above minimum wage but dont offer steady year-round work. Hiring local has become even tougher as unemployment has dropped to the lowest levels since 2000.

Frank Randol, owner of Randol's restaurant and its seafood processing business, said more than 100,000 people applied for H-2B visas to hire immigrant workers and it crashed the Department of Labor's system on Jan. 1. He said he was lucky this year and was able to get 25 work visas for the first time since 2014.

"The first day I can bring them in to work is April 1," Randol said. "Every year it's grown and there's more demand for a set amount of visas. Added to that we've got high demand, but low supply, so prices are going to be up right now. Add to that people are trying to break even for past years where they took a loss and prices are going to be up."

The higher prices and relatively slow start to the crawfish season don't seem to be dampening consumer demand, however.

On the restaurant side, Randol said, business is good. They are getting good crawfish on the table, he said, and demand is so high that their happy hour from is filling up the restaurant and covering costs for a whole shift.

This story has been corrected to reflect that Louisiana leads the nation in crawfish production, not the world. China is now the top producer.
"Everything We Have"

WHAT: Reception for release of D-Day book by Gordon "Nick Mueller" of the World War II Museum

WHEN: 5 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans

INFO: nationalww2museum.org
A city transit trolley followed by a few vehicles squeezed down narrow Paige Street Saturday morning, ferrying about 40 people through Zion City as part of a tour meant to highlight the need for residential development, business investment and other improvements in areas along Plank Road.

As the tour group rolled by, a dog dozed in the open doorway of one of the many abandoned houses with broken windows along a street dotted with vacant, overgrown lots.

A few blocks east of Plank Road, the tour convoy finally stopped at a bright spot in the neighborhood: a handful of new two-story single-family homes built by LaFleur Industries and the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority.

Can't see video below? Click here.

It's the type of project Redevelopment Authority leaders want to see more of in low-income parts of Baton Rouge. Under the umbrella of the recently launched Plank Road Project, they're focusing on cleaning up blight and boosting commerce on Plank Road and in surrounding neighborhoods  once a hub of business activity.

"Plank Road is one of the oldest commercial corridors in the city-parish," said Chris Tyson, president and CEO of the Redevelopment Authority. "It is the heart of north Baton Rouge, the heart of (ZIP code) 70805. It's where many people still live, play and work. It is a vibrant community, but it's been neglected. It's a disinvested community, and accordingly, one of our most blighted corridors in the city-parish."

Tyson's agency has acquired about 85 vacant properties along Plank Road and is studying the best ways to put them to use. Meanwhile, efforts are afoot to seek federal funding to help develop a bus rapid transit line connecting downtown and north Baton Rouge via Plank Road.

Saturday's tour had three stops. The first was at the intersection of Plank Road and Duke Street, where people had a chance to look over maps of the rapid transit route.

"Mobility is an important part of redevelopment, particularly on Plank Road, where we have our highest concentration of zero-car households and one of the highest transit usage routes in the city-parish," Tyson said.

Baton Rouge transit leaders reveal preferred route for express bus, consider Plank Road upgrades Transit leaders have decided on a route for the express bus designed to connect north and south Baton Rouge, and one major thoroughfare on the

Giving north Baton Rouge residents an easier way to get around the city is important, said Metro Councilwoman Erika Green, whose district includes a portion of the Plank Road Project target area and who also sits on the board of the Capital Area Transit System. While some of her constituents wish the proposed route would go all the way to Harding Boulevard near Southern University instead of ending at Airline Highway, she said, it's still a good first step.

"My friends in Houston park their cars and ride the bus every day to work," Green said. "If we can start getting the mindset of that, then we develop a better ridership, and it would help the traffic. ... Hopefully we get millennials engaged, and then if they get engaged, then their families will start riding the bus."

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Other infrastructure upgrades are sorely needed, said Herbert Moore, president of the Istrouma Community Improvement Association.

"We need a sidewalk to get to the bus," he said, and to keep people from walking in the street and risking their safety.

He also would like to see leaders organize a job program to complement the redevelopment efforts.

"They need a part where they're going to hire people out of the community," Moore said. "That's a must. People need jobs."

The tour later headed toward Weller Avenue to the former R&B Cafe, an empty brick building that is one of the properties the Redevelopment Authority wants to put back into use. Participants tossed around ideas for what they'd like to see there: an urgent care facility, a grocery store, a community center with amenities for children, or even a cafe, as it once was.

The last stop was at the newly built homes on Paige Street.

"We want to make sure that whatever happens on Plank Road and the surrounding neighborhoods, there is an opportunity for everyone to live here through rental opportunities and through home-buying opportunities," Tyson said.

$100,000 Plank Road revitalization grant awarded to East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority from Chase A $100,000 planning grant that will be used toward revitalizing the Plank Road corridor has been awarded to the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment

He said input from residents will drive the project as his agency considers "what the community needs and how to use the vacancy and the blight, to turn that around into something productive and useful."

Pat McCallister-LeDuff, who lives in the nearby Banks neighborhood, applauded the effort. As an established corridor through north Baton Rouge, she said, the Plank Road area already has a lot of desirable scenery  it just needs to be freshened up to stimulate economic activity and community pride.

"To enhance that without having to create that is a plus," she said.

Moore, the president of the Istrouma group, said he's eagerly waiting for the project to bear fruit.

"Any improvement in this community is a plus for us, because this community's been down so long. ... We're always on the back burner," he said.
Worried speed traps would hurt tourism Louisiana legislators and officials over the past dozen years have tried new laws, investigated police officers, even attempted shaming towns with flashing warning signs, all in hopes of tamping down the number of tickets written by small-town police officers.

None of it works.

The number of Louisiana towns, villages and small cities in which fines make up at least half their revenues has risen from 15 in 2007 to more than 25 in 2018, according to a review by The Advocate of annual state audits of local finances.

For 60 other municipalities, fines and forfeitures account for more than 30 percent of government revenues. Thats up from 28 in 2007.

And 194 of the states 304 incorporated cities, towns and villages raise more in fines and forfeitures than they do in property taxes, according to latest financial audits.

The reason is less Barney Fife passionately holding scofflaws to account for minor infractions and more small-town officers strictly enforcing traffic laws  issuing tickets costing $80 to $200 or more  that has the added benefit of bringing more money to municipalities with few other revenue-raising options.

Thats the symbol of a broken system when you have to depend on preying on people to pay your bills, said Robert Scott, head of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. PAR is a nonprofit Baton Rouge-based government policy analyst. If youre protecting people, thats OK, but if youre protecting services, you need to re-examine.

Safety is the reason some mayors of the small municipalities say their officers strictly enforce traffic laws. That the effort also raises significant revenues is lagniappe.

Port Vincent Mayor Johnny Page said traffic fines is one of the few revenue sources available to his village of 749 residents. His municipality gets some rent from a cell tower, part of the parish beer tax, $50,453 in utility fees and a few other sources. But he is thankful for the additional $394,818 from traffic fines, which accounted for a little more than half the towns revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30.

But the police chief and two full-time officers would continue to write tickets should the system miraculously change and the village become flush with money from other sources, Page said. Thousands of vehicles per day pass down the main street to the bridge over the Amite River that takes Livingston Parish residents to the big plants in Ascension Parish.

Similarly, Sherbin Collette, mayor of Henderson, for years has passionately challenged his towns presence on national websites as one of the regions top speed traps. Hendersons police chief recently was investigated by the state inspector general for the towns ticket-writing practices.

The towns limits include a strip of Interstate 10 from the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge to the Exit 115, the Henderson exit, and is the scene of hundreds of serious, often fatal, wrecks. His officers sit among billboards of lawyers soliciting accident victims as about 80,000 vehicles a day pass. They pull over motorists driving more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit.

I am sure that we save lives every day, every hour, Collette said. But he acknowledges that the $1.1 million in fines  85 percent of the towns revenues in 2018  is important to the town of 1,771 residents. Henderson reported raising $8,433 in property taxes and $190,386 in sales taxes for the fiscal year ending June 30, according to the annual audit of the towns finances.

We dont have many resources, Collette said. With only a restaurant and a pharmacy, sales taxes in Henderson are virtually nil.

Collette recently succeeded in extending the towns limits to include the gas stations and restaurants at Exit 115, which will add to the towns sales tax collections and should lower the ratio of fines to other revenues in the future. But, for what he calls safety reasons, Collette said Henderson will not let up on strictly enforcing traffic laws.

For some of these towns, tickets have been a major revenue producer that has been the difference between providing services and not providing services, said state Sen. Gerald Long, R-Natchitoches, whose district includes many of the towns relying on traffic fines for at least half of their revenues. But the state doesnt send much help in the way of economic development or structural changes that would address the revenue-raising problem.

We have so many small communities struggling as people move, business and industry pull out, and theres no new growth. Im sympathetic but I also get the phone calls from those getting the tickets, Long said.

Louisiana is facing a crisis as the population continues to shift from small rural towns to big cities, mostly south of Interstate 10, leaving behind an older and less affluent population. The Louisiana Fiscal Review Committee, which decides when to ask the courts to install a state fiscal administrator to run a financially troubled town, have taken over more municipalities in the past few months than during its entire history combined.

Our Views: State takes over record number of local governments because of 'plain mismanagement' In a state where we have seen wealth drawn from the earth, from timberlands to cotton fields to oil wells, the collapse of finances in many sm

One of those towns recently tapped to receive a fiscal administrator is Clarence. The Natchitoches Parish village has 499 people, 49 percent of whom live below the federal poverty level. Although Board of Aldermen members place most of the blame on the old mayors policies, the towns problems began when police cars lost their insurance and had to park. Village revenues, which in 2011 had augmented its $239,145 budget with $100,056 in fines, plummeted.

In considering whether the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association should include speed traps in tourist guides, lawmakers asked the Legislative Auditor's Office to determine "the extent to which speed limits and their enforcement in municipalities are based more on revenue generation rather than public safety."

The resulting 2007 Excessive Fines Enforcement report listed 15 municipalities with more than half their revenues coming from fines and forfeitures. (The Advocate reviewed the latest available audits of each towns annual financial statements and found 25 such municipalities now.)

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Since the 2007 report, Louisiana ranked 13th on the National Motorists Association list of the worst speed traps in the nation. The Thrillist website put the state at seventh.

Texas resident Joey Hopewell in 2016 paid for billboards that read Warning: Speed Zones Ahead outside several towns along U.S. Hwy. 165 through central Louisiana, according to KPRC-TV in Houston.

The Washington, D.C.-based Sunlight Foundation, which advocates for government transparency, noted that nationally 2 cents of every $1 in fines went to fund local government. In Louisiana, the 2013 ratio of fines and forfeitures to government revenues was 19 cents for every dollar. Arkansas has the second-highest figure at 10 cents.

But Arkansas also investigates police departments when half the tickets their officers write are for driving less than 10 mph over the speed limit. Texas and Missouri restrict the percentage of revenues coming from tickets in small towns.

Louisiana forbids officers from having a ticket-writing quota. And in 2008, legislators tried, but failed, to cap at 20 percent the ratio of fines to overall revenues for towns of 1,000 to 3,000 residents.

In 2009, the Legislature passed a law that directs into state coffers any fines local officers impose on drivers traveling at 10 mph or less than the posted speed limit on interstate highways.

Washington, La. scrutinized for being 'speed trap' Officials of the St. Landry Parish town of Washington call it one of the oldest settlements in Louisiana, known for towering plantation homes 

Bill aimed at Washington, La. fails A bill aimed at redirecting revenue from speeding tickets issued in the St. Landry Parish town of Washington failed in the state House on Monday.

Winnsboro Republican Rep. Steve Pylant went a different direction in 2014, pushing legislation that would require municipalities receiving more than half their income from tickets to erect flashing signs that warn motorists theyre entering a speed trap.

Pylants measure cleared committee, but he knew it was in trouble as he walked into the House chamber past dozens of small-town mayors he recognized from his days as a Franklin Parish sheriff.

I saw what I was up against. People agreed with me, but they have small towns in their districts and theyd being going against their constituents, Pylant said in an interview last week. Everybody would tell me they thought something needed to be done. They just didnt want their name associated with it.

The House rejected the bill on a 52-47 vote.

Pylant, who is entering his last session as a state representative in April, said he wont be renewing the fight.

Fines are now a way to run a government. It speaks to the need for a more diversified and stable tax base, said Jan Moller, executive director of the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Budget Project, which advocates on behalf of low- and moderate-income people.

Towns in most states rely on property taxes, which tend to be stable during recessions and economic downturns. Louisiana and other states in the Deep South rely more on sales taxes, which rise and fall based on consumer purchases.

But increasing property taxes, or sales taxes for that matter, requires the approval of local voters, which doesnt happen often. About the only other options available to town officials are the sale of drinking water, sometimes natural gas, fees for sewerage and trash collection, and aggressive law enforcement, said John Gallagher, head of the Louisiana Municipal Association.

We dont like to see folks running their town on traffic tickets thats not a real good thing to do, Gallagher said. But if people are breaking the law, then its another way the law allows, I guess, to generate revenues.

Locale Percentage of town revenues made up by fines

Fenton 94.9 percent Georgetown 92.2 percent Baskin 89.3 percent Henderson 84.6 percent Robeline 84.4 percent Reeves 84.4 percent Pioneer 84.4 percent Tullos 80.3 percent Forest Hill 75.5 percent Creola 72.4 percent McNary 71.1 percent Clayton 69.5 percent Pollock 67.49 percent Merryville 67.47 percent Gilbert 65.4 percent Port Vincent 65.0 percent Mangham 63.27 percent Fisher 62.23 percent Dodson 62.1 percent Bonita 59.3 percent Pine Prairie 56.1 percent Tickfaw 52.4 percent Woodworth 51.5 percent Pearl River 50.6 percent Florien 49.7 percent

Source: Annual audits of town finances by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor
Archbishop Gregory Aymond invites people to join in for the grave blessing during All Saints Day Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in New Orleans, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.
GA English on Sunday : News in brief from Bonn and the region

Bonn/Cologne This Sundays news in brief includes stormy weather forecast for today, a preview of a meeting on the future of Bonn and an increase in the number of late trains in the region and drug-related deaths in NRW.

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Storm warnings for Bonn and the region

On Sunday, the German Weather Service issued an official warning for strong to gale-force winds of up to 110 kilometers per hour for Bonn and the region. There is a danger of trees becoming uprooted and caution is advised as that there may be falling debris. Already on Saturday, a walnut tree fell in the backyard of a family living in Hennef. Shortly before, children had been celebrating a birthday there.

A tree also fell against an apartment building in Bonn-Tannenbusch. According to the German Weather Service, the wind is increasing from the southwest this morning. Thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon and evening. The warning is valid overnight until Monday. At night, the wind is expected to weaken to wind gusts between 50 and 75 kilometers per hour. In the coming days, the German Weather Service expects the weather to remain unstable and rather uncomfortable. Orig. text: ga.de Translation: ck

Meeting on the future of the region

BONN. Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan has invited some local officials and representatives from many levels of government, including European parliament, to discuss the future of Bonn and the region. The meetings will take place behind closed doors at the Old Town Hall on March 25. Participants will try to adopt a joint paper for talks with the federal government, with the goal of establishing a plan for steady development for the region instead of a continual reduction of ministerial posts in Bonn. The region should become more of an administrative hub for the German Federal Government and a center of excellence for science, sustainability, international affairs, development cooperation and IT security. Establishing "new national and international institutions" is proposed by the city, districts and states. "At the end of March, we want to finalize our negotiating positions in the working group," said Sridharan. He said he had already held preliminary talks on the matter with the German government. Orig. text: Andreas Baumann Translation: ck

Punctuality decreases for regional trains

COLOGNE. The punctuality of regional trains in the Cologne/Bonn area leaves much to be desired. In 2018, the regional express and regional trains and trams were less reliable than in the previous year. The information comes from punctuality statistics presented by the Rheinland Local Transportation Association (NVR) on Friday. On average, all trips were delayed by two minutes and 15 seconds. This is seven percent more than in 2017, when the average rate was two minutes and six seconds. In 2016 it was one minute and 50 seconds. The report blames the punctuality problems on increasing congestion of the entire network, aggravated by construction work on the right side of the Rhine. A fire on a Cologne-Frankfurt ICE train added to the problems, causing weeks of closure and diversions for long-distance trains. Orig. text: Dominik Pieper Translation: ck

More drug deaths in NRW
If youre tempted by the shocking thought that economists end up as handmaidens to the rich and powerful  as Im tempted  Dr Martin Parkinson wishes to remind us thats not how its supposed to be. The first mission of economists is to make this world a better world, he says. But dont expect it to make you popular.

Let me tell you about a talk he gave on Friday night. It was a pep talk to the first of whats hoped to be a regular social gathering for young economists come to Canberra to study, teach or work in government or consulting.

Martin Parkinsons own career has had its downs and ups. Credit:AFR

Apparently, working in Canberra can be a tough gig if you dont know many economist mates to be assortative with.

Parkinsons own career has had its downs and ups. He was sacked as Treasury secretary by Tony Abbott  who feared he actually believed in the climate change policy the Rudd government had him designing  then resurrected by Malcolm Turnbull as secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Treasury secretarys bureaucratic boss.
Hospital patients are getting caught in the middle of a battle between public hospitals and private health insurers over who should pay for their treatment.

Health insurers claim the sector is being used as a cash cow for an underfunded public health system which is adopting aggressive tactics to push more patients to use their health insurance even if it offers no material benefit for them.

Private health insurers claim they are being used as a cash cow by financially strained public hospitals. Credit:Michele Mossop

For some patients its as innocuous as the posters on the wall of the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne inquiring "Do you have private health insurance?" and wooing them with the line that it will help support the hospital to "continue improving our patient services."

But Dr Rachel David, the head of the private health insurance industry's representative body, the Private Healthcare Australia (PHA), has cited examples where patients have been subject to harassment to opt out of the public system and use their private health insurance.
When science teacher Louise Puslednik invited a University of Sydney researcher to give a talk at her high school, she didn't expect it to lead to a partnership where her students travelled overseas to conduct research projects.

This year, 10 students from St Matthew's Catholic School in Mudgee will travel to Vietnam to help research the success of radiologists in detecting breast cancer as part of Sydney University's BREAST program.

Kriscia Tapia and Patrick Brennan will be going to Vietnam with St Matthew's students later this year to research the efficacy of radiology techniques in successfully diagnosing breast cancer. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Veruska Rodriguez, 16, who is in year 11 at St Matthew's, was part of the group of students involved in the project last year. She said it has made her a lot more interested in studying science or medicine at university.

"We got an idea of what [scientists] actually do for their work, not many people get to see or experience that," Veruska said.
Kelley in US rom-com pilot Australian actress Nathalie Kelley has been cast in a new US pilot, The Baker and the Beauty. The series is a romantic comedy based on a series from Israel's Keshet Studios titled Lehiyot Ita. In the series an internationally successful heiress-turned-model falls in love with a working-class man who works in his family's bakery. Kelley is best known for playing Cristal Carrington in the Dynasty reboot for the US studio CBS; in the original series the character of Krystle was played by Linda Evans. Kelley left Dynasty in its second season; her other credits include The Vampire Diaries, UnReal and The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift. More activity for No Activity The US adaptation of the Australian comedy No Activity has been renewed by the streaming platform CBS All Access. The US adaptation stars Australian actor Patrick Brammall and American actor Tim Meadows. "We are so excited to welcome back our favourite cops for a third season of No Activity," the platform's head of originals, Julie McNamara said. "No Activity is a masterclass in proving that while our characters may be bored, they are never boring." The series follows two police officers working a stakeout in which nothing occurs. The original series and its US remake air on Stan in Australia. Rachel Griffiths and Deborah Mailman star in the new ABC drama series Black B*tch. Credit:Eddie Jim

Black B*tch under way Production has begun on the new ABC drama series Black B*tch. The series, which is being produced for the national broadcaster by Blackfella Films, stars Deborah Mailman, Rachel Griffiths, Harry Richardson, William McInnes, Aaron Pedersen, Anthony Hayes, and Luke Carroll. The ABC's head of Indigenous content Kelrick Martin described Mailman as a national treasure. "We couldn't be prouder to be providing her with her first lead role in a television series," Martin said. "It's a long overdue opportunity." The series will air on the ABC later this year. Love Island crosses ditch Just when you thought television couldn't get stranger, ITV Studios Australia has wheeled out plans to launch a New Zealand edition of its reality romance franchise Love Island. The Kiwi version of the series, whose format is best described as horny singles co-habiting in a house and fornicating in the manner of a sideshow carousel, will be the 12th international edition of the show which started, as so many of these things do, with a UK series. The Kiwi version has been commissioned by the New Zealand channel Three. The Australian and UK versions of the show were filmed on the Spanish resort island Mallorca. No word yet on where the Kiwi version will be filmed. Fox adapts Sisters for US
On Thursday, the brand whose combination of sex appeal and minimal sportswear helped define American style for an international audience, and which was once a tent pole of the New York Fashion Week schedule, said that it would be closing its luxury collection business.

"Collection" is the official designation of the line shown during fashion week. It is the most expensive part of the business and accounts for the clothes most often seen in glossy magazine shoots and on celebrities. Calvin Klein is, at least for the foreseeable future, leaving the runway behind.

Nicole Kidman in Calvin Klein by Appointment arrives at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. Credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

The move comes three months after the departure of Calvin Klein's chief creative officer, Belgian designer Raf Simons, whose appointment had been announced with great fanfare in 2016 (and who had changed the name Collection to 205W39NYC, after the address of the brand's headquarters).

His ascension was billed as a return to the years of Calvin Klein, when one visionary designer was responsible for all aspects of the brand. Closing the brand's collection business marks not only a complete reversal of that decision but also the rejection of a business model long held dear in the industry: the so-called "halo" effect of a high-end line that acts as an attention-getter and newsmaker, driving sales of more mass (and profit-generating) jeans, underwear and perfume.
The coffee in Italy was reliably Italian, and the food was always good. Whatever else goes wrong in Italy  and theres plenty going wrong at the moment  you always eat well. You can usually find a decent craft beer, while the drivers are  challenging.

The story in Portugal was pretty similar, though the people are much less Latin than youd think and the drivers not at all crazy. The beer in both countries was ordinary.

The coffee in Spain was better than I expected, but the food was worse: Mediterranean variations on meat and two veg and white-bread rolls stuffed with slices of omelette.

OK, I didnt eat all the food and drink all the beer and coffee in three countries inside four weeks. But whats the point of travelling if you cant make wild generalisations about cultures, and write off entire cuisines?

The first thing I did when I got back to Melbourne was head down the road for a cup of coffee that tasted like home  a short black that hadnt had the fruity Ethiopian funk roasted right out of it. The second thing I did was visit a bottle shop looking for a couple of cans of something hoppy named after the suburb where it was brewed.

I reflected on all this over a dinner of meat and two veg at a local eatery  sticky pork belly, caramelised eggplant, smashed cucumber salad  washed down with what passes for ordinary beer in this city, but is actually pretty good.

When Italians travel outside of Italy, they miss the food of home. I realised that when Im away, I miss the food and drink in Melbourne. A few weeks of dry Italian whites and Im dying for a sip of sauv blanc; two weeks in Japan and I never want to see another bowl of miso soup again.

You might not be able to have too much of a good thing, but you can have too much of someone elses good thing. If you get sick of the food in Melbourne, theres always something else to eat  and its mostly pretty good.
Im encouraging my nine-year-old daughter to wag school this coming Friday.

Its not that I dont value her education. I absolutely do. Its just that on Friday 15 March I think shes likely to learn more outside the classroom than in it.

Shell be joining students in over 50 countries, and 40 separate locations around Australia, for the School Strike 4 Climate rally.

Students across Australia walked out of school in November to protest inaction on climate change. Credit:Louie Douvis

Some might say that nine is too young for a child to be involved in politics. In an ideal world, they may well be right.
Canberra will no longer enjoy its famed winters if more isn't done to stop climate change.

By 2050, Canberra's summers will start in early October and taper off midway through March unless radical efforts are made to combat the threat of climate change, the Australian Conservation Foundation has warned.

The foundation teamed up with the Australian National University to create a tool allowing Australians to see how badly their electorate will be affected by climate change in 30 years.

It also warned Australia will cease to see a winter as we know it, with a prolonged, hotter period over the traditional summer months the designers called "New Summer".

Associate professor of design at the university, Dr Mitchell Whitelaw, said the data wasn't new, but researchers had tried to find a way to directly engage people.
Vaginal examinations are being performed on mothers without consent at Canberra Hospital, amid a toxic hierarchy and political environment, a midwife says.

It's the latest in a long line of concerns outlined by mothers and staff at Centenary Hospital for Women and Children - part of the Canberra Hospital campus - since a scathing letter was sent to the Health Minister from hospital staff last year.

A Canberra midwife says vaginal examinations are being conducted without patient consent.

Allegations of inductions being dangerously delayed, mothers being sent home due to lack of beds and a serious lack of midwives working in the birthing suite have been made in submissions to an ongoing inquiry into ACT's maternity services.

A Centenary midwife said she had witnessed many women being coerced into procedures without proper consent, including vaginal examinations.
A woman has been taken to the Canberra Hospital after a car crash on Rafferty St at Chapman.

ACT Fire & Rescue, the ACT Ambulance Service and ACT Policing all responded to the crash, which had caused the woman to be trapped in her vehicle.

Firefighters used hydraulic rescue equipment to free the woman, who was taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Its the photo which kills me. There is Emma Husar, eyes closed, head thrown back, sitting in the House of Representatives.

You might imagine that Husar, about to be the former Labor MP for the seat of Lindsay in Sydneys western suburbs, is just having a  very - pleasurable time.

That photo accompanies a story, published in Buzzfeed in August last year, which says Husar bragged about who she was having sex with, sexually harassed an employee, and intentionally exposed herself in front of another politician, according to allegations made by staff to NSW Labor investigators.

The image of Emma Husar in Parliament which illustrated Buzzfeed's story. Credit:AAP

There is a clear link between the photo and the content of the story. Here was a hot story about a hot MP who was already in hot water over a story the website published in July, revealing Husar was the subject of an internal Labor investigation (led by barrister John Whelan) following complaints from former staff.
A legend along the rugged northern coast... Michael Fomenko (and unidentified passengers) paddles his canoe in 1959. Credit:Staff photographer

First printed in the Sydney Morning Herald on March 12, 1959

The father of a young Sydney man living a self-imposed native existence in Northern Queensland said last night he would appeal to his son to come home.

The young man is 27-year-old Michael Fomenko, a former pupil of the Church of England Grammar School, North Sydney, who elected to go native four years ago.

News that native fishermen had found him suffering from semi-starvation reached Sydney yesterday.
A significant number of commuters continue to fall through gaps between platforms and trains at Sydney's stations and get stuck in lifts each year, internal government figures show.

About 290 passengers fell through gaps between platforms and trains in the 12 months to last June, compared with about 340 in the 2016-17 financial year and about 305 in 2015-16.

Central Station, the city's busiest, topped the list last year with about 54 people falling through gaps, followed by Circular Quay (about 34) and Redfern (about 18), according to a Sydney Trains report obtained by the Herald under freedom of information laws.

Circular Quay has the second highest number of incidents in Sydney of passengers falling through gaps between trains and platforms. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

About 120 people were trapped in lifts at stations across the rail network last year, down on the 140 a year earlier, but slightly higher than in 2015-16.
More than 40 per cent of prostate cancers detected by basic screening tests are overdiagnosed in Australia, potentially leading to unnecessary treatments.

New Bond University-led research, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal BMJ Open, studied mens lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer in Australia.

Australian men are at risk of being overdiagnosed with prostate cancer, new research has found. Credit:Erin Jonasson

Comparing data from before regular prostate cancer screening was instituted in the late 1980s with data from 2012, researchers found a sharp spike in the lifetime risk of men being diagnosed.

Lifetime risk is defined as the chance of a person developing or dying from prostate cancer during their lifetime.
Brutalism's greatest Brisbane success stories Brutalism, and its descendant architectural forms, has already left its mark on Brisbane with one of the finest examples of its use at the Queensland Cultural Centre. Standing proudly in South Bank, and designed by architect Robin Gibson, the precinct includes the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, QPAC, the Cultural Forecourt and The Edge at the State Library of Queensland. The Executive Building, seen here in 2013, was demolished to make way for the Queens' Wharf redevelopment. Credit:File Heritage listed in 2015, the cultural centre was initially developed in four stages from 1976 to 1988 at a cost of about $200 million.

While it remained a respected and beloved building, other towers around the city weren't given the same recognition. It is interesting that there are a lot of buildings that are being built at the moment that are not designed with the particular conditions of Queensland and south-east Queensland in mind, Ms Musgrave said. One William Street is an example of the changing face of government buildings, from brutalist concrete structures to tall glass towers. Credit:AAP The buildings with a lot of area of glass are actually highly reflective surfaces which increase the amount of heat in the surrounding environment of that particular building. In comparison, a lot of the brutalist buildings are actually designed with consideration for the particular characteristics or qualities of Brisbane.

The climate argument in favour of brutalism Deep-set windows in brutalist concrete designs form sun hoods protecting the windows from the sun in the hottest part of the day, and better shade the people inside. The pre-concrete walls manage heat differently to the glass veneer of most modern towers, Ms Musgrave says, and shouldnt be discounted just because they are ugly. When Brisbane was in the grip of its brutalist era, buildings were designed deliberately to manage Brisbanes tropical temperatures. Ms Musgrave pointed to the TAB building in Albion as an excellent example of the modernist principles.

The landmark 1970s building, designed by renowned Queensland architect Geoffrey Pie, who died last year, is slated for demolition. It will be replaced by multi-use buildings for housing, offices and food spaces. An earlier image of the Tatts building in Albion. Credit:Robert Rough Other examples of quality modernist and brutalist buildings are scattered throughout the University of Queensland, including the Chamberlain building at St Lucia. As Australia looks toward increasingly headed for long, hot summers, Brisbanes tropical climate will increase in temperature, leaving the citys already hot streets even hotter.

Brutalist architecture in Brisbane was modified by architects to incorporate sunshades and set-back windows to reduce the amount of sun entering the building, seen here at 420 George Street. Credit:File By 2030, the CSIRO predicts Brisbane will see an annual average temperature increase across all seasons of 0.9 degrees. While the aesthetics could sometimes be left behind during the brutalist and modernist design era, Ms Musgrave said the result was architecture that responded thoughtfully to the citys climate. Now, the pressures of development and interstate or even international money is changing how the city grows, sometimes at the cost of its built heritage and design principles. While heritage laws first came into effect to help protect sandstone buildings such as City Hall, the Treasury and other parliament buildings, Queensland has been slow to protect the buildings that were springing up when those laws were written.

All of that legislation about protecting heritage has its roots in the 1980s when we were losing the sandstone heritage and we were developing these buildings, Ms Musgrave said. But these buildings were by and large being developed by people who understood what it was to build a tropical location, and were designing for the location. And thats not happening now. As international developers move into the city, it leaves architects required to design what developers and builders want, with less attention paid to the climate and the citys needs. Architecture that could work effectively in Melbourne or elsewhere in Australia might not work in Brisbane, but was being reproduced on demand, Ms Musgrave said.

And while the Queensland government architect and Brisbane City Council both have strong and clear views on the best designs for Brisbane, often the developers are the ones with the power. The people who are controlling development, they are money from elsewhere and they have a picture in their mind about what a successful development is, and thats what they want, Ms Musgrave said. Only a handful of specifically brutalist buildings are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, while other concrete giants such as the Brisbane Transit Centre on Roma Street are being demolished to make way for new designs. But removing the big grey blobs too quickly from Brisbanes skyline risked wasting design principles already well-suited to Brisbane, Ms Musgrave said. Were used to thinking about them as big grey blobs, and they can remain as big grey blobs, but theres so much you can do with them, she said.
Police are appealing for witnesses following the death of an elderly woman who died in hospital after she was struck while crossing a street in Melbourne's east.

The 81-year-old woman was crossing Morinda Street in Ringwood East on the morning of February 28 when she was struck by a blue Mazda wagon turning into the street.

She died in hospital on Wednesday, Victoria Police confirmed Sunday night.

The driver, a 34-year-old Camberwell woman, stopped and assisted police with their enquiries.

The investigation remains ongoing and police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has dash cam footage to come forward.
Labour Day has become Victorias forgotten public holiday. The significance of the day and the events it commemorates have faded from public memory.

For almost 100 years from 1856, Eight Hour Day marches were the largest public celebrations that Victoria saw. Credit:Age archives

This is a great shame, because Labour Day celebrates a home grown achievement that is one of Melbournes greatest contributions to humanity. It also puts a spotlight on the quality of our working lives, a subject that is just as relevant today as it was 160 years ago.

The Eight Hour Day was a campaign by the labour movement in the 1850s that brought about important changes to the rights of workers. In the 1800s, most Victorians worked up to 14 hours a day, six days a week. There was no sick leave, no holiday leave and employers could sack employees at any time, without giving a reason.

The Eight Hour Day campaign was based on the ideal of an eight-hour working day with eight hours labour, eight hours rest and eight hours recreation. The campaign came to a head in 1856 when stonemason James Stephens led tradesmen from the construction site of the University of Melbourne on a march through the Hoddle Grid. The procession picked up tradesmen from other building sites and eventually arrived at the steps of Parliament House, which was also a construction site at the time. The Parliamentarians agreed to their claims, granting a reduction in the working day from 10 to eight hours, without a pay reduction.
Victorians can expect their state to be blanketed in smoke and haze over the coming days as fires burn across the east and south east of Victoria

Authorities have issued a health warning for children, the elderly and the vulnerable, with the smoke expected to blanket large swathes of eastern Victoria and Melbourne.

Fires burn near Garfield, about 70 kilometres south-east of Melbourne earlier this month. Credit:Krystle Robertson

Victorias State Response Controller Stephanie Rotarangi said firefighters were battling more than a dozen blazes. In addition, they were undertaking back burning to prevent wild fires spreading.

"Controlling these fires is not easy. Some are burning in very difficult terrain, in hard-to-access areas and are also very large in size, such as the Licola fire at 64,000ha, she said.
Police were forced to use capsicum spray to control dozens of violent thugs brawling at Moomba Festival at the weekend, with some sources reporting that they'd never seen so much of the spray used during the one incident.

Three separate brawls between two groups of youths broke out during the Moomba Festival on Saturday night at Federation Square and Flinders Street Station between 10pm and 2am.

Police believe the fights were all linked and have arrested five people, including three people for assault and two people for drunken behaviour. Two penalty notices were also issued, one for riotous behaviour and one for weapons offences.

Meanwhile, shocking footage has emerged showing a young woman being forcefully shoved into a wall by a Protective Services Officer at Flinders Street Station in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Labor has ramped up its plan to lift the minimum wage despite industry claims the election pitch could cost employers $8.7 billion a year, fuelling talk of new laws being put to Parliament to force the workplace umpire to boost pay rates.

Employers are urging Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to reveal how he intends to increase the minimum wage after Labor finance spokesman Jim Chalmers said the independent umpire would do the right thing to fix the problem.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has sought an urgent meeting on the Labor policy while the Australian Industry Group warns that unemployment will rise if Labor orders an increase in wages.

Bill Shorten at the NSW Labor election launch in Sydney on Sunday. Credit:Christopher Pearce

Mr Chalmers said the Fair Work Commission would share the priorities of an incoming Labor government to deal with low wages, days after Mr Shorten warned that the minimum wage was too low to live on.
Taxpayers will pay up to $1 billion to fund the retirements of politicians under an axed parliamentary pension scheme, and the cost of the scheme will blow out by another 10 per cent by 2020 to $50 million a year.

A wave of pre-election resignations on both sides of politics this year will see the public foot the bill for their post-politics lives, with the total amount expected to reach a peak of $59 million in 2033.

Retiring Coalition ministers Christopher Pyne, Julie Bishop and Nigel Scullion are set to receive between $188,000 and $220,000 a year for the rest of their life. Steve Ciobo, 44, will be eligible for the same payment after he turns 55.

Christopher Pyne (left) speaks to Steve Ciobo in the House of Representatives. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The scheme was axed in 2004 because it was seen as too generous, but it continues to apply to those elected before then.
Mr Issa, who has previously declared he did not buy the property, insists he has no connection to the scandal. "I've done nothing wrong," he says. "I do everything by the book. I'm happy for any investigation. I've got nothing to hide." In a seat where the identity politics of Lebanon and India, personal connections and religious beliefs can override traditional left-right divides, the campaign has turned ugly. "There are some people - and I don't know how close they are to my opponent - who are trying to pretend that I'm a lesbian when I'm not," Ms Finn says. "I'm married - I've been with the same male partner for over 20 years - but ... they think that's something to say just because it might upset some people and make them less likely to vote for me." Mr Issa says he's "got nothing to do with it". "What people complain about her or talk about her, that's their business and her business. I'm concentrating on my campaign."

The other challenge for the government is that Granville was a Labor seat for 73 years - held by the likes of Jack Lang and Laurie Ferguson - until Mr Issa won with a swing of almost 14 per cent as the Keneally government was swept from office in 2011. The last census showed the seat had a lower than average income by Greater Sydney standards, higher unemployment, more renters and was more religious, led by Catholics, Muslims and Hindus. In terms of ethnic diversity, more than 70 per cent of residents had both parents born overseas and fewer than a third spoke just English at home. "Young people are always fighting": Zahra Zikria. Credit:Kate Geraghty The two main candidates are both former lord mayors of Parramatta - Ms Finn lives in Rosehill, Mr Issa in Granville - who spend much of their weeks courting these ethnic communities and helping with their problems. She has about 30 saris and national outfits from Ghana and Rwanda from attending religious and national festivals; he goes to community meetings, weddings and, just last week alone, three funerals. But they have very different backgrounds.

Ms Finn, who grew up on a farm in Canowindra, has worked as a senior policy officer in the fields of energy, transport, housing and superannuation. She has masters degrees in environmental studies and international development, as well as an arts degree majoring in economics and politics and a graduate certificate in accounting and finance. A practising Catholic, she was on Parramatta Council for 15 years and lord mayor in 2004-05. Ms Finn questions the Liberals' hopes of winning. "It's not what our polling is saying," she says. "And the feedback we get everywhere, whether it's doorknocking, at train stations, visiting schools, just walking through the shops, is very, very positive." "There should be more buses": Sylvester Bangura. Credit:Kate Geraghty Her rival grew up in a Catholic Maronite family in a Lebanese village, migrated to Sydney as a teenager in 1973 and joined the State Rail Authority after school, becoming an assistant station master then managing wool freight. A Parramatta councillor for more than 20 years, Mr Issa was lord mayor of Parramatta in 2008-09 and has worked on local Lebanese-Australian community, church, welfare, school and police consultative committees. His son, Steven Issa, is a Parramatta councillor who is on the state executive of the NSW Liberal Party.

Mr Issa also likes his prospects: "I've got a very good chance," he says. "I've been out doorknocking, I've been talking to the people, I've been meeting with the people, people really accept me with open heart and arms. They want to see changes. They want somebody to deliver for them." The rivals disagree on the major issues. Shopping centre in Merrylands. Credit:Kate Geraghty Ms Finn believes the M4 toll is a big one. "People hate the M4 toll because they've already paid it off," she says. "It's the expense - it's nearly $5 to travel seven kilometres. And we don't just have the impact of paying the toll. There are 42,000 cars a day getting off the M4, either at Church Street or through our back streets, clogging up the roads and clogging up Parramatta Road." Labor has promised a cashback scheme. "It will be a bit inconvenient to people but at least they won't be out of pocket like they are now," she says.
Both the Indonesian and Ethiopian planes were the same model of 737. The aircraft shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene. Clothing and personal effects were scattered widely. Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam would not speculate on the cause of the crash. Family members of the victims involved in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash at Addis Ababa international airport. Credit:AP "The pilot mentioned he had difficulty and he wanted to return and he was given clearance," he said.

"It is a brand new airplane, it had no technical remarks and was flown by a senior pilot. We received the airplane on November 15, 2018. It has flown more than 1200 hours. It had flown from Johannesburg earlier this morning." Ethiopian Airlines said Ethiopian authorities, manufacturer Boeing and other international stakeholders would collaborate on an investigation into the cause of the crash. A new statement by the airline also said families of the victims had been contacted and that remains would be returned to them once identified. Wreckage from the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed south of Addis Ababa on Sunday. Credit:AP International reaction

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the crash because there are French citizens among the victims. The prosecutor's office announced the decision on Sunday, without elaborating. It is a standard procedure when French citizens are killed abroad. Nigeria's foreign affairs ministry said a former ambassador was among the victims. A statement said Abiodun Oluremi Bashua was a retired career envoy who served in various capacities in Iran, Austria and Ivory Coast. It said the ambassador, born in 1951, was a "seasoned UN expert" with experience in several United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa.

Loading The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said "it is with great sadness and shock" that refugee agency colleagues were among the victims of the crash. A statement by Filppo Grandi said his office was working to confirm how many colleagues were on board the plane. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement he joined the international community in mourning the lives of so many. He said the Canadian government was providing consular assistance and working with local authorities to gather further information. A prominent Kenyan soccer official is believed to be among the dead.

Hussein Swaleh, the former secretary general of the Kenyan soccer federation, was due to return home on the flight after working as the match commissioner in an African Champions League game in Egypt on Friday. The investigation Investigators will seek to secure the crash site and collect evidence, starting with black boxes capturing cockpit conversations and data, while compiling records on recent operations of the plane and the crew. Under international rules, responsibility for leading the crash investigation lies with Ethiopian authorities, while the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will also take part because the Boeing aircraft was designed and built in the United States. Relatives of the victims board a bus at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. Credit:AP

Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported that the number of Ethiopian victims in Sunday's plane crash was 18 and their families had been notified. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office tweeted its "deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones". The plane was the same model as the Lion Air flight that crashed just 13 minutes after taking off. The aircraft plunged 1479 metres in altitude in just 21 seconds, with Boeing later warning airlines about false readings from a sensor on the 737 MAX. The plane lacks a common override feature that allows pilots to reliably pull planes out of nose dives.

Ethiopian Airlines announced the acquisition of new MAX aircraft in July. There are currently six others being used by the airline and GebreMariam said there were no plans to suspend their use. According to the Swedish Flightradar 24 website, the plane that crashed on Sunday had its maiden flight in October. The site added that the flight's vertical speed was "unstable" after take-off. The MAX model is the newest version of Boeing's workhorse 737 model, the world's most popular commercial aircraft. Boeing released a statement saying it was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302". "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team," it said.

Loading "A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and US National Transportation Safety Board." Ethiopian Airlines set up emergency hotline numbers for families and friends of victims and changed the cover image on its Facebook page to black. Ethiopian Airlines is the continent's largest airline in terms of destinations and passengers served. The airline already serves more than 100 destinations worldwide. The Ethiopian government has been promising to open up the state-owned airline to domestic and international investors. The company has been been snapping up stakes in smaller African carriers to pre-empt potential rivals as it seeks to become the gateway to Africa.
Few events in the past three years have been capable of turning the conversation away from Donald Trump, but the emerging Democratic presidential field has proven surprisingly effective in doing just that. Political analysis increasingly revolves around ideas like the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and universal childcare. But Democrats are just changing conversations  theyre changing minds.

Columnist David Brooks. Credit:AP

Nowhere was this more visible  or more startling  than when conservative columnist David Brooks came out on Friday in favour of reparations. Long considered a radical policy proposal, one few political candidates dare to broach, in recent weeks, Democratic candidates have begun talking about reparations as a way to address Americas racial wealth gap while also acknowledging the darkest parts of American history. And while legislation securing reparations is still a long shot, that the conversation is both happening and converting skeptics is the most surprising development of the early primary season.

Reparation for slavery began almost as soon as the Civil War ended. Formerly enslaved people themselves put the issue on the table with the slogan Forty Acres and a Mule", a call for the land and tools necessary to achieve economic independence. In an era when the federal government was handing out land left and right  to railroad companies, white settlers, and immigrants  there would have been little real cost to the government, and immeasurable gains for the newly freed people of the American South.

The land and tools never came: white southerners feared nothing more than black independence, and so resisted any effort to liberate African Americans from white landowners. New laws quickly established a system of sharecropping that continued to deny black southerners land and fair wages.
2019 Honda Insight 4dr Touring Hybrid Review by David Colman + VIDEO - It's E15 Approved

A Green-vehicle review for car shoppers concerned with fuel economy, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles and gasoline and diesel exhaust emissions.

SEE ALSO: Honda Insight News, Opinion and Feature Archive

Great fuel economy and realistic proposition for a long tour

with four adults and all their luggage

By David Colman

Special Correspondent to The Auto Channel

For 2019, the Insight returns to the market as a revamped, hybrid version built on the Civic platform Honda introduced in 2018. This amalgamation gives the Insight a fresh lease on life, with all new underpinnings. Insight shares the independent front and rear suspension systems of the latest gas powered Civic. With MacPherson strut front, and multi-link rear design, the upgraded Insight handles curves with the kind of aplomb you might expect from Honda's racier Civic Si coupe. Insight plants attractive turbine vane 17 x 7 inch alloys at each corner, wrapped in Continental ProContact rubber (215/50R17). The combination of excellent suspension geometry, premium Conti rubber, and crisp steering feedback make for a surprisingly responsive sedan, especially considering its 2,975 lb. curb weight. The hybrid's high voltage battery, which is stowed beneath the rear seat, is responsible for a good bit of the 230 lb. weight increase of the hybrid Insight over the gasoline engine Civic.

The Insight's power delivery is acceptable under normal driving, but leaves something to be desired when you floor the throttle. At that point the normally quiet powertrain issues a noisy moan as it struggles to provide more oomph. The electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission provides little direct oversight of power demand. The revolutions of the 1.5liter engine soar in number and noise as the gas/electric combo struggles to meet throttle demand. Although Honda provides the Insight with a pair of "shift" paddles, using them has little apparent effect on engine performance.

If you can accept these shortcomings, the Insight will pay off in spades over the long run. The EPA rates it a perfect 10 out of 10 on the fuel economy and greenhouse gas rating scale, and figures you will save $3,000 in fuel costs over 5 years compared to the average new vehicle. Insight substantially betters the Civic in the mileage department. Compared to the gas engine Civic, which records 34MPG overall, the hybrid Insight scores 48MPG overall according to the EPA. So good is the Insight at saving petro dollars that Consumer Reports flatly states, "The Insight is our fuel economy champ of vehicles that don't have to be plugged in, thanks to its 54MPG overall in our tests, which is 2MPG better than the Toyota Prius."

Not only is it more economical than the Zombie styled Prius, but it's also far better looking. It's understated design is more refined looking than its twin under the skin Civic. Where the Civic is all odd angles and overwrought details, the Insight looks more rounded, more graceful, and more pleasing to the eye and to the air rushing over its sleek surfaces. About the only aerodynamic deficiency is the flat planed rear window, which never clears accumulated rain drops and definitely needs a wiper blade.

The Insight's interior benefits from the best leather covered steering wheel I have gripped in years. Nothing fancy, here, no deviated stitching, no wood inlays, no carbon fiber sections. But Honda has selected the perfect overall diameter, rim width, padding density and thumb indentations. Before airbags made steering wheel replacement virtually impossible, custom wheels were a popular aftermarket accessory. I bolted any number of Momo and Fittipaldi wheels into cars I owned, but none of them were better than the Insight's.

I wish I could say the same for the seats, but they lack sufficient support in the lower back area. Though the leather trimming is pleasing to the eye, they could stand to afford more lateral support as well. The back seat offers generous flop space for long legs, thanks to the Insight's 106 inch wheelbase. This interior caters to 4 adults in comfort, 5 in a pinch. Compared to the 2 inch shorter Civic's 13 cubic feet of storage, the Insight offers 15 cubic feet of trunk space. That's impressive considering the amount of room devoted to the storage battery. Thus, insight is a realistic proposition for a long tour with four adults and all their luggage aboard.

Best of all, you will almost never have to stop for fill ups, because the Insight's range is well over 400 miles - despite the fact that it carries just 10.6 gallons of fuel. You can thank the regenerative brakes and the electric motor for reproducing energy while you drive. It really is a lovely green concept.

2019 HONDA INSIGHT 4DR TOURING



ENGINE: 1.5 liter i-VTEC in line 4 Cylinder gas plus electric motor

HORSEPOWER: 151hp

TORQUE: N/A

FUEL CONSUMPTION: 51MPG City/45MPG Highway

PRICE AS TESTED: $28,985

HYPES: Subdued Civic Restyle, Exceptional Mileage

GRIPES: Loud Engine, Middling Performance, No Rear Wiper

STAR RATING: 8 Stars out of 10
5-Year-Old Girl Is Now Cancer-Free, Thanks to a Routine Dental Visit 18 Months Ago

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8 Americans Among 157 Dead in Ethiopia Air Disaster: Officials

Eight American citizens were among the 157 killed when Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 went down in unexplained circumstances shortly after takeoff.

Officials at Ethiopian Airlines gave an update on the nationalities of the passengers aboard the flight, which, besides the eight Americans, included nine Ethiopians, 18 Canadians, and 32 Kenyans.

The statement said it is too early to speculate on the cause of the accident and that a further investigation will be carried out in collaboration with all stakeholders including the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and other international entities.

Accident Bulletin no. 3

Issued on March 10, 2019 at 4:59 PM pic.twitter.com/5UOxsbl24f  Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam was cited by The Sun as saying that the pilot had an excellent flying record and the plane had no known technical problems.

Reuters cited Tewolde as saying that the pilot, who had logged over 8000 cumulative flight hours, reported trouble and asked for permission to return to the Addis Ababa airport.

The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and that he wanted to return. He was given the clearance (to return back), said Gebremariam during a news conference.

Accident Bulletin no. 2

Issued on march 10, 2019 at 01:46 PM pic.twitter.com/KFKX6h2mxJ  Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019

In a bulletin published by Ethiopian Airlines on Twitter, Gebremariam was cited as saying he deeply regrets the fatal accident and expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in the tragic accident.

Ethiopian Airlines Group press conference on flight ET 302 accident Posted by Ethiopian Airlines on Sunday, 10 March 2019

The flight had unstable vertical speed after takeoff, said flight-tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

The aircraft had shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the crash said.

Boeing sent condolences to the families and said it was ready to help investigate.

A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the company said in a statement.

At Nairobi airport, many relatives of passengers were left waiting at the gate for hours, with no information from airport authorities. Some learned of the crash from journalists.

Were just waiting for my mum. Were just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. Shes not picking up her phone, said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping.

Ethiopias state television issued the initial announcement confirming that all 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard the crashed Ethiopian Airlines flight are dead.

There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries, said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, citing airline sources.

The Boeing 737 passenger jet was heading from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to Kenyas capital city of Nairobi when it went down.

The aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET-AVJ took off at 8:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport and lost contact at 8:44 a.m., the airline said in a statement.

Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his deepest condolences on Twitter.

The office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister  Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

Reuters contributed to this report.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending a wreath laying ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum on March 2, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his two-day official visit following a failed summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi which ended without an agreement made. (Dien Bien/Getty Images)

After Summit with Trump, Kim Jong Uns Hair, Fingerprints Become State Secret

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Vietnam on March 2, after failing to come to a negotiation during the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Some fascinating details have since been unveiled about Kims visit, highlighting the deep sense of paranoia within the communist regime.

North Korean guards spent five hours cleaning up all traces of Kim the leader might have left in the hotel, according to Chosun Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper.

Kim Jong Un left the Melia Hanoi Hotel in Vietnam at 9:30 a.m. on March 2. When a Chosun Ilbo reporter arrived at the hotel at around 2 p.m., access to the 21st and 22nd floor was still restricted with the North Korean security team guarding the stairways.

Kim stayed on the 22nd floor and had presided over meetings on the 21st floor. The security team was busy cleaning up the room and the hallway on these two levels.

Chosun Ilbo analyzed that given the timing, the security team was likely removing all biomarkers Kim might have left, such as strands of hair, fingerprints, or saliva.

Another South Korean outlet Aju Business Daily reported on March 2 that Kim Jong Un had not made any public appearances in the 27-hour period after returning to the hotel from the conclusion of US-North Korea summit. Kim did not come out of the hotel until 3:20 p.m. on March 1, when he met with Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong.

Kims original plan was to leave Vietnam in the afternoon of March 2. However, because of the negotiation breakdown, he left the country at around 10 a.m.
Students with Serious Behavioral Problems Change After Practicing a Simple Exercise

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Arizona Zoo Says Jaguar That Attacked Woman Wont Be Put Down

An Arizona zoo has confirmed that their animal wont be put down after a jaguar there attacked a woman who crossed a barrier to take a photo.

Lady got what she deserved. If you put the jaguar down, Ill NEVER go there again, wrote a woman on Twitter. The Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Arizona responded to her.

She wont be put down, the zoo wrote back.

She wont be put down.  Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (@ZooWildlife) March 10, 2019

We can promise you nothing will happen to our jaguar, the zoo told CNN. Shes a wild animal and there were proper barriers in place to keep our guests safe  not a wild animals fault when barriers are crossed. Still sending prayers to her and her family.

Shawn Gilleland, a spokesman for the Rural Metro Fire Department, told AzCentral that the woman tried to take a selfie near the jaguar enclosure when one of the big cats scratched her arm.

She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

Please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight. pic.twitter.com/2MPb8bXhwR  Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (@ZooWildlife) March 10, 2019

Witnesses told officials that they saw her cross the barrier for the photo, according to the report.

The visitor sustained non life threatening injuries to their hand from one of our female jaguars. At the request of the family, paramedics were called. At no time was the animal out of its enclosure, said the zoo on Twitter, please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight.

On social media, most people blamed the woman for endangering herself and hoped the jaguar wouldnt be euthanized.

The zoo, citing witnesses, said the woman crossed over the barrier to get a photo and was attacked by a female jaguar. Posted by CNN on Sunday, 10 March 2019

Adam Wilkerson, a witness, said he heard someone come running and yelling for help.

Without thinking, I had no idea what I was going to see, I just ran over there, he told CNN. I saw the other girl up against the fence with her arm caught in the jaguars claws.

He said he was standing behind the woman but didnt want to pull her away.

UPDATE: The zoo has confirmed that the jaguar, which attacked a woman who reportedly crossed over a barrier while trying to take a photo Saturday, will not be put down. Posted by azcentral on Sunday, 10 March 2019

I could see the claws in her actual flesh, he said.

Wilkerson then said his mother tried to distract the jaguar by shoving a water bottle through the cage.

When my mom put the water bottle through the gate, the jaguar let go of the girl. And we pulled the girl back and she collapsed, he said.

JUST IN: Female jaguar involved in incident last night will not be put down. Woman in her 30s crossed barrier to take a selfie according to @ZooWildlife and was attacked by jaguar. @FOX10Phoenix #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/cqSrXtkWSI  Jennifer Martinez (@Jennifer_Fox10) March 10, 2019

Wilkerson, who said he didt know how the woman got so close, said there were no zoo employees nearby when the attack happened.

Jaguar Escapes Cage, Goes on Rampage

The incident recalls the case of a jaguar that escaped its enclosure at a zoo in Louisiana and went on a rampage.

Valerio, a 3-year-old jaguar, managed to get out of its cage at Louisianas Audubon Zoo and kill nine animals.

Rural Metro has responded to a report of a woman getting attacked by a jaguar at Wildlife World Zoo. She wanted a selfie  is the jaguar okay ? pic.twitter.com/W6hhqOmxtc  24/7 HipHop News (@BenjaminEnfield) March 10, 2019

The big cat chewed through the stainless-steel netting, which formed the roof of its enclosure, squeezed through the small hole, and got free to roam the zoo grounds.

Once free, Valerio followed jaguar instinct, killing as much food as possible while he had the chance.

The big cats escape was noticed at 7:20 a.m. on Saturday when a zoo staff member heard sounds of animals in distress. Valerio was busy in the fox pen at that time, having already attacked an alpaca and an emu.
Big Shock: 300lb Woman Loses Half Her Body Weight After Seeing Photos of Herself

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Child Among 3 Killed in Oklahoma Crash Involving School Bus

BOWLEGS, OklahomaThe Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a child was among three people killed in a head-on crash involving a school bus.

A patrol report says the crash occurred just after 7:15 p.m. on Friday, March 8, on U.S. 377 near Bowlegs, about 50 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. A girl on the bus was killed along with two people in an SUV.

Three people were killed, including one child, when a head-on crash involving a school bus and a SUV occurred in Oklahoma this morning. The bus collided with the SUV, which was passing another vehicle. https://t.co/3VHJ2614WP  KCRG (@KCRG) March 9, 2019

The Konawa school districts website says the girl was one of six Junior High softball players returning home from a game. Five other girls on the bus and the bus driver were treated and released from area hospitals.

Child among 3 killed in Oklahoma crash involving school bushttps://t.co/ROew2B33gt  WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) March 9, 2019

No names or ages have been released.

The patrols report says crash occurred when the southbound bus collided with the northbound SUV that was passing another vehicle. Both vehicles then burst into flames.

My thoughts are with the Konawa Junior High School students and their families, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt wrote on Twitter. I have reached out to the district to offer any support they may need during this difficult time.

My prayers are with the Konawa Junior High School students and their families. I have reached out to the district to offer any support they may need during this difficult time. https://t.co/lOWYJcAx4Z  Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) March 9, 2019

Konowa Public School officials have decided to cancel classes for Monday, and extra-curricular activities have been canceled through March 16 in light of the accident.

Parents, Students, Staff and Community Members, with a heavy heart and immeasurable sorrow, I want to discuss the tragedy which has deeply affected all of us, Superintendent Cory Ellis wrote on the districts Facebook page.

Parents, Students, Staff and Community Members, with a heavy heart and immeasurable sorrow, I want to discuss the Posted by Konawa Public School, District 67-I004 on Saturday, 9 March 2019

We know that students and staff will react in different ways to emergencies of this nature, so it will be important to have support available to assist both staff and students in need, he said. Counselors will be available in the school setting to assist students as they express their feelings related to last nights event.

We know that while its important to deal with grief, loss, and anger reactions, we also believe it is essential to resume as normal a routine as possible regarding school activities by providing support from peers and colleagues, Ellis said. There will be modifications to the school week next week and we will keep you notified of school closing, start late, or activity cancellations shortly.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a child was among three people killed in a head-on crash involving a school bus.https://t.co/966DkLX89W pic.twitter.com/4j2mHWKQWD  KTEN News (@KTENnews) March 9, 2019

NTD reporter Tiffany Meier contributed to this report.

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Couple Struck, Killed by SUV Trying to Cross Highway

Authorities say a man and woman were struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle as they were trying to cross a New Jersey highway.

The Monmouth County prosecutors office said the two were trying to cross at the intersection of State Highway 36 and Grand Avenue in Atlantic Highlands shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, March 8.

Prosecutors said 60-year-old John Grogan and 59-year-old Barbara Grogan of Atlantic Highlands were struck by an eastbound SUV and died. The driver was uninjured and remained at the scene.

John Grogan, 60, and his spouse, Barbara Grogan, 59, of Atlantic Highlands, were attempting to cross the intersection when they were struck by a 27-year-old driver. http://bit.ly./2J2XI37 Posted by The Journal NJ on Saturday, 9 March 2019

The highway, a major artery through northern Monmouth County, was closed in both directions for most of Friday night.

The crash is under investigation by police, prosecutors, and the county serious collision analysis response team. Anyone with information is urged to call investigators.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R) with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (L) in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on March 6, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

HR1 Election Overhaul Would Tip Scales Toward Democrats, Critics Say

House Democrats passed a massive elections overhaul and campaign finance bill on March 8 that proponents said would greatly increase voting rights and crack down on the influence of money in the U.S. political system.

The nearly 700-page proposal, known as the For the People Act, or H.R.1, passed on a straight party line vote, 234193, and was heralded by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as a historic reform package to restore the promise of our nations democracy.

H.R.1 restores the peoples faith that government works for the public interest, the peoples interest, not the special interest, Pelosi said on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), the bills sponsor, said, H.R.1 is designed  to restore ethics and accountability, to fight back against the interests of big money in our politics and to make it easier, not harder, to register and vote in America.

Among other items, the bill would make Election Day a federal holiday, mandate automatic voter registration and same-day voter registration, assign redistricting responsibilities to independent commissions, prohibit members of Congress from serving on corporate boards, and require U.S. presidents to release their tax returnsa clear broadside against President Donald Trump.

Critics, however, have blasted the legislation as a brazen attempt to permanently skew elections and restrict political speech.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wrote in a tweet: Democrats did not design #HR1 to protect your vote. They designed it to put a thumb on the scale of every election in America and keep the Swamp swampy.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called H.R. 1 the Democrat Politician Protection Act, in a March 8 tweet, after previously saying the bill amounted to a massive power grab.

McConnell reasserted on March 8 that he wont allow the legislation to receive a vote in the Senate, effectively killing it. However, Republican opposition to the sweeping reform package will likely become a major 2020 campaign theme, and the bill will likely serve as the basis for any future election-related changes should Democrats retake the White House or Senate.

H.R. 1 expands access to voting in a number of ways, including forcing states to implement early voting, online voter registration, and no-fault absentee balloting, or the issuance of absentee ballots without requiring a reason for their request. An amendment to lower the voting age to 16 years old was submitted, but ultimately voted down.

The proposal also sets the stage to make the District of Columbia a state, according to Rep. Elizabeth Norton Holmes, a 15-term Democratic congresswoman from the district.

With the passage of #HR1, the U.S. House of Representatives today officially endorsed #DCstatehood for the first time in American history, Holmes wrote in a tweet.

The measure also requires eligible voters to be registered automatically through state drivers license offices and welfare departments unless they affirmatively decline. Felons would be automatically registered upon release from prison, and prospective voters would be able to both register and vote on the same day, including on Election Day.

Election integrity officials consider same-day voting and automatic voter registration an opportunity for voter roll inaccuracies and fraud. Same-day voting typically does not allow election officials the time to verify required voter information, and automatic registration has been shown to open the door to potential noncitizen voting.

In September 2018, the California Department of Motor Vehicles admitted to sending more than 23,000 erroneous voter registrations to the California secretary of states office as a result of the states automatic voter registration law.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla said he was extremely disappointed and deeply frustrated that DMVs administrative error caused inaccurate voter registration data to be transmitted to elections officials, while asserting that no undocumented immigrants had been wrongfully registered.

Twelve states, including California, allow illegal aliens to obtain drivers licenses, and nearly every state issues drivers licenses to legal noncitizens. Illegal aliens in San Francisco and other urban Democratic strongholds around the country have passed local laws allowing noncitizens the right to vote, however, only U.S. citizens can legally vote in federal elections.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, offered a motion to reaffirm that only U.S. citizens have the right to vote, but the motion was denied by House leadership.

Next time you go to the ballot box, keep that in mind. The future of their party is in cities like San Fran, where illegals can vote. Let that sink in, Crenshaw said in a tweet on March 8.

Christian Adams, a former Department of Justice voting rights attorney and president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, told the House Judiciary Committee earlier this year that H.R.1 invites vulnerabilities in elections.

The voter rolls are currently full of ineligible voters who have died or moved out of the jurisdiction where they are registered, Adams said.

H.R.1 would make the problem worse by stripping the power of states to manage their own voter rolls to keep them clean using well-established best practices, such as postal mailings and recurring inactivity of registrants in elections. H.R.1s mandate that states stop using these tools is just bad public policy.

H.R.1 also mandates federal funding to match small-dollar donations and would deposit the funding into campaign bank accounts. It further requires the disclosure of donors who give more than $10,000 to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, such as 501(c)4 groups.

Current tax law allows for anonymity to protect donors from political reprisal, however many campaign-finance reformists believe the so-called dark-money system has been abused.

McConnell took exception to another H.R.1 initiative aimed at restructuring the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The agency is organized as a bipartisan six-member commission tasked with enforcing campaign finance laws. The new legislation would reduce the commission to five members with the presidents party in the majority.

On March 7, McConnell referenced the FEC reform, saying, Democrats arent after an FEC that enforces the law; theyre after an FEC that enforces their ideology.

The American Civil Liberties Union is strongly opposed to H.R.1 in its current form, due to limits it places on political speech.

In a March 1 letter to the House Rules Committee, the normally liberal-leaning ACLU warned that H.R.1 would unconstitutionally infringe on the speech and associational rights of many public interest organizations and American citizens.

The civil liberties group supports aspects of the overhaul but as stand-alone measures. It contends the bill goes so far as to regulate communications that merely mention a candidate for office in advance of an election.

These measures, the ACLU said, will have the effect of harming our public discourse by silencing necessary voices that would otherwise speak out about the public issues of the day.

McConnell believes the legislation is unnecessary.

What is the problem that were trying to solve here? We had the highest turnout last year since 1966 in an off-year election, he told reporters on March 6. People are flooding to the polls  because theyre animated. Theyre interested. This is a solution in search of a problem. What it really is, is designed to make it more likely that Democrats win more often.
People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019. (Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)

UPDATE: Officials Say All 157 Killed On Board Crashed Ethiopian Airliner

UPDATE: Ethiopias state television has announced that all 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard the crashed Ethiopian Airlines flight are dead.

There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries, said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, citing an unidentified source at the airline, according to The Independent.

Asrat Begashaw, a spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines, was cited by The Associated Press as saying that 32 Kenyans and 17 Ethiopians are among the dead.

The cause of the crash is not immediately known.

#BREAKING according to reports, there are no survivors following a plane crash in Ethiopia. 157 people on board. Just awful. pic.twitter.com/waoboEDFzN  Karla Ray (@KRayWFTV) March 10, 2019

PREVIOUS: Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashed on Sunday, March 10, with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, according to the air carrier.

The Boeing 737 passenger jet was heading from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to Kenyas capital city of Nairobi.

Flight ET302 departed Addis Ababa Bole International Airport at 8.38 a.m. local time, crashing shortly after take-off.

The aircraft B-737-800MAX with registration number ET-AVJ took off at 8:38 a.m. local time from Addis Ababa, Bole International Airport and lost contact at 8:44 a.m., the airline said in a statement.

Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his deepest condolences on Twitter.

The office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister  Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

The airline said in the statement that search and rescue operations were underway near the crash site around the town of Bishoftu.

No information was given on the number of casualties, but the airline said, it is believed that there were 149 passengers and 8 crew onboard the flight. Officials added that the details of the flight manifest were being reviewed and that more information would be released when available.

Ethiopian Airlines staff will be sent to the accident scene and will do everything possible to assist the emergency services, the statement added.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.
A man carries a piece of debris on his head at the crash site of a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019. - A Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers, and "at least a dozen" UN staff. (Photo by Michael TEWELDE / AFP) (Photo credit should read MICHAEL TEWELDE/AFP/Getty Images)

Ethiopian Airlines Flight Crashes, Killing 157

NAIROBIAn Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off on March 10, killing all 157 people on board and raising questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a new model that also crashed in Indonesia in October.

The March 10 flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 a.m. (12:38 a.m. EDT), before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8:44 a.m.

The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and that he wanted to return, Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam told a news conference.

There are no survivors, the airline tweeted alongside a picture of Tewolde holding up a piece of debris inside a large crater at the crash site.

Passengers from 33 countries were aboard, said Tewolde.

The dead included Kenyan, Ethiopian, American, Canadian, French, Chinese, Egyptian, Swedish, British, Dutch, Indian, Slovakian, Austrian, Swedish, Russian, Moroccan, Spanish, Polish, and Israeli citizens.

At least four worked for the United Nations, the airline said, and the U.N.s World Food Program director confirmed his organization had lost staff in the accident.

Weeping relatives begged for information at airports in Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

Were just waiting for my mum. Were just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. Shes not picking up her phone, said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping.

The aircraft, a 737 MAX 8, is the same model that crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on Oct 29, killing all 189 people on board the Lion Air flight.

The cause of that crash is still under investigation.

A senior U.S. government official said it was too early to tell if there was any direct connection between the two accidents, but that reviewing the issue would be among the top priorities for investigators.

The 737 is the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and is seen as one of the industrys most reliable.

A preliminary report into the October crash focused on airline maintenance and training and the technical response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor.

Boeing is working on a software patch while insisting cockpit procedures were already in place to deal with problems that the Lion Air jet experienced.

Ethiopians new aircraft had no recorded technical problems and the pilot had an excellent flying record, Tewolde said.

We received the airplane on November 15, 2018. It has flown more than 1,200 hours. It had flown from Johannesburg earlier this morning, he said.

Unstable Speed

Flight ET 302, registration number ET-AVJ, crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 km (38 miles) southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, with 149 passengers and eight crew aboard, the airline said.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after takeoff, the flight tracking website Flightradar24 tweeted.

The aircraft had shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the crash said. Clothing and personal effects were scattered widely over the field where the plane came down.

There was no immediate indication of what caused the crash and safety experts said it was too early to speculate, adding most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors. Boeing said it was ready to help investigate.

Anguished Relatives

At Nairobi airport, many relatives were left waiting at the gate for hours, with no information from airport authorities. Some learned of the crash from journalists.

Robert Mutanda, 46, was waiting for his brother-in-law, a Canadian citizen.

No, we havent seen anyone from the airline or the airport, he told Reuters at 1 p.m., more than three hours after the flight was lost. Nobody has told us anything, we are just standing here hoping for the best.

Kenyan officials did not arrive at the airport until 1:30 p.m., five hours after the plane went down.

James Macharia, the cabinet secretary for transport, said he heard about the crash via Twitter.

Families were taken to Nairobis Sheraton hotel but said they were still waiting to hear from airline staff eight hours after the accident.

Ethiopian Airlines

Under international rules, responsibility for leading the crash investigation lies with Ethiopia but the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will also participate because the plane was designed and built in the United States.

Representatives of Boeing and Cincinnati-based engine-maker CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and General Electric Co and Frances Safran SA, were expected to advise the NTSB.

Ethiopian is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. The plane was among six of 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets the rapidly expanding carrier has ordered.

The fleet will continue flying since the cause of the crash is not clear, the CEO said.

Its last major crash was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down shortly after take-off, killing all 90 people onboard. The Lebanese blamed pilot error, which was disputed by the airline.

North American airlines that operate the 737 MAX 8 said they were monitoring the investigation. Southwest Airlines flies 31 MAX 8 jets while American Airlines and Air Canada each have 24 in their fleet. Southwest said it remained confident in the safety of its more than 750 Boeing jets.

By Duncan Miriri & Maggie Fick
Fourteen Killed in Colombia Plane Crash: President Speaks Out

BOGOTA, ColombiaFourteen people were killed in a plane crash in the Colombian plains province of Meta on Saturday, March 9, the countrys civil aviation agency said.

The Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics said there were no survivors of the crash, which occurred after the DC-3 aircraft made a distress call at 10:40 a.m. local time.

The plane, which is owned by Laser Aereo airlines, was en route from the southern city of San Jose del Guaviare to central Villavicencio, the agency said.

It crashed about midway through its flight, in San Carlos de Guaroa municipality.

The airline said it had no immediate comment.

In a later statement posted on Twitter, the agency named those who had died, including the mayor of a small town in the jungle province of Vaupes.

The aircrafts navigability permissions were up to date, as were the medical certifications of its crew, the agency added.

Multiple Airplanes Crashed In March

An Ethiopian Airlines flight with 157 people thought to be on board crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning, March 10, from Ethiopias capital while headed to Nairobi, the airline said.

Ethiopias state broadcaster said all the passengers on the plane are dead.

Broadcaster EBC says the passengers included 33 nationalities.

Two Small Florida Planes Crashed

Five people died after a small plane crashed in Floridas Lake Okeechobee on Friday, March 8.

A Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office news release said marine unit deputies and rescue workers recovered the bodies from the planes fuselage several hours after the Friday afternoon crash.

FATAL PLANE CRASH Piper PA-23 crashed into Lake Okeechobee north of Pahokee Airport. Flight heading to West Palm Beach from Tampa. Palm Beach County Sheriffs Marine Unit recovered five people from the aircraft. All were killed. NTSB investigators entoute.https://t.co/iejnbFiYs1 pic.twitter.com/5eFV2u0c9i  Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) March 9, 2019

Officials said the twin-engine Piper aircraft went down about 400 yards from the giant lakes southeast shore, just north of the Pahokee Airport.

Records show the plane had taken off from Tampa International Airport.

The sheriffs office is investigating the deaths. The victims werent immediately identified.

On Friday, March 1, a small plane crashed into a building in Fort Lauderdale, along a Florida beach, killing the pilot in a heavily trafficked tourist area.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stephan Gollan told reporters the plane hit an 18-story condominium building just before noon and then fell several floors onto an outdoor pool deck. He said the pilot was killed, but no other injuries were reported. The buildings residents were evacuated.

Television shots show the yellow, single-engine Piper PA-25 crumpled with its wings snapped off.

The pilots name was not released. The planes markings show it is owned by Aerial Banners Inc. The companys website says it has more than 50 planes at locations around the country, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle, and Alaska.

The companys Fort Lauderdale office declined comment. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating.

Update: I think the pilot has died. Theres a tarp down next to the cockpit and the police arent treating it with the same urgency anymore. This is the view from my balcony pic.twitter.com/nvxXxBCSHx  samuel (@SamueIDada) March 1, 2019

Vacationer Jim McHugh of New York City told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel he was on the beach with his wife when the plane flew past heading north. He said the engine was not sputtering, but the plane banked hard to the left toward the tall buildings that line the area. He said he realized the plane was too low and told his wife it was going to crash just before it did.

Its a shame the poor guy didnt bank to the right and to the water, he told the paper.

Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
India to Go to Polls From April 11, Pakistan Tension May Boost Modi

NEW DELHIIndia will hold a general election in seven stages starting on April 11, the election commission said on March 10, in what will be the worlds biggest democratic exercise with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to benefit from tensions with Pakistan.

About 900 million citizens will be eligible to vote, 15 million of them aged between 18 and 19, in a mammoth exercise lasting more than a month, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a press briefing in the capital New Delhi on March 10.

Until a few weeks ago, a shortage of jobs and weak farm prices were seen denting Modis popularity. But pollsters say his ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now has a clear advantage after Indias armed forces clashed with those of arch-rival Pakistan last month, triggering a wave of patriotic fervor across the country of 1.3 billion.

Of the 543 parliamentary seats up for grabs, 241 could go to Modis ruling alliance, compared with 141 to the Congress Party-led opposition alliance, according to a nationwide survey of 50,000 people by the CVoter polling agency conducted over the past four weeks.

The Hindi heartlandbarring Uttar Pradeshhas charged up due to the Pakistan issue, said Yashwant Deshmukh, founder of CVoter, referring to the northern state of Uttar Pradesh that sends the largest number of lawmakers to Indias lower house of parliament and is a key battleground for the election.

Earlier surveys released in January, before the most recent tension with Pakistan, showed the BJP and its allies emerging as the largest group in the election but falling short of a majority.

In 2014s general election, the BJP won 282 out of 543 contested seatsthe strongest showing for any political party in three decades.

However, the main opposition Congress party, which late last year ousted the BJP from power in three largely rural states, is trying to band together with regional and caste-based parties to oust Modi.

Congress, controlled by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that ruled India for most of its post-independence history, is banking on voter resentment to propel the opposition alliance to victory.

Political Gains

The recent clashes between India and Pakistan were triggered after a Feb. 14 suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in the northern region of Kashmir claimed by both countries. A Pakistan-based militant group claimed responsibility for the attack and India accused Pakistan of complicitya charge Pakistan denies.

Aerial confrontations between the nuclear-armed nations ensued and, although questions have been raised about how effective the Indian military action actually was, Modis approval rating soared.

For the first time I will vote for Narendra Modi because I like what he has done against Pakistan, said Anjali Tivari as she was picking up her son from school in Mumbai. Im impressed. He gave the right answer to Pakistan.

HSBC Securities and Capital Markets said in a note that national security and nationalism could trump economic issues in determining voters preferences.

Arora, the chief election commissioner, said three special observers would be deployed in the northern Jammu and Kashmir state, where India is battling multiple insurgencies and where elections are usually marred by violence. Votes will be counted on May 23, he said.

He also said Facebook, Twitter, Google, and WhatsApp have committed to cracking down on fake news by deploying fact checkers and grievance officers.

There has been mounting concern in India that political party workers could spread false news on the social media platforms to sway voters. WhatsApp has, in particular, become a key campaign tool used widely by both leading parties.

The commission has also set up a separate team to monitor expenditure of political parties after a record spend in the 2014 election. Many parties understate their expenses and monitoring has been difficult in the past.

By Devjyot Ghoshal, Zeba Siddiqui & Aftab Ahmed
An American Jaguar strolls through its enclosure at Bratislava's Zoo, on Nov. 13, 2014. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)

Jaguar Attacks Woman at Arizona Zoo: Reports

A woman was mauled by a jaguar at an Arizona zoo on March 9 after crossing a barrier to get a photo, officials said.

Rural Metro Fire crews responded to a report of a lady attacked by a jaguar at about 6:40 p.m. at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park near Phoenix, according to the Arizona Republic, citing spokesman Shawn Gilleland.

Gilleland said emergency responders transported the womanwho was not named in the reportto the hospital for treatment of lacerations to her arm.

The woman had injuries deemed not life-threatening.

Witnesses Distract Animal With Water Bottle

A witness described the frightening encounter to Fox 10 reporters.

I hear this young girl screaming Help! Help! Help!, and without thinking, I just run over there, Adam Wilkerson said, according to the report. I see another girl with her up against the cage of the jaguar and the jaguar has clasped its claws outside of the cage around her hand and into her flesh.

WARNING: Graphic content, may be disturbing to some viewers

My mom thinks of how to distract the jaguar and she grabs her water bottle and she shoves it through the cage, right near where the jaguar is, Wilkerson said. The jaguar lets go of the girl somewhat because the claw catches on just her sweater. At that moment, I grabbed the girl around the torso and pulled her away from the cage and it unlatches from her claw. The jaguar just goes after the bottle.

No update was available about the condition of the victim, who is said to be in her 30s.

Prayers to the Family

Zoo officials posted an announcement on Twitter, sending prayers to the family tonight and adding: please understand why barriers are put in place.

We regret to inform that this evening, before closing there was an incident reported involving a guest, who crossed over the barrier to get a photo, according to eyewitnesses. The visitor sustained nonlife-threatening injuries to their hand from one of our female jaguars. At the request of the family, paramedics were called. At no time was the animal out of its enclosure. The incident is being fully investigated.

Please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight. pic.twitter.com/2MPb8bXhwR  Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (@ZooWildlife) March 10, 2019

The zoo is a USDA-licensed, private facility accredited by the Zoological Association of America and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums, according to its website.

Jaguar Escapes Cage, Goes on Rampage

The incident recalls the case of a jaguar that escaped its enclosure at a zoo in Louisiana and went on a rampage.

Valerio, a 3-year-old jaguar, managed to get out of its cage at Louisianas Audubon Zoo and kill nine animals.

The big cat chewed through the stainless-steel netting, which formed the roof of its enclosure, squeezed through the small hole, and got free to roam the zoo grounds.

Once free, Valerio followed jaguar instinct, killing as much food as possible while he had the chance.

The big cats escape was noticed at 7:20 a.m. on Saturday when a zoo staff member heard sounds of animals in distress. Valerio was busy in the fox pen at that time, having already attacked an alpaca and an emu.

The staff member radioed for help. Then he and the other staffer on duty sought shelter. The big cat could have easily killed both zookeepers had they tried to rescue the foxes.

Zoo security set up a safety perimeter and zoo veterinary staff tranquilized the animal. After making sure he was unconscious, zoo staff collected the big cat and transported him to his night enclosure, which is not open to the outside.

Zoo officials said that the mesh used as a cage roof met the standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Im still processing that the animal was able to bite through this woven stainless steel cable, Kyle Burks, vice president and managing director of Audubon Zoo and Park, told Nola.com.

Im really proud of our teams emergency response to this and our effort to make sure it doesnt happen again, Burks said.

There are no surveillance cameras in the jaguar enclosure, so staff have no way to know how long Valerio was loose.

We know that he was out long enough to do the things that he did, Burks said. For us, anytime he was out was too long.

Natural Behavior

An expert who heads a group dedicated to protecting and preserving wild cats said that Valerios killing spree was, in fact, normal jaguar behavior.

It was completely natural behavior that is in no way reflective of a bad cat, Dr. Aletris Neils, executive director of Conservation CATalyst, told Nola.com.

Neils said jaguars will kill as much food is available, because they can safely eat meat as much as a week old, unlike most big cats who can only eat fresh meat.

When food is plentiful, you kill, Neils explained.

Burks said that zoo patrons expressed sorrow for the slain animalserecting impromptu shrines in the parking lotand were also concerned about Valerio.

There has been a lot of concern and question about Valerio, will he be euthanized over this event? Burks said. We are absolutely not intending to do that. He is also part of our family and he was, unfortunately, doing what jaguars do.

Epoch Times reporter Chris Jasurek contributed to this report.
Mayor of Bologna Rails Against Spaghetti Bolognese, Claims It Doesnt Actually Exist

An Italian mayor is on a quest to debunk the myth that spaghetti bolognese has anything to with his beloved city of Bologna.

Virginio Merola is so sick of claims the world-famous pasta dish originated in Bologna that hes launched a public awareness campaign to break the fake news link between the northern Italian city and spaghetti bolognese.

Dear residents, I am collecting photos of spaghetti Bolognese from around the world (speaking of fake news). This one is from London, please send me yours, wrote Merola on social media earlier this week.

He shared a photo of a noticeboard advertising the pasta dish as the specialty of house.

Cari cittadini sto collezionando foto di #spaghetti alla bolognese in giro per il #mondo, a proposito di fake news. Questa arriva da #Londra. Se potete inviatemi le vostre  Grazie! pic.twitter.com/3NnDfTQl0V  Virginio Merola (@virginiomerola) February 25, 2019

Spaghetti Bolognese Doesnt Actually Exist

Merola went on the airwaves recently, telling Italian radio broadcaster RAI theres no such thing as spaghetti bolognese.

Spaghetti bolognese doesnt actually exist, yet its famous the world over, Merola told RAI.

The mayor told the British publication The Telegraph that he plans to collect all the photos people send him and create a public display of the dish that apparently makes waiters eyes roll if ordered in Italy.

Merolas anti-spaghetti bolognese exhibition will be part of Bolognas new FICO Eataly World, billed as the worlds largest food theme park.

It is strange to be famous all over the world for a dish that isnt ours, he told the Telegraph. Of course we are happy that it draws attention to our city, but we would prefer to be known for the quality food that is part of our culinary tradition.

What wed prefer the world to know is that Bologna invented tagliatelle, tortellini, and lasagne, he told RAI.

A dish said to actually originate in Bolognaand that perhaps inspired spaghetti bologneseis Tagliatelle al Ragu, or Tagliatelle Bolognese. This is a broad noodle served in a slow-cooked meat sauce with chunks of vegetablesincluding tomatoes.

Merolas call for pictorial evidence of the spaghetti bolognese abomination is already bearing fruit.

One Twitter user fumed about spaghetti bolognese in Denmark thatto bootwas instant.

I dont know what kind of [expletive] is in it, he wrote.

Questi trovati a Copenaghen

Non so che schifezza ci sia dentro, sono per bambini piccoli !!!! pic.twitter.com/hBziu9klLA  Gianni Cavazza (@GianniCavazza) February 26, 2019

Another user posted a photo of an ad board from the Czech Republic that added insult to injury by plugging not just bolonske spagety but lasagne polevka. This translates as lasagne soup, a dish few in Italy will have heard of.

Bolonske spagety: lavagnetta con menu del giorno di un locale sulla piazza di Telc in Moravia pic.twitter.com/cyXsLafV2Q  Chingach Gook (@Chingach_gook) February 26, 2019

More Food That Offends

While campaigning against unauthentic dishes may be on the menu for some, last year saw several food-related incidents likely to offend for reasons of health or disgust.

There was a case in March 2018 where a Pita Pit employee in Missoula, Montana, spat on a customers food. The entire altercation was recorded on video and posted on Facebook.

We are shocked and saddened by the early morning incident that took place in our restaurant. We have been unable to Posted by Pita Pit on Saturday, 24 March 2018

Pita Pit announced the employee was fired following the incident, and an apology issued to customers.

In October, a video was posted on Twitter, captioned something to think about the next time you eat at the salad bar. It showed a man holding a bag of buns taking several sips of soups directly from the ladleone that everyone else uses to scoop soup.

Something to think about the next time you eat at the salad bar. pic.twitter.com/yALLvVPbut  WTF!? (@wtfvids_) October 27, 2018

Apparently, according to Reddit user bubbly48, the same person who had shot the video said that this wasnt the said shoppers first soup. It was his second soup. The first one made me stop and see if he would do it again. Then I went to security.

In a particularly disturbing incident, video was shared on social media showing a rat cooking on a restaurant grill.

Dont eat at Teddys Burger in Mapuanapuna, the post was captioned. They cooking rats on the grill.

Dont eat at Teddys Burger in Mapunapuna.

They cooking rats on the grill  pic.twitter.com/3OTTVFgita  KidBranz  (@HawaiiKidBranz) November 22, 2018

Shortly after the incident, the management of Teddys Bigger Burger chain fired two employees.

The president of the burger place said in a statement that as a company, it was horrified that the former employees would conduct themselves in such a way.

Epoch Times reporter Paula Liu contributed to this report.
A common area and cell room doors are seen inside the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Va., on Aug. 13, 2018. - A former regional jail, the facility has been contracted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house illegal aliens for violations of immigration laws. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Mumps, Other Outbreaks Force US Detention Centers to Quarantine More Than 2,000 Illegal Aliens

Christian Mejia thought he had a shot at getting out of immigration detention in rural Louisiana after he found a lawyer to help him seek asylum.

Then, he was quarantined.

In early January, a mumps outbreak at the privately run Pine Prairie Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center put Mejia and hundreds of other detainees on lockdown.

When there is just one person who is sick, everybody pays, Mejia, 19, said in a phone interview from the Pine Prairie center, describing weeks without visits and access to the library and dining hall.

While his attorney wasnt allowed in, his immigration court case continuedover a video conference line. On Feb. 12, the judge ordered Mejia deported back to Honduras.

The number of people amassed in immigration detention under the Trump administration has reached record highs. As of March 6, more than 50,000 illegal aliens were in detention, according to ICE data.

Internal emails reviewed for this article reveal the complications of managing outbreaks such as the one at Pine Prairie, since illegal alien detainees often are transferred around the country and infected people dont necessarily show symptoms of viral diseases even when they are contagious.

Mumps can easily spread through droplets of saliva in the air, especially in close quarters. While most people recover within a few weeks, complications include brain swelling, sterility, and hearing loss.

ICE health officials have been notified of 236 confirmed or probable cases of mumps among detainees in 51 facilities in the past 12 months, compared to no cases detected between January 2016 and February 2018. Last year, 423 detainees were determined to have influenza and 461 to have chicken pox. All three diseases are largely preventable by vaccine.

As of March 7, a total of 2,287 detainees were quarantined around the country, according to an ICE official.

Pablo Paez, a spokesman for GEO Group, the private prison operator that runs Pine Prairie under government contract, said its medical professionals follow standards set by ICE and health authorities. He said medical care provided to detainees allows the company to detect, treat, and follow appropriate medical protocols to manage an infectious outbreak.

The first cases at Pine Prairie were detected in January in four illegal aliens who had been recently transferred from the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi, according to internal emails.

Tallahatchie, run by private detention company CoreCivic Inc., has had five confirmed cases of mumps and 18 cases of chicken pox since January, according to company spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist. She said no one who was diagnosed was transferred out of the facility while the disease was active.

Tallahatchie houses hundreds of illegal aliens recently apprehended along the U.S.- Mexico border, ICE officials said.

On March 5, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters that changing demographics on the southwest border, with more illegal aliens from Central America traveling long distances, has overwhelmed border officials and raised health concerns.

We are seeing illegal aliens arrive with illnesses and medical conditions in unprecedented numbers, McAleenan said at a press conference.

Since January, the 1,094-bed Pine Prairie facility has had 18 detainees with confirmed or probable cases of mumps, compared to no cases in 2018, according to ICE. As of mid-February, 288 people were under quarantine at Pine Prairie. Mejia said his quarantine ended on Feb. 25.

Detention centers in other states also have seen a rise in outbreaks.

There have been 186 mumps cases in immigration detention facilities in Texas since October, the largest outbreak in centers there in recent years, said Lara Anton, the press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In Colorado, at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility near Denver, run by GEO Group, 357 people have been quarantined following eight confirmed and five suspected cases of mumps detected since February, as well as six cases of chickenpox diagnosed since the beginning of January, said Dr. Bernadette Albanese from the Tri-County Health Department in Colorado.

Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on stage during the 2019 Athena Film Festival closing night film, "Knock Down the House" at the Diana Center at Barnard College on March 3, 2019 in New York City. (Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Athena Film Festival)

Ocasio-Cortez Suggests America Is in State of Garbage, Accuses Reagan of Spurring Racial Conflicts

Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suggested that America is in a state of garbage in an appearance at the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals (SXSW) on March 9.

At the same time, she claimed former President Ronald Reagan spurred racial conflicts by pitting white working-class people against minorities.

Responding to a question on her push for far-left socialist policies, such as her proposed Green New Deal and Medicare for All, Ocasio-Cortez claimed the nation has drifted away from our core into something that isnt radical but what weve always been.

Weve strayed so far away from what has really made us powerful, and just, and good, and equitable, and productive, and so I think all of these things sound radical compared to where we are, but where we are is not a good thing, she said. And this idea of, like, 10 percent better from garbage, is, shouldnt be what we settle for, its like this, like, it feels like, moderate is not a stance, its just an attitude toward life of, like, hmmm.'

The congresswomen at one point also claimed that Reagans rhetoric had [screwed] over all working-class Americans.

A perfect example of how special interests and the powerful have pitted white working-class Americans against brown and black working-class Americans, in order to just screw over all working-class Americans, is Reaganism in the 80s, when he started talking about welfare queens, she said.

So you think about this image, welfare queens, and what he was really trying to talk about was he was painting this photo he was painting this, like, really resentful vision of, essentially, black women who were doing nothing, that were sucks on our country.

Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) suggests former President Ronald Reagan was a racist and claims he pitted white working-class Americans against brown and black working-class Americans to screw over all working-class Americans pic.twitter.com/oxM2QPRgrB  Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) March 9, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez accused Reagan of fueling anger against a group of people that you are already kind of subconsciously primed to resent. She claimed the former president gave Americans a different reason to harbor such resentment that was not explicit racism, but still rooted in a racist caricature.

FEC Complaints

Her remarks come amid a hectic week for the congresswoman, who faces scrutiny over the operations of her office and campaign, including two ethics complaints filed by conservative non-profits to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

One ethics complaint filed on March 7 accuses her of using congressional privileges to provide her boyfriend an official House email address by falsely designating him as a staff member.

A separate complaint alleges that two political action committees (PACs) backing the congresswomans campaign fed nearly $900,000 to a limited liability company (LLC) that functioned as a de facto slush fund for campaign spending, skirting campaign-transparency rules.

The congresswoman recently also came to the defense of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) who has faced accusations of anti-Semitism from both parties. On March 5, Ocasio-Cortez retweeted a Twitter post from a supporter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which the U.S. State Department designates a terrorist organization.

Ocasio-Cortez, in her retweet, said it was disappointing to see pro-Israel activist Stephen Fiske telling the New York Times that the lobby is coming for herself and two other congresswomen.

This is disappointing to see. Just last week there was all this hubbub over an untrue mischaracterization that I was threatening primaries based on pro-ICE votes. Yet there seems to be no problem at all with a zero-tolerance stance for simply asking about US foreign policy. https://t.co/YoOIPDSpbU  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 5, 2019
Our Hero: 2-Year-Old Georgia Girl Diagnosed With Rare Ovarian Cancer

A 2-year-old girl was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in a rare case, according to reports.

Update for April 4: Her parents said that the girls tests came back and the girls AFP as of 3/28 was in the 400s (there are no thousands in that number! Its just 3 digits!!!)! This was after round 2 of chemo.

We are so excited for this news! Kenni is a for real warrior princess if you ask me! Also, the labs from this week seemed to show that her levels are better, and the platelet and blood transfusions worked (thats if Michael and I are reading the report appropriately we havent gotten a call to go back to the hospital so thats a good sign ), they said via GoFundMe.



McKenna Kenni Shea Xydias was diagnosed with an ovarian yolk sac tumor on Feb. 15 after she had a 103 degree Fahrenheit fever and a bloated stomach, according to ABC.

Mike and Meagan Xydias, her parents, said the news came as a blow to them and they are working to get her treated as soon as possible.

Every day brings something new. Kenni had a wonderful day today, full of smiles, laughter, independent walking, and she Posted by Fight With Kenni on Tuesday, February 26, 2019

The immediate reaction was, How could this happen?' Mike Xydias, who is a father of two other children, told ABCs Good Morning America.

I knew of this being [more common] in women. I didnt realize that it could happen to such a young kid, the Georgia man said.

The cause of yolk sac tumors is unknown, according to the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, which said theyre quite rare. Its most likely found in children under the age of 2.

A yolk sac tumor is a rare, malignant tumor of cells that line the yolk sac of the embryo, according to the medical centers website. These cells normally become ovaries or testes; however, the tumor can also occur in areas such as the brain or chest.

She is full of spunk and sass, shes sweet and shes funny." Please join us in sending sweet Kenni our love , prayers and very best wishes as she continues her journey to OVARCOME!  #OvarcomeTogether Posted by Ovarcome  Ovarian Cancer Foundation on Friday, March 1, 2019

On its website, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services highlighted how rare the case is, saying it accounts for less than 5 percent of all ovarian cancer cases.

We were heartbroken, distraught mom Meagan Xydias told People magazine.

When her parents took her to the doctors office, she had a bloated belly, and her parents thought it was a growth spurt or something routine. The doctor told them that it was gas.

We sent her back to school and the day care called me and said, Her fevers at 103 and were really concerned about her belly. It seems even bigger,  Meagan Xydias added to People magazine.

They went back to the pediatrician and were given assurances she would be fine.

She was diagnosed with a condition that accounts for just 5% of all ovarian cancers. Posted by New York Daily News on Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The mother added, They said it was gas but I kept saying, Somethings wrong. Its not gas. Somethings not right.

An MRI revealed several tumors in her abdomen.

Among all ages combined, ovarian germ cell 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, Dr. Robert Wenham, chair of Moffitt Cancer Centers Gynecological Oncology Program, told ABC.

Last month, Kenni underwent surgery, and doctors were able to remove 90 percent of the tumors in her abdomen. They also removed an ovary and 5 inches of her intestine, according to a GoFundMe page.

That being said, Kenni starts chemo tomorrow! her parents wrote in late February on Facebook. Weve been anxiously awaiting this next part of our journey. There are so many unknowns, all we can do is pray that everything will work outthat Kenni will not have horrible side effects, and that her cancer will be demolished during treatment.

Her forbearance has inspired her parents.

Kenni is our hero with how shes dealing with this, Mike Xydias told ABC. She is a ball of energy and a stereotypical 2-year-old. Shes the youngest child, where she is the boss, and shes extremely stubborn, which is a great character trait going in to fight cancer. She doesnt let anything stop her.

The parents said that her story should inspire parents to trust their instincts when it comes to their childrens health.

I know it can be hard as a mom to go to your doctor and say, Something is not right, because they know what theyre doing, but sometimes you have to trust your gut, Meagan Xydias added to ABC. I hope after hearing Kennis story people are willing to say, Hey, can you do one more check? 
Deputies handle some of approximately 3,500 confiscated guns to be melted down at Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on July 19, 2018. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Registered Gun Owners Double in California Since 2012, Even as State Toughens Regulations

California has more than 2.5 million gun owners registered as of Jan. 1, according to the states Justice Department. That is about double the number in 2012.

The number of gun owners has been increasing by about 6-15 percent a year despite the states ever-expanding regulation of gun ownership.

In 2008, there were about 2.5 registered gun owners per 100 Californians. By the end of 2018, its increased to nearly 6.3 per 100, based on the departments Armed and Prohibited Persons System annual report (pdf), as well as population estimates released by the state and worldpopulationreview.com.

The number isnt quite an accurate depiction of gun ownership, as there are also many undocumented gun owners in the state. It does, however, provide a solid measure of legal gun ownership.

Strict Gun Laws

California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, with waiting periods, background checks for private sales, magazine capacity limits, open carry restrictions, and mandatory firearm registration.

Starting July 1, a new law will require ammunition be sold only to an individual whose information matches an entry in the states gun registration database and who is eligible to possess ammunition, with some exceptions.

Gun Sales Up

The increase in firearm owner registrations in California follows a broader trend of gun ownership in the country.

Gun sales increased more than 80 percent between 1999 and 2017, according to The DataFace, a San Francisco data analysis company, which based its estimates on FBI background check data.

There have been reports that far fewer households now own a gun31 percent in 2014 compared to over 47 percent in 1980, according to surveys by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago (pdf).

Yet several other polls contradict the NORC numbers. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey revealed 47 percent of households with a gun on the premises in March 2018 (pdf). Gallup reported 46 percent with a gun on premises in October.

There was an estimated 11 percent decline in gun sales in 2017 accompanying the election of President Donald Trump, who has largely supported gun rights, The DataFace reported.

With the prospect of relaxed gun laws for the next four years, demand has diminished and guns sales in the U.S. have waned, the company stated.

Its not clear though how long the phenomenon persevered. The Trump administration moved on Dec. 18, 2018, to ban bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire almost as rapidly as automatic ones. At least some gun rights advocates opposed the ban.

Accidental Gun Deaths Down

Despite the abundance of guns, deadly shooting accidents have diminished over the past several decades.

Accidental firearm discharges killed 486 people in 2017, down more than 50 percent since 1997, according to mortality data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Decreased popularity of hunting, improved trauma care, and gun safety education campaigns have likely helped decreased the fatalities.
NEW YORKThe costumes, set, and faraway lands used to tell stories by Shen Yun Performing Arts dancers made the whole experience feel larger than life for Michael Flynn.

The show is wonderful.  The colors are amazing; I love the use of all the materials and the outfits and the different colors, its just beautiful to watch them in motion, said Flynn, an engineer and owner of Eastern Environmental Solutions, after seeing the matinee at Lincoln Center on March 9.

It feels like the dancers are floating in the air, he said.

Flynn said that watching the performance, he just felt enlightened.

It feels very spiritual. Its like theyre just floating inside. Heavenly, so to speak. Beautiful, Flynn said.

Indeed, China was once known as the Divine Land or the Celestial Empire, and Shen Yun seeks to revive this 5,000-year-old civilization that was nearly destroyed in the mid-20th century. This is a land where deities and mortals coexisted, where harmony between heaven and earth was foundational to society, and teachings from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism guided peoples everyday lives.

Also in the audience was Nina Garmash, who felt in a way that seeing Shen Yun was evoking a powerful memory from within her.

[Its] like Ive been before, my soul lived in China or an Asian country, I feel like that. It was beautiful. I even cried. It was like memory from my previous life, said Garmash, a makeup artist.

From the dancers on stage, you feel energy, you feel spirituality, Garmash said.

It was more than telling stories about the gods, Garmash said you felt like you were one of them.

Ive been closing my eyes sometimes and feel like spirits around me.

We are beautiful, perfect, and we are much [more] powerful than we think. And altogether its like powerful energy, when we are together, Garmash said.

Garmash felt it wasnt just an ephemeral feeling that was gone once the performance ended, she thought there was a real message that applied to our daily lives.

We all have a spirit, and the ability to make good and bad choices, Garmash said, and we all have many chances to return to goodness, but if we side with badness the journey to good and the journey for your spirit is a long and arduous one.

[Shen Yun is] inspiring because its opening [the] good side of you, helping you to touch that good side of you and others as well, she said.

With reporting by Wei Yong and Dongyu Teng.

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.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) participates in a House Education and Labor Committee Markup on the H.R. 582 Raise The Wage Act, in the Rayburn House Office Building on March 6, 2019 in Washington, DC. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Should Muslim Representatives Get a Free Pass on Bigotry?

Commentary

By a vote of 40723, the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred in the United States.

Motivated by appalling expressions of bigotry from freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), it turned into a denunciation of white supremacists and other purveyors of hate against racial and ethnic minorities rather than a censure of the outspoken Muslim representative.

Omar has repeatedly attacked the nation of Israel and accused its U.S. supporters of having an allegiance to a foreign nation. As with President Donald Trump, she saves much of her best material for Twitter. On the platform, her hatred of Israel has been visceral. Omar once wrote that Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. Support for Israel is all about the Benjamins, she also wrote. Twitter allows one to bare ones uncensored soul.

So blatant is her hatred of Israel that shes earned praise from former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, whom the media tries to link to Trump. Duke has argued that Omar is the most important member of Congress because of her defiance of ZOG. ZOG is an acronym for Zionist Occupied Governmenta favorite topic of anti-Semites.

What we see from Congress is a reluctance and fear of denouncing racism when it is manifested by racial and ethnic minorities. Apparently, racial bigots get a free pass when they are persons of color. Unless, of course, the person happens to be a conservative racial or ethnic minority. Then hell has no fury like that unleashed against minorities who violate the racial code that minorities must stick together around a tired and worn-out racial narrative that serves the political goals of leftist democrats.

Repeatedly, we find leftist politicians and their media lapdogs seeking to paint Republicans as racist, while engaging in blatant racism themselves.

Racist Attacks

Recently, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) embarrassed herself and, hopefully, her political party by making a shameless attack on Housing and Urban Development official Lynne Patton. Tlaib referred to Patton as a prop. She suggested it was racist for Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) to have invited Patton to sit behind him at a House Oversight Committee hearing, where former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was accusing the president of racism.

Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) defended Meadows from the racism allegation.

But rather than leave it at that, the left is doubling down with more racist attacks.

Former Courier-Journal editor Bennie Ivory tells readers that Pattons presence at the hearing was an obscenely insulting and surreal scene reminiscent of another place in time, when slaves were put on display on the auction block for inspection.

Ivory complains that Patton stood silently, and uses the fact that Meadows told her story as evidence of a slavemaster-like performance, but ignores the fact that the rules prevented Patton from speaking because she isnt a committee member and wasnt a witness at the hearing.

The left regularly maligns conservatives who stray from the plantation. Just ask North Carolina sisters Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, better known as YouTube stars Diamond and Silk. They have been ridiculed from the moment they started supporting Trump.

Racial double standards shouldnt be the norm in Congress, nor in other U.S. institutions. Minorities should abide by the same rules and standards as the majority group.

When we turn a blind eye to racial and ethnic bigotry emanating from minorities, it creates resentment from members of the majority group who, if they are Republicans, are judged harshly and given less chance to defend themselves.

Case in point, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was named and shamed by Congress and stripped of his committee assignments before he had an opportunity to explain the context of a few sentences in an hourlong interview with a liberal New York Times reporter that got him labeled as a white nationalist.

King, who is politically incorrect, isnt a white supremacist but a defender of free speech. Its an unfortunate double standard that shields minority racists and white liberals such as Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and other Democrats from accountability.

No member of Congress should get a free pass on racism and bigotry, because their behavior affects every one of us. Omar represents a threat to Israel and has no business siting on the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee, where she has access to sensitive national security information.

We the People must Be the People who hold the entire Congress accountable for how they represent us before the world. Bigotry and racial double standards have no place in the U.S. Congress.

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.
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on March 8, 2018. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

Speak Out About Beijings Cultural Infiltration: European Lawmakers

Lawmakers in Brussels have put the spotlight on Beijings cultural infiltration in Europe.

Part of the discussion at a European conference on Thursday, March 7, centered around the Chinese regime putting pressure on European theaters, to stop a popular performing arts company from performing.

The message at the conference was clear: Have courage, and speak out about Beijing infiltrating Europe.

Lawmakers highlighted Huaweis security risks as well as the Chinese state-run Confucius Institutes in Europe.

They also put performing arts in the spotlight, in particular, the way the communist regime has pressured theaters to cancel a classical Chinese dance show.

Investigations found that Beijing has pressured many European theatersincluding top venuesto not allow Shen Yun to perform.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is a popular Chinese dance and music performance.

Some of its pieces portray contemporary China, including the ongoing persecution of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong, which has been suppressed by the regime for almost 20 years.

If we yield to the pressure by a foreign power, to allow performing, or not to allow it, according to their will and taste, we will all lose, said Tunne Kelam, Member of European Parliament for Estonia.

And one theater did yield to that pressure. Earlier this year, a Shen Yun performance in Madrid, Spain, was canceled, just weeks before it was slated to perform.

The Royal Theater of Madrid cited technical difficulties. But an undercover investigation by a U.S. not-for-profit organization found otherwise.

Investigators with the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong recorded the Chinese ambassador to Spain boasting about applying pressure on the Royal Theaters general manager to cancel the performances.

The investigation confirmed that the cancellation of the theaters contract with the Shen Yun organizers was entirely the result of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) interferences, WOIPFG said in its statement.

For me it is totally unacceptable, because it is the decision of European theatres, what they show to their citizens, said Helga Trupel, Member of European Parliament for Germany.

The vice president of Shen Yuns local presenter in Spain said Chinese state interference is secretive by nature.

The problem with the CCP is that they move in the shadows. They are influencing, they are pressuring, but you dont know that they are doing that, said Sandra Flores Gomez, vice president of Puro Arte Humano.

Her concerns are shared with European politicians like Henri Malosse.

Culture is part of our soul, it is part of our values. Shen Yun, this beautiful show, this wonderful world history of China, if we give [it] up, we refuse, a piece of our own culture will disappear, said Malosse, former president of the European Economic and Social Committee, a consultative body within the EU.

And the EU, he says, can stand up and speak out about regimes like China.

The European Union was based on the fact that we say no more war, no more domination from the fascist regime, and no more domination from the communist regime, he said.

The lawmakers at the conference had the hope that freedom of expression will no longer be stifled in Europe.

From NTD News

This article has been updated to clarify the positions of Henri Malosse.
Tide Receding From the Chinese Stock Market

Sentiments souring as Trump holds cards to Chinas economic relief

News Analysis

Only when the tide goes out do you discover whos been swimming naked, investor Warren Buffett once said. And it appears that the tide is ebbing quickly on the Chinese equities market.

Chinas domestic stock market was among the best performing in the world thus far in 2019. But, on March 8, it logged its biggest drop in more than five months.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite plummeted 4.4 percent, while the broader CSI 300 Index, which includes shares listed in Shenzhen, fell 4.0 percent on March 8. On the year, the CSI is up 21 percent, while the Shanghai Composite is still 19 percent in the black.

Chinese A-shares have rallied this year due to inflows of foreign money, an anticipated resolution to the ongoing trade war with the United States, and continued stimulus support from Beijing.

Astute investors know that Chinas economic fundamentals are weak and getting weaker. Some had hoped the greater fool theory would sustain market appreciation a while longer, but a confluence of recent events has finally awakened investor skepticism.

Acknowledging Macro Issues

Over the past few days, a perfect storm of negative data and worse-than-expected developments on the trade front has suddenly stopped the rally party.

On a macro level, February trade data was a massive disappointment. Official customs data showed Chinese dollar-denominated exports declined 21 percent year-on-year, the biggest monthly drop in three years. By comparison, economists expected about a 5 percent drop.

Dollar-denominated imports also fell by 5.2 percent in February year-on-year. Chinas trade surplus with the United Statesone of the focal points in the ongoing trade discussionsfell sharply. Chinas export-dependent economy is clearly struggling without a trade accord.

Economic uncertainty also is increasing within the highest levels of the Chinese communist regimes leadership.

Premier Li Keqiang delivered his annual government work report last week during the opening session of the regimes rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress. Lis outlook was grim, citing graver and more complex risks to the countrys economy and predictions of having to fight tough economic battles ahead.

Part of the messaging was around the 2019 state-dictated GDP forecast, which Beijing forecast at a range of 6.0 to 6.5 percent to give itself breathing room given heightened uncertainty in 2019. Last years government-stated growth was 6.5 percent.

It was important psychologically for Beijing to include the 6.5 percent figure, as the lower edge of that range (6.0 percent) would result in Chinas slowest GDP growth in three decades.

Beijing was prepared to trade a balanced budget for growth just to get to the lower side of that range. In addition to GDP guidance, Li also revealed previously expected tax cuts to reduce burden on manufacturers. Value-added tax (VAT) for manufacturers was cut by 3 percentage points to 13 percent, while the VAT rate for construction and transportation companies was cut by 1 percentage point to 9 percent to spur economic activity. Other incentives announced include reducing highway tolls, utility prices in certain jurisdictions, and lowering requirements for employer pensions.

Almost concurrent to China announcing 2019 GDP targets, the Brookings Institution published research shedding new light on longstanding doubts about Chinas official economic growth figures.

The March 7 report titled A Forensic Examination of Chinas National Accounts suggests that Chinas total economy is more than 12 percent smaller than what official data presents. Since local governments are rewarded for meeting growth and investment targets, they have an incentive to skew local statistics, the authors state, corroborating a long-held belief that Chinas method of GDP compilation is susceptible to both intentional and unintentional falsification.

The report also suggests that the recent reduction of economic growth is worse than officials publicly acknowledged. Its nothing groundbreaking, but the think-tank research reaffirmed to global investors that positive data out of Beijing should be discounted while negative data should be further penalized.

Negative Sentiments on Trade, Market Valuation

Investors in Chinese equities were also spooked by news that a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida at the end of the month has been removed from the agenda.

The meeting was always tentative in the eyes of astute China watchers. The trade war was never close to resolution, despite public statements of progress made by both sides, largely to assuage the financial markets.

U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad confirmed March 8 that no date has been set for the summit, but the two sides are still negotiating. By most accounts, the United States and China still arent close to an agreement. Significant hurdles around forced technology transfer and corporate espionage, specifically about how to ensure that Chinese authorities enforce rules and hold companies accountable, remain. These items shouldnt be compromised if the Trump administration is serious about correcting decades of wrongdoing by Beijing on international trade.

Trump demonstrated in Vietnamat the summit with North Koreathat he is not afraid of walking away from a bad deal. It served as a warning to Beijing leadership that certain trade provisions shouldnt be compromised.

Consequences of a full-blown trade war are heavier than the absence of a North Korea pact, but its nevertheless a shrewd move by Trump. Without trade war relief, it will be near impossible to achieve Chinas 2019 GDP targets.

Selling pressure on Chinese stocks was further augmented by a few rare sell ratings issued by Chinese domestic brokerage firms, suggesting that stock valuations of onshore stocks may be reaching uncomfortable levels even for domestic brokers.

The Peoples Insurance Co. was downgraded to a sell rating on March 7 by Citic Securities, which believes the company is overvalued after more than doubling this year. The next day, China Securities Co. also received a sell rating issued by brokerage Huatai Securities. Shares of both financial firms were down more than 10 percent on the day they received sell ratings.

Despite an economic slowdown, China stocks have rallied on news of the MSCI index increasing China exposure in its emerging-market indices and a possible resolution to the trade war. But those now look more like sell the news events.

Investors still swimming in the Chinese markets may find themselves increasingly exposed going forward.
(L): US President Donald Trump during the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 8, 2018; Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) during the first presidential debate ahead of the October 7 general election, at Bandeirantes television network in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug. 9, 2018. (Mandel Ngan and Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump to Welcome Brazils President to White House

President Donald Trump will welcome Brazils new president, Jair Bolsonaro, to the White House later this month to discuss trade, defense cooperation, transnational crime, and other issues.

The White House said on March 8 that the two leaders would also talk about providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela and helping the locals restore democracy in their country when they meet on March 19.

Bolsonaro, who took office Jan. 1, is a former army captain with conservative, anti-socialist positions. He has often expressed admiration for Trump and said he planned to emulate several of the U.S. leaders policies.

In a phone call after Bolsonaros election victory in October, they spoke of a strong commitment to work side by side on issues affecting their countries.

Even before taking office in January, Bolsonaro had already pledged to oppose the government of Venezuela, where an economic crisis had caused millions of people to flee, many to neighboring Brazil.

Since taking power, Bolsonaro has stepped up criticism of Venezuelas illegitimate government lead by socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro and has recognized interim President Juan Guaido as the peoples chosen leader of the OPEC member nation.

The United States has also recognized Guaido as president and called on others to do the same. Washington has increased sanctions against Venezuela in a bid to oust Maduro.

Bolsonaro rose to power on an anti-crime and anti-corruption agenda that has energized conservative supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the socialist Workers Party.

The lawmaker said in his acceptance address that hell govern Brazil according to the Bible and the countrys constitution.

Bolsonaro Steers the Ship Away from China, Russia

In a nod to the Trump administration, Bolsonaro has vowed to end what was an open-arms approach by Brazil to the China under the Chinese Communist Party.

Ten months before he was catapulted to the presidency, Bolsonaro made a bold visit to Taiwan in February 2018. The trip was not received well by Beijing as the first time a Brazilian presidential candidate had visited the island since the 1970s, when Brazil cut ties with Taiwan.

As part of his campaign message, Bolsonaro made clear that he thought China was a great threat to Brazils sovereignty. China isnt buying in Brazilit is buying Brazil, he said at the time, hinting at Chinas purchasing of firms in strategic energy sectors.

Since Bolsonaro took office, Brazil has made a marked foreign policy shift away from China and Russia towards the United States. Bolsonaro has promised to counter the CCPs influence in the country, withdraw Brazil from the U.N Human Rights Council, close the Palestinian embassy in Brasilia, and move the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Bolsonaro is scheduled to visit Israel from March 31 to April 4, according to Israels Foreign Ministry.

Bolsonaro Vows to Tackle the Marxist Garbage in Brazils Schools

In a pair of his first policy-oriented messages as the president, Bolsonaro said his administration will target the Marxist garbage within his countrys education system.

Bolsonaro issued the messages one day after declaring in his inaugural speech that his election victory liberated Brazil from socialism and political correctness.

One of our strategies to get Brazil to climb from the lowest spots of the educational rankings is to tackle the Marxist garbage in our schools head-on, Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter. We shall succeed in forming citizens and not political militants.

One of our strategies to get Brazil to climb from the lowest spots of the educational rankings is to tackle the Marxist garbage in our schools head on. We shall succeed in forming citizens and not political militants.  Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) January 2, 2019

In a follow-up message, he wrote that his administration will focus on the opposite of the previous government, which purposely invested in the formation of slave minds of the ideas of socialist domination.

Ministro da Educacao desmonta secretaria de diversidade e cria pasta de alfabetizacao. Formar cidadaos preparados para o mercado de trabalho. O foco oposto de governos anteriores, que propositalmente investiam na formacao de mentes escravas das ideias de dominacao socialista.  Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) January 2, 2019

Brazils education system is extensively permeated with Marxist influence. Textbooks feature attacks on capitalism and praise of socialism.

Bolsonaros decision to tackle the system likely isnt accidental. The international communist movement selected Brazils education system as the primary target for infiltrating the nation, according to Jeff Nyquist, an author who has interviewed experts on the issue in Brazil and the United States.

Reuters, The Associated Press and The Epoch Times reporter Ivan Pentchoukov and Fergus Hodgson contributed to this report.
Two More ISIS Brides Stripped of UK Citizenship as Shamima Begum Controversy Simmers

Two more women from the UK who are in Syrian camps with their young children have been stripped of their British citizenship, a report says.

According to The Sunday Times, the two women, who between them have five boys under the age of 8, had their UK nationality revoked after marrying into an ISIS terror cell linked to the murder of Western hostages.

It comes amid the ongoing row over whether Shamima Begum, the London teenager who ran away from home to join the ISIS terror group, should be allowed back into the UK.

Begum surfaced in a Syrian refugee camp following her escape from the collapsing ISIS caliphate and has pleaded to be allowed to return. She sparked online controversy after giving interviews and seeming to endorse terror attacks on British soil and expressing no remorse for joining the murderous ISIS terrorists.

British authorities stripped her of British citizenship, citing security concerns.

Begums newborn son, Jarrah, died on March 7 from pneumonia, becoming her third child to die in infancy.

https://t.co/0nuP9vnv34 BREAKING: Shamima Begum's newborn baby may have died, says her lawyer https://t.co/FiTxvjUe7c Daily Star pic.twitter.com/TUbSSSqFvE   MyAmigo #LetsGoWTO (@myamigocouk) March 8, 2019

Cubs of the Caliphate

The case highlights the legal and moral dilemma of what to do with so-called cubs of the caliphatechildren of British women who joined up with the terrorists and now want to return.

There are at least a dozen more jihadi brides from Britain and over 20 of their children in Syrian camps after fleeing from territory formerly held by ISIS.

Legal sources cited by The Times have identified the two women whose return to Britain has been effectively blocked as 30-year-old Reema Iqbal and her sister, 28-year-old Zara Iqbal.

Both sisters reportedly left London for Syria in 2013 and married members of a six-man terror cell linked to filmed executions by Jihadi John.

The husbands of the Iqbal sisters were reportedly killed in fighting.

Asked about the Iqbal sisters, British authorities told The Times they would not comment on individual cases. A spokesman for the British Home Office was cited by the paper as saying, Any decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly.

Brandon Lewis, chairman of Britains ruling Tory party, was cited by the paper as saying that any childs death was absolutely tragic.

However, Lewis defended British Home Secretary Sajid Javids decision to strip Begum of citizenship and block her return to the UK, saying, The duty of a home secretary is to keep British people safe.

Some politicians, like former Justice Minister Phillip Lee, have called for jihadi brides and their children to be allowed back into the UK.

We cannot just export the problem, Lee said. We have a moral responsibility to these people.

London Runaway Joins ISIS

Begum ran away from her London home with two friends to travel to Syria to marry ISIS extremists in 2015 at the height of the terror groups self-proclaimed caliphate. Now she, along with many other so-called ISIS brides, have ended up in Syrian refugee camps after fleeing the crumbling caliphate as coalition forces decimate the last vestige of the terrorist enclave.

Citing security concerns, the UKs interior secretary announced in late February that her citizenship had been revoked.

The family has expressed its own shock at her lack of repentance, but proceeded with a legal challenge to the governments move to strip Begum of citizenship.

This is what they said to Shamima Begum's family in a letter sent earlier this week pic.twitter.com/7L28zvp5Md  Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) March 8, 2019

No Regrets

In earlier interviews, Begum said that while she did not agree with everything the terror group had done, she has no regrets about joining ISIS and suggested that air strikes against the terror group in Syria somehow justified the Manchester Arena terror attack.

Its a two-way thing, really, she told the BBC, adding that the suicide bomber that killed 22 civilians at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester was a kind of retaliation for bombardments of ISIS-held enclaves, adding, So I thought, ok, that is a fair justification.

"I didn't want to be IS poster girl"  London teenager Shamima Begum, who fled to join Islamic State group in Syria, says she now wants the UK's forgiveness [Tap to expand] https://t.co/9KwR4TYUqA pic.twitter.com/JWsgeHHppl  BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 18, 2019

Begum said that during her time with ISIS she was just a housewife and there was no evidence of her doing anything dangerous.

Security experts such as British intelligence service head Alex Younger have warned, however, that would-be returnees like Begum were potentially very dangerous. Because they were in that sort of position, people like her were likely to have acquired certain skills or connections.

Survivors and other victims of the murderous cults reign of terror, meanwhile, are furious at the prospect of ISIS women getting a sympathetic hearing in the Western press, or worsea free pass.

Ali Y. Al-Baroodi, who survived ISISs bloody occupation of Mosul, told The Jerusalem Post that that claims on the part of jihadi brides that they were just housewives, as Begum has insisted, are simply false.

It was hell on Earth and every single one of them made it so, he said, asking sarcastically if perhaps local victims of the jihadi women should apologize for disturbing their stay there.

[ISIS] demolished cities and hundreds of mass graves, [and left] thousands of orphans and widows, he added.

Its impossible to muster sympathy for her, author and academic Idrees Ahmad wrote in reference to Begum, according to the Post. She went to Syria as a colonizer, several months after ISIS beheaded journalists and aid workers.
The Wilmington ARCO refinery is seen in Los Angeles, Calif., before dawn Dec. 19, 2003. (David McNew/Getty Images)

US Set to Surpass Saudi Arabia as Worlds Largest Oil Exporter

The United States soon will export more oil than Saudi Arabia, becoming the worlds largest oil exporter for the first time in 60 years, according to projections by research firm Rystad Energy.

The boom in oil, liquid natural gas, and other liquid energy exports will last for years and be enough to erase Americas foreign debt and trade deficit, according to Per Magnus Nysveen, a senior partner at Rystad Energy.

Rystad forecasts that the United States will export more oil than Saudi Arabia by the third quarter of this year. The remarkable turnaround is being made possible by the growing production of shale oil and increased capacity for oil exports from the United States Gulf Coast, according to Rystad.

The political and economic impact of this shift in global trade has already been dramatic, and will be even more pivotal within the next five years, Nysveen said in a statement.

The U.S. trade deficit will evaporate and its foreign debt will be paid quickly, thanks to the swift rise of American oil and gas net exports, he added. The tanker shipping industry will see the boom of the millennium, as the excess fossil fuels from America will find plenty of eager buyers in fast-growing Asia.

The United States has for years relied on oil imports to satisfy domestic demand. But that is quickly changing. Last week, the Energy Information Administration reported that the United States exported more crude oil and petroleum products than it imported, briefly becoming a net exporter for the two commodities.

Rystad forecasts that the United States will become a net exporter of oil in a sustainable manner by the fourth quarter of 2020.

While production continues to boom, the United States demand for oil and petroleum products is still higher than domestic production. But not for long. According to Rystad, the United States will produce enough crude oil to meet domestic demand by the first quarter of 2021.

The oil market is overly preoccupied with short-term U.S. crude stocks, but the big picture tells a new story. Increasingly profitable shale production and a robust global appetite for light oil and gasoline is poised to bring the U.S. to a position of oil dominance in the next few years, Nysveen said.

Currently, Saudi Arabia exports 7 million barrels of crude oil per day and 2 million barrels of liquid natural gas per day. The United States is exporting 3 million barrels of crude oil and 2 million barrels of liquid natural gas per day.

The United States will close the gap because of new pipelines bringing more oil to export hubs in Texas and Louisiana, according to Nysveen. Meanwhile, Rystad forecasts domestic oil production to rise by 1 million barrels per day this year.

This means the U.S. is destined to soon outpace Saudi Arabia when it comes to gross exports of oil and petroleum products, Nysveen said.

Americas newfound dominance in the energy sector is made possible through technologic innovation. New techniquesspecifically hydraulic fracturinghave unlocked vast oil reserves in the Permian Basin, located in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico.
An office of Confucius Institute at the University of North Florida. (Huang Yuntian/the Epoch Times)

US Senate Study: Beijing Gave Millions to Education Program Spreading Its Agenda

The Chinese regime recently unveiled its agenda for modernizing the education system by 2035, which included plans to open more Confucius Institutes (CIs) around the world.

But simultaneously, the controversial Beijing-funded education programs have received more and more scrutiny. On March 10, Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted local officials saying that CIs are spying on western countries.

This conclusion matches what the U.S. government found recently.

The U.S. Senates subcommittee on investigations published a study on CIs which found that since 2006, the Chinese regime has given roughly $158 million to about a hundred U.S. universities for education programs that masquerade their true intentions of stifling academic speech critical of Beijing.

Think about that for a second: American universities are agreeing to comply with Chinese law on their own campuses, said U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) during a Congressional hearing on Chinas influence on the U.S. education system held on Feb. 28. Portman is also a member of the subcommittee.

Confucius Institutes Promote Chinese Interests

On paper, the Confucius Institute is a cultural exchange program founded by Chinas Ministry of Education and operated by Hanban, or the Office of Chinese Language Council International, an office within the Ministry.

The first CI in the United States opened on the campus of University of Maryland in November 2004.

Previous media reports and expert analysis have examined the subversive nature of CIs, but the Senate subcommittee report is a rare study conducted by the U.S. government over the course of eight months.

CIs are not only focused on Chinese-language training and cultural programming as the Chinese regime claims, according to the subcommittee report.

CI instructors must sign contracts where they pledge that they would not damage the national interests of China. Such limitations attempt to export Chinas censorship of political debate and prevent discussion of potentially politically sensitive topics, according to the report.

When U.S. schools sign contracts with the Hanban, the terms are similarly restrictive, including provisions that say both Chinese and U.S. law apply; public disclosure of the contract is restricted; and termination will happen if the U.S. school take actions that severely harm the image or reputation of the Confucius Institute.

One U.S. school administrator said to investigators that the issue of Taiwans independence, the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and other subjects deemed taboo by the Chinese regime are banned at CIs and the 519 Confucius Classrooms in the country, which is a similar language and culture program for kindergarten through 12th grade students.

Transparency

Before 2017, the Hanban published its budget for CIs in its annual report.

According to its previous reports, the Hanban spent more than $2 billion on CI programs from 2008 to 2016.

In the United States, the Department of Education requires all postsecondary schools to report any foreign gifts of $250,000 or more that they have received in a calendar year. The subcommittee found that nearly 70 percent of U.S. schools failed to report funding from Hanban that fit the criteria.

The report noted that aside from the $158 million for CI funding, the Chinese regime also gave $113.42 million in other gifts to U.S. schools between January 2012 to June 2018, only $15.47 million of which was reported.

The investigation also found that some teachers working at CIs may have committed visa fraud. Many of the instructors are Chinese nationals who apply for U.S. visas to work at the program, but actually worked for other Hanban projects in the United States. This led to 31 Chinese teachers U.S. visas to be revoked in 2018, according to the report. They were forced to leave the country and return to China.

This occurred as early as 2012. The Chinese regimes mouthpiece newspaper Peoples Daily reported on May 24 that year that some CI Chinese teachers were required to leave the United States before June 30.

International Rebuke

In recent months, many U.S. universities and their European peers have shut down CIs following public criticism.

On Feb. 19, Leiden University from Holland announced that it would close its CI by the end of August.

The Canadian provincial government of New Brunswick is also terminating CI programs at 28 local schools.

[CIs] job is to create a friendly, cheerful face for a government that is responsible for more deaths than nearly any other in the history of our species, provincial education minister Dominic Cardy told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Feb. 21.

British think tank Royal United Services Institute similarly said in a February report: Beijings interferencerepresents a rigorous, ruthless advancement of Chinas interests and values at the expense of those of the West, including through actions which encourage self-censorship and self-limiting policies.
Victims Sons Tell Court That Killing of Ailing Mother Was NO Act of Compassion

MONTREALA Montreal man convicted of manslaughter for suffocating his ailing wife should be sentenced to eight years in prison, the Crown argued Friday.

All of society needs to know you cant cause the death of others, even when youre experiencing a great suffering, even when youre exhausted, prosecutor Genevieve Langlois said during a sentencing hearing for Michel Cadotte.

A jury last month found Cadotte, 57, guilty of manslaughter in the death of his 60-year-old wife, Jocelyne Lizotte, who was living in a long-term care facility with advanced Alzheimers disease.

Lawyer for Michel Cadotte wants sentence of 6-12 months in provincial jail minus time in preventive custody for manslaughter in death of his wife Jocelyne Lizotte who was in late stages of Alzheimers. Crown seeking 8yr sentence in federal penitentiary less time served. #CJAD800 pic.twitter.com/kLSu6qjjKk  Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) March 8, 2019

Defence lawyer Nicolas Welt portrayed Cadotte as an exhausted caregiver who acted impulsively when he smothered his wife with a pillow on Feb. 20, 2017. He called two witnesses on Friday who testified to the burden placed on caregivers.

Welt said Cadottes remorse, the fact that he was depressed at the time, his potential for rehabilitation, and his willingness to accept therapy should all be considered. He recommended a sentence of between six and 12 months. Taking into account time already served, which amounts to about 205 days, that would leave Cadotte serving little to no additional jail time.

Victims sons tell court that killing of ailing mother was no act of compassion https://t.co/FGs19eX3sX pic.twitter.com/VBQ9943nzJ  CTV News (@CTVNews) March 9, 2019

The lawyers recommendations followed emotional testimony that left several people in the courtroom, including the judge, in tears as family members described the impact of Lizottes illness and death.

Lizottes sons said Cadottes decision to end his wifes life was an act of selfishness rather than compassion.

Danick Desautels said he lost his mother three times: once when his biological father died and she grew distant, once when she was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, and finally when Cadotte ended her life.

Despite everything you did for my mother before, for me youll remain the one who prevented her from having a gentle, peaceful and natural death, therefore her murderer, he said, reading from a letter directed at Cadotte.

The crime had been framed in the media as a compassion killing _ an offence that doesnt exist in the Criminal Code. The trial, which began Jan. 14, heard that Cadotte had inquired about a medically assisted death for Lizotte a year before she was killed.

But Desautels told the court he believes Cadotte acted in his own interest, to end his suffering rather than Lizottes.

I could have gotten past all that had you committed the act out of compassion, for my mother, to free her, but I know very well you did it for you, to free yourself, he said. In your head, my mother was yours, she belonged to you.

Les fils de Jocelyne Lizotte ne croient pas que Cadotte a tue par compassion https://t.co/UicWPI6gKA pic.twitter.com/dP3MH24DGD  Le Quotidien (@LeQuotidien_Cyb) March 8, 2019

Lizottes other son, David Desautels, said he has had to mourn two losseshis mother and Cadotte, whom he described as the only father I had for the passage to my adult life.

David Desautels said Cadotte taught him to cook, sat by his side as he woke from surgery, and made his mother happy. He said those pleasant memories are now tainted by the indelible image that I have of him holding a pillow against my claustrophobic mother to suffocate her.

He agreed with his brother that Cadotte had acted to end his own suffering.

Several family members described their feelings of helplessness and guilt at seeing Lizottes condition deteriorate to the point that she could no longer take care of herself or recognize loved ones.

Cadotte addressed the court, asking Lizottes family to forgive him for what he described as a moment of weakness.

All I can do is ask for forgiveness, but I know its an act thats hard to forgive, he said.

Testifying for the defence, Lizottes sister described her anguish at seeing her claustrophobic sister having to be constantly strapped to a bed or chair and admitted she herself had hoped for her sisters death.

I hoped the good Lord would come get her, Johanne Lizotte said. I hoped she wouldnt live like that for a long time.

Lizotte said that while she doesnt accept Cadottes act, she understands it. I understand that it happened in a moment of hopelessness, she said.

There is no minimum sentence for manslaughter, except in cases when a firearm was used.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Helene Di Salvo, who wiped away tears at the end of the testimony by family members called by the Crown, acknowledged the sentencing process was an emotional one.

She warned the family her decision was unlikely to achieve unanimity but promised to weigh the impact of the crime on them in determining a sentence.

By Morgan Lowrie
ROODHOUSE  Roodhouse will be disbanding its dispatching service and transitioning to the Greene County dispatch.

At the Feb. 27 Roodhouse City Council meeting, the city approved the action by a 3-2 vote, according to a Greene Prairie Press report. While the move will cost the city its 24/7 dispatch presence at city hall, it will save the city money annually which will help offset the financial troubles sparked by the purchase of its $8 million water plant.

Dispatch cost us $180,000 in 2018, but we realize there are going to be some start-up costs, explained Roodhouse Mayor Tom Martin. Even with that, the city could save $130,000 the first year.

The contract with the county, which will take effect May 1, will cost $45,527 for the first year, $46,437 for the second and $47,365 for the third.

Its something you hate to lose because youve had it forever, Martin said. But when you think about it, Roodhouse and White Hall are the only two small cities left that have their own dispatch in this part of the state, anyway.

Roodhouse Police Chief Kyle Robison said that the dispatch fields between 5,000 and 7,000 calls annually, not including utility calls. The citys 911 calls will continue to be fielded by the West Central Joint Dispatch Center, but all other calls will be routed through Greene Countys dispatch.

Consolidation would ultimately be inevitable, however. The Illinois General Assembly passed a law in 2016 requiring all municipalities with a population under 25,000 to consolidate their dispatch centers.

The transition will mean the loss of jobs for the four employees at the dispatch. One has been placed with Greene County dispatch, Robison said, and he hopes to help place the remaining three in new jobs.

Robison said that the change will also mean that the city will lose its night presence at city hall, as the on-duty officer will be out on patrol most nights. However, he said that the city will work to come up with a way for the lobby to remain open and to provide a phone for those with no other means of calling to get in touch with police.

I do look for there to be some bumps in the road along the way, but as far as police operations go nothing will be changing, Robison said. There are going to be some things we dont foresee that will come along the way.  Were trying to make sure we put ourselves in the best possible position.

The move did come with its dissenters, who implored the council to keep the dispatch within the city to avoid unknown problems that could arise from not having a city dispatch. Robison himself isnt totally happy with the decision but said that the police department is prepared to adapt.

Really, from my standpoint, I understand where the citys coming from but this is a service that I am going to miss and the public is really going to miss, he said.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.
The United Methodist Church voted last week against loosening restrictions on same-sex marriages and LGBTQ clergy, and west central Illinois Methodist church leaders are seeing hurt and disappointment.

Theres just a lot of hurt. Even amongst those who supported maintaining the churchs teachings. Theres no joy in all of this. We recognize that theres hurt and theres pain. And the United Methodist Church is going to have to figure out how to live intention, said the Rev. Jarrett Wells, pastor at Beardstown United Methodist Church. I dont know what the future holds.

United Methodist Church delegates met in St. Louis Feb. 26 and voted 438 to 384 to maintain its policies barring LGBTQ  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer  marriage and clergy in the church, according to the church. The plan made it easier to enforce penalties for violating the teaching, which is part of the churchs Book of Discipline.

The Rev. Mark Milhouse, pastor at Waverly First United Methodist Church, said the vote directly impacts a same-sex couple in his congregation who are planning to get married.

Ive had a couple from my church that are getting married in court, at the courthouse, and I would have loved to have done their wedding, he said. But I cant do that.

Milhouse said he has personally been in favor of full inclusion for 25 years, since before becoming a pastor, and has been waiting for the church to come to some maturity. The majority of his congregation he has heard from since the vote expressed disappointment.

Its time for us to say we want to include everyone; we want to express Gods love to everyone. I think the worst thing we can do as a church and as people is to put up a block, put up a barrier, between God and people. And I think weve done that, he said.

Delegates voted at the churchs last General Conference in 2016 for bishops to provide leadership on the issue and to set a special-called General Conference to vote on proposals.

The Traditional Plan that won out with 53 percent of the vote was one of three plans the bishops Commission on a Way Forward brought to the conference, according to the church. The One Church Plan would have given local churches the authority to make decisions about marriage and ordination, and the Connectional Conference Plan would have reorganized the denomination.

Wells said it was possible the vote would have gone differently if it was just among U.S. delegates. However, the vote represented global input and some parts of the world, such as some African and south east Asian countries, hold to more traditional teachings.

The Rev. Randy Azbell, who leads three area congregations, explained that LGBTQ people are also in danger and have limited rights in some countries. Azbell was surprised the vote was as close as it was, with the Traditional Plan passing with just a 6 percent lead.

We are closer today that we ever have been.  In 14 months, all of this could be turned over in another vote taken and another plan put into place, Azbell said of the upcoming general conference in 2020.

Because the vote was at a special-called meeting, with the next General Conference coming up in 2020, the impact is uncertain and the discussion probably wont die down quickly.

The dust wont settle on this until probably general conference next year, Milhouse said.

Local pastors have prioritized informing their congregations about what was coming with the vote and the churchs moves.

Azbell is pastor at Concord United Methodist Church, Bluffs Springs United Methodist Church and Arenzville United Methodist Church. His congregations do not have any member who are publicly LGBTQ, so the vote doesnt affect his churches in the same way it might in larger cities or other parts of the country, but he sees it as important for them to understand because many people have a friend or family member who would be affected.

Even though we are a rural church, I felt like they needed to be educated along the way and so I made a point of doing that, Azbell said. So, I dont think they were surprised by the vote. But it doesnt affect them like it would a larger congregation or a congregation that would be in a different type of community.

Since the restrictive language was added to the Book of Discipline in the 70s, its been a debate within the church. The United Methodist Church was formed Methodist church denominations coming together in 1968.

It is not a new conversation that the church has been having, Wells said.

Azbell said he is saddened that the church hasnt gotten further in 40 years of discussing the issue.

In 40 years we have basically come to the same decision we have for 40 years and yet the world has changed, he said. And yet, we have not.

Wells said the U.S. part of the church is divided. He agrees with the vote and said the majority of his congregation sees the churchs teaching as in keeping with scripture. He recognizes that people across the church are hurting and he does have people in his congregation who would be affected by it.

I try to make it clear that I am here to serve first and foremost, regardless of a persons sexual orientation, he said.

Milhouse, who has a LGBTQ family member, is sure there are some in his congregation who feel differently about the vote, though they havent been outspoken. In general, his congregation has rallied around those who are affected, including the same-sex couple who plans to get married.

The support for them and for my family member has been heartwarming, he said. Its been a time of sadness, but a time of people coming out and saying, No, we dont want this. We want these people to be included.

For Azbell, Jesus Christ loves LGBTQ people the same as any person and the church should represent that.

Our theme is open hearts, open minds. I want that to be the case  including everyone. If were going to say that, I want that to be for everyone, he said. I do pray that we get to that point one day where all are welcome.
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Linkedin Suzannah Gonzales (Reuters) Chicago, United States  Sun, March 10, 2019 07:09 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813115a 2 Entertainment Jussie-Smollett,Empire,actor,indictment,Chicago,police Free

Television actor Jussie Smollett, arrested last month on a single charge of perpetrating a hate-crime hoax, has been newly indicted on 16 felony counts of falsely reporting to police that he was assaulted by two strangers shouting racist and homophobic slurs.

The indictment, returned by a Cook County grand jury on Thursday and made public on Friday, greatly expands on the legal jeopardy faced by Smollett, whose story of being attacked in Chicago by supporters of US President Donald Trump has drawn suspicion since it first surfaced in late January.

Smollett, 36, who is black and openly gay and plays a gay musician on the Fox network hip-hop drama Empire, was charged last month in a single-count criminal complaint with making a false report to police, defined under Illinois law as a form of disorderly conduct.

The new indictment in the case contains 16 similar counts: eight related to his interview with one police officer on the day of the purported attack and eight more stemming from his interview with another officer the same day.

Each count carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Smollett's attorney, Mark Geragos, blasted the indictment in a statement as "redundant and vindictive", adding that his client "adamantly maintains his innocence even if law enforcement has robbed him of that presumption".

He also said that leveling charges in an indictment spares prosecutors the need to submit evidence and witnesses to defense cross-examination in a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides if sufficient cause exists for the case to proceed to trial.

At the time he was initially charged two weeks ago, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett had paid two brothers $35,000 to stage an assault on him in a hoax orchestrated to somehow further his acting career.

Read also: Jussie Smollett staged Chicago 'hate crime' seeking higher pay: Police

No further arrest

Smollett has remained free on $100,000 bond since his release hours after surrendering to authorities on Feb. 21. He already was scheduled to return to court on March 14. In the meantime, there is no warrant for his arrest in connection with this week's indictment "because it's the same case," Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told Reuters.

No mention is made in the indictment of Smollett's claim, according to police, that his attackers yelled, "This is MAGA country," referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, as they accosted him.

But the 16-page document includes other elements of the account that Smollett had stood by for weeks.

According to previous police recitations of Smollett's story, he reported that two masked men approached him on the street in the early hours of Jan. 29 shouting racial and homophobic slurs, struck him in the face, doused him with an "unknown chemical substance" and wrapped a rope around his neck before they fled.

News of the assault spread quickly on social media, with many expressing outrage while others wondered whether the story was fabricated even as Chicago police insisted their detectives were treating the matter seriously.

In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" days before he was charged, Smollett said he was angry that some people questioned his story, and he suggested the disbelief might come from racial bias.

His attorneys said after his arrest on Feb. 21 they were conducting a thorough investigation for purposes of mounting the actor's defense.

Smollett himself, according to reports in media citing unnamed sources, apologized last month to the cast and crew on the set of Empire but maintained his innocence.

The release of the indictment came after the Chicago Police Department said it started an internal investigation into how information about the alleged hate crime against Smollett was anonymously leaked to reporters.

Geragos said the indictment was designed, in part, "to distract from the internal investigation".

Empire debuted on Fox in 2015 and has earned multiple Emmy nominations. Smollett plays the character Jamal Lyon, a member of the family that is the focus of the drama. Producers said in February they were removing his character from the final two episodes of the show's current season.
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Linkedin Sri Wahyuni (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 19:07 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813f15e 1 Lifestyle Aisyiyah,Aisyiyah-Menulis,women-empowerment Free

A group of 30 activists from Muhammadiyahs women's wing Aisyiyah gathered at the organizations headquarters in Yogyakarta on Sunday morning.

Among them were lecturers, teachers, civil servants, private sector employees and housewives. Each brought with them laptops, ready to spend the day learning how to write articles or well-written posts for social media.

A group of 30 activists from Muhammadiyahs women's wing Aisyiyah attended a one-day training program on popular article writing organized by Aisyiyahs Cultural Institute, which aimed to empower women through writing. (JP/Sri Wahyuni)

They were participants of a one-day training program on popular article writing organized by Aisyiyahs Cultural Institute, which aimed to empower women through writing. It was expected that improved writing skills would be helpful to them in many ways including allowing them to counter hoaxes.

Hoaxes cannot be fought with hoaxes, only with good writing, chairperson of the trainings organizing committee Widiyastuti told participants at the opening of the event.

The training was part of Aisyiyahs national Love Knowledge movement, which has also seen the establishment of libraries in Indonesia's 34 provinces to encourage people to read.

The training included how to select topics and titles and make layouts as well as writing exercises. The speakers comprised lecturers, writers and experienced journalists.

Improving peoples reading habits and writing skills, according to Widiyastuti, was a focus of both Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah. This is what we want to revive, she said.

Both the online media run by Muhammadiyah and the social media accounts belonging to its members were yet to be optimally utilized, especially by Aisyiyahs members, mostly because of technical obstacles such as a lack of writing skills, she added.

Sundays training program will be followed by a nationwide movement called Aisyiyah Menulis (Aisyiyah Writes) to introduce the organizations thoughts to the wider public and to improve the organization's capacity to document its activities in writing.

With more and more Aisyiyah women capable of producing positive narratives, we hope we will be better able to fight hoaxes, Widiyastuti said.

Through writing, she added, Aisyiyah wanted to create generations that were optimistic, well-mannered and capable of thinking positively.

Read also: Overcoming the lack of female leaders

We hope to influence the life of the nation through the media, said Widiyastuti, who is also deputy chairperson of Aisyiyahs Cultural Institute.

As an initial step, the Cultural Institute has created a Facebook account named Aisyiyah Menulis.

The institute has invited all participants of the training to send a friend request to the account to join other activists from all over the country to encourage each other to write, especially on their respective Facebook accounts.

Aisyiyah Menulis also has a WhatsApp group for the training participants to share guidance on how to write about their ideas or information, or just how to write a comment on social media in an interesting and responsible fashion.

Our initial target is indeed social media. The next will be online media managed by Muhamadiyah, said Widiyastuti.

She expressed hope the training would improve the writing skills of Aisyiyahs activists and supporters. Aisyiyah, she said, had many inspirational agendas the public should know about.

Writing can be a bridge to the public so they can know what Aisyiyah has done and its ideas for the life of our nation, she said.

Aisyiyah deputy chairwoman who oversees cultural affairs, Susilaningsih Kuntowijoyo, shared this sentiment, saying that the training offered a chance for the participants to explore their respective potentials.

Our potential is already there, but our education system does not encourage us to develop our writing habits, she told the participants during the opening of the training.

Juni Riyanti, a participant, concurred, saying that she initially felt insecure about being around writers, many of whom had frequently been published in the mainstream media.

Yet, after beginning to write just one or two paragraphs she felt encouraged.

Its worth trying, Juni said. (mut)
Nagekeo district in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, is where bamboo music and traditional dances thrive. In an effort to conserve the cultural heritage, the Mauponggo Youth event organizer of Nagekeo held the first Enagera Beach Festival.

Located on Sawu Hill in Mauponggo district, the event ran from Feb. 26 to March 5. Around 10 dances were presented at the festival, performed by local residents as well students from all over Nagekeo.

Among the dances were todago, a victory dance for men who come home from war; dero which symbolizes brotherhood and tolerance; jai, which celebrates inter-religion and inter-tribe tolerance; and sepa api, a trademark dance of Pautola village performed while stepping on fire.

Lodofikus Raga Muja, head of Mauponggo Youth EO, said to The Jakarta Post that the festival aimed to promote cultures and tourism objects in Mauponggo.

Read also: Religious harmony thrives in Flores' Puncak Liur

Nagekeo Deputy Regent Marianus Waja said millennials must be encouraged to create and be involved in developing the area. The festival is proof that the young generation is capable of making such an event, he said.

He added that the festival should be held annually, with the support of the government.

Nagekeo Regent Yohanes Don Bosco Do also encouraged the youth, saying they should never give up. Keep creating and innovating to spread the beauty of Nagekeos nature and culture, he said. (wng)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Sun, March 10, 2019 11:08 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee81331c4 2 Environment chimpanzee,Diversity,study,research,wildlife,conservation,united-states,Germany Free

Like humans, chimpanzees are culturally diverse but those differences are being eroded by human incursion, international researchers say in a groundbreaking study published Thursday.

The striking results, published in the American journal "Science," show that the behavioral diversity of chimpanzees was reduced by an average 88 percent in areas with the highest human impact, compared to remote pristine forests.

In the tropical rainforests and savanna woodlands that are the chimpanzees' natural habitat, the researchers observed 31 behaviors that were not universal or innate among chimpanzees and varied from one group to another, in a total of 144 chimpanzee communities studied in 17 Equatorial African countries where the animals live.

Reflecting the diversity, not all communities of chimpanzees use the same tools to hunt or dig. Neither do they extract termites and ants in the same way. Ditto for honey and nuts. Their use of stones, ponds and caves also varies.

Researchers assume this diversity is passed between individuals within the group.

They based their findings on existing studies supplemented with their own field observations of 46 communities over the past nine years.

Such data had never before been compiled on chimpanzee behavior, the researchers said. Until now, scientists have focused on the loss of genetic diversity, or human-caused population decline.

Read also: BBC series Dynasties films endangered animals facing real drama

Their findings mean that the more humans disturbed the environment with roads, infrastructure, deforestation, agriculture, plantations and so on, the less chimpanzee behavior was diverse.

For instance, researchers have observed areas where nut cracking had ceased.

"These are very noisy behaviors, and hunters could locate you easily," Hjalmar Kuehl, an ecologist at the German iDiv research center and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, told AFP as a hypothesis of why the behavior may have been lost.

Another example of noisy and potentially vulnerable behavior: "accumulative stone throwing" by chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau, a form of communication where chest-pumping apes throw rocks at trees.

Fishing for algae with sticks, seen in Guinea, is also threatened by encroaching humans.

"Our findings suggest that strategies for the conservation of biodiversity should be extended to include the protection of animal behavioral diversity as well," said Kuehl.

He proposes to create "Chimpanzee cultural heritage sites," a concept that can be extended to other species with high degrees of cultural variability, including orangutans or whales.
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Linkedin Sohn Ji-young (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)  Sun, March 10, 2019 12:02 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813645f 2 Health fried-chicken,South-Korea,health,food Free

South Koreas sweet and spicy marinated fried chicken, or yangnyeom chicken, has become sweeter and saltier over the past three years, according to a recent analysis of popular local delivery chicken brands by Seoul City.

The Seoul Metropolitan Governments Health and Environment Research Institute, in conjunction with a local civil group, measured the amount of sugar and sodium in the top four menu items sold by six major Korean chicken franchises. The analysis took place from August to September 2018.

They looked into four types of chicken -- fried-only, marinated, soy sauce and cheese -- at 30 branches of BBQ Chicken, BHC Chicken, NeNe Chicken and Pelicana Chicken. A total of 105 cases were analyzed.

Results showed that the amount of sugar and sodium in marinated chicken had increased since 2015, when the Ministry of Food and Drug Ministry conducted a similar review of local fried chicken.

The amount of sugar in 100 grams of marinated chicken increased 38.7 percent over the three-year period, from 6.2 grams to 8.6 grams. The amount of sodium content increased 28.1 percent over the same period, from 402.74 milligrams to 516 milligrams.

Read also: South Koreas foodtech startup launches North Koreas best restaurant guide

Moreover, marinated chicken was found to contain the most amount of sugar among the four types of chicken menu items.

Marinated fried chicken contained 8.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams of chicken on average, around 17.2 times that of regular fried chicken (0.5 grams). This means by consuming half of a whole marinated chicken (roughly 300 grams), you fulfill a quarter of your daily recommended sugar intake (100 grams), according to the researchers.

Meanwhile, cheese chicken contained the highest amount of sodium (627.1 milligrams), followed by soy sauce chicken (536.4 milligrams), marinated chicken (516 milligrams) and fried chicken (441.4 milligrams).

The average amount of sodium in half a chicken came to 1,590.7 milligrams, around 79.5 percent of the daily recommended amount (2,000 milligrams).

Seoul City said four of the six chicken brands, with the exception of BBQ Chicken and BHC Chicken, have pledged to come up with their own measures to reduce sugar and sodium content in their food, after being informed of the results in December.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Evie Breese (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 19:23 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813ff6e 4 Entertainment film-festival,Australia,Indonesia,Australia-Indonesia,mira-lesmana,Ada-Apa-Dengan-Cinta,Ada-Apa-dengan-Cinta-Rangga,cinema,Mataram,bandung,Makassar Free

The annual Australia Indonesia Cinema Festival (FSAI) is back showcasing the best of Australian film to give Indonesian audiences insight into the diversity, sense of humor, excitement and curiosity of life in Australia.

The festival will return for its fourth edition in Jakarta from March 14 to 17. It will also visit Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara from March 15 to 17, Makassar in South Sulawesi from March 22 to 24, Bandung in West Java from March 23 to 24 and Surabaya in East Java from March 29 to 31.

Bandung and Mataram are two new locations for the festival, which seeks to expand its reach across the archipelago.

A variety of films have been put together for the festival with the aim of appealing to the different tastes of Indonesian audiences.

For example, there is a story on humans battling aliens for Earth in science fiction thriller Occupation. Then there is one in which a grandfather reminisces about his childhood on an isolated coastline in family drama Storm Boy, and another about a choir of aboriginal women who travel to Germany in documentary movie The Song Keepers.

Ladies in Black, the second-largest grossing movie in Australia last year, will also have its Indonesian premiere at the festival and is to be screened at every location. Full of classic Australian friendliness and cheekiness, this is a tale of Australian women forging friendships, falling in love and following their dreams.

Packed with love of all kinds, Ladies in Black follows a group of department store employees over the Christmas period. The glorious Blue Mountains make an appearance, and, of course, there are ladies eating lamingtons  traditional Australian cakes  in the sunshine. This is a nostalgic peek into retro Sydney, complete with stunning gowns and sets. While highlighting the prejudices and difficulties women faced in the 1950s, this is a heartwarming movie that shows the tenacity of the ladies in black.

The festival also features documentaries, such as GURRUMUL, which explores the life of Australias most celebrated Indigenous musicians. The films director and writer, Paul Damien Williams, is set to greet audiences in Jakarta and Mataram for question and answer sessions.

Short film highlights from Flickerfest  Australias favorite short film festival  will also be screened alongside the feature films.

Speaking on Australias and Indonesia's rich history of filmmaking and film watching, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Gary Quinlan joked during the FSAI press conference that this could have something to do with the exceptional natural sunlight both countries enjoy, which allows for the stunning visuals seen in many of their films.

Collaboration between Australian and Indonesian moviemakers was also emphasized by Quinlan, who hopes to see co-productions between the two countries in the future.

Indonesian producer Mira Lesmana, who is an alumnus of a school in Australia, having spent her formative teenage years studying and watching movies, spoke at a conference on the importance of watching movies from other cultures  aside from those produced in Hollywood  to see how other people tell their stories and how to engage with them.

Lesmanas romantic dramas Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (Whats Up With Cinta?) and Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 (Whats Up With Cinta? 2) will be showcased at the festival. (hdt)

INFO BOX:

Tickets are available for free on the FSAI 2019 website.

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Yulia Savitri (The Jakarta Post) Palembang, South Sumatra  Sun, March 10, 2019 17:32 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813cd87 1 Art & Culture Palembang,tiedye,fabric,Palembang-songket,art-and-culture,art-and-craft,Joko-Widodo,fashion Free

A tie-dye fabric 1.175 kilometers in length was held along the Ampera Bridge to welcome President Joko Jokowi Widodo in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Saturday.

Adorned with 300 motifs, the fabric was held by dozens of students, as well as police and Indonesian Military (TNI) officers. It broke a record at the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) for being the longest tie-dye fabric.

Jokowi was scheduled to attend the declaration of the South Sumatra Millennial Road Safety Festival in Palembang on Saturday. The festival aimed to spread awareness among millennials about the importance of safety while driving.

On the bridge, Jokowi looked at the fabric up close. Hundreds of people followed him closely for a chance to take selfies.

Read also: Preserving the weaving legacy

Hermansyah Bastari, head of the Palembang branch of the Young Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI), said making the fabric involved 40 tailors who worked for 10 days. We are proud to present a local product in an event attended by the President, he said.

Palembang tie-dye fabrics have started to become popular in the last few years and are on par with the famed Palembang songket (traditional gold-threaded woven fabric). The fabrics are also popular among fashion designers, as apparent in Palembang Fashion Week, held from Feb. 27 to March 10.

Young designer Rahma Ivani featured tie-dye in her recent creations, fused with pastel colors. Designer Lili of the Danisa Indonesia brand put her own unique spin on the art form, combining tie-dye with denim.

I believe that fashion trends with tie-dye will always flourish, as long as the designers innovate. I chose denims [mixed with tie-dye] to encourage young people to wear products from their own region, Lili told The Jakarta Post. (wng)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) -  Sun, March 10, 2019 16:11 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813ae02 1 People Garima-Arora,Asias-Best-Female-Chef-2019,Asias-50-Best-Restaurants Free

Asia s 50 Best Restaurants has named Garima Arora, the executive chef and founder of Gaa restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, as elit Vodka Asia's Best Female Chef 2019 on Feb. 28.

Sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, Asia s 50 Best Restaurants will hold the award ceremony on Tuesday, March 26, in Macau.

This award [in partnership with elit Vodka] recognizes female chefs whose passion, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit serve to inspire the next generation of cooks, William Drew, group editor of Asia s 50 Best Restaurants said in a press release, also pointing out the huge impact Arora has made on Asia's dining scene within a short time.

Working as a journalist prior to pursuing her culinary passion, Arora attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After she graduated from the legendary culinary and hospitality institute, her stint at chef Rene Redzepis Noma in Copenhagen changed her approach to cooking.

I learnt [sic] how to think about food more intelligently. I started looking at cooking more as a cerebral exercise, thinking about what you do, why you do it and understanding your place in a community, Arora was quoted as saying.

When she returned to Asia in 2016, Arora became sous-chef at Gaggan, the Bangkok restaurant that held the No. 1 spot on Asias 50 Best Restaurants for four consecutive years.

Read also: Japanese chef Seiji Yamamoto crowned American Express Icon Award winner

In April the following year, Arora opened the three-storey Gaa, which is noted for combining traditional Indian techniques and Thai ingredients.

Going for quality, each dish at Gaa uses locally sourced ingredients and explores the connection between Thai and Indian foods. Aroras 10-course and 14-course seasonal tasting menus reflect her cultural heritage and change every three months.

In November 2018, Arora became the first Indian woman to earn a Michelin star, which recognized her innovative, modern, playful and unpredictable cuisine at Gaa.

I am honored that chefs and respected industry peers voting on this award recognize and appreciate our efforts, Arora said of her new title.

A group of over 300 food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded gastronomes votes for nominees of Asia's Best Restaurant awards based on their best dining experience of the previous 18 months. The awards have no set criteria, and the awards' official partner Deloitte ensures the integrity and authenticity of the voting process. [sop/mut]
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Linkedin Said Irandoust (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, March 9 2019

In April last year President Joko Jokowi Widodo launched the countrys fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)-oriented strategy, Making Indonesia 4.0, with the ambition of becoming among the worlds top 10 largest economies by 2030.

The five key technologies that support this vision are: the internet of things, artificial intelligence, human machine interface, robotics and sensor technology, and 3D printing. If successful, the roadmap will boost Indonesias real economy by between 1 and 2 percent, facilitating gross domestic product growth rates in 2018-2030 to be at least 6 to 7 percent per year.

In the 4IR, the emerging 21st century technologies of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science (NBIC) and their converging have an accelerating impact and determine future human development.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Badung  Sat, March 9 2019

I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung, Bali, reopened on Friday at 6 a.m., after a 24-hour closure for Nyepi (Day of Silence).

The airport has been operating normally. All facilities and human resources are 100 percent ready, Arie Ahsanurrohim, head of PT Angkasa Pura Is communications and legal division for Ngurah Rai, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The airport suspended all international and domestic flights for 24 hours on Thursday for Nyepi, starting at 6 a.m. Central Indonesia Time. Arie said no emergency landing nor medical evacuations took place on Nyepi, which marks the beginning of a new Hindu year according to the Saka calendar.

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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019

I was once addicted to Korean pop [K-pop] culture. After I realized that it was pushing me away from Islam, I got rid of [my addiction], Muslim preacher Fuadh Naim said during a recent kajian (Islamic learning forum) in South Jakarta.

Fuadh continued to share stories about his past with dozens of young Muslims, revealing that until a few years ago, he never used to pray five times a day as required by Islam, even though he had been born and raised a Muslim.

His said his addiction to K-pop also encouraged him to learn Korean and adopt the countrys culture.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 17:42 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813d256 1 City Blok-A,South-Jakarta,MRT-station,Fatmawati Free

Sukini, 60, greeted her customers on Saturday at a small stall she had moved to three days earlier, after a fire had burned down her place at the temporary shelter for vendors of Blok A Market on Jl. Sungai Sambas, South Jakarta.

The stall, covered only by a blue tarpaulin, stood in front of an elementary school behind the destroyed shelter. Sukini, who sells vegetables, fruits, fish and other products, said she did not know where she would be heading in the future.

Along with other vendors from Blok A, Sukini had been told to move to the temporary shelter while city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya reconstructed the market building in Fatmawati, South Jakarta, to make room for an MRT station.

Sukini expressed hope that, instead of moving back to the temporary shelter, she could move to the new market building in Fatmawati, which has been under construction ever since the original building was demolished in 2015. She said she had stayed at the shelter for too long.

"I want to go back to the old location. It felt like home to me. It was the place where I began my shop when I was young, until I got grandchildren, she told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

At the shelter on Jl. Sungai Sambas, Sukini had loyal customers who would buy in large quantities, but it was difficult to get new customers there, since the street was located in an affluent area.

Pasar Jaya spokesperson Amanda Gita told the Post that the development of the MRT station in Fatmawati required around 1,000 square meters of the old market area.

Pasar Jaya had planned an opening ceremony for June 2017 after reconstructing the market building, but the construction was halted because of design changes, and as a result, the market operator needed to reapply for building permits.

Theres a permit problem related to the floor area ratio (KLB), but after the fire, the Jakarta administration would push it. If we got that, we could proceed with the development immediately, Amanda said.

Sukini said she heard that while waiting for the construction to complete, the vendors might be accommodated in the park area across from the market building, but that was sure yet, as Pasar Jaya was still considering other options. Another area seen as a potential temporary location is near Pondok Indah Market in South Jakarta, about 5 kilometers from Jl. Sungai Sambas.

"Pondok Indah Market is too far, and the area is more elite than Jl. Sungai Sambas. We hope we wont be relocated too far. We don't want to leave our loyal customers. I would be devastated again to leave them, just as I was when the fire struck," Sukini said.

Dede, 30, runs a small vegetable stall in the same area, also does not want to be moved to Pondok Indah for the same reason.

We would have to start from scratch if we moved there, because we rely so much on our loyal customers here, Dede said.

He added that, beside their current location on Jl. Sungai Sambas, other sellers opted to return to areas near Fatmawati.

Amanda said Pasar Jaya was still looking for some options to accommodate the vendors.

As the discussion goes, we might not move them to Pondok Indah Market, because we are also taking into consideration their loyal customers, Amanda said. (ggq)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Nairobi, Kenya  Sun, March 10, 2019 16:27 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813b165 2 World Ethiopian-Airlines,Boeing-737,Boeing,Nairobi,Kenya,Addis-Ababa,Lion-Air,Ethiopian-Airlines-ET-302 Free

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed Sunday morning en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi with 149 passengers and eight crew believed to be on board, Ethiopian Airlines said as Ethiopia's prime minister offered condolences to passengers' families.

"We hereby confirm that our scheduled flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in accident today," the airline said in a statement.

"It is believed that there were 149 passengers and eight crew on board the flight but we are currently confirming the details of the passenger manifest for the flight."

The airline said "search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties."

The plane took off at 8:38 a.m. (0638 GMT) from Bole International Airport and "lost contact" six minutes later near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa by road.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office tweeted it "would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning."

Ethiopian Airlines said it would send staff to the accident scene to "do everything possible to assist the emergency services."

It would also set up a passenger information center and a dedicated telephone number for family and friends of people who may have been on the flight.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed last October, 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

The last major accident involving an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was a Boeing 737-800 that exploded after taking off from Lebanon in 2010, killing 83 passengers and seven crew.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify the type of aircraft. Earlier, a statement from Ethiopian Airlines said the plane involved in the crash was a "Boeing 737-800MAX". Later in the evening Jakarta time, Boeing sent a media release saying the plane was actually a Boeing 737-MAX 8.
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Linkedin Markus Makur (The Jakarta Post) West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara  Sun, March 10, 2019 20:15 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee8140b32 1 National landslides,landslide,labuan-bajo,East-Nusa-Tenggara,manggarai Free

Four people died and four others are still missing following a landslide that hit Kampung Culu in Tondong Belang subdistrict, Mbeliling district, Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) over the weekend.

The bodies of the four dead victims had all been retrieved and sent to their respective families, West Manggarai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Julia Kusumawardhana said.

The search for the four missing people is still going on at the location of the buried houses, Julia told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

A joint team of emergency disaster mitigation had also been deployed to the location to search for the missing people and to collect data on the financial loss caused by the landslide, acting head of West Manggarai Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Dominikus Hawan said.

The landslide, which took place on Thursday and Friday, had also cut off the access road connecting West Manggarai to all other regencies in the central and eastern parts of Flores Island.

The National Search and Rescue Agency, local disaster mitigation agency, police and Indonesian Military (TNI) and other parties had deployed personnel to the affected areas to provide emergency assistance and to clear debris.

The Manggarai and West Manggarai public work agencies had also deployed heavy machinery to help with the recovery process.

As of tonight the Labuan Bajo-Ruteng traffic is still at a standstill because the whole road is full of debris and a bridge was cut off, head of Region III State Road Working Unit, Ori Patote, told The Jakarta Post over the phone. (swa)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta and Yogyakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 09:42 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee8132328 1 National rape,gender-based-violence,bill,house-of-representatives,Gerindra-Party,PKS,PKB,PDI-P,KomnasPerempuan Free

The House of Representatives has once again pledged to expedite its deliberations over a sexual violence bill because of pressure from rights groups.

Marwan Dasopang, a deputy chairman of House Commission VIII, which is to deliberate over the bill, said the House would resume discussions this week, ahead of when it was initially scheduled to do so in May.

We [want to] ensure that well pass the bill [into law] before the new term, Marwan said. As the legislative elections are to be held on April 17, the sitting lawmakers officially end their terms in September.

Several rights groups concerned with gender issues, along with the National Commission for Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), have pushed the House to pass the bill, citing an urgency for protecting women from sexual assaults and providing a more comprehensive legal basis for how to treat sexual violence victims.

In Yogyakarta, hundreds of gender and rights activists marched last week to demand the House immediately pass the bill.

The bill is important to protect women and children from sexual crimes, Ika Ayu of the Yogyakarta Womens Network said during the march.

The bill, which has been before the House since 2016, has been delayed several times because of divisions among lawmakers, particularly between conservative religion-based factions.

The bill was first proposed after the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Bengkulu in 2016, a case that sparked public outrage because of the brutality of the attack.

However, the fate of the bill now hangs in the balance as several Islam-based political parties consider it to be pro-adultery and to support the existence of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). The parties claim the bill may disrupt the Islamic concept of a sakinah (happy) marriage.

Marwan, a politician from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said he lamented over what he considered to be misleading messages voiced by his fellow lawmakers, mainly from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

He said several lawmakers were still confused by the definition of sexual violence and he was worried that different interpretations would arise.

The bill lists nine types of sexual violence: verbal sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, forced use of contraception, rape, forced marriage, forced abortion, forced prostitution, sexual slavery and torture using sexual abuse. It also aims to ensure victims receive restitution ranging from physical and psychological therapy to pecuniary compensation.

The leading ruling and opposition parties -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Gerindra Party -- are the two most outspoken factions supporting the bill.

Gerindra lawmaker Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo said that, unfortunately, not all lawmakers shared the same gender perspectives.

When we talk about human rights, many of our [fellow] lawmakers claimed that our understanding of human rights was too westernized and that we should return to our culture. This is a pity, said the member of House Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs.

Some lawmakers are feminists while some others are allergic to [feminism]. When we talk about gender issues, they would respond with religious ideology, Rahayu said, adding that she hoped the House would pass the bill in August.

Ali Khasan, a deputy assistant in the domestic violence division of the Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, said the government demanded the lawmakers immediately reach conclusions regarding the bill so that the government and the House could pass it into law.

I hope we can pass it this year. That's the commitment made by the government and the House, particularly Commission VIII. Its urgent because the number of sexual violence cases is increasing every year, while we dont have a rigid law that protects womens rights, Ali said.

Komnas Perempuan recently released annual data showing that the number of cases of violence against women reported in 2018 increased to 406,178, from the 348,446 in 2017. Like in previous years, domestic violence remains the biggest problem, accounting for 71 percent of the total figure. About 53 percent of domestic violence was committed by husbands against their wives, 21 percent by boyfriends against their girlfriends and the rest was against daughters and maids.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra  Sun, March 10, 2019 14:02 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee8138da3 1 National crocodile,Tapanuli,North-Sumatra Free

Residents of Makarti Nauli, Kolang district, Central Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra, caught on Saturday a 2.5-meter-long crocodile they say has been terrorizing them for a few months.

They caught the 100-kilogram predator in the Siordang River some 150 m from their residences.

Makarti Nauli subdistrict head Nasrul said they caught the female animal using a net trap containing chicken meat and buffalo blood as bait.

A male crocodile is maybe still out there because locals once saw a pair of them getting into the river, Nasrul told The Jakarta Post, Saturday.

Locals were still hunting the other crocodile, he added, while the one caught had been sent to the local forestry agency.

The crocodiles were reported to have been terrorizing Makarti Nauli residents since early this year. So far no fatalities or injuries had been reported because of any crocodile attack, but the subdistrict administration had warned people, especially those living along the banks of the Siordang River, to be more cautious when near the water.

We have called on people, especially children, not to play, take a bath, wash, or go fishing in the river, said Nasrul. (swa)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 19:19 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813f499 1 World Boeing-737-Max8,Boeing-737,Ethiopian-Airlines,Ethiopian-Airlines-ET-302,Crash,plane-crash,aviation Free

Ethiopian Airlines confirmed on Sunday evening Jakarta time that there were no survivors in the crash of its flight ET302 from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Nairobi in Kenya.

In an accident bulletin on Sunday at 1:46 p.m. Ethiopia time, the company said its CEO "deeply regrets the fatal accident". "The group CEO who is at the accident scene right now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors," the Ethiopian Airlines Twitter account said.

Accident Bulletin no. 2

Issued on march 10, 2019 at 01:46 PM pic.twitter.com/KFKX6h2mxJ  Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019

The country's state media, Fana Broadcasting Corporate, was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying that the plane, which departed the Ethiopian capital at 8:38 am, crashed minutes after takeoff, "killing all the 149 passengers and eight crew aboard".

At 6:22 p.m. Jakarta time, US company Boeing confirmed that the aircraft was a Boeing 737-MAX 8, the same aircraft that was used for Lion Air flight JT610, which crashed in Indonesia in late October. Earlier, Ethiopian Airlines said in statement that the plane was a "Boeing 737-800MAX" aircraft.

Boeing Statement on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302: https://t.co/0jyiFuGHIE pic.twitter.com/NfE5S4LSlz  Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) March 10, 2019

Swedish flight tracker flightradar24.com said on its Twitter account that: "Additional data from Flightradar24 ADS-B network show that vertical speed was unstable after take off."

Additional data from Flightradar24 ADS-B network show that vertical speed was unstable after take off.



Take off 05:38:18 UTC

Last position received by FR24 at 05:41:02 UTC



Please note that Addis Ababa airport is located at 7,625 feet AMSL. pic.twitter.com/Uyvfp1x9Xb  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 10, 2019

The plane took off at 8:38 a.m. from Bole International Airport and "lost contact" six minutes later near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa by road, the company said.

An AFP reporter said there was a massive crater at the crash site, with belongings and airplane parts scattered widely.

Rescue crews were retrieving human remains from the wreckage.

Police and troops were on the scene, as well as a crash investigation team from Ethiopia's civil aviation agency. (evi)
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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 21:48 1004 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee8142edd 1 Business oil-and-gas,bill,energy-and-mineral-resources-ministry,ArcandraTahar,house-of-representatives Free

The long-delayed oil and gas bill appears to be in limbo once again after the government avoided raising the matter at a forum intended to discuss the future of the much-anticipated legislation.

The forum on the bill was held recently by a local news outlet in Jakarta and was attended by prominent guests from the government and private sector, including Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar.

However, instead of discussing the matter with the private sector, government officials left the forum early, declining to share their perspectives and suggestions on the bill.

The turn of events has left the oil and gas industry with more questions than answers, prompting speculation the authorities may have deliberately avoided giving any statements that could be seen as controversial with less than two months to go before the presidential and legislative elections are held.

When asked to comment on the bill at a press briefing after the event, Arcandra gave a seemingly exasperated response.

Why are you asking about this? We discussed [another matter during the forum], he said before continuing his statement about the need to increase oil and gas production.

As reported previously by The Jakarta Post, related ministries are still in the process of harmonizing a draft of the bill, while lawmakers in the House of Representatives are waiting for the government to submit its problem inventory list (DIM).

The ministries are expected to submit their suggestions for the bill to the cabinet secretary, who will pass them on to President Joko Jokowi Widodo for approval.

After obtaining Jokowis approval, the ministries would report to the state secretary and submit a letter to the House of Representatives, said Hufron Asrofi, legal bureau head at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

The oil and gas bill was initiated by the House and included in the 2010 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). Since then, deliberations have continued to be delayed. The bill is intended to revise Law No. 22/2001 on oil and gas.

Ramson Siagian, a Gerindra Party lawmaker in the Houses Commission VI that oversees the energy sector, was doubtful that the House could approve the bill before the presidential election on April 17.

I dont think we can finish [deliberating] the bill before the presidential election. The problem [of slow deliberation] now lies in the government, he said, pointing to the fact that Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan was the one who needed to submit the DIM of the bill to the House so that deliberations could begin.

Meanwhile, Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Task Force (SKKMigas) head Dwi Soetjipto expressed hope the bill could provide a better regulatory framework for investors.

There is still great potential in our upstream sector, so we need strong investors who will enjoy [regulatory certainty]. We dont want the sector to be monopolized by a single company, but [it should also be managed] by other big investors, he said.

In the aforementioned forum, industry players raised concerns about permits, taxation and land procurement.

For instance, Antonius Sanyojaya, a tax consultant at global consulting firm PwC, said that there were several ambiguous articles in the bill regarding taxation.

We think itd be better if the bill did not include any specific taxation terms as we are concerned it will contradict the existing tax law. It [the law] cannot be too specific, he said after the event.

Antonius also highlighted an article in the bill that stipulated that oil and gas contracts could be renegotiated, which he said could affect the taxation terms and conditions in the agreement.

When a contract can be renegotiated [after it is signed], this can affect taxation terms, and will create uncertainty for investors. The government has to sit down with investors once more to decide the terms and conditions again, he said.
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Linkedin Norman Harsono and Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 20:29 1004 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee814147b 1 National Boeing-737,Boeing-737-Max8,Lion-Air,Ethiopian-Airlines-ET-302,Ethiopian-Airlines,plane-crash,aviation-security,Ombudsman Free

An aviation expert who is also an official at the Indonesian Ombudsman, Alvin Lie, demanded that the Indonesian government ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that were still operating for Indonesian airlines following a fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday, which killed 149 passengers and eight crew members in a town 60 kilometers southeast of Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Alvin, who is also a former legislator, said the Transportation Ministry should pay attention to the latest accident in Ethiopia, as the aircraft involved in the accident was the same model as the one that crashed in Indonesia in late October last year.

The ministry should be ready to temporarily ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 that are still operating in Indonesia in order to prevent more accidents, Alvin told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Garuda Indonesia has one Boeing 737 MAX 8 while Lion Air has 14 Boeing 737 MAX series aircraft, including the MAX 8 that crashed last year.

According to Boeing's website, the company, as of Jan. 31, had received 5,111 orders of Boeing 737 MAX series aircraft, and had delivered 350 to various airlines globally. It has received an order of 50 MAX series from Garuda Airlines, but only delivered one, a MAX 8 in 2017. Flight news website flightglobal.com reported that the company had deferred the deliveries of the remaining 49 until 2020.

Lion Air has ordered 201 of the MAX series and Boeing has delivered 14 of them since 2017.

The Transportation Ministrys air transportation director general, Polana B. Pramesti, was not immediately available on Sunday for comment.

Swedish flight tracker Flightradar24.com tweeted on Sunday that the available data showed that the ET-302's vertical speed was unstable after takeoff.
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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 21:47 1004 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee8142d60 1 Business pertamina,petronas,partnership,oil-and-gas,energy Free

State energy holding company Pertamina hopes that its recent deal with Malaysias state-owned oil giant Petronas will help its businesses expand more efficiently in the long run amid fluctuations in the global oil price.

The deal, signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in late February, would be an umbrella agreement for future business cooperation between both companies in terms of operational activities and other strategic measures, said Heru Setiawan who is Pertaminas director of investment planning and risk management.

As a follow-up to a previous government-to-government agreement, the deal also enables the two parties to join hands in working on their overseas portfolios, or oil and gas fields outside of their respective countries.

Heru said there could be possible collaboration at the upstream, midstream and downstream sides, such as research and development, joint exploration activities, technology implementation in oil and gas blocks as well as the trade of products and the sharing of knowledge with regards to renewable energy.

As for collaboration in overseas field, Heru said, one example would be cooperation in oil refining in East Asia.

For the initial stage, the agreement already covered a crude swap mechanism, in which Pertaminas oil production in Malaysias oilfields of Kikeh, Kimanis and Kidurong was exchanged with the one produced by Petronas in Indonesias Jabung and Ketapang fields.

We are seeking countries that have an excess [refining] capacity as we know that the international Brent [crude price] is decreasing. Therefore, we can utilize the [excess] capacity, Heru said.

In a nutshell, what we agreed upon with Petronas is whether we can use its refineries to process crude from [Pertaminas production in] Malaysia. It can also be done for our crude [produced] in other countries.

Pertamina Internasional EP (PIEP), which is Pertaminas arm that is responsible for managing its overseas assets, handles fields in 12 countries, namely Iraq, Algeria, Malaysia, Canada, Colombia, France, Gabon, Italy, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria and Tanzania.

In Malaysia, PIEP owns shares in eight blocks, three of which are production blocks with each stake not higher than 25.5 percent. The Kikeh field is among the eight blocks, located at the offshore Block K near Sabah.

Heru added that beside the crude processing deal, Pertamina also discussed further cooperation with Petronas in oil and gas exploration activities in the Middle East and Africa, considering the fact that both companies own assets in those regions.

In the upstream [sector], like our asset in Gabon, for example, Petronas also owns assets there. So, we can cooperate in our business operation, such as joint cargo or operations; we can share the infrastructures together, he said.

Pertamina upstream director Dharmawan Samsu said the company was also looking at increasing its stake in Malaysias oil and gas fields, including the Kikeh field.

We have a share [in Kikeh] of around 25 percent and theres possibility for us to farm-in, but we are still in early discussions about the concept, he said.

Dharmawan, a former country head of British oil giant BP, said striking a long-term deal with Petronas was an effort to make Pertamina a global energy player.

The statements from both Pertaminas executives came against the backdrop of the companys dwindling profitability, which is arguably due to the governments order to not increase fuel prices, according to experts.

Pertamina finance director Pahala Mansury said the company had booked at least Rp 5 trillion (US$348.7 million) in profit last year, which was a far cry from the Rp 20 trillion it was able to post several years earlier.

He declined to confirm when reporters asked him whether the amount could be lower than Rp 10 trillion.

I couldnt say [whether it was lower than Rp 10 trillion]. Well have to wait for the final audit from the Supreme Audit Agency [BPK] and hopefully it [the result] can by published by the end of March, he said.

Separately, Toto Pranoto, the managing director of the University of Indonesia's Management Institute, told The Jakarta Post that the government should improve the cost structure of state-owned enterprises, especially high-leveraged companies like Pertamina.

[The government] needs to strive for a better cost structure, especially for firms with a high leverage. [] By doing so, it will help [the companies finances] when their revenue growth isnt doing well, he said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 18:08 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813d979 4 City online-prostitution,Jakarta-police,North-Jakarta Free

Police have arrested a teenager in North Jakarta for allegedly running an online prostitution business exploiting children.

The 17-year-old suspect, identified only as EGR, was arrested in a hotel in North Jakarta at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

We conducted the arrest after a cyber-patrol team received information that the perpetrator offered prostitution services through a Facebook account under the name Tasya Ayusari, Tanjung Priok Port Police criminal investigation unit chief Adj. Comr. Moh Faruk Rozi said on Sunday, as reported by kompas.com.

An investigator posed as a client of EGR, who allegedly offered a 15-year-old prostitute for Rp 4 million (US$280). After reaching a deal, EGR allegedly brought the victim to the hotel. Police arrested EGR on the spot after the alleged transaction.

The suspect [would pocket] Rp 500,000 per girl for one booking, Faruk said, adding that the teenager could be charged under the 2007 Law on human trafficking and the 2008 Law on electronic information and transactions (ITE) and sentenced to prison for up to 15 years if found guilty.
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Linkedin Arya Dipa and Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Bandung and Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 12:41 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee81369d9 1 National Padjadjaran-University,suicide Free

A student from Padjadjaran University was found dead on Friday at his residence in Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java, in what appears to be an apparent suicide, the third possible case at the campus since December.

According to the university records, the 22-year-old fatality studied animal husbandry and was known as a promising student with high grade point average (GPA) of 3.88.

The student was found hanged at his residence in Hegarmanah village, which is close to the campus.

The spokesperson of Padjadjaran University, Syauqy Luqman, said the body was discovered by Agus Purwanto, a lecturer from the universitys School of Mathematics and Natural Science, who lived nearby.

Shortly after learning the news, the dean of the School of Animal Husbandry, Husmy Yurmiati, and deputy dean Iman Hernaman talked to the police and the victims family who were already at the student's residence.

We urge the public not to speculate about [the student's] death until the police issue an official statement, Syauqy said on Friday. He added that the police are currently investigating the death and collecting more information.

Sumedang Police chief Sr. Comr. Hartoyo claimed that the student's mental condition was unstable prior to his death.

He always threatened to kill himself whenever he got into trouble. Before he [died], he had a problem with his girlfriend, Hartoyo told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Prior to this incident, two students at the campus committed suicide in December, one who majored in history at the School of Cultural Science and another who studied at the School of Fisheries and Oceanography. The two earlier victims died a week apart from each other.

According to faculty members and the victims families, neither had academic difficulties before taking their own lives.

Dyta Nabilah Widyaningsih, a student at the universitys School of Journalism and Communications, said she was surprised to learn about the incident through a social media grapevine. The 19-year-old said she finds school assignments to be overwhelming at times, but there are lecturers who always help students.

We can discuss our problems with our lecturers and the student association also has an advocacy division where we can deliver our complaints, after which they will conduct a hearing, she said on Saturday.

Another student, Renata Maximillian, said she was aware the university offered counseling services, although she has not yet figured out how to access them.

I know the college offers counseling services, but I have never gone there or used them, she said.

Syauqy urged students to be more open to the universitys staff members about academic or personal problems. Students who have academic problems are strongly advised to talk to their academic advisors, deputy deans and other lecturers. Students who are troubled by personal issues are encouraged to use the universitys counseling services, which are run by the School of Psychology.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 15:20 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813a3b2 4 National Jokowi,toll-road,Bakauheni-Terbanggi-Besar-toll-road,Lampung,trans-Sumatra-highway Free

What started as a toll road inauguration quickly turned into a melodramatic scene when a woman from the crowd barged onto the stage and knelt before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, apparently pleading for something.

Wearing his signature pressed white shirt, Jokowi was launching the 140-kilometer Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar road in Lampung, part of the trans-Sumatra toll road project.

By uttering bismillahirrahmanirrahim [in the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful], I inaugurate Bakaheuni-Terbanggi Besar, Jokowi said on stage in Lampung on Friday.

Suddenly, a woman clad in a pink hijab and a green ankle-length dress ran through Jokowi's security and onto the stage, went down on her knees and clasped Jokowis right hand.

Nur Halimah barges onto the stage. (Warta Kota/Alex Suban)

Jokowi tried to pull her up with both hands, but the woman insisted on kneeling as she continued to murmur her words. Upon seeing her resistance, a few of Jokowi's aides took hold of the woman's arms.

Seconds later, the woman flailed her arms as she fell backwards in a faint.

While a few of Jokowi's aides carried her to the nearest tent, the crowd grew silent. However, the event resumed when Jokowi, after looking toward the woman while tapping his chest in apparent concern, pushed a button to inaugurate the road, boasted to be the longest toll road in the nation, and signed an inscription.

She later faints in front of the President. (Warta Kota/Alex Suban)

After the event, Jokowi told reporters that the woman, who was later revealed to be a Lampung resident named Nur Halimah, had been lamenting that she had not been paid for land taken from her to build the road.

Yes, I will check [on her] straight away. Its usual that a big project like this would stir conflict among one or two [individuals]. The most important thing is for the [toll road] to be quickly finished, Jokowi said.

After Halimah regained consciousness, Jokowi invited her for a closed-door meeting and they ate lunch together with his aides. Afterwards, Halimah declined to comment except to say she had "told everything" to Jokowi and that everything has been resolved.

The following day, Jokowi said the National Land Agency and state-owned enterprises would immediately resolve the matter as the money is already on consignment", as quoted by Antara.

Apart from Halimah, the 2018 Agrarian Reform Consortium indicated the existence of about 16 agrarian disputes in 2018 related to infrastructure development involving 4,859 hectares of land. In comparison, there had been 94 such cases in 2017 and 100 in 2016.

A researcher at the Center for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), Muhammad Faiz Aziz, wrote on The Conversation Indonesia that the countrys regulations on land procurement for public facilities had some stipulations to protect the rights of land owners. However, the regulations lacked transparency and often the land owners did not have much choice except to take whatever the government or the developer offered.

Calling it a take it or leave it scheme, Faiz said meetings to determine compensation left very little room for land owners to negotiate. (mai)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 10, 2019 10:04 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee813234b 1 News Sabang,festival,aceh,travel,tourism,destination Free

A sea festival slated to be held on March 30 to April 1 is seeking to attract tourists to Sabang.

"We're optimistic that this Khanduri Laot Festival will be able to increase tourist arrivals," said Sabang Mayor Nazaruddin on Monday as quoted by Antara.

Organized by Sabang city administration, the festival is an annual event that welcomes both foreign and domestic tourists to the region. This year's event, themed "From Sabang for Indonesia", is set to feature various coastal art and cultural performances such as seafarer tradition, a cooking contest and a dragon boat competition.

Read also: Sabang, Aceh has a lot to offer for marine tourism

Also scheduled are cultural shows, a cultural dialogue between Aceh admirals and coastal creative product exhibition.

"This series of events is expected to attract tourists to Sabang. Other than enjoying the maritime tourism, visitors can also marvel at Aceh's coastal cultural performances," added Nazaruddin. (kes)
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Linkedin Caroline Copley and Ilona Wissenbach (Reuters) Berlin, Germany  Sun, March 10, 2019 09:05 1005 dcc1aefb9780f102b77c720ee81320e0 2 News Britain,Brexit,tourism,no-deal,Expedia,Spain,Turkey Free

Travel specialists say the overseas tourism industry could lose billions over the next five years if Britain crashes out of the European Union later this month without a divorce deal.

With just three weeks to go until Britain's scheduled departure from the bloc, the two sides have yet to agree a mutually acceptable deal.

Executives at the ITB travel trade fair in Berlin said many holidaymakers were in wait-and-see mode as uncertainty over visas, insurance and whether they will need an international licence to drive in EU countries weighed on sentiment.

"Brexit is a concern," Mark Okerstrom, chief executive of online-booking platform Expedia told reporters, adding it had seen a significant slowdown in people booking flights from and to the UK beyond the scheduled March 29 departure date.

Consultancy firm Oxford Economics said a no-deal Brexit could cause a 5 percent fall in overseas travel and tourism trips by Britons in 2020. Market researcher Euromonitor said it would curb overseas spending by $5.3 billion between 2019-2025.

"We're not seeing that people aren't booking at all, but they are waiting a bit longer to make their decisions," said Christoph Debus, Chief Airlines Officer at Thomas Cook Group , adding Brexit would hit tour operators harder than airlines.

Read also: Portugal to welcome British tourists post-Brexit

Caroline Bremner, Head of Travel Research at Euromonitor, said tour operators were trying to encourage early booking with flexible payment deals, low deposits and free child places, while some destinations, like Greece, have cut their prices.

Spain, the most popular destination for British sunseekers who accounted for 9 percent of foreign visitors last year, is seen as the biggest loser from a no-deal Brexit, which could wipe off more than $1 billion in spending between 2019-2025, according to Euromonitor.

Seeking to protect an industry which accounts for 12 percent of its economy, Spain last week approved a decree guaranteeing British residents and tourists access to healthcare for a specific time.

Turkey, which is rebounding following bomb attacks in 2016, is pitching itself as a value-for-money destination due to the pound's relative weakness against the euro, while Tunisia is sending a delegation to a London travel fair next month.

Britain's tourism industry is also concerned that European tourists could stay away. Visit Britain warned in February of a sharp fall in European flight bookings for after March 29.

"The government needs to do more to improve sentiment towards the UK from visitors from continental Europe, which remain its largest market," Kate Nicholls, chief executive of lobby group Hospitality UK, told a hotel investment forum in Berlin.
2 hours ago

Supply Chain Issues Getting You Down? Give Stocks for the Holidays Instead. Here's How

Hampered by supply chain issues? Global supply chain issues have started to recede, but executives in shipping, manufacturing and retail say that they dont expect a normal return to operations until next year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Read Article
Participating senior officials discussed cooperation measures in preparation for upcoming events, and exchanged notes on issues of mutual concern.

To speed up the building of the ASEAN Community, they agreed on the need for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to successfully implement priorities and tasks set for 2019 towards being a sustainable community, with people being put in the centre and no one left behind.

The officials deliberated orientations to build a draft ASEAN Vision Statement on Partnership for Sustainability, which is expected to be approved by leaders of the ASEAN nations in June 2019.

At the meeting, a plan to form a network connecting associations and organisations on ASEAN of the member states was also tabled. Once established, the network will be tasked with linking these associations and organisations to carry out activities to raise public awareness of the bloc.

Regarding maritime cooperation, the delegates agreed to review functions, missions and operations to raise the efficiency of the ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF) and the Expanded AMF (EAMF).

They also reviewed preparations for several upcoming events, including the ASEAN Senior Officials Meetings with China, New Zealand, Canada, the US, Australia and Japan.

For Japan, an ASEAN-Japan Day is scheduled to take place this year in Vietnam  the coordinator of the ASEAN-Japan relations, with numerous seminars, and cultural and sport exchange activities.

For China, the meeting acknowledged progress in negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), creating favourable conditions for the two sides to conclude the first round of talks before the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting in August 2019.

The participants also discussed the organisation of Commemorative Summits to mark 30 years of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea partnership in 2019, and 45 years of the ASEAN-New Zealand partnership in 2020, while considering proposals of several nations on partnering with ASEAN.

Regarding Timor Lestes proposal of joining ASEAN, they said that both the grouping and Timor Lester should make thorough preparations. At first, an ASEAN delegation will pay a fact-finding tour to Timor Leste to evaluate its capacity and demand.

On this occasion, the host Thailand also held an ASEAN SOM Retreat on Indo  Pacific cooperation. Delegates agreed that ASEAN should play a central role, and bring into full play mechanisms and forums set up and led by the bloc to promote collaboration and dialogue towards building an Indo-Pacific region of peace, cooperation, development and prosperity./.
There is a lot of talk these days around the future of smart cities. But have you ever wondered why a smart city is needed, and what the benefits of a smart city are?
All About Buddhism: An exclusive interview with Phra Maha Tongmee Supanla part 2

In part one of the interview with Phra Maha Tongmee Supanla, senior monk at The Flat Temple in Bangkok, we discovered that a Thai monks day usually starts at 5am. A normal day features morning alms collecting, morning chanting, breakfast, Buddhist studies, lunch, daily chores and evening chanting.

All-About-BuddhismCulture

By Jason Jellison

Sunday 10 March 2019, 03:00PM

Wouter de Jong / Pexels

We also knew that Thai monks forego all possessions. They are not allowed to touch money and only wear saffron robes. You can read part one here.

Having been asked about foreigners who want to become monks, Phra Maha Tongmee explained that monkhood is open to any man who has faith in Buddhism, but he sees only two major kinds of monks.

The first kind is a prayer-based monk. The second is what was translated as something of an educating monk, the kind who ferries Buddhism into new lands or sceptical hearts.

Thus, if we are interested in becoming foreign monks, we have to decide precisely what our goal is after we have finished ordination. Is it purely personal, or is it something else?

Although there may be two kinds of monks, Phra Maha Tongmee said that there are three tiers that permeate Thai monkhood. These tiers are actually quite familiar to many Thai people and they can be rather simplistically explained as representing various levels of general skill attainment.

Looking back to December, the All About Buddhism series explained that every Thai high school student must pass a series of general Buddhist knowledge examinations that are based on a similar three-tier platform. It takes at least three years to pass the three different levels and Phra Maha Tongmee explained that Thai monkhood is grouped into levels that are substantially similar to this structure.

At this point, Phra Maha Tongmee interrupted the interview to say something to Western tourists regarding some of the differences they may encounter if they convert faiths.

Brilliantly translated, he said, It is very good for you foreigners to see the value of Buddhism and we thank you for that. However, Buddhism and Christianity are not the same thing. Christianity teaches that God created us but Buddhism teaches something different. Everything has its reason. A child is born to his parents and karma is why we are born differently.

He continued by saying, There are many Buddhists in Thailand, but precious few understand the core of Buddhism. The core of Buddhism is to do good deeds and to find the way of nirvana; for it is nirvana which provides an escape from the wheel of suffering and the wheel of rebirth. Nirvana is an escape from the afflictions of birth, age, pain and death.

To understand his comments more clearly, it should be clarified that enlightenment and nirvana are somewhat different. Nirvana is a state of being, whereas enlightenment is an event that facilitates the nirvana state.

Phra Maha Tongmee is very inclusively saying that nirvana is a place on Earth and he is inviting us foreigners to go there. He is evangelising Buddhism as a religion of radical welcome, just as Buddhist monks from ancient times past have done.

I asked Phra Maha Tongmee what it is like to reach enlightenment. Speaking through our translator, he explained that the key to reaching enlightenment lies within controlling your desires. To reach enlightenment, you have to cleanse your heart of everything that glues you to this world.

Monks do not want to be attached to money or material things, he said.

However, he explained that an enlightened monk does not want to be cut off from all desires. Instead, the idea is to cut off only the desires that lead to unsavoury ends. The goal is to maintain desires that neither cause you any suffering nor cause suffering to anyone else.

It would be fair to say that one could interpret Phra Maha Tongmees comments as something of a call to arms for those of us foreigners who are sincerely interested in Thai monkhood.

In fact, Phra Maha Tongmee asked me, Do you want to be a monk?

I needed a moment to regain my breath but, having steadied myself, I gave the most simple of answers

I said, Yes.

The Phuket News would like to extend a very special thank you to translator Tanakorn Udarasak. At only 14 years old, Mr Udarasak is a high school prodigy whose linguistic skills are known to routinely exceed those of Thailands finest university professors.

All About Buddhism is a monthly column in The Phuket News where I take readers on my exotic journey into Thai Buddhism and debunk a number of myths about Buddhism. If you have any specific queries, or ideas for articles, please let us know. Email editor1@classactmedia.co.th, and I will do my best to accommodate your interests.
Phuket Law: Misunderstandings regarding the new foreign worker law

PHUKET: Last year we explained how Thailands Foreigners Working Management (No.2) (2018) (ED2), which came into force on 28 March 2018, has significantly liberalized restrictions on foreign workers.



By The Phuket News

Sunday 10 March 2019, 11:00AM

Foreign directors of Amity Treaty, IEAA, and IPA companies holding foreign business certificates are still required to have work permits. Photo: The Phuket News / file

You can read those reports on the Emergency Decree (ED2), here:

Phuket Law: Working without a work permit now possible (click here )

) Phuket Law: Royal Decree blows work permits wide open (click here)

However, in recent months we have noted two different articles by legal commentators that have clearly misunderstood the extent to which ED2 has made the labor law environment in Thailand more foreign friendly.

One of the articles proclaims the good news that directors of companies that are exempted under the Foreign Business Act (1999) (FBA, read here) pursuant to the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations between the United States and Thailand (1968) (Amity Treaty, click here) no longer require a work permit. For reasons we explain below, this is not true.

The other article asserts that in theory directors of companies that are promoted under the Investment Promotion Act (1977) (IPA, click here) and the Industrial Estate Authority Act (1979) (IEAA) are also not required to have work permits. For reasons explain below, this is also not true.

How did both of these legal commentators, law firms that specialize in labor law for foreigners in Thailand, get this so wrong? We believe it is because they did what is all too common and unfortunately the case  they asked and differed their legal opinions to the official:

we double checked with the Ministry of Labor in Bangkok and they agreed that American directors [of a Amity Treaty] company would not need a work permit;

authorized directors of companies [IEAA] and [IPA] companies . . . are no longer required to have work permits. . . . the Employment Office in Sriracha, Chonburi Province . . . is of the strong opinion that directors of [IEAA] and [IPA] companies are not eligible for a work permit according to the new [labor law];

rather than carefully reading and analyzing the relevant law themselves. So lets do that.

First we need to understand that the FBA prohibits what it defines as any foreigner (both individuals and juristic entities) from doing most businesses in Thailand, without a license issued under the FBA. And the evident confusion in the articles mentioned above appears to stem from Section 4(2)(8) of the ED2, which states:

The following foreigners can now work in Thailand without a work permit: . . . foreigners who are representatives of a company holding a foreign business license under the foreign business law of Thailand.

Directors of a company are considered its representatives under Thai law and the current foreign business law of Thailand is of course the FBA. Section 8 of the FBA restricts foreigners from doing most businesses in Thailand without a foreign business License (as defined and detailed in Section 4 of the FBA).

To obtain a License, Section 17 of the FBA provides that the applicant must apply for permission by filing an application to the Cabinet of Ministers or the Director-General of the Department of Business Development. The Cabinet or the Director-General then will consider as to whether to give approval or grant permission within sixty days. In addition, Section 18 of the FBA provides that the Minister of Commerce may prescribe conditions to be observed by foreign business License holders such as: the ratio of the capital to loans for the operation of permitted businesses; the number of foreign directors who must have a domicile or residence in Thailand; or the amount of, and the period of time for maintaining, a designated minimum company capital in Thailand.

This is the primary purpose of the FBA, to define who foreign business operators are, require that they have a License to operate their business, detail how they can obtain a License and the penalties if they operate such foreign business without a License.

However, there is one other exception to the prohibition against foreigners operating a business in Thailand under the FBA. Section 4 of the FBA defines a foreign business operating Certificate, which is not a License, but which nonetheless allows foreigners to operate a business in Thailand. To obtain the Certificate, subject to Section 11 of the FBA, the applicant need only notify the Director-General of the applicants accurate eligibility and will readily obtain a Certificate within thirty days.

Who is eligible for a Certificate? Section 10 of the FBA provides:

The provisions of section 5, section 8, section 15, section 17 and section 18 shall not apply to

Foreigners operating businesses specified in the Lists annexed hereto by virtue of a treaty to which Thailand becomes a party or by which Thailand is bound in consequence of obligations therefrom shall be exempt from the application of the provisions of the sections specified in paragraph one and shall be governed by the provisions of and conditions set forth in such treaty

And Section 11 says:

Foreigners under section 10 who intend to operate businesses specified in the Lists annexed hereto shall notify the DirectorGeneral in accordance with the rules and procedures prescribed in the Ministerial Regulation in order to obtain certificates, and the DirectorGeneral shall issue certificates to such foreigners

And this (as we previously detailed, click here) is precisely what a company that qualifies under the Amity Treaty is. Thus, an Amity Treaty Company does not operate its business in Thailand by holding a License; rather it does so by holding a Certificate, a completely different category under the FBA and one that is not excepted under Section 4(2)(8) of ED2.

What about IPA and IEAA companies?

Section 12 provides:

In the case where the business of the foreigner who is promoted under the law on investment promotion or granted written permission for the operation of the industry or the operation of trade for export under the law on the Industrial Estate of Thailand or under other laws is the business specified in List Two or List Three annexed hereto, such foreigner shall notify the DirectorGeneral in order to obtain a certificate. In this case, such foreigner shall be exempt from the application of this Act

And thus IPA and IEAA companies are exempted from the restrictions of the FBA by receiving a Certificate, not a License, as well.

If the drafters of ED2 had wished to exempt the directors of Amity Treaty, IPA, and IEAA companies they could have either included companies holding foreign business certificates under Section 4(2)(8) or simply have made that Section applicable to any company that was exempted from the FBA restrictions. However, they did not do that. They specifically limited the exception to companies holding foreign business licenses under the FBA. Thus, foreign directors of Amity Treaty, IEAA, and IPA companies holding foreign business certificates are still required to have work permits.

 Sutapat Kongkaew

Sutapat Kongkaew is an Associate Attorney at Duensing Kippen, an international law firm specializing in business transaction and dispute resolution matters, with offices in Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand and affiliated offices in 45 other countries. Visit them at: duensingkippen.com
"Someone once said that every artist deserves to be judged by their best work, and I sort of agree with it and would ask that were remembered by our best work and really our spirit and that we had a willingness to experiment publicly. When you experiment publicly, you have to be willing to fail publicly and I think thats an important thing for young musicians to appreciate and understand, and I think it went hand-in-hand with the successes of our career."

He knew his experimentation with the settings on his bass guitar wasnt always successful: "I was always fucking around with my sound in one way or another. Every time I thought I was plateauing, I would change something about it  which can be good and bad. Thats one of the dangers of being a progressive musician: You move past something you maybe should stick around in a bit longer because youre busy searching for that next thing, that improvement. ... So always, as a band, the three of us were looking to improve from the last piece of recorded work."

Lee is still considering the possibility of starting a post-Rush musical project, and while he's still unsure of what form it might take, he predicts it wouldnt be "drastically different" from what hes done in the past.

"Stylistically speaking, I never felt like I was missing anything in the context of Rush because anything goes in that group. When I jam, I jam all over the place, but whether or not Im going to follow it any one specific direction in the future, I have no idea. I never had any musical frustrations in Rush. It was a totally fulfilling experience for me."
AUSTIN, TEXAS  Government efforts to prevent rural communities from withering have become more prevalent in recent years as populations continue migrating to cities, with technology rapidly becoming key to fostering equitable rural/urban development across the globe.So said four experts split between the U.S. and Europe Sunday morning at SXSW during the How Technology Can Balance Urban/Rural Development panel, which took place in a venue hosted by the European Union. The participants touched on a wide range of topics during the talk, including examples of successful strategies, broadband connectivity challenges in the countryside and the role rural innovation can play in it all.High-speed broadband connectivity rates in rural areas have long been a focal point of such discussions. The most obvious lines of thinking are that there are perhaps two main ways to solve this: influencing market forces in a way that incentivizes private companies to build more rural broadband infrastructure; or creating a government-owned high-speed Internet network.The panelists discussed these approaches, before noting that the conversation is more nuanced than that. Rural communities and the people that live in them need to first understand how high-speed Internet can improve their lives, which will in turn then increase demand for it in those areas.Nikos Chatzoudis, who tackles rural development issues in his capacity as program manager for the directorate general for agriculture within the European Commission, and Anne Schweiger, the digital equity and broad advocate for Boston, both stressed the importance of digital skills training in any community with digital equity struggles.At this moment in the European Union we have 40 percent of the population with very low Internet skills, Chatzoudis said. Theres even 17 percent who have never used the Internet. There are seven member states  Romania for example  where 40 percent of people have never used the Internet. These people are not interested in having broadband in their homes.Thats a problem. Also of note is that the vast majority of people who dont use or want the Internet are older. What then happens, Chatzoudis said, is the creation of a vicious circle: There is no demand for high-speed broadband in rural areas so there is no supply, and because there is no supply, young residents continue moving to the cities, taking any potential demand for high-speed Internet with them.In the U.S., meanwhile, Boston is one of the cities at the forefront of governmental digital equity efforts, and Schweigers position in city hall is a rare one. The city also is one of a handful to offer a digital equity fund aimed at supporting digital inclusion projects in its communities. Schweiger described one particularly effective means of supporting broadband in her city, which has been offering a questionnaire to property developers asking how they will incorporate broadband infrastructure into their new construction. Schweiger described it as a behavior nudging mechanism.While there maybe isnt a direct application for this in rural communities, it speaks to a larger strategy government can take: applying all its policies through a rural lens and ensuring they work for both types of communities.Another actionable thing government can do is create a framework that enables shared collaboration, said Cris Turner, head of government affairs in the Americas for Dell. He said its important for state governments to work together on things like employment policy, so that someone living in a place like rural West Virginia can telecommute for an employer in, for example, Tennessee.Overall, a picture emerged at the panel of a shared plight across the globe, one which there is momentum to solve, momentum that is being driven by innovation in the cities and that is later applied to the countryside.The clearest example of this is smart city work, in which thousands of sensors collect useful data that cities can then use to increase efficiency as it applies to deployment of resources. Smart city work is taking place in cities across the globe, from Limerick, Ireland  where panel moderator Mihai Bilauca is head of digital strategy and EU programs  to American cities like Kansas City, Mo.This work must now be translated to what the panelists called smart village technologies. So whereas the parks department in San Francisco can  and is  use sensors to tell when garbage cans in their parks are too full, farmers in Modesto, Calif., can similarly use sensors to tell if their pigs are getting sick.Continuing to encourage innovation and finding ways to collaborate with each type of community, Turner said, finding things that are working and scaling them, thats the magic formula.
For more than a century, hundreds of acres of land in Oshawa have been a vital part of Canadas automotive industry.

But where assembly lines and paint shops stand today, a decade or so from now there could be condos, office towers and shopping malls.

In November, General Motors stunned the city, announcing it would stop production at the end of this year. This week, the last Chevy Cruze rolled off the line at a GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio, the first of five plants across North America scheduled to be shut down in the wake of the November announcement.

While a public relations and political battle is waged over the fate of the Oshawa plants 2,600 workers, real estate experts say the facilitys prime location  near highways and public transit  and the Greater Toronto Areas hot real estate market, make it an irresistible target for developers.

Youre looking at some mixture of condos and retail, probably, said John Andrew, a professor at the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Nobodys coming in and building a large factory. Thats really not happening these days.

Before the ultimate fate of the GM land in Oshawa  adding up to 15 million square feet or 344 acres  is decided, there could be some short-term use, said Avi Behar, president and CEO of The Behar Group, a Toronto real estate brokerage. GM could rent parts of the plant or land out for other industrial users. They could sell it to another company to take on cleaning up the land, having it rezoned, then flipping it at a profit to a developer.

I think that ultimately this will be mixed use of some kind, including condos, office space and some retail, said Behar, whose brokerage is selling another sizable parcel of Ottawa industrial land, albeit not owned by GM.

So far, the company hasnt tipped its hand on the future of the site beyond the end of the year, but spokesman David Paterson said GM has already drawn interest from potential buyers  and governments.

We do periodically receive inquiries from governments and others concerning the various properties identified in our November announcement, and we welcome all inputs. But it is still too early to speculate or comment on this at this time, said Paterson, GM Canadas vice-president of corporate and environmental affairs.

As far as the value of the GM land goes, its really a bit of a mugs game trying to predict how much it would fetch on the open market, said Behar.

It really depends upon what kind of use the municipality envisions or would approve. It could really range from $30,000 an acre, to $3 million an acre, said Behar.

Dealing with rezoning, city planning and site cleanup could take years, he added. This is not a quick turnaround kind of project.

Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter said the citys strongest preference is for GM to keep its assembly lines going. But if that doesnt happen, he made it clear that condos arent a favoured option. Something commercial, with jobs, would be the priority.

We would not entertain changing the site from prime commercial/ employment lands, Carter said in an emailed statement, adding that GM currently pays Oshawa roughly $3.3 million a year in property tax.

Nor, said Carter, would the city consider chipping in funds to assist with site cleanup. No cost-benefit analysis of alternative uses for the site  such as whether residential properties would produce more tax revenue than industrial or retail uses  has been done either.

Thats surely not a surprise, said Ryerson urban studies professor Christopher De Sousa. Nobody  least of all a politician who needs to be running for office again in a few years  wants to be seen as giving up on the jobs.

Because its been such an important part of Oshawas history, and its such an iconic site, the process might take more time. They have to be sensitive to that, said De Sousa.

Still, he expects the push for redevelopment will ultimately be successful. Thats the way things have been going across Ontario.

Municipalities have been pushing two big things: becoming more green, and greater density, said De Sousa.

The numbers are equally clear, De Sousa added. Of more than 4,500 proposed brownfields projects  former commercial, industrial or agricultural sites requiring a cleanup  in the province between 2004 and 2015, more than two-thirds are to become residential sites. In Toronto alone, more than 80,000 residential units were created on remediated (cleaned-up) land between 2004 and 2011.

Not that the cleanup is a cheap or fast process, De Sousa warned. Whatever it costs would be deducted from any potential purchase price. Knowing exactly what the clean-up costs is impossible until a site assessment and testing of soil is done.

Ive even had to tell municipalities whove asked, you can get a Phase 1 (site assessment) or a Phase 2 (soil testing) estimate, but nobodys going to give you a clean-up estimate, said De Sousa, whos also vice-president of the Canadian Brownfields Network, an association of stakeholders including companies, academics and governmental representatives.

Still, in the end, the cleanup  and redevelopment  will happen, De Sousa believes, if only because theres money to be made.

It wont be an upside-down site, where the cost of the remediation is more than the land is worth. Theres still a value in the land, De Sousa said. Were blessed with a very strong real estate market in the GTHA. So that means that somebody will end up doing this.

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CALGARYAn Edmonton woman and her 5-year-old daughter, as well as a Calgary accountant, are among 157 people, including 18 Canadians, who died Sunday morning after their Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed just outside of Addis Ababa.

Amina Ibrahim Odowa, 33, and her daughter Safiya Faisal Abdulkadir Egal left Canada on Saturday to visit relatives in Kenya. She grew up there, but was born in Somalia, and immigrated to Canada in 2006. Her brother, Mohamed Hassan Ali of Toronto, said she leaves two daughters behind in Edmonton, age 7 and 3. The elder daughter knows her mother is gone, but the younger one doesnt.

Its very tough, Ali said. Its like its not real right now.

Both Odowa and her middle daughter were aboard the aircraft when it crashed. Jama Farasle, a family friend of Odowa, described her as a very friendly and cool girl. Shed taken Safiya to Kenya to not only visit relatives, but show her daughter where shed come from.

It was just to give her daughter a glimpse of her roots, Farasle said.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8 MAX, took off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopias capital city, shortly before 9 a.m. local time. Records from Flightradar24, an airplane tracking website, showed that the planes vertical speed quickly became erratic. The pilot issued a distress call and was told to return, but contact with the plane was lost several minutes later.

Roughly two hours later, the office of Ethiopias prime minister offered deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.

The 157 dead included passengers and crew from 35 countries, including Canada, China, the United States and Kenya. Among them was Derick Lwugi, an accountant with the City of Calgary. He was on his way to Kenya to both his and his wife's parents, who live in the west of the country. Lwugi is survived by Gladys Kivia, his wife, and their three children aged 17, 19, and 20.

"His mom was not feeling well," Kivia said in a brief interview from Calgary on Sunday.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he was absolutely crushed to learn one of his colleagues at the city had died in the crash.

All our love to his family, friends, colleagues, and all those touched by his life of service, he wrote in a post on Twitter Sunday evening.

Professor Pius Adesanmi, director of the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, was also among the dead. The English professor and award-winning writer won the Penguin Prize in 2010 for African writing in the non-fiction category for his book manuscript, Youre Not a Country, Africa.

Pius was a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship and his sudden loss is a tragedy, said Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Carleton Universitys president and vice-chancellor. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and loved him, and with everyone who suffered loss in the tragic crash in Ethiopia.

Liberal MP Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West) arrived in Addis Ababa from Toronto Sunday morning on another Ethiopian Airlines flight as part of a delegation of seven MPs and senators on a seven-day mission to Ethiopia and Rwanda.

The delegation was shocked and saddened by the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 which took off for Nairobi, Kenya shortly after the delegation landed in Addis Ababa, and extends its sympathy to all those who lost their lives this morning, Oliphant said in an emailed statement to the Star.

The delegation has been profoundly impressed with the Canadian Embassy in Ethiopia and their immediate response to provide consular services to those affected by this tragedy.

The purpose of the trip is to further parliamentary diplomacy through meetings with parliamentarians, government officials, and representatives from civil society and international bodies, including the African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa, Oliphant said.

The delegation will also take time to acknowledge and commemorate the 25th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

It has obviously affected our delegation and all Ethiopians we have encountered today, he added.

Earlier on Twitter, Oliphant tweeted he had landed safely in Addis Ababa.

Afraid that some of our fellow passengers from the Toronto flight connected to the flight to Nairobi which crashed. Hits close to home and thinking of those who lost their lives this morning, he tweeted.

Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, expressed their condolences in statements to social media on Sunday.

Farasle heard of Odowas death while covering the crash for the Somali-language service of Voice of America, a U.S. government-owned network. Hed been tasked with identifying Canadian victims of the crash. Only after he read a list of names of the dead to his editor did Farasle make the connection.

I came back to the editor and then, explaining and reading the names for him, I realized: thats Amina, he said.

With files from Laurie Monsebraaten, The Canadian Press, and the Associated Press

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Thousands of Canadian workers continue to turn down promotions, accrue debt and delay retirement because of a pay system that the government has concluded is beyond fixing, and the end is still not in sight.

Since its implementation in February 2016, the Phoenix pay system for Canadian federal employees was plagued with problems. Employees got paid incorrect amounts, or not at all. Insufficient tax deductions led to surprise deductions in future paycheques. The accuracy of T4 slips was anybodys guess, and some accountants soon developed specialties in helping clients who had been Phoenixed.

Late auditor general Michael Ferguson called the implementation of Phoenix an incomprehensible failure because of what its premature launch cost public employees. The government has since pledged to replace the system, which has already cost the government $1 billion.

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) president Chris Aylward said replacing Phoenix is absolutely the right thing to do. But procuring a new system  which is likely to take several years comes as small comfort to families whose pay and lives have already been turned upside down.

In an official employee survey released last month, about 70,000 employees reported having Phoenix-related pay issues in 2018. More than 53,000 public-sector employees said concerns about Phoenix prevented them from pursuing other job opportunities for fear of destabilizing their pay.

Once your pay gets changed, thats when you get on the Phoenix roller coaster, Aylward said.

Three years on from the Phoenix launch, PSAC is asking the government to hire more staff to deal with 280,000 backlogged Phoenix cases and to compensate employees for what theyve lost over three years of payroll hell.

In a statement to The Star, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada said the government is doing everything possible to ensure that no employee remains out-of-pocket because of Phoenix. The measures include the implementation of an emergency pay advance system and a claims system that works independently of Phoenix.

Even though years have gone by, and public interest in their pay problems seems to have waned, those affected say the problems with Phoenix have not let up. Heres what Phoenix continues to cost four families from coast to coast.

Glynis Donovan, Halifax

Work centre supervisor, Department of National Defence

Donovan turned 60 in November, but her retirement is indefinitely on hold because she has no idea when or how shell dig herself out of the mess the Phoenix pay system has made of her life.

In 2007, Donovan started her current job as a civilian work centre supervisor with the Department of National Defences Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott. Located at the Halifax dockyard, her work involves maintaining inventory for Canadas naval ships. It was an ideal transition from her 25-year career with the Canadian Air Force.

Then, in 2016, Phoenix struck. The problem has been a source of anxiety ever since, as her pay stubs are frequently incomprehensible and incorrect.

This has impacted my health due to stress. Ive got high blood pressure, Donovan said in an interview. I cant finalize it. I cant put a period after it and say, OK, this is done. Put that away. Its not going to finish.

She has no way of knowing exactly how much money shes owed, but Donovan spends about five hours each week keeping an up-to-date spreadsheet on the details of her frequently baffling pay stubs.

She recently started a fourth binder to house all those stubs, one for each stressful year.

In May of 2018, I had five stubs for one pay, and four of them were zero, she said, exasperation evident in her voice.

Donovan shared copies of her April 2018 statement of earnings. Multiple figures are circled with marker, and numerous question marks decorate the pages. She said this is typical.

Everybody can balance their own chequebooks and banking accounts, but when you have a look at whats involved with mine? Its a nightmare, she said.

My biggest fear is Canada Revenue Agency because with my taxes, its been getting increasingly complicated.

On Feb. 25, Donovan said she was emotionally distraught when she received her T4 slip needed to file her 2018 taxes. It pegged her salary at $95,000, about $30,000 more than it should have. She estimates that means she owes CRA more than $5,000 this year.

Ive been paying my taxes since I was 17 years of age, and Im 60 and at this moment in my life Im worried sick about CRA, she said.

I couldve retired last year but I cant let go until I get this straightened out.

Donovans next step is to hire a tax lawyer, but she hit a frustrating road block this week. She was told the most financial assistance she could expect is $200 for each year her pay was plagued by the Phoenix system. She said that $600 wont cut it for an audit on her complicated pay file.

Im not going to pay out of my pocket because I didnt do anything to deserve this, she said. So thats my next battle.

Amanda Moloughney, Ottawa

Infrastructure Canada parliamentary affairs

Moloughney didnt expect a string of promotions would lead to stress and financial hardship, but thats what happened under Phoenix.

Shes worked in the public service in Ottawa for 10 years, most of that time in information management. Almost two years ago, she was transferred to Transportation Canada from Indigenous and Northern Affairs and offered higher pay.

Since then, shes taken another role at Infrastructure Canada in parliamentary affairs, but her pay file still has not been updated to the wage she was offered in her previous position at Transportation Canada. So, despite two promotions, shes still receiving the lower pay she earned two years ago.

Just as importantly, Moloughneys pay file being in limbo has prevented her from adding her three-year-old daughter, Nadia-Harlow, to her health benefits plan. Her husband, Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf, works contracts at Ottawa Civic Hospitals Heart Institute and doesnt have a benefit plan through that work.

Ive had to postpone taking my daughter to the dentist, she said. Its as if my daughter doesnt exist.

The couple is paying out of pocket for their daughters medical expenses and has had to take out money from their line of credit in order to pay for daycare.

The stress of it all has led to health problems for Moloughney.

Im a Type 1 diabetic. I have to say the impact of this has greatly affected my health and mental well being. Ive had seizures as a result of the stress, she said. I dont sleep some nights worrying about when is my pay going to arrive.

Its posed such a financial challenge that up until recently we were actually considering leaving the country for my husband to go work in the Middle East, she said.

They decided to hold off on the idea after Moloughneys latest promotion. But, without knowing when her payroll issues will be resolved, she said even that decision was a risk.

Heather Boudreau, Edmonton

Environmental services manager at the RCMP

In the spring of 2016, Boudreau returned to Correctional Services Canada from maternity leave. Her department was using a then-new system  Phoenix  to handle pay and vacation time. Boudreau hadnt had any problems while she was off but quickly found her pay file going awry. It still hasnt been fully resolved.

Its anyones guess what Im really owed, Boudreau recently said.

She didnt receive a paycheque for 10 weeks following her maternity leave. Paying the bills meant her husband, who works in law enforcement in Edmonton, had to work 60-hour weeks to ensure the family could afford daycare and other baby-related expenses.

By the fall, Boudreau had received an emergency salary advance from her employer but ran into another problem: her mortgage renewal.

At the time, my pay stubs were zero  or not right, she said. There wasnt a long history of having a proper paycheque to show them.

The bank initially turned her down. Only after her supervisor at Correctional Services Canada produced a letter vouching for her employment  and the amount she was supposed to be earning  were they able to get a renewal. But, for about a week, Boudreau said, she and her husband considered selling their house and downsizing.

For several months the Phoenix pay system fluctuated her pay from week to week. Sometimes she wasnt paid at all. Other times, shed be paid twice or even three times her actual salary.

By December 2016, her issues had been straightened out somewhat. But after Boudreau accepted a temporary secondment with Environment and Climate Change Canada, they started anew. Any time her secondment was extended, it would wreak havoc with her pay file.

Every week was a blessing if I got any money  and it never, ever was correct, Boudreau said.

Throughout her troubles with Phoenix, she became her own de facto payroll manager: keeping track of her hours worked, vacation time and sick leave on her own Excel spreadsheet. Her compensation adviser estimated shes owed $12,000. But even she doesnt believe its completely accurate.

Boudreau isnt holding out much hope that every dollar shes owed will end up in her pay file. Even her husband has advised her to take whatever the federal service pays her and just move on. Given all of the setbacks and problems shes faced over the last several years  tax issues, continued paycheque problems, even considering whether to leave the civil service  she doesnt expect the latest attempt to rectify her pay file to be any different.

They can give me all the information they want, she said. But its so complicated that I cant verify if theyre telling me the truth or if theyre making a mistake again.

Shaunna McInnis, Kimberley, B.C.

Visitors Centre at Kootenay National Park

On a day off, McInnis sat down to file her 2018 taxes. She needed the full day to do it, because she knew shed have to sift through files of inaccurate pay slips and a T4 just to make an informed guess about what she owed.

McInnis is a longtime federal seasonal employee, having worked in various positions for Parks Canada since her early 20s, when she helped staff campgrounds at Lake Louise. She now works at Kootenay National Park, driving 130 km to work from her home in Kimberley, B.C. Shes also a single mom to Owen, 14, who has chronic health problems.

The uncertainty of McInnis pay due to the Phoenix system has been a constant source of stress on her family.

Weve already got stress in the house, she said in between working on taxes. But with not knowing about paychecks, confusion with my hours of work, confusion with lots of little and bigger things  it causes a lot of extra stress.

She and Owen used to live in Yoho National Park, where McInnis worked, an experience she said she was lucky to share with her son. Four years ago they decided to move to Kimberley, where their support system of family and friends is located and Owen doesnt have to travel a long distance to go to school.

Not long after the move, McInnis Phoenix problems began. She took the summer off work in 2016 due to extenuating circumstances but she continued to get paid by Phoenix for 10 weeks.

Every two weeks I would call and say, Please stop paying me, she said. She was told by the Phoenix call centre that they didnt have the authority to stop the payments.

Thats led to years of clawbacks from McInnis paycheques and unresolved disagreements about the exact amount she owes. Like many of her colleagues, she said, her pay comes inconsistently and shes still being paid at the rate of her 2012 wage.

Working seasonal is already stressful when youre trying to budget, she said. Its the unpredictability.

What McInnis worries about most is her pension.

Im unable to calculate my pension, she said. I dont know enough about accounting and payroll. I dont know what should be paid into  but I do want the pension at the end of this.

After almost three years, McInnis feels shes waited long enough for answers and a resolution. She estimates shes spent 100 hours of personal time compiling records and sending them to Phoenix representatives. Shes still waiting to hear back.

Yvette dEntremont is a Halifax-based reporter focusing on health. Follow her on Twitter: @ydentremont

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While you dont want to forget your glittery green shamrocks and Leprechaun hats for Torontos 32nd annual St. Patricks Day parade, you might want to leave your car at home. The city will be riddled with road closures this Sunday.

The parade will begin at noon, starting from Bloor St. W. and St. George St., continuing east along Bloor, moving south onto Yonge St., and finally travelling west along Queen St. W. towards Nathan Phillips Square, police said in a news release Saturday.

Officers will be closing sections of the downtown core to drivers on a rotating basis, starting from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Some TTC buses and streetcars will also be diverting to avoid the closures. All route changes (except for one) will begin as early as 11:30 a.m. and are scheduled to return back to normal by 3:30 p.m.

Heres the full list of road closures and TTC route changes:

8 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

St. George St. will be closed from Bloor St. W. to College St.

Devonshire Pl. will be closed from Bloor St. W. to Hoskin Ave.

The 5 Avenue Rd. bus will start turning back north at St. George subway station (close to the parades starting point), and wont serve a stretch of Avenue Rd., just north of Bloor St. W. The bus will divert both ways along St. George St., Davenport Rd., and part of Avenue Rd.

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:

Hoskin Ave. will be closed from St. George St. to Queens Park Cres. W.

Harbord St. will be closed from St. George St. to Huron St.

As early as 8 a.m., the 94 Wellesley bus going both directions will skip Hoskin Ave. and instead, it will turn south at Spadina, travel east along College St., and up and around Queens Park Cresc. It is scheduled to return to its original route by 2 p.m.

11:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Bloor St. W. will be closed from Huron St. to Yonge St.

Yonge St. will be closed from Bloor St. to Queen St.

Queen St. W. will be closed from Yonge St. to University Ave.

The 501 Queen streetcar will divert both ways, going south on Church St., moving along King St. to Spadina, then heading north to return to its original route along Queen.

12 p.m. to 3 p.m.:

Bay St. will be closed from Queen St. W. to Dundas St. W.

Elizabeth St. will be closed from Dundas St. W. to Hagerman St.

Hagerman St. will be closed from Elizabeth St. to Bay St.

The 6 Bay southbound bus will divert along Davenport Rd., turning south on Church St., before travelling across Richmond St. Northbound buses will divert via Bay St., Adelaide St., Church St. and Davenport Rd.

12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.:

University Ave. will be closed from Queen St. W. to Dundas St. W.

Armoury St. will be closed from University Ave. to Chestnut St.

Centre Ave. will be closed from Dundas St. W. to Armoury St.

Police said the parade will happen rain, shine  or snowstorm.
When Pankaj Sallh and his family moved to Brampton from Mississauga last year, he had no idea that changing his postal code would be so costly.

The relocation resulted in a nearly 50 per cent increase in his car insurance with the same company, from $237 to $350 a month for two vehicles.

To me, its unexplainable, says Sallh. The 44-year-old engineer and his wife support two small children, as well as his parents and father-in-law. Why should I pay more just because of the change of address?

The increase is due to what critics call postal code discrimination, which is the subject of a bill that could come up for its second reading in provincial parliament as early as this month. If it passes, it will then be studied by a legislative committee before a third and final reading.

Bill 42 seeks to remove geography as the primary factor in determining what youll pay for your car insurance in Ontario and rescinds a regulation that mandates the number of territories that insurers must have. The bill was carried on its first reading last October.

Parm Gill, the Conservative MPP from Milton, launched the private members bill after hearing complaints from constituents who moved from one place in Milton to another and discovered their car insurance was going up  a lot.

Much like the rest of Ontario, Milton drivers are paying too much for auto insurance, says Gill in an email to the Star. If this bill is passed Ontario insurance providers will be able to put more emphasis on a drivers record, not their postal code.

Insurance companies use numerous factors to determine an individuals risk, including age, gender, marital status, driving record, if you use your car for work and how many kilometres you drive in a year. They look at the make of your vehicle and the claims theyve had for that type of car.

But geography  which they refer to as the location where the car is garaged  seems to trump them all.

If (your car) is being used in an area that has a higher incidence of accidents and a higher payouts of accidents, then that is typically a riskier venture than someone operating a vehicle in an area that doesnt have the same risk exposure, says Joseph Carnevale, a broker who is the president-elect of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario.

Insurance companies have told us that is the most effective way of anticipating whether someone is going to have a claim, or not, and how expensive its going to be, he says.

Brampton East MPP Gurratan Singh, the NDP critic for car insurance, also proposed a bill last year to eliminate the use of postal codes as a risk factor, but it was voted down.

Currently, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, which regulates insurance, allows companies to have a maximum of 55 territories in the province, with up to 10 of those in Toronto.

Territories are defined by insurers, and most insurers use postal codes to determine their boundaries. In territories where there are more accidents and higher claims, rates are typically higher.

A broker who plugged in her driving history and make of car for the Star  to get quotes using software that spits out rates  found that her insurance doubled not only in Brampton, but also in many of the postal codes that are the highest in the GTA, according to data provided by LowestRates.ca.

Removing the territory requirement, coupled with the direction to (FSCO) to prohibit insurers from using factors primarily related to ones postal code or telephone area code when calculating premiums, will result in a more competitive system, Gill says in an email. Insurance providers will now compete for drivers, not geographical areas in the province.

An Aviva Canada insurance spokesperson says that geography is an important and predictive indicator of your chances of being in an accident, but that it is just one of many factors that contribute to the cost of car insurance.

The company says if FSCO allowed more factors to be included, it could lead to a decrease in rates for lower-risk drivers. The company declined to say what the new factors would be because it is in talks with the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the insurance regulator.

Allowing insurance companies to use all appropriate data, rather than the restricted set we are forced to use today, will create less subsidization (so every driver pays their fair amount) and a greater variety in pricing, according to the spokesperson. Consumers can then shop for the company that offers the right coverage and service at the best price.

In 2015, Ontarians had the highest auto insurance premium in the country  an average of $1,458 per vehicle, according to a report in 2017 written by government adviser David Marshall.

The province has been looking at some type of reform, and has met with insurers and the brokers association as well as others in the industry. The public had until the middle of February to weigh in. A new regulator  Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario  is being set up and will take over most of FSCOs responsibilities. The regulator lists a number of priorities including supporting an auto reform strategy and streamlining the rate regulation process.

Allowing proof-of-insurance pink slips to be sent electronically  as opposed to mail  and changing the onerous documentation needed by insurance companies to apply to the regulator for rate increases, could be two of the changes that will decrease costs for companies and which brokers say could translate to lower premiums.

We are working with stakeholders across the auto insurance system to explore options to lower rates in a responsible way, while ensuring that the needs of the people are served, says Peter Spadoni, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, in an email.

Ensuring fairness in auto insurance rate setting and ending discriminatory practices is a goal of this government, Spadoni says. If the private members bill passes, it would eliminate the unfair practice of discriminating against drivers simply based on where they live, he says. This bill, if passed, would create a fairer market for consumers and more consumer choice. This bill also promotes personal responsibility.

No time frames or dates for any announcements have been set, he says.

However, experts say eliminating the use of postal codes is not going to drive insurance rates down overall. If rates go down for drivers in areas that currently have higher average premiums, theyll most likely go up in areas with lower ones, which is largely the remainder of the province outside the GTA.

Its a zero sum gain, says Adam Mitchell, whose Whitby company, Mitchell & Whale Insurance Brokers, was voted broker of the year in 2018. If there were $1 billion of accidents last year, there will be $1 billion of accidents next year. Nothing in this bill is going to make less accidents, he says. All youre saying is the location of who should pay for those accidents should be a more muted and less accurate representation.

Auto insurance in Ontario has been a thorn in the side of successive governments since it became mandatory in 1980. It began largely as a tort-based system, with lawyers representing most claimants, according to the report written by Marshall. There were minimal accident benefits.

No-fault insurance, with expanded benefits, was introduced in 1990 to rein in costs due to expensive litigation and settlements. Since then, governments have tried numerous measures to curb increases, including changes to accident benefits and rights to sue, setting maximum fee schedules for health care providers, freezing premiums, capping the cost of medical assessments, limiting fraud and introducing a new dispute resolution system, according to Marshalls report.

Weve had major reforms 10 times maybe since 1990, says Mary Kelly, a professor in finance and insurance at Wilfrid Laurier University. Im not sure how theyre going to reform the product. My colleagues and I like to call it a game of regulatory whack-a-mole, she says. Oh, well put a Band-Aid on this a Band-Aid on something else that pops up. Then two more things pop up Thats what Ontario auto is.

Marshall, who was appointed as a special adviser by the government to review Ontarios auto insurance system, wrote in his report that about a third of benefit costs, about $1.4 billion a year, is going to lawyers, experts and insurer costs to defend claims, instead of to treatment. Insurance companies told him that 25 to 35 per cent of claimants hire a lawyer at the time they file a claim or soon after.

He made a number of recommendations, including ones that would reduce the need for litigation, and said the insurance regulator should establish treatment programs for the most common types of injuries.

Others believe the high cost of insurance is due to an industry that is making excessive profits.

A report last year by York University professor Fred Lazar, which was commissioned by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, estimates that from 2011 to 2016, insurance companies made $5 billion in pre-tax income, which translates into an average premium overpayment of $143, year over year, for drivers.

But Kelly, who is a professor and chair in insurance, disputes that.

She says statistics show that about 70 cents on every dollar paid in premiums goes to settle claims, another 10 to 12 per cent is paid off the top in commission and the remainder goes to pay taxes and run a company.

Insurance companies arent getting rich off of Ontario auto, she says.

Instead, the increase in premiums could be due to two trends that FSCO says it is monitoring  distracted driving and expensive car repairs.

The regulator awarded an 8.75 per cent increase in insurance rates in Ontario last year based on detailed submissions by insurance companies asking for increases.

The number of distracted driving infractions has fallen steadily in Toronto since 2014 when police issued 11,445 tickets for the use of hand-held wireless communication devices. That number dropped to 9,022 in 2018.

But Aviva analyzed hundreds of thousands of claims from 2016 to 2018 linked to it  such as rear-end impact, changing lanes, improper passing, collision with fixed object, failure to obey traffic light or sign and a single-vehicle accident  and estimates distracted driving increased 12 per cent in Ontario over that time period.

And replacing technology in cars contributed to a $535 million increase paid out by Canadian insurers in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the same time period a year before, according to Audatex, a company that streamlines claims processes.

Aviva also says fraud  related to inflated repair costs  could be driving up the cost of auto insurance.

Whatever the reason, Joseph Carnevale of the provincial brokers association is concerned that when the government talks about choice, as they have in discussions with the association, they might look for a quick fix to bring rates down by allowing drivers to opt out of accident benefits, one of the four mandatory parts of a drivers policy. He says eliminating benefits could see the cost of a policy drop by 40 per cent.

On behalf of all the consumers in Ontario, we would have a big concern about allowing people to opt out if they couldnt demonstrate they didnt have other means to protect themselves. And currently there is no other means for a number of people, Carnevale says.

Choice is great as long as people have an informed choice and have alternative measures to protect themselves, he says. If all were doing is giving choice to people at the bottom end, who cant afford the insurance and thats why theyre opting out, then they really dont have a choice in the matter. Theyre going to elect for the lesser coverage.

He says it could impact a generation of drivers who wouldnt have the coverage they need to deal with their injuries.

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CARACAS, Venezuela  Thousands of opposition supporters marched to central Caracas on Saturday, defying a government ban on rallies in the Venezuelan capitals core and testing a heavy police presence even as the country struggled to emerge from its worst blackout in recent memory.

Clashes between police and protesters were reported early in the day, but a cordon of officers stepped aside to allow the demonstrators to rally and hear from opposition leader Juan Guaido.

We have to conquer public spaces in a peaceful manner, Guaido declared. We have to prepare ourselves for very tough times.

Power was intermittent in Caracas on Saturday, and remained off in large portions of the countrys west. State utility workers say it will take days to fully restore the national grid. In the capital, residents lined up outside food stores and gasoline stations to try to restock supplies and fuel.

Opposition leaders have staged rallies for weeks in an effort to dislodge President Nicolas Maduro, whose re-election they say was rigged and whose policies they claim have brought the country to economic ruin.

The problems caused by the blackout  a loss of communication and public transportation  had complicated the oppositions efforts to organize Saturdays rally. But its leaders were jubilant at the result: a series of protests across the country that drew thousands of supporters and only limited pushback from authorities.

The nationwide power failure has intensified pressure on Maduro, who appeared in public Saturday for the first time since a problem at Venezuelas main hydropower plant Thursday afternoon plunged the country into darkness. Backup generators at upmarket hotels, which have become sanctuaries for Caracas affluent, began running out of fuel by Saturday.

A rival pro-government rally in Caracas on Saturday drew a smaller crowd.

Maduro and his ministers have blamed the blackout on sabotage, without providing evidence, and have said the United States was behind it.

Critics have said it was the result of years of mismanagement and underinvestment.

The blackout has crippled air travel and public transportation, devastated scarce food supplies and threatened the lives of thousands of patients. Opposition leaders claimed that 79 patients across the country had died in hospitals because of the blackout, although that figure could not be independently corroborated.

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WASHINGTONThe chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller was making a mistake by not demanding that U.S. President Donald Trump testify as part of his investigation, which by many accounts may soon be nearing its end.

Speaking on NBCs Meet the Press, Rep. Adam Schiff acknowledged that it might be expedient for Mueller to avoid subpoenaing Trumps testimony because the president could fight it and Muellers new boss, Attorney General William Barr, might oppose such a move.

But I do think ultimately its a mistake because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath, Schiff said. As hes made plain in the past, he feels its perfectly fine to lie to the public. After all, he has said, Its not like Im talking before a magistrate. Well, maybe he should talk before a magistrate.

Schiff also said he is deferring to Mueller on whether Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL who created the controversial Blackwater security company, lied to Congress about his involvement in the Trump campaign.

The House Intelligence Committee spoke with Prince in 2017 about his meeting in January that year with Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund; the meeting in question was organized by the United Arab Emirates the Seychelles. Prince presented the meeting to congressional investigators as a series of coincidences and insisted to the committee that he played no formal or informal role in Trumps campaign or transition team.

But it is an August 2016 meeting in Trump Tower, which Prince admitted to participating in during an interview with Al Jazeera last week but never disclosed to the Intelligence Committee, that has revived suspicions that Prince lied to Congress under penalty of perjury.

Read more:

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Trump budget to request $8.6 billion in additional funding for border wall

In a blow to Trump, U.S. trade deficit hit a record $891 billion in 2018

In the Al Jazeera interview, Prince insists that he disclosed the August meeting to investigators, despite no mention of it in the public transcript  something Prince explained by suggesting the transcript must be wrong.

Hes certainly not telling the truth in that interview, Schiff said. Theres nothing wrong with our transcript. . . . He did not disclose that meeting to our committee. So his, you know, interview certainly looks inconsistent with his testimony.

But Schiff stopped short of accusing Prince of perjury, leaving those questions to Mueller.

Bob Mueller will have to make the decision about whether that rises to a level of deliberate falsehood, Schiff said. But we had questions at the time of his testimony about his candour and how forthcoming he was. And those questions have only been heightened now.

Schiff is not the only member of the Intelligence Committee who says Prince was not truthful with investigators.

He beyond strained credibility in the interview, panel member Mike Quigley said when reached for comment Saturday. Hes full of it; hes always been full of it. . . . You cant trust him.

Opinion only, but I think he is a liar, panel member Jackie Speier said.

Lying to Congress is a crime that has resulted in legal charges against Trumps longtime friend Roger Stone and his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to the charge and will soon begin a three-year prison term for that and various financial crimes. Stones case is pending.

Cohen appeared on Capitol Hill four times in the past two weeks, attempting to correct the record after misleading lawmakers during 2017 interviews before the House and Senate Intelligence panels and to accuse Trump of what he said were financial and other crimes.

Yet after several rounds of open and closed testimony, lawmakers say they still arent sure whether Cohen is telling the whole truth.

He said during his public testimony that he had never asked for, nor would I accept, a pardon from President Trump. But after his closed-door testimony with the House Intelligence Committee, Cohens lawyer Lanny Davis said Cohen had directed a previous attorney, Stephen Ryan, to ask about a pardon after Trumps representatives publicly dangled the idea.

Trump weighed in on the subject last week in a tweet, saying Cohen directly asked me for a pardon.

I said NO, Trumps tweet continued. He lied again! He also badly wanted to work at the White House. He lied!

Speaking on CBS Face the Nation, Sen. John Neely Kennedy said, I dont blame Cohen for asking for the pardon, even if doing so was inappropriate. But he said Cohens swirling statements were clear proof that he was still lying to lawmakers: If hes breathing, hes lying.

Democrats have acknowledged that Cohens testimony is too shaky to build a case around without corroboration.

I dont think in terms of making the case to the public, and here were not making the case to a jury, about what took place, that we can rely solely on the testimony of Michael Cohen, Schiff said, noting that the sometimes conflicting statements from Cohen and his lawyers during and after open and closed-door testimony reminded him of the shifting narratives of the president.

Those transcripts will be made public, Schiff said of Cohens two days of closed-door testimony with the House Intelligence Committee. The public can evaluate his credibility themselves.

Earlier this year, the committee sent to Mueller all the transcripts from its GOP-led investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. In an interview Sunday, Cohens lawyer Davis said the legal team has a great deal of respect and appreciation for Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Cohen testified truthfully.

In recent days, Republican lawmakers have accused Cohen of planning his testimony with Schiff, pointing to meetings that Intelligence Committee staffers held with him before his interviews on Capitol Hill. A spokesman for Schiff last week described those meetings as routine proffer sessions. Cohens lawyer said he went through similar preliminary sessions with the Senate Intelligence Committee and had offered to meet with House Republicans, including Jim Jordan of Ohio, but those gestures were ignored.

I asked to meet with Mr. Jordan with Mr. Cohen before the House Oversight hearing twice, and Mr. Jordan never responded, Davis said. Then I asked to and met with his staff before, to brief them.

A spokeswoman for Jordan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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CUCUTA, COLOMBIAThe narrative seemed to fit Venezuelas authoritarian rule: Security forces, on the order of President Nicolas Maduro, had torched a convoy of humanitarian aid as millions in his country were suffering from illness and hunger.

Vice President Mike Pence wrote that the tyrant in Caracas danced as his henchmen burned food & medicine. The State Department released a video saying Maduro had ordered the trucks burned. And Venezuelas opposition held up the images of the burning aid, reproduced on dozens of news sites and television screens throughout Latin America, as evidence of Maduros cruelty.

But there is a problem: The opposition itself, not Maduros men, appears to have set the cargo alight accidentally.

Unpublished footage obtained by The New York Times and previously released tapes  including footage released by the Colombian government, which has blamed Maduro for the fire  allowed for a reconstruction of the incident. It suggests that a Molotov cocktail thrown by an anti-government protester was the most likely trigger for the blaze.

At one point, a homemade bomb made from a bottle is hurled toward police, who were blocking a bridge connecting Colombia and Venezuela to prevent the aid trucks from getting through.

But the rag used to light the Molotov cocktail separates from the bottle, flying toward the aid truck instead.

Half a minute later, that truck is in flames.

Read more:

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Power still flickering, Venezuelans take to streets to protest in support of Juan Guaido

24 senators ask Trump to protect Venezuelans in U.S.

The same protester can be seen 20 minutes earlier, in a different video, hitting another truck with a Molotov cocktail, without setting it on fire.

The burning of the aid last month has led to broad condemnation of the Venezuelan government.

More than three million people have fled the country because of the humanitarian crisis caused by Maduros mismanagement of the economy. Political opponents who have remained in the country face repression by his security forces, with many jailed, tortured or forced into exile. Many demonstrators have been killed and even more injured during street protests.

Many of Maduros critics claim that he ordered medication set on fire during the border standoff  even though many of his people have died of medicine shortages in hospitals.

Yet the claim about a shipment of medicine, too, appears to be unsubstantiated, according to videos and interviews.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, the principal supplier of the aid at the bridge, did not list medicine among its donations. A top opposition official on the bridge that day told The New York Times that the burned shipment contained medical supplies like face masks and gloves, but not medicine. And video clips reviewed by The Times show some of the boxes contained hygiene kits, which the Americans identified as containing supplies like soap and toothpaste.

Yet the claim that Maduro burned medicine has persisted.

Maduro has lied about the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, he contracts criminals to burn food and medicine intended for the Venezuelan people, wrote John Bolton, President Donald Trumps national security adviser, in a message posted on Twitter on March 2.

After being contacted by The Times about these claims, U.S. officials released a statement describing how the fire began more cautiously.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that the fire started when Maduros forces violently blocked the entry of humanitarian assistance, the statement said. It did not specify that Maduros forces lit the fire.

U.S. officials also noted that, whatever the circumstances, they held Maduro responsible because he blocked the aid trucks that day, punishing Venezuelans in need.

Maduro is responsible for creating the conditions for violence, said Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council. His thugs denied the entry of tons of food and medicine, while thousands of courageous volunteers sought to safeguard and deliver aid to Venezuelan families.

The aid shipment created a showdown unlike any on the border between Colombia and Venezuela in years.

On Feb. 23, Venezuelas opposition planned to pierce a military blockade by Maduro, hoping that the presidents security forces would break with him rather than stop much-needed aid. They argued that a cascade of defections in the military would follow, eventually toppling the government.

Instead, Maduros security forces, along with government-aligned gangs, attacked protesters, who came armed with rocks and Molotov cocktails. One of the aid trucks burned in the melee, igniting the bitter war of words over who was responsible.

Maduros government has also made unsubstantiated claims, starting with its long-standing insistence that there are no food shortages in Venezuela.

It also claimed that the aid shipment contained expired supplies or U.S. weapons.

But one claim that appears to be backed up by video footage is that the protesters started the fire.

They tried a false flag operation, that supposedly the people of Venezuela had burned a truck carrying rotten food  no, no, no  it was they themselves, it was the criminals of Ivan Duque, Maduro told a crowd, referring to Colombias president.

The day of the convoy, Colombias government quickly became a chief booster of the theory that Maduro had been behind the fire. Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez posted a picture of what she said was one of the trucks incinerated by gangs by order of Maduro.

After the truck was destroyed, the Colombian government sent CCTV footage from the bridge to U.S. officials and Colombian journalists, according to officials and journalists who received them.

The footage was edited to show circles around Venezuelan security forces throwing tear gas canisters, which explode on impact, toward the aid convoy. Subsequent images show the truck erupting into smoke, implying that it was the Venezuelan officials who were responsible.

But the footage distributed by the Colombian government removes the 13-minute period before the fire begins. Officials from Duques office did not release the full video after repeated requests from The Times.

Protesters who threw Molotov cocktails from the bridge insisted that Maduros forces, not their homemade bombs, set the fire.

Junior Jose Quevedo, 23, said he had arrived at 7 a.m. that day and tried to talk policemen into allowing the aid to pass. But then another armed group came of colectivos, he said, referring to government-aligned gangs.

Adalberto Rondon, another bomb thrower on the bridge that day, said it was national guardsmen who lit the fire.

The same account was widely picked up that day by U.S. officials.

Each of the trucks burned by Maduro carried 20 tons of food and medicine, Sen.Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote on Twitter, repeating a claim posted by a Colombian news network that was on the scene. This is a crime and if international law means anything he must pay a high price for this.

Contacted by The Times about the footage Saturday, a spokesman for Rubio did not address who burned the trucks, saying in a statement that Maduro bears full responsibility for the destruction of humanitarian aid.

Juan Guaido, leader of Venezuelas opposition, has fervently maintained that the aid contained medicine and that it was burned by Maduro as well.

When contacted by The Times on Thursday about possible contradictory information on what the truck contained, Edward Rodriguez, a spokesman for Guaido, said he didnt have the exact information and referred questions to Gaby Arellano, a lawmaker in charge of the aid distribution.

Arellano could not be reached for comment this past week. But when interviewed by The Times on the bridge shortly after the truck burned on Feb. 23, Arellano said the truck was not carrying any medicine.

There were face masks, syringes, gloves, the things that you use in an operating room, she said.

Arellano also said Maduros security forces had burned the shipment, with his forces throwing tear gas canisters that exploded on the vehicle.

Tear gas bombs, when they fall they throw out a spark, she said. Since there were boxes, when the first one fell, it set everything on fire.

Asked if it had been done on purpose, she said: There couldnt be any other reason, could there? The world is here, it was all recorded live by the media. Theres even videos where you can see it all happening.

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TOKYOA Japanese ferry company apologized Sunday after one of its ships collided with an object believed to be a whale in the Sea of Japan, injuring 80 people.

The accident occurred Saturday off the coast of Niigata Prefecture as the ferry was travelling to Sado Island, according to a statement on the website of the company, Sado Steam Ship.

The company said that six people were seriously injured when the ship ran into a marine animal. There were 125 people, including crew members, aboard, according to Kyodo News.

The ship, a jetfoil that skims across the waters surface at high speed, sustained damage to its hull and machinery, the company said. The ferry made it to its destination, Kyodo News reported.

One crew member told national broadcaster NHK that he had seen a large white body on the waters surface just before the accident. The company said it would open an investigation.

Collisions with marine life have been an occasional problem for ferries in Japan: Whales and other animals are thought to give a wider berth to propeller-driven ships, which are louder than the relatively quiet jetfoils.

In 2016, after a number of accidents involving whales, local authorities in Kyushu, one of Japans main islands  where high-speed ferries are a common mode of transportation  issued new safety requirements for the ships, including having additional padding and requiring all passengers to wear seatbelts, according to reports at the time.

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GUILFORD, CONN.When the Archdiocese of Hartford released a list this year identifying 48 priests accused of sexual abuse, five of them had served at the same church: St. Georges, in the small coastal town of Guilford. One had been a pastor there for more than a decade, baptizing children and hearing confessions.

Some in the large congregation were deeply hurt. Some fumed, saying they held onto Catholic teachings, but saw their faith in the men leading the church disintegrating amid a cascade of allegations.

And so the Most Rev. Leonard P. Blair, the archbishop of Hartford, responded to the crisis with an extraordinary gesture: He held a special Mass of Reparations. He said that he came before the congregation on my knees as a bishop in search of forgiveness.

I ask forgiveness of God, of the wider community and our own Catholic community, Blair said, standing before the packed church in flowing vestments and the red-rose skull cap worn by bishops. I ask it especially of all the victims of sexual abuse and their families. I ask it for all the church leadership has done or failed to do.

Bishops across the country are reeling over accusations that they are implicated in a decades-long coverup to protect priests who had sexually abused children. They are on a campaign of apologizing, often in personal terms, as the Catholic Church wrestles with the fallout of a scandal that has drawn the scrutiny of law enforcement officials and stirred a crisis of confidence among followers.

Some, like Blair, have held sombre reparations Masses or led worshippers in special rosary prayers. They have offered conciliatory messages in homilies and in letters, like the one from Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, who expressed his genuine sorrow and regret to the victims who put their trust in a member of the church only to have that trust so profoundly betrayed.

Read more:

French court convicts cardinal of not reporting child abuse

Cardinal jailed to await sentencing on sexual abuse of choirboys

Australian Cardinal Pell to spend his first night in prison

And last month, Pope Francis decried an evil that strikes at the very heart of our mission, as he gathered bishops at the Vatican for a landmark gathering on sexual abuse.

It is a recognition of how the scandal engulfing the church has evolved and spread. Its not a clergy abuse scandal anymore, said David Gibson, director for the centre on Religion and Culture at Fordham University. Its a bishop accountability scandal now.

The scandal mushroomed after the Pennsylvania attorney general released a lacerating grand jury report last summer, detailing not just seven decades of allegations  but also the efforts of church leaders to discourage victims from reporting abuse and steer authorities away from investigating it. It was followed by more state and federal law enforcement officials announcing their own investigations into the churchs handling of the problem.

There have been protests, and some have questioned their relationship with the church and decided to leave.

Still, some argue that the fallout of the scandal is not necessarily measurable in emptier pews or fewer envelopes left on the collection plate, but instead in the difficult-to-quantify yet palpable angst of the Catholics who have kept coming to Mass.

Some have stayed in the church with the hope of driving change from inside. Others have found that, even with their frustration with church leaders, pulling away from Catholicism was difficult, as their parish is their sanctuary and Mass an essential part of their routine. Some said they were weighing the scandal against the ways in which they see the church, through its charitable and social justice efforts, as a positive force.

Its a way of life, a way of being, a way of looking at the world, Gibson said. Its very difficult to give that up.

Here in Guilford, a community of around 20,000 people just two hours from New York City, four of the five clergy members accused who served at St. Georges are dead; one was removed from ministry in 2010 and defrocked last year.

Last year, Blair said he would release the names of priests accused of abuse going back to 1953, when the archdiocese was formed. Most of the alleged abuse took place in the 1970s and 1980s, well before Blairs arrival in 2013. The archbishop during that period, the Most Rev. John F. Whealon, died in 1991. (Blair spent his early career as a parish priest in the Detroit archdiocese and was bishop in Toledo, Ohio, before going to Hartford.)

Carol Serfilippi, a longtime congregant at St. Georges, saw a name she recognized on the list of abusers. He had two faces, she said, noting the reputation he had built with his charity work and his peace and justice ministry. In the meantime, he was Satan himself.

Serfilippi stopped worshipping at St. Georges for a while after abuse allegations emerged, choosing to attend Mass at a monastery on the outskirts of Guilford. She pointed to the sacraments as a main reason she has stayed a Catholic. The reason were here is because of the Eucharist, the Body of Christ, which is all important to us, she said, referring to the Catholic belief that, through prayer, unleavened bread is transformed into an actual embodiment of Jesus Christ.

You can get the Gospel at other Christian churches, she said. You cant get the Eucharist, not the true presence of Christ.

Still, the confidence in bishops and other church leaders has been severely undermined. A Gallup poll of American Catholics released in January found that the number of people who would rate the honesty and ethical standards of church leaders as very high or high is currently at a record low.

There have been various efforts  some subtle, others less so  showing how the church is pushing to restore its relationship with its followers, in addition to publishing the names of priests who had been credibly accused of abuse as a step toward transparency and accountability.

At a regular Sunday Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, a priest led worshippers in reciting a prayer for victims of abuse. (Hear our cries as we agonize over the harm done to our brothers and sisters.)

Catholic TV, a network dedicated to church-related programming, broadcast a 12-hour service described as just a tiny offering of prayer and penance, part of a months-long effort called Together We Rebuild.

It is unclear if the message is resonating, and some have expressed doubt about whether it will evolve into substantial change. For instance, many victims groups and advocates were underwhelmed by the Vatican meeting in which church leaders pointedly condemned the plague of sexual abuse but did not outline immediate and concrete steps to remedy the problem.

People are hurting, and theyre looking to their leaders for healing, said Nick Ingala, communications director for Voice of the Faithful, an organization of lay Catholics that was started in response to the sex abuse scandal. But the apologies will only go so far. Where is the responsibility? The accountability? You cant say Im sorry over and over and over again.

At St. Georges reparations mass, some parishioners said they came hungry for answers. Patricia Gniazdowski said she recognized the need for healing, but her faith in the church had not been shaken.

I feel a few bad apples cant spoil the whole crop, she said, referring to abusers in the priesthood. Youre not going to stop me from believing, from going to church. She said she had been comforted by the archbishops words.

In his homily, Blair described himself in humble terms, as a messenger and a man capable of failure. At one point in the Mass, the archbishop prostrated himself, his face and hands touching the carpet in front of the altar.

I offer this heartfelt apology, he said, not so much as the head of an institution but as a spiritual father of a family, the wounded family of faith that is the Archdiocese of Hartford.

The Mass was spare and solemn, with music but no choir. And the intercessions, a part of the Mass where a layperson stands at the altar and reads through a list of prayer intentions, reflected the gravity of the crisis in the church and the depth of the pain behind it.

For those clergy and church personnel who betrayed their sacred ministry through the abuse of those entrusted to them, that they accept responsibility for their actions, make reparation and experience the restorative depths of Gods purifying mercy, we pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer, the congregation replied in unison.

For renewal of our church, that we might earnestly seek Gods way through the insights of clergy and laity, may a culture of holiness and integrity fill every desire for power, we pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.
AUSTIN, TEXAS  California recently made waves with the passage of comprehensive consumer data protection rules  rules the private sector has sharply criticized for adding to an already hard-to-navigate national patchwork.But would a federal standard be better? Or, as one expert at a SXSW panel on the topic of consumer privacy put it, should states be allowed to inadvertently export their policies to others?And despite the number of people who skip terms and conditions statements on apps and software, Megan Stifel, cybersecurity director with the nonprofit Public Knowledge, said the idea that consumers arent concerned about their data privacy is patently wrong. All too often, she argued, they simply arent aware of their exposure to data sharing practices or what to do about it.If consumers really want to be off the grid, so to speak, as much as they can, it ought to be easy for them to do that, Stifel said.When asked whether federal pre-emption would be a step toward solving the problems faced by consumers and companies, opinions were mixed. While Stifel argued against taking the protective power from state, fellow panelist and cybersecurity and data privacy attorney Megan Brown argued in favor of predictability.Stifel said that while over-regulation would undoubtedly hamper innovation, any rules made by the federal government would need to make a real impact.We cant set the bar so low that we dont actually change the dynamic, Stifel said.For her clients, Brown said the inability to navigate data policy everywhere they do business leads to legal problems and can even stand in the way of positive progress. She pointed to language in the California legislation that mentions olfactory information as an example of overly prescriptive language that might limit future data use.Data that a company collects today might have a really amazing use in the future that we cant predict, Brown said.Where Brown said the federal government could provide the most guidance would be in the areas of liability and enforcement. As she sees it, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general would be logical choices for enforcement.I think what we see drafted goes much beyond the kinds of things that people are really concerned about people having, Brown said.In Washington, D.C., Stifel said companies that rely on data flows for survival are anxious to see legislation that would head off stiff privacy protections like the one in California.U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly from Illinois said crafting legislation that is effective while not hampering the market hinges on two things: educating legislators on the issues and having the right stakeholders at the table.Kelly was sympathetic to the idea that over-regulation could have long-lasting impacts on the market, but said citizens are increasingly concerned about the issues surrounding the use and protection of their data.
WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump will ask Congress on Monday for $8.6 billion (U.S.) in additional funding to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, a person familiar with the details said Sunday.

The request, which will come as part of Trumps fiscal 2020 budget proposal, is certain to reignite a conflict with Democrats that led to a record-long government shutdown this year. Trump had previously requested $5.7 billion to build a wall but was rebuffed by both Democrats and Republicans, who approved a spending bill that did not include the funding.

That resulted in Trump declaring a national emergency on the border with Mexico to access billions of dollars that Congress refused to give him to build a wall there.

The new budget request is intended to allow for the completion of 700 miles of barrier, which is the total that Trump intends to build, mostly new but some refurbished.

Larry Kudlow, head of Trumps National Economic Council, confirmed the request for wall money on Fox News Sunday. Kudlow added that he supposes there will be a fight over that spending in Congress.

I would just say that the whole issue of the wall and border security is of paramount importance, Kudlow said. We have a crisis down there.

Read more:

Trump budget will seek funds for border wall, Space Force

Trump budget to include $100M for Ivankas womens fund

As budget deficit balloons, few in Washington seem to care

Kudlow also defended proposed cuts to government programs that the budget is expected to include, and said the administration projects the economy will grow 3 per cent this year, a forecast well above what the Federal Reserve and other outside economists expect.

Trumps budget is most likely dead on arrival in Congress, where Democrats now control the House. Many of his past proposals, including cuts in some federal spending programs, additional border wall funding and a large federal infrastructure initiative, failed to advance in Congress even when Republicans controlled both chambers.

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Eighteen Canadians are among the victims of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed all 157 people thought to be on board Sunday, the airlines CEO and Kenyas transport minister said.

The victims also include 32 Kenyans, nine Ethiopians, eight people each from China, the United States and Italy, seven each from France and Britain, six from Egypt, five from the Netherlands and four each from India and Slovakia.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called the crash terrible news.

My heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost loved ones, she wrote on Twitter. The Canadian government is in close contact with Ethiopian authorities to gather additional information as quickly as possible.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash of new Boeing 737-8 MAX plane shortly after takeoff from Bole Airport en route to Kenyas capital, Nairobi. The pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return, the airlines CEO said.

It is likely the plane was carrying people set to attend a major United Nations environmental conference in Nairobi. The U.N. Environment Assembly is set to begin on Monday in Kenyas capital, where the plane was headed. U.N. Environment has said more than 4,700 heads of state, ministers, business leaders and others would attend.

The plane was new and had been delivered to the airline in November, records show.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africas largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.

It said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane that crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenyas capital. The crash occurred around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The airline later published a photo that appeared to show its CEO standing in the wreckage. Little of the plane could be seen in the freshly churned earth, under a blue sky.

Tewolde Gebremariam, who is at the accident scene now, regrets to confirm that there are no survivors, the post on social media said. He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident.

The plane had showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility was clear.

State broadcaster EBC reported all passengers were dead and that they included 33 nationalities. The Ethiopian prime ministers office offered its deepest condolences to families.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africas two largest economic powers and is popular with tourists making their way to safari and other destinations. Sunburned travellers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airports waiting areas, along with businessmen from China and elsewhere.

At the airport in Nairobi, worried families gathered.

I came to the airport to receive my brother but I have been told there is a problem, Agnes Muilu said. I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it.

Why are they taking us round and round, it is all over the news that the plane crashed, said Edwin Ongundi, who had been waiting for his sister. All we are asking for is information to know about their fate.

Kenyas transport minister, James Macharia, said an emergency response had been set up for family and friends.

My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board, Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

Records show that the plane was new. The Planespotters civil aviation database shows that the Boeing 737-8 MAX was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November.

In a statement, Boeing said it was deeply saddened to hear of the crash and that a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

In October, another Boeing 737-8 MAX plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesias capital, killing all 189 people on board the plane Lion Air flight. The cockpit data recorder showed that the jets airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though Lion Air initially claimed that problems with the aircraft had been fixed.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Beirut killing all 90 people on board.

Sundays crash comes as the countrys reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centred economy.

Ethiopian Airlines has been expanding assertively, recently opening a route to Moscow and in January inaugurating a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new Airport City terminal in Bishoftu  where Sundays crash occurred.
NEW DELHI - Indias Election Commission announced Sunday that national elections will begin April 11, as Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist party seeks a second term.

About 900 million people are eligible to vote in a staggered process that allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops around the country to prevent violence and the capture of voting stations by party activists.

Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said the election will be held April 11, 18, 23 and 29, and May 6, 12 and 19. The votes will be counted May 23.

Modis Bhartiya Janata Party, or BJP, hopes the governments recent tough stand against Pakistan will help it retain its popularity despite suffering a setback in December when it lost three key state elections to the opposition Congress party.

Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Feb. 26, carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants blamed for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops. Pakistan retaliated, shooting down two Indian planes and capturing a pilot, Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later returned to India.

Since then, Modi and BJP leaders have been projecting the party and its leaders as decisive and tough on national security. Opposition parties, however, have accused Modi and his party of using national security matters to try to influence voters.

On Saturday, the Election Commission ordered political parties to tell their candidates and leaders not to display photographs of defence personnel in advertisements as part of their election campaigns.

The commission said armed forces are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy.

The order came after billboards featuring the BJP, including Modi and the partys president, Amit Shah, along with air force pilot Varthaman, appeared in parts of the country.

While it is too early to speculate on whether Modis toughened stand will help the BJP, the December election setback is expected to revive the political fortunes of the Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, the 48-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Gandhi, who took over as party president from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, in 2017, is also trying to bring disparate opposition parties together with his party as the main threat to Modi.

Indias last national election, in 2014, was conducted in nine phases. The BJP achieved an absolute majority, with 282 parliamentary seats out of 543. The then-ruling Congress party managed only 44 seats following bribery charges against several party leaders and poor governance.
BERLIN - Two German journalists who were stripped of their media credentials to work in Turkey called the governments move an attempt to silence international news organizations and said they refused to be intimidated.

German public broadcaster ZDFs Istanbul bureau chief, Joerg Brase, and Thomas Seibert, the Turkey correspondent for Germanys Tagesspiegel newspaper, left Istanbul for Germany on Sunday but said they would keep reporting on Turkey.

The two journalists said they received emails on March 1 saying their requests to renew their press cards were denied. Foreign journalists in Turkey need press cards to be granted residency permits.

Speaking to The Associated Press shortly before their departure, Seibert said the rejection came as a surprise and no explanation was provided.

After working in Turkey for 22 years, Im forced now to leave the country today, he said.

This is unprecedented, Seibert said. It has never happened before that the Turkish government has actually actively, expressedly rejected press card applications.

Brase said ZDF would appeal in court. He called the rejection an attempt to put pressure on international media after Turkish news outlets already had been silenced.

I happen to be one of these examples with which they try to put pressure on the others as well, he said. But I dont think that this is going to work. And in the end, I think it will cause more damage to Turkey than it will cause to my station or to myself.

Halil Gulbeyaz, a reporter for German TV channel NDR, also was refused a new press card. Dozens of foreign journalists are waiting for their credentials.

Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak said at the end of February that Turkey renews journalists credentials periodically just like the United States and European countries.

Albayrak was speaking at a news conference that some foreign journalists without new press cards were barred from attending.

Some have had their accreditations renewed. Some are here, comfortably and freely asking questions. The accreditations of others have not been renewed, he said. Every countrys press freedom functions according to its own rules.

ZDFs director, Thomas Bellut, said other ZDF employees in Istanbul whose permits were renewed would continue to report Turkey and called the decision to expel the stations correspondent incomprehensible.

He provided factual and competent reports from Istanbul, Bellut said in a statement.

Turkey is an important country for Germany, and we will continue to report without prejudice, factually and also critically from Turkey and about Turkey, he said.

German officials have criticized Turkeys recent refusal to accredit the countrys journalists. Foreign Minister Heiko Mass said in an interview with Tagesspiegel that such actions were not compatible with our understanding of press freedom.

The Foreign Ministry updated its travel advice late Saturday for Germans planning to go to Turkey, citing Turkeys treatment of foreign reporters.

It cant be ruled out that the Turkish government will take further measures against representatives of German media as well as civil society organizations, the ministry said.

The German Foreign Ministry also cited Turkeys arbitrary arrest in recent years of German citizens suspected of links to banned groups, such as outlawed Kurdish militants and the network of a Turkish cleric who lives in the United States. Turkey accuses Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers of being behind a 2016 coup attempt.

The detentions of two German-Turkish journalists - Deniz Yucel and Mesale Tolu of Germanys Die Welt newspaper - on terror-related charges led to a diplomatic crisis in 2017. Yucel was held for more than a year without being inducted and left Turkey after he was released. Tolu was allowed to leave in August.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says Turkey is the top jailer of journalists in the world, with at least 68 journalists behind bars. The Turkish government has said the detentions were not based on the journalists work and most stand accused of terror-related offences.

In its 2018 press freedom index, advocacy group Reporters Without Borders ranked Turkey 157th out of 180 countries. The majority of Turkish media is pro-government, owned by businesses close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. More than a hundred news outlets were shuttered through emergency decrees in the aftermath of the coup attempt.

Maas said Germany would continue to discuss the issue of press freedom with the Turkish government.

We have a great interest in a functioning dialogue with Turkey, so that such critical questions can be discussed as well, he said.
SANAA, Yemen - Fighting erupted in Yemens key port city of Hodeida on Sunday, the first significant clashes since warring sides agreed to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire deal in December, security officials and eyewitnesses said.

Fires burned on the main front lines in the citys east and south, while exchanges of artillery fire shook buildings in combat that broke out overnight, they said. Both the Shiite Houthi rebels who hold the city and the government-backed troops who oppose them have been seen erecting barricades and digging defensive trenches.

All night long, we hear the loud roar of machine-guns and artillery, which had been silent for the past two weeks, said resident Ahmed Nasser, adding that he was worried for relatives who had returned to the July 7 neighbourhood on the citys eastern front.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to brief journalists, while witnesses did so for fear of their safety. Ambulances were heard in the city after shelling hit residential neighbourhoods, but it was unclear what casualties had resulted.

The fighting comes days after the internationally recognized Yemeni government, along with allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, accused the Houthi rebel foes of breaking the cease-fire and refusing to withdraw their forces from the city in line with the December agreement.

Under the agreement, local authorities and police were to run the city and its three ports under U.N. supervision, after all sides pulled out their fighters. Both sides also agreed on a prisoner exchange, but neither of the deals have yet to be implemented.

Yemens government has been battling the rebels since 2014, when the Houthis swept down from the north and seized the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war on the side of the government in March 2015. The stalemated conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and raised fears of famine.

Despite the Hodeida accord, which was signed in Sweden, fighting has also continued in other parts of the country. That too seemed to pick up on Sunday, with officials reporting fierce battles between the rebels and pro-government tribesmen in the in the Kasher area of Hajjah province, where the Houthis reportedly took control of the town of Abaysa using heavy weapons, sending hundreds of civilians fleeing in panic.

Former provincial governor Fahd Dahshush in a statement accused the Houthis of detaining dozens of tribesmen and killing several prisoners, including one local politician by shooting him in front of his family.

Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels have killed dozens of their forces in the past days, the officials added, while trying to supply the tribesmen with food, medicine, arms and ammunition.

Yemens human rights minister, Mohammed Askar, called for international humanitarian relief for the area, urging in a statement for the establishment of safe exit corridors for civilians and re-establishing supply lines for food and medical assistance.

He said that dozens of civilians have been killed in the recent fighting in Hajjah, including women and children, with thousands displaced in a monthslong siege of the area that has cut it off from necessary supplies including fresh water.
TEHRAN, Iran - Irans president is making his first official visit to Iraq this week as he faces mounting pressure from hard-liners at home in the wake of the Trump administrations unraveling of the nuclear deal.

Hassan Rouhanis trip  billed as historic and noble by his foreign minister  is meant to solidify ties between Shiite power Iran and Iraqs Shiite led-government, a strong Tehran ally. It is also Irans response to President Donald Trumps snap December trip to Iraq and the American presidents comments that U.S. forces should stay in Iraq to keep an eye on neighbouring Iran, with which Iraq shares a 1,400-kilometre-long (870 miles) border.

At the time, Trump slipped into Iraq at night, without stopping in Baghdad, to greet U.S. service members at a base far from the Iraqi capital where he extolled the American troops fight against the Islamic State group.

Rouhani later mocked Trumps visit, asserting that flying into Iraq under the cover of darkness meant defeat for the U.S. in Iraq and asking the U.S. president why he didnt make an open and official visit.

You have to walk in the streets of Baghdad ... to find out how people will welcome you, Rouhani said at the time.

Rouhanis visit to Iraq will provide an opportunity for reaching serious understandings between the two neighbours, Irans top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif told the official IRNA news agency from Baghdad, where he was preparing for Rouhanis three-day visit that starts on Monday.

After meeting with Zarif, Iraqs Foreign Minister Mohammad Ali al-Hakim in a press conference that the Iraqi and Iranian delegations discussed a series of memorandums of understanding that will be signed tomorrow in the fields of oil and gas, land transport, railways, agriculture, industry, health and regarding the central bank.

We hope that these understandings will lead to the reconstruction of Iraq.

Al-Hakim also said that theyd discussed the Syrian conflict and Syrias access to the Arab League, without elaborating.

Rouhani, who had visited Iraq privately before becoming president, had planned an official visit in 2016 but it was cancelled over unspecified executive problems.

This time, Rouhani, who is on a second four-year-term, is particularly vulnerable because of the economic crisis assailing the Iranian rial, which has hurt ordinary Iranians and emboldened critics to openly call for the presidents ouster.

Tehran sees the U.S. military presence at its doorstep in Iraq as a threat  one that could also undermine Irans influence over Baghdad.

Zarif alluded to that on Sunday, saying that any country which tries to interfere with the good Iran-Iraq relations would be deprived of opportunities for itself.

Iran also sees Iraq as a possible route to bypass U.S. sanctions that Trump re-imposed last year after pulling the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Last year, Irans exports to Iraq amounted to nearly $9 billion. Tehran hopes to increase the roughly $13 billion volume in trade between the two neighbouring countries to $20 billion. Also, some 5 million religious tourists bring in nearly $5 billion a year as Iraqis and Iranians visit Shiite holy sites in the two countries.

Under former dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq waged an eight-year war in the 1980s against Iran, a conflict that left nearly 1 million killed on both sides.
BAGHOUZ, Syria - U.S.-backed Syrian fighters resumed their offensive on the last pocket held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria on Sunday, lighting the skies over the besieged village as artillery shelling and heavy gunfire rang out in the distance.

Warplanes and drones circled over the besieged village of Baghouz. Explosions and fires illuminated columns of smoke over Baghouz as it came under intense artillery and rocket fire. On several occasions the village was struck with apparent cluster fire.

After sunset, amid thuds of artillery a large column of smoke rose up, illuminated by explosions, apparently after a strike by cluster fire.

The operation was launched around 6 p.m. after a deadline for IS gunmen to surrender expired, tweeted Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. He said warplanes struck ammunition belonging to the extremists.

The fighting is direct and intense, Bali said, adding that so far there have been no casualties among SDF fighters.

Clashes had already broken out earlier in the day, with IS snipers targeting SDF positions and prompting a rattle of gunfire in response. Associated Press reporters witnessed SDF fighters take cover in a damaged building and fire back at the extremists. They packed high-calibre bullets into munitions belts and headed to the front line.

The assault was renewed days after thousands of people left the tiny village held by IS on the banks of the Euphrates River near the Iraqi border area.

Some 3,000 to 4,000 women and children are believed to still be in the pocket, along with around 500 IS fighters, said an SDF commander on the outskirts of Baghouz, who identified himself as Ali Sheikh.

Shiekh said that to minimize casualties the SDF will advance on the ground, with the U.S.-led coalition providing air support. He said IS fighters have been surrendering themselves daily and that no SDF prisoners remained after the extremists freed them over the past weeks.

The battle to completely retake the pocket is likely to take three days, an SDF official, Aras Orkesh, said earlier. He said about 2,500 SDF fighters were prepared for the assault.

The capture of Baghouz would be a milestone in the devastating four-year campaign to defeat the groups so-called caliphate that once covered a vast territory straddling both Syria and Iraq.

The SDF has been marching toward Baghouz since September. But the operation has been slowed by the unexpectedly large number of civilians who had been holed up in the pocket, most of them families of IS members who have fled with the group as its once extensive territory shrank.

Over the past few weeks, more than 10,000 civilians have been evacuated from Baghouz, streaming out daily through a corridor arranged by the two sides. But since Friday, only a small group has left.

Our forces are ready now to start and finish what is left in ISISs hand Bali, the SDF spokesman, tweeted Sunday, using another acronym to refer to IS.

A U.S. senior defence official said in Washington on Friday that it would not be a surprise, based on current conditions, if it took another couple of weeks to finish mopping up the IS enclave.

The official who could not be identified by name under Pentagon ground rules said that nearly all of the 20,000 people, including women and children who left the area held by IS recently, are seen as IS followers or adherents.

The fight against IS has taken place amid Syrias nearly 8-year-old civil war.

In southern Syria, dozens of people demonstrated Sunday in the city of Daraa to protest the construction of a statue of late Syrian President Hafez Assad, days before the country marks the eighth anniversary of the countrys crisis, Syrian opposition activists said.

Daraa is the city where the Arab Spring-inspired uprising began with peaceful protests in March 2011 but escalated into an armed rebellion that has killed more than 400,000 people. Last year, Syrian government forces captured all parts of southern Syria, including parts of Daraa city where tensions still exist.

The late Assad is the father of President Bashar Assad whose forces have made major gains over the past few years in the war with backing from his strong allies, Russia and Iran.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the protest occurred in Daraas centre with protesters chanting Long live Syria and Down with Bashar Assad.

The Observatorys chief Rami Abdurrahman said security forces did not interfere with the protest.

Other opposition activist collectives, including Sham Network, also reported the protest.

Also Sunday, Assad met with Chinas assistant foreign minister, Chen Xiaodong, telling him that the war against Syria is now taking a new form which is mostly economic warfare.

The U.S. and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Syrian businessmen and entities they consider close to the government.

___

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - As daylight saving time is set to take effect in most of the U.S. this weekend, the Washington House passed a measure Saturday that would make those later sunsets permanent in the state all year  if Congress allows it.

The measure passed the chamber on an 89-7 vote and now heads to the Senate, which has its own bill on the topic. The vote comes as more than two dozen states are considering measures to avoid the twice-yearly clock change.

Both the Senate and House measures would only take effect if Congress passes legislation allowing states to observe daylight saving time year-round. Currently, it is observed from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.

Democratic Rep. Marcus Riccelli of Spokane cited safety and health benefits among the reasons he sponsored the measure. Its time to hashtag ditch the switch, bring the light and put Washington at the forefront of this movement, he said during debate before the vote.

At least 26 states are considering legislation related to the practice of changing clocks twice a year, including the three West Coast states, according the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Thats the most number of states with bills on the issue since the group started tracking the topic five years ago, said Jim Reed, who has been following daylight saving bills for the conference.

Florida passed a similarly conditional measure last year. This past week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, both of Florida, introduced measures to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. In November, California voters passed a ballot measure to permit the state Legislature to establish daylight saving time year-round if federal law changes. A bill was introduced there a month after the election.

While federal law allows states to opt into standard time permanently  which Hawaii and Arizona have done  the reverse is prohibited and requires Congressional action.

Reed said while about half the states are seeking to move to permanent daylight saving time, like Washington and California, about half have bills to adopt permanent standard time. Oregon is considering measures for both approaches.

On Thursday, British Columbia Premier John Horgan sent a letter to the governors of Washington, Oregon and California about bills each of the states are considering, writing that a change in any of these jurisdictions in our time zone would have significant impacts on British Columbia.

It makes sense to me that we move in unison on this matter, he wrote, and asked for each state to provide an update on where they stood. He said that while there were no imminent changes planned in British Columbia, we are closely following developments on the West Coast of the U.S.

Democratic Rep. Zack Hudgins of Tukwila said after the vote that he was among those opposed because he didnt see the point of the Legislature passing a bill that is ultimately dependent on what Congress does.

I love late sunsets too, but I think this is Congress deal, he said.
AUSTIN, Texas - The Latest on Democratic presidential candidates (all times local):

11:25 p.m.

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg (BOO-tuh-juhj) says he and Vice-President Mike Pence have different views of their Christian faith and that he doesnt understand Pences loyalty to President Donald Trump.

The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, says his feeling is that the Scripture is about protecting the stranger, the prisoner, the poor person, and that idea of welcome. Thats what I get in the Gospel when Im in church. He said Pences view has a lot more to do with sexuality, a certain view of rectitude.

Buttigieg says he is puzzled by Pences strong support for the president.

He asks how Pence could allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency? and adds, Is it that he stopped believing in Scripture, when he started believing in Donald Trump?

Buttigieg made the comments at a CNN town hall Sunday night in Austin, Texas.

1:55 p.m.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says he cant see running for U.S. Senate if his presidential bid fails.

The Democrat says Sunday that hes not cut out for the Senate. But Hickenlooper acknowledges hes spoken with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner faces re-election in 2020.

Another Colorado Democrat, Sen. Michael Bennet, is also considering a White House run. Hickenlooper says the last time he spoke with Bennet, the senator seemed to indicate that jumping in the race was likely.

Hickenlooper was the last in a pack of 2020 candidates to speak at the South by Southwest Festival in Texas. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and former Obama Cabinet member Julian Castro also made appearances.

___

12:30 p.m.

Sen. Bernie Sanders says ideas he embraced four years ago that seemed radical and extreme are now helping define Democrats presidential campaigns.

Said Sanders: Virtually all of those ideas are supported by a majority of the American people, and they are being supported by Democratic candidates from school board to president of the United States.

He delivered his remarks to a packed a hotel conference centre in Concord, New Hampshire. The crowd braved a snow storm to see the Vermont senator in his first visit to the state since announcing his 2020 run.

Sanders topped Hillary Clinton by 22 points in the states 2016 primary, but he now faces a wider field of rivals.

He said: This is where the political revolution took off. Thank you, New Hampshire.

___

11:30 a.m.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says hes challenging the U.S. senators in the 2020 Democratic presidential field to abolish the filibuster in their chamber.

The presidential hopeful on Sunday began a second day of Democratic candidates dropping in on the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Inslee joined the race this month and is running a campaign thats almost singularly focused on climate change.

But Inslee says nothing will happen on the issue unless the Senate gets rid of the filibuster. Thats a procedural tool that requires a supermajority of 60 votes out of 100 to pass many big items, rather than a simple majority.

Six Democratic senators are running for president. Inslee called on them to get religion and realize that the filibuster is stopping them on major policy.

___

10:35 a.m.

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro isnt ruling out direct payments to African-Americans for the legacy of slavery  a stand separating him from his 2020 rivals.

The former housing secretary says, If under the Constitution we compensate people because we take their property, why wouldnt you compensate people who actually were property.

Other candidates are discussing tax credits and other subsidies, rather than direct payments for the labour and legal oppression of slaves and their descendants. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would put resources into distressed communities such as Medicare for All and tuition-free college.

Castro tells CNNs State of the Union he doesnt think thats the proper argument for reparations if a big check needs to be written for a whole bunch of other stuff.
The recent federal government announcement of $638 million to address urban Indigenous housing is a welcome contribution to the issue of Indigenous homelessness. Yet, according to people who work on programs in the field, it is not enough to address the basic causes.

While affordability is often cited as the root cause of urban Indigenous homelessness, the most intractable cause is overcrowding  homelessness by another name  on First Nations reserves across the country.

Rates of overcrowding are six times greater on reserve than off. Its not uncommon to have three generations living under one roof and, in many homes, couch surfers come and go on a regular basis. Yet these living arrangements are not called homelessness.

Overcrowding on reserves is not by choice but by necessity. Eighty per cent of reserves have median incomes below Canadas poverty line and housing opportunities on reserves for low-income families and single people are few and far between.

It is estimated that 50 per cent of First Nations people are living away from their home communities. Many migrate to urban centres because they dont have housing solutions available on-reserve.

According to Chief Dan George of the Tsil Kaz Koh First Nation in Burns Lake, B.C. most First Nation leaders never relinquish their responsibility for citizens living away from their home communities, and as part of this responsibility, never stop striving for housing options to offer those who want to come home.

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In Chief Georges words, It is a goal of our council to ensure that all the members of our community have suitable housing options wherever they choose to live.

But government housing program policies and regulations have created a siloed approach to the provision of Indigenous housing, leaving huge gaps between the programs on reserves and those in urban centres where many of the homeless have fallen.

By looking at Indigenous housing as a successful service to individuals rather than as program delivery as the chief suggested will be an effective first step toward finding solutions to Indigenous homelessness both on and off reserves.

In British Columbia, the B.C. First Nations Housing & Infrastructure Council (HIC), a group of First Nations housing specialists, has been mandated by the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and the First Nations Summit to create a made-in-B.C. First Nations housing and infrastructure authority.

While its primary focus is on-reserve housing, the HIC is working toward harmonizing on- and off-reserve housing options so First Nations people will have continuous housing services as they move between communities.

The work starts with changing the narrative and calling on-reserve overcrowding what it is  homelessness  and then working together with urban Indigenous housing providers and governments to take a holistic look at the problem.

We wont solve urban Indigenous homelessness without dealing with on-reserve homelessness and without understanding how the one is inextricably linked to the other.

Sylvia Olsen is an instructor at Vancouver Island University is a member of the First Nations Housing & Infrastructure Council of British Columbia.

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'Legacy - Live From Ireland' is a powerful new live EP from Vineyard Worship UK & Ireland, that was captured at the inaugural gathering of Irish Vineyard church leaders in Lisburn in October 2018.



Including home-grown songs from Harmony Smith (Belfast City Vineyard) and James & Hannah Toal (Lagan Valley Vineyard), this EP is marked by a passionate cry from an island desperate to see the Kingdom of God come in power upon their villages, towns and cities.



These songs were birthed in the local church, where worship leaders have immersed themselves in leading their communities into intimate worship. As these songs gathered pace, they resonated with the Vineyard around Ireland and now it's time to share them with the wider church.



Twenty-five years after the first Vineyard church was planted on the island, Legacy - Live From Ireland celebrates all that has gone before and births a new level of expectancy for all that God has in store next.

Tags : 'Legacy - Live From Ireland' Vineyard Worship UK & Ireland Vineyard Worship UK & Ireland new album
How different this week could have been if Gerald Butts testimony was a springboard and not a trial balloon.

On Wednesday morning, the prime ministers former principal secretary, who is among his closest friends and confidants, did exactly what was required to change the arc of the story. He established himself as a credible and personable actor with a different interpretation of the events that led to the cabinet resignations of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Dr. Jane Philpott.

After all, as the adage goes, there are three sides to every story: Yours, mine and the truth.

Most persuasively, Butts advanced the argument that all cabinet members have an obligation to inform the prime minister of concerns that rise to a level that necessitates ones resignation.

Furthermore, If it is a question of law and that minister is the attorney-general, the obligation to inform the prime minister is of an even higher order. And it ought to be in writing so that its significance isnt lost.

Butts also contrasted the volume and frequency of interactions  10 phone calls and 10 meetings over a period of almost four months  to the hundreds of meetings he personally attended in consideration of the governments purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline or Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement negotiations.

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Its not a stretch to suggest Butts testimony allowed the Liberal Party, cabinet, caucus, staffers and supporters alike, the opportunity to exhale and breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in a full calendar month.

By sundown that day, the government found itself in a materially better position.

And things looked like they were going to get a lot better. The media were summoned to a most unusual daybreak news conference at the National Press Theatre, in Ottawa, on Thursday.

According to so-called well placed sources with knowledge of the prime ministers thinking, contrition was to be on the days agenda.

But that was not to be. In fact, the prime minister stopped well short of an apology. Instead, he would only acknowledge that, there was an erosion of trust between my office, my former principal secretary and the former attorney-general. There was no suggestion that his office had made a mistake; no suggestion he was willing to utter the words so many had waited to hear: Im sorry.

His only regret? That, situations were experienced differently.

Whatever progress Butts had made for the government was undone. By the end of the half-hour media availability, Team Trudeau found itself stuck in the same mud in which it has been mired in since l'affaire SNC-Lavalin leapt into the national consciousness.

If such thin gruel was all that was to be on offer, why summon Canadians attention at all? Why not let Butts testimony stand on its own.

Instead of acknowledging impropriety, announcing further staffing changes, or making a decisive decision to separate the attorney-general portfolio from that of the minister of justice, there was only an astonishing display of hubris.

Even before he was elected, the criticism of Justin Trudeau was that he was all style and no substance. Whether or not you agree (and I dont), this weeks performance did nothing to dissuade his detractors.

So why on Earth could the prime minster not bring himself to apologize? Especially given we, Canadians, apologize so frequently it has been deemed part of our national character.

The explanation may well lie, or at least be rooted, in the psycho- and physiological effects of stress that we sometimes encounter in times of crisis.

When confronting threatening or uncontrollable situations, our bodys endocrine system is programmed to produce changes in our central nervous system. It is what makes us more alert, more ready to fight or flee. Its what elevates our heart-rate, and causes both sleeplessness, and those pesky butterflies.

It also influences our cognitive processing, compromises decision making, and contributes to errors in judgment. We are programmed to be reactionary, not considered. We limit the options at our disposal and revert to old habits  just when we need to do the very opposite.

I have a hunch thats what happened in the very highest levels of our government this week.

Jaime Watt is the executive chairman of Navigator Ltd. and a Conservative strategist. He is a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @jaimewatt

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YUMA, Ariz. - A lonely sign emerges in the Sonoran Desert on a sandy tract of nowhere.

"DANGER. Military reservation," the text reads. "Unexploded Ordnance. Do not enter."

Underneath, in Spanish, the sign warns of live fire and threatens trespassers with prosecution.

This is the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range. Military pilots from across the country come to the roughly 1.7-million-acre expanse to blow up replica targets from jets in the desert sky.

Today, the Arizona range's remote terrain - part of which abuts Mexico - is in the crosshairs of not only the pilots who train here. It also has landed in the middle of one of the fiercest battles in American politics: the fight over President Donald Trump's effort to build a wall across the nation's 1,954-mile southern border.

Citing concerns about drug smuggling and migrants accidentally being bombed, the Trump administration last year began to plan a 31-mile barrier along the stretch of the bombing range that flanks the border with Mexico. Under the plans, the Pentagon would erect a steel-bollard wall some 150 feet behind an existing border fence for an estimated $450 million.

"This is a safety consideration," then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said at a congressional hearing in April. "I don't care who they are, they are human beings, and I don't want them wandering into a bombing range that is active."

But local officials say they haven't heard of any instance in which a migrant has been killed by a bombing or unexploded ordnance on the range. Fewer people are crossing the territory than in previous years, and the proposed wall would leave open many routes by which migrants could still enter the range.

The result is a sense among critics that the project is less about guaranteeing security at a military installation and more about finding reasons to tap Pentagon funds for a slice of Trump's border wall.

The Pentagon defends the action as necessary to protect the range from illegal activity in a known drug-smuggling corridor. "More importantly," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jamie Davis said in a statement, the barrier would "address increasing human life and safety concerns by deterring unlawful entry onto an active bombing range."

Migrant rights activists, however, say a new wall will fail to stop people, who will simply cross in other ways, possibly further endangering themselves. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have called the project an imprudent use of taxpayer money that would divert resources from military priorities.

"The Barry Goldwater Range already has a border barrier," Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., the area's congressman, said in a statement. He said, "Any attempts by the Department of Defense to construct further barriers to build Trump's vanity wall are misguided and unnecessary."

- - -

Dotted with saguaro cactuses and creosote bushes, the swath of Arizona desert that is home to the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range is a tableau of beauty and harsh desolation. For centuries, missionaries, conquistadors, indigenous peoples and others walked the sands of El Camino del Diablo, or the Devil's Highway, a passage known for inhospitable conditions, which cuts through the range.

An aid group in January recovered what the Pima County medical examiner determined were five sets of human skeletal remains, most likely migrants who died from exposure or lack of water while crossing the area. It's a fairly common occurrence in desert borderlands where temperatures can hover well over 100 degrees in the summer and grow frigid on winter nights.

But Charles Buchanan, a retired fighter pilot and director of the Air Force's range office, said he didn't know of any incident "where someone has died as a result of our action, military action."

"I'm not going to say it could never happen," he added. "It certainly could. It's unlikely."

His ostrich cowboy boots clicking on the metal stairs, Buchanan climbed to the top of one of the range's watchtowers on a recent day just before sunset and looked out over two parachute bombing targets and a line of tires that shows pilots when to fire.

Most of the range, which is operated by the Air Force in the east and the Marine Corps in the west, is unused land, reducing the likelihood that someone will cross a target. Only 6 percent of the roughly 1 million acres on the Air Force side are affected by current military operations, and some 0.6 percent fall in an impact area, or within 500 feet of a bombing target, Buchanan said.

Despite the emptiness, migrants sometimes have found their way to bombing targets. In April 2017, for example, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported responding to a 911 call from a Mexican national in distress, only to find him "standing on a bombing target" after authorities tracked his GPS coordinates. Such occurrences are relatively uncommon, according to Buchanan.

- - -

Statistics indicate that the range is seeing decreasing numbers of known intrusions, though the data doesn't capture those who cross the territory undetected.

The U.S. military tracked six "events" in which people entered the eastern side of the range illegally during the 2018 fiscal year, the lowest number in at least 15 years and a reduction from 40 instances a decade prior.

"It used to happen - and we're talking 10 years ago - far more frequently," Buchanan said. "Nowadays, it's very infrequent."

In the early 2000s, Buchanan said, "there was a time when I could take you out there and there was a well-beaten path" for migrants through the range.

The improvement is partly the result of a shift in migration dynamics. The number of people apprehended for crossing into the United States illegally has declined generally over the past two decades.

Years ago, border agents say, they saw primarily Mexican migrants who were looking to evade detection crossing into the United States. Now, more than three-quarters of the migrants who come over the border in the area's Yuma sector are family units or unaccompanied children, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central America. According to Border Patrol agents, they tend to cross in areas visible to authorities to give themselves up and claim asylum.

"You don't want to be out in the desert where there is a possibility of you not being found," Yuma sector Border Patrol agent Justin Kallinger said.

Kallinger is a veteran of the force, a longtime patroller of the bombing range and a supporter of what he calls a "wall system" - a combination of technology, manpower and infrastructure.

On a recent day, the dust was swirling across the windshield as Kallinger and fellow agent Jose Garibay cruised alongside a brown, steel border wall in their Chevrolet Suburban. Out the window, yellow arrows indicated the places along the wall where 376 migrants from Central America crossed into the United States by burrowing under it in January. The solid metal turned soon into see-through mesh, revealing a line of trucks across the border on Mexico's Highway 2. The agents then arrived at the spot where the Pentagon wants to add the wall along the range.

"We don't see very many people crossing here," Kallinger said.

The Pentagon effort to build the new 30-foot-high wall is still in the exploratory phase. The Navy has allocated $7.5 million for advanced planning and environmental surveys that are underway. The military also wants to build vehicle and pedestrian gates and a single-lane patrol road at the site, according to Davis, the Pentagon spokesman. As it stands, the project would skip over the six-mile stretch where craggy mountains form the border with the range.

The project has yet to be funded. The Trump administration could seek to pay for it out of $2.5 billion in counter-drug money the president intends to take for the wall from the Pentagon budget, using a law that permits construction of fences, roads and lighting in designated drug-smuggling corridors. Or, now that Trump has declared a national emergency, he could set his sights on other parts of the wall, unburdened by the need to find a military link to draw Pentagon funds.

- - -

It's far from clear that the additional wall would prevent migrants from crossing onto the bombing range. There are few substantial barriers preventing people from accessing the range in places that aren't along the Mexican border, making the territory permeable from many sides.

Border agents say the migrants who end up inside the bombing range usually don't cross at the place where the Pentagon is planning to build the new wall. Rather, they say, migrants tend to access it through the adjacent Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which are separated from Mexico only by easily surmounted vehicle barriers.

There is no barrier between the parks and the range, according to Buchanan, in part because officials have determined there isn't an overwhelming need, but also because an endangered species known as the Sonoran pronghorn calls the area home and could be disturbed by a fence dividing its habitat.

Border agents say the migrants who do end up on the range are traversing difficult terrain because they want to evade authorities, often for the purposes of drug smuggling.

"They're the ones who come in at night," Kallinger said. "They'll wear foam or carpet on their feet to try to disguise their footprints. They'll hike through treacherous terrain, and they'll usually end up on those Air Force ranges."

Migrant rights activists say there's no way of knowing the true makeup of the people who are crossing in that particular area, and they note that some are forced to carry drugs as part of the price of being smuggled across the border by organized groups. Activists' efforts to leave water in the area have been met with opposition from authorities, including most recently when a group of women were convicted of misdemeanor crimes for leaving water on the wildlife refuge.

The level of drug activity on the range is difficult to discern. There are few if any drug-trafficking statistics for the range itself. Anecdotally, though, Border Patrol agents note that people are routinely apprehended in and around the military installation for smuggling drugs.

CBP seizes most of the cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl that enters the United States at ports of entry, according to statistics. The exception is marijuana, which is more often smuggled in areas between ports of entry such as the range. Unlike the other drugs, it is decreasing in terms of the amount seized, in part due to the legalization of marijuana in many U.S. states.

Nonetheless, authorities still apprehend people smuggling marijuana in and around the range. In February 2017, for example, Border Patrol agents arrested two drug smugglers there with more than 500 pounds of marijuana worth more than $260,000, according to CBP.

Whether fortified barriers would decrease drug smuggling is a point of contention. The Department of Homeland Security argues that walls prove effective in stopping drugs, in part by slowing those seeking to cross the border, but a recent study by the libertarian think tank Cato Institute argued the opposite, echoing calls to focus on improving ports of entry and legalizing marijuana nationally to decrease smuggling incentives.

Migrant rights activists believe barriers don't function as a deterrent. "We are firm in the belief that walls do not work in the sense of preventing folks from coming here," said Stephanie Zamora, advocacy director for the Tucson-based Colibri Center for Human Rights.

At the bombing range, border agents often patrol in the evening while the ranges are "cold." They use what are known as "drags" - a plow-like device they hook to the back of their trucks - to comb the sand, so they can track the footprints of anyone entering the territory.

On rare occasions, if the range is "hot" and they need to enter, Border Patrol agents will call range officials, whom they refer to as "snake eyes," and ask whether operations can be suspended.

It doesn't happen often. The U.S. Air Force restricted 10 hours of flying time on its side of the range in the 2018 fiscal year, down from 202 hours a decade prior. The number of sorties affected dropped to 14 from 309 over the same period. No sorties were canceled either year.

Despite the improvement, Buchanan says migration trends could change. "The traffic has dropped to really where it is not an impact right now," he says. "Could something happen - whatever that dynamic is - that creates an influx? Yes."

For that reason, he says, he isn't opposed to an additional wall. He shrugged. "It's not going to hurt."
China's diplomats aren't being very diplomatic.

In the past few months, its envoy to Canada publicly accused his hosts of "white supremacy," its ambassador in Sweden labeled the Swedish police "inhumane" and blasted the country's "so-called freedom of expression," and its chief emissary in South Africa said President Donald Trump's policies were making the U.S. "the enemy of the whole world."

"I don't think we are witnessing a pattern of misstatements and slips of the tongue," said Ryan Hass, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who previously oversaw China affairs at the U.S. National Security Council. "We seem to be watching China's diplomats matching the mood of the moment in Beijing. Beijing rewards diplomats that are aggressive advocates of China's views and scorns those that it perceives as overly timid."

That may be damaging Xi Jinping's efforts to win friends abroad and capitalize on President Donald Trump's international unpopularity. While China has seized on the trade war and U.S. disengagement abroad to pitch itself as a champion of globalization, 63 percent of respondents to a 2018 Pew poll in 25 countries said they preferred the U.S. as a world leader, compared with 19 percent for China.

At stake is China's avowed goal of establishing itself as a global superpower with influence over a network of allies to balance U.S. influence. China is pouring billions into global efforts such as Xi's Belt and Road Initiative to forge stronger links with countries around the world.

But China's increasingly strident diplomatic approach could do more harm than good. Anti-China sentiment has played a pivotal role in election surprises across Asia, and more countries around the world are becoming skeptical of Chinese investment -- particularly in telecommunications, with fears growing about using its equipment in 5G networks due to concerns about espionage.

China's foreign ministry didn't respond to faxed questions about the more aggressive language from diplomats. After Trump took office, China has sought to portray itself as a supporter of the international order, with Xi himself defending globalization at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His charm offensive stood in contrast to Trump, who has reshaped public discourse with regular insults of other world leaders on Twitter.

Even so, foreign diplomats in Beijing say that the behavior of Chinese officials has become far more aggressive and assertive in private meetings in recent years. Their discussions have become more ideological, according to one senior foreign envoy, who described the behavior as a strong sense of grievance combined with increasing entitlement about China's international role and rights.

China's reported behavior at the APEC summit in November highlighted the shift. Papua New Guinea police were called after Chinese officials attempted to "barge" into the office of the country's foreign minister to influence the summit's communique, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency. Chinese officials later denied the report, calling it "a rumor spread by some people with a hidden agenda."

Chinese diplomats' advocacy for the country's embattled tech giant, Huawei Technologies Co., has even riled heads of government. After the Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic, Zhang Jianmin, announced in November that the Czech cyber security body's decision to ban Huawei did not represent the view of the Czech government, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said, "I do not know what the ambassador is talking about," according to Czech Radio. One European ambassador in Beijing said China's aggressive advocacy for the company has been prevalent across the 28-nation bloc.

In some regions, China's overseas rhetoric has been hardening for years. Foreign officials noticed an increasingly strident tone from Beijing following the global financial crisis. At a 2010 meeting hosted by Southeast Asian nations in Hanoi, then foreign minister Yang Jiechi famously dismissed some of China's neighbors as "small countries" when challenged over Beijing's stance in the South China Sea.

Foreign diplomats said the outbursts have increased in both frequency and intensity since Xi took power in 2012. In the last few years, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and now Canada have all incurred Beijing's wrath, with diplomatic barbs often accompanied by economic pressure through import restrictions, store inspections and safety warnings to Chinese tour groups.

In a speech at the 2017 Communist Party conclave that saw Xi appointed for a second term as party chief without an apparent successor, Xi described China as "standing tall and firm in the East" and pledged to make the country a global leader in innovation, influence and military might. At a conference for Chinese ambassadors at the end of that year, Xi urged diplomats to play a more proactive part in an increasingly multipolar world -- a speech China's ambassador to the United Kingdom described as a "mobilization order," or "bugle call."

China's diplomatic corps has been quick to show its loyalty to Xi. In a 2017 essay in the party's theoretical magazine Qiushi, top diplomat Yang Jiechi pledged to study and implement Xi's thought on diplomacy in a "deep-going way." And Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently praised Xi for "taking the front line of history" and "braving 10,000 crags and torrents."

"Chinese ambassadors always feel they have to speak to the leaders in Beijing more than to the local public. Their promotions depend on it," said Susan Shirk, a former U.S. deputy assistant Secretary of State for East Asia. "If today what they say is more overtly anti-American or anti-Western then that reflects the changing foreign policy line."

In line with national "party-building" campaigns, Chinese diplomats regularly engage in "self-criticism" sessions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to people familiar with the meetings. Last month, the former deputy head of the party's powerful Organization Department, Qi Yu, was appointed as the foreign ministry's Party Secretary despite a lack of diplomatic experience. One foreign ambassador said Chinese diplomats are skilled and smart but also increasingly "scared."

China has seen this kind of ideology-driven diplomacy before. During the Cultural Revolution, Chinese diplomats in London videotaped themselves fighting protesters on the streets of London, according to the book China's Quest by historian John Garver. In Beijing, British and Soviet diplomatic missions were besieged or invaded and other diplomats were threatened on the streets.

The new wave of truculence is also affecting how foreign envoys are treated in China. Detained Canadian citizen and former diplomat Michael Kovrig has been questioned about his work as a diplomat, according to people familiar with the discussions. The move may be a violation of Article 39 of the Vienna Convention, which explicitly covers the past work of former diplomats. China is a signatory.

Foreign diplomats visiting China's far western region of Xinjiang have been followed, temporarily detained and forced to delete photographs from their phones, while Swedish citizen Gui Minhai was grabbed by Chinese authorities in front of Swedish diplomats, according to the country's foreign ministry.

The shift in mood, and tensions with the U.S., have altered the tone of discussions inside China's bureaucracy. One Chinese trade diplomat said that while it's never been easy to be a dove in China, all but the most senior officials now refrain from publicly voicing moderate positions toward the U.S.

"Beijing has established a pattern of making examples of middle powers in hopes that doing so deters others from challenging China's interests," said Hass at the Brookings Institution. "Some in Beijing also seem to be growing frustrated that China's rising national power is not yet translating into the types of deference from others that it seeks."
DORSEY  An aggressive fire made quick work of a home at Rocky Branch Stables on Rocky Branch Road in rural Moro Township in Madison County Saturday night.

Dorsey Volunteer Fire Department crews were first called to the final home at the end of Rocky Branch Road at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Occupants there reported that everyone was out of the home, and the roof was on fire. By the time fire crews arrived on the scene, the home was fully engulfed and could not be saved.

No injuries were reported.

The first caller from the home told dispatchers they suspected a lightning strike to be the cause. A neighbor in the area told a Telegraph reporter that there didnt appear to be much lightning in the area at the time of the fire, but said an official told them the fire could have been sparked when high winds in combination with soft, rain-soaked ground could have resulted in a downed power line falling on the home.

No official cause was known Saturday night into Sunday morning.

At least three, likely four or more, tenders rotated in and out from the scene for several hours, refilling water supplies at Rocky Branch and Bethalto Road.

Multiple departments responded to the Dorsey call to provide mutual aid, including Prairietown, Fosterburg, Holiday Shores and Bunker Hill.

No horses appeared to be injured in the fire, and flames did not reach nearby stables. A large propane tank on the side of the home did not ignite.

Rocky Branch Sporthorses & Riding Academy, LLC, run by the Teepe family, offers multiple equestrian training, education and boarding services. The majority of online reviews for the company give them 5/5 stars.

It was in just Dec. 19, 2018 that an adjacent home in the 4800 block of Rocky Branch Road, owned by the Crews Family was destroyed by fire, due to an apparent electrical malfunction.

A GoFundMe for the Crews family recently peaked at $19,245 of a $15,000 goal. Members of that family were on their property, in the process of being rebuilt, after Saturday nights fire occurred nearby.

When asked about the recent fire, a man there shook his head and pointed in the direction of Bethalto, where a fire last week resulted in the death of Godfrey Fire Capt. Jake Ringering and serious injuries to colleague Luke Warner.

Were fine, were good, thank God, he said. Thats the real tragedy.
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois is poised to provide greater access to reproductive health care and abortion procedures than any other state in the country.

Proponents and opponents agree passage of the Reproductive Health Act, repealing and replacing current abortion law, is a near certainty. It would fulfill a promise by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to turn the Prairie State into the most progressive state in the nation for access to reproductive health care.

It would also, detractors say, create a series of unintended, undesirable consequences.

There seems little doubt Democrats will have a legislative victory in the matter. The party holds a super-majority in both chambers of the 101st General Assembly, with 29 more seats than Republicans in the House and 21 seats more in the Senate.

Right now, this bill is passing, said Peter Breen, vice president and senior counsel for the Thomas More Society, a conservative, pro-life law firm.

The House version has more than 40 sponsors. The Senate version has nine.

Leading the push in the House are Reps. Kelly Cassidy and Emanuel Chris Welch. The Senates main sponsors are Sens. Melinda Bush and Elgie Sims, Jr.

The measure will not be successful without a philosophical fight initiated by those on the right; or, likely, without Illinois being thrust into the national political spotlight  much like New York was after its state legislature approved an controversial bill with a name identical to the one Illinois General Assembly will consider.

Breen said the Thomas More Society will likely challenge some aspect of it in court, and it is probable other conservative legal groups will as well.

Illinois current abortion statute was passed into law in 1975. Legislators wrote their objective was to reasonably regulate abortion procedures to adhere with the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Roe v. Wade.

Since then, though, courts have struck down several aspects of the Abortion Law, such as a ban on fetal experimentation, a prohibition on sex-selective abortion procedures, and a provision allowing the husband of a woman seeking the procedure to receive a court order barring her from doing so.

Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has also pointed out that the states law includes a provision allowing doctors to be jailed for performing an abortion procedure.

According to a memo prepared by the Thomas More Society, the Reproductive Health Act goes much further than bringing the states law up-to-date.

A bill intended to repeal only unconstitutional provisions of Illinois law would have been half a page long, not 120 pages, the memos author wrote.

The Society is challenging a measure former Gov. Bruce Rauner signed two years ago, allowing tax dollars to be spent on abortion procedures through Illinois Medicaid and state employee health insurance programs, in court. Most recently, it filed paperwork asking the states Supreme Court to take up the case.

This new legislation would repeal current abortion law and replace it with language enshrining reproductive health as a fundamental right.

As is written in the measure, This Act sets forth the fundamental rights of individuals to make autonomous decisions about ones own reproductive health, including the fundamental right to use or refuse reproductive health care.

The time for such a change is now, ACLU attorney Amy Meek said, because of the national landscape.

We have a president who has said that women should be punished for having an abortion and a majority of Supreme Court justices and courts who are hostile to Roe v. Wade and signaled that their goal is to outlaw abortion and to put it out of reach for women at any stage of pregnancy, she said.

The Reproductive Health Act is filed as twin pieces of legislation in both chambers of the General Assembly.

The push for House Bill 2495 is being led by Cassidy, from Chicago, and Welch, from Hillside.

This is modernization; this is clean-up; this is not breaking much, if any, new ground, Cassidy said. We are making clear what the state of our law is  once and for all, we are making clear that health care decisions are made between a medical professional and a woman.

Senate Bill 1942 is sponsored by Bush, from Grayslake, and Sims, from Chicago.

The Reproductive Health Act prohibits the state from intruding in a womans reproductive health care decision-making, whether that be choosing to carry a pregnancy to term or opting for an abortion procedure. It creates an avenue for a woman to bring a lawsuit should she feel this right was violated.

It also allows local governments to write ordinances strengthening reproductive health care, but bars them from weakening access to such procedures as abortion.

The proposed legislation additionally requires health care professionals to file a report with the Department of Public Health of each abortion procedure they perform. This requirement, though, is less specific than current statute, which mandates the type of information to be collected and reported.

The Act exempts these reports from Freedom of Information requests.

Criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions are removed from the proposal. Colleen Connell, executive director of the states chapter of the ACLU, said that part of existing law was dangerous.

The reason doctors arent going to prison today for providing abortions and prescribing certain forms of birth control is because the ACLU has gone to court time and again and secured more than 14 injunctions blocking the enforcement of these dangerous laws, she said at a news event in Chicago earlier this month.

Among other statutes, the measure repeals the Partial-birth Abortion Ban Act, which was struck down as unconstitutional, the Abortion Performance Refusal Act and part of the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act.

At the end of the day, this is treating abortion care as health care, which it is, and removing it from the criminal code, said Julie Lynn, manager of External Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

The Thomas More Society released a 13-page analysis of Illinois abortion law overhaul last week. It includes what its attorneys say will be legal repercussions.

The Reproductive Health Act is an extreme bill that would basically enshrine abortion as a positive good in Illinois law, according to the memo from the conservative pro-life law firm based in Chicago.

The Society takes issue with a mandate that private insurance companies operating in Illinois would have to cover abortion procedures if they also provide pregnancy-related benefits.

This would cause two problems, according to the memo. One is that groups that oppose abortion for religious, moral or other reasons but purchase insurance policies would be forced to provide coverage for the procedure. The other is that all those who participate in the policy  the insurance company, employers, employees  have no way to opt out.

A related issue is that the proposal would repeal sections of at least three statutes that give legal protections for health care workers and providers who refuse to take part in or perform abortion procedures.

One law, the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, would remain on the books. The memo, though, makes a case that a legal challenge could render it ineffective because a health care worker could be hindering a womans newly-created fundamental right to reproductive health care.

Taken together, Breen said it looks as if the Reproductive Health Act would enshrine that right as stronger than that of those in the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment.

It is a concern shared by the Catholic Conference of Illinois, a group representing the states six bishops.

These bills taken together crowds us out. For people who have moral objections, they basically are saying we dont have any rights, Robert Gilligan, executive director, said earlier this month. Thats whats going on, that people with First Amendment rights are being crowded out of protections under the law.

Another statute might additionally be made obsolete should the Reproductive Health Act successfully become law, according to the Societys memo.

There are twin measures in both chambers of the General Assembly that would repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which requires a minor to consult with her parent or guardian before terminating a pregnancy. Both bills are sponsored by Democrats.

The House version has four supporters, and the Senate version has eight sponsors. It is unclear what level of legislative success they will have.

Even if the measures do not pass, the memos author wrote, the Reproductive Health Act says the government would not be allowed to impede a womans ability to decide what to do in her pregnancy. The act does not differentiate between an adult and a minor.
National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday that the Islamic State remains a threat and that it is "growing in other parts of the world" besides Syria and Iraq.

The statement by Bolton in an interview on ABC News' "This Week" is at odds with claims by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence late last year that the militant group, which is also known as ISIS, has been defeated.

"The president has been, I think, as clear as clear can be, when he talks about the defeat of the ISIS territorial caliphate," Bolton said. "He has never said that the elimination of the territorial caliphate means the end of ISIS in total. We know that's not the case."

He added that Islamic State fighters are "scattered still around Syria and Iraq, and that ISIS itself is growing in other parts of the world. The ISIS threat will remain."

The White House has delivered mixed messages on the matter.

Friday night, at an outdoor fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said the caliphate was 100 percent destroyed, according to an attendee.

In a December tweet, Trump announced that the United States was withdrawing from Syria, declaring, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." Trump appeared to slightly shift course later that month, stating on Twitter that the extremist group is "mostly gone." He has since agreed to maintain a presence of about 400 troops in Syria.

Pence, meanwhile, said in a speech at the State Department in January that "the caliphate has crumbled, and ISIS has been defeated."

Bolton was responding to a statement by Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, who said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week that the fight against the Islamic State "is far from over."

Bolton said Sunday that he is "very optimistic" that U.S. allies such as Britain and France will help in battling the resurgence of the group.

"It hasn't happened formally yet, but they're looking at. I think it's very important that we try and get this up. ... The ISIS threat, the al-Qaida threat, the terrorist threat is an ideological threat worldwide, and it's something that I think we have to be vigilant against for the foreseeable future," he said.
Switzerland's ICF Worship has released their brand new single "God of Life" via integrity Music. Written by Dominik Laim, the song was recorded at the ICF Ladies Lounge Conference 2018 (https://icf.church/ladieslounge) at Samsung Hall in Zurich, Switzerland by the ICF Church Team.

Before making Zurich's Samsung Hall their home, ICF bounced from one location to another, meeting everywhere from bowling alleys to school halls. Despite the challenges, ICF grew exponentially both in faith and number and have now planted churches around the world. Their vision is to build faith communities where people find a relationship with Jesus, experience true love and fellowship and where their gifts are discovered and encouraged.

Along the way, the ICF Worship team has been writing songs that reflect their dependence on and trust in God. These include "King (Friend of Mine)," "All About You," "Go," "The Journey" and "Unstoppable."

ICF Worship is not simply a band or a group of musicians writing worship songs and performing. It is strongly connected with and focused on the local churches of the ICF Movement and beyond. They aim to write songs that connect with churchgoers while also speaking to someone who is new to the Gospel or to church.

ICF Worship has its roots in the ICF Zurich church founded in 1996 in the largest city in Switzerland. Having started with a passion to reach out across the country to people in a contemporary and modern way, today ICF Zurich is a non-denominational church with over 3,000 weekend attendees spread across seven different locations within the city and its surroundings. It is also one of the biggest church movements in the German speaking area, with over 50 churches in Switzerland and throughout Europe.

ICF has been releasing albums for half of its two decades of ministry, with several national chart successes, including "All About You" and "Unstoppable." For more information, visit www.icf.church.

Tags : ICF WORSHIP icf worship god of life ICF worship news icf worship latest Integrity Music
ALTON  An Alton Republican election judge said Friday she has no regrets about voting for Donald Trump on behalf of her dead husband  and added that the cemeteries in Chicago should be investigated for similar activity.

Audrey R. Cook, 88, of the 500 block of Beacon Street, was charged with election code perjury and violation of the election code: violation of the vote by mail ballot provision. Both are Class 3 felonies.

Now they should investigate all the cemeteries in Chicago, said Cook. She said she does not feel she did anything wrong, and only voted as her late husband would have, had he survived.

She told authorities she voted for Donald Trump for president on behalf of her husband, the late Virtus Vic Cook, a computer consultant who once worked under a contract for the city of Alton.

The couple served as election judges for many years together.

My husband was very sick, and we applied for absentee ballots for both of us, she said. We got them a couple of days after he died, and I knew how he wanted to vote.

She cast the vote on Sept. 30.

He was a decent, honest and wonderful man, she said. I knew what he wanted Now theyre not going to count it. Vic Cook was a computer consultant and, at one time, worked under contract to the city of Alton.

The charges allege Audrey Cook made a false statement in a certificate required under the election in that she forged the signature of her husband. She was also accused of knowingly taking a vote by bail ballot of another person by marking the ballot when she knew her husband was dead.

The case was investigated by the Madison County States Attorneys Office, which took her before Associate Judge Neil Schroeder, who released her on $20,000 recognizance bond.

Audrey Cook and her husband have long been active in Republican politics and conservative causes. They were frequent critics of the Alton Housing Authoritys operations.

States Attorney Tom Gibbons said the case came to light as a result of a routine check by a group of Democratic and Republican election judges working the the Madison County Clerks Office.

He said those people routinely check the names on bail-in and absentee ballots against death records and found Vic Cooks name.

Once the irregularity was spotted, the case was turned over to the Madison County States Attorneys Office. Assistant States Attorney John McGuire, who handles civil cases for the county, investigated and brought the charges.

Trumps campaign has been warning voters to beware of fraud, and some Democrats have expressed concern that voters may become intimidated by Trump poll watchers.

As his election chances faltered, Trump recently repeatedly claimed the election is rigged and said his supporters should visit polling places to ensure integrity within the election.

Elections officials from both parties, as well as independent experts, say that election fraud is very rare, and to the extent that it does happen, it occurs on a scale much too small to influence a national election.
UPDATE:

Ethiopian has said the pilot reported difficulties after take-off and had requested a return to Addis Ababa.

In a statement issued on Monday morning (March 11), Ethiopian confirmed it had grounded all its Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft until further notice.

Other airlines have also grounded their planes. All Chinese airlines have grounded their Boeing 737-8 Max and so has Cayman Airlines.



An Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet crashed six minutes after it took off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on its way to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. All 157 passengers (149 and 8 crew) on this regularly scheduled flight, have died.

A spokesman said the crash happened at 08.44 local time on Sunday, shortly after take-off from the Ethiopian capital.

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing B-737-800MAX flight ET 302/10 was heading to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. It had 33 nationalities on board.

In a statement, the airline said that search and rescue operations were underway near the crash site around the town of Bishoftu, which is 60km (37 miles) south-east of the capital. Investigators are looking for clues as to what caused this.

The passenger jet was a new addition to their fleet and Boeing, the company that built the aeroplane, said in a tweet that it was closely monitoring the situation and that it was deeply saddened and are on standby to provide assistance. Its 737 Max-8 aircraft is relatively new to the skies, having been launched in 2016.

Ethiopian Airlines safety record

The state-owned Ethiopa Airlines has always had an impeccable safety record and is considered one of the best for service and comfort.

In 2010 one of the companys aeroplanes crashed in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after leaving Beirut. The incident killed 90 people on board.

Another plane of the same model was involved in a crash five months ago, when a Lion Air flight crashed into the sea near Indonesia with nearly 190 people on board.

The airlines highest fatalities to date happened in a November 1996 crash during a hijacking on a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. One of the engines stopped when the fuel ran out and although pilots attempted an emergency water landing, they hit a coral reef in the Indian Ocean and 123 of the 175 people on board were killed.

Ethiopian Airlines flies to many destinations in Africa, making it a popular carrier in a continent where many airlines fly only from their home country to destinations outside Africa. The airline is fast becoming the gateway to the continent.

The aircraft was one of 30 ordered by Ethiopian as part of its expansion plans and underwent a rigorous first maintenance check just a month ago, the BBC reports.
After India, Iran is now piling pressure on Pakistan over incidents of cross-border terror. Iran president Hassan Rouhani called for "decisive action by Pakistan against a militant group behind a deadly suicide attack in a border area", saying failure to act could jeopardise relations, reported Reuters.

Earlier, Iran's had Revolutionary Guards accused "Pakistan's security forces" of supporting the perpetrators of a suicide bombing that killed 27 troops. "Pakistan's government, who has housed these anti-revolutionaries and threats to Islam, knows where they are and they are supported by Pakistan's security forces," said Revolutionary Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, referring to jihadist group Jaish al-Adl ("Army of Justice"). "If (the Pakistan government) does not punish them, we will retaliate against this anti-revolutionary force, and whatever Pakistan sees will be the consequence of its support for them," he warned.

Rouhani called Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the phone. We are awaiting your decisive operations against these terrorists," IRNA quoted Rouhani as telling Khan. "We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to both of us," Rouhani said.

-Inputs from PTI
A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which intruded into Rajasthan's Ganganagar was shot down by the Army on Saturday, defence sources said.

"One UAV intrusion in Ganganagar sector was detected around 7.30 pm. The drone was engaged and brought down," a defence source said. No further details were shared.

On March 4, a fighter jet of the Indian Air Force shot down a Pakistani military drone in Bikaner sector of the Indo-Pak border using an air-to-air missile. Another Pakistani drone was shot down by India on February 27 along Indo-Pak border in Kutch in Gujarat.

The downing of the drones came in the midst of heightened tension between India and Pakistan after IAF struck a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot and subsequent retaliation by Islamabad.
Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself may not have thought of trying this approach. Modi's followers are known to express their support to their leader in many ways, but this one, perhaps, takes the cake. Ashok Singh, a resident of Siwan district in Bihar, apparently printed the message on the wedding invitation, urging his guests to vote for the prime minister in the upcoming general elections as a wedding gift.

To bless my daughter and in the interest of the country, please cast your votes in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the message on the card read.

Ashok Singh said that there is no other motive behind the gesture but the nation's interest. He has been an employee at a private company in Kuwait for the past 15 years.

People should vote in favour of Modi ji because there is no other leader better than him. He thinks about the country while others think about themselves, Ashok Singh said. Kuwait for the last 15 years where he works in a private company.

Narendra Modi is the only one who can take the country forward and no other leader can do that, Ravindra Singh, Ashok's son, said.
New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) Aviation regulator DGCA will seek information from Boeing as well as Jet Airways and SpiceJet operating Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the wake of plane crash in Ethiopia, according to senior official.

As many as 149 passengers, including Indians, were killed when a Boeing 737 MAX plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would seek information from plane maker Boeing and Indian carriers operating Boeing 737 MAX planes in India, according to the official.

Jet Airways and SpiceJet fly Boeing 737 MAX planes. PTI RAM IAS MR

MR
One of Gospel Music's rising stars, Isaiah Templeton has released his brand new album This Life. Isaiah Templeton was born in Massachusetts, but spent most of his life in Dayton, Ohio where he graduated from Wright State University. This is also where he began nurturing the incredible gift given to him by God.

Under the tutelage of Pastor Smokie Norful and TreMyles Music, Isaiah recorded his first live album in 2016 which is slated to be released soon! It is sure to be an amazing compilation of songs to turn hearts to God!

You may have also seen Isaiah singing background for some of Gospel Music's leading artists, including Pastor Smokie Norful, Jonathan Nelson and Travis Greene.

Now a resident of Charlotte, NC, Isaiah is serving as a worship leader at Have Life Church under the leadership of Pastor Shomari and Co-Pastor Jacque White!

Known by friends as ZEEK, you are sure to be blessed by the ministry of Isaiah Templeton.

Tracklist:

1. Our God Reigns

2. Be God Here

3. Head Of My Life

4. Head Of My Life (Reprise)

5. Everything Will Be Alright

6. Never Alone

7. This Life

8. He Can Fix Anything

9. Only See My Son

10. So Easy

11. Never Say Goodbye

Tags : Isaiah Templeton Isaiah Templeton new album Isaiah Templeton news Isaiah Templeton this life
New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) Journalist-turned-filmmaker Amitabh Parashar has sent a legal notice to T-series, accusing the production house of stealing the idea of his script for its new film "Khandaani Shafakhana", starring Sonakshi Sinha and Anu Kapoor.

In his notice, sent through his advocate, Parashar said he approached T-Series last year with the idea of a film based on streetside sex shops and subsequently mailed a soft copy of his script for which he received an acknowledgment.

Bhushan Kumar of T-Series has rubbished the allegation.

"It's totally false as what film we are making is totally different. No similarity at all. I don't know how and why, without knowing our film, he is claiming that," Kumar told PTI.

According to Parashar, he developed the idea of a comedy film, titled "Bhag Mohabbat", which revolves around the world of street sex doctors, following his feature length documentary "Death of a Sex Doctor" which he had made after extensive, four-year research on roadside sex shops.

Parashar, who won the National Film Award for his documentary "The Eyes of Darkness, said he got his script registered with the Screen Writer's Association, Mumbai.

The journalist claimed he met T-series' Mukesh Desai to discuss a feature film on the subject and was sent to meet Anjali Bhushan of the same company. He said he narrated the story in brief to Bhushan.

Parashar, who had hoped to direct the film based on his story, claimed in his notice that he even discussed the possible star cast and suggested the names of Kapoor and Ayushmann Khuranna.

He said he mailed a soft copy of his script to T-series in March 2018 and received an acknowledgment. He was also assured that they were considering his script.

In January this year, Parashar said he read in a newspaper that the company had greenlit a film which had uncanny similarity to his script. They had, however, changed the title from "Bhag Mohabbat" to "Khandani Shafkhana", he claimed.

Parashar said he had a producer interested in the story but with the announcement of the T-Series film, he can no longer go ahead with the story, suffering a huge loss.

He has demanded damages to the tune of Rs 5 crore from the banner. PTI BK RB

RB
Bogota, Mar 10 (AFP) A plane crash in Colombia killed 12 people on Saturday, including a mayor and her family, aviation and emergency services said.

The Douglas DC-3 aircraft, an American-made twin-engine propeller plane that was first produced in the 1930s, crashed in the centre-east of the country on a flight between the towns of San Jose del Guaviare and Villavicencio. A fire department official told AFP it then caught fire.

"Unfortunately... there were no survivors," the Aeronautica Civil aviation authority said, adding that the wreckage was found close to Villavicencio. Among the victims was the mayor of the municipality of Taraira, Doris Villegas, and her husband and daughter, as well as the owner of the aircraft, pilot Jaime Carrillo, co-pilot Jaime Herrera and an aviation technician identified as Alex Moreno.

President Ivan Duque paid tribute to the victims on Twitter.

"My solidarity with the families," he wrote.

The Defensa Civil emergency services put the death toll at 12, with director Colonel Jorge Martinez suggesting an engine failure could have caused the crash.

"At the moment of flying over the municipality of San Martin, an engine turns off and the pilot ... tries to land ... but it gets out of control," he theorized to RCN news channel.

But Aeronautica Civil gave no details on a cause and asked the press to show restraint in using images circulating on social media "out of respect for the victims and their families." Meanwhile, the fire department confirmed the flight had not faced unfavorable weather conditions.

The plane was operated by Laser Aereo, a cargo and passenger transport company. Contacted by the AFP, the company declined to comment on the accident. (AFP) CK
United Nations, Mar 10 (AFP) At least a dozen people affiliated with the United Nations were among those killed in the crash Sunday of an Ethiopian Airlines jet near Addis Ababa, a UN source said.

"It is expected that a least a dozen of the victims were affiliated with the UN," the source said, adding that freelance interpreters travelling to a UN conference on the environment might also be among the dead.

Authorities said 157 people were killed when the Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on a flight to Nairobi, where the UN conference was being held. (AFP)

PMS

PMS
\R Gwalior, Mar 10 (PTI) The government should keep its view on Section 35A firmly in court so that a discussion can be taken up on Article 370 after a verdict on the former, RSS general secretary Bhaiyaji Joshi said on Sunday.

Article 35A, which was incorporated in the Constitution through a 1954 Presidential Order, accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and bars people from outside the state from acquiring any immovable property in the state.

The Section also empowers the J-K Assembly to define "permanent residents" to bestow special rights and privileges to them.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A.

Article 370 of the Constitution grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir and limits Parliament's power to make laws concerning the state.

To a query on Article 370, Joshi said, "It is expected that the government of the day will keep its viewpoint firmly. After a decision on this (Section 35A) case is delivered, the issue of Article 370 will be discussed in light of this decision."

He was speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the organisation's highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), here.

The ABPS is the Hindutva organisation's highest decision-making body and its three-day meet, involving over 1,400 members, had started here on Friday.

He also praised the government for the February 26 air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan.

"The government response in terms of carrying out an air strike at terror camps in Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack is appreciated," he said.

"Fearless nations reply to terrorists in a similar language," Joshi was quoted in an RSS release.

He informed that the RSS would take up initiatives in the field of environment protection and conservation.

"We will work for water conservation and management, plantings trees and elimination of use of plastic and other non-biodegradable material like thermocol," he added. PTI LAL BNM GVS
Kolkata, Mar 10 (PTI) The state opposition parties on Sunday welcomed the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal and said it reflects the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state.

However, the ruling Trinamool Congress said such a prolonged polling process will put a lot of pressure on the people because of the month of Ramzan and the summer in April and May.

Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of votes for all seats on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

"The seven-phase election reflects the law and order situation in the state... how people were stopped from exercising their democratic rights," CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim said, referring to the violence that took place during the panchayat polls in the state last year.

"We hope that the polling will be held in a free and fair manner and the EC will be impartial, proactive and responsive," Salim said.

The state units of BJP and the Congress too welcomed the Lok Sabha polls. "It shows the kind of law and order now prevailing in West Bengal," BJP leader Mukul Roy said.

West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra also echoed the views of the CPI(M) and the BJP.

Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said the party is not "bothered" about the seven-phase polls.

"However, such a long duration would put a lot of pressure on the people, as the dates coincide with the month of Ramzan and the summer season," said Hakim, also the Mayor of Kolkata. PTI PNT MM NN IND

IND
Availability of forces, other issues reason for 7-phase

polling in WB: CEO

Kolkata, Mar 10 (PTI) Availability of forces was the

most crucial reason in deciding the seven-phase Lok Sabha

elections in West Bengal, Chief Electoral Officer Ariz Aftab

said Sunday.

Besides, there were "other issues", Aftab said without

elaborating it.

The country will go for Lok Sabha election in seven

phases between April 11 and May 19, and West Bengal will have

its share of polls in each of those seven days.

Counting of votes will be held on May 23.

The opposition parties of the state claimed that the

seven-phase polls reflects the "deteriorating" law and order

situation under the Trinamool Congress rule, while the ruling

party alleged that Centre has "misled" the Election Commission

about the situation in the state.

Polls will be held for two seats on April 11, three on

April 18, five on April 23, eight on April 29 seven on May 6,

eight on May 12, and nine on May 19.

Aftab said while polling will be held in Coochbehar

and Alipurduar in the first phase, and Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling

and Raiganj in the second.

The third phase polls will witness voting in

Balurghat, Malda North, Malda South, Jangipur and Murshidabad.

There will be higher number of constituencies in the

next four phase polls.

For the fourth phase, polling will be held in

Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba,

Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum.

The fifth phase will witness voting in Bongaon,

Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Srirampore, Hooghly, Arambag.

For he sixth phase, it will be held in Tamluk, Kanthi,

Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Bishnupur.

The seventh and last phase polls on May 19 will be

held in Kolkata and two neighbouring districts. The seats are

Dumdum, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar, Barasat,

Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour.

The CEO said with the announcement of dates, model

code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect.

He said an estimated 6.97 crore voters were eligible

to exercise their franchise in 78,799 polling stations across

the state.

There will be Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail

(VVPAT) in all the polling stations, the CEO said.

To a question the CEO said the process to identify

vulnerable polling stations was still on.

"We will shortly sit with all the political parties to

ensure smooth and fair polls," he said. PTI SUS

NN NN
New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) Amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, a reciprocal visit by the Indian team to Pakistan for inspection of projects in Indus river basin this month has been postponed, senior officials said Sunday.

During the 115th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission held in Lahore from August 29-30, 2018, both the commissioners had agreed to undertake the treaty-mandated tours of the Indus basin on both sides, the official said.

The tour of the Pakistani side was originally scheduled in October 2018 but was postponed because of local bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the Pakistani team visited India in the last week of January to inspect projects in the Chenab basin in the state.

Pakistani Indus Commissioner Syed Mohammad Mehar Ali Shah and Indian Commissioner PK Saxena along with respective advisers visited the under-construction Indian hydropower projects in Chenab basin namely Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW).

The delegation also visited the under-operation Baglihar hydro electric project (900 MW). The Pakistani commissioner extended an invitation to his counterpart to undertake a visit of the Indus basin on Pakistani side.

The Indian team was supposed to visit Pakistan this month, a senior official said.

"But amid the ongoing tension it has now been postponed," the official added.

The official remained non-committal about the date, but said the visit has to take place by March 2020.

Under Article VIII of the treaty, both commissioners are mandated to undertake, once every five years, a general tour of inspection of the rivers for ascertaining the facts connected with various developments and works on both sides.

The current five-year block ends in March, 2020. The PCIW, formed under the Indus Waters Treaty, was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, and it includes Indus commissioners of both countries. The treaty provides for both the commissioners to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The treaty specifies that the waters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, have been reserved for India while that of western rivers, namely Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, are for Pakistan. PTI PR AAR
New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) The Election Commission (EC) is set to announce on Sunday schedule for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections, which is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May.

The poll panel will be holding a press conference at 5 pm at Vigyan Bhavan here.

The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

As soon as the elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling BJP, are announced, the model code of conduct will come into force.

Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions.

Notification for the first phase could be issued by the end of March for voting some time in early April, sources suggested.

There is a strong possibility that the EC may go by the precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.

While there is a view that the J-K assembly elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, a lot depends on the complex security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border.

The Centre and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed Governor, are against holding the two elections together.

However, all political parties in the state favoured simultaneous polls during a meeting with the Election Commission earlier this week.

The J-K assembly's six-year term was to end on March 16, 2021, but it got dissolved after a ruling coalition between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell apart.

The other state assemblies and Lok Sabha have five-year terms.

The required electronic voting machines and paper trail machines are in place to be deployed in nearly 10 lakh poling stations across 543 Lok Sabha constituencies.

There is a high probability of the elections being spread across seven to eight phases this time.

In 2014, the EC had announced the election schedule on March 5 and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May.

While the first phase polling was on April 7, the last phase was on May 12. PTI NAB

RHL
Srinagar, Mar 10 (PTI) Four civilians, including a woman, were injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Sunday, officials said.

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing towards Indian posts and villages in Kamalkote area of Uri in north Kashmir, a police official said.

He said four civilians, including a woman, were injured in the firing.

The injured were admitted to a hospital, the official said.

An Army official confirmed the ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops, but said the Indian Army has responded to Pakistani firing in adequate measure. PTI SSB KJ
New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) After the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 2019 parliamentary election on Sunday, AAP head and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was time to throw out the Narendra Modi dispensation, "the most dictatorial and anti-federal" government in the history of India, with the help of the people.

"Ultimately back to 'We the people' -- the real power of our democracy. Time to throw out the most dictatorial and anti-federal govt in the history of India. Time to seek answers on demonetisation, jobs, destruction of traders and destroying brotherhood amongst different communities," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases till May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

The elections to seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will be held on May 12.

The Election Commission has fixed the date for removal of the "autocratic" government in the country, said Delhi AAP convener Gopal Rai.

"People of Delhi and the country were waiting for this day. The Modi government by violating all constitutional and democratic norms humiliated and paralysed the Delhi government," he charged.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the first major political party in Delhi to announce its candidates. The party has fielded Atishi (East Delhi), Dilip Pandey (North East Delhi), Raghav Chadha (South Delhi), Gugan Singh (North West Delhi) and Pankaj Gupta(Chandni Chowk) for the Lok Sabha election. The candidate for West Delhi seats is likely to be declared soon. PTI VIT SMN
Elisabeth Elliot has just released her brand new book Suffering is Never for Nothing. Hard times come for all in life, with no real explanation. When we walk through suffering, it has the potential to devastate and destroy, or to be the gateway to gratitude and joy.

Elisabeth Elliot was no stranger to suffering. Her first husband, Jim, was murdered by the Waoroni people in Ecuador moments after he arrived in hopes of sharing the gospel. Her second husband was lost to cancer. Yet, it was in her deepest suffering that she learned the deepest lessons about God.



Why doesn't God do something about suffering? He has, He did, He is, and He will.



Suffering and love are inexplicably linked, as God's love for His people is evidenced in His sending Jesus to carry our sins, griefs, and sufferings on the cross, sacrificially taking what was not His on Himself so that we would not be required to carry it. He has walked the ultimate path of suffering, and He has won victory on our behalf.



This truth led Elisabeth to say, "Whatever is in the cup that God is offering to me, whether it be pain and sorrow and suffering and grief along with the many more joys, I'm willing to take it because I trust Him."



Because suffering is never for nothing.

Elisabeth Elliot was born Elisabeth Howard to missionary parents who were serving in Belgium. Upon their return to the United States they settled in Pennsylvania and New Jersey before she began college at Wheaton College. It was there that she discovered her love for biblical Greek, a love that would ultimately lead to her making the New Testament accessible to some of those for whom it had not been previously accessible. Wheaton College is also where she met Jim Elliot, who she later married in Quito, Ecuador, where they were both serving as missionaries.



Jim and Elisabeth had one daughter, Valerie, who was ten months old when her father was killed by some Waorani men who he, along with four other missionaries, had been seeking to develop a relationship for gospel purposes. Elisabeth continued working with the Quichua people of Ecuador when, through a remarkable providence, she met two Waorani women with whom she and Valerie lived for a year. They were the key to Elisabeth and Valerie going to live with the tribe that had killed the five missionaries. They remained there for two years.



Elisabeth and Valerie returned to the Quichua work and remained there until 1963 when she and Valerie returned to the U.S. Subsequent to her return to the United States, her life was one of writing and speaking. It also included, in 1969, a marriage to Addison Leitch, professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts. He died in 1973. After his death she married Lars Gren, to whom she was married until her death on June 15, 2015 at her home in Magnolia, Massachusetts.



Elisabeth's influence continues to span generations through her daily radio program on air for many years and now re-airing in many locations, her rigorous conference schedule, including still referenced messages such as those from the Urbana But it is through her books that her reach spread the furthest. With millions of copies of 21 books in print over the years, one cannot begin to fathom the influence this one surrendered life had on the choices, godliness, and overall sanctification of millions.

Tags : elisabeth elliot Suffering is Never for Nothing elisabeth elliot new book elisabeth elliot news
Lucknow, Mar 10 (PTI) With the Election Commission Sunday announcing the Lok Sabha poll schedule, the ball was set rolling in Uttar Pradesh where the stakes of the ruling BJP is high as the state sends the highest number of 80 MPs to the lower house of Parliament.

With a major part of the gruelling exercise falling in the hot summer months of April and May, the fierce battle of ballots in all likelihood will scorch the electoral arena across the state.

The keenly watched contest will test the popularity of the fledging opposition alliance of once bitter rivals Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, who have joined hands to take on the BJP, which had scooped a massive 73 seats in the 2014 election along with its ally, the Apna Dal.

The state will have seven-phase polling on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct came into force with immediate effect Sunday.

Interestingly, hours ahead of the Model Code coming into effect, the Uttar Pradesh government hurriedly announced the names of top office bearers of certain commissions, councils and corporations by nominating people owing allegiance to the ruling BJP or its ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

A UP government spokesperson said names of 72 people have been announced for various posts in 22 commissions, councils and corporations in the state.

A notable appointment was of Arvind Rajbhar, who has been made the chairman of UP Small Industries Corporation Ltd, apparently to soothe the ruffled feathers of his father and UP Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, whose SBSP has often embarrassed the ruling BJP despite being an ally of the NDA.

Another office bearer of SBSP Rana Ajit Pratap Singh has been made the chairman of UP Beej Vikas Nigam (UP Seeds Development Corporation).

In a similar fast-paced development, the UP Raj Bhawan gave its nod to a hurriedly brought ordinance on UP revenue code pertaining to lease of agricultural land and succession of land owners.

Realising that the route to power at the Centre is through Uttar Pradesh, political parties have been wooing voters even before the dates were announced, with the BJP trying to retain its grand performance in 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 assembly polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the 71 BJP lawmakers who won in UP. The Samajwadi party won five, the Congress two and Mayawati's BSP failed to open account.

The BJP followed up its Lok Sabha feat by ousting the Samajwadi Party in the state election in 2017.

But, this time, the BJP faces a resurgent opposition that has scripted back-to-back victories in last year's Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls. Two of those wins were particularly sweet for the opposition  the BJP lost Gorakhpur, the base of its star campaigner Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Phulpur, held by his deputy Keshav Maurya.

Political observers will like to keenly watch how the alliance of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party and Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party performs.

The Congress too is into the fray more seriously this time with the grand old party  for decades an also-ran in UP  announcing the debut of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as its campaign in-charge for the eastern parts of the state, along with Jyotiraditya Scindia in the western belt.

Priyanka Gandhi, sister of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has so far confined herself to Amethi and Rae Bareli, the constituencies of her brother and her mother Sonia Gandhi, respectively.

The Congress is banking on Priyanka Gandhi's charisma and connect  and her striking resemblance to her grandmother Indira Gandhi  to improve its score in Uttar Pradesh. It managed to retain only the Gandhis' seats in 2014 and anything more than that will be an improvement.

Confronting an aggressive opposition, the BJP has pulled up its socks with party president Amit Shah claiming that the party will win at least 74 this time  one more than last time.

Over the past few months, Prime Minister Modi has focused on UP and his constituency Varanasi.

Besides, the party has managed to appease upset smaller allies like Apna Dal(S) and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party that had felt "neglected", BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai claimed.

Adityanath and his government went all out to organise the Kumbh Mela, a massive religious gathering at Prayagraj that draws millions for a dip at the confluence of holy rivers, in the run up to the Lok Sabha election.

With young voters likely to play a key role in the poll, political parties in Uttar Pradesh have set their sights on them and are trying to reach out with various programmes and campaigns.

A spokesperson for the ruling BJP said the party believes young voters not only actively participate in the electoral process, but also act as a catalyst for others to cast their votes.

With 'Mera Pehla Vote Modi Ko (My First Vote For Modi)' campaign, the BJP hopes the young electors will help it replicate its 2014 performance.

As per Election Commission data, there are 14.40 crore voters in Uttar Pradesh and the count of first-time voters stands at approximately 45 lakh, of whom 16.75 lakh are in the age bracket of 18-19 years. PTI NAV SMI ABH

ABH
Election for 5 vacancies in TL Legislative council on Monday

Hyderabad, Mar 10 (PTI) The election to fill five

vacancies in the Telangana Legislative Council,which generated

political heat after four opposition MLAs announced their

decision to move to the ruling TRS, will be held on Monday.

TRS has fielded four of its own candidates (Home Minister

Mohd Mehmood Ali, Seri Subhash Reddy, Satyavati Rathod and

Yegge Mallesam), leaving one seat to its ally AIMIM.

The nominee of the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party is Mirza

Riyaz ul Hasan Effendi.

The main opposition Congress has nominated one

candidate, Gudur Narayana Reddy.

The TRS and its ally MIM appears set to win the five

seats as four opposition MLAs recently announced their

decision to join the TRS.

The strength of TRS in the 120-member House is 88.

An independent MLA and an AIFB legislator had ealier

declared their support to TRS.

The strength of the TRS thus rose to 90.

The AIMIM has seven MLAs.

The main opposition Congress (with 19 MLAs) suffered a

major setback as three of its MLAs (Rega Kantha Rao, Atram

Sakku and Chirumarthi Lingaiah) had recently announced their

decision to join the TRS.

With this, the strength of Congress came down to 16.

The two-member TDP has also suffered a setback as one of

its MLAs had said he (Sandra Venkata Veeraiah) would be

joining TRS.

The TDPs strength has got reduced to one.

The decision of the three Congress MLAs and the TDP

legislator to join the TRS has dealt a blow to the chances of

the Congress nominee in the Council election, who was banking

on the support of TDP.

BJP is represented by one MLA in the Assembly.

TRS sources said a meeting of the party's legislature

party would be held Monday morning at the party headquarters

here.

The voting procedure in the MLC elections would be

discussed in the meeting, they said.

A mock polling exercise would be held with the MLAs.

TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has

urged all MLAs to attend the meeting without fail, the sources

added.

The switch over of the Congress MLAs has led to a bitter

war of words between Congress and ruling TRS.

The Congress had alleged that the TRS had 'purchased' the

MLAs, while TRS working president K T Rama Rao referred to

some public representatives joining the Congress and asked if

that was also a 'purchase'.

Meanwhile, the Congress is staring at having no

representation in the council as two of its MLCs are set to

retire soon. PTI SJR APR

APR APR
Ballia, Mar 10 (PTI) Two persons were killed and five others injured when the car they were travelling in crashed into a tree in Bairiya area here Sunday, police said.

The accident took place when seven students were returning to Patna after attending a birthday programme in Ballia, officials said.

The deceased were identified as Paarth (19) and Gajal (16), they said, adding the five injured have been hospitalised. PTI CORR NAV MAZ IND
CHARIHO: Charihos girls and boys soccer teams both won Division II titles in dramatic fashion. The girls won in penalty kicks and the boys in the final two minutes of double overtime. The football team reached the D-III title game, as did the field hockey team. The girls volleyball team played in the D-II semifinals. Erin vonHousen was All-State in girls cross country.

STONINGTON: Stoningtons boys soccer team earned its second straight Class M state title, closing the season with 21 straight victories. The field hockey team lost in the Class S title game.

WESTERLY: Westerlys girls volleyball team reached the Division III semifinals, losing to eventual champion Scituate. The football team played in the D-II semifinals. The girls soccer team reached the D-III semifinals. Jake Serra and Kaya West were All-State in cross country.

WHEELER: Wheeler boys and girls soccer teams qualified for the Class S state tournament.

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It is marvellous when issues we raise in the pages of Personal Finance strike a responsive chord with readers, resulting in a deluge of correspondence. It proves we are firmly on the ball (as we always should be) and taking a stand rather than jumping on bandwagons.

This is exactly what happened last week when we were bombarded with emails and letters in response to two key money matters we wrote about (last Sunday).

Namely, the plague of continuous payment authorities and rampant price discrimination still being waged against loyal customers by an out-of-touch and profit-fuelled insurance industry. To everyone who has written in or contacted us via social media, a big thank you.

The Mail on Sunday was bombarded with emails and letters in response to two money matters

Unlike the financial services industry, our mailbag  a barometer of how consumers feel about money issues and the financial world at large  never lies and it is sending us two big messages which regulators, offending companies and insurers would be wise to address soonest.

The first is that the regulatory regime governing continuous payment authorities is not fit for purpose. It just does not give consumers enough protection.

Companies are being allowed to set up payments that give them licence to plunder peoples bank or credit card accounts, not just now but potentially way into the future  without there being sufficient checks or balances in place.

Our demands for reform  based around improved communication and greater transparency  are shown, left. They would not be difficult to introduce. The only obstacle is one of intransigence on behalf of regulators, companies and banks.

They have also gained widespread support among consumer groups, most notably Citizens Advice. Here, its chief executive makes an impassioned plea for urgent reform.

Other consumer champions have registered their backing  and we will allow them to have their say in the coming weeks. One thing is for sure: we will not back down until there is reform.

In the meantime, dont let yourself be a victim of this racket. Take action. We have printed a letter below you can send to stop the perpetrators in their tracks.

As for the insurance industrys continued exploitation of loyal customers, this must come to a halt. For the past 18 months, we have run a broken loyalty campaign, highlighting how longstanding insurance customers are fleeced.

We will not go away until this wrong is righted. Drop me an email if you have any thoughts on these two issues. I am all eyes and ears.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

A trickster who operated a huge international land scam has been jailed for six months for contempt of court. This is after diverting buy-to-let rents to his wife, in breach of court orders freezing his assets so his victims could be repaid losses of more than 15million.

Robert McKendrick, 59, of Alderley Edge in Cheshire, was behind Agri Capital. From 2009 onwards, the company offered investments in parcels of land in Sierra Leone which, it claimed, would be used to grow rice.

Bankrupt: Robert McKendrick diverted buy-to-let rents to his wife

Advertisements promised 50 per cent capital growth in the first year, an estimated 15 per cent annual income from harvests, and all with a full money-back guarantee.

I warned in 2010 that the scheme was not authorised by the then City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority.

I asked McKendrick who would honour the guarantee if no rice was actually harvested. His reply was: Agri Capital underwrites this. So, if Agri Capital itself got into difficulties, investors would have little chance of recovering their money.

Three years later, in 2013, the renamed City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, began legal action after deciding the scheme was unlawfully promoted and operated without its permission. A court ruled McKendrick had misled investors, and it ordered a freeze of his assets.

McKendrick hit the headlines again in 2016 when his wife and daughter were attacked and their home ransacked by a gang organised by his Russian former lover, Karine Solloway.

She had lent McKendrick more than 1million and had not been repaid. In 2017, Solloway was jailed for ten years. Three men who carried out the robbery were also jailed.

Last year, the regulator resumed its legal action. McKendrick was ordered to reveal all his assets, and he was barred from disposing of them. He was told he would have to pay the FCA so it could refund his investors.

He has since been declared bankrupt, but in breach of court orders he secretly appointed his wife to manage dozens of properties he owns. This allowed her to pocket the rents and draw highly inflated management fees.

Mark Steward, director of enforcement at the FCA, said: Mr McKendrick misled investors and then, in contempt of court, failed to comply with court orders requiring him to properly account for the losses.

The regulator is now taking proceedings to enforce court judgments and distribute the proceeds to McKendricks victims.

My daughter's 50 went to wrong home J.H. writes: I transferred 50 to my daughters account at Barclays. I then found the account had been closed, but the 50 was not returned. My own bank, Santander, says the transfer had gone through. Barclays will not speak to me. You gave me the sort code and account number that received the 50, but I traced this to a housing association, not your daughter. Quite rightly, Barclays could not discuss the account with you because that would breach the privacy of its customer. It turns out that a few years ago you made a payment to the housing association on behalf of your daughter, and you confused this with her own account details. The housing association is now in touch with your daughter to make sure she gets the 50.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Wealth creation is not just about buying shares, dutifully reinvesting any dividends received, and waiting patiently for their price to rise skywards.

It is also about being alert to any potential problems affecting the companies whose shares you hold and taking corrective action before they blow an expensive hole in your portfolio.

It is called being investor smart, on the ball and active  rather than passive (a bit of an annoying buzzword in investor circles).

Big screen: Christian Bale in the 2015 movie The Big Short which centred on the shortselling of bank stocks

You do not need to search too hard for examples of companies that were the darlings of shareholders one moment, only to plunge subsequently into liquidation, bringing investors nothing but despair and financial headaches.

Five years ago, most shareholders in construction giant Carillion would have described themselves as 'content' investors, receiving a regular stream of dividends and seeing the value of their shares steadily rise.

Indeed, Carillion, a FTSE 100-listed company with a string of high profile construction projects under its belt  including the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in London  represented something of a dividend sweet spot for income-hungry investors.

Some 727million was handed out in income to shareholders during the company's 19-year life, according to data compiled by Reuters.

Yet, Carillion's generosity disguised an absolute mess at the heart of the business. It was in effect borrowing money, selling assets and leaving the company's pension scheme seriously underfunded, in order to keep shareholders happy.

In 2017, it all caught up with the company as it issued a series of profit warnings and the shares dived in value. In January last year, Carillion went into liquidation, leaving any remaining shareholders (most admittedly had long run for the hills) with holdings worth nothing.

Although shareholders, suppliers and employees were horribly impacted, not everyone lost out from Carillion's demise. Its directors, past and present at the time of the collapse, will never be short of a bob or two, that's for sure. Also, a band of shrewd City investors walked away from the debris of Carillion with profits for their clients (and themselves) worth millions of pounds.

Their magic financial trick was to 'bet' on the company's share price falling  an investment tactic known as 'shorting'.

In simple terms, a short investor borrows shares from a large institution  a pension fund for example  and then sells them immediately in the hope their price falls. If this happens, they buy back the shares, banking a healthy profit in the process.

Major player: In the UK, the most famous 'shorter' is Crispin Odey, of Odey Asset Management

Shorting is the strict domain of high-profile hedge fund managers such as James Chanos in the United States who made a financial killing from the collapse of Enron in 2001  and Steve Eisman who correctly predicted the meltdown in the US subprime mortgage market in 2007 and 2008 and was a central character  albeit under another name  in the 2015 movie The Big Short.

In the UK, the most famous 'shorter' is Crispin Odey, of Odey Asset Management, who in recent months has reaped handsome profits from short positions in shopping centre owner Intu and German- listed digital payments company Wirecard.

While shorting is a tool that the astute Odeys of this world can employ to make money on behalf of wealthy clients, it can also be used by private investors  but in an altogether different way.

Data on which shares are being most heavily shorted can give a good indication of companies that City professionals believe are facing big challenges  and from an investor point of view may be best avoided, or whose shares should be sold.

Lee Wild is head of equity market strategy at wealth manager Interactive Investor. He says: 'Professional investors such as Odey do not short without doing their homework.

So big short bets are definitely a red flag and an indication that something might be wrong at a company. Carillion is a great example of short-sellers getting it very right, although they do not always get it correct.'

Trading trends: Among those currently heavily shorted are Metro Bank

Russ Mould is investment director at AJ Bell. He argues that it is 'always' worth absorbing the views of short-sellers, for three main reasons. First, he says too many investors search for 'confirmation bias'  looking for facts that support their particular investment thesis.

He explains: 'The best investors look for views that contradict their own to see what they have missed. It's not easy, not always pleasant, but it's a worthwhile exercise because it can help identify flaws in their investment strategy.' So short-sellers should be listened to.

Secondly, short-sellers are incredibly thorough  primarily because if the bets go wrong, their downside is technically unlimited. This is because a share price can keep going up, increasing their losses. So, if they target a particular company, it is usually because they have identified a fundamental flaw in the company's armoury a weak balance sheet, a business model under threat from disruptive competitors or profit margins under extreme pressure.

Finally, short-sellers are usually more right than wrong. Big 'rights' are short positions built against retailer Debenhams (since 2016), Marks & Spencer (since 2017) and Metro Bank (since early last year). Recent big 'wrongs' include Ocado and Pearson.

Mould adds: 'Paying attention to shorts makes sense as it stress tests your own investment views. Whenever you buy a share, you are effectively telling the seller of the same share that they are wrong and you are right, so you should always consider the possible downside.'

Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management has just compiled a table of UK-listed companies that have the highest proportion of shares held short.

Among those currently heavily shorted are Metro Bank  reeling from accounting errors that underplayed the riskiness of some of its lending  and Debenhams that has just issued its fourth profit warning in just over a year.

Shorted: Debenhams, that has just issued its fourth profit warning in just over a year

Wild says it is 'tempting' to think of Debenhams as a recovery but the future, he adds, is 'bleak, even if it does manage to secure longer-term refinancing from its banks and bondholders'.

He says concerns about Metro Bank's risky loans 'remain' with any sustainable recovery dependent upon 'greater political and economic certainty'.

Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, says investors should give Debenhams a 'wide berth' while he believes Metro Bank's share price 'remains under pressure'.

Simon McGarry, senior equity research analyst at Canaccord, says: 'In 2017, Carillion topped our 'Get Shorty' list so it proves our analysis isn't some whimsical measure. Of course, it isn't a 100 per cent accurate indicator of future performance but short interest in a company is often a reliable warning sign.'

He adds: 'It doesn't mean a company will go bust. But it could mean a dividend is under threat  an important consideration for investors.'
Crispin Odey is probably the UK's best known big shorter  often making bets within his investment funds that are wildly successful when markets or individual stocks fall.

He is not always right  and sometimes mistimes his bets. He went bearish on the stock market too soon last year, for example, and his bets suffered the consequences.

But investors who are happy to share a bumpy ride can take a punt on his funds.

High profile: Crispin Odey is the Citys best known big shorter

Apart from Odey's flagship Macro hedge fund (open only to seriously wealthy investors) his firm has a range of retail offerings targeted at individual investors which use shorting. They can be bought through any broker from as little as 100.

Jason Hollands, of broker Tilney, says: 'Hedge funds can physically short-sell a share by borrowing it off a long-term holder such as a life insurance fund to then sell it  and then buy it back later (hoping it will have fallen) and return it within an agreed time to the lender.

'Traditional investment funds are not allowed to short this way. Instead they take positions 'synthetically' by buying derivatives such as contracts for difference.'

Darius McDermott, of broker Chelsea Financial Services, warns investors to be wary of funds that short.

He says: 'They are volatile so investors need to be fully aware before committing any money. You do not need to be rich to invest in Odey's retail funds, for example. But it does need to be money you can afford to lose.'

Other funds that short stocks but are less volatile include Smith & Williamson Enterprise and Janus Henderson UK Absolute Return. McDermott says: 'The managers of these funds have good long- term track records in terms of shorting stocks.'

Hollands recommends Artemis US Absolute Return, BlackRock UK Absolute Alpha and Jupiter Absolute Return.

He is also interested in a new offering from US fund manager Neuberger Berman, which has just entered the UK market with its TM Neuberger Berman Absolute Alpha fund.

Hollands adds: 'It is co-managed by Steve Eisman of The Big Short fame. He takes strong views and I think this fund will be aimed at investors who want to turbo-charge returns.'

Another route to shorting at an affordable price is through investment trusts, which are traded like shares on the stock market. A cohort of trusts often use shorting as part of their investment strategy.

According to the Association of Investment Companies, 19 trusts have held at least one short equity position in the past year. They include BlackRock Throgmorton, Fidelity Special Values, BlackRock Frontiers and Gabelli Merger Plus+ Trust.
The UKs smallest listed companies  with market values of 250million or less  can provide exhilarating investment opportunities.

Often under-researched by analysts and fund managers, canny investors can frequently pick up shares at bargain prices  before the market wakes up to their true potential.

Since the tiniest companies can also quickly go up in smoke it means the sector also has a reputation for being high risk.

The fund management team behind Liontrust UK Micro Cap only selects minnows valued at under 150million

The fund management team behind Liontrust UK Micro Cap aims to smooth out the most serious investment risks by only selecting minnows  valued at under 150million  that have already proven their money-making credentials as well as resilience to whatever the economic weather throws at them.

According to Victoria Stevens, one of the four managers behind the 39million fund, the initial stock selection process is three-pronged. She says: Every company has to be profitable, have directors who have a minimum 3 per cent shareholding  and be headquartered in the UK.

Beyond these hurdles a company must have one or more of three key attributes: ownership of its intellectual property (patents and copyrights); a strong distribution network that makes it tricky for competitors to replicate; and a high proportion of revenues drawn from recurring income rather than one-off sales.

Currently, the fund is heavily skewed towards technology and software firms  a sector rich in intellectual property, says Stevens.

One of the funds 60 or so stocks is Ftapro, a provider of analytic software to asset managers. She says: Its customers are sticky, meaning once they have the product they will not easily move away. This means 70 per cent of Ftapros turnover is recurring.

Another holding, Dotdigital  a provider of digital marketing software  also has plenty of loyal customers and a strong distribution model.

Most of the carefully selected companies make the grade because they generate a strong return on capital. Co-manager Matt Tonge says: They have more cash coming in than their costs. The managers are risk averse and dismiss companies with high levels of debt. Tonge says: Some 72 per cent of the companies we hold are generating net cash.

Above all, Liontrusts team ensures they do not overpay for shares they buy. One of its biggest success stories so far was a holding in YouGov. The market research company has performed strongly on the back of developing a huge database of useful and sellable data.

Liontrust started buying YouGov shares in March 2016 at 134p and the last price they got when disposing of them was 282p in June 2017. By then the size of the company had hit 250 million so it was well beyond Liontrusts preferred maximum.

Jason Hollands, of broker Tilney, says the fund, nearly three years old, has got off to a flying start, outshining rivals and funds that focus on a wider pool of UK smaller and middle-sized companies shunned by Brexit-wary investors.

He adds: The tiny end of the market of small and illiquid companies that Liontrust fishes in has been far less impacted.

Since the risks involved in micro-companies are high, investors should aim to have no more than five per cent of their portfolio in such stocks. Liontrust UK Micro Cap has an annual ongoing charge of 1.4 per cent. Since launch in March 2016, it has generated a return of 49 per cent.
For most of the last 20 years savers looking for a home for their annual Isa allowance simply chose between risky shares and safety-first cash.

But with the rates on cash accounts stubbornly low (1.5 per cent at best) and stock markets looking uncertain, many are feeling that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Since 2016 there has been a third option  the innovative finance Isa  that can help savers diversify their Isa portfolio and potentially solve a dilemma for those fearful of equities and disgruntled with cash returns.

The innovative finance Isa is where savers invest their money via a peer-to-peer platform

The innovative finance option is where savers invest their money via a peer-to-peer platform. In turn, the platform lends their money to others  either individuals who perhaps want to pay for a new car, holiday or home improvements, or to businesses needing cash to expand their operations or purchase equipment.

The platform charges the borrowers interest and after taking a cut pays a return to the lender  usually paying rates at least three or four times the level paid on traditional cash accounts.

By holding the investment in an Isa, returns are tax free.

Peer-to-peer investments are not risk free as the borrowers can  and do  default. There is the potential to lose all of your investment.

But to reduce the risk for investors, lending platforms spread money among many borrowers so that investors are not dependent on the financial strength or weakness of a single borrower.

This third way is gaining traction with nearly 3billion lent through platforms last year.

Tread carefully at the start Before taking the leap consider the following: 1. Invest only a small sum to start with to ensure you are happy with how the platform works. 2. Check the providers website for details of the measures they take to protect your money. Most offer some form of safety net. 3. Look at their track record on defaults and losses. RateSetter, for example, gives full details of its safety net fund. 4. Find out if you can get at your money in an emergency  and whether exit charges are applied.

About 290million of this was invested via innovative finance Isas in the last tax year  an eightfold increase on the sums invested in the tax year before. But this all pales into insignificance compared to 40billion put in cash and 29billion in stocks and shares Isas.

One of the most well-established platforms is Zopa. Launched 14 years ago, it lends money to low-risk individual borrowers. Zopa has target rates of return of between 4.5 and 5.2 per cent. Other big players include RateSetter and Funding Circle. Andrew Lawson, from Zopa, says: The innovative Isa represents an excellent middle ground for investors put off by increasingly turbulent equity markets or disappointed by pitiful returns from cash Isas.

Other styles of peer-to-peer investments allow investors to lend their cash to specific types of project. For example, platform Relendex issues loans to commercial and residential building projects, while an innovative finance Isa from Oaksmore directs lenders money towards property restoration. Abundance Investing gives access to renewable energy projects.

Investors who want to spread their risks across different platforms in a single Isa can consider buying their Isa through an aggregator providing access to several peer-to-peer providers.

Orca Money has just launched, offering access to Isas across five platforms  Lending Works, Assetz Capital, Landbay, Octopus Choice and Lending Crowd. Investments start from 100 and provide a return of up to 5.3 per cent a year.

Iain Niblock, chief executive, says: Investors funds are automatically spread across some of the countrys leading peer-to-peer platforms. This spreads the investment across a broad range of asset classes and risks.

Investors can choose from two portfolios  Orca Pure aiming for a 4.3 per cent annual return and Orca Plus (5.3 per cent).

Mario Lupori, of RateSetter, believes his companys platform also provides diversification. He says: Our platform has the advantage of automatically diversifying every investors risk across all our 850million worth of active loans  resulting in steady returns averaging 4.4 per cent a year. Investors money is spread across more than 250,000 loans, no matter how much they have invested. You get the same level of risk if you invest 10 as you do 100,000.

Savers can only contribute to one innovative Isa from a single provider each tax year, though they can switch existing Isas into one.

Andrew Hagger, of financial consultancy Moneycomms, says: I would only recommend peer-to-peer as part of a wider portfolio. You need to do your homework and understand how your money will be used, the expected level of bad debts, and how you can get your money back if needed. Do not be lured in simply because of the attractive advertised return.

He adds: Ive invested in a number of peer-to-peer schemes and to date have not lost any money. But there have been occasions when repayment has been later than originally agreed.
SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SHARE TIPS: James Halstead, Bodycote and Bovis

We round up the Sunday newspaper share tips. This week, Midas looks at the soon to be listed US Solar Fund, while the Sunday Times assesses the prospects of health data firm Sensyne and the Telegraph mulls the future for medical devices company ConvaTec.

MAIL ON SUNDAY

To the outside world, the US may seem an unlikely place to bang the drum for renewable energy these days.

President Trump is a well-known climate-change sceptic, a keen supporter of the oil and gas industry and publicly opposed to any greenhouse gas-curbing policies that jeopardise US jobs.

But most US states have clean energy targets and even those which do not are increasingly interested in renewable power, particularly solar.

Their enthusiasm reflects a dramatic change in the economics around this energy source. Building and operating solar plants used to be exceptionally expensive but prices have tumbled over past decade, making solar one of the cheapest sources of power in the US.

US Solar Fund intends to tap into this trend. The company expects to list on the Stock Exchange next week and investors can apply for shares until Wednesday. Shares will be priced at $1 (76p) each but investors can subscribe in pounds or dollars and the minimum application is $1,000 or 1,000.

The flotation looks appealing, with chief executive John Martin targeting a 5.5 per cent dividend yield from 2020, rising steadily in subsequent years.

Midas verdict: The US Solar Fund offers UK investors access to a fast-growing renewable energy market, with a robust long-term outlook. An attractive investment, despite President Trump's antipathy.

>>>Read the full Midas column here

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

The medical devices group ConvaTec has so far made money only for its former private equity backers and recovery looks far off, writes James Ashton.

It was Londons largest listing of 2016, and Questor initially liked the healthcare group, he says.

It's a 'maker of colostomy bags, catheters and complicated wound dressings' that was a former division of Bristol-Myers Squibb.

'Buoyed by stories of boosting margins and impressive cash conversion, the stock duly peaked 44pc above our tip price. Thereafter, the investment outlook has been like a gory trip to A&E,' says Ashton.

'Today the shares trade at two thirds of the offer price, an acute embarrassment for a stellar board led by former Vodafone grandee Sir Christopher Gent. Much has gone wrong, including a botched margin improvement programme, a manufacturing relocation that disrupted production and leadership upheaval.

'The business is hunting for a new chief executive after the hapless Paul Moraviec left last autumn.'

Ashton says the question for investors is whether to hold on for recovery, and he concludes it is a tough road ahead.

'The shares are trading at 13 times this years forecast earnings, a discount to the wider medical sector. Even though the current management have injected a healthy dose of realism into the story, its time to stomach the loss and move on.'

THE SUNDAY TIMES

The NHS holds the medical records of 65m patients, data that could be priceless to drug manufacturers. writes Sabah Meddings.

'One company hoping to put a price on the data  and reap rewards  is Sensyne Health, led by former science minister Paul Drayson, who is also co-founder of the vaccine maker PowderJect (and an amateur racing driver).

'Sensyne floated on Londons junior AIM market last August at 175p a share, valuing it at 225m. As part of the listing, NHS trusts were handed shares. Lord Drayson  who owns 70.9m of shares with his wife Elspeth  has promised to sign three more deals with NHS trusts before the end of next year.'

Meddings notes that analysts forecast revenues of just 230,000 for this year, and unadjusted losses are expected to be 12.1m.

'The shares have had a rocky ride, falling to a low of 155.5p in January, although they closed on Friday at 190p, valuing it at 244.3m.

'Those looking for long-term investments should take a closer look. For a quick return, however, place your bets elsewhere.'
Software giant Micro Focus faces a shareholder rebellion over a move to give bosses an extra year to hit targets which could allow them to share a 268million bonus bonanza.

The FTSE 100 companys remuneration committee is accused by Glass Lewis of having not fulfilled its duties.

The influential shareholder advisory body has urged investors to vote against the re-election of committee chairwoman Amanda Brown and the three other members  Darren Roos, Silke Scheiber and Karen Slatford  at the annual meeting on March 29. It has also recommended investors vote against the remuneration report.

Shareholder rebellion: Executive chairman Kevin Loosemore may pocket 37.4million

Micro Focus granted the time extension after the botched integration of its 6.5billion takeover of assets from Hewlett Packard Enterprise made the share price slide.

For the awards to pay out in full, the share price  now 18.45  must hit 34 by September 2020. No payouts will be triggered unless it reaches 25. In January, The MoS learned that the time extension had angered investors. Aviva Investors said it would challenge the firm ahead of the annual meeting.

Glass Lewis said it was deeply troubled by the grossly excessive bonus scheme which was sharply divergent from good practice.

More than 30 senior bosses stand to gain. The top four executives could share up to 110million. Executive chairman Kevin Loosemore may pocket 37.4million.

Glass Lewis added: We question the committees use of discretion in amending the performance period to begin and end one year later, thereby allowing the executives an additional year to meet the targets.

Micro Focus said the changes were fully consistent with the remuneration policy which was supported by Glass Lewis and approved by shareholders in September 2017.

It said the time change simply aligns the performance period to the 2020 business plan.
American media giant Disney collected a 430million dividend last year from the UK-registered company which operates its cruise ships.

Disney has four vessels with passengers entertained by costumed cartoon characters and screenings of Disney musicals.

The cruises are operated by Disneys London-based Magical Cruise Company subsidiary, which earns revenue from the sale of cabin tickets and from onboard sales.

Oh Mickey!: Disney characters help to entertain the cruise line passengers

Its latest accounts, for the year to September 30, 2017, show revenues rose 5.7 per cent to a record 1.1billion. Net profits hit a record high of 224.2million.

The cruise division has now made a total net profit of 667.6million since its first ship set sail in 1998.

The 430million dividend payment approved in January 2018 followed a 155million dividend the previous year. That took the total payout returned to the parent company to 585million.

Terri Schultz, former vice president of New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line Finance, said: Revenue and operating income increased year over year primarily due to higher average ticket prices for sailings.

The UK company is one division of Disneys cruise line. Disney is still a minnow of a cruise business. Industry monitor Cruise Market Watch says it has just 2.3 per cent of the market for passengers.




Office Outlet, one of Britains largest stationery retailers, has called in advisers to examine restructuring options as market conditions worsen.

The 90 store chain formerly traded as Staples but was acquired in 2016 from its US parent and rebranded to its current name.

Last year the chain, run by chief executive Chris Yates, launched a Company Voluntary Arrangement that included negotiating zero rents with some landlords for three years.

Office Outlet, formerly Staples, is struggling

But last night sources said the deteriorating outlook for consumers has hampered attempts to get the 100million-turnover business back on track. Office supply retailers are also struggling as commercial customers are using online suppliers.

Theres a lesson here that CVAs need to be backed by a much sharper strategy in the current retail environment if things are going to improve long-term, said one restructuring market source.

The stores are just too big. Theres a consumer market still out there but the office supplier market is moving online. Why would small businesses make a special trip out of town when you can order a pack of pens or a box of paper in a few minutes on the internet? the source said.

Theo Paphitis could be interested in some of the smaller stores to add to his Rymans chain if the chain is broken up. Management and private equity firm Endless may also be interested in parts of the business.
High street Minister Jake Berry has told MPs that the Government is considering a '2 per cent tax on online retail'  prompting experts to speculate on the possibility of a new Amazon tax.

The launch of such a levy would represent a major shift from the Chancellor's position at the October Budget.

Philip Hammond's announcement of a Digital Services Tax disappointed town centre retailers because the 2 per cent charge fell short of taxing online retail giants such as Amazon and would only hit social media firms and search engines.

The Government is considering a '2 per cent tax on online retail', High street Minister said

But in what was either a slip or an indication of the Government's plans, Berry last week appeared to suggest that the tax could be extended to include online stores.

Berry is the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and local growth, which includes high streets.

During a parliamentary session in the House of Commons to discuss help available for beleaguered shops, he stated: 'The Government have been clear that online taxation in retail needs to be done as part of an international agreement, but we have also been clear that, if we cannot get such an agreement, we will come forward with our own 2 per cent tax on online retail to ensure that we can continue, as we did in the last Budget, to give relief to those retailing on our high streets.

'This year we have already slashed a third off business rates of shops with a rateable value of under 51,000.'

Berry gave the response to a question from Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, who said: 'The Government's plans for a puny 2 per cent digital tax on mega online firms that avoid paying their fair share is an insult to shops on the high street in towns such as Grange, Windermere and Kendal.

'Will he [Berry] support higher taxes on tax dodgers, which would raise enough money to slash business rates for our town centres and help to save our high streets?'

Jake Berry is the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and local growth, which includes high streets

Berry's department, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, declined to retract his statement when contacted by The Mail on Sunday.

Only a month ago, Berry flatly ruled out an online sales tax to a Commons committee, saying such a levy would be 'passed on to consumers' in the form of higher prices.

Altus Group's Robert Hayton said the Minister's commitment appeared to be 'unequivocal'. He said a clarification of the position at the spring statement would avoid 'further deterioration of our high streets'.

A source said the Government's position had not changed.

The Government has repeatedly refused to be drawn into committing to an online sales tax despite growing pressure from retailers operating shops on the street.

In October, Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis called for a 1.25billion tax on products sold via the internet  dubbed an Amazon tax.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Lewis said Hammond should impose a 2 per cent charge to help 'shift the burden of raising the country's income' away from store chains.

He said: 'Three years ago I talked about a potential lethal cocktail of pressures in the retail industry and now you are seeing that come to fruition. The tax burden has reached the point where companies are going bust.'
Half of the medium-sized companies listed on the stock market are paying less than the corporation tax rate of 19 per cent, an analysis by The Mail on Sunday has found.

A study of the FTSE 250 index found 89 of the 187 businesses listed have used legal methods to reduce their effective tax rate below the Governments headline rate.

The other firms listed are investment vehicles, such as investment trusts and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

None of the companies is accused of acting illegally.

Airline Wizz Air reported an effective tax rate of just 3.84 per cent in 2018

The findings come ahead of Chancellor Philip Hammonds spring statement on Wednesday. Hammond is expected to adopt a wait and see approach to spending and taxing after reaching a record surplus on the public finances in January, according to the EY Item Club forecasters.

He is likely to say significant funds would be freed up if Britain agrees a Brexit deal. The Government will then face pressure to cut corporation tax to ensure Britain is an attractive place to do business.

However, tax experts said firms were already reducing their headline rate by choosing to be a tax resident in a country with a low rate or by taking advantage of Government tax breaks.

The Mail on Sunday has repeatedly called on the Chancellor to take action urged under our Fair Play on Tax campaign.

Airline Wizz Air reported an effective tax rate of just 3.84 per cent in 2018, according to data provider Bloomberg.

The company generates significant revenues in the UK but is a tax resident of Switzerland with its generous regime.

Defence firms often receive tax credits from the Government for their activities in research and development.

Outsourcer Serco reported an effective tax rate of 9 per cent

Defence specialist QinetiQ, which had an effective tax rate of 4.6 per cent, said its tax rate will remain below the statutory rate because it expects to continue receiving Government money for research and development.

Stobart, the infrastructure and support service company, reported an effective tax rate of 0.61 per cent in its most recent accounts. Outsourcer Serco reported an effective tax rate of 9 per cent.

Many of the large property companies listed on the FTSE 250 are exempt from corporation tax on the basis that they invest in property on behalf of pension funds, making them REITs.

In some cases the data included deferred tax bills which meant their true effective tax rate may have been even lower.
The Mail on Sunday has been inundated with support for our campaign to crack down on the continuous payment authorities racket.

Scores of readers  most spitting feathers  have shared their shocking stories about a practice that leads to a staggering 7.5billion a year being sucked out of customers bank accounts.

Often victims are oblivious to the fact that their accounts or credit cards have been legally pickpocketed. More than 20million people have been lured into taking out these pernicious plans in recent years  tricked by a slick sales pitch that explains the handing over of a simple credit or debit card number will make the whole payment process hassle free.

Warning: Leonie Yeates was charged twice by dating agency Match.com

But the reality is that a continuous payment plan gives firms licence to help themselves to your money for ever. Unless you order the company or your bank to stop making the monthly payments ahead of the renewal date, they automatically get renewed  time and time again.

The service provider also does not need your approval if it decides to hit you with a nasty price hike. Worse still, continuous payments are not clearly marked on bank statements  unlike direct debits and standing orders  so they are easy to miss.

Among the top offenders are those offering magazine subscriptions, dating agencies, gyms and firms selling home and vehicle breakdown cover.

Leonie Yeates, of Wokingham in Berkshire, has fallen foul of the continuous payment authority tricks adopted by dating agencies  and warns others to be on their guard.

The 62-year-old copywriter says: I signed up to dating agency Match.com  paying 169 from a credit card for six months of membership. At the end of this period I decided to let my membership lapse but then on my next bank statement I noticed yet another 169 had disappeared.

Our demands to rein in the guilty firms All companies using continuous payment authorities must contact customers ahead of the automatic renewal date providing the option to cancel. The right to cancel should be sent 30 days ahead of any renewal  as both a text and email. If the agreement was on paper a letter must also be sent. Payments must be clearly marked on a bank statement  perhaps as CPA  alongside direct debits and standing orders along with a providers name. The renewal date of a continuous payment plan must also be included on the bank statement. A customer must tick a box to acknowledge they sign up to an automatic renewal. It should not be the standard setting but an extra option to choose.

She continues: I was cross that this was done without my permission and the firm was not apologetic. It simply responded by stating the onus was on me to cancel. I was unaware I had been put on an auto-renewal deal and I was not given the opportunity to tick a box confirming I understood what kind of deal I was entering into.

Leonie was almost tricked by a similar ruse with a separate six-month membership taken out with agency Elite Singles late last year.

She says: This time I made sure automatic renewal was not ticked. But when I double-checked a month ago I found the settings had gone back to this method of payment so I had to change it again. You really do need to be on your guard because if youre not, you will get charged again and again and there is little way out.

Other readers are outraged about the way continuous payments are not clearly identifiable on card or bank statements  unlike a direct debit or standing order. As a result, they are not alerted to the fact that they are paying for something they might no longer need or has auto-renewed without them knowing.

The Mail on Sunday believes all continuous payments should be marked as such with the auto-renew date given in the description on the statement.

Nollaig Doughan, a 60-year-old retired software engineer from Warwickshire, says: I enjoy reading a variety of magazines but it is hard to keep tabs on when a subscription expires with a continuous payment authority. As a result, you are less likely to cancel.

For example, on bank statements the subscription is referred to as media publishing rather than the name of the publication that I read. It means I am seldom reminded as to whether I want a magazine subscription to auto-renew or be cancelled. The rules need to be tightened.

Nollaig believes continuous payments should be clearly labelled on statements  the way direct debits and standing orders are.

Jeff Modett, from Lowestoft in Suffolk had a continuous payment authority with home emergency cover provider HomeServe

Jeff Modett, from Lowestoft in Suffolk, stands four square behind our campaign. The 76-year-old retired company director says: I had a continuous payment authority with home emergency cover provider HomeServe.

My annual premiums were increased by 27 without me realising  it was only when I noticed the extra charge on my bank statement I discovered what they had done and immediately cancelled.

He adds: I fear such services prey on the most vulnerable in society. Those that do not regularly check their statements or who are too trusting are most likely to be victims of this sneaky cash grab.

Only about a fifth of all customers realise there is any difference between continuous payment plans compared to a direct debit or standing order. One of the key problems with a CPA is that money is regularly taken from a credit or debit card  and automatically renewed so easy to forget about and not cancel.

In contrast, every time a service provider wants money from someone who is signed up to a direct debit it must ask the customers bank for permission when the payment is due.

A standing order is a regular fixed payment taken from a bank account under an agreement set up by the customer with their bank  not the firm providing the service. It continues until the customer cancels or the standing order contract runs out.

HomeServe says: All pricing and methods of payment are communicated to customers 28 days before renewal. Match.com says: Subscriptions are automatically renewed for convenience. We reimburse customers where proof of cancellation is provided.

Elite Singles says: Subscribers are informed about automatic renewal and can cancel via the account page.
The following companies are subsidiares of Harsco: 21st Century Environmental Management of NV LLC, 21st Century Environmental Management of RI LLC, AERC Acquisition Corporation, AES Asset Acquisition Corporation, Accelerated Remediation Kinetics LLC, Advanced Remediation & Disposal Technologies of Delaware LLC, Allied Environmental Group LLC, Allworth LLC, Altek, Altek Europe Holdings Ltd., Altek Europe Limited, Altek LLC, Altek Melting Solutions Limited, AluServ Middle East W.L.L., Alusalt Limited, Assessment & Remedial Design Technologies Inc, Ballagio S.a.r.l., Burlington Environmental LLC, CEHI Acquisition LLC, CEI Holding LLC, Calrissian Holdings LLC, Carteret Asphalt Corporation, Chemical Pollution Control of Florida LLC, Chemical Pollution Control of New York LLC, Chemical Reclamation Services LLC, Clean Earth Dredging Technologies LLC, Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Solutions Inc., Clean Earth Holdings LLC, Clean Earth Inc., Clean Earth LLC, Clean Earth Mobile Services LLC, Clean Earth Specialty Waste Solutions Inc., Clean Earth of Carteret LLC, Clean Earth of Georgia LLC, Clean Earth of Greater Washington LLC, Clean Earth of Maryland LLC, Clean Earth of Michigan LLC, Clean Earth of New Castle LLC, Clean Earth of North Jersey Inc., Clean Earth of Philadelphia LLC, Clean Earth of Puerto Rico LLC, Clean Earth of Southeast Pennsylvania LLC, Clean Earth of Southern Florida LLC, Clean Earth of West Virginia LLC, Clean Earth of Williamsport LLC, Clean Rock Properties Ltd, Czech Slag- Nova Hut s.r.o., ESOL TOPCO LLC, Environmental Soil Management Inc, Environmental Soil Management of New York LLC, Environmental Solutions (ESOL) Business, Excell Africa Holdings Ltd., Excell Americas Holdings Ltd S.a.r.L., Faber Prest Limited, Gardner Road Oil LLC, GasServ (Netherlands) VII B.V., General Environmental Management of Rancho Cordova LLC, HLWKH 517 Limited, Harsco (Australia) Pty. Limited, Harsco (Beijing) Fertiliser Co. Ltd, Harsco (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Harsco (Mexico) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Peru) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - GuYe Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - Leting Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Renewable Resources Development Co. Ltd, Harsco (U.K.) Limited, Harsco (UK) Group Ltd, Harsco (York Place) Limited, Harsco APAC Rail Machinery (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Harsco Americas Investments S.a.r.l., Harsco Belgium SRL, Harsco Brazil Investments SRL, Harsco Canada Corporation Societe Harsco Canada, Harsco Canada General Partner Limited, Harsco Canada Limited Partnership, Harsco Chile Investments SRL, Harsco China Holding Company Limited, Harsco Defense Holding LLC, Harsco Environmental S.R.L., Harsco Europa B.V., Harsco Fairways Partnership, Harsco Finance B.V., Harsco Financial Holdings Inc., Harsco France S.A.S., Harsco Holdings Inc., Harsco India Metals Private Limited, Harsco India Private Ltd., Harsco India Services Private Ltd., Harsco Industrial Grating China Holding Co. Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure B.V., Harsco Infrastructure CZ s.r.o, Harsco Infrastructure Construction Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Group Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure Holdings Inc., Harsco Infrastructure Hong Kong Ltd, Harsco Infrastructure Industrial Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Services Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco International Finance S.a.r.l., Harsco Investment Ltd., Harsco Investments Europe B.V., Harsco Leatherhead Limited, Harsco Luxembourg S.a.r.l, Harsco Metals (Ningbo) Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals (Thailand) Company Ltd., Harsco Metals 373 Ltd, Harsco Metals 385 Ltd, Harsco Metals Argentina S.A., Harsco Metals Australia Holding Investment Co. Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Australia Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Belgium S.A., Harsco Metals CTS Prestacao de Servicos Tecnicos e Aluguer de Equipamentos LDA Unipessoal, Harsco Metals CZ s.r.o, Harsco Metals Chile S.A., Harsco Metals D.O.O. Smederevo, Harsco Metals Egypt L.L.C., Harsco Metals Emirates Partnership, Harsco Metals Germany GmbH, Harsco Metals Gesmafesa S.A., Harsco Metals Group Limited, Harsco Metals Guatemala S.A., Harsco Metals Holding LLC, Harsco Metals Holdings Limited, Harsco Metals Holland B.V., Harsco Metals Ilanga Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Intermetal LLC, Harsco Metals Investment LLC, Harsco Metals Limitada, Harsco Metals Luxembourg S.A., Harsco Metals Luxequip S.A., Harsco Metals Lycrete S.A., Harsco Metals Middle East FZE, Harsco Metals Norway A.S., Harsco Metals Oostelijk Staal International B.V., Harsco Metals Operations LLC, Harsco Metals Peru S.A., Harsco Metals Polska SP Z.O.O., Harsco Metals RSA Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Reclamet S.A., Harsco Metals SRH Mill Services (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SRI LLC, Harsco Metals Saudi Arabia Ltd., Harsco Metals Slovensko s.r.o., Harsco Metals South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SteelServ (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Sweden A.B., Harsco Metals Transport B.V., Harsco Metals Turkey Celik Limited Sirkety, Harsco Metals VB LLC, Harsco Metals Zhejiang Co. Ltd., Harsco Metals and Minerals France S.A.S., Harsco Metals de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Harsco Metro Rail LLC, Harsco Mexico Holdings S.A. de C.V., Harsco Minerais Limitada, Harsco Minerali d.o.o., Harsco Minerals Arabia LLC (FZC), Harsco Minerals Deutschland GmbH, Harsco Minerals Europe B.V., Harsco Minerals Technologies LLC, Harsco Minnesota Finance Inc., Harsco Minnesota LLC, Harsco Mole Valley Limited, Harsco Nederland Slag B.V., Harsco Nova Scotia Holding Corporation, Harsco Rail Emirates Maatschap/Societe de Droit Commun, Harsco Rail Europe GmbH, Harsco Rail LLC, Harsco Rail Limited, Harsco Rail Ltda, Harsco Rail Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Harsco Rail Pty. Ltd., Harsco Rail Switzerland GMBH, Harsco Steel Mill Trading Arabia LLC, Harsco Sun Demiryolu Ekipmanlari Uretim Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Harsco Switzerland Holding GmbH, Harsco Technologies LLC, Harsco Technology China Co. Ltd., Harsco Track Machines and Services Private Limited, Heckett Bahna Co. For Industrial Operations S.A.E., Heckett Comercio de Rejeitos Industriais Importacao e Exportacao Ltda, Heckett MultiServ (FS) Pty Ltd, Heckett MultiServ Bahna S.A.E., Heckett MultiServ China B.V., Heckett MultiServ Far East B.V., Heckett Multiserv MV & MS CA, Hunnebeck Group GmbH, Iductelec Limited, Ilserv S.R.L., Luntz Acquisition (Delaware) LLC, MKC Acquisition Corporation, Mastclimbers Ltd, Metal Reclamation SPV (Pty.) Ltd., Minerval Metallurgic Additives B.V., MultiServ (Sweden) AB, MultiServ Finance B.V., MultiServ International B.V., MultiServ Limited, MultiServ Logistics Limited, MultiServ Oy, MultiServ Technologies (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Nortal Limited, Northland Environmental LLC, Nortru LLC, PSC Environmental Services LLC, PSC Recovery Systems LLC, Phillip Reclamation Services Houston LLC, Protran Technology LLC, Real Property Acquisition LLC, Republic Environmental Recycling (New Jersey) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (PA) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (Transportation Group) LLC, Rho-Chem LLC, SGB Holdings Limited, SGB Investments Ltd., SGB Scafform Limited, Shanxi TISCO-Harsco Technology Co. Ltd., Short Brothers (Plant) Ltd., Slag Processing Company Egypt (SLAR) S.A.E., Slag Reductie (Pacific) B.V., Slag Reductie Nederland B.V., Solvent Recovery LLC, Tosyali Harsco Geri Kazanim Teknolojileri Anonim Sirketi, and United Retek of Connecticut LLC.
Xiao Yaqing, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, attends a press conference on the reform and development of state-owned enterprises for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) saw strong revenue and profit growth in the first two months of 2019, the head of China's top SOE watchdog said Saturday.

Their operation revenues grew by 3.9 percent year on year, while profits surged by 15.3 percent, Xiao Yaqing, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, told a news conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
This June 6 will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of northern France that marked the beginning of the end of World War II.

Among the events commemorating the day: a parade in Normandy. Among the participants: the Albany Marching Falcons. If all goes as planned, and if enough money gets raised through a bottle drive, GoFundMe page and benefit events, theyll be the only American high school marching band to take part.

The trip to France will be both an occasion to honor those who fought and a chance to bring history to life for students, said Bryan Cady, director of the Falcons and a music teacher in the city school district.

With a lot of folks that had family that served in World War II or maybe died in World War II  you know, for my generation and older, I think its still an event that carries a lot of meaning for us, he said. Like, for example, I wouldnt be here if it werent for World War II. My grandmother was a war bride from Italy. My grandfather was stationed there. But I think, for the kids that Im teaching now, World War II is history books, video games, and maybe a movie.

The France trip will begin on June 5 with sightseeing in Paris followed by travel to Caen, the capital of Normandy. On June 6, the Falcons will march along Omaha Beach from Vierville-sur-Mer to St. Laurent-sur-Mer  both were liberated in the invasion  and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery. Theyll also perform in Caen.

According to Cady, the group was invited to France after building their reputation at earlier high-profile events, where their performance was noted by parade attendees.

Basically, when it comes to big parades, theres almost like sport scouts, he said. In 2008, they took part in the Washington, D.C., Memorial Day parade  yielding an invitation participate in the Dublin St. Patricks Day Patrick in 2015. We were noticed by parade promoters there  and then we were asked to take part in this.

Comprised of students grade six through 12, the Albany Marching Falcons include a color guard along with the marching band. For the trip to Ireland, 36 kids made the trip at a cost of around $2,100 each. Fundraising covered roughly half; students paid the rest.

Whats the cost this time? It is $2,800 a kid. How many kids? We have 48 students going. Thats $134,400. It is a very large amount of money, for sure. But well get there, Cady said.

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So far, the band has raised $4,000. Besides the bottle drive (at the Capital Redemption Center, 610 Clinton Ave.), several fundraising events are in the works, including a spaghetti dinner hosted by the North Albany Limericks, another dinner hosted by Albany Order of Hibernians and an April 12 appearance by comic medium Brandon Russ at Albany School of Humanities. In addition, the Albany Fund for Education is accepting donations on behalf of the Falcons (and should be noted as such on checks, he added).

Cady said the Falcons will be meeting with local World War II veterans. One of them was on Omaha Beach on D-day and lived to tell the tale. The other served in the Pacific.

The D-Day commemorative events occur every five years, and theres not a whole lot of World War II vets left, Cady said. In another five years, even fewer will remain. But this one, there are still some guys around that are participating . . . . And you know, the kids will get to meet them and share in that.

The France trip will, he hopes, help make history real for his students. And you know, this is a very, very small part. But still, Ill take a lot of pride in being able to pass on the meaning of this event to another generation of kids.
At first glance, Mark Zuckerberg's new "privacy-focused vision" for Facebook looks like a transformative mission statement from a CEO under pressure to reverse years of battering over its surveillance practices and privacy failures.

But critics say the announcement obscures Facebook's deeper motivations: To expand lucrative new commercial services, continue monopolizing the attention of users, develop new data sources to track people and frustrate regulators who might be eyeing a breakup of the social-media behemoth.

Facebook "wants to be the operating system of our lives," said Siva Vaidhyanathan, director of media studies at the University of Virginia.

Zuckerberg's plan, outlined Wednesday, expands Facebook's commitment to private messaging, in sharp contrast with his traditional focus on public sharing. Facebook would combine its instant-messaging services WhatsApp and Instagram Direct with its core Messenger app so that users of one could message people on the others, and would expand the use of encrypted messaging to keep outsiders  including Facebook  from reading the messages.

The plan also calls for using those messaging services to expand Facebook's role in e-commerce and payments. A Facebook spokesperson later said it was too early to answer detailed questions about the company's messaging plans.

Vaidhyanathan said Zuckerberg wants people to abandon competing, person-to-person forms of communication such as email, texting and Apple's iMessage in order to "do everything through a Facebook product." The end goal could be transform Facebook into a service like the Chinese app WeChat, which has 1.1 billion users and includes the world's most popular person-to-person online payment system.

In some respects, Facebook was already headed in this direction. It has dabbled with shopping features in its Messenger app for a few years, although without much effect.

And WhatsApp, which Facebook acquired for $22 billion in 2014, embraced a strong privacy technology known as "end-to-end encryption" nearly three years ago. Messages protected this way are shielded from snooping, even by the services who deliver them.

But Zuckerberg said nothing in the Wednesday blog post about reforming privacy practices in its core business, which remains hungry for data.

A recent Wall Street Journal report found that Facebook was still collecting personal information from apps such as user heart rates and when women ovulate.

Facebook, which perfected what critics call "surveillance capitalism," knows it has serious credibility issues. Those go beyond repeated privacy lapses to include serious abuses by Russian agents, hate groups and disinformation mongers, which Zuckerberg acknowledged only belatedly.

"Until Facebook actually fixes its core privacy issues  and especially given their history  it's difficult to take the pivot to privacy seriously," said Justin Brookman, who was a research director at the Federal Trade Commission before joining Consumers Union as privacy and technology chief in 2017.

Combining the three messaging services could allow Facebook  which today has 15 million fewer U.S. users than in 2017, according to Edison Research  build more complete data profiles on all its users.

The merged messaging services should generate new profits from the metadata they collect, including information on who you message, when you do it, from where and for how long, said Frederike Kaltheuner of the advocacy group Privacy International. That is the information that users leave behind when they message each other or conduct retail, travel or financial business, she added.

And Facebook doesn't just use people's information and activity on its platform, dissecting it to target people with tailored ads. It also tracks people who don't even use the platform via small pieces of software embedded in third-party apps.

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Privacy International published research in December showing that popular Android apps including KAYAK and Yelp were automatically sending user data directly to Facebook the moment they were opened.

KAYAK, which was sending flight search results, halted the practice and said the transmission was inadvertent. Yelp continues to send unique identifiers known as "advertising IDs" that link to specific smartphones.

Facebook also has trackers that harvest data on people's online behavior on about 30 percent of the world's websites , said Jeremy Tillman of Ghostery, a popular ad-blocker and anti-tracking software.

"When they say they are building a private messaging platform there is nothing in there that suggests they are going to stop their data collection and ad-targeting business model," he said.

In a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press, Zuckerberg offered no specifics on new revenue sources.

But "the overall opportunity here is a lot larger than what we have built in terms of Facebook and Instagram," he said.

Privacy advocates, however, do admire one key element of Zuckerberg's announcement.

"In the last year, I've spoken with dissidents who've told me encryption is the reason they are free, or even alive," Zuckerberg wrote.
Cheyenne, Wyo.

If you ever wished to gaze at a stomping, snorting, neighing panorama of Western heritage from your living-room window, now could be your chance.

A classic image of the American West  wild horses galloping across the landscape  not only has endured through the years but has multiplied past the point of range damage. Through May 3, the U.S. government is seeking more private pastures for an overpopulation of wild horses.

Many consider rounding up wild horses to live their lives on private pastures a reasonable approach to a tricky problem. Wild horses have romantic value but there are dozens of federal legal requirements to be met before the government pays a land owner to give wild horses a home.

"It's not like you can do this in your backyard, or even a 5-acre plot," said Debbie Collins, outreach specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Program.

You need a lot of fenced-in land, enough to sustain anywhere from 200 to 5,000 healthy horses. Exactly how much land depends on pasture quality as determined by the government, but you can safely assume several hundred if not thousands of acres.

The pastured horses typically demand little human intervention. Still, they require continuous water and basic shelter such as trees or a canyon; supplemental forage; and corrals for loading and unloading from trailers.

Participants in the private-pasture system must live in 14 Western and Midwestern states, from eastern Washington to the Texas Panhandle. Over two-thirds of 37 existing off-range pastures are in Oklahoma and Kansas.

These horses aren't pets. They've had little exposure to people. Many are over 5 years old and therefore not ideal for training and individual adoption or sale, other options available through the BLM.

Still, there's no shortage of interest in the off-range pasture program. People call all the time asking for details, Collins said.

"My only advice would be to go into it with your eyes wide open," said Dwayne Oldham, a former Wyoming state veterinarian who has taken in wild horses on his Double D cattle ranch outside Lander, Wyoming, since 2015.

Working with the government can be demanding, but caring for the over 130 horses on the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary on the ranch isn't too difficult, Oldham said.

The sanctuary differs from most private wild-horse pastures: It's open to the public. Tourists headed to Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks often stop.

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About 50 miles to the south, cattle ranchers, wild horse advocates and the BLM have been embroiled in decades of lawsuits over an area of mostly unfenced, interspersed public and private lands called Checkerboard. The booming wild horse population competes with cattle for high desert forage and water.

The BLM abides by the 1971 Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which protects those animals on BLM land in 10 Western states, attorneys for the government say.

"We want to be part of the solution, not just the adversary," Oldham said.

The American Wild Horse Campaign is often involved in litigation. Darting mares with contraceptives is the best overpopulation remedy but under-used, said group spokesperson Grace Kuhn. She said roundups encourage compensatory breeding and overpopulation, The group doesn't oppose off-range pastures as an alternative to keeping wild horses in corrals.

Over 55,000 more horses and burros live wild in the West than the roughly 27,000 the BLM says can thrive in harmony with the landscape.

Adoptions and sales via the Wild Horse and Burro Program recovered to over 3,400 a year after hitting a low of about 1,800 in 2014.
TROY  A file tagged with a handwritten sticky note reading "DO NOT DISCLOSE" led to freedom for a man who spent 13 years in prison. His attorney believes it also raises the question of whether prosecutors in Rensselaer County  whether by error or intention  held back a key piece of evidence from the defense.

The file contained county child protective services (CPS) records for the alleged victim in a 2002 sexual abuse case filed against defendant Eulogio Lewis Cruz, who was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to 100 years behind bars.

Last month, however, he pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

The initial case and Cruz's appeals involved the administrations of four Rensselaer County district attorneys. After Mary Pat Donnelly took office in January, the file came to the attention of her chief assistant, Matthew Hauf, as he began to prepare to prosecute Cruz's third trial in Rensselaer County Court, where he faced 14 of the original 22 charges.

Hauf handed off the CPS file to Cruz's defense attorney, Cheryl Coleman, a week before the trial was slated to begin. Coleman said she discovered it contained information that contradicted the testimony of the victim, who was 10 at the time, as well as dates she wrote on a scrap of paper and stuck in her diary to detail alleged episodes of abuse by Cruz.

"Think of the effect that would have had," Coleman said. "He may never have gone to prison."

In a Feb. 13 appearance before County Court Judge Debra Young, Hauf acknowledged that the file included materials that should have be given to Cruz's attorneys by prosecutors before his first trial.

Those issues caused legal impediments in attempting to move forward with this trial," Hauf told the judge.

He added that he was dismayed by "the way that the file was handled by previous administrations, and the fact that that information was in our possession and was recently unearthed based on my review of the file.

As a result of the revelation, the district attorney's office struck a deal in which Cruz, who has steadfastly denied the charges brought against him, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child in return for a sentence of time served  the 13 years he had already spent in prison.

Rensselaer County's CPS office routinely turns over its confidential records to the district attorneys office and police agencies when a crime is under investigation, according to current and former county officials familiar with the offices practice.

Such records can contain materials that a defense attorney can use in an attempt to undercut or disprove witness testimony.

Coleman said the CPS records indicated that on several days the victim claimed she was molested by Cruz, she was actually with her father. At the time, Cruz was engaged to the childs mother.

The CPS records revealed the visitation schedule, Coleman said.

Before the CPS file emerged, Coleman and the district attorney's office had traded motions related to the victims diary, the scrap of paper that listed the four dates on which the alleged abuse occurred, and the victims mental health records.

Former District Attorney Patricia DeAngelis, who held the office when Cruz was convicted, did not respond to requests for comment about the case.

Cruzs original defense attorney, Gaspar Castillo, also did not respond to requests to speak about the case. Castillo was disbarred in January 2018 following allegations he inappropriately took $57,000 from clients.

A district attorney's failure to hand over potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense violates not only the defendants constitutional rights but also the prosecutor's oath of office, said Laurie Shanks, a criminal defense attorney and Albany Law School professor emerita.

Such an act would be completely outrageous ... a complete miscarriage of justice," said Shanks, who said an independent prosecutor should be appointed to investigate what happened in Cruz's case.

DeAngelis, then a top assistant to District Attorney Ken Bruno, presented the evidence that in August 2002 convinced a Rensselaer County grand jury to indict Cruz on charges that he sexually abused the young girl from November 2001 through February 2002.

Cruz, then 38, allegedly engaged in sex acts with the child at his Troy residence on Oakwood Avenue. Following his arrest in February 2002 by State Police, Cruz was freed on $50,000 bail. The grand jury indicted him on four counts of first-degree sodomy, 16 counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Cruz's first trial ended with a hung jury. Before the second trial was slated to begin, DeAngelis' office and Castillo reached a plea deal in which Cruz would plead guilty to one count of sexual abuse to satisfy the entire 22-count indictment. In return, he was to be sentenced to time served and 10 years of probation.

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But Columbia County Court Judge Paul Czajka, who presided over the case, rejected the deal. Now Columbia County's district attorney, Czajka said he did not recall the details but would have rejected an agreed-upon deal reached by the defense and prosecution if it included a predetermined sentence.

The second jury trial in 2004 resulted in Cruz being convicted on almost all the counts in the original indictment. Czajka sentenced Cruz to serve consecutive prison terms, which sent him away for a century.

Former Assistant District Attorney Mark Loughran, who prosecuted the second trial, said he remembers the basic facts of the case. Loughran didnt recall any CPS records playing a role.

Asked if any such reports had been withheld by the prosecution, he said God, no and insisted he would have given them to the defense.

Cruz appealed his conviction. In 2007, the state Appellate Division found there had been enough evidence to convict him, but knocked off eight counts as multiple charges and reduced his prison sentence to 28 years, saying the one imposed by Czajka was excessive.

Cruz was nearly halfway through his reduced sentence when Young granted him a new trial, finding that his original attorneys had failed to object to the jury not being properly sworn in.

Once again free on $50,000 bail, Cruz left the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora in 2017, returned to the Capital Region and hired Coleman.

Hauf said he and Donnelly weighed several factors in reaching the decision to strike a new plea deal, including Cruzs time in prison. They also considered the impact on the victim  now in her late 20s  of having to testify. She would, however, make a victims impact statement when Cruz was sentenced.

They were also considering the wild card of the CPS file tagged with the sticky note. "Obviously, it was information that should be turned over," Hauf said.

Coleman noted that Donnelly's predecessor, Joel Abelove, handled the preparation for Cruz's new trial before Hauf took up the case. Amid the many skirmishes over the diary and mental health records, the CPS file was never handed over. Abelove did not respond to the Times Union's requests for comment.

Abeloves office controlled this case for a year and a half, Coleman said.

Before Judge Young two weeks ago, Cruz pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor without admitting that there was any sexual act involved. Young sentenced him to time served and imposed a five-year order of protection directing him to have no contact with the victim. He will not have to register with the state as a sex offender.

Coleman said Cruz is moving on with his life and didn't want to speak to the Times Union about the case. Coleman said that while she is not representing Cruz in any civil lawsuit, she would provide lawyers' names for him to consider if he decides to do so.

The victim, who is preparing to attend graduate school to become a social worker, was adamantly opposed to the deal. At Cruz's sentencing in mid-February, she called him a child molester.

I did not want to settle this case," she told the court. "I wanted to go to trial, and I was ready to fight with every ounce of my being."
The large weather system that moved across New York state late Saturday into Sunday morning brought a couple inches of heavy, wet snow to the Capital Region.

But the snow is expected to change into rain as temperatures rise into the lower 40s Sunday.
ALBANY  A planned overhaul of a Medicaid program that has allowed thousands of disabled, elderly and chronically ill New Yorkers to remain in their homes with the caregivers of their choice is causing anxiety among families that rely on the service.

Among them is Assemblywoman Melissa Miller, R-Long Island, whose 19-year-old son Oliver relies on the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program for in-home care by family members.

Miller's daughter was trained through CDPAP to care for Oliver, who suffered an in utero stroke, leaving him with developmental disabilities and fully dependent on skilled care. When Oliver turns 21, Miller says she and her husband will be eligible to become paid caregivers under the program.

In his executive budget, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo proposes shaving $75 million from the program and consolidating hundreds of non-profit organizations that process CDPAP claims, a move that Miller fears will create lapses in care.

The governor "is going to create a crisis of medically frail people going into institutions  or more likely hospitals, since many institutions no longer exist," Miller said.

Cuomo's office notes that the cuts are exclusively targeted to the state's nearly 600 fiscal intermediaries, non-profits that take a percentage of disbursements paid to caregivers. Officials insist the changes will not impact consumers in any way.

The goal of the reboot is to improve oversight and accountability of CDPAP providers, according to the state's Budget Division.

"The more than 70,000 self-directing consumers who employ their own aide, including in some cases family members and friends, will continue to receive services as they do today without any reduction in care, with no change in cost," Budget spokesman Morris Peters said. "The program will continue to be available as it is today to new consumers."

Miller says that the shuttering of hundreds of providers will leave thousands of caretakers scrambling to re-register for the program. If she is unable to find a nurse for Oliver because of a shortage of skilled caregivers in her community, Miller says she would have no choice but to have Oliver admitted to a hospital.

"We've heard this before. In reality, for those of us living this life, there are changes, there are gaps where we don't have what we need," Miller said. "The governor and the governor's people don't live this life."

Miller said the cuts may be related to the state's own apparent mismanagement of the program and poor oversight of the non-profits' billing practices. A 2018 audit of the CDPAP program by the state Inspector General's office determined that over a four-year period, the state had been overpaid $74.8 million in Medicaid disbursements associated with the program.

"The number that the state is required to reimburse the federal government is awfully coincidental to $75 million that has been cut from this highly successful CDPAP program," she said.

In some cases, the state did not provide documentation of services claimed, billed reimbursement for services that were not authorized, or failed to submit documentation in a timely manner, according to the audit.

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The inspector general's office noted that the period covered by the audit corresponded with "high levels of change across New York's Medicaid program and encompassed the transitioning of Medicaid beneficiaries from fee-for-service to managed long-term care plans."

The report recommended the state improve its monitoring and guidance of CDPAP providers. The governor's office, however, said the restructuring is unrelated to last year's audit.

Bill Hammond, director of health policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy, said that the state has legitimate reasons for improving the way the home-care program is run and reeling in its fiscal intermediaries.

"Hundreds of these organizations have popped up in the last few years," Hammond said. "That indicates that the program is a money-making opportunity."

New York has long been moving away from institutionalized care for the elderly and disabled, in favor of the home-care model, but Hammond says there are also instances where the benefit is overused.

"The state is right to scrutinize this and prevent it from being abused. They have to be careful not to screw up the people who really need it," he said.
[March 08, 2019] Uphold Platform to Support Groundbreaking Stablecoin

Today, Uphold announced support of a revolutionary stablecoin that aims to propel cryptocurrency into the mainstream. The stablecoin, known as the Universal Dollar (UPUSD), is issued by Universal Protocol Pte. Ltd. and will initially be available on the Uphold platform. UPUSD is the first stablecoin to be listed on Uphold, the digital money platform, and is pegged on a 1:1 ratio to the U.S. dollar. It is also the first stablecoin of its kind to be minted on-chain with every verifying transaction written to the Ethereum public blockchain so that all users can see and verify UPUSD is 100% percent backed with U.S. dollars. U.S. dollars are held at banks located in the United States with the intention of being eligible for FDIC "pass-through" deposit insurance, subject to applicable limitations. Launching first in Latin America, this stablecoin behaves like a mature financial asset with it being fully transparent and inheritable. Additionally, eligible holders of UPUSD outside the US may be able to access a potential annual return through Cred's CredEarn product, an application available on the Uphold platform. "The Universal Dollar shows that crypto is finally delivering on the promise of mass appeal," said JP Thieriot, CEO of Uphold. "Especially relevant in developing economies, the protections, interoperability and financial services offers a number of benefits to Uphold members." Key features of the stablecoin include: Recoverability : Remembering a complex private key may be intimidating for the average bank account holder; UPUSD users can recover their private key and reclaim assets if needed

: Remembering a complex private key may be intimidating for the average bank account holder; UPUSD users can recover their private key and reclaim assets if needed Inheritability: Users can nominate beneficiaries who may 'call' the assets after prolonged account dormancy. The exact period of dormancy and the address will be onfigured during wallet instantiation

Users can nominate beneficiaries who may 'call' the assets after prolonged account dormancy. The exact period of dormancy and the address will be onfigured during wallet instantiation Full transparency: Every time a user purchases USD on the Uphold platform, they can initiate an exchange and request new minting of UPUSD. The new UPUSD is instantly minted on the Uphold reserve, and a record of this transaction is recorded on the Ethereum blockchain.



###

About Uphold: Uphold is a digital money platform providing consumers worldwide with convenient and secure access to traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies, and other investments. Uphold has powered more than $4 billion in transactions across 184 countries, covering over 30 supported currencies and four commodities. The platform has more than 1 million users. Uphold is the only financial platform to publish its reserve holdings in real time. The company has offices in San Francisco, New York, Portugal, London and Mexico City. More information can be found at www.uphold.com, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Not licensed in all jurisdictions. Note: CredEarn is a loan arrangement, not a deposit relationship. Interest accrues on amounts actually borrowed by Cred, and is calculated on a simple interest basis based on the number of days and amount of the assets borrowed. Not all customers will be able to participate and not all funds may be borrowed. The CredEarn Program is offered solely by CRED LLC to non-U.S. Persons who affirmatively opt in to the service. Additional terms and conditions will apply. CredEarn loans have not been registered by CRED LLC under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190308005263/en/

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[March 10, 2019] Christian Theological Seminary Welcomes Dr. David M. Mellott as Seventh President

Christian Theological Seminary (CTS (News - Alert)) announced today that Dr. David M. Mellott has been named the Seminary's seventh president. Dr. Mellott will assume his new position effective July 1, 2019. The announcement follows an extensive national search. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190310005010/en/ David M. Mellott (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Mellott joins CTS from Lancaster Theological Seminary, where he most recently served as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the Seminary and Professor of Theological Formation (News - Alert). His pedagogy is informed by a breadth of theological, academic, and social influences. An ordained minister with the United Church of Christ, Dr. Mellott brings an especially unique perspective to the ecumenical Indianapolis campus; he grew up with roots in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was previously ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1982. According to CTS Board of Trustees Chair Liz Klimes, Dr. Mellott's life and career demonstrate a clear calling to contribute to the formation of leaders and healers serving the church and the community. "David's legacy and ongoing commitment to placing people first is aligned with CTS' mission to equip and empower gifted leaders who help shape the lives of students, church leaders and the community at large," said Ms. Klimes. Remarking on CTS' commitment to moving forward with momentum, Klimes added, "A leadership transition always presents an oportunity for renewed focus, refreshed energy, and a more crystalline and distilled vision for the future. The CTS Board of Trustees is excited about the possibilities that await us as we welcome David Mellott to CTS and the greater Indianapolis community."



While he relocates to the Midwest from a community renowned for its agrarian and rural communities, a global perspective informs Dr. Mellott's writing and teaching. He led retreats both in Europe and the U.S. and completed specialized training at Goethe Institute in Munich, Germany, and Sorbonne University, in Paris, France. As a dean and professor at Lancaster Seminary, Dr. Mellott taught courses in master's and doctoral studies, including programs focused on pastoral ministry, queer theology, sacramentology, worship, Roman Catholicism, philosophy and spiritual formation. His research has centered on specialties including ethnography as a theological practice, liturgical theology and Christian and ministerial formation. A prolific writer, Dr. Mellott has authored multiple publications addressing topics ranging from ethnicity and religion to liberation for gay clergy. Ultimately, his work explores the theological, homiletical, historical, humanitarian and social justice issues critical to spiritual formation and growth.

Dr. Bill Kincaid, Interim President and Herald B. Monroe Associate Professor of Leadership and Ministry Studies, noted that Dr. Mellott brings significant leadership experience in theological education and "a personal temperament for the opportunities and challenges before us. His teaching interests, advocacy efforts and passion for social justice initiatives reflect the historic impulses and stated values of Christian Theological Seminary. I very much look forward to working with him when I return to the faculty," said Kincaid. "Dr. Mellott joins CTS at a vibrant and promising moment in an institutional history spanning more than 160 years," said Klimes. "The Seminary's innovative programs including a first-of-its-kind PhD, distinctive models of advancing pastoral care, counseling and theological leadership, and a forward-thinking partnership with Butler University. We're excited to see how Dr. Mellott's leadership will help CTS serve as a flagship North American Seminary," noted Klimes. Remarking on his new role, Dr. Mellott said he is compelled by the Seminary's legacy of integrating a rich theological education with a vision to serve the common good. "Christian Theological Seminary has long been a regional and national leader in delivering ecumenical theological education that serves the world," he stated. He added the Seminary's culture and legacy of inclusiveness is particularly relevant today. "Christian Theological Seminary's commitment to racial and gender justice is now, as much as ever, essential to being faithful, authentic and engaged," said Dr. Mellott. "I am honored to serve as president of such a distinguished school with a substantial mission to serve the world." Upon embarking on his new role as president at CTS, Dr. Mellott will reside in Indianapolis with his husband, the Rev. Lance Mullins. Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is a fully-accredited independent ecumenical graduate school associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that offers graduate-level degree programs to prepare ministers, counselors, and lay people to serve as leaders of the church and the world. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190310005010/en/

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With services like Zelle, the days of cash could be numbered.

Zelle is a money-transfer service that's tied directly to your bank account and mobile phone number. You can use Zelle as a stand-alone app, but it's also a protocol built into just about every major banking app in the United States. (It doesn't work internationally  at least, not yet.)

From Bank of America, to Capital One, to M&T, to Navy Federal Credit Union, to SunTrust, to Wells Fargo and beyond, Zelle makes money transfers trivial  which can be both a good and bad thing.

If you're tired of entrusting third-party apps with your financial information and dealing with cumbersome transaction fees, Zelle is an excellent way to send and receive money directly from an account you already own. There are a few potential pitfalls, of course, so read on to learn how to set up the service, how to use it and how to keep your financial information safe in case things go sideways.

How to enroll in Zelle

The hardest part about using Zelle is, unfortunately, getting your account up and running in the first place. First off, you should check whether your bank supports Zelle. If so, you'll have to enable it through your bank's mobile app.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to give a thorough walk-through here, since every banking app is slightly different. Generally speaking, though, you'll want to open your app, log in (you do have two-factor authentication, or 2FA, enabled, don't you?) and find the section of the app that lets you send money to other people directly. (It might also be under "transfers.") This is usually separate from the section that lets you pay bills, so the process may require a little digging. If all else fails, you can always Google "[your bank's name] Zelle setup" and see what comes up.





Remember: Both your bank and Zelle want you to sign up, so finding out how to start the process shouldn't take too long. Some banks also let you sign up through Zelle on a computer, so you don't have to use a smartphone if you prefer to do things on a bigger screen.

I opened my bank's mobile app and went to the Send Money section. There was an option to sign up for a Zelle account, which I tapped on. From there, I had to confirm my email address and phone number, then review Zelle's terms of service. Zelle sent me a verification code, which I used to verify my contact information. Then, I tapped on my checking account to link it with Zelle, and that was that. The process took about 10 minutes.

MORE: Mobile Banking: 8 Tips to Protect Yourself

Bear in mind that if your bank does not support Zelle, you can still try to sign up for it, although success is not guaranteed. You can download the Zelle app and then enter your Visa or Mastercard debit card information. If it's a modern card from a big bank, it will probably work; if not, you'll have to break out your checkbook the next time you want to send someone money. (If your bank doesn't support Zelle and doesn't give you free checks, it is high time to switch banks.)

Sending and receiving money with Zelle

Signing up for Zelle is the hard part; once you have it up and running, using it is simple. To send someone money, just go to the "send money" section of your bank's app or website. (If you are using the Zelle app rather than a banking app, you can go to the Send screen.) Then, enter the recipient's phone number or email address, and type out how much money you want to send. If the recipient has a Zelle account set up, the transfer will go through automatically. Neither one of you needs to do anything else.

But there are a few caveats. First and foremost, once you send money on Zelle, there is no way to stop the transfer. As such, Zelle recommends that you send money only to trusted contacts. (Also, make sure the person actually wants the money you're offering, as I learned the hard way when trying to settle up dinner expenses with my family.)

Second, if the person on the receiving end doesn't have Zelle, he or she will have to set up an account. Otherwise, the payment returns to the sender's account after 14 days. A first-time Zelle recipient will get a prompt to set up an account, but if he or she doesn't want to, that money will be in limbo for two weeks, and neither one of you can do anything about it. Either way, there are no extra fees on the user end; Zelle makes its money by charging banks for its services.

Finally, if your bank doesn't support Zelle, and you've signed up via the Zelle app, you can send only $500 per week. However, there doesn't seem to be a limit on the amount of money you can receive. Individual banks may also limit Zelle transactions, but I've personally sent multiple thousands of dollars within a day and never received any flak about those transfers.

Is Zelle dangerous?

If you've been around the online security block a few times, you're probably aware that Zelle had a rather infamous rash of fraud last year. It's not clear exactly how, but scammers were flocking to the then-new service in droves to trick users out of their hard-earned money.

The important thing to remember about the fraud, though, is that Zelle is a middleman. While the service may have made the fraudulent payments easier, the cybercriminals did not attack the service directly. They used social engineering (calling people and pretending to represent banks) or outright account infiltration (possibly with old passwords) to steal money. Zelle's major problem was that it did not offer fraud protection, and banks could not recover the stolen money accordingly.

MORE: 13 Essential Online-Banking Security Tips

This is an important issue to keep in mind, and Zelle's response has been difficult to measure. The company issued a statement about customer safety and promised to beef up its security options, but it's hard to see whether the company has taken any concrete steps. At the very least, though, the service does seem much less vulnerable to fraud now than it did a year ago.

Ultimately, keeping a Zelle-enabled account safe requires the same steps as keeping your online bank account safe: Don't reuse old passwords, take advantage of 2FA, monitor your transactions each month and never send someone claiming to be your bank money without calling an official phone number to verify it first. That way, you can split small expenses with both convenience and peace of mind.

Credit: Zelle
KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) - The authorities are investigating after a man's body was found in a lake at Pierson Park on Saturday morning. The authorities went to the park at 1800 S. 55th St. around 10:30 a.m. after someone called 911 and said that they saw a body in the water.
How Kansas AG ended up with Verruckt death investigation | The Kansas City Star Nearly four months after 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was killed riding the Verruckt water slide in August 2016 and as police continued to investigate the matter, then-Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerry Gorman received an unusual request. Mike Rader, a Leawood attorney representing Caleb's family, sent Gorman a letter asking that Gorman recuse himself from the case.

Kinda boring but a look behind the scenes and the legal drama that led up to nothing but a dismissal, hard feeling and a brief respite in the widespread illusion of safety that dominates public playtime of every sort. Checkit:
Finally, President Trumps apoplectic detractors have hit upon just the right word for him after trying out hundreds of other epithets.

The word is roue.

Its French. Pronounced roo-ay.

Means a debauched person. A reprobate. A self-indulgent hedonist lacking moral qualms.

I overheard the word in a conversation between two young ladies who boarded a Septa train at Bryn Mawr (Pa.), likely students there at the pricey, hoity-toity college of that name.

One of the ladies had a backpack with a big button on it that said Resist! During a conversation about Donald Trump, that lady wrinkled her nose and said to the other: Hes absolutely a disgusting roue. The other gave a vigorous, affirmative nod.

Roue. Its a fancy enough word that readers of the New Yorker, for example, should feel comfortable using it.

Roue. Looked it up on my phone. A rake, a cad, a lech, a libertine. Ah, the perfect word for this vulgar bounder with the infuriating Mussolini smirk.

After all, he has had well-chronicled assignations with various babes over time, has he not? The very thought of this now seems to elicit a belated, shocked gasp from Democrats.

Why arent the Born Again elect of the Right Wing joining the high-minded Progressives in demanding Trumps sinful head on a pike?

Complementing Trumps reputation as a roue is the well-chronicled saga of his involvement, up to his hairline, in sleazy business environments.

He was a flashy presence on the Atlantic City casino and New York real estate scenes. Those are hardly places or activities the morally fastidious are drawn to.

For years, leading Democrats eagerly accepted political donations from this roue, this reprobate, Trump.

Now, apparently, they suddenly realize the sinful nature of that relationship, although guilt hasnt quite yet nagged them into returning the tainted money with interest.

Trump all at once has Capitol Hill Democrats acting like a collection of latter-day Church Ladies and Moral Majority Jerry Falwells.

Theyre worried that Beelzebub is Trumps constant sidekick. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, a long-time hack fixture on New Yorks ethically blighted political landscape, is now Parson Nadler. Hes going to save Americas soul from Trump and certain perdition. Such paragons of virtue as Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, surely will be willing to help out.

Its a moral issue. All of the partys new deacons  Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and many others, say so. Say it right on cue.

Its a moral issue. Talking Point No. 1.

Trumps wall must be opposed. Its a moral issue. The Mueller probe must be supported. Its a moral issue.

Whatever the controversy involving Trump, its  all together now  a moral issue.

Whatever Trump proposes to do is not only racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, homophobic and transphobic, its a moral issue.

During a recent congressional committee hearing, Church Lady and Moral Majority Democrats grilled Trumps former lawyer on whether the lawyer might be able to share any dirt on Trump-financed abortions or Trump-sired, out-of-wedlock children.

Alas, the lawyer said he couldnt. All the same, congressional Democrats remained shocked, shocked, that such a scoundrel as Trump enjoys the run of the Oval Office.

Yes, its the same Oval Office where Bill Clinton once copped feels and cadged fellatio from the entry-level female help.

And its the same Oval Office where JFK, according to FBI wiretaps, once took phone calls from a Mafia consort he shared with mobster Sam Giancana, through their mutual pal, Frank Sinatra.

Now Democrats are not only eager to know the salacious details of Trumps priapic activities, theyre also anxious to get the lowdown on how their one-time generous political donor accumulated his felony-tainted fortune.

Democratic congressional panels are now demanding years of tax and business records not only from Trump himself, but also from his offspring and his son-in-law, Jared Kusher.

Jared is the scion of a New Jersey real estate empire.

The magnate of that empire, Charles Kushner, Jareds pop, was the sugar-daddy bankroller of New Jerseys Democratic Party until a politically ambitious prosecutor named Chris Christie brought him down.

The party had a long and beneficial relationship with the elder Kushner, to the extent that in 2005 the Federal Elections Commission fined him $508,910 for funneling illegal donations to party candidates.

(Soon thereafter, in a tawdry scenario involving a prostitute and a blackmail scheme, the Kushner patriarch was convicted of fraud and tax counts. He was sent off to do 14 months prison time.)

Democrats at the time seemed to take the developments with a ho-hum equanimity.

But all at once now theres a new moral and ethical fussiness afoot in the Democratic Party. Lots of concern about immorality.

Swamp Democrats are aghast at suspicions that Trump amassed his ostentatious riches through corner-cutting means, possibly while also conniving to avoid forking over his fair share of taxes.

The mighty IRS, of course, can easily categorize virtually anybody a tax cheat, based on arcane technical allegations that even CPAs or tax lawyers have difficulty grasping.

By whatever means Trump amassed wealth, whether by bluffing, by bankruptcy manipulations, or by throwing sharp elbows, it must be noted that he attained his glittery lifestyle through toil in the private sector, not in public office while on the taxpayers dime.

The same could never be said for, to take one example among many others, President Lyndon B. Johnson. After a lifetime in public office, he left an estate valued at more than $650 million in todays dollars. It was a fortune built mostly on government-regulated radio and TV licenses.

There was never much indication, however, of any great Democratic curiosity regarding the provenance of LBJs material blessings. Nor did congressional Democrats ever ask questions at committee hearings about his much-whispered amorous antics. They never inquired about abortions he may have financed or out-of-wedlock children he may have propagated.

Certainly, there was never the scale of curiosity there is today regarding Trumps business activities and sex life. Inquiring Democrats are dying to know today: Did Trump the private-sector business hustler, who used to share some of the loot with the party, transgress any obscure subsections of the criminal or tax code?

Democrats now believe it highly likely. One question theyre not asking, though, is why, then, didnt the Justice Department or IRS move to rectify matters during the eight years of the righteous Obama presidency?

Why the sudden obsession with such matters now?

Could it be that the obsession reflects a Russia collusion probe thats about to come to a fizzling, anticlimactic conclusion after two years of brow-beating witnesses and still coming up with nothing?

Hmmm.

Meanwhile, real fear grips the Democratic Party, and its not the fear of Trump immorality. The real fear is: OMG! What if this mouthy scoundrel is actually delivering results?

Now thats truly scary!
A new power outage hit Venezuela on Friday at 4:25 pm after electricity was restored to several areas of the country following a blackout lasting more than two hours, this on the heels of a major electric power failure the day before that has lasted for almost 22 hours.

The new blackout shows that authorities still have not fully resolved the power failure, which - according to the Nicolas Maduro administration - was due to sabotage orchestrated by the political opposition with the help of the United States.

Areas where power had allegedly been restored are now without electricity once again at last report.

So far, the Venezuelan government has not made public the specific reasons why it has not been able to provide an unbroken power supply.

A few minutes before the new blackout it had been reported that electric service had begun to be restored in several parts of Caracas and in some of the 14 states - out of the nations total of 23 - that were affected on Thursday.

Earlier, Tachira state Gov. Laidy Gomez told the private Globovision television that in her western state the emergency rooms of hospitals were functioning with electric generators because of the outage.

Telecommunications failures persist, however, making it difficult to make phone calls, connect to the Internet and make electronic payments.

The Caracas Metro service, used by hundreds of thousands of people each day, remains paralyzed and many businesses remain closed.

The blackouts have been occurring despite the fact that the Maduro regime has militarized the countrys power plants, which are completely under state control.

On Friday, Maduro ordered schools and public and private sector work places closed due to the blackouts affecting roughly 90 percent of the country and that have lasted for nearly 20 hours.

The blackouts began at around 5 pm on Thursday and were immediately reported by citizens on social media in the states of Carabobo, Miranda, Barquisimeto, Tachira, Cojedes, Merida, Barinas, Vargas, Nueva Esparta, Aragua and Zulia.

In remarks aired by several media outlets, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed the suspension of activities ordered by Maduro and said the power failures were due to electrical sabotage orchestrated by the opposition in complicity with imperial powers.

She did not mention any foreign country in particular, but Venezuela has long accused the United States of carrying out economic warfare against the leftist-led country.

The US has recently imposed severe sanctions on Venezuelas oil industry, a move aimed at cutting off Maduros main source of hard-currency income.

Rodriguez said the technological attack had caused widespread disruptions and led Maduro to cancel activities at schools and workplaces on Friday.

The governments move is aimed at easing the task of technicians working to restore electrical service in the affected states, she added.

Also Friday, the speaker of Venezuelas opposition-dominated but toothless National Assembly (unicameral legislature), Juan Guaido, toured several Caracas streets to assess the situation.

Guaido, who says Maduros May 2018 re-election victory was fraudulent and in late January proclaimed himself Venezuelas interim president, expressed concern for people in hospitals and reiterated his call for more mass anti-government protests on Saturday.

He blamed government corruption for the situation and lamented that the country is suffering blackouts despite possessing the worlds largest oil reserves.

Guaido has been recognized by the US, several large European nations and many other countries as interim president.

China, Russia and India are among the dozens of nations that recognize Maduro as Venezuelas legitimate head of state.

State-owned electricity operator Corpoelec said on Thursday afternoon that the Guri hydroelectric plant - a facility in southern Venezuela that is the source of much of the countrys electricity - had been hit by sabotage.

Electricity Minister Luis Motta Dominguez also gave the same assessment in remarks to state-run VTV television.

Weve been the target once again of electrical warfare ... but as you know here theres a government of high moral standards. Theyre not going to defeat us, Motta said Thursday.

He said then that electrical service was expected to be restored in just three hours, but the blackouts have lasted much longer.
editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, March 9

Eighteen persons, including three children, were taken to the Civil Hospital after an old chlorine cylinder kept at a tubewell room started leaking here today. Four of the victims were referred to the GMCH in Sector 32, Chandigarh. They are stated to be out of danger.

Some of the victims have been identified as Mohammad Anif (60), Vicky (24), Shivam (3), Aanchal (7) and Vikas (10).

Around 2.55 pm, residents started complaining of problems in breathing. They found that chlorine was leaking from a tubewell room near Ramleela ground in the area. Ranbir Singh, a resident, said panic spread as people starting facing breathing problems and some suffered irritation in their eyes. The victims were taken to the Civil Hospital and the area was vacated, he said.

We could smell something in the air, which led us to the tubewell room, where a gas cylinder was found leaking, another resident said.

Following this, the police and the Fire Department officials were informed.

Fire engines arrived at the spot within minutes and started controlling the gas leakage by spraying water. The leaking cylinder was thrown into a water tank, said sources.

Harjinder Singh Rangi, president, Municipal Council, Dera Bassi, said a snag in the valve of an old cylinder lying at the tubewell room caused the leakage. He said he would direct the officials concerned to enquire into the matter and take proper steps to prevent such incidents.

MC officials said chlorine was mixed in the drinking water to rid it of impurities. Though the gas was not harmful, its high concentration at one place could create breathing problems for people, they added.
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 10

Angry scenes met the eye at the Chandigarh International Airport on Sunday, as Jet Airways airlines decision to cancel flights to several destinationsincluding Delhi, Pune, and Mumbaileft several passengers agitated.

Sources at the airlines claimed that the flights were cancelled because of "technical issues" and that the passengers were informed of the changes in advance.

Unhappy passengers however did not buy their reasons. A passenger, Sanjiv Kumar, who was to board a flight to Mumbai, said he got no such intimation from the airlines.

I had been booked on an international flight from Mumbai and now I dont know what to do. I came to know that my flight was cancelled only after I came to the airport, he said.

Another passenger who only identified herself as Anshika was to board a flight to Mumbai.

I was shocked when I found that the flight has been cancelled. I got no message from the airlines, said Anshika.

Several passengers were seen clustered around the Jet Airways counter at the airport demanding answers.

Most of us have our connecting flights from Delhi or Mumbai. Now well miss those, a passenger said.

This correspondent has asked the airline for its response. The story will be updated as soon as we get it.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 9

Sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) arrested a drug peddler with 180 gram of heroin and Rs 2.2 lakh drug money.

The suspect has been identified as Sandeep Kumar, alias Sandy, a resident of Pathankot. He was putting up at Phase 1 here.

Rajinder Singh Sohal, SP, STF, said the suspect was active in Mohali, Kharar and Chandigarh. He used to buy drugs for around Rs 1,100 per gram from Delhi and sell it for around Rs 3,500 here. He himself is a drug addict, he added.

The SP said after completing his computer diploma from a private college, the suspect had also gone to Denmark to pursue a course in multimedia. He left the course midway and returned to India in 2008. Later, he started working as a bouncer in Chandigarh. He drove an Uber cab before taking up drug trade around four months ago, said SP Sohal.

A case under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against Sandeep Kumar at the STF police station in Phase 4 here.

SP Sohal said the suspect was being interrogated to ascertain the drug source and his clients.
editorial@tribune.com

Panchkula, March 9

The police booked three Canada-based NRIs for defrauding a Panchkula resident of Canadian 36,567 dollars on the pretext of getting her a permanent resident (PR) status there.

Punam Bansal, in a complaint to the police, said her family was interested in settling in Canada. She said she came in contact with Ramandeep Kang, a resident of Chandigarh, who was was working with Metwest Group in Canada. Kunal Rathore was the CEO of the company.

She said on July 27, 2016, Ramandeep told her that she was working with Metwest and used to arrange agreements of those wanting to settle in Canada.

Bansal said on July 27, 2016, she signed an agreement with Rathore and transferred Canadian 5,217 dollars as the first installment.

She said on April 29, 2017, she transferred Canadian 12,450 dollars to the companys account. On August 9 and 23, should transferred Canadian 9,450 dollars.

She said later the Canadian embassy sent them a mail, stating that their visa application had been rejected due to wrong statements and other reasons. Later, they came to know that Metwest Group was a company opened to dupe people.

The Sector 20 police have registered a case under Section 406 and 420 of the IPC against Kunal Rathore, Ramandeep Kaur and Anuj Singh Sengar.  TNS
The 41 girls and young women who died two years ago as the result to a fire at a government-run shelter were protagonists again Friday as Guatemalans observed International Womens Day .

The second anniversary of the deadly blaze of March 8, 2017, was marked with the release of 41 white doves.

Fly! Fly! Daymi Hernandez, the older sister of one of the victims, Ashly Hernandez, cried as she held her young daughter in her arms.

The tragedy has changed the meaning of International Womens Day in Guatemala. March 8 is now a day of struggle and grief. Grief for the 41 who were burned to death and for the 15 survivors left with physical and psychological scars.

To remember them and to give voice to those who no longer have a voice, loved ones of the victims gathered in front of the scene of the tragedy, the Virgen de Asuncion shelter in San Jose Pinula, a Guatemala City suburb.

The center, overseen by the Social Welfare Secretariat, was meant to hold 400 people but was housing 748 minors of both genders at the time of the blaze. And the residents included not only orphans and at-risk youngsters, but gang members and other offenders.

Some of the older girls, who had been locked inside a small room as punishment for trying to escape, started the blaze by setting a mattress on fire to protest alleged physical and sexual abuse at the facility.

In front of the portraits of the 41 victims, Viannei Hernandez, Ashlys mother, remembered the last days of her daughter: her suffering, the cold, the hunger and her struggle to survive.

Viannei, with Ashlys photograph on her chest, said that the state was responsible for the deaths through a lack of ability or willingness to help the girls and young women.

They washed their hands, she said, urging the courts to bring to trial the half-dozen people charged in connection with the fire.

Among those listening to Viannei were three volunteer firefighters that were the first to reach the shelter on March 8, 2017.

Each holding a bouquet of flowers, they came to honor the victims and to offer peace and love to all women.

Emilio Najera, one of the firemen, said that the fire remains in their minds as an indelible image and in their hearts as an open wound.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

London, March 10

A clash broke out between groups of rival demonstrators assembled outside the Indian High Commission in London on Saturday.

Scotland Yard said one man was arrested for breach of peace during a face-off between UK-based Kashmiri and pro-Khalistan outfits chanting anti-India slogans and counter protesters chanting pro-Modi slogans.

The Metropolitan Police said the man was later de-arrested, with no further action.

Members of groups such as the Overseas Pakistanis Welfare Council (OPWC) and Sikhs for Justice clashed with counter-protesters from groups including the Friends of India Society, UK, during a demonstration called to protest against atrocities on ethnic minorities in India.

There were no reports of injuries during the clash, which involved several police officers intervening to control the few dozen protesters.

Images and videos of the clash have since been posted on social media, with either side blaming the other for turning a peaceful protest violent. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, March 9

Parents and their wards on Saturday assembled at the mini-secretariat here and met officials of the local administration for getting roll numbers issued to students.

Thirtyfive Class X students of Springdales Public School, Yamunanagar, could not take their maths examination on March 7 as they were not issued roll numbers by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) due to delay in the submission of forms.

The school management assured the students that they would be issued roll numbers on March 8, but when it failed to do so, angry parents and their wards blocked the Jagadhri Workshop road in Vishnu Nagar on Friday night. They demanded action against the school management.

The protesters lifted the blockade after Jagadhri tehsildar-cum-duty magistrate Joginder Sharma assured them that a meeting in this connection would be held with the school management and parents at his office in the mini-secretariat on Saturday.

President of the school management Praveen Sardana, City Magistrate Sonu Ram, DSP Subhash Chand, tehsildar Joginder Sharma and other officials of the local administration were present at the meeting.

In the presence of the officials, Sardana told mediapersons at the office of the tehsildar that the examination forms of the students had been submitted to the CBSE and a civil writ petition (CWP) had been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court requesting directions to the CBSE to issue roll numbers. The HC has fixed March 11 as the date of hearing in the case.

The tehsildar said the parents were demanding a copy of the CWP, which was made available to them.

On the complaint of the parents of affected students, the matter is being probed by the district education department, Yamunanagar. The parents also lodged a complaint with the police on Friday, seeking action against the school management.

Dinesh Chauhan, SHO, Farakpur police station, had, on Friday, said the matter was being probed by the district education department.

35 students suffer
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 9

Hisar MP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said on Saturday that the main agenda of the two recent meetings of the state Cabinet was to benefit the builders lobby ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The amendment to the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) is an evidence that the BJP government has become a professional looting agency, he alleged.

Dushyant, while speaking to mediapersons, here said that he was grateful to the Supreme Court for staying the PLPA decision of the government. Delhi and Gurugram are the most polluted cities in the country. Thanks to the Supreme Court, the 3.25 to 3.50 per cent forest cover will remain intact in Haryana and the Aravalli hills will remain green, he said.

The MP said that the increase in the floor area ratio (FAR) in case of existing licence holders by paying proportionate additional charges would benefit builders and deprive the state of revenue. The bank guarantee amendments that allow their withdrawal before the occupancy certification is given is also a decision taken in the interest of the builders lobby. These decisions have been taken before the parliamentary elections to ensure that a few licences can be cleared, he alleged.

Dushyant said the housing allowance demand had been pending for long. If the Chief Minister is so employee-oriented, let him call a Cabinet meeting only for the employees, he added.

On the possibility of a JJP-AAP alliance before the elections, he said that they were preparing to fight all 10 seats.

SC saved Aravalli hills

"The amendment to the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) is an evidence that the BJP government has become a professional looting agency. Delhi and Gurugram are the most polluted cities in the country. Thanks to the Supreme Court, the 3.25 to 3.50 per cent forest cover will remain intact in Haryana and the Aravalli hills will remain green." Dushyant Chautala, Hisar MP
editorial@tribune.com

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, March 9

Two months after exposing the GST scam worth Rs 470 crore, the Excise and Taxation Department unearthed a bogus billing scam worth Rs 147 crore by two local firms with tax evasion to the tune of Rs 13.78 crore.

According to sources, the department had identified M/s Ganesh Trading Company in Biholi village of Samalkha and M/s Sun Sales Corporation at the Model Town government school in Panipat. During investigation, officials found some returns regarding wrong claims of input tax credit.

The department found that M/s Ganesh Trading Company had shown huge sales to dealers within and outside the state and passed undue input tax credit by making invoice without movement of goods.

The department found that the firm had issued fake bills worth Rs 119 crore to dealers in Sirsa, Rewari, Panipat, Delhi and Maharashtra and evaded tax worth Rs 9.68 crore.

The firm had been registered in the name of Yogesh Sharma. During physical verification, neither the firm nor its owner was found in Biholi village. The department summoned Yogesh Sharma of Keshav Puram in Delhi after collecting his details from the documents used in registration of the firms.

It was revealed during inquiry that Yogesh worked as car driver with a private employer and never applied for a GST number.

His acquaintance Janender Kumar Sisodia of Bakhtawarpur village in Delhi had reportedly taken his documents to provide him a loan and registered the firm on the basis of his documents.

The other firm, M/s Sun Sales Corporation was registered in the name of Pawan Panday of Model Town. The firm had issued bogus bills worth Rs 28 crore to dealers in Faridabad, Delhi and Gujarat and evaded tax worth Rs 4.10 crore. During inquiry, it was found that the dealer has uploaded no-objection certificate of the owner of the property as proof of business premises, besides bank account details.

Raja Ram Nain, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (Sales), and Deputy Commissioner, State Tax (GST), said M/s Ganesh Trading Company had shown its maximum sales in Sirsa district. He said they had sent details to the Sirsa Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner for further action.

He said the firm had issued fake bills to a firm in Panipat and they had recovered Rs 20 lakh.
editorial@tribune.com

Jhajjar, March 9

Students of Government College here blocked vehicular traffic on the Delhi road for over an hour on Saturday in protest against non-construction of a speed-breaker despite several requests. They also shouted slogans against the college management for not raising the issue with the district administration.

However, the protesters lifted the blockade following an assurance from district officials that a speed-breaker would be constructed on the road by the evening. Vehicles are driven on the road at a high speed leading to the possibility of mishaps involving college students who have to cross the road, said Akhil, a protesting student.

Naib Tehsildar Ishwar Singh called Public Works Department officials, who assured the students that a speed-breaker would be constructed on the road by the evening. TNS
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shil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 9

The BJP on Saturday said it was capable of contesting the Lok Sabha elections on its own and was focusing on winning all 10 parliamentary seats in the state.

Subhash Barala, state BJP president, made it clear that the BJP did not need to go in for a tie-up with any other political party in the state as it was in a position to win all 10 seats on its own.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, state affairs incharge Anil Jain, parliamentary elections incharge for Haryana Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister for Steel Birender Singh, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu, Barala and other ministers and party MLAs were in Rohtak to attend a meeting of the state committee to plan a strategy for the upcoming parliamentary poll.

The BJP is capable of contesting and winning the elections on its own, Jain told mediapersons after the meeting. No one can completely deny possibilities in politics, but our party is in a position to win all 10 seats in Haryana without any alliance, he added. We are focusing on winning all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Khattar told mediapersons. He said the BJP government in the state had implemented all schemes it announced. Previous governments merely announced schemes and never meant to execute those, he claimed.

Barala said opposition parties had no issue to raise ahead of the elections. He alleged that the Congress and INLD were unable to find candidates to field in the elections.

Asked to comment on his meeting with state INLD president Ashok Arora on Friday, Khattar said it was a chance meeting and it was incorrect to draw a political meaning from such a meeting.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Solan, March 9

To begin work on the permanent campus of IIM-Sirmaur at Dhaulan Kuan, an MoU was signed by the institute management and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

The ceremony was held at Kendriya Sadan, Chandigarh, in the presence of Prof Neelu Rohmetra, Director, IIM-Sirmaur, SK Roy, Additional Director-General, CPWD, KC Singh, Chief Engineer, CPWD (retd), Col Dinkar Hiteshi, project consultant, IIM-Sirmaur, and Rajesh Dhiman, chief architect. Rohmetra, while expressing her gratitude to the Board of Governors, MHRD, and the state government for their support, urged the CPWD staff to ensure quality work.

Phase I of the project will be constructed over 60,384 sq m for a student strength of 600 at a cost of Rs 392.51 crore. About 210-acre land has been allotted for the construction of the permanent campus. The work (Phase I) is expected to be completed by 2021-22.

The campus will have hostels, a dining hall, a student activity centre, a satellite shopping complex, a canteen, Directors residence, accommodation for the faculty, a faculty club, a community centre, commercial facilities for staff, a classroom complex, a faculty office building, a computer centre and communication service  telephone exchange, a virtual learning centre/audio visual centre, a central library, an auditorium, an administrative complex, an engineering workshop, an incubation centre, a guest house, a health centre and an electrical substation.

The Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) has approved the non-recurring capital amount of Rs 392.51 crore loan for Phase I of the permanent campus. The work will be completed in three phases at a total cost of over Rs 700 crore over 210 acres.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 9

To improve connectivity along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC), two strategically important bridges were dedicated to the nation by the Border Roads Organisations (BRO) onFriday.

These include a 331-m-long Bein bridge at Samba and 121-m-long Dhok bridge in Akhnoor.

The Bein bridge, constructed on the Parole-Rajpura road near the IB, was e-inaugurated from New Delhi by the MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh along with Director-General BRO Lt Gen Harpal Singh, while the Dhok bridge, constructed on the Akhnoor-Pallanwala road, was inaugurated by MP from Jammu-Poonch Jugal Kishore along with Chief Engineer, Project Sampark, Brig YK Ahuja.

The Bein bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 21 crore and was completed six months ahead of the scheduled time. This strategically important bridge will facilitate smooth connectivity and improve the socio-economic development of border villages in the Samba region.

The Dhok bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 7.28 crore and was completed 11 months before its scheduled time. This strategically important bridge will facilitate smooth connectivity and improve the socio-economic development of nearby border villages in the Pallanwala region. This is the third bridge being completed in the last one year on the same road and two more bridges are on the verge of completion.

Terming the construction of the Bein bridge a great achievement by the BRO, Jitendra Singh, through video conferencing, said the roads and bridges were the lifeline of any nation and played a vital role in the socio-economic development of far-flung regions. He praised the BRO personnel for working away from their families in most hostile and difficult areas.

The event was attended by a gathering of local dignitaries, civil administration and public of all age groups from local villages.

Have strategic importance
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu/Doda, March 9

The personal security officer of the Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner was suspended after militants snatched his AK-47 along with three magazines on Friday night.

An FIR has been lodged against the personal security officer (PSO) and he is being interrogated.

Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana said his PSO, Dilip Singh, called him on Friday night and informed that two unidentified persons had snatched his service rifle, three magazines containing 90 bullets and his mobile phone at gunpoint.

The mobile phone of the PSO has been recovered, the DC said. The area was immediately cordoned off and the police carried out raids at suspicious places but nothing was found.

Constable Dilip Singh has been suspended and an FIR has been lodged against him. We interrogated him but there has been no breakthrough. We are on the job and will nab the culprits soon, said Shakti Pathak, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar.
editorial@tribune.com

fat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 9

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to the top security brass in Kashmir, telling them to be on the highest alert as the Jaish-e-Mohammad is planning a Pulwama-type suicide attack.

In a written security advisory, accessed by The Tribune, sent by the Director, Security, MHA, to the top security brass in Kashmir it has said that it is reported that the JeM outfit members active in Pulwama district are preparing for another fidayeen/spectacular attack in next three days. Although the said terrorist attack was scheduled to be launched after two weeks, the group has decided to pre-pone it, owing to the developments happening on the Indo-Pak front and anti-militancy operations against the JeM, said the advisory.

On February 14, a JeMsuicide bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar,had rammed his explosive-laden car into a CRPF convoy on the Pulwama highway, killing 40 personnel.

Officials in the Valley have been asked to be on alert as the JeM is planning another attack.

In view of the above, the peripheral security of vital installations and forces guarding the installations be kept on alert to thwart any such attack.

The oil companies in the state have also been advised to keep on alert the forces guarding the vital installations.

In a written communication to the J&K Police, they have been asked to furnish the details of the two JeM militants, one local and another foreign named as Muna Bihari who are said to be in possession of crude bomb lot. The said group, according to the security agencies, are active in Pulwama and Shopian villages.
The 34th edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival kicked off Friday in this western Mexican city, an event that features Chile as guest of honor and a roster of 295 fiction and documentary offerings from different parts of the world.

A total of 113 films are entered in the Official Competition at the week-long festival, which concludes on March 15 and is regarded as the most prestigious event of its kind in Latin America.

Films from Latin America, Spain and Portugal will be in the running for Mayahuel awards (the top prizes) in categories that include best fiction film, best documentary, best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay.

Mezcal awards (for which only Mexican films are eligible) will be handed out in the categories of best picture, best actor, best actress, best cinematography and best director.

Other awards will be conferred for best animated short and best animated feature film at the festival.

Outside of the Official Competition, the Maguey award (for films that promote sexual diversity) also will be handed out in three categories: best acting, honorable mention and best picture.

English director Hugh Hudson, Spanish producer Esther Garcia, American actor Peter Fonda, Chilean producer Juan de Dios Larrain and Mexican actress Blanca Guerra will be among the recipients of honorary Mayahuel awards in recognition of their career achievements in different cinematic areas.

During the festival, leading figures in the world of cinema such as Fonda; Mexican actor Diego Luna ; Eugenio Caballero, who was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Production Design for his work on Alfonso Cuarons 2018 film Roma, winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film; American documentary filmmaker and producer Carl Deal; and American animation and visual effects expert Kevin Scott will all give talks on different aspects of the cinematic arts.

Chile, for its part, has sent a delegation that includes 40 filmmakers, producers and film professionals.

A total of eight Chilean films will be screened as part of the Official Competition, while 24 pictures will be shown as part of a special section devoted to contemporary cinema from that South American country, including some old movies that have been recently restored.

The guest of honor will screen films including Gloria Bell, a picture directed by Sebastian Lelio that is an English-language adaptation of Lelios award-winning Chilean-Spanish drama film Gloria (2013); Lemebel, a documentary that took home the Teddy Award for LGBT-related films at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival; Perro bomba, a fiction film on the topic of immigration; and Cola de mono, directed by writer Alberto Fuguet.

By Mariana Gonzalez
editorial@tribune.com

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Qazipora (Budgam), March 9

In a single-storey house atop a hillock in Qazipora village of Budgam district, a dozen family members and relatives of a Kashmiri soldier, who appear glum, talk in hushed voices about overnight developments.

Around 9 pm on Friday, a militant barged into the house of off-duty Rifleman Mohammad Yasin Bhat, in his early twenties, and tried to abduct him. The unarmed soldier, however, managed to escape, using wit and presence of mind. The family raised an alarm and resisted his abduction.

While the soldier escaped, his family and the police initially feared he was abducted as he did not return home immediately.

Though the village is located on the border of south Kashmirs militancy affected Pulwama district, it has not been affected much by insurgency.

Around 9, a masked gunman barged into our house. There was a commotion as the family resisted the abduction. It was just like Karbala for over a minute. One of the family members opened the door and Yasin managed to escape, said Yasins father, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat.

There were two armed men outside the house and they chased him, Bhat said.

When the police and Army reached the village, they were informed about the possible abduction. Security forces immediately launched a hunt to trace the missing soldier.

When forces reached the spot, there was panic. From the initial assessment, we feared that he was abducted, said a police officer from the area.

A large number of people from the village had assembled at Yasins house.

Family sources said Yasin returned home around 1 am.

He didnt say much about how he managed to escape. A few family members accompanied him to the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry headquarters at Rangreth in the wee hours, they said.

On Saturday morning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence claimed that the soldier on leave was safe and media reports of his abduction were incorrect.

Clarification. Media reports of the abduction of a serving Army soldier on leave from Qazipora, Chadoora, Budgam, are incorrect. Individual is safe. Speculations may please be avoided, a defence spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

Yasin had joined the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment in 2015 and was at present posted outside the state. He was on leave from February 25.

It is learnt that security agencies are looking at various angles while investigating the case.

Budgam Superintendent of Police Nagpure Amod Ashok said Yasin was safe in his unit.
shalender@tribune.com

Hollywood star Ben Affleck, who is gearing up for the release of his next film Triple Frontier on Netflix, declined commenting on filmmaker Steven Spielbergs push for blocking streaming of movies from the Oscars.

Spielbergs Academy Award attention was devoted to ensuring that the race never sees another Roma, a Netflix film backed by massive sums, that didnt play by the same rules as its analog-studio competitors. He feels Netflix should only compete for awards in the Emmy arena. As the Academy Governor representing the directors branch, Spielberg is eager to support rule changes when it convenes for its annual post-Oscar meeting.

Affleck said: Thats really a question for various other interested outside groups and how they define the popular arts... that they are interested to give awards to or not or how you are kind of qualified for that which I am not. I am not on the board of governors of the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) or any other group. Triple Frontier, slated for release on March 13 and directed by J.C. Chandor, tells the story of five former Special Forces operatives who reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America.

Triple Frontier, which had a theatrical release on March 6 in the US, also stars Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal.  IANS
shalender@tribune.com

Actor Irrfan Khan, who returned to India last month after receiving neuroendocrine tumour treatment in London, was spotted at Mumbai airport on Saturday. According to the photographs that surfaced online, Irrfan can be seen avoiding paparazzi at the airport as he chose to hide his face with a muffler. He was spotted wearing a pink jacket and camouflage pants.

However, it was not clear where the Piku actor was heading to. Back in March last year, Irrfan had revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare tumour. Soon after, he went to London for treatment.

The unexpected makes us grow, which is what the past few days have been about. Learning that I have been diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour as of now has admittedly been difficult, but the love and strength of those around me and that I found within me has brought me to a place of hope, Irrfan earlier said while sharing the news of his tumour.

It is also reported that the 52-year-old actor will soon start shooting the sequel of his 2017 film Hindi Medium.  IANS
laxmi@tribune.com

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 9

A three-pronged international effort to address the root cause of Indo-Pak tensions is underway despite New Delhis professed aversion to outside mediation.

Saudi Arabia, China and the UK-US combine are separately but actively engaged in meeting Indias demand for UNSC listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist while giving a face-saver to Pakistan that enables it to play a role in stabilising Afghanistan.

India had earlier discouraged direct shuttle diplomacy by third countries unless they had something concrete to offer. The Foreign Office here said a Saudi Arabian Minister will arrive here on Monday but maintained his agenda was restricted to a follow-up of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans visit.

Chinese Foreign Secretary Kong Xuanyou, designated as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, has already met the Pakistani leadership and is understood to have discussed the quid pro quo with India if China were to lift its objection on the UNSC naming Masood as an international terrorist.

One possibility is India attending the second Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum to be held next month in China after boycotting the inaugural marquee event last year.

As the elections would have been announced by then and the model code of conduct will be in force, India could be represented at the official level which does not raise eyebrows.

The United States had sent a delegation to the first BRI Forum but retains the right to object to the project on grounds of lack of transparency. The third vector is the UK-US combine that has been extremely active with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the lead role. Pompeo held several conversations with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and top Pakistani officials to prevent an uncontrollable spiralling of tensions.

On Friday, he was closeted with UK National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill who had flown to Washington from Delhi after a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides Syria and Iran, a way out from India-Pakistan tensions figured prominently on the agenda.
shalender@tribune.com

New Delhi, March 9

An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts as well as electronic evidence to prove it, the Ministry of External Affairs said today.

It also said evidence on the use of F-16 jets by Pakistan was there in the form of parts of an AMRAAM missile recovered from the site, which is carried only by F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, at a media briefing, said: Only one aircraft was lost by us. If, as Pakistan claims, they have a video recording of the downing of a second Indian aircraft, why have they not shown it to the international media even after more than one week?

He said Pakistan should explain why it continued to deny that its F-16 had been shot down.

In the aerial combat, India had lost the MiG-21 and its pilot Wg Cdr Varthaman was captured by Pakistan. Pakistan claimed it downed two Indian jets, and rejected IAFs assertion that an F-16 was shot down by it during the dogfight.  PTI
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Ghaziabad, March 10

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sent across a strong message to terrorist forces targeting India, saying the country cannot keep suffering forever and that his government has taken some strong decisions against such elements.

For many decades, the country and numerous families have suffered the wounds and pain given by terrorism, Naxalism and insurgency. What happened in Pulwama and Uri was heartbreaking.

We cannot bear this pain till eternity. Enough is enough, the Prime Minister said while addressing CISF personnel at its base here. The paramilitary force is celebrating the 50th year of its raising. The PM said following dastardly acts of terrorist violence, his government had taken some strong decisions, in an apparent reference to the IAF strike on terror camps after the Pulwama attack.

He said the government had adopted a new policy to act against terrorism and that it was its responsibility to live up to the expectations of the families of the personnel killed in the line of duty.

Our government is purchasing all modern gadgets required by our security forces to tackle such challenges, Modi said, mentioning the creation of a new facility in UPs Amethi to manufacture modern guns.

The PM lauded the valour and dedication of CISF men and women who protect vital assets of the country in the face of a hostile neighbour which does not have the capacity to fight a war.

Modi also hit out at the abuse of VIP culture. Id say the biggest problem while carrying out your duty is people like me, VIPs. The VIP culture at times is the biggest threat to security, he said. When you frisk, some people get annoyed and even say I will see you and you have to tell them that it is your duty which has to be done, the PM added.  PTI

Strong Measures

Someone, sometime, has to take a big decision (against such terror acts)... it is my privilege that with the support of crores of people of this country, we took some strong decisions.  Narendra Modi, PM
laxmi@tribune.com

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 9

Distillers in Punjab have found a new way to evade the high excise duty in the state.

Permits for selling liquor in Arunachal Pradesh, which has minimal excise duty, are obtained and liquor consignments are readied for dispatch. Only, this liquor is not sold in the eastern state, but is diverted illegally (by evading excise duty) in the open market in Punjab.

This liquor is allegedly sold to big liquor smugglers operating in the state and also involved in smuggling cheaper liquor from Haryana and Chandigarh. This diverted liquor, both country- made and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), is sold to a chain of bootleggers. They in turn sell it at lower rates than the liquor sold in retail shops.

Over the past one month, the state Excise Department, police as well as liquor contractors in Punjab have seized several consignments wherein the whiskey bottle labels are marked For Sale in Arunachal Pradesh Only.

At least 15 such consignments have been seized in Ludhiana, and cases registered under the Excise Act. Seizures have also been made in Muktsar and Ferozepur.

Recently, 600 cases of such liquor were also seized in Dasuya. Officials say most distillers have permits for selling their liquor brands in Arunachal Pradesh. But several truckloads of liquor leave the distilleries on just one permit  which

means that if 10 trucks are leaving the distillery quoting one permit for Arunachal, nine are being diverted in the open market here itself, an official in the Excise Department confided.

Bottles thus seized are of various brands like Crazy Romeo, Royal Secret and Rock Star  all manufactured in distilleries of Punjab. The distillers, when contacted, denied any wrongdoing on their part. They instead blamed the 20-odd illegal bottling plants operational in the state for filling liquor and labelling the bottles with their brand names.

Inderbir Singh Rana of Rana Sugars, which also manufacturers liquor, said they had not diverted any liquor meant for sale elsewhere, but in Punjab he was certain that the illegal bottling plants, some having just two to three production lines and ability to manufacture up to 600 cases a day, were involved in such misrepresentation.

When contacted, Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vivek Pratap Singh said that the department was keeping a strict vigil to check all kinds of smuggling.
shalender@tribune.com

Mumbai, March 9

Linking Pathankot and Pulwama terror attacks to elections, MNS chief Raj Thackeray today said another Pulwama like strike could occur in near future in a bid to win polls.

He also slammed as insult to jawans Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement that presence of Rafale jets could have added to more firepower to the February 26 raids by Air Force on a terrorist camp in Pakistans Balakot.

Thackeray was addressing party workers on the 13th Foundation Day of the MNS.

Thackeray alleged that the warnings issued by intelligence agencies prior to the Pulwama attack were ignored.

Forty jawans were martyred in the Pulwama attack. Should we still not ask questions? In December, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had met his Pakistani counterpart in Bangkok. Who will tell us what transpired at the meeting? he said.

Taking a dig at BJP president Amit Shahs statement on the number of casualties in the Balakot strike, the MNS chief said whether Shah was one of the the co-pilots who participated in the air strike.

Thackeray claimed the Indian Air Force missed targets it had intended to hit in Balakot because of wrong information provided to them by the Modi government.

If the Prime Minister himself says that results would have been better had the country have Rafale jets, it was an insult to our jawans, he said.

Disputing that terrorists were killed in the air raids, Thackeray said had that been the case, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman would not have been allowed to return home from captivity by Pakistan.  PTI
laxmi@tribune.com

New Delhi, March 9

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari today said if the media has a specific orientation, it must say so candidly. Delivering the BG Verghese Memorial lecture, he said for the media to play its designated role, it must be impartial and unprejudiced in coverage of news and views connected with all segments of society.

He said the media must not be subservient to vested interests or be distorted by these trends. However, he regretted that despite the medias impressive numbers and diversity, phenomena like cross-media ownership, paid news and fake news, as also the declining role of editors and their editorial freedom, do raise questions about its objectivity and credibility, Ansari said at a function helmed by the India Foundation, which awarded the Chameli Devi Award for outstanding journalism for 2018 to BBCs Priyanka Dube for her work on mob lynching, UP encounters and encephalitis deaths in Gorakhpur.

Strident nationalism, on the other hand, he said, has no hesitation in transcending and transgressing individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution. It, therefore, has to be guarded against and its ideological premises contested.

Violence against journalists remains a matter of concern. Ansari dwelt on two aspects: firstly violence by those in segments of militant public who do not want coverage of misdeeds, the Gauri Lankesh case being the most condemnable instance of it; and secondly by the authorities in the shape of local security forces who do not want the media to report strong-arm tactics used against public expressions of outrage in specific happenings. Correctives to the latter are few and rarely prompt, as in the Hashimpura killings case of 1986.

In most of these, there is state complicity in acts of omission or commission, he said.  TNS
laxmi@tribune.com

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 9

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned separatist leader and All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for questioning in connection with a case related to alleged funding to terrorist and separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

The probe agency has also summoned Syed Naseem Geelani, the son of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, for questioning at its headquarters in New Delhi on March 11.

The summons follow raids and searches carried out by the NIA at the residences of Mirwaiz and Geelanis son on February 26 and other locations in Kashmir.

The agency said it had found a high-tech Internet communication setup from the residence of Mirwaiz during the search, which lasted over six hours.

In its summons to Mirwaiz, the NIA has asked him to report for examination on March 11 at 10.30 am.

Syed Rehman Shams, secretary of Mirwaiz, said the next course of action would be decided by the amalgam. Whether or not Mirwaiz should present himself would be decided during the party meeting, he said, adding that Geelanis son too had been issued summons.

An aide of Mirwaiz and Hurriyat spokesman Shahid-ul-Islam is already in custody. He, along with six other separatist leaders, was arrested by the NIA on July 24, 2017, in the terror funding case. He is lodged in Tihar jail.

As soon as the news of the NIA summons to Mirwaiz spread this afternoon, shops and other business establishments in Srinagar areas shut down spontaneously. There were also announcements from mosque loudspeakers urging shopkeepers to down their shutters in protest.
laxmi@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 9

The video of fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, walking freely on the streets of London today saw the BJP and the Congress trade charges.

Posted by UK newspaper The Telegraph, the video shows a plumper Modi sporting a handle-bar moustache and wearing an Ostrich Hide jacket, estimated to cost 10,000 pounds. Trying to hail a cab, Modi can be seen repeatedly saying sorry, no comment to questions posed by a journalist.

The Congress slammed the government for failing in diplomatic efforts in persuading the UK to act against Nirav Modi and accused PM Narendra Modi of running a fraudster settlement yojana for such fugitives. It also alleged that fugitives had looted Rs 1 lakh crore from Indian banks but not even one of them was caught during the tenure of the BJP.

Fugitive Nirav Modi is seen enjoying in London, living in a Rs 75-crore flat and wearing a 10,000-pound jacket, Congress Randeep Surjewala said.

The BJP retaliated, calling it a case of ulta chor chowkidar ko dante, chor being the Congress and the chowkidar the PM. Nirav Modis fraud to cheat the banks started in 2011 when the Congress-led UPA government was in power. It was detected and exposed during the tenure of the Narendra Modi government. The offender was declared a fugitive, his assets seized, illegal house blown up and businesses closed. Criminal cases have been filed against him and he is being pursued by enforcement and probe agencies, BJP leaders said.

Also, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, the government was aware of Nirav Modis presence in London and was taking all the steps for his extradition.

Government functionaries add that Interpol red notices and extradition requests are pending and now they have no role in bringing Nirav Modi back until the process of his extradition begins in a London court.

Aware hes in UK

All necessary steps are being taken for the extradition of Nirav Modi. We have been aware of his presence in the UK. It (extradition request) is under their (UK govt) consideration. Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson

Modis looted india

The video of fugitive #NiravModi in London shows an uncanny similarity between him & his bhai, PM Modi. Both have looted India and are called Modi both will face justice. Rahul Gandhi, Congress president

UK Home Secy certifies extradition request
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Ravi S.Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 10

Soon after Election Commission announced schedule for the 2019 General Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter urging the first-time voters to come out in record numbers.

The Festival of democracy, Elections are here. I urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha election with their active participation. I hope this election will witness a historic turn out. I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers, Modi tweeted.

In another tweet, Modi said, Guided by Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas NDA seeks your blessing again. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous and secure India.

The tweet seeking peoples participation to build on the achievements during five year-rule of NDA to create strong, prosperous and secure India was loaded with hashtag PhirEkBaarModi Sarkar sounding Modis veritable poll bugle.

The narrative of a strong, prosperous and secure India is epigrammatic of his governments achievement and BJPs poll vision. They foreshadow Modis would-be pitch during his election campaign trail.

Also in another tweet, he lauded the poll panel for its role in conducting elections. Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth election. India is very proud of the Election Commission for assiduously organising elections for several years.

On the other hand, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised objection for not holding the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on time, and took a dig at general projection of Modis strong leadership.

In a tweet, Abdullah said this was first the time since 1996 that state elections were not held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising Prime Minister Modi for his strong leadership.

Abdullah also wondered on the assurance given to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and at an all-party meeting in the national capital that ample forces would be made available for simultaneous polls in the state.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal termed the NDA as the most dictatorial and anti-federal government and said coming election was the opportunity to de-throne it.

BSP president Mayawati described the Government as anti-poor and said the people deserved a better dispensation.

Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) head HD Kumaraswamy hoped there would be level-playing field to all political parties in the coming elections.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, March 10

The Indian Air Force's strike on Pakistan's Balakot will feature prominently in the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj indicated here on Sunday.

Addressing a gathering of women workers of the party, Swaraj said the BJP would come out with campaign material attacking the opposition parties "who questioned the valour of India's armed forces".

"We will come out with leaflets... asking whether our jawans should count dead bodies or return safely after carrying out air strikes," Swaraj told party workers.

She further exhorted BJP workers to take on those doubting the impact of the air strikes and ask counter questions to those who raise doubts.

"We should ask questions like whether you will support parties that back separatists. We should ask people whether they would vote for those who question the bravery of our soldiers," Swaraj said.

The veteran BJP leader said the party was publishing two leaflets to be circulated by its women party workers. While one would focus completely on the air strikes and help provide points to the party workers during debates, the other would provide details on the Narendra Modi government's welfare schemes for women.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who attended the event, told party workers to take on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray. "Thackeray's speeches and writings are scripted by (Nationalist Congress Party leader) Sharad Pawar," Fadnavis said.
shalender@tribune.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, March 9

Continuing with its hard-line stand on the Ram Mandir issue, the Shiv Sena on Saturday expressed scepticism about the Supreme Courts mediators arriving at a solution.

Politicians and even the Supreme Court have not been able to resolve this issue so far. So what can these three mediators do? Why did the dispute continue for 25 years, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives if it could have been solved through mediation? an editorial in Saturdays edition of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna asked.

The newspaper said the government should have issued an ordinance to let the construction of a Ram Mandir begin at Ayodhya.

The newspaper wondered what the apex court would achieve by appointing three mediators to resolve the issue. Arbitration and mediation will be ineffective in resolving this issue, Saamna said.

The editorial said the issue should not be looked at merely as a dispute over land. The dispute is only over 1,500 sq ft of land and not about the remaining 63 acres, Saamna said. For his own 1,500 sq ft of land, Lord Rama will now have to hold talks with the mediators. Even the gods could not escape the legal battle. Who should be held responsible for this? Saamna wondered.
shalender@tribune.com

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, March 9

Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack of Telangana Chief Minister K Chadrashekhar Rao (KCR), calling him a supporter of PM Narendra Modi who supported the BJP in all its action in Parliament during the past five years.

The Congress, he said, was the only party that could prevent the bifurcation of the nation, one for the few rich and another for the rest.

Modi was trying to change the Constitution and there was a need to check that, he said during a rally at Shamshabad on the outskirts of the city today.

He took on the PM in similar rallies in south India where he asked: Let Modi make me understand who sent Masood Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief, from Indian jail to Pakistan.

He asked Modi: Why are you not speaking about it? Why are you not saying that the person who killed CRPF jawans in Pulwama (Kashmir) was sent to Pakistan by BJP... Modiji we are not like you. We dont bow in front of terror. Make it clear to people who sent Azhar back. He said the Congress had lost two Prime Ministers to terror, but did not bow before pressure.

The Congress chief said the BJP had promised 2 crore jobs, but the unemployment rate has only gone up. If Congress comes to power, my party will enact a minimum guarantee income Bill for the youth, he said.

He also launched a tirade against KCR, accusing him of supporting Modi in all his action that included demonetisation as well as implementation of GST. We cannot do anything about demonetisation, but when voted to power, we will fix the anomalies in GST that have caused harm to traders, shopkeepers and small businesses that provide most jobs.

He told farmers that once voted to power, the Congress will waive farm loans of all and look for people below poverty line and put money into their bank accounts across the country.

He also accused the BJP of stealing Rs 30,000 of tax payers money and giving it to Ambanis.

Congress wont bow to terror

Modiji we are not like you. We dont bow in front of terror. Make it clear to people who sent Azhar back Congress lost two Prime Ministers to terror, but did not bow before pressure.  Rahul Gandhi, Congress president
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service |

New Delhi, March 10

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, state in-charge Asha Kumari and state party chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday called on former prime minister Manmohan Singh likely to convince him to consider contesting the general elections from the Amritsar after the partys screening panel agreed that his nomination would benefit the party immensely.

The trio called on Manmohan Singh after the panel meet at Kapurthala House where Amarinder Singh, Asha Kumari, Jakhar and All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal discussed potential nominees for the upcoming Punjab polls.

Earlier on Sunday, Amarinder Singh, Venugopal, Asha Kumari, and Jakhar met to shortlist shortlist party candidates for the elections. The Punjab chief minister told the press that the meeting was preliminary.

Shortlisted names will be sent to the Congresss Central Election Committee for it to be finalised according to selection rules that party president Rahul Gandhi has proposed, marking a new era in ushering transparency into the party functioning, Captain Amarinder said, although he refused to reveal shortlisted names.

Punjab Congress is fully geared to fight the Lok Sabha polls. Well sweep the elections, Captain Amarinder, making it clear that the party did not need an alliance in the state.

Punjab will witness elections in a single phase on May 19. There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
editorial@tribune.com

Moga, March 9

A 60-year-old debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself at Manuke Gill village of Nihalsinghwala subdivision in Moga district, the police said here on Saturday.

He has been identified as Gurmail Singh. His wife Sukhdev Kaur told the police that Gurmail had raised a loan of Rs 35 lakh from various banks. He owned 7 acres of land and the registration papers were given as surety to banks.

She said there was pressure on him from bank to repay the loan. It could be due to this reason that Gurmail had shot himself from his licenced gun, she said. The police initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.  TNS
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

LONDON: Dinosaurs were unaffected by long-term climate changes and flourished before their sudden demise by asteroid strike 66 million years ago, according to a study.

Scientists largely agree that an asteroid impact, possibly coupled with intense volcanic activity, wiped out the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period.

However, there is debate about whether dinosaurs were flourishing before this, or whether they had been in decline due to long-term changes in climate over millions of years, according to the study published in the journal Nature Communications.

Previously, researchers used the fossil record and some mathematical predictions to suggest dinosaurs may have already been in decline, with the number and diversity of species falling before the asteroid impact.

Now, in a new analysis that models the changing environment and dinosaur species distribution in North America, the UK researchers from Imperial College London, University College London and University of Bristol have shown that dinosaurs were likely not in decline before the meteorite.

Dinosaurs were likely not doomed to extinction until the end of the Cretaceous, when the asteroid hit, declaring the end of their reign and leaving the planet to animals like mammals, lizards and a minor group of surviving dinosaurs: birds, said lead researcher Alessandro Chiarenza, a PhD candidate at Imperial.

The results of our study suggest that dinosaurs as a whole were adaptable animals, capable of coping with the environmental changes and climatic fluctuations that happened during the last few million years of the Late Cretaceous, Chiarenza said in a statement.

Climate change over prolonged time scales did not cause a long-term decline of dinosaurs through the last stages of this period, he said.

The study shows how the changing conditions for fossilisation means previous analyses have underestimated the number of species at the end of the Cretaceous.

The team focused their study on North America, where many Late Cretaceous dinosaurs are preserved, such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops.

During this period, the continent was split in two by a large inland sea.

In the western half there was a steady supply of sediment from the newly forming Rocky Mountains, which created perfect conditions for fossilising dinosaurs once they died.

The eastern half of the continent was instead characterised by conditions far less suitable for fossilisation.

This means that far more dinosaur fossils are found in the western half, and it is this fossil record that is often used to suggest dinosaurs were in decline for the few million years before the asteroid strike.

Most of what we know about Late Cretaceous North American dinosaurs comes from an area smaller than one-third of the present-day continent, and yet we know that dinosaurs roamed all across North America, from Alaska to New Jersey and down to Mexico, Philip Mannion from University College London, said.

Instead of using this known record exclusively, the team employed ecological niche modelling.

This approach models which environmental conditions, such as temperature and rainfall, each species needs to survive.

The researchers then mapped where these conditions would occur both across the continent and over time.

This allowed them to create a picture of where groups of dinosaur species could survive as conditions changed, rather than just where their fossils had been found.

The team found habitats that could support a range of dinosaur groups were actually more widespread at the end of the Cretaceous, but that these were in areas less likely to preserve fossils. PTI
The speaker of the Venezuelan legislature, Juan Guaido, recognized by some 50 countries as the acting president of Venezuela, announced this Saturday a tour of the country and a giant rally in Caracas to assert his possession of the power held since 2013 by the Chavista Nicolas Maduro .

Let all Venezuela come to Caracas, because we need everyone united. At this time I announce my tour of all Venezuela to bring everyone to Caracas to achieve our goal, he told a gathering of followers in the southwestern part of the capital.

He promised to announce the date and time of his visits to the more than 20 federal states of Venezuela just hours before his arrival, to avoid the roads getting jammed.

Thats when we will announce the date when we will all come together in Caracas to make use of our chance (to take power), he said to the cries of thousands of people urging him to take over the presidential palace of Miraflores.

Earlier in the day, an anti-riot squad tried to scatter the protesters with tear gas and cordons that impeded them from reaching Victoria Avenue, scene of this Saturdays rally.

Guaido had to use a megaphone to address the thousands of people who had remained since the early hours at the area of the rally, after protesters werent allowed to install the platform from which he was to give his speech.

EFE observed that at least 200 members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) blocked access to the Francisco Fajardo Motorway, which connects the east and west of the capital, and kept the crowds from two other demonstrations from making even larger the one led by the opposition leader.

The militarized police also deployed 12 armored cars which, however, were not used to repress the demonstration.

Guaido, meanwhile, mentioned the power outage that in some parts of the country has continued for 48 hours, and said that 16 states are still without electricity.

Some reports said that several states, where power had been reestablished after more than 30 hours without electricity, suffered another outage around 12:00 pm this Saturday.

The service had gradually been restored since Friday in the eastern and central states of Venezuela, though more than half the country has gone 48 straight hours without electricity.

Its hard to say were doing well when children die in our hospitals (for lack of electricity), and when our indigenous people are being massacred. We know what a crisis were in and for that reason we must keep fighting, he said.

He also warned that if the power outages continue, Venezuela could suffer a gasoline crisis.

Venezuela has been going through a time of severe political tension since last January, when Guaido cited certain articles of the Venezuelan Constitution to claim the authority to declare himself interim president of the nation, on grounds that Maduro had usurped the presidency.

The Chavista leader first took office in 2013 and was reelected last May in a controversial election that the opposition boycotted because it did not trust the honesty of Venezuelas current electoral system, with the result that the legitimacy of Maduros second term is not recognized either by anti-Chavismo or by much of the international community.
Karan Thapar

Karan Thapar

Are we tying ourselves in knots over how many people were killed in the Balakot strike? It certainly seems so and, to coin a phrase, its turning into quite a Gordian affair.

Speaking in Ahmedabad recently, BJP chief Amit Shah claimed that more than 250 terrorists were killed. Earlier, government sources were quoted by almost every newspaper and television channel stating 300 terrorists had been eliminated. Thereafter, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seemed to agree with the 300 figure, while UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh upped it to 400. But absolutely no one gave any reason of how they had come to their respective figures.

In contrast, officials, who should presumably know, have spoken very differently. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa has categorically said: We cant count how many people have died. That depends on how many people were there. The Foreign Secretary simply spoke generally, non-specifically and without detail. He said: A very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and group of jihadis were eliminated. Both refused to say how many and one can presume thats because they dont know.

At a joint press conference, speaking on behalf of the military, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor was deliberately vague to the point of being almost cryptic. Theres fairly credible evidence with us which proves that there was damage to the camps. Weapons hit the intended target and they caused the damage that was intended whatever we intended to destroy we have got the effect we desired. We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy we have done that. However, he did pointedly add that it would be premature to say what is the number of casualties and what is the number of deaths.

So where did Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Radha Mohan Singh or the earlier unnamed government sources get their precise figures from? In fact, SS Ahluwalia, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, has actually stated it wasnt Indias intention to cause casualties. The aim was to send Pakistan a message that we can hit its backyard. We did not want any human casualty, he said. So, presumably, his position is no one was killed.

Now what does all of this suggest? That we dont know? Or are simply guessing? Or, worse, were confused and contradicting ourselves? Your guess is as good as mine. However, the problem is this controversy is disquieting the nation and making us look absurd abroad. But do our loquacious politicians care?

Let me now briefly touch on another matter. This time, I admit, its more of academic concern than actual importance but it is still worth noting. Did India cross the LoC to carry out the Balakot strike? Or were the Spice 2000 bombs fired from inside the Indian territory? Now that we know India possesses the Spice 2000, which is capable of accurately hitting targets 100 km away, there was, in fact, no need to cross the LoC to hit Balakot, which is only 60 km inside Pakistan. So if there was no need why would the Indian Air Force have crossed into Pakistani airspace?

Government spokesmen, once again unnamed, have at least on one occasion confirmed our planes did not cross the LoC. Balakot was targeted from our side of the border. Christine Fair, a highly respected authority on India and Pakistan, emphatically agrees. However, Pakistans military spokesman, Major-General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted on February 26 that the Indian Air Force violated the Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts went back. So, as far as Pakistan is concerned, we did cross. And thats also the impression the government happily permitted to prevail when Balakot happened. But whats the truth?

Alas, the government is silent. It hasnt said a word. So how are we to construe this? Logic would suggest if there was no need to cross the LoC we did not. However, the initial impression, which the government did not dispute, is we definitely did and most people still believe that. So where does that leave us? Sadly, once again, your guess is as good as mine.
Saba Naqvi

Saba Naqvi

On February 14, Priyanka Gandhi was scheduled to address a press conference in Lucknow. But that day the Pulwama terror attack took place and she arrived to tell the media that it was not an appropriate day to talk of politics. Since then, we have heard nothing from the newest member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to formally enter politics, which she did when in January she was appointed the Congress general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, she had only campaigned in Amethi and Rae Bareli seats but did not have a formal position in the party.

Now that Pulwama and Balakot are behind us, the question is that does Priyanka Gandhi have that fire in the belly to still make the narrative instead of following it and in this case being paralysed by it? That would require her fighting a big electoral battle, against a big BJP candidate, ideally PM Narendra Modi, in Varanasi.

Otherwise lets just write off her half debut in politics as a flop. I teach politics to 80 students, all first time voters, as visiting faculty in a private university and I must state that they did not respond with any particular enthusiasm to Priyanka with one asking what she had done besides smile at cameras.

There is still time for correction. The problem the Congress confronts is that after getting some wind in its sails with wins in three states  Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan  in December last year, it appears to have been brought down by the dogfight in the air with the BJP post Pulwama-Balakot. In two months, the narrative has switched.

First, the party and the dynasts that lead it need to understand some basic psychological rules of politics today in the age of post truth and alternative facts  a phrase coined by Trumps White House when challenged by real facts. People go to stories in print and online and watch the news that confirms their opinion of the world. Unless a big disruption takes place to draw their attention to something else, they are going to be consuming the BJPs big bangs and big-ticket narratives that will unfold step by step in the run up to the elections.

Figures such as Mamta Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, hold their own against the dominant narratives because they are street fighters with all that fire in the belly to hang in there. Other dynasts of regional parties such as Akhilesh Yadav of the SP, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD and MK Stalin of the DMK are individuals who did not confront the dilemma of to be or not to be in politics. They grew in political families, understood the rough and tumble of politics, fought battles with siblings and uncles within their families and showed the ruthlessness to be full-blooded and full-time politicians.

The Nehru-Gandhi siblings have indeed come through a terrible journey of two assassinations in the family and are by all accounts, very nice persons at an individual level. But we are all familiar with their existential dilemmas about being in politics and once there, being part time or full time. Rahul is now fully there but he has not shown the ruthlessness necessary for the big leadership. Consider the argument given for the Congress for failing to make an alliance with AAP in Delhi, till the time of writing. They have said the state leadership (badly defeated and having crossed their prime) was against it and, therefore, Rahul could not decide. In contrast, AAP, whose original raison detre was fighting the Congress, would be ready to go for an alliance because the leadership there has the necessary appetite to do anything to remain relevant in politics. A decisive leader knows what needs to be done and does it.

Among the Prime Ministers that India has had most were reasonably nice guys, notably Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But two stand out for their ambition and fire and the determination to do anything necessary to stay in power. Indira Gandhi was and Narendra Modi is ruthless against opponents and both can also be described as dictatorial.

When cornered by men in the Congress who ridiculed her and called her a gungi gudiya (dumb doll), Indira hit back with populist policies that would destabilise all the opposition within the party and outside. She took risks and plunged into war, into abolishing privy purses of the feudals, nationalising banks, sending armed forces into the Golden Temple, and coming up

with slogans such as Garibi hatao to counter Indira Hatao. She also killed inner party democracy in the Congress that would subsequently be the preserve of one family.

Rahul and Priyanka have got their grandmothers gift to them, that is the Congress party. But they have not learnt the lessons of fighting big battles from her and the necessary art of taking the narrative away from the opposition.
Brig Sandeep Thapar

Brig Sandeep Thapar

Despite being a Delhiite, I had not travelled much to Punjab. Chandigarh, being close to my maternal grandparents hometown of Ambala, was perhaps the outer limit of my Punjab sojourns. So after I joined my battalion, anytime the boys asked me Saab kithon de o tusi (where are you from), I would sheepishly murmur Dilli. Or to a Punjab vekhya?, I would nod and try to change the topic. I would keep imagining the open fields, village lanes, tubewells, rivulets and, of course, the beautiful village belles the troops often talked about.

In 1993, our unit moved to Dera Baba Nanak, a border village in Gurdaspur district. It was a sleepy town in an underdeveloped Gurdaspur then; its only claim to fame was the Chola Sahib gurdwara headed by Bedis, the direct descendents of Guru Nanak Devji and the view of Dera Sahib, Kartarpur, (the birth place of Guru Nanak Devji) you could get from a few strategic locations.

The first few weeks were a series of shocks and revelations. There was new terminology one had never heard back home. Jhona was paddy, sheller (rice husk removal/polishing factory), kallar (barren land), bambi (tubewell), gapha (fistful of anything), paiya (250 gm/ml) and many more. Fresh vegetables, milk and its derivatives were simply amazing, though not for all. My wife, who joined me for a brief period, discovered this much to her own discomfiture. Fond of milk, when offered a kade wala (big) glass of fresh buffalo milk, she hastily gulped it down. Immediately thereafter, she lay down for three days with stomach cramps. It seemed the city-bred could not digest pure milk.

Our area of responsibility included Kasowal, an enclave across the Ravi. My company was the first to be stationed there. We crossed the mighty Ravi over a pontoon bridge, my first. It was March or April; the landscape was golden. We moved into a ring bund, a square, enclosed dhussi bund, the relevance of which was understood by me only in monsoons. During rains, the Ravi assumed alarming dimensions, the 100-yard crossing was now almost half a mile wide. The troops relocated on top of the dhussi bunds. I had de-inducted and Maj KK Sircar was now the company commander. Soon the entire enclave got submerged in 4-5 feet water.

The CO somehow could not find time to visit the enclave. This did not go well with the infantry brigade commander. He expressed a desire to visit it. The commander and CO crossed the inundated river, where Major Sircar was waiting with a tractor. The commander and CO sat on the tractor and were about to start when the former asked the company commander: Where is my star plate, friend? Right here, sir, said Major Sircar, duly affixing it on the tractor. With all tracks submerged, navigation was important  you didnt want to drown your brigade commander. So Major Sircar, 5 ft 2 inches, fully erect (lest he drowned) walked in front of the tractor, guiding it to the headquarters.

My Punjab tenure was cut short since I qualified for Staff College and left within a year only to return about a decade later to command a battalion in Pathankot.
Vishav Bharti in Chandigarh

Vishav Bharti in Chandigarh

Maharaja Sahib, the blue strip that you have made freely available has saved our youth. One or two tablets a day keep chitta away. Please make it available freely.

During a meeting at Chandigarhs Punjab Bhawan, Khemkaran MLA Sukhpal Bhullar, along with other MLAs, was expressing gratitude to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for allowing free flow of de-addiction drug buprenorphine. An amused CM appreciated the health ministers efforts and asserted: Our drug de-addiction programme is excellent. Lets not bother about media reports.

Since the formation of the Congress Government in the state, it has been a common belief in the corridors of power that buprenorphine is the magical remedy to Punjabs drug problem.

The medicine is a derivative of opioid and is far more potent than morphine and is a longer lasting pain reliever. Pharmaceutical experts dont rule out the use of a combination of the medicine for recreational purposes and it has been used intravenously by addicts. That is why, under the State Drug Policy-2017, the government regulates the sale of buprenorphine along with five other drugs. The medicine cannot be dispensed for more than seven days in a single visit. Additionally, it can be sold at only at designated de-addiction centres.

While the Punjab Government was going gaga about buprenorphine weaning addicts away from chitta, the states Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was grappling with an important question: How much does this habit-forming drug sell? The FDA through its field staff started collecting data regarding its sale from all the de-addiction centres. The outcome was baffling.

It was found that six crore tablets had been dispensed in a year; of these, 4.5 crore had been given in the government sector and 1.6 crore in the private sector. The report on this was kept a closely guarded secret for several months before it was reported in The Tribune. We are replacing one addiction with the another, an official closely monitoring everything said.

However, a major breakthrough came last year when, acting on a tip-off, a drug inspector in Ludhiana found a cache of 1.6 lakh tablets (a combination of buprenorphine and nalexone) stocked with a wholesaler, Oracle Laboratories. It was then that the lid over the illegal sale of this medicine blew off. As per the instructions of the DCGI, the highly habit-forming de-addiction drug, can only be supplied directly to de-addiction centres by the manufacturer. Hoarding it was illegal.

Later, it emerged during the investigation that the network was much bigger than what the state had imagined. The medicine was being manufactured in pharmaceutical factories in Gujarat and Uttrakhand and making way into Punjab through courier companies, AC buses and railway parcel systems.

From Ludhiana, the drug was not just being supplied within the state, it was being sent to de-addiction centres in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan as well.

Not only did it turn out to be a case of illegal procurement, storage and dispensation of the medicine, tests also confirmed that the medicine being manufactured didnt meet the standards. The amount of salt in the tablets was much lesser than what was mentioned on the strip. However, owner of Oracle Laboratories increased governments problem further when he said that his company was not the only one indulging in this practice. There are at least 15 companies in Punjab that are doing the same thing, but no action has been taken against them, Vikas Bansal, director of the company said, alleging he was being singled out.

When it comes to salt variation in the medicine, Oracle is not the lone defaulter. Punjab Government is investigating three big manufacturers whose de-addiction drug buprenorphine was found to contain 17-25 per cent more salt than allowed, while one had below the dose given on the label.

The three companies include Rusan Pharma (Addnok-N) that operates from Uttarakhand, Maan Pharmaceuticals (Cizdol-N), Gujarat and SBS Biotech (QTRUGS), Haryana. The state government has written to their respective states. Earlier fearing that a bigger dose can vitiate the entire de-addiction programme, the state government had even recommended suspension of sale of the medicine from the three drug companies.

The unholy nexus

De-addiction has emerged as a big business proposition in the state and besides companies, de-addiction centres are also indulging in illegal activities. Some of the centres have been found doing business at a scale which is not humanly possible without indulging in unlawful activities.

A reality check revealed that a Tarn Taran centre employing just one doctor dispensed 50 lakh tablets of buprenorphine in just six months. The FDA expressed fear that such centres were acting as bulk sale points of the medicine. The state government chose to act against a few but spared big fish, like the centre in Tarn Taran.

The situation is such that even at the top level the government has faced allegations of helping one player monopolise the buprenorphine business.

Even psychiatrists have said that they are not being allowed to prescribe the medicine because the government wants only a few favourites to control the market.

Guns have been trained on health minister Brahm Mohnindra too and he filed a defamation suit in Patiala district court against Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains on the issue.

However, the mess in drug de-addiction programme has shaken the highest quarters at the government. Even the CM, who had hailed the free flow of de-addiction drug in January, was soon instructing all the deputy commissioners to check misuse of buprenorphine tablets by unscrupulous elements.

Tackling illegal sale

Taking queue from the Ludhiana raid, FDA Punjab started visiting several transport and courier companies and railway authorities to sensitise them about how they were being taken for a ride by unscrupulous elements. The situation slipping out of hand on the ground forced the FDA to issue new guidelines regarding transportation of de-addiction medicine. As per the revised guidelines, the medicine can be sent only through India Posts Speed Post and not by any other mode of transportation. Besides asking Gujarat and Uttarakhand governments to investigate the three companies involved in illegal sale of the medicine in Punjab, the state FDA has also taken up the matter with Drug Controller General of India to tighten the noose around the companies creating menace in the state by violating the instructions.

Taking drug meance head on
Shahira Naim

There is an opinion poll that says the Balkot airstrike has greatly helped the BJP recover lost ground in Uttar Pradesh. Your comments.

I dont think the party is dependent on any opinion poll to know this. It has little to do with the Pulwama attack or the airstrike. This is more due to the policies of the BJP government in the centre and the state as well as the continuous hard work of the party cadre, which has been quietly preparing for the Lok Sabha elections for the last two years.

Despite working for the last two years, an opinion poll barely a month ago was predicting heavy losses for your party. What has happened between then and now?

During the last six months, the BJPs outreach programme has launched 146 programmes to reach out to the people. BJP national president Amit Shah has fixed a target for 2019 to capture 74 of the 80 seats, one more seat than what BJP won in 2014. So every party worker has his or her task clearly spelt out and eyes firmly focussed on the goal.

The party has innovative programme to connect with the people. Things take time to make an impact. The environment is slowly changing.

So it is just the BJP outreach programmes? Has the events at the border not added any impetus?

Why not? People of the country have been energised by the events. They have seen for themselves what a decisive leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi is. He does not believe in empty talk but in action. The events following Pulwama, the airstrike, the diplomatic pressure exerted on Pakistan and the successful return of our pilot have fittingly illustrated that PM Modi is a strong and dependable leader. It also proved beyond doubt that the nation is safe in his hands.

So the Pulwama attack and the developments after that have indeed helped the BJP.

It has aptly illustrated the BJPs tagline for the Lok Sabha election 2019  Modi hai toh namumkin ab mumkin hai (With Modi the impossible is now possible).

There are other factors that have also been working in favour of the party. It is the fulfilment of our promise of Sabka saath sabka vikas. People have seen how this government worked without prejudice for every section of society. And then people were witness to PM Modi not yielding to pressure and standing up to squarely face the challenge at the border. People like strong leaders as they feel safe with them at the helm of affairs.

 Shahira Naim
Jitendra K Shrivastava in Patna

Jitendra K Shrivastava in Patna

Much like the rest of the country, Bihar seethed with anger following the Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF jawans. People, particularly youth, wanted revenge. And when the Indian Air Force (IAF) bombed the Balakot terror camps inside Pakistan, they were thrilled, with patriotic sentiments hitting the crescendo.

Among the Pulwama martyrs, two were from Bihar. One more was martyred in an anti-terrorist operation soon after the ghastly attack. The state echoed with anti-Pakistan slogans as the angry and anguished people held impromptu protests and candle marches, demanding strong action against Pakistan. Nothing else, they said, would wipe tears from the faces of the families of the slain jawans. In the backdrop of such strong emotions, when the revenge was delivered by the IAF, followed by the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from Pakistans captivity, the people were ecstatic and, understandably, appreciative of the Narendra Modi government for showing the gumption to attack the terror camps inside Pakistan.

This surgical strike has galvanised people in favour of Narendra Modi. Like in the rest of India, the patriotic and nationalistic sentiments are soaring high here, said former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi. Manjhi, though, didnt like the way the BJP started doing politics over the issue soon after. The Opposition comprising 21 parties extended support to the Modi government for its action against terrorism. But the Prime Minister and BJP president Amit Shah started doing politics over the surgical strike and claimed 300 terrorist were killed in the Balakot airstrike to take political mileage, he said.

Patriotism and politics

As for the political upshot of the Balakot strike with regard to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the crackdown on terror seems to have swayed at least the youth towards the BJP. They seem quite impressed with Modis gumption to hit the terror camps inside Pakistan. The Modi government did nothing (otherwise) but its act against the terror-nurturing Pakistan has won my heart and of other youths, said Anil Singh, an east Champaran resident. National security comes ahead of other issues. The Congress-led government dishonoured India when it failed to retaliate following the terror attack on Parliament and in Mumbai, but the Modi government has left no stone unturned in exposing Pakistan on the international stage.

The Janata Dal (United), the BJPs ally in Bihar, is understandably keen to interpret the prevailing mood in Modis favour. Youth, mainly in the Hindi heartland, is very sensitive and serious about national security and integrity. Due to social media, they are aware of the action taken against terror and it appears they would go with Modi, said JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.

The Opposition, too, concedes the anti-Pakistan sentiment is extremely strong in Bihar. Yet, it cant be ascertained how it will play out politically as the elections in Bihar are fought more on social equations.

If the BJP claims 300 terrorists were killed in the Balakot strike, then it should have come up with proof too, said senior Congress leader and party spokesperson Prem Chandra Mishra. If it wants to exact political mileage out of it, then it must remember that polls in Bihar are contested on social equations. People are fed up with the policies of the Modi government, so the government is trying to use airstrikes to divert peoples attention from development, but they will not succeed.

The BJP had made tall promises like providing jobs to youth, bringing back black money, etc., ahead of the 2014 polls but failed to fulfil them. So, the Modi government wants to keep the border tense till the elections, hoping to garner some votes, said Mishra.

Many argue that the Pulwama tragedy and the subsequent actions should not be used for political advantage. It is wrong to play with the patriotic sentiments of the people. There should not be politics over martyrdom, says Mukesh Kumar Jha, a social worker from Darbhanga. The BJP politicised the matter when Shah claimed 300 terrorists were killed in Balakot, even though the Air Force chief refused to get into the number game. As we saw after the 1971 War and the Kargil conflict, the patriotic sentiments do not necessarily translate into votes for the ruling dispensation.

Echoing his thought, Purnea resident Vijay Kumar Sreevastav said: Sentimentally, people are with PM Modi who retaliated against the terrorist attacks in Uri and Pulwama, but politically they are with those who talk of development.

The Modi government had lost all four Lok Sabha seats of Seemanchal (Purnea, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar) in the last Parliamentary elections. People vote for those who keep their promises. PM Modis promises of a civil airport and Central School in Purnea stand unfulfilled.
laxmi@tribune.com

MEXICO CITY, March 9

At least 15 persons died following a shooting at a nightclub in central Mexico, prosecutors said Saturday.

Another four persons, three men and a woman, suffered injuries, public prosecutor's office spokesman Juan Jose Martinez said.

The nightclub lies in Guanajuato state, where authorities have launched an operation against criminal gangs involved in fuel theft.

The attack took place in the early hours of Saturday as several heavily armed men opened fire at the La Playa nightclub in Salamanca before making off in a vehicle, the spokesman said.

The four injured people were taken to a nearby hospital. So far, none of the victims have been identified.

Salamanca is the site of the main pipeline of state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, where fuel thieves have cost the firm around $3 billion over the last few years.

In late January, a fake bomb was found in a car parked close to the refinery.

Nearby, signs were found threatening Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and demanding that he withdraw from the area soldiers fighting against fuel theft gangs.

More than a decade after the launch of a militarized effort against drug cartels that has led to some of Mexico's bloodiest years on record, the latest effort will test the new government's ability to curtail the reach of organized crime. Lopez Obrador took office on December 1, vowing to fight crime in a new way.  Agencies
laxmi@tribune.com

Damascus, March 9

The newborn son of Shamima Begum, a British teenager of Bangladeshi descent who ran away in 2015 to become an Islamic State (IS) jihadi bride, has died due to poor health in Syria, the Kurdish Red Crescent told CNN.

Begum, 19, gave birth to her baby, Jarrah, in a Syrian refugee camp in February.

After the babys health deteriorated on Thursday, medical staff from the Kurdish Red Crescent transferred the mother and the infant from the al-Hawl camp to the main hospital in al-Hasakah city. The baby died a few hours after arriving at the hospital, the NGO said on Friday.

Begum's son is one of scores of children who have died fleeing from fighting in the IS last remaining Syrian enclave Baghouz.

Nearly 100 children have died en route or shortly after arriving at the al-Hawl refugee camp due to a lack of food, water and health care, according to the International Rescue Committee, adding that the situation there has reached a breaking point.

Begum left London to join the IS in Syria when she was 15. She made international headlines last month as she publicly pleaded with the UK government to be allowed to return.  IANS
laxmi@tribune.com

TOKYO: A 116-year-old Japanese woman who loves playing the board game Othello was honoured on Saturday as the worlds oldest living person by Guinness World Records. The global authority on records officially recognised Kane Tanaka in a ceremony at the nursing home where she lives in Fukuoka, in Japan's southwest. Tanaka was born January 2, 1903, the seventh among eight children. She married Hideo Tanaka in 1922, and they had four children and adopted another child. The previous oldest living person was another Japanese woman, Chiyo Miyako, who died in July at age 117. The oldest person prior to Miyako was also Japanese. AP

London Mayor named UK Politician of the Year

London: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been named the Politician of the Year at an annual awards ceremony for his contribution to the political life in the British capital. The annual Political and Public Life Awards presented by Britains Asian Voice weekly newspaper here on Thursday also recognised UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson as Cabinet Minister of the Year and Indian-origin politician Priti Patel as Conservative Party MP of the Year. The other award categories included International Hotel of Year which was won by Indias Leela International hotel chain. The Comedian of Year award went to British-Indian comedian Paul Chowdhry and Restaurant of the Year for Londons Delhi street food restaurant Hankies. PTI

Face off

Caracas: A protester gestures during a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. Reuters
laxmi@tribune.com

Seoul, March 9

North Korea may be preparing for a missile or space launch, US news outlet NPR has reported, based on satellite image analysis of a key facility near Pyongyang.

The NPR said the images of Sanumdong, one of the facilities Pyongyang has used to produce missiles and space rockets, were taken days before US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Hanoi for their high-stakes summit, which ended in failure. The photos by DigitalGlobe show the presence of cars and trucks at the site on February 22, the NPR said. It said rail cars and cranes can also be seen at a yard.

When you put all that together, thats really what it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket, Jeffrey Lewis, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, was quoted as saying by NPR. The Sanumdong analysis comes days after the 38 North and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said Pyongyang may have resumed operations at its rocket launch site at Sohae, based on their study of satellite imagery from March 6.

The move is likely to further compound the US frustration over the lack of progress in its bid to get the North to give up its atomic arsenal.  AFP

Will be Disappointed if Testing resumes

I would be surprised in a negative way if he (Kim) did anything that was not per our understanding. But well see what happens. I would be very disappointed if I saw testing. Donald Trump, US President
laxmi@tribune.com

Ottawa, March 9

Justin Trudeau rose to power in Canada as a champion of feminism and indigenous rights, quickly earning him golden boy status at home and abroad as a progressive leader. But a major political scandal that sparked the resignation of two of his ministers  both women, one indigenous  has tarnished his image just seven months before national elections.

Pundits say the 47-year-old premier faces a tough battle just to stay in office, with the latest polls showing his Liberals trailing the Conservatives for the first time.

For weeks, Trudeaus government has been rocked by accusations of meddling in the criminal prosecution of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin, which was charged with corruption over alleged bribes paid to secure contracts in Libya.

His attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, who said she experienced consistent and sustained political pressure to shield the company from a trial, stepped down. Budget minister Jane Philpott followed suit, as did longtime Trudeau friend and top aide Gerry Butts.

On Thursday, Trudeau addressed the allegations head-on, telling reporters in Ottawa that he had learned lessons from the crisis  but denying any wrongdoing. For the Opposition, that wasnt enough. On Friday, they renewed their calls for Trudeau to resign. Trudeau is facing a serious crisis of confidence in his leadership, said Stephanie Chouinard, a politics professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. Seeing not one, but two members of his cabinet slamming the door like that, its unheard of for many years in Canada and it augurs very badly for him ahead of the October polls.

The Liberals built their brand around the handsome young Trudeau, a one-time bartender and snowboard instructor with Hollywood good looks and a father who was widely admired when he served as premier.

Trudeau brought rock star energy to the job, and his brand of progressive politics  he made bold statements on climate action, legalised cannabis and helped refugees make a new life in Canada. The Liberals 2015 win marked the return of the party, which had governed for most of the last century before being relegated to third-place status in a 2006 ballot. Trudeau was hailed.

Now, his virtue is being questioned, Chouinard said. He promised to do politics differently and introduce real change, but (in many eyes) has showed himself to be a politician like any other. For a hint of how things might play out, many will look to the March 19 federal budget vote. If Liberals, who hold a majority in Parliament, break ranks, it could trigger snap polls.  AFP
Ji Qiumei stands next to a yak pen at about 4,500 meters above sea level in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Feb. 26, 2019. Effortlessly cutting slices from a gigot while chatting with local herdsmen in fluent Tibetan, Ji Qiumei, thin and wearing glasses, fits right into the prairie. Born in 1965, Ji has studied Tibetan yaks for 30 years. In this field, she is the sole female researcher and the only one with a doctoral degree. Aiming to help herders out of poverty through her research, Ji sees grasslands and pastures as her laboratories. In recent years, she has made frequent trips to Damxung County in the northwest outskirt of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, where projects like large-scale grass planting and intensive yak fattening are being carried out. Ji Qiumei had been raised in a pasture. She has known yaks since childhood and understood that for Tibetan herders, yaks are the most important source of food as well as income. In 1988, she graduated from the Southwest University for Nationalities and later studied in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. She finished her doctoral degree at the International Potato Center in Peru. Upon her return from Peru in 2002, Ji undertook research focusing on the Tibetan yak. She and her team have achieved a lot in increasing yaks' milk yield, reproduction rate, and meat production. They also established an embryo transplantation method for yaks, an important step forward in yak breeding. Achievements did not come without a cost. Decades of working in the fields on the plateau worsened the doctor's heart condition. She has had three heart surgeries. Ji Qiumei always returned to her work once recovered, devoting both her mind and her body to the study of Tibetan yaks. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
- Miguna said he would be jetting back to the country anytime from April 2019

- He called on his supporters to get ready to welcome him at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

- This was the third time the barrister announced his return to Kenya since he was deported

- Miguna's troubles started with the January 30, 2018, mock swearing-in of ODM party leader Raila Odinga as people's president

Controversial lawyer Miguna Miguna is expected to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) anytime from April 2019, TUKO.co.ke has learnt.

The Canadian barrister who was dramatically kicked out of the country more than once following his active role in the infamous January 30, 2018, mock swearing-in of Opposition leader Raila Odinga as the people's president, announced he will finally be coming back home.

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READ ALSO: Treasury boss Henry Rotich implicated in KSh 65 billion Arror, Kimwarer dam projects scandal

Miguna Miguna on Saturday, March 9, indicated he would be landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from Canada anytime from April 2019. Standard.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Ruto's Chief of Staff named in KSh 21 billion Arror, Kimwarer dams projects scam

The firebrand politician who also occasionally calls himself the general of the National Resistance Movement-Kenya (NRM-Ke), originally an arm of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, on Saturday, March 9, called on his supporters to get ready to welcome him.

"I am arriving at the JKIA on a date to be published in April, 2019. All fearless and brave patriots interested in accompanying me on the journey should send emails to mm@migunamiguna.com. Mobilise and come to the JKIA. Let the revolution begin," he posted on Facebook on Saturday, March 9.

READ ALSO: DCI launches probe into KSh 63 billion tenders awarded to controversial Italian company

This, however, is not the first time Miguna, a fierce critic of President Uhuru Kenyatta's government, announced his plan to return to Kenya.

In August 2018, the former Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant took to his Twitter page to announce he would be back home after September 4, 2018.

The combative barrister made a similar announcement in December 2018 following a ruling by High Court judge, Justice Chacha Mwita, who also ordered the government to pay the lawyer KSh 7.2 million as compensation for damages he incurred after he was forcibly flown out of the country.

READ ALSO: Liquor producer Africa Spirits' bosses summoned by DCI over tax evasion allegations

Miguna's seemingly endless tribulations started when he administered the contentious oath to Raila as the peoples' president at Uhuru Park in January 2018.

Hours after the event, police arrested, detained and later deported Miguna twice over his role in the treasonous oath-taking ceremony that was organised by the NASA coalition following the disputed 2017 presidential election.

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.

We Owe William Ruto No Debt-Kiambu Residents - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Kenya
San Jose, Mar 10 (IBNS): Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday met President of the Congress of the Republic of Costa Rica Carolina Hidalgo Herrera at San Jose.

Emphasizing that Costa Rica is an important partner of India in Central America, the Vice President said that India and Costa Rica have close and cordial ties, based on our shared commitment to the pursuit of democracy, pluralism, multiculturalism, freedom of Press and equitable human rights.

Naidu highlighted Indias areas of strength that Costa Rica can benefit from, including Information Technology, Biotechnology, Space Technology, Pharmaceuticals, hydroelectric generators, power plant equipment and railway construction.

Observing that there was immense scope to deepen ties between India and Costa Rica, the Vice President underscored the importance of a sustained conversation between elected representatives.

He invited Parliamentary delegations from Costa Rica to visit India.

Naidu also attended a Luncheon hosted by the first Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell Barr.

The two leaders discussed topics such as youth empowerment, promoting tourism, healthcare, financial inclusion, e-governance, Space Program, early childhood education programs, public transportation and e-mobility.

Naidu addressed the Indian Community of Costa Rica in San Jose. He complimented the members of the diaspora in Costa Rica for the esteem that they have won for themselves and India because of their high professional competence.

The Vice President spoke about the phenomenal growth that India has been witnessing in the last few years and suggested that the diaspora can further accelerate Indias growth momentum.

Naidu said that India has been a votary of peace and non-violence from time immemorial.

He strongly condemned the destructive forces of terrorism that continue to be a festering challenge, distracting our attention from development.

"Peace will not thrive if the forces of terror continue their unchecked run," he asserted.

Naidu opined that the battle for peace includes, in the current context, the battle against terror, corruption, climate change, illicit money and arms flows and drugs menace.

He said that the United Nations should evolve a common strategy to combat these forces and that countries supporting terror must be named, shamed and isolated.

Speaking from Costa Rica, a peace-loving country and reflecting on the current violent incident at Pulwama and Indias pre-emptive strikes on terrorist camp run by UN Proscribed terror organization, the Vice President called for a united, global response to the pervasive menace of terror.

He expressed hope that if all the countries in all of the world can speak with one voice against terrorism, we would be successful in creating a more peaceful world in which we lead meaningful, peaceful, happy lives free from fear and violence.

"The fight against terrorism is a fight that has to be fought collectively. It is a fight that must be fought to the finish," he added.
UNI

Unnao, Mar 10 (UNI) In a veiled attack against opposition parties, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that it is a mystery as why some leaders of opposition parties are rattled by the surgical strike II carried out by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan and have started questioning government.

The surgical strike has caught Pakistan unawares. It got the lesson it deserved. Pakistan is disturbed, which is understandable because of global condemnation it has got. But it is surprising that the IAF strike has rattled many opposition leaders and they are questioning government, he said during his interaction with farmers during a programme called Gaon mein Man ki baat in Bhagwant Nagar here on Sunday.



Some Congress and TMC leaders have asked Union Government to furnish proof of the strike.



He said that the non-military strike by Indian Air Force was aimed against terrorists. We achieved the desired result that gladdened hearts of Indians. But many political leaders are upset and are questioning Indian Government which is very confusing, he said.



Singh said that India is led by a towering personality like Narendra Modi. The world recognizes his effort for bringing the poor and farmers in the main stream. The work done by his government in social sector is unparallel. The poor he did not have house over his head has a house now and also has electricity in his house, he said.

He also asked the farmers to tell about their problems so that it could be incorporated in the election manifesto of the party.

I am the chairman of that committee which will write the election manifesto. I have come to you to know what exactly you want, he said.



Singh, who is MP from Lucknow, said that it is for the first time in the history of Indian politics that a political party is preparing its election agenda after discussion with people.

Your views are important because these will form the part of our Sankalp patra, the Union Home minister said.
Russian intelligence agencies plan to involve agents of the so-called "LPR State Security Ministry" in creating extraordinary situations at polling stations during the presidential election in Ukraine.

A former employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, First Rank Captain Yuriy Smyshchuk, and a former officer of the Special Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Viacheslav Protopopov, made such a statement, according to Ukraine's Information Resistance group.

"According to available information, Russian curators and the 'quasi special service' of LPR terrorists are preparing a group of provocateurs from among Ukrainian citizens who are temporarily residing in non-government controlled areas and are part of the agent staff of the 'LPR State Security Ministry.' They will be tasked with the artificial creation of provocative situations at polling stations that will be covered in the media and will give the impression of alleged falsifications, non-transparency of elections, their illegitimacy and alleged violations of the rights of IDPs," Smyshchuk said.

At the same time, he said, all the above facts and violations should necessarily be recorded by media representatives, be numerous and cover most regions of Ukraine.

Colonel Protopopov, in turn, added that the focus would be placed on the regions adjacent to occupied territories, as well as the central part of Ukraine, and the city of Kyiv.

The expert noted that a possible option for provocateurs could be the "refusal to grant the right to vote using IDP certificates."

"Russian experts in the sphere of electoral law and representatives of electoral commissions are providing training activities for candidates for provocateurs. They are conducting 'consultations' about the possibility of revealing violations during the elections, their 'correct' interpretation and 'presentation' to the press," Colonel Protopopov said.

He specified that the recorded violations "are to be broadcast online in the Russian and Western media, as well as in the territory of terrorist groups LPR and DPR."

The presidential election in Ukraine is scheduled for March 31.

op
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has called "real" a threat that Russian observers may pose to the presidential election in Ukraine.

He wrote this on his Twitter account after asserting that he considers normal the presence of Russians as part of the OSCE mission in Ukraine's elections.

"We welcome Ukraine's readiness to facilitate the OSCE ODHIR mission's activities. We have confidence in Ukraine's commitment to transparency and the conduct of free and fair elections," Volker said.

We welcome Ukraines readiness to facilitate the OSCE ODHIR missions activities. We have confidence in s commitment to transparency and the conduct of free and fair elections.  Kurt Volker (@SpecRepUkraine) 7  2019 .

He also added: "Must remember that Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine, so Ukraine's security concerns about Russia are real."





Earlier, Volker said that the presence of Russian observers in the ODIHR mission did not pose any threat.

"Ukraine needs ODIHR monitors to prove it adheres to democratic standards. Otherwise allows people to question election. OK if Russian monitors are part - but under ODIHR authority. No games. Ukraine needs to have confidence in its own democratic institutions," he wrote.
| By Alex Likowski

MPower is the most important tool we have to harness the intellectual power that exists in the university system, testified Sarah B. Murthi, MD, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and trauma surgeon at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.



Murthi and others appeared before the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on March 8 in support of a bill to extend critical additional funding to the 7-year-old partnership between the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP).

Dr. Amitabh Varshney speaks as Drs. Sarah B. Murthi and Jay A. Perman look on.

What began in 2012 as a collaborative effort between the universities to find and promote research and education opportunities that neither institution could achieve alone was transformed by law in 2016 into a more formal partnership, the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State. MPower now boasts 25 research and education collaborative programs, each harnessing the separate strengths of the two universities.



Senate Bill 897 would provide an additional $2.5 million of funding in Fiscal Year 2020, $5 million in FY 2021, $7.5 million in FY 2022, and $10 million in FY 2023 and each year thereafter. The additional funding would be used to sustain current MPower programs and create new ones. In so doing, supporters hope to increase research funding to the state, create more opportunities for students, enhance private investment and job creation, and address many of Marylands most pressing issues.



Committee member and bill sponsor Sen. Bill Ferguson of Baltimore City shared a brief video (see below) with colleagues before turning to UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, and the rest of the panel for comments. Perman quickly demonstrated MPowers impact. In its brief history, the partnership has seen more than 500 joint research proposals, won $164 million in research funding, launched 88 startup companies based upon research discoveries, disclosed 326 inventions, and seen 58 of its technologies patented.



But what Ive found even more compelling than these numbers, Perman said, is the cross-university exchanges that bring transformative ideas together and make them into something even better, like bringing bioengineering students from College Park to our campus in Baltimore, where our surgeons show them the medical devices they have and what they actually need, like bringing investigators in pain management together with investigators in substance use disorders, so that we can jointly explore the science that will end our epidemic of addiction and like bringing medicine together with virtual reality to treat patients in ways we never even imagined.



Sitting to Permans left at the witness table, Murthi and Amitabh Varshney, PhD, professor and dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences at UMCP, and co-director with Murthi of the Maryland Blended Reality Center, provided exciting examples of what MPower can accomplish.



At the Maryland Blended Reality Center, Dr. Varshney and his team of geniuses are working with me and my team of dedicated trauma surgeons to really advance the field of medicine, not just in Maryland, but everywhere, Murthi said. The center is creating what she called the next generation of anatomy education, reducing opioid use and subsequent risk of addiction by trauma patients, improving the treatment of chronic pain, and developing strategies to reduce conflict between urban youth and police, all using virtual reality, she said.



Maryland will lead the nation and the world in this area of innovation, but were just one MPower story. There are many others just like us. MPower brings together the best of the university system to improve the lives of Marylanders, Murthi added.



Varshney amplified Murthis vision. What MPower has enabled us to do is to leapfrog the competition in the entire country. Computer science, together with medicine, is going to transform medicine into medicine 2.0, he said. What it is doing is allowing us to be much more competitive in being a magnet for talent from across the country and across the world, and where talent goes, thats where enhanced competitiveness, economic development, and opportunities for growth go.



Another panelist explained how MPower creates opportunities for students as well as researchers. Danielle Naundorf, a former UMCP student, completed an MPower-funded internship through the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative that combined her agriculture background with her desire to pursue a career in law.

Im from a small town on the Eastern Shore. This internship opportunity opened doors for me that would not have been accessible otherwise," she said. There are a hundred reasons why this internship was so formative for me. But the main point is that I would not be who I am or where I am without the efforts of MPower, and thats why its so essential for your continued support to make sure that students like me can achieve their dreams.



Many of the most advanced education opportunities for Maryland students are intrinsically tied to cutting-edge research programs fostered by MPower. A key example is one of MPowers newest programs, explained Mary Ann Rankin, PhD, UMCP senior vice president and provost.



With our NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] partners, we created a state-of-the-art advanced molecular imaging facility and cutting-edge cryoelectron microscopy facility at our Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research in Rockville. However, we dont have sustaining funds for the facility to allow us to take full advantage of the program to recruit the new faculty that we hope to recruit and develop new research programs and new student educational programs, she explained.



Rankin also described exciting opportunities for research and education in the areas of neuroscience, learning and memory, addiction, and brain trauma recovery afforded by the MPower-sponsored Center for Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance at Cole Field House at UMCP, and continued growth at the Maryland Blended Reality Center. We could build many, many more things in this collaboration between computer science, computer engineering, and medicine, she said. The opportunities are endless and very, very important.
Human development is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on people and their opportunities and choices.
Life as a refugee was never easy for Zahida, 35, who has been raising five children on her own ever since her husband went missing a few years into the war in Syria. In Lebanon, she said, jobs were scarce and rents were high. But coming home has brought new struggles.

The destruction was indescribable, and at first I didnt recognize my town, she said. Her two-storey home was reduced to rubble, and though relatives took them in, the windows and doors in their borrowed rooms were missing. There was no water, no electricity, she added. We felt that we were in the stone age. But little by little, we made things better.

There was no water, no electricity. We felt that we were in the stone age."

Zahida shared her familys story on Wednesday with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who visited Syria this week to assess the massive humanitarian needs people are facing here.

This decision to come back is a difficult one, and we must respect that not all refugees and not all [internally] displaced people will make that decision quickly, Grandi said. But for those who make that decision and voluntarily come back here, we must provide them with help  at least for their basic needs and their initial reintegration in their community.

Here in Souran, a dozen miles north of Hama in western Syria, the High Commissioner spent time with several families who have voluntarily returned after being displaced, often multiple times, for months or years. He also met with a newly formed womens group, visited a primary school that reopened in October and toured a bakery that opened in January  all with support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi meets Syrian returnee Zahida, 35, and her family at their home in Souran, Syria.  UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Filippo Grandi chats with pupils at the Al-Shuhada School in Souran, Syria.  UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Filippo Grandi tries freshly baked bread at a bakery in Souran, Syria.  UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Filippo Grandi meets Abdelkarim and his family at their home in Souran, Syria.  UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Before the conflict, Souran was home to some 47,000 people, many of them farmers, merchants and labourers. When armed groups overran the town in August 2016, it emptied overnight. Some residents sought refuge in Turkey or Lebanon; the rest fled to nearby Hama city or other parts of Syria.

Abdelkarim is among those who went to Hama, where, he told Grandi, frequent rent hikes forced his family to move from place to place for more than a year. Upon returning to Souran, he found his house filled with wreckage and stripped of anything of value. There were no doors, no faucets, he said. Even the nails were taken out.

With rats and insects keeping the family up at night, Abdelkarim set to work rehabilitating the house. He erected new interior walls and, with support from UNHCR, installed doors and windows that provide greater security.

Altogether, some 33,000 people have returned to Souran, mainly those who had fled to nearby areas in Syria. At least a third of the towns former residents are still living elsewhere.

"For those who voluntarily come back here, we must provide help."

In 2018, an estimated 1.4 million Syrians who were displaced inside their own country have returned home, often trading one set of staggering hardships for another. Even so, they are a minority. After eight years of violence and destruction, millions remain internally displaced, with another 5.6 million refugees still living in neighbouring countries and over 1 million Syrians dispersed to other parts of the world.

Zahida told Grandi she came home to Souran because life in exile was taking a heavy toll on her children. At age 14, her son dropped out of school to help support the family by working in a barbershop. But the money he earned was not enough to cover the school fees for his sisters, who were falling behind in their education.

Their house here stood on a prime corner lot, but today lies in ruin. A concrete staircase dangles from the wreckage like a pendulum, tethered by a few strands of rebar. When I saw it, it was one of the saddest moments in my life, she said.

Now Zahidas oldest daughter attends catch-up classes at the new community centre, and the three younger ones are enrolled at Al-Shuhada primary school, which reopened in November with UNHCR support. It is one of five schools serving the community; 15 others remain closed, mainly due to structural damage. Because so many children have missed months or years of schooling, the crowded classrooms serve students whose ages differ by two or three years.

Grandi also paid a visit to Sourans only bakery, which opened in January with support from UNHCR. Previously the town had to get its bread from a supplier nearly a dozen miles away, but the new one here created 45 jobs and lowered the price of bread by 75 per cent. The bakery has since hired a second shift and goes through 10 tonnes of flour per day, helping to feed more than 12,000 people.

"We wanted to recover our dignity. Outside of our country, its not the same.

The High Commissioner met with a local womens group that has helped some of those returning to Souran regain a sense of community and belonging. We wanted to come back to our homes, to our land, one woman told the High Commissioner. And we wanted to recover our dignity. Outside of our country, its not the same.

We are starting from scratch, she added. We hope we have enough strength to rebuild our lives, but we will need help from others.

UNHCRs policy is to help those who are displaced, both inside Syria and abroad, and to help ensure that Syrians who are voluntarily returning home and settling back into their communities receive the humanitarian support they urgently need.
Eight-year-old Abdulhay, a refugee from Syria, welcomes UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi as he visits an informal refugee settlement in Mhammara, Lebanon.  UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Beirut, 9 March 2019  The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, concluded a two-day visit to Lebanon today, paying tribute to the government and its people for continuing to provide refuge to the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. In his meetings with the government, which included President Aoun, the Speaker of Parliament, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Social and Refugee Affairs and the Director General of General Security (GSO), Grandi reaffirmed UNHCRs commitment to continue its support to Lebanon to both refugees and Lebanese communities. He will reiterate this appeal at a major aid conference for Syria in Brussels later this week.

After eight years of this terrible war, the impact on Lebanon is very heavy and this cannot be taken for granted by the international community, said Grandi, who arrived in Lebanon following a three-day visit to Syria. He acknowledged Lebanons growing fatigue at hosting over one million Syrians for so many years but expressed his hope that it would not lead to growing restrictions, which, he said could fuel social tension.

A number of Syrian refugees have already made the decision to return home. UNHCR staff meet with people before returning to ensure they possess the proper documentation such as birth and school certificates and are also present at the departure points of all GSO organized movements. Access to returning refugees is also required in Syria. During his meetings in Damascus, Grandi called for more UNHCR access to places of return, a confidence-building measure, as well as the scaling up of UNHCRs presence to provide more support to IDP and refugee returnees.

During a visit with families living in informal settlements near Tripoli today, Grandi heard accounts in line with UNHCRs surveys  that the majority of refugees here wish to return home. Small numbers have gone back, but many have fears and concerns that are holding them back. Syrian refugees need trust that their return will be safe, secure and dignified, Grandi said.

He added that the refugees cite concerns around five areas: safety & security (retaliation, persecution, military conscription); housing (repairing or rebuilding destroyed homes); access to services (schools, healthcare); legal issues (documents, property deeds) and access to basic livelihoods.

UNHCR in Syria is currently working to address some of these obstacles, including by advising the government on documentation issues, offering returnees basic repairs so damaged homes can be reoccupied, refurbishing schools and bakeries and offering initial humanitarian aid to enable reintegration.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday the Ukrainian ambassador had been summoned and would meet the ministry's secretary general on Monday.

Austria on Friday summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over his country's decision to bar the Kyiv bureau chief for the Austrian national broadcaster ORF, calling the move an act of censorship.

Ukraine told Austria that it would deny entry to veteran ORF reporter Christian Wehrschuetz, who is currently out of the country, calling him a "threat to national security," an Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, as reported by Reuters.

Read alsoSBU expels pro-Russian propagandist to Belarus

Wehrschuetz says Kyiv accuses him of crossing the bridge Russia has built between the Crimean Peninsula, which Russian forces seized from Ukraine in 2014, and the rest of Russia. He denies the accusation, saying that when he reported on the bridge in July his crew crossed it but he did not.

"The travel ban imposed on...Wehrschuetz in Ukraine is an unacceptable act of censorship," Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who danced with Russian President Vladimir Putin at her wedding last year, said on Twitter on Thursday.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday the Ukrainian ambassador had been summoned and would meet the ministry's secretary general on Monday. Kneissl will be in Moscow that day to meet her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Wehrschuetz, 57, said on ORF radio on Friday that he would challenge the decision "by all legal means."

Neutral Austria says it aims to maintain good relations with both Russia and the West.

Wehrschuetz is a household name in Austria, known for his often dishevelled appearance as well as his reports from the former Yugoslavia, where he has been a correspondent since 1999 and he continues to work.

Ukrainian officials in Kyiv were not immediately available for comment on Friday, a public holiday. Ukraine's ambassador to Austria, Olexander Scherba, told ORF he had only been informed of the ban on Wehrschuetz "unofficially."

But he said that whether Wehrschuetz crossed the bridge himself or merely instructed his crew to do so, a crime had been committed under Ukrainian law.

ORF and the International Press Institute, a Vienna-based media rights group, expressed support for Wehrschuetz. IPI urged Ukraine to reverse course immediately and re-admit Wehrschuetz to report freely from the country.
The far-right activists gathered in Kyiv on March 9 to call for arrests of figures linked to an alleged military corruption scandal.

Police and far-right demonstrators clashed outside the presidential administration building in the Ukrainian capital and in at least one other city.

The far-right activists gathered in Kyiv on March 9 to call for arrests of figures linked to an alleged military corruption scandal, RFE/RL reported.

A media investigation last week detailed purported embezzlement schemes in Ukraine's military industry, including the involvement of a factory controlled by President Petro Poroshenko.

Read alsoProsecutor General: 480 criminal proceedings launched into violations at Ukroboronprom enterprises since 2014

Video showed demonstrators trying to break through police lines, shoving officers and setting off fireworks. Police used tear gas to turn them back.

In a statement, police said one officer was hospitalized with chemical burns to his eyes.

Police said 15 officers were injured in clashes in the city of Cherkasy, about 150 kilometers southeast of Kyiv and the site of a campaign speech by Poroshenko for the March 31 presidential election.

The investigation on media outlet Bihus.Info's program Nashi Hroshi alleged that Ihor Hladkovskyy, the son of close Poroshenko ally Oleh Hladkovskyy, who is deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, organized a ring to smuggle spare military-equipment parts from Russia in 2015, a year after Moscow seized Ukraine's Crimea region and threw its support behind militant separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The report alleged that state defense facilities purchased the smuggled spare parts from private companies linked to Ihor Hladkovskyy and his friends at highly inflated prices.

It claimed that Ukroboronprom, the state concern that supervises defense industry production facilities, knew the origin of the smuggled parts but agreed to buy them.

The report also alleged that Ihor Hladkovskyy and his two associates illegally earned at least 250 million hryvnyas ($9.2 million) by smuggling the items from Russia through three major private firms, one of which belonged to Poroshenko at the time.

A day after the investigative report was broadcast on YouTube on February 25, Poroshenko suspended Oleh Hladkovskyy from his post and two days later announced that a probe had been launched into the allegations. On March 4, Poroshenko fired Hladkovskyy.

The election comes amid persistent economic challenges in the country and an ongoing war in eastern Ukraine against Russia-backed separatists.

The latest survey conducted by the nongovernmental Rating Groups showed that 41-year-old comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy leads the election race with the support of 25.1 percent of voters. Poroshenko had 16.6 percent support, followed by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 16.2 percent.
There were no Ukrainian army casualties.

Russian-led forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past 24 hours.

Read alsoUkrainian army ready for offensive operations  Joint Forces Commander

"No Ukrainian army casualties were reported in the past day," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on March 10, 2019.

During the period under review, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm and 82mm mortars, an anti-tank missile system, grenade launchers and small arms at the Ukrainian positions near the town of Popasna, and the villages of Lebedynske and Stanytsia Luhanska.

"Since Sunday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, a new truce was agreed after midnight on March 8. However, Russian proxies violated it on the same day.
Caracas, Mar 10 (Sputnik/UNI): Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that a cyber attack was carried out against one of the country's energy facilities on Saturday, which did not allow the authorities to restore the electricity supply interrupted earlier in the week.

"Today we have restored power supply in 70 percent of the countrys territory, but at noon, another cyber attack was committed against one of the facilities, which until then worked perfectly. For this reason, all the progress we had achieved by mid-afternoon was interrupted," Maduro said in Caracas on Saturday.

The blackout swept Venezuela on Thursday as national electricity supplier Corpoelec reported about "sabotage" at the major Guri hydroelectric power plant.

Media subsequently reported about power outages in 21 out or 23 Venezuela's states. Maduro blamed the United States for waging an electric energy war against Venezuela.

However, Washington denied having a role in the crisis.


The aircraft had shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt.

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday, killing 149 passengers and eight crew, the airline said, the same model that crashed during a Lion Air flight in Indonesia in October.

Sunday's flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 am (0538 GMT), before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8:44 am, according to Reuters.

"The group CEO who is at the scene right now deeply regrets to confirm there are no survivors," the airline tweeted alongside a picture of Tewolde GebreMariam in a suit holding a piece of debris inside a large crater.

Read alsoRussia-made combat helicopter crashes in Venezuela

Passengers from 33 countries were aboard, said Tewolde in a news conference. The dead included Kenyan, Ethiopian, American, Canadian, French, Chinese, Egyptian, Swedish, British and Dutch citizens.

At Nairobi airport, many relatives of passengers were left waiting at the gate for hours, with no information from airport authorities. Some learned of the crash from journalists.

Flight ET 302, registration number ET-AVJ, crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said.

"The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and that he wanted to return. He was given the clearance (to return back)," said Tewolde during his news conference.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after take off, said flight tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

The aircraft had shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the crash said.

The airline had earlier incorrectly identified the plane's model number, but later confirmed it was a 737 MAX 8.

It's not clear what caused the crash. Boeing sent condolences to the families and said it was ready to help investigate.

"A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board," the company said in a statement.

This is the second recent crash of the relatively new 737 MAX 8, the latest version of Boeing's workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017.

The same model crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on Oct 29, killing all 189 people on board the Lion Air flight.

The cause of that crash is still under investigation. A preliminary report issued in November, before the cockpit voice recorder was recovered, focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor, but did not give a reason for the crash. A final report is due later this year.

The plane is the latest version of the 737, the world's best selling modern passenger aircraft and one of the industry's most reliable.
WIkimedia Commons

Nairobi, Mar 10 (IBNS): An Ethiopian Airlines flight on its way to Nairobi, crashed with about 157 people on board, media reports said.

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 was en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. It had 149 passengers and eight crew members on board.

The flight crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, said reports.

Condoling the mishap and loss of lives, the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia tweeted: "The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning."

The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

WIkimedia Commons
(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 10th Mar, 2019) ABU DHABI, 10th March 2019 (WAM) - His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today called President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon to inquire about his health and congratulate him on his recovery.

Sheikh Mohamed wished President Ali Bongo good health, as well as continued progress for the people of Gabon.

For his part, President Ali Bongo thanked Sheikh Mohamed for his noble feelings and expressed his wishes for further progress and prosperity to the leadership and people of the UAE.
Power outage was registered in 21 out of 23 states of Venezuela, local media have reported amid "sabotage" at the major hydroelectric power plant Guri, reported by the National Electric Power Corporation

MOSCOW/CARACAS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2019) Power outage was registered in 21 out of 23 states of Venezuela, local media have reported amid "sabotage" at the major hydroelectric power plant Guri, reported by the National Electric Power Corporation.

The corporation made its statement on Thursday, saying it was working to restore power supply.

The Nacional newspaper reported on Thursday that the country's capital of Caracas had also faced a blackout.

A Sputnik correspondent reported on Thursday that in Caracas, metro lines had been shut down. Moreover, local residents experienced mobile service outage.

Venezuela's Electric Power Minister Luis Motta Dominguez subsequently said the authorities were working to solve the blackout issue.

"We are getting ready to restore power supply as soon as possible ... It could take three hours," the minister told the Telesur broadcaster.

Since January, Venezuela has been facing protests against President Nicolas Maduro.

On January 5, lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.

On January 23, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on January 10 after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.

The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which some 50 other countries, including Colombia, followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue.
BAKU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2019) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accepted his Azerbaijani counterpart's invitation to take part in the summit of the heads of governments of the Non-Aligned Movement's member states, which the Azerbaijani capital of Baku will host on October 25-26, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who is currently on an official visit to Iran, held a meeting with Rouhani earlier in the day.

"Minister Elmar Mammadyarov presented the letter of invitation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the Summit meeting of the Heads of States and Governments of the Non-Aligned Movement to be hosted on 25-26 October of this year in Baku.

President Hasan Ruhani accepted the invitation with great pleasure," the ministry's statement read.

The Non-Aligned Movement was established in 1961. It unites 120 member states, 17 observer states and 10 observer organizations that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. The organization aims at ensuring independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries that oppose any kind of foreign interference.
Power outage was registered in 21 out of 23 states of Venezuela, local media have reported amid "sabotage" at the major hydroelectric power plant Guri, reported by the National Electric Power Corporation

MOSCOW/CARACAS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2019) Power outage was registered in 21 out of 23 states of Venezuela, local media have reported amid "sabotage" at the major hydroelectric power plant Guri, reported by the National Electric Power Corporation.

The corporation made its statement on Thursday, saying it was working to restore power supply.

The Nacional newspaper reported on Thursday that the country's capital of Caracas had also faced a blackout.

A Sputnik correspondent reported on Thursday that in Caracas, metro lines had been shut down. Moreover, local residents experienced mobile service outage.

Since January, Venezuela has been facing protests against President Nicolas Maduro.

On January 5, lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.

On January 23, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on January 10 after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.

The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which some 50 other countries, including Colombia, followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue.
A Nigerian Twitter user with the handle @Oshokece has told the sad tale of how a girl he loved and saw through school, got pregnant for his childhood friend.

According to the man, he had been transferred from his original base (Lagos) to the East, by the company he worked for and that was how his relationship with his lover, hit the rock.

I was dating this girl before the company I was working with transferred me to the East for a suppose 5years. While I was was there, I constantly keep in touch. I at least speak with her 3times a day over the phone. While on some weekends, I will take a night bus 2 Lagos on Friday evening to return on Sunday evening and I will practically head straight to the office on Monday morning from the park.

After a year and 3 months to be precise, she called one evening and said she was tired of long distance relationship and that I should forget about, I jump on a night bus the following Friday, lodged in a hotel (I was always in a hotel because I didnt want my parent to know I was in Lagos) and had to beg my friend to persuade and bring her to the hotel and had to plead and pet her and we were back on track.

Before I accepted to go on transfer I confided in her and she accepted I should go. Left for me I was ready to quit the job and get something else doing even when I was still saddled with the responsibility of paying her fees from the first year to her third year and even after the transfer, I was still paying her way through school.love ehhhand then, finally, after 7months of which I have been to Lagos as usual 6times in between she sent me text saying she has moved on. That was the last time I could reach her on the phone.

The line was permanently switched off and I tried every other means to reach her but could not..mehnnnn I was miserable.to love is to make a sacrifice and I paid with my last coin, but never again.

After 2years, and 3months. I received a letter from the head office in Lagos that my work there was done and I had to return to Lagos. Before then, I already applied for a month leave which was approved together with the letter to return to Lagos. A day after I was in Lagos, I immediately started a stop and search mission when I ran into her friend who accepted to take me to where she was only if I promise her I wont let her know she was the one who led me to her, sharply, I comply.

On getting there, she (her friend) showed me the house from afar and also describe the door to knock. Like a roaring lion, sped into the building and knocked on the exact door as I was told and behold she came to check who was at the door with a big tummy. She was pregnant.

The longest minutes of my life. I was glued to the floor. I couldnt go in either was I able to go backfinally my foot was loosed and I have to leave. At this time I was already soaked with sweat. I dashed into the street and her friend was still around waiting for me.

She asked we seat out in the nearest bar to tell me what actually transpired. That was the first day I tasted alcohol and I drank to stupor. She got pregnant for my childhood friend, who refused the pregnancy and took off. All I knew was that I found myself at the hospital.

While I was at the hospital, she was rushed to the same hospital while she was in labour. ( I too get conscience). After her delivery, she couldnt afford the bills and out of pity not for her but for the Innocent baby, I had to pay. And before I left the hospital.

These were my last words to her. If I had ever done you wrong in any form, only then will you live free but if I havent you will come and beg me for forgiveness on your kneelsand guess what, she came begging not just kneeling but also rolling on the ground.

It took me years to get over the traumaand when I finally did, starting a relationship has been by far the hardest thing to do. ever since My life has been work, work and work and when am not working am indoor. This is my story.
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67 was a general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century with the most attendees to that date and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record for a world's fair, with 569,500 visitors on its third day.

These photos were found on the street in Cambridge, MA. They were originally glued onto scrapbook sheets like this. I've attempted to arrange them in a sensible order based on page numbering and picture content, but this is the best I could do.

Most of the photos were "tagged" with a labelmaker and I have placed these labels in the "Description" field. Some of the labels have been adjusted for the sake of clarity.

To the best of my knowledge, these photos were taken by Lillian Seymour.

Holland

Hovercraft

Indians of Canada

Israel

Japan pavilion

Japan pavilion

Japan pavilion

Le Diplomate Motel area

Le Diplomate Motel area

Le Diplomate Motel area

Lillian Seymour in front of Le Diplomate Motel

Main Entrance Place D'Accueil

Maine

Mauritius

Mini rail station

Mini rail view

Netherland

Niger

Pavilion of Jamaica on the left, the Britain pavilion in the middle, and the pavilion of Monaco (with the red column) on the right

Picture tree

Poland

Pologne Poland

Polska

Republic of China

Restaurant area

Signpost

Swiss sky ride

Swiss sky ride

Taller O'Shea, New Golden Garter 'Show'

Thai pavillion

Thailand

The agora place, near the Canada pavilion, on Notre-Dame island

The view across the street from St. Joseph's Oratory

This particular track would enter the Ontario pavilion, on Notre-Dame island

Tivoli Garden carousel

Traditional Scottish garb

USA & USSR pavilion

USSR pavilion

Vaporetto on canal

Vermont

Yacht basin

Yougoslavie

Atlantic provinces

Benches

Britain pavilion

British pub

Burma

Canadian National

Canadian Pacific

Diplomate Motel

Fire

French pavilion

Ft. Edmonton

Golden Age Club

Gyrotron ride

Gyrotron

Gyrotron

Habitat building

Hammer & Sickle

Hofbrau Fun House

Expo 67 was Canada's main celebration during its centennial year. The fair had been intended to be held in Moscow, to help the Soviet Union celebrate the Russian Revolution's 50th anniversary; however, for various reasons, the Soviets decided to cancel, and Canada was awarded it in late 1962.After Expo 67 ended in October 1967, the site and most of the pavilions continued on as an exhibition called Man and His World, open during the summer months from 1968 until 1984.Today, the islands that hosted the world exhibition are mainly used as parkland and for recreational use, with only a few remaining structures from Expo 67 to show that the event was held there.Take a look at these amazing photos from Austin Hall to see what the Montreal Expo 1967 looked like.
VPBank is one of 17 listed banks in the Vietnamese stock market

Following the approval of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last month, the project to streamline the Vietnamese stock and insurance market by 2020 with vision towards 2025 is moving ahead. It has now been made compulsory for local commercial banks to be listed as one of the measures needed to diversify commodities in the market.

By the end of next year, all lenders must register transactions on the stock market, including the southern stock exchange (HSX), the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), and the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM).

By the end of next year, all lenders must register transactions on the stock market, including the southern stock exchange (HSX), the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), and the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM).

One of the main targets in the banking sectors development strategy is to complete the stock listing of local commercial lenders by 2020. This target received the prime ministers approval in last August and will keep the strategy on course for 2025 with a vision to 2030.

Previously, the Ministry of Finances Circular No.180/2015/TT-BTC ruled that local banks must offload their stocks onto the UPCoM by the end of 2016. To reach the target, the central bank and the State Securities Commission repeatedly issued dispatches urging banks to seriously work on their listing trajectories.

Despite augmenting efforts on the part of authorised agencies, only 17 out of a total of 31 commercial establishments completed their listings. Of the leading banks, Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank, HDBank, and VPBank were listed on the HoSE, while three more were on the HNX, and four on the UPCoM.

Other lenders who mulled over making their debut on the stock market last year but failed to do so include OCB, Nam A Bank, and VietBank.

Tran Ngoc Tam, general director of Nam A Bank, recently confirmed their commitment to finalise their listing on the HSX this year.

Last year, the bank was approved by the annual general shareholders meeting (AGM) to carry out the registration procedures necessary for stock transactions on the UPCoM.

Similarly, leaders of OCB also confirmed plans to be listed on the HoSE this year.

Representatives from privately-held LienVietPostBank and Vietnam International Bank (VIB) also revealed plans to move from the UPCoM to the HSX. The move is expected to be completed this year.

LienVietPostBanks prospectus for the upcoming AGM, which is scheduled to take place later this month, features plans to move to the HSX and raise its charter capital over the course of the year.

Several other banks, including VietBank and MSB, have unveiled plans to continue their listing plan on the UPCoM which failed to materialise last year in a bid to boost stock liquidity.

Going public will help banks increase their exposure to both domestic and foreign investors.

Several financial experts assumed that the current engagement of foreign investors at local lenders simply resembled financial investments without an active participation in banks governance activities.

This is because under existing laws, the ownership of a foreign strategic investor in a local credit institution must not surpass 20 per cent of the charter capital. Meanwhile, the total ownership of all foreign investors in a local credit institution must not exceed 30 per cent.

Such limits to foreign ownership were thought to make the sector less appealing for foreign capital. Foreign investors, including leading financial investment funds such as VinaCapital and Dragon Capital, have many times made their opinions known about lifting the foreign ownership limit (FOL) at local banks.

VinaCapital CEO Andy Ho proposed that the nations banking sector loosen the FOL at Vietnamese banks in a bid to attract foreign capital. The CEO added that the sector needs a strong injection of capital to push forward restructuring.

Leading state lenders like Vietcombank and VietinBank, which have both reached the 30 per cent cap of foreign investors, were reported to have once proposed extending their FOL to 35 and 40 per cent, respectively, in an attempt to boost capital sources, helping them satisfy increasingly stringent development requirements.
A flight information board displaying the details of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 is seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya March 10, 2019. Source: REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Sunday's flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38am (0538 GMT), before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44am.

"The group CEO who is at the scene right now deeply regrets to confirm there are no survivors," the airline tweeted alongside a picture of Tewolde GebreMariam in a suit holding a piece of debris inside a large crater.

Passengers from 33 countries were aboard, said Tewolde in a news conference. The dead included Kenyan, Ethiopian, American, Canadian, French, Chinese, Egyptian, Swedish, British and Dutch citizens.

At Nairobi airport, many relatives of passengers were left waiting at the gate for hours, with no information from airport authorities. Some learned of the crash from journalists.

"We're just waiting for my mum. We're just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. She's not picking up her phone," said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping.

Robert Mutanda, 46, was waiting for his brother-in-law, a Canadian citizen.

"No, we haven't seen anyone from the airline or the airport," he told Reuters at 1pm, more than three hours after the flight was lost. "Nobody has told us anything, we are just standing here hoping for the best."

Kenyan officials did not arrive at the airport until 1.30pm, five hours after the plane went down.

The Ethiopian prime minister's office sent condolences via Twitter to the families of those lost in the crash.

James Macharia, the cabinet secretary for transport, said he heard about the crash via Twitter.

"UNSTABLE SPEED"

Flight ET 302, registration number ET-AVJ, crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said.

The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and that he wanted to return. He was given the clearance (to return back)," said Tewolde during his news conference.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after take off, said flight tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

The aircraft had shattered into many pieces and was severely burnt, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the crash said.

The airline had earlier incorrectly identified the plane's model number, but later confirmed it was a 737 MAX 8.

It's not clear what caused the crash. Boeing sent condolences to the families and said it was ready to help investigate.

"A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board," the company said in a statement.

This is the second recent crash of the relatively new 737 MAX 8, the latest version of Boeings workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017.

The same model crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on Oct 29, killing all 189 people on board the Lion Air flight.

The cause of that crash is still under investigation. A preliminary report issued in November, before the cockpit voice recorder was recovered, focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor, but did not give a reason for the crash. A final report is due later this year.

The plane is the latest version of the 737, the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and one of the industrys most reliable.

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Under international rules, responsibility for leading the crash investigation lies with Ethiopian authorities, while the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will automatically take part because the Boeing aircraft was designed and built in the United States.

Investigators will seek to secure the crash site and collect evidence starting with black boxes capturing cockpit conversations and data, while compiling records on recent operations of the plane and the crew.

Representatives of Boeing and Cincinnati-based engine-maker CFM, a joint venture between General Electric and General Electric Co and Frances Safran SA will advise the NTSB.

Ethiopian is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. It said previously that it expected to carry 10.6 million passengers last year.

New Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been promising to open up the state-owned airline to domestic and international investors.

The crash comes as Ethiopian has been snapping up stakes in small carriers around the continent to pre-empt potential rivals and become the dominant pan-African airline.

Its last major crash was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down shortly after take-off, killing all 90 people onboard. The Lebanese blamed pilot error, which was disputed by the airline.
Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung directed the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) and network operators to stop the supply of pre-activated SIM cards.- Photo ictnews.vn

A solution is needed to stop the sale of pre-activated SIM cards this month, he said at a meeting this week.

Pre-activated SIM cards are widely available and users can buy them easily without having to register their details.

Explaining the situation, Nguyen Duc Trung, director of VNTA under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said in taking the number of subscribers as a measure of achievement and business results, telecom enterprises found ways to increase this number.

Earlier, five mobile networks including Viettel, VNPT, MobiFone, Vietnamobile and Gtel signed a commitment to block spam messages on May, 2016, applied from July 1, 2017.

The heads of the operators will be responsible to the Minister of Information and Communications for the implementation of this commitment.

The Ministry of Information and Communications said that under its direction, operators had implemented many measures to prevent spam messages.

Nearly 20 million pre-activated SIMs were retrieved and blocked.

Although these solutions had contributed to a significant reduction in spam messages, the problem persisted.

One reason given was that there had been no agreement on the criteria for identifying spam messages. The systems and measures used to block spam messages were not consistent and there was no inter-network mechanism for blocking and filtering messages.

The Ministry of Information and Communications said that it would announce criteria to assess the effectiveness of blocking spam messages.

These criteria would be based on the data reported by customers about spam messages and the technical systems of network operators.

This would be considered an important indicator to assess the quality of mobile services of network operators later and would be published on the websites of the networks so that people can monitor the results of the measures.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a new plan that focuses on restructuring the securities market until 2025.- VNA/VNS Photo

Under the new plan, numbered 242/QD-TTg, the Government wants to ensure comprehensive restructuring of the securities market so that it becomes the medium- and long-term capital-raising instrument for the Vietnamese economy and businesses.

The Government also wants to make the securities market a tool to help it restructure State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and divest from those companies, re-shape the countrys economic growth model, and help Viet Nam become more interactive to regional and global markets.

Several milestones have been set in the document such as the value of the stock market is projected to reach 100 per cent and 120 per cent of Viet Nams total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 and 2025, and the number of listed companies in 2020 rising 20 per cent from 2017.

The Government also plans to launch new securities products such as covered warrants, government bond futures and new index-underlying futures.

There are eight solutions proposed in the document to shake up the domestic securities market, including the perfection of the legal framework; restructuring of goods and services supply; restructuring of securities companies, market and investors; improvement of market management; and upgrading the market status based on global standards.

Among the items, restructuring of securities companies may be among the biggest concerns for the market.

Under the new project, brokerage firms are required to reform their operational models, improve their financial health, make stronger efforts in corporate and risk management, and improve corporate transparency and performance.

Any unofficial capital sources for securities firms will be monitored closely and the firms violating the market rules on margin lending will be fined more strictly.

Brokerage firms, which have capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of more than 180 per cent, capital of more than VND1 trillion and no cumulative losses, will receive support from market regulators to expand their business, lead in introducing new products and services to the market, become the founding members of the bond and derivative markets, and restructure poorly-performing securities firms.

On the other hand, companies with below 180 per cent CAR will be watched by the market regulator and are disallowed to directly manage investors trading money.

They are also restrained from making new investments, trading shares and paying dividends. In addition, those firms are banned from trading highly risky transactions on the market.
Shaun Ray, senior manager, Developer Relations at Amazon Web Services

How did Amazon Web Services (AWS) retain the position as the worlds technology leader in 2018, and what opportunities does AWS foresee in Vietnam amid growing demand among local businesses?

In the third quarter of 2018, AWS made $6.68 billion revenue, up 46 per cent on-year. Market segment share meanwhile, with reference to International Data Corporation (IDC), increased to 51.8 per cent. Now we have millions of active customers, with more than 10,000 using machine learning or Artificial Intelligence (AI) on AWS.

The AWS Cloud operates in 61 availability zones across 20 geographic regions, and one local region, around the world, with plans for 12 more availability zones and four more regions in Bahrain, Cape Town, Hong Kong, and Milan. A region in Sweden and a second AWS GovCloud region in the United States are newly online.

Vietnam is a high potential market for cloud computing services in ASEAN. We see the huge potential here because when we offer training in Vietnam, the number of professionals certified in Vietnam is higher, reaching around 200 in the first six months we launched the programme here.

What is more, with a history of doing contracts with international companies and having experience of using IT solutions from vendors or influential providers, I think that Vietnamese businesses find it easy to access modern applications such as machine learning, Big Data and AI on cloud computing platforms. I expect that the demands for these things will continue to surge in the future.

Vietnam has young population who have high demands, wanting things that they have never been given before. They also want it very fast. Businesses are trying and trying to change and to adapt.

Digital transformation is now an obvious trend, but businesses will find challenges to adopt. How can AWS help them leverage technology to transform in the digital economy to unlock their full potential?

 We are not a consultant to tell Vietnamese enterprises what they should do. We provide necessary technologies to help them optimise their knowledge, and increase innovation inside these businesses.  Shaun Ray Senior manager, Developer Relations at Amazon Web Services

Vietnam is an economy in which small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up the majority. It does not have many large and global-branded groups that other countries have. By talking to these Vietnamese enterprises, we can figure out what their challenges and demands are. We have people in the field in this country in which to do just that.

There are ways that we can help. One is to target the domestic population, leveraging something like the cloud platform to be able to carry out better data analysis, skip more risks, and be faster into the market.

In reality, innovations have to be carried out inside small businesses. SMEs in Vietnam have to adopt innovations to keep up with the changing world of technology, otherwise they will be defeated by others. So they should apply emerging technologies such as cloud computing and machine learning to optimise their capacity. As per an IDC report, it is proven that around 40 per cent of digital business transformation projects rely on machine learning and AI in 2019.

We know Vietnamese businesses already have knowledge, so what they need is the correct platform to help them to go faster. We are not a consultant to tell Vietnamese enterprises what they should do. We provide necessary technologies to help them optimise their knowledge, and increase innovation inside these businesses.

So far, we have worked with Vietnamese customers and helped them succeed with AWS services. Vietjet Air, FPT Software, light and electrical brand Dien Quang, and mobile payment startup Momo are typical examples.

For Vietjet, the problem with air travel is you always have to compete against both domestic and global players. A few years ago, the airline applied the AWS cloud for its booking service and has since gained competitiveness.

FPT Software was the first ASEAN-headquartered AWS Consulting Partner to achieve the AWS Premier Consulting Partner tier in 2018. The areas of expertise that FPT has achieved are critical to help customers in Vietnam and across ASEAN benefit from the utilisation of AWS services.

FPT has acquired 497 AWS certificates to-date. Leveraging on the AWS platform, its dedicated taskforce consisting of professionals has been helping its customers to migrate to AWS services. It has developed industrial parks including migration tools and solutions, and trained the local workforce on the latest technologies to help them achieve business success.

Amid growing demand, a number of tech firms have been introducing new solutions. What make AWS different to others, and what are Amazons new cloud services capabilities to bring better digital solutions to businesses?

We have the most experience in the global market of offering cloud computing services. We have a lot more functionality, and a larger community of customers and partners. Moreover, in the global marketplace of cloud computing, AWS has the higher par on operational security, and a really good platform of reliable security services.

Trying to help AWSs machine learning become more accessible to businesses, Amazon SageMaker was launched over two years ago. This enables SMEs to access machine learning at an affordable price, and so far thousands of customers have been using it. Over 95 per cent of services we build come from getting information from customers, including the likes of Netflix and Goldman Sachs, about what they want.

AWS has so far developed new cloud services and database capabilities. For example, we offer significant new Amazon Aurora and Amazon DynamoDB capabilities along with two new purpose-built databases. For data management and government security, Amazon Quantum Ledger Database and Amazon Managed Blockchain will help companies manage business transactions that require full auditing requirements.

Also, AWSs 13 newly-launched machine learning capabilities impact all layers, from infrastructure, on SageMaker, and on apps where no experience is required. This enables developers to build, train, and deploy machine learning models easily. These include new infrastructure, a custom chip, and framework improvements for faster training and low-cost inference.

In regards to the developer tool known as ROBOTICS, the new AWS service makes it easy for developers to develop, test, and deploy robotics applications, as well as build intelligent robotics functions using cloud services. It extends the most widely used open-source robotics software framework, Robot Operating System, with connectivity to AWS services including machine learning, monitoring, and analytics services to enable a robot to stream data, navigate, communicate, comprehend, and learn.

AWS RoboMaker provides an AWS Cloud9-based robotics integrated development environment for application development, robotics simulation to accelerate application testing, and fleet management for remote application deployment, update, and management.
The Da Nang Hi-tech Park has received many projects in the first months of 2019. - VNA/VNS Photo

Data from the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed foreign investors registered to pour US$8.47 billion into Vietnam in the first two months of this year, 2.5 times higher than the same period of last year. Disbursement of FDI projects also rose by 9.8 per cent year-on-year to $2.58 billion, hitting a three-year record high.

Notably, foreign investment in science and technology surged sharply, helping it for the first time rank third in the hottest sectors in the countrys FDI attraction.

The positive move is continuing this month with many provinces and cities consecutively announcing licences for high-quality projects.

In the early days of March, the central city of Da Nang said it licensed two projects of American giants  leading global manufacturer of aircraft components American Universal Alloy Corporation and electronics manufacturer Alton International Enterprises  to set up their production bases at its hi-tech parks while some others also from the US, such as Key Tronic EMS, are also proposing projects in the park.

In the northern province of Bac Giang, Lenovo Group from China also expressed a desire to develop a computer component factory during a recent meeting with local authorities. The group said it would need 20-30ha of land for the factorys development and its products would be exported to the US, the provincial portal reports.

Ha Noi City meanwhile also expected to receive Ikea as the Swedish furniture giant plans to invest US$450 million in a retail centre and warehouse system in the capital, Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the Ha Noi Peoples Committee, told a recent conference held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

While Ikeas local subsidiary is well advanced with plans to launch the Vietnamese centre, which will be Ikeas main supply hub for its Southeast Asian market once completed, there are also forecasts that Apple could move its facility to the Southeast Asian country in the future.

Transparency a must

Nguyen Van Toan, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises, told Vietnam News that the rising high quality investment in Vietnam was a positive signal, especially when the inflow remained unnoticeable compared to the total FDI in Vietnam and the overseas investment capital of these investors in the world and ASEAN countries over the past years.

The US, for example, invested some US$300 billion in foreign markets every year while the investment in Vietnam was less than $1 billion, Toan said.

Echoing Toan, Vo Tri Thanh, a senior economist at the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), told Vietnam News that a rise of high-tech FDI projects licensed in the first months of the year partly showed Vietnam as an attractive investment destination, buoyed by its free trade agreements, close proximity to major global supply chains, high economic growth potential and the Governments success in improving the investment environment.

According to experts, the inflows of high-quality investors, especially big names, will help Vietnam solidify its position as a global manufacturing powerhouse besides appealing to many other big components suppliers to the country.

As in the case of the American Universal Alloy Corporation, for example, its Chief Operating Officer for Universal Alloy Corporation and President of Universal Alloy Corporation Europe Kevin Loebbaka, revealed at the groups project launching ceremony in Da Nang recently that both Boeing and Airbus were promoting manufacturing operations in Asia and they had a great interest in the future production site of UAC in Da Nang.

According to Toan, the Government is taking measures to lure high-tech investment after three decades of FDI attraction, however, several hindrances still should be removed to optimise the fresh investment inflow.

The Government should continue to improve business and investment transparency and safeguard intellectual property rights because investors from developed countries, including the US, often demand a transparent and consistent investment and legal environment, Toan said.

It is also necessary to put investment protection regulations in the laws since multinationals with high-tech projects are very interested in this. They must be assured that their legitimate rights will be protected, he suggested.

Besides, Toan also urged the Government to focus on training to make the country more attractive to foreign high-tech investors as skills of the countrys workforce remain limited.
Mark Zuckerberg's abrupt Wednesday declaration of a new ``privacy vision" for social networking was for many people a sort of Rorschach test.

Looked at one way, the manifesto read as an apology of sorts for Facebook's history of privacy transgressions, and it suggested that the social network would de-emphasize its huge public social network in favor of private messaging between individuals and among small groups.

Looked at another way, it turned Facebook into a kind of privacy champion by embracing encrypted messaging that's shielded from prying eyes  including those of Facebook itself.

Yet another reading suggested the whole thing was a public relations exercise designed to lull its users while Facebook entrenches its competitive position in messaging and uses it to develop new sources of user data to feed its voracious advertising machine.

As with many things Facebook, the truth lies somewhere in between. Facebook so far isn't elaborating much on Zuckerberg's manifesto. Here's a guide to what we know at the moment about its plans.

What's happening to Facebook?

In one sense, nothing. Its existing social network, with its news feeds and pages and 2.3 billion global users and $22 billion in 2018 profit, won't change and will likely continue to grow. Although user growth has been stagnant in North America, Facebook's global user base expanded 9 percent in the last quarter of 2018.

But Zuckerberg suggested that Facebook's future growth will depend more on private messaging such as what it offers with its WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram Direct services. The Facebook CEO said private messaging between individuals and small groups is "by far" the fastest growing part of online communications.

Naturally, Facebook wants to be there in a big way.

What's changing in messaging?

Its first step will be to make its three messaging services communicate better with each other. That would let you message a friend on WhatsApp from Facebook Messenger, which isn't currently possible. It would also link your messaging accounts to your Facebook ID, so people can find you more easily.

Zuckerberg also promised to greatly increase the security of these messages. It will implement so-called end-to-end encryption for messaging, which would scramble them so that no one but the sender and recipients could read them. That would bar access by governments and Facebook. WhatsApp is already encrypted this way, but Messenger and Instagram Direct are not.

The first change users might notice is their address book, said Siva Vaidhyanathan, director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia. While your Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp contacts might be quite different now, if the services combine to some degree, your contact lists will, too.

"As these services merge, we might end up basically having these huge combined address books from three messaging services," he said.

When will this happen?

You're not likely to see any of these changes soon. In his blog post, Zuckerberg said the plan will be rolled out "over the next few years. ... A lot of this work is in the early stages."

And it's subject to change. EMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson points out that previous Facebook visions of the future haven't quite panned out. A few years ago, for instance, Zuckerberg predicted that video and augmented and virtual reality would be a much bigger part of Facebook than what materialized.

But it shows that Facebook is trying to adapt as people shift toward services like Instagram and WhatsApp over Facebook, which today has 15 million fewer U.S. users than in 2017, according to Edison Research. In his post, Zuckerberg said he expects Messenger and WhatsApp will eventually become the main ways people communicate on Facebook's network.

"There's not a sense that things will fundamentally change overnight, or even probably this year," Williamson said, "But it signals Facebook is thinking more seriously about embracing the way people communicate today."

What will it mean for privacy?

Encrypted messaging is in many ways a big plus for privacy. But the way Facebook collects information about you on its main service site isn't changing, said Jen King, director of consumer privacy at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society

"This is limited to a very specific part of the platform and it doesn't really address all the ways Facebook is still collecting data about you," she said. So users should still be alert about privacy settings and careful about what they choose to share on Facebook.

Facebook is likely to collect data about your messaging  so-called metadata that, according to security experts, will let it know whom you communicate with, when and how often you text them, where you are when you do it and for how long. That can tell Facebook a lot about you even if it can't read the contents of your messages.

What about vanishing posts?

Though the timeline is hazy, Zuckerberg did outline other changes users will eventually see. He said the company is looking at ways to make messages less permanent, a la Snapchat or Instagram "Stories," which disappear after 24 hours.

"Messages could be deleted after a month or a year by default,'' Zuckerberg wrote. "This would reduce the risk of your messages resurfacing and embarrassing you later.'' Zuckerberg said users will have the ability to change the time frame or turn off auto-deletion. "And we could also provide an option for you to set individual messages to expire after a few seconds or minutes if you wanted.''

What about payment procedures?

Facebook will likely also expand the way users can use its platform to pay for things, said Justin Brookman, director of consumer privacy and technology policy for Consumer Reports. Zuckerberg didn't mention any new payment plans specifically but did bring up payments four times in his post.

Currently, Facebook lets its users pay friends or businesses digitally by linking a credit card or PayPal account, and that method is not likely to change soon. But as Facebook looks to emulate Chinese behemoth WeChat, it could let you reserve a table through Facebook instead of going through an outside app, or order an Uber.

"Ideally, Facebook will try to get a cut of all transactions," Brookman said. A digital currency of Facebook's own is also rumored to be in the works.

"Like many other companies, Facebook is exploring ways to leverage the power of blockchain technology," Facebook said in a statement. "This new small team is exploring many different applications. We don't have anything further to share."
Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika landed in Algeria Sunday amid protests against his bid for a fifth term as president.

Bouteflika, 82, has been in Geneva for two weeks, receiving what his office called routine medical checks. But many have speculated that the health of the longtime president, who has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, is far more serious.

An Algerian government plane, hidden from view in a hangar, was reported to have left Geneva around 1500 GMT. The Algerian government did not immediately announce the purpose of the flight, which landed in Geneva earlier Sunday.

Protests against Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term entered their third week on Friday, with thousands flooding the streets in Algeria as well as Paris, which is home to a large Algerian immigrant population.

Bouteflika, who has ruled the North African country since 1999, officially filed paperwork to run for a fifth term last week, but vowed that if he won he would only serve for one year before holding new elections.

Bouteflika warned Thursday that instigators may try to infiltrate the demonstrations to provoke turmoil ahead of the April 18 election. "We must call for vigilance and caution in case this peaceful expression is infiltrated by some insidious party... which could cause chaos," he said.
Senator Ben Murray Bruce has also joined many Nigerians to reject the live within your means statement by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the senator and businessman, Buhari who is the chief campaigner of live within your means hasnt lived by example but has blatantly flouted his own preachings.

The lawmaker made references to glaring examples of the president, living above his means. He noted that the president claimed to be poor yet took a loan to purchase his presidential nomination form, his kids attend schools abroad and his own personal healthcare is tended to abroad.

His words: The promoter of the message claimed to be so poor he had to take a loan for his nomination form. Yet his kids schooled abroad and his own personal healthcare needs are met abroad. He should first practice what he preaches, before asking us to practice it.
Europes largest Mormon temple will be dedicated over three days starting Sunday. Russell Nelson, president of the worlds 16 million Mormons, will be in Rome for the dedication ceremonies. No expense has been spared on Italys first temple, a magnificence, Mormons say, that is justified by faith.



The entire leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon Church, has for the first time gathered outside of the United States for a very special occasion, the dedication of its temple in the eternal city. For the more than 25,000 Italian Mormons and the many others who will travel to Rome, this temple has special significance, as Italys representative of the Mormons, Alessandro Dini-Ciacci explains.

"Rome is the center of Christianity. Heres where the apostles Peter and Paul, the early apostles of the Church of Christ came to preach and bear their testimony. We are followers of Jesus Christ. We love the Savior," says Dini-Ciacci. "The temple we just built as a statement of our belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world in our belief that life goes on after we die and that families can be together. That is the focus of our temples. The ordinances that bind families together."



The Mormons have 162 temples in different parts of the world and 40 more have already been announced for a church growing in numbers. No expense was spared for Romes towering white house of the Lord.

The temple was built with the finest materials, is very refined, as our offering of love. Our show of love for the Savior and his father. Thats why we choose the best materials possible," said Dini-Ciacci. "Theres Carrara marbles, stained glass, fine fabrics. It is all a tribute to our heavenly father.



Elder Dini-Ciacci said it took a decade to build the 3,800 square meter temple.

He would not give a figure for how much the temple cost but simply said "its a cost of faith. One of the 10 commandments of the Mormons, he added, is to keep the law of tithing which allows the church to pay for temples and all operations. He said the money spent on temples is far less than what the Church spends on humanitarian aid.



Members of the Church abide by rules which include chastity outside of marriage.



We keep the Ten Commandments. We ask people to treat their bodies as temples. So we ask them not to pollute them with drugs or alcoholic beverages. We ask them not to smoke. That is what we believe was revealed to one of our prophets for the benefit of all out members, said Dini-Ciacci.



The church's leader, Prophet Russel Nelson, met with Pope Francis on Saturday at the Vatican. It was the first time a head of the Church of Latter Day Saints met with a pope. While the two churches differ in doctrine, they share concerns like human suffering, the importance of religious liberty and of building bridges of friendship.
In a technology that's been heralded as a breakthrough in conservation, remote recording devices are 'eavesdropping' on one of the rarest birds in New Zealand to monitor how they are adjusting after being released into a protected reserve. Faith Lapidus reports.
oting was peaceful and turnout high in Guinea-Bissau Sunday, where voters cast ballots for a new parliament with hopes of ending years of political turmoil.



"No one has been killed, no fights, no coup, without random arrests and without political prisoners," President Jose Mario Vaz was happy to say. "Instead, there is freedom of expression and the right to assemble. I think that Guinea-Bissau is a champion for freedom."



Voters chose from a field of candidates from the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cap Verde (PAIGC), and 20 opposition parties.



Final results are expected later this week.



The impoverished West African nation has watched a series of Vaz-appointed prime ministers come and go over the past four years because none were able to gain enough support in the divided parliament.

A group of West African states worked out a deal last year in which Aristede Gomes would serve as interim prime minister until new elections were held.



Guinea-Bissau has been wracked by numerous coups since declaring independence from Portugal in 1973.



Its economy, heavily dependent on its cashew crop, has been in shambles, in part, because of the lack of political stability.
Indias general elections will be held over five weeks weeks starting April 11 and decide if Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won a sweeping victory five years ago, is able to secure a second term in office.

Billed as the worlds largest democratic exercise, as many as 900 million voters will be eligible to choose 543 members of the countrys lower house of parliament. The staggered election will be held in seven phases until May 19 and votes will be counted on May 23.

The elections pit Modis rightwing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party against the main opposition Congress party and an array of regional parties, some of who have formed alliances to challenge Modi.

While economic issues such as unemployment and farmers distress dominated the poll agenda until weeks ago, terrorism and national security have emerged as campaign issues after recent military skirmishes between India and Pakistan and could help Modi in his reelection bid as he projects himself as a strong leader.

Recent surveys say his popularity has risen since he ordered airstrikes inside Pakistan to target a militant camp following a suicide attack in Indian Kashmir.

Several polls held earlier this year had suggested that the contest would be close and the BJP, which suffered key defeats in state elections in December, would struggle to win an outright majority as it battles perceptions that its economic performance has been patchy.

In a series of tweets after the announcement, Modi hailed the festival of democracy, called on first time voters to vote in record numbers and touted his achievements. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous & secure India, he said.

As he announced the elections on Sunday, the countrys Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora, outlined the logistical challenges of organizing a mammoth election involving an electorate bigger than the size of Europe and Australia, dozens of political parties and hundreds of candidates. When independent India held its first election, not everyone was convinced of our capacity to conduct the exercise. But India emerged as a beacon light for emerging democracies. The scale and complexity of elections has only grown since then, said Arora.

This year one million polling stations will be established throughout the country and more than five million government officials and security forces will be deployed. To ensure that every voter, whether on high mountain villages or inside forests is reached, officials sometimes have to travel by foot, helicopters and boats. The poll schedule has to take into account school exam dates, harvest times and festivals in different parts of the country.

With political parties starting to rely heavily on social media to influence voters and concerns about misuse of these platforms, the election commission is stepping up scrutiny of social media giants.

Chief Election Commissioner Arora said that companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube have said they have appointed officers to take action against objectionable content posted on their sites and counter fake news and hate speeches. He said that all political advertisements on their platforms will be pre-certified by monitoring committees.

The election commission has also asked political parties not to use images of the armed forces in their campaign posters saying that they are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy.

The notice was issued after the ruling BJP used campaign posters with images of a captured Indian Air Force pilot who was returned by Pakistan after the recent clash between the neighbors.

The Election Commissioner dismissed concerns that have recently been expressed by some opposition parties that electronic voting machines used in Indian elections could be hacked and ballots rigged.
It could have been another achievement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could boast of in his frantic election campaign. The prime ministers of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic  the Visegrad Group, or V4  accepted his invitation to hold last months summit in Jerusalem, Israels controversial capital.

Then came Israel Katz, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, and spoiled it all.

Poles collaborated with the Nazis, Katz asserted in a TV interview on the eve of the summit. He quoted former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir as having said that Poles suckled anti-Semitism from their mothers milk.

That affront the Poles would not bear. They canceled their participation, leaving the others who did come to hold informal and bilateral meetings.

Cultivating the right

The invitation to meet in Jerusalem was part of Israels attempt to cultivate relations with the EUs eastern and central European members. Those countries, especially the right-wing, nationalist governments of Poland and Hungary, have been critical of the mainstream, Western, liberal EU members.

Netanyahu has attended summit meetings of the Visegrad Group, the three Baltic States and the Craiova Forum that includes Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia.

He complained to the V4 that Israel was being criticized more than any other place in the world.

I unabashedly asked the help of my friends here in making, correcting  a distorted position, a distorted view on Israel in the EU, he said at a press conference with the leaders of the Baltic states.

EU objections

Much of the friction is over Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and construction in East Jerusalem which, the EU maintains, violate international law.

The EU has deterred Israel from evicting Palestinian refugees from a decades-old encampment beside the Jerusalem-Jericho road. It sought to have Israel label goods produced in the settlements and deny them customs benefits available to products made in Israel proper. It wants Israel to pay for, or return, EU-funded materials that Israel destroyed or confiscated from West Bank Palestinians; Israeli scientists in the occupied territories are not eligible for EU research grants; and it supports Israeli NGOs that criticize the government.

Right-wing coalition

Israel and nationalist governments share perceptions, noted Joanna Dyduch in a paper published by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Netanyahus coalition is the most right-wing coalition in Israels 70 years history.

According to Dyduch, having experienced Soviet domination, the Visegrad four share the view that they are entities which continually need to be defended. They focus on power relations while liberalism, which emphasizes the significance of the individual, human rights and civil liberties, is often consciously portrayed as being inadequate, or even dangerous.

Security threats

Netanyahu strikes a sensitive chord among European leaders when he addresses threats to their security.

The biggest common adversary to our common civilization is the force of militant Islam, its radical forces, the terrorists that seek to bring down our planes, bombard our cities, murder our civilians, he said with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his side.

Israel can help, he said. Its intelligence saved many lives. It built a border fence that blocks illegal migrants, has an effective airport security system and is tops in cybertechnology.

Turning point was Turkey

The breakthrough to those countries followed the deterioration of its relations with Turkey. The Israeli air force could no longer train in Turkish skies and needed an alternative, the Foreign Ministrys former Director General Alon Liel recalled.

It started warming relations with Turkeys enemies, Greece and Cyprus, then with Bulgaria and Romania. A very strong friendship ensued and produced excellent results in reducing EU pressure, Liel said.

Israel then decided to expand ties to other former East Bloc countries that were interested in its security technologies, weapons and intelligence to cope with the influx of Syrian refugees and militant Islam.

Political gains, dangers

Security cooperation intensified and political gains emerged.

Hungary and Poland sided with Israel in U.N. and EU forums. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania blocked a proposal that all 28 EU states criticize the United States for moving its embassy to Jerusalem. EU foreign ministers differed on whether to let Netanyahu address one of their breakfast meetings. Lithuania went ahead and invited him.

The EU sanctioned Israeli firms that were conspicuously based in the occupied territories but did not pursue others who were discreet, recalled Avi Primor, a former ambassador to the EU.

Nevertheless, former Israeli ambassadors criticized the close ties with right-wing governments as being short-sighted, on thin ice, and severing an umbilical cord to Western culture.

It places Israel with allies such as Orban, who distances himself from democracy and his campaign contains anti-Semitic characteristics, said Nimrod Goren, head of the Israeli Institute for Regional and Foreign Policy.

Israels agreements with the EU must be renewed or updated periodically, and each member state can block it. Israels close ties with the United States and memories of the Holocaust moderates them, but if Israel would resist U.S. pressure, the Europeans will act more decisively, Primor predicted.
The airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, reopened Saturday after a brief closure because of an unidentified drone flying in the area, officials said.

Residents have repeatedly spotted drones flying over Tripoli in the past few days but the reason for their flights is not clear.

People in the capital have been on edge because of rumors that the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) loyal to Khalifa Haftar might seek to take it after gaining control of much of the south.

Haftar has not said he wants to march on Tripoli, but an LNA website carried an unsourced report this week saying it could happen, adding that the LNA was working with people inside the city.

The United Nations, alarmed about the possibility of a military escalation, is mediating between Haftar, who is allied with a parallel government in the east, and Tripoli Premier Fayez al-Serraj, who heads the U.N.-backed administration.

The United Nations has been trying for years to pull the oil producer out of conflict but has made little progress.
Malaysian police said Sunday that six Egyptians and a Tunisian man believed to be linked to an African-based terror group have been detained and deported.



One of the Egyptians and the Tunisian national are suspected members of Ansar Al-Sharia Al-Tunisia, which is based in North Africa and listed as a terrorist group by the United Nations, national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement.



Fuzi said the two were detained in 2016 for trying to illegally enter an African country. He said they used fake passports to enter Malaysia in October last year and were planning to sneak into a third country to launch attacks.



Five other Egyptians and two Malaysians were detained last month for providing food, shelter, air tickets and employment for the two suspected terrorists, Fuzi said.



He said authorities are concerned with the entry of foreign terrorist fighters as investigations showed they may use Malaysia as a "safe haven'' or a logistics hub to launch attacks in other countries.



The six Egyptians and the Tunisian were reported March 5 and blacklisted from entering Malaysia, Fuzi said.
President Donald Trump was just doing what he could to raise spirits when he signed Bibles at an Alabama church for survivors of a deadly tornado outbreak, many religious leaders say, though some were offended and others said he could have handled it differently.

Hershael York, dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Theology in Louisville, Ky., said he didn't have a problem with Trump signing Bibles, like former presidents have, because he was asked and because it was important to the people who were asking.

``Though we don't have a national faith, there is faith in our nation, and so it's not at all surprising that people would have politicians sign their Bibles,'' he said. ``Those Bibles are meaningful to them and apparently these politicians are, too.''

But the Rev. Donnie Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, said she was offended by the way Trump scrawled his signature Friday as he autographed Bibles and other things, including hats, and posed for photos. She viewed it, she said, as a ``calculated political move'' by the Republican president to court his evangelical voting base.

Not unprecedented

Presidents have a long history of signing Bibles, though earlier presidents typically signed them as gifts to send with a spiritual message. President Ronald Reagan signed a Bible that was sent secretly to Iranian officials in 1986. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the family Bible his attorney general used to take the oath of office in 1939.

It would have been different, Anderson said, if Trump had signed a Bible out of the limelight for someone with whom he had a close connection.

``For me, the Bible is a very important part of my faith, and I don't think it should be used as a political ploy,'' she said. ``I saw it being used just as something out there to symbolize his support for the evangelical community, and it shouldn't be used in that way. People should have more respect for Scripture.''

York said that he, personally, would not ask a politician to sign a Bible, but that he had been asked to sign Bibles after he preached. It feels awkward, he said, but he doesn't refuse.

``If it's meaningful to them to have signatures in their Bible, I'm willing to do that,'' he said.

A request for comment was left with the White House on Saturday, a day after Trump visited Alabama to survey the devastation and pay respects to tornado victims. The tornado carved a path of destruction nearly a mile wide, killing 23 people, including four children and a couple in their 80s, with 10 victims belonging to a single extended family.

At the Providence Baptist Church in Smiths Station, Ala., the Rev. Rusty Sowell said, the president's visit was uplifting and will help bring attention to a community that will need a long time to recover.

Before leaving the church, Trump posed for a photograph with a fifth-grade volunteer and signed the child's Bible, said Ada Ingram, a local volunteer. The president also signed her sister's Bible, Ingram said. In photos from the visit, Trump is shown signing the cover of a Bible.

Trump should have at least signed inside in a less ostentatious way, said the Rev. Dr. Kevin Cassiday-Maloney.

Almost a 'desecration'

``It just felt like hubris,'' said Cassiday-Maloney, pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Fargo, N.D. ``It almost felt like a desecration of the holy book to put his signature on the front writ large, literally.''

He doesn't think politicians should sign Bibles, he said, because it could be seen as a blurring of church and state and an endorsement of Christianity over other religions.

It would have been out of line if Trump had brought Bibles and given them out, but that wasn't the case, said James Coffin, executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.

``Too much is being made out of something that doesn't deserve that kind of attention,'' he said.

Bill Leonard, the founding dean and professor of divinity emeritus at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, N.C., woke up to Facebook posts Saturday morning by former students who were upset about Trump signing the Bibles because they don't view him as an appropriate example of spiritual guidance.

But, Leonard said, it's important to remember that signing Bibles is an old tradition, particularly in Southern churches.

Leonard said he would have viewed it as more problematic if the signings were done at a political rally. He doesn't see how Trump could have refused at the church.

``It would've been worse if he had said no because it would've seemed unkind, and this was at least one way he could show his concern along with his visit,'' he said. ``In this setting, where tragedy has occurred and where he comes for this brief visit, we need to have some grace about that for these folks.''
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors first 100 days in office have combined a compulsive shedding of presidential trappings with a dizzying array of policy initiatives, and a series of missteps havent dented his soaring approval ratings.

Lopez Obrador has answered more questions from the press, flown in more economy-class flights, posed for more selfies with admiring citizens and visited more genuinely risky areas with little or no security than several combined decades of his predecessors. Hes also surprised many by maintaining a cordial relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, helping contain Central American migrant caravans while resisting U.S. efforts to oust the leftist government of Venezuela.

High ratings, many initiatives

The folksy perennial candidate took office Dec. 1 and by the end of his first month, Lopez Obradors approval rating surpassed 80 percent. He has taken full advantage of that mandate to move quickly on many fronts  perhaps too many.

Every week he announces at least one or two things, said Ivonne Acuna Murillo, a professor of political science at the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City. Sometimes the speed of the issues he is putting on the agenda is such that an issue they put out in the morning is displaced by another in the afternoon.

Before Lopez Obrador had even taken office he held a referendum on the partially constructed $13 billion Mexico City airport. He used the resulting vote as a green light to cancel a project he had campaigned against.

During his first month in office, Lopez Obrador launched a military assault on the countrys fuel theft gangs, dividing the security of Mexicos critical pipelines and refineries between the army and the navy. The hastily planned offensive created gas shortages across the country, but somehow didnt dampen his popularity.

This month, he overrode complaints by human rights campaigners and got the Congress and state legislatures to approve constitutional reforms creating a heavily militarized National Guard that he touts as the key to getting control of Mexicos runaway violence.

Daily press conference

A typical day starts with his 6 a.m. Cabinet meeting, focusing on security, where he gets the daily crime report. At 7 a.m., he steps on the dais at the centuries-old National Palace to start a free-wheeling, open-ended press conference that often goes for 1 hours.

From there he might hold a meeting on the initiative of the day, and then around noon he flies off  tourist class, fielding hugs and taking selfies with fellow passengers  to some provincial city, where hell meet with local leaders, eat at some modest local cafeteria, then hold another open-air rally and take some more hugs. Then hell catch another tourist-class flight to Mexico City. (He says he gets to bed early).

The part of the day he most clearly enjoys? Pressing the flesh and handing out time-tested one-liners at rallies in provincial towns, essentially, the same thing he has been doing for the last 20 years on the campaign trail as a three-time presidential contender.

No imperial presidency

He is a bit messianic, meaning evangelical. Hes out there preaching all the time, said Federico Estevez, a political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. Hes Bernie Sanders with power.

Im not sure if this a good governance model, but its an exceptionally good political one, Estevez said.

Its easy to lose sight of how different this all is, unless youve lived through decades of Mexicos distant, imperial presidency, in which the president seldom appeared beyond orchestrated speeches, or as a motorcade of luxury vehicles speeded to the presidents personal airplane hangar for flights aboard the presidential jet to carefully guarded events.

Gone are the motorcades, gone is the jet, gone is the security, gone is the official presidential residence. Youre more likely to see Lopez Obrador buying himself a $1 styrofoam cup of coffee at a convenience store or eating beans at a roadside restaurant, than to see him rubbing elbows with foreign dignitaries.

Lopez Obrador rode a wave of popular discontent with corruption in Mexico, and has attracted a near-unquestioning devotion because of his own honest, rumpled style.

The advantage that Andres Manuel has as leader is that he arrived with a backing that no president has had in Mexico, said Benjamin Arditi, a political science professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Lopez Obrador has already had spats with NGOs, regulators, environmentalists, outside experts and ratings agencies. His campaign against crime and violence has yielded few results. He chafes at those who ask for feasibility or environmental impact studies for his pet projects.

Results less rosy

But hardly anyone notices.There is a devotion, something almost religious, said Jose Antonio Crespo, a political analyst at Mexicos Center for Economic Research and Training. It makes people believe only what he says, against everything that experts or ratings agencies or international organizations say. They dont matter, it only matters what he says.

At least two ratings agencies have downgraded their outlook on Mexicos debt to negative since he took office. His decisions, like the one to cancel the airport project, dont generate the slightest bit of confidence, Crespo said, and that is going to have a cost, is having a cost, in terms of capital leaving, or money not being invested.

For Lopez Obrador, Mexicos foreign policy boils down to simply non-intervention, and he leaves the field to his top diplomat, Marcelo Ebrard.

Remain in Mexico critics

But some critics say Mexico is doing Trumps bidding by accepting the U.S. remain in Mexico program and by restricting the movement of caravans of Central American migrants.Remain in Mexico makes Central American asylum applicants await resolution of their cases from the Mexican side of the border.

It is a U.S. policy that once again subordinates Mexicos immigration policy, said Oscar Misael Hernandez, an immigration researcher at the College of the Northern Border in Matamoros.

Others saw it as a pragmatic calculation that U.S. courts will soon put a halt to the program. Allowing it in the meantime helps U.S. relations and helped Mexico win a $10.6 billion U.S. commitment for regional development, meant to create jobs in Central America and southern Mexico so fewer people feel compelled to leave.

With growing signs of anti-migrant sentiment in Mexico, containing migration costs Lopez Obrador little in political terms, and is balanced by his push to grant work visas for migrants.

The new administrations most widely criticized misstep was Lopez Obradors decision to ax funds for nonprofits working on issues ranging from promoting art and culture to providing domestic abuse shelters, arguing the intermediaries were too often used to siphon away government funds. Lopez Obrador wants to give the money directly to the people who needed it, but experts say that wont work for complex social services like day care and shelters for battered women.

Mariana Banos, whose Fundacion Origen offers support services to women, often through partnerships with other organizations and local governments, said many groups will have to shut down because they depend entirely on government funding.

She scoffed at the corruption allegations and urged the government to reconsider.

You have to work hand-in-hand, not create a divide, not stigmatize, she said.

Despite the frictions there are lighter moments to The 4-T, a play on Lopez Obradors description of his administration as the fourth transformation of Mexico.

Lopez Obrador sometimes laughs at his own jokes. He posts Facebook videos from roadside restaurants, with impromptu lectures on the health benefits of coconuts or local fruits. And Mexicans crack up at his frequent, folksy catch phrases like Me canso ganso, equivalent to Ill be a monkeys uncle.

Enterprising designers have come up with a web app that allows people to make resolutions and receive a text message from an AMLO-bot saying Monica, youll lose weight this year, or Ill be a monkeys uncle.
Arakan Army insurgents killed nine Myanmar police in the latest attack in the countrys western Rakhine State, a local official said Sunday, as clashes threaten to engulf a large part of the troubled region.

Villagers heard gunfire as fighters from the armed group, which recruits from the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group, raided a police post in the village of Yoe Ta Yoke late on Saturday night.

The villages administrator San Aung Thein confirmed nine police were killed by the Arakan Army there, but said he did not have additional details about the attack.

Reuters was unable to reach police officials for comment.

The insurgent Arakan Army killed 13 police in a similar attack farther north in January and has frequently clashed with Myanmar security forces since December.

Myanmars leaders vowed to crush the rebels, who are fighting for autonomy for Rakhine, but clashes have spread to new areas, displacing more than 5,000 people in all. Authorities have declared large parts of the north of the state off-limits to most aid agencies.

In 2017, attacks on security posts by insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority provoked a military crackdown in the north of the state. U.N. agencies say more than 730,000 people fled into camps in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district.

Saturday nights attack took place about 50 km (31 miles) north of the Rakhine state capital Sittwe, along the main road connecting the city with the rest of Myanmar.

A villager in his 50s told Reuters that two policemen stationed at the post survived the attack, which took place shortly after 11 p.m. local time.

The battle went on for about 20 minutes, said the villager, who asked not to be named. I was in village at that time and I heard gun shots, but the villagers didnt run away.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he expects the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his party to go to court over the election results in which he was declared winner.

Daily Times

There was pandemonium at Rijiyar Zaki Area of Kano State as police and supporters of PDP clash at about 6:40pm on Saturday. According to eyewitnesses, trouble started shortly after police tried to disperse group of PDP supporters who converged close to the Rumfar Shehu Primary School where the election took place in the area.

Leadership

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has won his Epe Local Government Area for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu, in the Saturday elections.

Daily Trust

Mathew Opuoru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has emerged winner of the Warri South Constituency (Two) in Saturdays Delta House of Assembly election.

Tribune
The Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism reports people with this condition have great difficulty getting justice or recompense for physical attacks and other harmful practices against them and their families. The experts latest report has been under debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Last year has been a particularly difficult one for persons with albinism in southern Africa. UN expert, Ikponwosa Ero says she has received numerous reports of abhorrent attacks against them.

From past experience, she says it is likely the number of reported cases does not reflect the true magnitude of the problem. Over the past decade, she says there have been more than 700 cases of attacks in 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. She notes these are reported cases. Most, she says, are never brought to light.

Worldwide, Ero says persons with Albinism suffer from discrimination, stigma and social exclusion. She says they are subject to physical attacks and harmful practices related to certain beliefs in magic and witchcraft. However, when they seek redress, she says persons with albinism too frequently are denied access to justice.

Overall, in terms of these criminal cases, inordinate delays are common in prosecuting cases of serious charges such as murder and mutilation. Cases with relatively lesser charges such as threats and possession of exhumed body parts from gravesites are  depending on the country in question  either prosecuted relatively quickly or are not taken seriously at all.

Ero says there are many barriers to access to justice, including lack of knowledge by victims on how the justice system works. She says discrimination from members of the legal community and the inability to pay the costs associated with going to court are other impediments.

The independent expert says specific measures must be taken to improve access to justice for persons with albinism. She recommends victims and their relatives be given protection to encourage them to come forward with evidence of a crime. She says they also should be rehabilitated.

Ero says persons with albinism who are seeking justice should receive legal aid and laws should be amended to take into account the threats targeting this particular group.
Sunday marks the start of Sunshine Week, an effort to highlight the role of freedom of information at all levels of the U.S. government.

The week brings together a range of groups including media outlets, government officials, nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries in an effort to promote and explain the importance of open government and how individuals and groups can access government data.

Kevin Goldberg, the legal counsel for the American Society of News Editors  the group that organizes Sunshine Week along with Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press  told VOA that one of the main goals for the week is to educate people on what it means to have an open government and why that is important.

He said open government laws allow citizens to ask and investigate questions such as Is my city the next Flint? referring to the town in Michigan where actions by government officials led to the contamination of local water sources beginning in 2014.

He said accessing government records allows people to protect themselves and inform others.

It is important for people to understand these rights belong to everyone. It is not just a media issue, Goldberg said.

Freedom of Information Act

One of the tools that both citizens and journalists have to help them access government information is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a federal law that took effect in 1967 that requires government agencies to release most documents upon request.

Requests can be denied for only nine reasons, including privacy and national security concerns.

The U.S. Justice Department maintains a website on how to file FIOA requests and says most requests are typically answered within one month, but says agencies can also receive an extension for more complex requests. Anyone can file a FOIA request, not just journalists.

The website WithoutFOIA chronicles news stories that could not have been told without FOIA, reported by both small newspapers and major news organizations that span a range of topics including drug enforcement, federal food inspections, and the treatment of undocumented immigrant children at the U.S. border.

State and local jurisdictions often have similar disclosure laws to FOIA that allow people both in and out of the news business to find out what is happening in their communities and hold local officials accountable.

Goldberg said Sunshine Week gives journalists the ability to really speak out on the importance of open records as a group. He said journalists tend not to want to become part of the story, which he said is usually a good thing, but said in this case they can help to explain the usefulness of open records.

Role of journalism

During Sunshine Week, major news organizations work together to showcase journalisms role in promoting transparency in government. This year, their focus is on the loss of local news coverage and what that means for communities.

The Associated Press analyzed data compiled by the University of North Carolina and found that more than 1,400 cities in the United States have lost a newspaper in the past 15 years.

The loss of a reliable local news source has many consequences for the community. One of them is the inability to watchdog the actions of government agencies and elected officials, the report said.

The Associated Press also cited research from the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Notre Dame, which found that municipal borrowing costs increase after a newspaper ceases publication. The research found that once a newspaper closes, local officials are often emboldened to spend more, driving up project and financing costs.

While Goldberg acknowledged that the decline of local journalism could affect the publics access to information, he noted that because of advances in technology, members of the public have a greater ability to distribute information than they had before, including using social media as well as writing blogs and op-eds.

They can go to those in government and demand action, he said.

Challenges to open government

Goldberg said the U.S. government is generally becoming more open over time with more tools at our disposal to unlock information.

He said in the past, the main source of information about the government would be the president holding a press conference or journalists making a formal request.

Now, there are so many ways to proactively make information available, he said.

However, he said some of the current challenges to open government include moving from a paper-based records system in government to a digital-based one, and in maintaining transparency around policing.

A spate of high-profile police shootings in recent years has led to more police departments requiring officers to wear body cameras. While the intent of the cameras is to improve accountability at police departments, they have also led to a debate over how public the video footage from body and dashboard cameras should be.

Transparency advocates argue they should almost always be made available to the public while some police unions argue the video footage is a personal record, akin to personal notes, and say their disclosure to the public could affect privacy rights as well as the safety of officers.

In some communities and states, the issue is being settled in court. Last month, a state appeals court in New York ruled that police body camera footage is subject to public disclosure.

For Sunshine week, the Associated Press is re-launching its Sunshine Hub, a digital tool that tracks anti- and pro-transparency legislation in every state along with an investigation into how local law enforcement agencies handle requests to release police video footage.

Sunshine Week began in 2005 and is held each year in mid-March to coincide with the birthday of James Madison, the father of the U.S. Constitution and a key advocate of the U.S. Bill of Rights.
Sunday marks the 60th anniversary of Tibet's failed uprising against China.

The abortive mission forced the Dalai Lama, Tibet's traditional Buddhist leader, into exile in mountainous Dharamsala, in India, where he established a Tibetan government-in-exile.

He launched his campaign for a free Tibet from Dharamsala. His efforts earned him worldwide respect and fame as an adherent of non-violence.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

The 83-year-old Dalai Lama continues to live in Dharamsala.

Devotees at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamsala observed the anniversary Sunday with chants and prayers. Some had painted "Free Tibet" on their faces.

A photo exhibit entitled "60 Years of Tibetan Resistance" is on display at the Tibet museum in Dharamsala.

A march, marking the anniversary, was planned in New Delhi, India's capital.

Under Chinese rule, critics say Tibet's unique cultural heritage and language are slowly fading away.

China insists that Tibet has been under Chinese rule for centuries, but Tibetans insist they were essentially independent for most of that time.

An editorial in China's official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday that under China's rule Tibet has experienced economic growth, increased lifespans and improved education.

Xinhua said "Sixty years since the epoch-making democratic reform in Tibet, people... have enjoyed unprecedented human rights in history."

Tibet monitoring groups, however, disagree with that assessment.

The International Tibet Network said in a statement that "China has ridden roughshod over the human and political rights of citizens under its rule for far too long." It added: "With resistance by the Tibetan people so strong and vibrant, it's time for a response from the international community that matches their courage and conviction."
The health minister of Tunisia has resigned, following the deaths of 11 newborn babies within 24 hours at a hospital in Tunis, the capital.

Abdel-Raouf El-Sherif resigned Saturday.

The health ministry and state prosecutors have opened investigations into the mysterious deaths.

Tunisias pediatric association said in a Facebook post that the infants deaths may have been caused by an intravenous product.

The association also noted the precarious conditions in which health professionals work.

Tunisia once enjoyed a reputation for having one of the best public healthcare systems in North Africa.

Tunisias healthcare system, however, and other state services have been in decline since the overthrow of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Clashes and fierce fighting continued in northeastern Syria Monday, where U.S.-backed forces say their final assault on the Islamic State terror group enclave of Baghuz is underway.

A spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mustafa Bali, said IS militants are fighting back with suicide bombers and damaged an SDF minesweeper. Writing on Twitter, he said the fighting has killed one SDF member and wounded four others. He added that U.S-led coalition airstrikes are destroying IS storage facilities and vehicles.

On, Sunday he announced the offensive to wipe out the last remnant of the terror groups self-declared caliphate resumed at 6 p.m. local time.

Officials with both the SDF and the United States are expecting a difficult battle over the collection of tents and wrecked buildings spanning no more than 1.6 square kilometers on the outskirts of the northeastern Syrian town of Baghuz.

They say IS has been using a network of tunnels, caves and trenches to hide and launch counter attacks. They describe the tunnel system as complex, extending possibly for more than two kilometers, and rigged with explosives and booby traps.

There are also questions about how many IS fighters are left to defend the last shred of the terror groups self-declared caliphate.

In late February, SDF officials estimated that no more than 1,000 people remained the bombed-out farming community on the banks of the Euphrates River, including perhaps 300 of the terror groups most hardened and devoted fighters.

But as more than 20,000 civilians and fighters have emerged from the area to surrender over the past week, taking advantage of a brief cease-fire, they have been forced to reassess their estimates. Officials now say it is possible thousands of IS fighters are still there, prepared to fight to the death.

We have been consistently wrong as have our SDF [Syrian Democratic Force] partners on how big this is, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday.

The number of civilians coming out of Baghuz has exceeded any prediction of humanitarian actors, Hedinn Halldorsson, with the U.N.s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Damascus, told VOA late last week.

Yet as surprising as the numbers have been, U.S. defense officials do not believe it is an accident or a happenstance of the campaign to liberate this part of Syria from IS rule.

What we are seeing now is not the surrender of ISIS as an organization but a calculated decision, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Gen. Joseph Votel, told U.S. lawmakers Thursday.

He, and other officials, warn IS goal is to preserve as much of the groups capabilities as possible as it completes a transition from an almost traditional army to a clandestine insurgency, counting on every man, woman and child to do their part.

"The vast majority of these are assessed not to be innocent civilians," the senior defense official said of the thousands of stragglers who evacuated Baghuz in recent days.

The prolonged battle to wrest Baghuz from the control of IS has played out as U.S. President Donald trump has repeatedly declared victory over IS and its caliphate.

"We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency," he tweeted Dec. 19, 2018, adding in a video released by the White House that "we have beaten them and we have beaten them badly."

Most recently, on February 28, he told troops at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska of the self-declared caliphates demise, "You kept hearing it was 90 percent, 92 percent, the caliphate in Syria. Now it's 100 percent.

"We have the whole thing," he added.

Trumps national security adviser defended the presidents comments Sunday.

The president has been, I think, as clear as clear can be when he talks about the defeat of the ISIS territorial caliphate," Bolton said told ABC News This Week. "He has never said that the elimination of the territorial caliphate means the end of ISIS in total. We know that's not the case.

We know right now that there are ISIS fighters scattered still around Syria and Iraq and that ISIS itself is growing in other parts of the world, Bolton added. The ISIS threat will remain"

Despite losing administrative control over almost all the land it once held in Syria and Iraq, U.S. defense officials warns IS still has tens of thousands of fighters working either as part of sleeper cells or as part of an active, clandestine insurgency.

A series of reports issued starting last year warned IS could have as many as 30,000 followers and fighters in Syria and Iraq, with officials cautioning they remain well-positioned to rebuild a physical caliphate.
The White House said Sunday it does not "have any illusions" about whether North Korea is preparing to resume missile testing, but refused to assess commercial satellite imagery suggesting Pyongyang is assembling a new rocket.

National security adviser John Bolton told ABC News the U.S. watches North Korea "constantly," but added, "I'm not going to speculate on what that commercial satellite imagery shows."

The Feb. 22 imagery seems to show new North Korean missile activity at an assembly operation, but Bolton said the U.S."relies on its own" satellite surveillance and draws its conclusions from those images.

"We see exactly what they're doing," he said. "We look every day at the intelligence. I don't want to get into speculation as to what they're doing."

After last month's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, U.S. President Donald Trump said he trusted Kim's pledge to him that he would not resume nuclear or missile testing.

Bolton said that Trump "is confident in his relations with Kim Jong Un."

Asked about the commercial satellite images on Friday, Trump said he would be "very disappointed" if North Korea resumed nuclear testing. He said he has greatly improved U.S. relations with North Korea during his time in office.

"Look, when I came in," he said, "under the Obama administration, North Korea was a disaster. You were going to war, folks, whether you know it or not. . . . I inherited a mess."

He continued, "Right now you have no testing, you have no nothing. Let's see what happens, but I would be very disappointed if I saw testing."

North Korean state media said for the first time on Friday that the summit late last month made no advances and its people were blaming the U.S. for the lack of an agreement.

Trump and Kim met in Vietnam in a summit meant to reach an agreement on North Korean denuclearization. But the meeting collapsed over an impasse over how many weapons sites North Korea would shut down and the extent of economic sanctions relief the U.S. would offer in return.

Following the summit, South Korean newspapers reported there was evidence of new activity at the Sohae long-range rocket site, a site Kim agreed last year to shut down as part of confidence-building measures with the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trumps national security adviser on Sunday weighed in on Venezuelas raging power struggle between embattled ruler Nicholas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized by much of the international community as interim president.

I hope his future consists of living on a nice beach somewhere far from Venezuela, John Bolton said of Maduro, speaking on ABCs "This Week" program.

Bolton said momentum is on Guaidos side" but suggested it will be Venezuelans who make sure the opposition leader prevails.

There are countless conversations going on between members of the assembly and members of the military in Venezuela talking about what might come, how they [armed forces] might move to support the opposition, the national security adviser said.

Venezuelas economic collapse has triggered hunger, privation, and mass-migration. Recent days have added to the suffering, as widespread power outages ground to a halt a nation already on its knees. Overall, the Western Hemispheres most acute humanitarian disaster has forced more than three million Venezuelans to flee their oil-rich country.

The man who succeeded leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez as president in 2013, Nicholas Maduro, continually blames Washington for Venezuelas woes.

We are facing the most serious aggression from U.S. imperialism that Venezuela has seen in its entire 200-year history, Maduro said at a recent rally of loyalists.

In Washington, meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are weighing in with messages to Venezuela.

Your fight for freedom and restoration of democracy is our fight, and the free world has not and will not forget you, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, said at a hearing last week.

To [Maduro] regime officials: if you want a future in Venezuela, and if you want a future free of U.S. sanctions that will follow you anywhere in the world, then you must recognize the legitimate interim president, Juan Guaido, and you must not have blood on your hands, the full committees top Democrat, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, said.

Many Democrats back sanctions the Trump administration has imposed on Maduros regime but say armed U.S. intervention should be off the table.

Loose talk about military action actually cements and emboldens dictators, Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said. The only interest we have is peace, liberty and democracy for the Venezuelan people. Thats it.

Americas top diplomat for Venezuela sought to reassure lawmakers that military action is not being contemplated.

It is certainly not desirable and it is not the path the administration is taking, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliot Abrams told the panel.

Speaking at the White House last month, Bolton said President Trump is keeping all options are on the table regarding Venezuela. On Sunday, he declined to make any predictions.

Well see what happens, Bolton said on "This Week."
Washington is increasingly focused on Venezuela, where a power struggle rages between embattled President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized by more than 50 nations, including the U.S., as interim president. VOA's Michael Bowman reports U.S. officials believe Maduro's days are numbered but are downplaying the possibility of U.S. military intervention in oil-rich Venezuela, where economic collapse has triggered hunger, privation and mass migration
An Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning, killing all 157 people onboard.

The state-run Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation said the flight that went down near the city of Bishoftu carried passengers from 33 countries.

The airline said the flight lost contact with Bole International Airport just six minutes after it took off Sunday morning at 8:38 am local time.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a Twitter statement: "The Office of the PM, on behalf of the Government and people of Ethiopia, would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 on regular scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya this morning."



The Boeing 737- MAX 8 was a new jet, delivered to the airline in November, according to the Planespotters civil aviation database.

Boeing issued a one-line statement Sunday, saying "Boeing is aware of reports of an airplane accident and is closely monitoring the situation."

Flightradar 24 posted on Twitter that the "vertical speed" of the Ethiopian aircraft "was unstable after take off."

The Boeing 737- MAX 8 is the same model that took off in October from Jakarta and crashed into the Java Sea a few minutes later, killing all 189 people onboard a Lion Air flight.

Investigators with Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee issued a preliminary report last November, that based on information gained from the flight data recorder, the plane's automatic safety system repeatedly pushed the plane's nose downward, despite the pilots' desperate attempts to maintain control. They believed the automated system that prevents the plane from stalling if it flies too high on Boeing's new version of its legendary passenger jet received faulty information from sensors on the fuselage.



The plane had a similar problem on a flight from the resort island of Bali to Jakarta the night before the fatal crash. The investigators said the plane was not airworthy and should have been grounded after that flight.
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) freed three of its fighters who had been held hostage by the Islamic State (IS) terror group in its last stronghold in eastern Syria. VOA's Zana Omer spoke with them immediately after their release.
Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as being the chief proponents of fake news in the country.

The governor said this in Saturday night just as the Independently National Electoral Commission, INEC was still. collating results for governorship and house of assembly elections in the state.

According to El-Rufai, who is reportedly already coasting victory, the PDP has never legitimately won elections in the state since 1999 and what they did for 16 years is to obstruct electoral processes.

He wrote: PDP and Fake News are Siamese Twins  perverting election officials is what PDP did for 16 years.the Party has never honestly won any election in Kaduna since 1999. It is now impossible to rig and steal mandates. Wait for INEC to declare the results! Clowns!!
3:52 p.m. update: Warning is cancelled

3:22 p.m. update: Morgan and Marshall counties removed from the warning

The National Weather Service in Huntsville Alabama has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...

Southwestern Jackson County in northeastern Alabama...

Northwestern Marshall County in northeastern Alabama...

Southern Madison County in north central Alabama...

East central Morgan County in north central Alabama...

* Until 400 PM CST.

* At 319 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado

was located near Morgan City, or 10 miles south of Redstone

Arsenal, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.

Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...

Southern Huntsville, Scottsboro, Redstone Arsenal, Owens Cross

Roads, Gurley, Woodville, Triana, Morgan City, Pleasant Groves and

Paint Rock.

Instructions:

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

Seek shelter immediately
Addressing the event, the deputy PM emphasised Dak Laks extremely important strategic position in terms of economic development, security and defence in the Central Highlands region.

The development of renewable energy is a trend of the world and Vietnam, especially Dak Lak province which possesses huge potential for solar power development, with an annual average solar irradiance of roughly 1,900 kW per square kilometres, he said.

In addition to the Srepek 1 and Quang Minh solar power plant cluster, the future inauguration of many other solar power projects in the province will contribute significantly to local socio-economic development and ensuring national energy security, Deputy PM Binh added.

He asked the investors and businesses, who are engaging in solar power development in Dak Lak and other localities, to implement the projects in line with sequence and procedures, operate the plants in accordance with the relevant processes, and especially pay attention to the issue of environmental protection during the process of handling and replacing batteries.

The official urged agencies and localities to continue creating favourable conditions for investors to explore and establish solar power projects, aiming to effectively tap into local potential and advantages, create jobs, improve the peoples income and contribute to socio-economic development.

The cluster of Srepek 1 and Quang Minh solar power plants has a combined capacity of 100MWP. It covers 120 hectares in Ea Wer commune, Buon Don district, with an investment capital of more than VND2.2 trillion (US$94.6 million).

The project started its construction work on October 19, 2018 and was put into commercial operations on January 31, 2019. It is currently the largest solar power plant project in Vietnam to have begun power generation.

Earlier, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh visited and presented gifts to Nong Thi Ham, a revolutionary veteran in village 7, Tan Hoa commune, Buon Don district.
The Cupola of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican can be visited daily - inside and out.

Visits to the dome of St Peters are possible every day from 08.00 to 18.00, during April to September, and from 8.00 to 17.00, during October to March.

The cupola was designed by Michelangelo who worked on the basilica's construction beginning in 1547. On Michelangelo's death in 1564, his pupil Giacomo Della Porta took over the direction of the work, completing the dome in 1590.

There are two levels to the climb: the first part takes you to the interior of the dome which offers magnigificent views of the basilica below as well as a chance to see the mosaics up close.

Visitors can either walk the 320 steps or take the elevator, and this part of the visit also includes a trip out onto the roof, behind the statues of Jesus and the Apostles.

The inner diameter of the dome in St Peter's is 42 metres.

The second part of the visit is optional and is for the slightly more adventurous visitor. It involves climbing a total of 551 steps which become progressively narrower and more winding, ending in a tight, corkscrew staircase. If you suffer from claustrophia, this is not for you.

However once on top of the cupola you will have a bird's-eye view of Vatican City as well as a breathtaking panorama of Rome, spread out 136m below.

Visitors to the top of the dome at St Peter's have sweeping views over the city of Rome.

The entrance to the dome is at the portico of St Peter's Basilica which is open daily from 07.00 to 19.00 (April-Sept) and from 07.00 to 18.00 (Oct-March).

Entry to St Peter's is free but the cupola climb costs 8 if you take the stairs, or 10 if you take the elevator. Payment in cash only.

For more details about visiting the sites of Vatican City, see the Vatican website.
Financial firms can pull out of two prison companies, and they will still have plenty of business opportunities to pursue. But the way tech has infiltrated society makes it harder for Amazon and Microsoft to draw distinct lines around their business, said Mary Beth Gallagher, executive director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, a New Jersey-based group of Catholic institutional investors with shares in Amazon, JPMorgan, Microsoft and other companies with ties to federal agencies that enforce immigration laws.
Almost all of the proposals would require congressional approval, and lawmakers have dismissed cuts of a similar size in Trumps past budgets. Many Democratic leaders have said they will oppose the sweep of the White Houses proposed cuts, though administration officials have signaled they plan to fight over the budget much harder this year, saying it provides a sharp contrast between Democrats and Republicans heading into the final year of Trumps first term.
Whats fascinating is a book so wedded to genre conventions, with two women operating in a masculine, violent world, has been transformed into a quirky, funny love letter to female obsession that feels authentic to female viewers. Under the guidance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, best known in the U.K. for the show Fleabag, women are front and center. Eve (Sandra Oh) is older. She is still bored with her life and her safe marriage, but she has a weariness that comes with being in her 40s and wondering whether this is it. Evidently practical, she packs yeast infection cream in her suitcase when she travels to Berlin on the hunt for a serial assassin; the sight of the small tube causes Villanelle (Jodie Comer) to exclaim poor baby when shes rifling through her stolen trophy. When Eve recovers her suitcase, now full of designer clothes from exclusive Berlin boutiques, it is the one thing Villanelle has put back  a subtle nod to a sisterhood only another woman could understand. Similarly, Villanelle keeps tampons and bullets in the same drawer in her closet. Her femininity is no barrier to her lethality, which is utterly indiscriminate.
Pointers grandchildren and great-grandchildren lived on two acres of land on Broad Branch Road for more than 70 years until they were evicted in 1928. Fisher  who graduated from Ballou High School in Southeast Washington and is active in the campaign to change Wilsons name  has said his family could still own that property had the government not removed them.
Im not done with you, Jackson said more than once to the men as she asked about an image that court security officials said appeared to place a gun sights crosshairs next to a photo of Jacksons face. Stone, 66, said he wasnt sure who had posted the image to his account but said he viewed it as a Celtic cross and apologized. Rogow proposed terms of a fuller gag order, which Jackson accepted.
Robert Frosch, professor of civil engineering and senior associate dean of facilities and operations at Purdue University, is the second of five finalists in consideration for the next dean of Iowa State's College of Engineering.
Perhaps the saddest of the three recent animal deaths at a Smithsonian conservation center in Virginia was that of the scimitar-horned oryx, because it might be hoped that members of the same endangered species would avoid harming one another.
Other county officials said they had not called attention to the potential tax break because the Amazon facility, as a headquarters campus, might engage only in businesses that are not liable to pay the license tax. Thats been the case with other companies headquarters offices in Arlington, such as those of Nestle and Lidl, according to Victor Hoskins, director of Arlington Economic Development.
The results of the probes could have major consequences because the 737 MAX is being rolled out widely across the aviation industry. Boeing says it was the fastest-selling airplane in its history and nearly 5,000 orders have been placed. Several hundred are in service, including with U.S. carriers Southwest and American Airlines. Southwests fleet is made up entirely of 737s, and the airline had received 31 out of an order of 280 MAX 8 aircraft by January, according to Boeing. American had received 22 out of an order of 100.
The persistence of faxing  and the people who send faxes  is in part because the fax industry has adapted to accommodate new technologies. Fax machines still dominate, but both surveys suggested users were shifting to computer-based services, such as fax servers that let users send and receive faxes as electronic documents. Cloud-based fax services, which treat faxes as images or PDF files attached to emails, are also becoming more popular. These new systems can transmit faxes over telephone lines or the Internet, depending on the recipient, handling paper and electronic documents equally easily.
India to send key diplomat back to Pakistan: India is returning a key diplomat to Pakistan's capital amid an easing of tensions between the nuclear neighbors. India's high commissioner to Pakistan was to return to Islamabad, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said. Pakistan had announced earlier in the past week that its high commissioner to India was returning to New Delhi. The moves come after both countries recalled their diplomats as tensions flared following a Feb. 14 suicide attack. The bombing in Kashmir targeted a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian troops and killed 40 soldiers.
Democratic leaders in the General Assembly this last week introduced legislation that would provide more than $1 billion in new state education funding over the next two years, a down payment to implement preliminary recommendations of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education established by the legislature in 2016. Chaired by the former chancellor of the University System of Maryland, William Brit Kirwan, the 25-member commission has mapped out a multipronged plan that includes expanded prekindergarten programs, increased learning standards, raises for teachers and new help for special education and low-income students. It is estimated the plan will cost nearly $4 billion a year in a decade . But where the money will come from  and the politically charged issue of how it will be apportioned among the states jurisdictions  must still be worked out.
The Democrats have done it again. Republicans bait the hook and the Dems swallow it, along with the line and the sinker. A party of ideas is going to have major disagreements, but they should not tear the fabric apart. Be critical of Rep. Ilhan Omars comments? Sure, but state the partys position forcefully and then move on. Likewise, affirm womens right to choose but respect the religious beliefs of those who disagree. Dont force litmus tests on those who support overall Democratic goals. Rule out Fox News? No, reach out to those who voted the wrong way last time. Democracy dies in intolerance.
That raises the question of Mr. Trumps efforts to curtail development assistance and other forms of foreign aid to migrant-producing countries. Lashing out at a new caravan of migrants last fall, he threatened to cut off funding for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador if their governments allow their citizens to set off for the United States. In fact, his administration had already taken steps to trim U.S. aid for the crime-ridden, impoverished countries of the so-called Northern Triangle. For example, the $69 million the administration requested for development aid in the current fiscal year for Guatemala  a major source of the most recent migrants  is the smallest ask in a decade.
This conference is so socially aware of itself, and trying to make things more impactful, said Will Johnson, a 34-year-old commercial director from Los Angeles. I have a hard time trusting the political agenda. It doesnt speak to where we are right now. If feels like it speaks to something that once was. Its a show. I get sick of the show without any results.
The sense I get is that the Western powers were probably propping up the oppressors in her world as she was growing up, he said. Anything she would have heard about Israel and Palestine would have been supportive of the Palestinians, many of whom were also living in refugee camps.
I want someone who appeals to our better angels, our better nature, but sometimes youve got to fight back, Ridgeway said. Im trying to see if they can stand up to Trump instead of kowtowing. If someone can stand up to Trump and come out on top, I think that says a lot about how theyre going to deal with policy, how theyre going to govern.
It hasnt happened formally yet, but theyre looking at. I think its very important that we try and get this up. . . . The ISIS threat, the al-Qaeda threat, the terrorist threat is an ideological threat worldwide, and its something that I think we have to be vigilant against for the foreseeable future, he said.
Capping a week in which Trumps former campaign manager was sentenced to prison on tax fraud and other crimes, the president traveled Friday to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for a weekend retreat with hundreds of Republican donors. Standing in a tent perched atop the resorts pool on Friday night, the president lashed into Democrats, trumpeted his accomplishments and riffed for more than an hour to more than 300 in attendance  and none of his domestic woes came up, attendees said. The retreat was slated to bring in $7 million for the presidents joint reelection effort with the RNC, one official said.
In the Al Jazeera interview, Prince at first said he did not disclose the August meeting to investigators because I dont believe I was asked that question. He later said he certainly had told investigators about it, despite no mention of it in the public transcript. Prince tried to explain that discrepancy by saying, I dont know if they got the transcript wrong. Members of the panel were not convinced by his contradicting explanations.
One concern is it will take so long to overcome safety concerns and public opposition that the government will never meet its 2030 target for nuclear power. Although Japan is also investing in renewable energy, the shortfall is likely to be made up with fossil fuels, experts say. That would be a quick fix, but a huge setback for Japans promises under the Paris climate accord.
It is a brand new airplane, it had no technical remarks and was flown by a senior pilot, and there is no cause we can see at this time, he added, saying the plane was only four months old, had flown 1,200 hours and had arrived from Johannesburg that morning.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a political scientist and vice-chancellor of Ashoka University, told a conference in Delhi last week that there were "high stakes" in the upcoming polls but "very low expectations." Unlike in 2014, voters are less likely to believe Modi can deliver on his promises to transform the country.
On a recent day, the dust was swirling across the windshield as Kallinger and fellow agent Jose Garibay cruised alongside a brown, steel border wall in their Chevrolet Suburban. Out the window, yellow arrows indicated the places along the wall where 376 migrants from Central America crossed into the United States by burrowing under it in January. The solid metal turned soon into see-through mesh, revealing a line of trucks across the border on Mexicos Highway 2. The agents then arrived at the spot where the Pentagon wants to add the wall along the range.
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The woman, Alexandra Amundaray, a parking-lot attendant, said her 5-month-old son, Emanuel, had been suffering from dehydration in recent days. On Sunday morning, when he awoke, he was pale and cold, she said. She managed to get one of the few functioning ambulances in the city to rush him to the hospital, where he was treated at the emergency room for a blocked intestine, she said. They went looking for a pediatric surgeon, she said. And then he died.
In a different time, this story might have ended here.

I wasnt sad and I wasnt down about it, said Rose. I just felt like I had the right to know where I came from.

While she had always known she was a sperm-donor child, by the time she began searching for her biological father, almost four decades after her 1975 conception in Melbourne, records of her early beginnings had been lost or misplaced, as she was told in a letter from the doctor who performed the procedure.

Instead, the archaeologist is the product of one of Australias earliest insemination clinics, recognised for their culture of secrecy and strict promise of donor anonymity.

Rose Overberg used to stare in the mirror at her funny eyebrows and wonder where they came from. She says they are short  like they are missing a finishing flourish. But she didnt inherit them from the mother or the father who lovingly raised her.

Thats whats happening through DNA testing. With that comes potential shock and disappointments, but it also brings really important information  the truth.

Basically you are seeing the end of secrecy, said Charlotte Smith, manager of the Victorian Adoption Network for Information and Self-Help (VANISH).

There are many consequences of this, some of them unforeseen. People are discovering they were the product of an affair, conceived via insemination programs or adopted. Others, such as Rose, are using the technology proactively to track down their unknown parents. Many find they have brothers and sisters they never knew existed.

Today, at least 26 million people globally are estimated to have shared their DNA with leading websites such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, LivingDNA and FamilyTreeDNA  making it increasingly easy for people to identify their blood relatives.

Rose would find her biological father, but it would prove a long and complicated journey.

Finding your family is a modern detective story, using a combination of genetic code and online sleuthing to unlock the past.

But now a surge in Australians uploading their DNA to genealogy databases is solving cases such as Roses, and exposing family secrets at an unprecedented rate.

But a lot of people dont realise that you also get a list of people you share DNA with.

People realise when they are doing these tests that they are going to get an ethnicity estimate, like theyre 10 per cent Viking, Rose said.

Rose turned to DNA in 2016 when the large genealogy companies were just starting to offer at-home testing kits in Australia. She bought three from different sites, spitting in a tube and taking cheek swabs which she sent off to be analysed.

The man she identified, without a scrap of official information, was an elderly retired historian. Hed donated sperm in his 40s, after hed had his own family.

My funny eyebrows, my hands, my colouring  right there on someone else, Rose said. I felt physically ill and so excited I could barely breathe.

When she clicked on his photo, which had been already uploaded to an online family tree, the resemblance was striking.

Over six months, using her cousins family trees, she traced three clusters of her relatives through the 19th and 20th centuries. She finally reached the point where these families intersected, at the only child of a working-class couple from country Victoria.

My funny eyebrows, my hands, my colouring  right there on someone else.

But after doing some online research about DNA detective work in America, Rose realised there was more she could do.

Her results matched her with two third and fourth cousins on her biological fathers side. At first, they were too remote to be of any immediate help, other than identifying distant relatives. She found farmers from Dorset in Britain settled in seaside Portland in Victoria, and a couple buried in a churchyard in a tiny town out of Geelong.

Conceived out of wedlock in the dying months of World War II, her arrival had been an embarrassment. Her biological mother had been serving with the Navy on a base in Fremantle, and her baby was soon hurried off in a troop plane to live with a family in Melbourne.

Growing up in Melbourne in the 1950s, Pauline Ley sensed the neighbours knew something about her that she didnt. When she was 16, she confronted her mother and her suspicions were confirmed: she was adopted.

Pauline Ley didn't know who her biological father was for 70 years. Credit:Eddie Jim

After solving her own mystery, Rose found the father of a friend, who discovered she was sperm-donor conceived after seeing a big sticker on her medical file saying she wasnt meant to read it. Rose even helped a woman aged in her 80s learn the identity of her father, proving time is no barrier in the era of DNA detectives.

While Rose, 42, refuses to charge for her services, it can be lucrative work. The professional research arm of Ancestry.com offers an unknown parentage research service, with prices starting at about $3500 for 20 hours.

Since this discovery, Rose has gone on to solve another 35 cases for other people looking for their biological parents, and has another seven on the go.

I cant remember, her biological mother told her many years ago. Its too long ago and Ive blocked it out.

Dislocated and disconnected is how Pauline described spending most of her life only guessing about the man that helped create her. That's until eight years ago, when a friend encouraged her to send a saliva sample to AncestryDNA.

She had low expectations, thinking shed just receive confirmation that she had Anglo-Celtic origins. But she was immediately connected with about 100 people on her paternal side, most of whom had Jewish-sounding names.

I thought they had made a mistake, she said.

Pauline would befriend one of these newfound relatives, a retired New York art teacher who is her third or fourth cousin. But despite their combined efforts, they could not find the answer she was looking for.

It became evident that unless I got a closer match, it would be unlikely wed identify the right person.

My biological mother was whisked off to a home for fallen women.

Years went by, and there was nothing. Then one day a 15-year-old schoolgirl living in the US state of Maryland uploaded her DNA, popping up as a match. Her grandmother would later be identified as Paulines first cousin.

With the help of a genetic genealogist, they found the man who was not only a genetic fit for Paulines father, but who had been in the right place at the right time.

A seven-decade-old mystery had been solved.

The youngest of six sons from an Orthodox Jewish family in New York, this man spent a number of wartime years in the Pacific as a US submariner, including a short stay in Perth in late 1944 and early 1945 as his submarine underwent repairs.

He died in 2004, almost certainly never knowing he had a daughter.

He had left Perth within weeks of my conception, Pauline said.

And my biological mother was whisked off to a Presbyterian home for fallen women as soon as her pregnancy was confirmed, so she would have lost control of any further contact. You couldnt send texts back then.

Secretive past practices mean that many adoptees have gone a lifetime not knowing the names of their first parents, nor the reasons why they look the way they do. In some cases, records were forged so that the birth certificates only showed the name of adoptive parents. Or the biological fathers name was omitted.

Meanwhile, the majority of the children conceived in the first large insemination programs, now aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s, were never told about their origins by their parents, according to Victorian research.

In the past two years alone, membership of AncestryDNA has increased from three million to more than 10 million. The agencies that assist adoptees and donor-conceived people say they deal with the fallout of shock genetic discoveries daily, with DNA results innocently gifted for Christmas just now bearing fruit.

Rose Overberg is aware of roughly 20 cases in the past year where people have met siblings online who were completely unaware they were donor-conceived because their parents had never told them, including one woman who has found eight siblings through DNA.

Hayley Smith with her parents, Murray and Jenny, on Hayley's wedding day.

When 29-year-old Hayley Smith was genetically matched with a stranger on Ancestry.com two years ago, she knew that there were only a few possibilities. The pair could be aunt and niece, or grandmother and granddaughter  though this was unlikely, given that they were about the same age.

Or they could be sisters.

Hayleys parents, Murray and Jenny Smith, had explained to her when she was a child that her father hadnt been able to conceive naturally. As Murray recalled, you needed roughly 20 million sperm per millilitre to conceive, and he had barely any at all.

The high school sweethearts from Ringwood considered adoption, fostering or not having children at all, before eventually settling on insemination via an anonymous donor.

One morning in 1989, Murray held his wifes hand during the procedure in a quiet room in Prince Henrys Hospital. The couple were given flowers as they left.

Although the parents-to-be didnt think much about it at the time, sperm from the same donor (then a geology research assistant) would be used to create another 21 children in Victoria, which is how their daughter found herself emailing a stranger she was pretty confident was her half-sister.

Is she going to hate me for breaking this family secret? It was really complicated.

Hayley thought she might meet her siblings one day, but the environmental scientist wasnt anticipating that her new relative would be completely oblivious to the fact that she was donor-conceived, as became apparent after the pair shared their first tentative messages.

I was in this really tricky situation, said Hayley, who now has a close relationship with her half-sister.

Am I the right person to be the one to break this news to her? Is it better she knows? Is it better if she doesnt know? Is she going to hate me for breaking this family secret? It was really complicated.

Hayley chose not to reveal her suspicions immediately but instead encouraged her half-sister to talk to her own parents, who eventually revealed that they had also used a sperm donor.

Looking at DNA matchers on a train is not the best idea: Hayley Smith

For many families it has been a relief to reveal these secrets finally, often after decades of carrying the shame and guilt. In other cases, the person learning the news has been angry and resented being told by a stranger.

Authorities are now urging parents to tell their children the truth about their origins themselves, rather than wait for the secret to be clumsily revealed through unexpected DNA matches, often with cousins and other relatives who may be less than discreet with the information.

I think people thought it was a secret they could keep  that if they didnt tell anyone else it might go to the grave, said Kate Bourne, donor registers service manager at the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority.

But were really finding that it is coming out.

As they observe the impact of DNA discoveries, groups such as VANISH harbour concerns about some of the potential pitfalls of the technology. They worry that people are getting shocking news without appropriate support, and are yet to be convinced that DNA companies will not sell peoples intimate personal data.

The feedback we have received is that opting out is not as easy as companies indicate on their websites, Charlotte Smith said.

But they also know that for many people, DNA represents their only hope of finding their unknown family.

For most of her life, Pauline Ley had believed she was an only child.

Since discovering her biological father, shes met her half-brother, a partner in an interior design studio in New York, and the pair have since made numerous trips across the Pacific to spend time with each others families.

She has been able to see photos of her grandparents, migrants from Belarus, and visited her biological fathers headstone in a huge Jewish cemetery on Long Island in New York. It brought her comfort to see the words inscribed on it: a brave and gentle man who is forever loved.

I just feel more whole as a human being having that history, and that had been erased, said Pauline.

I think people are very anxious about DNA testing. Its creating disturbance in peoples lives, but I would say there is a beauty about it because its the truth.

He was surprised I found him: Rose Overberg

Rose Overberg had spent months crafting the letter that she would send her biological father. In September 2016, it finally arrived in his mailbox.

When he called her three days later, they spoke for two hours. The historian was amazed she had managed to find him, but perhaps he shouldnt have been, given their shared professional expertise in history and research.

We just hit it off, Rose said.

Not wanting to rush things, the pair had been talking about meeting in person for the first time when, 10 months after they made contact, Rose learned that he had died aged 83. While it was sad, the mother-of-three also believes she got the answers she was after.

I just wanted to be acknowledged and know where I came from.

Ive got a great dad, I didnt need a dad. I just wanted to be acknowledged and know where I came from, she said.

And as that chapter closed, Roses work as a DNA detective continued.

Before he died, her biological father confided to her that he had made multiple donations to couples over a number of years, and that he had been told informally about three other babies.

Officially, there is no way for Rose to confirm this, as all records of his donations have vanished. But as DNA networks expand, this only child is eagerly awaiting the day when she finds one, or all, of her siblings.

It might happen in 20 years, when someone is doing a family tree, she said.

Or it might happen tomorrow.
Perth's Lakeside Joondalup shopping centre management believe they have partly solved the mystery of what was preventing people in their car park from being able to lock and unlock their keyless entry cars.

On Friday afternoon, more than 100 motorists were locked out of their cars, some forced to break in, after an unidentified signal was jamming keyless entry devices.

Confused motorists in the Lakeside carpark. Credit:9 News Perth

Australia Media and Communications Authority investigators attended the site on Friday to try and locate where the signal jam was coming from.

On Saturday afternoon, Lakeside Joondalup centre manager Gemma Hannigan said the authority was confident the offending device had been located inside Chemist Warehouse, however she would not confirm what the device was.
When the Morrison government finally closed the Christmas Island detention centre last year, it became the 18th immigration detention facility proudly shuttered by the Coalition.

Just a few months later, it is back open for business  and is set to become a long-term feature of Australias immigration detention network once again.

Detailed cost breakdowns of the $1.4 billion budgeted for the centres reopening show the Morrison government expects to hold refugees and asylum seekers there for up to four years  by which time they would have spent a decade in detention.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison toured the North West Point detention centre on Christmas Island on Wednesday. Credit:AAP

By the year 2022-23, the Department of Home Affairs has planned on an annual expenditure of $300 million for services at the facility and a further $33 million for staffing on the island.
Australia has become a testing ground for hackers trying new kinds of malicious software, partly because it has been slow to take cybersecurity seriously, the head of a government-funded science body has warned.

Michelle Price, chief executive of AustCyber, also said that as Australia plays a more assertive role in global affairs, it will be targeted more frequently by foreign-government-backed hackers. The recent hack of Parliament and the major political parties was an example of this.

Michelle Price, chief executive of AustCyber. Credit:Peter Braig

A similar view was expressed by cyber security specialist Mike Sentonas of the firm CrowdStrike, which gained fame as one of the first companies to identify Russian hackers as responsible for the 2016 US election hack.

He said the firms research had shown Chinese cyber attacks on the US had increased as tensions between the countries rose, and it was possible the same would apply to Australia.
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Labor has promised to encourage the nations industrial relations watchdog to do the right thing to lift wages for millions of workers, signalling a desire to give the independent commission a new set of priorities.

Labor finance spokesman Jim Chalmers said the Fair Work Commission would share the priorities of an incoming Labor government to act on the problem of low wages growth.

Its obvious to any objective observer of the workforce right now that ordinary working people arent getting a fair go, Mr Chalmers said.

We, as the Labor Party, its in our DNA, we will always do what we can to level the playing field when it comes to negotiating fair wage increases.
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French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to the citizens of Europe a few days ago. There was an urgent need for action. And indeed, he is right, because we are faced with urgent questions: do we want our future to be determined by the strategic decisions of China or the United States, or do we want to play an active role in shaping the rules of future global coexistence?

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Do we want to give a joint response to a Russian government that apparently desires to draw its strength from the destabilisation and weakening of its neighbours? Do we ultimately want to submit to the social and political ideas of others, or do we wish to proudly stand up for the "European way of life"  of representative democracy, parliamentarianism, the rule of law, individual freedoms and the social market economy  both at home and throughout the world? There can only be one answer to this question: Our Europe must become stronger.

The story of Europe is, so far, one of unparalleled success. I belong to the fortunate generation that has never experienced war. We owe this to a European Community that has learnt its lessons from the past, and is resolutely looking to the future. We Europeans live in one of the richest and safest regions in the world, because we have negotiated our conflicts with each other and, through the close transatlantic alliance, have built a secure wall of protection against external threats.

Lesen Sie auch AKK antwortet Macron Europa jetzt richtig machen

Yet many look to Europe with anxiety. However, we should not misunderstand the citizens of Europe. There is now more support for the European idea than ever before. What the EU lacks in the eyes of its citizens, however, is clarity, orientation and the ability to act on key issues of the day. They feel a lack of clarity when, for instance, the EU requires a seeming eternity before it is able to arrive at a common understanding regarding events in Venezuela. They feel a lack of orientation from the EU when they are confronted with the future of the digital economy and the digital labour market. And they sense that the institutions ability to act is lacking with regard to the handling of major issues, such as migration, climate change, terrorism and international conflicts.

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Therefore, the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament cannot focus upon defending the imperfect status quo of today's EU against populist accusations. The question of whether one is "for" or "against" Europe does not arise for most citizens. Instead, we must consider different concepts and reshape our ideas. We must ask how the EU can improve its capacity to take action on key issues in future, and how it will continue its unprecedented success story in the ever-shifting global conditions of tomorrow.

The first priority is to safeguard the foundations of our prosperity. In the European internal market, too, earning comes before distribution. We have taken the right path in establishing the Economic and Monetary Union, and in stabilising the Eurozone. If we want our businesses in Europe to continue to be financed by European banks, we must create a common internal market for banks. At the same time, we must consistently rely on a system of subsidiarity, individual responsibility and associated liability. European centralism, European statism, the communitarisation of debts, the Europeanisation of social systems, and the minimum wage would be the wrong approach. Yet, we must strive for convergence in the sense of equal living conditions within and between Member States. That is why we need a strategy to promote convergence that intelligently links national and European approaches.

We now need a European strategy with regard to the following questions: which technologies do we want to use to protect our climate and, simultaneously, to manage it well? Which intelligent systems do we want to use to feed billions of people, and to preserve all of Creation? Which of our research results will lead to new medicines and treatments to defeat diseases? And what will our response be to ensure forms of mobility that are both climate-friendly, yet individualised?

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Joint research, development and technology should be funded from an EU innovation budget and bear the label "Future made in Europe". A new European strategic capability for future technologies should not override our rules for fair competition. However, such a capability must put Europe in a position to operate competitively on a global scale, considering the potential distortions of competition from other protectionists or state monopolies.

Europe has taken on a prominent responsibility for global climate protection. As with financial stability, the living conditions of future generations are at stake. However, ambitious European targets and thresholds have not yet achieved anything. This path will only meet with broad approval among the population if we succeed in taking economic and social aspects into account in such a way that employment and economic strength are preserved, and new development opportunities are created. That is why we need a European Climate Protection Pact for further implementation, which will be negotiated jointly between business, employees and wider society, with the involvement of European and national, democratically legitimate players.

We must also finally implement our joint efforts to put an end to the distortion of competition in Europe through tax avoidance. To this end, we must close tax loopholes in Europe, and introduce digital taxation based on the OECD model. Only in this way will international corporations make just as fair a contribution to our social market economy in Europe as our small and medium-sized enterprises do.

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I fully agree with Emmanuel Macron: our sense of community and security in Europe needs secure external borders. We must complete Schengen. To this end, we in the EU need an agreement on seamless border management. Where the external border cannot or should not be protected by national means alone, Frontex must be swiftly set up and deployed as an operational border police force. Claims to asylum, refugee status or any other reason for entry must be verified directly at the Schengen border. This requires an electronic entry and exit register, and an expansion of the Schengen Information System so that authorities can use a uniform, common data system at both national and European levels.

Europe stands by its humanitarian claim to protect victims of political persecution and civil war refugees. The European solutions that we have been striving for as regards the reception of refugees, and the rejection of economic migrants, have so far been impossible to implement. However, attempts at national solutions will not be successful without ultimately calling the very principle of Schengen into question. We must therefore reorganise the EU's common migration policy in future according to the principle of communicating vessels. Each Member State must make its own contribution to combating the causes of migration, protecting its borders, and taking in migrants. The more work it does in one area, the smaller its contribution might be in other areas, without any loss to the whole.

The European Union urgently needs to improve its ability to act in foreign and security policy. We must remain transatlantic, and at the same time become more European. In future, the EU should have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. At the same time, we should decide on common foreign policy positions in a European Security Council involving Great Britain, and we should organise concerted action on security policy. Incidentally, a National Security Council in Germany for the development of strategic guidelines, and for the coordination of foreign, security, defence, development and foreign trade policy would also be an idea worth considering.

Germany and France are already working together on the project of a European future combat aircraft, and other nations are invited to participate. The next step could be to start on the symbolic project of building a common European aircraft carrier to express the global role of the European Union as a power ensuring security and peace.

At the same time, we must create an additional new outlook with and for Africa. In the interests of the people there, but also in our own interests, we need a strategic partnership on an equal footing. But this may also mean, in concrete terms, that the opening of our market to African agricultural products, and the dismantling of our extensive regulations and subsidies in this area must no longer be taboos.

There is no version of a European superstate which can live up to the goal of a Europe made up of sovereign Member States, and able to take action. The work of the European institutions cannot claim any moral superiority over the collaborative effort of national governments. A new Europe cannot be founded without the nation states: they provide democratic legitimacy and identification. It is the Member States that formulate and bring together their own interests at the European level. This is what gives Europeans their international weight. Europe must focus on subsidiarity and the individual responsibility of the nation states, and at the same time be capable of acting in the common interest. Our Europe should therefore stand on two equal pillars: the Intergovernmental method and the Community method. We should, simultaneously, also take long overdue decisions, and abolish anachronisms. The latter include the European Parliament's concentration on Brussels, and the taxation of the income of EU officials.

Many Member States face the challenge of keeping together a society that has become more heterogeneous as a result of immigration. This is particularly true in view of Islamic trends that are incompatible with our ideas of an open society. One of the major questions for the future is therefore whether Europe can provide incentives to allow for a form of Islam that is compatible with our values. To this end, we should establish European "Nathan Chairs" based on the tradition of enlightenment and tolerance, in which we train our own imams and teachers in this spirit.

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After the fall of the Berlin Wall almost thirty years ago, millions of Central Europeans have become new members of this community, and more would like to join them. With regard to the Member States of Central and Eastern Europe, we must respect their approaches and their specific contribution to our common European history and culture. And yet there must be no doubt about the non-negotiable core of values and principles. If we have the courage now to talk concretely about amendments to the European Treaties, neither the "Brussels elite", nor the "Western elite", nor the supposedly "pro-European" elite should remain in their silos. We will only gain democratic legitimacy for our new Europe if we involve everyone.

We don't have to be afraid of these discussions. The attraction of our "European Way of Life" to those all around the world is demonstrated by the global tourist rushes to European metropolises; by the accession and rapprochement efforts in our neighbourhood; and by international students and start-ups who want to be based in Europe. Europe is a place of longing for many around the world. For that matter, even those in Putin's Russia are desirous of living their lives according to the "Euro standard".

The world is in flux, and Europe is faced with a choice. Mine is clear: we must now make Europe right. We need strategic strength for our industry, technology and innovation, a sense of security for our European citizens, and common foreign and security capabilities to defend our interests.

We should now confidently go to work, and not be timidly prevented from doing so by the constant anxious questions about "the populists".
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This last month, Ive heard from hundreds of constituents who are concerned about school regionalization. Im passionate about it, too.

Theres nothing more important than making sure we provide students with a high-quality education that prepares them to succeed in the 21st century. As a state senator, Im eager to equip every community in Connecticut with the tools they need to invest in students success.

The schools in our district are some of the highest performing in the state. We make sure were efficient in having the right services and staff to suit our students, with little funding from state government. As a proud graduate of our public schools, let me be clear: I will continue to actively oppose any measure that would force schools in the 26th district to regionalize.

When I disagree with members of my own party, Im never afraid to say so and I didnt hesitate to speak out against a broad-brush regionalism proposal introduced by a leader of my own party.

I share my constituents concerns about the fiscal mess that plagues Connecticut. Due to decades of irresponsibility, were facing a difficult budget. The towns in the 26th Senate District paid $752.1 million to Hartford in 2017  thats almost 10 percent of all income tax revenue collected that year. We invest in the state of Connecticut and we deserve to know our money is spent wisely.

Thats why Im frustrated about very small districts, scattered throughout the state, that spend too much money outside of the classroom. Taxpayers in the 26th district cannot afford to subsidize towns that operate inefficiently and spend on back-office administration.

Some districts less than one-tenth the size of Wiltons student population receive millions more from the state in education cost-sharing grants. If small districts want to maintain local autonomy, I support their freedom to do so. Connecticut taxpayers shouldnt subsidize them.

On March 1, the Education Committee will hear public testimony concerning school regionalization bills. Ill be testifying against forced regionalization, instead proposing incentives for very small school districts to build economies of scale. Its crucial that no matter where you stand on the issue, you understand no ones proposing closing school buildings or asking parents to send children to different school communities. This conversation is about sharing superintendents and administrative staff  something that many communities have already decided to do. I hope youll join me in Hartford to share your perspective on this crucial issue.

Weve built wonderful schools that benefit students, families and every resident. The high property values in our area are the result of smart investments in education. The state should focus on improving the classroom experience of every student, not altering efficient and effective districts like ours. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that we keep our schools safe without compromising state education. Im grateful for the opportunity to represent you in Hartford.

Will Haskell is a state senator representing District 26, which encompasses the towns of Bethel, Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton and parts of Weston, Westport and New Canaan.
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A mother and daughter from Edmonton, a renowned Carleton University professor and an accountant with the City of Calgary were among the 18 Canadians who died Sunday when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 10/3/2019 (1005 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rescuers search at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Sunday, March 10, 2019. The Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board, authorities said, including 18 Canadians. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP

A mother and daughter from Edmonton, a renowned Carleton University professor and an accountant with the City of Calgary were among the 18 Canadians who died Sunday when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard.

Mohamed Hassan Ali said his sister, Amina Ibrahim Odowaa, and her five-year-old daughter, Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir, were on board the jet that went down six minutes after it took off from the Addis Ababa airport on the way to Nairobi, Kenya.

"(She was) a very nice person, very outgoing, very friendly. Had a lot of friends," he said of his sister, who lived in Edmonton and was travelling to Kenya to visit with relatives.

Carleton University confirmed Pius Adesanmi, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, was also killed in the crash.

Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the school's president and vice-chancellor, described him as a "global thinker," and a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship."

Bacon said Adesanmi made an enormous impact on the university community since joining it in 2006, both as an academic and a person.

"What's striking about him was that he welcomes you with his whole being," he said in a phone interview.

"He's a person of integrity, of wholeness, of warmth, and you can imagine the impact of his brilliant intellect as a great scholar and of the kind of man he was, the kind of person that he was."

Tributes also poured in from Adesanmi's students and colleagues, both in Canada and his native Nigeria.

Mitchell Dick, a Carleton student, said Adesanmi was among his most "memorable" professors.

"He was extremely nice and approachable and his way of teaching was very vivid and accessible for everybody whether you were an English major or not," he said from the Canadian university men's basketball championship in Halifax, where a moment of silence was held Sunday for the victims.

Gladys Kivia, a domestic violence counsellor with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter, said her husband, Derick Lwugi, was also among the victims.

The accountant who worked for the city leaves behind three children, aged 17, 19 and 20, Kivia said. The couple had been in Calgary for 12 years, and Lwugi had been headed to Kenya to visit both of their parents.

"His mom was not feeling well," Kivia said in a brief interview.

Media reports indicate that Danielle Moore, 24, of Winnipeg, was also among the victims. In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Moore wrote that she was excited to be attending a UN environment event in Nairobi.

"I feel beyond privileged to be receiving this opportunity," she wrote.

Monica Phung, a friend of Moore's who worked with her through a conservation program called Ocean Bridge, said she last spoke to her friend Friday night.

"I messaged her to congratulate her. She just got accepted to the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Ottawa," said Phung. "That's what she felt like she was meant to do."

Asked what comes to mind when she thinks of her friend, Phung said she pictures "laughing and sunshine.

"She had a loud and happy laugh all the time. And the biggest smile," said Phung. "And she was just a light. She would always make you feel good and you could feel her energy in the room. She was so positive and just always brought a goodness to everyone around her."

It was not clear what caused the Ethiopian Airlines plane to go down in clear weather six minutes after departing Bole Airport in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on its way to Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya. The accident was strikingly similar to last year's crash of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.

Both crashes involved the Boeing 737 Max 8, and both happened minutes after the jets became airborne. In the wake of Sunday's crash, Ethiopian Airlines as well as all Chinese airlines have ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes indefinitely.

The Ethiopian pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport in Addis Ababa, the airline's CEO said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash.

"On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our heartfelt condolences to those who have lost family, friends, and loved ones as a result of this tragedy," he said in a statement. "We are providing consular assistance, and working closely with authorities to gather further information. We join the international community in mourning the loss of so many lives, including those countries who have also lost citizens in this devastating crash."

Trudeau reached out to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to express condolences.

At least 35 nationalities were among the dead, including 32 Kenyans, and people from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia.

Families around the world grieved. At the Addis Ababa airport, a woman called a mobile number in vain. "Where are you, my son?" she said, in tears. Others cried as they approached the terminal.

At the crash site, the impact caused the plane to shatter into small pieces. Personal belongings and aircraft parts were strewn across the freshly churned earth. Bulldozers dug into the crater to pull out buried pieces of the jet.

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Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. In one photo, teams could be seen loading black plastic bags into trucks.

As the sun set, crews were still searching for the plane's flight-data recorder, the airline's chief operating officer said.

Ethiopian Airlines said it had contacted the families of the victims and would soon conduct forensic investigations to identify the 149 passengers and eight crew.

Some of those aboard were travelling to the United Nations environmental meeting scheduled to start Monday in Nairobi. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said staff members were among the victims, as were colleagues from the United Nations. A UN official said the United Nations expects that about a dozen passengers affiliated with the world organization were on the Ethiopian Airlines jet.

 With files from Keith Doucette, Adam Burns, Hina Alam, Allison Jones and The Associated Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had an incorrect spelling for Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir. It also said she was six years old.
Aareal Bank AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides financing, software products, digital solutions, and payment transaction applications for the property sector and related industries in Germany and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Structured Property Financing, Banking & Digital solutions, and Aareon. The Structured Property Financing segment offers property financing and refinancing solutions for office buildings, hotels, and shopping centers, as well as retail, logistics, residential properties, and student apartments. This segment also provides deposits, registered and bearer Pfandbriefe, promissory note loans, medium-term notes, debt securities, private placements, other bonds and subordinated issues, mortgage Pfandbriefe, and public sector Pfandbriefe. The Banking & Digital solutions segment offers various services and products for the housing, commercial property, and energy and waste disposal industries. Its services include specialized banking, payment systems, and optimized business processes. The Aareon segment provides IT systems consultancy and related advisory services, enterprise resource planning systems, software solutions, hosting and software as a service, and in-house services. Aareal Bank AG was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE).
Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Chairman of the National ASEAN 2020 Committee, has recently signed a decision promulgating the operational regulations of the organisation.

Accordingly, the National Committee operates in the principle of democratic centralism, with its members discussing and contributing ideas, while the chairman makes conclusions. All the members of the National Committee, its Sub-committees and National ASEAN 2020 Secretariat work on a part-time basis.

The Chairman of the National Committee is accountable to the PM for the implementation of the bodys assigned tasks. He has been assigned with the tasks and jurisdiction of directing and deciding on the policies related to the preparatory work, the content and the organisation of relevant conferences and activities during the period of Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, in addition to supplementing and adjusting the members of the National Committee on the basis of the requirements of reality and nature of the work.

He is also responsible for approving programmes and master plans on the preparation and organisation of activities in the year of Vietnam as ASEAN 2020 Chair, approving estimates and the settlement of funding for the organisation of activities in the year of Vietnams ASEAN 2020 Chairmanship, summoning and presiding over the meetings of the National Committee and directly instructing the issues related to the political-security pillar of ASEAN.

The General Secretary of the National Committee is tasked with assisting the Chairman in coordinating the preparation and organisation work in service of Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 tenure, and in administering and handling the regular affairs of the National Committee. He also takes charge of preparing the National Committees periodic reports to submit to the PM, directly directing the operations of the National ASEAN 2020 Secretariat, urging the Sub-Committees to fully implement the plans according to the roadmap and coordinating activities between the Sub-committees and the National ASEAN 2020 Secretariat.

Members of the National Committee represent their agencies to participate in the activities of the National Committee, perform the duties of the National Committee related to the areas of their agencies and the tasks assigned by the Chairman of the National Committee and take responsibility before the Chairman of the National Committee and the heads of their agencies for the implementation of the assigned tasks.

The National ASEAN 2020 Committee includes five Sub-Committees (in charge of the contents, protocol issues, communications & culture, materials & logistics, and security & healthcare), and the National ASEAN 2020 Secretariat. The agencies assigned to take charge of the Sub-committees and the Secretariat use their apparatus to organise the implementation of the tasks of the Sub-committees and the Secretariat. The heads of the Sub-committees and the Secretariat will decide on their members and operational regulations based on specific tasks.
There is not enough analysis data for Bacanora Lithium.

4.9 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Bacanora Lithium has received 288 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Bacanora Lithium has received 100 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Bacanora Lithium has received 74.23% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bacanora Lithium and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BCN will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BCN will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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CAE Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and supplies simulation equipment and training solutions to defense and security markets, commercial airlines, business aircraft operators, helicopter operators, aircraft manufacturers, and healthcare education and service providers worldwide. The company's Civil Aviation Training Solutions segment provides training solutions for flight, cabin, maintenance, and ground personnel in commercial, business, and helicopter aviation; flight simulation training devices; and ab initio pilot training and crew sourcing services, as well as end to end digitally-enabled crew management, training operations solutions, and optimization software. Its Defence and Security segment offers training and mission support solutions for defense forces across multi-domain operations, and for government organizations responsible for public safety. The company's Healthcare segment provides integrated education and training solutions, including surgical and imaging simulations, curriculum, audiovisual and centre management platforms, and patient simulators to healthcare students and clinical professionals. The company was formerly known as CAE Industries Ltd. and changed its name to CAE Inc. in June 1993. CAE Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Canada.

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Alaris Royalty Corp. is a private equity firm specializing in management buyouts, growth capital, lower & middle market, later stage, industry consolidation, growth capital, and mature investments. The firm does not invest in turnarounds and start-ups. It prefers to invest in the companies based in all industries except for those with a declining asset base, such as oil and gas resource companies, or any industry that carry the risk of obsolescence such as high tech and focuses on business services, professional services, information services, healthcare services, distribution & logistics, industrials, consumer products. The firm seeks to invest in companies raising capital for a partial liquidity, generational transfer, recapitalization, and growth and who do not want to give up control or chance the added risk that comes with high leverage levels. It prefers to invest in companies that are mostly individual or family controlled. The firm typically provides alternative financing for a diversified group of private businesses ("Private Company Partners") in exchange for royalties or distributions from the Private Company Partners, with the principal objective of generating stable and predictable cash flows for dividend payments to its shareholders. It seeks to invest in the companies based in Europe, North America with the focus on Canada, and United States. It typically invests between $5 million and $100 million in companies with an enterprise values between $10 million and $400 million and EBITDA between $5 million and $50 million, historical EBITDA in excess of $10 million, and Low levels of debt and capital expenditure. The firm also makes small cap investments upto $20 million in private companies that have historical EBITDA in excess of $2 million. However, for larger companies, transactions can be structured to include additional investments. The firm seeks to invest in industries that do not experience large cyclical swings. It does not own any shares and does not require board representation. The firm invests through balance sheet and seeks equity dividend distribution from portfolios. It prefers to make non control equity, minority and majority investments in its portfolio companies. Alaris Royalty Corp. was founded in 2008 and is based in Calgary, Canada.

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TCF Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for TCF National Bank that provides various financial products and services in the United States and Canada. It operates through Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Enterprise Services segments. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; individual retirement accounts; debit and credit cards; and check cashing and remittance services. It also provides investment management and custodial services, trust services, financial and estate planning, and retirement planning and employee benefit programs; residential, consumer, and small business lending products; and consumer real estate secured lending, consumer loans, loans secured by personal property, and unsecured personal loans. In addition, the company offers loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services. Further, it provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate banking, and lease financing; and treasury services comprising investment and borrowing portfolios, as well as manages capital, debt, and market risks. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 478 branches, including 373 traditional branches, 102 supermarket branches, and three campus branches located in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, and South Dakota; and 1,062 ATMs. TCF Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

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Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (right) briefs Capitol reporters on March 6, 2019, as House Speaker Elijah Haahr looks on (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)
Hannover RAck SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance products and services worldwide. It operates through Property & Casualty Reinsurance, and Life & Health Reinsurance segments. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment offers specialty lines comprising marine, aviation, facultative and direct business, credit, surety, and political risks reinsurance products; and treaty, catastrophe XL, and structured reinsurance, as well as insurance-linked securities. This segment also provides risk solutions for agricultural, livestock, and bloodstock businesses; aviation and space business; and marine and offshore energy business. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment offers group and individual credit life, enhanced annuities, group life and health, and Sharia-compliant Takaful reinsurance products. This segment also provides risk solutions in the areas of critical illness, disability, health, longevity, long term care, and mortality and morbidity, as well as underwriting services. In addition, it offers various financial solutions, including new-business financing; monetization of embedded value; reserve and solvency relief; and divestiture of non-core businesses. The company was formerly known as Hannover RAckversicherung AG and changed its name to Hannover RAck SE in March 2013. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Hanover, Germany. Hannover RAck SE is a subsidiary of Talanx AG.

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Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta Emerging Markets Equity ETF's stock was trading at $28.70 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, GEM shares have increased by 29.4% and is now trading at $37.14.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
There is not enough analysis data for Pacific Booker Minerals.

4.3 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Pacific Booker Minerals has received 47 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Pacific Booker Minerals has received 27 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Pacific Booker Minerals has received 63.51% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Pacific Booker Minerals and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe PBMLF will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe PBMLF will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Horizonte Minerals Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral projects in Brazil. The company primarily explores for nickel deposits, as well as cobalt deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Araguaia ferronickel project and the Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt project located in the south of the CarajAs mineral district in northern Brazil. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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11 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Hugo Boss in the last twelve months. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 5 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" Hugo Boss stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in BOSS, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

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Saga plc provides general insurance, package and cruise holidays, and personal finance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates in three segments: Insurance, Travel, and Other Businesses and Central Costs. It offers car, home, health, travel, landlord, boat, motorhome, caravan, pet, and personal accident, breakdown cover, building, content, renter, holiday, and holiday home insurance. The company also operates and delivers package tours and cruise holiday products; and provides equity release and care funding advice, savings accounts, credit cards, and wealth management services, as well as shares ISA and share dealing services. In addition, it offers mailing house services; retirement benefit schemes; and publishes Saga Magazine, as well as repairs automotive vehicles. The company was formerly known as Saga Limited and changed its name to Saga plc in May 2014. Saga plc was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Folkestone, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Pearson: AEL (S) PTE Limited, ATI Professional Development LLC, Addison Wesley Longman Inc., Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., Aldwych Finance Limited, Americas Choice Inc., Atkey Finance Limited, Author Solutions, Axis Finance Inc., CAMSAWUSA Inc., CTI Education Group (Pty) Limited, Camsaw Inc., Casapsi Livraria e Editora Ltda, Centro Cultural Americano Franquias e Comercio Ltda., Century Consultants Ltd., Certiport, Certiport China Co Ltd, Certiport China Holding LLC, Certiport Inc., Cogmed Systems AB, Connections Academy of Arkansas LLC, Connections Academy of Florida LLC, Connections Academy of Iowa LLC, Connections Academy of Maine LLC, Connections Academy of Maryland LLC, Connections Academy of Minnesota LLC, Connections Academy of Missouri LLC, Connections Academy of Nevada LLC, Connections Academy of New Jersey LLC, Connections Academy of New Mexico LLC, Connections Academy of New York LLC, Connections Academy of Oregon LLC, Connections Academy of Pennsylvania LLC, Connections Academy of Tennessee LLC, Connections Academy of Texas LLC, Connections Education Inc., Connections Education LLC, Connections Education of Florida LLC, Dominie Press Inc., Dorian Finance Limited, Dorling Kindersley Australasia Pty Limited, EBNT Canada Holdings ULC, EBNT Holdings Limited, EBNT USA Holdings Inc., Edexcel Limited, Edexcel South Africa Pty Ltd, Education Development International plc, Education Resources (Cyprus) Limited, Educational Management Group Inc., Educational Publishers LLP, Embanet ULC, Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group Inc., EmbanetCompass, Embankment Finance Limited, English Language Learning and Instruction System Inc., Escape Studios Limited, FBH Inc., Falstaff Holdco Inc., Falstaff Inc., GED Domains LLC, GED Testing Service LLC, George (Shanghai) Commercial Information Consulting Co. Ltd, Global Education, Global George I Limited, Global George II Limited, GlobalEnglish, Globe Fearon Inc., Guangzhou Crescent Software Co. Ltd, Heinemann Education Botswana (Publishers) (Proprietary) Limited, Heinemann Publishers (Pty) Ltd, INTELLIPRO INC., Icodeon Limited, IndiaCan Education Private Limited, Integral 7 Inc., Integrated Analytics LLC, J M Solucoes Exportacao e Importacao Ltda, K12 Learning Services LLC, Kagiso Education Pty Ltd, Knowledge Analysis Technologies LLC, LCCI International Qualifications (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., LCCIEB Training Consultancy. Ltd, Learning Catalytics, LessonLab Inc., Lignum Oil Company, Linx Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Longman (Malawi) Limited, Longman Australasia Pty Ltd, Longman Group(Overseas Holdings)Limited, Longman Indochina Acquisition L.L.C., Longman Kenya Limited, Longman Mocambique Ltda, Longman Romania S.R.L., Longman Swaziland (Pty) Limited, Longman Tanzania Limited, Longman Zambia Educational Publishers Pty Ltd, Longman Zambia Limited, Longman Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Longmaned Ecuador S.A., Major123 Limited, Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Limited, MeasureUp LLC, Modern Curriculum Inc., Multi Holding, Multi Treinamento e Editora Ltda, NCS Information Technology Services (Beijing) Co Ltd, NCS Pearson Inc., NCS Pearson Pty Ltd, NCS Pearson Puerto Rico Inc., National Computer Systems Japan Co. Ltd, Ordinate Corporation, PN Holdings Inc., PT Efficient English Services, Pearson (Beijing) Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Pearson (Guizhou) Education Technology Co. Ltd., Pearson Affordable Learning Fund Limited, Pearson America LLC, Pearson Amsterdam B.V., Pearson Australia Finance Unlimited, Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Pty Ltd, Pearson Benelux B.V., Pearson Books Limited, Pearson Brazil Finance Limited, Pearson Business Services Inc., Pearson Canada Assessment Inc., Pearson Canada Finance Unlimited, Pearson Canada Holdings Inc, Pearson Canada Inc., Pearson Central Europe Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson College Limited, Pearson DBC Holdings Inc., Pearson Desarrollo y Capacitacion Profesional Chile Limitada, Pearson Deutschland GmbH, Pearson Digital Learning Puerto Rico Inc., Pearson Dollar Finance Two Limited, Pearson Dollar Finance plc, Pearson Educacion SA, Pearson Educacion de Chile Limitada, Pearson Educacion de Colombia S A S, Pearson Educacion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pearson Educacion de Panama SA, Pearson Educacion de Peru S.A., Pearson Education (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Pearson Education Achievement Solutions (RF) (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education Asia Limited, Pearson Education Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Pearson Education Hellas SA, Pearson Education Holdings Limited, Pearson Education Inc., Pearson Education Indochina Limited, Pearson Education Investments Limited, Pearson Education Korea Limited, Pearson Education Limited, Pearson Education Namibia (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Publishing Limited, Pearson Education S.A., Pearson Education SA, Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education South Asia Pte. Ltd., Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd, Pearson Education do Brasil S.A, Pearson Educational Measurement Canada Inc., Pearson Educational Publishers LLC, Pearson Egitim Cozumleri Tikaret Limited Sirketi, Pearson Falstaff (Holdings) Inc., Pearson Falstaff Holdco LLC, Pearson France, Pearson Funding Five plc, Pearson Funding Four plc, Pearson Funding Two Limited, Pearson Holdings Inc., Pearson Holdings Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Pearson IOKI Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson India Education Services Private Limited, Pearson India Support Services Private Limited, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Pearson International Finance Limited, Pearson Investment Holdings Inc., Pearson Italia S.p.A, Pearson Japan KK, Pearson Lanka (Private) Limited, Pearson Learning China (HK) Limited, Pearson Lesotho (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Loan Finance No. 3 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No. 4 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No.2 Unlimited, Pearson Loan Finance Unlimited, Pearson Longman Uganda Limited, Pearson Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Pearson Management Services Limited, Pearson Management Services Philippines Inc., Pearson Maryland Inc., Pearson Netherlands B.V., Pearson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Pearson Nominees Limited, Pearson Online Tutoring LLC, Pearson Overseas Holdings Limited, Pearson PEM P.R. Inc., Pearson PRH Holdings Limited, Pearson Pension Nominees Limited, Pearson Pension Property Fund Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Services Limited, Pearson Professional Assessments Limited, Pearson Real Estate Holdings Inc., Pearson Real Estate Holdings Limited, Pearson Schweiz AG, Pearson Services Limited, Pearson Shared Services Limited, Pearson South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Strand Finance Limited, Pearson Sweden AB, Pearson VUE Philippines Inc., Pearson in Practice Holdings Limited, Pearson in Practice Skills Based Learning Limited, Pearson in Practice Technology Limited, Penguin Capital LLC, Phumelela Publishers (Pty) Ltd, ProctorCam Inc., Reading Property Holdings LLC, Rebus Planning Associates Inc., Reston Publishing Company Inc., Rycade Capital Corporation, Shanghai AWL Education Software Ltd, Silver Burdett Ginn Inc., Skylight Training and Publishing Inc., Smarthinking Inc., Sound Holdings Inc., Spear Insurance Company Limited, Stark Verlag GmbH, Sunnykey International Holdings Limited (BVI), TQ Catalis Limited, TQ Clapham Limited, TQ Education and Training Limited, TQ Global Limited, TQ Group Limited, TQ Holdings Limited, The Financial Times (I) Pvt Ltd, The Learning Edge International pty Ltd, The Waite Group Inc, Trio Parent Holdings LLC, US Learning Services LLC, USLS Holdings LLC, Virtual Nerd, Vue Testing Services Israel Ltd, Vue Testing Services Korea Limited, Wall Street Institute Kft., Williams Education GmbH, eCollege.com, and Editions Du Renouveau Pedagogique Inc..
Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products for company pension schemes; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; and retirement interest only mortgages. The LGIM segment provides index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real estate funds. The LGC segment offers investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment provides protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. The company is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses, as well as manufacture of sheds. It also engages in the real estate investment, operation, management, and trading, fund general partner, fund trustee, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, management, pension tracing and transfer, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Origin Enterprises plc operates as an agri-services company in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Brazil, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. The company offers integrated agronomy and on-farm services, such as specialty agronomy, technology and strategic advisory, and agronomy advisory services. It also manufactures and distributes customized blended fertilizers and granulated lime; and specialist fertilizers for customers engaged in the marketing and distribution of specialist products. In addition, the company provides digital agronomy applications and agri-tech services to producers, input manufacturers, and agri-service companies; manufactures and sells amenity paints; supplies line marking paints, as well as machines and accessories to stadiums; and offers various products and services for installation, management, and maintenance of the natural grass and synthetic sporting, amenity, and landscaped surfaces. Further, it is involved in the wholesale of agricultural products, such as seeds, chemicals, fencing wires, feed supplements, granulated lime products, and farm plastics, as well as supply of specialized cement products for the building industry; develops and markets value added crop nutrition and specialty inputs; wholesales standard mineral and fertilizers; and manufactures, retails, and sells animal feeds. Additionally, the company imports and supplies raw material ingredients to the Irish animal feed manufacturing and flour milling industry; blends and distributes agricultural fertilizers; and offers grain handling and turf management services. It is also involved in the grain and feed trading; silo operation; and provender milling businesses. The company sells its products under the Agrii, GOULDING, Origin Fertilisers, PB Kent, Rigby Taylor, LINEMARK, Fortgreen, Pillaert, RHIZA, R&H HALL, AGROSCOPE, REDOXIM, COMFERT, and headland brands. Origin Enterprises plc was founded in 2006 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.

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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..
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Total Energy Services Inc. provides various products and services to the oil and natural gas industry primarily in Canada, the United States, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Contract Drilling Services, Rentals and Transportation Services, Compression and Process Services and Well Servicing. The Contract Drilling Services segment offers contract drilling services to oil and gas exploration and development companies. As of December 31, 2020, it operated a total fleet of 98 drilling rigs. The Rentals and Transportation Services segment provides drilling, completion and production rental equipment, and oilfield transportation services in western Canada and in the United States. This segment owned and operated a fleet of 87 heavy trucks. The Compression and Process Services segment offers gas compression services; and designs and packages skid style compressors and proprietary trailer-mounted compressors under the NOMAD brand in Canada and the United States, the European Union, Australia, and Mexico. It had 54,800 horsepower of compression in its rental fleet. The Well Servicing segment offers well services. This segment operated a total fleet of 83 well servicing rigs across Western Canada, mid-western United States, and Australia. It has a strategic alliance with Pason Systems Inc. to develop and deploy drilling automation and optimization technologies. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. engages in the acquisition of businesses and assets in the insurance, financial services and related sectors. It operates through the following segments: HG Global/BAM, NSM, Kudu, and Other Operations. The HG Global/BAM segment refers to the White Mountains's investment in HG Global Limited, and the consolidated results of Build America Mutual Assurance Company (BAM). The NSM segment comprises of full-service managing general underwriting agency and program administrator for specialty property and casualty insurance. The Kudu Segment provides capital solutions for boutique asset managers for a variety of purposes including generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisition and growth finance and legacy partner liquidity. The Other Operations segment comprises of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiary, WM Capital, its wholly-owned investment management subsidiary, WM Advisors, and its other intermediate holding companies, as well as certain consolidated and unconsolidated private capital and other investments. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Hanover, NH.

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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.

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WASHINGTON MILLS- Students with the International Club at Whitesboro High School celebrated Foreign Student Day.

Each year students from around Upstate New York are invited to Whitesboro High School to educate fellow students about different cultures around the world.

They end the night with a dance. Friday nights dance was at Valentino's in Washington Mills.

The president for the club said, it's good to see local students interact with others from outside the area. "Sometimes you tend to just look at ourselves and think that there are no other places outside of our own home, so it's really nice to see different people from different areas and see what they think about us," said Maheen Qureshi.

The club has 150 people involved. All money raised from the dance will go to next years Foreign Student Day.
MENANDS, N.Y. (AP) - Members of the New York Army National Guard will pay tribute to New Yorkers who fought in the Union Army's Irish Brigade during the Civil War.

Soldiers in the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment will hold a wreath-laying ceremony Sunday morning at the Grand Army of the Republic monument in the Soldier's Lot in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands (meh-NANDZ').

They'll also place small Irish and American flags on the graves of Civil War soldiers who fought in mostly Irish volunteer regiments.

Irish Brigade soldiers fought in some of the war's bloodiest battles, including Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg.

The ceremony is being held a week before the 69th Infantry marches in New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade. The unit is based at Manhattan's Lexington Avenue armory.

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Just when you think youve got Shia LaBeouf figured out, he goes and makes a film like The Peanut Butter Falcon, a sincere, Southern-fried buddy movie in the tradition of Forrest Gump, from two of the producers responsible for Little Miss Sunshine. This was the film LaBeouf was shooting when he was arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, which has overshadowed the film until now. Still, theres a heartfelt quality to the picture, in which LaBeouf stars opposite a young man with Down syndrome, that transcends such misbehavior, resulting in a feel-good niche indie with its priorities in the right place.

While The Peanut Butter Falcon doesnt neatly fit into any particular genre, it clearly takes its inspiration from movies like Rain Man, putting newcomer Zack Gottsagen front and center as a pair of unlikely amigos undertake a road/salt-water-rafting trip down the coast to Florida. Rain Man may have put autism on the countrys radar, but it gets a bad rap today for casting Dustin Hoffman in a role conceived and interpreted by able-bodied artists. That points to an ongoing debate about representation, in which co-directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz find themselves on the other side.

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The filmmakers met Gottsagen at a camp for disabled artists and crafted the story around him, and its a small miracle (considering the challenges such films typically face) that they were able to attract so many name actors to participate in their project. LaBeouf plays Tyler, a dirt-poor tidewater fisherman whos been on a downward spiral since the death of his brother (Jon Bernthal). After picking a potentially risky fight with Duncan (John Hawkes), a temperamental local crab trapper, Tyler makes his escape from his dead-end Virginia town, knowing full well hes dead meat if he should ever cross paths with Duncan again.

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Meanwhile, a few miles inland, 22-year-old Zak (Gottsagen) stages an elaborate getaway from a Richmond-based retirement home. With no family to care for him, Zak has been stuck in this facility with the old folks, who seem unusually sympathetic to his dreams of escape. After his roommate (Bruce Dern, a feisty addition to the ensemble) helps bend the bars outside their bedroom window, Zak manages to sneak out wearing only his underwear. While in captivity, Zak spent his days watching an old VHS tape of a wrestler named the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church, doing his best Hulk Hogan), dreaming about enlisting in his wrestling school, so its not hard for his caring nurse Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) to guess where he might be headed, although she cant have anticipated that he would meet up with someone irresponsible  or sympathetic  enough to help Zak reach his goal. Someone like Tyler.

This is the make-or-break moment for the plot, which hinges on audiences accepting that Tyler  who looks like a homeless person, with a festering anger behind his feral eyes that seems more likely to kill someone than to adopt a surrogate kid brother with Down syndrome. But theres something so guileless and genuine about Zak (qualities that stem directly from the actor playing him) that he manages to win over both his newfound friend and the audience in the same coup. And as the filmmakers insert a few key flashbacks to explain what went wrong in Tylers past  to turn him from clean-shaven optimist to the scruffy outlaw we see before us  that look softens into something disarmingly compassionate.

Say what you will about LaBeoufs on-screen troubles, but that same turmoil that seems so disruptive to his personal life gives a role like this a dimension few actors could achieve, resulting in a singular kind of pairing: In Gottsagen, we get a performer who appears to be playing an earnest, unfiltered version of himself, while in LaBeouf, there are layers at play. Oddly enough, both approaches result in a kind of spontaneous unpredictability, making the characters choices feel constantly surprising  as when Tyler devises a way for them to cross a narrow river, despite Zaks inability to swim, resulting in a near-death run-in with a speeding shrimp boat.

As the pair make their way down the North Carolina coast (which offers fresh scenery, nicely interwoven with inland Georgia locations), the filmmakers take time for bonding between episodic adventures. Instead of being condescending or cutesy, as too often happens in films involving characters with disabilities, the writer-director duo have obviously put in the time to understand Zaks experience. At one point, the character says, I cant be a hero because I am a Down syndrome person, and rather than turning this into a groan-worthy teaching moment, Tyler  whos hardly your conventional good guy  simply shrugs off the suggestion: What does that have to do with your heart?

Though it wouldnt be classified as a comedy per se, The Peanut Butter Falcon contains far more good-natured humor than most indies, a vital ingredient to the eccentric encounters the film sets for its characters  one of which involves a revolver-waving blind man who insists on baptizing Zak before giving them the supplies needed to build a vessel that will take them on the rest of their journey. And so the trek continues, allowing Zak and Tyler to add their names alongside Huck Finn or Hushpuppy to the list of fictional American characters whove traveled the country by raft. At the end of this particular rainbow waits the Salt Water Redneck and the explanation for the films title, paying off an odyssey audiences wont soon forget.

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The meeting drew the attendance of Cambodian Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce Sok Sopheak, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Le Quang Manh, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh, and Lao Deputy Foreign Minister Thongphan Savanphet.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Le Quang Manh said that representatives of the three countries will propose effective measures and practical initiatives to the heads of the three coordination committees at their meeting on Sunday, paving the way for high-level agreements and specific directions to promote the development cooperation in the development triangle.

Currently, cooperation projects in the border areas of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have been underway, especially in hydropower, mining and mineral processing, industrial crop planting and processing, he noted.

Experts held that smooth mechanisms and policies have been provided for the investment and trade partnership in the region.

So far, Vietnam has run 49 projects in the development triangle in Cambodia with total capital of US$1.63 billion. The countrys investment in the development triangle in Laos is US$1.97 billion of 67 projects.

Meanwhile, Vietnams five border provinces in the development triangle have attracted 233 projects from 20 countries and territories with total investment of US$2.3 billion, said Manh.

However, Manh pointed out that transport upgrade and expansion projects in the region have lagged behind the schedule, while the tripartite cooperation has yet to put effective influence on socio-economic development in border localities, along with limited resources for development investment and shortcomings in trade cooperation, tax policies and investment procedures.

The meeting will focus on evaluating the implementation of commitments of ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at the previous meeting, pointing put difficulties and seeking settlement solutions as well as orientation for cooperation of 13 provinces in the development triangle.
UniFrance, the French film promotion org, joined forces with the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to host events on March 7-8 in Paris which aimed at shining a spotlight on French female directors, producers, talent, artists and technicians.

The events, which were attended by many French students and young filmmakers at the Meurice Hotel in Paris, underscored the Academys ambition to increase its presence in Europe where it has many members.

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One of the highlights of the two-day program was French-Senegalese writer/director Maimouna Doucoure (pictured) receiving the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women on March 8, the International Womens Day. The prize was given as part of the Academy Womens Initiative which is supported by Swarovski and aims at creating opportunities for female filmmakers to connect, share their stories and celebrate inclusion.

Doucoure is currently finishing her feature debut Cuties, whose screenplay already won the Global Filmmaking Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Doucoures short film Maman(s) screened at more than 150 film festivals and the Jury Prize at Sundance, among a flurry of prizes.

As we continue to advocate for inclusion, we are honored to bring Academy members and the filmmaking community together to support women in all stages of their careers, especially emerging Academy Gold filmmakers, said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. We are grateful that Swarovski supports our commitment to a more inclusive film community.

UniFrances managing director Isabelle Giordano said the org was eager to forge ties with AMPAS in order to promote French cinema, better identify French members of the Academy, expand the presence of France at the Governors Awards, as well as eventually have French films screened in the upcoming Oscars museum. Giordano said it was also important for UniFrance to establish a relationship with the Academy in order to understand the specificities of the rules for the foreign-language Oscar submissions, which stirred some controversy in France this year.

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Giordano said the Academy is looking to increase the number of its French members. The Academy wants more women among voters and more diversity; thats their wish and thats a great news, said the executive, adding that France currently ranks as the third biggest country in terms of Oscars voters, after the U.S. and the U.K.

The other highlights of the two-day program included a pair of female-centric panels hosted as part of the AMPASs Action! Women in Film initiative. The first panel showcase French producer Marie-Ange Luciani, whose credits include Robin Campillos BPM (Beats per Minute), Anne Seibel, the Oscar-nominated production designer of Woody Allens Midnight in Paris; Anne Le Campion, the sound mixer of films like The Pianist; Audrey Ferrara, a vfx supervisor whose recent credits include The Lion King and The Jungle Book; Tonie Marshall, the director/producer of the Cesar-winning Venus Beaute; and Sylvie Landra, the editor of The Fifth Element and Roger Avarys upcoming film Lucky Day.

During the roundtable, the women spoke about the start of their careers  some of which are established on both side of the Atlantic  and shared tips on ways to navigate through the changing film industry. The discussion also pointed out to the increasing presence of female decision makers and the emergence of more women in traditionally male-dominated fields such as vfx.

The second panel showcased the Oscar-nominated writer/filmmakers Julie Delpy (Before Midnight, Two Days in Paris) and Daniele Thompson (Avenue Montaigne), as well as France-based British actress Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient).

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Montreal (AFP) - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday deplored the "devastating news" that 18 Canadian nationals were among the 157 people killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner.

"Devastating news from Ethiopia this morning," Trudeau said on Twitter. "Our thoughts are with all the victims on Flight ET302, including the Canadians who were on board."

His office later issued a statement. "We join the international community in mourning the loss of so many lives, including those countries who have also lost citizens in this devastating crash.

"I am reaching out to President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed to express my condolences for this tragic event."

The Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 crashed minutes after an early-morning takeoff Sunday from Addis Ababa.

People holding passports from more than 30 countries and the UN were on board, but Canadians, with 18 victims, trailed only the 32 Kenyans who died in the crash, according to the airline.

The plane plowed into a field southeast of Addis Ababa, the airline's CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the Ethiopian capital, lamenting the "very sad and tragic day."

The crash came on the eve of a major assembly in Nairobi of the UN Environment Program.

A UN source told AFP that more than a dozen people affiliated with the world body had lost their lives.

State-owned Ethiopian Airline had taken delivery of the Boeing 737-800 MAX plane on November 15. It was of the same type as a plane that crashed in October after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.
WASHINGTON  The new Captain Marvel film has sparked an online backlash for featuring the Marvel cinematic universes first solo female superhero, an Air Force F-15C pilot named Carol Danvers.

But that criticism doesnt phase two of the Air Forces most powerful women.

It is amazing to me that people would criticize a movie because it only has one [main] character in it [who is a woman]. Ive never heard that criticism of other films, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said before a March 7 premiere of the film at the National Air and Space Museum. That doesnt bother me at all.

There are other superhero movies that just have a male superhero, and I havent heard criticism of those, said Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, the Air Forces first female fighter pilot and an inspiration for Carol Danvers portrayal in the film.

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The Air Force plays a major role in Captain Marvel, and the services Hollywood liaison office collaborated closely with the directors. Not only are Danvers and her best friend Maria Rambeau F-15 pilots  though the women note they cannot fly in combat, as the movie is set in the 1990s  but the movie also features shots of Danvers at the Air Force Academy and a blink-and-youll-miss-it cameo by the B-2 bomber.

Thursdays premiere at the Air and Space Museum was a bit of a victory lap for the service. Air Force leadership and members of Congress attended the viewing, and Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were present to introduce the film.

But it was also clearly a celebration of women in the Air Force. Many of the attendees were Air Force families with young daughters, who could be spotted in Captain Marvel-themed costumes and jackets walking around science- and technology-themed exhibits before the show, as well as female airmen in flight suits.

When Air Force Times caught up with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, he said he hopes the film inspires young women to consider joining the service.

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It was a lot of fun, he said. More than anything I hope that young women see themselves as future Air Force members; I hope they get excited about their future. And I hope they enjoy the show.

Neither Wilson nor Leavitt are big comic book fans  Wilson described herself as more of a Mad Magazine kid, and Leavitt copped to only have watched Captain America and Iron Man before Brie Larson, who plays Danvers, visited Nellis Air Force Base in 2018.

But both noted that the Marvel crew  and Larson in particular  wanted to accurately portray what it means to be in the Air Force.

It seems to capture a lot of the ethos of what it means to be an airman," Wilson said. "They paid attention to details about who we are as airmen and how we approach things.

For example, the T-shirt worn by Danvers in the Air Force Academy scenes is the same design worn by real cadets, not the one anyone can buy at the gift shop. Those details help ground the movie in the reality of being a part of the service, Wilson said. Its the difference between youre really a cadet or whether youre just visiting.
Nick Boles and Oliver Letwin are Conservative backbench MPs who support a super-soft form of Brexit known as Norway-plus.

Their suggestion, which they call Common Market 2.0, is that we should be like Norway, outside the EU but a member of its single market. Not only that, but we should also be in a customs union with the EU, which is an even closer relationship than Norways.

There is some overlap between their plan and the Labour Partys policy, which is to keep Britain in a permanent customs union with the EU. So it is significant that Jeremy Corbyn is holding talks with Boles and Letwin.

Some MPs are thinking ahead to Tuesday next week, and asking what will happen if the prime ministers deal, possibly with a legal codicil attached (on the Irish border question), is voted down again.

They wonder if there might be a cross-party majority in the House of Commons for a softer Brexit based on a compromise between Labour policy and the Boles-Letwin plan.

You can see how the parliamentary arithmetic might work. At the moment, Theresa May cannot get her deal through because neither hard-Brexit Tory MPs nor soft-Brexit Labour MPs will vote for it.

If she made her plan softer  that is, if she switched to proposing an even closer economic relationship with the EU after we have left  maybe the vast majority of Labour MPs would vote for it. This might more than compensate for the number of Tory MPs she would lose off the other end of the seesaw, and might give her the Commons majority she needs.

There are obvious drawbacks to this cunning plan, which is why it hasnt happened so far.

One is that May would be left with a rump Tory party. She would probably be able to retain the support of only a minority of her MPs for such a deal  led by Amber Rudd and Philip Hammond in the cabinet and a large cohort of junior ministers, but a rather depleted contingent of backbenchers.

She would be in a position mirroring that of Ramsay MacDonald, the Labour prime minister who led a government of mostly Conservative MPs after the economic crisis of 1931.

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If the PMs deal is defeated on Tuesday the Commons would certainly vote the next day against leaving the European Union without a deal, but after that things become less clear

Another problem is Corbyn. Even if the compromise gave him everything he says Labour wants  a permanent customs union, protections for workers rights and so on  it would be hard to imagine him whipping his MPs to prop up a Tory prime minister, even one who was implementing a Labour Brexit.

As it is, Theresa Mays Brexit deal is very close to what a Labour government would have negotiated.

Indeed, there is no material difference between the withdrawal agreement that Corbyn says he wants and the one she presented to the Commons in January. The government and opposition disagree only about details of the long-term trade relationship with the EU that has to be negotiated after we leave.

A third problem is that Norway-plus is in effect EU membership without voting rights, and it would mean accepting the free movement of people  possibly with a few token restrictions that are claimed to be compatible with EU law.

But who knows what could happen if the prime ministers deal is defeated on Tuesday? The Commons would certainly vote the next day against leaving the EU without a deal, but after that things become less clear. MPs might then vote to postpone Brexit  or they might vote against that too.

Either way, it is possible that Norway-plus might be one of the options that comes into play. In which case, the extent of the common ground that Corbyn, Boles and Letwin found today could decide the nations future.

Got an unanswered question about Brexit? Send it to editor@independent.co.uk and well do our best to supply an answer in our Brexit Explained series
Cairo (AFP) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Sunday against the dangers of protesting, in the wake of widespread demonstrations in Algeria and neighbouring Sudan.

Sisi, who regularly evokes political stability to draw foreign investment, said protesters elsewhere were "ruining" their countries.

The president fell short of naming the countries, although neighbouring Sudan has since December seen regular demonstrations against longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.

In Algeria, tens of thousands of people have rallied in recent weeks against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office.

"All this talk (of protests) comes at a price that people are required to pay," Sisi said in a televised address to a military gathering.

Egypt's president has overseen a crackdown on dissent, banning protests and jailing Islamists as well as liberal and secular activists.

A former general, Sisi came to power following mass demonstrations against the rule of his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

The president has repeatedly criticised the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, which in Egypt ended the rule of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

"How are tourism or factories or trade supposed to get off the ground? Should we eat or should we say that we were busy protesting?" he said Sunday.

Egyptian authorities insist curbing freedoms -- including tightening internet controls -- are necessary to maintain stability and counter terrorism in the country.

Recently, rare calls for protest emerged on social media following a train crash at Cairo's central station that killed 22 people.

"Dozens were arrested for calling for the protests online after the crash," rights lawyer Gamal Eid told AFP on Sunday.

In January, Amnesty International said Egypt's intensified crackdown on dissent has made the country "more dangerous" than ever for peaceful critics.

Running virtually unopposed, Sisi was re-elected in March 2018 for another four-year term with over 97 percent of the vote after all serious challengers were arrested or dropped out.

Parliament stacked with Sisi's supporters are looking into constitutional amendments to extend his tenure beyond 2022.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Flights at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport resumed on Saturday after the airport closed its runways due to reports of a possible fire in the hold of a Boeing 737 cargo plane that was diverted there, officials said.

Air Transat Flight 942 was headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Montreal, Canada, when it made an emergency landing in Newark at around 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT), the Federal Aviation Administration said. Firefighters responded and passengers were evacuated on emergency slides, the FAA said.

There were two minor injuries "unrelated to any smoke condition," the airport said on Twitter.

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Matthew Lewis)
Huge crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple in India Sunday to commemorate 60 years since the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that drove the spiritual leader into exile.

Supporters of the 83-year-old peace icon chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile after fleeing a deadly Chinese crackdown in Tibet in 1959.

Devotees in the Indian hill station the Dalai Lama has called home for six decades waved Tibet's colourful "snow lion" flag, which China has outlawed as a symbol of separatism.

Some had "Free Tibet" painted on their faces along with the colours and distinct golden sun of the iconic flag.

"This is a proud day," Lhakpa Tsering, a Tibetan living in exile in India, told AFP in Dharamsala.

"Sixty years we've been in exile. Still, our struggle is young and fresh and strong, so we can give a message to China that until Tibetans remain, our struggle will never end."

The Dalai Lama himself was not present at the anniversary ceremony, but chief representatives of the exiled Tibetan administration and foreign dignitaries gathered for the solemn occasion.

Performers dressed in traditional attire danced and recited Tibetan songs at the temple for guests, which organisers said included parliamentarians from 10 nations.

A minute's silence was held at the outset to remember those killed when China brutally crushed the fledgling Tibetan revolt, a crackdown the government-in-exile claimed killed tens of thousands.

- Call for dialogue -

Buddhist Tibet, a vast Himalayan area of plateaus and mountains, declared independence from China in the early 20th century but Beijing took back control in 1951, having sent in thousands of troops.

The Dalai Lama -- chosen at the age of two in 1937 as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism's supreme religious leader -- was enthroned as head of state after the Chinese invasion.

Story continues

His co-existence with the Beijing authorities was tense and when the Chinese authorities summoned him to an event without his bodyguards on March 10, Tibetans feared a trap that could endanger their leader.

Thousands of his supporters assembled at his summer palace to prevent him from leaving; thousands more demonstrated in Lhasa to demand the Chinese depart, the Dalai Lama would later say.

Beijing sent more troops into Tibet, and in the bloodshed that followed, refugees poured over the border into Dharamsala -- already then a sanctuary for Tibetan exiles fleeing Chinese repression.

The Dalai Lama evaded Chinese authorities and slipped away dressed as a soldier, escaping to India with an entourage of supporters in a gruelling two-week trek through the Himalayas.

There he formed a government-in-exile and demanded autonomy for Tibet, a decades-long quest that would earn him worldwide respect as a figure of nonviolence. He won the Nobel Prize in 1989.

He remains a thorn in the side to China, which adamantly rejects any suggestion of Tibetan autonomy and blacklisted the Dalai Lama as a dangerous "separatist".

Beijing continues to be accused of political and religious repression in the region, but insists Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms and that it has brought economic growth.

"If (China) earnestly believes that co-operation can bring more peace, it should renew dialogue with the envoys of His Holiness Dalai Lama," Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

"As we have seen repeatedly, the envoys are ready to talk and peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet through the 'middle-way approach'".
It was the sound of children chatting on their way to school that startled Amer on his first morning in England.

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For the past eight years, the 30-year-old Syrian, one of the White Helmets rescue workers, had grown more accustomed to seeing children trapped under rubble after a government airstrike than peacefully walking to school with friends.

White Helmets patrol in Syria (Photo: AFP)

Even switching on lights in his home has been a novelty for Amer, who did not have access to reliable power since the war began in 2011. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced about half of Syria's pre-war 22 million population.

"The day I arrived in Britain, I put my head on a pillow to sleep, and in the morning I was woken up by the sound of children outside," said Amer, who did not reveal his full name or location for fear of reprisals.

"So I peeked out the window and I could see mothers dropping their children off at school - and that's just not something I've seen in eight years," he said from his home in northeastern England where he has lived since September.



With the help of Western powers and Israeli soldiers, Amer was among hundreds of White Helmets evacuated last July from southwest Syria to Jordan, during a government offensive.





Israel transporting White Helmet members to Jordan

The White Helmets, known officially as Syria Civil Defense, was established as a rescue service in rebel-held areas of Syria, where its civilian volunteers have often worked to save people trapped under the rubble of government bombardment.

Its members, known for their white helmets, say they are neutral. But Syrian President Bashar Assad and his backers, including Russia, have dismissed them as Western-sponsored propaganda tools and proxies of Islamist-led insurgents.

It was all gone

Amer said he joined the service in the southern province of Deraa because of a sense of duty and to prevent other civilians - who had not been trained like the White Helmets - from getting hurt attempting to save people from the rubble.

"It was a complete reflex. As soon as there was a call for rescue, you pile into your car, you go and you take care of that mission," he said in Arabic through an interpreter.

"Regardless of all the chaos, just seeing the face of someone you were rescuing makes you forget everything - all your pain, all your exhaustion. You're just in the moment of saving someone," he said.

Seeing two friends killed in an airstrike during the early years of the conflict, and feeling completely helpless as dozens died from severe bleeding, galvanised Amer's decision.

A member of the White Helmets searching for people in the ruins of a building (Photo: AP)

But being part of the White Helmets over the years has made him a prime target of the government, Amer said, and he had no choice but to flee.

As he stood on a hill overlooking Deraa, during his final days in Syria last year, the former student felt an overwhelming sense of loss and grief for his country.

"I could see refugee camps that would have housed activists, doctors, volunteers, all kinds of people, and I wondered what would happen to them," Amer said.

"The feeling of being forced to leave your country when you don't want to go is indescribable. I felt like everything was lost and that it was all gone."

A new life

Britain has resettled about 100 White Helmets and their families since September, as part of the evacuation plan from Jordan that was coordinated with Germany and Canada.

"Our priority now is to help make sure that they can rebuild their lives safely here in the UK," Britain's immigration minister Caroline Nokes told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in emailed comments.

The Syria Campaign, an advocacy group supporting the White Helmets, said the volunteers faced immense challenges as they try to rebuild their lives.

"The White Helmets volunteers have witnessed the unthinkable massacres of innocent people, dead children, the victims of chemical weapons attacks," said its spokeswoman Mirren Gidda.

"The psychological impact of that is huge. These are tremendously brave people with so much to contribute, it's so important they are made to feel welcome and valued."

Members of the White Helmets wearing gas masks in Syria (Photo: AFP)

Though Amer is learning English and grateful to be in Britain, he said it has been difficult adjusting to a new culture and lifestyle.

Yet that has not stopped him from doing what he does best: saving lives, and has signed up as a volunteer with the local fire service to help people fireproof their homes.

"I will be delivering my first awareness training session to an Iraqi family that has just been resettled here," he said, beaming as he showed photos of his time with the fire service, who knew of the White Helmets and welcomed him immediately.

Amer said he was proud of being a White Helmet, especially since Western governments helped to evacuate them, but now felt a deep responsibility to speak up for those still in Syria.

"We've lost everything. The only thing left for us to do is to let the world know about the tragedy that women, children and men are going through in Syria," he said.
The Israeli Air Force struck several Hamas targets overnight Saturday after a rocket was fired at Israel from Gaza, the military said.

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A military compound in the northern Gaza Strip, as well as two naval vessels belonging to the terror organization were targeted in the nighttime aerial raid.

Palestinians clear the damage done by latest IDF strike in Gaza (Photo: AFP)

The strikes come after a projectile fired from the Strip landed in an open area in the Eshkol Regional Council, one of many Israeli communities located along the Israel-Gaza frontier. There were no reports of any damage or injuries.

Security forces searching for remains of the rocket fired into Israel (:  )

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The IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirmed the strikes, emphasizing they came in response to the terror attacks from the Gaza Strip, which include incendiary balloons and attempts to damage our security infrastructure over the past few days."

The military emphasized they take any attempt to harm Israeli civilians very seriously and hold Hamas responsible for the developments in the coastal enclave.

Friday also saw a similar chain of events unfold, with Israeli military striking two Hamas positions in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, in response to two rockets fired into Israel from the coastal enclave.

In addition, earlier on Saturday an anti-tank missile attached to a cluster of balloons landed in the Sdot Negev Regional Councilbordering the Stripand was neutralized by police sappers. No one was hurt in the incident.

Explosive device attached to cluster of balloons hovers over Israel (Photo: EPA)

Despite the volatile situation along the southern border, Palestinian sources said the Egypt-brokered, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, to reach a possible ceasefire arrangement, are still ongoing.

The delegation of Egyptian intelligence officials, which has been mediating the talks for several months, arrived in Israel on Saturday after spending a number of days in the Strip.
A Palestinian driver who broke through a barrier of a police checkpoint on Route 90 in the Jordan Valley on Sunday morning was fatally shot.

The policemen stationed at the checkpoint signalled to the driver to stop the vehicle, but the Palestinian continued to charge at the security forces, prompting them to fire at the perpetrator.
An Ethiopian Airlines flight with 157 people thought to be on board crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning from Ethiopia's capital headed to Nairobi, the airline said.

The airline's statement said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on board the Boeing 737 that crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, on its way to Kenya's capital.
Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman said Sunday that he refuses to condemn the ultra-Orthodox demonstrators who violently attacked the Women of the Wall protesters on Friday.

Speaking at the start of the cabinet meeting, Litzman insisted the women who protested at the Western Wall tried to provoke the Haredi men in the area, adding that the women had to be thrown out.
Hamas did not stage riots or confrontations along the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday night, for the first in months of nightly incidents at the friction points along the security fence.

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Earlier in the day, however, a mortar shell was fired at the Eshkol Regional Council and exploded in an open area; a cluster of balloons carrying the warhead from an anti-tank missile was found in a forested area of the Negev; and a bullet fired from the northern Gaza Strip hit a house in Netiv HaAsara in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. There were no casualties in any of the incidents.

Balloons carrying the warhead of an anti-tank missile from Gaza to Israel

Sources familiar with the details told Ynet that the lack of nightly confrontations at the fence constitutes a form of confidence-building measures on the part of Hamas, in order to prove its willingness to move forward with the proposed understandings with Israel.

These understandings include a lull in the violence in exchange for Israel easing restrictions on Gaza, and are the result of mediation by a delegation of senior Egyptian intelligence officials, who have been shuttling between Israel and Gaza over the past few days.





The damage caused by balloons carrying the warhead of an anti-tank missile from Gaza to Israel

The current Israeli assessment is that the Islamic Jihad is trying to torpedo these attempts at calm, and is responsible for the rocket and mortar fire as well as the explosive balloons dispatched over the weekend.

The Egyptian delegation, headed by the country's deputy intelligence chief General Omar Hanafi, left Gaza on Friday. As far as is known, the team is still in Israel where they are holding talks with security officials to re-establish the understandings that will lead to calm. It is as yet unclear whether the halt in clashes along the border is a one-off or will last over the next few nights.

The substantive overnight offensive by the IAF against targets belonging to the Hamas military wing, together with the pressure being exerted by Egypt, has led the organization to understand that Israel has run out patience and as such the chances of a relatively large military confrontation are higher than ever.

Damage in Gaza after Saturday night's IAF attack

Nonetheless, Hamas is still dabbling in psychological warfare to achieve its ends. It is using various sources to leak to the Palestinian media a range of demands for easing conditions in the Gaza Strip. These demands include issues relating to the electricity supply and infrastructure development, as well as increasing the fishing zone for Gaza's fishermen. As far as is known, the Egyptian-brokered indirect talks between the two sides to formulate these understandings have not yet borne fruit, but there does seem to be some progress.

On Friday, not long after the Egyptian delegation set out from Gaza, a 23-year-old Palestinian was killed by IDF fire during clashes along the fence in the southern Gaza Strip. This led to the mortar shell being fired at Israel on Saturday evening, which exploded in an open area of southern Israel.





Damage to an Israeli house hit by Gaza mortar fire (Photo: Itay Almog)

Indeed, it is not inconceivable that the Islamic Jihad is also behind the Saturday night rocket fire, given that it is not committed to the understandings that are being formulated by Egypt, and actually may also oppose them. According to assessments in Gaza, Islamic Jihad is opposed to the agreements currently between brokered and launched the rocket fire in an effort to torpedo the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi is expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip this week, bringing a lifeline of more than $100 million for the impoverished families living there.
The Palestinian president has chosen longtime adviser Mohammed Ishtayeh as his new prime minister, officials said Sunday, a step that further deepens the rift with the rival Hamas group.

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was expected to announce the appointment later in the day, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

Ishtayeh, a British-educated economist, is a top official in Abbas' Fatah movement. He is a former peace negotiator and strong proponent of a two-state solution with Israel. He also is a strong critic of the Islamic militant group Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah forces in 2007.

President Abbas (Photo: EPA)

The Hamas takeover has left the Palestinians torn between rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank, where Abbas' Palestinian Authority administers autonomous areas. Repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed.

Ishtayeh will succeed Rami Hamdallah, who had overseen a unity government formed nearly five years ago with the goal of reaching a conciliation deal with Hamas.

Those attempts made little headway, and collapsed a year ago when Hamdallah's motorcade was almost struck by a roadside bomb in Gaza.

Hamdallah announced his resignation in January after years of failure in reconciliation efforts. Ishtayeh is now expected to appoint a new Cabinet of Fatah supporters.

Ishtayeh, who is in his early 60s, has a Ph.D. in economic development from the University of Sussex, according to his website. He has held a number of senior positions, including Public Works minister and a past peace negotiator with Israel. He currently is head of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction, a body that works with international donors on economic development projects in the Palestinian areas.
An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on boardincluding two Israelisauthorities said, as grieving families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the destination, Nairobi. More than 30 nationalities are among the dead.

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It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November. The pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return, the airline's CEO told reporters.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent. It is known as an early buyer of new aircraft as it assertively expands.

Scene of the plane crash (Photo: AFP)

The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane. Besides the two Israeli casualtiesKenyans, Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Ethiopians, Italians, French, British, Egyptians, Indians, Slovakians and otherswere among the dead, said the airline's CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam.

The plane crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenya's capital, plowing into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The airline later published a photo showing its CEO standing in the wreckage. Little of the plane could be seen in the freshly churned earth, under a blue sky.

Scene of the plane crash (Photo: AFP)

"Tewolde Gebremariam, who is at the accident scene now, regrets to confirm that there are no survivors," the post on social media said. "He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident."

The plane had showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility was clear.

State broadcaster EBC reported that 33 nationalities were among the victims. The airline's CEO said those included 32 Kenyans and nine Ethiopians. Authorities said other victims include 18 Canadians; eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; five from the Netherlands and four each from India and Slovakia.

The airline has said 157 people were thought to be on board.

Scene of the plane crash (Photo: Reuters)

The Ethiopian prime minister's office offered its "deepest condolences" to families. "My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board," Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning also expressed his condolences at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "I would like to send condolences to the government and people of Ethiopia, and to the families of the victims who perished in the plane crash," he said. "If there is anything we can do, we areof courseready to do it. We have also said this to the Ethiopian government."

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africa's two largest economic powers and is popular with tourists making their way to safari and other destinations. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airport's waiting areas, along with businessmen from China and elsewhere.

At the airport in Nairobi, worried families gathered.

Relatives of the victims hear about the crash (Photo: AP)

"I came to the airport to receive my brother but I have been told there is a problem," Agnes Muilu said. "I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it."

"Why are they taking us round and round, it is all over the news that the plane crashed," said Edwin Ong'undi, who had been waiting for his sister. "All we are asking for is information to know about their fate."

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was new, delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November, the airline's CEO said. Its last maintenance was on Feb. 4 and it had flown just 1,200 hours. The pilot was a senior one, joining the airline in 2010, he said.

Remains of the crashed plane (Photo: Reuters)

In a statement, Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of the crash and that a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

In October, another Boeing 737-8 MAX plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, killing all 189 people on board the plane Lion Air flight. The cockpit data recorder showed that the jet's airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though Lion Air initially claimed that problems with the aircraft had been fixed.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Beirut killing all 90 people on board.

Ethiopian Boeing 737-8 MAX plane (Photo: Yohai Mossi)

Sunday's crash comes as the country's reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

Ethiopian Airlines' expansion has included the recent opening of a route to Moscow and the inauguration in January of a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new "Airport City" terminal in Bishoftuwhere Sunday's crash occurred.
The military court approved on Sunday a plea bargain with the three soldiers from the religious Netzah Yehuda battalion, who were convicted of aggravated abuse of two Palestinian detainees.

As part of the arrangement, each of the soldiers was sentenced to 190 days in prison, a demotion in the rank, and a suspended sentence.
Following the appointment of Mohammed Ishtayeh as Palestinian prime minister by President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas has announced that it will not recognize the new government and that Fatah is not acting in good will.
BAGHDAD/GENEVA - President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Iraq this week is a strong message to the United States and its regional allies that Iran still dominates Baghdad, a key arena for rising tension between Washington and Tehran.

The first Iranian presidential visit to Iraq since 2013 is also meant to signal to President Donald Trump's administration that Tehran retains its influence in much of the region despite U.S. sanctions.

"Iran and Iraq are neighbours and no country can interfere in their relations," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said after arriving in Baghdad to prepare for the visit.

Rouhani's three-day trip starting on Monday includes meetings with Iraq's president and prime minister, tours of Shi'ite Muslim holy sites and a meeting with top Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iranian state media reported.

Rouhani made clear last week the debt he believes Baghdad owes Tehran for support in the battle to defeat Islamic State. Iranian forces and the militias they back played a crucial role defeating IS in Iraq and Syria.
Economist Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of the West Bank's dominant Fatah party, was named Palestinian prime minister on Sunday in what the rival Hamas group that runs Gaza called a blow to unity efforts.

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The appointment was announced six weeks after Rami al-Hamdallah tendered his resignation from the post and the resignation of his unity government to President Mahmoud Abbas, underscoring the failure of Hamas and Fatah to implement a power-sharing deal.

Abbas and his new prime minister (Photo: Reuters)

Speaking to Palestine Television, Shtayyeh said he would immediately begin consultations with factions belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads, on forming a new cabinet.

Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since seizing the enclave from Fatah in 2007, is not a member of the PLO. Ismail Rudwan, a senior official in the Islamist group, said the creation of "a separatist government ... will prolong Palestinian division."

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in November 2017 calling for Abbas' West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to resume governing in Gaza and take control of its crossing points into Egypt and Israel.

However, disputes quickly arose on how to implement the agreement. Another sticking point has been policy towards Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War and maintained tight control of Gaza's borders since withdrawing settlers and troops from the area in 2005.

Shtayyeh's immediate challenge is to shore up the cash-strapped PA, which exercises limited self-rule under interim peace accords with Israel.

The PA has been squeezed by steep US aid cuts, with the cash crisis exacerbated by a dispute with Israel over the withholding of some 5 percent of the monthly tax revenues it transfers to the Authority.

Israel said the money it is holding back is used by the PA to pay stipends to families of militants killed or jailed by Israel. The PA has refused to accept any tax transfers until those funds are restored.

Shtayyeh, seen largely as a technocrat, most recently headed the Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development, a donor coordination and advocacy body established by the PLO in 1993.
US President Donald Trumps ambition to change the rules of global trade is not skipping over Israel, according to a report by Bloomberg news. US trade negotiators will be visiting Israel this week for discussions on upgrading the existing agricultural trade agreements and reduce tariffs for American farm exports to Israel.

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Under the existing agreement, virtually any product produced in Israel that can be competitive in the U.S. market, can enter the U.S. duty-free, according to a separate 2018 report from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Foreign Agricultural Service. In contrast, U.S. products continue to face high tariffs in many sectors limiting their access to the Israeli market.





President Trump (Photo: MCT)

Trump is trying to complete a process, begun under the Obama administration, to reopen the free trade agreement signed in 1985. Until now, Israel has been reluctant to lower barriers to American imports, but changes are expected to allow more US agricultural exports into Israel.

Since signing the agreement more than three decades ago, Israels economic output has expanded about 13 times. The agricultural pact between the allies was last updated in 2004.

The talks have been ongoing for some time now and are expected to wrap up this week. If they do reach an agreement, the government may find it hard to implement during the election season; only last week, the attorney general told Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon that a decree lowering tariffs for imported dairy products can only be signed after the election.

In 2017, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of almost $14 billion with Israel, an economy 55 times smaller. America is by far Israels biggest trading partner with annual trade worth $30 billion, three times the total of second-place China, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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Precious stones, pharmaceuticals and electrical machinery are Israels main exports to the U.S., Agriculture accounted for less than $1 billion of trade between the countries in 2017, according to the U.S. Trade Representatives website.

If a new deal reduces protectionism and opens Israeli markets to more competition, it could have the support of many in Israel, where high consumer costs are a frequent source of frustration, wrote Bloomberg.
A military court sentenced three soldiers from the armys religious Netzach Yehuda unit to 190 days in prison, three months on probation and a demotion to the rank of Private, for physically abusing two Palestinian detainees.

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The ruling came after the defendants pleaded guilty in a plea bargain to the abuse of two detainees, suspected of being accomplices in the terror attack in which two soldiers from their unit were killed in a Givat Assaf attack.

3 defendants (Photo: Yariv Katz)

The three expressed remorse for their actions and received relatively light sentences. It was agreed that the defendants could submit a request in two years for their criminal record to be expunged and the prosecution would not oppose. The three will also be allowed to go home over the Passover vacation.

One of the defendants, a staff sergeant and a squad leader, filmed the abusive incident, a fact which added a measure of severity to the indictment as it was intended to further humiliate the victims. But his taking responsibility for his actions allowed the court to lighten his sentence.

Regarding another defendant, a sergeant, the judge stressed his good record as a training commander and the fact that he was friends with the murdered soldier.

The third defendant, a corporal, will not be demoted. During the incident he was in the midst of a personal crisis and later expressed shame over it, said the judge. He was commended for cooperating with the court and for taking responsibility for his actions.

According to the testimony of one of the defendants, the violence against the detainees began when the vehicle the force was traveling in passed by Givat Assaf, the place where a shooting attack by a Palestinian terrorist killed Yuval Mor Yosef and Yosef Cohen, two Netzach Yehuda soldiers.

I saw the sights and everything came rushing back; it was a specific event that does not characterize me, I regret what I did," he testified. I reached the scene of the attack moments after they were killed and I saw my friend fighting for his life.

I buried Yuval Mor Yosef. Before the attack, we sat together and suddenly I am grasping the fact that he is no longer alive, he continued. The intense period following the attack, in pursuit of the suspects and their accomplices, did not allow him to properly deal with his emotions he said.

The units commander Lt. Col. Nitai Okesh testified on behalf of the soldiers and asked the judges for mercy. Most of our soldiers are volunteers, they give up a lot in order to enlist in the IDF and many lose contact with their (ultra-Orthodox) families There was quite a lot of pressure on the battalion, he said.

Commander Okesh added that following the incident, the unit conducted a session with relevant professionals regarding what is allowed and not allowed on the battlefield.

Today we are in an entirely different place. Despite the storm of emotions, the fighters know what is expected of a soldier in the IDF. This is not an event that characterizes the battalion, Okesh concluded.

Meanwhile, the trial of the direct commander of the defendants, a lieutenant officer, is ongoing. He is accused of not interfering in the crime and negligence in allowing the incident to take place.
Dr. Stephen D. Smith is a British Methodist Christian who visited Yad Vashem in 1993. He was 26 at the time, and the visit changed his life. The story of the Holocaust gave him no peace and with the support of his family, when he returned to his hometown of Nottinghamshire in northern England he established Beit Shalom, an educational and museum center for Holocaust education. With extraordinary talent and astonishing ambition, Smith quickly became the central authority in teaching the Holocaust in Britain.

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During my years of working at Yad Vashem as the director of the International School for Holocaust Studies, I met with him many times and a personal and professional friendship developed between us. In the summer of 1999, I visited his home and the educational center he established nearby.

In that conversation I brought up a unique challenge. Pope John Paul II was to visit Yad Vashem on March 23, 2000, and ahead of the visit I suggested that we publish a book together on the subject of the Catholic Church and the Holocaust and Smith enlisted enthusiastically.

A team was formed including Prof. Carol Rittner, a Catholic nun and Stockton University (NJ) lecturer in the Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and Irena Steinfeldt, who recently retired after a decade as director of the Righteous Among the Nations department at Yad Vashem. They met the challenge and the book did indeed come out on the eve of the Pope's visit.

The book devoted a chapter to the subject of Pope Pius XII and the Vatican during the Holocaust, consisting of five articles by Jewish and Catholic historians and intellectuals, including a priest and rabbi, who represented a wide range of viewpoints based on the documentation available to researchers at the time (the book was recently re-published by an American Catholic publisher).

Last week, we were informed of the Vatican's decision to publicize in a year's time all its archive documents from the Holocaust period  the term of Pius XII's papacy. The decision should indeed be welcomed, although it comes two generations late, but one should not expect any major drama in the research literature on the subject following the opening of the archives.

About a decade ago, an international scholarly workshop was held at Yad Vashem headed by historian Prof. David Bankier on the subject of Pius XII and the Holocaust. The presence of one researcher was especially prominent: Italian nun and Historian Grazia Loparco, who studied the documents sent from the Vatican to the monasteries and churches that sought to know the position of the Holy See regarding rescuing and concealing Jews. The picture that emerged at the end of her workshop taught us more or less the following:

Pope Pius XII (Photo: AP)

A. The silence of the Holy See during the Holocaust is a proven fact and opening the archives will contribute nothing that denies this. When the Vatican was proposed to join the Allied Declaration of 17 December 1942 regarding the perpetration of the Holocaust, its scale, and the prosecution of war crimes criminals, the Pope decided not to join.

Instead, a few days later, on the eve of Christmas, Pius XII delivered a holiday sermon in which he spoke meekly about the suffering of human beings in war because of their ethnic origin. He did not mention Jews nor did he mention the Nazis.

B. There was no public initiative by the Holy See to save Jews; not by appealing to the Nazi authorities, not by calling on faithful Christians to save and hide Jews, nor in any other way.

It seems that the Pope sought to maintain neutrality in order to secure his ties with the Nazi regime and to protect the churches. It is important to note in this context that the Catholic Church in occupied Poland was severely persecuted by the Nazis who massacred many of its members. It is also known that when the head of the church in the Netherlands issued a protest, the Germans arrested converted Jews, including Edith Stein, and sent them to Auschwitz. Presumably this fact has bearing on the Pope's cautious stance.

C. There were certainly local initiatives by clergy, churches and monasteries that concealed Jews. Noteworthy in this context is the Archbishop of Toulouse, Jules-Geraud Saliege, who called on Christians to save Jews and was recognized by Yad Vashem as being a Righteous Among the Nations. As far as such cases were concerned, they did not stem from the guidance or encouragement of the Vatican. However, it seems that the more the Vatican was asked about this issue, the more it supported the rescue of Jews  not as a policy but as a direct answer to what was being asked.

D. In my opinion, there is one matter for which the opening of the archives does offer hope: in shedding light on the Jewish children who were hidden in monasteries or with Christian families under the auspices of the Church. If new material is uncovered on this matter, it will certainly be interesting to the public as well as from a human perspective.

In conclusion, when Professor Yehuda Bauer was asked if Pius XII could have prevented the Holocaust and how many Jews he was actually capable of saving, he replied: "I do not know how many Jews he could have saved, but he could have saved his own life."

Dr. Moti Shalem is Vice President of Content and Development at the Shem Olam Faith & the Holocaust Institute for Education, Documentation & Research
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Ghanaian musician, comedian and politician, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-plus has revealed his plans of contesting for the highest seat of the land.

According to Ghana, he will one day wish to contest for the presidency and will do well to develop Ghana when voted for.

In a video that was posted on the Instagram page of Blagogee.com, A-plus was heard telling rapper, Pope Skinny and others he was drinking with what he intends doing for Ghana if he becomes president.

READ ALSO: Afia Schwar reveals how she pays male prostitutes to sleep with her (Video)

Kwame A-plus in the video noted that if he becomes president of Ghana, citizens will go to jail for flouting the country's laws.

"If I become president, those who will urinate on the street, park their cars anyhow will all go to jail," he said.

"Those who do not slow down their cars on seeing zebra crossing to enable pedestrians cross will also go to jail," he added.

A-plus disclosed that he knows Ghanaians will not be happy when a punishment like jail term is meted out for flouting the country's laws.

"I know with my actions, Ghanaians will not vote for me again after my first four years of ruling but I don't care," he stressed.

On development, A plus disclosed that as president, he will demolish the entire Nima community and rebuild it.

READ ALSO: Yvonne Nelson's plush mansion as captured by Efia Odo (photos, video)

He noted that after demolishing Nima, he will build factories and high rise buildings as residential apartments for the inhabitants of Nima.

"If I were president, I will not let Nima look so filthy and be such a slum. I will demolish and rebuild the community up to standard so the people can enjoy life," he explained.

Meanwhile A-plus recently slammed President Nana Akufo-Addo for soliciting funds to build the national cathedral.

In a video that circulated on social media, A-Plus revealed his support for Joyce Dzidzor Mensah after Joyce mocked the president with a video soliciting funds from passengers on a train in Germany.

A-Plus also tagged NPP members as hypocrites, saying that if it were John Mahama who wanted to build the cathedral, the same people would have complained.

READ ALSO: Beautiful photos of Moesha Boduong on her birthday

I don't do secular music. I do good music with good themes: Kuami Eugene - Star Gist| #Yencomgh

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The most advanced AK 203 rifles produced in Amethi will have remarkably improved performance parameters as compared to the INSAS rifle, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wrote on Saturday in a Facebook post.

Pointing out the features of the advanced rifle, she said: "With an effective range of 300m, increased lethality and higher accuracy, the AK 203 rifle will add substantial firepower to our armed forces and bolster the combat capabilities of our soldiers in different scenarios, whether in counter-terrorists or conventional operations." She added that the acquisition of these rifles by the armed forces is in consonance with the government's aim to enhance defence preparedness.

She stated that the AK 203 is "a successor of the historic AK 47 which continues to be in service in many militaries across the world." She added that it will be manufactured employing improved metallurgy thereby achieving lighter weight (3.85 kgs), shorter length (932 mm) and modern ergonomics.

The Defence Minister said that the Armed Forces have which have been using the INSAS rifle have often had to face several problems. "Using INSAS rifle for the longest time, our soldiers have had to face several issues such as gun jamming, oil drips during combat, and frequent breakages in its magazines. Taking cognizance of this issue, the NDA government made it a priority to upgrade and gradually replace the handheld firearms," she said.

She added that the manufacturing of AK-203 in Amethi is reflective of Indias robust foreign relations and political determination to provide our forces with world-class equipment under the Modi government. "India will also be the first nation, outside Russia, to be equipped with the advanced AK203 rifles," she said.

"In a major push towards indigenisation, the rifles produced at the plant will be 100% Made in India within the next three years. The transfer of technology worked out in the deal with Russia emphasises on capacity and capability building within India to ensure that all parts of the AK-203 are produced locally. This would provide a fillip to the Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridor Project and Ordnance Factory Korwa shall become a crucial anchor in the supply chain," she added.

She also said that the expansion of production at the Amethi plant will lead to the creation of numerous direct and indirect jobs and give a push to the general economy of the district.

Lashing out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, she said that the foundation stone of Ordnance Factory in Korwa was laid by him in 2007 but its performance since has been lacklustre. "OF Korwa was sanctioned in 2007 with a budget of Rs 408.11 Crore. However, due to administrative issues under the UPA government, only Rs 318.36 Crore has been invested in the establishment," she wrote.

In his first visit to Rahul's Lok Sabha constituency Amethi since the 2014 election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 March inaugurated a manufacturing unit for AK-203 rifles, an India-Russia joint venture, at the Korba ordnance factory.
The Indian Army along with the Bangladeshi counterparts on Sunday practised intricate operations that can be executed in a joint counter terrorism environment. The training was part of the eighth edition of joint military exercise 'Sampriti' that is underway in Tangail in Bangladesh.

As part of the exercise, the two Armies have been training together and have also carried out firing from various platforms to achieve synergy. The 'Sampriti 2019', part of the ongoing India-Bangladesh defence cooperation, began on March 3 and will conclude on March 15. It has been aimed at increasing mutual cooperation, bonhomie and camaraderie between the armies of India and Bangladesh.

Ex #SampritiVIII 2019.Having trained together for past few days,troops of #IndianArmy & #BangladeshArmy carried out practice of intricate operations to be executed in a joint counter terrorism environment.Troops also carried out firing from various platforms to achieve #Synergy pic.twitter.com/KGeNaqVWYw  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) March 10, 2019

A company group from Bangladesh Army and an equal number from Indian Army are taking part in the two-week long exercise that will see them hone their tactical and technical skills in countering insurgency, counter terrorism and aid to civil authorities for disaster management in an UN peace keeping scenario involving a combined deployment at a battalion level.

At the opening ceremony, the participating contingents marched in and stood side by side, and gave a ceremonial salute to the national flags of both the countries to the strains of Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla.

The Bangladesh contingent was represented by 36 East Bengal Battalion, while Indian side was represented by 9th Battalion the Rajputana Rifles. Major General Mizanur Rahman Shamim, General Officer Commanding, 19 Infantry Division, Bangladesh Army welcomed the Indian contingent and in his inaugural remarks highlighted the common shared beliefs of democracy, freedom, equality and justice that are precious to both the nations.

The exercise started way back in 2009 as a platoon level exercise and graduated to company level exercise in 2015 onwards. During the two week exercise, both sides are jointly training, planning and executing a series of well developed tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered during simulated UN peace keeping operations.
New Delhi: Amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, a reciprocal visit by the Indian team to Pakistan for inspection of projects in Indus River basin this month has been postponed, senior officials said on Sunday.

During the 115th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission held in Lahore from August 29-30, 2018, both the commissioners had agreed to undertake the treaty-mandated tours of the Indus basin on both sides, the official said.

The tour of the Pakistani side was originally scheduled in October 2018 but was postponed because of local bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the Pakistani team visited India in the last week of January to inspect projects in the Chenab basin in the state.

Pakistani Indus Commissioner Syed Mohammad Mehar Ali Shah and Indian Commissioner PK Saxena along with respective advisers visited the under-construction Indian hydropower projects in Chenab basin namely Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW).

The delegation also visited the under-operation Baglihar hydro electric project (900 MW). The Pakistani commissioner extended an invitation to his counterpart to undertake a visit of the Indus basin on the Pakistani side.

The Indian team was supposed to visit Pakistan this month, a senior official said. "But amid the ongoing tension it has now been postponed," the official added.

The official remained non-committal about the date, but said the visit has to take place by March 2020. Under Article VIII of the treaty, both commissioners are mandated to undertake, once every five years, a general tour of inspection of the rivers for ascertaining the facts connected with various developments and works on both sides.

The current five-year block ends in March, 2020. The PCIW, formed under the Indus Waters Treaty, was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, and it includes Indus commissioners of both countries. The treaty provides for both the commissioners to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The treaty specifies that the waters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, have been reserved for India while that of western rivers, namely Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, are for Pakistan.
At least three terrorists were killed on Sunday after an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The operation, which is still underway, took place at Pinglish village in Tral in the district.

The bodies, recovered by the security forces, are yet to be identified.

Several arms including two AK-47 rifles and a pistol has been recovered.

The security forces had cordoned and launched a search operation in the district after receiving specific intelligence input about presence of the terrorists in the area. When the security forces were conducting the searches, the terrorists fired upon them. The forces retaliated, triggering an encounter.

A search is currently underway.
New Delhi: With nationalist sentiments on a high after the suicide attack that left 40 CRPF troopers dead, it is the Kashmiris around the country who have felt the heat. Post-February 14 Pulwama attack, a helpline for students from the state in the NCR area received over 500 calls -- more than 25 calls a day.

Vidushi Kapoor, Jammu and Kashmir's Liaison Officer-in-charge of Delhi-NCR area, told IANS that although no major incident was reported, she received around 500-600 calls, especially from Dehradun, from Kashmiri students saying that they are "feeling insecure".

"Police and college authorities were very helpful. Full security and support was provided to the students at all times," she said. However, the charged-up environment and reports from other areas has prompted many Kashmiri students to return home, she added.

"The environment has cooled down now, but two weeks were quite upsetting... the students were really scared."

Kapoor is one of the seven Liaison Officers appointed around the country by the state government in November 2018 for support of students from the state. After the attack, their contacts were published in newspapers and social media to enable students to contact them.

More worryingly, the situation also shows that the rift between the state`s three major regions - Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh - extends to influence the perception of their people around India. Kapoor noted that the helpline had not got a single call from any students from the Jammu region.

Meanwhile, it is those from the Kashmir Valley who are squeezed between the terror outfits and the security forces.

Noting how all this takes a mental toll on its residents, Mehr (name changed), a 21-year-old living in the Kashmir Valley, said: "We are in repressive conditions. Being surrounded by security men is normal for us...livelihood, schools being suspended is normal."

About the Pulwama attack, she said: "Violence wouldn't solve the issue. The attack was not a good thing" but noted that people joined militancy because of "excesses".

Taniya Tikoo, a Kashmiri Pandit living in Delhi, said it is best for both India and Pakistan if Kashmiris are allowed to have a dialogue among themselves. "It will be a win-win situation for everyone," she said.

People from Jammu region have a different take.

Citing the recent grenade attack in Jammu bus stand, Delhi University student Saloni, who hails from Kathua, said, "A lot of violence has shifted to Jammu (region)."

She demanded greater linkage between the state and India. "India has been investing so much... we should be integrated with the rest of the country and Articles 370, 35A (of the Constitution) should be scrapped - they have done no good so far."

Hitu, another girl from Jammu region studying in Delhi, however, said whenever any violence takes place in Kashmir, it affects everyone including "our schools, banks, highways also close".

She also said that people from Jammu and Ladakh region "have a general feeling of being ignored by the leaders".

Jigmat Paljor, President of the Ladakh Student Welfare Society in Delhi, is in agreement with his Jammu counterparts - but to a point. Paljor told IANS how his people feel alienated because with all focus on Kashmir, issues of Ladakh, which is the state`s biggest region but sparsely populated, get overlooked.

About the challenges Ladakh faces after a Pulwama-type attack, he said its economy suffers since it is almost fully dependent on tourism. "And since Ladakh has a border with both Pakistan and China, there is always fear of tensions escalating...."

While Paljor maintains Kashmir is an integral part of the country, he wants Articles 370 and 35A to stay as his region "is very fragile and susceptible in terms of economy, culture, language, environment, from outside influence".


GWALIOR: Urging the Ayyappa devotees to continue their struggle in order to save the traditions of Kerala's Sabarimala temple, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday said people from all over the country must come together to protect the traditions and beliefs of the Hindus.

A resolution was adopted by the RSS at a three-day meet of its highest policy-making body the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

In the resolution it is said that "vested interests" had come up with a "systematic design", which is not based on Bhartiya perspective with an aim to damage Hindu beliefs and traditions, IANS reported.

"The Sabarimala temple case is a recent example of this design. Hindutva is not a monolithic thought but a view of life manifested in diverse and varied ways of cultural expressions, characterised by uniqueness in modes of worship, local traditions and festivities. It is anomalous to impose monotonous homogenisation on the beauty of diversity in our traditions," the resolution said.

The ABPS urged the devotees to maintain restraint and peace during their struggle to protect the traditions of Sabarimala temple.

"The Pratinidhi Sabha urges the Kerala government to honour the beliefs, sentiments and democratic rights of the devotees and not perpetrate violence upon its own people. The Pratinidhi Sabha hopes that the Court will comprehensively consider all these concerns in the review and other petitions," the resolution said.

Launching a direct attack on Kerala`s Left Front government, the ABPS said that the state government was deliberately hurting the sentiments of Hindus under the pretext of implementing the Supreme Court verdict. It may be recalled that a few months ago, the apex court had passed a historic judgement allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple.

"It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court while reaching the decision did not take into consideration the nature and premise of the tradition that has been accepted and continuously followed by people for many years. The version of heads of religious traditions was not taken into account and the sentiments of women devotees were also not heeded," the resolution noted.

The RSS also accused the Kerala government of playing with the sentiments of Ayyappa devotees by making efforts to sneak in atheist and ultra-Left women activists inside the temple.

"This is being done to further the Communist Party of India-Marxist`s (CPI-M) petty political gains and opens another ideological battle against the Hindus," the resolution read.

(with IANS inputs)`
Gwalior: The RSS, on the second day of its Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha meet in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior on Saturday resolved to "rebuild" the Indian family system which is "torn by social change".

The 'sabha', the highest decision-making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, also called for organising various events to make the people, especially youths, aware of the history of the "Azad Hind government", which was formed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to secure independence of India from the British.

Around 1,400 members of the 'sabha', including the Hindutva organisation's chief Mohan Bhagwat and 'sar karyavaha' (general secretary) Bhaiyaji Joshi, are taking part in the three-day event which began Friday.

RSS 'saha karyavah' (joint general secretary) Dattatrey Hosabale told reporters that a resolution to save the family system in India was passed at the meeting.

"The world has learnt family system and values from India but due to social change it is crumbling. Joint families have given way to nuclear ones and the number of old age homes have swelled in India.

"Disrespect to parents has grown and crime has crept into families. To ensure that the family system, an important social fabric in India, remains intact, the meeting passed a resolution," he said. Hosabale said the RSS is working for consolidation of the family system for the last couple of years under which a family stays connected with five other families.

Referring to the formation of the "Azad Hind Sarkar" by Subhash Chandra Bose in 1943 to overthrow the British, Hosabale called for organising events to spread awareness about this glorious episode in history.

Seventy-five years have been completed after the formation of the 'Azad Hind Sarkar' in exile by Subhash Chandra Bose on October 21, 1943, which was an important event in the attainment of freedom for Bharat, he said.

"After Netaji assumed leadership of the Azad Hind Sena, a formal government was established at Singapore following which war was declared against the British, This was an important step in view of international law," Hosabale added.

He hailed various steps being taken by the Central government in "recognising" the contribution of the Azad Hind Sarkar.

"We appeal to all to organise events that will make the citizens of the country, especially youths, aware of this inspiring and glorious history," he said.
New Delhi: An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts as well as electronic evidence for it, the Ministry of External Affairs said Saturday.

It also said evidence on the use of F-16 fighter jets by Pakistan is there in the form of parts of AMRAAM missile recovered from the site, which is carried only by F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, at a media briefing, said an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence for it.

In the aerial combat, India had lost the MiG-21 Bison aircraft and its pilot Wing Commander Varthaman was captured by Pakistan. Pakistan claimed it downed two Indian jets, and rejected IAF's assertion that a F-16 aircraft was shot down by it during the dogfight.

"Only one aircraft was lost by us. If, as Pakistan claims, they have a video recording of the downing of a second Indian aircraft, why have they not shown it to the international media even after more than one week?

"Questions should be asked to them as to where the fuselage of the aircraft is and what has happened to the pilots? As we have already said, there are eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence that Pakistan deployed F-16 aircraft and that one F-16 was shot down by Wing Commander Abhinandan," Kumar said.

He said Pakistan should explain why it continues to deny that its F-16 aircraft has been shot down.

Official sources had earlier said Varthaman downed a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an R-73 air-to-air missile before his MiG-21 Bison was hit during a fierce dogfight.
Flamenco superstar Sara Baras from Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras performs a scene from "Shadows (Sombras) during heir opening night at the City Center on March 7, 2019, during the 2019 New York City Center's Flamenco Festival. AFP-Yonhap



A seductive Spanish art form characterized in the popular imagination by a bright frilly dress, the tradition of flamenco is fast becoming an arena for innovation.



And flamenco superstar Sara Baras is at the forefront, using her heels to pierce gender stereotypes by trading the ruffled gown for a pair of pants to dance "farruca"  a style normally limited to men.



The 47-year-old from the southwestern Spanish city of Cadiz, who is starring in New York's Flamenco Festival USA series this weekend, says she enjoys the traditionally masculine style farruca because she "likes the risk, it makes you grow."



"It's an elegant, sober style; it's a trouser and a shirt, not your dress or your flowers or anything."



"You cannot hide. You have to have truth."



Baras begins her show in a shirt with black pants, before transitioning to a spectacular dress with undulating folds.



Today, she says, the "farruca" belongs to both men and women.





Flamenco superstar Sara Baras from Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras performs a scene from "Shadows (Sombras) during heir opening night at the City Center on March 7, 2019, during the 2019 New York City Center's Flamenco Festival. AFP-Yonhap



"It does not matter what the movement is," she told AFP. "Before men could not move their hips and women did not use their feet."



But today, she said, "a man can move his hips beautifully without being feminine, and a woman can dance with her feet without being masculine."



She even says dancing farruca allows her to tap into her femininity, citing "the sensuality of the movement in pants."



"The body is more naked; therefore you have to be more careful with placement  your hip, your legs, your waist, everything has to be in place."



'Straight to the heart'



Spanish sensation Rosalia has earned global acclaim for her fusion of flamenco with electronica and trap, a style of hip hop born in the southern United States.



But she's also stoked controversy: some accuse her of cultural appropriation, as the tradition comes from Spain's southern Andalusia region where the gypsy community created it to express their suffering.





Flamenco superstar Sara Baras from Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras performs a scene from "Shadows (Sombras) during heir opening night at the City Center on March 7, 2019, during the 2019 New York City Center's Flamenco Festival. AFP-Yonhap
Srinagar: Pakistan on Sunday violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. The shelling with mortars and firing of small arms was reported at around 4:30 am.

The Indian Army retaliated to the unprovoked firing that stopped at around 7:30 am.

The Pakistani troops have been repeatedly violating the ceasefire by resorting to firing and mortar shelling.

Notably, 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.

The ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops comes amid prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan which escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

India's non-military, pre-emptive airstrikes came 11 days after the JeM claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced that India will vote for the 17th Lok Sabha in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May and the counting of votes will take place on May 23.

The highest number of seats will witness polling in the 3rd phase, which is scheduled to take place on April 23. Announcing the poll schedule at a press conference in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said the first phase of Lok Sabha poll will take place on April 11 and it will cover 91 constituencies in 20 states. The second phase of polling on April 18 will witness polling in 97 constituencies in 13 states.

CEC Arora also said that the elections would be held in single phase in 22 states, which include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh.

The fourth phase of polling will take place on April 29 in 71 constituencies spread over 9 states. The fifth phase polling is scheduled for May 6 and it will cover 51 parliamentary seats in seven states. In the sixth phase on May 12, voting will take place in 59 constituencies in 7 states, while the seventh and last phase of polling will take place on May 12 for 59 constituencies in eight states, ANI reported.

There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations in the Lok Sabha elections as compared to 9 lakh polling stations in 2014, CEC Arora told reporters. He added that around 900 million voters will cast their votes in upcoming Lok Sabha poll as compared to 814.5 million in 2014. According to CEC Arora, 15 million voters are in the age group of 18-19; 38,325 are third gender and other voters.

Talking about the EC's preparation for the Lok Sabha poll, CEC Arora informed the reporters that a total of 23.3 lakh ballot units have already reached their destinations. He added that 16.35 lakh control units and 17.4 lakh VVPATs will be used for conducting free and fair poll.

VVPATs will be used along with EVMs at all polling stations. Adequate numbers of both have been made available for smooth conduct of election exercise. There will be mandatory VVPAT slip count at randomly selected polling station per assembly segment, he said, adding that candidates will need to furnish details of their social media account.

All advertisement on social media will also require pre-certification. All expenditure on campaigning advertisement in social media is to be included in the election expenditure account, said Arora.

(with ANI inputs)
LUCKNOW: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Sunday announced in New Delhi that Lok Sabha election for 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases. He also announced that the first phase of Lok Sabha poll will begin on April 11.

As per the schedule announced by the CEC, voting will be held in eight parliamentary constituencies each in the first and the second phase, to be held on April 11 and April 18, respectively.

In third phase on April 23, ten constituencies will go to vote, while 13 seats will go to vote in the fourth phase on April 29. The fifth phase on May 6 will witness voting on 14 seats, and in the sixth phase on May 12 voting will be held on 14 seats. The remaining 13 constituencies will go to vote on May 19 in the last phase. The counting for all the 80 constituencies will be held on May 23.

In 2014 Lok Sabha election, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had down 71 seats and its alliance partner Apna Dal (S) had emerged victorious on 2 seats. The Samajwadi Party (SP) had won five seats, while the Congress had grabbed just two seats - Amethi and Raebareli. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had failed to win even a single seat.

But things are expected to change in the upcoming Lok Sabha poll as the SP and the BSP have ended their two-decade rivalry to form an alliance. The two parties had already announced that they will contest the upcoming General Election together. Since the Congress is not included in the SP-BSP alliance, the grand old party has decided to go alone and the party is hopeful that the political debut of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would help the party reverse its 2014's fortune.

On the other hand, the SP and the BSP have agreed to contest on 37 seats and 38 seats, respectively. Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is also a part of the SP-BSP combine and the party will field its candidates from three seats - Mathura, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat.

The SP-BSP combine has also announced not to field their candidates from Raebareli and Amethi, which are represented by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi respectively in the current Lok Sabha.
New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the schedule for 2019 general elections early next week. The EC conducted a review meeting, in Delhi on Saturday, as part of preparations for the multi-phase Lok Sabha polls. Sources said the schedule could be announced on Monday or Tuesday.

Vigyan Bhavan, the venue for big government events, has been booked by the poll panel for preparatory meetings. The schedule for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was announced on March 5.

The elections could be spread over several phases over the next two months. The Lok Sabha elections in India are the biggest democratic exercise in the world.

The model code of conduct will come into effect from the date of declaration of polls. The poll schedule for the last three general elections was announced in the first week of March.


Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel on Sunday finally announced that he will be joining the Congress on Tuesday, in the presence Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat's Gandhinagar.

In an interview with Zee media, Hardik said that he will be sharing the same stage with Rahul Gandhi at his rally in Gandhinagar.

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee will take place followed by the rally at Trimandir Maidan, Gandhinagar.

However, Patel's plans to contest the Lok Sabha election may be possible only if he clears legal hurdles.

Speaking to Zee media, he said he has been convicted and sentenced to two years in a riot case connected to the 2015 Patidar quota agitation. This bars him from contesting the polls.

Hardik has also made it clear that he wants to contest from the Jamnagar seat for the Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, after this disclosure of Hardik, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has also said, "We had already said that Hardik is acting on the behest of Congress".

"To give shape to my intentions to serve society & country, I have decided to join Indian National Congress on 12th March in presence of Shri Rahul Gandhi & other senior leaders," tweeted Patel.

"I would also like to state that if there is no legal hindrance and party decides to field me in electoral politics, I would abide by the party's decision. I am taking this step to serve 125 crore citizens of India," he said in another tweet.

Hardik Patel has also started preparations for the Lok Sabha elections and has said that he will demand a vote from the people regarding issues like farmers, youth and water issues.

In July 2018, the sessions court of Visnagar in Mehsana district had sentenced him to two years imprisonment for rioting and arson which took place in Visnagar town in 2015. While his jail term has been stayed by the court, his conviction has not been suspended.

Patel has filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking a stay on his conviction by a lower court.

Earlier, on Friday, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had given the go-ahead to Patel to join the Congress.
Mumbai: Linking Pathankot and Pulwama terror attacks to elections, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said another "Pulwama like strike" could occur in near future in a bid to win polls. He also slammed as "insult to jawans" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that presence of Rafale jets could have added to more firepower to the February 26 raids by Air Force on a terrorist camp in Pakistan's Balakot.

Thackeray was addressing party workers on the 13th Foundation Day of the MNS.

In the February 14 Pulwama attack, the worst in the Valley so far, 40 troopers of the CRPF were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a bus in the paramilitary force's convoy.

Thackeray also alleged that the warnings issued by intelligence agencies prior to the Pulwama attack were ignored. "40 jawans were martyred in the Pulwama attack. Should we still not ask questions? In December, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had met his Pakistani counterpart in Bangkok. Who will tell us what transpired at the meeting?" he questioned.

Taking a dig at the BJP president Amit Shah's statement on the number of casualties in the Balakot strike, the MNS chief said whether Shah was one of the "co-pilots" who participated in the air strike. "Intelligence agencies had sounded off warnings before Pulwama, however they were ignored. Is the NSA not responsible if jawans were killed despite prior intelligence?" he asked.

Thackeray claimed the Indian Air Force "missed" targets it had intended to hit in Balakot because of "wrong information" provided to them by the Modi government. "If the Prime Minister himself says that results would have been better had the country have Rafale jets, it was an insult to our jawans," he said.

Disputing that terrorists were killed in the air raids, Thackeray said had that been the case, Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman would not have been allowed to return home from captivity by Pakistan.

"There is a limit to speaking lies. Lies are being spoken to win elections. In a bid to win upcoming elections, there will be another Pulwama like attack within the next 1-2 months," he said.

Referring to the 2017 stand-off between India and China over Doklam, Thackeray said Modi government had urged citizens to stay away from Chinese products, however, "it has failed to answer where did the material used in the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat came from". "...Is the real enemy inside or outside the country"? he asked.

Seeking to link 2015 Pathankot terror attack with elections, Thackeray said PM Modi had met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on December 25, 2015 and gave him a cake on his birthday.

"In the next seven days, the Pathankot terror attack took place. At that time, (assembly) elections were due in four states in the next three months," he said.

Meanwhile, Thackeray, who is battling for political survival in Maharashtra, clarified that no talks underway with any political party for upcoming elections.

The MNS has been keen to join the Congress-NCP alliance for polls. Thackeray had even met senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar to facilitate the MNS' entry into the alliance. However, the Congress is stridently opposed to take "chauvinist" MNS along in the polls.

"I am not (Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash) Ambedkar or (AIMIM chief Asaduddin) Owaisi to hold discussions on 2-3 seats. I will soon announce if we will be fighting the Lok Sabha elections," he said.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha election a 5 pm on Sunday. When the election schedule is announced on Sunday evening, the model code of conduct will immediately come into effect.

Watch: Election Commission press conference on Zee News

The election, the schedule of which will be announced at 5 pm, is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May. The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

Meanwhile, the poll panel headed by Sunil Arora has also rolled out a list allotting the common party symbols to 39 registered un-recognised parties for coming general elections.

It is likely that the Election Commission may hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls. The term of the Sikkim assembly ends on 27 May 2019 while the terms of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies end on June 18, June 11 and June 1 respectively.

The J&K Assembly's six-year term was scheduled to end on 16 March 2021, but it was dissolved after the ruling coalition between the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP fell apart. Hence, Assembly elections are due in the state as well. While there is a view that the J&K assembly elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, a lot depends on the complex security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border.

The Centre and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed Governor, are against holding the two elections together. But all political parties in the state favoured simultaneous polls during a meeting with the Election Commission earlier this week.
In this June 6, 1984, file photo, actor Jan-Michael Vincent poses during an interview in Hollywood, Calif. Vincent, known for starring in the television series "Airwolf," died Feb. 10, 2019. He was 73. AP-Yonhap



Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, the "Airwolf" television star whose sleek good looks belied a troubled personal life, has died. He was 73.



A death certificate shows that Vincent died of cardiac arrest on Feb. 10, 2019, in an Asheville, North Carolina, hospital. The certificate signed by a doctor says he died of natural causes and no autopsy was performed.



It wasn't clear why it took several weeks for news of the death to surface before it was first reported Friday by TMZ. Messages left at phone listings for Vincent and his wife weren't immediately returned Friday.



Born in 1945 in Denver, Colorado, Vincent starred in such films as 1972's "The Mechanic" and 1978's "Hooper," in which he played a stuntman opposite Burt Reynolds. Off-screen, his handsomeness earned him a spot on a cosmetic surgeon's "Ten Best Noses" list in the late 1970s.



He also starred in the 1983 television mini-series "Winds of War" as the love interest of a character played by Ali MacGraw, "piling up enormous ratings," according to a contemporary Associated Press account. He earned a Golden Globe nomination.





This September 1986 file photo shows actor Jan-Michael Vincent. Vincent, known for starring in the television series "Airwolf," died Feb. 10, 2019. He was 73. AP-Yonhap
New Delhi: Ayan Mukerji, who recently made his Instagram debut, is probably the most active user on the photo-sharing application and thanks to him, we are getting to know a lot more about Brahmastra and the cast of the film.

Ayan, who helmed the upcoming fantasy drama, has been sharing anecdotes about the making of the film. Earlier this week, Ayan in an Instagram post revealed that Ranbir was his first call after he came up with the idea of the science-fiction.

Now, he has shared Ranbirs photo from an early look test for the film, revealing the actor`s journey from Rumi to Shiva.Rumi. First, he was Rumi. Rumi with long hair. This image is from an early look test for the movie. Rumi said, Love is the bridge between you and everything..., and that feeling is the foundation we started building the protagonist of this movie on... But then, there was new inspiration, newer thoughts... Dragon became Brahmastra, we gave Ranbir a haircut, and Rumi became... Shiva. #brahmastra #shivadiaries #memories #creativeprocess #evolving Ayan wrote alongside the picture.

In the photo shared by the filmmaker, Ranbir can be seen in a rustic and rugged avatar. With messy long hair and a stubble, the Sanju actor is looking like an artist.Ayan is successfully keeping the audience on their toes by sharing anecdotes one after another, leaving fans asking for more.

The filmmaker has been using his Instagram account to share insights into the making of Brahmastra. The 35-year-old filmmaker had recently unveiled several rejected logos of the film.On March 4, the makers and the cast of the film gave its fans a glimpse of the films logo in the sky at the concluding day of Kumbh Mela.

This is the first time ever where the makers of a film have involved drones and announced the logo on such a huge scale on the auspicious day of Mahashivratri.The team of the film shared a number of pictures from the event and also revealed the names of Ranbir and Alias characters.

They also performed a puja on the banks of the Ganges at Prayagraj.Brahmastra has been extensively shot in Bulgaria, New York, and Mumbai, among other places.Apart from Ranbir and Alia, the film also stars Mouni Roy and Tollywood actor Nagarjuna.Brahmastra is first part of a sci-fi trilogy which has been created by Ayan. It is slated to release around Christmas this year. (ANI)
Jaipur: A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which intruded into Rajasthan's Ganganagar was shot down by the Army on Saturday, defence sources said. "One UAV intrusion in Ganganagar sector around 7.30 pm. The drone was engaged and brought down," a defence source said. No further details were shared.

On March 4, a fighter jet of the Indian Air Force shot down a Pakistani military drone in Bikaner sector of the Indo-Pak border using an air-to-air missile. The Pakistani drone was shot down by a Sukhoi-30 aircraft at around 11:30 AM, minutes after a ground-based radar station detected the flying machine, government sources said.

The radar station in the area detected the enemy drone following which one of the fighter jets deployed in the area shot it down, they said.

Another Pakistani drone was shot down by India on February 27 along Indo-Pak border in Kutch in Gujarat.

The downing of the drones came in the midst of heightened tension between India and Pakistan after IAF struck a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot and subsequent retaliation by Islamabad.
New Delhi: An Ethiopian Airlines plane, carrying more than 150 passengers and crew members, crashed on its way to Nairobi. All 157 people on board were killed in the accident.

Issuing a statement, the Ethiopian prime minister's office said that the Boeing 737 was on a regularly scheduled flight when it crashed. The flight was coming from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Flight ET 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital city, the airline said, confirming the plane was a Boeing 737-800 MAX.

"Boeing 737-800MAX took off at 8.38 am local time from Addis Ababa and lost contact at 8.44 am. Search and rescue operation is in progress. It is believed that there were 149 passengers and 8 crew onboard the flight," Ethiopian Airlines had earlier said in a statement.

"It is confirmed it happened 8.44 (am)," said a spokesman who did not give his name.

The prime minister's office sent condolences via Twitter to the families of those lost in the crash.

(With inputs from Reuters)
RAMALLAH: Economist Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of the West Bank`s dominant Fatah party, was named Palestinian prime minister on Sunday in what the rival Hamas group that runs Gaza called a blow to unity efforts.

The appointment was announced six weeks after Rami al-Hamdallah tendered his resignation from the post and the resignation of his unity government to President Mahmoud Abbas, underscoring the failure of Hamas and Fatah to implement a power-sharing deal.

Speaking to Palestine Television, Shtayyeh said he would immediately begin consultations with factions belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads, on forming a new cabinet.

Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since seizing the enclave from Fatah in 2007, is not a member of the PLO. Ismail Rudwan, a senior official in the Islamist group, said the creation of "a separatist government ... will prolong Palestinian division".

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in November 2017 calling for Abbas` West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to resume governing in Gaza and take control of its crossing points into Egypt and Israel.

However, disputes quickly arose on how to implement the agreement. Another sticking point has been policy towards Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war and maintained tight control of Gaza`s borders since withdrawing settlers and troops from the area in 2005.

Shtayyeh`s immediate challenge is to shore up the cash-strapped PA, which exercises limited self-rule under interim peace accords with Israel.

The PA has been squeezed by steep U.S. aid cuts, with the cash crisis exacerbated by a dispute with Israel over the withholding of some 5 percent of the monthly tax revenues it transfers to the Authority.

Israel said the money it is holding back is used by the PA to pay stipends to families of militants killed or jailed by Israel. The PA has refused to accept any tax transfers until those funds are restored.

Shtayyeh, seen largely as a technocrat, most recently headed the Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development, a donor coordination and advocacy body established by the PLO in 1993.


By Lee Han-na





Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo and British fashion brand JW Anderson presented pieces from their third collaboration for spring and summer to Korean consumers Friday.







The collaboration is targeted at millennials by incorporating street fashions. The 2019 Spring and Summer Uniqlo and JW Anderson Collaboration was inspired by museums and galleries with artistic masterpieces.







JW Anderson is an internationally renowned fashion brand based in London. It was established by the Northern Irish designer, Jonathan Anderson in 2008. The award-winning brand has received Designer of the Year awards for both menswear and womenswear at the 2015 British Fashion Awards.







"New-tro," which refers to retro yet trendy designs, is a trend of Korean millennials. In line with that, JW Anderson presented iconic and classic designs of English fashion which Uniqlo describes as "English eccentricity and style".







Both Uniqlo and JW Anderson are well known for their modern and simple designs. Aside from beauty, Uniqlo stresses durability as "LifeWear," its philosophy in clothes, and products affordability. Anderson, in that respect, has been successfully satisfying with his excellence in both artistry and practicality.







Stripes are an iconic symbol of the JW Anderson brand. Reversible check trench coats were presented with reversible ribbed blousons. For more casual and youthful designs, pocketable parkas are available in two colors with reversible hats and tote bags. The design displays JW Anderson's gender neutral aesthetic.







Blouses, skirts, and dresses in paisley print were also presented in the collection reinterpreted from the patterns which JW Anderson had showed on its runway.







Uniqlo, a Japanese fashion brand, started in Korea as an online store in September of 2009. Since then, it has grown to over 186 offline stores within the country. With its simple and casual style, it has gained popularity with Korean celebrities.





Lee Han-na is a Korea Times intern.


President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook wave before heading to Brunei, the first stop on his three-nation tour, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, Sunday. Yonhap



South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday headed for Brunei, the first stop on his three-nation tour that will later take him to Malaysia and Cambodia.



Moon's first overseas trip this year is largely designed to improve his country's relationship with the three member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).



"ASEAN is expanding its influence on the global economy based on its rapid growth and openness that also represent a large economic bloc of 650 million people and combined gross domestic product of $2.76 trillion," Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said earlier.



The 10-member ASEAN is already South Korea's second-largest trading partner in the world, with their bilateral trade reaching a record high of US$160 billion last year.



Seoul is set to host a special summit with the heads of state of all 10 ASEAN countries later in the year. The special summit to be held in South Korea will also mark the 30th anniversary of the start of South Korea-ASEAN dialogue.



The South Korean president has repeatedly stressed the importance of ASEAN, also introducing the so-called New Southern Policy as one of his two major foreign policies that seeks to boost his country's economic and diplomatic ties with its Southeast Asian neighbors, including India.



Under the New Southern Policy, South Korea seeks to boost its bilateral trade with ASEAN to more than $200 billion in 2020.



"The visits this time will be an opportunity to further diversify our overseas market and global value chain that are currently focused too much on the United States and China by accelerating the implementation of the New Southern Policy," Cheong Wa Dae said.



Moon will arrive in Brunei later in the day on a three-day state visit that will include a summit with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.



He will make a three-day state visit to Malaysia from Tuesday for a summit with Sultan Abdullah of Pahang and a meeting with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.



Moon's trip will end in Cambodia, where he will hold a summit with Prime Minister Hun Sen and also call on King Norodom Sihamoni.



He will be making a state visit to Cambodia, according to Cheong Wa Dae.



The South Korean president will return home Saturday. (Yonhap)


Attending the ceremony were Pham Duc Hai, Vice Chairman of the municipal Peoples Council and representatives from local departments, agencies, foreign consulates, international organisations, youth union members and students in the city.

The event aims to call on all sectors, organisations, businesses and the community to raise awareness and join hands in the anti-plastic waste campaign, targeting to give up the habit of using plastic bags and disposable plastic products, while encouraging the use of easily decomposable products.

In addition, the activity also shows the role, responsibility and commitment of HCM City in particular and Vietnam in general in joining hands with the international community to participate in preventing the pollution of plastic waste and the discharge of plastic waste into the ocean.

Speaking at the launch, Hai emphasised that environmental protection is everyone's responsibility. To solve the problems of plastic waste, it is necessary to have the joint hands of all sectors, political and social organisations, enterprises and each Vietnamese person in the common efforts of the region and the whole world.

The consular family members in HCM City collecting plastic waste at the September 23 Park. (Photo: VNA)



The campaign is a continuation of the chain of activities in response to the Clean up the World 2018 campaign, contributing to solving plastic and nylon pollution on a global scale, as well as in Vietnam and HCM City.

A representative of the consular delegation in HCM City, Consul General at Consulate General of Canada, Kyle Nunas, highly praised the city for its proactive actions to address the issue of plastic waste, typically the waste sorting initiative and the launch of the 2019 Plastic Clean-up Day campaign.

After the launch, the citys leaders and representatives from Consulate Generals distributed cloth bags to traders and visitors at Ben Thanh market. Local officials and residents also joined members of the Consular Delegation in collecting plastic waste to protect the environment.

Within the framework of the ceremony, there was also a roundtable discussion between the environmental experts and local citizens on the harms of plastic waste pollution, solutions to prevent plastic waste and the action of the local people to join hands to protect the environment.




Moon Tong-hwan

Pastor and social activist Moon Tong-hwan, known for his lifelong dedication to South Korea's democracy, has passed away, an informed source said Sunday. He was 97.

Moon died Saturday afternoon. His memorial altar was set up at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital in Seoul.

The Christian pastor is noted for his fight against the country's authoritarian governments led by Rhee Syng-man and Park Chung-hee from the 1940s through the 1970s. In 1976, he was put behind bars and served a nearly two-year prison term for his pro-democracy activities.

After his release, Moon returned to Hanshin University, his alma mater, to teach theology. But he was forced to seek political asylum in the United States under another military-backed government of then President Chun Doo-hwan.

In 1985, he returned to Korea and resumed his lecturing post at Hanshin University. The following year, he retired but continued his activism. Upon recommendations from then leading liberal politician Kim Dae-jung, he entered politics and was elected to the National Assembly in 1988.

In 1991, he returned to the U.S. to spend time with his family and carry out religious activities.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon visited Moon's memorial altar to pay his condolences.

"We remember the pastor's dedication to democracy," he wrote on his social media account before visiting the hospital.

"I pay my condolences to Moon who led a life full of vicissitudes, including his fight for democracy, imprisonment, dismissal as a professor and reinstatement," he added.

Moon graduated from Hanshin University in 1947 and got his doctorate at Hartford Seminary in 1961.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. (Yonhap)
Seoul taxis are lined up to pick up passengers in Seoul. / Korea Times file





By Kim Hyun-bin







The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said, Sunday, it plans to implement an artificial intelligence (AI) system to help taxi drivers find customers.







Last November, the city government installed "AI Taxi System" in 380 cabs from five operators in the capital and found the system to be effective in reducing the imbalance between supply and demand.







According to the results of the test-run, the AI taxis were able to accommodate 25.3 passengers on average per day, a 21-percent increase from 20.9.







The local government and Korea Smart Card developed the AI system that evaluates big data including taxi information, weather, population and business districts in real-time to analyze taxi demand in the area.







Taxi drivers could press the "estimate" button on their meter and the AI will analyze passenger demand within a one-kilometer radius and the driver can head toward that direction to pick up prospective customers.







"From January 2018 to July 2018, we have accumulated 200 million scenarios through big data and test-ran the system from Nov. 6 to 11, 2018, and found the accuracy to be 97.2 percent," Seoul City said in a statement.



"Before, taxi drivers encountered their passengers through coincidence, however, with the AI taxi system their encounter will be inevitable."



The city plans to make slight adjustments to the AI system before installing it in all Seoul taxis.


John Everard, former U.K. ambassador to North Korea, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the President Hotel in central Seoul, March 1. Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation



Kim regime fears uprising: former UK ambassador to Pyongyang



By Kim Bo-eun



North Korea is keen to have sanctions eased, as the country faces a dire food shortage, a former U.K. ambassador to North Korea said.



After a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi last month failed to produce an agreement, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told reporters that Pyongyang had asked for sanctions relating to the people's livelihoods to be eased.



North Korea has asked the U.N. for food aid, stating it is facing a production shortfall of 1.4 million tons of food this year.



Last year, North Korea's food production fell to its lowest in more than a decade, according to a recent U.N. report.



"The North Korean economy is in deep trouble," said John Everard, who served as U.K. ambassador to Pyongyang from 2006 to 2008.



"Kim said in his first speech to his people there will be no return to the Arduous March. If hunger reappears, politically Kim will be in trouble. He will be seen to have broken his promise to his people," he said.



The Arduous March refers to a famine in North Korea that lasted from 1994 to 1998. It is estimated to have resulted in at least 300,000 deaths from starvation and hunger-related illnesses.



The regime would consider the food shortage a dangerous situation, as it has concerns over a possible uprising, Everard said.



The former ambassador recalled what members of North Korea's ruling class told him while he was in Pyongyang.



"They said 'never tell ordinary people what we talk about.' This came from the fear that people will turn against them," he said.



"The regime is nervous  it was then, it is now. It is under constant pressure."



Former North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the U.K. Thae Yong-ho, who defected to the South in 2016, referred to the possibility of an uprising after his defection, citing the influx of foreign media content.



NK intentions to denuclearize



Thae has also said the North Korean regime will never give up its nuclear program, because this is something that guarantees its continuation.



Everard disagrees, saying it is possible Pyongyang would give up its nuclear arsenal.



"If sanctions incurred by the nuclear program were causing such economic dislocation that the regime felt threatened by a mob, the regime might think twice about holding weapons," he said.



Yet, "The U.S. would have to provide very good reasons for why North Korea should abandon its nuclear weapons," he added.



"From the point of view of the North Korean regime, the nuclear program has been a tremendous success, it has prevented attacks by the U.S., and also bolstered prestige of the regime among the North Korean people. In addition, it secured the first ever meeting between the North Korean leader and a sitting U.S. president."






President Moon Jae-in, right, and first lady Kim Jung-sook wave before leaving Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, for a seven-day state trip to Brunei, Malaysia and Cambodia, Sunday afternoon. Yonhap



Moon begins seven-day state trip to Brunei, Malaysia and Cambodia



By Kim Yoo-chul



When North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toured the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, he saw a country worthy of emulation and articulated his determination to improve the North's impoverished economy.



Quoting direct comments from Kim, the North's Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday that he ordered officials to put a greater emphasis on improving the people's quality of life.



"No revolutionary tasks stand before us other than the improvement of the economy and people's daily lives," Kim said.



The KCNA did not say whether the comments were a result of reports from an economic delegation led by Kim Pyong-hae and Oh Su-yong to the Vietnamese industrial city of Hai Phong and popular tourist attraction Halong Bay. Kim and Oh are thought to have the authority to report directly to the North Korean leader on issues related to the economy.



It remains to be seen whether the top North Korean officials used the Hanoi summit to observe the Vietnamese version of capitalism  a mixture of communism and capitalism. They stayed at the lavish Melia Hotel, and enjoyed takeaways from McDonald's, as they reportedly did during Kim's first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore last year.



Despite the failure of the second summit, the North's leader is reportedly maintaining "strategic patience," with political analysts in Seoul opining that he is "more inclined" toward a mixture of Chinese and Vietnamese-style liberalization.






Margaret Chun, daughter of the late independence fighter Chun Myung-woon, poses in front of a photograph of her father, left, and Chang In-hwan, Feb. 23, who attempted to assassinate pro-Japan lobbyist and former diplomat Durham Stevens, at the Korea National Association Memorial Foundation in Los Angeles, Calif. / Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai



This is the fourth in a series of articles highlighting overseas independence fighters on the occasion of centennial of March 1 Independence Movement -- E.D.



By Park Jin-hai



Los Angeles, Calif.  Gunshots rang the morning of March 23, 1908 at the Port of San Francisco.



Two Korean men  Chun Myung-woon (a.k.a Jeon Myeong-woon) and Chang In-hwan  were behind the gunfire. The two didn't know each other. Chun, 23, was the first to pull the trigger but his pistol didn't fire. A fistfight broke out with his target, Durham Stevens, a former U.S. diplomat and pro-Japan lobbyist.



At the very same site, Chang, 32, shot Stevens twice in the back. One bullet also accidentally hit Chun.



The deadly attack took place two days after the publication of a San Francisco Chronicle article featuring an interview with Stevens. Stevens was quoted as saying that Japan's possible occupation of Korea would be what all Koreans were longing for because of the Korean king's incompetence and that Koreans were not qualified to be independent. The media report came two years before Korea was annexed by Japan  which was followed by a brutal 35 years for Koreans. Stevens appeared to have tried to create favorable international opinion regarding Japan's ambition to occupy Korea.



Based on Stevens' remarks, the reporter wrote, "Corean people have been greatly benefited by Japanese protection and they are beginning to look more favorably on it."



Appearing at a court hearing later, Chun rebuffed the media report, claiming what Stevens had said was not based on fact.



"Japan forced our government to make treaties. And after that, great trouble started in our country. My brothers and relatives have been killed by the Japanese, but I have no power to do anything here, and so I have always had to stand around helpless After I saw what Mr. Stevens did I decided to kill him and to kill myself too," Chun said at the hearing, explaining he had to resort to violence and that his actions were a patriotic act for his country.



Margaret Chun, 95, his only surviving child, said it was only after his death that she realized her father's heroic deed. "I was surprised, because we didn't know he was famous. It was a big surprise and wonder how come he got so famous. None of us knew," she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times at the Korean National Association Memorial Foundation in Los Angeles., California.



"My father didn't talk about his work for the independence movement. But on March 1, he would take us to church where he would sometimes give speeches to Korean compatriots."



It was only in the early 1970s that she and her older sister Rosemary began to hear things about their father, when a newspaper reporter visited them for an interview.



At the start of the twentieth century, Korea's Emperor Gojong attempted to send representatives to the Hague Peace Convention of 1907 and nullify the coerced Eulsa Protectorate Treaty (Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905), but due to Japan's interference his emissaries were unable to gain entry to the convention hall. After this incident, Gojong was forced to abdicate, and the Korean army was disbanded.



Internationally, Korea was not in a favorable situation either, as the U.S. and Japan were moving toward forging a network of treaties and agreements including the RootTakahira Agreement, signed in November, 1908. The agreement consisted of an official recognition of the territorial status quo as of November 1908, including Japanese recognition of the American annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Philippines, and American recognition of Japan's position in northeast China. Implicit in the agreement was American acknowledgment of Japan's right to annex Korea. With desperate patriotism, Chun and Chang, infuriated by Stevens' remarks about Japanese rule in Korea, both tried to assassinate him.



Chun, based on lack of evidence of collusion with Chang, was eventually acquitted in June 28, 1908. Meanwhile, Chang was sentenced to 25 years in prison but was released in 1919, having served only 10 years.



Throughout the trial, Korean immigrants to the US held campaigns and raised donations worth over 300 million won in today's money to cover trial costs. It stimulated the will and unity of Koreans and had an impact on the independence movement.



On the heels of the incident, the Korea National Association (KNA) was launched in February 1909, after merging regional Korean groups across the U.S.



Family tragedy



Margaret says living in the United States as the family of a Korean independence fighter was hard. Her father, "a man of action" she recalls, had to live under the constant threat of Japan which attempted to kill him. Her father left San Francisco for Russia in December 1908. He returned to San Francisco in July, 1909 and later changed his name to Mack Fields.



After his return, he continued working as a KNA member and donated money he had earned from performing many menial jobs to the independence movement. He had three children but as his wife died from illness in 1927, he had hard time supporting the family and making ends meet.



Margaret and her siblings were sent to an orphanage, the Marryknoll Home for Children.



"That was the beginning of our living separately. We were in Los Angeles and my father returned to farming in Willows, California. But when my father moved to Los Angeles he visited every weekend and we became closer," Margaret said. "I remember eagerly looking forward to the weekends when we knew we would see our papa. We enjoyed our visits together and we felt strongly his love and concern for us. He would take us to a certain restaurant and I remember how happy and proud we were to be with papa at a big restaurant."



The family's tragedy didn't end there. He lost his youngest son Alfred who drowned at the age of 6.



Looking back at her father's life, Margaret said she came to realize what a hard life he had. "He worked zealously for independence, fought the Japanese, and like many other Korean immigrants labored in farming. Later he moved to the city and worked in maintenance for a living," she said. "At one point he ran a laundry for a few years. I was in high school and I remember my sister and me helping with the ironing. My father never shared his hardships and our visits were always pleasant and happy times."



Due to poverty, Chun Myung-woon couldn't return to Korea after the liberation of his country in 1945, and when he died in the U.S. in November 1947, he was all alone. "He was cooking his dinner when he collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage. It was the running water from his faucet which flooded the hallway that alerted others to his death," Margaret said.



He was buried at Calvary Cemetery near the burial site of his son, Alfred. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1962.



In 1994, his remains were sent to Korea and buried at the Korean National Cemetery in Seoul.




National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang speaks during a ceremony at the National Assembly to mark International Women's Day on Friday. / Courtesy of National Assembly



By Park Ji-won



The biggest challenge facing women in South Korea today is patriarchy-driven prejudice. This is especially evident in the realm of politics, positions and perception.



In a country where the Confucian-oriented mindset still matters to those in power, gender inequality may not be because of how women actually act but because of how people perceive their actions.



While a key to tackling such challenges facing society is to ensure women are at the table making decisions, recent remarks by National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang are regarded as highly controversial and representing an outdated attitude toward women.



On the sidelines of his congratulatory speech in the National Assembly to mark this year's International Women's Day, Moon abruptly said, "Men are more pathetic than women. Ask every man aged over 50. In that age group, what men need the most is, first my miss, second my wife, third my spouse, fourth a housewife, and fifth my children's mother."



Then he continued, "In the past, if a woman gave birth to two sons, it was considered winning a gold medal. Nowadays, it is not good." He repeated himself saying, "Giving birth to two daughters is considered winning a gold medal." before going on to say "Giving birth to a daughter is winning a silver medal. Giving birth to a son is winning a bronze medal. Giving birth to two sons is hanging oneself."



Female groups were angered, and the comments also drew heavy criticism online.



"I couldn't believe what I read. These outdated norms of an old generation roll back the wheel of history," Lee Na-yong, a sociology professor at Seoul's ChungAng University, said in a Facebook post.



A Twitter user said, "The speaker Moon definitely doesn't know the core meaning of International Women's Day. The fact that people like to have a daughter over a son and that middle-aged men need a wife are because they need female's caring labor."



Critics also said the remarks were "inappropriate" for an Assembly leader because the comments were directly linked to "gender stereotyping."



Lee Jin-ok, head of Korea Women's Political Solidarity, asked the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leadership to clarify Moon's comments, demanding female lawmakers call for an immediate correction.



Moon's office told The Korea Times the office felt sorry for the fuss; however, it defended him, saying, "The older generation thinks that way. We should understand that. He made jokes to make a comfortable atmosphere before making a formal speech."



Moon later said in the speech, "Problems restricting women's economic activities, such as the pay gap and unstable employment, should be resolved first."



Other high-profile politicians have also made controversial comments about women.



DPK Chairman Lee Hae-chan said in December last year during a meeting with a visiting Vietnamese delegation, "A lot of Korean men marry Vietnamese women because they prefer them over women of other countries."



Civil rights organizations and opposition parties immediately criticized Lee's comments.



Meanwhile, hundreds of citizens took to the streets in cities to commemorate the day and protest against such issues as the gender pay gap, violence against women and abortion rights.



South Korea remains the country with the highest percentage of low-paid female workers, according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data released Feb. 25. Statistics from 2017 showed that 35.3 percent of female workers in the South were categorized as low-wage earners, who were paid less than two-thirds of the median income of workers in other OECD countries.




By Robin Rhee





Everybody does it. They talk.



Verbal and written exchanges play many different roles on a variety of levels throughout our lifetimes.



Most people gab, yak, chew the fat and chat with their families and friends. Those who talk incessantly on their cell phones while riding on public transportation, in restaurants, and while walking from place to place may be called "chatterboxes."



Should those who tweet about anything and everything be called "tweeterboxes"? Maybe.



A couple in love may exchange sweet nothings, but their relationship will sour rapidly if one of them begins to complain, nitpick and nag.



Some individuals gossip. They make it their business to know everything and report everything. They are blabbermouths. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "When our life ceases to be inward and private, conversation degenerates into mere gossip."



Spiteful gossip spreads rumors which damage the reputations of their targets beyond repair.



Some criminals rat out their partners in crime in exchange for immunity or a shorter prison sentence.



It is risky to share your innermost secrets, even with your closest friends. Benjamin Franklin put it this way: "Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead."



A significant number of people tell fibs and little white lies, most of which are harmless. Habitual liars talk out of both sides of their mouths and speak with forked tongues. Since they can't keep all of their tall tales straight, most will get caught in their own lies.



Politicians, it is often said, flap their gums, talk to hear themselves talk, and rant and rave against their opponents in an attempt to gain votes. They are long winded and talk until they are blue in the face. Their supporters hope they will stop talking long enough to breathe deeply, lest they pass out.



When physicians, attorneys and engineers meet and begin to talk shop, outsiders understand little of what they are saying, for each profession has its own specialized vocabulary and jargon.



Individuals who are invited to attend receptions in honor of a person or to celebrate an event are usually on their best behavior. They mingle, meet and greet, and limit their conversations to small talk and chitchat which would never ruffle other guests' feathers.



The most important talks are those which occur between heads of state when they meet and attempt to resolve their differences. Whether the talks end in success or failure, it is certain they will head the list of topics to be reported by the media and seriously discussed around the world.





The writer (rrkoram@aol.com) is a former weekly columnist for The Korea Times and currently resides in Centerville, Ohio.




By Joseph S. Nye





CAMBRIDGE  The United States responded weakly after Russian cyber operations disrupted the 2016 presidential election. U.S. President Barack Obama had warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of repercussions, but an effective reply became entangled in the domestic politics of Donald Trump's election. That could be about to change.



Recently, American officials anonymously acknowledged that U.S. offensive cyber operations prevented a Kremlin troll farm from disrupting the 2018 congressional elections. Such offensive cyber operations are rarely discussed, but they suggest ways to deter disruption of the U.S. presidential election in 2020. Attacking a troll farm will not be enough.



Deterrence by threat of retaliation remains a crucial but underused tactic for preventing cyber attacks. There has been no attack on U.S. electrical systems, despite the reported presence of Chinese and Russians on the grid. Pentagon doctrine is to respond to damage with any weapon officials choose, and deterrence seems to be working at that level.



Presumably, it could also work in the gray zone of hybrid warfare, such as Russia's disruption of democratic elections. Given that U.S. intelligence agencies are reported to carry out espionage in Russian and Chinese networks, one can imagine that they discover embarrassing facts about foreign leaders' hidden assets, which they could threaten to disclose or freeze.



Similarly, the U.S. could go further in applying economic and travel sanctions against authoritarians' inner circles. The diplomatic expulsions and indictments since 2016, and the recent offensive actions, were only first steps toward strengthening America's deterrent threat of retaliation.



But deterrence will not be enough. The U.S. will also need diplomacy. Negotiating cyber arms-control treaties is problematic, but this does not make diplomacy impossible. In the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program's user.



Thus, it will be difficult to prohibit the design, possession, or even implantation for espionage of particular programs. In that sense, cyber arms control cannot be like the nuclear arms control that developed during the Cold War. Verification of weapons stockpiles would be virtually impossible, and even if it were assured, stockpiles could quickly be re-created.



But if traditional arms-control treaties are unworkable, it may still be possible to set limits on certain types of civilian targets, and to negotiate rough rules of the road that minimize conflict. For example, the U.S. and the Soviet Union negotiated an Incidents at Sea Agreement in 1972 to limit naval behavior that might lead to escalation.



The U.S. and Russia might negotiate limits to their behavior regarding each other's domestic political processes. Even if there is no agreement on precise definitions, they could exchange unilateral statements about areas of self-restraint and establish a consultative process to contain conflict. Such a procedure could protect democratic nongovernmental organizations' right to criticize authoritarians while at the same time creating a framework that limits governmental escalation.



Skeptics object that such an arrangement is impossible, owing to the differences between American and Russian values. But even greater ideological differences did not prevent agreements related to prudence during the Cold War. Skeptics also say that Russia would have no incentive to agree, because elections are meaningless there.



But this ignores the potential threat of retaliation discussed above: Democratic openness means the U.S. has more to lose in the current situation, which should encourage it not to hold back from pursuing its self-interest in developing a norm of restraint in this gray area.



Jack Goldsmith of Harvard Law School has argued that the U.S. needs to draw a principled line and defend it. That defense would acknowledge that the U.S. has itself interfered in elections, renounce such behavior, and pledge not to engage in it again.



The U.S. should also acknowledge that it continues to engage in forms of computer network exploitation for purposes it deems legitimate. And officials should "state precisely the norm that the United States pledges to stand by and that the Russians have violated."



This would not be unilateral disarmament on America's part; rather, it would draw a line between the permitted soft power of open persuasion and the hard power of covert information warfare. Overt programs and broadcasts would continue to be allowed.



The U.S. would not object to the content of Russia's open political speech, including their propagandistic RT television network. But it would object when Russia promotes its views through covert coordinated behavior such as the 2016 manipulation of social media, or dumping hacked emails.



Non-state actors often act as state proxies in varying degrees, but the rules would require their open identification. And because the rules will never be perfect, they must be accompanied by a consultative process that establishes a framework for warning and negotiation. Such a process, together with stronger deterrent threats, is unlikely to fully stop Russian interference, but if it reduces the level, it could enhance America's defense of its democracy.



Given the poor state of U.S.-Russian relations, with Putin boasting about new nuclear weapons, the climate for an agreement is not promising, though there have been some hints of Russian interest.



At the same time, the partisan divisions in U.S. politics over the legitimacy of Trump's relationship with Russia also make negotiations difficult. If both sides want to avoid dangerous escalation, perhaps the possibilities can be explored in the context of a professional or military-to-military dialogue. Or the idea may just have to wait until after the 2020 election.





Joseph S. Nye is a professor at Harvard. His forthcoming book is "Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump." Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).




The most important story in the world in recent weeks may not have been the Trump-Kim summit or Michael Cohen's congressional testimony. Instead, it might have been the brinkmanship between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.



The two South Asian nations have fought four wars since independence in 1947, and they could have been on a path to a fifth, only this time with an arsenal that could mean catastrophic consequences for the region, if not the world.



The precipitating event was a Feb. 14 suicide car-bombing attack that killed about 40 paramilitary forces in India-administered Kashmir, an area also claimed by Pakistan in a dispute that's one of the driving dynamics in the decades of enmity between the two countries.



Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistan-based terrorist group, claimed responsibility, but India believes that Pakistan's government is ultimately responsible because it hasn't reined in JeM or similar terrorist groups.



But India went beyond blaming to bombing, and targeted what it said was a JeM camp in Pakistan. It was the most significant military escalation since each country raised the stakes with late-1990s proliferation.



Pakistan claims that no people or structures were struck  just pine trees  but it retaliated by sending jets into Indian-administered Kashmir to drop bombs in open country in a display of strength. A dogfight ensued, and two Indian jets were downed  one in India (which India denies) and one in Pakistan.



An Indian pilot ejected and was captured by Pakistani forces in what could have been the tipping point into calamity. But the pilot was well treated, and then soon released, and both sides have seemed to step back from the brink.



Now the two countries need to do much more.



In India, jingoism on social media and from ostensible journalists has whipped up an irresponsible war fever that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, facing an April national election, cannot allow to engulf his populace.



While Modi made his reputation as an unrepentant Hindu nationalist, he should be an Indian nationalist by embracing diplomacy over bellicosity.



In Islamabad, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan must go beyond bromides and convince Pakistan's most powerful institution, its armed forces, that tacit acceptance of terrorist groups will ruin the nation. (Pakistan's overdue arrest of dozens of JeM suspects Tuesday is a good start.)



"These two countries had become gripped in an unsustainable cycle in which Pakistan backed various terrorist and military groups to launch attacks in Kashmir, and India, in my opinion, showed remarkable restraint for many years," Jeff Smith, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation who specializes on South Asia, told an editorial writer.



India was rewarded as "the more mature partner" internationally, Smith said, but this pattern changed when Modi responded more martially in 2016.



From India, Bharath Gopalaswamy, director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council, told an editorial writer in an e-mail exchange that "India has primarily acted in self-defense."



Ultimately, the Kashmir issue must be addressed. But Gopalaswamy said the solution needs to come from the two parties directly involved and that an outside power "should only involve itself if and when there is an invitation by both India and Pakistan to resolve the issue."



That moment can't come soon enough. As Khan warned after a meeting with his country's National Security Council: "I ask India: With the weapons you have and the weapons we have, can we really afford a miscalculation?"



Then, with words that must be acted upon, he added: "Let's sit and settle this with talks."





The above editorial appeared in the Star Tribune (Minneapolis). It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


North Korea cannot rebuild economy with nuclear weapons





North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has refrained from disclosing what he will do next following the failure of the second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi on Feb. 28. A lack of any hints at his next move is in stark contrast to Trump's willingness to resume talks with the North as soon as possible.



Kim's post-summit message to his country came in the form of a letter to a national conference of propaganda officials in Pyongyang last week. He picked economic development as an urgent task, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In his letter, he emphasized the need to make all-out efforts to build a socialist economy.



One may interpret Kim's message as his intention to keep the momentum for the nuclear talks with the U.S., although he returned home empty-handed. By mentioning economic resuscitation, he could imply that he is still open to dialogue rather than returning to intransigence and hostility. Yet no one knows what he is up to now.



Last week, media reports said there were signs of North Korea rebuilding part of its Tongchang-ri missile test site that it had begun to dismantle last year. South Korea's state intelligence agency said it detected new activity at the Sanum-dong rocket assembly center near Pyongyang that produces the North's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), including the Hwasonng-15 which is capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.



It has yet to be confirmed whether the North's activities are in preparation for launching a missile or a rocket. However, if Pyongyang resumes missile testing that has been halted since 2018, things could certainly go back to square one where "fire and fury" prevailed. That is why Trump said Friday that he would be "very disappointed" if North Korea resumed nuclear or missile tests.



It is certain that Trump wanted to deliver a warning to the Kim regime about possible weapons testing. At the same time the U.S. president said his relationship with Kim remained good, despite reaching no deal at the Vietnam summit. This means that Trump is pursuing further engagement with Pyongyang to clinch a foreign policy win on the North Korean nuclear issue.



It is now up to Kim whether he continues to talk with the U.S. or returns to saber-rattling and nuclear blackmail. He may want to talk about the economy while preparing for missile or nuclear tests. But he must realize that he can never revive the crippled economy without giving up his nuclear arsenal.



The collapse of the high-stakes Hanoi summit appears to have consolidated the positions of hard-line U.S. officials such as National Security Adviser John Bolton. This re-emergence of the hawks might make it more difficult for North Korea to get security guarantees and sanctions relief in return for what is called simultaneous and phased denuclearization.



Against the North's wishes for step-by-step nuclear disarmament and sanctions relief, the Trump administration is reportedly opting for an "all or nothing" strategy. This approach may indicate Trump's return to his early hard-line stance, which calls for no sanctions relief until complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.



We hope Kim continues to talk. The longer he drags his feet, the more his economy will suffer. If that happens, there will be little chance of economic revival or, for that matter, regime survival.








On March 8, the Kien Giang provincial authorities held a press conference to announce the official information on the couple's magnificent wedding, the first of its kind in Vietnam.

Le Van Chuyen, Deputy Head of Kien Giang provincial Department of Information and Communications, said that the invitation to the Indian couple, Kaabia Grewal and Rushang Shah, was made on a working trip by the Kien Giang provincial leaders to India in late 2018.

Bride Kaabia Grewal with an impressive costume alongside groom Rushang Shah.



"In order for the bride and groom's families to accept the invitation to hold the wedding in Phu Quoc island, there was an active role of Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau," Chuyen said.

The event is an opportunity for Kien Giang to promote its tourism, especially wedding party tourism, a newly developed type of tourism in the world. Meanwhile, it is also an opportunity to expand the people-to-people relations between the two countries.

Representative of Sun Group, the investor of the JW Marriott resort, said the resort has welcomed and successfully organised wedding ceremonies for many famous couples in the world, but Kaabia and Rushangs was the first among Indian billionaires.

A total of 700 guests, as well as dozens of tonnes of goods, costumes, jewellery and props have been transported from India directly to Phu Quoc Island.



Nguyen Viet Thong, Deputy Head of Kien Giang Department of External Affairs, said that, in order for the Indian couple's wedding to be successful, the locality has made efforts to create the best conditions for them. The Vietnamese Embassy in India and the agencies in Kien Giang have worked with multiple ministries and functional agencies so that the bride and groom's families can invite a total of 700 guests as well as transport dozens of tonnes of goods, costumes, jewellery and props from India straight to Phu Quoc Island.

The organiser of the event, India-based Horizon company, said that the wedding takes place continuously for seven days from March 3 to 10 with 11 major events. In particular, the most important part takes place at JW Marriott Phu Quoc from March 7 to 10, featuring a Pink Party requiring all guests to wear pink costumes and another party focused on ethnic costumes.

The first party in the Rushang - Kaabia billionaire wedding party series takes place at the 5-star Phu Quoc resort, which has the effect of Gatsby.



The wedding programme also has other interesting activities for guests from India, such as a running competition, lantern making, hat painting, watching marine creatures, music performances and opera singing.
Creating global mammoth to reshape industrial landscape





A planned merger of two of the country's major shipbuilders is expected to change the landscape of the global shipbuilding industry. The tie-up will create the world's largest shipbuilding group, which will control one-fifth of market.



The nation's No. 1 shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries, signed a deal with the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), Friday, to buy Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Under the deal, the KDB will sell a 55.7 percent stake in Daewoo to Hyundai. The bank will become the second largest shareholder with an 18 percent stake in the merged entity.



First, the KDB's disposal of its controlling share means the privatization of Daewoo. The development bank has injected up to 10 trillion won (about $9 billion) into Daewoo since 2001, when the troubled shipbuilder was subject to a debt rescheduling program.



Second, the marriage of Hyundai and Daewoo will reshape the nation's shipbuilding industry. The so-called "Big-3" system will be transformed into a "Big-2" system with Hyundai Heavy and Samsung Heavy Industries.



Third, the mega merger will create a global giant with a combined order backlog representing 21.2 percent of the total global backlog.



Most important is that the merger is designed to improve the competitiveness of Korea's shipbuilding sector. It is also aimed at offering stable jobs and boosting the regional and national economy.



The Hyundai-Daewoo deal comes at a time when restructuring in the shipbuilding industry is imperative. Thus, the merger is inevitable. The industry, which had long led the nation's economic growth and job creation, now faces difficulties due to falling competitiveness.



Now the question is how to make the merger a success. The KDB, Hyundai and Daewoo need to cooperate closely to overcome remaining obstacles. They should make efforts to get regulatory approvals from foreign anti-competition authorities.



The three parties are also required to cope with anticipated opposition from the unions of the two shipyards, fearing potential layoffs. Most of all, the new shipbuilding behemoth should make all-out efforts to develop new technology to become a sustainable leader in the ever more competitive global market.








By Tong Kim





The U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi ended without any agreement, a setback for both parties. This summit was not expected to produce a major breakthrough like a comprehensive package deal toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea. Yet, the setback came as somewhat of a surprise to most people.



The essence of the summit failure lay in the fundamental disparity in their approach to negotiations and the mismatch of offers from both sides.



From the beginning, the North insisted on a phased, synchronized denuclearization process. The U.S. side recently seemed willing to accept that approach; however, in Hanoi, President Donald Trump apparently sought a "big deal" that would provide an agreed scope and a general roadmap to denuclearization.



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was simply not ready for this kind of deal. He offered verified dismantlement of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities, consisting of more than 300 buildings, in trade for a major lifting of sanctions.



Kim's foreign minister Ri Young-ho said the North demanded only a partial lifting, refuting Trump's characterization of lifting "sanctions in their entirety." In fact both were right. Ri was technically right because they sought the lifting of five out of 11 U.N. sanction packages. Trump was right in terms of the impact of lifting the sanctions that the North wanted.



If Kim had thought he could get what he wanted based on the supposed good relationship between Trump and him built through mutual flattery and "love letters" or based on an assessment of Trump's domestic political needs, he was wrong.



Trump was equally wrong if he had thought he could secure the kind of deal he wanted, simply by painting the concept of a bright future for North Korea as an "economic powerhouse," while keeping all the sanctions in place until after complete denuclearization. From the North's perspective, Trump's offer was a mismatch of words and actions.



The U.S. offers of incentives such as ending the Korean War or setting up liaison offices or a bright economic future for the North were not enough for the North to give up the Yongbyon facilities, which constitute a major portion of the North's nuclear program.



Beyond Yongbyon, the North is believed to be operating more nuclear production sites, producing enriched uranium to make more nuclear bombs. Kim's proposal did not mention what he would do with his nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles or chemical and biological weapons.



The North would prefer that any disposition of such weapons of mass destruction will only come in the last phase of denuclearization. If the North will really give up its nuclear weapons, it would happen only when the North is convinced that it can survive without them.



Some argue Trump's "friendly walkaway" was not a summit failure because he chose no deal over a bad deal in the security interests of the United States. Although there was no agreement for when to meet again or how to pick up the talks from where they left off, there are clear indications from Washington and Pyongyang that both sides want to continue their negotiation.



Perhaps, when the dust settles, a working level dialogue will start again. The "top-down" diplomacy has been tried, but unlike for the first summit in Singapore, President Trump appeared to have listened to his advisers in Hanoi to reject the unbalanced small deal.



The Hanoi outcome also shows working level discussions, including those at a cabinet level, did not produce a substantive agreement that their leaders could accept in formality. Trump could go back to the traditional format of summit diplomacy by delegating more authority to lower level negotiators.



One problem with a working level negotiation is that it tends to be time consuming. It will not succeed if the negotiators repeat the same demands that led to a setback in Hanoi. For Kim, this issue has a top priority  as he should know there is no "third path" which he mentioned in his New Year address. The third way  perhaps meaning a return to economic and nuclear development in parallel  will not guarantee his survival.



Both parties should study the lessons learned from Hanoi by reviewing what went wrong and designing a new strategy from scratch in order to find the best possible, pragmatic path toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.



The government is in a delicate situation to mediate between Pyongyang and Washington to keep them on track for talks, and preventing them from falling back to the threats of war in 2017, without undermining its traditional alliance with Washington.





Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Corean-American Studies.


Scott Galit, CEO of Payoneer CEO / Courtesy of Payoneer



Cross-border payments firm wants to help Korean firms boost outbound shipments



By Jun Ji-hye



Cross-border payments platforms have come to the fore in today's borderless digital world as more and more companies and individuals are engaged in cross-border trading.



This is particularly so for Korea, which heavily relies on trade with other countries for growth, according to Payoneer CEO Scott Galit, who said Asia's fourth-largest economy is a key market for his company whose mission is to empower global commerce by connecting businesses, professionals, countries and currencies with its innovative cross-border payments system.



In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Galit said Payoneer, headquartered in New York, has experienced an incredibly high growth rate in Korea and other Asian nations over the past six years.




LG's global reputation has outpaced Samsung, Amazon and Apple. Korea Times file



South Korean electronics, chemical and telecommunication conglomerate LG's global reputation outpaced such household names as Samsung, Amazon and Apple, an international corporate assessment report showed Sunday.



According to Reputation Institute's 2019 Global RepTrak 100, LG ranked 48th, making the top 50 list for the second year in a row. The ranking is down from 41st place in the previous year's assessment, but the findings gave LG a "strong" rating.



The RepTrak findings are used to gauge corporate reputation and credibility on a global level and as reference material for company management, consumers and investors.



The latest annual report placed Samsung, South Korea's No. 1 family conglomerate  that has Samsung Electronics Co. under its wing in 52nd place  down sharply from 26th in the 2018 report. LG also ranked higher than Amazon and Apple, which were in 56th and 57th places, respectively.



The company's reputation standing as measured by RI has been rising more or less steadily since it came in 79th place in 2015 and 61st place in 2016. It did edge down to 63rd in 2017, before rebounding in the following year.



RI did not provide details of the causes for the fluctuations of companies, although it pointed out information technology firms did not fare well in this year's evaluation, due to slowing demand.



It pointed out that Facebook didn't even make the top 100 list.



The latest findings showed that luxury watchmaker Rolex and toy producer Lego maintained their 1st and 2nd place standings, with Disney, Adidas, Microsoft, Sony, Canon, Michelin, Netflix and Bosch placing in the top 10. Google placed 14th, the first time it fell below 10th.



"Facebook and Google may have been hurt by concerns of private data leakage and discrimination issues, while Samsung's drop may have been caused by allegations of the conglomerate's concerted effort to stamp out organized union activities," a local corporate watcher speculated.



The latest report is based on assessments made on some 7,600 companies in 50 countries, with 230,000 consumers from 15 countries evaluating companies based on products and services, innovation, work conditions, governance structure, dedication to social responsibility, leadership and overall performance. (Yonhap)


Rendered image of Hyundai Motor Group's new headquarters in Samseong-dong, Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



Glass Lewis sides with Korean carmaker over Elliott



By Nam Hyun-woo



Hyundai Motor Group has been talking with sovereign wealth funds and other overseas institutional investors who are willing to jointly finance the construction of its new headquarters in southern Seoul, company officials said Sunday.



The officials said the carmaker has also been engaging in confidential talks with several domestic conglomerates to building the 569-meter-high Global Business Center.



The company wants to attract external investment in order to minimize the financial burden of an estimated 3.7 trillion won ($3.25 billion) in construction costs amid weakening profitability of its core units, they said.



Hyundai purchased the land from the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. for 10.55 trillion won in 2014, but has yet to break ground due to protracted regulatory approval. The project was approved by the land ministry in January and is under review by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.



Meanwhile, a prominent proxy advisor Glass Lewis urged Hyundai Motor shareholders to vote against U.S. private equity fund Elliott's proposal for the carmaker to pay nearly 4.5 trillion won in one-time dividends and appoint the independent directors it was recommending.



Analysts said Glass Lewis' opposition will likely deal a heavy blow to Elliott, which has been making efforts to persuade shareholders in recent weeks to join its crusade against Hyundai Motor at the March 22 shareholders meeting.



In its report, Glass Lewis sided with Hyundai Motor on most key issues which the carmaker and Elliott were at odds over.



Glass Lewis advised shareholders to oppose Elliott's proposal of demanding the company to pay 21,967 won per common share, while favoring Hyundai Motor's plan of 3,000 won per share.



Elliott's demand would force Hyundai Motor to pay 4.5 trillion won at once, casting concerns on the company's sustainability. The amount is 3.5 times greater than Hyundai Motor's net profit of 1.65 trillion won last year.



In the report, Glass Lewis said it remains "reluctant to recommend shareholder support for such a large one-time dividend payout at this time, given the proposed timing and method of capital return, and the rapidly evolving nature of the auto industry."



It added that it "acknowledges the industry will require significant R&D spend [sic] and potential M&A activity by Hyundai Motor in order to enhance its competitiveness and long-term financial returns."



Glass Lewis also went against Elliott's recommendation on three nominees for the Hyundai Motor board _ John Liu, Randall MacEwen and Margaret Billson _ while supporting Hyundai Motor's nominees _ Yoon Chi-won, Eugene Ohr and Lee Sang-seung.



"In determining the individuals to nominate as outside directors, we understand that the Hyundai Motor board received and considered recommendations from shareholders, as part of the its efforts [sic] to enhance transparency and independence of the board," Glass Lewis said. "But Elliott's nominees were only proposed at the last minute, in the form of a public letter."






Renault Group Manufacturing and Supply Chain Executive Vice President Jose-Vicente De Los



By Nam Hyun-woo



Concern is growing about possible manpower restructuring and reduced output at Renault Samsung's Busan plant as French headquarters threatens not to allocate new models to its Korean unit because of the continued labor-management conflict, according to industry officials Sunday.



They also said the protracted standoff between labor and management would harm parts suppliers in Busan and seriously damage the local economy.



According to Renault Samsung, labor and management held their 20th round of talks for last year's wage agreement late on Friday night, but again failed to agree.



Management suggested a lump sum payment of up to 17.2 million, up from 14 million won in its previous offer, for employees in return for keeping their base pay static. But the union has been demanding a 100,667 won rise in employees' monthly base pay and several other regular incentives.



Renault Samsung CEO Dominique Signora said Friday was the de-facto deadline for the two sides to wrap up last year's wage negotiation and begin work to win new models from Renault headquarters.



"Because management and labor failed to reach an agreement, the sustainability of the Busan plant is in danger," a Renault Samsung official said. "No further schedule over the wage talks has been set."



Because the plant needs at least six months to prepare its assembly line for a new model, Renault Samsung has to start talks with the headquarters over a new model to replace the Nissan Rogue, whose manufacturing contract with the Busan plant will end in September. The U.S.-bound Rouge accounts for 48 percent of the plant's output and 78 percent of its outbound shipments.



To win a new model, the Busan plant must prove its efficiency and productivity to headquarters, which allocates models to 46 Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi plants across the world. However, with the plant's productivity plunging amid the union's 160 hours of strikes, Renault Samsung is having difficulties presenting its operation plan to headquarters.



Last month, Renault Group Manufacturing and Supply Chain Executive Vice President Jose-Vicente De Los Mozos visited the Busan plant and stressed that additional costs at the plant would undermine its competitiveness in winning new models, citing a massive restructuring at the group's plant in Spain in 2009



If it fails to get a new model after the Rogue, the Busan plant's output is expected to fall to 100,000 units, triggering massive restructuring.



In 2012, Renault Samsung received voluntary resignations from 1,000 employees due to accumulated losses. The headquarters allocated the Rogue to the plant in return for the restructure.



To prevent a collapse, Renault Samsung is considering expanding output of its SM6 sedan and QM6 SUV, but that is also in doubt given weak demand in the domestic market.



"It seems that Renault Samsung is on course to follow the footsteps of GM Korea, which closed a plant and ended up seriously damaging the local economy," an automobile company official said.



There are 260 suppliers to Renault Samsung across the country. Renault Samsung said suppliers had suffered 110 billion won in losses due to the strikes since December and 178 billion won in losses since October.




Stella Artois' limited edition glass / Courtesy of Oriental Brewery





By Nam Hyun-woo







Stella Artois will help countries with water shortage with the profits made by selling limited edition glasses through a domestic mobile shopping platform, the beer brand said Sunday.







According to the Belgium brand that owns Oriental Brewery in Korea, it has been selling Chalice beer glasses through 29CM's online store, a mobile select shop, since March 4.







All profits coming from sales are donated to Water.org and used to provide aid to countries with water shortages.







Water.org is a non-profit organization cofounded by actor Matt Damon and its CEO Gary White in 2009. Its mission is to help people in the developing world gain access to safe water and sanitation.







For the campaign, Stella Artois produced glasses with packaging that features unique graphics designed by artists from Cambodia, Uganda and Brazil. The glasses are priced at 8,000 won each.







As part of the campaign, Stella Artois released a video titled "Buy A Lady A Drink - Social Experiment" featuring Damon.







In the video, Damon observes staff at hotels and restaurants telling customers that they have to wait six hours to get water. As customers complain, Damon shows up and tells them 663 million people in the developing world have to spend up to six hours every single day just to collect water.







"The price of one Chalice is enough to provide clean water to a home in a country with a water shortage for five years," a brand manager at Stella Artois said. "We ask more consumers to join the cause of helping regions with water scarcity."







Stella Artois has been in a partnership with Water.org since 2015. By the end of last year, it had donated $21 million of profits from selling Chalices, which has helped 1.6 million people in countries with a water shortage.


For anyone still unclear on the particular charms of the South by Southwest Film Festival, Saturday nights world premiere of Jonathan Levines Long Shot seemed specially designed to make that all very clear.

The filmmaker and cast came out after the screening, held at Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin, Texas, elated by the joyful, raucous response the film had generated. They were all funny and loose, if not entirely coherent and perhaps more than a little drunk. And then Boyz II Men came out to sing two songs. (Bear with us, it all makes sense.)

The movie, directed by Levine from a screenplay credited to The Interviews Dan Sterling and The Posts Liz Hannah, is about unemployed journalist Fred Flarsky (Rogen), who rekindles his relationship with a woman he knew from childhood, Charlotte Field (Theron), who happens to now be the U.S. secretary of State. She somewhat impulsively hires him to be her speechwriter as she prepares for a presidential run, and soon their working relationship becomes a romantic one and the mismatched pair encounter all sorts of complications.

The comedy in the film works quite well, a somewhat expected blend of sweetness, wit and raunch. But it is the romantic element of the film that may catch audiences off-guard, as Rogen and Theron do indeed have strong on-screen chemistry. Theron in particular feels extremely credible as a pulled-together politician looking to loosen up  the scene in which she has to negotiate an international hostage crisis while coming down from ecstasy is truly a treat.

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Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) and Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) in the movie Long Shot. (Murray Close / Lionsgate)

After the movie, Janet Pierson, director of SXSW Film, brought out Levine and cast members Ravi Patel, June Diane Raphael and OShea Jackson Jr., along with Rogen and Theron.

As Pierson gamely tried to conduct a typical post-screening Q&A on the process of making the film, Levine declared that he didnt want to talk too much because: Im too drunk.

Soon Theron also declared, I dont know why I have a mic, because Im drunk too.

Rogen exclaimed, We were all nervous! I dont know what to tell you.

Theron, who was at SXSW with the action film Atomic Blonde two years ago, spoke about her seemingly unlikely turn in a comedy by saying, I usually die in my movies or kill people in my movies, or get assaulted. This is not my wheelhouse. But Ive been like a sincere, down-to-the-core-of-my-body fan of Seth Rogens. I have watched everything that hes touched, and never in a million years did I think I would be in a movie with him, so I am hashtag blessed tonight.

Theron added: Im always looking to do different things, because I get bored. I dont want to do the same [thing] every time. And this was challenging for me.  I had a horrible fear that I would be in a Seth Rogen movie and be the girl. Who just stands there. And Jonathan and [producer] Evan [Goldberg] and everybody involved in this, and Seth, gave me their word that they would help me create a character that meant something and they  kept the their word and tonight Im really, really happy.

Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men and Charlize Theron at the Long Shot premiere. (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for SXSW)

When Pierson asked Rogen about working with the music group Boyz II Men, who appear in a party scene early in the film, Theron pretended exasperation that the question was not about his feelings regarding working with her.

Rogen, a regular presence at SXSW, responded, First of all, working with Charlize was amazing. She cant sing that good, Ill be honest, and she is responsible for zero of my bar mitzvah hook-ups. Whereas Boyz II Men  also responsible for zero of my bar mitzvah hook-ups.

But actually, speaking of Boyz II Men, what better way to celebrate this evening than with a very special treat, Rogen said. So here to perform for all of you, Im amazed to be saying this myself, please give it up for Boyz II Men, everybody!

Boyz II Men performs at the March 9 Long Shot premiere at SXSW. (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for SXSW)

And with that, indeed, Boyz II Men took the stage at the Paramount Theatre and performed two songs, the up-tempo Motownphilly and the slow-jam Ill Make Love to You. As the audience was on its feet, throughout the performance, Theron and Rogen stood to the side of the stage but still within view of the crowd. Theron in particular seemed to delight in the music, dancing along. The group gave red roses to women in the crowd, including Theron, during Ill Make Love to You.

As if all that werent enough, Long Shot attendees were handed promotional jackets, like the teal-and-pink one worn by Rogen in the movie, as they left the theater. Soon after, the jackets were seen all over downtown Austin.

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Two paragliders were killed Saturday when they collided above the Torrey Pines Gliderport in the northern coastal area of San Diego County, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. at the popular cliff-side launching point off Torrey Pines Scenic Drive.

The two solo pilots crashed into each other about 35 feet in the air and plummeted onto the steep cliff face, about 45 feet below the top, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Rich Stropky said.

One of the men was certified to fly on his own; the other man was working on his certification, Stropky said, adding that it wasnt immediately clear to him which man was certified.

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One man was believed to be 61 and the other man was 43, he said. One was from San Diego and the other from Orange County.

No further details about the pilots identities were immediately available

The two men  one flying north, the other flying south  collided midair, then crashed into a north-facing cliff, stranding them in a precarious position.

Several witnesses called 911.

When we arrived, we had no reason to believe the injuries were fatal, Stropky said.

A San Diego Fire-Rescue Department helicopter assisted lifeguards by lowering medics onto the cliff face  a move that was faster than using ropes to rappel down the slippery sandstone gorges, the lifeguard supervisor said.

The helicopter ended up hoisting the bodies to the top of the cliff.

The gliderport was busy earlier in the day with dozens of onlookers and several paragliders soaring up and down the coast, over the cliffs.

Winds were 10 to 12 mph.

The flying spot is not meant for beginners. It is rated for intermediate pilots with a P3 rating who have 50 hours of experience, or for advanced pilots with an H4 rating. Anyone wishing to fly must check in with the gliderport operator and show a license.

The gliderport also offers a school, as well as tandem flights for nonpilots.

The gliderport was popular for sailplanes in the 1920s, radio-controlled model airplanes in the 1960s and hang gliders in the 1970s, before paragliding came into vogue in the 1980s.

Repard writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com
To successfully organise the important event, the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism has developed a draft hosting programme. Thus far, there are 25 provinces and cities with strong potential for tourism development that have registered to organise 99 events in response to the National Tourism Year 2020.

In a recent working session with the Ninh Binh tourism sector, the VNAT asked the province to build its own logo and identity for the National Tourism Year 2020 in association with the Ninh Binh tourism brand.

In addition, Ninh Binh has been urged to focus on building activities and events in four main groups, including preparation for the event, main activities (opening ceremony, seminars and investment promotion conferences), response activities (in key tourist attractions and neighbouring localities) and promotional activities for the event.

In particular, promotion for the Year should be focused on promoting the theme of the National Tourism Year 2020, as well as introducing the beauty of Ninh Binh at domestic and national tourism fairs and international travel promotion programmes, while also promoting Vietnam and Ninh Binh tourism in Jecheon city (Chungcheongbuk-do province, the Republic of Korea) - the city which has established a twin relationship with Ninh Binh.

Meanwhile, the National Tourism Year 2019 is being hosted by Khanh Hoa province under the theme of "Nha Trang - Colour of the Sea", taking place from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019. The Year will feature over 100 events spread evenly throughout 2019.

The opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year 2019 will be held in conjunction with the opening of the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Sea Festival 2019 in May this year. The special, diverse and attractive cultural, tourist and sporting activities under the event, aim to contribute to achieving the goal of attracting roughly 7 million visitors, including 3 million international travellers to Khanh Hoa in 2019.
Confirmation that the U.S. government has compiled dossiers on human rights activists, journalists and lawyers interacting with the migrant caravan in Mexico has reignited an age-old clash between civil liberties and government authority.

What U.S. Customs and Border Protection is calling a valid duty to gather cross-border intelligence and investigate criminal activity is being labeled as harassment by those who have been targeted.

Activists and freelance journalists named in the leaked dossiers, published last week by San Diegos NBC7, have reported being stopped and searched when they cross back into the U.S.

Some have been detained and repeatedly questioned about their work, personal lives, funding sources, interactions with caravan members and observations at Tijuana migrant shelters.

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Whether border authorities are on firm legal ground in this instance is not exactly clear.

Two former CBP commissioners told the San Diego Union-Tribune that intelligence gathering is squarely within the agencys mission.

I dont think the gathering of the information is surprising or objectionable, said Alan Bersin, who served as CBP commissioner under President Obama and other high-level positions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including the agencys so-called border czar.

But determining whether a line was crossed will require a fact-specific investigation for each person involved.

If they are simply being brought in to be harassed, Bersin said, that would not be a legitimate use of border authority.

Critics have raised concern over potential violations of the federal Privacy Act, a law that prevents the government from keeping dossiers recording individuals 1st Amendment activities unless there is a specific law enforcement purpose.

The incident has also raised questions about the degree of cooperation from the Mexican government. Some people on the list had alerts on their passports and have been unable to enter Mexico in recent months.

Intelligence gathering

Intelligence work is not typically associated with the agency that staffs the countrys borders. But it is a vital part of any law enforcement job, said former acting CBP Commissioner David Aguilar, who served the bulk of his career in Border Patrol, rising to chief of the agency under President George W. Bush.

At the border, it means anticipating where the next threats may be looming, whether it be a drug load or migrant breach or terror suspect.

Intelligence-led policing is considered best practice when it comes to managing the border these days, said Chris Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

The alternative to intelligence-based enforcement is having every trunk opened every time someone crosses the border, Wilson said. Thats not feasible when you have San Ysidro as the most heavily trafficked port of entry in the Western Hemisphere.

That intelligence apparatus kicked into high gear with the amassing of thousands of Central American migrants heading to the U.S. border, most seeking to claim asylum. Even when the group was still deep in Mexico, U.S. officials said they were able to identify many migrants with criminal records.

The U.S. was also seeking to identify who was behind the caravan  the organizers, funders, decision-makers. Migrant activist organizations, including Pueblo Sin Fronteras, turned out to play a large role.

When the bulk of the caravan reached Tijuana in November, San Diegos ports of entry became a frequent waypoint for many human rights activists, volunteers, social workers, journalists and attorneys.

On Thanksgiving weekend and on New Years Day, some in the caravan made attempts to rush the border. Both incidents involved chaotic clashes with Border Patrol agents, who claim they were targeted by rock throwers. Agents fired tear gas in response. Some witnesses denied seeing rocks thrown.

Dozens of people made it across the border and were arrested in each incident.

What made the incidents unusual was the high visibility of the crossings, with many witnesses including activists and journalists. There were also reports that some bystanders helped or encouraged the illegal crossings.

CBP authorities said the two incidents prompted the agency to begin to identify people who may have information relating to the instigators and/or organizers of these attacks, saying the effort to collect such information is standard law enforcement practice.

A CBP official said in another statement that the breaches were criminal events.

The investigation adds to a growing debate over the roles of activists in migrant flows: At what point does humanitarian aid become criminal aiding and abetting?

Many of those people found out they were targets of inquiry during routine crossings at the port of entry. Rather than be waved through, they were detained, sometimes for hours, and questioned, according to interviews with the Union-Tribune and other news outlets including the Los Angeles Times, the Intercept and NBC7. For some, it wasnt a one-time deal, but nearly every time they crossed, they said.

Some are members of well-known human rights groups, including Border Angels and Al Otro Lado.

Freelance photojournalist Ariana Drehsler, who covered the caravan for Buzzfeed News and United Press International, told NBC7 she was pulled into secondary screening three times and questioned at length about what she was seeing in the Tijuana shelters. She was even asked if she rented or owned her home.

The overwhelming inner suspicion that activists and journalists were being singled out was confirmed with the publication of the 59-person list last week  a document apparently shared with Mexican authorities that includes photos, names and roles in relation to the caravan. Dossiers with expanded personal information were also created, the unnamed DHS official who leaked the documents told NBC7.

DHS Office of the Inspector General acknowledged last week that it has already opened an investigation to ensure that all appropriate policies and practices were followed.

Some journalists and attorneys, including a freelance photojournalist on the dossier, were denied entry at airports when trying to travel to Mexico. They were told an alert had been placed on their passports.

Wilson, the border scholar, said Mexico has screened passengers arriving on non-domestic flights through U.S. terror-watch lists to prevent terrorists from using Mexico as a staging ground. Now we are seeing it happening as people leave the United States to enter into Mexico. What it looks like, to a certain extent, is the utilization of counter-terrorism and anti-drug law enforcement for this totally different end.

Wilson wonders whether the denial of entry was the result of an automated national security alert system, or something more calculated.

The question is whether or not there was awareness of this going on in the highest levels of Mexican government, Wilson said.

The Mexican government on Thursday issued a statement saying it did not do illegal surveillance and would ask the U.S. to clarify any possible cases of illegal spying.

Warrantless searches

The drama has been unfolding in a zone that gives expansive authority to the government.

Agents at the border have the right to search any person, as well as their belongings and electronics, without a warrant. The searches are deemed reasonable based on the governments paramount national security and customs and immigration interests, overriding expectations of privacy when crossing the border, courts have ruled.

The border is this amazing place where governments have very strong rights based on sovereignty and the ability to decide who and what enters the country, Wilson said.

Still, CBP says it operates under policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination against arriving travelers.

Last year, the American Bar Association, concerned about potential violations of attorney-client privilege in such warrantless searches, worked out an agreement with CBP on how to appropriately handle such situations. It includes consulting with CBP senior counsel and separation of privileged material.

Some advocates and journalists who said they were targeted either had their electronics confiscated from them or were asked to leave them behind on a table during questioning. Some said it was unclear if officers actually looked through the devices.

Privacy Act

While searches are allowed, 1st Amendment experts say the dossiers are a wholly different issue, especially if the journalists, advocates and attorneys are being targeted for their work.

Its using the border in an incredibly opportunist way to target journalists who do information gathering that [DHS] would not be able to do otherwise, said Carrie DeCell, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute in New York.

The federal Privacy Act was passed in 1974, setting guidelines on what information the government can gather and maintain on U.S. citizens, and how. It gave special protection to 1st Amendment activities.

The law came after public acknowledgment of the FBIs long-running operation, dubbed COINTELPRO, to observe, infiltrate and discredit domestic political activist organizations in the 1950s and 60s.

The law prohibits agencies from the collection and maintenance of records describing how any individual exercises their right to free speech and association unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.

To meet that threshold, there needs to be specific and articulable facts that the person or group may be engaged in activity that poses a threat or is involved in a crime.

But it is not always so clear cut.

One case disputing where that line is drawn is being waged in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In 2004, the FBI created a memorandum on the political views, funding sources and journalism activities of Eric Garris and Justin Raimondo, editors of the website AntiWar.com. The FBI said the information gathering was a threat assessment after a list of terror suspects was published on the website. The list had already been published on other sites.

The FBIs San Francisco office declined to open a full investigation into the journalists, concluding there was no threat. The journalists asked the FBI to expunge the records from official files, but the FBI refused.

The U.S. district court in San Francisco ruled in favor of the FBI, finding their collection was authorized law enforcement activity.

The journalists have appealed.

Kristina Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com
When Donald Trump was elected president, rancher John Ladd said smuggling traffic on his ranch immediately dipped, and he slept soundly for the first time in years.

Ladd, 63, a fourth-generation cattle rancher, had voted for Trump and his promise to build a border wall and have Mexico pay for it. But the wall hasnt been constructed, the respite didnt last, and Ladd, along with other vocal southern Arizona ranchers, has lost faith in the Border Patrols barrier plans.

If they build a wall and do what they did to us, it isnt going to work, Ladd said last week as he drove through the 10-mile stretch of his ranchland that borders Mexico  roughly from the community of Naco west to the San Pedro River.

All but about half a mile of the border on his ranch is already fenced, a patchwork of varying heights, all erected on his land prior to the Trump administration. To his immediate west, at the foot of the Huachuca Mountains, the fence ends.

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The first stretch of new fence planned for construction by the Trump administration is not slated for the Arizona desert but for Texas and is mired in environmental and land disputes. Even if that project moves forward and is expanded to Arizona, Ladd and some other ranchers now doubt it will stop smugglers unless the Border Patrol changes its policies and deploys agents closer to the new barriers.

 Arizona rancher Jim Chilton has been calling for more border security, including a wall, for many years. Traffickers use his land to transport drugs, he says, and immigrants have died crossing his ranch, in what he calls a horrible, horrible human

Ladds friend and fellow rancher Jim Chilton still believes in Trumps wall, but describes the project as three-pronged.

You need a wall. You need roads. And just as important, you need the Border Patrol at the border, said Chilton, 79, whose cattle ranch on the border a dozen miles west of Nogales is fenced with only barbed wire and frequented by smugglers, he says.

Chilton was invited to meet the president at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in New Orleans in January, where Trump acknowledged smuggling traffic on Chiltons ranch and brought him up to speak.

Mr. President, Chilton said after taking the stage in his Stetson and bolo tie, we need a wall.

Chilton didnt mention the need for Border Patrol agents to monitor traffic along the barrier. He figures once the wall is built, then we put pressure on the Border Patrol to change their strategy.

(Los Angeles Times)

But other ranchers who voted for Trump say his big, beautiful wall wont work without first improving how the Border Patrol monitors existing barriers. They say a trip along Ladds property illustrates their concerns.

Fred Davis, 67, a fourth-generation rancher east of Tombstone, about 30 miles from the border, calls the barriers erected on Ladds 16,500-acre ranch the greatest technological boondoggle on the border and says they show that it doesnt matter what you put on the border if you dont have boots on the ground to monitor it.

Ladds friend Gary Thrasher, a rancher and veterinarian, voted for Trump and supported the wall, but has doubts after whats happened at Ladds ranch.

Its sickening to me that that much has been invested in something not well thought out, said Thrasher, 73.

He pointed to one stretch of fence, a black ribbon winding up a hill and ending at the San Pedro River.

The Border Patrol has spent about $54 million on fencing, cameras, towers, radar and other technology on Ladds ranch since 1992, he said. Most of the construction started after the Secure Fence Act of 2006 was passed, and ended in 2017 before Trump took office.

But its by no means secure, he and his friends say.

The money would have been better spent on manpower, said Ladd, a mustachioed cowboy who chewed tobacco as he drove in his pickup beside a stretch of fence built in 2009.

The fence here is a patchwork of 18-foot-tall steel bollards, 13- and 10-foot mesh fence, waist-high X-shaped Normandy vehicle barriers, and floodgates that sit open during summer monsoons. Ladd says the barriers slow smugglers but dont stop them, especially in gaps under the fence called draws where cameras cant spot them.

They should have an agent here, he said last week as he stopped near Gringo Draw.

No agents were in sight.

Gary Thrasher looks over a Normandy vehicle barrier near the San Pedro River bordering his friend and fellow rancher John Ladds property in Cochise County, Ariz., on March 2. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The Border Patrol has stationed an agent near the ranchs eastern entrance beside the Naco crossing, and another to the west at the San Pedro River. But they keep watch by sitting on Xs, as Ladd put it, instead of surveying gaps in the fence.

At one point, a third agent passed slowly in an SUV, on patrol.

Thats one, Ladd said wryly.

Most of the fencing on Ladds property was built during the Obama administration. Trump sent active-duty U.S. troops to the border, and worked with governors to send National Guard troops, but the guardsmen hes seen are not armed like they were under President Obama.

The irony is not lost on Ladd.

He has made his views known to the Naco Border Patrol station advisory committee he serves on, testified in Washington, hosted members of Congress and 2016 presidential candidates including Ben Carson and Rick Perry. He also attended a border security meeting about 190 miles to the northeast in Deming, N.M., on Saturday where Ladd said Thrasher and other Arizona ranchers addressed a crowd of more than 400 people upset with Border Patrol strategy in rural areas that in recent months have seen an influx of migrant family groups.

Ladd and other ranchers feel ignored.

Rancher John Ladd is reflected in a mirror as he checks on cattle at his ranch on the southern Arizona border. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Instead of Trump changing the strategy of the Border Patrol, he sees the president taking his cues from agency managers and the agents union.

The Border Patrol has relied over the years on shifting agents to high-traffic areas, often around border cities. Critics say that leads to a water balloon effect, driving smugglers and migrants to ranches patrolled by fewer agents.

Agent Dan Hernandez, a spokesman for the Border Patrols Tucson sector, is aware of complaints from Ladd and other ranchers.

He wants agents holding hands along the border, Hernandez said.

And while that might improve security in densely populated urban areas, Hernandez said, it wouldnt help in places like Cochise County, with a population of about 125,000 spread across an area larger than Los Angeles and Orange counties combined, including Naco.

In Texas Rio Grande Valley, agents patrolling fenced stretches of the border have backup patrols stationed along highways farther north and at checkpoints on every major highway. Arizonas Cochise County is assigned fewer agents and checkpoints, which often are closed due to storms.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Daniel Hernandez patrols along a dirt road yards from Mexicos Highway 2, which closely parallels the U.S.-Mexico border in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Ariz., on March 5. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Once you beat us in rural southern Arizona, Hernandez said, youre home free.

As smuggling traffic shifted during the last 20 years away from Arizona toward Texas, so did agents. Frustrated, Ladd partnered with the local sheriffs office two years ago.

The sheriff, who serves on a national Homeland Security advisory committee, used state and federal grants to send a team of five deputies to Ladds ranch, where they installed 50 camouflaged game cameras usually used to track wildlife at a cost of $1,000 each. Authorities tracked and charged 50 drug traffickers, all of whom were prosecuted. For the past 13 months, no drug activity has been seen in the area as a total of 500 cameras have been stationed across the county.

The number of migrants caught on Ladds ranch has also declined, from 300 a day in the early 2000s to 50 a week recently. But Ladd remains worried. Across the Tucson Border Patrol sector that includes his ranch, 4,915 migrants were caught last month, compared with 3,824 in February 2018. Migrant traffic has shifted this year toward southern Arizona, with large groups arriving at remote crossings to the west of him in Yuma and to the east across the New Mexico state line.

That could change overnight and the infrastructure isnt in place to respond and secure the border here, said Cochise County Chief Sheriffs Deputy Thad Smith, who runs the departments border enforcement team.

John Ladd walks to open a gate on his ranch where a Border Patrol agent is stationed. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Ladd hopes to pass his ranch on to his children and grandchildren. But he and other ranchers say they have been worn down by Border Patrol mistakes.

Agents often leave ranch gates open and cattle escape or mix, they say, to the point that Ladd has given up on segregating his herd of Angus, Hereford, Brahman and Charolais cattle.

When it comes time to gather them up for sale or vaccinations, a process that once took a week now takes months.

Other ranchers, fed up with the added costs of coping with Border Patrol and migrants on the border compared with ranches just 50 miles north, have sold out to investors, he said.

An entire way of life is just being lost. Thats a real shame. America is losing a part of our culture because we cant secure our border, Smith said.

Ladd says he isnt selling the ranch thats been in his family for 123 years. But hes losing patience with the Border Patrol. There is no compassion for those of us who live on the U.S. border in what theyre doing, he said.

Last week, as he drove through the heart of his property, he stopped by a Border Patrol tower, one of four he let the agency erect. But it seemed futile. An agent sat beneath the tower in his truck, parked next to two portable toilets, watching an empty pasture.

Ladd waved. The agent waved back. Ladd wished the truck was patrolling by the border fence.

No matter what you give them, they want more, Ladd said. Im at the point where Im not giving them anything.

Should activists aid migrants in the desert, or leave their fate to the Border Patrol? 

Bulldozers sit idle at border amid legal confusion over Trumps emergency 

U.S. database on immigrant-rights advocates, lawyers and journalists sparks outrage 
The Milwaukee County Sheriffs Office has undergone rapid changes since it got a new sheriff, including a policy to halt the sharing of information with federal immigration agents that would help them determine whether inmates were eligible for deportation.

Sheriff Earnell Lucas said his decision to not provide information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents unless a judge issued a warrant was meant to help regain trust in the immigrant community and avoid costly litigation.

Its not politics. Its the right thing to do, Lucas said in a news conference last week. We dont want to place a chilling effect on any one community of not wanting to communicate with law enforcement.

After the announcement, ICE representatives said they would continue to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at work sites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests.

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Such tactics by federal authorities have become commonplace during the Trump administration when local law enforcement agencies have decided to stop collaborating with immigration agents.

In February, ICE announced that some 200 people across North Carolina had been arrested after several counties stopped participating in the federal 287(g) program.

The controversial policy was signed into law in 1996 in order to bridge a path for state or local law enforcement agencies that wanted to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The program is voluntary, and participation, which is subject to federal approval, can later be canceled. The number of agencies signed on to the program has significantly increased under the Trump administration.

ICEs Atlanta field office director Sean Gallagher said in a news conference that this is the new normal and that residents in North Carolina could expect to see more ICE agents in their communities.

ICE will now have no choice but to conduct more at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at work sites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests instead of arrests at the jail where enforcement is safer for everyone involved, Gallagher said.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights group based in Milwaukee, said the best response to an increase in non-targeted raids is political mobilization.

People need to engage local law enforcement and local government officials to pass policies that refuse to be used as an arm of immigration [enforcement], she said.

The policy change implemented by Lucas and his deputies marks a stark contrast to the Milwaukee County sheriffs office when it was run by Sheriff David Clarke.

Clarke, an outspoken supporter of President Trump and a conservative media favorite, fully cooperated with ICE and sought plans to pursue an agreement that would allow some jail employees to act as de facto immigration agents in order to assess whether inmates convicted of crimes were in the country illegally.

Lawsuits challenging lengthy detentions by local authorities based on a written request by ICE have been filed in more than half a dozen states, according to the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant advocacy group.

Many counties, including Los Angeles and most recently two in North Carolina, have pulled out of the program after federal court rulings found that counties would be liable for damages for holding inmates beyond their release date.

In recent years the immigrant community in Milwaukee has been mobilizing to block the 287(g) program and to institute a policy of noncollaboration with ICE unless a judge has issued a warrant, said Neumann-Ortiz.

Nearly 10% of Milwaukees 595,070 residents are foreign-born, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. About 17% of residents are Latino, and 3.5% are Asian.

In November 2017, the Department of Homeland Security rejected an application that would have approved the Milwaukee County Sheriffs Department to participate in the 287(g) program after an outcry from the community.

Its good to have a sheriff thats looking at people as human beings, said Milwaukee County Supervisor Moore Omokunde. Lucas approach to the department is refreshing.

Neumann-Ortiz said the election of Lucas came about through grass-roots activism and alliances with other elected leaders.

Lucas was someone running for office who had a social justice orientation to law enforcement, she said.

Clarke, the former sheriff, was an eccentric character who frequently wore a cowboy hat and made vitriolic statements on conservative talk shows about critics of police abuse.

He came under scrutiny when seven workers at the county jail he oversaw were criminally investigated in the death of an inmate who was found dehydrated. Three former sheriffs staffers were charged in February 2018 with felonies for depriving the inmate of water for a week.

Clarke resigned in August 2017.

Lucas, 60, said he aims to change the state of public discourse in Milwaukee County.

In Milwaukee County weve got to ensure that we are not just doing the right things but that we are doing them right, he said at the news conference.

Since taking over as sheriff, Lucas has also created an Office of Legal Affairs and Compliance to ensure oversight of the department and has met with immigrant and activist leaders in the community.

Amid Milwaukee unrest, a conservative black sheriff clashes with the citys liberal white police chief 

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad
My father died after just a few weeks in the old folks home. I cant forget watching him walk around the place saying, I dont remember a trial. Was there a trial or just this sentence?

My mother took much longer. Toward the end, her vital signs were strong, but she was blind, incontinent, crippled and demented. She didnt recognize me or my sister. She couldnt walk or feed herself and needed 24-hour, one-to-one care. She couldnt remember not to try to get out of bed. Even with a caregiver there all the time, she somehow managed to sneak out three times and fall and break bones.

Walking out of the place one afternoon, I got into a conversation with a woman who had just visited her mother. She asked how my mother was doing. I was supposed to say: Shes doing pretty well under the circumstances. Instead, I said, Personally, Id rather be dead.

I think there are plenty of things worse than death. And I think its fair to propose that I wont make decisions for you if you dont make them for me.

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The woman nearly fell into my arms. At last neither of us had to keep up the charade. The whole thing was a ghastly nightmare, and we both knew it. I told her my mother had been in hospice but graduated back into the general population. My new friend said, They thrive in hospice!

Some people think old folks homes are lovely. At the good ones you can make craft projects or play bingo. They bring kids in from the local junior high school to perform dance recitals. You can watch movies and participate in discussion groups led by enthusiastic women who AR-TI-CU-LATE carefully and speak s-l-o-w-l-y and LOUDLY for the benefit of the hearing impaired. Fine. If that appeals to you, you are welcome to move right in. Personally, I would rather be dead.

I know, I know. I am hearing impaired. I wear hearing aids. Dont tell me about respect for people with disabilities. Listen to what Im saying.

Im a baby boomer, a member of the great demographic bulge, the pig in the python. As a group, we are burying our parents, just as every generation has done since the beginning of time. But first, for many of us, there is this additional ordeal as they deteriorate. We learn how hard it can be to get off the bus even when youre well past your stop. We have a recurring conversation whenever two or more of us are in the same room for more than an hour.

Someone starts by describing a recent nightmare trip to the old folks home. I say, Id rather be dead. Someone else proclaims, Now you think youd rather be dead, but when you get old and sick enough that you need to move into one of those places, youll sing a different tune.

I bring up Christopher Hitchens. When the writer, critic and famous atheist was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Anderson Cooper asked him whether he might want to consider hedging his spiritual bets.

Hitchens said: If that comes, it will be when I am very ill, when I am half demented, either by drugs or by pain, and I wont have control over what I say. I mention this in case you ever hear a rumor later on, because these things happen and the faithful love to spread these rumors. Well, I cant say that the entity that by then wouldnt be me wouldnt do such a pathetic thing. But I can tell you that not when Im lucid, no. I can be quite sure of that.

Im with Hitchens. If at some future time the man who lives in my body wants to move into an old folks home and play bingo, you can be confident that person is no longer me. You do not need to pay any attention to him.

At this point I am told I have no right to make decisions for that person. He is entitled to make decisions for himself, and he may well disagree with the views I hold today just as I disagree with some of the views I held when I was a younger man.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Its true that opinions change. If you ask able-bodied people how they would feel if they lost both their legs, many say they would rather be dead. If you ask people who lost both their legs, after a while they say its just fine. In fact, many say losing their legs was a net gain since it enabled them to get a better perspective on whats really important or find out who their real friends are.

But Im quite sure about this one. I never want to go to one of those places. I would rather be dead. Im adamant.

Im not interested in telling other people what to do. If you believe that any sort of life is sacred, that every moment is precious no matter what, fine. I disagree. I think there are plenty of things worse than death. And I think its fair to propose that I wont make decisions for you if you dont make them for me.

The problem is, short of committing suicide later this afternoon, I dont know how to assure that my wishes will be honored. I filled out all the forms my attorney gave me when I wrote my will. I discussed my views with my wife and family, but there doesnt appear to be a mechanism for people like me.

Im afraid Ill be sentenced to infantilization and humiliation, like my father, or to years of fearful confusion, like my mother  without a trial.

Barry Goldman is an arbitrator and mediator in Michigan. He is the author of The Science of Settlement.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
To the editor: Thank you for publishing Israeli columnist and political activist Mika Almogs op-ed article criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. By welcoming the far-right Otzma Yehudit into his fold, Netanyahu has made it clear that his priority is himself and not Israel.

One area of danger that Almog did not mention is the effect of the prime ministers ham-handed policies on Israels relationship with the United States. Whether by design or incompetence, Netanyahu has tied the two countries relationship to the Republican Party in general and the Christian right in particular.

Netanyahu has failed to take into account the changing demographics of the United States. By hitching his and ultimately Israels fate to the right wing of the GOP, the prime minister has sided with a party that commands the loyalty of only a quarter of the population.

He has failed miserably to reach out to the Jewish and non-Jewish liberals in the United States. In attacking them and by mainstreaming Israels Otzma Yehudit, Netanyahu is giving fodder to those on the left who are anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.

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Like President Trump, Netanyahu takes criticism of his policies personally. He needs to stop that.

Andrew C. Sigal, Van Nuys

..

To the editor: Alan Dershowitzs effort to discredit the prosecutions case against Netanyahu proves unpersuasive. As he has done in his defense of Trump, he attempts to normalize Netanyahus misconduct.

Dershowitz argues that Netanyahus quid pro quo arrangements in two media cases are not unusual among politicians seeking favorable media coverage. Dershowitz dismisses the indictment as arbitrary and contrived. He claims that this unethical and, according to Israeli law, illegal behavior is normal among politicians.

Dershowitzs argument does a disservice to the principle that in a democratic society no one is above the law.

Nor does he help his case when he questions the attorney generals authority to prosecute Netanyahu on the grounds that the decision to do so might thwart the will of the voters. As Dershowitz knows, that is not a viable defense against criminal charges.

Andrew Spathis, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Many thanks to Dershowitz for his clear thinking on Netanyahus legal troubles. The charges against the prime minister are similar to the allegations against our own President Trump.

It appears we live in a world gone mad with this new liberalism. I believe Dershowitz always stands tall when seeking the truth.

So, isnt it time that he stops the charade and joins the political party that apparently reflects his true values  the Republican Party?

Carl Rosenfeld, Indio

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Wading into a crowd of U.S. senators running for president, governors have begun entering the field with a fresh line of argument: As executives, they are doers, not talkers.

People in Washington, they spend their lives talking about stuff, debating, pointing fingers and blaming the other side, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Friday in a swipe at his Senate rivals during his first tour of Iowa after his campaign launch.

Its about time to get people together to get stuff done, he added.

The fate of Hickenlooper and other governors running for Democrats 2020 nomination could be a window on the evolving mood of the electorate  whether Democratic primary voters are as infuriated with Washington gridlock and divisive politics as they are with President Trump.

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The governors could also shift the nature of a field dominated for months by senators with national reputations and fundraising networks. After a winter in which the Democratic debate has been shaped by those senators, mostly on the partys left, competing to propose bigger, bolder progressive policies, the governors could move the conversation in a more pragmatic direction.

In the past, governors have been seen as stronger presidential candidates than senators because of their executive experience. Four governors (Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) but only one senator (Barack Obama) have won the White House in roughly the last half-century.

But the Trump era suddenly has put governors at a political disadvantage.

Trump has monopolized public attention and news coverage, especially on television. Capitol Hill  with its high-profile hearings and pitched legislative battles  gives senators a national platform for battling the president, a top priorityfor party activists and donors.

Democrats, facing a big candidate field, ask: Who can beat Trump? 

The traditional claim of pragmatic executive ability still appeals to some voters.

Getting stuff done  thats a trait sorely missing in the national debate, said Shane Church, a former Colorado resident who came to hear Hickenlooper speak at a Des Moines brewery.

For others, however, infuriated by Trump and his party, that message seems thin gruel.

Im more interested in candidates with big ideas and ambitious policies, said Dan Fessler, a Democrat from West Des Moines.

That working-with-Republicans stuff doesnt work for me, he said. I dont want to work with Republicans. I just want to destroy them.

In addition to Hickenlooper, the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, has entered the 2020 race, spotlighting climate change and what he has done to combat it in his state. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is considering joining the field, touting Democratic accomplishments in a Republican state. Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is also considering abid.

Whos running for president and whos not 

Carters election in 1976 offers a particularly encouraging model for the governors. Little known before he won the Iowa caucuses, Carter captured the nomination in a 13-candidate field that included six senators.

But governors seemed to lose their cachet when facing the surly electorate of 2016. In the Republicans record-breaking 17-candidate field, more than half were sitting or former governors. They included stars of the GOP: Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Chris Christie of New Jersey, Rick Perry of Texas, John Kasich of Ohio and Jeb Bush of Florida.

All were trounced bypolitical novice Donald Trump.

Were in a new era right now, said Jon Thompson, former spokesman for the Republican Governors Assn. Voters arent necessarily looking for experience. Republican voters in 2016 were looking for someone to shake up the status quo.

The same might be said about Democratic primary voters this year: Nothing matters more to Democrats than changing the White House status quo.

One thing it will take to beat Trump is strong fundraising, and on that front, several senators have a head start because of national donor networks they had before they even entered the presidential race. Bernie Sanders, the last obstacle to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016, raised $5.9 million within 24 hours of announcing his candidacy for 2020.

Governors from small-population states like Colorado, Washington and Montana have trouble raising money nationally, said Howard Dean, who ran for president in 2004 after serving as governor of Vermont. Dean overcame his own small-state handicap to become a top fundraiser in that race because his opposition to the Iraq war appealed to small donors from across the country.

Thats what helped me, he said. They have to have something like that.

Hickenlooper says he raised $1 million in less than 48 hours, from donors in all 50 states. Campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said that Hickenlooper developed donor contacts nationwide in 2008 when he raised $60 million to host that years Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Inslee has embraced an issue with national appeal in his call for aggressive action against climate change. And, while just about all the candidates agree on that environmental goal, Inslee can point to concrete actions he has taken as governor to promote renewable energy, electric car innovations and energy efficiency.

His campaign says he raised $1 million in the first three days after launching his run. He also benefits from a super PAC called Action Now on Climate, which announced a $1-million ad buy to promote his candidacy.

Both Inslee and Hickenlooper, however, are little known outside their home states. In a January Monmouth University poll, just 23% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents knew enough about Hickenlooper to have an opinion about him: 13% had a positive view and 10% were negative.

Inslee, whose name recognition was even lower, has work to do reaching voters like Megan Stanek, a school nurse who attended a Sanders rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She said that combating climate change was hands-down her No. 1 issue, but had never heard of Inslee.

Bullock is not expected to announce a decision about running in 2020 until after his state legislative session ends in April. But he has already hired staff in Iowa and made several visits there. He tells Democrats about his legislative and political successes in Montana, where he won reelection in 2016 at the same time Trump won his state by 20 points.

McAuliffe has set a March 31 deadline for deciding whether to run for president, a bid that would spotlight how he helped steer Virginia in a more liberal direction during his four years as governor. Not surprisingly, he agrees with his fellow governors that state executives have better training for the presidency than senators.

A governor is CEO, he said recently on CBS Face the Nation.

We build roads; we fix roads. We do need governors in this race because, you know, we dont just get to talk all day; weve got to deliver every single day.

The latest from Washington 
California government auditors will begin accepting applications in June from citizens who would like to help redraw the states congressional and legislative maps, a task with enormous political consequences.

The once-a-decade redistricting process will also offer a rare chance for the dwindling ranks of Republicans to get equal billing with Democrats. When complete, the maps will offer the GOP its best  perhaps only  chance at launching an electoral comeback.

Not that independent redistricting was designed to favor any political group. It is instead meant to ensure districts arent divvied up by lawmakers in Sacramento in ways that make an elections outcome a foregone conclusion.

Voters created an independent citizens commission to handle the task through ballot measures in 2008 and 2010, and the first panel drew maps that have been in use since 2012. The maps withstood an early court challenge and Californias process was praised as an innovation worth being copied by other states.

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In California, legal gamblings bets dont produce big jackpots for state government 

The rules for selecting the commissions 14 members are quirky. The state Bureau of Audits does much of the work in whittling down hundreds of applications. Legislative leaders from both major parties are then given the power to reject a small number of hopefuls from the final pool, a small concession made by drafters of the 2008 ballot measure. From there, eight commissioners are picked at random and those men and women then choose six more colleagues to round out the panel.

And heres where Republicans get their big break: The rules evenly split 10 of the panels 14 members between the two largest political parties in the state. That gives Democrats and Republicans an equal voice in the creation of the maps, even though there are almost 4 million more Democrats in California. (Independent or no party preference voters, who comprise the second largest part of the electorate, are eligible for up to four seats on the commission.)

Perhaps not surprisingly, a number of prominent Democrats opposed the 2008 ballot measure that created the redistricting commission. Even then, the partys control of state government would almost certainly have led to the drawing of more Democratic-leaning districts for the Legislature and Congress.

Imagine, though, what the traditional map-drawing maneuvers might have produced now  as Democrats control 89 of 120 legislative seats in Sacramento and 46 of the states congressional seats in Washington.

The five Republicans who will be picked to help draw the new maps after the 2020 census wont be able to dramatically reverse those numbers. But they will be able to hold their own or use a variety of data to shine a light on any proposed districts that they find unfair. That could include projections of political party registration in the newly drawn districts  information that the 2011 commission refused to consider, choosing instead to use a broad interpretation of the laws ban on maps favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.

Republican commissioners will also have as much power as Democrats when it comes to approving the new district lines for the Legislature, Congress and the state Board of Equalization. Under the 2008 law enacted by voters, final adoption of the maps requires support from at least three of the panels five Republicans.

And perhaps just as important will be the power of precedent. The 2011 redistricting commissions work could be the template for 2021 district lines some observers believe are so well thought out that they only need small adjustments.

Republicans could breathe a sigh of relief. That may not be a victory, of course, but it would certainly beat the alternative.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast
Reto Ziegler and Bryan Acosta scored second-half goals and FC Dallas beat the LA Galaxy 2-0 on Saturday.

Ziegler opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, beating goalkeeper David Bingham with a penalty kick into the left corner. The Galaxys Diego Polenta conceded the penalty for a high kick in the area.

FC Dallas (1-0-1) doubled the lead in the 61st minute when Paxton Pomykal dribbled near the goal line and sent it back to Acosta who smashed a home volley from inside the penalty arc. The Galaxy (1-1-0) travelled without two of their Designated Players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Achilles) and Romain Alessandrini (right hamstring).
A $32 Golden Gate Bridge Fee? by Catharine Hamm (Need to Know, Feb. 24) struck a nerve.

I had a similar experience last year in Boston, to which I travel monthly for business. My first time there, I rented a vehicle at Logan airport and declined the toll program, resolving to simply use GPS to avoid any tolls coming out of the airport. Whoops, its impossible. For the one or two tolls (all electronic) I hit in the tunnels coming out and back in, I was charged outrageous rental company administrative fees for each violation.

Unlike here in California (and in the Golden Gate case), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation does not offer a means to pay electronically after the fact (at least for renters). I tried to register the license plate for my trip, but I was not allowed to because the plate was already registered with the rental company. I contacted the firm that processes the tolls for the rental car company several times, but was unable to intercept/pay the tolls before it got to them.

After phone calls and letters to the rental company and the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office, I was contacted by the Boston Mayors Office, which negotiated a satisfactory resolution on my behalf.

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Not many visitors or tourists will be as dogged, nor should they have to be. In the long time I spent contemplating this situation, I realized its a scam, at least in areas like Logan, where its really quite impossible (as far as I know) to avoid tolls. Not only that, but if you cant avoid them, you also cant pay for them.

Your only choice is to pay for the rental companys toll program, all of which seem to, as the article cited, charge a daily rate once one toll fee is triggered, and regardless of further toll usage.

On a long trip during which ones only toll usage is at one unavoidable node, these toll programs are extremely disadvantageous. The only other option I found is to register a new EZ Pass account, but that requires feeding it cash and bleeding account fees, most likely. Oh, and awareness and planning. Too much work for an occasional visitor.

The scheme I encountered is extremely unfriendly to visitors but surely quite lucrative for the rental companies. In my view, its mostly mitigated by offering anyone the ability to pay after the fact for any toll fees, as we thankfully can do in California, although it doesnt fully address the fact that many are unaware even of that option, or of the rental companies toll program details.

This article is a nice start in raising awareness, but Id love to know if others have had similar experiences in other areas. I believe that transportation departments are at least as responsible as the rental car companies, and they need to hear from us. They need to make it easier for non-account holders to pay tolls.

After that experience, I happily rent Turo cars (at half the price) and reimburse the car owner exactly whats due when he/she receives the bill.

Roland Foss

Los Angeles

Editors note: If you have had a toll experience like the one above, please email travel@latimes.com and tell us about your experience.

Ride sharing

In regards to A Digital Eye on Your Rental (On the Spot. March 3, by Catharine Hamm): Another alternative to car rental is Lyft or Uber. No worries about the amount of gas in the rental car.

Scott Jessup

Saugus, Calif.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
San Diego Countys dynamic craft brewing industry has a mix of new enterprises to entice travelers searching for suds. A bonus is a renewed emphasis on food. If wine is more your style, local vintners have new offerings as well.

Here are some fresh places to enjoy a brew or glass of vino.

Gravity Heights

Thousands of nearby high-tech workers cheered the January opening of Gravity Heights. This is a striking, large space with a patio bar in back.

Beer and food are on equal footing: The sophisticated menu offers items as diverse as tuna crudo and Moroccan vegetable tagine as well as 13 house beers.

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Suds scoop: Brewers Best amber was my favorite.

Info: 9920 Pacific Heights Blvd., San Diego (Sorrento Mesa); (858) 283-8206

Modern Times

Like Gravity Heights, Modern Times was jammed from the get-go. Its tasting room, which opened in October in Encinitas, is a nice addition to the beach towns hipster scene. There are clever design touches throughout, and the wall of stadium-style bleacher seating is a hoot. Vegetarians: The food is all plant-based; the faux bratwurst was a hit.

Suds scoop: The nitro version of the Black House oatmeal coffee stout was tops.

Info: 470 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas; (760) 452-4304

Amplified Ale Works

Amplified Ale Works in San Diego. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Amplified Ale Works, which opened in August in the East Village near Petco Park, isnt brewing on-site yet. For now, this casual, hip pub features an extensive lineup from its San Diego brewery and serves coffee, cocktails and Mediterranean food.

The large, dog-friendly patio has picnic tables on AstroTurf overlooking a pocket park and is an oasis even as condo towers go up next door.

Suds scoop: The Pig Nose Pale Ale was enjoyable.

Info: 1429 Island Ave., San Diego; (619) 458-9443

Attitude Brewing

The modern tasting room Attitude Brewing opened in September (although it had its grand opening in February) in Barrio Logan, just a few blocks from the fantastic murals in Chicano Park. It features large tables and eye-catching works by Jalisco artist Paco Racru.

I cant quite explain it, but the wooden bar stools evoked memories of Jacobs ladder click-clack toys. Interesting wraps (ahi tuna, chicken curry salad) dominate the menu.

Suds scoop: The Famous, a Mexican lager, was bright and refreshing.

Info: 1985 National Ave., San Diego; (619) 795-4257

Latchkey Brewing Co.

Latchkey Brewing Co., now just shy of its first birthday, follows in the footsteps of other local brewers who have graduated from the same space in the historic 1930s Mission Brewery Plaza.

Its a small, dark space with a patio, but the vibe is cheery, the bartenders friendly and the beer solid. Latchkey is a short hop from Old Town and the airport, but one-way streets and parking can be tricky.

Suds scoop: The SD 1915 rice lager was light and smooth.

Info: 2120 W. Washington St., San Diego; (858) 284-7076

Northern Pine Brewing

Three blocks east of rapidly gentrifying downtown Oceanside, Northern Pine Brewing, which opened in October, has a wide-open parking lot, rare for the area. The well-lighted tasting room has a long bar and tables that can handle big parties.

The menu includes good barbecue and such sides as collard greens and cornbread from That Boy Good, a local fave.

Suds scoop: Survival of the Littest, a strong barley wine beer, was excellent.

Info: 326 N. Horne St., Oceanside; (760) 754 1434

The wine scene

Starting a vineyard is very different from opening a brewery; if nothing else, you have to wait years for the vines to reach maturity. Nonetheless, San Diego Countys first-rate winery scene, which is strong on reds, continues to flourish.

Cheval Winery

Wine tasting at Cheval Winery in the San Diego area. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

In the hills of Escondido, Cheval Winery, which opened nearly a year ago, is the result of a happy accident: The owners, looking for a property for their show horses, bought an estate that came with 10-year-old vines begging to be harvested.

The tasting room features a huge patio with room for two-steppin and country wine (line) dancing.

Tasting flight: Four samples for $15; the Bullet blend, a hearty red, was tops.

Info: 2919 Hill Valley Drive, Escondido; (760) 690-6617

Orfila Vineyards & Winery

One of two new tasting rooms, Escondidos 25-year-old Orfila Vineyards & Winery planted a flag in Oceanside in January in a bright, modern downtown space a block from the beach.

Youll find charcuterie and cheese boards, tortilla flatbreads and such light fare as polenta cakes to go with the wine offerings, half of which are from estate-grown grapes and half from elsewhere.

Tasting flight: Six samples for $15; the estate-grown red blend Full Fathom Five hit the spot.

Info: 221 N. Cleveland St.; (760) 755-7040

La Fleurs Winery tasting room

The San Marcos tasting room of La Fleurs Winery, which opened in May, is a family affair.

Owners Dana and Dave La Fleur and their daughter, Kayla Thomas, are gracious hosts who light up the small space. Theres room in the warehouse for such events as country line dancing; it was amusing to watch folks take lessons while trying not to spill their wine.

La Fleurs is featuring more estate-grown wine from its Escondido vineyard (the rest uses grapes from Temecula, etc.).

Tasting flight: Five samples for $12; the Right Bank blend had the right stuff.

Info: 215 S. Pacific St.; (760) 983-2838

More in the offing

Mermaid Valley Vineyard in Ramona and Starvation Mountain Vineyards in Escondido are almost ready to open, and Jack Simon Vineyards plans to open a tasting room in Carlsbad late this year.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
Under the theme Celebrating the International Womens Day March 8, the three-day festival includes a wide range of activities featuring the Vietnamese cultural identity.

Visitors are offered the characteristic dishes of Vietnamese cuisine including nem ran (fried spring rolls), pho bo (beef noodle soup), and bun cha (noodles with grilled pork), in addition to various simple and distinguished street foods such as banh mi, banhduc, banhcuon, bun thang, and others.

Visitors also have an opportunity to admire Vietnamese art performances, traditional games and the cooking of Vietnamese dishes.

Besides traditional Vietnamese dishes, a wide range of products made in Vietnam are introduced to visitors including coffee, tea, noodles, spices, fruits and dry goods in a bid to turn the Vietnamese Street Food Festival into a trade and culture promotion programme held regularly at Incentra.

According to incomplete statistics, more than 200 Vietnamese cuisine restaurants are operating in Moscow.

General Director of Incentra Investment company, Nguyen Canh Hong Linh, cum head of the Organising Board of the festival, said that Incentra will invite more chefs from different Vietnamese regions to Russia to introduce international visitors to more Vietnamese dishes at the next festivals.
Kim Jong Un went into his summit with President Trump with one objective: relief from international sanctions crippling North Koreas economy.

Having come away from the Hanoi summit empty-handed, North Korea is now inching toward provocation and simultaneously tugging at heartstrings.

On one hand, satellite images have detected activity at a launch facility and a missile manufacturing complex  sites North Korea knows full well are being closely watched  signaling the country may be gearing up for a rocket launch, and rattling nerves in Washington.

At the same time, through the United Nations, North Korea is pleading that it is facing a food shortage after a year of poor harvests and its people may soon go hungry.

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The United Nations last week said that harvests in North Korea were down 9% in 2018, the lowest yield in a decade, and that 3.8 million people  1 out of 7 North Koreans  were urgently in need of life-saving aid.

This is part of, at the very least, framing sanctions in a different way than most of the world knows of them, said Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, co-editor of the website North Korean Economy Watch and associate scholar with the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute. To say that Hey, its not just that we cant export and import missile parts, its also causing our people to starve.

For the moment, much of Washingtons attention is trained on the potential provocation.

Commercial satellite images from immediately before and after the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, signal North Korea is taking steps to launch a rocket, analysts said.

Satellite images from last week showed North Korea had completed rebuilding the key components of a vertical engine test stand and launch pad at Sohae Satellite Launching Station, also known as Tongchang-ri, according to analysts at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

South Korean intelligence agencies and U.S. analysts also spotted activity at Sanumdong, a facility near Pyongyang that has previously been used to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles, indicating a launch vehicle may have been loaded onto a train to be transferred to Sohae for a possible launch.

The challenge is that both space launch vehicles and ICBMs are there  we cant tell what is being loaded into vehicles, said Melissa Hanham, a nuclear expert at the One Earth Future Foundation. I dont think anyone should freak out. There will be many more clues before there is any kind of launch.

Hanham said in all likelihood, North Korea will launch a space rocket rather than test a missile, because Sohae has only been used for space launches and every ICBM launch has come from a mobile launcher. Even so, the timing would send a message, she said.

You dont have to do a space launch right now. North Korea is being a little provocative, Hanham said.

The U.S. has always considered space launches by North Korea problematic because it uses the same technology as long-range missiles. A 2012 deal between the Obama administration and North Korea for food aid in exchange for a freeze in uranium enrichment fell apart after North Korea attempted to send a satellite into orbit.

A senior State Department official told reporters last week that the Trump administration would also consider a space launch as inconsistent with Kims pledge to Trump that the country would not conduct any missile tests.

You dont have to do a space launch right now, North Korea is being a little provocative. Melissa Hanham, arms control expert at the One Earth Future Foundation

We dont know why theyre taking these steps. We dont know what they intend to do with it, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. But suffice it to say were watching closely and we expect them to abide by the commitments that theyve made to the president of the United States.

Asked if the U.S. is taking the steps toward a launch as a sign that Kim is angry about not getting more sanction relief offered, the official responded: We have not drawn the same conclusions that you cited.

Meanwhile, North Korea is also making the case that the international sanctions placed on the country after a series of nuclear and missile tests in 2017 are hurting its people.

North Korea working on rocket launch site, an ominous signal after summit breakdown 

In a leaked memo in the lead-up to the Hanoi summit, a North Korean official pleaded for assistance from international organizations to address an impending food shortage that he said was caused not only by abnormally high temperatures and natural disasters, but by barbaric and inhuman sanctions.

While humanitarian assistance is exempted from sanctions, the official said they still affected food production by limiting the availability of equipment, including tractors and harvesters, as well as chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticide and herbicide. Government-distributed rations were cut from 550 to 300 grams because of the shortage, according to the memo.

A photo provided by the United Nations shows children in the Unryul County Nursery in North Korea. (Courtesy OCHA / Anthony Burke)

After the talks between Trump and Kim abruptly ended, North Koreas foreign minister told reporters Kim had only asked for the removal of sanctions that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people. The U.S. said North Korea asked that the vast majority of them be lifted.

Hazel Smith, a veteran North Korea scholar who was previously based in North Korea working for U.N. agencies, said it would be a very big mistake to dismiss the request for aid as a government ploy.

Smith, professor of international relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said there was no doubt restrictions on North Koreas oil imports  imposed in September 2017  led to decreased agricultural productivity.

This is not speculation, this is how agriculture works, she said in an interview. There is a direct relationship between oil sanctions and agricultural output, and therefore food security.

She cautioned that it would be wrongheaded to think the food shortage would pressure North Korea to denuclearize.

The unspoken assumption is that the people will revolt and/or the North Korean leadership will cry uncle in return for aid, Smith wrote in a commentary published by the Hawaii-based research institute Pacific Forum. Historically however starving people do not make revolutions; they are too busy trying to survive.

Other observers said the stability of prices at unofficial marketplaces within North Korea indicated the food situation was not as dire as the government made it out to be.

Because the vast majority of North Koreans now rely for their food supply on the network of markets that the government does not recognize, the government food distribution system is only a fraction of the picture, said Jiro Ishimaru, a journalist with Japan-based Asia Press, which has tracked prices through sources in North Korea for more than a decade.

Ishimaru said the harvest last year was clearly worse than in previous years, but if there is critical need, North Korea has the option of importing food, which isnt barred by sanctions. He said the regime may be prioritizing holding onto its reserves and wanting to instead rely on aid.

Its not about the food situation, its a foreign currency crisis, he said. Im sure theres consideration that this type of appeal may lead to an easing of sanctions.

At least one country has heeded North Koreas plea.

The weekend following the Hanoi summit, while Kim was still making his long way back to Pyongyang by train, Russia shipped 2,092 tons of wheat in humanitarian aid to feed children and pregnant women, according to the Russian embassy on Pyongyangs Facebook page.

Emblazoned in blue across the length of the white 50 kg sacks, with the stamp of the World Food Programme, were the words: Gift of Russian Federation.

It may just be the start. The Interfax news agency last month quoted a senior Russian lawmaker as saying Russia was considering sending 50,000 tons of wheat to North Korea.
A brand-new Ethiopian airlines plane bound for Nairobi crashed Sunday, killing all 157 people on board, including eight Americans and 18 Canadians.

The recently acquired aircraft was the same Boeing 737 Max 8 model involved in a crash in Indonesia in October. Preliminary investigation into that accident focused on a malfunctioning sensor and computer system that pushed the planes nose down.

Flight data from the Ethiopian crash appears to show a similar erratic flight path to the Indonesia crash, with the plane first ascending, then descending, then ascending sharply before it fell from the sky.

According to the Ethiopian Airlines chief executive, Tewolde Gebremariam, the flight took off at 8:38 a.m. and lost contact six minutes later, crashing near the city of Bishoftu less than 40 miles to the southeast of Addis Ababa.

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The pilot mentioned he had difficulty and he wanted to return so he was given clearance to Addis, he said.

It is a brand-new airplane, it had no technical remarks and was flown by a senior pilot and there is no cause we can see at this time, he added, saying the plane was only four months old, had flown 1,200 hours so far and had arrived from Johannesburg that morning.

Gebremariam would not speculate on the causes of the crash and said the investigation would involve Ethiopias civil aviation authority, representatives of Boeing and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Flight data viewed by the Washington Post show the flight getting into trouble almost immediately after departure. A normal takeoff for most passenger jets is a steady climb to about a thousand feet, followed by an accelerating climb. However, on this flight, a minute and a half after takeoff, the plane inexplicably begins to descend - for nearly a minute - before climbing again.

RELATED: In 2018 crash, pilots of Lion Air flight may have been befuddled by safety system 

During this time, the planes speed keeps on increasing to what is far above normal for this phase of a takeoff. The plane undergoes a sharp pull up - 600 feet in just 10 seconds - and is flying at 380 nautical mph when around 270 would be closer to normal.

Three minutes later it crashes.

The victims included more than 30 nationalities, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Italians, eight Americans and seven British, as well as four U.N. passport holders.

The airline set up emergency hotline numbers for families and friends of victims and changed the cover image on its Facebook page to black.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the crash site and expressed his profound sadness at the loss of life and wishes healing to friends and families of the bereaved. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta also tweeted his condolences.

Addis Ababa (Los Angeles Times)

Ethiopian Airlines announced the acquisition of the brand new Max aircraft in July. There are currently six others in service to the airline and Gebremariam said there are no plans to suspend their use.

The Max model is the newest version of Boeings workhorse 737 model, the worlds most popular commercial aircraft.

Boeing issued a statement that it was deeply saddened about the crash, adding that a Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Following the October crash of Lion Air flight 610 in Indonesia, Boeing issued an emergency notice that an erroneous sensor input could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, leading to possible impact with terrain.

In the Lion Air crash, a malfunctioning sensor convinced the airplanes software that the flight was stalling and corrected by pointing the nose down.

Boeing steps up response to criticism after fatal Lion Air crash 

Rescuers in January found the cockpit voice recorder from the Lion Air flight that crashed in October. Investigators have downloaded data from both of the aircrafts data recorders - collectively known as black boxes - and are using them to aid in an ongoing investigation into what caused the almost new plane to crash in clear skies.

The full investigation is expected to be completed later this year, likely in November, Indonesian officials say.

Ethiopian Airlines is the continents largest airline in terms of destinations and passengers served. It has ambitions to becoming the gateway to Africa and is widely seen as one of the best managed airlines in Africa.

It has more than 100 destinations worldwide, including flights to Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The airlines last major accident was in 2010 when an aircraft plunged into the Mediterranean shortly after takeoff from Beiruts airport, killing all 90 people on board.
The newborn son of U.K.-born teenager Shamima Begum, who left her London home to join the Islamic State group in Syria, died Friday in a refugee camp, an official said.

Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, confirmed that the infant died at a camp in north Syria. He didnt provide further details.

In a day of conflicting reports about the babys fate, lawyer Tasnime Akunjee tweeted that he had strong but as yet unconfirmed reports that Shamima Begums son has died. He was a British citizen. He declined to provide further details.

Bali tweeted that the reports were fake and the baby is alive and healthy. But he later deleted the tweet without explanation, and shortly after confirmed the babys death.

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The British government couldnt confirm the reports.

Begum was 15 when she and two friends left London to marry Islamic State fighters in Syria in 2015, at a time when the groups online recruitment program lured many impressionable young people to its self-proclaimed caliphate.

Begum recently resurfaced in a refugee camp, and gave birth last month.

Begum, now 19, told journalists that she wanted to raise her son in Britain, but the government revoked her citizenship. Begum told reporters that she had lost two other children to malnutrition and disease.

Her Dutch jihadi husband Yago Riedijk, who is in a Kurdish-run detention center, said last week that he wanted to return to the Netherlands with Begum and their son.

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said last month he had revoked Begums citizenship  even while saying he wouldnt make a decision that would render a person stateless. Javid also confirmed that Begums son was a British citizen, though he said it would be incredibly difficult to facilitate the return of a child from Syria.

Begums parents are from Bangladesh but her family says she isnt a dual citizen. The family has said it plans to challenge Javids decision.




Finnish Prime Minister, Juha Sipilas centre-right government has resigned after failing to push through a flagship social and health care reform package, just five weeks ahead of a legislative election.

There has been a hard-fought struggle for the wide-reaching reform for over a decade, dividing successive governments. Sipila called the failure to pass the reform a major disappointment.

He has since 2015 headed a coalition made up of his Centre Party, the conservative National Coalition, and the eurosceptic Blue Reform party, a moderate faction spun off from the far-right. The three parties were unable to agree among themselves on the package, which Sipila had made one of his top priorities in office.

He had repeatedly threatened to resign if the reforms did not go through. A former businessman who earned millions as an IT entrepreneur before becoming prime minister in 2015, Sipila considered the shake-up as key to cutting the ballooning costs of treating a rapidly aging population.

The proportion of over 65-year-olds in the Nordic country, which has a population of 5.4 million, is expected to reach 26 percent by 2030. Among the reforms discussed were a centralisation of services into new regional healthcare authorities which would take over from the current local municipalities and the use of more private health care providers, a subject of heated debate.

But the coalition partners were unable to agree on issues such as how much the system should be opened up to give patients freedom of choice, among others.

A recent scandal of neglect allegations that came to light in privately-run elderly care homes helped turn the political mood further against any more privatisation of the countrys healthcare. Claims that the reforms would bring three billion euros ($3.3 billion) of savings to the countrys welfare bill have also been repeatedly called into question. Sipila threw in the towel when it became clear the government would not be able to submit a proposal to parliament before the election set for April 14.

My government works on a results or resign principle. I am a man of principle and in politics you have to carry responsibility, Sipila told reporters, adding: I am taking my share of responsibility.
The second plenary meeting of the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Strong Historical Probability of Natural Gas Long Trades Setting Up

Would you believe that March and April, historically, shows a 2 to 1 statistical probability of NG moving higher. Each of these months shows, historically, that NG has a strong potential for at least a $1.00 upside price move in both March and April. Only 1/3 of the historically testing time (23 years) did the price of NG actually decrease.

How do we know this? Weve built proprietary price modeling and data modeling solutions that allow us to isolate and verify this data. This data was tested on a Monthly price basis for the statistics weve provided, above. When we run this same test on Weekly data, the results continue to support our conclusions.

The weekly historical data analysis for March shows a 53 to 46 positive price advantage with an average of $0.99 upside advantage over 99 tested weeks. The weekly historical data analysis for April shows a 58 to 45 positive price advantage with an average of $0.89 upside advantage over 103 tested weeks.

Although the Weekly data is not as overwhelming in terms of positive to negative weekly results, the overall results still support the Monthly data  resulting in nearly a $1.00 upside price advantage. Therefore, we believe any price rotation down in Natural Gas near recent lows, below $2.70, would be an excellent opportunity to take long positions with an upside target between $3.10 and $3.35. We are not attempting to target the full $1.00 potential upside because we want to target safer, quicker upside objectives  not the lower probability targets. In doing so, targeting a $0.40 to 0.60+ range allows us to execute very high probability objectives and trade almost like a sniper. Get in, get our target and GET OUT.

If you want to see recent trade we closed on natural gas take a look at this postwhich I think you will agree is nothing short of simple and awesome!

We believe the current Buy Zone in NG is below $2.70. Once price rotates a bit lower, any entry near the $2.70 level or lower would be an excellent entry level for skilled traders. Our targets would be anything north of $3.00. Ideally, we would pull half of our trade-off as soon as the price reached above $3.00 and pull the second half off when prices reached above $3.20 or $3.25.

Remember, were showing you that the months of March and April share this upside price advantage. This means there is a higher probability of upside price moves throughout March & April in NG and all we have to do is find the strategic entry points and run our trades. Get ready for some great trading opportunities this year and pay attention to NG. Remember, you can trade the ETFs for Natural Gas as well.

If you want to join a group of professional traders, researchers, and friends, take a look at our trading newsletter to learn how we can help you find and execute better trades each month. We believe 2019 and 2020 will be incredible years for skilled traders and we are executing at the highest level we can to assist our members. In fact, we are about to launch our newest technology solution to better assist our members in creating future success.

Our team has 53 years of experience in researching and trading makes analyzing the complex and ever-changing financial markets a natural process. We have a simple and highly effective way to provide our customers with the most convenient, accurate, and timely market forecasts available today. Our stock and ETF trading alerts are readily available through our exclusive membership service via email and SMS text. Our newsletter, Technical Trading Mastery book, and 3 Hour Trading Video Course are designed for both traders and investors. Also, some of our strategies have been fully automated for the ultimate trading experience.

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

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BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The growth in China's foreign trade of goods rebounded strongly after the week-long Spring Festival, a senior customs official told Xinhua Saturday.

Imports and exports surged 21 percent year on year from mid-February, said Ni Yuefeng, head of the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

In the first eight days of March, the country's foreign trade soared 24.7 percent year on year, with exports rising nearly 40 percent.

Historical data show that it's a normal phenomenon to have fluctuations in monthly statistics for the month with the Spring Festival, said Ni. "Judging from the recent upward trend, we are very confident about China's foreign trade growth in the future."

His comment came as GAC announced Friday that China's foreign trade fell 9.4 percent year on year last month to 1.81 trillion yuan (about 270 billion U.S. dollars), raising concerns about a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.

Analysts cautioned it was difficult to compare trends in China's data at the start of the year due to the Spring Festival holiday, which came in early February this year and could affect business activity.

Deducting the Spring Festival factor, China's foreign trade rose 10.2 percent year on year in February, with exports increasing 7.8 percent and imports rising 12.9 percent, respectively.
BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leaders on Saturday stressed reform, legislation and poverty alleviation at the annual legislative session.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu and Zhao Leji, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when they separately joined deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) in group deliberations.

Premier Li Keqiang called for efforts to deepen reform and opening up, improve business environment, unleash the vitality of state-owned and private enterprises, and strengthen the real economy to promote stable and healthy economic development.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, called for high-quality legislation to promote high-quality development. He said legislation should better contribute to economic and social development and help accomplish major reform tasks.

Zhao Leji, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said disciplinary inspection and supervision organs should strengthen efforts to deal with corruption and misconduct in poverty alleviation, so as to provide a strong guarantee for winning the battle against poverty.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Pennsylvania Horticulture Societys Harvest program ends season with almost 19,000 pounds of produce donated and $30K raised to fight food insecurity
The world's largest amphibious aircraft, AG600, carried out its first takeoff and landing on waters in Hubei province's Jingmen in October 2018. [Photo by Zhao Lei / chinadaily.com.cn]

BEIJING - Four AG600 large amphibious airplanes will conduct flight tests to facilitate its certification schedule, said its developer the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Friday.

In 2019, AVIC will focus on three major aspects to push forward the AG600 project - the flight test of No.001 aircraft, the aircraft design optimization, and parts fabrication, said AVIC.

The flight test of the No.001 AG600 aircraft will be conducted to test the model's characteristics of stalling, hydrodynamic and flight envelope extension.

Meanwhile, test pilots will also begin training for this new model.

Codenamed "Kunlong," the AG600 is designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft. This large-scale special-purpose civil aircraft is developed to assist with fighting forest fires and water rescues.

The AG600 conducted its maiden flight in December 2017 and completed its first water takeoff and landing in October 2018.

It can carry out sea rescue operations under complex meteorological conditions and can withstand two-meter-high waves. It is capable of carrying 50 people during a maritime search and rescue mission. It also provides support for China's marine monitoring and safety patrol.

In the following design optimization of the AG600, the designing team will optimize the structure and systems to tap the potential of the large aircraft platform, according to AVIC.

Meanwhile, they will improve designs of the aircraft's maximum take-off weight, installing pressure cabins, as well as improving the systems of firefighting and emergency rescue.

According to the plan, the parts fabrication of the No. 003 AG600 airplane will start in 2019, said AVIC.

AVIC will facilitate the AG600 project schedule to receive an airworthiness review and obtain the certificate, which are crucial steps for the model to start playing roles in emergency rescue and natural disaster prevention.
SOUTHINGTON  When you first meet four-year-old Kendall Lord she gives you a big wave and blows you a kiss.

Sunday morning, when a lot of people were excited to see her, Kendall was happy to play with some bubble wrap and hide a little bit under a blanket, a perfectly reasonable response to the lousy weather.

Her mom Danielle Lord described her as sassy and funny. Shed spend all day bouncing around on the trampoline, if you let her.

Kendall is very strong. Youd never know anything was wrong, said Jess Riedel, a family friend.

But there is something wrong. On Feb. 15 Kendall was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer. I dont know if I can put it into words, Danielle Lord said. You dont expect something so bad to happen to someone so little.

The town of Southington demonstrated to the Lords on Sunday morning that they are not alone on their journey to recovery.

Hundreds of people braved the bad weather to come out to a pancake breakfast to raise money in support of the Lord family. Dozens of community organizations donated time and services to help with the event and the silent auction. This is the town coming together to support one of their own, said Andy Phillips, a volunteer firefighter with Plantsville Engine Co. 2.

The fire department said that Kendall is their kid now. The community is behind her, said Riedel, an event organizer.

Within days of Kendalls diagnosis teachers at Jack and Jill Two, her day care, reached out to the fire department about doing something for the family. Word spread through Southington-oriented Facebook groups. Once the fire department became involved, throwing one of their pancake breakfasts  a town tradition for kids in need  it became a done deal.

How can you not do whatever you can to help them out? There is no question that something needed to be done, Phillips said.

Danielle Lord said the family is taking Kendalls care day by day. The prognosis for recovery is good. However, the road to that goal is a long one. If all goes well, Kendall will have two rounds of chemotherapy and two surgeries over the next year at the Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford.

Ideally shell be back to herself in a year, year and a half, Danielle Lord said.

There is another complicating factor. Kendall was diagnosed with autism in 2016 and is nonverbal. This process has been this much harder because she cant tell me how shes feeling, Danielle Lord said.

Kendalls situation turned into a rallying cry for her supporters: love needs no words.

The Lords are private people and considered keeping the news about Kendalls diagnosis within their family, said Bryan Lord, Kendalls dad. They arent one to reach out and ask for help. I didn't know that people did this, he said.

When the word got around the Lords, both Southington natives, experienced an overwhelming outpouring of support, for which they were grateful. It got better when we told people, Bryan Lord said.

I cant say anything more than thank you, Danielle said. To see a community come together for one little girl.

Many of the people present Sunday morning didnt know Kendall or her parents. They were just there to help. There was a huge photo on the wall of Kendall in a happy moment, smiling for the camera. People wrote her words of encouragement. Stay strong, they said. You are so brave, they told her.

Kendall, you have taught your teachers at (Jack and Jill) so much more than we ever could teach you about love, bravery, resilience  the list goes on, one inscription said.

Donations are still being accepted on behalf of the Lords. To contribute send checks to Kendall Lord, care of Engine Company 2, Plantsville, CT, 06479.

newsroom@record-journal.com

203-235-1661


International

Iran urges Pak to act against group behind border attack

DUBAI, Mar 10 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 3/10/2019 12:11:00 PM IST

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called for decisive action by Pakistan against a terrorist group behind a deadly suicide attack in a border area, and said inaction by Islamabad could jeopardise relations between the neighbours.

Irans state news agency IRNA said Rouhanis remarks came in a telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said he would soon have good news for Iran, according to the agency.

A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guards in mid-February in a southeastern region where security forces are facing a rise in attacks by militants from the countrys Sunni Muslim minority.

The Sunni group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for the ethnic minority Baluchis, claimed responsibility for the attack.

We are awaiting your decisive operations against these terrorists, IRNA quoted Rouhani as telling Khan. We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to both of us, Rouhani said.

Iran has blamed its regional rival Saudi Arabia and arch-enemies Israel and the United States for the attack and other cross-border raids, an accusation rejected by the countries.

It is in Pakistans own interest not to allow our territory to be used by terrorist groups, and the Pakistani army is prepared to confront the terrorists more decisively with the information provided by Iran, IRNA quoted Khan as saying.

Khan said Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists hideout and there would soon be good news for Iran, IRNA reported.
National

No simultaneous polls in Jammu and Kashmir; parties assail decision

Sunil Arora (File)

New Delhi/Srinagar/Jammu, March 10 (IANS) | Publish Date: 3/10/2019 12:05:16 PM IST

Citing constraints over availability of central forces and other logistics, the Election Commission on Sunday said the elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

The decision to hold only parliamentary elections in the state attracted strong criticism from former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While announcing the schedule for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls on Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the poll panel was constantly monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and will take a decision about the Assembly elections soon.

Constrains of availability of central forces and other logistics, requirement of central forces for security of candidates in the wake of the recent incidents of violence and keeping all other challenges in mind, the EC has decided to announce only the parliamentary elections at this stage, Arora told the media.

The EC has been continuously assessing the prevailing situation in the state, requirement of central forces and other logistics for holding elections, requirement of security of candidates and preparedness of the state on key factors including the recent developments, he said. Arora said the decision to not hold the two polls simultaneously was taken based on inputs given by all the stakeholders, including the Home Ministry, political parties, central and state agencies and district administrations.

Based on the inputs and recommendations of all the stakeholders, we have decided to announce only the parliamentary elections. The EC will regularly and on real time basis monitor the situation and take inputs from all the stakeholders. A decision on Assembly elections will be taken soon, added Arora.

Most mainstream political parties in J&K expressed their disappointment and anger at the ECs decision to not hold Assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Congress state unit President G.A. Mir said: Through its inability to hold the Assembly elections, the Modi government has admitted its security failure in the state. National Conference President Farooq Abdullah termed the ECs decision very unfortunate. NC leader Omar Abdullah also reacted with anguish and anger. In 2014, we had Lok Sabha elections on time and Assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP and earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said the decision to hold only Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms the sinister designs of the Modi government.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta said his party had also sought simultaneous Assembly polls but noted that the EC had cited security reasons and non-availability of security forces in such large numbers as would be needed to hold the two elections together.

To that extent, we welcome the decision, he said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist state General Secretary M.Y. Tarigami said: It is a huge disappointment. The state government held the panchayat and urban civic bodies elections without any security problems.

Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) President and former minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said it was for the first time that the Kashmiri people wanted the Assembly elections to be held so that they have an elected government, but the EC has deprived them of that right.

The state is presently under Presidents rule after the six-month-long Governor rule ended on December 19 last year.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday received commitment from its single-largest shareholder Singtel, promoters and GIC Singapore to participate in its Rs 32,000 crore capital raising programme.

Singapore telecom major SingTel said it will infuse Rs 3,750 crore in Bharti Airtel by subscribing to the proposed Rs 25,000 crore rights issue of the company.

GIC Private Limited, on behalf of Government of Singapore and Monetary Authority of Singapore, has made a commitment of Rs 5,000 crore in the proposed programme. "The entire rights entitlement of Promoter and Promoter Group of approximately Rs 167,857 million (Rs 16,785.7 crore) will be subscribed by them and GIC, with Promoter and Promoter Group subscribing to Rs 117,857 million (Rs 11,785.7 crore) and GIC subscribing Rs 50,000 million (or Rs 5,000 crore) by way of renouncement in their favour," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

The board of Bharti Airtel last week approved rights issue to raise up to Rs 25,000 crore through issuance of fully paid up shares at a price of Rs 220 per share, and an additional Rs 7,000 crore via the foreign currency perpetual bond issue.

ALSO READ: Infusion of Rs 25000 crore not enough to stabilise Bharti Airtel rating

Bharti Airtel said the capital infusion will help it continue investments in future rollouts to build large network capacity and create content and technology partnerships to ensure the best customer experience.

SingTel announced that "it will subscribe to 170 million new shares in the Rs 250 billion rights issue by regional associate Bharti Airtel (Airtel) at an issue price of Rs 220 per share, for a total consideration of Rs 37.5 billion (approximately USD 525 million), representing the rights entitlement for its direct stake of 15 per cent." Together with Airtel's major shareholders and GIC, a total of 67 per cent of the rights issue has been committed, SingTel said.

With this rights issue subscription, Singtel's effective interest in Airtel will be 35.2 per cent and the company will continue to be the single largest shareholder in Airtel.

At present SingTel holds around 39.5 per cent stake in the India telecom firm. "The Promoter and Promoter Group also reserves the right to subscribe either itself or through investors for additional shares in the Issue, including in the event of under subscription by the public, in accordance with the applicable laws," the statement said.

ALSO READ: Bharti Airtel to conduct trial of Nokia's 5G-ready telecom gear

Airtel is in the process of appointing banks to take this forward. "The Rights Issue reiterates the confidence of our shareholders in the competitive strength and sound business strategy of Airtel. It shall further strengthen our balance sheet with desired financial flexibility so as to meet future opportunities, particularly in the rapidly transforming Indian mobile market," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India & South Asia) - Bharti Airtel said.

He said the fresh capital infusion will help the company to continue investments in future rollouts to build large network capacity and create content and technology partnerships to ensure the best customer experience.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: It enthralled children with stories of Indian mythology for decades while narrating virtues of good deeds, but the 'Chandamama' magazine's new owners are now in the dock for allegedly stashing illicit funds in Swiss banks.

Mumbai-based Geodesic Ltd, which acquired the iconic magazine in 2007, and its three directors are being probed by the Indian authorities for alleged money laundering and other financial irregularities and Switzerland has agreed to provide "administrative assistance" regarding their accounts in Swiss banks, which broadly means sharing of information with India.

Switzerland was widely known as an alleged safe haven for black money before it bowed down before the global pressure and agreed to bring down the famed secrecy walls that had historically surrounded the Swiss banks, provided the requesting country gave proof for financial irregularities done by the concerned person or the company.

Along with several other countries, India has also been making use of this change in the stance of Switzerland by seeking details of suspected black money hoarders in Swiss banks and it has already got back information in a large number of cases in the last few years.

In a decision dated March 5, Switzerland's Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has decided to grant "administrative assistance" to India in respect of Geodesic Ltd and its three directors -- Prashant Sharad Mulekar, Pankajkumar Onkar Srivastava and Kiran Kulkarni, according to the official documents.

As per the Swiss law, the FTA decision can be appealed within 30 days, provided the appellant is able to give sufficient ground to challenge it.

Earlier on October 30, 2018, also, the FTA had decided to provide the administrative assistance in respect of Geodesic Ltd and the three individuals.

While that decision is appeared to have been challenged, the FTA has again decided to share the details with the Indian authorities, indicating that the earlier appeal could not sustain.

In a similar case, the FTA also decided on March 5 to provide administrative assistance' to India in case of a Chennai-based entity, Aadhi Enterprises Pvt Ltd.

This decision can also be appealed within 30 days.

An earlier decision was taken by the FTA on October 16 to assist Indian authorities in this case, but now a fresh notification has been issued for providing "administrative assistance" to India in case of this real estate firm which saw a meteoric rise soon after being incorporated in November 2014 and is said to have got significant political links.

Geodesic, on the other hand, used to be a publicly-listed entity and has already faced the wrath of capital markets regulator Sebi for multiple violations.

Its shares have not been trading since August 2014 when its share price had dipped to as low as Rs 1.50 apiece.

While the Swiss government documents did not disclose specific details related to the information and assistance sought by the Indian authorities regarding the two companies and the three individuals, such an 'administrative assistance' follows submission of proof about financial and tax-related wrongdoings and typically involves sharing of information relating to bank account details and other financial data.

Repeated attempts to contact the two companies and the three individuals for their comments failed to yield any result.

In the past, they have denied any wrongdoing.

The 1982-incorporated Geodesic, once known as a fast-growing company with cutting-edge technology solutions, does not have a functional website anymore and is also no longer a listed entity as trading in its shares has been suspended by stock exchanges for "procedural reasons".

The company and its directors have faced regulatory action by Sebi as well as other authorities like the Enforcement Directorate and the Economic Offence Wing of the Mumbai Police.

Aadhi Enterprises had reportedly landed in trouble due to alleged links to tainted politicians and for allegedly indulging in money laundering.

According to reports, the Income Tax Department has conducted multiple raids on properties of the company's promoters.

While Switzerland has always denied being a safe haven for black money, it has begun sharing details for last few years with several countries including India after submission of evidence about financial and tax-related wrongdoings of the clients of Swiss banks.

Besides, a new framework of automatic information exchange has been now put in place and the details can be accessed under the new system from this year.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The HAL police on Saturday arrested Fakruddin (52) who runs an LPG refilling unit on the charge of negligence leading to the death of a 12-year-old boy owing to suffocation due to leak in an LPG cylinder at their home on Friday. Sameer was found dead on Friday morning and his brother Shamshir in an unconscious state. The doctors had ascertained that the death was due to LPG cylinder leak. Meanwhile, Shamshir will be discharged from the hospital on Monday.

READ | Boy suffocates to death due to LPG leak, brother hospitalised

A senior police officer said that Fakruddin, who went absconding soon after the incident came to light, was nabbed at his relatives house. In his statement to the police, he said that Kalavathi, the mother of the deceased boy, had come to his shop three days before the incident to refill a cylinder and he had charged Rs 900 to do the job.

Kalavathi, however, alleged that the cylinder was refilled only on Thursday evening and it was Fakruddins negligence that resulted in the leak.Meanwhile, Sameers body was handed over to the family on Saturday after autopsy.

Kalavathi, who hails from Nepal and works as a domestic help here, came to the city four years ago.

On Friday morning, she went to an apartment for work leaving behind her two sons. She returned home only to find both her sons lying unconscious due to LPG cylinder leak. Sameer, who was taken to a hospital, was declared brought dead by the doctors.
Anu Kuruvilla By

Express News Service

KOCHI: When the allure of nature combines with the simplicity of farm life, the result is the birth of a new type of business venture that brings a smile not only to the entrepreneur but also to the customer. Who doesnt crave to be far from the madding crowd? The answer is everyone. And many smart entrepreneurs have utilised this tendency to set up successful businesses associated with the tourism industry.

Homestays have been a steady form of revenue source for many people, especially in the coastal areas. However, another form of business combining farming and homestay is quickly becoming the in thing not only among the domestic but also international tourists.

According to Martin P J, general manager, Green Land Farmhouses at Nelliampathy in Palakkad, the business model has been very profitable. These are the days when farming alone doesnt bring in revenue. So, many people who own farms are converting them into farmstays. It is something similar to farmhouses. The only difference is the entire infrastructure has been developed to cater to the needs of tourists, he said.

Workers heading for the fields at Vayal Veedu;

However, the trend is yet to catch up and it is estimated there might be around 10 to 15 operating farmstays in the state, said Martin, who is also an executive member of Koottayma Nelliampathy Resort Association. According to him, Green Land Farmhouses is owned by a private company called Green Acres Estate Pvt Ltd. The company is owned by four individuals. The farmstay at Nelliampathy is set up on 603 acres and was launched using an initial capital of Rs 15 lakh, he said.

It was launched as an alternative to plantation cultivation after prices of agricultural produce, including rubber and spices, fell. We had a lot of labourers and they would have lost their means of livelihood. So, it was decided to convert the plantation into a farmstay which would give the visitor a complete experience of living in a plantation and getting close to the process of cultivation, he said.

According to him, today the resort attracts around 1,000 to 2,000 visitors per month and has turned profitable in the past four to five years. Most of the visitors we get are North Indians, international tourists and also Keralites, he added.Instead of giving up on farming, people who have big plantations can take up this business model and convert their losses into profits. Since the resort doesnt have to get resources like food and beverages from outside, the entire enterprise is profitable, he said. And if the farmstay is located at a scenic place like a hill station, it gets the bonus point, he said.

Mango Meadows at Kaduthuruthy

Joe Jose Kynadi, owner, Vayal Veedu, a farmstay in Wayanad, agrees with Martin. People, especially the younger generation living in the cities, dont know how the food they eat arrives on their plates. So, farmstays serve as a fun knowledge centre where they can understand the process associated with agriculture, he said. According to him, Vayal Veedu has been built keeping in mind the international clientele.

It has been proven again and again that farming alone wont give back the expected returns. Also, setting up a resort in a place like Wayanad where it rains for nearly six months a year is not viable. People from European countries arrive in the country in search of sun and beach. So, in order to attract them to Wayanad, which has a lot of tourism potential albeit untapped, we need to package it accordingly, he said. So, Joe decided to combine farming with a resort. The aim was to give the tourists a peek into the traditional farming practices of the state. Our farmstay is located inside a valley surrounded by lush and dense forest, he said.

Vayal Veedu is designed in the fashion of a plantation bungalow with numerous acknowledgements to contemporary design and decor. The bungalow is set at the foot of a hillock. The farmstay is set beside a 10-acre paddy plantation and bordered on three sides by hillocks, he said. The interesting thing about staying at Vayal Veedu is that the tourists get to take part in every aspect of farming. They get to eat the food prepared from the harvest they have brought in from the fields, he said.

According to him, the prospects of farmstay as a business model are very good in the state. I attended a meet in Berlin, where the concept was very well received and many people enthused their interest in visiting, he said. Joe is planning to expand the project and will soon be bringing in a dairy and poultry farm.

According to N K Kurian, owner of Mango Meadows, the realisation that farmers can get good money selling their produce directly made him set up the farm resort and theme park at Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam. When a farmer sells a kilo of pearl spot (karimeen), all he gets is a paltry Rs 250 or Rs 350. The very same fish with just the addition of a bit of spices is sold by hotels at a rate starting from Rs 450 to Rs 1,000 per fish.

So, why bear the cost of farming and selling the produce at a loss when we can set up a facility in one of our farms that will not only bring revenue for the farmers but will also be a delight for visitors? said Kurian, who now runs a profitable venture with returns of more than Rs 15 lakh per month.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday added a new dimension to the ongoing data breach row by saying that it was a direct attack on the State rather than on the TDP. He also asserted that the coming elections in AP will be a fight between TDP and TRS and not between TDP and YSRC.

Speaking to the media, Naidu raised the Andhra self-respect slogan by referring to the statements of his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, who made fun of Andhras in his speeches during Telangana polls. Naidu also tried to portray YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as a weak leader, who is playing to the tunes of KCR and warned that if Jagan becomes the CM, the State will be indirectly ruled by KCR himself.

Explaining the developments related to the Telangana Police conducting raids on the IT Grids, service provider of the TDP, in Hyderabad, Naidu alleged that the Telangana government committed breach of trust and created a feeling of insecurity and damaged the image of Hyderabad.

During the elections in Telangana, KCR abused Andhras in all ways and asked the people of Telangana whether they want Andhra-ruling TDP contesting in the elections there, Naidu said and maintained that TDP is in Telangana for the last three decades.

But, who are you to come here (AP)? Who gave you the right to play with our lives and sentiments? Dont we have any self-respect? Naidu demanded to know. The upcoming elections are TDP vs KCR and not between TDP and YSRC. In fact, KCR himself said that as Jagan has failed as Opposition Leader. He also said he will give return gift to the TDP. Let KCR, KTR and all his men come here, Naidu said and added he will not be cowed down by such warnings.

Alleging that TRS has already gifted up to `2,000 crore to the YSRC for spending in elections here, he said that the YSRC pledged the self-respect of people of AP to the TRS for money. Under such circumstances, will the YSRC work for the TRS or for the people of AP if it wins, he demanded to know. It is time for the people of AP to decide whether they want TRS or TDP. It is they who should decide whether they stand for AP or others.

Recalling that he took initiative for resolving issues between both the States and even compromised on some issues and unofficially left some buildings with Telangana, he said instead of positive reciprocation, the TRS took it as the weakness of the AP government and hatched conspiracies to stall development of the State. We dont have any freedom in Hyderabad, which was developed by us in the past 60 years, he said.

ALSO READ: CM shows evidence of Baahubali conspiracy in data theft case

Hitting out at the YSRC over finalising the candidates of the party in Lotus Pond (Jagans residence) in Hyderabad, he sought to know how can he aspire for votes here after organising meetings in the neighbouring State. Addressing a gathering, while welcoming Panyam MLA Gowru Charitha Reddy, her husband Gowru Venkata Reddy and their followers into the party fold, Naidu asked them to ensure TDP victory in the 14 Assembly constituencies in Kurnool district.

For Jagan, money is everything. Since Gowru Venkata Reddy has not given him what he demanded, the party ticket was not given to him. What sort of politics is that? he said. The TDP chief said he pities Jagan for his immaturity and claimed that the YSRC chief fears both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and KCR. He cant face KCR. If he does that, KCR will take Lotus Pond and send him to jail, he said.

Warning KCR not to plot against the State or try to exert his dominance by proxy, Naidu observed that Jagan has joined hands with KCR and through him, the TRS chief is sending the return gift by giving him `2,000 crore. But let me remind him, we will send the gift back in the form of defeat in the coming polls, he promised.
Central government SOEs to be more involved in Belt and Road projects

The head of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) told reporters on Saturday that central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are to play a greater role in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xiao Yaqing made the announcement during a news conference about the reform and development of SOEs on the sidelines of the National People's Congress meeting in Beijing.

The Belt and Road Initiative has been welcomed by a growing number of countries and regions because of its role in promoting growth in local economies and the job opportunities it provides, said Xiao Yaqing. And he said that SOEs are playing a greater role in supporting the initiative.

The SASAC head said that SOEs taking part in Belt and Road projects should abide by internationally-accepted rules as well as local laws and regulations to ensure the quality, sustainability, and long-term profitability of the projects.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Popular actor Yash, who is riding high on the success of his latest movie KGF-Chapter 1, on Saturday found himself dragged into an alleged hit job plot after the Central Crime Branch police arrested a gang, suspected to be supari killers targeting a Sandalwood actor. Several television channels even reported that it was Yash himself who was the target.

However, by noon, Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar sent out a message to the media saying, As being reported in certain channels, Yash is not the target in the supari case. We can only say that it is related to one prominent personality in Sandalwood. 

Meanwhile, Yash called for a hurried press conference in the evening to clarify matters. The actor, who looked visibly upset, said his name is being dragged into everything and this was not the first time that his name was used in a supari case. I avoided reacting twice earlier when some TV channels were saying that someone has put out a hit job on me.

But this time, it has gone out of hand with channels airing whatever they want. I want to clarify that I have spoken to the police regarding this and have been clearly told that there is no connection between the arrests and me being a target, Yash said. He also said there is no threat to his life from anyone and that it is not easy to target him.

Media should not spread rumours: Yash

He requested the media not to spread such rumours as it will unnecessarily create tension in his family. Incidentally, a year ago, Kannada actor Arjun Dev (35) had claimed that a goon was out to kill him at the behest of some unknown people. Dev had alleged that Kashif, a history-sheeter from Islampur, had taken a supari (contract) to eliminate him.

Dev, who lives in Deepanjali Nagar off Mysuru Road, approached the jurisdictional Byatrayanapura police on March 19 and complained about the death threat. He sought police protection, saying Kashif had even done a recce of his house.
Sajin Shrijith By

Express News Service

Not long ago, Malayalam filmmakers preferred shooting their films in locations like Thodupuzha, Palakkad, and Ottapalam, but it seems all the crews are zeroing in on Malabar these days. There has been an evident increase in the number of films shot in various spots around Malabar. A major portion of last years biggest hit, Sudani from Nigeria, for instance, was filmed in Kozhikode.

Industry insiders say that this is set to continue this year. Aside from a couple of big projects ready to go into production next month, a few others in various stages of development are set to be shot in Malabar. These include two upcoming Asif Ali films (Kakshi: Amminipilla and Underworld), Nivin Paulys Love Action Drama, Biju Menon-Lal Joses new film, and Mridul Nairs web series, Instagraamam.

At one point, Fort Kochi used to be the top location, recalls production controller Harris Desom, who cites heavy expenditure as one of the primary factors that has compelled production houses to film in Malabar. After having had enough of the exorbitant rents, bribes, greedy locals and union members, we switched to places like Thodupuzha as filming proved to be very cost-effective. But once people figured out that we could be fleeced, we couldnt afford these places either. Thats when everyone decided to move to areas like Malappuram and Thalassery. Apart from finding picturesque villages that you cant find elsewhere, we are able to significantly reduce the budget. Moreover, there is the option of casting the locals, as we did for Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu.

Jose Sebastian, who shot his debut film Ente Ummante Peru mostly in Kozhikode and Thalassery, also attributes the trend to the locations enduring appeal. There are places in Malabar that make you feel like you are travelling back in time. Some places still remain unchanged even after 20 and 30 years, he says. Also, our script had characters who were stuck in the past. We dont usually find people like that in Central or South Kerala.

Anoop Venugopal, the executive producer of Underworld, says the team selected Thalassery as the main location to break the monotony. Places like Thodupuzha and Thiruvananthapuram have already become so familiar.

We wanted our film to feature some unfamiliar locations like some of the Portuguese structures in the area which we felt would go well with our subject, he says. Initially, we considered Kochi, Coimbatore, and Goa, but given the logistical challenges, we felt it would be wiser to go with Thalassery, Kannur, Mangaluru, and Goa because they are all on the same belt and hence, would also make travelling very convenient.

Dinjith Ayyathan, who is making his directorial debut with Kakshi: Amminipilla, believes that this trend will last for another year at least. He found Thalassery to be apt for his film given the lead characters political leanings and the novelty that comes with using the Thalassery dialect. However, he is slightly sceptical about continuing to film in Malabar. There is already concern of the prices going up, given the influx of filmmakers in these areas. Everything will run smoothly as long as brokers and location managers dont impose unfair sums on us, he concludes.
Anu Jain Rohatgi By

Knock knock

Whos there?

Chicken.

Chicken, who?

Chicken allergy.

Renu has it. Forty years old, living in Delhi that has just been declared the most polluted capital in the world, Renu has problem breathing. She sneezes. Her throat scratches. Her nose runs. From the moment her husband returns from work, the symptoms hit her. They spent a lot of money on tests and visits to experts. Renu is no great believer in coincidences. Until she consulted Dr Bharat Gopal, HoD of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Delhi.

He diagnosed her condition as chicken allergy. Her husband owned a chicken farm. Though she had no direct contact with poultry, he would return from the farm with chicken hair, excreta and dead bird skin on his clothes that gave his wife allergy. Air pollution kills seven million people globally every year, of which four million die from indoor air pollution. A polluted city is a fatal city and indoor pollution is a bigger killer than lung disease. Reasons? Use of biofuels in cooking in villages. Smoking. Resins, waxes, polishing materials, cosmetics, and binders. Biological pollutants are dust mites, molds, pollen, and infectious agents in stagnant water, mattresses, carpets, and humidifiers.

Indias indoor pollution crisis is largely caused by using wrong cooking fuel. Three billion people dont have access to clean fuel and cooking technology. In India, 49 percent of people use firewood to cook. The biomass lashback from fuel such as coal is deadly. The fallout is worst on women and children, since they spend longer time indoors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes indoor air pollution causes two million pre-mature deaths every year, of which 44 percent die of pneumonia, 54 percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 2 percent of lung cancer.

Dr KK Agarwal, Senior Medicine Consultant and President of Heart Care Foundation of India, smells a rat. Quite a few of us use perfumes, deodorants, nail paints and other cosmetics, without realising their effect on indoor pollution. Fragrance often triggers respiratory problems and allergies, he says. A patient of his, a young woman, had a persistent dry cough and cold. The tests didnt offer any solutions. Ultimately, he zeroed in on a particular perfume she liked to wear before going out. We ran a few specific allergy tests on her and found that she was allergic to it. She stopped using it and that was the end of the problem, smiles Dr Agarwal.

Enemy Within

Almost anything and everything in a house can lead to indoor pollutionfrom household cleaning agents, to wood, paints, building material, floor tiles and carpets. Lead, which is most commonly found in paints, can cause brain and nerve damage; an excess in the blood can also lead to kidney failure. Blame the Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCscomprising carbon tetrachloride, ethylbenzene, benzene, trichloroethane, xylenes, toluene, trichloroethylene, styrene that shoot up gases and particles into the air.

There are two types of VOCs: aroma producing agents such as room fresheners, insect repellents, cleaning products, disinfectants, cosmetics and deodorants, dry-cleaned clothes, new furnishings, upholstery, carpeting, woodwork and paint. The other variety comes from furniture, pesticides and such. Smoke from tobacco, cooking oil and stoves are the major culprits behind pneumonia, bronchitis, cardiac diseases and in some cases, lung cancer. Dry-cleaned clothes pick up trichloroethylene and perchloroethylenea form of VOC that is highly toxic.

Biological agents such as fungus, viruses, bacteria, dust mites, not to mention TB and flu patients, cause indoor pollution, says Dr Dipankar Saha, former additional director with the Central Pollution Control Board. City life comes with its own problems. Random household appliances such as water heaters, dryers, stationery, printers, fluid, glue, craft materials and office machines release different gases and fine particles. Humidity and the wrong temperature are responsible as well. If doctors and environmental stats are to be believed, it is as if we are trapped at home in an unknown hell; air conditioners drag in and circulate outdoor pollutants indoor, adds Dr Saha.

Delhi girl Sonias problem was puppy love. She persuaded her parents to get her a dog and spent most of her time with it. But her joy was short-lived. Within a month, cough, breathlessness, tiredness and other asthma symptoms cropped up. After thorough investigation we realised that she was allergic to dog hair, explains Dr R S Mishra, Medicine Consultant at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, Delhi. Every month we get a couple of patients whose pets are causing allergies and respiratory problems, he adds.

The Danger zone

People spend on an average around 70-90 percent of their lifespan indoorshome, school, office, restaurant, mall, cinema hall or at other such places. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that in America, 93 percent of people spend their life indoors. Another study by the US Environmental Protection Agency reveals that indoor pollution is about five times more dangerous than outdoor pollution. Awareness has led to the air purifier market in Delhi growing from just `75 crore in 2015 to around `500 crore in 2018. The air quality monitoring market is predicted to surpass $4.5 billion by 2025 due to excessive presence of chemical pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxides, formaldehydes, VOCs, ozone, etc. in the vicinity of residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings.

Builders are changing the look of Delhi colonies, buying cheap at this time when the real estate market is stressed, and expanding the floors. As a result poor ventilation is another direct cause for indoor pollution. This is more true at the work place. Signs are poor concentration, fatigue and sleepiness. Cause: rise in CO2 levels within the office premises.

Recently, a study conducted by the India Pollution Control Association (IPCA)across 13 buildings in Delhi found that CO2 levels were steeper than the permissible limit in many corporate offices. The study, conducted between January and September, also reveals that the air in these buildings was loaded not only with VOC, CO2, but also with viruses, bacteria, pollen and plant fibre. We found that these biological particles were twice the safety level, says Radha Goyal, Deputy Director, IPCA. Most of these buildings have central air conditioning, because of which the windows and doors are kept completely sealed. They are never opened. This leads to the concentration of gases and higher levels of CO2, she adds.

An Old War

Delhi has done it yet again. According to the latest data compiled in the IQAir AirVisual 2018 World Air Quality Report, prepared in collaboration with Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Delhi is at the top of the most polluted capitals across the world. Not just that, India also boasts of 15 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world. The Delhi-NCR region is the worst-affected. Gurugram and Ghaziabad have topped the list of the most polluted cities, followed by Faridabad, Bhiwadi and Noida. In fact, there are only three non-India cities in the top 10: Faisalabad and Lahore in Pakistan at number three and 10, respectively; and Hotan in China at number eight. Greenpeace predicts grimly that air pollution will take an estimated seven million lives globally next year, while costing the worlds economy nearly $225 billion.

The report measures air quality in terms of PM2.5 data as aggregated through the IQAir AirVisual platform in 2018. The report is based on air quality data collected in 2018 from public monitoring sources in real-time. These sources include government monitoring networks as well as validated data from air quality monitors operated by private individuals and organisations, the report states. Of the over 3,000 cities in the survey, 64 percent exceeded the WHOs annual exposure guideline for fine particulate matter.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi has flagged off initiatives to drive transition to electric mobility and fight air pollution caused by vehicular emissions. It recently earmarked `100 crore for electric vehicles (EVs) in the annual budget for 2019-20. Charging stations are being planned at public areas such as government offices, metro stations in Dwarka, market places such as Sarojini Nagar and others, in an effort to boost the move towards EVs.

The government has also approved deployment of 1,000 low-floor electric buses. Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have earlier introduced electric buses in their public transport fleet to concur with the Central governments mission of increasing electric mobility among people. The Centre plans to make at least 30 percent of the total vehicle traffic in India electric by 2030.

Zeroing in on the Cause

Apart from fatal biofuel use in villages, urban Indias living and working spaces are unsafe, too. The US National Cancer Institute says that kitchen counter tops, basements and storage places are sources of radon gas, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America. Recently, a study conducted by Delhi Universitys Environmental Science Department on 900 people from different social sections over five years indicated that both high and low-level income groups suffered from respiratory problems. In the former, indoor pollution levels rose in the evenings caused by faulty cooking methods, poor ventilation, et al. In the latter strata, it was higher in the mornings and nights because of chemicals and air conditioning.

The perennial culpritstubble burninghas repercussions on health inside the house too. A study by US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and partner institutes states that its economic cost for Punjab, Haryana and Delhi is around `2 lakh crore a year. Experts say it elevates the risk of lung cancer, stroke, heart attack and respiratory diseases, including asthma, among all age groups. The report identifies some of the major sources or causes of ambient air pollution. Industries, households, cars, and trucks emit complex mixtures of air pollutants, many of which are harmful to health. Of all these pollutants, fine particulate matter has the greatest effect on human health, it says. Most fine particulate matter comes from fuel combustion, both from mobile sources such as vehicles and from stationary sources such as power plants, industry, households, agriculture or biomass burning, the report adds.

Step Forward

To lower indoor pollution may not be childs play, but it isnt rocket science either. The first and foremost thing needed is proper ventilation across all buildings. Good ventilation lowers moisture and CO2 levels and also brings down concentration of VOC within the premises. It is unfortunate that most of us do not even think about proper ventilation while designing residential and commercial structures, says Mukesh Khare, professor of Civil Engineering in IIT, Delhi. In 2017, a Ministry of Environment and Forests committee under his chairmanship established the parameters to check indoor air pollution and formulated guidelines to control it. We need to start occupancy level surveys in malls, schools and hospitals to monitor and control indoor air pollution. Most importantly, we need to create awareness about keeping indoor air clean, Khare says.

People should be taught alternate methods of cleaning the house and use environmentally friendly products, explains Dr Saha. Keeping indoor plants that release oxygen at night is a rising awareness trend in cities. As executive director of Greenpeace South East Asia, Yeb Sano, said in a statement, Air pollution steals our livelihoods and our futures, but we can change that. In addition to human lives lost, theres an estimated global cost of $225 billion in lost labour and trillions in medical costs. This has enormous impacts, on our health and on our wallets.Home is where the heart is. It is also where the lungs are.

Home Toxic Home

In India, of 0.2 billion people using fuel for cooking, 49 percent use firewood, 8.9 percent use cow dung cakes, 1.5 percent use coal, lignite, or charcoal, 2.9 percent use kerosene, and 0.5 percent adopt other means. Only 28.6 percent use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), 0.1 percent electricity, 0.4 percent biogas. Each year, close to four million people die pre-maturely from illness attributable to household air pollution.

It causes non-communicable diseases including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Close to half the deaths due to pneumonia among children under five years are caused by particulate matter (soot) inhaled from household air pollution. It is also a risk factor for acute lower respiratory infections in adults, and contributes to 28 percent of all adult deaths to pneumonia.

Twelve percent of all pre-mature deaths due to stroke can be attributed to the daily exposure to household air pollution arising from cooking with solid fuels and kerosene. Approximately 17 percent of pre-mature lung cancer deaths in adults are attributable to exposure to carcinogens from household air pollution caused by cooking with kerosene or solid fuels like wood, charcoal or coal. The risk for women is higher, due to their role in food preparation.

More generally, small particulate matter and other pollutants in indoor smoke inflame the airways and lungs, impairing immune response and reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. There is also evidence of links between household air pollution and low birth weight, tuberculosis, cataract, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers.
G Parthasarathy By

Visits to China and Abu Dhabi by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, following growing tensions with Pakistan, had a useful impact in shaping international reactions. These visits came in the wake of the Pulwama killings of CRPF personnel by a suicide bomber, trained and motivated by the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Public anger in India over the massacre was inevitable and the government boldly decided to hit back on Pakistani territory effectively. The designated target was a madrassa in Balakot in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is a JeM building, frequented by its leaders and cadres. The bombs unleashed by the attacking Mirage 2000 aircraft hit the madrassa with pinpoint accuracy.

The visit of Sushma Swaraj to Beijing for the annual India, Russia, China meeting of Foreign Ministers provided a good opportunity to directly convey Indias concerns at a high level to both Russia and China. Her subsequent visit to Abu Dhabi, representing India as an honoured guest, gave the country added prestige in the Islamic world.

While China will be averse to taking any action publicly against Pakistan, Beijing can possibly be persuaded not to reject Indias concerns about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, in multilateral forums such as the International Financial Action Task Force and the UN Security Council (UNSC). China would not like to be isolated in such forums, if other UNSC Permanent Members came together to act against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

What has also emerged is that China will continue with its untenable position that it does not recognise India as a legitimate nuclear weapons power. It avers that only powers, which acquired nuclear weapons before July 1, 1968, when the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) was signed, can be a legitimate and recognised nuclear weapons state. Like others who have acceded the NPT, China is obliged not to supply unsafeguarded nuclear weapons material and know-how to others. It is, likewise, required to observe similar restraints for supply/sale of missile technology to others.

Despite its obligations under the NPT and the Missile Technology Control Regime, China has been a large-scale supplier of nuclear weapons and missile technology, designs and know-how to Pakistan, for over four decades now. Pakistans nuclear scientists have been trained in China. Its nuclear weapons are of Chinese design.

The latest inverters for enrichment of uranium, used for nuclear weapons, have also been supplied to Pakistan by China. China has also proceeded to supply Pakistan equipment and designs for producing lighter plutonium-based thermonuclear bombs and tactical nuclear weapons. The same paradigm prevails for Pakistans missile programme, which enables the country to produce missiles capable of hitting targets in India.

While China may claim to being committed to peace, stability and cooperation in South Asia, the reality is that it uses Pakistan as its instrument for what is called low-cost nuclear containment, of India. This Sino-Pakistan relationship is now set to extend into the maritime sphere, with China increasingly taking over control of the Gwadar Port in Baluchistan, while preparing to supply Pakistan with submarines and warships. dadpartha@gmail.com
Anand Neelakantan By

Hu Shih, the Chinese philosopher, had famously said that India had conquered and colonised China for 2,000 years without sending a single soldier across her borders. Indian stories, philosophy and arts had a huge impact over various cultures of the world. Last month, I was a part of the International Ramayana Festival that was held at Mumbai. Artists from Buddhist Cambodia, Catholic Philippines and Muslim Indonesia came together to perform their traditional Ramayana operas or classical dances.

How did India succeed to have a disproportionate influence on ancient and medieval world culture without sending a conquering army to impose the cultural hegemony? The sheer diversity of the Ramayana performance held a clue. What stood out in these performances was the identification of Ayodhya, Lanka etc as places in their respective countries and not with the places Indians are familiar with.

There is nothing surprising about this if we observe how the pre-Hindutva culture had spread across the subcontinent and beyond. Hinduism spread by assimilating and respecting the local cultures and absorbing various local gods into its pantheon. In India, there is hardly any village where some character of Ramayana or Mahabharata were not supposed to have visited. The local myths often defy chronology and history in its pursuit of achieving syncretism.

So Vavar, a Muslim, becomes the companion of Lord Ayyappa born of Shiva and Vishnu in Mohini Avatar. In Kadapa of Andhra Pradesh, Lord Venkateshwara has a Muslim consort called Bibi Nancharamma and Muslims visit the temple on Ugadi day with presents to meet their son-in-law. Every thought, however contradictory, has a place in our society. Temples of Ravan and Duryodhana stand in the same neighbourhood where Ram and Krishna are worshipped.

The spread of Indian culture was neutral to race, gender, geography or language. The Vedic Sapta Sindhu of Punjab, the seven holy rivers, were shifted further south to include the Narmada, Godavari and the Cauvery in the later day texts. It didnt require conquering armies converting nonbelievers at the tip of the sword or a mighty organisation using huge resources for proselytising. Instead the culture and thought spread through a few story tellers, entertainers and artisans.

It conquered the hearts and places through imagination and triggered cultural revolutions in any place it went. The father of every Indian language got his position by writing his own version of Ramayana or Mahabharata in his language. This willingness to accept diversity and assimilate them seamlessly was its greatest strength. It didnt matter whether Ayodhya was in Uttar Pradesh or in Thailand. It had no problem whether Ganesha remained a bachelor in the southern parts of India while being happily married with two wives in the western and northern India.

It had no problem with Ganeshas brother Karthikeya, being elder to him in the north and younger to him in the south. Karthikeya had the freedom to remain a bachelor in the north, while being happily married to his two wives in the south. Anything was fine if the message was delivered. Any message was fine if it helped the people. There was no need for any dogma.

Ideas shape the world. The country with the best idea takes the leadership position of the world. Last century was remarkable with two conflicting ideas fighting it out for supremacy. The capitalist western block led by USA and the socialist block led by USSR were locked in a cold war that lasted almost seven decades. As of now, one can say the capitalist block has won.

It won because it shares many characteristics of pre-Hindutva Indian thought. Capitalism shares the goodness and flaws of Hinduism. On its negative side, it creates a highly unequal society. On its positive side, it respects individuality. The spiritual quest is highly individual in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism. This contrasts with the congregational spiritual pursuit in Abrahamic religions.

In these circumstances, a financially powerful India should have been in an advantageous position to be the thought leader of the world. The world is moving away from organised religions and centralised authority. Individualism and diversity are the buzzwords. Unfortunately, at this time India is walking backwards, picking up the trash that the world is discarding and calling it our own.

Hindutva has no resemblance with the syncretic nature of Hinduism. It has no universal appeal. It has no power to assimilate, localise, mutate, evolve and grow according to the circumstances. It is uncomfortable with diversity and believes in one language, one culture, one religion and even one leader. Hindutva has the ignorance of medieval Christianity, the violence of Jihadi Islam, the ugliness of Nazi Germany and carries all the trappings of feudal casteism. It is a highly local religion that has virulent nationalism at its core. It has no culture to speak of.

Hindutvas pursuit of mind-numbing uniformity is the greatest threat that Indian culture has faced in its existence. When it is distasteful for even those who are born in India, how can India be the thought leader of the world?In contrast, traditional Indian school has no problem with multiple Ayodhyas or multi-cultural narratives. It has no problem taking the name of Allah or Christ with Ram. It is at ease with thousands of dialects, local gods, various sub-cultures and even with atheism or agnosticism. It doesnt confine within Indian political geography. Perhaps, if we revive this, maybe we can conquer the world with none of those fancy fighter planes and atom bombs. mail@asura.co.in
By PTI

PATNA: In what could be seen as a jolt to Bihar Congress ahead of the parliamentary election, senior leader and spokesman Binod Sharma resigned on Saturday, contending that the party should not have demanded evidence of Balakot air strike.

In a letter addressed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Sharma said the party high command has hurt the sentiments of ground-level workers and the common people by raising questions over the "pre-emptive" strike on the terror camps in Balakot, days after the Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy.

The senior leader also said that he wrote to Gandhi several times in the last one month, apprising him of the sensibilities of the party workers in the state, but his requests were not entertained.

Terming the repeated demands for proof of air strike as "shameful and childish", he said, "I am resigning from the Congress with a heavy heart after serving it for 30 years.

The party high command has hurt sentiments by breaking the Army's morale, while boosting the spirits of terrorists."

Sharma alleged that some Congress leaders have "strayed from the path shown by party's stalwarts Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi".

"Today, we (Congress members) are seen as Pakistani agents. I feel ashamed of being called a Congressman. Since the nation is above party, I am resigning from the Congress," he stated in his letter.

The senior leader also said that many party workers, who are disappointed with the high command's stance over the air strike, may follow in his footsteps.

Without taking names, Sharma said he would join a party that puts nation ahead of "petty politics".

A former general secretary of Bihar Congress, Sharma had unsuccessfully fought the Paliganj assembly by-poll on a Congress ticket in 1996.

He also served as the president of National Students Union of India's Bihar unit from 1996 to 2000.

On February 14, a convoy of vehicles carrying CRPF personnel was attacked by a suicide bomber in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the death of 40 jawans.

Twelve days later, Indian Air Force jets crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir and pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, a reciprocal visit by the Indian team to Pakistan for inspection of projects in Indus river basin this month has been postponed, senior officials said Sunday.

During the 115th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission held in Lahore from August 29-30, 2018, both the commissioners had agreed to undertake the treaty-mandated tours of the Indus basin on both sides, the official said.

The tour of the Pakistani side was originally scheduled in October 2018 but was postponed because of local bodies elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Subsequently, the Pakistani team visited India in the last week of January to inspect projects in the Chenab basin in the state.

Pakistani Indus Commissioner Syed Mohammad Mehar Ali Shah and Indian Commissioner PK Saxena along with respective advisers visited the under-construction Indian hydropower projects in Chenab basin namely Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW).

ALSO READ | Expect another Pulwama-like attack during polls, predicts Raj Thackeray

The delegation also visited the under-operation Baglihar hydro electric project (900 MW).

The Pakistani commissioner extended an invitation to his counterpart to undertake a visit of the Indus basin on Pakistani side.

The Indian team was supposed to visit Pakistan this month, a senior official said.

"But amid the ongoing tension it has now been postponed," the official added.

The official remained non-committal about the date, but said the visit has to take place by March 2020.

Under Article VIII of the treaty, both commissioners are mandated to undertake, once every five years, a general tour of inspection of the rivers for ascertaining the facts connected with various developments and works on both sides.

The current five-year block ends in March, 2020.

The PCIW, formed under the Indus Waters Treaty, was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, and it includes Indus commissioners of both countries.

The treaty provides for both the commissioners to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The treaty specifies that the waters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, have been reserved for India while that of western rivers, namely Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, are for Pakistan.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

They may be claiming that they are fighting 2019 Lok Sabha elections in pursuit of a common goal to uproot the BJP but the first lists of Congress and SP candidates expose the divide between SP-BSP alliance and the grand old party.

Badaun, in Rohilkhand region of western UP, has been the traditional seat of Samajwadis for the last two decades across six elections including a by-poll. Currently, it is held by SP chief Akhilesh Yadavs first cousin Dharmendra Yadav who has been representing the seat in Lok Sabha since 2009. Dharmendra has been given the ticket from Badaun by the SP yet again.

On the other side, as per the first list of 11 Congress candidates declared so far, former MP Salim Iqbal Sherwani has been handed over the baton to fight Dharmendra. Notably, Sherwani too enjoys respectable clout in Baduan which he represented in Lok Sabha from 1996 to 2004 as SP MP. In 2009, when the then SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav took the seat in family fold and brought Dharmendra to the scene in Badaun, Sherwani switched sides to Congress.

In 2009 LS polls, Sherwani challenged Dharmendra on Congress ticket from the constituency but was relegated to number three position securing 2.33 lakh votes. In 2014, Congress fielded him from adjacent Aonla where he stood fourth with 93,861 votes.

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The announcement of Sherwanis candidature against the SP big wig has created a flutter in the SP camp. The common refrain emerging from SP is about the alleged insensitive attitude of Congress party while fielding candidates. We had been toeing a conciliatory line leaving two seats for the Congress even without being asked for them. They are not reciprocating in the same way. It has been evident in Badaun where Congress is open up a tough battle and division of non-BJP votes, says a very senior SP leader on the condition of anonymity. He, however, adds with a conviction that this may make the Samajwadi leadership to revisit their strategy over Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Our alliance with Congress is not beyond Amethi and Rae Bareli, so both of us will field candidates elsewhere. There is no question of going back on the declared seats, says SP vice-president Kironmoy Nanda.

The political pundits believe that the Congress decision of fielding strong candidates even on the family seats of SP with no sense of reciprocating SP-BSP alliances approach on Amethi and Rae Bareli, could have two connotations  either it could be Congresss feeler to SP to come to the negotiating table and seal a formal pact with the grand old party giving it its due respect or it could be a stern message to the SP that the time for any alliance talk was over.

The Congress leadership in UP has been sulking over Akhileshs claim that the party is part of SP-BSP alliance as it has been given Amethi and Rae Bareli. If there is an alliance it should have been declared the way it was announced with BSP and RLD. We are not on anyones mercy. We are capable enough of putting a formidable fight on our own and we are prepared for it, says a senior Congress leader not wanting to be named.

In fact, Sherwani has been felicitated by Congress high command for roping little-known regional party Mahan Dal into the partys fold recently. Mahan Dal is believed to have some following among the OBCs, a traditional vote bank of SP.

Sherwanis candidature may also dent the OBC vote bank of SP to some extent, says AK Mishra, a political scientist.

However, reiterating the respectability factor, Sherwani from Badaun says it cannot be so that two seats are left for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Congress becomes part of the SP-BSP alliance.

Even though SP-BSP has entered into an alliance, it is yet to be accepted by the ranks at the grass root. Congress will stress the point of stability and convince the voter that only a national party like Congress can be a viable option for the BJP, says Sherwani.
By PTI

MADHUBANI: A bride's brother was shot dead after a quarrel broke out between him and a neighbour over playing music at a pre-wedding ritual in Madhubani district, police said Sunday.

The accused, identified as Baiju Yadav, was arrested and the deceased was identified as Manish Yadav.

The incident happened on Saturday late night when a group of men and women were heading towards a pond for a ritual with a band party playing music, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Benipatti police station, Nagendra Kumar Singh, said.

Baiju Yadav raised an objection regarding the band party playing "loud" music as the procession crossed his place and this led to an altercation between him and Manish, the SHO said.

During the altercation Baiju shot at Manish, killing him on the spot, the SHO said.

The bullet hit him in the chest, he added.

An investigation has been initiated, the police officer said, adding, the body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
By PTI

GHAZIABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday sent across a strong message to terrorist forces targeting India, saying the country cannot keep suffering forever and that his government has taken some "strong decisions" against such elements.

"For many decades, the country and numerous families have suffered the wounds and pain given by terrorism, Naxalism and insurgency. What happened in Pulwama and Uri was heartbreaking.

"We cannot bear this pain till eternity. Enough is enough," the Prime Minister said while addressing CISF personnel at its base here.

The paramilitary force on Sunday is celebrating the 50th year of its raising.

This is the first time Modi attended the event of any of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) since he took charge in 2014.

Raised in 1969, the Central Industrial Security Force has about 1.56 lakh personnel in its ranks at present.

The PM said that following dastardly acts of terrorist violence, his government has taken some strong decisions, in an apparent reference to the IAF strike on terror camps after the Pulwama attack.

"Someone, sometime, has to take a big decision (against such terror acts)it is my privilege that with the support of the crores of people of this country, we took some strong decisions," Modi said with the top security officers in attendance.

He said the government has adopted "a new policy" to act against terrorism and that it was its responsibility to live up to the expectations of the families of the personnel killed in the line of duty.

"Our government is purchasing all modern gadgets required by our security forces to tackle such challenges," Modi said, mentioning the creation of a new facility in UP's Amethi to manufacture modern guns.

The PM lauded the valour and dedication of CISF men and women who protect "vital assets" of the country in the face of a "hostile neighbour which does not have the capacity to fight a war."

"Various conspiracies hatched within the country are getting encouragement from across the border and ghastly picture of terror comes to light, in different forms," Modi said, keeping his apparent reference on Pakistan.

Modi also hit out at the abuse of "VIP culture", saying it was wrong on part of such people to throw their weight around, get angry and humiliate security personnel, a major brunt of which is faced by the CISF.

"I'd say the biggest problem while carrying out your duty is people like me, VIPs the VIP culture at times is the biggest threat to security," he said.

"When you frisk, some people get annoyed and even say 'I will see you' and you have to tell them that it is your duty which has to be done," the PM added.

Therefore, he continued, "I would dare tell such people to be disciplined and cooperate with the security personnel in carrying out their task."

The CISF gets a number of complaints from legislators and others categories of VIPs alleging high-handedness by their staff at various airports.

"I am myself, Modi said, very disciplined and I would urge the CISF to train and inform citizens about their security systems so that the appreciate the hard work put in the job by the people in uniform.

"Position does not come in the way of disciple for me. And it is the duty of every citizen to be disciplined. If citizens don't maintain discipline, your task gets complicated," he said.

He asked the people to consider security frisking a process to ensure their wellbeing and a method of 'aarti utaarna' (a respectful way to welcome people) by security personnel.

"We should feel proud that the security personnel are doing it (frisking) like aarti," he said.

Aarti is a Hindu ceremony in which lights with wicks soaked in ghee are offered to a person to ensure their wellbeing and thwart the evil eye.

The PM said it was his "emotional feeling" that security personnel donning the 'khaki' have not got the recognition and respect they deserve.

The national police memorial and the war memorial had to wait to come up since independence, he said, adding "probably my turn was being awaited" for the last 70 years to unveil these important places.

The PM asked the CISF to create a to "monitor and study in realtime global trends and techniques of terrorism" so that a better preparedness is ensured against.

He also directed the force to install 'digital museums' or electronic walls at airports so that people get to know about CISF's history, role and its expectations from the citizens.

Congratulating the CISF, the PM said it's very difficult to protect any institution where there is a daily footfall of 30 lakh (Delhi Metro) or where eight lakh people commute every day (airports).

The CISF is mandated to provide security to major infrastructure installations -- nuclear installations, airports, seaports, power plants, government buildings, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation -- of the country.

"You are not only standing at the gate, you are contributing to the country's growth," Modi told the CISF personnel.

Modi also said among the 35,000 policemen who sacrificed their lives serving the nation since independence, 4,000 are from paramilitary forces.

On February 14, a convoy carrying CRPF men was attacked by a JeM terrorist in the Pulwama, killing 40 jawans.

Following the attack, India destroyed JeM terrorists camp in air strike inside Pakistan.

On September 18, 2016, heavily armed terrorists stormed an army base in Uri in Kashmir killing 17 jawans, prompting India to conduct surgical strikes on terror launch-pads across the LoC.
The Paillon Awakens The Paillon Awakens

Stamped out of sheets of gold finer than a strand of hair, then set in grand feu enamel  for near-eternity. Welcome to the fascinating...

Stamped out of sheets of gold finer than...
By Online Desk

The election commission on Sunday allotted battery torch as a symbol to Kamal Haasan's party - Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) - for the general elections 2019.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW FULL ELECTION COVERAGE

The actor-turned-politician took to Twitter to thank the Election Commission for allotting an "appropriate" symbol to his party. He further assured that his party will be the "Torchbearer for the new era in Tamil Nadu and Indian politics."

MNM thanks the Election commision for granting us the "Battery Torch" symbol for the forthcoming elections. So appropriate. @maiamofficial will endeavour to be the Torch-Bearer for a new era in TN and Indian politics.  Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) March 10, 2019

MNM was launched in Madurai February 2018 and Haasan had announced that he will contest in the general elections 2019.

He later announced that MNM will contest in all the 39 Tamil Nadu seats and one in Puducherry alone. However, the list of candidates has not been announced.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti Sunday said the NIA summons to moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were "emblematic" of the Centre's "repeated assaults on our religious identity".

"Mirwaiz Farooq isn't any ordinary separatist leader. He is religious & spiritual head to Kash (Kashmiri) Muslims," the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief tweeted "NIA summons to him are emblematic of GOIs (government of India) repeated assaults on our religious identity.

J&K is the proverbial sacrificial lamb exploited to divert attention from real issues," she said on Twitter.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday summoned the Mirwaiz and the son of pro-Pakistan separatist Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani for questioning in Delhi in a terror financing case.

According to a notice served on them, the Mirwaiz and Naseem Geelani have been asked to appear at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi on Monday.

The NIA team, accompanied by police and CRPF personnel, had on February 26 searched the residences of separatist leaders, including the Mirwaiz, Naseem Geelani and Ashraf Sehrai, chairman of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, in connection with the case related to financing of terrorist and separatist groups in J-K.

The houses of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yaseen Malik, Shabir Shah, Zaffar Bhat and Masarat Alam were also raided.
By Express News Service

SRI NAGAR: At least a dozen English and Urdu newspapers in Kashmir published blank front pages on Sunday to protest the governments move to stop advertisements from appearing in two Srinagar-based dailies.

The front pages of the Valleys leading English newspaper, Greater Kashmir, and other dailies including the Kashmir Observer, Kashmir Images, Kashmir Reader, Kashmir Monitor, Kashmir Vision and Urdu dailies Kashmir Uzma, Srinagar Times, Tameel-e-Irshad, Chattan, Uqab and Aafaq were blank.

ALSO READ | As newspapers close, role of government watchdog disappears in US

In protest against unexplained denial of government advertisements to Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader, read the message published on the blank front pages.The decision was taken by the Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG), a body of editors of about a dozen Valley-based newspapers. The editors and newsmen also staged a sit-in at the Press Club, in Srinagar to lodge their protest.

We staged a sit-in to protest the governments decision to stop advertisements to two newspapers. We have been telling the government from 15 days to inform us why the advertisements were stopped, said Bashir Manzir, Editor of Kashmir Images.

A spokesman of the KEG said the ban had deprived the two publications of their rightful revenue stream and was hurting the state and the status of journalism in Kashmir. A democracy that lacks a vibrant media will have to face uncomfortably serious questions, he said and demanded that the gag be lifted and advertisements be released to the two newspapers.

Greater Kashmir is one of the most popular local dailies of J&K. Centres decision to stop ads to it should be viewed in context of their attitude towards press & electronic media in general. Kowtow to their warped agenda & sing praises. Or else suffer. pic.twitter.com/6f5SnRWEHm  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 10, 2019

Although the state government has taken aggressive steps to clamp down on terrorist outfits operating in the state after the Februrary 14 suicide bombing of a CRPF vehicle, a gag on the media is not new to the J&K.

In 2016, Kashmir Reader was banned for nearly three months by the PDP-BJP coalition headed by Mehbooba Mufti during unrest in Valley over killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani.Mainstream and separatist leaders including two former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have criticized the Governor administration for stopping advertisements to newspapers.

Reshuffle

In a minor administrative reshuffle, J&K administration has ordered transfers and postings of four IAS officers and one KAS officer
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: As the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the big and most interesting battle of 2019 on Sunday, the resolve of the opposition to pose a united face to take on the ruling BJP leaves much to be desired in Uttar Pradesh.

Significantly, just on the day of announcement of polls, another alliance of three-four smaller outfits based on caste and led by Peace Party cropped up and that can at best split opposition votes in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Among the key players, Akhilesh Yadav -led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) stitched an alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) of Chaudhury Ajit Singh in tow, the likely solitary run of the Congress, despite right noises from both sides, hardly appears to solve the opposition cause in the state. Where BJP had won 71 of 80 seats under the sweeping Modi wave in 2014.

Ending animosity of two and a half decades, SP and BSP joined hands hoping to stall the saffron juggernaut. Pushed to the wall by a resurgent BJP, the two regional parties  SP and BSP-- have decided to contest on 37 and 38 seats respectively with and RLD on three.

In fact, the SP-BSP-RLD grand alliance is banking upon the voting pattern which if remains as of 2014, they may cut out half of the seats from BJP pie of 71. However, had Congress been included in the alliance, the mahagathbandhan could have dominated on two third seats.

However, more than the poll issue, the success of alliance would depend on the ability of allies to transfer votes to each other. While SP is already out with its first list of candidates, Mayawati may make public any time soon.

Congress, elbowed out of the SP-BSP alliance, is hoping to repeat its 2009 performance piggybacking Priyanka Gandhi Vadras charisma and magic. Having already declared 11 of its candidatesall stalwarts including Sonia Gandhi and chief Rahul Gandhi, the party is expected to declare candidates on remaining seats out of its core list of 30. This includes Kanpur, Lucknow, Lakhimpur, Barabanki, Gonda, Ghaziabad, Rampur, Aonla, Bareilly, Pratapgarh, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Sultanpur and Fatehpur Sikri among others. In all, Congress intends to contest around 60-65 seats in the state, leaving the rest for its smaller allies.

As far as ruling BJP is concerned, with a hugely strong organisation till the booth level, the party is focusing on Mission 74, whereby, it aims at increasing tally of 2014 to 74 seats. Besides, the challenge posed by SP-BSP alliance, the party also has the growing discontent among its allies including Apna Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) at hand to address.

The opposition, including the Congress, will highlight the farmers, youth, demonetisation and GST, apart from raising corruption issue through Rafale fighter jet deal.

Besides sustaining nationalist narrative woven around Pulwama and subsequent airstrikes, the BJP will flag out leadership crisis in opposition camp which is dealing with the problem of plenty. It will also keep its poll discourse focussed on the development, infrastructure push at the 11th hour, leadership of PM Narendra Modi and stability factor.



2014 at a glance:

POLL PERCENTAGE (Partywise)

BJP +Apna Dal: 43.63%

SP: 22.20 %

BSP: 19.60 %

SP and BSP combined: 42.12%

Congress: 7.50%

RLD: 0.86%

SEATS WON (Partywise)

Total seats: 80

BJP +allies contested: 80; Won: 73; Gained: 61

SP contested: 78; Won: 05; Lost: 18

BSP contested: 80; Won: 0; Lost: 20

Congress contested: 66; Won: 2; Lost 19

RLD contested: 08; Won: 0; Lost: 05
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought Sunday people's "blessings" for the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls, saying his government has made possible what was earlier deemed impossible, but opposition parties said voters will throw it out of power for "wasting" its historic mandate and practising "all talk no work".

As the Election Commission declared a seven-phase general election starting April 11, political parties welcomed the much-awaited announcement with the ruling alliance making a pitch for its re-election while its rival expressing confidence of unseating it.

Seeking people's support for the BJP, its president Amit Shah said the Modi government has taken bold decisions for their welfare in its first term and will ensure India's giant leap to make everyone "happy and prosperous" in its second.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government has achieved "phenomenal results" in various spheres of governance during this term, he said, citing a number of its welfare initiatives.

The Congress, however, hit out at the government saying it will be best remembered for "wasting" its historic mandate and that all its promises remained "unfulfilled".

At a press conference after the announcement of the poll schedule, Congress leader K C Venugopal said people will change the Modi government that believes in all talk and no work.

All its promises have remained unfulfilled, he said asserting that it will be defeated when votes are counted on May 23.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel claimed the upcoming elections will herald a new era ending five years of "chaotic, despotic and destructive" dispensation and the country will return to the path of "sobriety, integrity and inclusivity".

BSP supremo Mayawati termed the government as "anti-poor and pro-capitalist" and which disturbed the peace, caused unrest & anger among masses.

Modi in his tweets drew a comparison of his government's performance with the preceding Congress-led UPA government, asserting that the last five years have shown what was earlier deemed impossible has now become possible.

The 2019 polls are about a spirit of confidence and positivity with which India is fulfilling the aspirations of its people, he said.

In 2014 people comprehensively rejected the UPA as there was unprecedented anger over its "corruption, nepotism and policy paralysis", he said, adding that India's self-confidence was at an all-time low and people wanted to rid the nation of such "decay and pessimism".

"Guided by 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, NDA seeks your blessings again. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years. Now, time has come to build on that and create a strong, prosperous & secure India," he said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the announcement of polls will end the unfair use of official resources by the Modi government as the model code of conduct has come into force.

BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan expressed confidence that the NDA will win over 350 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.

The choice before people is whether to elect a strong government or a helpless government, he said, expressing confidence that Modi will be prime minister for another term.

The NDA will sweep the polls in Bihar, which sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha, he added.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav predicted a loss for the NDA, saying the poll announcement is also an announcement of a "big change" in interest of people and the country.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said,"We hope the results will be in the NDA's favour.

The NDA became strong after our tie-up in Maharashtra.

BJP President Amit Shah has been forging alliances in other states and this has to be welcomed."

"The NDA will be led by Modi. We also feel there should be a strong opposition and they should work accordingly," he added.
Manish Anand By

Express News Service

Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal believes that nationalism will play out in Lok Sabha elections across the country, with profound impact in Punjab. In an interview, she stressed that the farm loan waiver agenda of the Congress president Rahul Gandhi has already been exposed in Punjab where the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government has failed to fulfil its promises.

The BJP-SAD will be contesting LS elections on old formula. Is there any scope for shuffling constituencies?

SAD is the oldest ally of the BJP and will be contesting on same arrangement as for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Indeed, demographics of constituencies have changed a lot in recent years. We were keen to get Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. But the two parties agreed to contest the same constituencies.

Punjab is known to back the incumbent party in LS elections, which would give Congress an advantage. What are the challenges for NDA?

The Congress government in the state stands exposed. It created high hopes among people by making false promises but could not fulfil the poll promise of loan waiver to farmers. Since the farmers had stopped paying instalments after the Congress promised waiver, cultivators are in a bigger debt trap now than ever. The CM had promised that he would ensure one job to each family, which too proved to be a lie. The government has added to the peoples burden with electricity bills rising by 25%, curbs on widow pension and ration for the poor, bus fare and cost of registration of property going up. People have now seen through its misdeeds, which will help SAD-BJP alliance to register a

massive win.



The Punjab CM had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitely to enhance borrowing capacity of the state so as to fulfil promises of loan waiver. But the Centre didnt accede to demands.

Did the Congress make promises of farm loan waiver after Central clearance?

The CM hadnt told people that he would fulfil loan waiver promise only if the Centre increased the borrowing limit. They have done similar things in Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan. The people know Congress as a habitual liar. Farmers are already out on streets, blocking roads and highways. We are worried for Punjab.

Aam Admi Party (AAP) made a big electoral debut in Punjab in last Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent Assembly polls. Do you think that the state will witness a stiff triangular contest?

AAP has been the B-team of the Congress since beginning. In Lok Sabha, AAP MPs take instructions from leader of the Congres Mallikarjun Kharge. In Punjab, AAP is the main Opposition, yet it does not raise peoples issues. Its only the NDA which is agitating against Congress misrule. AAP is already out of the political scene for all practical purposes.

The BJP is seemingly laying stress on nationalism. Will it work in polls?

Punjab is a bordering state with Pakistan and its people have been victims of Pakistan sponsored terrorism. Indias airstrike inside Pakistan would resonate not only with Punjabis, but across the country. Weve given a befitting reply. Weve demonstrated the benefits of a decisive and strong leadership under PM Modi.

But the Punjab CM has also a hardline image on Pakistan!

The CM has sought to deflect the attention of the people from the failure of his government on all fronts. The Congress is a divided house as well with its minister Navjot Singh Siddhu toeing the Pakistan line and the CM contradicting him all the time. Congress president Rahul Gandhi doesnt side with either while promoting Siddhu to counter the Captain. Its quite evident that Pakistan has made deep inroads in Congress.

But isnt a national response against terror being politicised?

The Pulwama terror attack is a fact. Our jawans were martyred. Consequently, India executed a clean pre-emptive strike against terror hideouts. That happened after a sense prevailed that enough is enough.

But the Congress is giving voice to what the enemy (Pakistan) is saying. Would Rahul Gandhi have been able to take such a decision?

Dont you think issues like unemployment and agrarian distress could impact polls?

Indeed, they would matter. Let me just give an account of my ministry  Food processing  on employment generation. The UPA had sanctioned 42 food parks in 2008 of which just 2 were ready by 2014. In the last five years, weve been able to complete 17 of them. While only 5,000 farmers benefitted from food parks by 2014, the number now stands at over one lakh. There were only 37 cold chains by the time UPA demitted office. We, in contrast, have put 135 in place. It shows how NDA did.

Punjab was the front line state during the green revolution yet its farmers today are deep in debt trap!

Access to credit has become easier now. Banks are now chasing people with loan offers. Those who fell victims to lavish lifestyles took useless loans. Besides, the input cost has been rising since many are now dependent on groundwater for irrigation on 75% of the land, which was canal-fed earlier. Additionally, minimum support prices havent kept pace with rising input costs.
By Agencies

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the families of the 40 CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama as to who released Masood Azhar, whose Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the terror attack.

Taking to Twitter, he alleged that it was the present National Security Adviser who went to Kandahar to hand over the "murderer" Azhar.

"PM Modi please tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar? Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan," Gandhi tweeted.

PM Modi please tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar?



Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/hGPmCFJrJC  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 10, 2019

The BJP gave a scathing comeback to Rahul Gandhi. The party tweeted: You were probably busy playing video games when the whole nation was praying for safe return of hijacked passengers. Do you know that all decisions regarding the hijacking were taken at all-party meeting? Remember Latif, the handler of Pathankot, was released by the UPA as goodwill gesture."

In 2010 under UPA rule, Shahid Latif, who allegedly provided logistical support to four Pakistanis who attacked Pathankot base, was released from an Indian prison. In Pathankot terror attack, seven military personnel were killed in a siege that lasted for around 72 hours.

READ HERE: 23-year-old electrician Mudasir Ahmed Khan, brain behind Pulwama terror attack identified

Masood Azhar, along with some other terrorists, was released by the Indian government in December 1999 in lieu of the release of over 150 hostages of the IC-814 Indian Airlines flight that was hijacked to Kandahar. He was a close associate of Osama bin Laden.

The four terrorists were shot dead and buried in Punjab as Pakistan refused to accept their bodies.

Latif, a senior leader of JeM, was arrested from Jammu in a case related to terrorism and narcotics in 1996. Congress-led government released Latif to improve relations with Pakistan, along with nearly 20 others through Wagah border in Punjab.

The terror attack in Pulwama on February 14 was the deadliest assault in the recent past in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. India retaliated by targeting JeMs largest training centre at Balakot in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

ALSO READ | India's 'claim' of shooting down PAF F-16 fighter jet 'completely baseless': Pakistan Foreign Office
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) is set to announce on Sunday schedule for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections, which is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May.

The poll panel will be holding a press conference at 5 pm at Vigyan Bhavan here. The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW FULL ELECTION COVERAGE

As soon as the elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling BJP, are announced, the model code of conduct will come into force.

Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions. Notification for the first phase could be issued by the end of March for voting some time in early April, sources suggested.

There is a strong possibility that the EC may go by the precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls.

READ| EC asks political parties to avoid photos of defence personnel on posters during campaigning

Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.

While there is a view that the J-K assembly elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, a lot depends on the complex security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border.

The Centre and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed Governor, are against holding the two elections together. However, all political parties in the state favoured simultaneous polls during a meeting with the Election Commission earlier this week.

The J-K assembly's six-year term was to end on March 16, 2021, but it got dissolved after a ruling coalition between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell apart.

READ| Lok Sabha poll will see more money, violence & hatred: Former Chief Election Commissioner

The other state assemblies and Lok Sabha have five-year terms. The required electronic voting machines and paper trail machines are in place to be deployed in nearly 10 lakh poling stations across 543 Lok Sabha constituencies.

There is a high probability of the elections being spread across seven to eight phases this time.

In 2014, the EC had announced the election schedule on March 5 and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May. While the first phase polling was on April 7, the last phase was on May 12.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a neighbour in Morbi town of Gujarat, a police official said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Saturday when the girl went to the house of the accused, Ramesh Koli, in Indira Nagar locality of Morbi town, located around 200 km from here, to play with his children, he said.

"The man was alone when the girl went to his house. He allegedly raped her. When her parents noticed blood on her clothes upon her return, they visited Koli's house and found blood there also," Morbi B-division police station's sub-inspector A B Jadeja said.

The girl's parents later lodged an FIR against the accused under Indian Penal Code sections for rape and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Jadeja said.

The victim was taken to a hospital, he said, adding efforts were on to nab the absconding accused.
Shankkar Aiyar By

The aviation industry in India follows a pattern best illustrated by the titles of Salman Khan starrers. When the going is good, the airlines are Dabangg, when fuel prices rise, when traffic and revenues dip, they seek a Bodyguard, and when it all fails, they end up Wanted.

The sordid saga of Jet Airways fits the script and is a sequel to Kingfisher Airlines, starring Vijay Mallya. Exuberance leads to myopic mergers and acquisitions on dubious rationale, and post facto justifications trigger a parade of blunders. In good times, revenues grow in arithmetic proportion, and in bad times, losses grow in geometric proportion. Maintaining altitude demands a balance of costs and pricing. Lack of a cogent approach results in a frantic race for survival.

The curious facet about the Jet Airways story is that despite its beleaguered state, there is no urgency on resolving the issue. Rather, the case is in a sort of suspended animation. Indeed, Jet Airways is afflicted by an ailment that has no name. The Naresh Goyal enterprise owes Rs 9,610 crore in debt, has declared a negative net worth of Rs 10,370 crore, and for the nine-month period ending December 2018, has reported a loss of Rs 3,208 crorea dip of 1,295.4 per cent compared to the previous year, a company presentation helpfully points out. Those it owes money include banks, sundry operational creditors, aircraft lessors, fuel suppliers and the Airports Authority of Indiaairlines owe AAI over Rs 2,400 crore in dues.

The situation for those running the operations is desperate. In February, the shareholders of Jet Airways passed a resolution offering SBI and others conversion of debt into equity at Rs 1 per sharewhich translates into 50.1 per cent shareholding. What happens if a lenders consortium led by State Bank of India ends up owning a major chunk of Jet Airways equity? Would that be virtual nationalisation? Definitions aside, there is no escaping the fact that banks are now left holding Air India II.

The airlines troubles are not recentit has been struggling in the red for over five years and its net worth has been persistently negative. The entry of Etihad in 2013 via the sale of equity by Goyal was backed by expectations of funnelling traffic from India on the Etihad stream. However, curiously, Jet Airways entered into code-sharing and traffic sharing deals with European carriers like Air France et al. That bet left Etihad fuming. Worse it didnt quite pay off.

Proposals from other airlines for co-management were rejected as Goyal would not step down. A plea to Tatas to take over didnt fructify either. A top financial adviser pointed out to the Tatas that a stable of three different airlinesAir Asia, Vistara and Jetwould be akin to a cart being drawn by a donkey, a horse and a white elephant. In 2019, the lenders are desperate but cannot run the airline. So the hope is back on Etihad. The once bitten Abu Dhabi-based airline has imposed conditions and sought concessions. There is a mystifying fog over the fate of the airline, which turns 25 years this year. The silver jubilee stands tarred.

There are consequences to leaving an enterprise of this size stalled in a fog. Jet and Jet Lite flew over 30 million passengers to domestic and international destinations. There is the cost to the lenders, the cost of systemic disruption and the political cost of threat to employment. In the past few weeks, over 50 aircraft of its 119-strong fleet have been grounded. In recent days, the airline has announced cancellation of nearly 500 flights till March 30, 2019. Passengers travelling on work and holiday are left stranded every day thanks to the uncertainty. Those stuck with Jet bookings are left in suspense on the status of their planned and paid for journey. The holiday plans of families, to travel for a marriage in the family or for that long-awaited holiday, are in tatters. While the future is yet uncertain, the airline offers tickets on its sites to destinations from April onwards, setting into motion another parade of angst and anger.

The implications on the employment front are grave  particularly in the run-up to the 2019 polls, already surcharged with claims and counterclaims on employment creation and joblessness. The headcount is not small, with 16,000 jobs at stake -- already staffers awaiting salaries for months are worrying about their future. There is also the threat to indirect employment of over 35,000, assuming a 2X ratio.

Whichever way one looks at it, the very public unravelling of the enterprise is reminiscent of the past, the saga of Air India and Kingfisher Airlines. There is no denying poor governance particularly in a business with high cash flows. Equally, the sequels illustrate how vegetating policy and misplaced notions of what constitutes strategic interest left the sector episodically chasing its tail. Consider this: Passenger traffic rose from 68.4 million in 2009-09 to 103.7 million in 2013-14, and to 183.9 million in 2017-18. Clearly there is no dearth of demand and of growth in traffic. Yet three airlines have crashed into the red in the period.Can India afford three Mayday calls in less than a decade in a critical sector?

shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com

Shankkar aiyar

Author of Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution,and Accidental India
Six Egyptians were reportedly killed on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed near Addis Abba on Sunday, according to Ethiopian Airlines, which has released more information about the passengers.

Egypt's foreign ministry said in an official statement that it is in contact with its embassy in Addis Ababa to follow up on the matter with Ethiopian authorities, extending its condolences to the families of the victims.

Ethiopian Airlines has told Ahram Online that Addis Ababa is working to help the families of the victims, who will be arriving soon to the Ethiopian capital to identify their relatives.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed on Sunday after taking off from Bole International Airport on its way to Nairobi.

The crash killed all 149 passengers and eight crew members, according to Ethiopian authorities.

Ethiopian Airlines has released a list of the nationalities of passengers on board the flight: 32 Kenyans , 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Chinese, eight Italians, eight Americans, seven Britons, six Egyptians, five Dutch, four Indians, three Russians, two Moroccans, two Israelis, one Belgian, one Ugandan, one Yemeni, one Sudanese, one Togolese, one Mozambican and one Norwegian.

Four of the passengers were United Nations officials.

No further information has been released about the six Egyptians killed in the crash.

More to follow

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Arpitha I By

Express News Service

DAVANGERE: Its around 2.30 pm when Dr Siddalingappa Murugeppa Yeli walks in. The faces of his patients, who have been waiting for him at his clinic, light up as they catch sight of his entry. The 80-year-old general physician has just returned to his clinic at MCC B Block in Davanagere after conducting rounds at the JJM Medical College Hospital. The patients flock around their favourite doctor. Yeli patiently hears their complaints before prescribing medicines.

While some offer him Rs 10, Rs 20 or Rs 30 as consultation fee, a few dont pay anything. Those who pay more than Rs 30 are returned the excess amount, with Yeli telling them, Keep it with you. This is more than enough.

As patients wait for their turn, they dont get tired of praising him, talking about how he distributes, for free, medicines that he gets as samples from pharma companies, or recommends free tests for the poor at his diagnostics centre, or even gives bus fare to those in need. Reasons enough for local people to call him The Walking God of Davanagere.

People outside the clinic | Express

While Dr Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt, who offered free education, food and shelter, was a Walking God, our Dr Yeli is the Walking God of Davanagere, says K M Kuberayya, a resident of Shagle, who has been consulting the doctor for 25 years. He adds that Yeli has solved his nerve weakness problem successfully.

Laxmi, who has been consulting Yeli for 15 years, says, He has charged me a maximum of Rs 20 or sometimes nothing at all. Dr Yeli has been serving the poor in Davanagere for 50 years. Patients say he also conducts free medical camp at Shivayogi Mandira once a year. It is my duty to serve the society as I have benefited from it greatly. There is nothing special in this, the doctor says in the midst of examining his patients. I am honestly doing my duty. I decided about this long ago, he adds.

When asked about his low consultation fee, he explains, Many people cannot afford medical services. We should not burden patients who are already suffering from diseases that incur expensive treatments. We must give them mental support.

ALSO READ | Chennai bids goodbye to doctor Jayachandran who charged his patients only Rs 2

Dr Yeli, who lives next to the clinic, begins his daily duty at 8 am. He attends to his patients at the clinic till 11 am, after which he goes to JJM Medical College Hospital to check the in-patients there. He returns to his clinic around 1.30 pm, and examines patients till 5 pm.

He again goes to the hospital at 5.30pm for rounds and returns to his clinic at 7.30pm, seeing patients till 11 pm. He makes two rounds a day at JJM Hospital, taking only Rs50 per round. Even if he makes an additional trip if required, he charges for only two rounds.

The diagnostic centre, owned by Yelis son, also conducts free tests for the poor patients referred by him. It, however, collects a fee from other patients. Dr Yeli also urges budding doctors to serve everyone without expecting much in return. He welcomes the one-year compulsory medical service in rural areas for medical students. When they can take help from the government, they must render service for at least one year at government hospitals, he says.

HIS JOURNEY

Dr Yeli was born in 1939 in a poor family at Hamsabhavi in Dharwad district. He completed his school education at Hamsabhavi and intermediate science education at Karnataka College Dharwad. He pursued MBBS at Karnataka Medical College in Hubballi in 1962 and earned his MD (General Medicine) from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai in 1968.

He joined JJM Medical College as a lecturer, and worked at the institute as professor and head of the department. He retired in 2005 but continues to visit the hospital for rounds. Yeli has two sons -- Dr Vinay Yeli and Dr Suman Yeli -- who are also doctors. He treats nearly 100 patients at his clinic every day. He has a Maruti Zen car which he bought 15 years ago.

ALSO READ | Meet Kallesh, who has earned the name 10 rupee doctor

FOR THE POOR

Dr Yelis compassion for the poor was there for everyone to see when he was conferred the honorary doctorate by Davangere University this year. The function got over at 1.30pm, and all the dignitaries were requested to have lunch. However, Yeli politely refused, saying his patients were waiting for him at the clinic. He then rushed to the clinic to examine them.
Mayank Singh By

Indian armed forces have been an example of flexibility and innovation. The exemplary bravery shown by the Indian soldiers in World War I compelled the British to grant commission to Indian Officers. In 1932, the Air Force became the true Indian force with all officers and the men coming from India alone, with the British engineers attached. Innovation started right from the beginning. During one sortie, a tyre of one of the aircraft burst. Hawai Sepoy Harjinder Singh carved a tyre out of wood and the aircraft was flown back to the squadron where the tyre could be changed.

Flying Officer Karun Krishna Majumdar (Jumbo) joined the No.1 Squadron in 1930. During World War II the squadron under the charge of Jumbo Majumdar was based in Burma. The Japanese Air Force attacked the squadron on the second day of the new location. This enraged the officers of the squadron.

The squadron had Westland Lysander, meant for Army cooperation role of reconnaissance or picking casualty, and not in the capacity of a fighter or a bomber. Harinder Singh was part of this squadron and with his innovative thinking two 500 pounders were underslung. This led to New Zealand air force officers accompanying with their aircraft in this unique air raid.

They raided the Japanese Airbase in Thailand, inflicted damage and came back successfully. The story of the Indian forces is of courage, guts and glory. The battle of Longewala in 1971 changed the face of war.

A company of Punjab regiment troops, under the command of Major (Later Brigadier) Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, held a brigade level attack of Pakistan army for an entire night with his ingenious deployment which confused and delayed the assault of the Pakistan army that was supported by armoured regiment.

The Pakistan army lost about 100 tanks in the battle. With the first light, the IAF came in with aerial support.

As the attack of Sylhet, the battle of Longewala is also an example of flexibility and innovative thinking.

The Indian soldiers have always made the best use of whatever they had. It is a matter of guts and glory, as the services are a way of life. They are an example of apolitical institutions.
Mayank Singh By

In the battle of brains over brawn and skill over technology, the former has always prevailed. One of the most recent examples of skill overcoming advanced technology is when Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, manning a MiG-21 Bison, took down a much more technologically advanced F-16 in a dogfight near the Nowshera sector.

Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd)

was awarded the Vir Chakra

Abhinandan went after the F-16 after the Pakistani jet had breached Indian airspace and attempted to target military installations at Nowshera. In the process, Abhinandan shot down the jet and had to eject from his MiG-21. He landed in Pak territory and was kept in captivity for 60 hours by the armed forces. Several videos of his interrogation were leaked via social media, but in all the footage Abhinandan held his ground and refused to divulge any crucial information to his captors. His father, S Varthaman, a decorated and accomplished retired Air Marshal, reacted to the footage by saying that his son was a true soldier and he admired the way he talked so bravely.

General VP Malik, who commanded the Indian Army during Kargil, shares that Pakistans folly is that they never understood the ethos of the Indian Armed Forces. They have primarily relied on their equipment, which has led to their downfall on each occasion.

Our brave officers and men showed raw courage when they marched forward against the enemy who was well entrenched and could see our every move. We dislodged them not due to weapons, but the exemplary leadership and innovative battleground thinking of our men, says General Malik.

Leadership counts

Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd) was awarded a Vir Chakra for his gallantry as a young navy Lieutenant when he attacked with the Indian Air Forces squadron during the 1971 war. He entered Pakistan air space, attacked Islamabad Air base destroying two smaller and a bigger aircraft.

Talking of leadership Admiral Arun Prakash replied in brief, We train leaders. The former Naval chief was the Commandant of the tri-services National Defence Academy which nurtures the officer cadre. He brings out how the senior leaders shaped the talent.

Citing example of his Commanding officer in 1971 war when Admiral Prakash was posted with the IAFs 20 Squadron, he said that his Squadron boss, Wg Cdr (Later Air Vice Marshal) Cecil Vivian Parker, was an unusual combination; a great flyer, and also a strict disciplinarian.

He made it clear that if we ever went to war, he wanted to be sure of two things: (a) that he had prepared us for it in the best possible manner, and (b) that he went in ahead of everyone else. The squadron was put through rigorous training thereafter.

PAF was much better placed

The Pakistan Air Force was operating modern aircraft carrying better weapons and missiles. The IAF had Sukhoi-7s, Hunters, Gnats, HF-24s, Mysteres and Vampires in its inventory, which was armed only with 30/20 mm guns. The PAF had air-to-air missiles in their arsenal.

The IAF pilots were aware of the air-to-air missile but it never deterred them. Legend of 1965 and 1971 wars Wing Commander Vinod Nebb (Retd) shares, The Air Force trains us to have nerves of steel. In 1965 when during an operation I was caught by PAFs three Sabre jets in my Hunter. While two were flying towards me in scissor formation, the third came head on. I was running low on fuel. I decided that I will not die of an enemy bullet, so decided to dash towards the aircraft coming head on towards me. At the last moment the PAF pilot turned left and I came behind and shot him.

Wg Cdr Nebb was awarded with Vir Chakra in 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.Lt Gen VK Chaturvedi, a gunner, also fought the 1971 war. He says, We as young officers never bothered about the weapons or the equipment which the enemy was using. The kind of atmosphere which remains in the units can lead a person to perform his best even in the most demanding situation.

As far as the budgetary constraint is concerned, it has always been a matter of discussion and our equipment at occasions have been comparatively a shade below to what US was supplying to Pakistan.

It all began since 1954 and by 1964, as per the Stockholm Peace Research Institute Pakistan received US$ 1.5 billion of massive military assistance.

While the Pakistan Army got 460 M-47 and M-48 tanks, the Navy inducted coastal minesweepers, two destroyers, and Pakistan Navy was the first to induct a submarine among the South Asian country.The Pakistan Air Force had acquired 120 modern F-86 Sabres fighters between 1956 and 1958. Pakistan got another first of its kind missile in the 60s.The United States of America gave PAF the modern Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, which was equipped with the advanced Sidewinder air-to-air missile.

Five Virtues instilled during training

Leadership

Camaraderie

Flexibility

Innovation

Regimentation
Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: As many as 242 women in distress inside Delhi metro were helped while travelling and 108 missing children reunited with their parents by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) last year.

Furthermore, another 16 such women passengers in need of help took help from CISF personnel in January. Eight missing children were returned to their parents in the same month.

Security is one area where the central armed police force remained ever alert as seen in the confiscation of 11 arms and 87 pieces of ammunition in 34 cases last year. Four such cases were reported in January, which led to the recovery of 20 pieces of ammunition.

For the safety of commuters, the CISF carried out 111 operations last year inside and outside the Metro stations resulting in identification and driving out of 498 pickpockets. Another such 15 suspects were caught in the first month of this year.

Whenever a pickpocket is identified, we take immediate action by finding the victim and returning their property. When any such crime takes place in the metro, it is a bit difficult to identify but it is very easy at stations. A commuter has to be smart in the train. When the metro is really crowded, you dont get to know even through the CCTV footage what is happening to someone in between the crowd, CISF Assistant Inspector General and spokesperson Hemendra Singh said.

Women safety is our priority. The metro has been expanding and its network is more than 200 km, he said, adding the CISF was committed to make the metro crime- free and inconvenience-free with all security measures put in place.

According to last years data, out of the total number of 238 passengers caught walking on the track, 201 were fined by the force. Last year, the CISF recovered 140 laptops, 329 mobile phones, and 27 cameras and handed them over to their owners through station controllers of the DMRC.

Surveillance bolstered inside stations

Over 11,000 CCTV cameras were installed to bolster electronic monitoring and surveillance at Metro premises. Also, CISF personnel are trained from time to time on gender sensitivity
Parvez Sultan By

NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Saturday met United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi here, setting off a round of speculation regarding a poll alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

A state unit functionary said the two leaders, possibly, had a one-on-one discussion over joining hands with AAP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) allies are putting pressure on us to stitch a coalition with AAP. Recently, Farooq Abdullah, chairman of the National Conference, confronted Dikshit at a wedding in New Delhi. He asked why she was against the tie-up. Later, he also talked to Rahulji on the issue and reportedly suggested an alliance. Dikshits meeting with Soniaji today is the outcome of that conversation with Abdullah and Rahulji, said a Delhi Congress leader.

Dikshit, last week, announced her opposition to an alliance with AAP. After a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the same issue, she had said it was unanimously decided that there would be no alliance.

Dikshit refused to reveal details of Fridays meeting, but added that neither had discussed the alliance.

There was no point discussing it because Rahulji already made his stand clear on the subject. I met Soniaji privately. She is my leader... I will not respond to rumours, she said.

The development assumes significance as Congress leaders say the final decision on an electoral pact with AAP will be taken in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the date for which is not yet known.

After meeting Sonia, Dikshit met Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) leaders.

A section of Delhi leaders, including PC Chacko and former president Ajay Maken, are also in favour of an alliance, the leader said.

We dont want to comment on their internal matters, said AAPs spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.
Ramananda Sengupta By

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday called out gaps in the Pakistani narrative on terrorism to ensure the international community did not fall for the same script that Islamabad has been using after every terrorist attack on Indian soil.

If Pakistan claims to be a naya Pakistan with nayi soch, it should show naya action against terror infrastructure on its soil and end cross- border terrorism, said the MEA.

Meanwhile, Pakistan yielded to Paris-based global watchdog Financial Action Task Forces demands, saying it would upgrade several banned organisations including the Jaish, to high risk.But New Delhi remained unimpressed. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, The widespread presence of terrorist camps in Pakistan is public knowledge within and outside Pakistan. Repeated requests by us and the international community for Pakistan to take action against such groups have been met with denial.

Rejecting Pakistans claims of fresh action against terror groups on its soil, he said, We are seeing the same script that has been played out earlier after the attacks on Parliament in December 2001, the Mumbai attack in November 2008 and the attack on Pathankot airbase in January 2016. Pakistan claims to proscribe groups and individuals, but this is confined only on paper.

Sources said the strong reiteration of the Indian position was mostly to ensure that the US and other powers were made aware of Pakistans continued, unabashed perfidy. But this time, we will ensure that Pakistan is judged not by its words, but by explicit, verifiable and sustained action it takes on the ground against terrorists and terror infrastructure on its soil, said one source.

Meanwhile, reports from Washington said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed efforts to reduce tensions between the two South Asian neighbours with visiting British National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill. Sedwill had called his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Friday and offered all help.

Political slugfest over Pulwama

The bitter war of words continued on Saturday with Congress President Rahul Gandhi pinning the onus for the Pulwama strike on to the NDA governments release of Masood Azhar in the wake of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 hijacking to Kandahar in 1999 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi slamming the Congress for its handling of terror incidents after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Let PM Modi tell the nation who released Masood Azhar from an Indian jail, said Gandhi during a rally in Karnataka, referring to the release of JeM chief Masood Azhar from an Indian jail by the NDA government under the Vajpayee dispensation in 1999.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed with British NSA Mark Sedwill the current situation between India and Pakistan and the efforts to reduce tensions between the two South Asian neighbours, the State Department has said.

Pompeo and Sedwill reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the US-UK special relationship and cooperation in the face of major global challenges, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said Friday.

According to the State Department, the talk was reflective of the fact that the United States continues to engage its resources to reduce the tensions between the two nuclear countries. "Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo met with UK National Security Advisor Mark Sedwill today to discuss key global priorities, including support for reducing tension between India and Pakistan, securing progress in Syria, and countering Iran's malign influence," Palladino said in a statement.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in February 14. India launched a counter-terror operation in Balakot.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1. The US, the UK and France, the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation United Nations Security Council, last month moved a fresh proposal in the UNSC to designate JeM's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
By Associated Press

HONG KONG: China has issued a protest over remarks the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom made criticising Beijing's polices toward Muslim and Tibetan Buddhist minorities and saying the country was "at war with faith."

The foreign ministry's office in Hong Kong said the speech Sam Brownback gave Friday "slandered" China's religious policies.

ALSO READ | 60 years after Dalai Lama fled, China defends Tibet policies

It said it had registered its dissatisfaction Saturday with the US Consulate in the semi-autonomous Chinese region, where the speech was given.

China's constitution and laws protect freedom of religion and critics should "cease their slander of China's policies on religion and the situation with freedom of faith and cease using religious issues to interfere in China's internal affairs," the office said in a statement.

US officials and UN experts say China is believed to be holding 1 million Uighurs, Muslims and members of other majority Muslim ethnic groups in political education camps in Xinjiang.

The US and other governments have criticized the crackdown.

The Chinese government says those camps are vocational training centers designed to rid the region of extremism.

Brownback said President Donald Trump's administration is "deeply concerned and considered it a deliberate attempt by Beijing to redefine and control these Muslim minority groups, (their) identity, culture and faith."

He urged Beijing to grant free access to the camps to investigate claims of abuse of inmates.

More generally, Brownback said, China is "at war with faith."

"It's a war they will not win," he said.

"The Chinese Communist Party must hear the cry of its people for religious freedom."

Brownback was expected to meet local religious leaders and religious studies students and instructors while in Hong Kong.

The territory enjoys the freedom of speech and religion far beyond that in mainland China, where the officially atheist government keeps tight control over any potential challenges to its authority.

Brownback, the former governor of Kansas, was due to travel to Taiwan for a regional meeting on religious freedom Monday.

In his speech, the Catholic conservative called on China to release Wang Yi and John Cao Sanqiang, detained pastors in the "underground" church that operates independently of official government agencies.
By Associated Press

ADDIS ABABA: An Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia's capital on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board, authorities said, as grieving families rushed to airports in Addis Ababa and the destination, Nairobi. More than 30 nationalities were among the dead.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 MAX plane, which was new and had been delivered to the airline in November. The pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return, the airline's CEO told reporters.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa's largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent. It is known as an early buyer of new aircraft as it assertively expands.

Accident Bulletin no. 1

Issued on march 10, 2019 at 11:00am

Ethiopian Airlines will release further information as soon as it is available. Updated information will also be on Ethiopian Airlines website at https://t.co/Je7pXoKxHh pic.twitter.com/07wKZHPVPl  Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019

The airline said 149 passengers and eight crew members were thought to be on the plane. Kenyans, Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Ethiopians, Italians, French, British, Egyptians, Indians, Slovakians and others were among the dead, said the airline's CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam.

Accident Bulletin no. 2

Issued on march 10, 2019 at 01:46 PM pic.twitter.com/KFKX6h2mxJ  Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 10, 2019

The plane crashed six minutes after departing Addis Ababa on its way to Kenya's capital, plowing into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, at 8:44 a.m.

The airline later published a photo showing its CEO standing in the wreckage. Little of the plane could be seen in the freshly churned earth, under a blue sky.

The CEO "expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew who lost their lives in this tragic accident," the post on social media said.

The plane had showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility was clear.

The airline has said 157 people were thought to be on board. State broadcaster EBC reported that 33 nationalities were among the victims. The airline's CEO said those included 32 Kenyans and nine Ethiopians.

PM Abiy Ahmed visited ET 302 accident site this afternoon. He expresses his profound sadness at the loss of life and wishes healing to the friends and families of the bereaved. He provided direction to ensure full and timely investigation and communication of the cause.  Office of the Prime Minister - Ethiopia (@PMEthiopia) March 10, 2019

Authorities said other victims include 18 Canadians; eight each from China, the United States and Italy; seven each from France and Britain; six from Egypt; five from the Netherlands and four each from India and Slovakia. Spain's foreign ministry said two Spanish nationals were on the passenger list.

The Ethiopian prime minister's office offered its "deepest condolences" to families. "My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board," Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said.

The Addis Ababa-Nairobi route links East Africa's two largest economic powers and is popular with tourists making their way to safari and other destinations. Sunburned travelers and tour groups crowd the Addis Ababa airport's waiting areas, along with businessmen from China and elsewhere.

READ | Indians, Americans, Chinese among 157 killed in Ethiopian plane crash, says authorities

At the airport in Nairobi, worried families gathered.

"I came to the airport to receive my brother but I have been told there is a problem," Agnes Muilu said. "I just pray that he is safe or he was not on it."

"Why are they taking us round and round, it is all over the news that the plane crashed," said Edwin Ong'undi, who had been waiting for his sister. "All we are asking for is information to know about their fate."

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was new, delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in mid-November, the airline's CEO said. Its last maintenance was on Feb. 4 and it had flown just 1,200 hours. The pilot was a senior one, joining the airline in 2010, he said.

The Boeing 737-8 MAX was one of 30 being delivered to the airline, Boeing said in a statement in July when the first was delivered.

In a statement, Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of the crash and that a technical team was ready to provide assistance at the request of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

In October, another Boeing 737-8 MAX plunged into the Java Sea just minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, killing all 189 people on board the plane Lion Air flight. The cockpit data recorder showed that the jet's airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its last four flights, though Lion Air initially claimed that problems with the aircraft had been fixed.

The last deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane was in 2010, when the plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Beirut killing all 90 people on board.

African air travel, long troubled and chaotic, has improved in recent years, with the International Air Transport Association in November noting "two years free of any fatalities on any aircraft type."

Sunday's crash comes as Ethiopia's reformist prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has vowed to open up the airline and other sectors to foreign investment in a major transformation of the state-centered economy.

Ethiopian Airlines' expansion has included the recent opening of a route to Moscow and the inauguration in January of a new passenger terminal in Addis Ababa to triple capacity.

Speaking at the inauguration, the prime minister challenged the airline to build a new "Airport City" terminal in Bishoftu  where Sunday's crash occurred.
By PTI

KATHMANDU: Nepal Police have arrested two Indian gangsters allegedly involved in the abduction of prominent Nepalese businessman Suresh Kedia in 2016.

The two Indian nationals, Bablu Paswan, 35 and Bijaya Mahato, 25, both from Motihari in Bihar, were arrested from Bhiswa area of Parsa district on Thursday night.

Organising a press meet, District Police Office Parsa made public the two arrestees on Saturday.

Paswan was the key suspect involved in Kedia's abduction while Mahato had taken away Kedia in the vehicle after his kidnapping, Superintendent of Police Rewati Dhakal was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times.

Kedia was abducted on May 25, 2016 from Bara district in Nepal and was found by Bihar Police, three days later in Motihari.

At the press meet, Paswan, however, claimed that Kedia was released after he paid Rs 10 crore in ransom, the daily reported.

Paswan claimed that gangster Bablu Dubey, who was the mastermind behind Kedia's kidnapping, was murdered by his aides in the Bettiah court premises in 2017 as he did not give them the part of the ransom he had promised.

"We killed Dubey after he did not give us Rs one crore as per the agreement," Paswan was quoted as saying by the daily.

He said that Kedia was kidnapped as per Dubey's plan and he had paid Rs 10 crore in ransom.

"Since Dubey did not abide by the agreement, we killed him," Paswan said.

We worked hard.

We have to spend time in jail and he took all the money.

Thus, we killed him, Paswan added.

Dubey, who was involved in several cases of kidnapping and murder in India and Nepal, was shot dead in May 2017 while he was brought to Bettiah Court for a hearing in connection with a murder case.

Nepal Police have already arrested five persons including Chanchala Pandey, Birendra Yadav, Jiyalal Yadav for their alleged involvement in Kedia's abduction.
El-Sisi said Sunday that planned projects to improve the transportation sector, amounting to EGP 4 trillion, would be ready by June 2020

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced officially on Sunday that the head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, Kamel El-Wazir, will be appointed Egypt's new minister of transportation.

The announcement came during the 30th cultural symposium of the Armed Forces on the occasion of Martyr's Day at Al-Manara International Conference Centre in the 5th Settlement district of New Cairo.

El-Sisi said that the appointment of El-Wazir is awaiting approval by parliament, and that the new minister will be provided with all the necessary manpower, including specialists from the Armed Forces, to fulfil his duties.

El-Sisi highlighted ongoing efforts to develop the ailing sector, which he said need major financing.

The president said that around 102 stations have been developed, and that 32 others are undergoing development that will be competed in the upcoming year-and-a-half.

Egypt has signed deals to purchase 1,300 new carriages and 200 tractors.

The country has also contracted for six new air conditioned trains and 300 railway cargo carriages.

El-Sisi then urged El-Wazir to address Egyptians with a few words. El-Wazir responded, saying: "We will work on developing all sectors of the transportation ministry. We will prove to all Egyptians that their country has strong leadership with political awareness."

"My colleagues and I are ready to work constantly to develop this sector," the newly appointed minister added.

Ramses incident

El-Wazir's appointment comes nearly two weeks after his predecessor Hisham Arafat resigned following a deadly train crash in Cairo's Ramses station.

El-Sisi also promoted the newly appointed minister, who is also an army officer, to the rank of lieutenant general.

Referring to the deadly incident, El-Sisi said, "The new civil service law we have been working on aims to regulate the situation," adding that anyone in the transportation sector proven to be taking drugs "will be immediately dismissed."

"All drivers will undergo medical checks, not only in the railway sector but in all other sectors," El-Sisi said.

The president explained that officials have been planning projects in the sector worth EGP 4 trillion, due to be ready by 30 June 2020.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki, House of Representatives Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal and a number of ministers and senior state officials attended the symposium on Sunday.

Every year, the Armed Forces celebrate Veteran Warrior and Martyrs' Day on 9 March, marking the anniversary of the death of Lieutenant General Abdel-Moneim Riad, who, along with several of his aides, were targeted by an Israeli mortar attack in 1969 during the War of Attrition (1967-1970) with Israel.

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By AFP

MONTREAL: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday deplored the "devastating news" that 18 Canadian nationals were among the 157 people killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner.

"Devastating news from Ethiopia this morning," Trudeau said on Twitter. "Our thoughts are with all the victims on Flight ET302, including the Canadians who were on board."

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the Ottawa government was in "close contact" with Ethiopian authorities to gather more information.

In this image taken from video, rescuers search through wreckage at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Sunday, March 10, 2019. (Photo | AP)

"Canadian consular officials were immediately deployed to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport today" to work with Ethiopian agencies to determine the facts and "provide the most effective support to Canadian families at this difficult time," she said in a statement.

The Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 crashed minutes after an early-morning takeoff Sunday from Addis Ababa.

People holding passports from more than 30 countries and the UN were on board, but Canadians, with 18 victims, trailed only the 32 Kenyans who died in the crash, according to the airline.

ALSO READ | Indians, Americans, Chinese among 157 killed in Ethiopian plane crash, says authorities

The plane plowed into a field southeast of Addis Ababa, the airline's CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the Ethiopian capital, lamenting the "very sad and tragic day."

The crash came on the eve of a major assembly in Nairobi of the UN Environment Program.

A UN source told AFP that more than a dozen people affiliated with the world body had lost their lives.

State-owned Ethiopian Airline had taken delivery of the Boeing 737-800 MAX plane on November 15. It was of the same type as a plane that crashed in October after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.
By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: At least a dozen people affiliated with the United Nations were among those killed in the crash Sunday of an Ethiopian Airlines jet near Addis Ababa, a UN source said.

"It is expected that a least a dozen of the victims were affiliated with the UN," the source said, adding that freelance interpreters travelling to a UN conference on the environment might also be among the dead.

Authorities said 157 people were killed when the Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on a flight to Nairobi, where the UN conference was being held.

Establishing the exact number of UN personnel on the flight was complicated by the fact that some had informed the United Nations of their travel plans while others had not, and not all were using their UN passports to travel, the source said.

ALSO READ | UN consultant with environment ministry among four Indians killed in Ethiopia plane crash

In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives."

"He conveys his heartfelt sympathies and solidarity to the victims' families and loved ones, including those of United Nations staff members, as well as sincere condolences to the government and people of Ethiopia," the statement said.

"The United Nations is in contact with the Ethiopian authorities and working closely with them to establish the details of United Nations personnel who lost their lives in this tragedy."
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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).




Zimbabwes blood bank is running low of the most common blood group  group O RhD positive due to soaring demand for the life-saving fluid, with current stocks only able to cover an average five days supply at any given time.





National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) public affairs manager Ms Esther Massundah recently told The Sunday Mail that the organisation relies solely on blood donations from the general public.





For us to remain adequately stocked, we solely rely on blood donors and the general public to donate blood, she said.

Blood only comes from the human body and as such, if people do not come forward to donate, there will be no blood available.





All blood types are available, but more stocks are however needed for group O Rhesus Positive (O RhD positive) as the blood type is on high demand and we have been running on about five days supply.





There are generally four main blood groups  A, B, AB and O.





In cases where blood has a protein known as the RhD antigen, it is classified as RhD positive, and vice versa. An antigen is a toxin or any other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body.





Blood transfusion is usually administered on accident victims who would have lost a lot of blood, or on women after child birth.








PREMIER Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) is said to have splashed a jaw-dropping US$3 million on designer suits for top executives, fuel and curious information communication technology (ICT) upgrades at a time when its clients medical insurance was being rejected by service providers.





The company is alleged to have spent more than US$75 000 on designer suits for company managers, including buying ladies fashion coats, casual shirts and slacks for two employees. The company also shelled out more than US$100 000 on fuel for board members, management and staff.





It is, however, the ICT upgrades that haemorrhaged the company the most. Documents show that on June 2 2017 then-managing director Engineer Tendai Kapumha signed for ICT upgrades worth $2,6 million (through PSMAS purchase number 22122), of which US$1,1 million was to be paid in advance.





Further, the medical aid company was charged US$60 000 by Checkpoint Health for a mobile app and website development. The company also doled out US$30 425 for the construction and design of an exhibition stand at the Zimbabwe Agricultural show on August 17 2017. A sum of US$2,4 million was also paid out to Frolgate Technology for supply and installation of new data cabling infrastructure, while US$2,7 million was used to buy other ICT consumables on November 22 2017.Further, the medical aid company was charged US$60 000 by Checkpoint Health for a mobile app and website development. The company also doled out US$30 425 for the construction and design of an exhibition stand at the Zimbabwe Agricultural show on August 17 2017.





PSMAS spokesman Mr Arthur Choga, however, defended the expenditures.





As for the ICT system, we did not just wake up one day and said we were going to buy one. It is something which was discussed and planned over a five-year period. A lot of positive things happened between then and now. We have improved efficiency and mended relations with our stakeholders. We also cut our legacy debt by $17 million before the price madness, he said.





Sunday News is also in possession of a document compiled by workers which details the alleged malpractices which border on gross abuse of office. The originators of the document have implored Government to investigate issues raised.





We only bought 10 new ambulances to increase our old ailing fleet, yet we should have bought at least 40 ambulances. We now have ambulances that break down while carrying patients. In the mornings some ambulances are pushed, yet we are busy buying expensive cars. This shows lack of business acumen or a board that does not care at all.





The company has disbursed over 250 luxurious cars. We are not in the transport business but surely this is pathetic to have such a huge fleet for a company yet pharmacies are

empty, no reagents, it is pathetic yet management is concerned with luxurious lifestyles. In 2010 executive directors through their manager went on a spree to purchase old second hand vehicles from Japan wasting company resources. Most employees got cars as old as 10 to 15 years by 2010 yet the cars were first used in 1995 to 2000, but they went ahead and bought employees such old cars with high prices which could have bought newer cars, reads the report.





It added that management went on to buy themselves new cars such as Prados, Toyota Land Cruisers, Jeep Grand Cherokees, Nissan Navaras, Fortuners and Mercedes Benz.





In 2017 the company went on to buy brand new cars from their suppliers and the selection of suppliers was not flighted in the media.





Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health Dr Ruth Labode is alleged to be a supplier of drugs to PSMAS members via Apple Pharmacy which is she is allegedly a shareholder. According to the document, Dr Labode is acting in conflict of interest.





It is a conflict of interest for Apple Pharmacy to have a Service Level Agreement with PSMAS to sell drugs to PSMAS members as the owner is the chairperson of the Health Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. She cannot investigate corruption as she is also a service provider, read the document.





Contacted for comment, Dr Labode said Apple Pharmacy was a family business and there was no conflict of interest as alleged.





That is a family business which is run by Mr Labode my husband, I am not the only one who supplies drugs to those clients, we are contracted by PSMAS and there is nothing wrong with that. But if people feel like he should withdraw his services he can do it, she said.





Mr Ayo Labode, a pharmacist said he was indeed supplying drugs and there was nothing wrong with that.





I have been running that pharmacy since 2001 and I was the first one to service PSMAS, Dr Labode only went to Parliament in 2014 so how does that influence my running of the pharmacy? Again a doctor cannot run a pharmacy, only a pharmacist can, he said.




He then raped the woman once and then ordered the woman to spend the night in the room since he was doing a splendid job for her. Ncube allegedly took beer and again raped the woman for the second time. The following morning at around 4am, Ncube escorted the woman and told her never to disclose what had happened. He gave her $2 for bus fare. Sunday News
Study Finds 'All Our Efforts' on

Vaccines Not 'Trash' After All
(Newser)  A killer whale is hard to miss, and yet we didfor decades. Now scientists have discovered what could be a new species of killer whale thriving in a very inhospitable part of the world, Phys.org reports. Dubbed Type D, the whales were first recorded in 1955 when 17 stranded on a beach in New Zealand. Their narrow dorsal fins, rounded heads, and small white "eyepatch" made them different, but scientists suspected it was a genetic aberration. Exactly 50 years later, California researcher Bob Pitman saw photos of unusual killer whales near commercial fishing vessels in the southern Indian Ocean. Soon he and his colleagues spotted six more sightings amid Antarctic tourist photos.

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With Chilean fishermen complaining that killer whales stole toothfish from their lines, Pitman gathered a research team at Cape Horn in 2018. They waited out eight days of howling winds before launching into a quiet spell. "The sun came up in the morning at 5:50," Pitman tells NPR. "We had type D killer whales swimming around our boat." His wife, biologist and team member Lisa Ballance, searched for words: "I can't even ... it was thrilling for all of us," she says. "It's like seeing a dinosaur or something." A harmless dart fired into a whale will determine whether it's a new species or just a subtype. As Phys.org puts it, the find serves "as a reminder of how little we know about life in our oceans." (Read more killer whale stories.)
(Newser)  A growing list of Democratic presidential contenders want the US government to legalize marijuana, reflecting a nationwide shift as more Americans look favorably on cannabis, the AP reports. Making marijuana legal at the federal level is the "smart thing to do," says California Sen. Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor whose home state is the nation's largest legal pot shop. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a prominent legalization advocate on Capitol Hill, says the war on drugs has been a "war on people." Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, who appears poised to join the 2020 Democratic field, has written a book arguing marijuana legalization would hobble drug cartels. In an email to supporters this week, he called again to end the federal prohibition on marijuana.

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"Who is going to be the last manmore likely than not a black manto languish behind bars for possessing or using marijuana when it is legal in some form in more than half of the states in this country?" O'Rourke wrote. It's a far different approach from the not-so-distant past, when it was seen as politically damaging to acknowledge smoking pot and no major presidential candidate backed legalization. Unlike President Clinton in 1992, it seems everyone's inhaling: Presidential hopefuls in the Senate who have co-sponsored Booker's legislation to end the federal prohibition include Harris, New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Vermont's Bernie Sanders. The widespread endorsement reflects a changing America, where support for legalization has risen from 12% in the 1960s to 66% in 2018.

(Read more marijuana stories.)
(Newser)  Nicholas Sandmann's lawyer claimed the teen's $250 million suit filed against the Washington Post in February was "only the beginning," and it appears that wasn't an idle threat. In a Fox News interview airing Sunday at 10pm ET, attorney L. Lin Wood said the Covington Catholic High School student who was at the center of the Lincoln Memorial incident that sparked a massive controversy will next sue CNN for more than $250 million, in a lawsuit to be filed Monday or Tuesday. "CNN was probably more vicious in its direct attacks on Nicholas than the Washington Post. And CNN goes into millions of individuals' homes," Wood said on Life, Liberty & Levin, per Fox News. Wood elaborated at length. "CNN couldn't resist the idea that here's a guy with a young boy, that Make America Great Again cap on. So they go after him."

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He continued: "The CNN folks were online on Twitter at 7am retweeting the little one-minute propaganda piece that had been put out. ... They're out there right away going after this young boy. And they maintain it for at least two days." The suit against the Post seeks $50 million in compensatory damages for the "reputational damage" done to Nicholas; the remaining $200 million is the amount of punitive damages sought. Wood noted that "because of the way [CNN] went after Nicholas so viciously, that the claim for his reputational damage will be higher than it was against the Washington Post." Newsweek notes that in the wake of the incident, more than 50 media outlets were sent letters from the teen's lawyers informing them they might be sued. (Trump was publicly encouraging of the suit against the Post.)
(Newser)  Marylands highest court doesn't believe Asia McClain could have changed the outcome of Adnan Syed's trial. In a 4-3 ruling, the state's Court of Appeals on Friday reversed a lower court's decision that Syed's murder conviction should be vacated, denying him a new trial. Syed, whose case catapulted to national attention thanks to the Serial podcast, is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of former high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Asia McClain was a classmate of Syed's who claimed to have seen him at the library during the time Lee disappeared; she was not called to testify. The Court of Appeals agreed Syed's lawyer, Maria Cristina Gutierrez, was "deficient" in not calling McClain.

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But the majority opinion found that "given the totality of the evidence the jury heard, we conclude that there is not a significant or substantial possibility that the verdict would have been different had trial counsel presented" McClain, reports the Baltimore Sun. Though Syeds lead attorney, C. Justin Brown, says "we are devastated" by the outcome, he added that his team thinks there are "at least three other avenues of relief" they can seek. He did not elaborate. KREM reports that McClain, now Asia McClain Chapman, called the ruling "not acceptable" during a 15-minute interview posted to Twitter Friday. The New York Times notes that Gutierrez died in 2004. The four-part documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed premieres Sunday night on HBO. (Read more Adnan Syed stories.)
(Newser)  A smile, a laugh, a few folds, and prestoyou have the only existing sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci. That's pretty much the takeaway after The Virgin with the Laughing Child was presented this week at an exhibition in Florence, NPR reports. An Italian academic and a Leonardo scholar from the Metropolitan Museum in New York were there to explain why the 20-inch-tall red clay work of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, previously attributed to artist Antonio Rossellino, was actually by the Renaissance master. For one thing, the Guardian reports, the folds over Madonna's legs resemble drapery drawings Leonardo did at the time.

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Plus Mary's smile has an enigmatic feel reminiscent of the Mona Lisa, and baby Jesus is actually laughinga nearly blasphemous portrayal back when the sculpture was made in 1472. Leonardo recalls in his notebooks getting in hot water for his version of an infant Christ, and this could be why. The Italian academic, Francesco Caglioti, also says the sculpture was attributed to Rossellino only because vastly influential art historian John Pope Hennessy, a Rossellino booster, said so "at his whim." The sculpture belongs to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and has since 1858. (Analysis shows Leonardo's edits to one of his drawings.)
(Newser)  Manhattan businessman Howard Pilmar was found stabbed to death in 1996, but the crime went unpunisheduntil now. On Friday, a New York jury found Pilmar's wife and brother-in-law guilty of luring him to his office to stab him dozens of times. "They planned it as a trap, and they set it up as a trap," says the lead prosecutor, per the New York Times. "And he didn't stand a chance." The case hinged on wife Roslyn Pilmar's need for the $1 million-plus in insurance money she received from Howard's death. She had been caught embezzling $160,000 from a dentist's office where she once worked, which she still owed, and had roughly $14,000 in unpaid taxes. Witnesses also said Roslyn, 61, had carped about her husband's verbal abuse.

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That apparently motivated her brother, Evan Wald, 45, who once said he would kill Pilmar if he ever hurt Roslyn. Plus a drop of Wald's blood was at the scene, and police noticed a cut on his hand that he attributed to picking up a broken plate. "His hand was cut. So what?" his lawyer said in court. "That doesnt mean he killed anyone with a knife." But it was enough for the jury, who took 3 1/2 days to convict them of killing the office supply entrepreneur and upscale coffee shop pioneer, per the New York Post. The verdict sent Howard and Roslyn's only child Philip storming out of the roomhe'd always sided with his motherand Howard's stepmom Carol into sobs. "I feel relieved," she said. "Finally justice." The perpetrators each face 25 years to life. Roslyn's lawyer says they plan to appeal. (Read more murder stories.)
(Newser)  Two weeks after they went missing on the world's ninth-tallest mountain, the bodies of British climber Tom Ballard and Italian Daniele Nardi have been found on Nanga Parbat, Pakistan's so-called "Killer Mountain," reports the Guardian. Wrote Italy's ambassador to Pakistan: "With great sadness I inform that the search ... is over as ... the search team have confirmed that the silhouettes spotted on Mummery at about (19,300 feet) are those of Daniele and Tom. RIP." Ballard and Nardi had been attempting a difficult winter summit of the Mummery Rib, a steep western face of the mountain, when they went missing on Feb. 24. They last made contact from around 20,670 feet. Their bodies are in difficult terrain, but rescuers say they'll do everything possible to recover them. Ballard's mom, Alison Hargreaves, became the first woman to scale Everest unaided in 1995; months later she perished on K2, another Pakistani mountain. (Read more Nanga Parbat stories.)
Malaysia has deported six Egyptians and a Tunisian suspected of being linked to Islamist militant groups abroad, despite protests from human rights groups.

The suspects include five people who allegedly confessed to being part of Egypts banned Muslim Brotherhood, Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement on Sunday.

Rights groups say that members of the group face possible torture and persecution in Egypt, which brands them as terrorists.

The Tunisian and one of the Egyptians deported were members of Ansar al-Sharia al-Tunisia, which is listed as a terrorist group by the United Nations, Mohamad Fuzi said.

The two, both in their early 20s, had previously been detained for attempting to enter another country illegally in 2016. They allegedly used fake passports to enter Malaysia with the intention of traveling to and launching an attack in a third country, police said.

Members of this terror group are suspected of being involved in plans to carry out large-scale attacks in other countries, Mohamad Fuzi said.

The other five Egyptians confessed to being members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and are accused of providing shelter, transport and employment for the two linked to Ansar al-Sharia.

As the presence of these foreigners constitute a security risk, all suspects have been deported to their native country and... recommendations have been made to blacklist them from entering Malaysia for life, Mohamad Fuzi said, adding that two Malaysians were detained in the counter-terror operation.

Amnesty International Malaysia said the Egyptians deported were now at risk of enforced disappearance, torture, prolonged detention and unfair trials.

We urge the Malaysian government to respect the principle of non-refoulement and ensure that those at risk of persecution or risk of irreparable harm in another country, including torture, are not deported, said the groups executive director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu.

Malaysia has arrested hundreds of people in the past few years for suspected links to militant groups, after gunmen allied with the Islamic State carried out a series of attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, in January 2016.

A grenade attack on a bar on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, in June 2016 wounded eight people. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the first such strike on Malaysian soil.

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(Newser)  Saturday wasn't a great day for flyingat least not for planes in two northeastern states, USA Today reports. Turbulence was so bad on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Kennedy Airport in New York that a flight attendant broke a leg and 29 people were treated with non-life-threatening injuries like cuts, bumps, and bruises. The turbulence struck about 45 minutes before landing: "There was like one or two seconds when it was subtle, but then it really started to pick up," passenger Amir Mehrbakhsh tells ABC News. "Just because the drop was so sudden, a lot of people got lifted up and hit their head either on the ceiling or on the side of the plane, and so there were a lot of injuries pretty quickly."

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And not all the pain was physical: "There was this one guy ... and he was frantically screaming," says Mehrbakhsh. "I think he was like doing a religious chant. I kept hearing him say 'Jesus,' like he was visibly distraught." Most passengers were treated at JFK, but about 10 went to hospital. Earlier that day, an Air Transat Flight from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was forced to land at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey due to smoke on board. The 189 passengers were evacuated via emergency chutes and two suffered injuries unrelated to the smoke, one experiencing pain from the chute and another having a panic attack, per NorthJersey.com. Officials found no fire and are investigating what caused the smoke. (Read more emergency landing stories.)
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An Egyptian delegation presented a report to the United Nations International Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Sunday on what it described as the "blatant discrimination" between men and women in Qatar, as well as sexual violence against domestic workers and laws that violate children's rights in the Gulf state.

The Egyptian delegation referred to the provisions in Qatar's Nationality Law that discriminate between citizens of Qatari origin and naturalised citizens, who do not enjoy full political rights including voting and are prohibited from membership in any legislative body.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of the United Nations recommended that Qatar include in its national law a definition of racial discrimination.

The committee also referred with concern to the discriminatory article stipulated in the Qatari Nationality Act which denies citizenship to the children of Qatari women married to non-Qataris.

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The All Progressives Congress has cleared all the 24 seats in Kwara State House of Assembly.

The All Progressives Congress has cleared all the 24 seats in Kwara State House of Assembly.

According to the results just read out by Mallam Garba Madami, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kwara State, APC won all the seats contested in the state House of Assembly, while the PDP, which was the ruling party in the state, did not win any seat.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP...





The INEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof. Benjamin Ozurumba, on Sunday said that Ikpeazu scored 261,127 votes to win the poll.He defeated Uchechukwu Ogah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 99,574 votes.He also announced that Alex Otti, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 64,366 votes.Blessing Nwagba of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) scored 2,919 votes.According to Ozurumba, 433,315 votes were valid, out of the 444, 376 votes cast, while 11,061 votes were rejected.Ikpeazu won in 11 out of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state, while Ogah won in four local government areas, and Otti won in two.In Umuahia 3 South, PDP scored 8,257 votes, APC 4,562 and APGA got 4,502.PDP garnered 3,819 votes in Ukwa East as against APC which got 1,447 while APGA scored 1,935 votes.In Ukwa West, the result announced by the Collation Officer, Prof. Chukwuemeka Okafor, showed that PDP scored 11,602 votes in Ukwa West to beat APC, which got 3,140 votes, while APGA had 2,270 votes.APC scored 12,172 votes to win in Bende, as against PDPs 7,265 votes, while APGA got 4,283 votes.In Umunneochi, APC garnered 7,238 votes to emerge winner, while PDP scored 7,004 votes, while APGA had 3,190 votes.PDP won in Ugwunabo with 22,083 votes, APC scored 1,865 votes, APGA had 1,054 votes.In Osisioma, PDP won with 19,835 votes as against APCs 1,981 votes, while APGA had 2,298 votes.PDP scored 19,209 votes to win in Isiala Ngwa North, while APC got 2,404 votes, APGA had 2,084 votes.APGA won in Arochukwu with 8,924 votes, beating PDP and APC, which got 5,070 and 3,819, respectively.In Isiala Ngwa South, PDP scored 19,672 to defeat APGA which had 5,129 votes, while APC got 1,569 votes.PDP also won in Obingwa with 78,803 votes, as against APCs 3,390 votes. APGA had 2,679 votes.In Ikwuano, PDP scored 6,285 to beat APC, which had 5,619, while APGA had 1,588 votes.APC scored 14,146 in Isuikwato to beat PDD which had 3,564 votes, while APGA had 1,696 votes.PDP won in Ohafia having scored 19, 346 votes, APGA garnered 6,883 votes APC got 6,718 votes.The result in Aba South showed that APGA scored 6,802 votes to emerge the winner, as against APCs 5,418 votes, while PDP had 5,256 votes.In Aba North, PDP scored 8,429 to defeat APGA which got 6,216 votes, APC had 4,209.APC won in Umuahia North with 16,833 votes, PDP scored 15,627 votes while APGA got 2,878 votes.
Temitope Olatoye (Sugar), Action Democratic Party Oyo central senatorial who was shot in the face and was rushed to the Accident and E...

Temitope Olatoye (Sugar), Action Democratic Party Oyo central senatorial who was shot in the face and was rushed to the Accident and Emergency centre in University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan is dead.





Olatoye, better known as Sugar in the political circle, was shot by suspected thugs in Elesu village, Lalupon, Lagelu local government area of the state.

Olatoye died at the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan after he was shot in the head by suspected political thugs in Lalupon area of the state.He was hurriedly rushed to the Accident and Emergency ward of the UCH by his supporters from where doctors on duty moved him to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.The UCH Public Relations Officer, Mr Toye Akinrinlola, told one of our correspondents that the lawmaker was moved to the intensive care unit, where doctors battled in vain to save his life.He eventually died around 7.45pm, he said.A close aide to the lawmaker (name withheld) had told one of our source that some suspected political thugs of a rival politician in the constituency allegedly carried out the attack.Olatoye, who won the 2015 election on the platform of the APC, lost re-election two weeks ago on the platform of the Action Democratic Party.He vowed never to return to the APC, notwithstanding the overtures reportedly made to him by a former governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, to join him in the APC.Before his death, he was representing Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency. Olatoye had in 2011 won an election into the state House of Assembly on the platform of the Accord Party before he later defected to the then Action Congress of Nigeria.He was said to be coming from his village where he had gone to exercise his franchise when the assailant ambushed him.Two hours earlier, a supporter of the PDP, simply identified as Mudasiru, was shot dead by a police officer in Ile Titun area of Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of the state.Mudasiru, in his late 20s, was said to be celebrating his partys victory when a trigger-happy officer fired a shot which hit him from the back and ruptured his intestines.An eyewitness told revealed that he was quickly rushed to a traditional doctor, Chief Kehinde Ege, in Ita Ege for treatment.As Ege was almost getting the bullet out, the boy gave up the ghost having lost too much blood, said a source who witnessed the treatment.The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Lawrence Fadeyi, who confirmed both incidents, begged for more time within which the police would make its comprehensive findings available.Yes, both incidents are true but kindly give us more time to come up with a detailed analysis of what really happened, Fadeyi said.
The Egyptian delegation participating in the United Nations Human Rights Council's 40th session in Geneva presented a brief report on the situation of persons with special needs in the country, highlighting the "unprecedented progress" achieved in this area.

The report referred to the great attention Egypt has paid in recent years to persons with special needs, which was reflected for the first time by 11 articles guaranteeing their rights in the 2014 constitution.

In January, Egypts parliament approved a law establishing the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, which is tasked with integrating and empowering people with disabilities.

The council will follow up on the execution of the countrys public policy regarding the disabled; contributing to putting a national strategy to emancipate persons with disabilities in the fields of health, labor, education and others.

The council is also entitled with giving its opinion on bills and decisions that relate to the council and its operations.

Egypt designated 2018 the year of persons with special needs, who are estimated to number 10 million out of Egypt's population of 104 million.

According to Article 81 of Egypts 2014 constitution, the state must provide work opportunities for individuals with disabilities and allocate for them a percentage of job openings, in addition to adequately equipping public utilities and the surrounding areas for use by disabled persons.

In December 2018, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced that the Tahya Misr Fund will provide an EGP 80 million donation to a new EGP 100 million investment fund for people with special needs.

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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje has conceded defeat by congratulating the All Progressives Cong...



The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje has conceded defeat by congratulating the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for winning the governorship poll in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu polled 739,445 votes to defeat Jimi Agbaje of the PDP, who polled 206,141 votes.

Sanwo-Olu defeated Agbaje by 533,304 votes, making it a landslide victory for the APC candidate.

However, Sanwo-Olu, on his twitter handle said at exactly 19:07pm, Agbaje called him to congratulate him on his victory at the poll.



At exactly 19:07pm, I received a call. Thank you @ jimiagbaje for your congratulatory call filled with kind words. It was an intense campaign and I am happy we can now focus on the very important job at hand; delivering a Lagos that works for all, he said.




The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate release of the governorship and house of assembly elections results in R...





The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate release of the governorship and house of assembly elections results in Rivers State.





The party also condemned the alleged attempt by the army to interfere with the collation of results at the INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt on Sunday.





The move by PDP follows the suspension of all electoral processes in Rivers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).





The commission had cited widespread disruption of the polls in the state as the reason for its action.





In a statement published on its official twitter page, the party charged INEC to end its manipulative schemes and immediately declare the results.





The statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbodiyan, condemned the disagreement between the army and the police at the INEC collation centre, adding that the incident could jeopardise the outcome of the elections in the state.





In a series of tweets on the official page of the party, the main opposition party said, Nigerians watched in bewilderment as soldiers, in the company of APC thugs invaded polling units in Rivers State, unleashed violence on voters, disrupted polling processes and hauled away electoral materials, just because the APC is not in the ballot, following its self-inflicted exclusion from the election.





The use of soldiers to ambush the electoral process and confiscate results is an extreme scheme by the APC and the Buhari Presidency to enmesh the Rivers state governorship election in controversy, seeing that there is no way they can take away victory from the PDP.





Our party contends that elections have been concluded in Rivers state; results of the Governorship & polls have been declared at the various polling units, wards and LGA collation centers & all returning officers & political parties in the ballot conclusively have the figures.





The party also cautioned INEC to note that a lot of innocent Nigerians have already been killed by the APC in its desperation to forcefully take over Rivers.





The election in Rivers State is keenly between the candidate of the PDP, Governor Nyesom Wike, and that of the African Action Congress, Biokpomabo Awara.





The APC did not present a candidate after the court ruled out its participation, but the leader of the party in the state, Rotimi Amaechi, had swayed his support toward the AAC.




The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has congratulated Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for emerging winn...





The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has congratulated Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for emerging winner of the Kwara State governorship elections.





Mr Abdulrasaq won the March 9 elections with 331,546 to beat his closest rival, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Razaq Atunwa, who scored 114,754 votes.





In a message on his official twitter page, Mr Saraki said I thank all Kwarans, particularly PDP supporters, who worked for the party in the just concluded elections. My congratulations go to Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq and all those who emerged at all levels. I wish them all the best, He said.





Mr Saraki who is a former governor of the state, lost his re-election bid to represent the Kwara Central Senatorial district in the just concluded general elections.





The senate president lost to the APC candidate, Ibrahim Oloriegbe.












Two persons lost their lives in a cult clash involving two rival factions in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State...

Two persons lost their lives in a cult clash involving two rival factions in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.





The clash involved Black Axe and Vickings Confraternity took place during the House of Assembly elections in Anambra state.





The police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident in a statement, also said a female presiding officer, one Meniri Njideka, of Nawfia, was allegedly abducted at Afor market square unit Mbaukwu in Awka South LGA.





He said the officer was later rescued and treated at the Police Clinic, Awka and discharged.

He further disclosed that three suspects were arrested and a locally made Pistol with four live ammunition recovered in the shooting in Agulu township polling unit.





Mohammed said: There are isolated cases recorded in some areas such as shooting incidents and disruption of voting at Agulu township polling unit where three suspects were arrested and a locally made Pistol with four live ammunition recovered.





There was another shooting incident also at Nwanebo Primary School 1 and 2 inside Immaculate Catholic Berth Church premises Ula in Ekwulobia involving two private security guards of the church following a scuffle.





One of the security guard namely Ngozi Goodwill short his colleague one MO Justses Anyadike maged 26 years on his leg.





The pallets of the expanded cartridges also brushed five other persons who came to vote at the polling booth and sustained minor injuries and were treated.





The Principal suspects were arrested and two Pump Action, seven live cartridges and one expanded cartridge were recovered.





There was also an isolated incident of cult clash of two rival factions Black Axe and Vickings Confraternity leading to the death of two yet to be identified persons at Obosi.





Case under investigation and efforts being intensified to apprehend fleeing suspects.





The PPRO listed other offences recorded during the election to include thuggery at Nri in Anaocha LGA, Umouji ward in Ogidi and Ntege where the Command responded promptly and effected arrest at the above-mentioned scenes.





Meanwhile, a total number of 47 persons were arrested for various offences ranging from disruption of elections, malicious damage, thuggery, assault, and unlawful possession of Firearm.





Exhibits recovered includes 2 double barrel guns, 1 locally made pistol, 4 life ammunition, 3 expanded ammunition, 1 Toyota Hilux, 1 L300 Bus, 291 Ballot papers, 1 motorcycle, dry leave suspected to be Indian hemp, Cash Sum of #173,420




The Arab League urged on Sunday the international community to put an end to Israels aggression at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

AL Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Arab Occupied Territories Said Abu Ali strongly condemned the behavior of an Israeli occupation soldier, who desecrated the holy site by insisting on entering it from Bab al Rahma, which is one of the gates of the mosque while wearing his shoes.

Abu Ali called for international action to make Israel honor international agreements and respect all places of worship.

A video went viral causing an uproar among Muslims after showing an Israeli police officer refusing to remove his shoes upon entering Bab al Rahma and trampling prayer rugs at the site on Saturday despite objections by worshipers.

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A Sudanese emergency court sentenced Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, the deputy head of the opposition Umma Party and daughter of its leader, to one week in prison on Sunday, party officials said.

Mahdi was one of 19 party members sentenced by the court and was also fined 2,000 Sudanese pounds ($42) for participating in protests calling on President Omar al-Bashir to step down, the officials said.

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Economist Mohammed Shtayyeh, a member of the West Banks dominant Fatah party, was named Palestinian prime minister on Sunday in what the rival Hamas group that runs Gaza called a blow to unity efforts.

The appointment was announced six weeks after Rami al-Hamdallah tendered his resignation from the post and the resignation of his unity government to President Mahmoud Abbas, underscoring the failure of Hamas and Fatah to implement a power-sharing deal.

Speaking to Palestine Television, Shtayyeh said he would immediately begin consultations with factions belonging to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads, on forming a new cabinet.

Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since seizing the enclave from Fatah in 2007, is not a member of the PLO. Ismail Rudwan, a senior official in the Islamist group, said the creation of a separatist government ... will prolong Palestinian division.

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation deal in November 2017 calling for Abbas West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) to resume governing in Gaza and take control of its crossing points into Egypt and Israel.

However, disputes quickly arose on how to implement the agreement. Another sticking point has been policy toward Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war and maintained tight control of Gazas borders since withdrawing settlers and troops from the area in 2005.

Shtayyehs immediate challenge is to shore up the cash-strapped PA, which exercises limited self-rule under interim peace accords with Israel.

The PA has been squeezed by steep US aid cuts, with the cash crisis exacerbated by a dispute with Israel over the withholding of some 5 percent of the monthly tax revenues it transfers to the Authority.

Israel said the money it is holding back is used by the PA to pay stipends to families of militants killed or jailed by Israel. The PA has refused to accept any tax transfers until those funds are restored.

Shtayyeh, seen largely as a technocrat, most recently headed the Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development, a donor coordination and advocacy body established by the PLO in 1993.

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Fighting erupted in Yemens key port city of Hodeida on Sunday, the first significant clashes since warring sides agreed to a UN-brokered cease-fire deal in December, security officials and eyewitnesses said.

Fires burned on the main front lines in the citys east and south, while exchanges of artillery fire shook buildings in combat that broke out overnight, they said.

Both the Shia Houthi rebels who hold the city and the government-backed troops who oppose them have been seen erecting barricades and digging defensive trenches.

All night long, we hear the loud roar of machine guns and artillery, which had been silent for the past two weeks, said resident Ahmed Nasser, adding that he was worried for relatives who had returned to the July 7 neighborhood on the citys eastern front.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to brief journalists, while witnesses did so for fear of their safety. Ambulances were heard in the city after shelling hit residential neighborhoods, but it was unclear what casualties had resulted.

The fighting comes days after the internationally recognized Yemeni government, along with allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, accused the Houthi rebel foes of breaking the cease-fire and refusing to withdraw their forces from the city in line with the December agreement.

Under the agreement, local authorities and police were to run the city and its three ports under UN supervision, after all sides pulled out their fighters. Both sides also agreed on a prisoner exchange, but neither of the deals have yet to be implemented.

Yemens government has been battling the rebels since 2014, when the Houthis swept down from the north and seized the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war on the side of the government in March 2015.

The stalemated conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and raised fears of famine.

Despite the Hodeida accord, which was signed in Sweden, fighting has also continued in other parts of the country. That too seemed to pick up on Sunday, with officials reporting fierce fighting between the rebels and pro-government tribesmen in the in the Kasher area of Hajjah province, where the Houthis took control of the town of Abaysa sending hundreds of civilians fleeing in panic.

Former provincial governor Fahd Dahshush in a statement accused the Houthis of detaining dozens of tribesmen and killing several prisoners, including one local politician by shooting him in front of his family.

Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels have killed dozens of their forces in the past days, the officials added, while trying to supply the tribesmen with food, medicine, arms and ammunition.

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US President Donald Trump is open to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but some time may have to go by before this takes place, Trumps national security adviser said on Sunday.

Speaking on ABC, John Bolton said the United States has no illusions about North Koreas capabilities, but Trump remains confident in his personal relationship with the North Korean leader.

Boltons comments came after two US think tanks and Seouls spy agency said last week that North Korea was rebuilding a rocket launch site at Sohae in the west of the country.

There have also been reports from South Koreas intelligence service of new activity at a factory at Sanumdong near Pyongyang that produced North Koreas first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Bolton declined to discuss those reports or say whether a new North Korean missile launch would scuttle engagement with the United States. He said, however, that it was a mistake to assume North Korea would automatically comply with its obligations.

The presidents confident in his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un. Hes invested a lot of time in trying to develop that relationship, Bolton told ABCs This Week.

He said hes open to a third summit, none has been scheduled, and some time may have to go by. But hes prepared to engage again because he does think that the prospects for North Korea, which hes been trying to persuade Kim Jong Un to accept if they denuclearized, are really quite spectacular, Bolton said.

Trump told reporters Friday he would be disappointed if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing and reiterated his belief in his good relationship with the North Korean leader, despite the recent collapse of their second summit in Hanoi.

North Korea has frozen nuclear and missile testing since 2017, and Trump has pointed to this as a positive outcome from nearly a year of high-level engagement with North Korea.

Bolton said he thought Kim has a very clear idea where Trump stands on missile tests. US intelligence is constantly watching North Korea, he said.

We see exactly what theyre doing now. We see it unblinkingly, and we dont have any illusions about what their capabilities are, he said.

Bolton said he was unaware of any recent US contact with North Korea, but that he would be talking Monday with his South Korean counterpart, who may have been in touch with the North.

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A draft energy and climate law due to be presented to French cabinet ministers on Monday has been postponed so that it can be reworked with more ambitious environmental goals, President Emmanuel Macrons office said on Sunday.

The proposals had been criticized by climate change campaigners and a high-level state-backed economic affairs committee for being too vague on some targets, including an aim for France to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Macron has sought to take a lead on the global stage in the fight against climate change, although some of his plans, including an aborted bid to raise fuel taxes, have stirred a backlash among voters at home, sparking a wave of protests.

He has vowed, however, to press on with green policies, while trying to balance this push with measures to help lower-income households or others who might be affected by extra costs.

The draft law is meant to provide a broad framework on climate goals, laying the ground for subsequent, more precise commitments, including on how France will cut its reliance on nuclear energy.

The reworked bill will include a more detailed outline of Frances target for reducing greenhouse gases, the Elysee said.

The bill will still be on track to go to the lower house of parliament to be examined by lawmakers in June, the presidents office added.

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Thousands of Iranian Teachers Launch Third Strike Demanding Fair Pay, Universal Education

03/10/19

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Education Minister Claims Strikers Wrongly Teaching Students How to Protest



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Thousands of teachers went on throughout Iran for the third time in less than a year March 3-5, 2019, to demand fair pay, the release of their imprisoned colleagues and free, universal education.

"The most important reason for the strike is that the government does not feel obligated to implement Article 30 of the Constitution," Javad La'l Mohammadi, an activist teacher based in the city of Mashhad, told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on March 5.

"Since there are a lot of teachers and students in the country, the government is tempted to hand over education to the private sector and turn schools into commercial entities... It's breaking every teacher's heart," he added.

Article 30 of Iran's Constitution states, "The government must provide all citizens with free education up to secondary school, and must expand free higher education to the extent required by the country for attaining self-sufficiency."

Reacting to the strike, Minister of Education Mohammad Bathaei dismissed it as an action by only a "few" teachers and scolded the strikers for teaching students how to protest.

"The country has multiple needs that do not allow us to alleviate the heavy load on teachers' livelihood in the short term and therefore we are using solutions that have not been tried before," Bathaei told reporters on March 5.

"There have been protests in a few schools but even if teachers took action in just a single school in the country, that would be wrong for nurturing students," he added. "I am not upset about the protest itself but the method because it teaches the students the wrong thing."

The Iranian Teachers Unions Coordination Council, which had organized the strikes via its channel on the Telegram messaging app, responded by noting that on one day alone, teachers from more than 100 schools had participated.

"The nationwide strike by teachers ended Tuesday [March 5] with an inconsiderate statement by the Education Minister who claimed that only a few had participated in the action," said the union.

"But the fact is that in Kermanshah alone, more than 100 schools were involved and in Khomeini Shahr more than 70," it added.
Outspoken Lawmaker Tells Iran Judiciary 'Stop Wrong Practices', As UN Issues Critical Report

03/10/19

Source: Radio Farda

The outspoken Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Motahari has called on Iran's new Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeesi to "stop some wrong practices" in the judicial system. In a letter, Motahari, representing Tehran, has put forward five requests including one that calls on Raeesi (Raeisi) to stop limiting the number of defense lawyers political prisoners can choose from.



Ali Motahari

(cartoon by Bozorgmehr Hosseinpur)



Motahari said the practice was against the law and prisoners' freedom, as well as being a discriminatory regulation.

The Judiciary in 2018 named only 20 out of more than 2000 lawyers as the only ones trusted by the courts to be defense attorneys for people charged with security charges - usually political detainees. The decision triggered criticism by inmates as well as lawyers.

Raeesi who is said to have been in a judicial committee that ordered the killings of hundreds of political prisoners in 1988, was a highly controversial appointment on March 7 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.



Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (L) with Ebrahim Raeesi

(source: Tehran Times)

Motahari also said that indicting lawmakers for comments they make at parliament was a "strange phenomenon" and against the Iranian Constitution.

Meanwhile, referring to cases like the one involving environmentalists, where disputes between two major intelligence agencies has caused problems for inmates, Motahari called on Raeesi to stop intelligence agencies' intervention in Judiciary affairs.

Jailed Iranian environmentalists' case has been continuing since early 2018 as one intelligence agency labels them as spies while another agency insists that they are not spies.

He also warned Raeesi against radicalism of some Judiciary officials, including an official in Mashad who said "a prosecutor's authority is only one inch less than God's power."

The next point made by Motahari, is his opposition to the special authorities vested in the Judiciary by Supreme Leader Khamenei, which denies suspects in economic cases of the right to appeal unless they are sentenced to death.

Motahari also opposed the idea of special courts for clerics as a system that belonged to ancient caste societies. Ironically, Raeesi is the chairman of the Special Court for Clerics.



Iran's new Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeesi

International human rights watchdogs have been criticizing these and many other discriminatory practices of the Iranian Judiciary all along the past forty years since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

In the most recent cases UN Chief Antonio Guterres released a report at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council on Friday describing violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic, based on " information from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, State media and non-governmental organizations and from individual interviews with known victims and alleged victims and their families and with lawyers."

According to the report, the Secretary-General remains concerned by "the continued application of the death penalty for a wide range of offences, including those which are vague or uncertain in scope, such as efsad-e fel-arz ("spreading corruption on earth"), and those which do not involve intentional murder and therefore do not amount to "most serious crimes", such as adultery or consensual sexual relations between two men in certain circumstances."

Execution of child offenders, harsh decisions to "take swift and decisive action" against individuals referred to as "economic disruptors" in the context of an "economic war", by way of a directive issued by the Supreme Leader, denial of many prisoners' right to fair trial, arbitrary arrest and detention of dual and foreign nationals, pressures on ethnic and religious minorities, arrest and detention of environmentalists, violation of the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to privacy, and exerting pressures on human rights defenders and human rights lawyers were among the criticisms made in the UN Chief's report.

However, the UN chief diplomat also pointed out some positive changes. According to the report, Guterres noted that the Iranian government has increasingly engaged with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and with United Nations human rights mechanisms.

"Representatives of OHCHR visited Tehran in May 2018 and met with a range of interlocutors to discuss the human rights situation in the country. The Government has extended an invitation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and to three special procedure mandate holders," he said

The Iranian government has not reacted to the report yet, and it is yet to be seen how Iran's new chief justice takes it from here and whether he continues the improvement.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed his condolence to Ethiopia and the families of the 157 persons who perished in Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash.



Like all Ghanaians, I have been deeply saddened by Sunday's news of the tragic loss of 157 lives aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, in Kenya, President Akufo-Addo, stated in a message to the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.



On behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, I extend deep condolences and sympathies to the families of the deceased, and to you, Mr. Prime Minister, the Government and people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in these difficult times. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.



The Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew members, lost contact with air traffic controllers, some six minutes after take-off, crashing near Bishoftu, southeast of the Ethiopian capital.



The immediate cause of the crash has not been established, but the airline in a statement shortly after the accident, indicated that the plane was a new one delivered to it only last November.



The pilot, who had been working for the carrier since 2010, sent out a distress call shortly after take-off and was given clearance to return.

Ethiopian state media have stated that more than 30 nationalities were on board flight ET 302, including 32 Kenyans, nine Ethiopians, 18 Canadians, eight Chinese, eight Americans, eight Italians, seven French, 7seven Britons, six Egyptians, five Dutch, four Indians, four Slovaks, and two Spaniards.



Meanwhile, many Ghanaians have taken to social media to express their shock and sorrow at the tragedy.

Source: GNA









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President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has suggested that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and National Security be shut down and their roles outsourced to Manasseh Azure Awuni and Anas Aremeyaw Anas.



Mr. Cudjoe who seems impressed with the jobs being done by the two award winning investigative journalists and their efforts in fighting corruption, wants them to benefit from the Consolidated Fund with a monthly allowance of GHC30,000 each.



The IMANI Boss comments follow the release of the Galamsey Fraud undercover piece and the Militia in the heart of the Nation by Anas and Manasseh respectively.



Anas Aremeyaw Anas latest documentary, revealed how men mandated to help government manage the illegal mining menace are undermining the fight leaving Ghana at the mercy of mercenary miners and monstrous money-grabbers within the corridors of power.



Presidential Staffer who was the Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Charles Cromwell Bissue abused his office to enrich himself by engaging in bribery and corruption as disclosed in the documentary.



The Militia in the heart of the Nation undercover work carried out by Manasseh Azure Awuni, exposes a pro-NPP militia group, De-Eye training at the Christiansborg Castle in Osu.



The group, according to the report, is being led by a former bodyguard of President Akufo-Addo and has been operating for the past two years.



Manasseh found that the group had already provided security for a number of government functions of which the president had taken part in, a claim that has been denied by government.



In a Facebook post, Franklin Cudjoe who may have come to accept that the two undercover journalists can help government fight corruption, does not see the need for the existence of the EOCO, National Security and the office of prosecutions.



According to him, We should shut down EOCO and the National Security and outsource their work to these two men. And then privatise the office of Prosecutions/ Ministry of Justice.



Below is Franklin Cudjoes Facebook post



Time to put the likes of Manasseh Azure Awuni and Anas Aremeyaw Anas on the Consolidated Fund and each paid 30k a month . We should shut down EOCO and the National Security and outsource their work to these two men. And then privatise the office of Prosecutions/ Ministry of Justice. Finally, we should sell all publicly owned prisons and hand over their management to me. If you all agree, let us say prayers in Churches, Mosques, Shrines and oh, the Cathedral which will live in our hearts.

Post Below-

Source: awakenewsonline.com









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Parliament on Friday passed into law an amendment of the Ghana Civil Aviation Act 906 (2016) to improve safety and strengthen security in the aviation industry.



A release issued by the Ministry of Aviation, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, on Saturday, said the sector Minister, Mr Kofi Adda, who moved for the amendment to be passed, explained that the Bill was also to ensure that Ghana became compliant to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).



The Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, also explained that though the Sector was already doing well by global standards and was ranking very high, the amendment would help to address the deficiencies identified in numerous assessments of the structures and operational systems of air navigational services as well as ensure the effective implementation of the state safety programmes and accident investigations.



This would be done by setting up an independent outfit under the Minister for the Accidents and Serious Incidents Investigations in the sector.



It would also enhance the powers of the Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to enable it to carry on investigations and access vital information.



It also makes provision for the funding of the independent outfit to ensure that its personnel work effectively, while it helps to prevent the operation of flights by unqualified personnel.



The same Amendment would also see the decoupling of the GCAA, segregating the regulatory function and navigation services provision, it explained.



Here too, a new outfit for the Air Navigation Services would be established under the amendment if assented into law by the President.



Following this, it said, the Aviation Ministry would move to get additional regulations passed through by the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, in time for an audit by the ICAO, later this month.



The Amendment Bill, the Minister, said, had far-reaching consequences with regard to the improvement of Ghanas rating into the Category One Status to qualify under the Federal Aviation Administration for Ghanaian flights to enter into the United States of America.



In recent times, we have seen major initiatives in such infrastructural projects and system enhancements, which combined with this legislation, all point in the direction of the nation truly becoming the aviation hub in the Sub-region.

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.

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Ann Edelstam is author of the book, Three Ladies in Cairo, about three generations of Swedish women living in Egypt during the 20th century

Ambassasdor

On the eve of International Womens Day, the Egyptian embassy in Sweden, represented by Egyptian Ambassador in Stockholm Alaa Hegazi, had the pleasure to host the Swedish author Ann Edelstam to talk about her book, Three Ladies in Cairo.

Edelstam's book narrates the beautiful story of three generations of Swedish women living in Egypt during the 20th century: Grandmother Hilda, mother Ingrid, and daughter Ann Edelstam.

#

After Edelstam presented her book, an interesting discussion started on themes of social change, history, and culture.

During the evening, Ambassador Hegazi expressed his appreciation for Edelstam's creative contribution and presence, as well as to all guests who were present at the event.

On this special day that marks the celebration of women worldwide, the Egyptian embassy would like to celebrate all creative women and their innumerous contributions to making this world a better place, said Hegazi.

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Krakow wa Zakopane (Krakow and Zakopane), by Sherif Sonbol, (Cairo: Polish Embassy in Cairo), 2018.198pp.

In his new photo book, prolific Egyptian photographer Sherif Sonbol takes the reader on a sensational journey to two of the most beautiful cities in Poland.

Krakow and Zakopane is Sonbol's first book in a planned series of works that will document in images different cities. The images in the first book beautifully capture the landscape and sights of the two cities, and are accompanied by an equally smooth and eloquent text that tells not just of the cities wonders but also of Sonbol's time in both places.

Sonbol brings readers along on his journey, at times on foot, in a taxi or a cable car. He roams around the cities churches, palaces and other locales that are unknown to the average Arab reader.

"The project started when I discovered that there isn't a single book in Arabic about any city in the world. If you wanted to read a book about Paris in Arabic, you won't be able to find it. This is a huge shortage that I wanted to fix through this book, which is part of a series called Al-Alam Bil Arabi (The World in Arabic), he said.

Sherif Sonbol's pictures

A lot of people in Egypt speak English and have access to English books, but they are not ready to read a whole book in English.

"Reading in your native language is an advantage, it is much easier even if you are fluent in other languages. For me, I'm not ready to read a whole book in English, this is why I wanted to produce this book," said Sonbol, who has worked as a photojournalist for Al-Ahram Weekly and the Cairo Opera House.

The book is written in simple language and is rich with historical information cleverly woven in the form of a story.

"I meant to use very simple language, because this is a book for the ordinary man. I wanted the book to be accessible to everyone, I want people to have a window into the other cities in the world, to see them and know what happens there," he said.

While Sonbol was looking for someone to finance the project, the Polish embassy offered him a chance to visit Poland to execute his idea, so he headed to Warsaw.

Sherif Sonbol's pictures

"The thing about Krakow is that I had never heard about it before in my life, so when my friends in Warsaw suggested that the greatest Polish city is Krakow, I was surprised, but I packed my bags and travelled there. In two days I was in love with the city, so I decided to take the Arab reader on a journey there, he explains.

Sonbol travelled to the two cities three times and spent a total of two to three months in both cities, and there he took pictures and talked with many of the locals to get inside stories and learn about the secret parts of the cities.

Sonbol's texts accompanying each set of pictures give historical information woven with his personal experience and conversations with the locals, portraying a vivid picture in text as much as in photography.

The author starts by introducing us to the history of the citys founding, then a quick glimpse into its political history before taking us to each of its landscapes and destinations. This isn't your average touristic guide, however, as the author takes us beyond the touristic destinations, creating an inventory of the city, its history, art and restaurants.

Sherif Sonbol's pictures

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Most of us know that salt is produced by evaporating sea water, but through his tours of Krakow, Sonbol learns that there is another way to extract salt, which is through mining.

While Sonbol was exploring the underground world of Krakow, the old capital of Poland, he stumbles across the stunning Wieliczka Salt Mine, which extends 300m under the city.

Salt hasn't always been a cheap and ubiquitous ingredient. At a certain point it was considered the oil of its age, with wars erupting to control mines or to fight taxes on its production, as was the case in the salt war in Italy in 1540.

Sonbol's lens brings us the glory of the salt mines and the great cathedral inside, which is the biggest underground cathedral in the world.

In the underground city also lies one of Krakow's most successful restaurants, U Babcia Maliny, which serves authentic Polish food in what used to be a large hospital.

Sherif Sonbol's pictures

Matjeko and Da Vinci's Lady

As an artist himself, Sonbol gives us a tour of Krakow museums and photographs the work of artist Jan Matejko (1838-1893), whose paintings document a very important era in Polish history, when the country was almost wiped off the map by the neighboring empires of Austria, Prussia and Russia.

The author tells of the context in which Matejko's masterpieces were produced and explains how art is sometimes interwoven with the political history of a country.

Sonbol takes us to Matejko's home and to Krakow's National Museum, where the artists cinema screen-sized paintings are displayed.

Sonbol then set off to see one of Leonardo Da Vincis most famous paintings, Lady with an Ermine (14891490), in the National Museum in Krakow.

"When I first went to see the painting it was encased in a glass display, and in front of it was a crowd comparable to those of Cairo's streets. When I explained my mission, however, the museum scheduled a private visit on the museum's day off," Sonbol says.

In the second half of the book, Sonbol takes us on a tour of Zakopane, the resort town at the base of the Tatras Mountains, which became a World War II resistance stronghold against the Nazis.

Sherif Sonbol's pictures

Sherif Sonbol's pictures

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From the cauldron of defeat in World War II, Japan built itself anew by rebuilding its human capacities. Its success remains an example from which others should learn

Ahmed Zuwail, Nobel laureate for chemistry for 1999, said to me that It is the matter of the human being and the place. Our discussion was about the dichotomy of humans and development. Then Dr Zuwail narrated this short story: He was on a visit to Malaysia and he met Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad. The latter explained to him his vision of human beings and the economy based upon his experience.

He said, 'It has become impossible to redesign our country without replanning the society. It was imperative that we put a limit to social disparity and religious and ethnic differences. It was also imperative that the Malaysian ethnicities feel equality in a civilised country that works for the good of all its citizens. It was so essential that everybody is filled with the power of hope. The objective behind the decision to construct the Petronas Towers, the highest skyscraper in the world at the time, was that every Malaysian could be certain that we are dead serious in starting out. Our ultimate goal was that Malaysians dont look downwards to the conflict between ethnicities and religions, but look upwards to this towering height where hope lies. The objective wasnt that the Malaysian building reach the sky, but that Malaysians thought to arrive there.'

I remembered this discussion with the Nobel laureate more than once on my visit to Japan. This is precisely what Japan had done before. For after its horrendous World War II defeat, and after Tokyo was ruined, Hiroshima and Nagasaki wiped out, Kyoto and Osaka perturbed and the whole of Japan was shaken by the quake of defeat, it wasnt possible to restore Japan without restoring the Japanese.

Japan succeeded in psychology and sociology before moving to physics and mathematics. The Japanese education system, Tukatsu, contributed greatly in creating the good human being among the new Japanese. The political and economic elite had to overcome defeat and move towards building the values of work and peace.

Japan has almost no natural resources. It even faces what we can call antagonistic geophysics. Thats where a raging nature is continuously active, in storms, quakes and volcanoes. The Japanese are Japan. The Japanese Empire isn't made of towers or the Bullet Train. It is not Sony or Toyota corporations. It isnt Kodak cameras, or artificial intelligence. It is  according to the Japanese elite  the building of skills and values.

When I visited Kyoto, the old capital and touristic destination, I was accompanied by a factory owner to where skilled labourers work. They were making fantastic masterpieces with their own hands. The worker may toil for several years to produce just one artistic piece. While I was watching the workers focusing on their work, I saw an elderly man working as if he didnt see us. I inquired about him. The factory owner said that he had worked there for years and was very distinguished. He was over 75 years old. However, he works like a 25-year-old youth.

Life doesnt end at 60 and most the taxi drivers I saw in Hiroshima are elderly people. The numbers of the elderly who are more than 100 years old are half a million. The Japanese dont succumb to old age. Even at 80 or 90 many of them walk around during their daily lives unsupported. The elderly accompany their friends and cross the streets as if they were high school classmates. The will to live among the Japanese should be inspiring to others around the world.

Japan doesnt work on a daily basis. Peripheral issues dont dominate the elites vision, but the visions themselves and their totalities. They are based on the existent and the available. Politics is the art of the possible and Japan is the country of the possible. It makes from small things big dreams.

When many schools were destroyed as a result of the war, the phenomenon of the blue sky classes emerged where pupils were taught on streets using a simple easel. I was surprised when I visited the digital museum in Odaiba Island, Tokyo, that it is an artificial island built out of massive landfills and unwanted objects.

I met officials responsible for organising the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics who informed me that many tracks will be dismantled after the Olympics ends. There is a Japanese term thats so expressive: Mottainai, which conveys a sense of regret concerning waste. It is regret to leave, regret to waste; you should benefit as much as possible.

In the old capital, Kyoto, I visited the OKA Bokkodo Co Ltd for conservation and restoration of national treasures. I watched the owner, Mr Iwataro Yasuhiro Oka, he way, his tools and his team. The gum used in conservation is fermented for more than a decade. Those engaged work with every nanometer of the painting with the utmost diligence. Persistence, fortitude, accuracy and surefootedness are all part of restoring the human values the Japanese embraced following World War II.

Japan is a capitalist country, but it isnt capitalist socially. Fame doesnt mean much. Being rich doesnt place someone in a high stature. Someones prestigious status is attained through work, which he performs in serving the institution and society. The respectable people are those who are useful, not the rich or the famous. Fortunately, Japanese media works for entrenching and protecting these values.

Japan is not free of challenges in the face of the third and fourth industrial revolutions. However, Japan perceives its new challenges, as it did its previous ones. Yes, Japan kneeled in surrender before America's General MacArthur. It was a destroyed country without hope. But years later, the human being and the economy revived, the state returned stronger than before.

Now, after three quarters of a century, when Japan has become the third largest economy in the world, Tokyo has started to build its first aircraft carrier since World War II. Thus, once again, comes a power the title of the famous book written by Sony founder Akio Morita described: The Japan That Can Say No.

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What seems from the outside a failure to reach a deal between Washington and Pyongyang is more likely just another step in a story that will see further chapters yet

Three weeks ago, in this column, I wrote about the significance of the venue with regard to talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong-Un in Hanoi.

I also suggested that the place  Hanoi  would set the course for the negotiating process itself. The North Vietnamese capital was once a symbol of defiance against US imperialism while, for Washington, it was a symbol of communist expansion in democratic countries or in countries in the US orbit.

But time marched on after nearly a decade of the warfare that claimed millions of Vietnamese and tens of thousands of American lives and that destroyed both Vietnams, including their respective capitals, Hanoi and Saigon.

Less than two decades after that war ended, Vietnam embarked on a phase of rapid economic growth becoming a capitalist citadel on par with the Chinese one.

It was no longer possible to say who really won the Vietnamese war: the communists who drove the Americans out or the capitalists now that Vietnam had become part of the international capitalist market.

Hanoi also stood as a model for reunification to which the US and North Korea turned, against the backdrop of the still unresolved Korean war that began at the outset of the 1950s and the more recent exchanges of vitriol and nuclear sabre-rattling between Washington and Pyongyang, for the second meeting between the US and North Korean presidents.

At first glance, the Hanoi summit was a flop. It ended without a joint statement designating the next steps the two sides would take to dismantle North Koreas nuclear arsenal and to lift US sanctions against Pyongyang.

But this is not how to assess such complex negotiations that involve, on the one hand, nuclear weapons as well as other possible weapons of mass destruction, plus the missiles and other means to deploy them, and, on the other hand, economic sanctions imposed on North Korea by the US as well as the international community, which is a subject no less complicated than disarmament because once the sanctions arrangements are dismantled it is hard to put them in place again if need be.

To compound the difficulties and complexities, there is a tremendous amount of mutual mistrust which is aggravated, in turn, by domestic circumstances in both countries.

What Jong-Un needs to take home with him is not just an end to sanctions but also the realisation of the dream to catch up with developed countries, just as China and Vietnam did, while the last thing he wants is to end up like Libya which relinquished its nuclear and chemical weapons only to find NATO planes in the vanguard of the campaign to overthrow the Libyan regime and kill Gaddafi personally.

Trump has troubles of his own. The US is no longer the type of country in which the House of Representatives gives pause to the fact that the president is in the middle of some delicate negotiations in a foreign capital before summoning Michael Cohen, the presidents personal lawyer, for a hearing, not into the acts of corruption for which he will be handed a prison sentence in a few months time, but into allegations against his former boss, in Hanoi at the moment, whom he described as a racist, a cheat and a con man.

That congressional hearing was nothing if not dramatic. Although the stories of Trumps relationships with porn stars were not new, the images of the cheques he signed to silence them were titillating and gave TV networks the opportunity to profile women with many a juicy scandal to expose.

And, while Trump and Jong-Un were discussing the details of nuclear disarmament and economic sanctions, Cohen was telling the House about Trumps role in obtaining the Wikileaks documents that spread dirt about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Since Cohen concluded his testimony by furnishing Congress with a list of other people it can summon, the show will continue.

Trump desperately needed a diplomatic victory. But he knew that Hanoi was not Singapore. In the former he won a pledge from Jong-Un to nuclear disarm in return for a pledge to lift economic sanctions and reduce the USs military profile in East Asia. But putting such pledges into action is another matter.

Trump stated he would fulfill his pledge only when the US and its allies could ascertain that North Korea was completely free of nuclear weapons and there was no shadow of doubt that it could not resume producing such weapons again. Jong-Uns problem was that i

f he got rid of all his nuclear weapons, how would he compel the US to fulfill its end of the bargain? Therefore, he insisted that the US had to lift all sanctions first, and only then North Korea would clear out its nuclear arsenal.

Such positioning, in which each side insists the other meet its demands first, is old hat in negotiating processes. But it makes the items on the negotiating table clearer.

In this case they are nuclear dismantlement and lifting sanctions, both of which can be translated into a number of ascertainable technical steps for each side to perform reciprocally, so that each side gets some of what it has set out to get before they both reach their goals.

When framed this way, the negotiations in Hanoi were not a total failure. They were merely that negotiating stage in which both sides lay out their toughest stances which they might incrementally soften at later stages.

In fact, even if there was no breakthrough on the core issues on the negotiating table, there may have been other types of success. For example, there no longer exists the kind of tensions in which Trump threatens Kim with fire and fury and the latter threatens a nuclear attack against the US.

In the same vein, Chinese and Japanese nerves have calmed down, trade negotiations between the US and China are moving in a positive direction, relations between North and South Korea are growing warmer and, moreover, Trump made a commitment that peace would follow the Vietnamese economic model.

In a way, Trump is testing his diplomacy, which blends threats and intimidation with great economic lures, before trying it out elsewhere in the world, such as the Middle East. Whatever the case, there are more chapters to come in the Korean story.

*The writer is chairman of the board, CEO and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 7 March, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Hanoi part two

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Meeting chaired by PM discusses latest developments in occupied territories of Yemen [10/March/2019] ANAA, March 10 (Saba) - A meeting held in Sanaa on Saturday chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Abdul Aziz Saleh bin Habtoor discussed the latest developments in the territories under the Saudi-UAE occupation.



The meeting discussed the reports about the value imbalances, which are increasing their scope of expansion because of the approach devised by the EAU occupation state, especially in the province of Aden, as well as his direct stand behind the proliferation of weapons and extrajudicial killings.



The search for the effects of the disabilities posed by the bandits who stop the food and commercial carriers arriving via the port of Aden and the extortion suffered by their drivers by the bandits which led to increasing of prices of these materials and to exacerbating the disastrous living conditions of the vast majority of Yemenis, as well as the flourishing of the smuggling of goods, especially drugs and pesticides internationally prohibited, made by the Zionists, as well as cigarettes poorly manufactured with the knowledge and encouragement of the occupation authority.



The participants pointed to the danger of what is happening and the deliberate sabotage of the ethics of society in the occupied territories of Yemen through the occupation authorities, who rely on their mercenaries, who are over the promotion of drug and alcohol abuse.



They condemned the phenomenon of the proliferation of weapons and killings, which became the language used in the occupied provinces to settle accounts and to use it against those who reject the occupier, spreading gangs in order to terrorize the people of society, as well as the dangerously phenomenon concerning the differences between the UAE-backed criminal gangs so-called forces of "security belt" and extremist elements of Qaeda and Daash.



The meeting warned of the negative effects health, environmental and social caused by the contraband in light of the spread of smuggling in an unprecedented manner as a result of the policy conducted by the UAE occupation state occupation, seeking by all means to kill the Yemenis and exhausting young people through drugs and alcohol.



The meeting took a number of actions and measures on the issues discussed and stood before them.





AA

Saba
North County Transit District will eliminate about 90 bus stops from the more than 1,800 stops on 30 routes in its Breeze service area in April.

Most of the bus stops to be discontinued have fewer than five daily riders, fail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and have other stops within walking distance, said Kimberly Hayford, the transit districts director of service planning, in a recent presentation to the board of directors.

The goal is to right-size the system, Hayford said.

Reducing stops means faster service between the remaining destinations, she said. Its also one way to attract more riders.

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Breeze bus routes go from Oceanside and Camp Pendleton to the northern end of San Diego, and from the coast inland through Escondido.

But some people think the district should be adding stops, not subtracting them, and that would increase ridership throughout the system.

I just cant get places in the city, and they are going to take out more stops, said Cindy Rocco, an Oceanside community activist and frequent bus rider. Its not convenient as it is.

A better solution might be to make the existing stops more attractive to riders by adding more benches and shelters, she said Friday. Many of the stops are marked only by a small sign on a pole, and some dont have sidewalks.

Seniors and low-income residents are often the hardest hit by cuts in public transit.

If clients have to increase walking distance, (that) could limit the amount of food they can access, since they have to carry it longer distances, said Amber Rizkalla, director of employment and economic opportunity at Oceanside-based Interfaith Community Services.

A longer walk to the bus stop increases overall commute times, cuts hours spent with family and can limit employment opportunities, Rizkalla said in an email Friday. Also, it becomes more difficult for people to reach service centers and health care providers.

Nearby activities such as schools, senior centers, and disadvantaged communities were considered in choosing the locations to be discontinued, Hayford said.

Bus ridership has declined for a decade or longer as more people use online ride-hailing services such as Uber, buy cheap personal vehicles, and turn to other forms of personal transportation.

Meanwhile, San Diego Countys population grew from less than 3 million in 2007 to more than 3.3 million in 2017, an average annual increase of more than 1 percent.

Riders are counted each time they board a bus in the Breeze system. In December, that total was 478,223, down 1.36 percent from 484,831 riders the previous December, according to a report the district issued in February.

Elsewhere, the decline is greater. Bus ridership nationwide dropped 2.8 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the most recent numbers from the American Public Transportation Association.

Bus transit does need to be more efficient, said Russ Cunningham, a principal planner for Oceanside, where 27 under-utilized stops are to be discontinued. That is going to (give people an incentive) to use the bus.

City planners encourage the use of public transit as a way to reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution, and to increase safety for pedestrians, drivers and passengers.

NCTD plans to improve its remaining stops by adding more benches, shelters and trash cans, and enlarging the paved roadside spaces available to people using wheelchairs. However, those improvements are still a year or more away.

What we are trying to do is start with the easy, low-hanging fruit, NCTD Executive Director Matt Tucker said at the recent board meeting.

The truth of the matter is weve got to make transit a lot more competitive and a lot better, he said.

Fares are another uphill battle for the transit district. Operating costs constantly increase, but ridership declines when ticket prices go up. Fares cover only a fraction of public transit costs, most of which is passed on to taxpayers.

The district held a series of community meetings last fall to discuss the possibility of increasing fares for the first time in 10 years. The new NCTD fares would be coordinated with changes by the Metropolitan Transit System in San Diego to ease passenger transfers between the two systems.

NCTDs basic one-way bus fare of $1.75 is expected to increase to $2.50, but so far no date has been announced for the new ticket prices to take effect.

The district has reduced the number of bus stops before.

A 2004 newspaper story about installing solar-power lights noted that at the time there were 2,150 bus stops in the Breeze system. In 2010, the district trimmed overall service by 6 percent, reducing hours of operation, closing stops and shortening some routes.

This time, notices will be posted 30 days in advance at each stop where service is to be discontinued, transit officials said. Then, on April 7, the signs will be covered with bags and service will end. The signs and poles will be removed by April 22.

A second phase of what the district calls its optimization project could further consolidate bus stops, but district officials have not said when that will happen. A third phase will be to upgrade the remaining stops.

The implementation of those phases depends on future studies, contract negotiations for the improvements and funding, district staffers said.

The installation of a shelter costs about $10,000 and a bench costs about $1,000 at each stop, Tucker said.

There is no dignity in having to stand out in the rain to get a bus, Tucker said. We need to improve amenities at all bus stops. Standards do matter  but you dont want to put these things where people dont ride.

Hayford gave two examples of the stops to be closed.

One was in Oceanside, on Rancho del Oro Drive at Mission Avenue, which averaged zero daily boardings in the fall of 2017-18, and one daily boarding in the fall of 2016-17. The stop is on a dirt path with no sidewalk and no bench or shelter, and theres another stop 484 feet away.

The other example was in Escondido, on Broadway at Brava Place, also with no amenities. That stop had seven daily boardings in the fall of 2017-18 and six in 2016-17. It is in a residential area with flat terrain, and the nearest stop was 800 feet away.

Our bus stops are too close together in this area, and thats why we are recommending the removal, Hayford said.

Many of the stops to be eliminated were established before the ADA was enacted in 1992 and have not been improved since then.

Oceanside has the largest number of stops to be closed, followed by Escondido with 18. Others are Carlsbad with 11, Solana Beach with seven, and San Marcos and San Diego each with three. Del Mar has six bus stops, none of which is to be closed.

Letters were sent Jan. 23 to the city managers in each of the cities to inform them of the plan.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
When dozens of 30-year-old eucalyptus trees along Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido were cut down last year, a view to the east was revealed that for decades had gone unseen.

Looking east down Grand over the soon-to-be demolished former Palomar Hospital is Bottle Peak, a boulder-pocked mountain covered in coastal sage scrub and chaparral.

Its as if the street had been built with the view in mind.

The removal of the eucalyptus trees, which were non-native, invasive anyway, and were killing the rest of the landscape, has really exposed the beauty of the hillsides, said City Councilwoman Olga Diaz during a recent meeting.

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Last May dozens of tall, view blocking eucalyptus trees were removed from the medians along Grand Avenue in Escondidos historic downtown area. (Bill Wechter)

You can see Bottle Peak now, she said. You can stand on Grand Avenue and look toward that direction and see the mountains. It is gorgeous. Since Ive lived here, Ive never seen it that way before. Once the trees were gone, it really made it look more picturesque.

Bottle Peak has played a big role in Escondidos history beginning in the late 1800s, when gold was thought to lie in the hills, said Francis Ryan, an Escondido historian and author in an interview she gave in 1978. No gold was found.

However, a quartz mine did operate from 1897 to about 1914, which included a 67-foot-long tunnel running into the mountainside.

In 1904, a wildfire devastated the peak and surrounding area and prompted U.S. Forest Ranger E.D. Bish eight years later to build the countys first fire lookout tower atop a large rock known as The Devils Anvil at the peaks 2,136-foot summit.

Even before the fire lookout was placed on the rock, locals were calling the mountain Bottle Peak because it looked like a bottle. The fire tower only added to the impression.

A 1967 historical piece in the Escondido Times Advocate said some in the area mistakenly thought the mountain derived its name from a mineral spring bottling operation that once existed in the area.

From it, a great expanse of country can be seen  as far north as Pala, south beyond San Diego, west to the ocean and east to the mountains back of Warner Hot Springs. From it, in clear weather, the forester in charge is able to keep a close watch for forest fires over a big expanse of territory, according to an article published in 1912 in the San Diego Union.

Bish built the tower with his own money and labor, but was later reimbursed by the forestry department. He was then transferred to Hot Springs Mountain near Warner Springs where he built a similar lookout at the top of the countys highest mountain.

The Bottle Peak lookout was listed as abandoned in a 1938 National Geodetic Survey data sheet, according to the Forest Fire Lookout Association website, but still stood into the 1950s when the wooden structure was destroyed by another fire.

Both the Bottle Peak and Hot Springs Mountain lookouts are gone now, though their foundations still exist.

The Bottle Peak property exchanged hands numerous times over the past 100 years, but became a 418-acre County of San Diego open space preserve, not open to the public, in 2013.

It is unclear, according to historical records, whether Grand Avenue (it was originally called San Pasqual Road) was built so that a view of the peak would be directly to the east, though most assume so. It should be noted that the same view exists as travellers drive east on E. Valley Parkway.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
It has been 26 years since the two mothers last saw their young sons, boyhood friends who hopped on their bikes one Saturday afternoon to enjoy burgers and candy and never came home.

But on Wednesday, Milena (Sellers) Phillips and Maria Keever sat in the chambers of the California Supreme Court in San Francisco listening to a lawyer argue why the sexual predator who murdered their children should have his death penalty sentence overturned.

As long as were alive, anything that has to do with our children, were going to be there, Phillips said.

Ever since Charlie Keever, 13, and Jonathan Sellers, 9, were abducted, raped, tortured and killed by the banks of the Otay River in 1993, Phillips and Keever have been searching for justice and some semblance of peace.

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Just about every night I cry and talk to Charlie. Every night, said Keever, 72. Its like a tape recording in my head. From the minute it happened, it just goes on and on. I dont know how Im not crazy.

When she talks to her son at night, Keever asks Charlie for help. And then I thank God for what Ive got. Ive got a roof over my head and food. And I think Charlie is with me. I feel him. I know he is with me.

Keever said a few years ago a man came to laminate a floor in her house, the same house where she raised her son in the South Bay neighborhood of San Diego.

He didnt know the story. He told me he had seen a little boy running in the kitchen. I said, What? He said, Yeah, I didnt think you had any kids. And then I told him the story. His hair on his arms was standing up. He was so shook up. Isnt that weird? I knew Charlie was in the house.

Maria Keever (left) and Milena (Sellers) Phillips on their way to San Francisco to attend a California Supreme Court hearing about the appeal of a death sentence for the killer of their sons. (J. Harry Jones / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Milena Sellers wore a button with a photo of her son Jonathan and his friend Charlie Keever, who were killed by Scott Erskine. (Don Kohlbauer / San Diego Union-Tribune)

For eight years, the crime that detectives testified was the worst they had ever worked went unsolved. Then advances in DNA testing locked on a suspect, Scott Erskine, who was already serving a 70-year sentence for the brutal rape of a woman that took place later in 1993.

From 2002 until 2004, the mothers attended numerous hearings in San Diego Superior Court as the death penalty case against Erskine progressed. He was found guilty and, after two penalty phase trials, sentenced to die. He has been on death row at San Quentin ever since.

Last week, the first of what promises to be many more automatic appeals of the sentence was heard by the state Supreme Court justices.

Phillips and Keever were in the gallery. Draped around their necks, as always, were necklaces with photos of their boys.

It will be 90 days before the justices rule on the appeal, but lawyers with the Attorney Generals office told the mothers after the 20-minute hearing that they were confident it would be rejected.

But they warned this was just the beginning, with many more appeals to come.

The mothers know Erskine will almost certainly never be put to death. California hasnt executed anyone since 2006. And the list of death row inmates hovers around 750, with Erskine far back in the pack.

Im realistic, Phillips said. They told me its not going to happen. I only want him on death row because he doesnt want to be there. The punishment on death row is different than the punishment they give for life in prison. I want him on death row, by himself, period. End of discussion. He will not make new friends. He will not be watching movies with other inmates. No. He doesnt deserve it.

Both said Erskines freedom should be limited to his small death row cell.

Look how much space my son and Charlie have, Phillips said. Theyre in coffins, forever. Look at their space.

On the flight to the Bay Area Tuesday, Keever said she wished the trip was to view Erskines execution. Both women would like to witness that.

I dont feel like its revenge; its just justice, Phillips said.You dont kill kids. You dont kill people. Were talking innocent kids doing nothing. He purposely murdered them for his own sexual pleasures. He needs to be punished. Thats not revenge. I dont believe in revenge. I do believe in justice.

They were comforted by Deputy Attorney General Robin Urbanski, who argued the states case and later told the women she will follow the case for as long as it takes.

She said there are plenty of cases she would gladly pass on to another attorney, but not this one. I have only a handful I can say that about.

Thank you, Phillips said.

Keever also came out of the hearing with a ray of hope.

Erskines attorney, Kimberly Grove, said her client, now 56 years old, is ill and recently was hospitalized for heart and lung problems. Grove said she would encourage Erskine to speak with Keever, something Keever has been trying to do all this time.

Twice in the early years of his death row incarceration, Keever went to the prison to speak with Erskine, but he declined.

Keever wants to know every detail of what happened to the boys. Many specifics were covered in gruesome detail during the trials. What nobody knows is how Erskine lured the boys into a man-made brush enclosure by the river, where they were found two days later.

Keever hopes Erskine will tell her, especially now if his health is poor and he realizes his time is short-lived.

I think if he would talk to me, it would give me more peace, Keever said. If I knew what happened, how he took them. Milena doesnt want to know, but I want to know. I think it would make me feel better. Because right now, all I know is what I imagine. Maybe Im imagining worse things than what really happened. I want to know how he got them. Thats what bothers me, not knowing.

All death penalty sentences are automatically appealed directly to the Supreme Court. The brief prepared by Erskines lawyer numbered hundreds of pages, but Grove chose just one issue to focus on during the hearing. It had to do with the dismissal of one juror by the court during the second penalty phase trial (the first ended with the jury hung 11-1 for death). The argument was that the juror had said she was opposed morally to the death penalty, but could set her beliefs aside and follow the instruction of the court.

Its an argument that has been made often in other cases without success, attorneys said.

The justices asked only a couple of brief questions.

During a Lyft ride back to a motel after the hearing, the driver, listening to snippets of the conversation the women were having in the back, asked why they were in town.

He was shocked when he heard the reason, a look of admiration mixed with pity in his face.

There is a park at the south end of San Diego Bay that was dedicated in 2012 to the boys memory. The Sellers-Keever Park is located along the Bayshore Bikeway at the end of 13th Street .

There is the Jonathan Sellers and Charlie Keever Foundation, run by the moms. Its mission is to promote the safety and well-being of children through education to prevent child abduction and exploitation, and provide support to families whove lost a loved one to violence.

Phillips is a nurse at a Fallbrook elementary school, one of several jobs she has, many of which have to do with Jonathans murder. She lectures police on how to deal with parents of abducted kids and has written a childrens book aimed at keeping children safe. She is also an actress, having performed in many local theatrical productions. Right now on television, a Mor Furniture ad begins with a shot of her happily jumping onto a couch with a little girl in her arms.

She and Jonathans father divorced the same year their son was killed. She remarried in 2008 and moved to Fallbrook with her husband, Clyde Phillips, where they are now legal guardians to a 9-year-old boy.

Jonathan was nine when he was killed on March 27, 1993.

Just before Jonathan and Charlie took off on their bicycles that day, Jonathan reminded her he was going to be turning 10 in less than three weeks.

The scene that keeps playing over and over in my head is Jonathan coming into the house, Phillips said. He asked for his bike lock, reminded me he was going to be the big 1-0 soon, and gave me a big wet kiss.

She said she plans on making sure the boy she is raising now has a very special 10th birthday.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
Despite the relative failure of the Hanoi talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un, hope is not lost for a unified, peaceful Korean Peninsula

The world was waiting for a breakthrough in the second American-North Korean summit that brought US President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-Un of North Korea face-to-face in Hanoi, Vietnam, 27-28 February.

However, President Trump took the world by surprise, announcing alone that the sides had decided to end the second summit without either a final declaration or a signed document on the way forward in denuclearisation negotiations.

The US president pointed out in a relatively extended press conference last Thursday that sometimes you have to walk from negotiations instead of reaching a bad deal.

According to Trump, the second summit did not produce tangible results because Chairman Kim would not commit to dismantle other elements of North Koreas weapons programme, other than the Yongbyon nuclear facilities, the major known nuclear facility in the North.

Further, he added that the North Koreans wanted the lifting of all sanctions against their country. However, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho refuted this American version, saying that North Korea asked only for a partial lifting of sanctions, specifically UN Security Council resolutions of 2016 and 2017  a demand that makes sense in so far as it relates to sanctions covering North Korean workers abroad, oil imports and financial transactions.

If denuclearisation would be gradual and proportional to sanctions lifted, diplomats will not find the North Korean position, in this respect, extreme or beyond reach.

It is interesting to note that the North Korean foreign minister linked his countrys position to the present level of trust between the United States and North Korea.

He stressed in this regard that the existing level of trust between the two countries meant that North Korea cant go beyond its offered concessions at present.

He warned that, this kind of opportunity may never come again. We should take this not as a warning, but rather as stressing the importance of gradual and proportional denuclearisation that will go hand in hand with corresponding measures on the part of the United States, and South Korea, as well on a host of questions related to peace, security and normal relations in the Korean Peninsula.

Needless to say, President Trump did his best to sweeten the surprising end of his second summit with Chairman Kim by saying that this was not a walk away, like you get up and walk out.

No, this was very friendly. We shook hands, and that Kim committed to maintain a halt on nuclear and ballistic missiles tests, now in force for 16 months.

The official North Korean news agency stuck a conciliatory note in reporting the conclusion of the summit, saying the two leaders had agreed to keep in close touch with each other, and continue productive dialogues.

The South Korean government, according to its spokesperson, reaffirmed that establishing a more stable peace is the first priority.

He added: It is regrettable that they [the Americans and the North Koreans] could not reach a complete agreement. But it also seems clear that both sides have made more significant progress than ever.

To drive this point home, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told American reporters that the summit talks made some progress, but we did not get as far as we would have hoped to have gotten.

Then he emphasised the need for what he called a theory of the case about how to move forward, adding: I have seen enough congruence between what the two sides are trying to accomplish. He made clear that the two governments have a set of shared common understandings. Nonetheless, he underlined, there is still a lot of work.

This brings up the thorny question of timing and sequencing in carrying out the objectives at hand, taking into account the fact that the level of trust between the United States and North Korea does not allow for easy negotiations.

Maybe the Americans should proceed at the present stage with the idea that the North will never denuclearise in full at one go. It is not realistic on the part of American negotiators to insist on such a commitment and the implementation of a complete, full and verifiable denuclearisation in one, two or three years.

The timeframe that they should think of is at least a decade in which most sanctions should be lifted and inter-Korean relations are sufficiently normalised.

That would go a long way towards ensuring stability and an informal peace in case the Americans are not prepared to sign a final peace deal till the North is completely denuclearised. Another option for the United States to think about is freezing North Korean nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles at present levels with onsite and intrusive verification on the ground for a substantial period of time, till the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is reached.

After all, the Sentosa Summit last June between President Trump and Chairman Kim talked about the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and not just that of North Korea.

In the months to come, the South Korean government will, undoubtedly, redouble its diplomatic efforts to make sure that American-North Korean negotiations advance till the moment Washington and Pyongyang agree on a third summit, this time well-prepared and leaving no details to chance.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In, speaking Friday, 1 March, in Seoul while commemorating the centennial anniversary of the Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule, said: The coming 100 years will differ from the past We will push ahead with a bold transition towards a new Korean Peninsula regime and prepare for unification.

He stressed that he will work with North Korea in order to create a new order of peace and cooperation. He committed to the establishment of a permanent peace regime on the basis of close ROK (Republic of South Korea)-US coordination, a settlement in North Korea-US talks and support from the international community.

He pointed out that once there is progress in denuclearisation talks between the Americans and the North Koreans, without elaborating on the definition of progress, an inter-Korean economic committee will be established with the aim of producing an economic achievement that benefits the two Koreas.

Moreover, he said, the South Korean government would consult with Washington on ways to resume stalled tourist tours on Mount Kumgang on the Norths east coast and the operation of the joint industrial complex in the Norths border city of Kaesong.

A couple of months ago, President Trump took a hard line against any significant and concrete thaw in inter-Korean relations. If he changes his mind after the Hanoi Summit maybe such a change in policy will make it easier for the North Koreans to trust more the United States as far as the long-term prospects of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are concerned.

In this context, the agreement between the South Korean and American governments to end large-scale military exercises in South Korea  an agreement announced Saturday, 2 March  is a significant concession to the North Koreans who have always looked at these joint exercises as a major provocation.

It is a highly important step in the right direction. According to a readout of a phone conversation between Patrick Shanahan, the US acting secretary of defense, and Jeong Kyeong-doo, the South Korean minister of national defense, the two made clear that the decision to adapt our training programme reflected our desire to reduce tension and support our diplomatic efforts to achieve complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a final, fully verified manner.

Furthermore, it seems that the Americans and the North Koreans have almost agreed, in principle, on opening liaison offices in Washington DC and in Pyongyang.

The major challenge for the Americans and the North Koreans in the next few months will be how to make sure that progress achieved so far is irreversible.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 7 March, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: A new Korean order

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CITY COUNCILS

DEL MAR

The Del Mar City Council met in closed session Monday to discuss litigation. In regular session, the council gave final approval to an ordinance regulating plastic straws and stirrers. The council discussed the draft Community Choice Energy Technical Feasibility Study and directed staff to participate in a public workshop on the draft study, to get community feedback and return with the final study and recommendations. The council heard a report on ways to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the citys incorporation, including city banners, a concert, and possibly teaming with the Del Mar Village Association, which will be marking anniversaries of several restaurants and businesses. The citys Community Plan was amended to incorporate its Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan, among others, to meet state law. The council heard a presentation on amending the Del Mar Plaza Specific Plan to allow uses such as outdoor cafes and community events, and also modifying its signage, to help the shopping center regain its financial footing. The council held a hearing and discussion for nearly two hours of whether to create a policy on appointing significant others to various city commissions and boards. No policy was created.

POWAY

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The Poway City Council met Tuesday for a public hearing on a scheduled increase in water and sewer rates. Several surcharges are being removed and the council noted that on average, rates would be lower despite the increases. Several people also spoke about the use of pesticides and herbicides and their adverse effect on bees and the environment. A closed session to discuss litigation followed.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

BONSALL

The Bonsall Unified School District board met Tuesday with the Palomar Community College District governing board for a discussion of the districts interest in a shared campus between Palomar Colleges Fallbrook Education Center and Bonsall High School. The boards agreed to conduct feasibility studies on the matter.

ENCINITAS

The Encinitas Union School District board met Tuesday for an update from Flora Vista Elementary School, which was recently honored (with El Camino Creek) for its program of Civic Learning. The school emphasizes the real-world application of this learning at all grade levels. The board received the collective bargaining proposals with Classified of Encinitas, and unrepresented employee groups  certificated and classified management, supervisory and confidential employees, and assistant superintendents. BCK Programs gave an update on the districts green initiatives. Students from Ocean Knoll and La Costa Heights highlighted how they are working toward zero waste, zero net energy and resource conservation.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido Union School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss labor negotiations.

The Escondido Union High School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss personnel, student discipline and labor negotiations. In regular session, the board approved a 2.75 percent salary increase beginning with the 2018-19 school year retroactive to July 1, 2018; and a 1.75 percent salary increase beginning with the 2019-20 school year for all classified management, certificated management, non-represented employees, supervisory, and confidential employees. The increase will total $262,844 in the 2018-19 fiscal year and $167,264 in the 2019-20 fiscal year. The board also reviewed initial contract proposals to and from the California School Employees Association, Chapter 219.

FALLBROOK

The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District board held a celebration Monday honoring nearly two dozen teachers who acquired tenure. In regular session, the board approved a part-time playground supervisor position at Live Oak Elementary, a part-time clerk in the Child Nutrition Services Department, and a part-time position in the Accounting Department. A closed session followed to discuss personnel.

The Fallbrook Union High School District board met in special session Tuesday for a budget workshop. A closed session to discuss labor negotiation and personnel followed.

SAN DIEGUITO

The San Dieguito Union High School District board met in closed session Thursday to discuss personnel and labor negotiations. In regular session, the board reappointed Robin Duveen, Amy Flicker, Jerilyn Larson and Kristina Leyva to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee and appointed new applicants Diane Chau, Peter Chu, Lucienne McCauley, Adam Peck and John Wood. The board also approved and certified its 2018-19 second interim general fund budget; and approved the tentative agreement with the San Dieguito Faculty Association for a three-year contract from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021, and revised salary schedule.

SAN MARCOS

The San Marcos Unified School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss labor negotiations, personnel and property negotiations. In regular session, the board reviewed and accepted the second interim financial report, and its 2017-18 Proposition K audit.

VALLEY CENTER-PAUMA

The Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District board met in closed session Thursday to discuss personnel, student discipline and the superintendents evaluation. In regular session, the board upheld the expulsion of a student.

VISTA

The Vista Unified School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss personnel, litigation and labor negotiations. In regular session, the board reviewed contract proposal openers to the California School Employees Association Chapter 389, and to and from the Vista Teachers Association. The board also heard a report on Re-Envisioning Alternative Education and accepted its second interim 2018-19 financial report.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Hundreds of people marched to the beat of African drums on Euclid Avenue Sunday, as curious onlookers cheered from apartment balconies and motorists honked in support of the second annual March for Black Women in Southeast San Diego.

The march included toddlers in strollers, children carrying banners, students chanting Black Lives Matter, adults carrying signs reading Pro Black is not Anti White, and grandparents introducing younger generations to social activism.

I just want him to know that hes part of this great cause, said Sheila Robinson, an El Cajon resident who pushed her 19-month-old grandson, Cairo, along the route Sunday.

Robinson marched to support black women in San Diego. She said there arent a lot of places for black women to come together and support each other in the region, therefore it is important to show up to events like Sundays march.

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Others marched for a variety of reasons including stopping violence against transgender women, ensuring economic justice for low-income women, increasing access to healthcare, specifically reproductive healthcare, and criticizing law enforcements use of force in communities of color.

In its second year, the March for Black Women San Diego aimed to grow from an annual event to a constant presence in the community. This year, organizers turned the march into a weekend event by hosting a summit on Saturday and Sunday.

The summits featured panels around the same causes that people marched for on Sunday.

A march is not a platform to have a dialogue, I think people wanted to have deeper conversations, said Kelsey Daniels, one of the co-organizers.

Daniels added that the group plans to have follow-up meetings and events every quarter to keep people engaged.

This is not just a once-a-year thing, this is a movement, Daniels said.

March for Black Women San Diego came out of the national March for Black Women that happened in Washington D.C. in 2017. Organizers for the local group wanted to address some of the specific issues affecting black women in San Diego.

The local March for Black Women group works with the Womens March San Diego, another pro-woman advocacy group in the region. But organizers of Sundays march felt it was important to have a march addressing specific concerns black women have. For example, black women are more likely to live in poverty, be evicted, die during childbirth and be victims of sexual abuse than white women, organizers said.

It is also important to create a space for black women to not only come together and talk about issuing impacting them, but also to support each other.

It is beautiful to see so many people come out for black women when, throughout history, black women have been in the bottom of the totem pole, said Pamela Wood.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter
In her new book, Poway resident and bestselling author Susan Meissner writes about a little known World War II internment camp in Crystal City, Texas.

Crystal City was the U.S. governments only family internment camp during World War II, said Meissner of her new historical fiction novel, The Last Year of the War. If a head-of-household was an alien of an enemy nation suspected of having loyalties other than to the United States and had been ordered to be detained for the duration of the war, his family could forfeit their own freedom to join him at Crystal City. This camp existed in theory to keep the families of the interned together.

Meissners saga reveals how the life of Elise Sontag, a 14-year-old girl born and raised in Iowa, changes when she and her family are forced to live in the Texas prison camp  plus the ramifications of living there after the war ended.

Meissner  a speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism  has more than half a million books in print in 15 languages. Her novels include Secrets of a Charmed Life, a Goodreads finalist for Best Historical Fiction 2015, and A Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklists Top Ten Womens Fiction titles for 2014. On March 18, she will be at Warwicks for a discussion and book signing.

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Q: Why dont many people today know about the Crystal City (Family) Internment Camp?

A: There are probably several reasons why most people today dont know about the Crystal City camps existence. The first might be that many of us are only aware that there had been internment camps in the U.S. during the war, but we dont know what the individual camps were called and we dont know how many there were  there were 10 War Relocation Authority camps and nearly 20 Justice Department camps like the one in Crystal City.

More specifically, we might not know about the nearly 11 thousand German-Americans interned because there were far fewer than the number of Japanese-Americans. The legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 that provided an official apology and monetary reparations to the formerly displaced and interned only applied to Japanese-Americans.

Lastly, people are likely unaware because so many who were repatriated in prisoner exchanges came from Crystal City, and the details of their repatriation were kept secret. Every child of an internee whom I interviewed for this book told me the internees were required to sign an oath pledging never to speak about the details of their repatriation, and many of their parents never did.

Q: What was the exchange process at Crystal City?

A: From what I gathered in research and from interviewing sons and daughters of the repatriated, the process was agreed upon by the U.S. Justice Department and Germany, and administered by the Swiss. The German-American detainees who opted for the Crystal City camp so that they could be reunited with their families  many had spouses and children  were advised that in doing so they might very likely be repatriated to Germany in exchange for American prisoners of war. It was a condition of their reunification that they consented to in advance.

The January 1945 exchange that I write about in The Last Year of the War was the sixth one and the last. During the course of the war, 2,300 Americans trapped behind enemy lines were returned from Germany and Italy in exchange for twice that number of Germans who had been living as legal residents in the Americas prior to the war.

Q: Why was the friendship between Elise and Mariko so important to these teenagers?

A: What I remember most distinctly from my own teenage years was how much I depended on my friends to mirror back to me who I was and who I wanted to be. I cant imagine how I might have navigated high school without those people, especially my best friend, Kathy, who, 40-some years later and despite the thousands of miles that separate us, is still my closest confidante. Mariko reminded Elise of who she was  not a German girl taken from her home, declared an enemy and stuck behind barbed wire  but rather an American teenager who liked Twinkies and Cary Grant and cute boys. Just as Mariko was not first and foremost a Japanese girl, but a teenager from Los Angeles who liked those same things.

Q: Why did you pick Pforzheim, Germany, as a background city? What were the living conditions your characters faced at this time?

A: There were three main reasons why I chose Pforzheim. First, it is relatively close to where I lived for 18 months when my Air Force husband was stationed in Germany, so I was familiar with that regions terrain, weather and physical beauty. I also wanted to choose a city whose civilian population had suffered greatly during the Allied bombing campaigns because I knew part of the story was that Elise and her family would be caught up in the indiscriminate horror that is war. Third, I wanted to choose a city that isnt as well known. Most American readers know about the Allied bombings of Cologne, Dresden and Berlin but havent heard of Pforzheim. By January of 1945, when my fictional Iowa family arrives in Pforzheim, Hitler is losing the war. The Allies are advancing on foot across France. Allied planes are dumping bomb after bomb after bomb every night. Food is scarce, gas is scarce, coal is scarce. The only thing that is in plentiful supply is dread.

Q: Why is identity, both self and national, so important to people in general and to your characters specifically?

A: I think we all want to be assured that we have intrinsic worth and to feel a sense of belonging. Because of that, we all long to have a place to call home, and to feel connected to the place that affirms our value as a person. I believe our sense of identity is threaded into our awareness of our intrinsic worth as well as our sense of home and belonging. Home is almost always a place, a geographic location that can be pinpointed on a map. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large our sense of belonging begins with our connection with the land upon which we forged our identity.

Though born of German immigrant parents, Elise identifies as American not only because its the land of her birth but its where she was raised. When shes interned at Crystal City after her home was taken from her, and then repatriated to Germany, all she believes herself to be is called into question. She is compelled to decide who has the right to declare who she is. Does she have that right, or is her identity imposed upon her by other people? In those few chapters in which Elise as an 81-year-old widow newly diagnosed with Alzheimers, readers will see her just as they do in the chapters in which she is young, contending with a force that desires to strip her of her identity. And has the power to do it.

Q: Why are snap decisions so harmful, especially when we are fearful?

A: Fear is never a very good place at which to begin when making important decisions about how to treat people. We see why with these internment camps where tens of thousands of legal residents were forcibly detained, many simply because of their heritage and for no other reason. Most were never charged with any war crime. Granted, there are difficult decisions to make when countries go to war, but highly prejudiced thinking motivated by fear and nothing else doesnt usually result in the best decisions. Fear alerts us to danger, but it doesnt always help us deal with it. Too often it leads to actions we later regret. Snap judgments are by definition decisions made in haste and without careful consideration. Its wisdom that informs our best thinking, not fear, especially with regard to how we treat another human being.

Q: How did the book The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell inspire you?

A: Ive lived the majority of my life in Southern California, so Ive long known about what happened to Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast when the U.S. entered World War II. But until I read Russells book, Id been unaware the same thing happened to a smaller number of German-Americans. I also didnt know several thousands were then repatriated to Germany in prisoner exchanges, and I didnt know that of those repatriated, many had American-born children who travelled to the war zone with them.

Russells book opened my eyes to these facts within her narratives about real families who experienced this. Ive met very few people who know of this history, even among those whove read widely in the World War II genre. If were going to remember the lessons of World War II, and I believe we should, we need to know every part of it, especially those less exposed parts whose last living witnesses are now in their twilight years.

Q: What topics influenced your early writing career? What inspires you now?

A: Ive always wanted to write novels that invite the reader to think about what really matters in this life. To me, people matter before anything else does. Family relationships and the themes of love and honor and sacrifice have interested me from my very first novel which was published in 2004. Those topics still interest me. I am most happy writing novels about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances because books like these allow us to imagine that we, too  who are also just ordinary people  can rise above our circumstances and find strength and resolve we didnt know we had.

Q: Please describe your volunteer work with Words Alive.

A: Words Alive is a local nonprofit here in San Diego dedicated to helping children and youth in underserved environments develop and maintain a love for reading and writing. I volunteer as a writing workshop facilitator for one of the court schools that participates in the Adolescent Book Group component. We all read the same book, like To Kill a Mockingbird for example, and while some Words Alive volunteers come into the classroom to facilitate discussion about the book, I facilitate a writing workshop using the book as prompt material. Words Alive is all about helping students and families recognize that reading is a tool that opens doors. I love that.

Q: What area of San Diego did you grow up in and what are your favorite things about living in Poway?

A: I spent the first eight years of my life in the College Avenue area and then we moved as a family to Poway where I spent the rest of my childhood years. Life and jobs took me and my husband away for awhile, but weve been back in Poway for the last decade. I left here a dreamer who loved to write and came home 20 years later a writer who loves to dream. Poway has always been for me a suburban city with a distinctly wild feel at the edges; its a good place for the imagination to have a workspace. My neighbors have horses and chickens, Mt. Woodson stands majestic on the horizon outside my kitchen window and coyotes and raccoons are regular nighttime visitors in my yard. I love how the foothills that rim Poways eastern edge turn violet at sundown. The vibe here is pastoral, but its a bit untamed, too. It suits my day job.

The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner, Berkley, 400 pages.

Conversation with Susan Meissner

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 18

Where: Warwicks, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla

Phone: (858) 454-0347

Online: warwicks.com
Carol Lindemulder recently looked out the window of her Borrego Springs home early in the morning and watched the fog roll down the San Ysidro Mountains to the west. For her, the gray blanket was filled with shades of blues and purples. Then the sun peeked through, and she recalled: A light came through, a brilliant, flaming yellow light. Like the heavens had opened up.

She grabbed her camera, capturing the moment so she could reproduce it in oil on canvas. It will be the landscape artists next project.

Lindemulder sees the world through a kaleidoscope of colors, taking in subtle hues overlooked my most. She translates what she sees into vibrant, boldly colored paintings that reflect her window to the world.

I see three to four colors where people see one. So I exaggerate what I see so others can see it, too, Lindemulder said.

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The sky turns from blue to green and the bluffs pop with oranges, reds and deep blues in a painting of Borrego in August. The cliffs of Arizonas Canyon de Chelly are purple and blue in the shadow of an afternoon.

She is an extraordinary colorist, said Kaytie Johnson, the curator for the San Diego History Center, where 17 of Lindemulders paintings are on display. The exhibition, Carol Lindemulder: Color Story, focuses on four categories  buildings, trees, deserts and fields  and includes local landscapes and as well as other parts of the Southwest.

Only the most recent paintings of the desert are from Lindemulders collection. The rest are on loan from private collectors because Lindemulder lost all her work when her Fallbrook home and studio burned to the ground in the 2007 fires.

Ive had a very interesting life. Ive had some hardships, but I firmly believe art is just the therapy to keep going, Lindemulder said.

After that devastating loss, Lindemulder chose Borrego Springs as her next home. It was a place the native San Diegan had visited often with her family, she had friends there and most importantly, it wouldnt be at risk for wildfires.

Its a small community  wonderful, peaceful, she said of Borrego. Its a great place to create.

The 82-year-old said that she has always felt the need to create, drawing and composing poetry from an early age. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in interior design as a way to make a living while being creative. She has also taught adult education classes in design as well as art, but it wasnt until she was in her 50s that Lindemulder became a full-time painter.

Her idea was to become a plein-air artist. While mostly self-taught, she took lessons from Ann Templeton, a well-known landscape artist from New Mexico. But Lindemulder soon realized that the limited time frame of a plein-air artist didnt work for her way of thinking.

I would think about color too much, instead of getting the painting done, she said. Plein-air artists need to work fast to finish a piece before the light on the landscape shifts.

Lindemulders process is to take photographs of what draws her attention and then paint from a combination of three or four photographs of the scene and her memory. She always has a camera at the ready wherever she goes.

I grew up loving the West. I was crazy about Louis LAmour and went to see many of the places he wrote about because the descriptions were so wonderful, she said.

As a child, she daydreamed about being a pioneer and seeing the hills and valleys of San Diego County untouched by civilization.

Ive always been interested in the vision from the covered wagon, Lindemulder said. Shes also interested in mans mark on landscapes and her work usually includes telephone poles, wires, fences and roads. The roads are a symbol of the adventure Lindemulder sees in backroads and dirt roads, which she has often taken just to explore where they go. At the end of the road, whether its a town, a tree or a field, she said the question is whether to proceed or withdraw.

Sometimes you dont want to get out and sometimes you want to get out and take a walk, its so beautiful, she said. That path and the question are always a part of her paintings. She captures her vision with a style that has impressionist influences on large textured linen canvases that are often square, resembling the view through a window. Using a small brush, she applies thin transparent layers.

Johnson described Lindemulders style as both impressionist and expressionist with some hyper-realism added to the mix. Color is the common thread, Johnson said. Thats what really grabs you.

While most of Lindemulders art reflects beauty and the play of light and shadow, she also focuses on mans effect on the environment. A painting of Ocotillo shows rusted oil barrels and an abandoned trailer. A four-year series on low-income housing was lost in the fire.

Lindemulders goal is to share her adventure, whether its from the end of a long road or from her living room window on a foggy morning.

The world is so beautiful, she said. There are so many things I like people to see.

Carol Lindemulder: Color Story

When: Through May 5

Where: San Diego History Center, Casa de Balboa, 1649 El Prado, Suite 3, Balboa Park

Tickets: Suggested donation of $10

Phone: (619) 232-6203

Online: sandiegohistory.org

Schimitschek is a freelance writer.
Rick Bottas love for nature started early: As a kid on the central coast of California, his family spent plenty of weekends camping and fishing, and summers at national parks and monuments. That, he says, led him to value nature and believe in the necessity of open spaces coexisting with development. As president of the San Diego Tracking Team, hes actively working on this goal.

We are a small nonprofit organization that is almost entirely volunteer-based. Our primary activity is performing long-term monitoring of wildlife and habitats in the San Diego region through quarterly track-and-sign surveys, he says. The data we collect is analyzed and shared with others involved in conservation efforts, to make informed decisions about land use, habitat preservations, and monitor the effectiveness of open-space linkages.

Botta, 60, is retired from a career in the defense industry, working in software and systems engineering, program management, and other forms of development. He lives in southwestern Escondido with is wife, Liz, and took some time to talk about his work as a naturalist with the San Diego Tracking Team, and why tracking is important.

Q: Tell us about the San Diego Tracking Team.

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A: The San Diego Tracking Team was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2003, but our history actually started in the 1990s in the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve. Development along the canyon rim had greatly reduced and, in some cases, virtually eliminated connectivity with open spaces to the south, east and north. Environmental organizations began focusing on preserving connections between Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve and open spaces to the west and northwest.

In early 1990, Barry Martin, who would later be instrumental in starting the San Diego Tracking Team and become its first director, started a volunteer-based wildlife survey in the canyon. Over time, the survey protocol was improved and a small number of those initial survey volunteers continued to develop their tracking skills with Barry. This eventually led to the formation of the Los Penasquitos Tracking Team. We began offering tracking classes to the public, which led to the formation of other tracking teams around the San Diego area who utilized our wildlife survey protocol to help address land-use issues of importance in their communities. Ultimately, the San Diego Tracking Team was formed as an umbrella organization for the multiple tracking teams in existence.

Q: Whats involved in wildlife monitoring?

A: There are many techniques used in wildlife monitoring, of which track-and-sign data collection is just one. In terms of the data collection and monitoring we do, we have set up a number of survey areas, called transects, in open spaces across the San Diego region. A transect is simply an area having an established length and width. These transects are surveyed by our volunteers each quarter. The number of track-and-sign observations for a target set of species along that area is recorded and reflects the presence, or apparent absence of, certain species on that transect. We also record environmental information associated with the area, such as the specific habitat within that survey location, the topography, and any major disturbances to the area. The collected data is entered into a database and periodically analyzed. From the data, we can detect trends in the number of observations on a given area over time. Species richness can be compared between these areas and/or across habitat types.

Q: Why is this kind of work necessary? Why does it matter if wildlife is tracked?

A: Tracking and monitoring wildlife and habitats is critical, regardless of the specific method used. For areas that havent yet been preserved, it allows us to understand what species exist in an area, what habitats and locations they are using, and whether viable connections to other open-space areas exist. For land that has been preserved, our wildlife monitoring aids in effective management of those areas by showing trends in survey data over time that might be an indicator of a change in the local ecosystem.

What I love about Escondido 

Our immediate neighborhood is small and full of wonderful people. Were close to many good hiking spots, such as Lake Hodges, Daley Ranch and Elfin Forest (Recreational Reserve).

Q: What would happen if the tracking stopped?

A: The preservation of open spaces and viable connections between open spaces is critical for long-term viability of native plants and animals, but it isnt sufficient by itself to ensure this viability. Habitat and species need to be continually and effectively monitored and managed to ensure the entire ecosystem continues to function. Without ongoing data collection and analysis, the information required for effective management would not exist.

Q: How does tracking allow you to determine the health of a particular species?

A: When we talk about the heath of a species, we cant separate that from the health of the habitat and environment in which the wildlife exists. The two do not exist independently. Our data allows us to see trends in the number of recorded observations of tracks and sign for each species over time, in a given location. Seeing a steady decline in the number of observations of a particular species in an area might identify a need for studies to figure out why. Sometimes a decline may be caused by something obvious, like a recent fire or development, but other times it could be caused by a change in the ecosystem. In this case, more studies would be required to determine the cause. Our data also provides information on the species richness (the number of different species) across different locations. This can be an indicator of ecosystem health.

Q: In your opinion, whats the best way to strike a good balance between the need to preserve space for wildlife while also providing housing and other infrastructure for growing populations of people?

A: Simply setting aside pieces of open space that result in habitat fragmentation isnt the answer. Striking a balance between development and preservation of open space requires open dialogue based on science-based information, knowledge of where important open space areas and connectivity exist, a desire to compromise, and development of a comprehensive plan. San Diegos Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) is one example.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: Two things come to mind: My mom used to tell me, and still does on occasion, that its not worth doing something you dont love. I find that to be true whether it is related to your career or what you decide to do in retirement. And I had a boss once that had a saying: Dont let yourself get treed by a Chihuahua. If we dont let ourselves get hung up by the little things, we can achieve so much more.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: When I was working, people were surprised to learn that I did wildlife tracking in my free time. Now that Im retired and able to spend more time involved with the San Diego Tracking Team, people are surprised to discover that I had a career sitting behind a desk.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: We are fortunate to live in San Diego, where we can go from the beach to the mountains and to the desert in about two hours. So, my ideal weekend would start with a morning hike near Torrey Pines with my wife, followed by breakfast along the coast. Then were off to Anza-Borrego (Desert State Park) for camping and a night of star-gazing. A desert hike the next morning, followed by a trip to Julian for lunch and some apple pie, would end the weekend.

Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @lisadeaderick
Confirmation that the U.S. government has compiled dossiers on human rights activists, journalists and lawyers interacting with the migrant caravan in Mexico has reignited an age-old clash between civil liberties and government authority.

What U.S. Customs and Border Protection is calling a valid duty to gather cross-border intelligence and investigate criminal activity is being labeled as harassment by those who have been targeted.

Activists and freelance journalists named in the leaked dossiers, published last week by San Diegos NBC7, have reported being stopped and searched when they cross back into the U.S.

Some have been detained and repeatedly questioned about their work, personal lives, funding sources, interactions with caravan members and observations at Tijuana migrant shelters.

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Whether border authorities are on firm legal ground in this instance is not exactly clear.

Two former CBP commissioners told the Union-Tribune that intelligence gathering is squarely within the agencys mission.

I dont think the gathering of the information is surprising or objectionable, said Alan Bersin, who served as CBP commissioner under President Barack Obama and other high-level positions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including the agencys so-called border czar.

But determining whether a line was crossed will require a fact-specific investigation for each person involved.

If they are simply being brought in to be harassed, Bersin said, that would not be a legitimate use of border authority.

Critics have raised concern over potential violations of the federal Privacy Act, a law that prevents the government from keeping dossiers recording individuals First Amendment activities unless there is a specific law enforcement purpose.

The incident has also raised questions about the degree of cooperation from the Mexican government. Some people on the list had alerts on their passports and have been unable to enter Mexico in recent months.

Intelligence gathering

Intelligence work is not typically associated with the agency that mans the countrys borders. But it is a vital part of any law enforcement job, said former acting CBP Commissioner David Aguilar, who served the bulk of his career in Border Patrol, rising to chief of the agency under President George W. Bush.

At the border, it means anticipating where the next threats may be looming, whether it be a drug load or migrant breach or terror suspect.

Intelligence-led policing is considered best practice when it comes to managing the border these days, said Chris Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

The alternative to intelligence-based enforcement is having every trunk opened every time someone crosses the border, Wilson said. Thats not feasible when you have San Ysidro as the most heavily trafficked port of entry in the western hemisphere.

That intelligence apparatus kicked into high gear with the amassing of thousands of Central American migrants heading to the U.S. border, most to claim asylum. Even when the group was still deep in Mexico, U.S. officials said they were able to identify many migrants with criminal records.

The U.S. was also seeking to identify who was behind the caravan  the organizers, funders, decision-makers. Migrant activist organizations, including Pueblo Sin Fronteras, turned out to play a large role.

When the bulk of the caravan reached Tijuana in November, San Diegos ports of entry became a frequent waypoint for many human rights activists, volunteers, social workers, journalists and attorneys.

On Thanksgiving weekend and on New Years Day, some in the caravan made attempts to rush the border. Both incidents involved chaotic clashes with Border Patrol agents, who claim they were targeted by rock throwers. Agents fired tear gas in response. Some witnesses denied seeing rocks thrown.

Dozens of people made it across the border and were arrested in each incident.

What made the incidents unusual was the high visibility of the crossings, with many witnesses including activists and journalists. There were also reports that some bystanders helped or encouraged the illegal crossings.

CBP authorities said the two incidents prompted agency to begin to identify people who may have information relating to the instigators and/or organizers of these attacks, saying the effort to collect such information is standard law enforcement practice.

A CBP official said in another statement that the breaches were criminal events.

The investigation adds to a growing debate over the roles of activists in migrant flows: at what point does humanitarian aid become criminal aiding and abetting?

Many of those people found out they were targets of inquiry during routine crossings at the port of entry. Rather than be waved through, they were detained, sometimes for hours, and questioned, according to interviews with the Union-Tribune and other news outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The Intercept and NBC7. For some, it wasnt a one-time deal, but nearly every time they crossed, they said.

Some are members of well-known human rights groups, including Border Angels and Al Otro Lado.

Freelance photojournalist Ariana Drehsler, who covered the caravan for Buzzfeed News and United Press International, told NBC7 she was pulled into secondary screening three times and questioned at length about what she was seeing in the Tijuana shelters. She was even asked if she rented or owned her home.

The overwhelming inner suspicion they were being singled out was confirmed with the publication of the 59-person list last week  a document apparently shared with Mexican authorities that includes photos, names and roles in relation to the caravan. Dossiers with expanded personal information were also created, the unnamed DHS official who leaked the documents told NBC7.

Bersin said it would not be unusual to conduct such investigations by stopping and questioning subjects when they arrive at the border, since that is where CBP has jurisdiction. But appropriate tactics should be analyzed case by case.

You have to get more granular rather than trying to find something generically wrong with the practice, he said.

For instance, an attorney with clients in the Tijuana migrant shelters can certainly be stopped and questioned by CBP, Bersin said.

After several interrogations reveal that this individual has nothing to add, beyond what is attorney-client privileged, further referral to secondary starts to look and feel like harassment, he said.

DHSs Office of the Inspector General acknowledged last week that it has already opened an investigation to ensure that all appropriate policies and practices were followed.

Some journalists and attorneys, including a freelance photojournalist on the dossier, were denied entry at airports when trying to travel to Mexico. They were told an alert had been placed on their passports.

Wilson, the border scholar, said Mexico has screened passengers arriving on non-domestic flights through U.S. terror-watch lists to prevent terrorists from using Mexico as a staging ground. Now we are seeing it happening as people leave the United States to enter into Mexico. What it looks like, to a certain extent, is the utilization of counter-terrorism and anti-drug law enforcement for this totally different end.

Wilson wonders whether the denial of entry was the result of an automated national security alert system, or something more calculated.

The question is whether or not there was awareness of this going on in the highest levels of Mexican government, Wilson said.

The Mexican government on Thursday issued a statement saying it did not do illegal surveillance and would ask the U.S. to clarify any possible cases of illegal spying.

Warrantless searches

The drama has been unfolding in a zone that gives expansive authority to the government.

Agents at the border have the right to search any person, as well as their belongings and electronics, without a warrant. The searches are deemed reasonable based on the governments paramount national security and customs and immigration interests, overriding expectations of privacy when crossing the border, courts have ruled.

The border is this amazing place where governments have very strong rights based on sovereignty and the ability to decide who and what enters the country, Wilson said.

Still, CBP says it operates under policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination against arriving travelers.

Last year, the American Bar Association, concerned about potential violations of attorney-client privilege in such warrantless searches, worked out an agreement with CBP on how appropriately handle such situations. It includes consulting with CBP senior counsel and separation of privileged material.

Some advocates and journalists who said they were targeted either had their electronics confiscated from them or were asked to leave them behind on a table during questioning. Some said it was unclear if officers actually looked through the devices.

Privacy Act

While searches are allowed, First Amendment experts say the dossiers are a wholly different issue, especially if the journalists, advocates and attorneys are being targeted for their work.

Its using the border in an incredibly opportunist way to target journalists who do information gathering that (DHS) would not be able to do otherwise, said Carrie DeCell, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute in New York.

The federal Privacy Act was passed in 1974, setting guidelines on what information the government can gather and maintain on U.S. citizens, and how. It gave special protection to First Amendment activities.

The law came after public acknowledgment of the FBIs long-running operation, dubbed COINTELPRO, to observe, infiltrate and discredit domestic political activist organizations in the 1950s and 60s.

The law prohibits agencies from the collection and maintenance of records describing how any individual exercises their right to free speech and association unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.

To meet that threshold, there needs to be specific and articulable facts that the person or group may be engaged in activity that poses a threat or is involved in a crime.

But it is not always so clear cut.

One case disputing where that line is drawn is being waged in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In 2004, the FBI created a memorandum on the political views, funding sources and journalism activities of Eric Garris and Justin Raimondo, editors of the website AntiWar.com. The FBI said the information gathering was a threat assessment after a list of terror suspects was published on the website. The list had already been published on other sites.

The FBIs San Francisco office declined to open a full investigation into the journalists, concluding there was no threat. The journalists asked the FBI to expunge the records from official files, but the FBI refused.

The U.S. district court in San Francisco ruled in favor of the FBI, finding their collection was authorized law enforcement activity.

The journalists have appealed.

The U.S. Department of Justice has acknowledged in its argument that such records can have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights.

On the other hand, legitimate investigation inevitably involves observation and recording of innocent behavior, including First Amendment Activity, DOJ attorney Lewis Yelin argued, referencing a ruling in a similar case against the IRS. An overly narrow application of the law-enforcement activities exception could thwart agency investigations and seriously undermine agency enforcement operations.

In the case of the caravan, the American Civil Liberties Union called the governments actions an outrageous violation of the First Amendment and said it is exploring options in response. CBP was set to meet with a coalition of press freedom groups but the agency cancelled the meeting Friday, the coalition said.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
Mayor Kevin Faulconer has a message for California Republicans: Its time to get a separation from the national GOP.

In a Sacramento speech last week, Faulconer stressed the need for California Republicans to be viewed once again as the party of responsible solutions. Its time to demand our state leaders focus on running our state  not Washington, D.C.

The San Diego mayor delivered his comments at a meeting of New Way California, a newly created group of moderate Republicans, including former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that seeks to reverse the fortunes of the troubled state GOP.

Faulconer called for sweeping changes in the state party, which requires a pragmatic, California-centric, and inclusive approach.

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He wasnt necessarily calling for a divorce from the national party, but certainly for creating some distance.

Thats why the California Republican Party must not be a carbon copy of the national GOP, he said. . . . . California Republicans need to create a party tailored to the people of California.

The speech again thrust Faulconer into the spotlight as a leading voice on the future of the California Republican Party. As the only Republican mayor of a major U.S.city  a Democratic one at that  Faulconer a couple of years ago was seen as a rising star and a potential gubernatorial candidate who, even if not victorious, might help lead the party out of the political wilderness.

Then several things happened. Donald Trump was elected president, Faulconer declined to run for governor, and he was faced with increasing problems in San Diego, including the deadly 2017 hepatitis outbreak that tainted the region and its government leaders.

Even though he stepped back from the statewide political stage during those trying times, he continued to attract attention as a GOP counterweight, albeit a diplomatic one, to the Trump administrations hard-line border policies. As he has for years, Faulconer regularly extols the benefits of cross-border interaction  economically, socially and culturally.

Hes an outspoken advocate of encouraging legal immigration. While deflecting discussion of Trumps proposed extended border wall, he is not silent on the need to deal with unauthorized entries.

Let me be clear, he said in his speech, we cannot ignore the issue of illegal immigration. Doing so would mean ignoring those who do follow our nations laws. We must push for efficient ports of entry and get smarter about border security.

The timing was advantageous, if coincidental. The New Way gathering came the week after a major shake-up in the state GOP as a more pragmatic and diverse group took hold of the leadership, starting with new party chair Jessica Patterson  a Latina and the first woman to lead the state party. She was elected over the opposition of conservatives who advocated doubling down on support for Trump.

Faulconer connected that shift to one of many broader changes facing the state GOP.

For example, the Republican Party seems to only acknowledge women on so-called womens issues, he said. Women arent issues to be checked off a list  theyre our peers, our professors, our doctors, our CEOs and our mentors. And they often have to work harder than men for the respect they deserve.

Thankfully, he continued, the new leadership of the state GOP recognizes this, with Shannon Grove as our Senate leader, Marie Waldron (of Escondido) as our Assembly leader, and Jessica Patterson taking over as the chair of the California Republican Party.

He suggested issues such as parental leave, the cost of child care and pay equity shouldnt be of concern to just women (or, though he didnt say this, Democrats).

They are California issues where California Republicans must step up and lead, he said.

That was a continuous theme in his speech: Republicans should not let partisanship keep them from championing issues important to Californians.

...we must be realistic about the challenges facing our state  and offer achievable and genuine solutions. Take climate change, for example. Just as clean skies and clean water are in Californias DNA, it must also be in the DNA of our revitalized party, said Faulconer, who ushered through San Diegos landmark Climate Action Plan.

Instead of looking to Washington for the way forward, or trying to invent something entirely new, we should look to what is working here at home, he added in a nod to his own policies.

He said the GOP needs to catch up with Californias demographic changes  which have greatly benefited Democrats.

We must represent the people we want to serve  and we want to serve everyone. We do it by standing for freedom  freedom of thought, of religion, of sexual orientation, he said.

Not only is individual liberty part of Californias heritage, its a classic conservative principle  one that Republicans have ignored to our own detriment. People have stopped seeing the GOP as the party of freedom. They see it as the party of no.

We must return to being the leaders who let you find your calling, live your life, run your business, and speak your mind. We stand for inclusion. The national political landscape seeks to define us, and then divide us, by the color of our skin, where we were born, or what language we speak. I reject this notion.

He said the state GOP must get back to the fundamentals of government service and focus on infrastructure, water, education, government reform and a looming pension crisis.

Faulconer argued that if Republicans want a say in these matters, the party must broaden its appeal if it ever hopes to deny Democrats their current one-party rule in Sacramento.

He criticized the opposition partys political approach  along with Trumps, in a subtle way.

Democrats are suffering from outrage FOMO  a fear of missing out on the latest controversy that will allow them to score political points on Twitter, he said. . . .California Democrats and the Trump administration are locked in the worlds most toxic relationship, and its not good for our state.

The message seems clear: Faulconer and like-minded Republicans advocate focusing on more populist issues that affect quality of life, such as the cost of housing, privacy in the digital age and the environment, and away from partisan fights over immigration, taxes, gun control  and Trump.

That wont be easy.

A strong component of the state GOP believes those are core issues that shouldnt be de-emphasized. Republican critics view New Way California as too willing to appease Democrats to the detriment of the GOP and the state.

Regardless of which faction ultimately prevails  if either does  it will be a challenge for the Republican Party to gain enough strength simply to get back into the policy conversation in California soon. Last year, Democrats gained two-thirds majorities in the Legislature, which effectively denies Republicans leverage, and their congressional victories in California were key to the party taking over the House of Representatives.

That was largely driven by antipathy toward Trump, and hell be on the ballot in 2020.

Tweet of the Week

Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade), congressional reporter for The Washington Post.

lol @SpeakerPelosi to a male reporter chasing after her in the hall as she tries to quickly walk away: No fair! you dont have heels.

michael.smolens@sduniontribune.com

Twitter:@michaelsmolens

(619) 293-1256
A family suing the San Diego Unified School District claims that Lincoln High School officials failed to protect two brothers from being bullied and beaten at school, one to the point of unconsciousness and a concussion.

The lawsuit, which covers 2017 and 2018, also claims the boys father was arrested and jailed after he complained about their treatment.

The two brothers  Tariq Harris, now 17, and Shamiko Harris, Jr., now 16  ultimately missed months of education, the suit said, because they were too afraid to return to Lincoln. Now the family members are speaking up because they want the district to be held accountable.

Its like a living nightmare and I relive it every time I talk about it, Tariq said of his familys experience. Its necessary, though.

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San Diego Unified officials would not comment for the story, citing federal student privacy laws and their own policies.

However, in letters San Diego Unified sent to the parents  Shamiko Harris Sr. and Tonja Daniels  the district said it had complied with district policies and offered viable educational options for the boys, including a chance to transfer to a different school.

District employees also said in letters that the parents were a disruption at school, which the parents disputed. Later, the district requested a restraining order against the father, which a judge denied.

Beaten unconscious

Tariq and Shamiko Jr. said they were so afraid of getting jumped at Lincoln that they walked to class with Tariqs girlfriend, as a kind of buddy system.

Still, at least three times from September 2017 to January 2018, one or both Harris brothers were jumped or punched by other students who wanted the boys necklaces, according to the familys lawsuit.

Tariq, who wants to become an entrepreneur, said he was often wary and distracted at Lincoln.

I felt like I wasnt learning, Tariq said. There was a lot of stuff going on around me, so its kind of hard to focus as a student.

The familys lawsuit said school security guards sometimes stood by while the brothers bore punches from other students. After one conflict in December 2017 the school suspended both brothers for five days, the lawsuit claims.

Then on Jan. 4, 2018, a group of students pulled Shamiko Jr. into a bathroom and beat him unconscious, the lawsuit claimed.

Tariq tried getting into the bathroom, but a security guard took him to the school administration office as his brother was being attacked, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit said Lincoln Highs staff did not offer Shamiko Jr. medical help.

Shamiko Jr. regained consciousness, and the family later took him to a doctor, who diagnosed a concussion. A doctor later wrote a memo saying the school should cut back on Shamiko Jr.s assignments, provide tutoring, allow him more time to complete schoolwork and refrain from giving him quizzes or tests until he felt better.

The family said in the lawsuit that they believe the school did not discipline the other students involved.

It is unclear if the other students were disciplined, because school districts do not disclose student discipline actions to outside parties due to privacy laws.

Lincoln High suspended Shamiko Jr. for a day for the incident, the lawsuit said.

Daniels, the boys mother, later appealed the suspension. The districts Quality Assurance Office, which handles complaints of wrongdoing that the district receives, rejected her appeal, saying the school followed proper procedures and the office does not evaluate if a students discipline is justified.

Best day at school

Tariq and Shamiko Jr. missed school on multiple days after the alleged bullying incidents.

On Jan. 4, 2018  the day Shamiko Jr. said he was attacked in the bathroom  and on Jan. 10  a day the brothers said they reported verbal threats from bullies  Daniels picked them up early from school for their safety.

In the days that followed, the boys stayed home. A Lincoln High administrator wrote student re-entry plans for them, outlining conditions for their return.

Tariqs re-entry plan shows he told school officials he was afraid other students would gang up on him. Shamiko Jr. said in his plan he was afraid of getting in trouble or of being blamed for trouble.

An assistant principal asked both brothers to envision their best day at school.

Tariq wanted a normal day where student is not harassed by anyone, the assistant principal wrote. Shamiko Jr. wanted a normal day where he could attend all his classes and be successful in them.

The brothers say they didnt get their wish.

On Jan. 10, 2018, a Lincoln High teacher allegedly slammed a door on Tariqs arm, the familys lawsuit claimed. Daniels decided then to not let her sons stay at Lincoln.

The school gave the brothers independent study contracts to do schoolwork at home. But they didnt receive their schoolwork until 20 days after the contracts began, putting them behind.

Tariqs independent study contract ended in May, with Lincoln High Principal Jose Soto-Ramos saying the contract wasnt working for him, according to a district letter. Soto-Ramos set up a meeting with the family for next steps for Tariq, but the family didnt attend, the letter said.

Shamiko Jr.s independent study contract expired at the end of February because of his concussion. For the rest of that school year, both brothers racked up incomplete grades and consecutive absences.

Daniels tried to get Tariq transferred to iHigh, the districts mostly online high school, but that school would not accept him because of incomplete grades, an email from a school staff member shows.

Lincoln High recommended Shamiko Jr. enroll in the districts Home/Hospital program for students with severe medical conditions, but he was deemed ineligible because the program only takes students who are not ambulatory, according to a district letter.

Threats of violence

The sons never returned to Lincoln High.

Their parents, Harris and Daniels, filed complaints with the Quality Assurance Office, alleging the district failed to provide their sons a fair and equal public education. They also alleged racial discrimination, because their sons are black and Samoan.

The parents met with Quality Assurance staff and a lawyer on May 31, four months after their boys stopped attending Lincoln. Daniels audio recorded the meeting, which was later transcribed by a court reporter.

The lawyer and district staffer kept asking the parents to explain everything from the beginning, while the parents resisted repeating what was in their report, according to the transcript of the audio recording.

I take off work every day, Harris said, according to the transcript. Im everywhere. But my kids are still failing. Now the school year is over. So what are we going to do about that?

The meeting fell apart, and Harris and Daniels started cursing at the district employees. Harris dared them to call a National Guardsman on him.

All he can do is kill me, Harris said, according to the transcript. I might as well be dead anyway, homie.

Someone called police, who wrote an incident report listing Harris as a suspect. Later, five people working for the district wrote affidavits claiming Harris had threatened violence against district staff.

The transcript of the meeting recording does not show Harris making threats.

The district sought a workplace restraining order against him.

When he appeared at court in June to answer the restraining order request, he was arrested on two felony counts of making criminal threats. The family believes the arrest was spurred by San Diego Unified.

Harris said he spent two nights in jail before his charges were dropped.

A judge denied the districts restraining order the following September, noting the district failed to provide any witnesses who heard Harris threaten to kill anyone.

Corrie Klekowski, an attorney for the district who handled the restraining order case, said later in an interview: Unfortunately school shootings are not uncommon and the district has an obligation to protect its employees and students, where the districts employees feel threatened or in fear for their safety. They will take lawful steps to protect their employees and students.

Two weeks after losing the restraining order case, the district sent letters to the Harris family denying claims that their sons were mistreated.

Daniels appealed to the California Department of Education, which also denied her appeal after reviewing the districts findings and policies.

On Jan. 9, 2019, more than a year after the attack on Shamiko Jr., the family filed its lawsuit against the district.

The familys attorney, Marlea DellAnno, wrote in the lawsuit: All named defendants are responsible for the safety and security of students and/or teachers in their charge; all knew of the ongoing harassment, bullying, violence, threats, retaliation, intimidation and discrimination, however none took any action to address or resolve the issues. Rather, they resorted to threats, retaliation, intimidation and discrimination in an effort to silence the Plaintiffs in this action.

The suit does not specify an amount for monetary damages but seeks attorneys fees, court costs, civil penalties and damages for things like therapy and medical expenses.

Now Tariq and Shamiko Jr. attend The Rock Academy, a private parochial school in San Diego, where they say theyre doing better.

When he first arrived, Tariq said he was embarrassed to learn he was far behind his peers. Now Tariq has been catching up, he said, and plans to graduate this year.

The boys have reported no bullying problems there, Harris said.

Kristen Taketa

Email: kristen.taketa@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @Kristen_Taketa
In 1977, a Superior Court judge ruled in Carlin v. Board of Education that 23 of San Diegos public schools were racially segregated and gave the board three months to come up with a plan leading to full school integration.

Judge Louis M. Welsh issued the order as part of decision in the school desegregation case filed in 1967 by former city teacher Larry D. Carlin.

Unlike other big cities, San Diego was permitted to integrate its schools through voluntary busing and magnet schools.The San Diego Unified School District remained under court supervision until 1998.

From The San Diego Union, Thursday, March 10, 1977:

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Judge Orders School Integration Plan By June 13 In Carlin Case

Smile Tells Of Carlins Satisfaction

By Carol Kendrick, Staff Writer, The San Diego Union

Larry Carlin sat in the small wooden-paneled courtroom, his three daughters at his side, reading a book on jogging.

Amid the crush of attorneys, school officials and reporters vying for copies of the judges decision, the man whose name has become synonymous with the desegregation suit against the city schools remained calm.

The faintest hint of a smile appeared on his face as he scanned a copy of the ruling handed to him by an attorney. And the smile grew as he made his way through the crowd.

Hands extended to him: in congratulations from those who saw the judges criticism of the San Diego Unified School District as a victory, in commiseration from those who saw the court order for a development of an integration plan as not strong enough.

Acknowledges Attention

Struggling through the swarm of reporters, microphones, camera lights and television lenses, the 39-year-old former teacher gracefully acknowledged the attention that came his way merely because this name was first alphabetically among the complaints.

The Carlin case originated in a suit file in 1967 on behalf of 12 San Diego schoolchildren.

Among those children was Carlins daughter, Kari, then in kindergarten and now a ninth grader at Lewis Junior High School.

The plaintiffs were listed alphabetically and over the years, the shorter identification, Carlin et all, drew the family into the spotlight.

Still in the spotlight yesterday, Carlin leaned leisurely against the courtroom rail, fielding repeated queries.

I am pleased that the judge (Superior Court Judge Louis Welsh) did find as we claimed that there are segregated schools in San Diego, he said. And the judge did say that the school district has not demonstrated a commitment to desegregation.

Major Question Remains

The question now is whether the district will vigorously desegregate the schools.

Its not over.

Carlin was a teacher at Memorial Junior High School when he joined a group of parents in the suit against the schools.

I had been active in civil rights, he explained, and served on the Citizens Committee for Equal Educational Opportunities.

We concluded that the schools should do something about desegregation. When they refused to make a commitment, we filed suit.

Carlins wife, Kay, is employed by the district as an art teacher at Morse High School, one of two high schools termed segregated in the judges ruling.

Carlin left the school system to become a marriage and family counselor, and is teaching and counseling this semester at Grossmont College.

Over the last decade, Carlins daughters have taken a matter-of-fact attitude toward a controversy that grew as they did.

Kari, 14, Tari, 13, and Kell, 11 displayed excitement in the courtroom yesterday.

Its difficult to say what the effect has been on them, Carlin said, nodding toward his daughters, but noting the even a decade of litigation has not seriously disrupted the family.

Seeks Best Solution

Carlin, less disappointed than some of his co-plaintiffs that mandatory busing was not ordered, added,It seems important to have some sort of mandatory program. But what we want is desegregated schools and quality schools for all children, however that is best achieved.

Laughingly, he confided that while he would never hesitate to take part in such a suit again, he might on second thought, bury his name deeper in the list of litigants.

Stepping into the now-empty hall of the County Courthouse, Carlin gave his daughters an optimistic summation of the outcome of the case.

So we won? asked Kari.

No, he laughed, not yet. Not until the district presents a plan that satisfies the demands of the desegregationists.

Well, if they dont, shrugged Kari, well just go back to court.

Historical photos and articles from The San Diego Union-Tribune archives are compiled by merrie.monteagudo@sduniontribune.com. Search the U-T historic archives at NewsLibrary.com/sites/sdub.
By 2021, Americans traveling to certain countries in Europe will have to preregister online as part of a security system intended to screen visa-free travelers.

The European Union announced last year that before entry, travelers from all visa-free countries, including the United States, will need to preregister and pay a small application fee using the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a system designed to strengthen security checks on those persons who travel visa-free to the EU, according to a fact sheet from the European Commission. It applies to people traveling to Europes Schengen Zone, an area comprising of more than two dozen countries, including France, Germany and Spain, but not England.

Currently, U.S. citizens with a valid passport can visit Schengen countries and stay for up to 90 days without a visa, according to the State Department.

News outlets, including CNN, Esquire and Travel & Leisure, mistakenly reported this week that starting in 2021, U.S. travelers will need a visa to visit Europe.

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It is not a visa.

Officials with the European Commission and the U.S. State Department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely on the process, confirmed that ETIAS is simply a travel authorization for visa-free travelers, similar to the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to screen people in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Inaccurate news reports have recently stated that the EUs ETIAS is a visa program.

The news reports appeared to lead to confusion online.

The EU delegation to the United States tried to clear it up, tweeting Friday, Neither the #ESTA nor the future #ETIAS (EU equivalent) are visas. They carry out pre-travel screening for travellers benefiting from visa-free access.

A spokesman for the European Commission said that the European Union decided to establish the ETIAS system in summer 2018 and it will be operational in 2021.

In 2016, the European Commission proposed ETIAS, an automated IT system created to identify any security or irregular migratory risks posed by visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen area, whilst at the same time facilitate crossing borders for the vast majority of travellers who do not pose such risks, according to the fact sheet, which the commission released in July.

It added:

The ETIAS authorisation is not a visa, the commission said. Nationals of visa liberalisation countries will continue to travel the EU without a visa but will simply be required to obtain a travel authorisation via ETIAS prior to their travel. ETIAS will be a simple, fast and visitor-friendly system, which will, in more than 95% of cases, result in a positive answer within a few minutes.

An ETIAS travel authorisation does not reintroduce visa-like obligations, the commission continued. There is no need to go to a consulate to make an application, no biometric data is collected and significantly less information is gathered than during a visa application procedure. Whereas, as a general rule, a Schengen visa procedure can take up to 15 days, and can in some cases be extended up to 30 or 60 days, the online ETIAS application only takes a few minutes to fill in. The validity will be for a period of three years, significantly longer than the validity of a Schengen visa. An ETIAS authorisation will be valid for an unlimited number of entries.

The ETIAS travel authorisation will be a necessary and small procedural step for all visa-exempt travellers which will allow them to avoid bureaucracy and delays when presenting themselves at the borders, the commission said. ETIAS will fully respect this visa-free status; facilitate the crossing of the Schengen external border; and allow visa free visitors to fully enjoy their status.

Travelers will need a documentation, such as a passport, and be asked to pay a $7 application fee.

It is not entirely certain why ETIAS has been mischaracterized as a visa program, but a travel agency called ETIASVisa.com incorrectly stated on its website that US citizens traveling to Europe will shortly need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa which is the new travel visa to visit Europe that will come into effect from 2021. Similar to other countries and regions in the world Europe has recently decided to improve their security level to avoid any further problems with illegal migration and terrorism. This means that from 2021, all Americans traveling to a European Schengen-zone country will be in need of an ETIAS.

At least one news outlet linked to information from ETIASVisa.com while citing the European Union.

ETIASVisa.com states that it is a travel agency and is not affiliated with any European Government.

Travelers will not need to use a travel agency to register with ETIAS but can do it themselves online.

First published by The Washington Post
She was 15 when she sneaked away from home in East London with two friends and joined the Islamic State. Then, four years later, Shamima Begum showed up in a refugee camp in Syria, pregnant and asking to return home.

Her request sparked national debate in Britain about what the government owed the young woman, who willingly joined the group as a minor and in media interviews seemed to show little remorse, even as she begged to be let back home. Her family members later said the British government informed them that it planned to strip Begum, now 19, of her citizenship.

But now British Home Secretary Sajid Javid is under fire, after Begums infant son, born around three weeks ago, fell ill and died in the Syrian camp.

The tragic death of Shamima Begums baby, Jarrah, is a stain on the conscience of this government, said Diane Abbott, a leader in the opposition Labour Party. The Home Secretary failed this British child and he has a lot to answer for.

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Begums wish to return home was met with major controversy in Britain. Some thought she posed an imminent threat to national security, while others argued that she joined the terrorist group as a naive teenager and deserved the chance to come home. In an interview with a reporter from the Times of London, who found her in the Syrian camp, she said she wanted to return home in large part because of her sons health.

Im scared this baby is going to get sick in this camp, she told the newspaper. Thats why I really want to get back to Britain, because I know it will be taken care of, like, health-wise, at least.

Begum went on to make media appearances, shocking Britons, and her family, when she at times defended the Islamic State. At one point, she told the BBC that although she was unhappy that innocent people had been killed, she thought the 2017 bombing of an arena in Manchester was fair justification in response to coalition airstrikes that have killed women and children in Syria. In an interview with Sky News, a reporter asked whether she had any regrets before the Islamic State lost control of Raqqa, ISISs headquarters in northern Syria. Begum replied no.

Her situation has raised difficult ethical and legal questions about foreigners who join terrorist organizations abroad. Advocates for Begum say it is unjust to rescind her citizenship rather than bring her home and let her face trial. Begums family has roots in Bangladesh, but officials there have made it clear that Begum doesnt qualify for Bangladeshi citizenship, meaning Britains decision to strip her of British citizenship could essentially render her stateless.

An Alabama woman is facing a similar predicament. President Donald Trump has said the United States will not allow Hoda Muthana, a 24-year-old who joined the Islamic State and is now living with her son at a Syrian refugee camp, back into the country. She claimed she was brainwashed by the group and wants to return home.

In Begums case, Javid had previously told British Parliament that children should not suffer, so if a parent does lose their British citizenship, it does not affect the rights of their child.

Begums sister wrote a letter to Javid and asked him to help the family bring her infant nephew to Britain. Begum said she had given birth to two other children in Syria, both of whom also died. Her husband, Yago Riedijk, a Dutchman who has admitted fighting for the Islamic State, is being held at a Kurdish detention center. He recently told the BBC that he would like to return to the Netherlands with his wife and son.

In an interview published Saturday on the BBC, Begums father apologized on her behalf and asked the British people, please forgive her.

Sadly, there are probably many children, obviously perfectly innocent, who have been born in this war zone, Javid told the BBC before the babys death was confirmed. I have nothing but sympathy for the children that have been dragged into this. This is a reminder of why it is so, so dangerous for anyone to be in this war zone.

On Twitter, Abbott further lashed out at Javid, saying he had a moral responsibility for the baby.

He has behaved shamefully, she said.

First published in The Washington Post.
Leaders of San Diegos marijuana industry are lobbying city officials to allow more dispensaries to open, lengthen their hours of operation and permit on-site use of the drug in consumption lounges.

They say city regulations are outdated and unnecessarily restrictive, contending San Diego needs an expanded legal marijuana industry to combat the local black market for the drug.

Opponents of legalized marijuana called the new proposals a threat to public health and safety, contending supporters dont understand the dangers posed by the drug.

Prospects for loosening local marijuana regulations improved last November when Democrats, who have consistently shown more support for the industry than Republicans, increased their majority on the City Council to 6-3.

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Members of the councils economic development committee said this week they are open to the proposals but stopped short of expressing strong support.

They were particularly noncommittal on consumption lounges, which are allowed in San Francisco, Oakland, Palm Springs, West Hollywood and Eureka.

Ive got mixed feelings, Councilman Mark Kersey said. It sounds like it goes back to whether we consider these outlets to be more like a bar or a liquor store.

Dallin Young, executive director of the Association of Cannabis Professionals, compared a dispensary with a consumption lounge to a microbrewery, where customers can use the product as well as buy some to take home.

Its kind of like the Amsterdam-ish model where you can purchase it at the location and then theres a small area nearby or on the premises where you can consume, Young said.

Councilwoman Monica Montgomery said she wants to see the specific regulations in other cities that allow consumption lounges, and shed like to see if theyve had any challenges regulating them.

The comparison to bars is not always helpful to us, because theres a lot of activities that go on around bars, she said.

Councilman Chris Ward, chairman of the committee, asked the citys independent budget analyst to conduct an analysis of consumption lounges and provide the results to the committee.

The industry leaders also want expanded hours at dispensaries, noting that city regulations limit operations to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., while state rules that were written several years later allow operations between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

We think it would be possible to add more revenue-generating hours without a lot of public safety consequences, said Phil Rath, executive director of the United Medical Marijuana Coalition.

Rath stressed that the citys dispensaries have generated very little crime and have required almost no additional police attention.

Weve found that the presence of 24-hour armed security is an extremely powerful deterrent, Rath said.

The industry leaders also urged city officials to consider allowing more dispensaries to open.

City regulations approved in 2014 allow a maximum of 36 dispensaries in San Diego, but five years later only 21 dispensaries have been approved and only 14 of those have opened.

Rath said limiting dispensaries to areas with industrial zoning has been highly restrictive, suggesting city officials should consider looser regulations.

The city also set a cap of four dispensaries in each of San Diegos nine council districts, making it impossible to open dispensaries in some areas with the proper zoning because four dispensaries are already open in that council district.

Rath made similar arguments on the citys marijuana production facilities, which include indoor pot farms and edible factories.

When the council voted in 2017 to allow those businesses so that San Diego could have its own legal marijuana supply chain, they chose not to cap the number per council district but set a maximum total of 40 citywide.

While 29 have been approved and the remaining 11 are expected to receive final approval in the next two months, Rath said requirements for industrial zoning have forced them to congregate in five neighborhoods: Miramar, Kearny Mesa, Sorrento Valley, Barrio Logan and Otay Mesa.

Scott Chipman, leader of an anti-marijuana group called San Diegans for Safe Neighborhoods, said the proposals would be going from horrible to worse for the city.

There has and continues to be significant creep in what should be public health and safety policies in San Diego related to a commercial pot industry, he said by email. As awareness of the harms of marijuana use expands, ironically, advocacy by some politicians for expanding the drug dealing, access and use are also expanding.

Chipman said each of the proposals from industry leaders shows they are ignorant of marijuanas dangers.

Suggesting expanding sales hours, modifying zoning to increase the number of permitted drug dealers and creating public consumption establishments all indicate a real lack of understanding of the drug and its impacts, he said.

The industry leaders noted that allowing more dispensaries and production facilities would increase revenue generated by the citys marijuana tax, which San Diego voters approved in November 2016.

Through late February, the tax had generated $6.3 million, an average of $451,000 per operating dispensary.

With a few more dispensaries set to open and 40 production facilities on the way, revenue from the tax is expected to sharply increase in coming years, even without expanded hours and looser zoning rules.

In addition, the rate of the tax is scheduled to jump from 5 percent to 8 percent July 1.

The industry leaders said the city should also consider using some of the revenue to create a cannabis equity program, which would give low-income residents in neighborhoods affected by the war on drugs a leg up in opening marijuana businesses in the city.

Ward has expressed support for that concept.

Ward also said city officials should be open to fine-tuning marijuana regulations based on feedback from industry leaders, because the city is in uncharted territory.

It seems like we are building an industry from scratch, he said.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Two men were shot in Lemon Grove and one of the victims later died at a hospital, a sheriffs official said.

Neighbors at Olive and Main streets reported hearing gunshots about 8:10 p.m. A sheriffs deputy driving through the area spotted the victims, sheriffs Lt. Karla Menzies said.

Medics took both men to a hospital, where one died. Menzies had no further information about the victims.

She said deputies had no description of the shooter or any getaway vehicle.

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A homicide team was assembling to take over the investigation.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @pdrepard
Two paragliders, one from San Diego and one from Orange County, died after a collision above the Torrey Pines Gliderport Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The solo pilots crashed into each other about 35 feet in the air, became entwined and plummeted onto the steep cliff face, about 45 feet below the edge, San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Rich Stropky said.

The San Diego man was certified to fly on his own; the other man was working on his certification, but had flown 20 to 25 times, Stropky said.

One man was believed to be 61 years old and the other man was 43, he said. Their names were not released.

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The incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. at the popular cliffside launching point for paragliders and hang gliders off Torrey Pines Scenic Drive.

Stropky said the less experienced pilot was flying south when he made a hard right turn, into the path of the northbound pilot. The lines leading from their harnesses to their canopies entangled.

One canopy kept some air in it for moments, but the men fell straight down for 75 feet, Stropky said. They caught on a knoll on a vertical section of north-facing cliff, stranding them in a precarious position.

Authorities did not know whether the fatal injuries were caused by the initial impact or the cliff crash.

Several witnesses called 911.

San Diego firefighters help carry the bodies of two paragliders who collided on a cliff at the Torrey Pines Gliderport on Saturday. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

One San Diego resident, who declined to give his name, said he heard the two men crash into each other. He looked up to see their lines tangling, then they slammed into the side of the cliff.

He said he retrieved a rope from his car and worked his way down to the two men. He secured their harnesses to one end of the rope and the other end to a flag pole at the top of the cliff, so the pair would not slip further down.

Another witness, Ryan Bloum, 25, of San Diego, said he saw the men falling and twirling, almost like a leaf falling. They were doing an auto-rotation.

Bloum said one pilot was higher than the other and appeared to have the lower canopy wrapped around his body. Its a sad day, Bloum said. The paraglider community is so small.

He said flight conditions were good, with winds in the 10- to 12-mph range from the west.

When we arrived, we had no reason to believe the injuries were fatal, Stropky, the lifeguard lieutenant, said. Its a very tragic, tragic incident here today.

Lifeguards were assisted by a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department helicopter.

One medic rappelled down the slippery, deeply gorged sandstone. The helicopter then hoisted the medic and one body at a time to the top of the cliff. Medics and firefighters carried the bodies on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

Some family members arrived and could be seen hugging one another as they talked to police.

An instructor at the gliderport declined to comment on the incident.

Paragliders soared over the Torrey Pines Gliderport where two pilots died after colliding in the air. (Howard Lipin/ San Diego Union-Tribune)

Late in the afternoon, after rescue crews had wrapped up their efforts, several other people launched their paragliders from the gliderport. They landed by sunset.

The gliderport was busy earlier in the day with dozens of onlookers and several paragliders soaring up and down the coast, over the cliffs.

The flying spot is not meant for beginners. It is rated for intermediate pilots with a P3 rating who have 50 hours of experience, or for advanced pilots with an H4 rating. Anyone wishing to fly must check-in with the gliderport operator and show a license.

The gliderport , which is owned by the city of San Diego, offers a school as well as tandem flights for non-pilots.

The gliderport was popular for sailplanes in the 1920s, radio-controlled model airplanes in the 1960s and hang gliders in the 1970s before paragliding came in vogue in the 1980s.

Fatal crashes are rare at Torrey Pines Gliderport.

A South Carolina woman, who was an experienced glider pilot, died in 2012 when she crashed into a sheer cliff 200 feet above Blacks Beach.

Prior to that, a veteran paraglider instructor plunged to his death testing a new high-performance glider in 1998. A former national champion paraglider died while testing a prototype in 1996.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @pdrepard
President Donald Trump proposed a $4.7 trillion budget plan Monday that stands as a sharp challenge to Congress and the Democrats trying to unseat him in 2020, the first act in a multi-front struggle over the role of government that threatens to consume Washington for the next 18 months.

The plan would dramatically expand spending on programs and initiatives popular with Republicans, such as $750 billion in new defense spending and $8.6 billion for barriers on the Mexico border. At the same time, it would slash spending on Medicaid, food stamps, environmental protection, and a range of other programs that Democratic presidential candidates vowed to protect and expand.

The budget proposal ran into an immediate buzzsaw on Capitol Hill, where many Democrats flatly rejected it and even some Republicans sought to distance themselves from key details.

And the demand for $8.6 billion for a border wall, less than two months after a 35-day shutdown paralyzed much of Washington, raised the possibility that there could be an even more dramatic impasse if a spending deal isnt reached by the end of September.

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The budget plan sets up a contrast with Trumps 2020 Democratic rivals for the White House, proposing to shrink spending on social programs at a time when many of his challengers are promising to radically expand it.

Top White House officials acknowledged that lawmakers routinely dismiss these budget proposals, but they signaled a willingness on Monday to fight harder this year than they have in the past.

We need to continue to secure the country, said White House Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought. We need to continue to secure the border. Were not going to be bashful about that. But at the same time, were also going to say that we have many, many programs that are wasteful and inefficient that we can no longer afford.

Trumps Budget for a Better America features dozens of spending cuts and policy overhauls. Total spending on Medicare, the popular health care program for the elderly that in the past he had largely said he would protect, would be reduced by roughly $845 billion over 10 years. Some of those savings would be redirected to other health programs, but most would be completely cut from the budget.

His budget would also propose a major overhaul of Medicaid, the health care program for low-income Americans run jointly with states, by turning more power over to states and cutting spending by $241 billion over 10 years.

The cruel and shortsighted cuts in President Trumps budget request are a roadmap to a sicker, weaker America, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., effectively dooming the budget by promising the House would reject it.

Even with the cuts in Trumps budget, the spending plan predicts annual deficits to top $1 trillion from 2019 through 2022, a threshold that has caused consternation within GOP ranks for weeks and only came into sharp focus on Monday.

A number of agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency, State Department, Transportation Department, Education Department and Interior Department, would see their budgets severely reduced. The Commerce Department budget would increase in preparation for the 2020 Census - but Democrats said the Census money was insufficient.

Trumps GOP allies, meanwhile, received the budget plan with a lukewarm embrace.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said the proposal was the first step in the federal budget process and will allow us to consider how his priorities align with the priorities of Congress.

The budget was full of provisions that Republicans have long embraced but had not been put forward on such a scale. It would would impose mandatory work-requirements for millions of people who receive welfare assistance, including for food and housing, while dramatically increasing the defense budget to $750 billion next year, a 5 percent increase from 2019.

Trump and other Republicans have said the federal budget is full of waste and bloat, arguing many federal agencies could still function with less taxpayer money.

Still, according to Trumps budget, the spending cuts would do little to reduce what is shaping up to be a colossal deficit in the next several years. The deficit is the annual gap between spending and tax revenue.

The budget foresees a $1.1 trillion deficit in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and a $1 trillion deficit in 2022. Asked about this, Vought said We do have large deficits. Thats why we are here transparently saying we have a problem as a country.

White House officials believe the budget proposal would eventually eliminate the deficit in 2035, but Democrats accused the plan of relying on rosy estimates of future economic growth in order to count large increases in future tax revenue.

These deficits will add to the existing $22 trillion debt and have a real impact on government spending. For example, the White House now projects the government will spend $482 billion on interest payments for the debt next year, more than the entire budget for Medicaid.

Republicans have long called for taking steps that shrink - or even eliminate - the deficit, and putting forward a plan that would create $4.3 trillion in new debt over four years could give Democrats fresh targets on the campaign trail.

There is a crowded crowded field of Democrats seeking the nomination to challenge Trump in November, and at a time when Trump is trying to pull the country to the right, the Democratic Party has moved left.

Several Democratic senators running for president have backed Sen. Bernie Sanders Medicare-for-all health legislation, which would expand federal spending on the health program by as much as $30 trillion - just as the Trump administration is looking to decrease the programs costs.

Trumps budget also calls for maintaining existing federal funding for child care programs, hoping to generate additional spending at the state level. Democratic candidates have called for the federal government to massively increase its spending on child care, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., recently unveiling a plan that would ensure free, government-subsidized childcare for every American earning less than roughly $50,000 annually.

The administrations budget also revives its push for an infrastructure bill, asking for $200 billion in federal dollars over 10 years, which it says will lead to $1 trillion in federal, state, and private spending on roads, housing, ports, and other investments.

Some Democratic candidates have called for programs on a much bigger scale, with Sanders recently calling for the federal government to rescind the 2017 GOP tax cut, estimated to cost about $1.5 trillion, and spend $1 trillion in new federal dollars on the nations roads, bridges, and highways, among other things.

House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., said the White House spending blueprint would give Democratic presidential candidates plenty of material to show how their agenda is different.

If I were running against him I would sure use it against him, he said.

White House officials believe Trumps economic agenda has proven very successful so far, leading to job growth, higher wages, and economic growth. But critics allege he achieved this in part through huge levels of fiscal stimulus, including tax cuts and spending increases, that have widened the deficit and added several trillion dollars to the governments debt.

Administration officials say the southern border wall funding request would allow them to complete 722 miles of barriers, the full amount they have identified as necessary. Building the wall would fulfill Trumps core campaign promise, although it would see U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for a barrier he long claimed would be paid for by Mexico.

The defense spending increase in the budget includes funneling more than $170 billion into a special overseas account, something even some Republicans dismissed as a gimmick aimed at getting around existing spending caps. However defense hawks on Capitol Hill welcomed the Pentagon budget increase. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, warned against getting distracted by the construction of the budget request.

The budget does reflect the changing nature of Trumps agenda since taking office.

He has continued to try to pump more money into the military and border security programs, and the budget provides funding for the creation of a Space Force, and a U.S. Space Command, ideas Trump has personally pushed even while running into some resistance from military leaders and congressional Republicans.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said last week that hes skeptical about the need to create a new branch of the military to deal with space.

And despite Trumps decision to slash spending for most Cabinet agencies, his budget makes room for women- and family-focused priorities embraced by his daughter Ivanka Trump. It includes a provision supporting state paid family leave programs, and allocates $100 million for her recently launched Womens Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, an effort to help women in the workforce succeed as entrepreneurs.

While his Democratic rivals for the White House next year ramp up their attacks on his policy agenda, Democrats in Congress are planning to challenge him in the coming months on his budget plan. In addition to the Sept. 30, 2019 deadline to reach a spending agreement, lawmakers believe they will also need to reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling around that time.

The debt ceiling is a borrowing cap established by Congress, and it prohibits the Treasury Department from issuing more debt. The government is bumping up against the debt limit now, and the Treasury Department has begun emergency steps to buy more time so Congress can eventually vote to raise it. Several lawmakers have said they expect the debt ceiling to be raised as part of a broader budget deal this summer or fall.

But if budget talks bog down later this year amid a fight over border wall funding, it could force lawmakers to rethink this timeline and their entire approach.
The U.S. government kept a database on journalists, activists, organizers and instigators during an investigation into last years migrant caravan, infuriating civil liberties and media groups who called it a blatant violation of free speech rights.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection compiled information on dozens of people that included passport and social media photos, dates of birth, personal information and their suspected role in the caravan. Some of the people on the list were denied entry into Mexico and had their passports flagged or visas revoked.

On Thursday, officials said the departments independent watchdog was looking into the database, and stressed that journalists were not targeted based on their occupation or reporting.

CBP has policies in place that prohibit discrimination against arriving travelers and has specific provisions regarding encounters with journalists, said Andrew Meehan, assistant commissioner of public affairs.

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The database was revealed Wednesday by the San Diego TV station KNSD. People listed in the documents provided to the station included 10 journalists, many of whom are U.S. citizens, and an American attorney. There were several dozen people in all on the list, including many labeled as instigators.

The intelligence-gathering efforts were done as part of Operation Secure Line, which was designed to monitor the caravan of thousands of people who began making their way north from Central America last year to seek asylum in the United States.

The government compiled the database at a time when the caravan was attracting considerable attention in the White House around the midterm elections, with President Trump repeatedly tweeting about the group.

Customs and Border Protection officials said extra security was implemented after a breach of a border wall in San Diego on Nov. 25 in a violent confrontation between caravan members and border agents. The confrontation closed the nations busiest border crossing for five hours on Thanksgiving weekend.

Officials said it was protocol to follow up on such incidents to collect evidence, and determine whether the event was orchestrated.

Such criminal events ... involving assaults on law enforcement and a risk to public safety, are routinely monitored and investigated by authorities, according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection.

CBP will continue to maintain a high standard of accountability and transparency with the media and public, Meehan said.

Lawyers and immigrant rights groups were going back and forth across the U.S.-Mexico late last year to help thousands of people who arrived at the border manage a complicated clogged asylum process and to help provide humanitarian aid as conditions worsened and illness spread. Journalists from several news organizations were also there to chronicle the story.

Bing Guan, a freelance journalist from New York and student at the International Center of Photography, said he and a colleague were stopped by U.S. agents while returning from Tijuana in December. A plainclothes agent who didnt identify his agency showed Guan a multi-page document with dozens of photos and asked him to identify people in the images. The agent then asked Guan to show him the photos he had taken in Tijuana.

Guan said the report of the dossiers confirmed the long-held suspicions he and other journalists had.

Its sort of a weird combination of paranoia and pride, Guan said. Paranoia because our own government is conducting these intelligence gathering tactics and these patterns of harassment in order to deter journalists from doing their jobs, but also a little bit of pride because I feel like Im on the right track, Guan said.

Two House Democrats asked CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan for any instructions to officers on the 59 people named, an explanation of why they were included and how often they were stopped for additional questioning.

The appearance that CBP is targeting journalists, lawyers, and advocates, and particularly those who work on immigration matters or report on border and immigration issues, raises questions about possible misuse of CBPs border search authority and requires oversight to ensure the protection of Americans legal and constitutional rights, wrote Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Kathleen Rice of New York, who both serve on the Homeland Security Committee.

The database was denounced by a variety of groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The database was built at a time of increasingly tense relations between the Trump administration and journalists, with Trump calling some members of the press the enemy of the people. There has also been an increase in false news stories proliferating on social media on both the left and right.

The Department of Homeland Security last year sought a contractor to monitor more than 290,000 news sources and social media around the world in several languages, and compile a database of journalists, editors, foreign correspondents and bloggers. DHS officials said the aim was to gather open-source information, not unlike alerts the public can set up through email.

And according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by The Nation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, another part of Homeland Security, tracked a series of anti-Trump protests in New York City last year, including several that promoted immigrants rights and one organized by a member of Congress.

The caravan documents, dated Jan. 9, are titled San Diego Sector Foreign Operations Branch: Migrant Caravan FY-2019, Suspected Organizers, Coordinators, Instigators and Media. According to the San Diego station, the material was used by Homeland Security and other agencies, including some FBI agents.

One dossier was on Nicole Ramos, the refugee director and attorney for Al Otro Lado, a law center for migrants and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico. It included details such as the kind of car she drives and her mothers name, KNSD-TV reported.

A photographer working for The Associated Press was also on the list.

The Mexican government, which denied entry to some of the people in the database, said it disapproved of spying and didnt do illegal surveillance. Mexican officials also said they would ask the U.S. to clarify any possible cases of illegal spying.

Mexico welcomes all foreign visitors who, obeying immigration laws, carry out in our territory tourism or professional activities, according to a joint statement from the Foreign Relations Department and the Department of Security and Citizen Protection.

___

Long reported from Washington. Associated Press Writers Nomaan Merchant in Houston and Peter Orsi in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
While some public agencies in San Diego County delay or outright fail to turn over public documents, a San Diego Union-Tribune review found theyre far more responsive than federal agencies, which have more freedom to delay under weaker public records laws.

In January U-T Watchdog sought six months worth of email records that contained four phrases  off the record, off record, on background and deep background  from nearly 100 public agencies. The phrases refer to reporters and sources agreements to confidentially share information.

The requests are for a story to mark Sunshine Week, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the federal Freedom of Information Act and state laws that give the public access to government records. During the annual event, news media across the country plan special coverage, highlighting governments response to public records requests.

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These laws were written so the public, not just journalists, could check their government and be a watchdog, said Lynn Walsh, ethics chair for the Society of Professional Journalists. Any time the government makes it more difficult to get information or makes it easier to operate in secrecy, it defeats the whole purpose and I think everyone should be upset about that.

The California Public Records Act requires documents be disclosed promptly but gives agencies 10 days  including weekends and holidays  for more complex responses requiring a legal determination. It also allows an agency to charge the public only for the direct cost of duplication, programming and coding time needed for data extraction.

In San Diego County, all but two local agencies fulfilled the request for emails, which went to more than 85 cities, transportation agencies, healthcare districts, school districts and offices of elected officials.

The city of Chula Vista handed over documents in a day, Coronado took a week and county Supervisor Dianne Jacobs office answered the request in less than two hours.

Requests are still pending with San Diego Unified School District and the city of San Diego, which has provided some responsive documents. San Diego Unified spokeswoman Maureen Magee said the district receives a high volume of information requests that require careful review to protect student privacy.

The remaining 41 school districts in the county fulfilled the request in an average of 11 days. The 26 offices of elected officials contacted took on average 12 days, while the countywide average among local agencies was about two weeks.

Twelve local agencies requested extensions. Only San Diego County Water Authority charged a fee  $6.50  for 15 email documents.

Federal agencies were not nearly as responsive. Sixteen agencies have yet to send a document, 11 requests are pending and five were denied, the agencies said, for not properly describing the records or for being too broad.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review, for instance, has yet to respond, while Department of Homeland Security sent a letter invoking a 10-day extension, but it sent nothing else.

David Cuillier, director of the University of Arizona School of Journalism, said the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which applies to federal agencies, is not as requester-friendly as some state laws but it has a few perks not available in them.

For example, if three or more people request the same information, the federal agency has to publish the documents online. FOIA also allows for expedited requests if delays could pose a threat to someones life or physical safety or if there is an urgency to inform the public about federal government activity.

Despite these benefits, Cuillier said, decades worth of court decisions continue to strip the federal law of its power.

Our country is becoming more secretive every year, little by little, Cuillier said. Its too small to notice, but its happening and theres going to be a tipping point.

According to the Centre for Law and Democracy, a Canada-based organization that researches and rates government records and accessibility, the US public records law ranks 69th in the world, behind Mexico, Serbia, India, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, and other countries in its most recent report.

Under FOIA, federal agencies get up to 20 business days to deny or grant access to records, and reviewing or redacting information can extend far beyond that. Its not uncommon for federal requests to take months or even years.

U-T Watchdog sent its email requests to 10 military commands  nine local Navy and Marine Corps commands and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Eight requests are pending.

Officials from I Marine Expeditionary Force, the largest of three Marine air ground task forces, required U-T Watchdog to provide names or email addresses of Marines communications staff. Then it denied a request for those names and addresses.

On Mar. 5, close to two months after the request, a FOIA deputy for the Marine Corps said the decision to not release staff emails and names was a mix up.

Under federal and state law, there are few consequences for agencies or public employees who ignore requests or illegally withhold or delay records. The public can sue the agencies, Cuillier said, but thats often too expensive and time consuming for the average citizen.

You and I dont get away with breaking the law  But a public official, flagrantly breaking federal law, gets away with it, Cullier said. If we dont do something about this encroaching and insidious secrecy thats been growing behind the scenes for decades, were going to lose our democracy. We have to turn this around before its too late.

Staff writers Andrew Dyer, Kate Morrissey, Jeff McDonald, Morgan Cook, Deborah Sullivan Brennan, Wendy Fry, Paul Sisson, Karen Pearlman, Kristen Taketa and Joshua Emerson-Smith, contributed to this story.

Contact Lauryn Schroeder via Twitter or Email.
Elected leaders burn existing residents

Re San Diego council votes 8-1 to wipe out parking requirements in neighborhoods near transit (March 4): The mayor and City Council voted to decrease the quality of life and property values of everyone living near transportation corridors Monday.

How?

Current residents purchased their homes based on zoning laws requiring parking and height and density limits. These zoning laws created a desirable place to live, resulting in higher property values.

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Now, babbling the climate change mantra, the mayor and council vote to erase the zoning laws and allow slum-like high density, high-rise housing with limited or no parking.

Unfortunately, we all know that most of the new residents will invariably own cars and they will be forced blocks into the existing residential neighborhoods to find parking.

The new buildings will block views and increase the traffic density, thereby lowering the quality of life and property values of the current residents.

I wonder what the next bait and switch from these leaders will be.

David Pekin

San Diego

Lyft and Uber will be smiling all the way to the bank with this ridiculous idea of no parking.

I have 20 reasons why you need a car in the San Diego area.

Do you think for one minute the developers are going to reduce the price of new units? Get real.

Not only will you be stuck with an association fee but also transportation that you could easily ring up to $500 a month or more, much more.

Rick Koppel

Ocean Beach

The developers are rejoicing over the parking exemption victory they have been pursuing for literally decades. I can hear the corks popping at the Building Industry Association all the way from Point Loma.

This subversion of the tenets of smart growth and transit-oriented development by the development industry is as sickening as it is false. Both concepts require viable transit options and infrastructure improvements ahead of density increases  not after.

At least be honest with affected citizens and inform them that adequate and viable mass transit options do not yet exist and that the money and will to develop them will not be forthcoming anytime soon if at all.

Tell them that their quality of life and neighborhood character must be sacrificed upon the specious alter of affordable housing and environmental necessity, but dont pretend that its all going to be hunky-dory.

Keith Behner

Point Loma

Re Providing parking hikes cost of local housing (March 3): Regarding Lori Holt Pfeilers assertion that housing developers have been forced to build more parking than residents actually need and that 89 percent of sites surveyed ... were utilizing fewer parking spaces than were required, I would like to know where exactly these communities might be?

As a real estate appraiser, I remember the push in the 1980s to replace existing single-family homes with condominium units, typically six to eight units per residential lot in areas such as North Park and Normal Heights, and the resulting lack of street parking and increased traffic congestion, with legitimate complaints from existing property owners.

In our society, the simple solution appears to be to appoint a czar for every issue as a feel-good solution, Pfeiler would be a good pick as it appears that she not only can solve parking issues but housing costs and climate change as well.

Mike Broder

La Mesa

I hope the City Council has the common sense to continue to require parking in new developments near mass transit if the actual access (i.e., trolley stop, bus stop, train station) is farther than half a mile.

Otherwise, I foresee lots of no parking construction along the tracks while the stop may be more than a mile away.

Developers will be quick to claim they are in compliance with the letter of the law.

Mark Bryning

College Area

In exchange for a reduced rent or purchase price of any unit affected by the proposed elimination of a parking space requirement, all long-term occupants of a unit should be required to sign an addendum to their rental or purchase agreement. The addendum should require that the occupants agree that they will not own, rent, lease, borrow or have access to any vehicle that is parked on a public street within city limits.

Written exceptions could be allowed for occupants who drive commercial vehicles as part of their occupation and the vehicles are housed at their employers business. If a units occupant is found in violation of the agreement, he/she would have to vacate within 60 days of citation.

James Ziegler

University Heights

Re Why mayors parking proposal is smart reform (March 20): I get why some people want to end the parking mandate: Its cheap, they think.

However, I have lived in cities where this is the norm, particularly on the East Coast. All it leads to is inconvenient, inaccessible, dumpy, yet expensive housing.

I love the way the yes article cites West Coast cities that are not yet seeing the full effect of their change in parking policy. The real comparisons are New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

The city is far better off considering how to facilitate east-west commuting, which is the true underlying problem.

Valerie E. Looper

Vista

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The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Artificial Intelligence Chips Market including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry's value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects.



In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources  Postal Surveys, telephone, Online & Face-to-Face Survey were considered to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study. When it comes to secondary sources Company's Annual reports, press Releases, Websites, Investor Presentation, Conference Call transcripts, Webinar, Journals, Regulators, National Customs and Industry Associations were given primary weight-age.



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Queen Mary 2 made an overnight stop in Singapore from Hong Kong. The Cunard ship stopped in Singapore last April on her round-the-world voyage. After a successful season in Southeast Asia, Sapphire Princess has embarked on a 37-night Indian Ocean & Europe Grand Adventure on March 10, arriving in Southampton on April 16 to commence her second season of Europe cruises.

Sapphire Princess offers Northern Lights

This year, Sapphire Princess will offer a host of new sailings including a 12-day Northern Lights cruise with an overnight stay in Alta and a late-night departure in Tromso to increase the chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis.

Sapphire Princesss visits to other destinations include Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, Scandinavia & Baltics, Canary Islands and the Med.

A first transatlantic

For the first time, Sapphire Princess will make a transatlantic crossing roundtrip from Southampton on a 24-night New England and Eastern Canada cruise including stops in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Boston, New York and Halifax.

Sapphire Princess will end her European cruise season on October 31 and set sail for Singapore from Southampton on the return leg of another 37-night Indian Ocean & Europe cruise arriving on December 1 to commence her sixth Singapore homeporting season.

Solar eclipse cruise

A highlight is an 11-night Grand Southeast Asia cruise where guests will be able to watch the solar eclipse on Boxing Day December 26 along the Straits of Malacca.

Many of our guests from Southeast Asia love cruising on Sapphire and feel more comfortable exploring new destinations outside of Asia onboard their favourite cruise ship. At the same time, weve had huge interest in our solar eclipse cruise that is taking place right on our doorstep, remarked Farriek Tawfik, director Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises.
Incidents and accidents have increased during the past 10 years of cruising's development in China.

Suspicious deaths, missing passengers

During the period from 2015 to July 2018, on ships sailing from ShanghaiChina's busiest port19 suspicious deaths and two missing passengers were reported, according to Xu. Most of the incidents happened during the cruise when it was not easy to preserve evidence for further investigation.

Stranded tour groups

During the same period, there were 23 cases of tourist groups being stranded in the port due to issues like ticket disputes and bad weather.

Xu submitted her proposal for additional cruise safety-related items into the Maritime Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China in an effort to promote the healthy development of the cruise industry.

Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal Development Co Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai International Port Group, is developing itself from a cruise port operator into an integrated cruise industry service provider.

Currently, the company owns and invests in eight entities involved in duty-free sales, cruise tourism, terminal leasing and other businesses.
Sen. Ejercito to gov't: Support Filipinos taking up post-graduate studies

REELECTIONIST Senator JV Ejercito has urged the government to help Filipinos taking up post-graduate studies and other special education enhancement programs here and abroad to upgrade the bachelor's degrees they have obtained in college.

"The government, or even philanthropic organizations, should support Filipinos taking up post-graduate studies like master's and doctoral degrees. The country stands to benefit once they finish and apply in their professions what they have learned," Ejercito said in a statement.

He said the government should set aside resources, financial or other forms of assistance, to support students in post-graduate school.

Ejercito, co-author of "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act," a law that mandates free college tuition and other school fees in State Colleges and Universities, said the government should encourage college graduates to level up their technical, administrative, theoretical, and philosophical literacies they have learned in college.

"Enhancement of knowledge in the field of frontline service sectors like business, banking, engineering, health care, public administration, and others, is always beneficial to the country. Maunlad ang mga bansang mataas ang educational attainment ng mga tao," Ejercito said.

Ejercito, former San Juan City mayor and ex-congressman representing the Lone District of the city, is seeking reelection in the forthcoming May senatorial election.

As legislator (in the House of Representatives and Senate), he has a total of 76 enacted laws, out of 572 authored and co-authored bills, and 108 filed resolutions.

Two of his landmark laws as a senator are the Universal Health Care Act, which earned him the tag "Mr. Healthcare," and the Creation of Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act.
Press Release

March 10, 2019 Duterte's tirades vs Otso Diretso proves they are faring well - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has considered Mr. Duterte's unrelenting verbal attacks against the senatorial candidates of the united opposition "Otso Diretso" as a "very good sign" that they are gaining ground among the Filipino electorate. De Lima, a human rights and social justice champion, said she believes that the eight united opposition senatorial bets have high chances to make it in the winning circle in the upcoming May 13, 2019 national and local elections. "Duterte's taunting and mocking of the Otso Diretso candidates is a very good sign. That means the opposition slate's numbers are improving," she said in her handwritten brief statement. In a bid to boost the senatorial bids of his favored candidates, Mr. Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the opposition senatorial bets - individually and collectively - while pitching for the supposed qualifications of his administration's Senate slate. Otso Diretso include Sen. Bam Aquino, Rep. Gary Alejano, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, civic leader Sam Gutoc, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romy Macalintal, former senator Mar Roxas and ex-Rep. Erin Tanada. Aside from claiming that the Otso Diretso will head straight to hell, Mr. Duterte has erroneously accused them of doing nothing but criticizing his administration - a remark which was refuted by the opposition slate. In defense of Otso Diretso, Diokno explained that "it is the opposition's job to question, criticize and give alternative ways to run government" and that "it would be better for the president to not be onion-skinned [as] this is the spirit of democracy." Amid criticisms by Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo also stood by the laudable track records of the eight candidates, saying, "Meron itong mga track record na pinanindigan. In fact, 'yun ang basehan bakit silang 8 ang napili." The lady Senator from Bicol said Mr. Duterte is deliberately and incessantly taunting the Otso Diretso candidates because he and his favoured candidates obviously feel threatened by the opposition slate and their worthiness based on their respective qualifications. "Individually and collectively, Otso Diretso has gained remarkable traction and is viewed as formidable," she said. De Lima has thrown her unequivocal support to Otso Diretso's senatorial line-up as she vouched for their unsullied integrity, proven competence and sterling track record.
Press Release

March 10, 2019 Speech of Senator Loren Legarda*

Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition

8 March 2019 | Tokyo, Japan

*Delivered by Dr. Ana Labrador Traditional textiles are ties that bind. It links the past to the present and brings together cultures, which, no matter how diverse, has a commonality. It is in this premise that the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino textile gallery was born in 2012 in two small rooms of the National Museum of the Philippines. Today, I am filled with pride because from the simple rooms that first housed the textile gallery, Hibla has now gone international. It all started with a vision to have our own textile gallery in the Philippines, inspired by my travels to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, each having their own rich weaving heritage showcased in their museums. I thought, there is so much to show the world about the indigenous artistry of Filipinos through traditional textiles and I have proven this with the numerous visits I had to various weaving communities around the Philippines. I even go to the remotest barangays if only to see the most skilled weaver of a town or province. No weaver has ever failed to amaze me yet. Their diligence, creativity and passion are truly remarkable. When I met Director Jeremy Barns and Dr. Ana Labrador, I did not think twice and offered my proposal to establish a textile gallery in the Philippines. The plea did not fall on deaf ears. In 2012, we opened the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles at the National Museum, the country's first permanent textile gallery. The exhibition was then housed in two small rooms of the National Museum of Fine Arts; but its impact was immense that even Queen Sofia of Spain could not help but say that it was "the best of the best of the best." The gallery features the raw materials and looms used in weaving, the relevance of textiles in various communities, the different fabrics and styles of weaving, and various traditional textiles from ethno-linguistic communities, including the oldest existing textile in the Philippines, the Banton cloth. Former Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, Japan First Lady Akie Abe, American-British entrepreneur Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, and Ermenegildo Zegna CEO Paolo Zegna were among the visitors of the gallery who were impressed with the artistry and craftsmanship of our Filipino weavers. A year after its launch, the National Museum found a bigger place to house the gallery. The Hibla gallery was transferred to the National Museum of Anthropology and it was able to hold more textiles and looms and accommodate more visitors. Many weekends, I would just walk in and observe the visitors. It is heartwarming to hear their comments and know that they find the gallery interesting and it enriches their knowledge about our weaving heritage and our culture as a whole. But one gallery is not enough to hold our rich weaving culture and through the Lecture Series and Weaving Demonstrations on Philippine Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge, we are able to showcase the various weaving techniques of different weaving communities in the country. It is an opportunity for the public to interact with our weavers and appreciate the work and love they pour into every textile they weave. In July 2017, the National Museum launched the first Hibla regional gallery, the Hibla Iloko at the National Museum Ilocos Regional Museum Complex in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. In December 2018, the Habol Panay permanent textile gallery was launched at the National Museum Western Visayas Regional Museum in Iloilo City. Many more Hibla regional galleries will soon rise, and we hope that someday we will have not only galleries, but one whole Hibla Museum--a vision that I know we can bring into fruition. Because once, the Hibla gallery was a vision; but now it has travelled to London; in Lisbon, Portugal; in Madrid, Spain; in Washington DC; in New York; in Hawaii; in Frankfurt, Germany; and now, in Tokyo, Japan. We launch this travelling exhibition with our pina-seda weavers and embroiderers, who have showcased their passion and exceptional skills during the weaving and embroidery demonstrations. I would like to thank Raquel Eliserio and Carlo Eliserio from Balete, Aklan, and Lolita Pereza and Loreto Maestre, Jr. of Lumban, Laguna for sharing their knowledge and skills for this travelling exhibition. These weavers and embroiderers are our culture-bearers. They inspire us to preserve our heritage as they have remained faithful to their culture, they have not turned their backs on their roots, and they have fully embraced their tradition, which is an intangible wealth that they possess. The Hibla gallery, which has blossomed into many other initiatives, is not only an effort to celebrate indigenous artistry through textiles and provide more Filipinos the opportunity to discover priceless information about our heritage, but an attempt to bring the challenge of nurturing our weaving traditions into the national stage, to a wider audience. As we open the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition here in Tokyo, I invite you to take yourself in a journey, explore the similarity and diversity of our traditional textiles, and be fascinated with the traditional skills that gave fruit to such artistic creation. Thank you.
New Zealanders moderated their spending on electronic cards last month, with increased purchases of groceries, liquor, fuel and hospitality offsetting reduced spending on big-ticket items.

Total retail spending on credit and debit cards grew 0.9 percent in February from January and was down from the 1.8 percent increase reported for January, according to Stats NZ data.

Core retail spending, excluding fuel and vehicle spending, was also up 0.9 percent in February after a 2.2 percent increase in January.

Spending rose in five of the six retail industries. Purchases of durable goods, such as whiteware and furniture, were the exception and fell by 0.2 percent after a 4.9 percent jump in January.

Spending on groceries and liquor rose 1 percent in the month, while spending on fuel was up 1.3 percent and spending in cafes, restaurants and bars was up 0.7 percent.

The rise in fuel spending coincided with a gradual increase in fuel prices after a period of lower fuel prices, says Stats NZ retail manager Sue Chapman.

Sales of durables, such as furniture, hardware and appliances, as well as clothes and shoes, appear to have levelled out in February after a more volatile patch in December and January, Chapman says.

Apparel sales rose 0.9 percent in the latest month, down from an increase of 3.3 percent in January.

Non-retail spending using cards, such as for travel, health and wholesaling, fell 0.8 percent in February.

Actual retail spending using cards was $5.1 billion in February, up 3.4 percent, or $168 million, from February 2018.

Card spending is shifting away from the use of debit cards to greater use of credit cards.

Debit card use in February accounted for 45.5 percent of total transactions, down from 46.8 percent in February last year.

Reserve Bank figures released last month showed New Zealanders had $7.484 billion outstanding on credit cards in January, up 5 percent from a year earlier.

(BusinessDesk)

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"The video of fugitive Nirav Modi in London shows an uncanny similarity between him and his 'bhai' (brother) PM Modi. Both have looted India and are called Modi. Both refuse to answer any questions. Both believe they are above the law. Both will face justice," Gandhi said in a tweet attaching the video of the absconding diamantaire posted by the UK-based newspaper The Telegraph.

Hours after a video of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi surfaced, Congress President Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the video shows "uncanny similarities" between the two as "both believe they are above law".

His remarks came after the British newspaper claimed that Modi has been spotted in London.

Earlier, a video released by The Telegraph showed Nirav Modi walking the London streets. He sported a new look -- handle-bar moustache and long hair -- and is seen avoiding questions posed to him, saying "no comments".

Indian intelligence agencies had provided inputs about the fugitive billionaire's new disguise.

The newspaper report also claimed that Modi, against whom a red corner notice has been issued by the Interpol, has been living in the city's West End area and has even started a new diamond business.

An extradition request against him has been pending with the UK authorities since September 2018.

Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government for its "failure" to bring the fugitive diamantaire back while he apparently thrives elsewhere.

"Today (Saturday), fugitive diamantaire 'chota Modi' Nirav Modi has been traced to London -- living a luxurious life in a Rs 75-crore flat and wearing a jacket worth 10,000 British Pound.

"Is it right, (Narendra) Modiji? First rob Rs 23,000 crore from the banks, escape the country without any problem and then ridicule the investigative agencies like the CBI and the ED?

"Impossible is possible under Modi. It seems that Modiji is running Bank Fraudster Settlement Company. In five years, Rs 1 lakh crore has been robbed by the fugitives and you were unable to catch them.

"You promised to bring back Rs 80,000 crore black money but instead you allowed Rs 1 lakh crore to be robbed from the banks. It is because Modi hai to mumkin hai (Impossible is possible, under Modi)," he said.
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California man told of impending death via video- link



San Francisco, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2019



A septuagenarian Californian learned of his impending death through a video link, outraging his family, which protested the dehumanized and robotic way in which the news was delivered.

Ernest Quintana received the news last Monday in a hospital in Fremont when a doctor appeared on-screen and told him. He passed away the following day.

"That Robot Dr. May be ok for some situations but not to tell a Man he is going to Die," a family friend wrote in a Facebook post that included a screenshot of a video taken by the patient's granddaughter, Annalisia Wilharm.

Wilharm was alone with her grandfather when the doctor remotely told Quintana that his lungs were failing and he would not be going home.

"We knew that it was coming and that he was very sick, but I don't think somebody should get that news delivered that way. It should've been a human being come in," Wilharm told local TV station KTVU.

As her grandfather had a hearing problem, she had to relay the news, KTVU reported.

The Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where Quintana was being treated, responded in a statement carried by US media in which it offered condolences to the family but disputed the characterization that the news was delivered by "robot."

"The use of the term 'robot' is inaccurate and inappropriate. This secure video technology is a live conversation with a physician using tele-video technology, and always with a nurse or other physician in the room," Kaiser Permanente said.

"It does not, and did not, replace ongoing in-person evaluations and conversations with a patient and family members," the center said.

"We regret falling short in meeting the patient's and family's expectations in this situation and we will use this as an opportunity to review how to improve patient experience with tele-video capabilities."
Turkey's Erdogan stands by Russia missile deal



Ankara, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2019



Turkey's deal to buy Russian S-400 missile defence systems had "nothing to do" with the security of the US, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday after a Pentagon warning.

He was speaking a day after Washington warned Ankara of "grave consequences" should the deal go ahead.

"It is very clear why Turkey has bought this air defence system, under what conditions it has bought them and how it will be used," Erdogan said in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir.

"Everyone knows that this issue has nothing to do whatsoever with NATO, the F-35 project and the security of the US," he said during the televised speech.

The "issue was not about the S-400s" but about Turkey "taking actions on its own accord", especially in Syria, he added.

Ankara's push to buy the systems from Moscow has caused tensions with its NATO ally, as Washington has raised questions over the equipment's compatibility with the alliance's established weapon systems.

The US believes the S-400 sale is part of Russian efforts to disrupt the alliance amid Western concern over Erdogan's burgeoning relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

US Defence Department spokesman Charlie Summers said on Friday there would be "grave consequences" for Turkey if it went ahead with the deal.

Turkey would withhold F-35 fighter jets or US Patriot missiles approved for sale to Ankara in December for $3.5 billion, he warned.

But Erdogan has insisted that Turkey will not cancel its plans to purchase the missiles.

Erdogan and Putin have been working closely to secure a political solution to the Syrian war under the Astana process with Iran.

Ties between Washington and Ankara meanwhile have been strained over multiple issues including US failure to extradite Pennsylvania-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Turkey accuses Gulen of ordering the 2016 failed coup, which he denies.

Relations have also been strained over US support for a Kurdish militia in Syria, which Ankara views as a "terrorist offshoot" of Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey.

Washington delivered the first F-35s to Turkey in June last year, but others the planes remain in the US while their Turkish pilots undergo training, a process which the Pentagon says could take two years.
Where is the Venezuelan crisis heading?



Caracas, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2019



As the crisis in Venezuela rages on, it remains uncertain whether President Nicolas Maduro will cling on or opposition leader Juan Guaido will secure a transition of power.

But whatever the outcome, experts say it will be the military that tips the balance.

Here are the paths analysts say the crisis could take.



- Pressure until collapse -



Guaido, who enjoys strong popular support, returned to Venezuela this week after a trip across the Colombian border to help coordinate the entry of humanitarian aid -- a failed effort Maduro had blasted as a precursor to US military intervention.

The self-declared interim president -- recognized by over 50 countries, including the United States -- avoided arrest upon his return, despite the fact he had violated a travel ban.

Back on home soil, he vowed to ramp up protests and continue to make life difficult for Maduro -- namely by calling public sector strikes and asking the European Union to tighten sanctions on the socialist government.

This kind of pressure could push military leaders to embrace Guaido and "collapse the regime, paving the way for a transition with elections," Michael Shifter, of Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue, told AFP.

"So far there are few signs that this is happening, but it's possible."

But first, sanctions implemented by US President Donald Trump -- including a fuel embargo -- would make life even harder for Venezuelans. That creates the potential to taint Guaido's image, said analyst Luis Vicente Leon, of Venezuela's Datanalisis.

In fact, some -- including political scientist Luis Salamanca -- believe Maduro is betting on a strategy of "attrition" from Guaido.



- Political-military negotiation -



Maduro's approval rating has dwindled to just 14 percent, according to Datanalisis -- but the loyalty of the military stands strong.

In a bid to rob Maduro of one remaining saving grace, Guaido has offered military members amnesty if they defect -- unless they are accused of crimes against humanity.

Guaido says around 700 military members and police officials have broken from Maduro in recent weeks, although no high-ranking personnel.

Getting commanding officials on side would require "specific guarantees" for those implicated in corruption and human rights violations -- not to mention with economic interests.

"A transition like this would take longer, but it would increase the likelihood of it not being violent," according to Shifter.

Leon believes soldiers fear being decimated by a new government or failing in a rebellion against Maduro, so any amnesty must be "negotiated face to face."

That could lead to a solution such as a set-up in which "the military retains control of its forces as a guarantee of self-protection," he suggested.

An International Contact Group on Venezuela -- made up of EU and Latin American countries -- has pushed for government-opposition talks. So far, however, that has not moved forward.



- Coup or invasion -



A third scenario could see the military break from Maduro and organize elections -- or overthrow him in a traditional coup, according to Shifter.

"The scenario of military intervention, led by the United States, seems less and less likely -- but it can't be ruled out, depending on how the situation develops," he said.

Guaido asked the Lima Group -- the primarily Latin American bloc that recognizes his leadership -- to consider all options, but it declined to intervene via force.

However, for analyst Diego Moya-Ocampos of IHS Markits, intervention is still on the table for two reasons.

The first is the "magnitude and scale" of humanitarian crisis -- and second is the possibility that Maduro "could attack Guaido or (opposition-controlled) parliament."

But Leon warned intervention could unleash the same type of chaotic violence from Maduro-loyal squads seen during the failed bid to bring in aid.

And regional conflict -- featuring Colombian guerrillas operating in borderlands -- is not beyond the realm of possibility either, Shifter said.
Aide says Trump would be 'disappointed' by a N.Korea test



Washington, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2019



Donald Trump's national security advisor said Sunday that the US president would be "pretty disappointed" if North Korea conducted a new missile test, but he refused to confirm reports that such a test may be near.

John Bolton appeared notably cautious when asked on ABC's "This Week" about a report that satellite imagery appears to show preparations at a North Korean site for the possible launch of a missile or space rocket.

"I would rather not get into the specifics on that," he said. "I'm not going to speculate on what that particular commercial satellite picture shows."

On Friday, the website of NPR posted a satellite image that the public broadcaster said showed intense activity around the North's Sanumdong site, where missiles and satellite-launching rockets have previously been assembled.

NPR quoted an expert on the North's weapons programs, Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, as saying, "When you put all that together, that's really what it looks like when the North Koreans are in the process of building a rocket."

Trump, who once warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury" if it threatened the US, has been trying to negotiate the North's denuclearization with its leader Kim Jong Un, but their recent Hanoi summit ended in failure.

Since then, Trump has been cautious in his prognostications, continuing to suggest a deal remains possible.

He said Kim promised in Hanoi that he would do no more missile or nuclear testing, adding, "I take him at his word."

Bolton declined to say whether the US was aware at the time of the Hanoi summit of any suspect satellite imagery from North Korea.

But he sent a strong signal to the North that it cannot escape US scrutiny.

"We see exactly what they are doing," he said. "We see it unblinkingly, and we don't have any illusions about what those are."

Bolton said he was "not aware of any" contact with the North since the Hanoi summit but was expecting an update Monday from his South Korean counterpart.

He said time remains on Washington's side, adding that the president "is not under pressure to make any deal. He wants to make the right deal."

With North Korea still under economic sanctions, "the leverage is on our side right now, and not on North Korea's."
Ex-defence minister charged with corruption in Cameroon



Yaounde, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2019



Former defence minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo'o, once tipped to succeed Cameroon President Paul Biya, has been charged with diverting public funds and corruption, legal sources said Sunday.

"Mr Mebe Ngo'o is suspected of diverting public money and corruption," an official of the Special Criminal Tribunal told AFP.

Mebe Ngo'o was put in provisional detention on Friday and sent to the central prison in the capital Yaounde, the official added.

"He was locked up along with the deputy director of a bank, a Treasury inspector and an army colonel," he said.

A fifth person was still being questioned in the same investigation.

The former minister was summoned Tuesday to the tribunal, which deals with major corruption cases, and detained.

Mebe Ngo'o was sacked from the government last year where he served from 2015 as transport minister after spending the six previous years at defence.

Cameroonian journalist Jules Koum Koum, who died in a road accident, had in 2010 investigated an alleged over-billing scandal for military uniforms at the defence ministry when Mebe Ngo'o was minister.

Before joining the government, he had led the police force and run the presidency's civil office.
US 'optimistic' France, Britain will join stay-behind Syria force



Washington, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2019



The United States is "very optimistic" that France and Britain will participate in a residual force that US President Donald Trump wants to leave in Syria, his national security advisor said Sunday.

"Certainly in conversations this past week with my British and French counterparts, I'm very optimistic that they're going to participate," John Bolton said, in an interview with ABC's "This Week."

"It hasn't happened formally yet, but they're looking at it," he said, adding that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joe Dunford, is working to set up the force.

Bolton insisted there was no contradiction between Trump's assertion that the caliphate declared by the Islamic State group has been eliminated 100 percent, and the assessment of the top US commander in the Middle East, who told Congress last week the fight is "far from over."

"The president has been, I think, as clear as clear can be when he talks about the defeat of the ISIS territorial caliphate," Bolton said.

"He has never said that the elimination of the territorial caliphate means the end of ISIS in total. We know that's not the case."

"But one reason that the president has committed to keeping an American presence in Iraq and a small part of an observer force in Syria is against the possibility that there would be a real resurgence of ISIS, and we would then have the ability to deal with that if that arose."

Trump abruptly announced in December the immediate and complete withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops deployed in northeastern Syria, declaring victory against IS, or ISIS as it is also known.

Then, under pressure from Congress and the Pentagon, he agreed to leave a residual force of some 200 US troops, which he wants to be reinforced by allies in the anti-IS coalition.

An objective of the international force is to guarantee the security of its Syrian Kurd allies. Turkey, a NATO member, views the Kurdish combatants as terrorists, and the Europeans fear they would be vulnerable if Ankara launched an offensive.
Iran's Zarif in Iraq ahead of president's visit



Baghdad, March 10 (AFP) Mar 10, 2019



Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Baghdad to prepare the ground for his country's president, Hassan Rouhani, who will begin his first official visit to Iraq on Monday.

Baghdad has been under pressure from Washington to limit ties with its neighbour, particularly after the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and hit Tehran with sanctions.

Speaking in a joint press conference with Iraq's top diplomat Mohammed Ali al-Hakim, Zarif said Sunday they had held "very good discussions".

The Iranian foreign minister thanked Iraq for having "refused the injust and illegal sanctions imposed on the Iranian people" in reference to the US measures.

Iraq was given limited waivers to continue buying electricity and natural gas to generate it from Iran, with Washington calling on it to partner with US companies to become energy independent.

After Turkey, Iran is the top supplier of imported goods to Iraq, and Rouhani said his discussions with Hakim covered sectors including trade and health.

Iran and Iraq plan to raise annual bilateral trade to $20 billion from the current level of $12 billion, according to Rouhani. The bulk of the trade balance is tilted toward Iran with gas and energy exports.

During his visit Rouhani is set to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, President Barham Salih and the country's chief Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, according to Iran government's website.

"Rouhani is coming to discuss... trade between the countries (and) the issue of easing trade exchanges in Iraqi local currency and finding other ways, like Germany and Britain, to adopt an alternative European currency to circumvent US sanctions," Iraqi political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi told AFP.

"In addition, there are electricity, water and other files," he added.
El-Aaiun (Occupied Territories), March 9, 2019 (SPS) - Moroccan forces on Friday intervened violently against Sahrawi women who went out to demonstrate in the occupied capital of Western Sahara, El-Aaiun, on International Women's Day.



The occupation forces have besieged Sahrawi women in the area of the so-called Colomina before they intervened violently, which led to many casualties among some of them with serious injuries.



Morocco has a black record in targeting Sahrawi women and violating their rights. (SPS)



062/SPS/TRA
Fueled by the insatiable appetite of the Chinese Government to build, build, build; ASX iron ore miners led Australia on an unprecedented mining boom, with the price of iron ore eclipsing US$180 per tonne in early 2011. The price softened in 2012, leading to some opining the boom was about to end, with others in the investment world disagreeing.

By 2014 the death of the mining boom was a more frequent topic in the financial news, with the price dropping to a low just north of US$40 per tonne in early 2015.



>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter


Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins deliberation with deputies from Fujian Province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Sunday afternoon joined deliberation with deputies from Fujian Province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

"[We] should create a favorable development environment for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

China should seek momentum from reform and opening up, unleash to the maximum the whole society's power for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity, and keep improving the country's influence and competitiveness in a world that is undergoing profound changes, Xi said.

Xi stressed creating favorable conditions for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and young people, and establishing an acceleration mechanism for high-tech companies.

He urged solid implementation of the policies and measures to encourage, guide and support the development of the private sector.

Fujian must leverage the combined strengths of the special economic zone, pilot free trade zone, comprehensive experimental zone and the core zone of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and keep exploring new approaches, Xi said.

Xi called for efforts to explore new ways for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should enhance economic and trade cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, energy and resource exchanges, and shared industry standards, he said.

Cross-Strait cooperation and cultural exchanges should be strengthened, he added.

Xi stressed the importance of implementing the people-centered development concept in the work on Taiwan, urging efforts to benefit Taiwan compatriots in the same way as people on the mainland are served.

He encouraged listening to the voice of Taiwan compatriots and research on what other policies and measures can be introduced to bring them benefits.

Xi said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, and it is necessary to ensure that no one in the country's old revolutionary base areas falls behind in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

He called for adherence to targeted poverty alleviation and efforts to identify the root causes of poverty to enhance the effectiveness of anti-poverty measures.

More efforts should be put into coordinating economic development with ecological protection, Xi said.
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Today

Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this morning. High -5C. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with light snow developing after midnight. Low -8C. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.


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She is valour, strong, versatile, and against all odds, she conquers; She is a woman! Worldwide, women have been recently celebrated for taking manly duties while maintaining their motherly nature. Taking up impossible tasks and changing the world in this world which had been labelled as a mans world.



They have fought for their rights and yes, they claimed their freedom by doing so.

International Womens Day, which was celebrated on Friday, was set aside to celebrate women of all nations, women who have persevered through intense situations to have their goals into realisation.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, and many more women who inspire young girls and women. Not only was International Womens Day celebrated by individuals but also, entities like the newly-formed foundation known as SEM Cares Foundation, April has taken the initiative to also celebrate Womens Day in support of 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.



As we might all know that International Womens Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the Socialist Party of America, United Kingdoms Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for womens equality.

According to the founder Larry Lukhele, their organisations mission is to mentor the youth into becoming changed agents in their own lives and provide support services. Thus we believe we have the power to send the right message as the Eswatini Youth in support of the global initiative.



SEM is a national title for people including boys and girls who are hired to provoke consumers demand for a product, service, or brand by directly interacting with potential consumers. They took the initiative of mentoring young women and channelling them according to their woman heroes.



STYLE took the initiative to sit down with the young women and find out who inspired them in celebration of the women victors.






Trade and commercial disputes have consistently caused disruptions in China-U.S. relations in recent years, but geopolitical rivalry in the South China Sea is another bone of contention between the two big powers that's never far from the surface.

On March 1, the issue came to the fore after Singapore's defense minister Dr Ng Eng Hen announced in Parliament that the country plans to buy up to 12 F-35 stealth jets from the U.S.

Speculation soon followed that such a move is "indicative of growing concerns within Asia regarding China's regional ambitions," with an article on CNN hinting at Singapore's fear of China's "aggressiveness" in the South China Sea. The article also suggested that a deal would further deepen the divide between Beijing and Washington.



A Martin F-35B fighter jet on display during the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre, February 7, 2018, in Singapore. /VCG Photo

However, such a claim is simply a reflection of a common tendency by some to overplay China's security threat and to try to link every change in Southeast Asia security situation with China-U.S. rivalry. Regarding the Singapore purchase, Chinese experts dispute the claim that it is targeted at China or is associated with the South China Sea issue.

They point out that Singapore is not one of the disputing parties in the territorial disputes regarding the South China Sea, which mainly involve Brunei, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. According to Cheng Hanping, senior researcher at the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, it is a far-fetched idea that this major weapon procurement is a reaction to China's handling of the issue.

Instead, the decision should be examined in the broader context of the country's defense policy, experts advised. As a city-state that has a territory of only 721.5 km and a population of 5 million people, Singapore actively seeks to build a robust national defense with "its policy placing 'self-defense' at the core," or "deterrence and diplomacy" in the official wording, according to Tang Qifang, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

Its turbulent relations with its neighbors in the past, most notably Malaysia with which Singapore has frequently squabbled over maritime and airspace disputes since its separation from the former in 1965, also weighs heavily in its defense strategy. Therefore, "If anything, this move is more likely to be seen as a deterrence to Malaysia, rather than defiance of China," said Cheng.

Moreover, Singapore's close relationship with the U.S. is nothing new. Traditionally it has been in a strong military alliance with America and hosts one of its overseas navy facilities, even though it has been careful enough not to openly label the relationship as one of allies. Given its lack of land to train troops, Singapore has had to resort to acquiring high-end military weapons, with the U.S as the main supplier. Experts believe that buying F-35s is consistent with the strategy and there is no need to read too much into the decision.



Then U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis (C) speaks to a Singaporean military official during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) security summit in Singapore on October 20, 2018.

Zhou Chenming, a military commentator at Phoenix TV, also said that even though Singapore's real intention behind acquiring such weapons that can initiate offensive attacks have not been crystal clear "as the country has not faced the kind of threat that would make such purchases necessary in recent years," it is better not to jump to conclusions too quickly and "we need more time to find out."

Nevertheless, the experts are wary of some of the possible repercussions of a combat aircraft deal.

According to Zhou, the U.S. wants to beef up its military presence in the South China Sea, and Singapore's purchase may give it opportunities to do so, given the close military cooperation between the two countries.

He added, however, that chances of big clashes between China and the U.S. in the region are slim and the status quo in the region should be maintained in the coming years.

There is also room for potential disruptive effects to the regional security balance. "It will certainly raise some eyebrows among regional countries," Cheng said.

The reason is simple. With its vast economic wealth, the Southeast Asian powerhouse has been able to achieve a military prowess that far outweighs what its size would suggest. For example, Zhou said that Singapore already possesses the best air force and navy in the region and the purchase of F-35 fighter jets which have "advanced situational awareness and mission systems," would be the icing on the cake.

That will cause concern for other regional powers especially Malaysia and Indonesia. "Regional countries may follow suit, potentially exacerbating underlying tensions in the region and triggering an arms race," he said.
MBABANE - Are head teachers using school funds willy-nilly or do they have total disregard of government accounting procedures?



The Auditor General Timothy Shongwe discovered that over E35 million school funds were allegedly used on expenditure that was unauthorised or unsupported.



The AG revealed this in his report for the year ended March 31, 2018, which was tabled in Parliament during the budget speech presentation. Shongwe said 13 schools had E20 342 549.20 unauthorised expenditure. He said this indicated that head teachers and chairpersons exercised unfettered powers in the use of school funds.

This promotes fruitless and wasteful expenditure and misappropriation of school funds by the head teachers, he said.



UNSUPPORTED EXPENDITURE



He alleged that 16 of the audited schools were found to have unsupported expenditure amounting to E14 986 326.60 in the years under review.

This was caused by that most head teachers paid individuals instead of suppliers, and the lack of supervision and control checks by the school committee, he said.

These allegations are contained in a report which is yet to be debated and adopted in Parliament.



One such school is Dvokolwako High School which is under the Manzini Region. The AG alleged that cheque payments amounting to E1 198 547.43 and E1 549 281.00 in the fiscal years 2015 and 2016 respectively, were not supported with the required documents, which include quotations, contracts, delivery notes, invoices, receipts, and the actual cheque.



Furthermore, in the same financial years, cheque payments amounting to E723 618.60 and E 1 105 184.41 respectively, were made to individuals and there were no supporting documents, Shongwe noted.

This brings the total unsupported amount to E4 576 631.44.



The AG stated that the head teacher violated Section 13.0 of the Schools Accounting Regulations, which required that the head teacher will record all expenditure incurred by the school and ensure that payment vouchers are supported with accounting source documents such as quotations, contracts, delivery notes, invoices, receipts, and the actual cheque.



The unsupported expenditure was caused by the fact that most of these payments were made to individuals instead of companies. This was in violation of the Financial and Accounting Instruction 0815, which requires, that a cheque payment to a company will be drawn in favour of the firm or company and not to any individual of the company, he said.



Shongwe stated that this implies lack of enforcement of the Schools Accounting Regulations and the Procurement Regulations by the Ministry of Education and Training and by the School Committee due to inadequate knowledge about Government Regulations; and lack of supervision and control checks in the entire process of the management of schools funds.



He said the non-supporting of expenditure derailed the audit trail and made it impossible to ascertain if the expenditure actually occurred and was indeed for educational purposes.

It compromises accountability and transparency on the use of school funds, and also encourages wasteful expenditure and misuse of school funds, he alleged.



He alleged that at Mater Dolorosa High School, he noted that the head teacher incurred expenditure amounting to E3 395 932.05 and E1 739 126.88 in the fiscal years 2015 and 2016 respectively, without approval by the School Committee.

This translates to over E5 million in unauthorised expenditure. He said in some occurrences, the expenditure was reported to the School Committee after the money had already been utilised, which violate the regulation.

The head teacher exercised unfettered powers to spend school funds without the approval of the School Committee, he said.



He said in reference to school, the Schools Accounting Regulations, Section 12.2, which requires that each expenditure of E2 000 or above from the school fund must be authorised by the School Committee and be recorded was violated.

I noted with concern that, this was caused by lack of enforcement of the Schools Accounting Regulations by the School Committee and deliberate flouting of laid-down regulations by the head-teacher. This promotes fruitless expenditure and misappropriation of school funds by the head teacher. The school funds might be used for non-educational purposes and may not be accounted for by the head teacher, he said.
MBABANE  Late business mogul Victor Gamedze surely left a fortune! Even before the deceased entrepreneurs estate is distributed among beneficiaries as it awaits the outcome of legal processes, one of his properties has already been disposed of.



Gamedzes wife, Lungile Hotencia Gamedze, has sold a piece of land to a members of Parliament (MPs)pension scheme chaired by the late businessmans friend, MP Marwick Khumalo, for a price of E12 million.

The land, which measures 1.3480 hectares, is situated in Ezulwini near Corner Plaza and Cash Build Hardware on the stretch where Lungiles father, the late Prince Makhungu, has a homestead.



Documents seen by the Times SUNDAY show that the princess sold the property to the Members of Parliament and Designated Office Bearers Pension Fund (MOPADO) on August 23, 2018.

She sold the property in her capacity as a trustee of Madlenya Trust.



During a meeting of the beneficiaries in Gamedzes estate last month, Lungile is reported to have tried, without luck, to be appointed co-executor of her husbands assets.

She reportedly wanted to be co-executor because there was a trust formed by the late businessman which she wanted to be appointed a trustee of.

She is said to have indicated that this trust had Gamedzes properties.



At the time of putting this paper to bed, it had not been ascertained whether assets held under Madlenya Trust were part of Gamedzes estate.

Prominent lawyer Derrick Jele, who was last month appointed executor of the estate, replacing big shot senior attorney Sidumo Mdladla, said he had no comment when approached for clarity on the trusts status in as far as the estate is concerned.

This publication understands that Lungile has made a huge profit from the sale of the land because when her husband acquired it in 2011, it cost him E2.5 million.



Also, the valuation roll of the Ezulwini Municipal Council as at 2014/2015 financial year indicates that the property is currently valued at E2.5 million.

A valuation roll is a database in which the municipality stores the municipal valuations of all properties recorded on that particular roll.



When Gamedze bought the property from a high-ranking politician in 2011, the municipality had valued it at E500 000.

An official within the municipality clarified that the municipal value is not necessarily equivalent to market value.

He said the municipality uses the valuation roll for rating purposes.



Section 13(1) of the Ratings Act of 1995 states that the basis for the valuation of land shall be the market value of such land and any improvements thereon.

The Act defines market value as the amount for which immovable property maybe sold or purchased in an open market transaction on a date of valuation.



Valuation at market value



Vusi Matsebula, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ezulwini Municipal Council, said the basis of the valuation is market value and this value is determined at a certain time and kept in the books of the municipality for a period of five years.

During the period, the value may change up or down depending on the markets. A property valued at E1 million in 2014 will have a different value now (2019) and the rating figure will still be E1 million until replaced by another value after a general valuation, the CEO explained.


An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, the airline said, and there were no survivors, according to the state broadcaster.

The flight left Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38 am local time, before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44 am.

"There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries," said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, quoting an unidentified source at the airline.

Flight ET 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said, adding that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 MAX, registration number ET-AVJ.

That model number does not exist however and multiple aviation websites later identified the plane as a new 737 MAX 8, the same plane that crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189.

"Search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," the airline said in a statement.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after take off, said flight tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

At Nairobi airport, many relatives of passengers were waiting at the gate, with no information from airport authorities.

"We\re just waiting for my mum. We\re just hoping she took a different flight or was delayed. She\s not picking up her phone," said Wendy Otieno, clutching her phone and weeping.

Robert Mutanda, 46, was waiting for his brother-in-law coming from Canada.

"No, we haven\t seen anyone from the airline or the airport," he told Reuters at 1pm, more than three hours after the flight was lost. "Nobody has told us anything, we are just standing here hoping for the best."

The Ethiopian prime minister\s office sent condolences via Twitter to the families of those lost in the crash.

On Oct. 29, a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

The plane is the latest version of the 737 family, the worlds best selling modern passenger aircraft and one of the industrys most reliable.

State-owned Ethiopian is one of the biggest carriers on the continent by fleet size. It said previously that it expected to carry 10.6 million passengers last year. [nL8N1XX14P]

Its last major crash was in January 2010, when a flight from Beirut went down shortly after take-off.

SOURCE: REUTERS
The Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), the investment development agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, has kicked off its 2019 Global Promotional Investment Program with a visit to major US cities.



The tour, in line with Dubais continuing leadership to attract investments from key global markets, began on March 9 and will run until March 16.



The mission is scheduled to visit Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado in the US, said a statement.



The tour is aimed towards strengthening bilateral relations with one of the most important global economic powers while also opening new markets in line with Dubais vision to promote economic diversification, it said.



The organisation of the Promotional Investment Mission falls in line with Dubai FDIs continuing efforts to establish partnerships with international investors--enabling them to expand and sustain their business through Dubai and highlight the opportunities for partnership and knowledge between the UAE and the US in the field of investment and exports.



This is the second time that Dubai FDI will be holding a promotional investment mission to these cities.



A total of 18 senior executives from key sectors are scheduled to participate in the Promotional Investment Mission, which is led by the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI) and also including key agencies like the Dubai Exports, Dubai Science Park, Dubai South, Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), The Emirates Group, US-UAE Business Council and UAE diplomatic representatives in the US.



The new mission continues to demonstrate Dubais strong capabilities as an ideal hub and gateway for businesses in the US keen to expand their reach in the UAE and the Middle East.



The mission focuses on promoting the opportunities and significant advantages available in the local market, including vital sectors that contribute to achieving the targets of Dubais industrial plan 2030 such as advanced manufacturing industries, including aerospace and medical life sciences, as well as food products, logistics and other fast-moving consumer goods.



Fahad Al Gergawi, chief executive officer, Dubai FDI, said: We are convinced that Los Angeles and Denver hold exciting prospects for mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships between Dubai and the US.



Los Angeles is already a major exporter of varied agricultural produce, transportation equipment, computers, and electrical products as well as services in the software, legal and academic domains to the UAE. Denver also presents a rich platform to capitalise on Dubais focus on innovation, services and high-tech industries, over and above our existing trade and investment partnerships, he said.



Al Gergawi continued: During this mission, we hope that we will be able to showcase the opportunities offered by Dubai to foreign investors--where the emirate not only offers global communication opportunities but also an environment conducive to doing business for international companies working in different sectors and to show how US companies, particularly those working in export and business development, through leveraging from the many competitive advantages that encourage investment in Dubai as a regional or sub-regional centre for its business.



A major advantage for Dubai and the UAE is the stability and security we have continued to enjoy, and the government has built on those unique positives to develop a competitive business environment of which ease of doing business, transparency and accountability are the cornerstones. As a result, investors globally have expressed a growing confidence in Dubai, he added.



Engineer Saed Al Awadi, chief executive officer, Dubai Exports, the exports development promotion agency of Dubai and one of the participants, said: The US is an important market for Dubai and we do always support this type of activities.



US is one of the top five strategic trade partners for Dubai, and we do believe that the country is well located to be a gateway for US to reach other markets through, he said.



Al Awadi added: There is an also a strong trade in services as well as collaboration between companies in the two geographies. We see Dubai well placed to allow US companies to expand into the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region from the emirate whilst allowing the UAE companies to benefit excellent connectivity to capitalise on opportunities in the Americas.



The Dubai delegations previous Promotional Investment Mission to LA was a key success, which sought to follow on a recently signed MoU with Los Angeles City, and is currently performing well in vital sectors including electric vehicles, video games, e-commerce, IT and social media, academia, healthcare, clean technologies and sustainability, media and creative industries, among others.



In 2017, exports to the UAE from LA was valued at $834.6 million while from the state of California, it reached to $1.516 billion.



In Denver, the group will further extend its talks on current agreement signed under a MoU with the City of Denver, including ongoing discussions with Emirates airline. Denver is known for its strength in key industries such as aerospace, broadcast and telecommunications, healthcare and wellness, financial services, bioscience, energy, and IT-software.



The US Department of Commerces latest data shows that the inter-regional trade volume between the UAE and US reached $21.8 billion from January to November 2018, with US exports to the UAE being valued at $17.2 billion.



Meanwhile, UAEs exports to the US have amounted to $4.6 billion during the same period. The Global Promotional Investment Program is a continuing initiative aimed at attracting investments and promoting Dubai as one of the most important investment destinations in the region and the world.



Topmost executives among the delegates include Fahad AlGergawi, CEO, Dubai FDI; Saed AlAwadi, CEO, Dubai Exports; Abdulla AlSaboosi, Consul General, UAE Consulate General; Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC; Marwan Abdulaziz, CEO, Dubai Science Park; Tahnoon Saif, CEO Aviation, Dubai South; Mohsen Ahmad, CEO Logistics, Dubai South; Karim Gamal, UAE Embassy, Washington; Ibrahim Ahli, director Investment Promotion, Dubai FDI; Al Hinton, Advisor, Dubai FDI; Jamal Marghoob, senior sales director, Dafza; Kalyani Ravi (Denver only), senior sales executive, Emirates PNR; Veronica Cuevas (LA only), senior sales executive, Emirates PNR; John Lieu, (LA only), senior sales executive, Emirates PNR; Jannie Davel, vice president commercial cargo, Emirates SkyCargo; Danny Sebright, president, US-UAE Business Council.



The latest data from the Dubai FDI Monitor indicates that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from the US into Dubai in 2018 reached Dh14.3 billion ($3.9 billion), with a total of 121 projects for US foreign direct investment--making the US the topmost investor in both terms.



The data also reveals that foreign direct investment (FDI) from the US was concentrated in the accommodation and food service sectors, retail and wholesale trade, administration of support services, software publishers, and management of companies and enterprises.  TradeArabia News Service
Viva Bahrain and Etisalat have signed a partnership to utilise Etisalats state-of-the-art SmartHub to establish global connectivity that will further expand Vivas reach globally.

Mohammed Al Khushail, acting CEO of Viva Bahrain, and Ali Amiri, Etisalat Group chief carrier & wholesale officer, signed the agreement at the Capacity Middle East 2019, the largest Middle East meeting for global carrier community.

Etisalat SmartHub is a carrier-grade data centre that is strategically located at Etisalat submarine cable landing in Fujairah, offering seamless regional and international connectivity. SmartHub is the ideal solution offering IX & IPX exchanges for carriers and content providers, as well as mobile network operators delivering high performance and reliability, a statement said.

Al Khushail said: Viva is honoured to sign this strategic partnership with Etisalat. Such agreements are important milestones to our global expansion strategy where we strengthen Viva Bahrains position as a dynamic carrier with global reach. This partnership will enable us to connect directly with tier 1 international carriers, reinforcing our global reach and international services portfolio to better serve our business customers around the world.

Amiri said: Etisalat is honoured to have added yet another major telecom services operator into our expanding portfolio of customers, and we look forward to a continued long and mutually beneficial relationship with Viva Bahrain. This partnership will add greater value to the SmartHub platform further enriching our global network and connectivity propositions. - TradeArabia News Service
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is marking International Womens Day this year with its first flight staffed by an all-female flight crew, highlighting the integral role played by its female staff members in technical, operational and leadership positions.

More than 30 Etihad Airways women showcased their aviation skills and expertise during Etihads first ever all-female flight on flight EY017 from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Londons Heathrow International Airport on Friday (March 8).

French Captain Sophie Blanchard and Irish Captain Faela Stevenson piloted the Airbus A380 along with First Officers Pirre Susana Leese from Finland and Liesbeth Baldewijns from Belgium. The flight deck worked hand in hand with the 19-member all-female Cabin Crew team from 13 nationalities, on the flight of 398 guests.

Etihad Aviation Group VP (Corporate Affairs) Amina Taher said: "At Etihad, we dont just connect places - we connect people. On International Womens Day, were so proud to have thousands of strong, ambitious and talented women working with us across the entire value chain both above and below the wing in areas including operations, cargo, and engineering, as well as specialised functions such as aviation law, medicine and finance."

"We invite our daughters, sisters, colleagues and friends to join us in continuing to ensure that gender diversity is well represented across our industry, here and globally. To women and men everywhere, Happy International Womens Day from Etihad Aviation Group," stated Taher.

The operation brought together women in roles including pilots and cabin crew, engineers, technicians, a technical safety manager, a flight dispatcher and a load controller.

Travellers to Abu Dhabi International Airport were able to see artwork featuring four of Etihads inspiring women as they journeyed through the nations capital.

Fatima Alkharousi is head of Terminal Operations. Since joining Etihad in 2009, she has held management positions in London, Singapore and Sydney before becoming the airlines first female airport manager in Nagoya, Japan.

She now leads Etihads terminal operations at Abu Dhabi International Airport, ensuring everything runs smoothly and safely for the airline in its busy hub.

First Officer Flavia Lucilio flies Etihads Airbus A320 aircraft. One of Etihads 78 female pilots, she became a qualified pilot at 19 after falling in love with the aviation industry thanks to her father who was also a pilot, and joined Etihad in 2016.

Carmen Paraschiv, the duty manager in the airlines buzzing Network Operations Centre, takes on the demanding task of overseeing the global flow of aircraft, crew and customers.

Working at the heart of Etihads operations, Carmens highly pressured role requires the ability to make quick, informed decisions and respond to changing needs at a moments notice.

Sara Hasan Al Hashmi is a Technical Engineering Trainee with Etihad Airways Engineering. At 26 years of age, Sara is one of 70 female UAE nationals on the intense engineer training programme working in its state-of-the-art facilities on one of the most modern fleets in the world.

The four women featured in the artwork represent a handful of the 150-plus nationalities in the Etihad family and showcase just a small cross-section of the career paths at Etihad Aviation Group, including highly skilled technical, operational and leadership roles.

Women landing in Abu Dhabi were treated to a welcome card and flowers to mark the global occasion, while guests travelling outbound from Abu Dhabi on board Etihad Airways flights heard a welcome announcement on board celebrating the day.

March 8 is also the anniversary of the first woman to receive a pilots licence: the French aviator Elise Raymonde de Laroche in 1910, making it a doubly appropriate day for Etihads all-female achievement in the skies.

Women are represented in each of the aviation and travel groups seven business divisions, and over half of Etihads UAE national staff are female.-TradeArabia News Service
Star Alliance customers travelling from the Dutch capital can look forward to a new premium lounge experience at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.



The new Star Alliance Lounge will welcome eligible First and Business Class passengers and Star Alliance Gold Card holders as well as eligible paid lounge members of the Air Canada Maple Leaf Worldwide Club and United Club programmes as of March 8th onwards.



The lounge is located airside in the Departures 2, Schengen Area on the Panorama terrace level. Easy access is provided to the departure gates for Alliance member carrier flights to European destinations in the Schengen Zone*.



All Star Alliance branded lounges are designed to provide a unique local experience. Working with D-Dock, an Amsterdam-based architectural design firm, has allowed Star Alliance to infuse the local essence of Amsterdam into the new lounge. The elegant and contemporary design is inspired by the ever-changing Dutch skies and landscapes and features furniture creations and decoration pieces of original Dutch design.



Free wi-fi is available throughout the lounge, and a mix of standard and USB power outlets ensure that customers can recharge their electronic devices.



Facilities include a luggage storage area, individual work booths, communal work table, dining area, bar area, relaxation area and a wine bar. Amenities feature a serviced bar during afternoon hours, beer on tap, a complimentary buffet with hot and cold meal options, flight information, business services such as printing and scanning, complimentary reading material and personal care amenities upon request.



The lounge can accommodate up to 150 guests and will open daily from 5.30am to 9.30pm, depending on the Star Alliance (Schengen) flight schedule.



Star Alliance has set itself the overall goal of improving the customers travel experience. Offering a premium lounge product is an integral part of this strategy. Our new Amsterdam Lounge expands the network of Star Alliance branded lounges to eight and offers our customers flying from De Dam a state-of-the-art lounge experience, said Christian Draeger, vice president Customer Experience, Star Alliance.



At Schiphol, Star Alliance has partnered with Aspire Netherlands (A Swissport company) who also developed and operates the adjacent common use Aspire Lounge, and Royal Schiphol Group, in creating the first dedicated alliance lounge at the airport.



We are delighted to partner with Star Alliance in bringing its latest addition of Star Alliance branded lounges to the Dutch capital, where customers will be able to enjoy Aspires proclaimed hospitality and services. We believe that the combination of its intelligent design, comprehensive offering and local feel, the new Star Alliance Lounge will elevate customer experience to a whole new level, said Menno Biersma, CEO of Swissport.



Andre van den Berg, chief commercial officer of Royal Schiphol Group, added: We are committed to providing our passengers with a carefree and enjoyable travel experience. The Star Alliance Lounge is an attractive addition to the offering at Schiphol airport, which contributes positively to our customer proposition and allows passengers to take joy in their journey already before they board their flight.



The lounge primarily serves eligible customers departing on flights operated by Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Swiss, and TAP Air Portugal. Customers departing on other Star Alliance member carrier flights are also welcome but must take note that the lounge is located in the Schengen departures area before passport control. In total, 16 Star Alliance member carriers serve Amsterdam, providing non-stop service to 23 destinations in 18 countries.



Star Alliance offers passengers travelling in First or Business Class on any of its 28 member carriers or those holding Star Alliance Gold status or Paid Lounge Membership from Air Canada Maple Leafe Worldwide or United Club access to more than 1.000 lounges across the entire global network. In addition to member airlines own lounges and those operated by third parties, Star Alliance now offers eight Star Alliance branded lounges around the world located at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE), Los Angeles (LAX), Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Nagoya (NGO), Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG), Rome Fiumicino (FCO), and Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU).



Star Alliance lounges give guests a uniquely local airport experience with personalised attention. The Star Alliance Lounge LAX has been awarded by Skytrax as worlds best alliance lounge every year since 2015. Star Alliance was the first alliance to offer alliance lounges to better satisfy customer needs, primarily in major non-hub locations where it is adequate for member carriers to concentrate their lounge offering in order to offer a highly competitive product.



Moreover, the existing Star Alliance branded lounge in Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport will be refurbished in the coming months. The renovation will deliver a fresh and relaxing atmosphere and further enhance the travel experience of customers travelling from the French capital. - TradeArabia News Service
Singapore's decision to buy F-35 fighter jets from the US is unlikely aimed at China, and recent analyses by US media saying otherwise are ridiculous and wishful thinking, Chinese experts said.

The experts' remarks came after Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced in early March that the country plans buy up to 12 F-35 warplanes, with US news outlet CNN saying the potential purchase could cause trepidation from China.

The CNN report said that Singapore's decision is indicative of growing concerns within Asia regarding China's "regional ambitions," and quoted analysts as saying that China should see the plan as evidence that there remains strong demand in the Asia-Pacific region for a US presence.

Zhu Feng, executive director of China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea at Nanjing University, told the Global Times on Friday that "The assertion by CNN is really ridiculous. For the most part, it is merely wishful thinking by US media."

Singapore has been importing advanced US fighter jets for 30 years, and this F-35 plan is just a continuation of its traditional "small but advanced" national defense strategy, Zhu said. "I do not think this is aimed at China."

Ng said in June 2018 that Singapore was looking to replace the aging F-16 fighter jets with not only the F-35, but also China's J-20 as options, Singapore-based newspaper the Straits Times reported then.

If Singapore's new fighter plan has any intention against China, why would it list the J-20 as an option? An anonymous Chinese military expert told the Global Times on Friday.

Even the CNN report admitted that Ng did not mention China when announcing the purchase plan. He only said the jets will contribute to Singapore's ability to safeguard its sovereignty and security.

If the deal goes through, Singapore will become the fourth US ally in the Pacific to own the F-35, joining Australia, Japan and South Korea, who had bought the stealth fighter earlier, CNN reported.

But it is absurd to say this is "a message to China," because the four countries' fighter jets were originally all US-made, as they are all core allies of the US in the Asia-Pacific region, the military expert said.

Japan, South Korea and Australia's older fighters were extremely outdated and they had to upgrade, and Singapore's plan is also a normal equipment replacement, the expert noted.

However, Chinese experts also warned that the unified deployment of the F-35 in US allies benefits US operations in the Asia-Pacific region, which could bring challenges to the air defense in the South China Sea.

The F-35 is constantly linked with the US military's information network, experts said, noting that even US allies do not participate in a battle, as long as their F-35s are in the air, they can share all kinds of information with the US.
DRC: Second vicious attack on Ebola clinic

United Nations, Mar 10 (UNI) Amidst a deadly Ebola outbreak armed groups brutally attacked an Ebola treatment centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congos (DRC) eastern city of Butembo, prompting the United Nations health agencys chief chiefs call 'to protect the treatment centres'.

Just hours after the assault, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), toured the centre, which was also attacked last week, thanking personnel for their steadfast dedication.

It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and police officer who died in Saturday's attack, as we continue to mourn those who died in previous attacks, while defending the right to health", he said, adding But we have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world".
Huge consignment of foreign liquor seized from trucks

Purnea, Mar 10 (UNI) Police seized huge consignment of foreign liquor from two trucks on National Highway 31 at Fataki roundabout under Vyasi police station area in the district late last night.

Purnea police superintendent Vishal Sharma said here today that 10,620 bottles of foreign liquor were seized from two trucks when the consignment was being smuggled from West Bengal. He said that drivers of both trucks identified as Deepak Kumar and Vinod Kumar were arrested from the spot.

Police said two mobile phones and Rs 4100 in cash were recovered from the possession of truck drivers, natives of Uttar Pradesh. An intensive interrogation of outlaws was on.
Opposition rattled by surgical strike : Rajnath Singh

Unnao, Mar 10 (UNI) In a veiled attack against opposition parties, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that it is a mystery as why some leaders of opposition parties are rattled by the surgical strike II carried out by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan and have started questioning government.

The surgical strike has caught Pakistan unawares. It got the lesson it deserved. Pakistan is disturbed, which is understandable because of global condemnation it has got. But it is surprising that the IAF strike has rattled many opposition leaders and they are questioning government, he said during his interaction with farmers during a programme called Gaon mein Man ki baat in Bhagwant Nagar here on Sunday.

Some Congress and TMC leaders have asked Union Government to furnish proof of the strike.
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By WestKyStar & Baptist Health Staff

Mar. 09, 2019 | PADUCAH

By WestKyStar & Baptist Health Staff Mar. 09, 2019 | 08:54 PM | PADUCAH

To assist college students in their medical career development and to foster relationships with future physicians, Baptist Health Paducah will offer its third Baptist Health Pre-Med Academy this summer.



Fifteen students from the Jackson Purchase area will be selected.



This program will give students an inside look at medical careers to help them determine what they want to do and why, said Bradley Housman, MD, chief medical officer. Shadowing a variety of medical professionals will give them a unique perspective as they go through hospital departments, ranging from the Emergency department to Surgery.



Participation will help students network for future job opportunities and provide valuable experience for applications to graduate programs, he added.

The paid internship will average 24 hours a week for eight weeks.



Applicants need at least one semester of college credit. More information, including admission criteria, is available at www.BaptistHealthPaducah.com/Careers.



The application deadline is April 1 and notifications will be issued by April 30.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff/WKCTC

Mar. 09, 2019 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff/WKCTC Mar. 09, 2019 | 11:10 PM | PADUCAH

In 2008, stock markets around the world plunged amid growing fears of a U.S. recession, fueled by the 2007 mortgage crisis.



Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continued, and the Newseum opened its doors in Washington D.C. on April 11, 2018. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American President-elect in the United States of America.



That year also marked the beginning of West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Paducah School of Art. A little over ten years later, the college celebrated its continued success and community support for what is today known as Paducah School of Art and Design.



Dr. Barbara Veazey, WKCTC president emeritus, couldn't quite believe it had been 10 years since the college had set out to start an art school in the river city known as Paducah, Ky.



"Then it came back to me, the time, the struggles, the building on Broadway, then all of those years came flooding back," said Veazey, during the college's 10-year anniversary celebration for its PSAD on February 22-23, 2019.



"They were hard years," said Veazey, "but what wonderful years they were as we built this beautiful art program, the Paducah School of Art and Design (and) this beautiful building  it was a creation that was more than we ever dreamed of."



The revitalization of Paducah, Kentucky's historic LowerTown neighborhood began with the creation of the award-winning Artist Relocation Program in March 2000. Eight years later through a collaborative effort between the City of Paducah, WKCTC and regional interests, the vision of a world-class art school to anchor the region and the City of Paducah as an arts destination was launched.



PSAD opened in temporary studios in August 2008 at 409 Broadway in downtown Paducah and immediately exceeded expectations in growth. The school's 2-D programs, including drawing, painting and digital photography were housed in the historic high-ceilinged storefront and former department store located four blocks from Paducah's riverfront.



In 2010, WKCTC established the Commonwealth's first Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree, preparing students to transfer to a four-year university or art school with Bachelor of Fine Arts programs. WKCTC awarded its first AFA degree in May 2011



In January 2013 the first phase of a PSAD expansion process was completed with the renovation of a historic 6,700-square-foot studio building, which housed ceramics and small metals programs. The Ceramics and Small Metals Building features separate studios for wheel-throwing and hand building, glazing and electric kiln rooms, as well as three metals studios.



PSAD opened its 7,000-square-foot Sculpture Building in August 2014, creating studios for woodworking, metals fabrication and new technology.



The last of the three-building PSAD campus was once known as the Kitchens Inc. building. The 32,228-square-foot brick building was turned over by the City of Paducah to the WKCTC on October 31, 2007 for use by the art school. After being renovated, the 2D and Graphic design building opened in 2016 and houses classrooms and labs for painting, two-dimensional art, drawing, and graphics, as well as a recording room, an art gallery, and a cafe.



This year, WKCTC's art school held several events and exhibitions leading up to a February 22 reception and a February 23 block bash, which offered the community throughout Paducah and in LowerTown to participate in a host of hands-on creative and artist activities.



Dr. Anton Reece, WKCTC president for nearly three years, said the art school's 10th year milestone was not only historic but also important to recognize the economic impact the arts have on the community.



A recent state assessment of McCracken County in terms of the collective impact of the arts stated there is about $10.7 million supporting the arts within Paducah/McCracken County, Dr. Reece said. He added that the assessment also noted more than 43,000 students who have been engaged in some aspect of the arts in Paducah/McCracken County and the arts have provided about 225 full-time, part-time and contract jobs in the community.



Chris Cathers, the executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council, recently said you strengthen the value and visibility of the arts when you connect people and places where they find value.



"That's what we do here at this location," Dr. Reece said. "We connect people where they find value, value in terms of enrichment in their lives, their vocations, and their life's journey. That's what we do here at Paducah School of Art and Design."



Anne Gwinn was chair of the Paducah Junior College, Inc., the foundation for WKCTC, when the art school was officially born in 2008. With the support of the foundation, WKCTC was able to accept the former Kitchens building that was given to the college by the City of Paducah. The building eventually became the centerpiece to the art school's three-building campus. Gwinn surprised Dr. Veazey by recognizing her vision and commitment to the art school with a gift from the WKCTC.



Dr. Veazey, who retired as WKCTC president in 2016, said today's Paducah School of Art and Design was more than she ever envisioned in 2008. "I think about all that has happened in those 10 years," she said. "And you know, it was never about the college; it was always about the community and what we could do in the arts for the community and for the Commonwealth. And I think you are achieving that under the direction of Paul (Aho) and the wonderful faculty and staff who are at this college."



For more information about WKCTC's Paducah School of Art and Design, visit paducahschoolofartanddesign.org.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Mar. 10, 2019 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 10, 2019 | 09:51 AM | PADUCAH

A traffic stop early Sunday morning in McCracken County led to drug and other charges against two people.



The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says a deputy stopped a vehicle at the intersection of Irvin Cobb Drive and Wayne Sulliven Drive shortly before 1 a.m. for traffic violations. The driver, 35-year-old Casey France, reportedly pulled into a business parking lot before pulling back onto the roadway, continuing at a low speed to another local parking lot.



The deputy said he saw the passenger in the car, 22-year-old Kennedi Lee of Hickory, throwing marijuana out the window. France then got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Paducah Police officers assisted in capturing France, and took him into custody after a brief struggle.



A search of the car reportedly revealed marijuana and drug paraphernalia and open alcohol containers.



During the struggle with France, a Paducah Police Officer received minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital.



France and Lee were arrested and lodged in McCracken County Regional Jail. France is charged with second-degree fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest, third-degree assault on a police officer, DUI, second-degree wanton endangerment, and traffic offenses. Lee is charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with physical evidence.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 06, 2019 | 04:53 PM | MAYFIELD

Because the internet has practically become a necessity, many rural communities are searching for innovative ways to bring reliable broadband to their citizens. A new Broadband ReConnect grant workshop offered by the USDA Rural Development Kentucky and Tennessee State Offices, The Center for Rural Development, and West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative will soon provide valuable insight and resources to those hoping to expand broadband availability.Workshops will be held in each end of the state near the end of this month, with western Kentucky's scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th in Mayfield. Interested parties can come to the event from 10 am - 4 pm at the WK&T Technology Park.The workshops will provide information about the new $600 million USDA ReConnect Broadband Loan and Grant Program. It provides funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. The goal of the program is to build improved broadband e-Connectivity infrastructure for as many rural families, businesses, farms, schools and health care facilities as possible.ReConnect funds may be provided to rural telephone and broadband service providers, rural electric cooperatives, national and regional private companies, nonprofit organizations, and state and local government entities, but eligibility depends on state and local laws. The USDAs Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program and Community Connect Grant Program will also be discussed during the workshops.Registration for the free workshops is available online. To register for the Western Kentucky workshop on March 27th, visit https://conta.cc/2EivfAF (see link below). For those without internet access, registration can be completed by contacting Sarah Smith at The Center at 606-677-6026. More details will be coming soon and additional information can be found at https://www.usda.gov/reconnect.

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Mar. 09, 2019 | WINGO

By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 09, 2019 | 06:36 PM | WINGO

Three Graves County residents were arrested Saturday morning following an investigation into a truck reported stolen.



According to the Graves County Sheriff's Department, someone reported the truck was stolen late Friday night. While investigating, they learned that 40-year-old Jason Holmes of Farmington might have the truck, and could be armed and dangerous, since two handguns were reportedly in the truck when it was taken.



A detective spotted the truck early Saturday morning and called for assistance. Just after 5:00 am, law enforcement spoke to 36-year-old Amanda Thurman of Wingo at her apartment. She reportedly let officers inside and said Holmes was hiding in a back room. Deputies say he was found in the bathroom and was detained.



A search of the apartment was conducted, and a fanny pack was found in a closet. It allegedly contained methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia indicative of drug trafficking.



Detectives also spoke to 47-year-old Kenneth Ross of Mayfield, who was in the apartment. When he was searched, he allegedly had meth and a syringe.



All three people were arrested for trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Holmes was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle.



During booking into Graves County Jail, a search of Holmes led to seizure of a baggie of meth, so he will also be charged with promoting contraband.
Clwyd South MP meets with campaigners to discuss climate change

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 10th, 2019

Climate change was on the top of the agenda during a recent meeting between the MP for Clwyd South and a group of local campaigners.

At the meeting the Susan Elan Jones MP joined more than 179 cross-party MPs in pledging her support to a letter written to the Prime Minister which sets a target of ensuring the UK no longer contributes to climate change in a generation.

Susan Elan Jones MP, said: I was delighted to meet with the CAFOD campaigners to discuss climate change.

This is a matter of great concern to me and urgent action is needed to tackle these issues. I am also pleased to have signed the cross-party letter calling for increased UK ambition on climate change.

I have made many representations regarding environmental matters and I will continue to take a strong stance on these issues.

CAFOD volunteer, Carole OToole, said: Unless we start taking the issue of climate change really seriously, future generations are going to inherit huge problems. It is critical that society embraces the challenges of climate change.

Today we have had a positive conversation with Susan Elan Jones, who has committed to raising awareness of these issues in parliament. We owe it to future generations to safeguard the planet.

CAFODs local representative in Wrexham, Colette Byrne, added: Were really grateful to Susan for taking the time to meet with us. Climate change is an urgent issue which is disproportionately affecting the poorest communities around the world, so we were pleased to receive her support on the issue.

Find out more about CAFODs work on climate: cafod.org.uk/climate



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Police issue appeal amid concerns for 41-year-old Wrexham woman

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 10th, 2019

North Wales Police have issued an appeal this evening amid concerns for a Wrexham woman.

Arabella Clarke, 41 is described as having a large build, 5ft 5in, brown hair.

Police say she is possibly wearing pyjamas, possibly pink bottoms and a grey hoody top.

Any sightings please contact North Wales Police on 101 quoting X032750.

*We will update as and when police issue an image



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Praise for Coleg Cambrias commitment to student health and wellbeing

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 10th, 2019

Coleg Cambria has been praised by political leaders in Wales for its commitment to the health and wellbeing of students and staff.

Speaking at the Senedd in Cardiff, Alyn and Deeside Assembly member Jack Sargeant praised the north east Wales institutions Future Generation Plan and progress made following the Welsh Governments Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015.

Finance Minister Rebecca Morgan joined Mr Sargeant in encouraging public sector organisations across the country to take a lead from the college, which has implemented a series of systems and processes to safeguard the health, mental health and wellbeing of its community, notably students.

Cambrias Future Generation Plan is underpinned by the seven wellbeing goals that make up the Act, which was itself designed to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales through sustainable development.

In terms of legislation, I believe the Act to be one of Welsh Governments proudest achievements, because it challenges you to think and do differently, said Mr Sargeant.

We are now reaching three years since the Act became law, and there are lots of organisations across Wales that are doing some fantastic work, including Coleg Cambria in my own constituency.

They have created their own future generations plan even though they dont have to. I think they clearly recognise the importance of the Act and the opportunities it presents.

Members of the Senedd welcomed the work of Coleg Cambria, including the Minister, who said: This (the Act) is something that we are all immensely proud of achieving here in Wales.

And I am really delighted that Coleg Cambria and others have very much taken on board the spirit of that Act. Even though theyre not subject necessarily to the Act themselves, they are taking steps to work within the ways of working of that Act to ensure that what they do has a positive impact for the generations that will follow.

Coleg Cambria chief executive David Jones was heartened by the comments and said while the Act is specifically aimed at the public sector and local authorities, the value of their work and size of the institution has an impact on many thousands of people across the region and beyond.

The Future Generation Plan aligns our values, purpose and strategy with the needs of our learners, employees, local employers, other customers, suppliers and the wider community, he said.

It brings together excellent current and previous practice across the college, to provide a strong foundation on which to grow and diversify our work to support future generations.

The Plan also encompasses our new approach to charity moving forward under the brand name Calon, which means heart.

Mr Jones added: I would like to thank Jack Sargeant and the Minister for their kind comments and for acknowledging the work we have put into this.

I can assure them we will continue to develop and take pride in being recognised as a standard bearer for the Act and what it stands for.



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Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-09 21:47:26|Editor: zh

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BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese political advisors gathered in Beijing Saturday to offer suggestions for the nation's economic development and ecological conservation.

Fourteen members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) addressed a plenary meeting of the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee at the Great Hall of the People.

Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, was present at Saturday's meeting.

The CPPCC is an important organ for CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation. It is a major channel for socialist consultative democracy and a specialist consultative body.

The annual session, which opened on March 3, will run until March 13.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-09 22:52:50|Editor: huaxia

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MEXICO CITY, March 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed and several others injured in a bar attack in central Mexico, local media reported on Saturday.

The attack was carried out by a group of armed men at a nightclub in the early hours of Saturday in Salamanca, Guanajuato state, said the reports. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 00:18:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's top climate envoy on Saturday called on global leaders to embrace latest technology in environmental conservation efforts to meet the global resolutions.

Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative for climate change affairs, said that for countries to meet the global binding resolutions, they must embrace latest technology as opposed to using traditional ones.

Energy saving equipment, low carbon schemes should be adopted and green economy development should be established, said Xie, at the opening of the second global session of the UN science policy business forum on the environment in Nairobi.

Xie observed that in an effort to meet the environmental conservation goals that had been going on for some time, it is necessary that the global community set long-term development targets as opposed to short term for success to be realized.

He called on the global community to incorporate local communities, non state actors and the academia in their quest to meet environmental conservation resolutions.

Speaking at then event, held ahead of the fourth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly to be held in Nairobi from March 11 to 15, Xie revealed that the approach has worked in China where local communities have been mobilized to take roles in managing climate change.

He said that through the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation, China has created millions of jobs and also developed low carbon pathways in the country.

"We launched carbon market in 2018 and has reinforced the application of energy saving appliances that are used at home or for commercial purposes in all parts of the country," he added.

Xie revealed that through partnership, the government has helped address climate change and air pollution in major cities and is on the move to meeting the Paris Agreement goal.

The official called for investments in clean energy, adding that the existing global clean energy can meet the needs of human demands if the existing new technologies are applied.

About 2,000 delegates, including environment ministers, industry executives, scholars and campaigners are expected to attend the five-day assembly, which may adopt resolutions that will revitalize the global green agenda.
A Yemeni boy carries a plastic container filled with drinking water from a donated water tank in the ongoing water crisis in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohamed al-Azaki)

SANAA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Yemen has suffered from grinding crisis of water after four years of deadly civil war. According to the UN, over 18 million Yemenis currently lack access to clean drinking water.

Charity water tanks are helpful for the residents on Wadi Ahmed outskirts in the north of the capital Sanaa, which contain clean water donated by rich Yemeni family.

"Generous and rich families now donate clean water. Some international aid agencies have provided some charity empty tanks but they did not continue to provide water," said Yahya al-Kudaymi, resident of Wadi Ahmed outskirts.

The war has destroyed all basic services, damaged water networks, electricity and sanitation system, and forced millions of children out of school. Tens of thousands of state employees have been unpaid for more than three years. Most of the capital residents relay mainly on charity's help.

Yemeni children wait to fill their plastic containers with drinking water from a charity water tank in the ongoing water crisis in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohamed al-Azaki)

When the tank trucks came, the residents rushed to racing for water. It usually takes some 15 minutes to empty the tanks. Residents should store some of their filled buckets for two to three days until other water trucks arrived.

Mohammed Salah, one of the water trucks' drivers on Wadi Ahmed outskirts, said that he had signed a contract with a local charity group for a one-month work to carry clean water to these tanks.

"Today is the last day of this contact deal, and as of tomorrow, I will not be able to provide water to these tanks. I urged charity organizations and groups to continue to help these poor neighborhoods," Salah said.

Charity works depend mainly on the availability of fuel. Sanaa, like other besieged cities in the country's north, faces fuel shortages every month because of the war and blockades.

"The cause of water crisis is the blockade which leads to fuel shortages and halt of electricity," said Abduljalil al-Kumaim, spokesperson of rebel-controlled water ministry.

The humanitarian situations have dramatically deteriorated since the war erupted in late 2014.

Prolonged fuel shortages in the local markets caused water pumps to stop and damaged large part of the agriculture sector.

A Yemeni man pushes a wheelbarrow with plastic containers filled with drinking water from a donated water tank in the ongoing water crisis in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Mohamed al-Azaki)

The country also faces severe shortages in providing hard currency to import needy fuel as its banking system has collapsed because of the war.

The UN has asked for 4.2 billion U.S. dollars in aid to help to ease the humanitarian catastrophe in the country. Nearly the same number of more than 18 million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has been shuttling between the rebel Houthi movement in Sanaa and exiled government in Riyadh amid efforts to salvage the deal, which intended to clear the way for wider negotiations to end the devastating war.

However, there was no solution in sight to break the deadlock in Yemen's peace process. Millions of Yemenis are struggling as the conflict continues.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 02:48:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MEXICO CITY, March 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed and several others injured in a bar attack in central Mexico, local media reported on Saturday.

The attack was carried out by a group of armed men at a nightclub named "La Playa" in the early hours of Saturday in Salamanca, Guanajuato state, said the reports.

Local media earlier reported that at least 13 people were killed at the scene, between four and seven injured people were rushed to nearby hospitals, and one of them died due to serious wounds.

The nightclub is located in the northwestern part of Salamanca, a city affected by disputes between criminal gangs seeking control of the fuel theft from a refinery the state-owned oil company Pemex established in the city.

According to local media, the police found about 70 bullet casings fired by the attackers who later escaped in a van.

Until Saturday morning, the security agencies of Guanajuato had not issued any official information about the incident.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 03:03:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Civil Aviation Authority on Saturday closed Mitiga International Airport of the capital Tripoli for the second time this week after infiltration of an unidentified drone.

"Air traffic is suspended again until further notice in Mitiga International Airport for the same reason, a drone flying in the airspace of the airport at an altitude of 5,000 feet," the airport administration said in a statement.

The statement said the drone poses danger to the airplanes flying to and from the airport.

On Wednesday, the authority closed the airport temporarily for infiltration of an unknown drone in the airport.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 03:03:31|Editor: ZX

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Visiting Chinese professor Yuxiao Chen (R) performs at a concert at Binghamton University in New York, the United States, on March 7, 2019. A Chinese Dizi or bamboo flute concert at Binghamton University (BU), the top-ranking public university in New York, has turned out to be an "ear opener" for local music lovers. Visiting Chinese professor Yuxiao Chen shared with the audience a myriad of timbres of Dizi, one of China's oldest and well-known musical instruments, at the event, co-sponsored by BU's Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) on Thursday at the university's Casadesus Recital Hall. (Xinhua)

NEW YORK, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Dizi or bamboo flute concert at Binghamton University (BU), the top-ranking public university in New York, has turned out to be an "ear opener" for local music lovers.

Visiting Chinese professor Yuxiao Chen shared with the audience a myriad of timbres of Dizi, one of China's oldest and well-known musical instruments, at the event, co-sponsored by BU's Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera (CICO) on Thursday at the university's Casadesus Recital Hall.

The young Chinese bamboo flutist was accompanied by pianist Margaret Reitz, flutist Jeanne Sperber, and cellist Zachary Sweet in the musical fusion of the East and the West.

"Real ear opener! The concert was fascinating. My wife played Western flute (with) the company of Chinese flute. We never get into the Chinese music here like this before," said David Sperber, a resident of Vestal, New York.

"A whole different idea of melody of tonality of timber. The richness in the instrument reflected the traditional culture of the music and form. Everything is fascinating and we have a wonderful time," said Sperber.

"The event is incredible. You guys touched my heart. It reminds me of a lot of memories," said Koji, who is from Japan and now lives in New York City. "It gives me a passion that I want to play instrument. Because I have stopped playing instrument for a long time. It makes me want to start again!"

Graig Fayerabend, a resident of Binghamton, New York, particularly liked the group piece when the cello, piano, guzheng, drum and bamboo flute were played together during the concert.

"I thought it was really special the way they mixed together musically. I have never heard anything like this. In that piece of music, I thought flute was representing life. The sound of flute just like thriving and surviving. The cello like smooth wind. The piano like the running water. The guzheng like the rain passing in the storm," said Fayerabend.

CICO, a nonprofit organization jointly established by BU and the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, is well-known for its promotion of Chinese opera and music, performing arts and culture on college campuses and in communities in the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 03:43:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company is considering approaches to develop the country's petrochemical sector, said the managing director of the company.

Three major petrochemical projects by the company would be operational in the next few months, Jafar Rabiei was quoted as saying by Eghtesad Online news website on Saturday.

"Bid Boland Gas Refinery in Khuzestan Province, urea and ammonia units of Lordegan Petrochemical Complex in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, and two olefin plants at Ilam Petrochemical Complex, costing over 4 billion U.S. dollars, will be launched," Rabiei said.

Besides, Gachsaran Petrochemical Company in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province is another such venture expected to be commissioned by 2020, he said.

Over the past years, the Iranian petrochemical industry focused on the upstream sector, but the policy now is to develop downstream projects, Rabiei added.

Rabiei referred to ethylene and urea as the products that have a bigger profit margin, saying that "it will help create more value added in the petrochemical industry."

He pointed to another petrochemical project in the southwestern city of Andimeshk as the profitable downstream complex, saying the plant is planned to annually produce 300,000 tons of ethylene oxide, glycol ether and ethanolamine to be used as feedstock for hygiene items, detergents, and additives in textile, cement, gas sweetening, refining and petrochemical industries.

According to the report, thanks to the completion of phases of South Pars Gas Field in the Gulf, there has been an abundance of ethane and ethylene supply in Iran over the past six years.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 03:48:38|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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by Alexia Vlachou

ATHENS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Greece is determined to protect its signature brands of products, Minister of Agricultural Development and Food, Stavros Arachovitis told Xinhua in a recent interview after the country's latest victory over the Czech Republic on the spat of "Greek yogurt" labelling.

Although Greek yogurt is not protected with EU designation of product like feta, the flagship of Greece's geographical indications, the Greek government is taking steps to offer brand name protection against imitations that mislead the consumers.

"The designation of Greek yogurt got a late start," the Greek minister admitted. "Our country is in the process to establish a protected geographical indication (PGI) in Europe. It will also be protected in international agreements EU signs with third countries," Arachovitis explained.

But the procedure will take longer, he emphasized. The main difficulty stands on its high reputation inside and outside Europe.

Over the past few years, the Greek-style yogurt category experienced tremendous growth in Europe and the United States. The Greek-type accounts for about half of all yogurt sold in the U.S. with Danone, Chobani and General Mills having the lion's share of the market with 70 percent, according to Euromonitor International, a London-based market research company.

To establish a PGI certification for Greek yogurt, the Agriculture Ministry has assigned to the competent controlling authority, ELGO-DIMITRA at the Athens University of Agriculture, to compile the relevant dossier which will define what Greek yogurt is.

"What Greek yogurt is, its production process, the milk to be used, its form, even its moisture content will all be described in the technical documentation that is compiled by the designated body," he said.

In February, a long debate between Athens and Prague ended which dated back in 2016. According to the Greek minister, the use of the term "Greek yogurt" for products made outside Greece deceives consumers and contravenes EU legislation.

Facing EU probe, Prague complied with the rules and sent to EU a draft amendment to its national laws that will prevent Czech dairies to use the term "Greek yoghurt".

MORE TO BE DONE AGAINST MISUSE

Under the EU's protected name schemes, registered products receive only Europe-wide legal protection against misuse, not internationally.

Every time Europe negotiates with a third country for a bilateral trade deal, the protection framework to prevent rip-offs and imitations of PDO products, EU's quality certification marking products, is examined by case.

In the past, not all deals have been good for Greece. In the EU agreement with Canada (CETA) and African countries (SADC), feta PDO was excluded, permitting white cheese products made from cow's milk be named feta.

According to the certification status, feta PDO is produced only in certain parts of Greece. The white salted cheese, made from sheep's milk or a sheep-and-goat milk blend, matures in brine and its flavor ranges from mild to sharp.

"Feta PDO is the flagship of our cheese variety, like the Parmesan cheese in Italy. It should have been designated for all the continents. It is difficult for us who export to America and Canada," Markos Leggas, a Greek third-generation cheese maker, told Xinhua.

Feta, considered by many as a Greek national symbol, accounts for more than 70 percent of Greek cheese export. It ranks fifth in the list of the 200 European protected cheese regarding the volume production.

Greece's profits reach 330 million euros (369.6 million U.S. dollars) while 300,000 people work in the product line, and another 50,000 farmers produce animal feed, according to the data released by the ministry during the Zootechnia International Fair held in Thessaloniki this February.

Greek cheesemakers require more protection through supervisory controls to safeguard their product. "The only encouraging this period and the last years of the crisis is feta PDO and our export activity. We have turned to exports as the Greek market is out," Leggas said.

Acknowledging the value of PDO status of domestic products, Leggas noted that Greece needs to act more to develop feta PDO abroad.

For his part, Arachovitis said that the Greek government will protect the reputation of Greek products in order to protect Greek farmers.

After Greek yogurt, Greece is taking steps to have the famous "Gyros" to be recognized with the European Union as "Traditional Specialty Guaranteed" (TSG).

"Another category of the EU's protected name schemes which we develop this period are the TSG products that are based on a traditional production method, on the recipe," the Greek minister explained.

So far, a total of 107 Greek products are registered in EU as certified food products, 76 with PDO and 31 PGI statuses, as six more are waiting for approval, according to the EU website for Agriculture and Rural Development. (1 euro =1.12 U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 04:03:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Members of the ruling party SDSM Women Forum held a Women's Day march in North Macedonia's capital Skopje on Saturday, calling for equal rights for all.

Participants marched on the street of downtown Skopje under the slogan "Equal! We can!"

In his address at the event, North Macedonian Prime Minister and SDSM leader Zoran Zaev said that women deserve to be on the pedestal of the society.

"As a member of the United Nations (UN), it is our duty to meet before 2030 the UN's sustainable development goals and to provide overall well-being, gender equality, equal employment chances, as well as decent and equal pay for all," said Zaev.

The coordinator of the SDSM Women's Forum, Cvetanka Laskova said that the forum will continue to fight for equality at every level.

"I am optimistic that by 2020, half of the country's political structures will be women," said Laskova.

Vice President of the Party of European Socialist Women, Mija Javornik, who participated in the march, said that North Macedonia's women have restored the country on the right track to freedom, unity and social justice.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 05:34:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADEN, Yemen, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Armed confrontations intensified between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Saturday, causing partial destruction of a commercial institution in the city.

Local residents told Xinhua that the confrontations took place in various areas of Hodeidah including the 50th Street and Yemen Mobile roundabout, causing casualties from both warring sides.

The local sources said heavy weapons and artillery shelling were used during the hours of confrontations.

A number of mortar shells landed on residential neighborhoods, causing a huge fire that engulfed a commercial institution, they added.

The National Resistance Forces (NRF), a faction fighting alongside the government forces, revealed that it foiled the biggest Houthi attempt to infiltrate into government-controlled areas in Hodeidah.

"In a new military escalation, the Houthi militias launched in the early hours of Saturday the biggest infiltration attempt against the government-controlled areas, but it was aborted successfully," said an NRF statement.

"The Houthi rebels bombed the commercial complex of Ikhwan Thabet with a barrage of mortar shells that caused a huge fire inside the private facility in Hodeidah," it added.

Meanwhile, pro-Houthi media outlets reported that the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces attempted to advance toward the College of Engineering and the 50th Street, but the attempt was foiled by the rebel fighters.

During the past few days, fighting intensified between the two warring rivals in Hodeidah amid heavy deployment of armored vehicles near the frontlines.

It was highly hoped that the Stockholm Agreement on the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah can pave the way for permanent peace in the impoverished Arab country as the first step to end the four-year military conflict.

However, all provisions of Stockholm's agreement were not implemented, and both Yemeni warring parties failed to withdraw their forces from the city's ports and surrounding outskirts and continued to prepare for new military escalation.

Yemeni observers expected that failure to implement the agreement on Hodeidah will open the door broader for the resumption of military operations between the two warring rivals during the upcoming weeks.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia leads an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthi rebels forced him into exile.

The internal military conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has entered its fourth year, aggravating the suffering of Yemenis and deepening the already world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2017 shows Turkish army vehicles deployed at observation position in Idlib Province, Syria. (Xinhua File photo)

ANKARA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Russia started coordinated patrols in and around the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib, the last major area held by rebels, as part of a deal brokered last year, Turkey's Defense Minister declared on Friday.



"Russia will begin patrols in the border area outside Idlib, while Turkish Armed Forces' patrols will start in the demilitarized zone," Hulusi Akar told state-run Anadolu Agency.

The minister also announced that a previous restriction on aircraft of Turkish Air Forces in Idlib's airspace was lifted from March 8.

After a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Feb. 14, Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan said no heavy armed elements were seen during the drone surveillance in the demilitarized zones in Syria.

"It is very important that the cooperation displayed in context of using air space in Idlib, is also displayed for Afrin and region of Euphrates Shield," Erdogan added.

The Russian-Turkish coordinated patrols are aimed to ensure that all armed groups respect the cease-fire as part of a deal reached last September between the two countries over Idlib.

As the supporter of the Syrian rebels, Turkey aims to avert a massive assault on Idlib controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and its adjacent areas, by creating a 15-to-20 km buffer zone ringing the region.

The agreement envisaged withdrawing HTS from the zone and heavy weapons held by Syrian rebels in Idlib city handed over by Oct. 20, but the timeframe is now delayed by the coordinated patrols.

In January, the HTS even enhanced its control of the region by launching further regime attacks in Idlib.

"Turkish army assumes the duty of protecting against the HTS and its soldiers are further pushing into fire line," said Kerim Has, a Moscow-based expert of Turkey-Russia relations.

About the possible risks for Turkey, Has warned that it is still unclear whether the zones the Turkish soldiers are patrolling have been fully cleared of heavy arms.

The HTS and Turkish troops might confront during the patrols, he explained.

But the HTS and Turkey seem to have a "tacit agreement," said Has, pointing to the fact that the jihadist group has never attacked the Turkish troops, and was even reported to have escorted the Turkish military convoy during their entrance to the rebel stronghold in October 2017.

"However ... Turkey can not control the HTS and there is always a risk of attack," he added.

In addition, the Turkish observation posts on the borders of Idlib are also surrounded with HTS militants, the expert noted.

Turkey has established 12 observation points from Idlib's north to south in order to monitor and sustain the cease-fire agreement, deliver humanitarian aid and keep control in case of a massive influx of refugees.

Notably, a military operation against the last rebel stronghold is inevitable despite the delay in the implementation of Idlib deal, Has noted.

Russians want the elimination of HTS, and firstly they hope to see the debilitation of the group by the hands of Turkey, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 06:09:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PARIS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The "Yellow Vest" movement against French President Emmanuel Macron's economic reforms lost steam on Saturday as the turnout dropped to its lowest score since it started in November last year.

The Interior Ministry said about 28,600 people demonstrated Saturday at 1700 GMT, including 3,000 in Paris. This was down from a week ago when there were 39,300 protesters out on the streets, 4,000 of which were in Paris.

The spontaneous action had drew 287,710 people when it started four months ago. To quell the discontent, President Macron offered concessions worth 10 billion euros (11.24 billion U.S. dollars) to improve purchasing power and launched a series of public debates that he promised will lead to concrete measures.

Despite signs of weakening, some of "Yellow Vests" had sought to inject fresh blood into the movement this Saturday by staging a "flashmob" at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, where dozens of demonstrators waved French flags, sang and danced in one of the terminals, television footage showed.

As some want more convergence, female protesters wearing pink vests or purple headscarf marched on the Champs Elysees avenue, joining the social action in the capital. Their attendance added color to the movement which, every weekend, has been mingled by dark-wearing troublemakers.

Carrying pink balloons, child-care workers turned out against a government reform of their unemployment subsidies. Other female activists walked behind banners which read out "precarious women, women at war," or "Equality men women, the account is not here!" to mark Women's Day.

The 17th protest in a row to denounce high living costs and oppose Macron's ruling way was marked by a relative lack of violence. Although, few sporadic brief clashes erupted when riot police used water cannon to disperse a group of demonstrators in the Champs Elysees, after scores of hooded people from the hard-left anarchist group, also called as Black Blocs, had infiltrated the rally.

In Paris, 19 people were detained. 12 others, including a minor were also arrested in Caen, northwest France following reported acts of vandalism and violent standoff with police, according to police figures.

The "Yellow Vests" movement, which began in November last year to protest against a rise in fuel tax that Macron said is necessary to combat climate change, has since turned into a bigger uprising denouncing a squeeze on household spending, high living costs caused by the president's fiscal and economic reforms.

The protestors claimed the reforms favor the rich and do little to the needy.

Meanwhile, an Elabe poll, released on Thursday, found 31 percent of 1,003 respondents questioned between March 5 and 6, were satisfied with the president's performance, up by four percentage points from a month earlier.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 06:24:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BUCHAREST, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Moldovan Constitutional Court late Saturday validated the final results of the parliamentary elections and the mandates of deputies.

According to news reaching here from Chisinau, capital of Moldova, the Constitutional Court recognized the results of the parliamentary elections held on Feb. 24 both in national and single-mandate constituencies, and approved the mandates of the 101 elected deputies.

Thus, the Party of Socialists will have 35 deputies in the new parliament, the incumbent ruling Democratic Party will have 30 mandates, the center-right ACUM (NOW) bloc - 26 mandates, and the Sor Party, seven. The remaining three mandates will go to independent deputies.

The decision of the Constitutional Court is final, not subject to appeal.

President Igor Dodon said soon after After the approval of the high court that the parties should begin dialogue as responsibly as possible in order to determine the future government and the future political destiny of the country.

"I personally, as President of the country, will soon initiate negotiations with the main political forces that have entered the parliament in order to jointly find the optimal solution for the country in the current post-election situation," he stressed, reminding the political leaders that "national interest is a paramount and we should always strive to respect this principle."

Moldova held the quadrennial parliamentary elections on Feb. 24. For the first time in the history of the country, the 101 lawmakers of the parliament were elected on the basis of a mixed electoral system, in which 50 deputies were elected based on party lists in the nationwide constituency, while the other 51 were elected in 51 single-member constituencies.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 06:29:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BOGOTA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12 people were killed following a plane crash in Colombia on Saturday, the Special Administrative Unit of Colombia's Civil Aeronautics (Aerocivil) said.

The plane was identified as a Douglas DC-3 registered at the airport in the city of Villavicencio.

The Aerocivil agency said on its Twitter account that "we regret the accident of the aircraft that covered the route (between the municipalities of) San Jose del Guaviare and Villavicencio."

According to Aerocivil, the authorities have initiated an investigation into the causes of the accident.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 06:44:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NEW YORK, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Four young Chinese artists are to premiere a new and unique ensemble work inspired by Qipao, a classic one-piece, figure-fitting dress for women, on Tuesday in New York City.

Chinese composer and pianist Zhihua Hu, a Global Music Award winner who has worked with many award-winning musicians from all over the world, is to perform her latest composition -- "Woman Who Wears Qipao Dress" with Feifei Yang (Erhu/Vocal), Chen Fan (Pipa) and Wei Sun (Guzheng) in the third Through The Noise Contemporary Concert Tuesday evening at Merkin Concert Hall, one of New York City's finest concert venues.

Through The Noise is a concert series founded by Hu and initiated by professors and student composers at the Manhattan School of Music.

The concert hopes to eventually treasure composers of various backgrounds from different countries and give concerts that truly push the boundaries of what music can be, according to Hu. From Shanghai, China, she started to learn piano at the age of 5 and composition at 10.

The first and second concert series were respectively held in May, 2017 and March, 2018 in New York City. Major participating composers included Germany's Reiko Futing and other artists from West and East.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 06:44:14|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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CARACAS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday that the country was the victim of yet another cybernetic attack on the national electrical system, which was affecting the progress achieved in restoring power outage.

"We received another cybernetic attack at noon to one of the generation sources that was working perfectly, but the fresh attack knocked out all that had been achieved by noon," Maduro said during a speech marking the Bolivarian Day of Anti-imperialism.

The Venezuelan president said thanks to a deployment made by his government on Friday, they had been able to "make progress in continuous recovery process" that restored electricity to 70 percent of the country, which was lost following the new attack on Saturday.

A new electrical failure on early Saturday left several areas in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, where electrical service had been restored, without power once again.

Since Thursday afternoon, large parts of Venezuela has been left without electrical power due to what authorities called a sabotage of the country's central hydroelectric plant at the Guri dam in southeastern Venezuela.

Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said late Thursday that Venezuela was suffering from "technical and cybernetic sabotage" at the nation's central hydroelectric plant, which affected nearly the whole country.

On Friday afternoon, electricity was restored to at least 10 Caracas districts after 20 hours without service, and to several eastern states. However, new power outage hits Venezuelan capital again on Saturday.

In his twitter account, Maduro said on Saturday that the United States, once again, underestimated the Venezuelan people, referring to the sabotage of the hydroelectric plant, which is the country's largest.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 07:49:27|Editor: Liangyu

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SAN FRANCISCO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 students from Northern California (NorCal) Saturday convened for an annual contest here on Chinese language and culture that aimed to build a bridge of understanding between Chinese and American people.

The 15th Chinese Bridge Cup Contest, jointly hosted by the Confucius Institute at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), offered an opportunity for young people from kindergarten kids to 12-graders in NorCal to show off their talent in Chinese language and culture, including calligraphy, poem recital and painting.

The two-day event, from Saturday through Sunday, attracted kids who exhibited strong interests in Chinese culture and heritage.

Clarke Helland, a six-year-old kindergarten boy, told Xinhua that he attended Saturday morning's painting contest by drawing a giant panda and bamboos.

He said he was excited to sign up again for the contest this year to demonstrate his talent in painting, because he was the winner of poem recital in the contest last year.

He said his favorite Chinese symbols are Chinese flag and dragon, which represent power and strength.

Jiaxin Xie, director of Confucius Institute at SFSU, said this year the event has won greater support from the leaders of both the SFSU and SFUSD, and some of them even offered in person to help their students register for the contest or volunteer for the contest.

"A bridge of language and culture connects American students' love for and interest in China's language and culture, which will lay a solid linguistic foundation for their future careers," Xie said.

Christine Facella, assistant superintendent of Educational Services at Riverbank Unified School District in Central Valley of California, said she made a field trip to the event to learn more about Chinese education because her school district wanted to introduce Mandarin as the third foreign language to their language program.

"Working with Confucius Institute and taking opportunities to learn more so that we can introduce our program is the reason why I'm here today," she added.

"Right now we do not have formal Mandarin curriculum at our schools, but we hired two Mandarin teachers who teach basic Chinese language knowledge, in addition to some Chinese culture," she said.

She noted that she was looking for more resources from Confucius Institute on Chinese education for her school district to train their students.

"Giving our students these opportunities to learn Mandarin will assist them in becoming world leaders someday, or maybe world business leaders," she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 07:49:27|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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NEW YORK, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A passenger flight made an emergency landing at the Newark Liberty International Airport in the U.S. state of New Jersey Saturday morning due to a possible fire in the cargo hold, causing a temporary shutdown of the airport, authorities said.

Canada's Air Transat Flight 942 was flying from Montreal, Canada to Fort Lauderdale in the U.S. state of Florida and diverted to Newark at around 8:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) after reports of smoke in the cargo hold, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Boeing 737 had 189 passengers and six crew members on board. Passengers were evacuated onto the runway via emergency slides, said airline spokeswoman Debbie Cabana.

Airport firefighters responded to the scene and the Newark airport was shut down for about an hour. Arriving and departing flights were both delayed for at least 45 minutes.

There were two minor injuries among the passengers, but they were unrelated to the smoke, the airport said in a tweet.

No fire was found in the plane and what caused the smoke remains under investigation.

The airline sent another plane to operate Flight 942, Air Transat said on Twitter. E
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 08:25:50|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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A cholera-infected child lies in a bed at al-Sabeen hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 9, 2019. According to the latest data released on World Health Organization website, the cumulative total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen from Jan. 1, 2018 to Feb. 17, 2019 is 428,317, with 560 associated deaths. Children under five represent 31.0% of all suspected cases. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)
Source Xinhua| 2019-03-10 09:06:53|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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The photo taken on March 9, 2019 shows the opening ceremony of the second global session of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment in Nairobi, Kenya. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 09:59:54|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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CANBERRA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- About one in four voters cannot recognize Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison just two months out from the general election.

A poll released by progressive think tank the Australia Institute on Sunday revealed that 77 percent of respondents could name Morrison when shown a photo of the prime minister and only 28 percent knew Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.

However, Morrison's recognition among his constituents has climbed significantly from 54 percent when he first took power in August 2018.

Julie Bishop, who has announced her retirement from politics, is the most recognizable member of the governing Liberal-National party coalition (LNP) with 82 percent of more than 1,500 respondents identifying the former foreign minister.

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, who will join Bishop in quitting at May's general election, was also in the LNP's top five most famous faces.

Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia Institute, said that losing familiar faces was unquestionably a blow for the LNP which, according to opinion polls, trails the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

"They are formidable political assets and seasoned media performers, as evidenced by their consistently high recognition among the general public," he told News Corp Australia.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who was Morrison's rival for leadership of the party in the August 2018 ballot, was recognized by 68 percent of voters.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 10:24:58|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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YANGON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The 56th Myanmar Gems Emporium is due to kick off in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, expecting to attract over 2,600 gems merchants from China, Thailand, Australia and the United States, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation on Sunday.

The emporium, which is also expected to draw over 900 local gems merchants, will put a total of 274 pearl lots, 500 jewelry lots and 6,974 jade lots on sale at the 10-day event which will last until March 20.

Arrangements will also be made to produce and sell finished gemstones and jewelry besides selling raw gems, said U Ohn Win, minister of natural resources and environmental conservation, when pre-inspecting the display of gems and jade lots on Saturday to be auctioned at the event.

In the last 55th Myanmar Gems Emporium held in June 2018, 495 million U.S. dollars worth of 5,259 jade lots, 3 million U.S. dollars worth of 341 pearl lots and 1.6 million U.S. dollars worth of 69 gems lots were sold under open tender system.

At that event, licensed and authorized buyers from both home and abroad included those from China, Thailand, Canada, Australia and the United States, of whom the majority were from China.

Sponsored by the ministry, Myanmar gems emporium has been held annually since 1964.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 10:55:06|Editor: Liangyu

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Joyce Msuya, the acting executive director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), reacts during an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, March 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

NAIROBI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China's ongoing annual Two Sessions are enriching the global debate on how to accelerate green, sustainable and inclusive growth, said a senior UN official.

At this year's sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), respectively China's top legislature and political advisory body, fresh impetus is being added to the country's green development.

In the government work report delivered at the opening of the annual NPC session on Tuesday, China pledges to make big advances in green development in 2019 and pursue both high-quality development and environmental protection.

Joyce Msuya, acting executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said she is optimistic that China will sustain the political goodwill required to tackle environmental challenges like pollution.

"If you look at China's history in addressing for example the PM2.5, the pollution problem, it took leadership in its own very pragmatic ways and made some progress," said Msuya.

The fight against pollution is one of the "three tough battles" China has vowed to win in order to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020.

Msuya, who once served as the World Bank Institute's East Asia and Pacific Regional Coordinator in China, hailed China's success in shifting towards renewable energy sources and fighting air and water pollution.

The UN official spoke highly of the Chinese government's decision to reduce the production and use of nitrogen dioxide and synthetic fertilizers in the agricultural sector, saying it will help prevent the pollution of water bodies.

With an eye to the upcoming fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4), Msuya said she looks forward to a re-invigorated partnership with China to help address such pressing challenges as climate change, biodiversity loss and waste.

More than 2,000 delegates, including environmental officials, industry executives, scholars and campaigners, are expected to attend the five-day meeting in Nairobi in the coming week to revitalize the global green agenda.

China's pursuit of green development, said the UN official, can inspire other developing countries to follow suit.

"We continue to engage and look forward to learning from what China will do in both pollution, biodiversity but also waste management and chemical use," she added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 10:55:07|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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TRIPOLI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Ambassadors of France, Italy, Britain and the United States on Saturday welcomed the lifting of force majeure at Libya's largest oil field, Al-Sharara oil field, by the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC).

The ambassadors welcomed the decision to lift the force majeure and "immediately resume production at the crucial Al-Sharara oil field," said a joint statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Libya.

"We commend the leadership of United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Ghassan) Salame and the UN Support Mission in Libya in promoting security arrangements that have allowed the NOC to resume its vital work on behalf of all Libyans," the statement said.

The statement stressed importance for Libyan resources to be exclusively controlled by the NOC and the Libyan army "as outlined in UN Security Council Resolutions 2259 (2015), 2278 (2016), and 2362 (2017)."

The NOC recently decided to lift the state of force majeure in Al-Sharara oil field after the eastern-based army controlling the field pledged to expel gunmen from the field and implement additional security measures.

The corporation also confirmed that production in the field will be resumed and proper maintenance will be carried out.

In December last year, the NOC declared force majeure at Al-Sharara following forced closure of the field by an armed group.The eastern-based Libyan army announced earlier in February its takeover of the oil field, which is located some 900 km south of the capital Tripoli and has the capability of producing over 300,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 11:40:13|Editor: Liangyu

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NEW YORK, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Around 30 people on board a Turkish Airlines flight were injured in a severe turbulence before it safely landed in New York City's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport on Saturday, authorities said.

Among the injured passengers, one was taken to a nearby hospital, and the others were treated inside a JFK terminal by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). The injuries were non-life-threatening, with most described as bumps, cuts and bruises, the FDNY tweeted.

The New York City-bound Turkish Airlines Flight 001, a Boeing 777 from Istanbul, had 326 passengers and 21 crew members onboard.

The flight encountered the turbulence about 45 minutes before landing at JFK at 5:35 p.m. local time (2235 GMT). No further information on the accident was available.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 11:50:15|Editor: Liangyu

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HOUSTON, March 9 (Xinhua)-- Collaborative transfer of technology through trade is beneficial to all countries, a U.S. economist has said.

James DeNicco, director of the Principles of Economics Program and lecturer at Rice University, told Xinhua in an interview on Friday.

"Transfers of technology through trade are considered one of the big benefits of trade. We can all learn from each other, become more efficient and raise the wellbeing of all of our people," he said.

Taking the medical industry as an example, DeNicco said, the United States leads in innovation in the medical field with life-saving drugs and medical technology. Trading such technology with other countries could not only help them obtain drugs, but also help them learn from that technology and come up with their own drugs.

"So collaborative transfers of technology, collaborative trade are really good for all countries," he said. "It helps countries develop, it helps countries become more competitive and raise the wealth for their own people."

DeNicco also expressed the hope that U.S.-China technology and economic collaboration will continue to grow so as to benefit both countries.

"I think the collaboration is important. And if you can keep that collaborative environment where we feel like everybody is benefiting from both sides, it's an amazing thing," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 11:55:17|Editor: Liangyu

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Governor of the People's Bank of China Yi Gang attends a press conference on the financial reform and development for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to adopt a prudent monetary policy that will be eased or tightened to the right degree, the country's central bank governor said Sunday.

"Although we no longer use the term 'neutral', the essence of our prudent monetary policy has not changed," Yi Gang, head of the People's Bank of China told a news conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

The policy will stress counter-cyclical adjustment and mean that the increases in M2 money supply and aggregate financing should be in keeping with nominal GDP growth, Yi said.

It will also entail greater support to small- and micro-sized enterprises and private businesses, he added.

China's monetary policy, mainly devised to fit the domestic economic situation, will also take into account global factors and China's position in the global economic system as well as the export-oriented sectors, Yi said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 12:30:22|Editor: Liangyu

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Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China Fan Yifei attends a press conference on the financial reform and development for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China will boost the role of financial technology (fintech) in serving the real economy and forestalling financial risks, deputy governor of the central bank said Sunday.

Fintech is expected to help easing financial difficulties and lowering costs for private enterprises and small- and micro-sized businesses, Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, told a news conference on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

Technologies like neural network can help address issues including information asymmetry and imprecise risk identification, he said, adding that the country will promote the construction of top-level information infrastructure and make financial regulation more technology-intensive, Fan said.

The country has launched pilot programs for fintech application in 10 provincial-level regions including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong in late 2018, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 13:05:29|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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MEXICO CITY, March 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were killed and three others injured in a bar attack in central Mexico on Saturday, said local authorities.

The attack was carried out by a group of armed men at a nightclub named "La Playa" in the early hours of Saturday in the city of Salamanca in Guanajuato state, said the state prosecutor in a statement.

The prosecutor confirmed that 13 people were killed at the scene, and two others died after being taken to hospital.

The dead are all men while the three injured are women who are in a delicate condition, said medical personnel.

About 70 shell casings fired by the attackers who escaped in a van were found by police.

Agents with the specialized unit for homicide investigations are working to identify the bodies and determine the cause of the attack.

The attack came on the heels of a police operation aimed at breaking up a band of fuel thieves known as the "Santa Rosa cartel" in the nearby town of Santa Rosa de Lima.

The state of Guanajuato suffered a doubling of murders last year, making it one of Mexico's most violent regions, official data show.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 13:10:30|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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JAKARTA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Scores of people were wounded after a passenger train derailed off railway in Boogor district of West Java province in Indonesia on Sunday, head of community police in the district Agus Priyonyo told Xinhua over phone.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-10 13:20:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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YANGON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Nine policemen have been killed in an attack on a village outpost in Ponnagyun township, Myanmar's Rakhine state with two others being injured, according to local police force on Sunday.

The attack on the Yo Ta Yoke village police outpost occurred Saturday at 11:20 p.m. local time and the onslaught lasted for around half an hour.

The attack was launched by the Arakan Army, an official of the Rakhine state police headquarters told Xinhua. Some weapons were also taken away during the attack.

The policemen being killed are mostly identified as having officer ranks.